Shuffle

Ah, little iPod shuffle... So tiny and cute and convenient and... Useless without the correct headphones. Hmph!

Current Favorite

My current favorite site is http://thepioneerwoman.com/.  She's funny and fun, and pretty "normal" as far as normal goes.  I enjoy reading what she has to write.     

She takes pictures, too.  Lots and lots of pictures.   Of lots and lots of things.  I love that.  And even more, I love - and truly appreciate - the photography tips she posts.  It's been several eternities since I had any formal photography classes, and even then, it was certainly not pertinent for a digital SLR camera.  Things certainly have changed since I bought my very first Canon back in 1980.  (Yes, 1980... I really AM that old.)  Digital is much different from film shooting. 

I was a hold out traditionalist until about a year ago.  I stuck with my good ol' film.  I stood firm that there was more art to shooting with film, because I had to consider composition, lighting, shadows, etc.  I didn't "photoshop" MY pictures to perfection....  I set up my shots to perfection. 

Yeah, well...  then I realized that I could still set up a great shot that wouldn't need to be adjusted later.  And I could know INSTANTLY if it was really good.  So... I caved.   Almost the moment I closed on the sale of my house, I bought a new digital SLR Canon.

And it - and I think I - take some pretty decent pictures. 

I think...

Project Life

My Project Life kit arrived today!  Ya-hoooooo! 

As you may recall, I've decided that I completely, unquestionably, certainly DESPISE scrapbooking.  I still haven't totally finished my scrapbook project for our vacation, and I'm not excited AT ALL by the prospect of finishing it. 

Lesson learned.

I do, however, love pictures.  I love photo albums.  I love comment card-type things in photo albums.  Thankfully, this lovely person - http://www.beckyhiggins.com/ - obviously knows how I feel.  Project Life is like a really, really big photo album where you slip a picture a day, and comment cards, into easy-to-use page protectors.  Ahhhh.....  sounds heavenly compared to cutting, gluing, and embellishing.  

It would seem the amazing Becky Higgins must be planning a new design for next year, and so the current Project Life design went on sale this week, and so I grabbed up a kit!  After my scrapbooking "experience", I realized that scrapbooking can get really, really expensive really, really fast.  The cost of the Project Life kit is peanuts in comparison!  I easily spent twice as much on my little "project". 

So, I'm ready for 2011!  I think 2010 is too far gone at this point - I'll stick to my usual 'year in the life' album again for this year, but look out 2011!

Football!!!

So, I pretend sometimes that I am a decent photographer.  And once in a while, I get lucky, and take a decent snapshot... 

Of course, as anyone who's ever tried their hand at photography knows, you get a good ONE out of every million or so, and the rest look more like this...

It's especially difficult to get a good shot when you're trying to capture action, like at a football game.

Even more so if you're doing it at night. 

Last night was our homecoming game, and, while I'm not much of a "football person", I decided to go.  After all, it was homecoming.  And since I pretend to be a decent photographer, I took my camera.  Kathryn's boyfriend plays on the varsity team, and I figured I could try to get a few good pictures of him during the game.  I took something like 300 pictures.  About 250 of them are even identifiable, and only about 6 are actually decent.

Oh, well...  At least I got those 6.  
:)

Oh, well...

Oh, dang it... I thought I was doing better, but now I'm just about to sob again over something small. Ugh!

Geez, Louise!

No, I am not actually talking to Louise...  I really don't even know Louise, though I occasionally say "geez, Louise", and tell the kids they have to pretend to be a middle-aged woman by that name.

I suppose my next doctor update is in order, on off chance that someone actually reads this and might be wondering...  (yes, I DO know that I'll probably be the only one to ever re-read my ramblings, but that's OK, too.)

As recommended, I visited my Primary Care Doc, and she spent nearly an hour with me, trying to figure out what's going on.  (YES, she really IS that good!)  She ended up ordering 5 more blood tests, and decided to send me to a GI specialist to do the dreaded scope and get pictures of my esophagus and stomach.  Eh.  I'm not going to look forward to that one, but at least after it's over we'll know for sure what's going on in there.

I'm also going to need to see a cardiologist for a stress test.  That one should be no big thing, but with my family history, every doc I've seen really wants to make extra double sure it really is no big thing.

In the meantime, it's been 9 days on the low-dose hormone, and I think I can tell a difference.  I actually slept almost all night last night, and I haven't done that in a long, long, long time.  It might be a combo of things, or it might be just one really working.  I don't know.  I don't care.  I didn't burst into tears today, and I didn't snap anyone's head off (yet), and that's a definite improvement!

Update

I went to see the doctor yesterday, and she ordered some lab tests to confirm that the wacky stuff really and truly is hormone-related.  Ya' know, they have to take THREE blood samples, each six minutes apart, to test for hormone levels.  Ouch. 

In the meantime, since she seemed relatively certain that it's a perimenopausal thing, she gave me a low-dose hormone to take. 

I am currently alot like that little ant - the one with the high hopes.  I'm ready for a decent night's sleep, and for alot less mood swings! 

Of course, it's not quite as easy or simple as all that...  I also have to see my primary care doctor, and a cardiologist (something about evaluating my risk, you know, since my dad and brothers have cardiac "issues", and these things tend to run in the fam...).   But still, I'm very hopeful that I can feel better soon.

I'm still having my soy milk every day, and exercising 3 or 4 (sometimes 5) times a week.  Now, I've just added to my menopause survival aresenal.  ;)

More Perimenopausal Freakiness

As if the rest of it weren't weird enough, let me say that the night sweat thing is scary.  Heck, I thought waking up and being hot and a little tiny bit sweaty and needing to kick off the covers as fast as you can was night sweats.  HA!  Try waking up totally drenched in sweat, without covers, realizing that not only are YOU drenched, but you've sweat enough to have damp pillow cases and sheets. ICK...  I think that's the real meaning of night sweat.  Now THAT's scary. 

I really can't wait to talk to the doctor.  This sucks.

Family Portrait

Well, I've been sitting here looking at more pictures from Matt's wedding, and I am reminded that there "wasn't time" for the family to have a picture taken together that day.  Let me re-state that.  There was time for a picture - actually, several -  of the kids and Charlie, but not for one with me included.   It might not really bother me so much if it weren't for the fact that I specifically asked that we could have a family picture taken.   You know, while we were all together, and all dressed up, and in the presence of a photographer, in a nice setting.   Grrrr.....  I'm going to end up being one of those people who, when I'm about 95, won't even have any pictures to show that we were even a family after our first year together.

:( 

Bleh.

zombies

Oh, dear. I dreamed a little dream that a zombie apocolypse was underway. Somehow, I made it onto a bus of "survivors".... A bus that was as huge as a jet plane. LOL! I swear I didn't even eat anything before bed last night, and I was definitely not drinking!

Weddings

We went to a wedding late yesterday afternoon.  It was an outdoor wedding.  Outdoor, and on a golf course.  It was lovely.   I'm pretty sure the happy couple is most definitely "meant to be".  We've had months of 90+ degree weather with extremely high humidity, and Thursday we had horrible storms that dumped nearly 4 inches of rain on us.   But yesterday the weather was, well, perfect.  It was 72 degrees with low humidity, there was a light breeze, and copious amounts of beautiful sunshine.  I really can't imagine a more perfect day for an outdoor ceremony.

The reception was also outdoors - in a huge tent that the groom (who was dubbed a "groomzilla") had turned into a wonderland.  There were purple, white, and black round paper lanterns hanging in a purposefully random pattern across the ceiling, fantastic white wire "trees" with tiny lights on some tables, candles floating in purple water in long stemmed glassware on others.  It was beautiful! 

Definitely not quite right

AGH!  It's only 70 degrees in my house, and I'm suddenly sweating.  I was perfectly comfy and cool a moment ago!  I really hate this!  I can't wait until my doctor's appointment...  hopefully, she can help!

A Picture I'd Love to Have

I stumbled upon a contest, thanks to Becky Higgins' blog.   The prize is Project Life kit.  I checked it out.  To enter the contest, I had to comment on kara layne photography's blog, and just say what I wish I had a picture of.

Wow. 

I've never thought of this before, but I didn't even have to think. I just knew.  This is what I wrote:

I wish I had a picture of my dad from the days just before my mom died... the love he had for her after nearly 65 years together showed so strong during those days as he sat and held her hand, comforting her, helping her with her last challenge in life. The look on his face during those days told a story of decades of devotion and tenderness. I wish like crazy I had a picture of that - of him holding the hand of his one true love.


I can see an image of that in my mind now, but I know that image will fade with time.  It would be so powerful to have a picture of that to remind me of their love, and his devotion. 

Obviously, I can never have such a picture.  I hope and pray I can keep that image in my mind for many, many years to come.

Aaaaaa-aaand now I'm sobbing, and it's time to drive to the High School to pick up Kathryn.  Yay.