Back recovering from a minimally invasive spinal surgery

Tina's Turbulent Temper


Miss Charlotte Goes Shopping ( This piece won the Belk Award and the Barnes and Nobles Award!)




Ms. Francis Does Paris


Update! I entered the 3 collages into the Spanish Moss Miniature Show at Dr. Java Coffee Co. in Mobile on Old Shell Rd. and two of them got juried in! It's my first time getting my work juried into a show so I am really psyched about it. If you happen to be in Mobile tonight the opening is from 4-9, that's the 15th. They will also be up until Dec. 2 as well. Peace!


A lot has happened since last September, my last post. I was able to return to work, at a middle school teaching 6th grade Science. That was my first experience with students of those ages and needless to say it was quite a challenge! Though the year went well, but in February I was tripped backwards and fell against a table. I had actually hoped there was no serious damage, but as time went on it was obvious to my doctors that my vertebrate had shifted and I was out for the year and was told to never work around kids again which breaks my heart. Not only did that leave me with more pain than I had before but so for the past 6-8 months I had to take morphiene at times just to get up. My knee is great and that surgery ended up wonderful! But, my back continued to get worse and on Oct 1 of this year Dr. Okor from UAB, who I feel is a brilliant surgeon fused F4-S1. I have no back pain as of now, the arachnoiditis is under control, but I still have a long way to go. This was my20th surgery, and most difficult due to the pain meds and weakness but I have faith that this fusion will take and and hoping for the best. In the coming weeks I hope to give more details about my knee, ankle, and back surgeries so that others struggling with orthopedic or chronic conditions will know they are not alone. I have been told I will loose function of both legs, become incontinent, need fusions up to my neck and never work again. I am a testament that it is possible to live with chronic pain while having a joyful, full life and want others to know it. The artwork you see here is new, because while laying in bed my best friend, Holly Carrigan, told me about cutting magazine pieces and turning them into collages.She explained that if Matisse could do it so could I so off I went cutting and sorting pieces. Each piece you see is created from old, recycled magazines which would have been thrown out. It's my way of saying to mother earth, I can do a small part to protect you, and I am proud of them. My domain server says my webisite is go for 48 hours, but we wil see. Until then, thanks so much for the kind comments, they mean the world to me considering I see few human faces throughout my day. Peace, Ardith. You can still email me at ardith@ardithgoodwin.com. I also want to thank my Aunt Peggy and Uncle Louis, they let me stay with them win B'ham when I go and they have been so generous, so thanks and I love you both. But most of all, after thanking God for the daily miracles he shows me, I wan't to thank my husband Bill and James for undergoing another surgery with me without going insane and to Brandon and Greg, my stepsons who have been a huge help. Lord knows what I would do without a wonderful family, they , and I mean everyone of you are the loves of my life and I thank you. (You too Holly, but you knew that.)