Busy busy busy

This past week was very hectic and hard. We have been getting my dad's house ready to be renovated so hubby and I can move in. But before all that, Dad's old stuff needed to be moved out. He basically has everything he wanted in his small apartment at the retirement village, so it was a matter of having an estate sale and then trying to get rid of the rest through Craigslist. Let me tell you, people on Craigslist can be I-di-ots! I did manage to get two big pieces sold, but not without my share of headaches. Finally this past Tuesday, the Salvation Army came and took the rest away. I stood there and cried my eyes out watching my childhood furniture being hauled off piece by piece. I was there all alone - my sisters weren't there, my dad didn't need to be there for his own emotional well-being, and my husband was at work. I texted him at one point saying 'this is harder than I expected' and when he called back immediately, I just cried! He felt so bad, and it wasn't his fault, but it's hard watching your childhood get loaded up into a van. It wasn't anything I wanted to keep, but it was a part of me that I had to let go, and it was more difficult than I had imagined.

credit

The next day I met hubby for lunch by his work. After dropping him back off, I started driving and ended up at Mom's graveside in Jefferson Barracks National Cemetery. Again, I cried, telling her I was sorry it had been so long since I had last visited, and even more sorry I gave all her stuff away. (She forgave me.) It was nice to visit with her alone, because usually it's a group visit of my sisters and my dad. This time I had a chance to sit and chat alone with mom, which I hadn't ever been able to do before. I felt much better after my visit with her and decided I was at peace with all that I had been at odds over the past several days.

The long road out of the cemetery.

After leaving the cemetery I ended up driving towards the city and ended up at the new Citygarden. Very cool. Unfortunately, I didn't have my good camera, just my point and shoot, so I didn't take near the amount of pictures that I wanted to. I have fiddled around with Eros Bendato and made it into a design I like and will share here. I'm always leery about doing this because I'm afraid people might steal this and make it their own - so please, don't steal my work!!!

Thursday was dinner out for a friend's daughter's 13th birthday! I remember her when she was just turning 2! Nothing ages you quicker than a teenager being around, that's for sure.

Friday night was girl's night out for my sister's birthday. We had so much fun laughing and giggling. We went to Grappa Grill for dinner and had a little room all to ourselves, which was a good thing since we were a bit obnoxious with our giggling. We couldn't help it we were having so much fun!

Kathy, Laura, my sister Debbie, and the birthday girl (and my other sister), Diana.

Diana, my friend Jen, and me.

Saturday night I went with my sister in law and two of her friends for our annual visit to the Stages Theater in Kirkwood. This year we have season tickets, which has been fun. This past weekend we saw The Drowsy Chaperone. Check that off my list of never having to see again. Not a fave. Oh well. Afterwords, we always go out someplace fun for dinner, and this time we hit Stoney River out in Chesterfield. OMG! To die for. Expensive!!! but delish! I had salmon and we split a bottle of zinfandel that I have to find a wine store somewhere because it was the best bottle of wine I ever had. I enjoyed my dinner, was stuffed to the gills, and was glad I experienced it, but feel I don't ever need to pay that amount again on a dinner just for me. If you would like to see my meal, go to this site, let the pictures cycle through, and when you see the salmon meal, that was mine, and yes, it looked exactly like that - YUM...

Stoney River

Is there a doctor in the house?!?

I have been having a bit of writers block the past couple days. When I first started blogging I was coming up with a ton of ideas of things I wanted to write about, but of course, I didn't take the time to jot them down, and now I can't remember a single one of them. That may also be because my mind has been preoccupied with trying to figure out why my pinky finger on my left hand has had a tingling feeling in it for over the past week. Am I dying? That's what I have been thinking, which could explain the block in creativity on my part and the constant need to peruse the Internet for searches on WebMD for a self-diagnosis.

"Hello bloggersphere, my name is Angie, and among many things, I'm a hypochondriac."

"Hello Angie..."

It's been going on most of my life. Probably because I spent the better part of my years living with a condition that didn't get diagnosed properly until I had lived with it for 15 years. Nothing like reading every textbook on the subject, knowing what you have and having doctors dismiss you for one reason or another until you find the right one to finally say - "Why yes, of course you have Problem X - you have had it since you were 6! What do you mean no doctor has ever diagnosed you? Are they daft? Why it is as plain as the nose on your face that you have Problem X!" No Duh! was what I had been saying for most of those years. So now when something comes up, I take it upon myself to figure it out, thinking of course, what do the doctors know? I have diagnosed myself with Lupus, Deep Leg Thrombosis, Breast Cancer, and Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome - all of which were deemed false diagnoses on my part - of course...

picture credit

But now I have had a faint if not utterly annoying tingle in my pinky and all I can think is MS. I am going to have a debilitating degenerative muscle condition to live with for the rest of my life. I'm going to eventually lose the ability to swallow (hey - it may help me lose some weight - bright side ???) I know - not funny, and I know I'm over-reacting, but the way I see it, if I stop over-reacting now, then all my false alarms will have been for naught. The day I stop over-reacting will be the day my splinter turns into gangrene and I lose my leg or arm. It's my nature to worry. And it's my husband's nature to drag me away from the computer kicking and screaming saying, "There is nothing wrong with you! Quick making mountains out of mole-hills. I promise you that you are going to be fine." And with a quick kiss on the forehead, he makes everything all better.

(But I still have an appointment to see my doctor on the 22nd. I am not taking any chances...)

101 in 1001, 2001, whatever it takes

OK - so I have seen this on other blogs and decided to try and come up with 101 of my own areas to try and improve on or things I want to accomplish. I have a feeling it is going to be very hard to come up with 101 because while on vacation in Nebraska, I tried to write down what I could think of and only came up with 20 something... I did steal one idea from another blogger, so thanks to Angie at Damask is Divine for number 1.


1. Complete the 100 snapshots challenge, which is a list of 100 words that you need to photograph. Here's the list:

• 1. Safety
• 2. Stale
• 3. Feathered
• 4. Hot
• 5. Open
• 6. Forever
• 7. Love
• 8. Touch
• 9. Colorless
• 10. Blue
• 11. Smell
• 12. Growth
• 13. Irony
• 14. Wrong
• 15. More
• 16. Feel
• 17. Muse
• 18. Child
• 19. Within
• 20. Pale
• 21. Earth
• 22. Torn
• 23. Scars
• 24. Stray
• 25. Drops
• 26. Against
• 27. Dry
• 28. Fresh
• 29. Covered
• 30. Bold
• 31. High
• 32. Shadow
• 33. Concrete
• 34. Vein
• 35. Rush
• 36. Yellow 6/17/09
• 37. Empty
• 38. Cliché
• 39. Central
• 40. Loss
• 41. Wonder
• 42. Sweet 7/4/09
• 43. Poetry
• 44. Heavy
• 45. Fall
• 46. Chair
• 47. Statue
• 48. Kool-Aid
• 49. Dark
• 50. Breath
• 51. Garbage
• 52. Silk
• 53. Teacher
• 54. Cream
• 55. Wash
• 56. Corner
• 57. Rose
• 58. Field
• 59. Two
• 60. Red
• 61. Music
• 62. Rope
• 63. Decrepit 6/17/09
• 64. Chase
• 65. Dream
• 66. Dance
• 67. Smile
• 68. Smirk
• 69. Reflection - this is the only picture I didn't currently take, but stole from a previous group I had taken last fall (October 2008)
• 70. Soul
• 71. Lock
• 72. Key
• 73. Rust 6/15/09
• 74. Find
• 75. Lose
• 76. Drag
• 77. Wind 6/15/09
• 78. Rest
• 79. Swing
• 80. Meeting
• 81. Vacant
• 82. Hazy
• 83. Release
• 84. Gather
• 85. Swarm
• 86. Road 6/15/09
• 87. Wait
• 88. Stand
• 89. Distance
• 90. Trapped
• 91. Desk
• 92. Detach
• 93. Shatter
• 94. Home
• 95. Shy
• 96. Tackle
• 97. Begin
• 98. End
• 99. Time
• 100. Life

2. Work out 3 times a week

3. Eat more fruits and vegetables

4. Eat out less and fix more meals at home

5. Take my vitamins regularly

6. Learn to meditate and do so on a regular basis to reduce stress

7. Restart my 403b when school resumes

8. Avoid the gossip at work

9. Try to remain positive at work even when things are falling down around me

10. Spend less time on Facebook

11. Get out to the Holocaust Museum for a tour

12. Visit more Missouri/Illinois landmarks, esp. in St. Louis and name them here when I visit them: (saw Citygarden on 7/15/09)

13. Go to Soulard's Farmer's Market since I have never been there

14. Get a friend (Melinda?) to spend the night at Lemp Mansion with me

15. Get to the Botanical Garden to photograph

16. Go to the Cathedral Basilica for photographs and to see the mosaics

17. Find a Jane Austin book and read it - figure out what all the fuss is about :)

18. Start recycling magazines, junk mail, and newspapers regularly

19. Keep up with the laundry, including ironing my clothes the night before work

20. Walk the dog at least 3 times a week if not more

21. Take the pooch to the dog park at least once a week when the weather permits - for his sanity and mine

22. Keep active with Dockdogs even if Kevin is out of town

23. Find a pottery class to take

24. Find a beginner's water-color class to take

25. Find a beginner's drawing class to take

26. Try the new restaurants listed in StL Magazine or Sauce by starting a supper club with my girls

27. Journal more/blog if it's not too personal

28. Remember to pray

29. Go 1 week without TV (except when I fall asleep - the TV has to be on for the noise and the light affects - don't ask me why - it's a bad habit)

30. Drink more of the wine that I keep buying - quit saving it for special occasions - life is a special occasion! (Dormfelder 7/30 - 7/31)

31. Visit mom at the cemetery with Dad at least once a year (went by self July 15/09)

32. Purge - get rid of all the un-necessary stuff around the house

33. Organize our paper files

34. Reduce if not completely eliminate my artificial sweetener intake

35. Study up on the natural sweetener Stevia to learn if it is any good

36. Check our credit report

37. See about closing out some old credit cards from stores I no longer shop

38. Organize all the photos in my large basket

39. Take the digital camera for a sensor cleaning before the warranty is expired

40. Stay organized at work and be less of a procrastinator

41. Spend more time with my sisters other than our monthly Friday night get-together

42. Plant some plants in the pots that have dead plants in them at the current time

43. Work hard on keeping the elephant ear and palm to stay alive, as they are the only plants you have left

44. Remember that my health is the most important thing and it should always come first

45. Take care of the Aztek so it can live a long and healthy car-existence well past her 6 years :) (Aztek died a horrible death as of 7/20/09 and will be traded in on 7/25/09, problems were beyond my control, more of a manufacturer defect than due to lack of maintenance, love and care by yours truly)

updated 7/11/09

46. Control my foul language - learn not to cuss. Do not replace cuss words with cutesy words, just stop cussing - period. Learn to live without your favorite word - the "F" word. It can be done

47. Make an eye doctor appointment - find an eye doctor to make an appointment with :)

48. Give blood, since the Red Cross keeps harassing you and you have such an important commodity, Ms. Universal Donor

49. Complete the shadow box for the Sammy Hagar concerts

OK - so I'm stuck. I will have to add more as they come to me, but I'm just not going to put meaningless things on here, as I tend to get overwhelmed with the everyday necessities as it is. As I accomplish things or make notes about them, I will add the notes in color along with the date.

Quotable Quotes

I love quotes. If I find one that I like and it moves me, I will write it down. I have been known to pull out my favorite and use them in a pinch to make my point during a discussion with someone. Mind you, I can't remember my name on certain days, but Useless Information and I are on a first name basis here - have been for a very, very long time.

Favorite Quote #1: Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time we fall - Confucius. Now I have heard this quote attributed to some other guy, but I prefer the moral philosopher's version. As a teacher, I cannot tell you how many times I have whipped this puppy out with the older students who hate to try because they may not succeed. Sometimes the best thing you can do is learn from your mistake, get up, brush yourself off, and keep trucking. It's a tough concept to swallow at times, but it is so very important to learn.

Favorite Quote #2: If we hold resentments towards the people who let us down, we will be exhausted - Page-A-Day-Calendar. I found this quote on my calendar, at the most important time and when I needed it most. I had been harboring some deep resentment towards my sister about things that were completely my issue, and it had been affecting our once close relationship. I finally sat with her at dinner one evening and told her everything that had been bothering me over the past couple years, letting all my thoughts out - rational or not - explaining to her that this was how I was viewing the situation even though it may not have been that way for her. When I was finished, I told her that I was sorry for having kept it bottled in for so long instead of just talking to her about it and promised in the future to bring my issues to her instead of letting them fester. I cannot explain to you the relief and happiness I felt after unloading that evening. Simply by telling her my feelings, being able to let them go, all my hurt and anger just disappeared. It was one of the biggest life-lessons I learned that day. I did not once expect her to apologize for anything and she didn't have to because the problem had been me - not her. Letting go of that freed me. I just wish more people would learn to let go of their burdens that load them down, that tie them to the past. Those things can't be undone - but you can learn from them and move forward. It's always your choice.

Favorite Quote #3: No man is worth your tears, but the one who is, won't make you cry - anonymous. I have heard this one many times too, but Lordy, Lordy, it's so true. And let me tell you, I wasted a lot of tears. But as many a good country song say, you have to bless the broken road, dance the dance, and just live like you were dying - because when you do get there, Mr. Right will be waiting.

Now for a question about a quote...

If a rolling stone gathers no moss, then please explain to me why my ceiling fan can be running non-stop for a week, but when I turn it off, it is covered in dust???

Isn't that gross? Not my fan, but you get the idea of where I'm coming from...

Fireworks lit up the Sky!

I took these pictures on the Third of July at my sister's subdivision showing. It was a beautiful night, and the rain held off until the show was over - how nice of Mother Nature! I remember last year saying it was one of the mildest Fourths I could remember, but this one was down-right chilly! (OK, so it was the third - close enough!) Took these pictures with my hand-held camera and was pleased with the outcome. I guess I better be if the camera comes with a "fireworks" setting on it - I better get something for my money :)

The first three are my favorite of the bunch!

Dockdogs

A boy and his dog...

We have had our dog, Vegas, involved in dockdogs for over a year now. He really enjoys it, as do we. We have met a lot of really nice people who are involved in this sport who adore their dogs as much as we do. It's nice to know that there are other people out there that view their pet as more than just an animal, but as a member of the family.

We had tried other activities with our Australian Shepherd - agility (expensive and a lot lot lot of practice) and frisbee (cheap but if you have a stingy dog, well, just imagine trying to get the frisbee back...) We found dockdogs almost accidentally. We had gone to the end of the season Pool Paws for Humane Laws in Maryland Heights for a second try - the first year Vegas hated the water. Well, weren't we just tickled pink when he went bounding in the water like he hadn't a care in the world! He wasn't afraid of it at all, jumping off the side of the pool like an old pro!

So the following spring my hubby found a group in StL that gets together out in Wentzville for practice and we tried our hand at it. Vegas jumped right in for his toy the first time and couldn't wait to try it again. Mind you, he doesn't fly like the labs do (the best can easily reach over 20 feet). Our baby's best is just over 8 feet - but he's still learning. He has a problem with hesitating at the end of the dock before jumping off instead of going full force. Eventually with enough practice and when he builds up his confidence, he will figure it out and break 10 feet. And you can bet I will be standing on the sidelines crying like a fool because my puppy dog accomplished something huge!

Waiting our turn - and giving lovin' in the meantime.

Ultimate Air Dog Competition
at Purina Farms

First jump was better, second jump we seemed to skid a bit and lose our footing. All in all it was good practice at a fantastic facility.

Croc Virgin

I have a confession to make...I was a Croc virgin until this past weekend. I know! I can't believe it either. I kept thinking - they are a fad, they are going to go away, my husband can't stand them and he will kill me if I buy them. But all my friends were doing it, and I caved under the pressure and bought two pair at the outlet mall at the lake - a pair of chocolate and pink Cleos - LOVE them, and a pair of $1.99 bright red clearance crocs to wear around the yard when the dog needs to do his business.

My first pair of Crocs photo credit...

Now I have found on Common Sense with Money that they are having a Fun Giveaway Crocs Gift Certificate and all I can say is Wheee!!!!! Check it out here. I would love to buy another pair of Cleo slip on sandals in black and charcoal that would go with everything I own. Plus, it would be much easier to get away with wearing them to work without a frown being produced by my boss for my choice in footwear. Now, finding my size - 10 - is usually the biggest challenge there is... and hiding them from my husband :) yikes!!!