More Fairy Garden Fun 2015

   
                                                                                            

 

This first Fairy Garden, which I lovingly call the Dragon Garden, is one of my all time favorites. The castle, pot, stepping stones, raccoons, along with most of the plants were part of my Mother's Day gifts. The Dragon was a birthday gift. It now sits outside as part of what I call my Rock Garden, which I have been filling with perennials the last few summers. The red tipped plant on the left is a "Merlin's Magic" coleus The plant right behind the fairies, that the nest rests against is a "Dragon's Blood" sedum. I deemed it only appropriate that they be placed in his garden.

 

Years ago, while cleaning out my husbands grandmothers house after her battle with cancer I discovered this old bird cage. It was a rusted mess, that looked like it had once been green. I cleaned it up and painted it to slow/stop the rust. Over the years it has been used in a variety of ways. I could never get rid of it. This has to be one of the mos exciting ways I have used it. Coleus are behind the white trellis, and a wee bit of moss rose is to the left of the patio, while a "water feature"  graces the right. A kitty snoozes on the chair, while a lady bug suns itself on a rock. It wasn't long before two fairies stopped by for a visit, the door is security tied open with a bit of twine to allow them easy entrance and exit.

These two were reworked from last year, with new plans of course, as they were outside pots and I live in Nebraska where winters aren't mild. The church in the wagon one came from a craft store for less than $2. I painted it and glued the moss on. It wont survive after this summer, it's very fragile after many rains, waterings and the beating sun. The tool shed and some of the parts and pieces with it were a gift, and the start of my fairy garden items. The second pot contains a reading Gnome I got for my birthday in 2014 from my brother and his family. The bird house was put together by my son when he was younger. I can't wait to see how both of these change as the plants grow.

This gem is built in an old, mis-shaped enamel baby bath tub. It was also found when cleaning out my husbands grandmothers house. It has obviously been used as a planter before I gained it. It sat empty and unused for years while I decided what to do with it. I had no choice but to add holes to it when turning it into a fairy garden last year, as it flooded in the rains. I have not regretted the decision. It took me a while to figure this one out, then all of a sudden it came together after getting the carriage on discount for 60% off.  It is one of my all time favorite fairy garden pieces!

2015 Fairy Garden Season is here!

I love, love, love making fairy gardens. I have a friend that is beyond amazing at it, but I learn a little more from her each year. Fairy gardens are a fun way to scratch the creative itch. I have had it worse than ever since I completed school in February.

This year I want to try and remember and get "progressive" pictures, especially on the outside ones.

My "Not so Fairy" Fairy Garden:

The Walking Dead "Fairy" garden I did last year was crushed under a couple of kittens who thought it was fun to sit in, and the loved to steal the chibis too. Which was okay, because over the winter I found a "new" container for them and I love it even better than the first. (see, that learning curve)

2014-The one that was attacked by puddy cats

2015-Redone I need to get toothpicks added behind the chibis so they stand up better.
They weren't exactly made for this purpose. My creative itch doesn't care!

I will be building a second on in a few weeks as "season 2" of the Walking Dead Chibis are out, and I only have 5 more to go. I have the perfect "pot" too, an old chicken feed pan.

Two REWORKED Indoor Fairy Gardens: 

I reworked these two pots, the first one from last fall. I used the same house (which I had made from a wooden bird house I had gotten at Joanne Fabrics for less then a dollar. I used thick twine, gluing it on, and then bark form a fallen branch. This was kept inside, so the house has done well. I removed all but two plants, taking clippings from one that was hopelessly over grown, another was put in the "rabbit" Fairy Garden. I trimmed another plant and have been rooting it too. The green spiky one came form a fun pot I had gotten in Kansas City at a farmers market. The succulent by the house from what was orginally in the "rabbit" garden. I added the purple one right behind the wheel borrow and the green one right behind it were completely new. I have since added a little skunk. 

The "rabbit" Fairy Garden. The tall plant was originally in the above garden.

My First OUTDOOR Fairy Gardens:

Last year while at Red Cedar Gardens down in Kansas, I found some pieces that reminded me of summers at my grandparents ranch in Valentine NE. This is done in their honor. Since I have collected a few more pieces. I needed a bigger pot and decides this old wash tub was the perfect match. There are still pieces I want to add, some I will be making.

While asking friends to watch for a beat up little round, metal cafe type table for me to set the ranch Fairy Garden on, my Aunt spied a bird bath that we thought might work, until we discovered it was plastic and not metal. No worries, I rescued it from the trash and turned it one of my all time favorite Fairy Gardens.

Check back at a later date for more, or take a look at some of last years at http://purpledragoness.blogspot.com/2014/05/latest-two-fairy-gardens.html

For more views of the original Walking Dead "Fairy Garden" go here: http://purpledragoness.blogspot.com/2014/04/walking-dead-fairy-garden.html

The Long Short Story

So many people have been asking about Jackson's health. Some are coming to the story late, and it's a long story. I have decided to move everything here for those who are curious. For those of you that don't know the "history", this is the place to start. It will be brief, but informative. (I hope)

In July Jackson was taken to the ER when our Family Doc thought he might be having an appendicitis (due to the pain he was in on his right side). Instead we would discover he was in DKA (Diabetic Keto-acidosis), his liver was enlarged, liver enzymes were slightly elevated, and his electrolytes were low. We are admitted over night. The DKA was cleared and we were sent home late the next day. Everything chalked up to Diabetes and a need for better control. The Endo appointment at the start of school would show that control had improved.

Over the next few months we would watch him go through what I can only call a cycle. Approximately every 5 weeks we would go from "perfectly normal", to "sick". At first it lasted about 24 hours, then 48. It left as fast as it came. He would start to experience more and more heartburn. As the Endo's (Diabetes Docs) were not overly concerned, Family Docs and Hospital Docs wouldn't be either. So meds were just given to treat the heartburn. They would quickly become ineffective. We would still be told that better diabetic control was needed and all would resolve itself. However we were seeing the opposite, as he got control, his symptoms would get worse. We were mostly managing symptoms at home at this point.

Fast forward to November, the week before Thanksgiving. Symptoms have changed. While weak in an "episode", now he is dizzy and can't walk without assistance. It's almost as if he is "drunk". He went to bed fine, and woke in this condition. Blood sugar is fine. Pain has increased. "full" feeling has his refusing all food, and having trouble drinking. He looks so bad we go to the ER, where we are admitted over night. This time the bounce back doesn't come as quick, and he still seems "not quite right".

The week before Christmas I would need to go pick him up from school. He left fine that morning, and a few short hours later he was in the nurses office. We would have to wheel him out in a wheel chair to my vehicle. I stopped home, grabbed a few things, and took him to the ER. He is in DKA again. This made no sense in regards to his blood sugar. They get an IV going, with insulin, and his blood sugar would drop like a rock and "poof", the ketones are gone. Finally someone listens when I say there is more going on than Diabetes. Something is causing him to be SICK. Ped Doc runs a A1C, and it's amazingly at 7, which shows he has really improved his control, and proves what I said, it was not out of control blood sugar causing DKA and that something else is going on alongside the Diabetes.

At this point...since July, he has had multiple ultra sounds, a CAT scan or two and a MRI or two. (it's all kind of a fog). The liver has always remained the same. Enzymes are always a bit off, and electrolytes are always low. We have an appointment to see a GI in Lincoln, but can't get in until the end of January. A Doc in our family practice had a Upper GI test run, in an attempt to start what the GI might when we finally get in. It that shows irritation, which is no shocker due to the amount of heartburn he has been having.

The Ped Doc at the hospital orders a stomach emptying test while we are in the hospital. Sure enough, it comes back showing he is emptying slowly. She calls the Lincoln GI to see if there is anything that can be done at this point, maybe even move up our appointment...something. Not only do they not move up our appointment, they DROP it claiming they didn't know his age. (which is not true, because this Doc who originally called them, and I had told them initially...anyway, that is mute at this point.) We are devastated. The Ped Doc is angry and knows he needs seen. Bless her heart, she calls and gets us worked into the schedule at BoysTown, with one of their Ped GI's.

We see him the Monday before Christmas. He is amazing! Looks at all his records, asks questions, examines Jackson himself, and talk some more. He runs some new blood work, has an ultra sound done right then, and wants us to set up a colonoscopy and upperendoscopy. He wants to "see" what is going on and grab some biopsies to check for things like Crohns and Celiac.

After the blood work and ultra sound we leave only to get a call 15 minutes later asking if we can come back. BT GI wants a different picture of Jackson's belly. We hadn't left town yet, and weren't far away so headed back. The next day they call and tell us blood work is basically the same, but that over all looks good and they have ruled out some other things. I don't know what all those "things" are, and at this point it is mute. The ultra sound shows he has a gallstone, but that it is on it's way out. None of the other scans had showed this, and this was why they had us come back. They state it is "on it's way out" and should pass no problem. The order a 24 hour urine test. It will come back showing his Kidneys are ok, and there is no Wilson's disease with them. He has a extended MRI scheduled, and that shows that the gallstone is gone, liver status hasn't changed, everything else looks good. (All of this happened in 2 weeks time)

Two days before the scopes, 3 weeks from our last visit, we are back in the ER. Same symptoms, ER Doc doesn't listen to us when we say to call BT GI before doing anything. ER does all the same tests as before, blood work shows possible appendicitis, scans show it is fine...again, but they discover his liver has grown again. At this point I throw a fit and they FINALLY call the GI. At this point, the BT GI calls the GI Liver clinic in KC to get us an appointment down there. We go ahead with the scopes were we discover he has the H Pylori bacteria, and where Crohns, Celiac, lactose intolerance and other things I am not sure of are ruled out. WHEW. A medicine regimen is started on the bacteria.

Just a few short days after the results are in from the scopes, we head to KC. The BT GI told us o expect a liver biopsy. Despite the fact that BT had sent ALL of Jackson's records, and received confirmation of receipt of 31 pages of them...the Liver GI can't locate them. He doesn't do a biopsy stating he "knows what he will find" and it's going to be related to is diabetes. He wants to wait and see if we have any more "episodes" and is confident we wont because he is sure the H Pylori is the cause of them. A very frustrating and disappointing visit.

However, as Jackson take the meds we start to see his youthful vigor come back, his coloring looks good, we even see his 16 year old attitude return. Finally, are we at the end??? Was this pesky bacteria truly the cause of it all???

On the last day of his meds, Jackson wakes up symptomatic. Robert takes him to the ER in Omaha (Children's). Hydrated and sent home. He is out of school the next day (Friday). Monday we go to the BT GI. He is shocked to discovered KC Liver Doc did not do the biopsy. After a long talk, reviewing everything again...BT GI feels that we really need the Liver Biopsy. So we will be going back to KC. Date as of this writing yet unknown. A new med was started to try and help manage pain and relax the whole gut area, just to see if it wont help with symptoms. BT GI is very curious what Endo's will say later this week as we have an appointment.

Stay tuned...

Latest Fairy Gardens

Gnome Home, using a old bird house my son made and broken pieces for a clay cherub. The gnome was a birthday gift.

Bunny and fairy friends

Fairy and duckling friends

Just the start of decorating an old wooden swing hung on my fence

Radio Flyer Fairy Garden

Fairy Friends enjoying the arbor and a wee fire

Gnomes gardeners work area and mushroom garden

Far corner of the Radio Flyer Wagon Fairy Garden

"Walking Dead" Fairy Garden

Fairy gardens are a fast growing trend, one I have dabbled in a bit over the last couple of years. I have a good friend who has amazing fairy gardens. I can only hope to be as good as her some day.  This year I took the fun to a whole new level for me. I had made an indoor garden, then a few weeks later a bigger one that will go outside.  One day I was looking through the big one and discovered some 'visitors'. My husband had placed a couple of Chibis zombies and Merle in with my fairies.  This got me to thinking.  A few weeks later I would make my "Walking Dead" fairy garden.  Hope you enjoy the pictures!  We have really enjoyed the garden and hope to add "Rick" and "The Governor" as soon as we get a packet of Chibis with them in them.

Overall Picture

Top View

On a run

Guarding the entrance

Camp close-up

To give you an idea of actual size of the Chibis

I will post pictures of my other fairy gardens another time. I can't wait to build the one that will be in our ole radio flyer wagon as soon as we are past the risk of a hard freeze.

Disney's Frozen and It's Underlying Theme

Disney’s movie Frozen is available for purchase today and I wonder if there will be enough copies of this sensation that has swept the nation.  Everywhere you go you hear kids belting out the songs...Let It Go, Do You Wanna Build a Snowman, For The First Time in Forever...

Frozen products were in such demand, when I was at Disney in Orlando in January it was impossible to find a single Frozen item for purchase, and they had been sold out for weeks. Obviously Disney did not expect the movie to be the sensation it has become.  Why has this quirky Disney movie hit such a cord? I think it has to do with the underlying theme…shame. 

Have you seen the movie?  

We have two sisters, Elsa and Anna, who are as close as two sisters can be. Elsa is ‘special’, and accidentally harms Anna. Her parents are warned not to let others see her ‘gifts’. So Elsa is separated from her sister and society is kept away from both. Elsa spends years hidden in her room, ashamed of who she is, and what she can do. Fighting daily to be someone different than she was meant to be. Anna longs for the days of old, where she and her sister frolic and play. She is confused and doesn't understand, as the truth has been hidden from her.

Eventually Elsa is forced out of exile to face her destiny. Her fear is all consuming and she can't hold back. Suddenly everyone knows the truth of what/who she is. Instead of standing strong and being proud, she runs away. She spends a few euphoric moments feeling free, but she has really done is traded one prison cell for the other and become even more isolated then before.

In the end, Elsa unwavering love for her little sister Anna will bring her out of that cell and break the binding chains of shame, allowing her to be exactly who she was meant to be. 

We have all felt shame at some point in our lives.  Someone of us have gotten past that shame, and it no longer holds us prisoner. Others have not been so lucky. So is it really any wonder why this movie has been so popular?

St. Patty's Day Antics

When the kids were little I used to have so much fun on St. Patty's.  For years I had them convinced we had a wild little leprechaun who showed up and created all kinds of mischief over night.  When they weren't paying attention I would put a wee bit of green food coloring in the bottom of their glasses.  As I poured them their milk, it would magically turn green.

It did not end there.  While cooking scrambled eggs, or macaroni and cheese, or spaghetti noodles, or mashed potatoes the same thing would happen, they would magically be turned green sometimes in the cooking process.  (thanks once again to the ole green food coloring.)

As they got older they became determined to try and catch the wily little fella.  So they would set up traps with some 'gold coins' in them. Some years it was chocolate, later as they lost their teeth and had the tooth fairy bring them gold dollars, they would use those. It was so fun to go through and 'trip' all their traps and make the gold disappear.  (the gold dollars were returned to their piggy banks unbeknownst to them, I usually froze the chocolate to reuse, but some did get eaten, after all being a leprechaun is hard work!)

Sadly my kids are teenagers now and the fun of St. Patty's day just makes them roll their eyes at me. I miss the days of silly innocent fun. It will be interesting to see if the tradition carries on when they have children. (at least 5 years from now...no sooner, 7 or 8 would be good)