"If the surgery doesn't go well, I have everything done so I don't have to worry about the holiday feast meals and stuff. If the surgery is uneventful it just means I am on vacation till January!"

That is a quote of what I said yesterday before my surgery.

Today I get to tell you : "I am on vacation till January!"

My surgery was uneventful for the most part. I had one complication that delayed me coming home- so I didn't arrive back home until after 8PM yesterday.

I arrived at the hospital at 11AM and my surgery was booked for 12:30PM. I was taken to the OR at 1PM. I was given a spinal (like an epidural) anesthetic so I was awake for the surgery. I was completely frozen from the diaphragm down. I could not sense hot or cold, motion, pain, touch....nothing.

I was not given any valium or a tranquilizer so I was alert for the whole procedure.

The anesthesiologist was a visiting anesthesiologist from Montreal. Apparently it is quite common for Dr.'s to use some of their vacation time to go try things out at other hospitals. They can use hospital fellowship to try out a new town to see if the hospital or town meshes with their lifestyle: for relocation, or they can go to a hospital that has rare equipment so they get to try it out, or he might want to work with a specific specialist who does some complicated surgeries so they do a vacation placement.

The surgeon and the two nurses and the anesthesiologist got along very well. Once they realized I was a cheery person they joked around a lot. They asked permission to tell some really raunchy gynecological jokes, and we were all just howling with laughter in the operating room. In the end it turned into a girls against the boys pissing match and the nurses think we (the girls) won!

We discussed our families and hobbies and our education and work pasts. One of the nurses was 38 yrs in OR and 32 at Southlake Hospital!

In the end the Dr. asked if I thought I could needle felt a Samoyed Husky for his wife....LOL
It is so typical for an Etsy seller to turn every conversation back to their love of Etsy and crafting........So look! I have a challenge for my vacation :)

The surgery was uncomplicated which surprised the Surgeon. Everyone was prepared for anything. I was referred to as: "The neurological disease patient", and apparently neuro patients are a challenge because absolutely anything can go wrong and will go... and they cannot even predict how it will go wrong. I ended up a miracle with really nothing happening.

I spent about an hour in the recovery room. I got to watch all sorts of folks wake up from their surgery. I really saw how difficult it is to be a recovery nurse. First of all I want to tell you that at Southlake Hospital in Newmarket, ON the recovery nurses are kind and cheery. They are instictual with their monitoring of the patients. There is usually one nurse for every patient and then once you begin to respond well they can add another patient so the nurse has no more- then two patients at a time. Children get two nurses per patient. Everyone who woke up from surgery except for the patients who had their noses operated on was combative and confused for a few minutes while they were waking up-after the tubes are removed from their throat. Everyone tried to move or touch their surgical area and had to be safely restrained by the nurses while they came around. This restraining is not with a tool but by having the nurses hold the patients wrists and keep them away from the body and then talk to them in a gentle manner so they begin to understand what has happened. They would try NOT to grab the patients' wrists hard yet still hold them, so it meant the nurse would become a rigid post so the patient was blocked from their own face or body. These women are all small. This has to be hard to do. I was absolutely amazed. They have to be so tough and speak so kindly and gently to the patient at the same time.

I could never do that. I would forget and say something snappy.

Once the patient comes around they finally listen to the nurse instead of panic and they stop trying to touch themselves and peace sets over the patient and they just relax and let their oxygen and meds kick in.

The nurse manager never sat down the whole time I was there. She had a walkie talkie and would get paged on it when the OR was ready to bring in another patient and she would tell them which bay was available for the bed.

I also noticed that there is a special relationship between the Dr's and the Recovery nurses. The Drs tell the recovery nurses everything. It is like they are their mothers. They tell the recovery nurses all their news and ask advice. It seems the Dr.'s hang out in recovery between OR times and write their reports cuz it is usually fairly quiet in there. There is time to talk when you are checking out stats and examining the patient when they are asleep. It is very obvious that the Surgeons would be lost without their OR and Recovery nurses. It is like they are all best buddies.

The step down unit has a different dynamic. It is busier. Everyone is awake there and basically two things happen there. The patient finishes their protocol in that room and is medicated, and then they are discharged/or admitted.

It seems there is one nurse for every 3 patients and when one is ready to discharge, and is waiting for the Dr. to sign them out they can take a 4th, and this is when there are no complications. Complications require one and one care. If complications arise and there are not enough nurses for the protocol- the nurses from OR recovery will float in as their patient numbers lessen.

Step down has rules for patients that cannot be broken. Most of the patients have a time rule. The surgeon sets the number of hours the patient must be in recovery and step down and there are no exceptions on the minimum amount of time the patient must stay.

I had a different rule. I was told that spinal patients cannot be timed as there is no way to know how long it will take before the patient can walk, and the patient must be able to stand and walk with aid. The big rule for me was I could not leave unless I pee'd.

All day that is what I was told. I waited to thaw out and the nurses reminded me constantly that I had to pee. They gave me tons of IV fluids and had me drinking ginger ale, water, and tea over and over again. Finally I began to feel hot and cold. I could move my hips but I could not bend my knees or flex my feet yet, but I could wiggle. I also felt like my bladder was full but it didn't feel urgent. So I was feeling pretty confident I would be able to pee.

It seems that often the bladder and urethra forget how to work after the spinal and they have to be woke up. Some folks get a full bladder and cannot pee. Then they end up having to be catheterized to empty the bladder, then they have to let the bladder fill again and try to pee. So you can imagine a frustrating and time consuming event. Not too fun for the patient or the nurses.

So here I am hoping to avoid that embarrassment and uncomfortable procedure, and quite hopeful that I won't be one of the statistics.

Oh I wasn't a statistic when it came to the peeing. No...not at all. Not in that category anyhow... I just ended up creating an unique category to begin a statistic on!

I lived up to my "Weird" patient reputation.
Thus I fulfilled the dreams of yet two more Dr.'s who aspire to be a real-life "HOUSE"(referring to the TV character DR)

Once I could feel hot and cold I told the nurses that I felt like something was wrong.
I lifted up the sheets to look down at my legs as they felt wet.
To my horror I was sitting in a puddle of cold wet urine. (collective EEEEEWWWWWWWWW!)
Yet my bladder was full. I cold feel it.
Nurse panic set in. The OH SHIT looked came over 4 nurses and they were on me like flies on honey.
They were in the middle of trickle closing the unit and lots of the nurses were trickling out to end shift and team was suddenly crazy trying to figure out what to do.

Leaking is not normal.
Of course they have to interrogate me to make sure I didn't have a secret incontinence problem I never told them about..... (and at that time I found out if once-in-a-while you sneeze and squirt does not count as incontinence BTW)

Once they realized I did not arrive at the hospital with such an issue, they had to decide how to deal with me. It was then looking like I was being admitted. But as the Dr's and Nurses spoke to me about the problem it seemed they were trying to determine if I was bleeding into my bladder and pushing the urine out, or if the valve was just leaking because it was overly frozen still. The odds leaned toward a bladder fistula and not towards a frozen valve. and there was no way to be certain what was the truth and someone had to make a call on whether I had to go back into surgery or would be given a chance to thaw a bit more and see what happens.

Time passed and the unit emptied out except for myself and another patient who was extremely ill. Once there was no one around, and just before the second last phase of nurses left I negotiated with them to try one thing. I told them that my bladder felt full and that my legs felt like I could walk so now the other patients were gone and we would not freak everyone else out if I leaked all the way to the bathroom, could I try to void and see what happens? The Nurse flipped me back up on the bed and grabbed a portable ultra sound and determined there was 700cc of urine in my bladder which was really full. So the nurses said they would try it, eventhough we could potentially slip. The Dr. gave permission and we tried it. I went really slow so no one would step in wet. I got to the toilet and sat down and they just left me to relax there a bit to see what would happen......

At first it was like a leak. I could not really feel anything there. Then the trickle became a stream and I tried to stop the stream and I was successful! I then keggled my way through it all and emptied my bladder. Yeah!
The nurses were so excited!
Then they had to try to get the Dr. back out of the OR to sign me out.

Around 8 PM on Wed I got signed out. I had successfully voided three times with complete control and was no longer a leaky sieve.
It was decided by the Dr. that my bladder was still frozen by anesthetic and was so full it leaked.
They said my bladder is the size of a child's and 700cc is over full for a child.
Peeing if you sneeze is called stress incontinence and it doesn't count as a concern for Drs.

I have lots and lots of dissolving stitches from two surgical procedures done at once. I had a vulvectomy removal of the labia right side to excise VIN3, plus the marsupialization of a Bartholin Gland cyst( they turn the gland inside out and leave it to the body to take care of it)

Now the Bartholin Gland issue is probably related the glandular cysts caused by my Sjogrens disease(which is a connective tissue arthritis that kills glands in the whole body and connective tissue). Also the susceptibility to VIN3 mutations is caused by a combo of genetics and the Sjogrens tissue disorder. The Dr said even though it took almost 20 years for this cancer to return on me, the chances of reoccurrence is more likely now, but the nature of this cancer is that is best to just use due diligence to eyeball the area rather than to put a patient through chemo and radiation as a preventative. He said that they litterally know so little about this "old women's" cancer, because it is fairly rare, that they cannot even determine if women get these mutations often and seek no help because they have no symptoms and it is possible their cells die off before they become malignant- thus taking care of themselves before anyone even knows it happens/OR/....This is surmized by the Dr's because they cannot explain the low 1st occurrance rate of this cancer any other way except to predict it could have two directions it goes - one: that takes care of itself and folks are none-the-wiser and two: the kind that begins to flourish and becomes a problem and symptomatic, and then it spreads fast and it's too late....

So I was a weird interesting surgery that a Dr. might not get to see too often.....apparently...and the anesthesiologist got to see the fancy part of the procedure right along side the surgeon.
I guess folks don't get to be a viewing guest on this surgery much because it is usually embarrassed old ladies going through it, and a surgeon could not make a spectacle of an old lady.
Us middle aged women have no pride once we had to deliver our babies.LOL And we still remember what it is like to have someone interested in our crotch (blushing LOL and a giggle)

I just told the surgeon that if he was going to dig for buried treasure down there I wanted 20% of the booty!

So I am home. I had a comfortable night. I slept well and didn't pee the bed! :)
I am a little stiff in the lower back from the spinal and I am feeling a bit of rubbing on the stitches but otherwise I am good.
I had to put Poloysporin cream on the stitches and there are I think like 30 and 20 stitches.... on the two sites. It feels like I had fancy plastic surgery down there. So I think that once it heals it will look normal and feel normal.

I feel like I am rambling on a bit when I talk. Al told me I texted him last night and I actually texted slurred LOL. I remember sitting in the bathroom texting him. So today I looked at the text....LOL It was hilarious!
Here it is....and I quote: " Al sorry i didnt call you back,forgot. Pain pills kicked in If u happen to b awake text m and you can cAll cuz ev awakw here othrwz cal when u get a chance tmrrow"

I stayed on the top floor of the house today. I thought it would be stupid to try the stairs. I feel like I am under the influence still, so I will just chill.......

Overall it was a positive experience. I would recommend to anyone to take a spinal for any surgery you can possibly do awake. It is much safer all around and you feel really good after. There is no sudden pain issue with it either which make me think the sudden awareness causes sudden pain as a symptom of the sudden part of the experience. You also get a real appreciation for the folks working in recovery when you are that aware......

So I will definitely be having a cystascope on my bladder in the new year now. They will do it to scan the bladder and urethra for VIN3 patches and to see if there is a mechanical valve issue to deal with.

I think I need to make a big deal out of New Years this year. I think I need to really boot 2009 on its ass and out the door and welcome 2010 with Whoot(tee hee) and a holler!
I want this surgery to be the turning point. I refuse to have two years like 2009! I absolutely refuse!

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/12/if-surgery-doesnt-go-well-i-have.html

Wow So Much Time Has Passed!

I am sitting here in the studio able to type properly for the first time in weeks.
I just cannot believe it has taken me two months to just begin to recover from my frozen shoulder.

When I was diagnosed with Cancer I never thought I would be laid up right until the surgery. But that was the case.

I have spent the last 7 ish weeks doing nothing. Absolutely nothing.
I couldn't type because the nerve pain from my shoulder was going down my arm into my hand.
I couldn't craft because my right arm would not work.
I couldn't watch TV much because my arm would begin to ache.

So my pre surgery time has been extremely uneventful.

I had to accept the fact that I would not get 100 items for sale in my shop for the christmas buying season, and I had to accept the fact I would be bored-out-of-my-tree........

So now I am sitting here typing for the first day, and very proud of myself that I finished the last two chistmas items for the shop last night!

My shoulder is way not 100% I actually have about 50% rotation in it. But I have enough flexablity now that I am not hurting it with every move. So now I am trying left handed chores.

I will finish getting the house ready to decorate for the holidays.
I will get my dusting and tidying done and some last minute laundry.
I have a few cookies to bake and freeze for the holiday, then I am ready for my surgery on Wed.

I guess in the grand scheme of things there must have been a reason it was necessary for me to do nothing all these weeks. I am not sure the wherefore of it but it will reveal itself in time.

I apologize to folks who have not seen me in forums or chats or NING as I have been quite drugged up these weeks and with my typing probs and the meds I was just not into following up on twitter or chats etc.

I have been on high doses of marijuana pills to stop the spasms in my shoulder so I have been Baked most of the time.

I did accomplish something while doing nothing. I advanced in Yoville, Farmville and Cafe World and Roller Coaster Kingdom to all those nerdy bane.
But this past week even those games which I could accomplish with the mouse tucked on my lap for click and play became boring. I have advanced so far I am waiting for expansions to catch up to me.

My surgery is around 1PM on Wed.
I may have to stay in one night.
All being well I may get lucky and come home the same day.

The coming home part is up in the air because there is something about the procedure being decided the day of the surgery.
The Dr.'s are considering giving me an epidural instead of knocking me out. If they do the epidural I can come home the same day. If they knock me out I may be staying over night.
This is being considered because of my frozen shoulder being a complication...

So that's the updates for now.

See you on the flipside.

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/11/wow-so-much-time-has-passed-i-am.html

This Is It!


On this wonderful Day Of The Dead we paid homage to our dead, plus one.

Carl and I went to see "This Is It!"

It was the most spell-binding documentary we have ever seen.
After watching this we had a clear picture of Michael's vision for this performance.

It does not give a sense of a frail or damaged human, but a strong and compelling man who directed and choreographed an amazing show! Yes he had directors and choreographers on his staff but he we so hands-on he was part of every decision and every moment in the show.

It was also very clear he taught the performance team about the Spirit that drives him to be The King of Pop.

I hope you take the time to see this on the big screen. It is going to be great on video, but on the big screen you get a feel for the vastness of the production.

Enjoy the trailer below:

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/11/this-is-it-on-this-wonderful-day-of.html

Happy Halloween


I get asked a lot of questions about why I am so skeptical about photographs with orbs and mist.
Folks always wonder why I don't get excited over stuff like that.

Well it is because of my own experiences.
I have seen photos of spirits and never saw one with mist or orbs in my life.
I was raised a Spiritualist and our family was known for holding seances and speaking in tongues. Not your typical family next door.

My Great Grandmother was one of the women responsible for the rise of the Spiritualist movement here in Toronto at the time of the end of the Great War.
As a treat to you all I am going to show the kind of spirit photograph I got to see as a child.

This is my Great Grandmother who was part of Lillydale, NY Spiritualist community.
She is pictured here in the early 1950's(I believe) at Lillydale's Great Stump. Where she is conjuring spirits while in a trance.

My Great Grandmother has circled the spirits in the photo for us to see........

So stuff like this is NORMAL in our family life. LOL

(this photograph is my property under the regulation of creative commons to retrieve this photo to use it or any part of this article outside of this linked format without permission is forbidden. If you wish to link to this page of the blog- this is the only option acceptable)

click the photo to see it larger

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/10/happy-halloween-i-get-asked-lot-of.html

Etsy Showcase Schedule


I have started my features in the Etsy Showcase:

You will find my items in the following Esty Showcases:(just click the right arrow on the page header to go to the titles of the sections HERE )

OCTOBER 31, 2009

Geekery Showcase

NOVEMBER 1, 2009

Geekery Showcase
Storque Showcase
Fiber Art Showcase
Jewelry (Pendants) Showcase
Dolls And Miniatures Showcase
Knitting Showcase

NOVEMBER 6, 2009

Geekery Showcase
Storque Showcase
Fiber Art Showcase
Jewelry (Pendants) Showcase
Dolls And Miniatures Showcase
Knitting Showcase

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/10/etsy-showcase-schedule-i-have-started.html

Surgery Date And A Wrecked Shoulder

On Friday I had my appointment with the surgeon.
My surgery date is December 2nd- in the afternoon.
It is day surgery.
I am expected to be uncomfortable for about a week.
The Dr said I will have to be checked every six months after that. For the re-occurrance rate of this cancer is high.
It also sounds like I was really lucky that by happenstance I ended up having this discovered because of another issue. The Dr said he never gets to see this cancer in its early stages like I have. Usually he sees it when it has gone too far. This is because this cancer basically is symptom free until it is too late. Once it starts to itch it is usually too late....

I also had my first physio appointment on Saturday. It looks like I have tendinitis in the bicep, but there also could be a tear in the cartiledge. So I am in physio twice a week until my surgery, just so my arm can be strong enough to brace me after surgery.

So in Studio I will only be knitting and needle felting for the rest of the season.
An exception will be finishing up some yule tree webs.
The photo session for the webs means we will have to set up the yule tree early.....
It will be strange having a bare tree up for a few weeks.

Stay tuned for new photos all week of new listings in the shop.

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/10/surgery-date-and-wrecked-shoulder-on.html

I Took a Chance To Tell The Story And 5 young people Wrote Me To Tell Me They Were Going To Go Get Checked Out

I have to thank everyone who responded to my blog post. Some heard about it through the RSS, some heard about it through Twitter and Some through Facebook.

I received over a dozen notes from friends and family over the last two weeks when I basically disclosed the cancer in one sentence on Facebook.
Then when I decided to go public with the type of Cancer I got some of the most emotional notes I have ever heard.
Folks reached out to me from all over the world.

The most important notes were from 5 women under 25 who said that they were going to get checked out.......
If I can get 5 women to go get pap smears and think about their woo woo in a different light, I think I have accomplished more than I could ask for.

I know women over 25 wrote me that they were getting checked out too.....and I am glad for it. I just did not think I would effect younger women in the same way, and I am grateful that so many are thinking about their woo woo more.

And a note to the guys. You can think of our woo woo in a different light too. If you are so inclined to check out the area with your good eye (LOL not THAT EYE) then have a look down there on your loved one's package and make sure it all looks like the inside of your lip and if it does not..... make sure you tell your lady please.......Pink is right White plus brown or black is bad .

I had a crazy day.
That dumb shoulder problem that has slowed down my jewelry making has now stopped it for a bit. I have tendonitis of the bicep.
(Please....just roll your eyes now....because I am)
Now I will be doing extensive physio to get it mostly healed up before my surgery. Hopefully my shoulder will recover quick, so I will be able to brace myself better when moving around after the surgery.

Friday I go to the surgeon and he books my surgery. He felt that it would be within the next 8wks.
I will let you know what I find out Friday....

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-took-chance-to-tell-story-and-5-young.html

Carcinoma in Situ
(photograph taken by euthman found on Flickr)
The Biopsy results are in.....
Cancer locked within a cell membrane.
This is what I have.

VIN 3 non HPV related cancer.(Vulvar Intraepithelial Neoplasia, grade 3)

The more technical term of having cancer of the woo woo years after a hysterectomy.

I toiled about whether to spell it all out or not. I thought about it being Breast Cancer awareness month and all- I felt that perhaps if you are not embarrassed too much by having to read about my bird cancer then you might learn something you didn't know.....and perhaps it will help you know what to be worried about if you are over 40 and under 100 if your woo woo changes...

Yes of course I am being funny about it! Because it sounds a lot better being funny calling it woo woo cancer than Vulvar Cancer of the Labia Minor (blech)

Geography lesson: the labia minor is a small flap of skin on the edge of the vagina, and labia major is the larger flap of skin on the other side. The Vulva is the outside visible area of the woo woo (LOL)
This cancer was caught because of an unrelated examination of cyst, and the dark mark was noticed by the gynecologist when he was checking out the cyst right below it.

Mine is a black dot with a white rough edge. When vinegar is placed on the spot the white raises up and looks wet. That is the first test. The second test is a surgical biopsy using a core punch device that takes about a 3cm cylinder of tissue from the spot. Then a couple of stitches.... If the dot and white rough edge is lumpy like cauliflower then it would be HPV infaltrated as well. Mine is flat. The flat stuff eventually becomes a flake (mine is not a flake yet) then it becomes Lichens disease. Very similar to what skin cancer looks like.
If you have ever seen a tanned person with white flakes on the back of their hands or arms or ears or lip, this is Lichens in the external form. On a mucosal membrane it is then categorized as a Vulvar cancer and not caused by the sun, but effecting the cells in the same way as squamous cell cancer on the rest of the body.

In latter stages VIN becomes insanely itchy. Then is spreads fast and can take over the whole of the vulva and clitoris and all of the vagina and even the bladder. Apparently that looks like little white bumps like razor burn bumps or clusters of larger lumps.
It is easy to mistake the bumps for razor burn or yeast infection or a pimple.
Once it becomes malignant it can spread to the lymph nodes, and rectom.

I had no symptoms. My mark is isolated and small. Mine is level 3 which means the next level worse and it is malignant. So you can see if you see some thing there or feel itchy it already could be greater than level 3.
If you are a teen and sexually active this is why you need to get a PAP smear every year. If you are an adult you definitely need to have a PAP smear.

Even if you have had a hysterectomy you need to have a partial PAP smear. They do it every 2-3 yrs after a hysterectomy, and it is a swab of the vagina and the hysterectomy scar in the vagina. I have mine done every 2 yrs.

If you get a lump, or a dark mark with uneven edges or white edges, or insane itching you have to go to a gynecologist. The early stages of this cancer (like what I have had twice now) is easy to cut out, but if left un attended or detected ,with this cancer, a woman could be severely disfigured from the excision and have to have multiple corrective cosmetic surgeries to look normal again.

A hysterectomy is nothing compared to the Vulvar surgery if it has to be invasive. They will dig deep into the pelvis to get out all of the cancer and you may not have use of your bladder or bowels again ever and losing lymph nodes means chemo and radiation.
Radiation and lymph removal make a person susceptible to lymphedema which is the pooling of lymphatic fluid in the legs and/or arms that is irreversible causing symptoms that look like elephantitis( swelling of the limbs as to create thick club-like limbs looking the size of elephant's legs)which is disfiguring and painful.

Girls that get HPV related cancers could get this cancer I have in a more aggressive form, plus have the terrible pollips to deal with. 6 out of 10 VIN cancers are HPV related. If you are young or you have daughters consider getting them HPV tested and get the HPV vaccination because I could not imagine how horrible it would be for a teen to get this and risk never being able to have a relationship or family ever because of being so disfigured.

HPV (Human Papilloma Virus) is a STD. It is caused by having too many sexual partners. From what I understand it is really common in teens today. I recall something like 75% of sexually active teens will have HPV.

Where I did not have HPV, if I did, my prognosis would not be as positive as mine is today......

So how does one get VIN? Well VIN means the cells are mutating. They are Neoplastic. They go from being normal cells to mutating and if the cell changes blast through the membrane then they become a malignancy.
Trauma can stimulate a cell to mutate. Trauma can mean almost anything. It can be trauma because of an injury (like falling on the bike crossbar) or having a tough vaginal birth delivery, or it can be because of trauma from a virus like HPV.
In my case it is trauma from another underlying condition that attacks my membranes.
The trauma could also be long ago, and the scarred cells can begin to change if the person is under severe stress which lowers immunity.


It all started with something completely unrelated..... a lump. More specifically a Bartholin cyst. A gland that makes that area moist got blocked. This can happen at any time and is easy to deal with a micro catheter. I have a gland disease so I have to have it checked out.

I was diagnosed with Sjogrens disease in 1995. It is an arthritis of every gland in the body that excretes. I have no saliva or tears, and problems with my pancreas, kidneys, and all mucus membranes. I have chipmunk cheeks from the saliva gland cysts, and similar problems in my esophagus. My Sjogrens is called secondary Sjogrens. It is secondary to another autoimmune disease, or in my case three other, so I have Osteo Arthritis, and Rheumatoid Raynods, and the third is the illusive tag of Lupus. It is a deadly combination for those with this multiple identification are super high risk for Sclaroderma, Diabetes, Cancer, and PolyCystic Lung Disease, and PolyCystic Kidney Disease. Basically my body is rejecting its organs.

This arthritis causes extreme distress to tissues making them break down. So the inside of my body is aging at an alarming rate. While the outside usually looks quite younger than my age. This combo distressed the tissue making me susceptible to Cancers. The arthritis made me susceptable to Shingles of the Brain which I got in 2005 (which also usually occurrs in folks over 60yrs of age)

It already made me a diabetic and caused me to have numerous surgeries before the age of 35. Now begins another cycle. I now get a cancer that only 70-80yr olds get....and I am 46.

So this year alone I had to add severe degenerative Osteo Arthritis, transitioning type 2 to type 1 Diabetes and Cancer to my list of new health issues.

I am usually cheery and positive almost all of the time.
I take it all in stride and accept my roll as: the human experiment for all of my specialists trying to figure out how they can write papers tying all my diseases together.
My Pain Specialist has admitted to me that me being so abnormal in my medical pathology really upgrades each Specialists' experience in medicine to know me....they all feel like HOUSE. LOL

I will admit whole heartedly that me the bubbley, and cheery and the positive high-spirited persona cracked a bit in the last two weeks. The health strikes this year had worn away at me, and my mood could not stay positive when they sprung a cancer diagnosis on me again.
I really began to worry for my family this time. I could see this diagnosis on top of all of the other medical problems this year was more than everyone could bear and we were all showing signs of strain after such a tough summer for my health.
I have had a lot of strange pain since February, so I just could not stay positive about this diagnosis, and I was really worried that I would present with some weird genetic cancer like Pagets and that the arthritis in my x-rays would have been bone cancer in that case.
In retrospect it is just a coincidence, but when you have serious pain then you get something else it is hard to ignore the pain from the diagnosis.
It is impossible to be cheery all the time in this situation.

I once again had to address my own death. I am 46 for pitty sake! I have had to seriously think about death being imanent.......again! I have had to do this 5 times in my adult life! And I don't mean a thought like, "oh I might die". I mean the kind of thing where you have to tell people where your will is and where your insurance papers are and your banking passwords etc.....I have had to do that 5 times already. I don't think normal folks have to do that! This can be extremely frustrating to face over and over.

So yes...I can be vulnerable eventhough I have this great zest for life.
I just wanted you to know that - yes- I can get down about stuff sometimes too, even if I don't
dwell on it for long.

I do have to do some medical maintenance now though. Today I go to the family Dr. to discuss getting a Urologist to do a cystascope to check the bladder for the same VIN....just as a precaution. If I had not already had a colonoscopy I would have had to book that too - to check for the VIN there too. PLus I will see if the diagnosis will up me in the protocol list for the MRI on my back and pelvis.

So I am back to myself, a bit tired but no longer under the influence of worrying if this is the one that will kill me.
I am now preparing for surgery.
Friday the surgeon and I plan the surgery.
Friday afternoon I get on with the rest of my life :)

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/10/carcinoma-in-situ-photograph-taken-by.html

I Have New Stuff In The Shop!

I have been busy finishing up some projects. I have posted new items for sale in my shop and The Pagans Of Etsy Shop.
I also have more stuff to post in the shop.
I hope you enjoy the stuff I have posted so far:

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/10/i-have-new-stuff-in-shop-i-have-been.html

What? Surgery Yesterday?

Well after the shitty summer I had with my diabetes -things are coming to a head.
I had to go to another specialist yesterday and he operated on me right in the office.
He said." You are gonna hate me. I have to operate right now. I need a biopsy" So after three needles of anesthetic and 15 min of in office surgery I had a biopsy and two stitches in the absolutely worst place imaginable.
I can't even tell you publicly where they had to operate...it is too creepy to discuss.

So the clinker of it all is that I have cancer.
again
I had this in 1993 and have been clear since then. And its back. I didn't even know I could get it back the same. But apparently its rare, and is back. Frig Frig Frig.
Answers all the questions why my sugars would go weird out of no where, for no food reason.
Answers why I look like an exhausted mess.

So he had to do the quick biopsy to know what degree he is looking at. So he can book my surgery. I know I am having two operations in one day. I know I will find out the date in two weeks on a Friday.

My next hope is to see if this diagnosis can bump up my January MRI as I now change in the med protocol ranks if I have a cancer diagnosis.

I am not scared.
But I am pissed.
I think I have had enough medical problems my whole life that I deserve not to have another one. I really just want to know when this med shit will end.
I am tired of bein tired
And I am tired of bein sickly...I have stuff to do!
I am also pissed off that it was ME who discovered where the problem was when I had been complaining since April of issues-which all the med tests divulged as Nothing Wrong....
I kept telling the Drs that I felt like something was wrong "Right Here" as I would point to the area. And I got a lot of heads shaking yes from the Dr's, then a....."But the tests are coming back fine"
Then I point to the area this time and Dr. says "Oh what's that?"
Then the specialist says, "Oh this is not good"

I am sorry. I know my body and I know when something is wrong.
In June I felt like I was being treated like an anxiety ridden "Woman" by the Dr's as the male Specialists argued with the Female Specialist about what should be done about me.
The Women Specialists said, "There is something wrong."
The Male Speclisists said, "Ah its probably anxiety attacks"
The Women Specialists were probably right all along. They thought I threw a blood clot from a tumor or leasion and because I was arterially healthy it didn't stick... And they got the tests they wanted done. The Male Specialists wanted to argue that it sounded like I may have had an anxiety attack in June, but they could not explain my one eye drooping during the attack or the fact I was not hyperventilating..., but would have rather just passed it off.

So the Women Specialists were spot on. One can pass a clot through the body and it breaks down eventually, but causes a bit of havoc with the patient for a day. Healthy bodies have no problem with this. (like happened to me) The trouble is the Drs have to determine if you are a healthy body or not. Male Drs looked at my weight alone. Female Drs didn't.
The Women Specialists forced the tests to prove I was healthy and to determine if I was at any risk from what they felt was an escemic event. The tests determined I have no artery or heart disease, so I could have passed a clot that didn't stick! Now we have an idea where the clot came from. A leasion that the Specialist took part of yesterday.

Oh retrospect. Always makes so much sense....

Now I would like one good thing to happen to me please.

It is ironic that this happened to me. This year I have been following along the twitter and FB of my buddy Drew. I would like you to read this blog about him:
http://www.louisgray.com/live/2009/10/cancer-messed-with-wrong-dude-drew-is.html

If you twitter please twitter the following< I #blamedrewscancer for @WitchAmy having to have last min cancer surgery yesterday>
so Livestrong will donate money to cancer research for every tweet you make with the hashtag #blamedrewscancer

If you do this we can all be part of the kicking in the ass of cancer.....in my name too!( for I am @WitchAmy lol)

If you don't tweet and your kids do, please ask them to tweet for you.
I would like to be responsible for someone getting donations because of this.

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/10/what-surgery-yesterday-well-after.html

WitchAmy Knit Along Is Coming Soon!

I will be Broadcasting and Recording The First Ever WitchAmy Knit Along Waves Of Wonder Lapel Scarf Knit Along Class!

To see an example of these scarves check this out! Click This

The scheduled date is Wednesday October 14th, at 8:00PM (20:00)EST (GMT-5). I will record it so the Knit Along will be in the Archives of my BlogTV channel.

What do you have to do to Join Us?

All those who Join Blog TV and Subscribe to my WitchAmy TV will be eligible to be sent the Pattern.
Go to My WitchAmy Live Site by clicking HERE.

At the top of my page there should be a button that says Join. Press that and create a nickname and password for yourself. Then go back to my front page and below the chat box you will see a button called Subscribe. Press that and subscribe to my feed. (this will enable you to chat with me and ask me questions during my broadcasts.

Next you need to contact me at motivatedmotion[at]gmail[dot]com and tell me what the nick name you chose for your account is so I can cross reference it with my list. Then please request the project Pattern for The Waves Of Wonder Scarf. I will send it to you in an email with a word doc in it (if you cannot use a word doc please let me know and I can send it as html or a rich text doc if you request it) Once I get notification that you have subscribed to my show I will send you the pattern.(Please have your requests in by Sunday October 11, 2009)
**NOTE I won't open any files you send me in email regarding these request emails. I will only look at text.**

What materials do you need?

Yarn: DK or Sport Weight yarn (DK is my recommendation but a sport weight would end up just a bit larger.) You will need:

SMALL SCARF(42in/107cm long)-requires 312 yrds/285m of yarn
MEDIUM SCARF(52in/132cm long)-requires 416yrds/380m of yarn
LARGE SCARF(84in/214cm long)- requires 624yrds/570m of yarn

I recommend a natural fiber, but it is up to you.

Your needles will have to be circular needles with a long cord.....at least 30inches I recommend something around 40inches.
The size of the needles will depend on the yarn you choose. Use the needle size recommended on the band of the yarn ball. If you need me to show you where to look on the yarn ball for the needle size then pop into one of the broadcasts I have going, and ask me in chat to explain this... in the next week or so and I will show you in the broadcast.

You will also need a yarn needle for sewing in ends.
You will also need scissors
You will also need a tape measure

Plus a note pad of lined paper and a good pen or pencil (a highlighter would be a good idea too)

Make sure you try to catch a few minutes of another broadcast of mine just in case you have issues with needing flash upgraded or need to ugrade your video viewer etc.

I recommend you view my free how to knit videos covering "Make One- K1fb" stitch and "Decreasing-k2tog" stitches, and "Cable Cast-on" at The Motivated Motion Gallery Site

A Beginner knitter who has cast on, Knit, and Purled before can do this scarf.
An Intermediate knitter will have no problems with this scarf.

Up Coming WitchAmy TV Broadcast Schedule:

Tues Oct 6, 2009 @ 11:00AM (GMT-5) EST, Steampunk Jewelry
Wed Oct 7, 2009 @ 1:00PM (GMT-5) EST, Needle Felting A Commissioned Piece
Wed Oct 7, 2009 @ 8:00PM (GMT-5) EST, Marilyn Monroe Evening Bag......
Thurs Oct 8, 2009@ 1:00PM (GMT-5) EST, Let's Go Pagan Themed!....
Sat Oct10, 2009@ 1:00PM (GMT-5) EST, Weekend Surprise!

Sun Oct11, 2009@ 1:00PM (GMT-5) EST, Weekend Surprise!
Mon Oct12, 2009@ 1:00PM (GMT-5) EST, Canadian Thanksgiving.......
Wed Oct14, 2009@ 8:00PM (GMT-5) EST, WitchAmy Knit Along Session 1......

WitchAmy- Broadcast your self LIVE

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/10/witchamy-knit-along-is-coming-soon-i.html

Come Join Me In The Studio
WitchAmy- Broadcast your self LIVE

I will be broadcasting live at 11:00AM each day that I can. Sometimes I will be working on crafting, sometimes I will be writing or editing.

There will be chat if you want to take part. You will have to register to chat.
I am giving you a full days' warning to get your ID and PW registration done, then come back Wednesday and see what I am up to.

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/09/come-join-me-in-studio-i-will-be.html

Harry Potter Stories Come To Life In Orlando- spring 2010

It is really interesting to think that Universal studios is working on a Harry Potter Themed park to enhance their entertainment experience offer to the public.

Come Spring 2010 Universal Studios Orlando will have their HP theme park running.

Click HERE to see the podcast reveal.
Look on the middle left of the parchment to see the video.

Tom Felton is the official announcer.

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/09/harry-potter-stories-come-to-life-in.html

Updates and Fun


I have worked very hard in the studio this past month and a half. I haven't done much social networking. I have been expanding my Motivated Motion Gallery and Etsy sites and I have been participating in a few craft chats and development EGroups to expand awareness for my crafting.

Please browse my craft blog to see all the news about how the Motivated Motion business is growing.

On the home front....well I have not been that well. This summer I tried to go un-medicated for my diabetes, and despite all of the positive work with weight loss and food programs to bring down my sugar (which I did bring down to normal readings).....my sugar is not stable. I can get it down and then it will suddenly shoot up for no known reason. The Diabetic clinic at Sunnybrook Medical Center had given me the summer to see what would happen if I was un-medicated as the very last pill form medication that I could take called Jenuvia had given me a bad reaction at the end of May and had me hospitalized. I am allergic to all pill forms of diabetic medication :( Metformin makes me deaf, Actos and Avandia cause my blood pressure to rise and my body holds too much fluid, and Jenuvia caused me a reaction like a stroke.

So my only alternative is Insulin. In June Carl and I went to the Clinic and had some instruction from the Diabetic nurse and Dietitian on the needle Pen.
Monday I go back to the clinic, and I will go on Insulin. I won't need much, and I won't need it all the time. But I will need it on unstable days.

For the diabetics out there, and those that understand this stuff I will explain what my sugar readings are like. First of all I am not average when it comes to being diabetic. Readings that other folks would be happy to have and may even be fine and normal for other folks cause my body great trauma. I was hypoglycemic (low blood sugar) until 2003, then I went the other way to diabetic (high blood sugar). I was warned that the hyperinsulinia I had the majority of my life would make the pancreas tired and I would eventually become diabetic. Plus I have multiple auto-immune diseases and one of them- Sjogrens attacks the pancreas and makes my pancreas and my digestive enzymes unstable.

My sugar readings that cause me exhaustion, very blurred vision, and edema are in the low ranges. I can have these reactions to the extreme if my sugar reading is 8mmol (which is in acceptable levels for a diabetic). I only feel fine and have all my energy at 6-6.9mmol.
My highest sugar days this summer with no medication were an average of 9mmol.
I only had one bad spike and it was 11mmol.
For many folks their sugars can run in the 8's every day and they could get 11mmol and just begin to get my extreme reactions at that time.
I figure my sensitivity has something to do with the fact that my whole life I ran like 4-4.6mmol and functioned well, so my poor body just can't handle the glucose.
The Hemagloben A1C test I just had was 8.1 my usual reading is 6.3 and this proves I cannot manage my diabetes without intervention.

Glasses

THE SUMMER OF DIABETIC HELL also effected my vision, and I now need reading glasses. I went to have my diabetic eye check and the eye Dr told me my eye irritation (burning and red) was due to strain because I needed glasses while doing my Needle Felting and Jewelry making.
So I have reading glasses ordered from SEARS at script 120 125
The good thing is there is no sign of diabetic arterial disease in my eyes.

How Am I Managing The Diet Now?

For over a year I used Dr. Poon's program. You can look it up on the net as Poon Diet (quit laughing). In December my Sjogrens acted up and effected my digestive enzymes. When this happens I have to go vegetarian for a while to give my pancreas a rest. If I am Vegetarian I cannot be on the Poon Diet. So Dr Poon gave me a sabbatical from the diet until my enzymes stabilized. Once I stabilized (around May this yr) I went back on the Poon Diet and my body wouldn't respond. It seems that if you unstabilize on his Diet it is hard to kick your metabolism into gear again. I still use a lot of the Principals of his diet when it comes to carb control, but I have moved on to another program that is working. I am using Dr. Gallup's GI diet. It is the one that divides foods into three groups (Red Light, Green Light and Yellow Light) Red foods are the bad ones, Yellow you have to watch out how much you take, and Green foods are unlimited.
Gallup's newest books are quick references and restaurant eating guides.
I want to say I have learned one thing through the years of weight control I have had to endure (because I can vary within 100lbs at any time of my life, sometimes I am fat and sometimes I am skinny and everything in between)is you need to change up your food programs often to keep your body responding. No food program can do it all for you. But you cannot do this food work if it is just to lose weight. Make yourself an expert in why you are on the food program and make sure that you keep moving the food programs into your lifestyle. It is important for obese folks to be eating for their health and no other reason. There is no room for guilt in eating. Never be guilt ridden for gaining again. Just get on the bandwagon and work on it.

Also never get yourself down when you're fat. (I am sorry I cannot say large or chunky or overweight. I am fat and I can't help it and I work on my health every day)The best way to feel good is to dress appropriately. You will never see me in a sweat suit. You have to be elegant. I don't spend tons of money on clothes. I buy classic styles and I do my best to wear a bit of makeup, pick an easy classy hairstyle, and dress so you feel like a princess in your heart. My friends don't even take notice of my weight, they spend time asking me questions about what I am doing or where did I get that outfit. I believe that is because I don't take notice of it. I know I am doing my best and if I am meeting all my medical requirements (cholesterol readings, good even normal blood pressure and the lowest sugars I can get) I am doing GREAT!

The difference between Poon and Gallup is Poon's diet has me eating no fruit and no grain accept for limited berries and MOD soy breads and no dairy. Gallup's diet gives me fruit, whole grains and limited dairy.


I enjoyed Poon's diet and I was very disappointed that my body wouldn't bounce back, but I am enjoying Gallup's diet because of the variety of foods in the veggie and fruit area that I can have.
I am also very thankful to have cheese back. I eat low fat baby belle Gouda and no fat sour cream, low fat cream cheese, and low fat feta.
I also was not allowed pulses on Poon's diet. Now on Gallup's diet I got back my Peas, Beans and Lentils. I am so greatful for that. I live on Hummus, avacado, and olives.

My typical food days are like this:
Breakfast: Scrambled egg white or poached egg.
One slice of whole rye sourdough toast dry

Snack: Gallup's apple oatmeal crumble (made from scratch-7min in microwave)
1 baby belle cheese

Lunch: Whole grain crisp bread of any kind if it has 3gr of fibre
Feta and Olives drizzled in a bit of olive oil
Hummus

Dinner: some sort of Loin meat stir fried
whole grain pasta or rice in pesto and olive oil
stir fried or raw veggie mix from fresh (Snow Peas, fresh beans, peppers, onion)

Snack: Silhouette Yogurt with oats on top or bran buds

I drink mineral water, black tea, unsweetened iced tea, or black coffee all day.

I also eat one square of 70% dark chocolate a day. (like in a Lindt bar)

Some Fun:

I have a Fan Page for my Motivated Motion Gallery on Facebook now. I am releasing the exclusive Gallery stuff on there first. So if you want the most up-to-date progress of my collection and special offers it will be on the fan page: It Would Be An Honour To Me If You Become A Fan

Motivated Motion Gallery on Facebook

Speaking of Fans: If you have a Google account or you are a blogger you can become a fan of this blog or the craft blog in one click. If you have not become a fan yet, please do. I will return the favour. If I am not a fan of your blog yet send me a note in comments and I will become a fan of your blog or site.

Susan Boyle released her new album and Perez Hilton has got the exclusive on her first single release. You can hear her version of the Rolling Stones Cover: "Wild Horses" by clicking HERE. Susan also sent me a note saying she is performing on America's Got Talent this week coming! I believe America's Got Talent is on Monday this week.

Tom Felton told me he was getting an exclusive tour of Universal Studio's Harry Potter Theme Park in Orlando this weekend. This is under construction now. I am sure I will get news on that soon.

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/09/updates-and-fun-i-have-worked-very-hard.html

You Know You Want One!
(or you know someone who SHOULD use one!)

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/08/you-know-you-want-one-or-you-know.html

I Miss Wendy

I cannot do this on the day, that would be too tough. I don't even want to think about how many years she is gone now. :(

But today I was having a very good day. I was creative and got lots of shop stuff finished up and I even got to touching up a few bits of texture in the bathroom before we varnish.
I posted my rings for sale which you should be able to see in the post below.
All in all a really good day!
When Wendy was around we would gab about ideas and interests in new crafts to try...
Plus if I was stumped I would just ask Wendy her
opinion, and she always had some really cool ideas!


Wendy was a crocheter and an machine embroiderer.
She also liked cake decorating and sewing.
She like complex needlework and weaving, and she was
great at organizing anything!
She would try ANYTHING! And she most enjoyed crochet.
She made fine doilies and swans and flowers.

I never had a friend like Wendy in my past and I don't think I will have another friend like Wendy in my future.

Every day when I get excited over a craft I hope she is watchin!

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-miss-wendy-i-cannot-do-this-on-day.html

Wire Wrapped Gemstone Rings and Circuit Boards with Worms!!!

I have been releasing my Geekery , SteamPunk and Silver Wire Wrapped jewelry into the Etsy shop slowly.
Mostly because I cannot get the edited photographs out fast enough.
I have been full speed this month creating things and dismantling watch relics and needle felting tiny little creatures!
I hope you find the selection varied enough.
For certain these all have a bit of my personality in them.

I wish I could keep all of them, but I can't. I purposely don't make the rings my own size so I won't be tempted to keep the creations :)
Here are the latest releases into the shop:

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/08/wire-wrapped-gemstone-rings-and-circuit.html

House Elf Socks keychains




















I created these cute miniature House Elf Socks! I knitted them like flap heal socks in miniature on size 0 needles.
I am using proper sock yarn to make them.
I put them on a one inch key ring with a jump to a metal clasp so you can hook it to your purse for security.

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/08/house-elf-socks-keychains-i-created.html

Steam Punk Is In My Shop!

I rolled out my first Steam Punk pieces as I promised. I am also featured in Etsy Geekery Showcase a few times this week.
I have many more pieces I have completed and I will post pics as soon as I finish the photo shoot today.
In the mean time please enjoy seeing the new pieces in the shop below!
Click on any thumbnail to see details.
or to see my whole shop go to: www.motivatedmotion.etsy.com

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/08/steam-punk-is-in-my-shop-i-rolled-out.html

Here's a little Surprise

To add to all this creativity today I have done something else. If you are just tuning in... here is the scoop: I have begun to make inquiries to see if I qualify for Federal and Provincial artistic grants. I have contacted the GOTO people indicated for the councils and I am very interested in what they say.
I am not certain. But I think I may be able to apply for multiple grants to improve and produce more virtual classrooms and to do my big fancy book, and to enhance my ability to be a strong competitor and presenter at associated conferences throughout North America.
Please send positive thoughts and prayers my way to help me with the Luck I will need to be accepted in the competition for the grants.
Just starting this process is so very exciting to me!

Spiritual and Geeky Jewelry

Have I told you lately that I love my Job!?
I may be disabled but I feel pretty freakin good when I can be inspired to create jewelry like you are about to see!
Steam Punk
Spiritual Pendulums
Wire Wrapped Gems
Geekery
Wait until you all see what I am holding back! Can you imagine Needle Felting combined with each of these genres? Oh YES it is coming so soon!
I know these items are going to be scooped up so if you want to be the Geek everyone at work will be jealous of...you better purchase soon, or they will be gone.
These OOAK pieces are from one of a kind gems or from reclaimed watch and clock parts. I cannot make exact duplicates...











The newest items I have listed are Spiritual Gems Wire Wrapped Jewelry and some Geekery Jewelry.
Just when you thought you saw it all....circuit board pendants and earrings.
I have also created some Steam Punk jewelry that I will release tomorrow.
Steam Punk is really cool so I suggest you come back tomorrow to see the Steam Punk creations!
For now I hope you enjoy browsing the newest items in the shop here:
(click on the thumbnails to see larger pics and details)

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/08/spiritual-and-geeky-jewelry-newest.html

I Am Doing A Beta Test For Etsy-Good Excuse For A Sale!

I am part of the second string of beta testers for the Etsy Rearrange feature.
I can rearrange my shop face items from page to page and other testers can see my changes.
The public at large will be able to see the changes in a few weeks.

I had a coincidental situation occur right at the same time I began my test on Tues. It seems that on July 27th half of my items went stale and when I reopened the shop from Vacation Mode on Monday all my items were still in my shop, and so they were on Tues when I began the test.

I guess on Tuesday I did enough action on my shop interface to have the lists catch up to the stale dates through the data stream and in the middle of my first test I lost half my wares.

I was confused for just over 24 hrs cuz nothing was in the Inactive area where it says to look.
Then at the last minute (just after I sent a trouble ticket to Etsy) I see The Expired category in My Etsy, and I checked it. Low and behold the missing wares were expired and the date they expired was July 27th. So the reopening of the shop and the activation of the beta test must have sinked the date and zip they were all gone.
Sigh... I had to get all those items renewed
It gave me an oportunity to see what happens in the beta test when you relist something.

So seeing I am so lame brained and can't find an expired listing if my life depended on it....I have just removed all the shipping from all of the doilies. Free shipping anywhere!
And just to remind you that the doilies are also a great way to get one of the higher priced needled felted pieces at a great reduction in shipping cost if you incorporated the SNEAKY SALE RULES to your multiple item order.... :-)

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-am-doing-beta-test-for-etsy-good.html

I Am Away,

I am going up into the bush to be creative. Away from the net and the phone.
I will be gone 10 days.
Hopefully the guys won't ruin the house while I am away. LOL

I may be sending photos to my Facebook, so you can check in there for mobile uploads, but it has been tempermental lately so I cannot promise it will work.

What will definitely work is my Twitter Feed.
I will be Tweeting about my escapades via my cell phone so you can keep up that way.
I am WitchAmy on Twitter.

I can get Tweets if you send an @WitchAmy message to me, otherwise I am not going to watch specific Tweet feeds, so I can conserve battery.

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/07/i-am-away-i-am-going-up-into-bush-to-be.html

It's finally arrived!!!!! Oh my gawd!!!

We are so excited!!!!!

It's FINALLY Arrived!

Send a smile, make someone laugh, have some fun!

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/07/its-finally-arrived-oh-my-gawd-we-are.html

Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince
(All of the Photos are from Our Midnight Premier of HBP in Newmarket)


Well I have been very fortunate this year to be able to get the juicy goods on all that was going on in preparation for the release of this film.
I am also very excited that I am -In-the-Know about all of the current buzz around the filming of the last two movies for Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows.
I came across the absolutely best YouTube video on Harry Potter And The Half-Blood Prince.
It is long but it is 100% worth the watch, and if you never see another media video about the movie after this one, you won't be missing anything.

Enjoy the video! Click on the arrow and watch. You can make the screen full-size too!

If you have not read the book series I suggest you do it soon. You can see in the lower right margin of this blog that my library is brimming with Harry Potter. You definitely are missing a huge amount of the epic story if you do not read the books. There are characters in the books you have never seen on film, and story lines which are way more in depth than the movie.

It does not take away from the movies though. All of the films have done a great job with flow forsaking some info just to make the movie flow work.


I owe all of my new knowledge about the cast and the PR of all things Harry Potter 2009 to becoming a member of Feltbeats.
It was quite by accident that I came upon all of this.

Being the Needle Felter that I am in real-life I spend a good part of my evenings on my web marketing. In doing so I came across Tom Felton's Twitter page while looking for feeds on Felting :)

Tom Tweets regularly and he often was having conversations with Feltbeats.
Curiouser and Curiouser I became, and a flow of really interesting info emerged.
I looked into Feltbeats.
I found it a really well written fan site for Tom Felton.
In my research I found out it's an OFFICIAL Tom Felton site for HE is Feltbeats.

This site does not actually follow Tom because of Harry Potter. It follows him for his independent indy music career. I began to read the info he submitted for the site, and read the comments of the fan followers and I was hooked.

I was reading a mirror of my own Sons' lives. Same issues with things like stage fright, dealing with sharing emotional content as a song writer, and learning a new instrument and working hard at perfecting it.
The site also follows Tom on his journey into manhood and relationships with his mates and his girlfriend, plus his never ending love for his dog.
Such normal average things that all "kids" go through, and shared publicly by a young man who is greatful for his opportunities and working hard to make a future for himself, with clear goals, and a very clear understanding that all of the hoopla over Harry Potter puts him at the pinnacle of his career at the beginning of his life (which is very hard to stand up against for future endeavours), so he now realizes that he needs to be wise and choose content that will make him happy, and not content for a project to overshadow or be greater than the Harry Potter franchise (which would be near to impossible to do).

I am not a dreamy fan.
I am a fan of the young folks of Harry Potter as a whole. I think they deserve the koodos and pats on the back just like I would give my Sons' and their friends for trying new things, like making a band, or trying a new endeavor. I am as pround of these folks for being good role models as I am about the friends of my Sons' from our small town.
I realize in my nice wise age that young folks who are Good, and Good Role models are not a dime a dozen. They definitely are not average. And ones who also work hard in a job, or a sport, or school don't usually get the recognition they deserve.
The whole young cast of Harry Potter carry themselves very well in their public persona. Like my own kids they are very knowledgeable about networking, the net, and all the new places to be plugged into for information.

My day is spent working in the studio, and learning from my kids what I need to know to survive in this instant message, instant order, instant buy, instant info world of the internet.
I am now plugged-in to web feeds, news feeds, info feeds and technology feeds.
I watch the stars who go the extra step to connect with the people at large. I am fascinated by their networking skills and the savvy they have about using social networking sites to instill this blanket relationship with the fans. It is very brilliant! No one can sell YOU like YOURSELF.

Our kids generation already knows you have to connect with your fans or clients, you have to use everything at your disposal to do it too! Gone is the day of just hanging out your placard over the door of the shop and waiting for folks to become nosy and mosey in. Now you are expected to be available to a world greater than THE BLOCK.

It has been a thrill learning from Feltbeats and Tom Felton about this, as much as it is for me to constantly learn from my own kids. These days my kids (well young men of 21 and 23) are my teachers and tutors, and they keep me learning THE NEW every day. I stay fresh by watching feeds from crafters and from young folks IN THE KNOW like Feltbeats and Tom Felton.

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/07/harry-potter-and-half-blood-prince-all.html

For My Own Records.....























































































































I just want to acknowledge that even
though I was all busy and excited about the work I did for Feltbeats and Tom Felton last week, I did not forget the Michael Jackson Memorial.

So for my own records (as this IS my journal, as public as it may be) I want to say that Cam taped the TV coverage of the memorial.

Now we can find the memorial stuff everywhere on the web.
Hopefully this embed will last as long as my blog does, so I can watch this video over and over.

This video is his last recorded rehearsal for his concert series that never was:
It is so nice to see his little smirk at the end, like he was pleased with himself and his team.

http://motivated-motion.blogspot.com/2009/07/for-my-own-records.html