Terrie's Photos

Terrie Syvertsen  Took this photo on the way back from eye exam to check on cataracts! Lovely to see the orchards near our home filled with blossoms and wanted Rita to know though I couldn't send her flowers today in Paris, I could send along an orchard full of beauty!
I imagine all of us with healing hearts walking this path taking it in as we breath in the sweet smell of
recovery! Love to all...Terrie, Gary, Rylee and Kat!

Karen Pineda  Such a calming photo. They look like they are just kicking back and enjoying some time to ponder what they will do next. But now that I look at the photo a little closer, they actually look like they are already plotting something. I can hardly wait to hear about what they did following this very innocent looking photo.

Terrie Syvertsen  Karen-wait no longer. The two of them have been running the perimeter of the fence after the squeaky heart in the photo and Gary just found what was left of it scattered on the lawn in tufts of stuffing every few feet! Aw, the life of a puppy & friend.

Terrie Syvertsen  Ha,Ha,Ha! No Emily as there would have been a combination of screams between the squeaks going on with any sneezes or coughing after surgery! It is a "Doggie" squeak toy a neighbor gave Rylee from his "girlfriend down the street! You can't see it by the photo but it is a very small heart pillow which once you think about it could have been used maybe to stifle a sneeze! Be well and heal up there in Australia! You sound great!

Emily Rowley  Haha same here, I know how much it hurts coughing (not so much for me now) and sneezing, even leading up to a sneeze. Oh girlfriend... To me it looks big, but that's just the photo. I have a small heart shaped pillow with the word 'Love' on it, along with a cupcake picture. It could had been used for humans. Thank you, I received your lovely email which I will defiantly reply to-sorry I'm slow!

Terrie Syvertsen  Emily- No problem with the emailing. You need to concentrate on healing up and making sure you take care of "You". Plenty of time for emailing people! Be Well.

Anna Jones  Rylee is a very petty ESS. I have a tri colored Liver ESS. They are such a happy breed. Hope you are having a wonderful Christmas.

Terrie Syvertsen  Thank you ladies. He is a handsome creature, to that I agree and love him and Kat dearly. He is all that his predecessors were in spirit and life. We had two ESSe's for over 14 yrs. until we lost "Hunter" whose photo's are in my photo section. Anna, he is a happy little guy.
Karen knows from hearing of his exploits that this innocence is momentary! Merry Christmas evening ladies and gents.

W. Carter  He sure is a handsome creature, furry and huggable. I complain about my 2 terriers (rat terrier and jack russell) shedding all over the place but it is all worth it. :-)

Terrie Syvertsen  Yes, W.Carter it is all worth it as I know of no pet that would not be a huge support factor in the healing process because "they get it". My "Hunter" hung out with me during the whole healing process and I was blessed to have him. Rylee here(above photo) is hard to hug for too long as he has so much puppy energy and I love to watch him run as he is beautiful to watch.I do get all the hugs in I can give! Happy New year everyone.

Tammy Pilcher  Terrie, Rylee is so adorable!! I'm so happy for you!! Congratulations on 1 Amazing Year Anniversary!!! Hugs for you, Heart Sister!!

Terrie Syvertsen  Thanks Tammy and Bob M. He is a cutie who would be great at a blood draw as he is using us as his personal squeak toy(teething) so I am busy giving him healthy chews from the "fridge" that help calm the gums and teeth. Kat does not want to be his squeak toy either and can only tolerate him for a quick nose to nose sniff out and a little follow the leader but when the energy shows its head in him Kat jumps up to her posts along the fence and finds another place over the little fence we put up temporarily to divide them so she stays safe while they "bond". She comes in the front door from the garden to see Kylee and when she has enough goes out the back into the patio! I am blessed to have their company as we all adjust!!!

Terrie Syvertsen  Yes Mary K., Rylee is going to grow up with a great place to walk and run and drag me down the street as my nickname with Gary is "Pokey". I know this is changing now that the cooler weather is hitting in the mornings here in California for now and I have been taking advantage of the better air in my lungs. Rylee is more interested in figuring out "what" Kat is in the garden and having fun giving her a run for her money. He is learning to treat her gently and that is a tough order for him but he is a very smart little guy and eager to please. I love his(their) company in the garden too as I am always being followed by the two of them. Thank you for your congrats. Take care!

Terrie Syvertsen  Not my newest photo(notice no lovely incision scar?) Maybe my upgrade is that there is a little man photo-shopping our photos. Funny, I love the little one of this same photo in my "My Photo" section. I find this a waste of space. Maybe it can navigate itself off this page and be seen where my photos are as that is where it already is as well.

Virginia (Ginger) French  This pic IS fairly large! I was surprised to find something similar on my Journal tonight, but am thankful the big picture is of the beautiful young family taken within a week after the arrival of wee Autumn Grace! I could look at it as a poster on my ceiling and never tire of it. Not that you and Gary are not beautiful, but I guess it was the luck of the draw that random pictures appear to have been pulled. Was over with Autumn and her Momma and Grandma tonight for dinner. A new discovery was made. Autumn loves to eat the little mandarin oranges that come in a small pack with liquid. She did pretty well on lasagna and cheese and tomatoes until the mandarin orange pieces started showing up on her tray. Then NOTHING ELSE would do! She even managed to be so persuasive that she got her Momma to eventually empty one entire container on her plate -- and then an entire second container from the fridge. Gee, even Momma can be a pushover from time to time! And Autumn is working on please and thank you and seems to have Momma down. Also, and this was funny for it happens so seldom, she had two little toots during dinner and can't really figure out if/how she made the sound, but her Momma says "Excuse you" and there is this look of surprise, awe, and a tiny bit of Impishness each time. Loved it! Love you two, too!

Terrie Syvertsen  Love you too Sister! Glad to hear of Autumn Visits as you always make me smile with the new things She is learning. I bet she learned the toots from Grandma. Love ya. Terrie

Virginia (Ginger) French  This is the pic (out of all of your newest pics!) that I most identify with. Something like, "Finally! Home from surgery and the place is just as I had dreamt it!"

Virginia (Ginger) French  This is the pic (out of all of your newest pics!) that I most identify with. Something like, "Finally! Home from surgery and the place is just as I had dreamt it!"

Mary Myers  Oh my goodness. Hunter and Kat are beautiful my sister Terrie. I continue to love reading your posts. I am sure you are happy to be home. I know that I sure was. Love youbsis! Mia

Terrie Syvertsen  Hunter is an English Springer Spaniel , one of 10 Brothers and Sisters. He was an easy pick for us as was his brother Sherlock. He appears like a Cocker Spaniel as I gave him his last bath and clipping before going into the hospital. He is lucky to still have the appearance of "A Dog" as I don't usually clip him. His ears are also usually longer, ha. Ha. Yes he is FLUFFY! Karen.

Gigi Snowflake  how handsome Hunter is, reminds me of the Irish setter we had as children with his coloring, is he a cocker spaniel, several of my neighbors have cockers, usually in blond and white coloring

Gigi Snowflake  English springer spaniel are (in my opinion) one of the most handsome of dogs, a neighbor had two, black and white

Terrie Syvertsen  Yes Karen, The two block prints I put up on our photos are two of my "Block Prints". The dog is one of my neighbors pets whose husband had a birthday coming and I took a photo of her in the park and drew it onto the 9x12 block and spent about 16 hours carving. I only pulled 6 prints and gave her Husband this one for his Birthday before hanging up my tools because I couldn't work on my old press in the garage due to increasing symptoms. I have an old letterpress machine that I bought in a garage in San Francisco, Ca. as I used to be a typesetter and sign maker at one point in my life. I learned from one of my best friends "Vicki Waltman a very talented artist how to carve at the age of 24 and have done carving's ever since. The other carving of the frog is called "Lorenzo" the frog and is of a carving I did of a real frog I found out in the back yard of a rental Gary, Hunter, Sherlock and I had moved to when we lost out home in a short sale after experiencing like many other families when the economy tanked. It was our first night in the new rental and Hunter and his Brother Sherlock(who passed away 2 yrs. ago) had just made our way to the cute little back porch to sit out on the stairs and watch the sunset. The emotion of the move and all the work packing and unloading had me a bit down and I had rested my head on my arms watching as the pinks and yellows swirled in the sky as Sherlock and Hunter investigated their new surroundings. I remember a huge tear rolling down my cheek as I drew in a deep breath of thanks and gratitude that we had been fortunate enough to have found a place that would accommodate the dogs and Us. Out to the left of the last stair came this very loud "belch" if you will and there sat the most amazingly large Frog. He and I engaged in conversation and Hunter and Sherlock came up and joined with a nose nudging event and the frog hopped off into the area where I had placed many of our potted plants. He came to visit me in the next few days regularly so I named him "Lorenzo" as we had moved to a town called San Lorenzo, Ca. I began a sketch of him early the first month there and carved him as a great memory of our good fortune. It is one of my favorite carvings. If you click on Lorenzo once he shows up better in detail. I am sharing this with all of you out there as I want you to know that like me and my surgery this is one of the things I love to do curtailed by the symptoms of heart disease and the dog was the last of my carvings I was able to have fun carving. But we all will get back to the things we love and projects we want to do and "Bliss" we got side-railed from given time and patience and the support and love from each other. We are all beginning new chapters and will have the ability to write each chapter with the the pain and tears of knowing it was worth every effort from start to finish, don't you think? So to all of you out there right now worried about all of the things you have only begun to face please Believe with all your heart that all the fear and uncertainty will fade away as your heart is put into the hands of competent and loving people trained to help us make that giant move forward. You can do it, and you will make it through this with all of your Family and Friends and Us here in your Heartland Community from all over the world. Love to all. Terrie

  Fantastic story Terrie. And you have much talent. I can relate to some of this too. I draw and over the past few years I have been unable due to my health and the fatigue and shakiness, brain fog, etc. My drawings are nothing as beautiful as your carvings but it was something I loved doing and keep telling myself I will do it again one day. After reading your story, I realized just how much my health has put on hold for me and how nice it will be when I can pick up my favorite #4B woodless pencil and start drawing again. I loved the story about the frog. You are an inspiration Terrie. Through all of your challenges, even the ones brought about by the economy, you remain positive and seem to make the most of whatever life hands you. Thank you for sharing. Karen Pineda

Virginia (Ginger) French  Beautiful carving and the sentiments you have written about rising above heart valve disease and reclaiming life, now knowing more its value from what was only temporarily lost. And thanks to Gary for posting the pics. You, Gary, are an ace!

  I agree with Michael, it looks like a area to walk. Nice and clean and free of debris. Oh and what a good eye Michael has. I didn't even notice the little hills until he mentioned. Nice place. Karen Pineda

Terrie Syvertsen  Yes Michael and Karen! Wonderful little park! Those little hills will be a good change up when I am able to take a little more of an incline. Our first winter here we learned one night when experiencing a heavy rain that the park fills up with water and forms it's own little lake (complete with ducks and birds that sometimes lasts a day or so! There are several parks planned like this and all made to drain and handle run off. It is a beautiful site to see and only sorry we were unable to get the kayaks out in time to make use of a neighborhood "paddle" but will plan on doing just that one day when I am stronger and faster! This entire block that is pretty much a square is where I got ready for surgery with my friend Tobi who was good enough to bike outside in circles for over a year with me. If you start at the mailbox and circle round 3 times it equals 1 mile. Before surgery I was still able to do 6 miles on the indoor recumbent bike which I am told I will be able to use without the resistance at first but not as much fun as being outside with all of my great neighbors and their families and pets. I will also have to be careful of all the gopher holes as I walk.
Wish you were all here to walk with as we are in our healing mode!-Terrie

Virginia (Ginger) French  Terrie, Those Hills would be Mountains in the Plains of Kansas before getting into the Flinthills, and would be laughed off as mere moguls by the Colorado crowd! "A hill??? Did I hear you call that a hill???"

Virginia (Ginger) French  Love the kitties, too. For a KAT you used to describe as just a neighborhood cat that loiters around and whom you occasionally feel, it appears you are pretty plush with the accommodations! Perhaps you should have sent a similar shot meant for human luxury to the "Inn from H____" before your arrival! But would that have helped?!?

Virginia (Ginger) French  What happened to your smile? I know this is serious business, but I always think of you as smiling. Guess it's a sister thing. Seems like I feel better when I am smiling, and am trying to do it more! Love to you and so glad you are home! Ging

Mary Myers  Its so good to see you out and about. Love your heart pillow! "I like how you and Gary coordinated your purple shirts.

Terrie Syvertsen  Kaiser Permanente Heart Pillows are "Way" Cool!
I agree. Very thick. You could land skydiving onto one and bounce right on back into the door opening of the plane!!! Not that one would want to do this after having had heart surgery!! Ya Think????

Terrie Syvertsen  Jim-thanks. By your recent Birthday I can see you are one of the age group who did wood block cuts/prints in school maybe? ( I am a long time hobby printer and typesetter with an antique letterpress out in her garage that I bought in a garage sale in San Francisco, Ca back in the '80's. My sternum is still too sore to pull prints on the press right now but soon, very soon, yeah! One more thing to be excited at having surgery out of the way! Things we have been held back from doing we love step back into our lives to continue! Yeah! Onward!

Terrie Syvertsen  Thanks Daniel-I am working on the sketch I told you about for a carving of your photo of Sept. 29th. "Fall Riding in the Midwest" and will have a job with all of those beautiful leaves I get to carve. I will also be back on my outdoor bike soon! Enjoy your rides!

Jim Kelly-Evans  Yes, Terrie, I did wood block cuts/prints in high school...yours are great! Hope your sternum heals soon so that you can get back to making your own prints.

Terrie Syvertsen  Daniel- I put the sunflower on the bike as a joke for "Bill" who has land filled with them growing in Colorado. I wanted to make you laugh as you have such awe inspiring photos of your exploits all over the place with your biking and I figured you would notice the little hill I had to climb with my bike and crack up. Just two blocks away are some (just completed) bike paths going from Lathrop Calif. through Manteca where I live which I will be trying out shortly. Take care and I am leaving my email address as I will be printing again shortly and will be finishing two of the prints I sketched of your bike photos and will need a place to mail them to you since your bikes are the "subject". I haven't been able to use my press since surgery as the pressure roller requires rolling it back and forth each print and it was too heavy until recently and I have the ok from the Dr. to get back into it. Take care now- (tsyvertsen1@sbcglobal.net).

Terrie Syvertsen  I am growing some from seed now too. I want my back fence to have the taller variety and the chocolate colored sunflowers hopefully in front. Due to the water shortage(drought) I will not plant as many as you can! I can't wait to see what you come up with as they are such a happy flower and your photos were great! I bet it made a lot of heart brothers and sisters "Happy" just looking at them as it looked like you could step right into the photo with you! Happy Healing Bill!

Virginia (Ginger) French  Terrie, Your artistry never ceases to amaze me! So many intricate cuts. We are big on Sunflowers here, and there are places where they can be seen out in the prairie land. Love you, Sis!