Works From the Attic by Linda

This is one of the most difficult things I have ever written. I never expected to hear the words, "I'm so sorry you son has passed away". What was even more difficult to digest were the words "it was a fatal self-inflicted gunshot wound". We all missed the signs. His contagious smile and determination to get through any obstacle in his life left us all with so many questions to which we may never get answers. We all struggle to awake each day and just breathe. Yes there were problems in his marriage. Apparently it became more than he could bear. He left behind a huge number of grieving relatives, friends and children trying to grasp what caused him to decide he could not take another breath without pain. Michael Aaron (Mike) Cunningham, 35 of Unity Township passed away, Monday, April 4, 2016 at home of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He was born September 3, 1980 in Willoughby Ohio and was the son of Michael E. Cunningham and wife Susan Cunningham...

It has been too long since I have updated my blog. There have been too many illnesses, deaths and surgeries that have managed to keep me from doing what I love best. This hand-wrapped piece is special to me because it is the first wire-work piece I was able to complete since they removed a tumor from my wrist and performed carpal tunnel surgery. It has been a long road that was speckled by issues from a non-related condition as well. It is easy to take things for granted until you are no longer able to enjoy them. This piece includes gemstones that include amethyst, snowflake obsidian, rose quartz, amazonite, carnelian, lapis, serpentine, jade jasper and agate. It is a continuous 8 foot long piece which allows the wearer to wrap it several times around the neck or across the neck, chest and waist. I look forward to sharing more work in the next few weeks and catching up from my absence here.

I would like to introduce you to a dear jewelry designer friend of mine. She just started her first blog! http://kissthemoongems.blogspot.com/ Cathy Voss makes amazing Chainmaille along with various other styles of jewelry. She has a great eye for design and uses only the best materials. She is a genuine artist! She also has a Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/KisstheMoonGems You will want to make sure to "like" her page as she has monthly drawings! If you are looking for a gift and surfing Etsy wondering if it is handmade or something made overseas by people working in factories for pennies, look no further! Cathy is the real deal and everything is made completely by her! You will not be disappointed! Welcome to Blogspot Cathy!

~Prepare yourself~ A story of a true American Veteran and Hero Every year on Memorial Day and Veteran's Day everyone is sidetracked of the real meaning behind the holiday.  Stores have huge sales to which most people flock, forgetting the real meaning of the day. Every day there are more soldiers injured in war zones. Our Veteran Hospitals often offer care that is less than adequate and quite frankly, we often fall short of taking care of those who put their lives on the line for us. My father served in the Korean War. Many of my relatives served in various wars including the Civil War, World War I & II, the Korean War, Vietnam, Desert Storm, and the Gulf War among many others.  Many of them suffered from war related illnesses and injuries. I went to school with Chuck Giza. Chuck is one of those guys that you could always count on. He was always polite and never got caught up in the typical school harassment that most kids fall into. After High School Chuck went...

No matter what you put in an obituary it never tells the story you want the world to know. Catherine was a mother of four but she was so much more than that. She was like a second mother to me. For the last four years she has lived at Sunrise of Fox Chapel aka Concordia of Fox Chapel. I cannot begin to say enough about the staff there. In the times that we could not be there, the ladies that treated her like family. They laughed with her, listened to her stories and even gave her those extra midnight snacks that she loved so much. They truly took wonderful care of her. For the longest time I spent three days a week helping with her and spending time with her. Sometimes she knew me, sometimes she didn't. As hard as that was, it didn't matter. What I found out through the stages of the disease of Alzheimer's that I would never have known any other way was in many ways a blessing of sorts. I had never really known anything private about her life growing up. Spending tim...

                                                     Catherine's 90th Bithday Saturday was Catherine's 90th birthday party. It was such a blessing to have her still with us to celebrate this event. She has led such a full life, it is so hard to see her fading so rapidly. Alzheimer's is a cruel disease. Family came from in-state and out-of-state to share in this wonderful event. It was so nice to see family that we haven't seen in so long. It was so very special that all the family came together for this blessed event. We even had Drew on Skype from England to wish everyone a wonderful day and of course, a Happy Birthday to his grandmother, Catherine. Technology is wonderful, when you can pass around a cell phone and see him, hear him and have him see and hear us back, it was so nice to "have him there" with us. No one was too sure if Catherin...

The following post was written by Cameron Von St James. His blog address is  Cameron Von St. James   I can relate to what he has written as my father passed away from cancer and my mother has had several occurrences of cancer. It changes your life; you make sacrifices and gather strength wherever you can. I wish I could say that those were the only people I knew affected by this disease but sadly it isn't. I hope you take the time to read what Cameron has written and look at his blog and hear his story. It is of comfort to those who are newly diagnosed or family thereof. My thoughts and prayers are with Cameron, Heather and Lily. I ask that you remember his family, my family and the many friends I have who are dealing with cancer. Facing Cancer with my Family My wife has told me more than once that she doesn’t really know how I felt and what I went through when she was diagnosed with cancer. I hope I can explain it to her a little more clearly with my...