Yet another out of focus photo
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Friday, August 19, 2011
Life Is Like...Water
Prior to my gastric bypass, I walked everyday for a whole year. Yep, everyday, kinda like a postal worker but without the paycheck.
I always had a bottle of water with me everywhere I went, it was glued to my hand. And boy was it a bitch when I had to rip it off!
Any who, after said surgery I had an extremely serious complication that required emergency surgery. Oh, joy.
After the surgery my arms were restrained because I was trying to rip out the numerous thingies I was hooked up to. I won’t even get into the whole restrained thing, let’s just say it wasn’t my first time, wink wink.
I also had a tube down my throat and I couldn’t speak, lucky Joe. As always, he was by my side thru the whole thing. I truly put him thru hell, not like usual because this time I wasn’t even trying.
I remember laying in the bed being so thirsty that my mouth felt like the Sierra desert! Unable to speak I thought I’d use my version of sign language, I made a W with my hands hoping he’d get the hint. But I didn’t know my hands were restrained so it looked like I was pointing. What was I pointing at? My pee bag. Told ya I was connected to every medical devise known to man (and woman).
All Joe would say is that it was ok to pee (as I had a catheter). So I repeated and repeated and repeated the W and his response was always the same, it’s ok to pee. In one sense he was damn lucky I was restrained or I would have strangled him. Now it’s funny when we talk about it, not so much at the time believe me!
Okay, okay, enough about me. Although it is my blog so maybe not, guess you’ll just have to stay tuned to find out what’s up.
Our water is, well, in one word, shitty. That is unless you like hard water that smells like a rotten eggs, but I think not.
All of our drinking water is filtered, we aren’t great fans of the whole rotten egg thing. Actually it only smells after a rain, who knows why but it does. Someone can tell me the scientific explanation for it but I really don’t care why, ‘cuz knowing why won’t stop it. That is unless I could stop the rain and that ain’t happening either.
I’m trying to drink more water and iced tea. The two water filters we have are basically going non-stop. Can’t speak for Joe but I’m pretty sure that he realizes that we are blessed. Blessed to have clean drinking water as so many people don’t.
Perhaps you’ve seen women with giant thingies on their head carrying water on top of their heads. They may walk for miles, each way, just to get filthy water to drink. Chances are it’s contaminated with numerous nasty-ass germs but it’s the only water they have access to.
Yes, we are supposed to reach out. To help those all across the world get clean drinking water, but personally, I feel that we should take care of those in the good ol’ U.S. of A. first.
Don’t get me wrong, if you support other countries, great (and good for you!) after all they need clean water too, but that’s my view on the whole situation.
Sad to say that in this great country there are those without clean drinking water. Although they may not carry the big ass containers on their heads they don’t have clean water. Some don’t even have running water in their homes. That is if they are blessed enough to have homes.
I usually research everything that I write about, I’m a stickler for getting the facts straight, just ask Joe. But if you feel moved to help those without clean water just do a Google search. Make sure they are actually using the money to help those people and not pad their own pockets.
A good place to start would probably be the Red Cross (they provide water and other necessities after a disasters here at home and all across the world). I’m not going to chastise you if you don’t do anything. I know these are tough times, but there are free things you can do to help. Next time yer in Marquette, stop at MGH Blood Center and give a pint of blood.
Now back to me, during my emergency surgery I lost four or so pints of blood, I wouldn’t be here boring you if it wasn’t for the selfless, nameless, strangers that took time out of their busy schedule to give a pint.
Friday, August 5, 2011
Life Is Like...An Etch A Sketch (or in our case, a DoodlePro)
A year ago or so we purchased a Fisher-Price DoodlePro thinking that we’d use it as a gift for one of our nieces or nephews (ok, great-nieces or nephews). Needless to say, it hasn’t left our house, but at least we are using it.
It’s a new and improved child’s version of an etch a sketch. Come on, we all know the old etch a sketch! And don’t say you don’t ‘cuz ya do.
This has a much smaller screen, an attached ‘pen’ and a magnet so we can put it on da fridge, anything to keep the youngin’s busy. Or adults in our case.
Since Joe is on his way to work before I wake up I leave him a hand written note by his morning pills. My notes are generally gushy, pouring out my heart, his, not so much. Ok, they are but I always have to chuckle that he includes the fact that our dog pee’d and/or poo’d. As a mother it’s important to know that kinda stuff about your children. He also writes that the cat has been fed and by the by, never once has the cat not been fed, usually at least once, she’s kinda a cow when it comes to eating!
Back to the Doodle-Pro already
It always takes me several times to write my message. Joe always does it on the first try, that kinda pisses me off because he even drew a school bus once, inside joke, on the first try. As I said, I can’t even do a short message ie: ‘love you’ without doing it at least two or three times!
Sometimes it takes him days, or even a week or so, to notice that I’ve written a new note, even though it is placed by the freezer door handle. Thankfully I don’t write anything urgent!
I think that it is very important to write little lovey dovey notes to your spouse or significant other. It’s not to remind them that you love ‘em, they already know that, but to let them know that your thinking about them.
Shake shake shake
One of the coolest things about an etch a sketch is shaking off whatever you had on the screen, it’s like magic when your young.
But wouldn’t it be nice to be able to shake your slate clean? To be able to change things you’ve done in the past that you would do differently now. Oh, if it only worked that way! That would be sweet. As we all know that technology isn’t here yet, damn.
But we can do that. Confession does that don’t it? Although I can’t remember how long ago my last confession was, seems to me that I remember that from my 6 years in Catholic school.
Don’t wanna go to confession? You can still get your slate clean. Come on, you know where I’m going with this. In fact, you could probably finish the rest of this blogage yourself.
To me you don’t need a church, priest and that all too tiny room. Plus you save money on gas from not going to the church.
All’z you have to do is ask, not just anyone, but God. And bonus, he doesn’t order you to say 10 Hail Mary’s and 2 Our Father’s!
If you honestly and truly are sorry for something you did and know that it was wrong, pray. Hail Mary’s and Our Father’s optional.
But God does wipes our slate clean, He doesn’t shake us though, or does He? Maybe sometimes He should!
Monday, July 18, 2011
Friday, July 15, 2011
Sunday, July 10, 2011
Life Is Like...A Bicycle
There are many variations on the saying “When you fall off a horse, dust yourself off and get back in the saddle”. No, I didn’t title it wrong, this is about a bike. Mine, to be exact.
Someone’s Facebook post actually says “When you fall off your bike, it hurts”. Does not hurt all the time, of course, but road rash hurts like a bitch. But, as usual, I’m getting ahead of myself.
Several years ago we purchased an eighteen speed bike for me. Little did my brother John, a.k.a. JB, (from Minnesota) know that when he came to visit us that I would trick him into tuning up the bike.
Before I get discuss my first bike ride, which I haven’t done in more years that I want to admit to, let me fill you in on a few things. My knees are wonky, and I occasionally wear a brace for my left knee. The brace is about 12” long and it’s only opening is for the kneecap itself. Do ya get where I’m going with this? Yep, you are right. I took the bike for a quick spin and I made the foolish mistake of turning the bike around on the loose gravel that was on top of blacktop.
Just my luck
When I wiped out I literally landed, in the gravel, on my left knee and the rest of the black brace had two tiny amounts of dust on it. Oh, that felt good. Not!
Since then, it’s been in storage, until a few weeks ago.
After looking at it for far too long, I decided that this is the summer it actually gets out of the house. Oh, and I’ll actually ride it too.
Back on the proverbial “horse”
Joe tuned it up as best he could, and he did an awesome job but is not exceptionally handy with mechanical thingies. But he was able to get it into working order, although the back breaks were a little wonky; hey I don’t need no stinking breaks. Time to write that one on the calendar!
I actually did take it out, for what seemed like a trip across the country. I only went up our driveway to the Poor Farm Road (not that far away) and rode almost to the neighbors house. Then I got off my bike and walked it around. I may not be the brightest bulb in the box, but hey, I learned my lesson the first time.
It was a terribly windy day and the wind was in my face, of course. After turning around I looked at the distance (which again was not far away) and didn’t honestly know if I could make it back to the Herman Road. After I made it to the road it was all downhill from there. Thank God!! I think that was the only saving grace in that moment. That and the fact I knew that I couldn’t call Joe to pick me up.
When I arrived home and got off the bike my legs were like jelly. Muscles ached! To put it mildly muscles that I didn’t even know I had.
And I haven’t been back on it since
I’m using the whole ‘it’s too hot’ thing! After all, heat and I are not BFF’s. That’s my excuse for now. But don’t get me wrong, I am getting back on the horse, and soon, so my leg’s won’t feel like jelly when I’m done.
Just a few days ago my brother JB, and his significant other, Julie, came up to visit and spend quality time with our Mom. Usually he tells me when he’s coming up but he kept it quiet this time. My Ma didn’t even know that he was coming until she opened her door. Although Ma has a bunch of heart problems she’s a tough old bird. I told JB he’s lucky she didn’t have a heart attack when she opened the door!
So when they came to visit I put him to work, once again, and I don’t have to tell you what he worked on.
He spent a lot more time on the bike than I thought he would need to, but it’s working great. Damn, can’t use that as an excuse anymore. Guess I’ll have to stick with the heat excuse.
If you’re familiar with my LIL blogage you maybe wondering how Jesus is working into me falling off my bike, but He does.
You, may be like me and haven’t seen the inside of a church for a very long time. I do pray daily, even if it’s just so there aren’t any surprises in the mail, or better yet nothing in the mail.
If you’ve fallen off your bike, horse, or the whole religion thingy, it’s never too late.
Get back on!
And there’s a bonus – it doesn’t hurt like falling off your bike!
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
LIFE IS LIKE...PSALMS 40:2
Follow up to my earlier post of my watercolor of said verse. Please see painting below.
My second stay as an inpatient Marquette General Hospital’s Stress and Depression Unit was from Friday October 10th to Sunday October 12th, 2008.
On Sunday they allow patients to go to the chapel to pray. Most of the patients actually wanted to go but because they don’t allow crazy (hey, I can say that because I am one of them!) folks to leave the floor, I’m sure that there were a few that just wanted to get the hell out of there! I actually wanted and needed to go, after all if that isn’t the time you need to pray I don’t know what is!
Please don’t get me wrong, both times I was there they helped me immensely! Each time it was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done but when I left I was a million times better than when I was admitted, just ask Joe.
There is NO shame to getting help how ever you need it! Just don’t expect 5 star accommodations.
In the chapel we are allowed to read out loud a quote from the bible. God guided me to Psalms, and after looking at Psalms 69 (I just had to do it) first, I was then guided to Psalms 40.
If you are a little rusty let me refresh you:
40:2 is as follows:
He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.
Wow, that was exactly what I needed to read! Not only did it give me hope but everyone in the chapel also, at least so it seemed.
November 1983 my Father received a gift of a pocket size New International Version Bible of the New Testament and Psalms. I’m glad I wear bifocals otherwise I wouldn’t be able to read it! Both times I took the bible with me, never cracked it open but felt that my Father was still with me (he had passed away January of 1997).
Finally almost three years later I became inspired to paint my abstract version of Psalm 40:2.
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