Monika Lue Designs

Contemporary Jewelry Handmade in Northern California from the Highest Quality Natural Materials I like using strong beading wire, mixed metals, leather, I love turquoise, shells, various gemstones, crystals, bone, ceramic, acrylic beads and good strong crimp beads are a must. There are so many product options out there. I decided to limit my products to mostly North American regions and Mexico. I remember when I first started I purchased some Chinese turquoise and wasn’t too pleased. Then I learned a few of my vendors were selling me Chinese stuff too. There are some quality gemstones mined in China. However knowing the distance traveled made me reconsider and stay within our continent. It’s a big one anyway. Jewelry making helps me relax, I find it therapeutic. My back and fingers get sore but it’s all worth it when I see someone wearing something I’ve made. Darn right Joyous!

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Art: Béatrice Lechtanski

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Photo: Muntazeri Abdi

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https://www.instagram.com/thetaylored_spirit/live/18097115540160431?igsh=NjZiM2M3MzIxNA==

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Thanks to UCSF lung transplant team, the donor gift, and my caregivers, 2/28/26 is my first year DLT lung anniversary❣️

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Several weeks ago I found a very small baby ladybug in my kitchen. I caught it, walked gently towards the front door, as I opened to release baby, it flew back inside. I lost track of it for a couple of weeks. Then the week of thanksgiving there was 🐞. It had fallen in a tub of strong dish detergent. I freaked and quickly fetched it out and lightly rinsed it under the faucet. I kept saying please don’t die. I put her up on the kitchen window box, 🐞 was gone again. Christmas week I had a burst of energy so I prepped before our tamale crew showed up. I had placed some of our cut redwoods branches in a vase with water, and there was 🐞 among the cut branches. I was so excited and relieved it lived, and 🐞 was bigger. I had harvested citrus from our garden and placed a slice, with a few leaves that looked buggy. I wondered what do they eat? I Looked it up and place more stuff on the window box. Today was bloodwork day, I waited for my ride home at my favorite spot filled with cool natural elements. I found a small branch segment filled with lovely mold, algae, and bug eggs, so I brought it home, laid it on the window box with a pollen filled flower from a gift bouquet, all are a must for a growing ladybug. 🐞

I wonder where I can find nectar? 💁🏻‍♀️Guess I need to look it up. 👁️

That’s my, our 😁🐞story, and I’m sticking to it. The video shows 🐞

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My older creation, gifted to friend. She took the photo.

9th Month post DLT. Once I finally adjust to the transplant meds (taking me a bit longer) I hope my vision will improve, and my hands will stop shaking. Because I want to start stringing up jewelry again. It’s so relaxing and fun.

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Over ten years ago, one of my disciples in Vietnam had a stupa - a Buddhist shrine - built for my ashes. I told her that I didn’t need a stupa for my ashes. I don’t want to be stuck in a stupa. I want to be everywhere.

“But," she protested, “it’s already built!"

“In that case," I said, “you’ll have to put an inscription on the front, saying, ‘I am not in here.’" It’s true. I won’t be there in the stupa. Even if my body is cremated and the ashes are put in there, they aren’t me. I won’t be in there. Why would I want to be in there when outside it is so beautiful?

But in case some people misunderstand, I told her they might need to add another inscription, saying, “I am not out there either." People won’t find me inside or outside the stupa. Yet they may still misunderstand. So there may need to be a third inscription that reads, “If I am to be found anywhere, it is in your peaceful way of breathing and walking." That is my continuation. Even though we may never have met in person, if, when you breathe in, you find peace in your breathing, I am there with you.

- Thich Nhat Hanh, in “The Art of Living".

Art: Tamara Patrick

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My ILD and Double Lung Transplant journey. I was listed 10/2023. Was inactivated twice due to infection. After 1st reactivation, spring 2024 I received the call. However there was a complication with donor lungs. That was my first dry run.

Then another infection hit, and complications from GI issue caused by meds. It took 2 months to be reactivated. It was February 27th 2025 when I received the second call. I was sure it was another dry run, till I was lead into surgery. Surgery team asked if I wanted music, I picked anything Metallica. LOL

My kids and dear buddy who were my caregivers. I have so much gratitude. I posted on my socials and buddies offered prayers and kind words of hope for my journey. I requested they also pray for the donor family. What an amazing gift to someone unknown to them. 🫁🙏🏽☝🏼🫶🏼

Everyone is different and we all experience health journeys differently. For me, yeah it hurt! But I’m happy to admit, as bad as my pain was, I’m off pain meds, even Tylenol! Got enough meds to deal with for the rest of my life. And will mask up for my protection since immune suppression is high. Hey, it’s still the only choice I had. And I’m very happy my kids talked me into the transplant. Also my pulmonologist stopped asking and just sent me to UCSF to begin testing for transplant when my lungs continued to decline. Good on him. 👍🏼

If you haven’t thought about organ donation, please consider it. I intend to leave my bits n pieces for whatever other’s needs be.

I was finally released to home after 6weeks post transplant and in the aftercare program. All the time spent at UCSF preparing for this new venture. Also testing at my local Kaiser. Yes there are many more appointments to keep even now that I’m home. And I sure intend to keep doing what I must to keep this gift alive.

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It's my 12 year anniversary on Tumblr 🥳 Time does have wings. 🪽

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