Feeling A Little Like Job!

Pfaltzgraff Tea Rose Pattern

Pfaltzgraff Tea Rose Individual Tea Pot & Cup Set

Pfaltzgraff Tea Rose Metal Napkin Holder~RARE!

Pfaltzgraff Tea Rose Candle Holder & Votive

Since my daughter has decided to have "The Wedding of her Dreams" on July 1st, I have decided to unload lots of my earthly treasures to help finance her dream.  Of course, all of the Pfaltzgraff Tea Rose Dishes and related stuff that I have been saving for when she gets married have been flatly disregarded, as she has chosen her own pattern! What to do?  I put it all on eBay!  I have sold quite a few pieces and have currently listed some of my last treasured pieces.  If you are an eBay fan, you can find all my Pfaltzgraff Tea Rose under the user maggiemay71.  I also have many dinner plates, salad plates, cups & saucers, and bowls that I haven't listed.  Go to eBay.com and type in search-- Pfaltzgraff Tea Rose Metal Napkin Holder.  You will see the picture like the one above, click on it and it will pull up the listing.  You can then click on "see other items" and you should be able to see the items I have listed!  I just started eBay about five months ago, and I really enjoy being an eBayer!  If you haven't taken the plunge yet, come see what it's all about!  Feel free to ask me if you have any questions!

From my last blog, I shared that I have an incurable autoimmune disease.  To control this disease, I have to take drugs that suppress my immune system.  When you suppress your immune system, guess what you get? SHINGLES!  I knew exactly what I had as soon and I felt the itching and raised bumps on my left torso area!  My doctor immediately put me on Valtrex (because Shingles is a from the herpes family--no, not that kind)! She gave me some pills for pain, and some great Lidoderm patches to put over these horrible things!   I still have some lingering effects from the shingles, but they are almost gone after about 3 weeks.  At the same time I got the Shingles, I also fell in the snow on the front porch and badly bruised my tail bone.  Then, if that weren't bad enough I got an infected oil gland under my right arm pit and ran a 102.1 temp! All of these ailments in the matter of about 3 weeks made me start feeling a little like Job!  At the risk of sounding like an old woman who can't wait to describe all her aches and pains, let me get to my point ~~that I have maintained my positive attitude!  I read over the book of Job in the Old Testament to glean new insight into my own situation, and this is what I  was reminded:

1) God will deliver the suffering, restore them, and bless them.
2) God is both sovereign and compassionate.
3) Our own suffering or the suffering of others sometimes blinds us that God is working His own good puposes through a fallen world.  For example, the suffering blind man made it possible for Jesus to demonstrate His healing power and to transform the man into a witness to Jesus' deity (John 9:3, 30-33).

So, if through my suffering, a member of my family or my friends start to pray more, or become closer to God or become a better Christian, then my suffering is worth it. James tells us in the book by the same name "count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience," (James 1:2-3) Various trials such as suffering and conflicts are not pleasant, but Christians are to consider these opportunities for rejoicing. Troubles purify our faith,  producing patience and endurance.

I am always aware of the fact that I could be worse off, and that there are many people who would trade places with me in a minute!  I actually said after the other illnesses, I longed for the days when I only had the dermatomyositis!  
(I have been a victim of vaccine injury for 2 years, 8 months and 12 days!)
Hope all of you are well and counting your blessings and not your troubles!
~~Kathy  :)

My First Blog!

Welcome to my first blog! I decided to create a blog to talk about all things crafty~(Paper) and my love of fine china (Plates).  Shabby has a two-fold meaning~I love the shabby chic look in crafting and decorating, and that describes the way I feel all the time (shabby).
I guess I should explain the shabby feeling comment.  I have my license as a registered nurse.  After I had stayed home raising my three children for 12 years, I decided to return to work as a nurse.  Of course, part of returning to nursing requires updating vaccines.  I was told since it had been so long since I had received the Hepatitis B Vaccine that I should receive one dose to "boost" my body's cellular memory and show that I was immune to Hep B which is required for hospital nursing.  I had never had problems with vaccines, nor had any of my children or anyone in my family.  But ah, there is the little problem of statistics (a certain percentage of people who receive vaccines will have an adverse effect )!  So without any worry, on June 12, 2008,  I received a Hep B vaccine in my right arm and a Tetanus vaccine in my left arm.  The whole time that little voice in my head was telling me, "Maybe I shouldn't be doing this?"
Within two weeks, I started having trouble walking up the stairs and getting out of chairs.  My deltoid muscles in my arms had swollen like Popeye's and they were extremely painful.  To make a long story short--I have dermatomyositis (a form of muscular dystrophy) from vaccine injury.  Imagine my surprise and heartbreak to learn that I am permanently disabled due to a vaccine that we all are lead to believe is safe!
I don't like to bore people with my long story of seeing experts, having procedures done and the many lab tests I have had to endure over the last 2 years and 8 months. I will caution everyone  to be very careful with vaccines, especially Hep B because it can harm you!

Now on to the positive stuff!

I sell items on eBay.  Mostly I sell plates, figurines, etc.  I sell all the top brands.  I can usually find some great deals at thrift stores and other places.  The key of course is to buy low and sell for at least double your purchase price.  Simple economics! 


I also love to scrapbook.  Recently, I have discovered the Magnolia Tilda stamps from Sweden.  I am currently using them to make shadow box picture frames, paper piecings and scrapbook pages.

These are some of my paper piecings using the Magnolia Rubber Stamps.  I stamp on Bristol board and color with Copic markers.  The girl is named Tilda and the boy is Edwin.  Magnolia has an angel policy that you can sell their stamped images as long as you stamp and color them yourself.
These stamps are very hard to find.  I have only found the ones I buy on-line.  I currently don't know of any stores in this area who sell them.  Aren't they cute?

~Kathy
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P.S. Thanks for reading my first blog!