Can you believe it has been almost one year since the morning I tripped on a shopping bag handle in my office and broke my ankle? It is a day I would like to forget. Actually, I would like to forget the few days I spent in the hospital. And, the subsequent surgery one day before Cat 5 Hurricane Ian came and stalled over our house for 10 hours. You may ask, “Are things back to normal?” Hm, let’s take a look from little to big.
Although I do not consider a broken ankle to be small, it was at the center or beginning. Are things back to normal with my ankle. No. Just. No. Deep sigh here. I can walk without a limp usually. However, if I exercise too much, I limp for a couple of days. I am able to bicycle with my neighbor for a few miles. It is a mixture of the bad and the good. On the positive side, I am able to walk, do some light exercise, and work on my “using outdoor toys” from my 2023 Goal List. Win, win, win. I am trying to get the courage to try on shoes with heels. It has been a while because the last time I tried; I could not even slip them on.
Blooming Daisies Crafts also took a hit because of the ankle, not the hurricane. From September 14 thru the end of December, I had to basically close Blooming Daisies Crafts down. With the injury of my right ankle, I could not sew…well. I did get to the point that I could not take not sewing and used my left foot. It took some practice, but I knew that as I have the super power to drive a car with a standard transmission, I have the ability to use my left foot to sew. I took the opportunity to get some fabulous fabrics that have been in queue made into product and posted onto the Blooming Daisies Crafts website. At one point, my sister came to visit (YAY!) and we were able to shop together (YAY!) and pick out some outrageously cute fabrics (YAY!), which were added to the “warehouse.” I also reviewed the website and found that I had some products that were missing there and was able to post them which boosted the Blooming Daisies Crafts sales numbers. And, I moved the surgical/nursing caps onto eBay exclusively as that is where all of the sales are being generated. It has taken some time and hard work but business is slowly getting back to normal.
Widening the picture, is the house back to normal? A resounding, yes! But read on! My husband and I were fortunate to have made some changes to the exterior prior to Hurricane Ian but still needed some inspections. This was before the storm. We just had the final inspection for the windows around ten days ago. But, even with the upgrades, we had some damage. Minimal damage that could be taken care of in a short amount of time. Things are all good and normal now that I been able to peel the stickers off of the windows and give them good washing. We were so blessed in so many ways.
The final view is not from 10,000 feet, just high enough to see the part of Florida that we call home. As far as SW Florida’s recovery from Hurricane Ian, it is still so heart breaking. The local government is talking about finishing up the repairs of the street lights and the replacement of traffic and street signs. With so many of them are still crooked or gone from the hurricane it can make finding to some addresses a little dicey. Thank God for GPS. A number of roofs are still covered with blue tarps even though roofers are working 7 days a week. The barrier islands in our part of Florida look so beaten up – there is no other way to put it. The residents in the area are resilient though! “We will rebuild,” is a common statement. The picture on here is from 8/3/23 crossing the Sanibel Causeway Bridge. Speed limit is 20 mph while they rebuild the bridge.
But what is normal? Or is everyday a new normal? I guess it depends on your perspective.
When meeting new people, common questions include, “What do you like to do?” and, if you have a job, “What is your work?” I am fortunate that my “fun” is also my “job” and that is sewing for Blooming Daisies Crafts. Usually when I tell somebody I sew, it is easy to see people thinking about that. Just recently, our older son introduced my husband and I to his new girlfriend. She explained that she is a nurse that deals with patients that have “ostomy” bags. It was my turn to think about that.
Years ago, my dad had cancer and, as a result, he had an “ostomy” bag. Back then, it was simply a bag. Thankfully these bags are no longer seen as an embarrassment, but more as a fact of life after a life changing diagnosis. Almost so normal that a person can chose to accessorize hers/his. So, with that is mind, last weekend I did the research, fashioned a pattern, and produced 10 sample “ostomy” bag covers for “the new girlfriend” to introduce to her patients and see what they think. The package was mailed on Tuesday. Just like the Blooming Daisies Crafts surgical caps, the bags may be the next big company endeavor! See the need, hear the call!
When school starts, it is the beginning of autumn—to me. Blooming Daisies Crafts has fall flower products listed in every category. I really love the vibrant, rich colors. To see the newest product on the Blooming Daisies Crafts website, just click on the header. And, some new Needle Minder tops are on order. Needle Minders have their own tab at the top with a categorized dropdown list. To see the latest ones, just choose “All Needle Minders” or “Holiday” to shop all of the holidays. Blooming Daisies Crafts offers over 100 Holiday Needle Minders. Each and every one has a personality. Many of them are sure to match yours!
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