Alot happening..............

Oh my! Has it been 3 weeks since I last posted??? SO MUCH is going on around here (and has gone on) that time is speeding by like the trains that chug through Madras in the wee hours of the morning! 

I'm feeling pretty good now but have had kind of a rough month. The total eclipse here on August 21st just did me in for some reason. I don't know if it was the actual eclipse that was going to take place, or all the media hype leading up to the eclipse, making it sound like Madras, Oregon was going to become a catastrophic place to be with over 170,000 people here! About two weeks before the eclipse, I started having anxiety attacks and started dreading the event... I felt like doomsday was coming! 

"They" said we would more than likely run out of water, have no internet service, run out of food at the stores, ATM machines would not work, the card machines at stores would quit working, cell phones wouldn't work, and to have cash on hand, and have stores of food and water and ice, "just in case". I mean, it was like they were predicting the end of the world. Not good. 

I'm what they call "A Sensitive", meaning the negative energies going on in the world really get to me. I feel everyone else's pain, sorrow, fear, worries, tension, sickness, etc. When the negative things happen in the world, and when predictions are made for these big life-changing events, I just about have to tune them out as it usually affects me in very negative ways. 

I got too wrapped up in the coming eclipse and as I said, it really got to me, in not so good ways. And of course, I heard on TV how the eclipse can effect people in huge ways, either negative or positive. I sure didn't need to hear that!

I've had heart A-fib for 5 years now, comes and goes, and I just live with it. It hadn't bothered me AT ALL for about the last 8 months, until I started hearing all the bad stuff about the coming of the eclipse in Madras, Oregon! We were the epi-center of all of Oregon for viewing it (99% total for us) and the media just ran all the negative things that would happen, into the ground. It was awful. So my A-fib started acting up around August 7th (I remember the day it started up again)...........stress really aggravates A-fib.... and boy did I have stress!

It's been a month now, and I'm just finally starting to feel better. I was "in A-fib" almost constantly and even went for some tests to see what was going on and will have to wear a heart monitor for 14 days. Of course, when I went for the tests, there was no A-fib going on! Isn't that how it usually works? But I am feeling better... and by the way....... the eclipse WAS totally awesome! I was so busy trying to get a video of it, that I hardly saw it happen.. it lasted for about 2 minutes, but was truly magical.

Amongst all of that, we also got our house painted! It was quite a spur of the moment thing. I'll go more into that in my next post. Not going to reveal the pictures yet...........

ON ANOTHER NOTE: A fun happening for me was winning a wonderful "5th year anniversary of blogging giveaway" put on by Stephanie Dunsdon at The Enchanting Rose. I am so  happy that her sweet kitty, Melly Belle, "pawed" my name on August 2nd! I won some wonderful gifts which I'll show below. They all came tucked in a darling painted blue and pink wood tote (from Rose Garden Market). The giveaway was tea themed, and I LOVE every single thing that was tucked into the tote!  Stephanie purchased many of the items in her giveaway from fellow Etsy shop owners (what a great idea!).

Look at these darling teacup coasters.... made by Stephanie and in her Etsy shop, RosePetalBlessings. (I think I may have ordered the last of her stock of these!  I just ordered her last two..... I hope she makes some more!)

Daisy washcloths (oh, my favorite color!) are from Kitty's Kozy Kitchen... and the sweet smelling Raspberry Sorbet soap was made by Judy at Homemade Soap N Such.

Connie, at Connie's Crafty Creaions made the lovely rose cards. They are truly each a work of art!

Two pretty zipper totes sewn by Linda at Eastern Ave Designs..... love these!  And look at this wonderful tea themed fabric from Stephanie........I'm in love.............

And more tea themed fabric from the Etsy shop Lady Linda Lou (above)....... she has a tea party themed Etsy shop. I'm in love! She also contributed a "Tea Party Time" quilt book by Nancy Martin, one of my all time favorite quilters..... and some patterns for tea time linen towels.

I received in this giveaway, the most precious "pocket letter" from Deb at Garage Sale Gal. Each little pocket contains some darling paper that is tea themed, and little goodies that relate to a tea party. Look at all the detail she put into this! I was thrilled... even a sweet little letter inside to ME from  Deb! How fun!

There's some lotion from Little Hopes Blessings, and a pretty kitchen towel with fabric hanger on top, made by Sarah from Lilacs in Spring.  I also received a pretty Hymn card made by Joy at Vintage Verses... you can see a peek of it in the tote above (where I show the pink and blue tea fabric from Stephanie).

Links to all of the shops are in Stephanie's blog post that I've referenced above. THANK YOU SO MUCH STEPHANIE! And thank you Deb from Garage Sale Gal for the beautiful and intricate tea pocket letter!

Another giveaway I received awhile ago, and meant to mention on my blog (but never did - forgive me Kris).... is a pretty large tote that I've already used many times. Uh...... it says "Hello Spring" and I think I received it last spring! Thank you Kris, from Junk Chic Cottage.  THANK YOU SO MUCH KRIS!

Well...........that's all the excitement I can handle for now! I'll show you pictures of our newly painted cottage in my next post. Plus.... my son and his girlfriend/fiance came for a visit a week AFTER the eclipse... we took a couple of quick little excusions while they were here and had a really fun time. More on that later..............

I'm trying not to stress and worry about the hurricanes happening in Florida (though I do)........ all I can do is pray for those in the midst of it all. My nephew and great nephew live on the east coast of Florida, and my sister has a house in the central middle area of Florida. I'm learning that worry depletes joy...... it's better to pray....... and I am.

And I'm also praying for all of the families effected by 9/11/2001. That is still so vivid in my mind and memory....... I can't even imagine to this day, the people who are still suffering from that horrible act of terrorism. 

Have a nice Monday everyone.

Hugs.... Marilyn