Hi Everyone,
I know you haven’t heard much from me since early in the year, but 2008 has turned out, so far, to be a busy and adventurous year for us. Things were going swimmingly until March when while performing an ultrasound for a totally unrelated problem they found a large tumor on my daughter’s liver. Being only 12yrs old this is significant in itself, but the tumor was about five inches in diameter and was pulling about half her blood volume from her body. They also told us it could be cancer and her Mom and I were just…stunned. That “deer in the headlights” reaction. Well, the sent us immediately to the children’s hospital for a CAT scan and thank God…it wasn’t cancerous. But, surgery was still required. To make a long story short 12 hours of surgery later and a few weeks of rest and she is recovering great. For a guy with crappy luck I felt awful lucky. So, now here we are in May and I began rummaging in the shop to get back to the knick-knack shelf I was working on. That didn’t go to well, a slip with the router and it was ruined. So, as all good woodworkers I don’t give up, but go back to the designing board and start again. Got some cherry jointed and planed and ready to start and…..bingo, my house just sold. 22 months on the market and finally it’s sold. Oh, and here’s the kicker…closing 29 May. So, now I get to do what all woodworkers fear greatest….packing up the shop. EEEeeeeee Gads!! Not looking forward to that at all. So, I guess it will be quite a while until you’ll see another project out of me, but I’ll be around the web site. Guess I’ll have to play golf instead [smile]. And if the year continues this way….well we’ll see. Keep in touch I’ll start getting more time on the site again soon…I hope.
-- Jim Hallada, Chesterfield, VA
8 comments so far
SteveKorz
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2030 posts in 607 days
posted 565 days ago
I wish your daughter the very best of health.
(and packing a shop is a nightmare… I have done it three times… and hopefully this last time was the end!!)
We’re looking forward to seeing you back once you get moved….
-- As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another. (Proverbs 27:17) †
Thuan
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203 posts in 711 days
posted 565 days ago
I’m glad to hear your daughter condition turned out ok, I wish the best to you and your family.
I just moved to a new house this year, so it’s chance to blog about setting up shop.
-- Thuan
bhack
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242 posts in 613 days
posted 565 days ago
Jim
I would choose to pack pack 20 shops and have a healthy child. Give her great big hugs from all the LJs. Now get moved and back into the shop.
Good health to all your family.
-- Bill - If I knew GRANDKIDS were so much fun I would have had them first.
Mario
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882 posts in 944 days
posted 564 days ago
Great news about your daughter, hope she recovers quickly, also good news about the house. Start packing
Good luck and keep us posted. Do you already have another space picked out?
-- Hope Never fails
Scott Bryan
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20586 posts in 715 days
posted 564 days ago
Hi Jim,
It is just wonderful that your daughter’s condition wasn’t any worse than it was. And it sounds as if your life has certainly taken a turn for the better.
Hopefully this will give you the opportunity to find/build the house of your dreams.
I wish you and your family nothing but the best.
Thanks for sharing. This is one of the nice aspects of this site.
-- With God's help all things are possible- even woodworking. Woodworking is not just a hobby, it is an (expletive deleted) expensive hobby.
clieb91
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681 posts in 828 days
posted 564 days ago
Jim, Glad to hear your daughter is doing better and I wish her good health going forward.
Good luck in the packing, I am hoping that we do not have to leave for a very long time. Have acquired a lot of stuff living here these past 4 years.
Hope to see you back in your new shop soon.
CtL
-- Chris L. "Don't Dream it, Be it."
Critterman
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546 posts in 703 days
posted 563 days ago
Thanks everyone for the kind comments. My daughter is doing great and as parents we couldn’t be happier. My shop on the otherhand is well…..I keep going out there looking around and wondering how I’m going to move all this stuff…LOL I’ll get going eventually. Thanks again, I’ll try to keep you in the loop on the move and the “new shop” which I hope is at least a little bigger than I have now [grin]
-- Jim Hallada, Chesterfield, VA
gene
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2165 posts in 777 days
posted 560 days ago
Hi! Jim
So, So very happy, that all worked out for your family. It is especially hard when something happens to one of your children. I know that you would have gladly traded places with her.
God bless
-- Gene, a Christian in Virginia