Category Archives: Uncategorized

The Fruits of iNSD

Uncategorized 1 Comment

Last Saturday was iNSD. It was also FCBD.

Acronyms. I hate acronyms.

iNSD is interNational Scrapbook Day. International Scrapbook Day is on May 4th and the US National Scrapbook Day is held the first Saturday of May. This usually creates an entire weekend dedicated to scrapbooking.

FCBD is Free Comic Book Day. It is also the first Saturday in May. Participating comic shops in the US and around the world give out free comic books.

That Saturday, I joined a scrapbook chat/live meeting at about 8 in morning.

A couple hours later were in line for FCBD, 15 minutes before our local shop opened. We were those geeks, eagerly waiting outside with fellow geeks. I picked my 5 free books, bought the newest Serenity and two expansion card packs for Firefly the Game and we were back home within the hour.

Mom was trying to change a light bulb on the outside of the garage. She had this nifty tool that let you change the bulb without even getting on a ladder. It would have worked but she accidentally moved the angle of the light in such a way that her nifty tool no longer worked. While Husband & mom tried to figure out what to do and while they went & bought a taller ladder, I rejoined the scrapbook chat.

Then Dave came over and we had a night of tabletop games. Tracy was sick and we really missed her. We played Firefly: Out to the Black, Cthulu Dice and my favorite, Zombie Dice.

After he left, you guessed it, I was back in chat. Some people had been there from 8am-11pm. I was not that dedicated.

During iNSD, I found a new community called “Get It Scrapped”. Members have access to “coaching” classes and dozens of ebooks, plus over 50 templates. I started using the coaching classes to try to make pages from scratch and to learn not to rely on templates. I’m finding it challenging but I’m learning quite a bit. I feel like I’m taking the training wheels off.

Throughout the day Saturday and Sunday I created 4 new layouts. And I stuck with the wedding theme. All of these were photos taken prior to the ceremony.

(I love the slightly suggestive journaling on this first page!)

Bridesmaids Jumping Web

Details Web

Getting Ready Web

Kisses

I can see some flaws in these pages, but rather than worry over them or even try to make changes, I’ve decided to leave the flaws. This is a learning process and I want to see my growth as a scrapbooker.

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Uncategorized Leave a comment

I used my new KitchenAid to really bake for the first time. Not some cake mix, but actually baking from scratch. No one shock in gasp. Oh, okay. Go ahead and gasp.

I went a little out of my comfort zone baking something that embodied two of my least favorite baked goods. First, they were cupcakes. Cupcakes are annoying. So messy and hard to eat. We do not get along that well. Secondly, they were lemon blueberry cupcakes. I LOVE lemons. But I’ve always had a sort of mental block when it came to sweet lemon desserts. Lemon cookies, lemon bars, lemon meringue pie we’re never for me. But Husband seems to really like lemon desserts & I know he loves cupcakes so I was willing to try something new.

I used this recipe:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/missys-lemon-and-blueberry-cupcakes-recipe.html

Let me just say right now that I love my KitchenAid mixer. Without it, this fibro girl would not have been able to bake these cupcakes.

I liked that the batter ingredients were split into three bowls and then you mixed those contents together. First your butter & eggs, then milk & sugar and lastly the rest of the dry ingredients. My butter wasn’t entirely room temperature and I had trouble mixing it with the eggs. I think I might have even overbeat the eggs which caused for a stiffer batter.

You will also need to add some lemon zest. I needed 3 tablespoons. I bought two large lemons. I grossly underestimated. I might have had a tablespoon and a half, two tops. I added a dash of lemon juice to make up for the lack of lemon zest.

Before you pour the mixed batter into the cupcake liners, spray the cups with a cooking spray like PAM. OMGosh. This is especially important if you don’t want to spend $5 or more for those really good cupcake liners. I bought mine at Kroger. Cheap as possible. After the cupcakes have baked, the liners peel off without making a crumby mess and the cooking spray will help crisp up the outside of the cupcake and make it golden brown just like the cupcake tops. Absolutely brilliant trick. This might make me and cupcakes get along better.

Before you put the cupcakes in the oven to bake, place some blueberries tossed in flour on top of the batter. In theory, the batter will rise above the blueberries and they will sink throughout the cupcake. This was a FAIL for me. The batter never raised above the blueberries and I had to take a butter knife to sink them lower.

Also, the 18-20 minutes cooking time was a FAIL. Our oven stayed preheated/heated at the right temp through the whole process. My only guess is that the recipe was underestimated or more likely, our oven lies. If you have an external oven thermometer that would be best. If you’re like us and don’t bake often enough to justify another piece of clutter in the house, then you might want to be prepared for some extra baking time.

Once the cupcakes are finally baked, pull them out and let them cool on a rack. Don’t be lazy like I often am and just leave them in the pan to cool.

Next it’s time for the icing. Cream cheese icing is the best. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

Seriously, how can anything with two sticks of cream cheese, a stick of butter and 3-4 cups of confectioner sugar be bad? (I know the answer to that but I don’t wanna hear it!

We also needed lemon zest for the icing. I just added a little extra lemon juice.

The KitchenAid made mixing this together so easy. Have I mentioned my love of the KitchenAid?

Finally, icing and decorate your cupcakes.

Despite my earlier caveats, these cupcakes are fanfreakingtastic and I highly recommend this recipe.

If I had been clever there would have been pictures of the process. But I’m not, so here is just the final product. (I do have a picture of Husband decorating with blueberries, but I am fair certain he would kill me if I shared that with you.)

Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

Dave

Uncategorized 1 Comment

When I wake up at early (doesn’t happen as often as it should) I like to take the time to digi (digital scrapbook).

This morning was no different.

I woke up at 6:15 and wanted to create a new page. I decided to make something that wasn’t part of a class. (Just to prove I could.)

I used a template from Fiddle Dee Dee and a kit from Digital Designs Essentials.

I stuck with the wedding theme and chose Dave as my subject. The cake photo is my favorite but I’m pleased with the layout as a whole.

Dave Web

Digital Scrapbooking… Again

Uncategorized Leave a comment

Since I’ve been feeling better I’ve been returning to old hobbies that had fallen by the wayside.

Digital scrapbooking, as mentioned in one of my previous posts, is one of those hobbies.

Thankfully jessicasprague.com gives you unlimited to access to their classes after you have purchased them. In addition, the classes teach techniques in both Photoshop CS3 and Photoshop Elements. Having recently purchased Elements, I’ve been retaking the classes.

My subject of choice has been the wedding & honeymoon.

relaxing-mornings-web

Photo BoothWeb

Justin 5 Things Web

Cute Title Here Web

Jen Caputo - Digital Sketch

Bambi Web

My favorites by far are the photo booth layout & the Bambi layout. The others are pretty cool too.

Where I’ve Been

Uncategorized 2 Comments

I’ve spent the past few months healing. And I’m happy that I can finally say my tush is officially healed. I don’t have any further appointments with that doctor. By my last day, the entire office staff knew me by name. They were so incredibly helpful.

I was on top of the world feeling great. I had low stress, low anxiety and more energy. Then I started getting nausea. Not the normal everyday nausea but extreme nausea. Burning, churning and worst of all pain. It was so bad for a few days that I had to take off work and go to the doctor. It was not my regular doc, he was off that day but the office still got me in. I was diagnosed with a kidney infection, given antibiotics and sent home. The nausea really didn’t improve. Many days I went to bed right after work because the pain was just too much. The doctor called me back. She had run a culture and it turned out that I didn’t really have a kidney infection. But I was still in so much pain. X-rays, lab work & a CT Scan were all clear. At this point, I imagine the doctor just throwing her hands in the air “I give up!” because she told me to follow-up with my GP. I was basically dumped by that doc.

So, I followed up with my GP. I love my GP, he’s the best doctor I’ve ever had. We have conversations and my input into my treatment is just as important as his. And he likes the Boondock Saints! I sat in his office for a good thirty minutes as he listened to my symptoms. He was perplexed. It was so cute watching him trying to decide next steps because he really was at a loss. He said that odds were that if we had further tests, they’d all be clear. But he didn’t want to give me the “It’s IBS” diagnosis either. Together we decided that we would wait for a month to see if things righted themselves. I’ve kept a food diary (mostly), trying to exercise more (nearly impossible with the pain) and in May he’ll prescribe Nexium when it goes generic. I’m treating the symptoms with Alka Seltzer to take the edge off the nausea (the nausea meds they prescribed actually make me sicker) and strong pain meds.

My next appointment with the doc is tomorrow. Not much has changed in a month so we’ll have to see how that goes.

When I’m not in pain, I feel great. I’ve been relearning digital scrapbooking using Photoshop Elements (my poor copy of Photoshop CS4 has gone to a better place – in other words – it just don’t work no more.) and I’ve been working on a Project Life book.

And for an early anniversary present my husband bought me a Kitchen Aid Stand Mixer. I’ve wanted one of these for so many years. It’s so pretty sitting on my kitchen counter.

IMG_4027

 As I feel better & better, I expect to be around more. Till next time…

Update from the Doctor

Uncategorized 2 Comments

We went to the doctor yesterday afternoon to follow up on this new wound opening. The doctor was disappointed but not surprised.

He wasn’t there for the original healing of this part of the wound. The working theory is that the top layer of skin healed but the underneath didn’t. This created another sinus cavity and the environment for the new tear.

To facilitate healing & to make sure that it healed right, we needed to take the “roof” off the cavity. This meant a little minor surgery to remove that skin.

I was not prepared for this. I expected possibly some answers or instructions on how to pack the wound. Instead I got 4+ shots of lidocaine & minor surgery.

I handled the news and surprise surgery really well if I do say so myself. No undo tears and a smile on my face. Husband also handled everything well. While he didn’t watch the procedure he did stay in the room & he did see pieces of his wife removed.

I am in a lot of pain. And while I realize this wound is nowhere near the original size it is about an inch long and half inch wide. This is at least another month of healing and twice daily dressing changes. I definitely feel like I’ve taken a step back in my healing process.

A New Wound

Uncategorized Leave a comment

I’ve been off the wound vac for about three weeks. One day we were taking off the drape (fancy adhesive sheets that protect your skin) when part of my skin came with it. It was bad. Parts of my tush were red, raw & sadly bloody. I’d also developed a bad blister where the vacuum attached to my skin. After 5 weeks my body was finally rebelling against the machine. 

We put the wound vac back on, avoiding the most tender areas. Within 12 hours I was calling the nurse begging for them to remove the wound vac. I had developed another blister. This one was larger and more painful. And when the drape was removed my entire backside was inflamed. The nurse actually gasped when the drape was removed. “We can’t put that back on your skin!” So that Thursday was the last day I had the wound vac.

We went to the doctor and he was amazed at the size change. What was originally a 10-12 centimeter wound was now just 1 centimeter. The pain was better and things were looking good. The wound vac had worked. It was a time to celebrate.

We still had to do wound changes twice a day but after the wound vac, the daily changes were a breeze.

Then last week happened. Husband was doing a wound change when he noticed a new open area. “That wasn’t there before.”

*sigh*

The original wound site had healed. We were days from being finished with the whole thing when this new wound appeared. We’re not sure why it happened. It could be infection or part of the surgical area that didn’t heal right the first time or something else we’ve not even considered. We see the doctor today.

I’m back to sitting gingerly, if I sit at all. I have to take pain medication often times just so I can sit. It’s like the whole thing is starting fresh.

The original cyst appeared in April. I’ve been dealing with this for eight months, two surgeries and 5 weeks being attached to a machine.

Staying positive is exhausting.

Out of the House

Uncategorized Leave a comment

I’ve been out of the house very few times in the past three weeks Mostly just to sit in the car or go to a doctor’s appointment.

One time I went to the grocery. It was a fast trip and I wore Husband’s jacket to cover all my machine paraphernalia and tubing. That was a chore and really not a lot of fun. In addition, Husband’s jacket was huge, heavy and hot.

But then there was this weekend. We went to the zoo!

I shortened the strap on the machine pouch. I rolled up as much tubing as possible and hid it inside the pouch. Then I put on my Disney Vacation Club windbreaker and zipped it up over the machine. Nothing, but an odd-shaped bulge on my hip, could be seen.

It was a bracing fall day. Partly cloudy, chill in the air and a lot of wind. As I was in denial that I would actually be going somewhere, I didn’t dress appropriately for the weather and the first stop we made was the gift shop so I could buy something to cover my ears. This occurs every year. We go to the zoo during the first cold spell of the year and I under dress. Then I spend a fortune at the gift shop buying things to warm me up. I’m starting to look at hats and gloves as souvenirs.

We spent most of the time in the North America area. I was excited that the swans were out.

IMG_3178

The Mexican Wolves and the Timber Wolf were also out. Then I spent ages just watching the river otters play.

IMG_3183

We headed over to the polar bear habitat where we got some lunch. Yum. Chicago style hot dogs 🙂

We had hoped to see the polar bears but they weren’t out that day. The docent (do they call them docents at the zoo?) didn’t know why and seemed just as bummed as we were.

We did get to see two very happy looking brown bears. First in their little den chomping on bear kibble. Then once they were full it was time for a nap. This wouldn’t be my first choice as a napping spot but it seemed to suit the bear.

IMG_3191

By this time, my poor underused body was starting to complain. Loudly. I haven’t done much of anything since I had my first surgery. The most strenuous task I accomplish is cleaning the kitchen or going to the store. It was nice to get out and walk and stand but my back, hips and feet were unhappy with me.

On the way out we stopped by the petting barn real quick. I didn’t actually pet anything but there were some really cute goats. One was a goat or sheep or something that looked like a poodle with horns.

By the time we got to the car I could barely walk and by the time we got home I could barely move.

I spent most of the night on the couch with the heating pad. It was worth it.

A New Name

Uncategorized 1 Comment

To those of you who are familiar with this blog, you might have noticed a change.

I’ve received two comments requesting that I change my blog name.

“Jessica….the name The Plucky Housewife/Housewives is a registered trademark. We ask kindly, that you change the name of your blog, in order to not infringe on our copyright and to avoid confusion.”

 “Jessica: I sent you message earlier, requesting that you change the name of your blog and your “about” paragraph, as it is in violation of The Plucky Housewives trademark and copyright and is an almost exact replication of our mission. We have been in existence since 2009 and have branded both Plucky Housewife/Plucky Housewives. We are wishing to avoid confusion in the marketplace and branding. I am kindly requesting that you change the name of this blog within the next 30 days. I wish to avoid any official legal interactions.

thank you kindly!”

I have to admit, the “thank you kindly” in the second comment cracked me up.

I have not been able to verify that their claim to have copyright is true. But I just don’t care. I’m sorry that my 19 post blog was a threat to their brand. (Again this cracks me up!) I just don’t want this headache.

My message hasn’t changed. I’m still plucky. I still plan to face any obstacles with determination & courage. I will still share ideas, advice and parts of my life. A copyright can’t change that.

Officially a Cyborg

Uncategorized 2 Comments

On September 16 I had a second surgery. The surgery itself went really well.

Within a couple of weeks, the new wound was not healing. In fact it was splitting and getting worse.

My current surgeon, had us start packing it again and told us to go back to old routines. After three weeks we got a second opinion.

The new surgeon, my mother calls him the cute surgeon, didn’t really say that what went wrong was the previous surgeon’s fault. He did say that he wouldn’t have done either surgery the way the old surgeon had.

Up to this point we were packing my wound with what I called string gauze. It was about a 1/4″ wide and was packed into the tunneling that my wound was creating. My new surgeon packed my wound with 4″ rolled gauze. It was a huge size difference and a huge pain difference. We were supposed to pack the wound the same way every night. Husband couldn’t. I think he was worried about causing me pain and shoving so much gauze into the wound. It was just too complicated. The next day I started going to the hospital for daily dressing changes.

The good news is that the packing was just a temporary stop-gap until we could get a Wound V.A.C. I could tell you what V.A.C stood for but  I’m too lazy to go read the box. Basically it is a machine that continually vacuums the wound. It removes all the gunk that could prevent healing and pulls the skin together.

Since I have the box, many of you have figured out that I now have said V.A.C. I’m officially a cyborg. Part human, part machine.

I’m continually attached to a machine about the size of an old answering machine. There is a yard or more of tubing and I have to carry both V.A.C and tubing around with me at all times. There is a fancy little pouch for it which I can carry on one shoulder or cross-body for ease of use. It’s got a fancy touch screen and I can check the amount of suction and charge at any time. Luckily, it is a rechargeable battery so there are only a few hours at night that I have to remain plugged in.

This is a mobile V.A.C. I could go places with this machine but I probably won’t. No one besides myself and family really needs to see goop running through this tubing. And while I could come up with a lot of ways to camouflage the tubes and machine, there would always be a chance that someone could see something they didn’t want to and I just can’t do that to other people.

I can also shower with this machine. You clamp some tubes, turn it off and disconnect from the machine. However, I have to be super careful not to get water into the drape (sticky stuff that keeps everything in place) and especially not the foam which is the integral part of how the machine works. If I do, I could create a worse infection than I’ve already had. Those were miserable and painful, I want to avoid another infection at all costs. I will most likely end up washing my hair in the sink and resorting to sponge baths.

I will likely have this machine attached to my tushy for another 4-6 weeks. And this is the fastest healing option available to me.

Every other day (except weekends) a nurse will come to my house and replace the tubes, foam & drape.

For now, I can sit on my tush. This is a new development. I’ve become really good at just sitting on one cheek or thigh. I’ve been leaning sideways on the couch to work for the past two weeks. I’m hoping tomorrow I can work in the office and sit in my office chair.

The sitting upright might only last until they do a new change and add an additional kind of foam with enters the wound deeper. It’s been my experience that the more inside packing there is, the more pain I’ll be in and the less likely I’ll be able to sit normally.

I look at this machine with dread and optimism. One the one side, I’m basically a home bound stinky person for at least the next month. (I exaggerate a bit.) On the other side, I’m healed in half the time and this whole ordeal is over.

I have moments where I cry and moments where I laugh.

I keep moving forward.