This started as a Facebook note but I felt it had a place here too.
So I 've been reading the notes of some friends. One a very close friend that I've known my entire life. The other just a casual acquaintance I've met through a friend here on Facebook. Both are struggling with issues. The kind of issues that get stuck in our heads and we wish we could push to the side or wipe clean from our recollections. But aren't we all. Don't we all have things that we wish we could unburden from our memories. Why are we taught from the moment we can walk that we need to "move on?" Why aren't we taught to sit with those memories and to become good friends with them? Why don't we learn to make them so commonplace that they no longer hold any power over us? Why is pain a bad thing? Maybe, just maybe, we are giving more power to the pain by trying to keep it at bay.
My new friend said, "I believe that it's better to be numb from being overwhelmed with feelings than to be numb due to apathy." I think that maybe we should stop seeking numb. We should stop trying to find a way to deal with pain so we can lock it away and hopefully put it on a shelf where it never bothers us again. Open that box!! Be overwhelmed!!! Let it push us to tears, crank up the sad songs that invoke those emotions and get to know them. Know that they have a place and it's not on the shelf. It's in our hearts, closest to the core of our beings. Maybe that's it.......... Instead of trying to get those thoughts and feelings out of heads and onto that damn shelf maybe we should just move them. Move them into our hearts and keep them right at the center of who we are. When you truly know someone they can no longer shock you. Even if their actions are not kind ones if you truly know every cell of their being then you are not surprised by their actions and you have the ability to shrug and say that's who they are. Why don't we try to find that same peace with what pains us? Only then can we take the sting out of the emotion. By being intimate with our emotions we learn that they are just sensations and they hold no power over us. They only make the journey of life more colorful, just the way our friends do.
For me this topic isn't just metaphorical, it's physical. Only I have no ability to feel numb. That gift was taken from me long ago. So many things in my everyday life are overwhelming. For most of you, the simple act of going to the movies is just a pleasurable way to spent a Saturday night. For me it rocks me to the core of being. It literally sets every nerve in my body on edge. I usually find myself emotionally drained and mentally exhausted after a simple picture show. The sounds, the movements, the camera angles bring about physical reaction in me that I have no control of. I could easily choose not to go to the movies, not to experience those sensations. My husband has even mentioned not taking me anymore. But the truth is, I won't stop living! I won't stop experiencing life even though it may not always be easy or pleasant. And now as the tears fall from my eyes, the nerves stand on edge, and movements of my eyes make my head spin; I couldn't stop myself from sharing. Because I know what it's like to live with these painful experiences both physically and emotionally. I have my scars both on my head from brain surgery and on my heart from loss. Maybe by sharing with you I'm becoming intimate with them. Trying to remove the sting from them. Since numb is a destination I will never reach I can only find comfort in the ability to feel be it pleasant or uncomfortable. I choose the experience because I refuse to live my life being still and succumbing to apathetic.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Doggie Doctors
So we had to take Miss Ginger to the oncologist today (well, yesterday it's 4 am now) for some blood tests and to get her checked over. They did a needle biopsy of a lump on her right side and luckily it turned out to be just a lypoma (lypo- as in lyposuction....FAT!) She has plenty of these fatty tumors all over but this one felt a little different so we were glad to have the oncologist look at it. Poor Miss Ginger even has a pretty good scratch on her right eye. So we are having to put antibiotic gel in that eye 4 times a day. Now, how on Earth are working people supposed to do this every 6 hours??!! Thank God I have no job, just so I can take care of Miss G!
She enjoys the car ride to the oncologist and doesn't even mind that we got stuck in traffic. For her it was just a good opportunity to stick her nose out the window and check out the new smells!
She does really good at the vet but she always gets soooo nervous. The poor thing shakes so badly when you pull into the parking lot. She pants so hard that she causes her temp to go up! So the entire time we are waiting we have to deal with a dog that sounds like she's making a perverse phone call.
For those that don't know, Miss Ginger has Lymphoma and is on chemotherapy. You would never know from the way she acts that she has cancer. It hasn't slowed her down one little bit. She gets 3 chemotherapy pills every night. I hated having to poke them down her throat so I devised this little system of delivery that she LOVES! She gets a little peanut butter on a small bacon treat. We are then able to drop the chemo pills onto the peanut butter.....Voila! Chemo bacon suprise! Now chemo for dogs is quite different than chemo for people. The goal for chemo in dogs is to slow down or stop the progression of the cancer. But it's not so powerful that it makes them lose their hair. Heck, it hasn't even slowed down her appitite! We are truly blessed that she is not suffering, not sick, or having any ill affects from the cancer or the chemo. Other than a big hit to the bank account, we have no complaints. We have an AMAZING vet here in town and we have a great puppy oncologist. We are very lucky that she has such a great team caring for her!
She enjoys the car ride to the oncologist and doesn't even mind that we got stuck in traffic. For her it was just a good opportunity to stick her nose out the window and check out the new smells!
She does really good at the vet but she always gets soooo nervous. The poor thing shakes so badly when you pull into the parking lot. She pants so hard that she causes her temp to go up! So the entire time we are waiting we have to deal with a dog that sounds like she's making a perverse phone call.
For those that don't know, Miss Ginger has Lymphoma and is on chemotherapy. You would never know from the way she acts that she has cancer. It hasn't slowed her down one little bit. She gets 3 chemotherapy pills every night. I hated having to poke them down her throat so I devised this little system of delivery that she LOVES! She gets a little peanut butter on a small bacon treat. We are then able to drop the chemo pills onto the peanut butter.....Voila! Chemo bacon suprise! Now chemo for dogs is quite different than chemo for people. The goal for chemo in dogs is to slow down or stop the progression of the cancer. But it's not so powerful that it makes them lose their hair. Heck, it hasn't even slowed down her appitite! We are truly blessed that she is not suffering, not sick, or having any ill affects from the cancer or the chemo. Other than a big hit to the bank account, we have no complaints. We have an AMAZING vet here in town and we have a great puppy oncologist. We are very lucky that she has such a great team caring for her!
Tuesday, July 28, 2009
Little Secrets about Me.
I thought I’d let some of you in on some things about me that you may or may not know. It’s now like 2 am and sleep seems to be rather elusive so I thought I’d have some fun with my blog.
1. I love love love pens. Yes, writing utensils. I have no idea where this little fetish came from but I adore pens!! I can tell you which ones I bought and from where, which ones were gift, and even which ones were stolen! Now, this is where it gets really odd. If I like you I can give you a pen, but only if I have one just like it. But if I really really like you then I can give you a pen and not have one just like and I won’t even be jealous about it. I even have a small wooden chest just for my pens! Sad, I know!
2. When I was 18 I joined the Army to be a dental assistant. But I really wanted to go into Linguistics and study Russian. When I was in Basic Training I was recruited for language school but was told that Russian would be too hard. But another private (male) who scored lower than I did on the testing was “encouraged” to choose Russian over German. ARGH!!!! That leads me into the next one.
3. Shalunya… for those that don’t know means naughty little girl in Russian. Like a girl that should be in the corner for doing something bad. My Russian teacher didn’t care for slang and this was one term she didn’t like. She called me Michelle. Actually MEEE-shell. Actually most people knew me by Michelle when I was in the Army. I even joined the Russian Choir while I was studying at DLI! This is me in my pregnancy smock right after graduation from DLI.. I was 6 months pregnant with Brendon at the time.
6. My sister, who has been my best friend and my worst enemy all my life, gave me valium when I was very young, I was just learning to walk. She was playing doctor and she got into my Mom’s drugs and gave me an untold quantity of valium. I’m convinced this is part of the reason I am so quirky today.
7. While I was in high school band, I played clarinet, bass clarinet and bassoon. I even learned to play the fight song on the piccalo, just to irratate the band director. My senior year the band was going to Orlando on a band trip. My Mom usually accompanied the band on trips but for this one I didn’t want my Mom to go. I was such a brat that I told my Mom either she was going to I was going but not both of us. Sorry Mom, I was such a brat!!!
8. I once dressed as Pebbles from the Flintstones for an office Halloween contest. My boss played Bam Bam. It was quite an interesting day. All the costumes were hand made. Sadly we didn’t win. I used a temporary hair color, which wasn’t so “temporary!!” I was orange for weeks.
1. I love love love pens. Yes, writing utensils. I have no idea where this little fetish came from but I adore pens!! I can tell you which ones I bought and from where, which ones were gift, and even which ones were stolen! Now, this is where it gets really odd. If I like you I can give you a pen, but only if I have one just like it. But if I really really like you then I can give you a pen and not have one just like and I won’t even be jealous about it. I even have a small wooden chest just for my pens! Sad, I know!
3. Shalunya… for those that don’t know means naughty little girl in Russian. Like a girl that should be in the corner for doing something bad. My Russian teacher didn’t care for slang and this was one term she didn’t like. She called me Michelle. Actually MEEE-shell. Actually most people knew me by Michelle when I was in the Army. I even joined the Russian Choir while I was studying at DLI! This is me in my pregnancy smock right after graduation from DLI.. I was 6 months pregnant with Brendon at the time.
4. I thought I was adopted when I was growing up. Yeah there were the mundane differences like I had straight hair and my other family members had curly. But for me the kicker was that everyone else in my family had 15 letters in their name and I had 18! Actually in both my maiden name and my current name I have double letters in all three names!
5.My first job was as a magician’s assistant at the local theme park, Frontier City. The high school band was working the theme park as a fund raiser for a trip to Orlando. And the first day I was working the carnival games the magician walked by and asked if I’d like to be in the magic show. It was the greatest job at the park! I only worked 30 minutes every 2 hours and the rest of the time I was free to roam the park!
Yep….that’s me in the box! They started this trick with just an empty metal frame and place the plexiglass on all 6 sides covered it with a cloth and PRESTO!!! Instant Renee’!!
Sadly, I was too tall to comfortably fit into this one…. So I got to assist. Look… just like Vanna White!
6. My sister, who has been my best friend and my worst enemy all my life, gave me valium when I was very young, I was just learning to walk. She was playing doctor and she got into my Mom’s drugs and gave me an untold quantity of valium. I’m convinced this is part of the reason I am so quirky today.
This is her favorite picture!!! (LOL) She’ll love me for this one!
I am on the left.
8. I once dressed as Pebbles from the Flintstones for an office Halloween contest. My boss played Bam Bam. It was quite an interesting day. All the costumes were hand made. Sadly we didn’t win. I used a temporary hair color, which wasn’t so “temporary!!” I was orange for weeks.
Well, for now that’s all the secrets I’m willing to divulge.
I hope everyone is doing well and feeling great.
Monday, July 27, 2009
Neighbors and Friends
Wow… It’s been a couple of days since I updated! Shame on me! So it’s been an eventful weekend. First off we have new neighbors in the other half of our duplex. The left half is ours and the other half has been vacant for a good six months. But we just got new neighbors. UGH!
When they first came to the place, I went over and met them they seemed to be nice enough. It was a young couple with a new 3 month old baby. He got laid off so he’s been playing Mr. Mom while she is working. They were pleasant, well spoken, I had no complaints. But what I didn’t know was that they a whole dirty secret moving in with them. There is another girl living with them and she’s white trash (I should know I was there myself several years ago). She smokes like a chimney, she’s overweight, apparently has no job and has two very whiny kids!! One of which is named after an adult diaper “Serenity.” Most of this I wouldn’t really care about except that neither side of the duplex has central A/C so we have to leave the windows open when it’s warm. And the fan sucks the cigarette smoke right into our house! And since I quit I find the smell disgusting! And I don’t care if her kids whine at her all day long…. But last night one of them was outside whining until 130 AM!! And they have a little yap dog…. YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP!! So needless to say….. I’m thrilled to have new neighbors!
Friday night we went to the movies to see The Ugly Truth and then to dinner. CUTE CUTE CUTE movie BTW; but it was a little raunchier than I expected. They dropped the F bomb half a dozen times! I was surprised. Then we went to the Olive Garden for dinner. The food was fine but the service sucked! We ordered alfredo dipping sauce for our breadsticks so we would have liked more than 1 breadstick each! Then after dinner as we were driving home the oddest thing happened. As we were waiting to turn onto the main street there was a group of 20 somethings that went zooming by on bicycles. One of which was wearing a skirt! on a bike! And not just a skirt but a long lacy skirt! Only in liberalville! Then as we turned onto the main street and made our way thru the intersection we noticed this floating light coming towards us. It was too high to be a vehicle, so I didnt know what to think. As it approached I noticed that it was a bicycle… but the light was too high to be something they had attached to the bike. Then out of the shadows it came! It was a very very tall hippie riding his bike while wearing a headlamp! YEA…..ok!!!
Saturday we went to the airport to pick up our friends who are returning from their wedding and honeymoon! Welcome home Seannie and Katie! and Katie’s son Jonathan too! I had fun playing cards with you at dinner J man! They had brought us goodies too! I got the cutest bag… I’ll post a picture tomorrow as it’s 1 am right now! and Of course MACADAMIA CARAMEL CHOCOLATES! It just doesn’t get any better than that!!!
Saturday I also got a box in the mail. I wasn’t expecting anything so it came as quite a surprise. I got the most adorable Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas ornament from my dear dear friend Terry! She is soooo awesome to me! I so miss her! She’s such an inspiration to me because she has a plate full of adversity yet she is always smiling and always has kind words to say. She is just full of Faith and never loses hope. I cant think of one person who wouldn’t benefit from having her as a friend.
And Sunday it was just too stinking hot to do anything. I tried but I was kind of cranky because of the heat. So I didn’t get much of anything accomplished! Oh well…there is always tomorrow!
When they first came to the place, I went over and met them they seemed to be nice enough. It was a young couple with a new 3 month old baby. He got laid off so he’s been playing Mr. Mom while she is working. They were pleasant, well spoken, I had no complaints. But what I didn’t know was that they a whole dirty secret moving in with them. There is another girl living with them and she’s white trash (I should know I was there myself several years ago). She smokes like a chimney, she’s overweight, apparently has no job and has two very whiny kids!! One of which is named after an adult diaper “Serenity.” Most of this I wouldn’t really care about except that neither side of the duplex has central A/C so we have to leave the windows open when it’s warm. And the fan sucks the cigarette smoke right into our house! And since I quit I find the smell disgusting! And I don’t care if her kids whine at her all day long…. But last night one of them was outside whining until 130 AM!! And they have a little yap dog…. YAP YAP YAP YAP YAP!! So needless to say….. I’m thrilled to have new neighbors!
Friday night we went to the movies to see The Ugly Truth and then to dinner. CUTE CUTE CUTE movie BTW; but it was a little raunchier than I expected. They dropped the F bomb half a dozen times! I was surprised. Then we went to the Olive Garden for dinner. The food was fine but the service sucked! We ordered alfredo dipping sauce for our breadsticks so we would have liked more than 1 breadstick each! Then after dinner as we were driving home the oddest thing happened. As we were waiting to turn onto the main street there was a group of 20 somethings that went zooming by on bicycles. One of which was wearing a skirt! on a bike! And not just a skirt but a long lacy skirt! Only in liberalville! Then as we turned onto the main street and made our way thru the intersection we noticed this floating light coming towards us. It was too high to be a vehicle, so I didnt know what to think. As it approached I noticed that it was a bicycle… but the light was too high to be something they had attached to the bike. Then out of the shadows it came! It was a very very tall hippie riding his bike while wearing a headlamp! YEA…..ok!!!
Saturday we went to the airport to pick up our friends who are returning from their wedding and honeymoon! Welcome home Seannie and Katie! and Katie’s son Jonathan too! I had fun playing cards with you at dinner J man! They had brought us goodies too! I got the cutest bag… I’ll post a picture tomorrow as it’s 1 am right now! and Of course MACADAMIA CARAMEL CHOCOLATES! It just doesn’t get any better than that!!!
Saturday I also got a box in the mail. I wasn’t expecting anything so it came as quite a surprise. I got the most adorable Winnie-the-Pooh Christmas ornament from my dear dear friend Terry! She is soooo awesome to me! I so miss her! She’s such an inspiration to me because she has a plate full of adversity yet she is always smiling and always has kind words to say. She is just full of Faith and never loses hope. I cant think of one person who wouldn’t benefit from having her as a friend.
And Sunday it was just too stinking hot to do anything. I tried but I was kind of cranky because of the heat. So I didn’t get much of anything accomplished! Oh well…there is always tomorrow!
Wednesday, July 22, 2009
Big Birthday
So yesterday I turned the big 4-0. And I wish I could say that I was princess for a day but it didn't turn out quite that way. There are some things going on back at home that I wish I could be there for but I can't. My laptop decided that it didn't want to keep the cd/dvd drive in it's employment so it quit working. And I had a moment of complete insanity and it hung around a little too long. So I questioned everything about my life.... like my health, my weight, the way I live, my lack of purpose, being so far from my kid and my dog having cancer. And after a pretty good pity party, I decided to get off my ass and do something about it. So I started organizing some things that needed attention. But I managed to work myself into a frenzy and since we have no real A/C I overdid it. So I ended up in bed taking a nap in the one room where we have a portable A/C unit.
My dear sweet friend, who lives in Florida and just celebrated her 40th on the 15th of July sent me the most beautiful red roses, TWO dozen of them!
My dear sweet friend, who lives in Florida and just celebrated her 40th on the 15th of July sent me the most beautiful red roses, TWO dozen of them!
Thank you so much Adrienne.... You've always sent the best thing at the right time! And I love you for it!! It was the perfect pick me up to a mentally crazy day!!! It was just what I needed!!!
I also got the most AMAZING Vera Bradly Laptop bag!
And I got the new Sims 3 game because I have been enjoying Sims 2.
So I am now trying to get my mind back to a state of normal....whatever that it. I got up early this morning and made a couple of cards, one for a wedding and one for a birthday. I am now going to get ready and take my laptop to the shop, and I am going to get my hair cut. But the important part is that I have decided to make a change for the better in my life. I've let too many things get me down and I'm not gonna do it anymore! They say life begins at 40! We'll I'm gonna prove them right!
Monday, July 20, 2009
Buzzing at Dinner
So last night was dinner at Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse for an incredibly over priced meal. We are kindly instructed to go up the stairs and we will be greeted by whomever the upstairs host is. So we start up what we believe to be a simple flight of stairs. Come to find out it’s more like 3 flights of stairs. Ok…. they may not be 3 full flights but it was really close. This is not good for a girl in heels with a balance problem! But we all made it safely and are seated at out table. First they take our drink orders and as the waiter returns with everyone else's drinks except mine. He explains that he’ll be right back with bread and water. I had ordered just water to drink…. but really…. you had to say that you’d be right back with “bread and water!!”
So I ordered a Ruth’s special which comes with a salad, choice of entree, choice of side, and dessert. The salads come and my caesar salad is great! So far, so good. Then they bring our entrees and sides. Now I have ordered the stuffed chicken. And they bring me a chicken with skin and the bones!!! I’m thinking …. ok…. I can do this…. But luckily my friend comes to my rescue and removes the bones and skin for me!! YAY!!! Then as I start to eat, I get the most intense sensation throughout my entire nervous system. It’s literally like someone has plugged me into a 220 socket and I only run on 110. So I am literally buzzing throughout my nervous system. I start to get sick at my stomach and I am feeling this warmth come over me. I then start feeling guilty because here we are in the middle of this very elegant restaurant for a very expensive meal. Then I worry that the waiter is going to ask me if there is something wrong with my stuffed chicken. I tend to get emotional when these things happen so I knew that if the waiter asked me about my chicken I would burst into tears. Not wanting to look like a complete idiot I ask my friend to answer in the event the waiter asks me. I was able to sit back, close my eyes and take several deep breaths. I am lucky enough to be able to calm myself down and actually calm my stomach as well to eat some of my chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. But I am still buzzing so I am “rocking” back and forth or side to side for the duration of the rest of the meal. Quite embarrassing I might say! But by the time dessert comes I am feeling quite a bit better and am actually able to enjoy the dessert .. a duo of raspberry sorbet in an edible dark chocolate cup and a mixture of berries served in sweet cream!!! YUM!!!
I fall asleep on the way home. I wish I could say that I slept fitfully last night and woke up feeling refreshed…. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so lucky. I slept quite restlessly and woke too early this morning. And I’ve been pretty miserable all day and I am also sneezing like crazy! So now I am trying to settle myself down in order to go back to sleep and get a good night’s rest. But I doubt it’s happening! I can’t seem to sit still tonight!! So I won’t even try going to bed until I’m exhausted! So….. hopefully tomorrow will be a new day and I will wake up feeling like a new woman… I’ll let you all know!!!
So I ordered a Ruth’s special which comes with a salad, choice of entree, choice of side, and dessert. The salads come and my caesar salad is great! So far, so good. Then they bring our entrees and sides. Now I have ordered the stuffed chicken. And they bring me a chicken with skin and the bones!!! I’m thinking …. ok…. I can do this…. But luckily my friend comes to my rescue and removes the bones and skin for me!! YAY!!! Then as I start to eat, I get the most intense sensation throughout my entire nervous system. It’s literally like someone has plugged me into a 220 socket and I only run on 110. So I am literally buzzing throughout my nervous system. I start to get sick at my stomach and I am feeling this warmth come over me. I then start feeling guilty because here we are in the middle of this very elegant restaurant for a very expensive meal. Then I worry that the waiter is going to ask me if there is something wrong with my stuffed chicken. I tend to get emotional when these things happen so I knew that if the waiter asked me about my chicken I would burst into tears. Not wanting to look like a complete idiot I ask my friend to answer in the event the waiter asks me. I was able to sit back, close my eyes and take several deep breaths. I am lucky enough to be able to calm myself down and actually calm my stomach as well to eat some of my chicken, mashed potatoes and green beans. But I am still buzzing so I am “rocking” back and forth or side to side for the duration of the rest of the meal. Quite embarrassing I might say! But by the time dessert comes I am feeling quite a bit better and am actually able to enjoy the dessert .. a duo of raspberry sorbet in an edible dark chocolate cup and a mixture of berries served in sweet cream!!! YUM!!!
I fall asleep on the way home. I wish I could say that I slept fitfully last night and woke up feeling refreshed…. Unfortunately, I wasn’t so lucky. I slept quite restlessly and woke too early this morning. And I’ve been pretty miserable all day and I am also sneezing like crazy! So now I am trying to settle myself down in order to go back to sleep and get a good night’s rest. But I doubt it’s happening! I can’t seem to sit still tonight!! So I won’t even try going to bed until I’m exhausted! So….. hopefully tomorrow will be a new day and I will wake up feeling like a new woman… I’ll let you all know!!!
Sunday, July 19, 2009
Star of Wonder table runner
In the meantime I am working on finishing the wedding present for Sean and Katie who are currently honeymooning in Hawaii. I felt bad about not being able to finish their full present before the wedding but since the present is for Christmas I figured they wouldn’t mind if it was a little late. I am making a Nativity scene table runner, four placemats, four napkin rings and a couple of towels too. I finished the table runner and have already given it to them.
So now I am working on the placemats and thought I would show everyone how it’s done! I am doing this project from Art to Heart’s Star of Wonder by Nancy Halvorsen. This is the photo from her book.
First you need to determine what pieces you need to cut. This also shows the placement of the pieces on the placemat.
Next you have to trace each piece on Heat N Bond. It’s paper on one side and a thin layer of glue that it heat activated. You have to trace each piece separately. Making four placemats means a lot of little pieces. You have to label each so you don’t get confused where they go.
Next you have to choose what fabric you are going to use for each piece. This can be a daunting task!! I don’t have the exact fabrics they used in the book but I have a nice collection of other fabric which fits quite nicely. The ones in the plastic bags are neatly organized from a previous project.
Once you’ve made your choice then you have to iron each piece onto the back side of the fabric.
Then you have to cut each piece out.
These are some of the other pieces I already have cut out.
Once I get all these little pieces cut out I will bring you along on the next part of the journey!
So now I am working on the placemats and thought I would show everyone how it’s done! I am doing this project from Art to Heart’s Star of Wonder by Nancy Halvorsen. This is the photo from her book.
First you need to determine what pieces you need to cut. This also shows the placement of the pieces on the placemat.
Next you have to trace each piece on Heat N Bond. It’s paper on one side and a thin layer of glue that it heat activated. You have to trace each piece separately. Making four placemats means a lot of little pieces. You have to label each so you don’t get confused where they go.
Next you have to choose what fabric you are going to use for each piece. This can be a daunting task!! I don’t have the exact fabrics they used in the book but I have a nice collection of other fabric which fits quite nicely. The ones in the plastic bags are neatly organized from a previous project.
Once you’ve made your choice then you have to iron each piece onto the back side of the fabric.
Then you have to cut each piece out.
These are some of the other pieces I already have cut out.
Once I get all these little pieces cut out I will bring you along on the next part of the journey!
Thursday, July 16, 2009
Staying Busy.
So I've got too many irons in the fire right now. Or so it seems. I am trying to work on getting some sewing done for Christmas. If I don't start now it'll be here and I won't have a thing done. I am also working on with digital pictures . I need to make a new blogger layout but I haven't found time to do that one! I need to start organizing stuff since I'll be living like a gypsy for a year. And I am planning on going to visit the kid next month. My plate is quite full. It feels good actually and it feels good to being up to dealing with a full plate. It's nice not to have my health (or lack there of) being the focus of life.
I am missing summer. While the rest of the country is experiencing a real summer it's been 75 degrees here. Now for my friends in the south they think this is awesome. But the truth is that 75 is not summer for a southern girl. If it doesn't reach 100 then it's not summer.
I need to say HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY to my friend Adrienne. She and I were born only 6 days apart and have been friends forever. We met in 7th grade and went to school together for a couple of years before her Dad got stationed in Florida. And she's lived in that area ever since. But we have remained friends all this time. She is one of my closest and dearest friends. There isn't much we don't know about each other. She's a beautiful soul and I'm graced to call her my Friend.
Well, it's late.... I'm off to bed
I am missing summer. While the rest of the country is experiencing a real summer it's been 75 degrees here. Now for my friends in the south they think this is awesome. But the truth is that 75 is not summer for a southern girl. If it doesn't reach 100 then it's not summer.
I need to say HAPPY 40TH BIRTHDAY to my friend Adrienne. She and I were born only 6 days apart and have been friends forever. We met in 7th grade and went to school together for a couple of years before her Dad got stationed in Florida. And she's lived in that area ever since. But we have remained friends all this time. She is one of my closest and dearest friends. There isn't much we don't know about each other. She's a beautiful soul and I'm graced to call her my Friend.
Well, it's late.... I'm off to bed
Saturday, July 11, 2009
California
So we went to our good friends wedding tonight. It was a beautiful wedding and the bride looked incredible. The reception afterward was so fun...... The wedding was at the bride's father's house and it was perfect!!! He has an amazing house with a bar and a pond in the back yard! It was the greatest place for their wedding! A couple of things they did that were different but I loved!! First in lieu of the guest book they had a wedding platter. Guests signed and wrote their wishes on the platter and the couple will be able to keep the platter forever!! It's something they can look at and use rather than some silly book which goes in box somewhere never to be seen again. The other thing that they did which seemed odd to begin with but turned out beautiful and completely astounded me. They had a painter come out and paint their wedding on canvas! It was amazing and what an incredible momento to hang and display forever! We really did have a great time and we were fortunate to be able to come and blessed to be friends with such great people. The love they share for each other is so obvious and so pure. They will have a long an happy life together!! They truly are blessed to have found each other and blessed to have such a great family!!
But we did get to have some fun Sunday. We decided to skip some of the more traditional Southern California tourist attractions in favor of a little driving tour. We drove over to Mulholland Drive and then hit the Santa Monica pier on our way back to the Residence Inn. I was able to get some amazing photos! It was a lot of fun. It was a nice relaxed day rather than the hectic, exhausting pace of Disney or Universal. And the best of all was that we got to eat at Johnny Carino's for dinner!!!! We miss so many restaurants living in Washington! And this one is probably on the very top of the list. Well next to Ted's Cafe Escondido in Oklahoma City!
It was absolutely a beautiful day to be out and about in Southern California.
I was amazed at the number of people on the beach!
One of the overlooks on Mulholland drive as seen from part of the 7 mile dirt portion of Mulholland.
The views were truly breathtaking!
The palms at Santa Monica Pier
The Ferris Wheel on the boardwalk.
The very crowded beach!!
But we did get to have some fun Sunday. We decided to skip some of the more traditional Southern California tourist attractions in favor of a little driving tour. We drove over to Mulholland Drive and then hit the Santa Monica pier on our way back to the Residence Inn. I was able to get some amazing photos! It was a lot of fun. It was a nice relaxed day rather than the hectic, exhausting pace of Disney or Universal. And the best of all was that we got to eat at Johnny Carino's for dinner!!!! We miss so many restaurants living in Washington! And this one is probably on the very top of the list. Well next to Ted's Cafe Escondido in Oklahoma City!
It was absolutely a beautiful day to be out and about in Southern California.
I was amazed at the number of people on the beach!
One of the overlooks on Mulholland drive as seen from part of the 7 mile dirt portion of Mulholland.
The views were truly breathtaking!
The palms at Santa Monica Pier
The Ferris Wheel on the boardwalk.
The very crowded beach!!
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Computer, Canine, Couple
So I knew the cd/dvd drive quit working in my laptop and I tried all the tricks of the trade to get it back. Unfortunately, it just wasn't going to happen. So instead I decided it was time to do some computer housekeeping. I restored it back to factory settings. So now I'm in the process of reinstalling all my favorite software. It's nice to have a computer that doesn't have a bunch extemporanious things that inevitably creep onto your computer. So it's running much faster and I am enjoying that!!!
d her this evening... sprawled out... lounging like the princess she is while licking her front leg. Maybe she's multitasking!! That's it she's cleaning her front leg and paw while inspecting the carpet! She's such a good dog. And considering the fact that she has cancer and is on chemo, she's still Ginger! She's very playful. Her vet is so pleased with her progress. He said she looks fantastic!
So now I am getting ready to go California. I went over to the happy couples house last night so I could help the bride put together favor boxes for the wedding. But I must say we also had the groom involved in the assembly line process of putting these boxes together. I also got some scrubbing done in the kitchen since we have someone coming over to house and puppy sit for us while we are in California. So all in all it was a productive day.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Food for thought
When I started this blog I was complaining about lack of motivation. I decided to scrap that and talk about some of the good stuff going on instead! For starters I need to share an awesome recipe for an ice cream sandwich cake which I found in my Kraft Food and Family magazine. I made this and took it to a Fourth of July get together and it was really enjoyed. So I thought I'd share it here as well.
So Eat more chocolate....it'll make you feel better!
While the rest of the country is enjoying summer weather it's currently 63 degrees here. So for all my friends in the south, you're more than welcome to come visit! It'd be a nice break from the heat!! I'll need a light jacket if I go out today!
I enjoyed chatting with one of my son's friends yesterday. My son and all his friends are roughly 20, so it's fun to see the world through their eyes. They get frustrated about their dating situation (come to think of it I have a 40 year old friend that frustrated too.. LOL), they never seem to have enough money for the important things but they have the latest video games, they are starting to complain about being tired because they are having to work and they are still fascinated by the silliest of things. My son was so excited to tell me that he recently went to the local theme park and was distressed that they took the big mechanical swings out. It was rather humorous. But he enjoyed his day playing like a kid again.
Ok, well, my Sims are calling my name, as well as, my mafia. So I'm signing off for now...going to play for a bit then I'll be getting ready to go play with friends! To Terry and Ta, remember
"Sometimes God calms the storm, Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child."
what you need
1/2
cup hot fudge ice cream topping, warmed
1
tub (8 oz.) COOL WHIP Whipped Topping, thawed, divided
1
pkg. (3.9 oz.) JELL-O ChocolateInstant Pudding
8
OREO Cookies, chopped (about 1 cup)
12
vanilla ice cream sandwiches
make it
POUR fudge topping into medium bowl. Whisk in 1 cup COOL WHIP. Add dry pudding mix; stir 2 min. Stir in chopped cookies.
ARRANGE 4 ice cream sandwiches, side-by-side, on 24-inch-long sheet of foil; top with half the COOL WHIP mixture. Repeat layers. Top with remaining sandwiches. Frost top and sides with remaining COOL WHIP. Bring up foil sides; double fold top and ends to loosely seal packet.
FREEZE 4 hours or until firm.
So Eat more chocolate....it'll make you feel better!
While the rest of the country is enjoying summer weather it's currently 63 degrees here. So for all my friends in the south, you're more than welcome to come visit! It'd be a nice break from the heat!! I'll need a light jacket if I go out today!
I enjoyed chatting with one of my son's friends yesterday. My son and all his friends are roughly 20, so it's fun to see the world through their eyes. They get frustrated about their dating situation (come to think of it I have a 40 year old friend that frustrated too.. LOL), they never seem to have enough money for the important things but they have the latest video games, they are starting to complain about being tired because they are having to work and they are still fascinated by the silliest of things. My son was so excited to tell me that he recently went to the local theme park and was distressed that they took the big mechanical swings out. It was rather humorous. But he enjoyed his day playing like a kid again.
Ok, well, my Sims are calling my name, as well as, my mafia. So I'm signing off for now...going to play for a bit then I'll be getting ready to go play with friends! To Terry and Ta, remember
"Sometimes God calms the storm, Sometimes He lets the storm rage and calms His child."
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Top 10 List for Living Well
1. Celebrate my relationships NOW!
Don't miss what is now for what used to be, soon enough it will end and then I will miss what I have now.
2. Lose the rose colored glasses.
It's ok to share with my family, friends and doctors what ails me, it's only when they know that they can assist me in healing.
3. Don't count sacrifices.
Accept support, love and gifts with grace no matter what form it comes in. Be accepting without feeling indebted to the giver.
4. Enjoy MY blessings.
Never ever forget that I still have gifts/talents to share. God has blessed me and I should share ME with those close to me and with those I barely know.
5. Utilize and appreciate my support system.
Remember that I have many to call on when I need help. Also remember to share my good days by taking a moment to brighten someone else's day.
6. Embrace whatever works for me.
If I find comfort in it, who cares what others think? Embrace what makes me unique, who cares if I am special enough to need geriatrics at 36?
7. Enjoy MY life for what it is and for what I have.
No matter how long I live there will always be those that are better off than me and those that are worse off than me. So just enjoy the here and now.
8. Spend my time wisely.
You can't save time, you can only spend time. When you go someplace where there are NO timesaving devices you find that you have LOTS of time.
9. Rediscover passion often.
Enjoy my hobbies, spend time smelling (and watering) the flowers, do things that make me happy, enjoy loving.
10. Don't ever stop wearing high heels.
I feel good when I look good. Savor the moments when I feel sexy, they can inspire me through the rough times.
Don't miss what is now for what used to be, soon enough it will end and then I will miss what I have now.
2. Lose the rose colored glasses.
It's ok to share with my family, friends and doctors what ails me, it's only when they know that they can assist me in healing.
3. Don't count sacrifices.
Accept support, love and gifts with grace no matter what form it comes in. Be accepting without feeling indebted to the giver.
4. Enjoy MY blessings.
Never ever forget that I still have gifts/talents to share. God has blessed me and I should share ME with those close to me and with those I barely know.
5. Utilize and appreciate my support system.
Remember that I have many to call on when I need help. Also remember to share my good days by taking a moment to brighten someone else's day.
6. Embrace whatever works for me.
If I find comfort in it, who cares what others think? Embrace what makes me unique, who cares if I am special enough to need geriatrics at 36?
7. Enjoy MY life for what it is and for what I have.
No matter how long I live there will always be those that are better off than me and those that are worse off than me. So just enjoy the here and now.
8. Spend my time wisely.
You can't save time, you can only spend time. When you go someplace where there are NO timesaving devices you find that you have LOTS of time.
9. Rediscover passion often.
Enjoy my hobbies, spend time smelling (and watering) the flowers, do things that make me happy, enjoy loving.
10. Don't ever stop wearing high heels.
I feel good when I look good. Savor the moments when I feel sexy, they can inspire me through the rough times.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Wishes
I have lots of wishes today........
I wish I could be with my son.
I wish I could spend more time with my friends that are far away.
I wish I could sleep better.
I wish I wasn't sick.
I wish I liked living where I live.
I wish my sweet dog didn't have lymphoma.
I wish I was thinner (but doesn't everyone).
I wish I felt like I had purpose.
I wish I had more energy.
Somedays, I wish I didn't know how sick I really am.
I wish I lived in Oklahoma again.
I wish to take my son to Vegas for his 21st birthday.
I wish my relationship was better with my parents.
I wish I was closer to my nieces... in proximity and every other way.
I wish I knew where I will be living in 2011.
I think that's it for today. I've always tried to live by the theory that I would like to make one person smile everyday. And lately, I know I haven't been doing so good at that. I've been living in my own little cocoon. I haven't felt well and I haven't been sleeping and I've been using those things as an excuse to be inactive. I've been having my own little self induced pity party. And it's time I stop!! It's time I get back to being the me I once knew and loved. I need to get back to taking quilt classes and I could take some beading classes for fun as well. Just anything to get my butt out of this house. It's become a comfortable little nest for me to remain in. I need to make the most of life and quit having my little pity party. Ok, boo hoo for me I have a neuro condition, back problems, balance problems, heart condition and sleeping problems. It could be worse. There will always be those out there that are better off and those that are worse off than me. You know.... I need to post my top 10 for living well......
I wish I could be with my son.
I wish I could spend more time with my friends that are far away.
I wish I could sleep better.
I wish I wasn't sick.
I wish I liked living where I live.
I wish my sweet dog didn't have lymphoma.
I wish I was thinner (but doesn't everyone).
I wish I felt like I had purpose.
I wish I had more energy.
Somedays, I wish I didn't know how sick I really am.
I wish I lived in Oklahoma again.
I wish to take my son to Vegas for his 21st birthday.
I wish my relationship was better with my parents.
I wish I was closer to my nieces... in proximity and every other way.
I wish I knew where I will be living in 2011.
I think that's it for today. I've always tried to live by the theory that I would like to make one person smile everyday. And lately, I know I haven't been doing so good at that. I've been living in my own little cocoon. I haven't felt well and I haven't been sleeping and I've been using those things as an excuse to be inactive. I've been having my own little self induced pity party. And it's time I stop!! It's time I get back to being the me I once knew and loved. I need to get back to taking quilt classes and I could take some beading classes for fun as well. Just anything to get my butt out of this house. It's become a comfortable little nest for me to remain in. I need to make the most of life and quit having my little pity party. Ok, boo hoo for me I have a neuro condition, back problems, balance problems, heart condition and sleeping problems. It could be worse. There will always be those out there that are better off and those that are worse off than me. You know.... I need to post my top 10 for living well......
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