It's a Lemony Snicket kind of week.

So, as of the first of last week I was feeling pretty good about my life in general.  We were ahead of the game as far as getting Teri and Tina (of Shepherd's Bush fame) ready for market.  Then, everything started to deteriorate.

My air compressor decided to give up the ghost  but in it's dying breath decided to break the foot off my computerized mat cutter.  My loving husband galloped in on his white horse and not only found me an amazing new air compressor but took my cutting head to the repair shop and had it back to the studio within the day.  Of course, when I put it all back together it still wouldn't work so we were down another day while we had to have a service call.  Thankfully, we had a willing, timely, and skilled repair man.  Finally, after a little re-calibrating we were running again.  Whew.  I finished up the market samples.

It was almost this exact moment that my Courtney decides to break the news that she's too busy with life in general to work for me any more.  Heavy sigh.

Saturday, as I'm leaving the studio I see that I'm closely following an ambulance.  I'm wondering to myself what the appropriate following distance is for an ambulance as I pull up to my own house.  My first thought was, " No, it's at the neighbor's house.  Don't panic."  My next thought was, "Oh, dear.  My husband was working on his car engine and it fell on him!"  Closely followed by, "No, he got the engine back in the car a couple of days ago.  That's not it."  I look through the crowd of EMTs to see my
husband deeply in shock - as white as a sheet - huddled on my neighbors porch.  (my poor neighbor didn't look much better!)   He had been cutting something with his table saw and his hand got pulled under.  I held it together long enough to make it to the emergency room and then I went into shock.  I cannot begin to describe the sickening feeling of watching someone you love so dearly go through such physical and emotional pain -and the odd euphoria of knowing he was going to live.

After a six hour wait for an operating room, I'm pushing the call button to have someone release us so we can go find another hospital and this rockstar of a surgeon walks in. (Dr. Barnett, you are a dream!)  At that moment I knew everything would be ok.  We poured ourselves into his capable hands and everything instantly started getting better.

I won't go into the gory details, but after lots of re-attaching of various bits, it looks like my sweetheart will keep all of his fingers.  I have already made the transition from horror to gratitude.  I suspect it will be a little harder for my husband to get there as he goes through the painful process of healing.

The long and (horrifying story) short of it...
I've had a change of priorities.

As I try to keep running the business while nursing my man back to health I'm finding that I have reached my breaking point.  I know that I'll make it through the next few weeks with the help of my close friends and amazing co-workers (who happen to be one in the same) and my loving family.  I just want to apologize in advance for the professional slippage that looms in my near future.

As I spend time by my husband's bedside, I have time to ponder the blessings of my life.
I want to take this moment to say a heartfelt thank you to my steadfast and loyal Lois, my positive and unbelievably capable Amber, my talented and uplifting Kari and my witty and amazing Kelly.  I am eternally grateful to have you all in my life.  Last but not least...I want to thank you, my dear readers, for your patience
with me as you witness my ups and downs.  I am filled with love for all of you and deep gratitude as you buoy me up through this difficult time.

With gratitude,
Jill