Busy Days and Creative Moments

I'm still trying to get the tutorial made for the star ornament. The past week has been incredibly hectic, but in a good way. The musician who contributes our beautiful music to the Daily Prayer videos was in the area and we threw together a last-minute concert at Bethel UCC in Cahokia, Illinois. We loved it so much that I edited the concert and there are six pieces of it in our worship sanctuary this week instead of the usual weekly worship. If you get a chance, hop over to  Living Well of Bethel and check out Richard Bruxvoort Colligan and his PoMo renditions of the Psalms.
Also on the "why the tutorial isn't ready" list is the fact that my own personal video producer (wife) has been spending a lot of time at her two jobs (since she's the pastor of Living Well of Bethel and co-pastor of Bethel United Church of Christ-Cahokia)  and hasn't been able to set up the camera for me. In the mean time, I have a couple of #WIP pics to show you. I'm trying to design a beanie that is shaped with short rows at the crown. I'm doing a HCD and SC alternating rib stitch on it, so it's reversible, with one side having skinny ribs and one having fat ones.

I got a skein of yarn on clearance and am hoping that I don't run out before the hat is finished. It is not looking good at this point, though. This hat may end up having a wedge of a complimentary yarn, but remember as Bob Ross said, there are no mistakes, only happy accidents!

(I've made a bit more progress since these photos were taken)

What kind of WIPs do you have going? Are you gearing up for the holidays? I try to make all of my birthday and Christmas/Yule gifts but am a bit behind at this point. I really wish people would stop reminding me how close Christmas is!

It is my hope and prayer that you are finding time for peaceful reflection and time to be creative today and every day.

WIP Wednesday!
I'm working on a shoulder warmer/ponchette type of thing with a yarn that is new to me-Knitpicks Galileo in Luminous. It's very soft and lovely to crochet. I am using an Amour hook and it just glides through the fabric.

It's taking a bit of time to do this one as the knee injury has really made it hard to sit for long. That's another lesson I'm learning. I may have time to do things since I can't go anywhere alone or for long, but I can't physically do as much during that time. So this is a case, I believe, of being careful for what you ask.

I'm taking a brief break from video production tonight to post this. Back to work now so Living Well of Bethel has a worship service to upload tomorrow.

Oh, yes...we were able to get a sassy new camera for shooting video, but there is a MAJOR learning curve with it. You may notice some of the issues in this week's service modules but please be patient. We are working on getting things just right. In the mean time, I hope you join us to pray, worship, sing or meditate this week.
http://www.livingwellofbethel.com/
Peace be within you and all about you.

Jane

Two years flies by when you're having fun...

Wow, I haven't been back on this blog for two years! Life's journey really took off and I've been sledding downhill since my last post. I'm going to try to make more regular entries and talk about things have made a difference in my journey of healing and growth. The most amazing thing is, right after my last post, I started learning how to become a video producer and now for over 1 1/2 years I've been daily producing videos for the internet. With peace and joy in my heart and spirit I help make daily devotionals, meditation moments, music video slideshows, green screen technology-worship videos and healthy living messages. It's amazing! Two years ago I was recovering from a nearly fatal illness and now every single day is full. I'm still not able to work, part or full-time because I have permanent damage to my vision, my memory and my balance but my life is more fulfilling than it has been since my children have grown up.
And in the past two years I've welcomed two more grandsons and gotten better acquainted with my other grandchildren and my children. I've found that life after serious illness is a gift and every day is precious.
One more thing I've learned is that gluten sucks! Since eliminating gluten from my diet I have completely been relieved from severe neuropathy pain and most of my fibromyalgia symptoms...and I don't get migraines any longer. I'm off some very potent and hazardous medications and no longer feeling their side effects.
And, Libby, my wife has graduated from seminary and has been approved by the United Church of Christ for ordination. And I got a cat...a really cool cat named Ziggy who we rescued on the very day our website went live. I wanted to call her "GoLive" but was overruled. I'll tell the Ziggy story another day, but let me just say this-she is definitely someone special...sometimes she looks at me and I just ask her, "Who are you?" because I know she, at that moment, is someone's spirit in a cat's body. I know this sounds crazy, but you have to meet her to believe it.
I'm still crocheting every day. I miss making jewelry but with my vision loss I cannot really do it any longer. I know it sounds a little uppity to call myself a fiber artist, but sometimes that's what I feel like. Sometimes, though, I just feel like a crocheter (or a hooker, as some say).
Like the T-shirt says, "Life is Good". Not perfect and sometimes very scary, but good. I am loved and my life is rich. Oh, and the website is www.livingwellofbethel.com  No matter who you are, who you love or where are or have been on life's journey, YOU are welcome here. Love, Jane

Life is a Wonder

I have been living in the St. Louis area for the past three years. My wife turned fifty and realized that she needed to change the direction of her life. She has always felt called to minister to others and, to sum up a very long story, we moved here one vextremely cold January weekend so she could study at Eden Theological Seminary. You may be wondering why my blog starts with her story...but her story is my story and her journey has been my journey. I didn't know what I was supposed to do in St. Louis for 3 1/2 years while she was working on her M. Div, but I knew it was what she needed to do, and I need her so here I am. Since we have been here I have had open-heart surgery to replace my aortic valve and to graft my ascending aorta, a broken foot, gallbladder surgery that I didn't need and several hospitalizations to treat numerous bizarre symptoms. No one could figure out what was wrong with me...I knew I was very ill; I knew I was dying, but no one would listen and no one believed me. Well, that's not true. Libby believed me, my congregation at Bethel U.C.C. in Cahokia, IL believed me and one physician believed me. It was finally discovered that I had a critically high ammonia level (179) that was linked to a medication I had been taking for years. When my symptoms continued to worsen in spite of me having a normal ammonia level, it seemed that nobody but Libby and my family at Bethel knew something was very wrong. And it was. I was hallucinating, I had no short-term memory, I could not stand without falling and my eyes were no longer able to focus well. I am an R.N. and I had no idea what was going on, but I knew I was going to die if someone couldn't find out what was wrong. Finally, 2 1/2 months ago I was diagnosed with Wernicke's Encephalopathy. I rarely drink and my liver tests were completely normal so no one thought that I would have a syndrome that is most often seen in chronic alcoholics...and it turns out I was dying. Amazingly, all I needed was thiamine...lots of thiamine. So after I.V.s and injections and daily supplements I am much, much better. I have permanent brain and eye damage, but that isn't why I am writing this blog. I am writing this because I want to tell you about how I have been healed in many ways...it has been a journey...and I continue on that journey today. Around the first part of October some really amazing started happening in my life. My daughter and I sat and talked for the first time in years, my spirits were elevated, I felt like myself for the first time in so long I can't tell you how long. I don't feel drugged, I don't feel like I'm insane, I can walk and breathe and laugh. I can experience this amazing world-really experience it. I feel joy, I'm not afraid to be alone and I am not bitter that I am forever changed because I couldn't get a physician to listen to me. Call it a miracle or a medical wonder...I just call it my healing. That's all I want to say right now. My next post will talk about the journey-how I got here and why I know that this journey will continue as long as I'm alive. I am writing this because I want you to know that there is always hope, no matter how sick or depressed or afraid you may be. There is always healing.