Summer

Enjoying the nice cool snap we have had the last few days.  It has been hot and muggy already in the early part of May.  Really dreading the intense and miserable heat we endure in June and July, and even August sometimes.  But the winters are nice, and the this week it is cool and breezy and sunny.  Lovely.

Summer is great for my little art gallery.  I get to spend my days with children of all ages, working on various art projects.  This summer we will do some paintings in the style of Cezanne, and we will make some Chinese paintings too.  The weeks of hand-building in clay are usually the most popular.  And I try to include a week of color theory of some sort. The students don't know they are learning elements and art appreciation, they just have fun while I challenge their thinking!

You can check it out at www.FawnsStudio.weebly.com

Major surgery

 I had to undergo major surgery the week before Christmas. It was rather sudden and I haven't posted anything in a very long time.  That is a long story, so I will share it after I give you an update on this very busy year!

 It has been 2 years since Robert’s last brain surgery, and the follow up tests have shown the tumor is dead and
shrinking away from his brain!  His prognosis is good.  The surgeries were successful.  We are thanking the Father for that!
He needs no more radiation, and is doing well.  He drives his truck, goes fishing when he wants, and now he takes care of me!!!!  Amazing!

 Last spring, when Robert no longer needed me home so much, I began working as a substitute teacher.
This was in addition to teaching my after school art classes 3 days a week. (I rented a room from a gallery in town and taught about 7 kids at a time on the average.  I had room for 10, but it was quite crowded.)

 I also needed to take a few college classes in order to get my teaching certification reinstated.  So I used the money from subbing to pay for the classes.  Needless to say, all this became a lot to juggle.

Got it all done in time, got everything lined up, and applied for a position at the Freshmen Campus High-school, to teach art again.  But when I did not get the job,  I was confused, because the timing and deadlines had all worked out perfectly, and I was sure I would get the position.  Well, Robert was so happy about it, that it made me realize he really didn’t want me to work fulltime again.

  That meant a lot to me!

Just after that, the gallery I worked at sold. Things didn't work out there with the new owners, but I really love teaching and wasn't ready to give up my little classes and loose all my students.

 That is when Robert suggested we look for a place with a little more room, and said he would help me if I wanted to open my own teaching center. That was in the beginning of October. By the end of October we
 had a little Art Gallery and Teaching Center opened and the classes transitioned smoothly, right from one place to another!

We call it Fawn’s Studio.   I cannot explain how wonderful it is to have as many classes as I want, have plenty of room for everyone (up to 12 students), and be able to show my paintings too. 

 I have taken in commissions, sold original paintings and prints of my work, added new classes, and picked up a few more students.  Things were going so well you had to pull me down out of the clouds…..

  In the middle of November I had some strange and wonderful dreams.  I thought they were just nice dreams, but now I see there was a lot more to it.  In one of them, Jesus held me and we talked about past hurts and the need for forgiveness. 

In another, we rode horses through the mountains and he showed me some beautiful places.  He told me I could stay if I wanted.

  In yet another dream, He asked me if I wanted to live, really wanted to live, and if I was willing to do whatever it took to fight for my life. 

In the dream I answered yes, and I thanked him for all the wonderful things in my life:  All my family, my grandchildren, my husband, my friends, and this community that has supported me in my new business.  I thought this was an odd dream, and pretty much forgot about it.

  In another dream he said I would go through some hard things, but he wanted me to remember that he was with me and would use the doctors to heal me.  He put his hand on the right side of my stomach and prayed for me.

At this time, I had no signs of anything wrong, and I was thinking it must just be menopause or something, because all my tests last year came back with a clean bill of health.  Within a couple of days, I had severe abdominal pain, and a few days after that I began hemorrhaging.   I went to my gynecologist because the amount of hemorrhaging got worse. 

 She said it was clearly not menopause, and something very serious was going on.  She ordered tests that day, and they found a tumor that was as large as an orange, which had replaced my right ovary. The uterus was swollen and full of cysts as well, so she scheduled a hysterectomy right away. 

Of course I was not all in for that, especially since they had to cut me open to get the tumor out, and there are other “less invasive” procedures. When everything came back negative for cancer, I was sure she was just overreacting to want to rush through this.  I wanted to wait until after the holidays and not have to close up my new studio. so I started looking for another doctor for a second opinion, but nothing worked out, just before the holidays and all.  

Robert insisted we not put this off, and get it taken out right away. He said, “If the tumor grew that large that fast, it could easily turn into cancer.”  My doctor was very straightforward and answered all my questions.She explained that with a tumor that size, she would have an oncologist present during the surgery, and he would do a frozen section to make sure they got the whole thing out all in one piece. Then he would test it right there for any signs of cancer within the tumor.  So I agreed to go ahead right away.  

Next we had all the tests for pre-op to do. The EKG showed a blockage on the left side of my heart.  So I went through 2 stress tests, and passed them both.  The blockage was only in the electrical frequency, the signals weren’t flowing correctly, and this was monitored.  So the final approval for the surgery went through the day before I had surgery.

By then my arms were bruised from all the needles and tests, and I was hanging on to every word I could remember in those wonderful dreams.  I knew Jesus had prayed for me, and I was going to be ok.

My doctor, Trinada Garcia, is married to a general surgeon, Manuel Garcia.  Dr. M. Garcia had removed Robert’s gall bladder a year before his first brain surgery. He often joins his wife, Dr. T. Garcia, in surgery, which turned out to be life saving for me. When they cut me open, they did not find a tumor.  The oncologist was happy, no cancer was found. Praise the Lord for that!  

What they found, however, was that my appendix had ruptured and plastered itself to my ovary.  They were amazed that the poisons were encapsulated and sealed off from the rest of me.  (Many people die from a ruptured appendix. )  If Dr. T. Garcia had done a less invasive procedure, as I had asked, those poisons could have spread all through me.  Dr. M Garcia took out the sticky gooey mass, cleaned out all the poisons, and Dr. T. Garcia did a complete hysterectomy.  I am so grateful how everyone came together on my behalf to save my life!

  I have a whole new lease on life, and my husband has been waiting on me hand and foot! Hard to believe, but he is actually doing all the laundry, cooking the meals, and cleaning the kitchen….

 It has all been one miracle after another. The recovery process is going well. 4 to 6 weeks......

  I am so thankful to be alive, and am really looking forward to re-opening my little studio!

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!!!!!

back to painting!

So everything got done in time: certification was re-instated applied for the position, and had two interviews with the principal and then the vice principal.....3 or 4 people applied.  I didn't get the job, and honestly I am relieved. As much as I love teaching art, I wasn't sure I was ready for the stress of 30 or more students all at once!

I am happily back in my studio painting to my hearts content!  I will start some after school drawing and painting classes soon, with 10 or so students at a time.  very nice!

waiting

Everything is done, now I am waiting on Tallahassee to finish processing my certification to teach in the public schools again.  I had planned on subbing for a year or so, and if something came open I would be ready to work.  Well the position I was hoping for is open now!!!  Art teacher at the Freshman campus....and The school board called to let me know they are trying to get Tallahassee to finish my paper work so they can offer me the job.....WOW!

That means I could possibly be starting in a month.  WOW again!  Not too sure if I am ready for this, but how can I pass up a position that only comes around once in a while? There are only 2 positions in Okeechobee county for teaching art. It is not an easy job, by any means, but I am not going into it blind like I did the first time around, when I worked at the main high school teaching art.  I know more what to expect and handle stress better.

So now I wait and see if someone else applies for the position before I am officially re-instated. If I am suppose to do it, then I believe it will all work out.  If not, then I will have more time to devote to my art, but less money in my pocket!!!  Either way I am blessed.

getting back in the swing of things

Been taking some college classes, to get my teaching certification re-instated with the state.  Very happy to get things caught up.  Should have never let it lapse.

It has been a long time since I painted just to paint, just for fun.  So I am enjoying having some time to get back to doing what I love.  didn't realize how much I missed it.