Awareness Treasuries

Occasionally in your life you will start doing something for one reason and then that something takes on its own personality and its own life.  It evolves into something different, not what you originally planned.  This new life and personality can be a good thing or a bad thing.

The Awareness Treasuries that I have been creating are a good example of something that takes on a new life, a new purpose. 

I have been trying to find a way to promote Epilepsy Awareness through my Awareness Jewelry.  When I started making Treasuries I included my favorite Epilepsy Awareness pieces from my shop. The Treasury was a way for me to exhibit my creations.  Usually the other items in the Treasury had nothing to do with Epilepsy Awareness, or even Awareness for that matter.

Slowly the nature of my Awareness Treasuries began to change.  At first I was proud of myself for including Awareness pieces from other shops along side mine.  I liked the way my Awareness creations looked in the company of  Awareness creations made by other artists.

My treasuries were even growing in popularity.  That is a good thing.  The purpose of Treasuries is to showcase items from different artists with the objective being to increase the visibility of the items.  As the views of the Treasury increase so does the visibility.

I can’t pinpoint the date that my Treasuries took on a life of their own.  One day I was just trying to showcase my own Awareness Jewelry for the purpose of increased sales and the next day I was on a one woman mission to change the way the world (at least the Etsy world) feels about Awareness.  

It is no longer about showcasing a piece of mine in order to increase my sales.  Now it is about the need to have everyone talking “Awareness”.  Epilepsy Awareness is still my number one because Epilepsy is so much a part of who I am.  But I want everybody to take notice of each and every Awareness Cause.  

When I started making Treasuries I kept viewing the Treasury to see how well everyone liked it.  I checked my Analytics to determine if my shop views had increased.  I still view my Treasuries a few times a day, but I haven’t checked my shop views in a while.  I want to read the comments because so many people share the reason for their interest in Awareness.  Everyone has a family member or a close friend whose life is affected by  an illness, condition or disease.  We all find a way to get through life despite it.  We do NOT give in to  whatever it is that is trying to hold us back.  

If you want to help me promote Awareness please visit my Treasuries.  Clicking on each item in the Treasury and leaving a comment does three very important things.  First it increases the rank of the Treasury, and that is how a Treasury gets noticed.  Second (this is for you), you will see 12 original pieces of art, some functional, some just pretty, but all supporting Awareness.  Third (this is for me), I like to be filled with emotion when I read how you or a someone close to you is overcoming their situation.. 

If you want to be notified when I have a new Treasury all you have to do is follow my blog.  I post each Awareness Treasury here as soon as I can.   

Please remember that Awareness and Awareness Causes are important to each and every one of us. 

Different Color Different Cause

I curated a Treasury called “Different Color Different Cause”.  It is another Awareness Treasury that features some of the lesser know Awareness causes.  I hope that you will all visit this Treasury. http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=81661 When you do please click on each item  and leave a comment.  Those actions add to the “score” of the Treasury.  I have been told that if a Treasury gets a high enough score, it may be chosen for additional Etsy promotions.  I would love to see Awareness on the front page of Etsy.

Causes that Need Your Awareness Treasury

I just curated a new Treasury on Etsy.  I love to promote Awareness and I love to make Treasuries.  So I have combined the two to bring you items that support Awareness for causes that you may not know about.Please visit the Treasury by following this link:  http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list.php?room_id=103669


Click on each item and leave a comment to support Awareness.  Another way to show your support is to support these artists.

Epilepsy Awareness et al

I curated an Epilepsy Awareness Treasury.  Please visit using this link:

http://www.etsy.com/treasury_list_west.php?room_id=80728

Remember to click on each picture and leave a comment.  I would love to get Epilepsy Awareness to the front page of Etsy.

Epilepsy Awareness An Interview With Adrian E

I have mentioned several times that November is Epilepsy Awareness Month.  In keeping with that theme, I have been working on some interviews.  I speak publicly to help spread Epilepsy Awareness and I will be interviewing friends who do the same thing.

I met Adrian E. for the first time in March 2006 in San Antonio, Texas.  Adrian has epilepsy and he is committed to helping others with epilepsy.

 

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month and I’m hoping this picture will kick up that awareness. No, I’m not injured. It’s me in 1996 at UNM Albuquerque’s Epilepsy Center getting an EEG for the MEG & MR Spect research study they were doing. My participation in that study went on to provide important information about a condition that over 3 million Americans live with.

What is the “MEG & MR Spect” research study?
The MEG and MR Spec were two studies; one using the Magnetoencephalogram (MEG) and the other using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MR Spec). It was performed at the University of New Mexico Albuquerque and done in 1996.

An EEG was performed prior to the MEG to get a baseline of my brain’s activity. The EEG was an “all-day-all night” version but it was to look for spike anomalies and not actual seizures. There was no need to wean off my medications for any part of these studies.

MEG is a non-evasive, clean, and painless technique of measuring electrical activity in the brain without the use of electrodes like an EEG. The test involves the performing of an MRI prior to the MEG that is longer than a routine MRI (about 90 minutes vs 45 for a routine one). This is because very fine, well detailed images of the brain are needed. The images of the MRI are combined with the data from the MEG and form a 3D EEG (so to speak).

The MEG portion involves sitting in a special room where the subject can just dose off while a cylindrical object the size of a beer keg rests on the subject’s scalp. Unlike the loud noise that anyone who has an MRI can attest to, the MEG is nearly silent and lasts about an hour or two.

MR Spec is used not to get a physical image of the brain, as an MRI would, but to gather a chemical composition of what the human brain is made up of. At this facility, the MR Spec looked larger than an MRI machine and, it turns out, much louder than an MRI. The test was about as long as a routine MRI, about an hour, but industrial grade earplugs were necessary to prevent hearing loss.

Do you know how your participation benefitted others?
It’s been 13 years since these studies were performed but just three years ago, researchers in San Diego were testing a new use for the MEG. The Wada test is the standard by which memory and language functions are tested for people seeking epilepsy surgery. But the Wada has some serious risks, most notable being stroke and hemorrhage of the arteries below the brain. A new function of the MEG was being tested to see if it could possibly determine memory and language function of the patient without the risks that come with a Wada test. It looks like an alternative to the Wada could come in the next decade. (BTW, I participated in that San Diego study too.)

Was there a risk?
All in all, the risks involved were so minor; I had no problem participating in these studies.
 
Do you do anything else to help support Epilepsy Awareness?
I am an Epilepsy Advocate; I am a HOPE Mentor for the San Diego Epilepsy Foundation and educate public and private entities about epilepsy.

Busy, Busy, Busy

This past week or two have been real busy for me. I’m not sure if I mentioned it, but November is Epilepsy Awareness Month. (LOL, that’s all I have done, I mention it constantly). I have been promoting Epilepsy Awareness on my Facebook page and on Twitter. I have also been promoting the Epilepsy Awareness items in my shop.

I also had a goal for Treasuries this month. I was going to have a Treasury going at all times. I did real good until last night. I have been getting Treasuries within about 10 hours of my expiration. But last night I was sleeping on the job. Literally. The Treasury opened up at about 3 am on the West Coast. I didn’t sleep much the night before and I stayed up until 11. Oops, I missed it. But there is always another Treasury and that is what I am doing right now. I am watching that number in the other IE window get smaller and smaller.

This Treasury will feature Awareness items from the Etsy team that I just joined. Etsy Texas Crafters. I have spent most of my computer time today at the team site setting up my page and reading all the info they have on their site.

I am also excited because I found the candles I have been looking for so that I can make one of my “Reflections” to sell in my shop. Look for it in a day or two, unless I get sidetracked.

Gotta Go, that number sure is getting close.

Epilepsy Awareness Month

November is Epilepsy Awareness Month.  I have been working long, hard hours on purple items for Epilepsy Awareness for my store.  I listed several last night and there are still a lot of listings to finish.  I really love the Swarovski Crystal Snowflakes that I made into earrings.  I didn’t realize how beautiful they would be in Violet.

I also listed the “Debbie” bracelet.  It is made using Czech Fire Polished beads.

I also listed this anklet.

I am increasing my donation percentage for November from 10% of the sale price to 15%.  I will be donating to Nevada Family Ties.  I really like their organization.  I will write more about them in a later blog.  I will be volunteering my time to help local families affected by epilepsy.  Exciting things are happening in Nevada.  We are trying to open a chapter of the Epilepsy foundation in Las Vegas, among other things.  Since I don’t believe that I will be asked to speak professionally for Epilepsy Awareness, I need to do something to help.

Keep checking my blog this month because I will be having different sales all month.  I am also going to blog about epilepsy several times this month.  I have learned so much about epilepsy since I was diagnosed 4 years ago. 

Airlines Can Be Fun

I have mentioned before that I have Epilepsy and that I speak publicly to help end the stigma associated with Epilepsy and to help spread Awareness.  I flew to Reno on July 1 to address a group there.  I have several problems with flying.  First is the fact that I don’t mind the flying part.  The taking off and landing are a different story.  

Now thanks to 911 there is so much more security to deal with.  And have the rules changed since the last time I flew.  And airports and airplanes are not the most comfortable places in the world.  To top things off, my husband had his hip replacement earlier this year. 

Add to all that the difficulties that my husband and I had the last time we flew.  I won’t name the airline but just think about the letters associated with our great country.  We even turned in our frequent flyer miles from that airline because neither one of us will ever willingly set foot on their plane again. 

We anticipated a long, rough day trying to deal with the flight crew.  Was I ever in for a pleasant surprise.  I am from the South, but have not flown Southwest in several years. 

I want everyone to know that my flights to and from Reno on Southwest Airlines were 2 of the most pleasant things that I have done this year.  I am partial to the flightcrew we had going to Reno, maybe because one of the flight attendants was from my home state, Texas.  Maybe it was the way they sang the safety announcements.  Maybe it was the casual yet professional way that they interacted with all the passengers.  They acted as if we were friends at a social event.  OMG, the flight attendants treated us as if our comfort and pleasure were the reason that they were there.   That has not happened on an airplane in I don’t know how long.  We were treated to Customer Service with a smile and a song.  What better way to start your trip?

I did get their names, but I don’t feel comfortable putting that in my blog.  I will be notifying their home office. 

If you have to fly somewhere, and Southwest can get you there, you should care enough about your comfort to try to fly on Southwest Airlines.  I think that in the future I will fly Southwest as far as I can then walk the rest of the way.  Maybe not, but that’s how much I enjoyed myself.

Technology is Wonderful

Technology is a wonderful thing. It affects every aspect of our lives. We curse it when it works against us and we praise it when it works for us. Take a few minutes to think about and to list the ways that technology works against you and the ways it works for you. That is what I did a few days ago. I was amazed.

I could go on for days about the pros and cons, but the title of this blog is “Technology is Wonderful”. I will tell you some wonderful things that you may take for granted.

I live close to my father and my cousin lives close to her mother, his sister. We live in Nevada and they live in Texas. Dad and my Aunt will never again sit across the table from one another and just talk. Neither is really able to travel. But thanks to technology, they were able to have a conversation face to face using the web cam. My two stepsons and my nephew are overseas with the military. They are in places where they are not exactly safe. But thanks to computers we can open the web cam and see the boys and reassure ourselves that they are well. Isn’t that wonderfully amazing!

I speak publicly to help support epilepsy awareness. Before each engagement, I have a practice run through with my speaking coach. My coach is in Virginia and I am in Nevada. We use the web cam so that she can watch my facial expressions and body language. It is a real benefit.

Epilepsy is a condition that affects each person differently. The effect depends on the area of the brain involved in seizures. I have right temporal lobe epilepsy and it affects my memory. Thanks to technology I have a Palm to jot notes in and to keep track of my contacts and appointments. I also have a cell phone that I carry with me so that if I get lost, run into problems or have a seizure, I can call my husband.

Ten years ago I got my first cell phone when my Mother was terminally ill and needed to be able to get in touch with me at anytime. Before the mid to late 1990′s most people didn’t have access to a cell phone.

My husband works and attends college. Some of his classes are taken on the internet. This saves money that he would spend on gas to and from the campus. It also saves time. The internet classes are flexible enough that you can complete the coursework no matter what your schedule is like.

Yes there are problems. There are people who use a Bluetooth that continue to speak on the phone while conducting business at the bank, grocery store, or other business. They don’t think they are being rude. Some people who talk on the phone while driving cause accidents. And there are other examples that I choose not to list.

But in the long run, I have to say it again, “Technology is a wonderful thing”.

Story Behind Cheryls Purple Cow

I have been crafting and making jewelry for about 5 years. Before that I always worked in highly stressful clerical type jobs. I worked mainly in banking and also in motor vehicle registration and titling. How did I get from there to beading and crafting? If you will listen I will tell you.

Do you remember the kid in art class that just could not make anything? That was me. Most people get A’s and B’s in art class. I failed art class. I found the whole process of creating something bothersome. I just could not, would not do it.

I used to live a fast-paced stressful life. I worked in high stress jobs and I loved it. My life started changing in November 2005 when I was diagnosed with epilepsy. I lost my job as I tried to get my epilepsy under control. As I started to control my epilepsy and my seizures decreased, I began envisioning things that I wanted to create. I felt a need to make things. And the more things I created the better I got and the better I got the stronger the need to create became. I attribute my newfound “gift” as an indirect result of my epilepsy. I started playing with different crafts and techniques to see what my potential was. I went through most of the crafts available and then I started beading and making jewelry. And that is what gives me the most pleasure.

I have been making jewelry for about 3 or 4 years. I really like making the Awareness Ribbon jewelry. I think it is important to raise awareness regarding medical conditions like Epilepsy and Cancer. I was giving most of my pieces to my family and friends. Everyone that saw my jewelry urged me to try to sell my creations. It took a while for me to get used to the idea that I could make something worth selling, but I came around.

I now had the motivation to open my own store, but the store needed a name. I wanted the name to be something that I could connect to. Earlier this year I learned that March 26 is “Purple Day”. Wearing purple on that day shows that you support Epilepsy Awareness. Purple has always been my favorite color so I decided that the name of my shop would include “purple”. I was getting there. I had one word, but I still couldn’t figure out the name. Then one day out of the blue, I remembered a gift I received in Junior High from my best friend Dee Dee. She gave me a purple cow with a poem attached:

“I never saw a purple cow;
and I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you anyhow,
I’d rather see than be one.”

I had completely forgotten about that purple cow. I surfed the web to find a purple cow. I found a book titled “Purple Cow” based upon this popular poem. The book helps you to succeed in business by being the purple cow among all the regular cows. The purple cow represents something extraordinary, different. It is something unusual that we all would like to have or even see just once.

My best friend Dee Dee was never ordinary and neither was I. We are both still purple cows. I never realized how wonderful it was to be different. I even located her through the Internet and found out that she has Lupus. The Awareness Ribbon for both Epilepsy and Lupus is purple. Strange coincidence?

Now you know a little bit more about me and how Cheryls Purple Cow was born