Foovay's Cauldron

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July 4, 2010

Mixed Blessings

by @ 11:52 pm. Tags: , , ,
Filed under updates

And the saga continues…

When we last visited poor hubby had just had yet another hemo-catheter replaced. That was on Wednesday – and he did not get his scheduled dialysis that day. Friday we went in for dialysis, and the brand spanking new never used hemo-catheter failed to work. If we had bought it at Wal-Mart we would have gotten a refund.

As it was, minor panic ensued as he really cannot go long without dialysis and at that point he had none since Monday. Needless to say, the Friday prior to July 4th there was no one available to replace the catheter, even if he could have borne the pain and injury of another surgery on it so soon.

However the PD catheter surgeon had just inspected his work that morning, and pronounced it to be healing nicely. He also told us about how the method he uses can heal up in just a week or two instead of the usual three or four weeks. So the doctors all got on the phone together with the PD nurse (who is at a different dialysis clinic) and the conclusion was to attempt to use the new PD catheter for at least a partial treatment. The PD nurse really had to bend over backwards to get hubby “admitted” to her clinic as a new patient, literally in a matter of hours – she says a new record for quick admission. The catheter held and he got a small treatment.

Saturday we were back and spent the day with the wonderful PD nurse at the new clinic getting a full day of PD in, five exchanges at very low pressure. Hubby feels much better, although he is hardly 100% yet. We are very pleased with how the PD goes and how he feels during and after. This is really going to be much better for us.

We have today at home at the ranch to relax and enjoy just a little. The next four days will be spent in intensive training to do the PD at home, and rushing about to get the last few details taken care of so the house is ready for him to do treatments here. Money will become something of an issue since my ever so careful budget just got blown out of the water.

But I will not complain. I am so happy and grateful to know that soon he will be able to do his dialysis at home. PD is so much easier on him and for him in every way. And we will be home. I can job hunt, work online, and not put every penny we get into the gas tank. Deep sigh of almost relief. Almost there.

July 1, 2010

Situation Update – hanging in there

Well oh goody – I updated to WP 3.0 and it is fucked up.  I cannot upload a photo and put it in the post.  Awesome.  I love all these WP updates.

It’s been that kind of week.  Hubby has had surgery once a week for the last three weeks.  Despite it all – including missing most of a dialysis treatment Wednesday – he is hanging in there and keeping a good attitude.

I did a bit of writing for a Squidooer and made a bit of money.  The GA came in (sigh of relief).  SSI sent us an “informal” notification that he was refused SSI because “you did not apply”.  Gee, maybe because the person we spoke to said he could not apply. We got that right after we went to the office in Las Cruces and was told that someone would call to take an application.  So at least they will finally (maybe) ALLOW him to apply.

I’ve come to a point where I am just bitchy.  Can you tell?  LOL.

Hubby had the P.D. catheter put in last Thursday.  Hopefully, it will heal in nicely and he will begin P.D. at home in about two more weeks.  Life may return to something vaguely resembling – well a life other than Dr.s, hospitals, and clinics on a daily basis.

I think we will make it financially.  I hope.  It’s probably going to be very close.

Meanwhile, I’m affirming for wealth.  :D Kimberly posted some very interesting Squidoo statistics about lensmaster incomes last month.  Only three Squidooers made over $1000 in a month – but then again most of us have outside projects that also earn money and that are intimately tied into Squidoo.  I’ve decided, however, that I want to earn $100,000 a year.  Clearly it will not be with any combination of Internet incomes alone.

I personally believe that the Hunter series of books is going to be the key.  With appropriate publishing and marketing I believe they can bridge the gap between $1200 a year and $100,000 a year.

It seems clear to me that the Adsense form of moneymaking is done.  I think it is a combination of too many irrelevant ads – which is the fault of the ad purchasers who bid on all popular keywords and then link them all to Yahoo shops or something generic regardless of what the headline of the ad says.  And I believe Internet users no more look at Adsense ads anymore than they do at 468 x 60 banners.

I also happen to think blogs are just about dead.  For a combination of reasons including abuse by users who are not by any means writers sharing content, comment SPAM, advertising, and sheer overkill.  In fact, I intended to end this blog until I checked my stats and discovered that I do still have some actual readers.  Note there are no income producing ads on this blog other than links to my own work.  There are no articles not written by me, only my own art, only my own or my husbands photos taken right in our own backyard for the most part.  In other words – it’s a real Old School Blog.  And it isn’t all “I drew this – go buy it”.  You get birdwatching and foolish musings along with the “I drew this – go buy it”  LOL.  But by and large, few people still read blogs for news or information.  I hardly even check my favorites any more.  You still run into a lot of people who have no idea what a blog IS.

So what’s next?  Communities.  Just about everyone who is on the Internet at all knows what Facebook is, what Twitter is, what MySpace is – and they also probably have some communities they hang out in all the time such as (in my case) Gather, SandboxFarm, DeviantArt, FetLife.  I include Squidoo as well, because even though the lensmasters are involved in building lenses for commerce or charity, there is such a feeling of community there.

Argh.  I do not play well with other children.  Except online, for some reason, I’m much better at it.

Sure, I’m keeping this blog.  Especially if I can figure out how to post photos again.  :/ But be looking for me to spend more time at Squidoo, Facebook, Gather.com, Twitter, and perhaps a few more writers, artists, mystery/crime/thriller readers communities if I can find such a thing.

Meanwhile, hang in there.

June 16, 2010

A ride on lifes roller coaster

by @ 3:08 am. Filed under updates

What  a ride today has been!  I’ve been known to say I am NOT bipolar – my life is a roller coaster.

For instance.  We started out the day taking hubby to the city to see the cardiologist.  In case you missed this part of the saga, he has been having PVCs – little heart bouncy moments, off and on now for several months.  It is why they canceled the second fistula surgery which is why they waited until the last instant to put him on dialysis with “just” a catheter.  The heart arrythmia seems to stop the minute they start dialysis and get his blood chemistry right, but just to be sure we had to be cleared by a cardiologist before hubby could have any more surgery of any kind.

So he had to  do without caffiene for a couple of days (EEK) and fast over night and then go trot on a treadmill this morning.  All seemed to be well, and we had a “lunch break” during which he could have this but not that and then had to come back for more tests.

Meanwhile – on our way in his phone rang.  So on his break he called them back.  It was our nice DHS lady we love so much.  To tell us they are going to cut off the GA assistance.

I’m sure glad he didn’t return the call while he was at the cardiologists office, because I think both of our hearts came to a complete stop.

They are cutting off our little bitty $260 a month because (get this) HE HAD NOT APPLIED FOR SSI OR SSD.

Excuse me?  Just Monday we had stopped at the SSD office to emphasize yet again how desperate our situation was. He is approved for the Medicaid for dialysis – so how can they still be trying to say he is not disabled when they are paying for his dialysis?  We got a bit of a bullshit answer, but upon insisting we did get the name and a direct number for his caseworker.

After debating for a few minutes in the park about how we could PROVE he has applied and do it damn quick – I realized we had his caseworkers number.  We gathered up and headed for a FedEx place to make copies and fax some paperwork that we hoped would be proof enough.  Once we got there, we discovered he didn’t have that particular paperwork in his folder.  So he stepped outside and called his caseworker while I made some much needed extra copies of his Five Wishes packet.

When I got outside hubby was just hanging up.  His first words were – “We are getting my SSD – full disability – she signed the approval today.”

It’s a wonder I haven’t been arrested as a loony for doing happy dances in public places.

Then I get the other half of the news – it doesn’t begin until October.  But he is getting it.  And the SSD caseworker is going to call the DHS caseworker and straighten out the GA situation.  Alphabet soup.  Welcome to dealing with the beauracracy.

After all this craziness – we have to take him back to the cardiologists office for more tests on his heart…

They returned him to me a couple hours later and we got to talk to the Dr.  – who came smiling into the exam room humming a little tune and held out a hand to hubby to shake saying “You are SOOOOOOOO normal.”  He then went through each test saying “normal, perfect, not a thing wrong, just what I’d expect in a young man” and so forth.  His conclusion is that the heart arrythmia is caused by electrolyte imbalances caused by the kidney problem, tell the kidney Dr. to keep an eye on that, and quit worrying about it.

Pretty much what we’ve been trying to tell them all along.

But WHEEEEEEEEEEEEE because now that the cardiologist has cleared him, we can proceed towards the surgery for the peritoneal catheter and on to home dialysis.

And he’s going to get his SSD starting in October.

Now that I know how far I have to get us – and know that hope and something vaguely resembling security are on the horizon – I can breathe a little easier.  We know, too, that we are on our way to the home PD – meaning an end to making that drive three or four times a week and the need for so much gas money and wear and tear on the car.

We’re gonna make it.

Thanks to all of you who have helped so much.

June 14, 2010

Mexican Pronghorn Antelope

Pronghorn Antelope

Pronghorn Antelope

Guess who dropped by this evening?

A small band of Mexican Pronghorn Antelope has decided to have a long visit with the many Yucca blooms on the back of our land and on back onto the BLM behind us.

Hubby snuck outside with the camera to get some photos.  The Pronghorn Antelope came up quite close to the house.  Apparently a snootfull of Yucca flowers can make an Antelope forget about people…

Pronghorn Antelope eating Yucca flowers

Pronghorn Antelope eating Yucca flowers

The preferred method of eating yucca flowers is to tag team the big stalks.  One antelope pulls on one side, another antelope pulls on the other side.  Everyone gets a mouthful and the ensuing tug of war shakes quite a few flowers onto the ground for later.

Pronghorn Antelope eating yucca flowers

Nom nom nom…

And there are people who actually wonder why we stay out here?  I stood outside for awhile after feeding our critters, watching the antelope roam…  and the desert nighthawk do arial acrobatics at impressive speed, and a pair of hooded orioles swoop up towards the trees around the house to roost for the night.  A desert cottontail streaked across the pasture while a Cottontop (Texas Scaled) Quail called from the top of a mesquite bush.

If you still have to ask, I probably couldn’t explain.

Pronghorn Antelope

See Ya

June 13, 2010

Sunny Summer Sunday

by @ 6:46 pm. Tags: , , , ,
Filed under Zazzle, art

It is a beautiful warm sunny summer Sunday. I am so glad to be home on the ranch today. I got to sleep in a bit and although I would really like to get a lot done on the Internet today there is no real pressure. No doctors appointments, no dialysis, no reason to get up and drive miles and miles to town. One thing all this has taught me is what a deep luxury it is to have this wonderful home out in the desert to relax.

The first thing I did today was go to Zazzle and create postage, a greeting card, postcard, stickers and magnets with this beautiful summer sun design;

Summer Solstice Blessing Greeting Card card
Summer Solstice Blessing Greeting Card by foovay
Browse other Summer Cards

The Squidoo lensmasters have really stepped up with donations and help and suggestions for making better money online. I have lots of ideas and plans, thanks to them, but I’ll just have to do the best I can with the time I do have available to work on them. As you can see, I’ve changed the blog a bit and plan to make more changes and updates to the look and the links, here and on all my websites. I will be doing more with the Zazzle store – and it’s look and arrangements need to be worked on, too. After asking the other lensmasters, and looking at some very successful lenses on Squidoo I’ve decided to move my clipart from it’s own website to a series of Squidoo lenses, so you will probably see a lot of links to those soon – although they are going to take a full day each to create I do believe.

The sooner I quit chatting here, the more work I’ll get done elsewhere.

Blessedbe

Summer Fey Foovay

June 11, 2010

Yellow Wildflowers and Butterflies

original art by Summer Fey Foovay

Yellow Wildflowers and Butterflies

It is so nice to be home at the ranch today.  This morning was perfect.  Warm, sunny and not yet windy.  I had fed the livestock, let the chickens out to roam, and sat down in the shade with a cup of coffee.  My husband was walking around the yard, watering the trees and my tiny little garden.

He stopped and bent down to look at a pretty yellow wildflower and laughed.  One of the flowers he had bent down to admire flew away!  Yellow butterflies on yellow wildflowers can fool you sometimes…

I sat down later and created this colored pencil drawing of the butterflies and the wildflower.  I was pleased enough with it to scan it into the computer and create a greeting card at Zazzle (matching postage will show up in a day or two).

Given that Squidoo and Zazzle have made more money this month than Adsense, I intend to give them more of my time and attention.  I have also just joined another artists web community that makes print available of digital or fine artwork.  They intrigued me as being one of the few I have found that treat digital art equally with fine art without being overrun (yet anyway) with Anime, Fursonas, Manga type art.  Not that that isn’t beautiful and amazing artwork – I just don’t DO that kind of artwork (digitally or otherwise) so I think I need a different place to display my work.

Something else interesting about this colored pencil drawing is that there are only five colors used on it!  One green, two yellows, one red, and just a bit of black.

Yellow Wildflower and Butterflies Greeting Card card
Yellow Wildflower and Butterflies Greeting Card by foovay
View other Yellow Cards

Gee, I feel so productive today!

Summer Fey Foovay

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