What an April Fool's Joke

It is supposed to be Spring and it is snowing here in NY.....it is what it is I guess.  It makes my pressure levels that are already elevated skyrocket but what can one do?  Me I choose to smile and keep moving forward.

I think I have a new purpose in life.  What is that purpose you ask?  To make people aware of invisible illnesses.  It drives me crazy when people think there cannot possibly be anything wrong with you if they can't see it.  Would you tell an amputee oh it's nothing just a limb?? I think not.  So why on earth do people continue to tell people with illnesses you can't see that it can' be that bad or it's all in your head or it will get better??  Is our society really that merciless? That misinformed? What happened to caring about your neighbors, your friends, your loved ones? Has it really become all about me, me, me??

I will get off my soap box now lol  I am not having a great say so I will end for now and update more later.  Here is a picture of Izabella yesterday for picture day at her school.

Hugs

April

Another Rainy Day

Sigh.....these rainy days make my head hurt really really bad.  Something about the barometric pressure changes really messes with the pressure levels in my head :-( 

However, on a positive note I jumped in on another row robin and put together the five angel blocks that Daylily sent to Izzy so she would have angels watching over her.  They will be going in the mail on Monday for other ladies to add some hugs and love for Izzy's quilt.

I also have almost all of my postage stamps cut for the swap I am in for those..phew...talk about cutting it close (no pun intended lol)

I will be working on some Boomerang blocks this weekend and also trying to go through some fabrics and really try to get organized...need some calm in the chaos lol

Hugs

April

PS Here are a couple more pictures of Izabella-gosh I love her!

My glamour queen lol She was working in the woodshop helping daddy-hence the safty glasses and boots :-)

Making a bad day good

Most days I hurt so bad I want to curl in to a ball and cry...how do you conquer this feeling?  You pick yourself up by a smile sent your way, a hug from a little one, the kiss of a spouse, hearing "I love you".....there are so many treasures in our every day life that we tend to overlook when we are in pain.  I am learning to focus on the good and let the pain recede...I cannot and will not let it rule me or determine who I am.  I smile every day and people always think I am fine-but it is a mask to hide the pain.  I refuse to cry..that is not how I want to spend my life nor how I want people to see me.  My journey has been hard but I am turning a new corner in my determination to make this invisible illness a thing of the past-and I cannot do that if all I do is feel sorry for myself or question why me?

Hugs

April 
PS When you look at that smile how can you not feel good?

Long Time No Type lol

Hey Everyone.....

Well it has been entirely too long since I have posted but I am going to make a concentrated effort to be more on top of things. I have started the fundraising quilt for IH-you can view my story at www.firstgiving.com/fundraiser/april-burka/aprilburka or click on the Intracranial Hypertension link to the right.  I have been having a real tough time with my illness-it has been kicking my hiney-but I won't let it win...no matter how much I hurt.

Here is a picture of the center of my first fundraiser quilt

Thank you all for stopping by my page-I believe i have FINALLY figured out how to fix the post comment piece lol

Also I have the top together for my hug quilt.  I have to have hubby hold it up one day over the deck railing to get a full picture of it but here it is before I added the last rows and sashing-I absolutely love love it!! My great friends on my quiltboard sent me the fabulous blocks for it.  I also have enough to make beautiful pillow cases :-) The middle orange sashing strips are cuddle minkee and the top and bottom sashing strips are 4" strips of the same cuddle minkee....doesn't it make you just want to wrap up and sleep? :-)

Hugs

April



Bear with me!

I just started this blog so please bear with me. I will start out with pictures of projects I have already completed and as I get better at this blogging thing I will post current projects :-) this first picture is my outdoor/woodsy quilt prior to it being bound.

This next picture is a friendship star quilt I did for one of the founding members of the institution I work for. He was diagnosed with cancer and his battle continues on. The upper left corner is embroidered with our institution name and the year it was established. It is done in blue & white as those are our institution's colors and quilted in honeybees and hives as he was a beekeeper.