Still alive but not well

I have been in h ospital 3 times since 9/27. Just got back home a week ago and am recovering from pneumonia.Things rough here as I normally rake care of my husband. He is trying to take care of me but has trouble standing or walking due to severe neuropathy and lymphodema. He also has degenrative spinal disease and just now is in terrible pain and can barely move. We get some help from his son who comes twice a week to change the compression wraps, and do small chores for us. H\Grandson who live in NC has helped out too but generally it's a disaster are here. I can only bear to be at computeer for short periods. I think it will be January before I can get things back to what passes for normal here.

Catching up

The September Girls kit should have been up a couple weeks ago but I started having health issues.At first I thought it was some virus but. I had no fever. Started making a list of symptoms to discuss with my doctor last Wednesday at my regular checkup. Wednesday came and I was so weak I knew I could not walk from parking lot and down the long hallway to his office. Had husband drive me to ER concerned that the racing heart was the problem. Got an EKG within minutes and was told it looked good. 5 hours later on saw a doctor who felt my symptoms were troubling. Was kept for observation. Returned home Saturday, followed up with my doctor yesterday. He happily told me all those blood tests and all the other (many!) tests were in normal range, no explanation for the continuing symptoms. It was not a good visit because he got irritated that I was emotional. Seems a normal reaction to what's been going on. May need another doctor. Enough about that. Hospital has set me up for Home Health to try to improve my strength. will see what developes.

Another hot August day and a freebie

Had trouble sleeping last night. Itchy skin whichI think is due to mold spores since we've had so much rain latedly. Got out of bed at a little after 5 a.m. and took Benedryl but couldnt get back to sleep. Started on a challenge page and in looking for elements to use, guess what I found? Yes, that big folder with all the Birthday Girls stuff and more/ Just happeened upon it after having done searchespreviously to no avail. So now I've loaded August Girls to dropbox [sigh of relief]. I really love my old computer (using it now) but it runs on Windows 8.1 which is no longer supported. It has been giving me trouble with Google too and dropbox notified me it will no longer support the box I have come September. I'll have to use the new Windows 11 computer which is slower than molasses and use dropbox there. Wouldn't let me transfer this account but has it attached there to my gmail address which I rarely use. I'm going to have to transfer everything to new computer and that is going to be a nightmare All that aside, here is the promissed kit:

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hhgup2gqa6aqldt3nqqqi/ws_AugGirls_ppr_1.zip?rlkey=bg8j5ct86clgmcgtcankmsao3&st=bkcksz0y&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ttqnmhjr95nb0ayj0vimq/ws_AugGirls_ppr_2.zip?rlkey=57h4ivbd0j5a2n7xr07nc38f1&st=he198g0b&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/95uenqu07no21cwo33rqf/ws_AugGirls_ppr_3.zip?rlkey=al2lu98hs5dzmbum9755vkgfa&st=9oyrzrhy&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1j3h2xst3st6k1mhakv60/ws_AugGirls_ppr_4.zip?rlkey=9aw67e6agp0cq7zu5k6525bks&st=qr7iputy&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/42gfmfokesp61z1oc85w6/ws_AugGirls_el_1.zip?rlkey=ijofhlbgzg75rshbwpo6q1hpw&st=xavby6we&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/1jn3jseyax9hr8qb6xr78/ws_AugGirls_el_2.zip?rlkey=sadw5vlwk4cxc2t71m8rio644&st=2e9kmfpm&dl=0

Bad News

I had the August kit ready to be loaded to dropbox but got called away. No problem; I could do it the next day. Wrong! The entire folder that contained all the finished Birthday Girls kits plus notes and partial kits for the remaining months - vanished! I figured one of two things had happened: it got deleted by mistake (that would be huge mistake and costly in terms of all the time I put into it) or somehow I mistakenly moved it into another folder. I'm hoping but so far no luck searchign. Just wanted to let you know I haven't forgotten you.

July Girls

One storm after another here so haven't been on line much. Had hoped to post this days ago but here goes:

Links: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/cqvgsobyzocglrfem4p1p/ws_JulyGirls_el_1.zip?rlkey=yal39y3ltw1qzgb4agm5pqse7&st=y90lqsku&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/q99tmb2yk8rpsyknv7zcc/ws_JulyGirls_el_2.zip?rlkey=9wki3b3a6iusc2vckvjzalgqd&st=1vy1w801&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hu9unjvdydpuybohj83yr/ws_JulyGirls_el_3.zip?rlkey=lm06h74hmsg2s5ptz0u3jz944&st=bxhfepg1&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/n6qhore6cpaxqcxzopq7r/ws_JulyGirls_pprs_1.zip?rlkey=6vmwgkezl1rn6vg43k3fc0ct2&st=gv9zz4yu&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/o5wt9y4sfkl7oczp7z66r/ws_JulyGirls_pprs_2.zip?rlkey=k442o967w69965a136oqi00z9&st=x7fnk8in&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/izuhkrw4rji5iubn717wf/ws_JulyGirls_pprs_3.zip?rlkey=bmeqhnks8622yklmk4k29enxl&st=ua11olub&dl=0 And a page I made with it:

February Girls add-on

Links: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/ft6aqppgpdgfh85yo188q/ws_FebGirlsAddon_el-1.zip?rlkey=d875in6wsdqp79naku58xb4s8&st=78yq75nd&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/bawklzqxbe0dirzzzohq6/ws_FebGirlsAddon_el-2.zip?rlkey=owxiufvutm4k60zr34ecqnjvp&st=ga2en9b5&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/20e6v8lcz3npf28bemdls/ws_FebGirlsAddon_pprs_1.zip?rlkey=xkxq5cd965x9j4z31tfn2nnnn&st=rd2dx0xn&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/mzjnw30p82rsp5ah07yng/ws_FebGirlsAddon_pprs_2.zip?rlkey=p4lv93x3qyc4mdm1cvkz6bqs7&st=pcb4pr28&dl=0

8 days into July and here is what's happening

I just finished the February Girls add-on. In a moment I'll post the information page and the post card zip. Hopefully, later on I'll be able to put up the papers and elements. Things have improved a little here. Got the odor out of the washer so laundry time is back to normal. Garage is still a mess with stuff out in the middle of the floor where it will stay until our friend, Josh, and his son come over to paint over the areas Tyler treated for mold. They will paint with Kilz which won't kill mold but it stops further damage and covers unsightly stains. It's been so darn hot here, we aren't doing much. Had my epidural on June 13. This one hurt like hell becaause the spaces between the vertebra are so tight now. I've gotten offical diagnosis of mild spinal stenosis and moderate to severe formanal stenosis which is pinching 4 nerves. My pain level went from a typical 7 at the start of the day to 4. Still gets worse as day goes on. I now see my orthopedic spine surgeon every three months so he can assess whether my strength is diminishing because of the stenosis and also so he can get me a timely referral for another epidural when I need it. In time I will probably need surgery but we are trying to put it off as long a spossible since it's a complicated procedure. Meanwhile, after being repeate4dly told that appointments for my husband's lymphodema therapy are six months out, we finally secured an appointment at a place in Chesapeake close to North Carolina line. He had one treatment last week and another is scheduled for tomorrow. Since I'm doing better I will be getting to work on neglected housework whenever the temperatres allow me to. Here is the preview for the add-on

This does not show everything. Here are the links to the info page and the postcard zip: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7wwq8wxvy17yz5lvsr9c0/WS_TOU_FebGirlsAdd-on.rtf?rlkey=0oywj8vm88betw99f34qjy1mq&st=4bvfu6f0&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/op66rzn3sfwm51l880id0/ws_FebAdd-on_PC.zip?rlkey=ontfo7ibbhcr0rjjteribaw1b&st=uwe9tsqt&dl=0 As I said with the January add-on, the postcards are mainly for you to see the greetings that have been associated with February birthdays over time. You will find that the birthstone and/or flower on the postcards may not be what we expect. A few of the postcards are of good enough quality and size you could use them in your layouts, but many are not. As for the information I gathered,a number of things surprised me such as medicinal uses for the flowers. Hope you enjoy! BTW - you can add this to your January fact sheet: Carnations are edible! Carnation is used for treating muscle spasms and to improve heart health. It is also useful for treating the problem of hair loss and sore muscles. Consuming carnation tea is proved to be very effective against depression and can lift the mood of people instantly. Carnation tea is also used as a treatment for diarrhea. Snowdrops All parts of the plant are POISONOUS if eaten. However, extracts from snowdrops have proved useful in some medical conditions. They contain an alkaloid, galanthamine, which is approved in several countries, including the UK, for managing Alzheimer's disease. Galanthamine is also used to treat nervous system injuries

Catching Up & new kit

Things have been crazy around here this month. I had bronchitis and just as I was getting over it we had a problem with the house. The hose that connects hot water to the wwasher had burst overnight and we only discovered it when I went to take a shower and found there was no hot water. We just replaced the water heater a yer ago so the only thought we had about what might be wrong was that somehow the pilot light had gone out. But when my husband opened the door in the kitchen that leads down int o the garage we saw a geyser of water shooting out from behind the washer. There were inches of water on the floor and the water had even reached up splashing the rafters in the exposed portion of the attic! He was able to cut off the valve but then then substantial damage had been done. Neither of us is able to do the damage repair. Our grandson came over that evening and managed to get most of the water vacuumed and soaked up but there are cardboard boxes in the attic area the water reached and that needs to be dealt with. There is no mold growing on the rafters where they got wet and a few other places out there. We've been getting estimates for people who deal with this kind of thing. The first wanted $9,000! But it turned out they wanted to do unnecessary stuff. We've had two other estimates in a reasonable range but getting the people to call back with a contract and set a date to start has been like pulling teeth. Meanwhile I've been back to the orthopedic doctor who referred me on to pain management after a month of physical therapy had no effect. I have mild spinal stenosis and moderate to severe formaina stenosis in four places. Basically it means that the spaces between vertebre have narrowed and merves are being pinched. Thursday I went into the ambulatory surgery center for a procedure meant to reduce inflammation. I've had an epidural for this in the past and it wasn't bad. This time was brutal. Afterwards the doctor told me it w as because the spaces were so tight. By Monday I will be able to tell how much relief I'll have. If this doesn't ease things up the next step would be surgery. Despite things being rough, I've managed to complete the June Girls kit and I'm going to give you all the links now. Here is a page I made with the kit for a challenge at Just Art:

The kit preview:

Links: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/dns6t4boy91ikld5dqi0t/ws_-JuneGirls_pprs_1.zip?rlkey=ym7qcb478gw7lgjnavbfm5hx2&st=q76g1lcj&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/xyzc6i8043e7mab5wm3m3/ws_-JuneGirls_els_1.zip?rlkey=o2s0sfoekl6hib30p3n5y8hjw&st=knafb5bb&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/yaj0swyx4jxeij7y8m47d/ws_-JuneGirls_pprs_2.zip?rlkey=zrbke7em8yw29g38b9u9n1r99&st=o5b7rx77&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/btgir9h8zsmh1ej54vsaa/ws_-JuneGirls_els_2.zip?rlkey=vxsh9sj388ojd3ncaqsuzd1hg&st=t9o1vzrh&dl=0 I hope you enjoy this. As things settle down I will get back to you with an addition to February along the lines of what I did for January. But consider that it will be July in just two weeks so we'll have to see what happens.

Last of January Girls add On

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2wxlta6a5qqowp8vy4ryb/ws_JanGirls_AddOn_ppr.zip?rlkey=ib4xbimce9djn5pt02h0at7t8&st=z0xo5on2&dl=0

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/384cd2kuxbe0h4d3oqgo3/ws_JanGirls_AddOn_Flowers.zip?rlkey=fhnsmfjmrjktvd66x11xwu1hj&st=8rht7nnd&dl=0

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/l1q9dowp3l4r9vir2nzqo/ws_JanGirls_Misc.zip?rlkey=1wjipkxsqd0u2e1md563hfl2t&st=zmzrga35&dl=0

That's it for January Girls. I included ladies in fancy gowns, a ton of flowers (hard to find good snowdrop but found an unusal one referred to as "filled" snowdrops - looks full blown), some of those vintage post cards I mentioned, some perfume labels related to the month's flowers, more jewels,the texts on stones and flowers and a couple images of the alternative stones. I did not do indepth research on those but you can follow the links provided if you wish to learn more. And now I can get back to work on June Girls. Hope you enjoy.

Another January Girls Add On

If you haven't figured it out by now, I get a little obsessive when it comes to research. Guess that dates back to my grad school days. In the previous post on January birthstones, I mention the alternative stones but because I do have other things going on, I had to stop myself from delving into more information on them. However, I thought you should have an image or two of the 2 familiar alternative stones. This little zip contains that plus some additional garnet jewels for your stash.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/iky9o39jydi8x9gicjty3/ws_JanGirls_alternatives.zip?rlkey=k1m66sgck06y73bz183wfoz23&st=liiou3rk&dl=0

January Girls Characteristics

No preview for this one. It is those word strips I previously mentioned about characteristics January girls are thought to have. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3cowxd6zl6ctc4w08lqxh/ws_JanGirls_Characteristics.zip?rlkey=t7ips3uxwa05vpqkp0yloodaa&st=ddi0yc8i&dl=0

January Birthstones

Note: this will also be included as a text file in coming add-ons.

Garnet is the major gemstone for January. The word “garnet” comes from the Latin Granatum, which means pomegranate seed. General on colors - Garnets can be found in green, range, pinkish orange, purplish red, even blue but the deep red is the most prized representing sincerity and a strong work ethic. Pyrop is the most well-known species of garnet. This is the one that comes in the famous red color. The name Pyrop means ‘like fire’ when translated from Greek.

History - Beaded garnet necklaces have been found in Egyptian tombs dating back thousands of years ago. The oldest known is from 3800 BC The Egyptians referred to this gem as the symbol of life. Some ancient cultures used to place the garnet directly into wounds to activate its alleged healing powers. Rings carved garnet emblems used in ancient Rome to stamp wax on important and official documents. Bohemia has long been considered the center of garnet industry, however nowadays it is found in many parts of the world including New York City metro area. One of the largest specimens was found in Herald Square and is now in the Natural History Museum. In fact, thousands of garnets were found on Manhattan Island. Rockhounds often search for these gems after big storms as they get washed out and can be spotted gleaming against rock and sand. Some peoples in middle Asia used garnets as bullets, for example during the Kashmir rebellion against British troops in 1892. Many soldiers actually kept those precious bullets as souvenirs. Because garnets are softer than gems like diamonds, sapphires, or rubies, they were often used for engravings. They were also carved into heads of emperors or gods. In Persia this birth gem was considered a talisman from nature's forces like storm and lightning. It was widely accepted that garnet could signal approaching danger by turning pale. During the middle ages this birthstone was its own protection against theft, bringing misfortune to the thief until the stone was returned to the rightful owner. Ancient legends attributed to garnet calming influence over hot tempered individuals. Psychoanalysts used garnets in their sessions. The garnet crystal is a gemstone that has been used for centuries to ward off evil, promote good health, and encourage the wearer’s inner strength. It was believed in ancient times to have healing powers because of its deep red color which symbolizes love and life. Today people around the world believe it can help with physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual issues. Called the “stone of health,” it was believed to give its wearer energy and protect against illness. Because garnets were considered the stone of health and strength, they have been used to strengthen a woman’s milk supply and for fertility. Garnets were also worn by young girls as a charm to protect them from evil spirits. In ancient times, Egyptians used it as a symbol of fertility and long life. Others used it as a stone of rebirth for people who had already passed on. In the Middle Ages, kings wore garnets on their crowns as a symbol of strength and protection from evil.

As symbol - In ancient times, Egyptians used it as a symbol of fertility and long life. Others used it as a stone of rebirth for people who had already passed on. In the Middle Ages, kings wore garnets on their crowns as a symbol of strength and protection from evil. Today it is seen as a symbol of creativity and individuality This dazzling January birthstone symbolizes affection, trust and spiritual devotion. Garnet empowers the individual, increasing will-power and self image while aiding in soothing nervousness. The Garnet pushes you to challenge adversity by providing directional guidance and is believed to protect the traveler. It could enhance foresight and bring fortune. It is considered to be energizing, cleansing, and provide courage. It has been highly prized as an engagement ring gem. Parting friends would often present garnets to each other as it was supposed to preserve friendship.

Healing use - It is, or has been, thought to help heal physical ailments by offering relief from pain caused by arthritis, skin disorders, muscle aches, gout, neuralgia (a chronic pain disorder), or rheumatism (inflammation of joints). It is said to provides protection against heart disease because it strengthens the heart muscle over time. Wearing garnet can lower the risk of liver disease because it has strong antioxidant properties that help to strengthen the organ over time. It also helps your heart, lungs, and blood. Other conditions it is thought to help with include: anxiety or depression, increase sexual desire, stimulate metabolism for effective weight loss. regenerate DNA, so it’s useful for treating genetic disorders. Additionally it is said to help you think more clearly, restore positive energy and dispel negative emotions , boost self-esteem , reduce inhibitions, encourage kindness, generosity, and nobility. It is a stone of protection and provides courage to face your fears, bring good luck, and help gain your spiritual goals If that weren't enough it can help you attract your true love as well as help you recall your past lives and learn from any mistakes made. In short, you could call it a miracle stone if these beliefs were true.

Alternatives - January major and alternative birthstones are Garnet, Onyx and Jasper. In addition to that Amethyst, the Aquarius birth gem, and Chalcedony, a Capricorn birthstone, can be considered. All January birthstones make up a choice of at least 4 gems. Onyx - guardian angel birthstone for January Jasper - January special apostle birth rock ( for apostle Simon Peter, aka St. Peter) Chalcedony - Capricorn birth gem Amethyst - Aquarius January birthstone

A little taste of January add ons

In the past birthday postcards featuring the month's birthstone and/or flowers were very popular. Where possible I will share these vintage copies with you.

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/5jq38t9ftuojbfskq9s94/ws_JanGirls_postcards.zip?rlkey=rjrjh0tfr4k5dwlo8relt3mkm&st=9tgh8qnx&dl=0

As promised some birthstone information

General Information about birthstones Each month has a tradional birthstone, also referred to as as the major birthstone. There are also alternative birthstones. From my reading it seems that the major reason for alternative birthstones is affordibility. Jewelers wanted to sell more birthstone jewelry so they are largely responsible for offering the idea of alternates. Additionally, in some cases the major stone is hard to come by because of such things as accessibility ( that is, finding the deposits and mining it) or scarcity due to over use (more on this as those instances come up).

Further, there are cultural, Biblical and astronomical (zodiac) reasons for the assignment of stones to different months and zodiac signs. In a book published in the late 1800s by George Frederick Kunz, he writes : "The Jewish superstitions relating to gems were probably derived from earlier races and adopted by the Arabian philosophers in their works, by which they became known throughout Europe. The influence of gems was believed in until early in the 17th century, and in regard to some gems up even to the present century. The association of a special gem with each month was probably suggested by the original breastplate of the High Priest, which contained twelve gems, one for each of the tribes of Israel. The original breastplate was a span long and a span high: 1 span = 8 inches. The arrangement by months came in vogue during the 15th and 16th centuries, but was first suggested in the seventh century, although it is attributed to the Jews, Romans, and early Arabians."

Although I used a variety of sources and, shame on me, failed to document all (as originally the notes were for my personal use), there is one favorite source I want to recognize as you might enjoy reading more. The author(s) "used the 4 most unique arrangements of birthstones: by birth month, guardian angel birthstones, by zodiac sign, and special apostle birthstones list." Link: https://www.birthstone.guide/january-birthstones Another interesting site, one that deals more with the healing aspects is: https://www.crystaldigest.com/crystals/ and https://www.gempundit.com/ If you want to learn about really rare stones and crystals, try this site which focuses on healing aspects of stones in alternative therapy and spiritual growth. https://www.crystaldigest.com/crystals/

Note about Dropbox

My dropbox is almost full so I will be removing anything before the Birthday Girls series to make room for next months. Grab whatever you want before Saturday.

May Girls

Links: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k62xsg6hgu1gt7zjbfd6o/ws_MayGirls_els_2.zip?rlkey=ccf6ahzrhr57r9e21bbwpcs8m&st=65zsg1p9&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/pw3oghvx9jov1en63644l/ws_MayGirls_pps_2.zip?rlkey=3lpvvhqghv2908srsxtibj71h&st=b2ojnvwi&dl=0

May Girls

Believe it or not, May Girls is ready!

You get half the links today, the other two on Thursday. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/3wrik4kkpqgtgawn0drgn/ws_MayGirls_els_1.zip?rlkey=nymjm0xialsh4m04x1oox410e&st=8ff6votl&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/aike29khkz3u6rz9e4g1l/ws_MayGirls_pps_1.zip?rlkey=ypykiyc78kyckoorlsgf9ceyk&st=qkae1pii&dl=0 I've also made good headway on add-ons for January. I've made some word strips with a vellum like backing that deal with characteristics that are often associated with those born in January. There will be small cards with an image of the two birthday flowers with notes on what they symbolize. Haven't started the birthstone bit yet but you will get some history in text and I'm thinking about how to display the birthstone symbolism. I'd also like to give you a few things that I feel were left out of the original kits. For example: papers featuring the flowers (you'll find these already in May) and where there wasn't at least one woman in evening wear, one of those. Different kits will "need" different things. I hope to have the January add-on finished by Monday. You will notice that some months have more papers and elements than others. It isn't me favoring one month over another but a case of what I have that will work and what I can find. An I'm back to work on January add-on. Hugs!

April Girls

It's ready!

Links: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/rn95zoeahowhq3gm8gg4g/ws_AprilGirls_el_1.zip?rlkey=m47l9x5di4sjw4yuv6iis9hmn&st=0b8bsral&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hfpemayi768t2y2t0b6ir/ws_AprilGirls_ppr.zip?rlkey=h3z5d7nd16fmjgiv4zuwvqs8d&st=9wdtqz6e&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/7i06zln8sgvvf6zjwsjo6/ws_AprilGirls_el_2.zip?rlkey=5l9zlio3sfykzontv20guwrx1&st=61pp5fla&dl=0

About Birthday Girls

I'd like to take a few miments to talk to you about this year long project I started: Birthday Girls. I think I first got the notion while talking to a friend about birthstones. I was fairly certain I knew the birthstones for every month. It seemed natural to also include birth flowers so I began looking into those for months I wasn't familiar with. And I briefly took a look at whether certain colors were associated with each month. Let's dispence with monthly colors first. I found a little information on that; it seemed to be put up by wedding planners. Some of the suggested colors struck me as ugly. So I decided I'd mostly go with colors of the birthstones associated with the month. Where that isn't sufficent to make a pretty kit, I came up with my own color scheme. I've long enjoyed the Victorian "Language of Flowers" so it was fun to see what flowers are associate with each month and what they meant according to that old tradition. I'd like to include some of that information and you've seemed interested so what I plan to do to do small add-on for the months that will include flower and birthstone meanings and a little more. In some cases I've also added some flowers that aren't assigned but go with the color scheme. While the flowers seem to have remained constant over the years, the same cannot be said about birthstones. Looking back in time some of the birthstones we associate with the months are different than they were, say, in Victorian times. Also new stones have been discovered over the years and incorporated in the tradition, no doubt by jewelers. For instance, the birthstone for March used to be bloodstone. You hardly hear of that today. I don't find it a particually attractive stone and am quite happy with the aquamarine. However, it was quite popular at one time. When I get those add-ons together I'll share what I learned about it that made it popular and has made it scare. Another example would be April with the traditional birthstone of diamond. Diamonds are well loved but quite expensive and today you may see clear quartz suggested as an alternative. At this point I've all but finished April Girls and should be posting it soon. I realize we are about the third through the year already so I've got some making up to do! Bear with me please as I try to keep up with the main birth month kits while throwing in some miscellanious kits in as well as doing my part in Just Art.

Oops! Rest of March Girls

So sorry I'm late posting rest of the kit. Had a bad fibro flare-up starting last Friday and was unable to go to PT on Monday but made myself go on Wednesday. Didn't cause more pain but was exhausted when I got home and forgot I needed to post.

Links: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/a8177rm1efxpbaznghh4e/ws_MarGirls_el_2.zip?rlkey=v7jipfaretoicxszdm91en4vt&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/q2nq6ck0wdxvycwhsi493/ws_MarGirls_ppr_2.zip?rlkey=ph45wdgzpg5vdw0ehplwlzrno&dl=0

Better late than never

At long last I can post March Girls

There are 4 zips, two of which I'm posting today with the last two on Wednesday. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6bvl06ieyd452z57p5zih/ws_MarGirls_ppr_1.zip?rlkey=eygy59uk5musbywzj1myvc6is&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9uvz5rsdqv2wq7tst2g22/ws_MarGirls_el_1.zip?rlkey=9b21ypqp3p67k3p2gtzc67arg&dl=0 And yes, April Girls will be available before the end of the month.

Easter Time

Been a bit crazy here with husband having 2 cataract surgeries. I've been doing any driving needed and running him to appointments etc. Next week I start physical therapy and will have appointments Mondays and Wednesdays for a month. Meanwhile, I did get a small Easter kit put together for you:

Links: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/i9s2w2pp0pmvczll1dqyq/ws_EasterTime_el.zip?rlkey=1t44iblwqhb17nst4i9ojv312&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/hpycpjn1rkgubp18ownmm/ws_EasterTime_ppr.zip?rlkey=oamdly6061h87rb6w834r4shi&dl=0 Have not finished March Girls. It will be late but still coming. Hope everyone is doing well!

Happy St. Paddy's Day!

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/a3l76nzmlx0cxyfgpi0ub/ws_StPAddysDay2024.zip?rlkey=neozhzm4f9rrfvgy6aoke66tz&dl=0

February Girls

This looks to be the last kit of the month. Kit includes 12 full size papers and 30 elements, not all of which are shown in preview. Please note: if you are a registered member of Just Art you will find some duplication with the Color Pop_ Purple I shared with members. Lots of different stuff in this kit too. Hope you enjoy.

Links https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/212ci87p4opagpi1l90jm/ws_FebGirls_pprs_1.zip?rlkey=3jpjfjq1i63tyhsmegsbwlghk&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9d61w3vd3jx5swfh5qtsn/ws_FebGirls_pprs_2.zip?rlkey=dnx8nom5jgqy83atmsymrlppd&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4h3tdeutwbsxd4y00xqsv/ws_FebGirls_els_1.zip?rlkey=ilvnrnx17r1oe2e39qojpsbiv&dl=0

Update

Hi everyone, Hard to believe but this month is almost over! I have completed a February Girls kit for you but it will probably be tomorrow before I can post it. Here is a preview. Not everything shown on preview.

I also intend to do two things I hadn't originally planned on. I post mini- kits (often actually full kits) as part of my hosting duties for Just Art. These are often keyed to the color of the month challenge color. I happens that in January the color was red and this month it is purple. Both fit in with kits I was putting together for the birthday girls kits here. I plan to give you both of those mini kits since they tie in with our birthday girls series. Now you are going to find some duplication - may be even a lot of duplication with the kits I give you here but there are some differences. So you can decide it it is worhtwhile for you to download these and add to your birthday kit folder. Ideally, I would go through the mini kits and just pick out what would not be duplicates and give you the non-dups as an add-on but I just don't have time to do that right now. So download or not as you please. In addition, I wonder if you might be interested in some related wordart? Like meaning of the birthstones and birth flowers? Again, not happening right away. March is going to be very busy. I'm going out of state for several days to see my son and DIL. Might get snowed in. March holidays are st. Paddy's Day and Easter and I have 3 hosting duties on Just Art. For JA I need to set up challenges for Artist Trading Cards - 3 options plus examples, a mini kit, and a color pop. So digitally I'll be busy. Plus my husband will be having 2 cataract surgeries and I'll have follow-up related to the MRIs I have to go for on 2/25. Can't predict how all this will play out. However, I so enjoy digital art and find it a real solace in rough times so you can bet I'll be at the computer as much as possible. Then too, there is housework and as much as I lothe that, some is certainly necessary.

The last of Kingdom of Frost

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/0bfswme9bq2e8r49zbeol/ws_KOF_el_3.zip?rlkey=prwrrp3j5ieognjm637eij98n&dl=0

Kingdom of Frost continued

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/op0sq399pik3ikfi8blur/ws_KOF_el_2.zip?rlkey=4g16yzjz4jrmonh6pqx4akhcc&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/k6mzdbx6nvso014xw7lj1/ws_KOF_ppr_2.zip?rlkey=qbb0s6fw5qihx9yxlh9v2312m&dl=0

A new Winter kit

Last week was full of doctor appointments - mine and his. Since hubby's eyes are bad right now, I'm having to transport him around. Got his surgeries (cataracts) scheduled for after I return from visiting my son. Had trouble getting my MRIs scheduled. Seems the local hospitals are short handed for radiology. Won't be going until near the end of the month. On the other hand, my right sided pain seems to be slacking off. Hoping the MRIs will provide some answers on why I'm having these nerve issues. Also good, my dentist could find nothing wrong in the area (right side again) of my jaw where I've had pain. He spotted a tiny place on old filling that he will restore but x-rays showed no issue there so he thinks the occassional pain there is a nerve too. Today I will start giving you Kingdom of Frost.

Link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/6ipwadvyjq49l32isq0j7/ws_KOF_ppr_1.zip?rlkey=rn66x8r37iw3on80zw7j46zxd&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nn9gzm9fjvavdvo049u7l/ws_KOF_el.zip?rlkey=gmqpb02ptg22dw8zc3zpl1emg&dl=0

It will soon be Valentine's Day!

It's been awhile since I've posted, I know. Have lingering effects from my fall weeks ago. Right now the most troubling one is increased neck pain and tingling down my right arm. Had a visit to ER about the knee and was told it was just a bad sprain (after x-ray) and it was wrapped up. That's fine. Had a CT of cervical spine and was referred to orthopaedics. Of course, it takes a while to get in. The doctor there following up on my ER visit took more x-rays and announced "Your neck looks terrible!" The spine isn't his area of expertise, so he referred me to a member of their spine team. Another appointment. We talked about the artritis and degenerating disks in my neck and he did a basic evaluation. In doing so he noticed my trouble with balance showing in a wobbly walk and asked if anyone had ever told me I have some weak reflexes in my legs (MO). 've had a balance problem for years, was told it was probably due to brain damage from auto accident as there was nothing wrong with my ears. Did vestibular therapy and can normally do fine unless I am ill or over-tired. But since fall, balance has been worse. He has ordered MRIs of my cervical and thoracic spine. My husband's cataracts suddenly became much worse. We spent 3 hours on Monday getting an evaluation and scheduling his surgery. The good thing is they will also be able to correct his asstigmatizim and his glaucoma. In between all this I had a breast cancer scare. Fibroid cysts aren't new to me but those usually show as round or oval on mammograms. Instead, they found an assymetrical growth in my right breast. Another mammogram plus an ultrasound was scheduled. Afterwards, the radiologist said she couldn't say for certain whether it is a cyst or something worse. Will go back in six months for another ultrasound and more information. But I think allowing a six month wait sounds promising. During the last big storm we had here, I found leaks in the garage. We had to have a new roof put on. Between that and all the doctor visits 2024 has been busy and expensive. Sure hope the year is treating you better. Despite all this or maybe because of it, I've found solace in digital design. I'm hosting 3 challenges this month at Just Art, playing the other monthly challenges and have put together for you a Valentine's Day kit and a Winter kit. If Virginia is going to get any snow it is usually in February so snow was on my mind. Since Valentine's Day is so close, I want to give you "Young Love" now

Links: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/if0h1bbz540hn318icneo/ws_Young_Love_el.zip?rlkey=2mcdj92dxtkvc8w0o9kd4f65w&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/zh54rs9inj7grubgxwwcx/ws_Young_Love_ppr_1.zip?rlkey=p6hdt6khns2r6nyhplwjl9x1t&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fwsuerkr2nruugwbsvlxv/ws_Young_Love_ppr_2.zip?rlkey=9pnxrcfo7pesayy4e972in4c3&dl=0

Let's try this again

Okay, this January isn't going well in so many ways. I've been told there is some problem with the zips for The Sophisticate. Here are the links to all six zips again. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2irw31xt2p4prkls5vyag/ws_TheSophisticate_el_1.zip?rlkey=mxtea92sw51v4n4tfcavku0u8&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/eq0d38yx1bz2a7tldb17c/ws_TheSophisticate_el_2.zip?rlkey=a52hlhhxpabf3ru69tcvtawdv&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2dq2hjowy9ksy2dtjal4d/ws_TheSophisticate_ppr_1.zip?rlkey=sirshwijzjvdwb0ge3jgbs3eh&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qz8dlml2aid5hdt5h2ee0/ws_TheSophisticate_ppr_2.zip?rlkey=yo3mc63j4xa2f53j75jpd5u27&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/z84pn5eai0ubz2y2dsycu/ws_TheSophisticate_ppr_3.zip?rlkey=yzwj31kc5c03b5jmn07fwjmdv&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gdzz320gq06me7ntjyhlb/ws_TheSophisticate_ppr_4.zip?rlkey=13nvuedncbh7gaypk7un6fm1s&dl=0

The last of The Sophisticate

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/eq0d38yx1bz2a7tldb17c/ws_TheSophisticate_el_2.zip?rlkey=a52hlhhxpabf3ru69tcvtawdv&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/gdzz320gq06me7ntjyhlb/ws_TheSophisticate_ppr_4.zip?rlkey=13nvuedncbh7gaypk7un6fm1s&dl=0

More Sophisticate

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/eq0d38yx1bz2a7tldb17c/ws_TheSophisticate_el_2.zip?rlkey=a52hlhhxpabf3ru69tcvtawdv&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/z84pn5eai0ubz2y2dsycu/ws_TheSophisticate_ppr_3.zip?rlkey=yzwj31kc5c03b5jmn07fwjmdv&dl=0

How is 2024 Treating You So Far? & New Kit

Hope you are having a good New Year. Our first week wasn't too bad. We learned my husband's vision was worse and cataract surgery is going to be scheduled; not a surprise. We had ordered a new battery pack for my Dyson stick vacuum which had stopped holding a charge and kept going on and iff when I tried to use it. Hubby cleaned everything on the machine, put in the new battery pack and charged it and got same results. Later, talking to my son I learned he had experienced the same problem, tried everything and finally gave up. Plus hubby learned that the battery packs can overcharge and explode! This week? I'm hoping it doesn't continue like yesterday. I had ordered a Shark upright vac from Amazon and it wasn't expected until Monday. My husband decided to go to the grocery store right after opening and came home, lugging bags up to the porch to find a big box (the vac) blocking the doorway. He was outside calling to me (okay yelling my name). I was sleeping and had to get up, throw on my robe and rush to the door not knowing if something was wrong with him or what the situation was. In my rush, I somehow tripped, couldn't catch myself. Hit hard on my right knee and went down completely. He, of course, had no idea what was taking me so long. Took me a minute but I managed to get up, limp to door, and take the bags he was holding out to me as he tried to move the box completely away from door opening. We got the groceries into the kitchen and the box in the house. He had picked up breakfast so I ate that then swallowed 2 extra strength Tylenol, grabbed an ice pack from the freezer and headed to bed where I could put my legs up. And that did for my day! When I ventured into the living room later, I learned that the sound on our TV is going in and out. Well, we've had it many years now. So now we will be needing to get new TV; he can't get through the day without it. Still, things could be worse. I didn't break anything in my fall and we can afford to replace the things we need to. Now better news. I have a new kit for you that is suitable for any New Year's party photos you might have or any such occassions.

A couple of zips while I wait for Tylenol to kick in, then more another dayu. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2irw31xt2p4prkls5vyag/ws_TheSophisticate_el_1.zip?rlkey=mxtea92sw51v4n4tfcavku0u8&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/2dq2hjowy9ksy2dtjal4d/ws_TheSophisticate_ppr_1.zip?rlkey=sirshwijzjvdwb0ge3jgbs3eh&dl=0

Correction on January Girls

It was brought to my attention that I made an error in first post of January Girls and gave link to papers_1 twice. Here is the link to elements _1 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fuwu43t6xdj2dd727da4o/ws_JanGirls_el_1.zip?rlkey=hlop8ignj54ep26fasbu8nmjo&dl=0 I'll also correct this in original post.

January Girls part 2

https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/4g6f490pre0a118by44zf/ws_JanGirls_ppr_2.zip?rlkey=cbb63sr1bdmots4qv5nnglrpd&dl=0 https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/nnlz5gb19ezorihmvd6ac/ws_JanGirls_el_2.zip?rlkey=vjhzomhiz6mbvn7o9hu00f5mf&dl=0

Happy New Year!

Hope everyone had a wonderful Christmas.Ours was pretty quiet this year. We need have a surprise visit from a friend who lives in Nellys Forge, VA (near Wintergreen) and then on 12/26, our grandson and his little family came over after GDIL got off work. We had turkey leftovers together, then played with baby Taylor who is now 8 mpnths old. such a sweet, happy baby! She is now sitting up and babbling. I got on the flooe on thw quilt we'd spread for her and her mother and I introduced her to her new toys. She played quite happily - her idea of playing right now largely consists of sticking everything in her mouth. Got to taste all sides of things lol. Later, while she was sitting on my lap, she grabbed my thumb and stuck it in her mouth and gave it a light bite to show off her 3 teeth. It was so cute how she let go after the little bite, leaned back and looked up at me with a big smile. She's a charmer!

I had pretty much completed a kit for you when a friend and I got to talking about birthstones. I needed to make a mini kit for my challenge on Just Art and decided I'd start with January's birthstone and flowers and see where it took me. I just kept adding things. It only needed to be 6 papers and 12 elements. So, I made up the mini to post on JA 1/1 then combined it with all my additions to make a kit for you I'm calling January Girls. Here is the preview:

There are 4 zips. I'll give you the first two tonight and the others Wednesday. https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/9u4atj0t835bsc7q4li6a/ws_JanGirls_ppr_1.zip?rlkey=k97xwm0me4wvnzauqsjitfwut&dl=0 * corrected link: https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/fuwu43t6xdj2dd727da4o/ws_JanGirls_el_1.zip?rlkey=hlop8ignj54ep26fasbu8nmjo&dl=0