Holiday Gratitude

Last Friday my dear friends Annie and Wizard (Jack Doyle) went on a trip driving to Pennsicola Florida from Tucson, in anticipation of a new grandchild on it's way...They were driving a rental car at night and had gotten as far as Deming NM when the car blewout and rolled. 

This is a pic I took of them during out Thanksgiving celebration this year- just a few weeks ago- (I saw a picture of Annie in the hospital today and it's just too heartbreaking to post)

Luckily, they were both wearing their seatbelts- Wizard escaped with some bumps and scratches,
but little Annie ended up in a much more serious state- with lacerations on her head
and trauma to her neck.

By chance the first person who stopped to help was an EMT and he was able to get
assistance to the crash immediately- He then stayed with them as the ambulence drove up.

to Quote Wizard "Perhaps we got our luckiest with the arrival of the ambulance about 10 minutes after the accident carrying a young Hispanic EMT known only to me by his radio call sign of "Hidalgo 24".  With no knowledge of actual severity of Annie's injuries, he felt increasingly uncomfortable during the 70-mile transport to the hospital in Deming, NM. 

He just did not want to drop her at a "level 3" hospital;  he worked his radio the entire trip and got the life flight helo inbound from Las Cruces to meet us on our arrival and immediately lift Annie to the regional trauma center in El Paso.  Then, he refused to abandon me in the middle of nowhere and somehow found me the only rental car in 2500 square miles (from a "mom & pop" operation) and got me on my way to El Paso.  

The EMT's gut feeling got Annie to the right place for the proper care hours, perhaps a full day ahead of what might have been. 

What a great call sign, "Hidalgo 24" sounds like the Jolly Green who comes and pulls you away from the bad guys behind enemy lines.  He was all that and more on Friday afternoon.  Annie and I will track him down sometime in the near future.  We've been blessed by wonderful care from wonderful professional and caring people."

As I write, she is in El Paso, with a Halo scaffolding holding her head in place, to help stabilize her neck, where she has fractures. She is  in a huge amount of pain, but is putting on a brave face, even trying to crack a joke here and there- I just got a call saying that  the doctors to gave her the OK for medical transport back to Tucson tomorrow, where she will be in the rehabilitation hospital for many weeks of therapy and healing.

Our Annie is the axis of many wonderful friends-
she is the one person besides myself that has been at Both of my weddings and I was able to be present at one (of many...lol) of hers- the one a few years ago to her devoted and wonderful Jack aka Wizard.
The one thing I will take from this is gratitude - Grateful to have such wonderful people in our lives, and grateful that they will be with us this Christmas.

Hold your loved ones close and let them know how much they mean to you-
because life does those dances that are sometimes terribly unexpected.
Wishing you all
Peace + Health- Maureen

Flying Solo- quitting my Day job

let’s see, what have I been up to lately?
Things are going well here- I have started to upgrade my studio (and drain my bank account) so that I can teach small workshops there (3-4 students). More info about workshops and teaching will be posted soon- I plan on moving into this new realm starting next year...

I am also getting prepared for an open studio event, an art show, and a holiday sale: all being held between now and Dec 15th.

In my studio I've been playing with fabricating and casting pewter- Also... I'm working on a collection of new bracelets and pendants in sterling and mixed metals-

And at home I have been getting our gardens ready for the arrival of winter and the onslaught of winter visitors....

also also also!

With all of this on my plate, and with the prospects of many other opportunities and responsibilities I decided that I had to make a decision on how I was spending my time- and my conclusion was that I needed to have more focus on my own business during the weekdays, so that I could keep my weekends free to be with my family...so.....

Last week I gave notice to my goldsmithing job at Krikawa Jewelry Design- I am working there until Christmas break- after which I will be there only as an emergency goldsmith (if they get backed up on their orders).

It was a difficult decision to quit, because I really love the work environment there and the people as well- However, I found that I was not able to focus on the opportunities that have been coming my way....I simply needed to clear my desk and work on my own projects. Thankfully the owner of the design company that I worked for is a friend of mine and completely understands my need to go solo.:-)

I’m looking at this time as a period of accepting challenges- I know there will be times when I need to take a bigger jump, and times when I will feel defeated or victorious-
I believe this is a turning point for me- I feel the support from my family and my friends and contacts in the “real” world and online and I’m ready to let go of the edge!

Dream squashers

Right now Tucson AZ is floating a proposition that would eliminate most of our Parks in Rec department in order to conform to a mandate to increase the numbers of new hires at the police department....

(Here is an explanation of the proposed initiative from Blog for Arizona)

Here is why I am strongly against that mandate-
I don't believe that more police = more security. I have nothing against our law enforcement- I believe that they are necessary to the safety of the people and perform duties that I appreciate and acknowledge as essential to the tranquility of our city life.

I don't think that enforcing laws is the only solution to public security and development-
I believe strongly that Personal Self Worth is our first quality that needs support and care for the development of a peaceful and strong community. And developing this personal Self Worth is an essential part of our community's positive future.

Tucson Underpass and Basket Bridge
(made possible by creative thinking....)

We need to keep the doors to the arts and sport open to all of our community- we need to give a CHANCE to the kids who yearn for something MORE in life...a road that could lead to their dream of being who they dream to be.

Once we shut the door on programs that create possibility we essentially shut out thousands of dreams that will never get a chance to flourish. We shut out possibility for people who are searching for something more out of life than eating sleeping and watching TV....We pull the plug on hope. and I KNOW that is NOT what I voted for!

the classes that are held at Tucson P+R are highly successful-They are filled with people from 6 months to 100 years old- from all walks of life with all sorts of stories. There is no entrance requirement, no grades or expectations, the classes are simply there to offer enrichment to the lives of it's students.

They are also a great entrance to teaching experience- young college students often get valuable training for teaching by assisting in Parks and Rec classes.

Many people start a hobby there that soon turns into a lifelong passion- enriching their lives and creating a much needed oasis of creative thought that most of our lives are lacking.

Many parents bring their children to Parks and Rec classes as an affordable way to introduce the arts and sport to their kid's lives. It is a great way to let your children "sample" new possibilities and meet new friends.

It would be a huge loss to the city if these classes were discontinued due to city mismanagement of money! Can we really live in a city with no regard for the creative spirit? Do we accept the fact that without these programs many children would not have access to quality affordable arts enrichment or introduction to sport?

hell no!
what do we do?
get out the word....
VOTE NO on Prop 200.

thank you- rant over :-)