Grateful

This past month I've realized how grateful I am for the sense of community I have in Lancaster. Mimi has made me realize that we have become part of the fabric of our community- over the weeks, months and years, through art events, and the cooperative school, jobs, and everything else!

As people brought us meals, and gave us baby clothes, and added me as friends on their facebook pages...I've realized that so many of the people in my artist circle, are also friends with my friends at the cooperative school, and those friends are friends of my neighbor friends, and so on. One day we went to school, and Mimi was wearing a baby cardi of Natalie's (now age 5) and Natalie's brother (age 6 months) was in turn wearing a favorite shirt from Max. At Eastern Market this year again, so many faces I recognized stopped by my booth to chat with me. Mimi was introduced to local artist Mimi Shapiro, who said her name is a happy one, and everyone smiled at Mimi, peeking into the stroller at my sleepy new addition.
At the show, I looked to my left, and there were the folk art chairs i painted with the neighborhood kids a few years ago on two hot artist Saturdays in the summertime. I had completely forgotten about all the visitors to market that signed a tomato...or the kids who went to town with paint on the Let's Meet at Eastern Market chair. Lancaster has been a neat place for us to be during the last few years. and I'm so fortunate to be able to give Mimi that calm, comfortable sense of real community. and in an artistic city too!

what a week...

The past week has been a crazy blur. On Halloween day, after picking up some candy with Max, I had such chest pains i thought I would die the moment I walked into my house. That night, Matt ended up taking Max trick or treating down the street, and i stayed home and passed out candy.
The next day, as we were getting ready for a vacation to Maryland to see the Smithsonian museums in D.C., I decided to take myself to the emergency room to see what was going on. My chest and back had continued to hurt all day, and I thought it's not wise to not get myself looked at, especially since I'm a mom!!!!
so off I drove to Lancaster General, where I underwent tests until 11pm. At midnight, I was admitted to the hospital where I was told my gallbladder was infected and I'd need to have it taken out. On Monday, after a second (initial) surgery was ruled out (thank God), I went in to the operating room. Everything went "well", although they underestimated my pain medication so they literally pulled me off oxygen, and the next second I was saying, "i'm hurting! I hurt!" and shaking and panting. Kind of a mess.
But two more nights in the hospital, and lots of rest lying there watching tv, and eating clear liquids made me better...just missed the guys a lot. I'd never been apart from Max so that was quite hard on him.
Since Wednesday, I've been home, and today was my BIG day out, to my favorite event of the year, "Art on the Farm" at Chiques Creek Farm.

I was able to see the gang, Debbie Serdy of "My Aunt Debbie", Etsy's Maggie Mowery (Happy Silence), and Ann Kimmich and her baby Clay.
Max got out in the sunshine, it was a warm November day. He was so happy to be running around and having fun. He even saw Jessica King spinning wool and said, "she's spinning wool."
So home this week, I've started some Christmas presents and I want to stock the Lancaster Yarn Shop and Peachy Green with new things for the holidays.
best best....