One-Layer Wednesday #86: Women Rule

I'm back!  It's been difficult to watch some of my favorite challenges pass me by this week:  WOYWW, Simply Less Is More, and CAS-ual Fridays, to name a few.  I could look at them a little, with my phone, so that was good.  Some of you have very nicely missed me and I thank you for your notes of concern.  It's been a harrowing week, which I will explain at the end of the card conversation, so those who just want card conversation don't have their eyes glazed over before the card appears.  We've all had that happen at one time or nother and it's almost impossible to see any artistry in the blur that results.

So m'kay, first things first.  I am pink with happiness that  Susan and Jennifer are back with One Layer Wednesday (#86) which is "Women Rule."  Susan and Jennifer added two exceptionally talented women to their OLW team, Cheryl Emery of The Paperie Journey and Heather Telford of Bits & Pieces.  The new team will alternate hosting the challenge each week, but the extraordinary Susan will always be our MC and she'll provide room and board on her side bar.  And vodka-infused ice cubes on request. 

In honor of the two new talented hosts, the OLW challenge this week is to make a card for a woman in our life.  A mom, a daughter, or any other woman who is special to us for any reason. As a former foster child, I did not have the pleasure of a familial mother growing up, but indeed I have been more than compensated in my adult years by all the wonderful women who I have adopted as "moms" along my way. 

Having said that, however, one clear stamp image came to mind for this challenge and it does not have to do with moms.  It's a stamp that I can't easily use for normal greeting cards, but one I think is perfect to welcome the two new hosts and one that depicts women who are special to me.  My card* is for all my women friends, local and in outer space, I mean cyber space, who mean the world to me in terms of inspiration, entertainment, and the love of creativity.

Among such women, are several new followers to my blog and my appreciation is vast.  I'm happy to welcome Shirley of Paper Creations By Shirley; Lesley of Always Playing With Paper; Patty of LaLatty Stamp 'N Stuff; and Kathy of Stamping Still.  It's a thrill to have such talent in the house!

Before I finish this section, please allow me to thank Tui Nathan of Freshly Made Sketches for choosing me as one of the past week's Princesses for my card.  To say this was a exciting event in my week is an enormous understatement!  (BTW, it was great fun reading all the comments on that post about the "nappy" pin memories!)

*I hope to heaven when you click on the picture, you can see what that delirious woman is holding in both hands and get what I'm talking about! (Ever notice that delirious and hilarious sound a lot alike?)            She has a rubber stamp in each hand. 

Last, but certainly not least, I was nominated for a Liebster Blog award by Shelly N. Thank you so much, Shelly!

Please enjoy ~ and, as always, thank you for stopping by to visit.   Special thanks to you if you take the time to join as a follower or leave a comment!

Paper:  PTI kraft

Stamps:  Mad Stamper by Uptown Design Company, 

 sentiment PTI Signature Greetings

Ink:  PTI dark chocolate, true black

  Marvy markers, water brush

Bit O' Bling (that's not a company, I just made that up)

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So here's what happened.  You might want to grab a beverage.  (I'll try not to put to fine a point on the ookey stuff.)  So in my last post last Friday, I mentioned we would have the twins for the weekend.  Well, that never happened.  On Wednesday last week I had a routine colonoscopy for my Crohn's with unroutine results in that diverticuli were discovered (that's a whole new disease) and biopsies were taken.  Thereafter, something inside either popped a buckle or didn't want to heal.  I noticed this, but it wasn't overly concerning until Friday night after normal doctor visiting hours were over.  Natch.  Mister and I stupidly decided to take a cautious approach and went on to bed.  In the predawn of Saturday morning, I got up to take a wee-wee and next thing I know I'm doing an impression of Ginger Rogers.  I did a mean two-two-step hard right into the hall wall, making impact with the left side of my face and my left shoulder.  I went down like a sledge hammer, out cold. 

Mister sprang from the bed to see what was the matter.  Away to my side, he flew like a hero, seeing at once that my pressure was zero. 

Okay, nevermind, I can't keep that up, I'm too weak for that.  To make a long story longer, no, just kidding ... the long and short of it is that I just got out of the hospital last night at 10 p.m. and while I was there I had five blood transfusions.  No wonder I wasn't blogging!  Actually I started to feel lots better by Monday afternoon, then the worst thing of all happened.  The hospital wifi went belly up!  I know, right?  And it was still out when I left last night.  To say I went a bit stir crazy is putting it mildly.  These young'uns seem to be able to do all matter of business on these itty bitty cell phones, but, boy, not me.  I could actually hear the little nurses tittering after they left my room, having seen me hunched over pecking at the phone with my bony sharp index finger, one pathetic letter at a time.  Not even that, more like peck, peck, oops, back up, peck, oops, oops, back up, too far, peck, peck, peck, back up ...  I'd lift my weary head, my blood-shot eyes crossed, and by the end of my five-day stay, they were no longer giving me sharp utensils to eat with.  I am confident that they are still rejoicing in my exit!

I couldn't share all this with you without pictures!  C'mon!  Imagine if you will, waking up from losing nearing half the hemaglobin in your body and seeing this:

Yes, that's my Mister, not a Martian.  He's even cuter without his helmet:

And after I had taken on some high octane red fuel, but still heavily medicated, I allowed as how he could take a picture of me:

Yes, that's a stuffed animal and it's mine and it's name is Mr. Froggie and so what?  That's another story.

I know you need a refill on your beverage by now, but real quick, I just have to show you this picture:

My darling, and I do mean darling, daughter-in-law Rachel sent me an email with this picture taken with her camera phone of the twins "enjoying their baby books."  Their baby books, as they call them, are the two scrapbooks that Bama (that's me) made for them of their first year of life.  They do love their baby books, for sure, but seriously, is that not the funniest most telliing picture ever?  You would have to be optically challenged not to see the entire pre-picture wrangling that went on. 

Rachel:  "Boys, your poor Bama is in the hospital and it would cheer her up so much if I yank you out of a deep sleep and set you on this coach and lay these enormous and heavy books on your legs and make you smile your winsome and handsome smiles ... geez, guys, make an effort, can't you?  Please, please, I'll buy you Skittles, just try, for Bama ... .." 

It was a gesture of pure sweet love, not so much on the part of the twins, but certainly on the part of Rachel that I will treasure forever.  And I will laugh my butt off every time I look at it! 

Mister wants to know if I have a publisher for this novel and if not, could we please eat dinner now?

Bye.  Bye.