Thursday, January 17, 2013

All Good Things Must Come To An End

Well the "In Your Words" blog hop is officially over.  I am kinda sad...I was so enjoying everyone's projects.  I added several ideas to my list. 
 
I so appreciate all of your kind words and I hope that I managed to answer everyone's emails.  Forgive me if I missed you...but I read every one.  Some made me laugh, some made me cry, but each one was a gift. 
 
I promised a "smile" bag to one lucky person and that person is Joyce Carter from Demorest, Georgia!  Joyce I have sent you an e-mail requesting your snail mail address. 
 
I wanted to send a gift to everyone who left me a comment but I can't.  However, some of you touched my heart in a big way.  You shared your pain, your joys, your memories and your prayers with me and I am so grateful. 
 
Three of you asked me where you could get the panel....well, guess what!  Brenda at Mamas Quilt Shop still had 3 of those panels in the store and I bought them all. 
 
So Sharon at Vrooman's Quilts,
if you haven't visited this inspiring blog, jump on over there.  I promise you will come away with smiles and ideas.
 
 
Sandra in Stratford, Ontario, doesn't list any blog, but wrote:
 
Bless you Martha, I had Cancer seven years ago and had a double mastectomy I was 63 and my daughter was having my first Grandchild. My daughter has diabetes and she had just lost one baby at 27 weeks so I had to help her and never mind this pesky old cancer. Fortunately I didn't need Chemo. My daughter was in hospital for 5 months and them had our little Jonah who is our light and he was born blind. I needed to be alive for both of them so here I am 7 years later still cancer free. I had my days that were hard but God was always behind me. We moved to live closer to our daughter and Grandson because she had to go on dialysis and I look after Jonah three days a week and I am thankful that I am able to and I pray that the cancer won't come back but I will to deal with it if it does. I think attitude and faith has a lot to do with how cancer goes and yours is beautiful. I love your panel and what you wrote after about cancer. Thanks for sharing your story with us. I live in Canada and have never seen this panel is there anywhere i could find it on line.
Blessing Sandra
 
 be watching your mailboxes...your panel will be on the way this week.
 
A special shout out to Deb at Living on Air
You know... My mother used to say, "If everyone were to sit in a circle and place their troubles in the middle of the table, you would gladly take back your own". How true!!! After reading your post I had to sit and think a moment.
I was diagnosed with PTSD, after my husband passed away from an 8 year battle with ALS. It has been rough going for me for the past 5 years. However, your post made me realize that my life/health has never been compromised... just my mental state. Thanks for bringing that to my attention!

Deb Hathaway
http://www.debhathaway.com
 
Love what her mother said to her!  And it is so true.  I always find that when I am having one of my own personal little pitty parties (and yes, I do have them occasionally) God sends me a reminder that there is always someone who has it worse than me.  Check out Deb's blog, you will be inspired.
 
Thank you all so much, I have been so blessed by your comments and stories.
 
If you have time jump over to my personal blog
and see what's next on my list.
 
Remember....
Keep Dancing!
Martha
 
 
 

Friday, January 11, 2013

It's Time!

I just love words....don't you?
They can make you laugh, cry, sing, shout and so many other emotions...
they can also scare you and made you sad....
 

!!!!CANCER!!!!

12 years ago...
I heard these words come out of my doctor's mouth...
I was stunned....
Never been in the hospital, never had surgery...pretty much healthy as a horse...
Within 2 months I had had three surgeries, lost my right vocal cord, ate thru a tube inserted in my stomach and was scared about my future.
 
Cancer can hurt you financially, spiritually and emotionally...
 
BUT SOMEONE GAVE ME A CARD TO READ
and I still read it all the time...
and when I found the panel below in my LQS
I knew I had to make a wall hanging out of it for my sewing room...
with bright cheerful fabrics, full of hope and fun...
 
 
 
WHAT CANCER CANNOT DO....
 

It cannot corrode faith....

(It put a small dent in it at first,
until I reminded myself that God did not do this to me, he helped through it)
 

It cannot shatter hope....

(It's been 12 years and I still hope to sing again some day.  I go sit in the choir loft at church just in case something comes out.)
 

It cannot conquer the spirit....

(I still get up every morning and go to work, I still teach classes at the quilt shop)
 

It cannot stifle laughter...

(Well, throat cancer can, but only on the outside.  I still laugh in my head)
 

It cannot invade the soul...

(There's no room for it in the soul....I am all filled up with God's love)

It cannot erode confidence...

( I still do my job everyday, despite the fact that most people have trouble hearing me)

It cannot kill friendship...

(It made friendship stronger, I couldn't make it without God and my friends)

It cannot erase memories...

(Still intact and some more vivid than others)

It cannot cripple love...

(I still love things with the same passion I had before cancer)
 

It cannot silence courage...

( I know that it may come back, but I will deal with it when it happens)

It cannot steal humor.

(I have found that people either whisper back to me or scream at me.  I ask them why they are whispering or tell them "I can't talk, but I hear just fine."  After they get through apologizing I make them laugh by telling them to relax, it's no big deal)

It cannot destroy peace...

(Only I can let it do that and I refuse)
 
To those of you who are fighting cancer everyday....you are my heroes....you are my inspiration...you are in my prayers. I am not making light of cancer, but I refuse to let it dominate my thoughts.
 
Cause you see...
Cancer is a pretty scary six letter word...
but it is, afterall, just a word...
not a state of mind!
 
Everyday, I get up, accept the fact that I have had it and may have it again....
and then I go out and dance!
 
Because, just for today, I am still cancer free!
 
Now drop me a note...tell me your story...and I will surprise one lucky person with one of my
"SMILE" bags with a few surprises in it when the hop is over!
 
 
Oh!  A huge thank you to Linda at Buzzing and Bumbling
and Madame Samm at Sew We Quilt
for hosting this fun event!
 
God Bless You!
Martha
 
and go visit all the other wonderful bloggers who love words....
Monday, January 7
Kwilty Pleasures (Kathy G.)
Sew Darn Quilt (Carolyn R.)
Traveling Quilter (Debbie A.)
Just Let Me Quilt (Carol S.)
Vroomans Quilts (Sharon V.)
Cate's Linens (Catherine R.)
Nini and the Sea (Denise)
Tuesday, January 8
Piece Peace (Patricia G.)
A Stitch in Time (Patty D.)
krislovesfabric (Kris T.)
The Slow Quilter (Felicia F.)
Wednesday, January 9
Kathy's Quilts (Kathy W.)
Sunshine Quilting (Martina S.)
Grammie Q's (Charlotte M.)
Dancing Moon (Carla B.)
Thursday, January 10
Just Sew Sue (Sue B.)
Scrappy 'n Happy (Jess R.)
Sowing Stitches (Beulah aka. Carol)
Just Quilt It (Kathy G.)
Friday, January 11
Jane's Fabrics (Jane R.)
Jane's Quilting (Jane C.)
Nuts 4 Redwork (Heide W.)
Bits and Pieces (Martha R.)
Life in Every Breath (Jennifer B.)
Quilting Lines (Patricia L.)
Meadowbrook (Kristen K.)
Count It All Joy! (Denise P.)
Sophie Junction (Sophie W.)
Monday, January 14
Clothes and Crafts (Maria K.)
Simple Sew (Shirley T.)
Woolie Mammoth (Anna B.)
RocknQuilts (Mary Ann)
Quiltsmiles (Jane E.)
Tuesday, January 15
BQuiltin Studio (Beverly K.)
Hill Valley Quilter (Britt-Inger)
Bumbleberry Stitches (Theresa K.)
In Stitches and Seams (Annette S.)
Englating (Marica from Sweden)
Stitchin by the Lake (Marlene B.)
Selina Quilts (Selina)
Words & Stitches (Beth S.)
Wednesday, January 16
Sew Many Yarns (Lyndsey M.)
Christa Quilts (Christa W.)