A HAPPY NEW YEAR BABY !

This is Zander Justin Elwanger. He is our first Great Grandson born yesterday. Just made it for 2012 huh?
He weighs 8lb 2 oz and is 20 1/2 inches long. He is our second Great Grandchild. I am so blessed !
Isn't he so beautiful ?

Mommy, Daddy, Sister and Baby are all doing great!

A CHRISTMAS SURPRISE FOR MY HUSBAND

We were planning on another empty nest through Christmas since our children live in CA and Vegas but Saturday evening Alan's daughter and daughter in law and his grandchildren showed up! It was a surprise and made him very happy. He is not one to show emotion so much but I could tell it made his spirit wake up after such a long illness.

  

This is Riley and Alix his granddaughters

 

Their Mother Teri, his daughter in law

 

They all sat around and visited while Alan cooked his traditional latkes

  

 Alix is going to start college next year in Hawaii studying child development. She is an amazing young lady and we are so proud of her. 

  

Chase is 7 years old and the light of his Mothers eye.

 He got a motorized boat for Christmas and just had to get in the tub with it!

 The gifts were ready

 The latkes cooking in very hot oil

 Alan has cooked latkes for his family for many many years as did his Father before him

 It is quit a process. Peel and shred the potatoes and onion mix in the salt, flour and egg and heat the oil to almost boiling.
Cook until golden brown. put on paper towels to absorb the oil and then put them in the oven to keep warm while the rest are being cooked. The first cookie pan is always eaten before he even gets to the second batch but it is fun and they love them and so do I. It is all part of the day.

Alan was pooped but I think it is just what he needed. He is feeling better with each day that passes and he will have a chest Xray on Friday to see if the pneumonia is gone. I am praying. He is still pretty weak and gets tired easy but he tries to do something every day to get stronger.

This has been the wettest year since we have been in Coos Bay, OR. It is so wet and rainy and cold. I can't help but think it may be part of the reason my husband keeps getting pneumonia.

Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas day. I missed my kids but got calls from all of them and I am looking forward to a trip out to see them with in the next year.

It was great to see Cathy, Teri, Chase, Alix and Riley. That really was a Christmas surprise.

Check Out Those Needles!

 My hubby saw the doctor today. Here he is with his two nurses, Kelsy and Danielle. His Temp was back up to 99.1. His blood work looks good and the X-Ray shows some improvement but he is having a lot of pain in his right side due to the pneumonia and deep coughing. Since his temp is slowly going back up the doctor prescribed Rosephine injections. The look on his face is like...You have got to be kidding me!"

Here are his nurses with the two injections ready to give them in the behind! They did it at the same time, one in each cheek. These girls are fantastic nurses and have been such a help with questions and reassurance when we call. They even took their lunch hours to go to the hospital and visit Alan. Dr Keller is a busy doctor so these two sweeties are a life saver for her and for us. I just had to take this picture because it was humorous to see not one but two nurses with injections and they did give them at the same time and yes the needles were that long (approx 2 inches).

Bend over honey!

Hopefully they can keep this terrible infection from growing again.

All I Want For Christmas

My entry for the Creative Souls Christmas Challenge. I call it "All I Want for Christmas"

Merry Christmas

I know I haven't been to active on my blog these past few months. My husband has been sick with pneumonia several times this year twice since October. He was critical and the pneumonia caused congestive heart failure. Then two weeks ago he was coughing up blood and they did a culture and found that the pneumonia was back in full force and worse than in Oct and it is a staph pneumonia which is very hard to treat. He was in the hospital for a week on two different antibiotics and medication to regulate his tacky heart rate of 150. He was poked and prodded with IV's blood tests, EKG, Cat Scan and Xrays.

Dec 14th was our 16th wedding anniversary and we spent it in the hospital. The kitchen staff made us a special meal of steak, broccoli, salad, bread and sherbert. They set a table in the dining room with a table cloth, a center piece, Martinelli's Sparkling Apple Cider in an ice bucket and wine glasses. This meant so much to me as my husband wanted to be home on this day. I will forever be grateful for what they did for us on our special day.

6 months ago I designed and ordered a wedding ring quilt for this anniversary. It was down to the wire on completion but it did get finished in time and was on our bed when he was released on Sunday afternoon.

 Here it is with the quilter Pamela Quilts and myself.

And here it is on our bed

My husband went to get a chest Xray today to see if the pneumonia is gone and it isn't. He sees the doctor tomorrow. If this doesn't clear up soon she will be transferring him to River Bend in Springfield where there are specialists because she says she has done all she knows to do for him. I am very worried for the simple fact that a body can only take so much and with his immune system being so weak due to his leukemia/lymphoma it is bound to happen over and over.

I am happy to have him home for the holidays and the good news is his daughter and three grandchildren are driving out on Saturday from CA. This will be good for him.

I am also happy to announce that my Etsy Shop Altered State of Tin www.alteredstateoftin.etsy.com , which I opened a year ago in December has done very well in the past year.

My First Great granddaughter turned two years old and I am expecting my first Great grandson in January. I have lots to be thankful for and am blessed in so many ways.

So I just wanted to update you all on what has been going on in my life and wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. My plan for the new year is to get my husband healthy and give my blog a face lift as well as keep it up more often. I so enjoy reading all of my blogger friends blogs .

MERRY CHRISTMAS

DEER SEASON

Deer Season

I have mixed feelings about deer season and hunting. Some people don't understand my feelings.

I think deer are so beautiful and majestic and it hurts my heart when I hear that one has been shot.

I actually stand out on my back step in the evening just after dark and there are two deer that come and eat the apples that have fallen off of my apple tree. The tree is about 15 feet away and they see me and keep eating. I don't make any sudden loud noises, just talk quietly and tell them that they can come back anytime to eat the apples.

This digital collage was inspired by them.

Life lessons from a flower:(from search on the net) (not my words)
The soldanelle flower - the plant is said to spread its leaves wide and flat on the mountain ground, and drink in the sun-rays. it keeps the heat stored in the root through the winter.

When spring comes while still under the snow it sprouts the warmth that was stored in the roots through summer in the strangest measure that a little dome is thawed in the snow over its head.

As the plant keeps getting taller and taller this bell of air as well rises higher. And on fine day the flower bud forms safely within it. Even though it is under the ice the flower is safe and not ruined because it is in the bell of air. Then to conclude, the icy covering gives way and allows the little flower to blossom through in to the warm sun shine.

The mauve petals shine like snow itself, and the crystalline texture of its petals seem to reveal the flight through it came.

Although the conditions seem unworkable this bell shaped flower blossoms in the Alpine meadows. Frequently there are 2 or 3 flowers on each stem. The flowers are bell shaped and bent over. The flower is divided into five lobes and each lobe is divided into many fold narrow strips. Read more Solfanger

This is an uncommon plant which grows in harsh weather and under the strangest surroundings. This pretty flower not only adds grand beauty to nature but also reveals the creative power and the capability of the almighty creator.

We human beings can gain knowledge of a great lesson from this simple but strong plant. When things seem to be impossible and under the most difficult conditions, we must rely only on the power that is above us. Read more Trivsel i skolen

This God who has created us has the power and ability to change any circumstance or else take us through any variety of weather, if we will only have faith in him and not trust and depend on our own feelings and influence.


Read more: http://www.articlesnatch.com/Article/The-Soldanelle-Plant-Is-Solitary-Of-Natures-Amazment-/1161926#ixzz2DWwmtVwN
Under Creative Commons License: Attribution No Derivatives

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

I want to wish all of you a very Happy Thanksgiving.
Eat lots, stay warm and count your blessings.

I have so much to be thankful for. I am blessed everyday and thank God for my family and my health.
Getting older sucks sometimes.

I have been quiet this past few months due to health problems with my husband. I almost lost him in October with pneumonia. His leukemia and lymphoma is keeping his immune system down and it gets harder and harder to fight the infections that get him down.

I will be giving my blog a new face soon and hopefully get back to blogging more. It is hard to be here in the wet rainy weather of Oregon and not be with family during the holidays and I miss my Mother's Thanksgiving dinners but I am blessed to have memories of all those dinners and that is a good thing at my age, ha ha.

My Etsy Shop www.alteredstateoftin is doing well and keeps me busy.

Have a safe Thanksgiving.
Love you all

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE

This is a collage I did back in 2009. It was for a challenge at Digital Whisper. The images brought memories of my Father being in WWII.I hate war and pray someday there will be piece in the world.

Thanks to every solder who ever fought for our country. You are the reason we are free.

God Bless You

New Collages

HALLOWEEN IS NEAR

This is a collage I did for Creative Souls Challenge.

We were given several backgrounds and different cute images to use.

This is what I came up with.

Halloween is coming fast and all the goblins and ghosts are out . 

Hope you are having a fun Halloween season.

ZOMBIE FESTIVAL WAS A SUCCESS

Last Saturday our little community had a Zombie Festival with local vendors, bands and food.

Our Etsy Team participated and set up a small booth to display some items from a few of our shops.

 This was the lay out of my tins

 These magnetic eyeballs were a hit

 Interesting severed finger earrings caught a few peoples interest

 There were zombies everywhere

 This zombie looks like he is about to be arrested by the National Guard

 Scary for sure. He is it a man or a women?

 This guy scared me to death. Looks like he just got up from the grave

This poor guy needs oxygen, he has turned blue !

We are having a Treasure Hunt and the winner wins over $100.00 from our shops.
Here is the link if you want to join. Have fun and good luck !

http://www.facebook.com/designersalzanos

 

BOO !

This is a collage I just created for a Scare Me Silly Challenge at Creative Souls.
Oh and by the way Michael Meyer is in town signing autographs at the Video store this weekend !

ZOMBIE FESTIVAL IN COOS BAY TOMORROW

Sign up to win over $100.00 in Gift Certificates for Etsy Shops
Coos Bay Zombie Festival

SHOULD ONE BE AFRAID OF MUMMIES?

A mummy is a body, human or animal, whose skin and organs have been preserved by either intentional or incidental exposure to chemicals, extreme cold (ice mummies), very low humidity, or lack of air when bodies are submerged in bogs, so that the recovered body will not decay further if kept in cool and dry conditions. Some authorities restrict the use of the term to bodies deliberately embalmed with chemicals, but the use of the word to cover accidentally desiccated bodies goes back at least to the 1730s.
Mummies of humans and other animals have been found all around the world, both as a result of natural preservation through unusual conditions, and as cultural artifacts. Over one million animal mummies have been found in Egypt, many of which are cats. The oldest known naturally mummified human corpse is a severed head dated as 6,000 years old, found in 1936 at the site named Inca Cueva No. 4 in South America.
In addition to the well-known mummies of Ancient Egypt, deliberate mummification was a feature of several ancient cultures in areas of South America and Asia which have very dry climates. There are more than 1000 mummies in Xinjiang, China. The oldest-known deliberate mummy is a child, one of the Chinchorro mummies found in the Camarones Valley, Chile, and dates from around 5050 BC.

Mummies are commonly featured in horror genres as undead creatures. One of the earliest examples of this is The Mummy!: Or a Tale of the Twenty-Second Century, an 1827 novel written by Jane C. Loudon. This early, science-fiction work concerns an Egyptian mummy named Cheops, who is brought back in to life in the 22nd century.
During the 20th century, horror films and other mass media popularized the notion of a curse associated with mummies (see Curse of the pharaohs). One of the earliest appearances was The Jewel of Seven Stars, a horror novel by Bram Stoker first published in 1903 that concerned an archaeologist's plot to revive an ancient Egyptian mummy. This book later served as the basis for the 1971 film Blood from the Mummy's Tomb.
Films representing such a belief include the 1932 movie The Mummy starring Boris Karloff as Imhotep; four subsequent 1940s' Universal Studios mummy films which featured a mummy named Kharis, who also was the title mummy in The Mummy, a 1959 Hammer remake of The Mummy's Hand and The Mummy's Tomb; and a remake of the original film that was released in 1999 (and later spawned two direct sequels and prequels and a spinoff movie). The belief in cursed mummies probably stems in part from the supposed curse on the tomb of Tutankhamun. In 1979, the American Broadcasting Company aired a TV holiday show, The Halloween That Almost Wasn't, in which a mummy from Egypt (Robert Fitch) arrived at Count Dracula's castle without speaking.
The 1922 discovery of Tutankhamun's tomb by archaeologist Howard Carter brought mummies into the mainstream. Slapstick comedy trio the Three Stooges humorously exploited the discovery in the short film We Want Our Mummy, in which they explored the tomb of the midget King Rutentuten (and his Queen, Hotsy Totsy). A decade later, they played crooked used chariot salesmen in Mummy's Dummies, in which they ultimately assisted a different King Rootentootin (Vernon Dent) with a toothache.
Robot mummies featured in a Doctor Who story, Pyramids of Mars, in the 1970s, while the Hammer Horror film series had also included what had become a stock genre character. A new Hollywood series of films featuring an immortal undead High Priest began with The Mummy in 1999.^[72] Even after that the world saw two more Mummy movies- The Mummy Returns 2001 and The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor (2008).

NEED TO IDENTIFY A SPIDER ?

EEEK!  I am scared to death of spiders and have an eye open at all times for them. Just posting this information I got online gives me the heebie geebies!! Enough of spiders Stay tuned for more scary things for Halloween.       Spider Identification - Dangerous - Venomous?

Spider identification of venomous and dangerous spiders most commonly found in homes, their habitat areas, venom toxicity and spider bite first aid procedures.

---

BROWN RECLUSE SPIDER	BLACK WIDOW SPIDER	HOBO SPIDER	GRASS SPIDER
FEMALE MOUSE SPIDER	MALE MOUSE SPIDER	BLACK HOUSE SPIDER	WOLF SPIDER
FEMALE TRAP-DOOR	GARDEN ORB-WEAVING	SAINT ANDREW'S CROSS	HUNTSMAN SPIDER

Brown Recluse Spiders ...deadly and aggressive

Venom toxicity - the brown recluse venom can cause significant cutaneous injury with tissue loss and necrosis. Habitat - brown recluse is found in the United States from the east to the west coast, with predominance in the south. Spider Identification - an adult spider is 1/4 to 3/4 inch in body - a dark violin shape is located on the top of the leg attachment region with the neck of the violin pointing backward toward the abdomen. Unlike most spiders that have 8 eyes, the brown recluse has 6 eyes arranged in pairs - one pair in front and a pair on either side. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Brown Recluse Spider Bite

Black Widow Spiders ...highly venomous - can be deadly

Venom toxicity - the Black Widow Spider can inflict a painful bite which can be fatal, especially to the young and elderly. An effective anti-venom was developed in 1956. Only a small amount of venom can cause serious illness, as the poison attacks the nervous system. Systemic envenomisation usually results in headache, nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, pyrexia and hypertension. The pain around the bite area can be excruciating or it may go unnoticed. First aid and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, if bitten. If you have heart condition or other heart problem, you may need hospitalization. Spider Identification - the body of an adult black widow is about 1/2 inch long. The female black widow is normally shiny black, with a red hourglass marking on the underside of the abdomen. The marking may range in color from yellowish orange to red and its shape may range from an hourglass to a dot. Habitat - prefers woodpiles, rubble piles, under stones, in hollow stumps, sheds and garages. Indoors it can be found in undisturbed, cluttered areas in basements and crawl spaces. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Black Widow Spider Bite

Hobo Spiders : venomous - dangerous?

Venom toxicity - although the bite of the hobo spider is initially painless, the bite can be serious. After 24 hours, the bite develops into a blister and after 24-36 hours, the blister breaks open, leaving an open, oozing ulceration. Typically when the venom is injected, the victim will experience an immediate redness, which develops around the bite. The most common reported symptom is severe headache. Other symptoms can include nausea, weakness, fatigue, temporary memory loss and vision impairment. In any case, first aid and medical attention should be sought, if bitten, as and when any adverse health effects are observed. Spider Identification - they are brown in color and the adults measure roughly 1/3 to 2/3 inch in body length and 2/3 to 2 inches in leg span. Their abdomens have several chevron shaped markings. Males are distinctively different from females in that they have two large palpi (mouth parts) that look like boxing gloves. Females tend to have a larger and rounder abdomen when compared to males. Habitat - they can be found anywhere in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, Wyoming, Utah and Colorado. They rarely climb vertical surfaces and are uncommon above basements or ground level. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Hobo Spider Bite

Funnel Web Grass Spiders: low risk, non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of these spiders is of low risk to humans. Spider Identification - are common outdoors and are occasionally found indoors. They are generally brownish or grayish with light and dark stripes near the head. They have long spinnerets and are moderate-sized (3/4 inch long). Grass spiders construct a large sheet web with a funnel they use as a retreat. These webs are commonly built on the ground, around steps, window wells, foundations, and low shrubs. Habitat - These spiders are often called grass spiders because they construct their webs in tall grass, heavy ground cover and the branches of thick shrubs. Rarely will a funnel web spider be seen indoors, except for an occasional wandering male. They are found mostly in the Pacific Northwest states. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Funnel Web Grass Spider Bite

Mouse Spiders ...venomous - painful bite

Venom toxicity - known to cause severe illness, especially to young children - similar to Red-Back Spider. Although normally not aggressive, the male mouse spider will bite if provoked, and should be considered dangerous to humans. It has large hard fangs which can cause a deep painful bite. First aid and medical attention (ambulance) should be sought as soon as possible. Spider Identification - a medium to large spider of up to 1 and 1/2 inches in body length. The male Mouse Spider often has a bright red head and elongated fangs. Habitat - Mouse spiders are ground dwellers with burrows of more than 3 feet deep. The male often wanders about during the day on open ground, especially after rain, in search of females. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Mouse Spider Bite

Black House Spiders ...venomous - nausea

Venom toxicity - the bite of the Black House Spider is poisonous but not lethal. Certain people bitten experience severe pain around the bite site, heavy sweating, muscular pains, vomiting, headaches and giddiness. First aid and medical attention (ambulance) should be sought as soon as possible. Spider Identification - adults are about 1/2 inch in body length and of a dark brown to black velvet textured appearance. Habitat - this spider spins a lacy, messy web and is prefers dry habitats in secluded locations. It is commonly found in window framing, under eaves, gutters, in brickwork, sheds, toilets and among rocks and bark. Electric lights attract their prey - moths, flies, mosquitoes and other insects. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Black House Spider Bite

Wolf Spiders ...venomous - non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of the Wolf Spider is poisonous but not lethal. Although non-aggressive, they bite freely if provoked and should be considered dangerous to humans. The bite may be very painful. First aid and medical attention should be sought as soon as possible, particularly as to children or the elderly. Spider Identification - an adult is 1/2 inch to more than 1 inch in body length - mottled gray to brown in color, with a distinct Union Jack impression on its back. The female carries it's young on its back. Habitat - this spider is a ground dweller, with a burrow retreat. It has a roving nocturnal lifestyle to hunt their prey and can move very rapidly when disturbed. Commonly found around the home, in garden areas with a silk lined burrow, sometimes with a lid or covered by leaf litter or grass woven with silk as a little fence around the rim of the burrow. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Wolf Spider Bite

Trap-Door Spiders ...low risk - non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of the Trap-Door Spider is of low risk (non toxic) to humans. It is a non-aggressive spider - usually timid but may stand up and present it's fangs if harassed. Rarely bites - but if so it can be painful. Spider Identification - an adult is about 1 and 1/2 inches in body length - brown to dark brown in color - heavily covered with fine hairs. The male has distinct boxing glove-shaped palps, that is, the two "sensory feelers" at front of its head. Habitat - this spider is a ground dweller, with a burrow retreat lined with silk of up to 10 inches in depth and around 1 inch in width - prefers nesting in drier exposed locations - often has a wafer-like lid on the burrow entrance. Trap-Door Spiders are commonly found in the drier open ground areas around the home. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Trap Door Spider Bite

Orb-Weaving Spiders ...low risk - non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of Orb-Weaving Spiders is of low risk (not toxic) to humans. They are a non-aggressive group of spiders. Seldom bite. Be careful not to walk into their webs at night - the fright of this spider crawling over one's face can be terrifying and may cause a heart attack, particularly to the susceptible over 40 year olds. Spider Identification - an adult is about 2/3 to more than 1 inch in body length - has a bulbous abdomen - often colorful - dark to light brown pattern. The common Golden Orb-Weaver Spider has a purplish bulbous abdomen with fine hairs. Habitat - often found in summer in garden areas around the home - they spin a large circular web of 6 feet or more, often between buildings and shrubs, to snare flying insects, such as, flies and mosquitoes. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Orb-Weaving Spider Bite

St Andrews Cross Spiders ...low risk - non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of the St Andrews Cross is of low risk (non-toxic) to humans. They are a non-aggressive group of spiders. Spider Identification - adult 1/4" to 1/2" in body length - abdomen striped yellow and brown - as illustrated. The St Andrews Cross Spider usually sits, upside down, in the middle of its web forming a cross - as illustrated. Habitat - this spider is a web-weaver usually found in summer in garden areas around the home. It is considered beneficial as it spins a large web to snare flying insects, such as flies and mosquitoes. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - St Andrews Cross Spider Bite

Huntsman Spiders ...low risk - non-aggressive

Venom toxicity - the bite of Huntsman Spiders is of low risk (non toxic) to humans. They are a non-aggressive group of spiders. However, a large individual can give a painful bite. Beware in summer when the female Huntsman Spider is guarding her egg sacs or young. Spider Identification - an adult varies greatly around 1/2" in body length - has long legs - the diameter of an adult including legs may reach 2" - the first 2 pairs of legs are longer than rear two - it is hairy - buff to beige brown in color, with dark patches on the body. Habitat - a hunter that prefers to live under the flaking bark of trees, under flat rocks and under eaves or within roof spaces of buildings. The Huntsman Spider often wanders into homes and is found perched on a wall. It is a shy, timid spider that can move sideways at lighting-fast speed when disturbed. CLICK HERE - FIRST AID - Huntsman Spider Bite