Memories and Thanks Blog Hop

If you are looking for my Focusing on Life picture this week find it here

 

Welcome to my contribution to the Memories and Thanks Blog Hop.  If you have been hopping along then you are likely familiar with the impetus for this hop.  I was quite touched (and in case you aren’t familiar) I will let our host Lori Anderson tell you the story in her own words.  I am looking forward to the wonderful stories that everyone will be sharing and the jewelry that will be full of intention.

 

My focus: a thank you. 

 

The backstory.  I have a 2 and a half year old daughter named Averleigh.  Like all children she is special and awesome.  Part of her little life story so far is that she decided to arrive a few months early, in emergency fashion, weighing a mere 1 pound 10oz, and almost 2 inches longer than Barbie if you can imagine.  Preemies in a nut shell, can have issues in all parts of their body since hey, the deal is supposed to be 9 full months, with zero gravity, practical darkness, and muffled sound.  That does not describe a NICU.  Delicate brain capillaries can burst and bleed, digestive systems can’t handle the workload and lungs well, they are the last major system to develop so they really aren’t ready and just aren’t very efficient.  All things considered, Averleigh pretty much skated very close to the line on major issues but kept going forward. 

 

Edit- to add Averleigh pictures: then (about a week old) and now

 

It is quite common for preemies to have speech delay so it was on my radar from the start. When she wasn’t hitting milestones according to her adjusted age (ie calling her 3 months old according to her due date -  not according to the fact she had a birth certificate issued 6 months ago) I took her for a more involved assessment.   Several other evaluations followed and eventually a course of action was decided upon.

 

The creative inspiration.  With a starting point of red and cardinals and all the imagery of eggs and nests to go along with it I set about making some beads.  I started with the imagery inspiration since at that time, I did not have a particular person in mind.  Ideas grew and I decided that someone important had really helped my little bird sing.  I am referring to the speech pathologist most involved in our speech therapy journey.  I say “our” as the particular course was mostly directed at me and my intensive learning in a classroom with other parents.

 

I’m looking forward to watching Averleigh wow them all with her progress at her next follow up in February. Which will be the perfect time to offer this very valuable person in our lives a little gift.

 

 

I thought these earrings loosely symbolised my little bird taking flight and singing in ways that were hard to imagine not so long ago.

 

But WAIT.  How could I have missed something so obvious?  The corner stone of the method I was taught is an acronym O.W.L.  Observe, Wait, Listen.  I can’t give her a pair of eggs she needs an OWL!  At this point it is well beyond the 11th hour to share with you all but I do have until some time in February to share what will be her real Thank you.  Here is a little glimpse at the star of the show…to be continued!

 

 

Thank you so much to Lori for sharing this wonderful intention, to Marianna whom I would have surely been honoured to have known and to Lena for letting us all know her momma.
 

Hostess, Lori Anderson Pretty Things
Adlinah Kamsir Dream Struck Designs
Aimee Biondolillo Aimee's Jewelry Treasures
Alicia Marinache All the Pretty Things
Andra Marasteanu Handmade by Indra Marasteanu
Andrea Trank Heaven Lane Creations
April Grinaway Brooklyn Bead Goddess
Barb Solem Vivi Magoo Presents
Becky Pancake Becky Pancake Bead Designs
Beth Emery Stories by Indigo Heart
Bonnie Coursolle Jasper's Gems
Cassi Paslick Beads: Rolling Downhill
Catherine King Catherine's Musings
Cece Cormier The Beading Yogini
Chandra Leitz Juniper Goods
Charissa Nesler FireStorm Designs
Charlie Jacka Clay Space
Christina Hickman Vintage Treasures Jewelry
Christine Stonefield Sweet Girl Design
Chrizette Bayman Bead Soup Mix
Cindy Wilson It's My Sea of Dreams
Crystal Thain Here Bead Dragons
Cyndi Lavin Beading Arts
Debbie Rasmussen A little of this, a little of that
Denielle Hagerman Some Beads... and other things I like
Diana Gonzalez Arte y Poemas
Diane Hawkey diane hawkey
Dita Basu ankarshilpa
Donetta Farrington Simply Gorgeous
Dyanne Everett-Cantrell Deeliteful Jewelry Creations
Emma Todd A Polymer Penchant <--you are here, thank you for that!
Erin Kenny beadiful therapy
Erin Prais-Hintz Treasures Found
Gina Hockett Freestyle Elements
Gloria Allen Innovative Dreams Jewelry
Heather Marston CSW Designs
Inge von Roos Inge's Blog
Jacqueline Marchant Fiddledeedee Jewelry
Jami Shipp Celebrating Life!
Jean Yates Snap Out of it Jean, There's Beading to Do!
Jennifer Reno Musings of a Crafty Jenny
Jenny Robledo Peppa's Dream
Jennifer VanBenschoten Jewelry, Art and Life
Jessica Klaaren Cellar Door Jewelry
Jessica Murray Whimsical Monkey
Joan Williams lilruby jewelry
Jo-Ann Woolverton It's a Beadiful Creation
Joanne Browne josjewels1
Jodie Marshall Jodie Marshall Lampwork Beads Wearable Art
Johanna Rhodes Fire Phoenix Creations
John Rasmussen Rasumussen Gems and Jewelry LLC
JuLee Wolfe The Polymer Penguin
Julie Bean Blue Pig Blog
Karen Mitchell Over the Moon Designs
Karin King The Sparklie Things Blog
Karin Slaton Backstory Beads
Kat Douglas Washoe Kat's
Kay Bolton Toodles and Binks
Kelly Hosford Patterson The Traveling SideShow
Kim Ballor Vitamin C ... A Daily Does of Creativity
Kim Dworak CianciBlue
Kim Houston The Pink Martini
Kym Hunter Kym Hunter Designs
Laren Dee Barton Laren Dee Designs
Lea Avroch LA Jewelry Designs
Leanne Loftus First Impression Design
Lena Adams (Mari's daughter) -- TBA - *update* Lena's Beady Blog
Liddy McLaughlin Liddy McLaughlin Art
Linda Florian Lily's of the Valley Jewelry & Creative Creations
Linda Inhelder Must-Haves Jewelry
Lisa Hamilton Simply Irresistable Jewelry
Lisa Suver Fancee That
Lori Bowring Michaud Artfully Ornamental
Lori Poppe Adventures in Creativity with Lorillijean
LouAnn Elwell Southpass Beads
Mandi Effron Craft-o-licious
Marcia DeCoster MadDesigns
Marcia Dunne The Alternative Foundry
Marie Covert Creating Interest
Marjorie Savill Linthwaite bennubirdrising
Marlene Cupo Amazing Designs by Marlene
Martha Aleo Ornamento
Marti Conrad Marti's Buttons -n- Beads
Mary Ellen Parker BeeTree by m.e.
Mary Govaars MLH Jewelry Designs
Mary Lindell Mary Lindell Artisan Jewelry
Maureen Connolly Mrs Beadsley's Workshop
Maybeline Tay The Jewelry Larder
Melissa Elgin The Addicted Beader
Melissa Mesara one-eared pig beads
Menka Gupta Menka's Jewelry
Michaela Pabeschitz la mar de bonita
Mischelle Fanucchi Micheladas Musings
Mona Rae Baroody Who Does She Bead She Is?
Nan Emmett Spirit Rattles -- Spirited Earth
Nancy Pedersen Something Heartfelt by Nancy
Natalie Davidson NorthShore Days
Nikki Douglas Bead It and Weep
Pam Farren re-maker
Pam, the Crazier Sister The Crazy Creative Corner
Priya Krish Hellopalz
Rebecca Anderson Song Beads
Rebecca Sirevaag Becca's Place
Robin Kae Reed Artistry HCBD
Rochelle Brisson a creative chelle
Sabine Dittrich perlendschungel
Sandi Volpe Sandi Volpe
Sandra McGriff Creative Chaos
Sarah Goode Pookledo
Sarah Singer String a Song of Sixpence
Serena Trent All Things Made Jewelry
Shai Williams Shaiha's Ramblings
Sharon Palac Sharon's Jewelry Garden
Sharyl McMillian-Nelson Sharyl's Jewelry & Reflections
Sheila Davis Stone Designs
Shelley Graham Turner Fabric of My Life
Sherri Stokey Knot Just Macrame
Sherry Baun Unicorns Jewels
Skylar Bre'z Brising Beads
Stephanie Haussler Pixybug Designs
Tania Spivey Moobie Grace Designs
Terri G. Blooming Ideas
Terry Carter Tapping Flamingo
Terry Matuszyk Pink Chapeau Vintage Jewelry
Toltec Jewels Jewel School Friends
Tracy Kruse Goldkisses Art
Tracy Martin Nutkitten's Jewelry
Zia Parks Anzi~Panzi's Work Shoppe
Zoe Marcin Beads, Tea and Sweets