Christmas Flowers

Some pink camellias to decorate my mantel.

Create and Survive

I just realized my title has been used by a lot of people. Survival of the Craftiest.  Maybe I should change it to Longest Survivor ?  Anyway, crafting is a great way to take your mind off chronic illnesses, to make gifts for others and for some people (not me) a great way to make some extra money.  You cant do anything ????  If you are sitting around anyway you may as well explore some instruction videos and see what looks interesting.  If you keep a journal, make a little drawing on each entry.  Who knows ?  You may have some hidden talent and it only takes some dollar store purchases to get started.  Colored pencils, pens, a notebook and you have begun.  Dont forget to buy a pencil sharpener.  Create!

Girls Poodle Purse

https://www.etsy.com/listing/115353591/pink-poodle-zebra-purse

ReNew and ReUse It

 Add a touch of nature to an old wreath.  I painted some fresh magnolia leaves with a pearlized white paint.  After twisting some wire around leaves I wired them to an old wreath I had purchased from a thrift store.

 Painted bundles of twigs with a stip of muslin tied around them was added last.  I just used what I had on hand.  You can spray paint the leaves and use a glue gun to stick them onto the wreath.  Mine had a metal base so I had to use the wire wrap method.  This will look great of the outside of this door !

My Story in a Bracelet

This is my fibromyalgia survivor bracelet.  Each purple bead represents a year in my life with fibromyalgia.  There is no pattern to the design because the syndrome is so unpredictable.  The purple beads do however come in sets of 3's representing the severe episodes usually lasting 3 years.  The purple butterfly , the fibro symbol, hangs from a larger ring.  This allows future purple beads to be added.  Im not ready to check out yet!
The black beads, some small, some large, are for the pain that is always present.  The clear beads are for the better times when my mind is clear and the fog has lifted.  The pearls are there to show the doctors who have truly tried to help me.  There are only 3 of those.
Faith and hope are hanging in there with the pain; faith and hope for better days.  Oh yes, so you dont have to count, there are 40 beads on my bracelet. Yes, I am a survivor.
 Remember Fibromyalgia Awareness Day on May 12 by wearing purple and telling someone why. Chances are you know at least 5 people with fibromyalgia. We need more research. We need a cure.

Update!  Now I need to add some orange beads to the bracelet.  Diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis also. 2012

Revelation 21:4   neither shall there be any more pain.