Been a Long Time Since I Last Posted...

knifecarver

Well-Known Member
And a lot has happened, so please pardon my lengthy post. Last year, Greg & I were in the process of buying a house when Titan (My Avatar) passed away, 6/01/15. 16 days later, Greg had a stroke that he never recovered from. He passed away April 29th, 2016.

We closed on the house in August 2015. It took me 4 months to figure out how to move him & transfer Medicaid Insurance to our new home in VT. I never could have done any of this, buy the house, get medical equipment & home health care if it wasn't for the VA.

If it wasn't so beautiful here where we moved to, I would have crumbled a long time ago. But everyday that I look outside, just reassures my belief in God. And so does this story that took place a week before my daughter told me.


My daughter is the manager of a gift store. A woman came in looking for a special soap. Apparently, she had beat death, a cancer survivor & told my daughter that people think she's crazy, but she has a sixth sense. She told her she was "brought" to this store to talk to my daughter & asked her if she knew someone that died recently (my mother-in-law) or is very sick (my husband.) My daughter answered "no" to both questions, not wanting to feed her info, but then she told her "Your Grandmother likes to gossip & she told me that your boyfriend is coming to propose to you in one week". (they had been talking about marriage & he was coming to see her!) She also said that my daughter didn't tell her the truth & asked again if someone died or is sick. Arlene told the woman, "My father is very sick". The woman said, "I know, his Mom has been talking to him, he can see her & she's telling him that it's ok to stop fighting, she's waiting for him". The woman said that he is scared, that's why he's been holding on so long. She also said that he will be gone in a week. Greg died peacefully, at home in hospice, 4 days after my daughter told me this story. She waited because she didn't know how I would take it.


I have a lot of time on my hands & plan on not wasting my talent. I also adopted my Mini-Mastiff (she is a Boerboel), Suki, and a mystery cat. Dot is a feral cat that I can never find. :les: I know she's here somewhere, she eats & uses the litter box.
DSC03159.jpg
 
Last edited:
Hey Cathy, I wondered where you have been!! I have always admired your work and when I was working on my first carving piece. Which I haven't started yet you popped into my mind as where to start! Here is one of the first drawings of my bear. I have another but I evidently to not have a pic of it. When I was trying to access where to start I thought well the first thing a bear is going to poke at you is his nose so guess I will start there! LOL

https://flic.kr/p/CCeFTM

Sorry to hear of the loss of your husband. I can relate when comes to sick family and what you are speaking of. Your days begin and end there. My wife is sick with an incurable disease that does spinal damage and somedays are just hard to say the least. I haven't done much of anything in the shop in a long time. As most of my time is spent taking care of her and the house inside and out, doesn't leave a lot of time for something else. She fell last week and I like to have never got her up. Just breaks my heart to see what has happened to her in such a short span of time!!

I think there is something too that what doesn't kill us makes us stronger, there are days though, when I have to say Lord, I know you won't give me more than I can handle but,................today I am about there!

Good to hear from you again.
 
Last edited:
Once again welcome back Cathy. Some of you may not remember her it has been a while. Try search on this forum for Knifecarver. Her facebook page has many of her works.

https://www.facebook.com/catherine.defelice.knifecarver

This is one of the first of her works I remember seeing. I don't know if you ever got any work off of my recommendations but over the years I have given you name to several looking for good work!!

Good to hear from you!!!
attachment.php
 
Hi Clifton! Good to hear from you too. Thanks for all your support & kind words.

Your bear drawing looks Great. The hardest part is the first cut, apprehension about making a mistake, but that's part of how you learn. I just found this great website by Lora Irish. http://www.lsirish.com/tutorials/woodcarving-tutorials/ She is a fantastic artist. There is a lot of good info here especially on looking at your picture in levels of depth. You are correct on the nose being the highest point. I buy little plastic or cast statues of the different animals I like to carve/draw or I use clay & make my own. To be able to see your subject in 3-D is a big help.

Ha, I still have the Lion knife. And I'm still a starving Artist. I'm hoping to change all that. I've been given a second chance on life, this one I devote to myself & my art. I am the glue that holds my family together & I want to be an inspiration to them.

I'm in an area known for it's Marble. Next weekend I'm taking a two-day marble carving class. I applied for a scholarship and was accepted so the class is free!

I've been a caregiver in one way or another for 36 yrs. You have to put aside "ME" time for yourself otherwise you will burn out. Then what good are you as a caregiver if your health, inside & out is no good? Don't give up on your bear.
 
Back
Top