My Guardian Angel

I was thinking how fast time goes. February made this fact even more apparent. I didn't even realize it was the end of the month. When I was 15 I'll never forget saying I couldn't wait until I was 16. I don't remember why but it was the magic age. I'm sure it must have had something to do with driving, you know permit in hand and all (little did I know I would be 27 before I ever had a driver's license. Who would have thought?

The point is my mom would say you are just wishing your life away. I asked her what that meant but she would say "Some day you'll understand". At about forty I was starting to understand and by 50 I totally knew what she was talking about. She was a wise woman. Too bad, like most kids, I didn't really appreciate her wisdom until too late.

Thanks mom for all the lessons. I have learned to value them and have a better appreciation of you. Even in all the difficult times I realized you were the mother who chose me, not the one who had no choice. I love you and know you are an angel watching over me.

Is Sushi Sushi Without Fish?

Today I attended my second raw vegan cooking class. On the menu was Vegsushi and Coconut Thai Soup. The soup was my favorite (not) color, green and I really couldn't taste any coconut but it was good. The sushi was a lot of fun. I can see why Chef Sara recommends this for parties. You can put out all the different vegetables and the nut pate on the table, buffet style, and let each person design their own sushi. It was exciting trying to learn to roll the sushi. I can see this will take a little practice to make them perfect. They can't be too tight or the ingredients push out the sides and if they're too loose they won't stay together. Don't ask me how, but with my usual inept ability, I was able to accomplish both at the same time. The shiny side of the Nori (seaweed wrap) goes down on the bamboo thingy. I swear, up close, the side that was suppose to go up looked like the shiniest side to me. Who would have thought that a dab of water is what holds them together. The class was small so there was better one on one and we each got our chance to roll the sushi. Since it was a small class there was also plenty of food to go around. Even though there was no fish in the Vegsushi, I swear I tasted and smelled fish. Does seaweed smell and taste of fish?

Chef Sara's assistant is Janelle. She is doing an internship with her through ASU. Bet you can't guess what her major is.

Terra didn't show for this class and I missed her thought provoking questions and insight. Hopefully she will attend the next class on Pizza and Deserts. Now that's some food I think I'll be able to sink my teeth into.

The Guitar (by Amos Poe)

When I was writing yesterday's blog it occurred to me that I never talk about all the books and movies I have had the time to read and watch since I'm not working myself to the bone. I don't know why I haven't been recommending some of the really wonderful things.

My niece, Jenifer, recommended I watch the Guitar. This is a 2008 movie starring Saffron Burrows, Isaach De Bankole and Paz de la Huerta. I know, I never heard of any of them either. A young woman is diagnosed with terminal cancer, given two months to live, and is fired from her job and dumped by her man. Yes, all this happens in one day. It couldn't get any worse right? Right! As my niece warned the movie is not for children. There is nudity and an interesting "menage a trois". Sorry, that is without accent mark because I don't know how to make them on the computer.

This is a very inspirational movie. I cried, laughed, was intrigued and embarrassed. So many emotions I didn't know where one let off and the other picked up. This is maybe a "cancer" movie but it would be very inspirational for everyone. Guys can watch it and run the risk of a tear or two just for the nudity and at some point they'll want to play air guitar.

Hope, an integral part of human nature.

Thank you Jenifer for the heads up and the continued info and support.

Question to Self - Self, Why Do You Blog?

When I first started this blog I intended to write about all the things I was learning. When I was first diagnosed with a "terminal" illness I assumed the doctors were telling me everything I needed to know. Like most of us, I had blind trust. After all, we have all heard of the Hippocratic Oath. As time went by I was astonished how much information "they" didn't share with me and how much I had to learn on my own. Very quickly it became overwhelming. Even for someone with above average intelligence it was mind boggling. Of course the chemo treatments didn't help the search any. I would read something and 10 minutes later couldn't remember what I read or where I read it. I would have a vague memory of the general content but I wanted facts. I wanted facts set in stone and there really weren't any. When I started chemo they sent me home with a huge packet of stuff to read. From the onset I was ill enough I couldn't sit and read much of anything. I glanced through the packets but at that point nothing really meant anything to me. I wrote in an earlier blog about the problem I had with vomiting. These papers advised that ice cream was a good thing and that I would be able to it hold down. The chemo caused so much mucous that I would vomit from the time I woke up until I went to sleep. At that point the ice cream was the only thing I could even get down. Nothing stayed down. I began to realize I was on my own when the doctors told me they had no idea why I was so sick. They gave me lots of pills to help with the vomiting but guess what....they wouldn't stay down either. I finally came to my senses and realized the ice cream was causing more mucous and was compounding the problem. I think the idea of the ice cream is really just to keep your weight up. It was probably the last thing I should be eating. Wake up Liz. I ended up eating nothing for weeks at a time.

After chemo, when I was able to sit up again, for any length of time, I began my all day searches on the Internet and by reading books. For everything I read that said this is the answer there was something else that said this isn't proven. There are no case studies-no FDA approval-"no crap"! What made me think of all this today was I came across something yesterday that said hydro colon therapy has never been proven to be a benefit for anything. That was the first time I ever saw anything against this treatment. Well, that is as a treatment not as a "hobby". I was shocked. All I know is it definitely helps me.

I came to realize the doctor couldn't possibly provide you with all the information there is on any disease. There is too much out there and when it comes to cancer even the conventional treatments are trial and error and a huge guessing game. We are all guinea pigs in their labs. I can't count on one hand how many times I heard "We'll try this and see what happens".

So I ended up feeling that I couldn't write about the things I couldn't be an expert on. I can only write about me. So everyday I start a blog with the date. If I think of something that day that I feel compelled to say then I finish the blog. If nothing is really "on my mind" I don't write and I cancel what I started. Some days I wake up with something I really want to say and two hours later I can't remember what that exciting idea was. My blog has just become about me, my thoughts, my memories, my daily life. Not many people read it, which is okay, because really it is for me. Some family and friends will enjoy an occasional post and that makes me extremely happy.

We all have a terminal disease and it is called life. The closer we get to the end of it the more we realize how precious each day is. This is true of the healthy also. You don't have to be terminal to realize your days are numbered. Each day is precious so each day I write on this blog was a special day. Nothing earth shaking or life saving or world changing, just another special day for me. Each day I get up is another special day and each evening I thank God for giving me that special day.

Wishing for each of you, everyday, a "special day"!

Blessing, Liz

Happy Birthday "Pee Wee"

Today is my youngest brother, Rex's, birthday.There was never a mix up on this day. His birthday was never changed. We were both adopted together. I always felt that was nice for both of us. We had someone to connect to in our new surroundings. Having other siblings and being old enough to remember our family might have made the transition more difficult if we hadn't had each other.

Of course, like most older sisters, I was a little mother to him. Soon, he would no longer need me to take care of him. Well, except for the occasional bully on the school bus. You see, Rex was so much smaller then other kids his age. My mom called him "Pee Wee" (that was back before "Herman" of course). I think when he was 14 he weighed 79 pounds. By 16 he sprouted up and was eventually 6 feet tall. We were very close when we were kids. I haven't seen my brother in probably 14 years and have not probably even spoken to him more then four times in that period.

We grow up and start our own families and start running the "rat race" and time passes and we start to wonder where the time went. It doesn't lessen our love but it's just the way life is. Oh, what about "absence makes the heart grow fonder"? You know that old saying is true. Maybe that's why I still love my brother. If he lived next door we probably wouldn't be able to stand the sight of each other. But now the fact is he probably wouldn't recognize me and I might not him. Of course you might get him to say he's aged but I just know he doesn't really believe it.

We are perfect examples of children being as different as night and day. I was the responsible, uptight, insecure one and he seemed to go through life with all the self confidence and charm that can't be learned or taught. You have to be born with that. I was the caretaker and people pleaser and he could care less if you liked him or not. Actually, he assumed everyone liked him, because, how could they not? If someone didn't like him he knew he could change that. All he had to do was turn on the charm. Oh brother, was he good at that. When he was as young as seven I remember the "cousins" all talking and we all knew he would grow up to be a preacher or car salesman. I think preacher was a little too mellow and laid back for his style. Guess you know what that means.

Happy Birthday to my brother. I hope you have many, many more. Mostly, I hope someday you'll be able to celebrate with all your children and really be able to appreciate them. Sometimes, all we have to show for our lives, are our children.

"A Rose By Any Other Name........."

Yesterday I wrote about the raw food cooking class I took on Saturday. I was saving the best part for last. I sat next to a friendly young lady who probably thought I was a grouchy old hag. By the time I arrived I was literally tired.

To get to the class I took the 60-the 101- the 202 and finally the 51. It brought back the memory of the time we took the kids to Disneyland and I was driving but I told my husband to let me know before we got to the Anaheim exit and I would pull over and let him drive. He had lived in California much longer than I ever had and I never drove the freeways. For years I lived in Mesa and even Apache Junction and when I worked at Camelback and 47th, I took the back roads all the way. He never made a peep and here I was in LA in the middle of the wonderful California freeway system. Thought I would have a heart attack. Well, it wasn't actually that bad. I just stress when I have to change from one freeway to the next. It actually went fairly well because Tonya has a GPS and it took me there very efficiently. But I was still a little stressed and in my own space. When Terra introduced herself I just said hello and gave her my name. Hopefully I wasn't too short and didn't seem too unfriendly. For years I dealt with the public and I can converse with just about anyone. This takes a knack and I think because of years of doing it, sometimes now I have to be in the right place to follow through.

You would assume that most of the people in a class like this are dealing with cancer. Not many chose to share, maybe they had long trips also. Toward the end of the class I asked Terra why she was taking the class. She shared that she had a hectic job and life and wasn't feeling as great as she knew she could be (my words not her exact-you know my memory). She had been looking at going raw vegan for some time and had made the commitment to go raw for 365 days. She started her journey on January 1, 2010. Before I left she shared her blog address with me.

I was intrigued why a vibrant young lady would be wise enough to choose this life style and it takes the threat of death to wake most people up. Of course, I am referring to the older, "wiser" generations. Actually the threat of death probably only wakes up a small percent of people (yes, this includes me). On Sunday I sat and read each of Terra Rose's blogs. I was quite entertained. They were funny, poignant, open and honest. I concluded that the best part of the cooking class had been meeting this lovely young lady and hearing her story.
I feel blessed that God brought this into my life.

From Smorgasbord to Cardboard....not quite!

On Saturday I went to a raw vegan cooking class. Okay, everyone who knows me is rolling on the floor laughing (about to wet their pants) because you can't believe I said I took a "cooking class". Okay, let's get this straight. I really use to cook. Nothing fancy or special but I was a descent cook. It was the marriage thing that turned be off to cooking. It was my "job" and his "right". So, yes, I had it put in the divorce decree that I would never cook again for any man! This however is for me so I think I can do this. I can do the cooking but let's talk about the eating part. I thought this would be easy because I love raw fruits and vegetables. Heck when I was a kid I loved raw turnips. My mom thought I was crazy. I absolutely hated them cooked. It was the same with spinach, peppers, onions, tomatoes (excluding sauces, of course) and lots of stuff we grew in the garden. On top of that I have always been a big salad eater. For years lunch was my first and biggest meal of the day and it consisted of a huge salad. I don't even know how to get this out of my mouth but I have eaten so many salads this past year that I think I have lost my love for a nice crispy, crunchy salad. That's something I never thought I would think, much less say, out loud.

So, back to the story at hand. Jeff Goodman, Body Talk Arizona brought in Raw Vegan Chef Sara Siso for cooking classes. Tonya told me about it and I thought it would be a good idea. With all the advice, reading and researching I have done I know this is the answer. Getting started just seemed so monumental I just didn't know where to begin. This past spring I bought all the "equipment" that it looked like I needed (well I guess now I need a good blender). I guess that was a beginning. Almost two thousand dollars later, there I was in Nebraska with all this equipment and unable to find the things I needed to even practice what Dr. Lilli had advised me to do. Not only could I not find organic, there wasn't a kale leaf or collard green in sight. Locally grown meant corn, onions, peppers, tomatoes and a little cabbage. There is a lovely place just outside of town that grows grapes and fruits organically. Cedar Hills Vineyard is run by two beautiful people who are very in tune to nature. Now here is the dilemma, fruit is loaded with natural sugar. Cancer cells feed on sugar. Not just refined sugar but natural sugar also. Adding insult to injury, my favorite fruit is tomatoes. This fruit is loaded with so many good things but now we have sugar and acid. A big no no. There have been days in my life where all I ate was tomatoes. Straight from the garden (and I mean standing in the garden) was my favorite way. This is like cutting off my left arm.

So I went to class and was getting very excited about the recipes and learning how to make all this stuff that is so healthy for you and now there's the promise of "delicious" raw food!

Apple-Kale Juice is the first recipe. I can handle this. The apples make the kale tolerable. Oh, but wait, if you have cancer you can't have the apples (sugar). I don't think you could get me to eat kale juice on my death bed. Kale is a very bitter green. So you can add cucumber, Well, I love cucumbers but even though I can taste them the kale is just too powerful.

Chia Seeds Cereal is the next recipe. We learned to make Hemp Milk to have with the cereal. I have been eating rice and almond milk for a long time (not made by me). Hemp milk wasn't bad, who would have thunk? Dr. Porman had me drinking a hemp powder drink but it was pretty fibrous. The difference must have been mixing by hand and mixing in a blender. I would take these milks anytime over skim milk. The chia seed cereal was pretty good. Okay, breakfast is covered. If I can eat this every day for breakfast I am on my way.

Coconut Milk is pretty good also.

The Energy Booster Smoothy (this is how it was spelled in the recipe) was such an insult to my mouth and that was with the fruit. If I have to take out the fruit there is no way I'll ever be able to gag that down. That reminds me, can I eat blueberries? I know bananas are a no no. Well, so much for delicious.

Granola made with oats and nuts. Now this was yummy. Okay, maybe we have lunch covered. Alright, I know it's unrealistic to think you can eat one thing for each meal for the rest of your life. I need some variety.

The Stronger Bones Smoothie was another drink that I don't think my dog would touch. That was again with the orange juice. What would it taste like when I have to take out the orange (acid)?

Sunshine Scramble was a dish to make you forget that eggs are an animal product. This was not bad either. It was a little dry but I would think there could be fix for that. The tomatoes that she decided to eliminate would have been the perfect fix...but once again....

The Chocolate Mousse was such a treat to the palate after all the veggie concoctions. Chef Sara was right you could almost taste tapioca pudding.

Chef Sara threw in a soup and cracker recipe that she made from the pulp of the things she used for the smoothie. The crackers were quite good. The soup was edible.

So, the next class is in two weeks and the menu is Vegsushi and Thai. That is sushi without fish or meat.

I was left with some questions for Chef Sara. She used many items from packages, powders and such. I thought you needed to grind the items fresh. she used agave which I have again read this is not good for cancer patients. Stevia I understand is okay because the cancer cells don't recognize it as sugar even though it is a natural sweetener.

I thought the cacao (chocolate) was not good at all. It was good in the Chocolate Mousse but the chocolate bars she made were so powdery the texture made them unacceptable to me.

It was nice to learn that even though all nuts need to be soaked and then dehydrated, Brazil nuts and hazel nuts are the exceptions and don't need to be soaked. Soak chia seed 2-4 hours (in distilled? water). Soak pumpkin seeds 4 hours and sunflower seeds 6 hours. There was no mention of flax seed. I understand it should also be soaked and dried before grinding. I'll have to double check that one. There was a lady in the class who said she always soaks her flax seed but Chef Sara seemed to think it wasn't necessary.

Chef Sara said she prefers distilled water as it is the purest water. I was confused by that. I thought I had read to not use distilled water, well, at least not store bought distilled water. If you use distilled water I thought you were suppose to process it yourself. Maybe she does.

I am anxious to go to the Scottsdale Farmers Market on Saturdays from 8:30 - 1:00. Chef Sara has a booth there and I'd like to check out the packaged items she has. If they are truly okay to use that would be so handy. The main reason I'd like to go is there is a guy in the booth next to her who sells flats of wheat grass. I'd like to check that out since I haven't seen them since I was in New Jersey last year. How convenient to have someone else grow it for you. Especially when my green thumb has turned into a purple thumb.

I think my biggest problem with raw food is all the chopping and "mushing". If I could eat all the stuff without it being a green drink I think I could handle it. The things that were dehydrated seemed okay with me. Unfortunately the most important part of the raw food diet is the detox and that requires drinking lots of green juices. Again, without the fruit in these drinks it would be like taste bud hell. I can even handle the 2 oz. of wheat grass with no problem. It's like a shot and is down before you have time to think about it and the taste isn't good but it really isn't so bad. Now, 12 or 16 oz. at a time might be a different story.

So, how many excuses can I come up with for not being on the raw food diet? Well, baby steps. But I keep remembering what Dr. Lilli told me. Don't wait until it's too late. I just need to commit and my life just seems in limbo. She said I needed to commit to be 100% raw. On top of that, I have been doing so well but I don't want to be leaning on a "false" sense of security. I just need to hop on that big green ball and start the balancing act. If I fall off I'll just have to get back up again. If raw vegan can cure cancer in 30 days, why am I not there? Of course the commitment part is the rest of your life part. When cured you can't go back to your old ways.

Open up and say ahhhhhhh.......

Today I went to see Dr. Michael Long at Desert Oncology. I had blood work done last Thursday so this was the visit to see the results. In November my CA125 was 47, in December it was 20.2 and today it was 23. I think that is pretty fantastic considering I haven't had chemo for a year and a half. Dr. Long thinks it's because of the Megace. He thought in December that it went down to 20.2 because of the surgery I had in December to cut the tumor down again. It turns out I had the surgery the day after the blood work. They started giving me Megace after the surgery in May. It is a hormone therapy that Dr. Copur thought might help to keep the tumor from growing back so quickly. It probably is helping but that doesn't explain the ups and downs in my numbers prior to that. I of course think my excellent numbers are a combination of things.

I am still seeing Dr. Porman for Body Talk. He had advised me to have three colonics. He also referred me to a life coach. I haven't done that one yet.

I have been having colonics with Susan Neva, L.P.N. C.C.T and just completed a once a week, three week session. That third treatment I had last Monday was really unbelievable. The bloating I have had forever really did go away (totally). I swear my stomach was almost flat for the first time since 2004. I almost couldn't walk because it threw off my balance (ha! ha!) For four days I felt like a new woman. Late on the fourth day I began to feel the bloating coming back. Boy, did I dread that. Dr. Porman knows his stuff-three treatments it took to clear me out. Of course Susan knows her stuff also. Susan is such a gentle and caring soul I really am comfortable with this procedure. Never thought I'd be able to say that. If you've ever been constipated you know it can be very uncomfortable. If you've ever had chronic constipation you know you can actually have more pain than discomfort in the abdomen and the back. Any relief is a blessing from heaven. Susan also does Tong Ren. This follows the principals of acupuncture but without the "puncture". Check it out.

I have also been going to see Andria Valent, L.M.T. She is a massage therapist who also does something called cupping. It is unbelievable how much she has helped with pain that the doctors didn't understand.

One issue was the pain in my inside, upper right leg. In 2004 when I had my original surgery they had "yanked" a lymph node from this leg. It bothered me first with extreme numbness and after about three years the feeling started coming back but then I had fairly constant pain. Since Andria worked on this leg I have had no pain. She has also helped to alleviate most of the pain in my back that seemed to radiate from the front to the back on my right side. I believe this could be a combination of her work and the colonics. All I know is it's nice to not have to deal with almost constant pain. My stomach pain has really not bothered me since late September.

I know some people think alternative treatments are a waste of money, time and energy. I can tell you that whether there is a medical reason for these things helping or not, they do help. Whether you believe or not, I have had improvement the doctors have been surprised to see. Sure they try to say it might be this or it might be that. They would never admit it might have something to do with the other modalities that I've been receiving. On my part you may think it's mind over matter. That's okay because I believe in that and whatever it takes to give me more time and heal me is alright by me.

If faith the size of a mustard seed can get us through the gates of heaven, where can it get us on this earth?

Snaps of Memories

Well, here I am in the middle of my next project. I have decided that after 30 years I really need to organize my pictures. I actually went online to http://www.about.com/ to get some ideas how to tackle this project. They had excellent suggestions that I am putting to use. I had already done a cursory once through and divided immediate family, my parents photos, friends, and events. It is really hard to split some of these since so many overlap. When I got done with this I decided to start putting them into albums. The problem is standard photo albums usually have spaces for up to 4x6. I have some larger photos that I want to keep. I decided that I would need to use a scrapbook for these pictures. Most of the larger photos of course are immediate family. I know this will come as a surprise but, I decided to start with Serenity's photos. This could be because I miss her so much that spending time with her photos helps fill the void. Serenity does not care to talk on the phone so I don't even get to talk to her often (the little poop).

Going through the photos the second time, I realized I really only had about a years worth of photos of the little princess. I was remembering all the other photos I have taken and wondered where they were. The light came on....the digital age hit me when Serenity was two and I have most of those photos on my computer. Can you imagine what those would cost to develop? I think copying to a CD and adding that to the album (scrapbook) would be the best way to go.

I have never scrapbooked. I decided, when it became the rage, that I was not going to get anywhere near it. Anyone who knows me knows I have a tenancy to be very compulsive. I knew if I started there would be no end. The worse part is it would go on forever and I would never complete it. If you ever saw my fabric collection you would know what I mean (Of course fabric is an addiction all it's own-ask anyone who sews). So here I sit with this scrapbook for photos and all I can think of is all the cute things I could do with it. God help us all! Do you think the 12 step program would be a good place to start?

I like to do several projects at one time so I will do the photos along with the next rag quilt for my son. I don't like to do any one thing for too long. Thank goodness I always seemed to have jobs with alot of variety so I didn't get too bored...the perfect ones were the ones that included some time outside. It all comes from the gypsy side of me.

When I was going through Serenity's photos I remembered something she said to me when I was home for Christmas. To really appreciate it you have to know how serious and expressive she is. The words don't sound the same without her expressions. I took her Christmas shopping the weekend before Christmas. We're in the store and out of the blue she said "Well Grandma, what would you rather do? Go back to Arizona and get better and better or stay here with me?" It seemed like more of a statement than a question. Of course I had to explain that if I get "better and better" I'll be around alot longer to spend time with her. This of course is my goal.

Once I read a needlepoint that said:

"I never knew how much my heart could hold until someone called me Grandma"

When that time came for me I finally, truly knew what that meant.

Serenity Jade March 2009. Photo by cousin Jenifer. Check it out: http://www.jenrutherford.com/.

Back to pictures......Blessings to all!

A Stitch In Time......

I have spent the last few weeks trying to keep myself busy. Idle hands are the work of the devil you know, so I try to keep them active. Last week I made a rag quilt for Jessica. I bought this material after I was diagnosed with endometrial cancer and had surgery in 2004. I swore I was going to give up my work-a-holic ways and start relaxing a little and find time for the things I really enjoy. So I stopped working the minimum of 70 hours a week, seven days a week and I cut down to about 60+ hours and six to seven days a week. Never found the time to start quilting but accumulated lots of fabric getting ready for the event. Thank goodness I was smart enough to mail some of this fabric to myself in Arizona. Last week I finally decided it was time to pull myself up by the bootstraps and mend my lazy ways. When you have worked all your life and often two jobs, it's hard to believe there can be so many minutes in a day. Actually, this extra time is one of the things I thank cancer for. On the other hand goes the guilt of knowing your days may be numbered and you are wasting precious time. Of course all of us are living on borrowed time, healthy or not. I just feel an extra responsibility to not waste that time. It's like I know God gave me a wake up call and I better start paying attention.

So, to make a short story long, (which I am great at doing) I really enjoyed making this quilt. I made this quilt completely by hand (yes, every stitch). Rag quilts are so much fun to do because they are easy and they are quick. Quick and easy gets my attention every time. Not that I won't do complicated and hard but why bother if quick and easy is available. I think this quilt turned out so cute. It was supposed to be purple but it ended up with more red than the other colors. To give credit where credit is due: this pattern is from Jo-Ann fabric stores. No it's not my design. I plan on starting one soon for my son Chris. Yes I bought the fabric in 2004 when I bought the other. The next one will be in plaids. Manly colors of course and yes, without the flowers. I was trying to think of an easy way to applique bicycles on it. That might be too much work. Maybe seam tape for the frame and buttons for the wheels. We'll see how ambitious I feel when I'm into it.

After I was done with the rag quilt....I got very excited about sewing. When I came back to Arizona in October, Tonya and Steve surprised me with a beautiful gift for my house. It is a wonderful 1970's singer sewing machine in a cabinet. I think the cabinet may be from an earlier time period. It has been painted white and is very shabby chic and I love it. The bonus is it sews so beautifully. There is nothing like the old machines for the most beautiful even stitches. Stitching that is identical on both sides. It's also my first machine that isn't portable. I'm very excited.

I was in Hobby Lobby recently and saw some fabric that had little girls all over and expressions. It said BFF, girl talk, love to shop, you go girl and the like. Very cute fabric and I couldn't resist because when I was home for Christmas my 6 year old granddaughter, Serenity, was all about the BFF. It was perfect. I was going to make an apron for her and her BFF, Alianna, for Valentine's Day. Serenity's "favorite" holiday she says. They spend a lot of time at the easel drawing and painting pictures. I figured this was a good gift and it would help save their clothes from paint and marker spots.
Okay, so it snowballed. The two aprons for the little girls then became two more, one for Tonya and one for Jessica. Jessica picked this pattern out 3 or 4 years ago and I offered to make the apron for her. Decided Tonya might enjoy one also. We looked for fabric and it was Tonya's idea to use contrasting fabrics for the pockets and yoke. That was an excellent idea as they turned out much cuter than the one on the pattern. My kids are all so artistic and talented. No! They do not take after their fathers...they all take after their mother of course.

Chin up mate, it could be worse.....

oh, that's right.....it does get worse.....

When these tasks were done I realized that because I made an apron for Serenity to give to her BFF it would probably seem to her that her friend got the same gift as she did and grandma can't let her not know that she is extra special to me. This required the true Valentine apron with heart and all.

OMG! Serenity needs to start shaving those legs....

Is it a bullet?.......

Is it a plane?........

No, it's Super Steve.....

being a good sport and

modeling the Valentine

apron for his mother-in-law!

Thank you Steve!!!

It has to look cute on Serenity, right???