A "catch you all up" on a personal note. . .

My blog has fallen to the bottom of my list - just for a few weeks - while I catch up and get ready for 2009. I have a few things new and different for 2009 since I last blogged. The first needs an introduction... We have a new member in our family, Cheeto, who is a sweet orange kitten we adopted at the Dumb Friends League on Halloween. She is such a great cat, and i see many late night studio adventures in our future together. (photos to come)

Then we have this new thing called "chiari" It sounds like a cool new yogo pose- but its actually called Arnold Chiari Malformation. I was diagnosed with this before Christmas. I had been having strange enough symptoms that made me take note. While working too long, late and hard getting ready for the KC show i would have numbness in my arms and legs (it was sparatic and more so just annoying) Then i started having headrushes. 50+ a day. I would get them while laying down not moving and the dr. confirmed it wasnt low blood pressure. She urged me to get an MRI which i put off knowing that WebMD said i had either MS or a Brain Tumor (neither of which did i care to have or know about!!) I only decided to get the initial MRI because my daughters preschool teacher died suddenly from complications of a brain tumor she didnt know she had. (she left 3 young daughters and a husband) I got the MRI, was diagnosed with Cervical Stenosis - only to go to a Neurologist and have him tell me it was Chiari. You can google it - but basically its a condition where my brain is resting on my spinal cord not allowing the essential spinal fluid to travel back and forth thru my body. It is something you can have all your life and not have symptoms, or it is something that may reguire surgery. We have been waiting to see the Neurosurgeon since Nov. and finally my appt. is this friday. SO, it has slowed me down a bit. Mainly because i need to rest and not over do it. But - i will be back printing soon (probably within the week)

NEXT - exciting news. I am now a girl scout troop leader! There was no troop for her at her school, so after talking to a few moms and learning there was some interest - i started my own troop. #3654 (not a bad number either...wwfew) I have 10 girls registered, we are selling cookies and our first official meeting is this Wednesday! It has been a LOT of work, but i think it will be great time spent with my daughter and her classmates. I am also lucky to now have a co-leader to help.

and finally - O B A M A. What a great thing to celebrate for 2009. I was raised by conservative republicans in the midwest with very little diversity in my first 18 years -and ended up at a liberal arts college in a city with tremendous diversity. I have been on both sides of the political scale. Learning very right and then very left. I will admit that i voted for "W" in his first term because i was not willing to put in the time and energy to make my own decisions politically. I took what my families views were as fact and did little questioning. I believe this country has come far and so have I. I have great hopes for the next four and eight years for myself, my family, my country and this world.