Hope Stones Unique Handcrafted Jewelry

A person must have 'hope' to keep living. Do you know what happens when you find your passion? "everything" happens =) Now You Can Be Reminded of the Gift of Hope Each Time You Wear Our Charming Custom Jewelry. =) May wearing a piece of Hope Stone Jewelry lighten your heart and brighten the day!! Thank you for your support.http://www.etsy.com/shop/hopestones

Saturday, June 18, 2011

The Psychoanalyst’s Daughter

When I was young and my friends asked what my father did for a living, I’d say, “He’s a psychoanalyst.”
“What’s that?” everyone asked.

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My Father: What I Learned From My Favorite Guy

I feel so lucky to have had Samuel Wells Sr. in my life for 50 years. He was handsome and funny and strong and I think he thought I was pretty much perfect.
One time when my aunt playfully “told on me” that I’d been cursing, he replied, “Oh, I don’t think El would do that.” (I was in my 30s at the time so it wouldn’t have been that much of a transgression). You don’t have to spend much time with me to know that I have a bit of a potty mouth but it didn’t matter. Sam was not going to let anybody say anything bad about me … even in jest … unless, of course, it was him. He never understood why I wear my hair the way I do and would often laughingly ask me “what happened” and whether I wanted to borrow his comb.

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What I Miss Most on Father’s Day

We can’t predict what will remind us most of a parent who has died, what one thing will trigger an awareness of his or her absence in our lives. Two years after my father’s death, I still can’t watch a baseball game.

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Friday, June 17, 2011

One Who Should Not...

A soft beanie slips over the small head
of one who should not be hairless
A needle plunges into the hip bone
of one who should not know that kind of pain
A single word scares
one who should not yet know true fear
Thoughts beyond this world float in the mind
of one who should not have to wonder what it feels like to die
Memories of a past life escape the conscience
This is normal, right?
Everyone gets chemo…
Everyone must fight for each day…
Everyone must endure the acrid taste of Prednisone as it skims the back of their throat…
Everyone must search each cell in their body for the energy to turn over in bed…
It’s impossible to imagine that the world goes on
lives go on…
while yours crumbles beneath your shaking feet
Why have you been chosen?
Only God knows…
How hard must you fight?
There is no certainty in the mouths of doctors…
What will happen?
Only time has the ability to speak those words…
Unanswerable questions to an unanswerable disease
Being a cancer kid is but a bitter honor…
Slowly “courage”, “strength”, “hope”, and “fight” shed their definition and gain a new one
You learn how to battle,
and you learn how and when to give up
You learn how to laugh through pain,
and smile through struggle
Happiness…the single most sought after thing in existence…
you learn how to stop seeking it and instead create it,
even in circumstances in which it is thought unsustainable
You learn independence,
yet that sometimes you must fully let go and lay your life in the arms of another
You realize the brittle, fragile nature of life,
and work to gently cradle it
You discover that a clock is of no value,
numbers fade and blend until only one second remains…now
What’s in that moment and how to handle it is of your own doing…
That which cannot be chosen might have chosen you,
but moment to moment it is you who has the choice
Tucked into the starchy sheets of a hospital bed,
one’s mind delves beyond the ceiling tile that has been stared at for an hour…
Never before had you been forced to stop…
and granted time to ponder what others step over every single day

My 4th Of July Bracelet

My Bracelet



My Father: A Critical Thinker With a Loving Touch

It was the still the 60s, and our household challenged the norms: my mother commuted to work Monday through Friday, while my father stayed home. All through elementary school, my father would say goodbye to us at the door, always with the same admonition: Don’t believe everything they tell you.
He was serious.  Very serious.  My sister and I excelled in school and generally followed rules, so it was one of those warnings we didn’t quite know what to do with. But in the end, for better or worse, those words, and the man they came from, shaped who I am.  Now when a friend tells me something surprising, I find myself asking, usually politely (though not always, I concede), how she knows it’s true.

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Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Amethystium - Purple Passion

Necklace, Bracelet, Earrings!

It is not easy to think positive thoughts

It is not easy to think positive thoughts when the world around you appears to be so negative. In fact, it can be as difficult as anything you’ve ever done.
However, it is absolutely possible to fill your mind with positive thoughts no matter what your circumstances. Doing so empowers you like nothing else can.
To think positively is to align yourself with the truth that you’re immersed in a universe of limitless, growing abundance. To think positively is to graciously accept that your life is destined for meaningful and unique fulfillment.
Instead of placing a judgment on your situation, apply your most positive intentions to that situation. Instead of seeing the world as negative, see yourself as a powerful agent of the positive possibilities.
If you find yourself giving in to negativity, you are selling yourself short. The moment you feel the slightest twinge of a negative thought, stop and remind yourself how powerful you are.
Do the disciplined, intentional work to keep your thoughts positive. Because whatever you most consistently think, is where your life will surely and steadily go.
You are where you are. Accept it and feel the power your acceptance gives you to move forward.
This moment is as it is. Accept its uniqueness and experience the freedom of not having to fight against it.
There are difficult challenges in your life. Accept them and feel the energy that will enable you to rise above them.
Accept that this is your starting point. Instead of placing judgments on it, see the real, positive value that’s already yours.
You cannot change where your past priorities and choices have brought you. Yet you can make use of the wisdom you’ve earned from it all to create a future that fulfills your most treasured dreams.
Lovingly and gratefully accept who you’ve been, what you’ve done, what you have and where you are. For you can now transform it all into what you most wish to be.

I believe

I believe.......... A Birth Certificate shows that we were born. A Death Certificate shows that we died, Pictures show that we lived! I Believe... That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other. And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other. I Believe That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change. I Believe... That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that. I Believe... That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance. Same goes for true love.

I Believe... That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life. I Believe... That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be. I BELIEVE... YOU SHOULD ALWAYS LEAVE LOVED ONES WITH LOVING WORDS, IT MAY BE THE LAST TIME YOU SPEAK TO THEM.

I Believe... That you can keep going long after you think you can't. I Believe... That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel. I Believe.. That either you control your attitude or it controls you. I Believe... That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences. I Believe... That money is a lousy way of keeping score. I Believe... That my best friends and I, can do anything, or nothing and have the best time.

I Believe... That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you get back up. I Believe... That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give you the right to be cruel. I Believe... That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had and what you've learned from them and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe... That it isn't always enough, to be forgiven by others. Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself. I Believe... That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief. I Believe... That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but, we are responsible for who we become. I Believe... That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret, it could change your life forever. I Believe... Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe... That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you. I Believe... That even when you think you have no more to give, when a friend cries out to you - you will find the strength to help. I Believe... That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being. I Believe... That the people you care about most in life are taken from you too soon. "The happiest of people don't necessarily have the best of everything; they just make the most of everything."
The dying process for each of us is virtually the same. Each step is virtually identical. The steps that we endure, the process that takes place, is in a strange way comforting. That we are all different I have no doubt, but it was through my fathers dying and the dying process that I can also identify the manner in which we are all connected.

Some parts of the transition from this world to the next cannot be explained away by formulas, x-rays or monitors. While all these things certainly serve a purpose and they are indeed in their own rights amazing, life and death are both miracles. The completion of a cycle is just that; complete. We have 9 months to begin our lives, to form and become whole. To think that death does not involve preparation that is equally complicated and intricate is foolhardy.

My last days, whenever they may occur, will be less scary, perhaps even comforting. Death is a part of life. While cliché, truer words there may not be. It is universal, it misses no one and it is just. Sometimes our narcissism acts as a defense mechanism for things we truly don’t understand and fear. It appears to me the Dying Well is indeed a process to revere and to embrace.

Decide with your heart

Decide with your heart, and then do. Decide with your heart, and then stay decided until the job is done.
Decide to do what you know is right for you. Then don’t let anything stop you from getting it finished.
Feel the doubts and fears, and then move forward anyway. Each time anyone tells you why you can’t, remind yourself again of why you must.
If circumstances are less than ideal, so be it. You can deal with the challenges as they come, and move steadily toward the achievement of what you’ve decided.
Decide with your heart, and you’ll naturally be committed to that decision. Whatever may come, you’ll know you have what it takes to get the job done.
From the depth of your being, from the truth in your heart, decide what you will do. Then delight in the process and in the fulfillment of getting it done.

Your priceless legacy.

Life does not owe you anything, because life has already given you everything. You owe yourself the courtesy of working to make the most of it all.
You are alive in a universe filled with limitless possibilities. Your purposeful, focused, and persistent actions can transform any possibility you choose into great value.
The abundance to which you already have access is far greater than anything you could think to ask for. However, what you can ask of yourself is to make it all into a meaningful and rewarding experience.
In life’s great abundance you’ll find more than enough energy and resources for magnificent fulfillment. It is up to you to create and express that fulfillment through your thoughts, actions and commitments.
You owe it to yourself and to your best possibilities to fully bring those possibilities to life. You owe it to yourself to make the effort and to do the work to create the unique fulfillment that only you can bring into being.
Your precious, unique life connects you with all that is. Every moment is your opportunity to more fully express your priceless legacy.

Relay For Life Walk

http://southwestiowanews.com/articles/2011/06/12/council_bluffs/doc4df418b1802a5572869605.txt

WE MADE THE NEWSPAPER!!

Tuesday, June 14, 2011

PUBLIC AUCTION

PUBLIC AUCTION- NEED VENDORS

Colleens Cancer Story

HER FAMILY WAS WITH HER!

Colleens Cancer Story
3 year cancer survivor
On January 29, 2007, I got the news that no one wants to hear: You have cancer. As many can attest to, I was sick, angry, scared, devastated, and the list goes on. Mine is colon cancer.
After surgery that took eight inches of my lower colon, I thought everything was behind me, and I walked proudly and emotionally in my first Relay For Life in June 2007 during the Survivors Lap. My family was with me and presented me with roses as I finished that lap. It was a wonderful feeling of pride and excitement about what this diagnosis DID NOT take from me.
In February 2008, I went for my one-year follow-up colonoscopy, expecting that I would graduate to less frequent colonoscopies. Unfortunately, my worst fears were confirmed when I heard the word 'recurrence'.
Although I was not able to participate in Relay last year because I was undergoing chemotherapy, I will proudly walk the Survivors Lap at Relay For Life this year! Relay For Life is a great way for all of us to recognize that cancer does not have to stop our lives. It’s just a battle that can be won... one day at a time.

Sunday, June 12, 2011

SPECIALS

http://www.etsy.com/shop/hopestones?section_id=8000293 FATHERS DAY


http://www.etsy.com/shop/hopestones?section_id=7373002 DISCOUNTED AGAIN

DISCOUNTED AGAIN-MUST MOVE THIS STUFF!!

DISCOUNTED AGAIN- MUST MOVE THIS STUFF

FATHERS DAY SALE

FATHERS DAY SALE!!!!

ITEMS ALREADY DISCOUNTED

Relay For Life Walk

Pics

THIS WAS VERY EMOTIONAL FOR ME, WILL EXPLAIN LATER.

Im done begging for your attention and needing anything from people. I dont ask anymore so you wont have to be scared to be around me for fear I may ask for something, thats over. If you dont offer and I cant do it on my own then it wont get done, its that easy.At this point even if you did offer I'd tell you no.  Id rather pay a stranger anyway than knowing Im a burden or being resented because I have a brain tumor that lets not forget " I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER"!!!! But that just shows your mentality level. Its pretty fucken bad when you cant get someone to stop at your house to read something to you that you dont understand or CANT READ due to a tumor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Relay for life...this ceremony is to honor people touched by cancer and remember the loved ones we have lost to the disease. Survivors walk a lap to a song 'survivor' not what you think, one ive never heard before and never want to hear again, it was gut wrenching...Then you are supposed to walk the second lap with your caretaker, I no longer have one, havent for a while so I didnt walk the second lap. I havent seen my kids since before Mothers Day, guess I was lucky to get a txt msg on Mothers Day!! Thats ok Ive always told them to treat people the way they want to be treated so there you go.... Tomorrow is a new day... . My kids should have been there with me walking that survivors lap but NO they just too damn busy!!!


Surviviors and caregivers are walking a lap in rememberance of loved ones (my father) along side others who grieving and healing.  I WAS PROUD TO WALK IT WITH YOU KHRISTINA TANNER!!!!
Whoever doesnt like what I write or how I feel, dont come to my page, dont read it, delete me, whatever! Its that easy. Dont say anything to me about it, Im not listening, its how I feel and what I think. Now you all are done making me bitter and tearful and angry, Im moving on..Youve made me upset for over 3 weeks, its done...

Why is it that people (most people) think they have plenty of time to do things with a sick loved one then when things get bad they act shocked like they didnt know. Is it because they really dont care or because youre just too much trouble for them?

We made the paper   http://southwestiowanews.com/articles/2011/06/12/council_bluffs/doc4df418b1802a5572869605.txt

Hope Stones Jewelry: SALE

Hope Stones Jewelry: SALE: "http://www.etsyonsale.com/shop/hopestones"

SALE

FATHERS DAY SALE

Handmade Spark - Handmade Custom Jewelry BY HopeStones - troll and lampwork

Handmade Spark - Handmade Custom Jewelry BY HopeStones - troll and lampwork

Relay For Life Walk





Im done begging for your attention and needing anything from people. I dont ask anymore so you wont have to be scared to be around me for fear I may ask for something, thats over. If you dont offer and I cant do it on my own then it wont get done, its that easy.At this point even if you did offer I'd tell you no.  Id rather pay a stranger anyway than knowing Im a burden or being resented because I have a brain tumor that lets not forget " I HAVE NO CONTROL OVER"!!!! But that just shows your mentality level. Its pretty fucken bad when you cant get someone to stop at your house to read something to you that you dont understand or CANT READ due to a tumor!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



Relay for life...this ceremony is to honor people touched by cancer and remember the loved ones we have lost to the disease. Survivors walk a lap to a song 'survivor' not what you think, one ive never heard before and never want to hear again, it was gut wrenching...Then you are supposed to walk the second lap with your caretaker, I no longer have one, havent for a while so I didnt walk the second lap. I havent seen my kids since before Mothers Day, guess I was lucky to get a txt msg on Mothers Day!! Thats ok Ive always told them to treat people the way they want to be treated so there you go.... Tomorrow is a new day... . My kids should have been there with me walking that survivors lap but NO they just too damn busy!!!

Surviviors and caregivers are walking a lap in rememberance of loved ones (my father) along side others who grieving and healing.  I WAS PROUD TO WALK IT WITH YOU KHRISTINA TANNER!!!!
Whoever doesnt like what I write or how I feel, dont come to my page, dont read it, delete me, whatever! Its that easy. Dont say anything to me about it, Im not listening, its how I feel and what I think. Now you all are done making me bitter and tearful and angry, Im moving on..Youve made me upset for over 3 weeks, its done...

We Love Etsy

Breast Cancer Bracelets

Breast Cancer Bracelets
Breast Cancer Bracelets