Some news on the blogging front!

First of all, I had to shout from the rooftops...I have reached 200+ followers! How cool is that?  I really want to thank all of my loyal followers for taking the time to read my blog.  I really try to make it an enjoyable place for all to visit.  I hope I'm succeeding.  I also wanted to thank everyone again for all of your support during this awful illness I'm going through.  I truly believe support and encouragement are the best medicine! In other news, my one year blogoversary is coming up on August 5th and I'm going to be having a big giveaway so stay tuned for details!

One final announcement...for those of you that love Christmas, I'm hosting a month long Christmas in July event over at my Christmas blog.  I will be posting about Christmas related topics and hopefully will be having a few guest posts from fellow Christmas fanatics.  I'll also be having a giveaway later in the month.  If you're feeling the spirit, head on over.  Just click the pic to the right or the button on my left sidebar.  Hope to see you there!

Cat Thursday

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy!

I'm somewhat late today with Cat Thursday...I apologize.  Today I would like to share with you the cat art of Lesley Anne Ivory.  I simply adore her paintings!

Share yours with us!

I'm back! Sort of...

I've been home from the hospital since Friday night...yay! However, I did have an allergic reaction to one of the IV antibiotics while I was still in and my doctor stopped the vancomycin.  I started breaking out in a rash on my face and leg.  By Saturday, it was not getting any better.  I was still infusing the Rocefin.  Rash just kept spreading and on Sunday when the home health nurse was here, while I was infusing the Rocefin, I started getting redder and redder and felt like I was itching from the inside out! So, another trip to the ER...ugh! I was so afraid they were going to put me in again.  Anyway, they discontinued the Rocefin and gave me steroids and a bunch of allergy meds and Valium (loopy time!).  The itching started to subside and I saw my doctor yesterday.  My leg is getting better...SLOWLY...but it looks like it's been through a mangler.  Of course, she wanted to try me on a different IV antibiotic so off to Outpatient services at the hospital for more blood to be drawn and for infusion so they could monitor me for a reaction.  Knock on wood...I haven't reacted.  I infused another dose of the new one today myself and so far so good.  *fingers crossed*  It looks like I'll be staying here at mom's until my home health is discontinued which will be who knows when and who knows how much longer I'll be on the medicine.  We'll see!

On a positive note, I now have internet here at mom's so I can blog and catch up a little bit.  Plus, I have a writing job that I was supposed to start two weeks ago, but they have been very kind in waiting for me to get better.  I do want to thank everyone for all the kind words.  I really have needed all the encouragement I can get! Also, I wanted to let you all know that Jennifer at Reading with Tequila is hosting me this week on Getting Random with ???.  Be sure to stop by and check it out...I'm giving away a $10 gift certificate to Better World Books!

So glad to be back...and thanks again for all of your support. =O)

Update

Well, dear readers, I'm finally getting out of the hospital.  I'm going to be staying at my mom's while I get home health and self-administer IV antibiotics so I still have a ways to go.  My mom does not have internet, but she's getting temporarily for me so that should be ready by Wednesday, 7/7 and I'll be back online then.  Thank you for all the kind words and well wishes.  I'll be talking to you soon. =O)

BBAW is on its way!

BBAW is a celebration of the book blogging community. It has awards, interviews, prizes, and other fun activities that bring book bloggers together.  I had only been blogging for a month when BBAW was going on last year, but I really enjoyed visiting all the blogs.  I met some really great bloggers and found some excellent blogs! Sign up is open until July 7th.  Click the pic above to go to their site and register.

As part of this year's BBAW, we're being asked to pick five posts that we believe best represent our blog in the nomination categories.  I have decided to enter in the niche category of Best Eclectic Blog and under the best feature, Best Written Blog.  I had a difficult time picking out my posts.  It really is hard to nominate yourself for anything! But I think what I chose is a good represenatation.  Here they are:

Best Eclectic Blog:

• The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater
• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• The Lovely Bones by Alice Sebold
• Blast from the Past...The Tale of the Body Thief (A review)
• Hush by Kate White

Best Written Blog:

• The Road by Cormac McCarthy
• The Private Diary of Mr. Darcy by Maya Slater
• Hush by Kate White
• Author interview with Frank Beddor
• Favorite Fictional Character--Ayla

Cat Thursday

Welcome to the weekly meme that celebrates the wonders and sometime hilarity of cats! Join us by posting a favorite LOL cat pic you may have come across, famous cat art or even share with us pics of your own beloved cat(s). It's all for the love of cats! Enjoy!
I'm still in the hospital and I'm going stir crazy! Hopefully, I'll get out in a day or two.  I'll be going home with either very potent oral antibiotics or IV antibiotics which I will be taught to administer myself...yee ha! My leg looks pretty bad.  Debating on whether I should post pics...it's not a pretty site.  Anyway, I'm easing back into blogging thanks to this awesome free wireless internet here at the hospital! I'm trying to read blogs and I caught up my reading challenges.  I'm also easing back into reading.  Right now, I'm reading the excellent A Vintage Affair by Isabel Wolff...really enjoying it so far.  So that's my update.  Hope all is well with all you wonderful bloggers. =O)

Now, here is my cat pic for today.  I really laughed out loud at this one!

Do you have one to add this week?  Here's Mr. Linky:

News...

Well, I got back from vacation on Saturday night and, yes, I had a good time! However, Sunday night I started getting sick...again. Fever, chills, body aches. I noticed that a small sore I had on my left shin was looking pretty red. By the time Monday night came, I was deathly sick and feverish and my leg and foot was swelled up and red and black. My mom took me to the ER and I found out I have Cellulitis--a severe infection of my leg and foot. I'm going to my doctor today to follow-up and I'm pretty sure she is going to hospitalize me because it's not getting any better and it seems to be spreading. This is probably one of the worst experiences of my life. Not only am I weak, but the pain is so severe that I can barely walk. Ugh!

So I'm probably going to be MIA for several days. I'm not sure if I can get on the internet at the hospital.  Sorry to anyone that has been commenting on my reviews, etc.  I will try to respond when I'm back on my feet again.