Blog Wednesday!

Hello, Internet! This is Ciaru again, and I'm tryING. To stick. TO A SCHEDULE! No but really if you haven't seen the social media post about it, then I'll come back and rehash it on here a bit later for everyone(anyone?). The purpose of these "Blog Wednesdays" is to make at LEAST a weekly post about what I'm doing, what I plan on doing... talk to you viewers. Or... would be viewers right now. Important days for you readers, though, would be Wednesdays & Fridays. (For now.)

I'm doing a stream on YouTube (may switch to Twitch? Need to look into the logistics of some things a bit) every Friday, usually of me playing computer games.

Right now, that's Old School Runescape.

I recently reacquired my RS3 membership, which I didn't realize apparently means I get to play OSRS as a member also. So, I started a brand SPANKING NEW character. And decided to record my floundering and struggling *live* for everyone to see. Smart? I don't think so. Entertaining? Maybe. A good form of time wasting? Yes, but I also gain experience, with you (the internet) as my critics, more or less. I've done this only once before. My younger brother was just starting out on YouTube himself (much younger than I am now) and he *insisted* I do a recording of myself playing a game, too.

I relented, and being the filthy-casual I am, I played Sims 3. I tried to be funny? It wasn't that bad to me. No webcam, just a mic and a game capture. I got very few views and a long time later only about 2 comments, if I remember correctly? But they did NOT care for my crappy humor. A few of my friends got some giggles from it, but I'm not sure if they were laughing at me, or my humor. I didn't mind, but the video in general was very.... "meh". I didn't care for it either way, and I never posted a video after that, and it was on my personal account. So.... I deleted it.

Fast forward over 6 years later and here I am. Trying to start a small business as a way to generate at least a small income so I don't need a normal job so I can focus on my health problems. Which I've been *trying* to fix for 10 years now. 10 years. The doctors are pretty sure I've been sick since I was 3, based on my infection level. (I'm 21 now.) I've been seen for Lyme disease, Bartonella, Fibromyalgia, and various blood infections. I still have to get rid of a Vas-Cath Port that's been in my chest since September 21st, 2017 and I had 2 before that and a PICC line. I also have a congenital heart condition that causes my heart to beat too quickly, and have to take a Beta-Blocker every 12 hours to reduce my heart attack risk and try to keep me from being so tired.

Which in turn clashes with rampant insomnia, but that one has been pretty easy to self-treat.

I've had 2 jobs, and my old employers said I did really well. First time I quit for school, second one I quit because I nearly fainted in the midst of a Costco bakery in the middle of a Christmas sales rush, and I hardly got to see my girlfriend.

They were both awesome places to work.

I'd go back if I had to, but I've always wanted to make a living from my creativity, doing something I love. Heres hoping it all turns out for the best. ~Ciaru

Artist In Progress

I guess this would be my first official blog post. Also my first real biography of any sort. Where to start? That's the question.

I guess the best place to begin is why Moonstone & Marshmallow began.

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My name is Sabrina Spedding, I've done art since I was 7 years old, and I've been wishing I was normal for as long as I can remember. Normally, I don't like to talk about these things... but I suppose there is a time for everything. I'm 20 years old, I turn 21 in about 2 1/2 weeks. I barely graduated from Chaparral High School in Parker, Colorado in 2016 because of my health.

"Your health?" You might ask. Yes, my health. I've been sick with Bartonella and Lyme disease for about 18 years now, starting when I was 3. I didn't know it was exactly that until about mid 2015, but I had other "diagnoses" on my file before that.

I've been to a few Fibromyalgia clinics, both for myself and my mother, who has had Bartonella, Lyme Disease, COPD, Addison's Disease and Ovarian Cancer at some point or another. I've also suffered from symptoms of depression, insomnia, IBS, latent food allergies, anxiety and have been diagnosed with a congenital heart defect that causes my heart to produce too many electrical waves, and thus beats too quickly. I take a beta blocker twice a day for the foreseeable future, but I still suffer dizzy spells, shortness of breath and chest pain regularly. My mother and I went to see a specialist in Florida, hoping to cure our ailments. My mother went first, to test the treatment, as her condition was worse and she didn't want me getting treated without trying it first. I followed after I graduated in May of 2016. While the treatment wasn't pleasant, it was obvious rather quickly that it helped. My mother received treatment for nearly 3 whole years, and I nearly 2 before returning to Colorado in December of 2017.

We ran out of money. At $5000 a week, per person ($2500 for a second person, if in the same family), not counting blood tests, apartment, food, Port/PICC line insertion/removal, gas and other expenses, the treatment wasn't cheap at all. We didn't even have a chance to properly assess where we were using blood tests before we left. My mother seems over 80% better than before she went, and I feel at least 50% better. But I still suffer muscle and joint pain, shakes, dizziness, and stomach problems galore.

This can make getting and maintaining a normal job a bit... sticky. I've had two, between school and medical issues. The first, I think I did really well at. I was a soup tender at a Souplantation Sweet Tomatoes for 3 months before I quit to focus on graduation, as I was behind in credits at the time. My second was a more recent stint at a Costco bakery. Great work environment.... not good for those who get dizzy or short of breath easily. I nearly fainted at the end of my first 8 hour shift in 4 years, my chest aching and pounding.

That was when I decided I needed a change of plan.... regular jobs weren't going to quit cut it. I'd just moved into a two room apartment with my partner and two room-mates; I needed to do something... productive.

Thus, Moonstone & Marshmallow was born.

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An outlet for my boundless, but unstable energy and ideas. I dream of designing and forging handmade jewelry and other metal works. Until I get there... I'll do all sorts of other things I've been dying to do. Welcome, and I hope you find something you love, and stay tuned for more. Signing off,

Ciaru