I'm a lucky gal ... and it still hurts ...

The good stuff first!!!! I'm a REALLY lucky gal ... in the past few weeks I've received some truly wonderful gifts from some truly wonderful friends ... sorry about the quality of my pictures ... no matter how hard I try, I take the CRAPPIEST pictures ...

A swap that I'm doing with a sweet, sweet prim friend, Grace ... how awesome is this???? The hooked snowman ornie ... WOW!!!! Grace's hooking is PERFECT! That girl can pull the most EVEN loops ... incredible. The prim dolly with the little Bible in the stitched pocket is just toooooooo sweet. Love her to bits. And how about the pinkeep on the antique bobbin? I LOVE this!!!! Very different, very creative. And it's all mine, mine, MINE!!!! lol I hope Grace enjoys my gifts as much as I'm enjoying hers ...

Isn't she SWEEEEEEEEEEET????? My good friend, Terri, searched high and low to find this tin head dolly for me. Only she knows how much I've regretted setting one down at an antique show a couple of years ago and having someone else snatch her up. And she found this sweet little gal for my birthday ... and then stitched up her dress from beautiful cotton indigo. I absolutely LOVE her! Her name is Emma ...

Terri is sooooooooo creative with her soldered ornies! I just don't have her "eye" ... I wish I did ... I love this little gal to bits!!!!

Some sweet gifts from my dear friend, Linda ... antique children's shoe molds, a wee hurricane lamp ... a nutmeg grater with a few spices - nutmeg, cinnamon, and ginger. Linda is incredible ... she remembers every single little thing I EVER tell her ... and never misses the opportunity to make sure I'm ok and make me feel better ... a little gift in the mail ... a friendly e-mail timed just right ... I swear, she has a nose for when I need her most. Every woman should have a friend named Linda ...

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On the dark side ... it's 10-1/2 weeks post-op ... and CRAP!!!!! This friggin HURTS still!!!! I'm sad ... REALLY sad ... I am beginning to think that I'm not healing well even though my therapist says I'm doing fine. There are times when I think I can almost see a glimmer of a light at the end of the tunnel ... and then the pain sneaks up behind me and swallows me whole again. On top of the shoulder pain, my "wing" (upper back) has been incredibly sore for a few weeks and my therapist said tonight that she's wondering if I possibly have a displaced rib (oh wow, how GREAT is THAT??????) ... my bicep is so darned sore, you'd think I've been olympic weight training or something (NOT!!!!) ... my necks feels like I was in an auto accident and got whiplashed ... and the worst and scariest thing for me ... my elbow is shot. I had tendon release surgery two years ago on my elbow for acute epicondilitis (horrible tennis elbow -- and I don't even PLAY tennis!!!!!) ... and it feels like it's BACK (you have NO idea how much this makes me want to cry) ... along with some good, banging, jolting nerve zaps that about take my breath away when they zap. Tonight my therapist started a new laser treatment on my elbow, and e-stim'ing my wing instead of higher up my shoulder. I know I looked like Robo Chick hooked up to all the machines tonight ... wires everywhere, packed in ice, propped on my pillow ... yep, Robo Chick for sure ...

Proud mom ...

I just have to tell you ... my son was awarded his DOUBLE EXPERT MARKSMANSHIP ribbon ... complete with star!!!! He also was one of five men selected in his flight to throw live grenades. He said it was AWESOME and boy, are they LOUD! lol He has a little over a month to go in his advanced training in the Air Force security forces. Today he leaves for a three week "roughing it" field training jaunt. Love, love, LOVE my Airman ...

my buddy, my pal ...

here it is, the ol' torture device ... the dreaded immobilizer ... i hate it ... i love it ... we go round and round with this love/hate thing ... i think i'll miss it when it gets put away next week ... NOT!!!! ... well ... maybe just a little ... it's been my constant companion for the past seven weeks ... might be a little sad to finally kick it to the curb ...

working on the website ... finally ...

tomorrow begins week 7 post-op! yippee!!!! i'm out of the immobilizer up to 6 hours a day now ... and hoping to toss it to the side next week!!!! still no lifting, reaching, pushing, pulling ... no real USING the arm ... and still can't pull on my own jeans, dang it ... but getting better, a little better every day ... today's my first day working full-time with a 75 minute therapy session right after work ... the ol' tail feathers will be dragging tonight ...

i spent a good portion of this past week-end one hand dusting around the Attic and doing a little updating ... check it out if you have a moment ... www.auntpollysattic.com ... some new (and old) left hand productions, several vintage domino necklaces, and several soldered microscope slide necklaces too ... i've got so darned many things that need to be added to the website ... now that i feel good enough, i don't have enough time to just get 'er done ... murphy's law i guess ...