June 11, 2012 · 11:40 pm

I’m back!!!! (take 2)

In other words:

After all my crying today…look who returns!!! 😀 😀 What a day it has been! Not a very good day to say the least. Thanks to my mom for driving me to work and keeping me talking, all to lose it completely in cash office (and many other times during the day). As I sat there I thought of a song I knew growing up. It was a Psalty the Singing Songbook song. It is called, “Cares Chorus:”

I cast all my cares upon you

I lay all of my burdens

Down at your feet

And any time, I don’t know

What to do–I will cast all my cares upon you

I tried to remember that during the day but had a hard time focusing. It was the unknown; it was something I could not control and I was restless. I needed peace. St. Augustine wrote in his book, Confessions, “You have made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.”

God sure works in amazing ways. For me tonight…it was bringing Muffy home. I am so thankful!! Thank you for praying!  More on Colorado in the next few days! 🙂

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June 11, 2012 · 6:46 am

I’m back!

Hi all~

Colorado was amazing! It was spectacular, refreshing, full of family and friends and new memories! I am uploading my pictures now, then I have to get ready for work–so you will just have to sit tight for a few hours for more stories and pictures! 🙂

Can you please pray for Muffy. The neighbors only saw him once this week while they were feeding him. We have called and called for him…we searched for him last night (everywhere we could think of) and I just really am trying to keep hope that he will come back home. I know God knows where he is, but just would like to know for myself. Sounds selfish but I love that cat. He is so special to me. I am having a hard time thinking of anything else. I took this picture only a few days before we left. He loves being in the garden. His eyes make me laugh. 😎

Thanks for praying.

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May 31, 2012 · 2:32 am

Colorado

My thoughts the past few days have been consumed with memories. Colorado. Mmmm, it has been a long time since I have sat down and been totally overwhelmed with thoughts, especially of my favorite things, people and places. Sort of like a noun…a noun can be people, places, things or an idea. There is also proper nouns. Colorado. It sort of fits in all those categories! That is a pretty good noun!!!! 🙂

Blue skies, no humidity, snow peaks, sunsets, friends, family, and my favorite city in the world: Denver.

I love Denver. I loved the neighborhood I lived in…it put me ten minutes from the mountains and less than ten minutes from Downtown. People would ask where I was from. “Denver,” I replied. It sounded so cool. Denver is home of my favorite sports teams, coffee shops, and parks. I also thought the art museum was amazing, bonus free admission on the first Saturday of the month. Denver on the map makes sense. The streets are numbered horizontally and most streets going vertically go from farthest north to farthest south. Sometimes I would just get in my car and drive around the city. By the time I left, I was a city driver! I could even parallel park Downtown!

There is so much about Denver that I love. Most of my thoughts this week were of Denver. Of my “family” I left behind. Thoughts just came at different moments during the day…the fun memories, the bad memories, the places I visited often or drove past daily. College memories. Post-grad life. My old roommates and the times we had together. Walking across the street to my best friend’s apartment to hang out. My first paintings. Going to work in the morning with the sun rising in my rear view mirror…while I was looking towards the purple mountains and blue sky out of my front windshield. Hanging out with my downtown ministry on Thursdays…there is not a day that goes by where I do not think of those kids.

It is hard to believe that a whole year has come and gone. It was last year during this week that I was saying my goodbyes. The year has been a crazy one! Far more than I ever dreamed of, but still…Denver holds that title…”Home.” I think it will just always have that title.

But there is so much more of Colorado to see past the cities. Although I must say Colorado Springs was another favorite place!! You get past the cities to the small towns in the mountains (or at least surrounded by mountains). The ranches, cattle, crops, rodeos!!! My sister and I shared a room that faced the crops across the road. There was nothing like falling asleep to the sound and smells of fresh-cut barely to the hums of the combines. Then the cows in the pasture out back would take on the encore…not so beautiful. LOL.

Looking back, the town I grew up in was perfect. Growing up I did not think that way…it actually took moving to Denver for me to realize that fact. 🙂

Our hometown was like the song of Cheers…

Making your way in the world today takes everything you’ve got.

Taking a break from all your worries, sure would help a lot.

Wouldn’t you like to get away?

Sometimes you want to go,

Where everybody knows your name, and they’re always glad you came.

You wanna be where you can see, our troubles are all the same;

You wanna be where everybody knows Your name.

There are things of a small town that I love. For one, we knew everyone at school in all grades. Yes, that is possible…and we were not that small of a school but small enough. I still regularly chat with my close girlfriends from those days. Others will send me emails to ask how I am doing. I think that is special. Which brings me to the main point of small towns…everyone knows everything about everyone else. In other words, word travels fast. 🙂

There are so many fun things to do in the surrounding mountains. Every summer we would take a camping trip. Camping…in a tent and most of the time where there were no outhouses. Yeah, nature’s luxury at best. Hiking, canoeing, and my not so favorite of fishing. There is an old mining town about an hour away…that is my favorite mountain town!! In the summer, they set of 4th of July fireworks from the mountains above town. Sitting on a hill on the other side was always cold but had the greatest view. There were a bunch of tourist shops…best coffee and fudge around!

I am sure by now you might be wondering about all this random chat about Colorado. First, I think it is because I realize that God has his own unique way of answering my prayers. I wanted to move closer to family but did not realize at the time how hard adjusting would be after spending my whole life (minus the first 6 years) in Colorado. But looking back over the one year here, I have seen so much family! I love my family. And now part of my family is back in Colorado…talk about vacations!!! Whoo hoo!

Speaking of which, I should be packing. YES!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! THE TIME HAS COME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 😀 As of a few hours, I will be IN COLORADO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! My thoughts have been so consumed with this all weekend!!! I could not focus last night…so I sat down and read Psalm 139. It really is an amazing Psalm about God knowing us from even before we are born…he knows the plans he has for us (Jeremiah 29:11). I wanted to read this Psalm mostly because I wanted to control my anxious thoughts. Verse 23-24 says, “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; 24 And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way.”

So there I sat. I just started talking to God about all these things in my head…I was trying to plan out what I could see in my short time there…but my anxious thoughts were becoming overwhelming. It was almost like driving in the mountains but you spend the whole time reading a book (which I will refrain from doing. I am only taking it for the plane rides and for if we go fishing. 🙂 ) But do you see what I mean? I finally realized the best way to go to Colorado is to let go of my past memories and take in new ones. I can stop planning because I don’t have to see everything…there is not enough time anyway. But I can enjoy what I do see and the people I see it with. My anxious thoughts are calm, but I still can say, “I can’t wait!!!” 😀

P.S. I do hope to see one of these. 😀

We liked this song growing up:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwARpaKHx_w

References:

http://www.denverartmuseum.org/

http://www.lyricsondemand.com/tvthemes/cheerslyrics.html

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Psalm+139&version=NASB

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May 24, 2012 · 11:07 pm

Spring Paintings.

Hey all! It has been a while since I posted some pictures of recent paintings. I took six more paintings into the coffee shop today! (https://mylifewithnf2.com/2012/04/13/friday-the-13th/‎). They will be on display starting next week. I am really excited about the extra time to display my artwork. I painted some summer theme sets, but decided I am not going to show the pictures on here yet…I will 😀 just not yet. Here are the ones from the past month that have been on display for a few weeks.

Summit Venture

18×24

Blooming Bird of Paradise

8×10

Genesis

8×10

Celebration

11×14

Polka dot Poppies

8×10

Ocean’s Tide

8×10

Summer Blaze

12×12

Do you have a favorite? Or any you don’t like? I am trying to keep my abstract style but use different techniques and themes to broaden my horizons. (My dad would be proud of me for saying that phrase.) 🙂 Let me know what you think. Sometimes I feel stuck in a rut–like in a certain style or brush stroke or colors and so it is nice to hear some different ideas.

I have a lot to think about and sort out regarding my paintings…now being for sale and all. When I first started, I was painting for friends and family. The thought of selling my paintings made me feel like taking profit for the gifts God has clearly given me. Kind of made me have this weird feeling when I thought about it, so I just pushed it off. Then God started opening doors.

I want to use my paintings to not only encourage others with my story, but also with giving back to non-profits I support. If you could keep me in your prayers as to what areas God wants me to give back to, I would appreciate it.

This is the start of a whole new chapter in my paintings. I am nervous and excited. Nervous that I will start to ridicule myself instead of painting with passion. Excited to share my paintings and story with more people…getting out of my comfort zone. Excited to give back because God has blessed me with so much.

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May 22, 2012 · 12:00 am

Chewing and digesting.

I just recently finished two books. One was an autobiography and the other fiction. But they were both captivating, inspiring, and in my category of, “I can’t put this book down!”, sort of books!! Literally. Last night I was up until wee hours in the morning reading. I only stopped because I was getting uncomfortable and my eye was twitching. But it was worth it!!

Some books are to be tasted, others to be swallowed, and some few to be chewed and digested: that is, some books are to be read only in parts, others to be read, but not curiously, and some few to be read wholly, and with diligence and attention.  ~Sir Francis Bacon

I learned from these two books. It might not be a learning as in something new, rather penetrating thoughts that lead to more exploration and deepening of faith. I usually don’t write reviews on my Good Reads, because even if it is a fantastic book, I sometimes do not have the words to describe all that I read. I know with these two books that I must get over that obstacle. Not that I have to write little reviews for all the books I read, but for me, it will help gather my thoughts together. I think these books, which are so different and yet follow a parallel path, need to be chewed and digested. I do not want to read just for a hobby. I want to read in order to learn, to grow, to process lingering thoughts, to share, to encourage others, to come closer to God.

God Smuggler by Brother Andrew

Brother Andrew’s story reminded me a bit if George Muller’s story. Both men of deep faith with no income, who trusted God for their needs and never went hungry, unclothed or in any financial trouble. They were men of prayer. Muller ran an orphanage–Brother Andrew smuggled Bibles to countries behind the Iron Curtain in the 50’s-70’s at the height of the Cold War. He shared his story of his younger years. His father was a deaf, hard-working man. His mother was frail and set in faith. Brother Andrew lived through World War II and all the oppression during the scope of the war. He joined the Dutch army and set out for the East Indies, only to return as a wounded man, not just physically but spiritually. When Brother Andrew turned to Christ, his life changed drastically. He went to school to be a missionary and then God sent him on a mission of sharing God’s word and encouragement to a widespread of areas: Yugoslavia, Czechoslovakia (before 1993’s peaceful split), Germany, Russia, China, Cuba and a few others. He even had to go through Greece on one of his trips and drove past Phillipi. I have been there!!! I could see it in my mind as he talked about the ruins. Very neat.

Brother Andrew asked God to make seeing eyes blind. God answered his prayers. This book reached my heart to show me that I can pray for the impossible. God answers impossible prayers…in his own time, with his majesty and power. To be blunt, I do not pray for my own healing. I stopped in high school. In college when I finally accepted who I am regarding everything, I figured I did not have to pray for healing, because I knew that this was the road in which God was leading me. Only one friend in my life has ever questioned me about this subject. He could not take an “I don’t know why I don’t pray for healing” for an answer. I had to dig deep. His words cut through my heart, but what he was saying to me in love was the truth–I could trust God with the impossible. I still do not pray for healing as if it were a huge portion. I pray in smaller, bite-sized portions. God is amazing me with his timing and mercy in the smaller things. I know that my faith can deepen still, so when the time comes, I too can pray for a miracle.

Leota’s Garden by Francine Rivers

I usually shy away from Christian fiction. Only up until this year did I start picking up a few that actually caught my interest as they were intertwined with historical places and people. Ok, if you want to know it was the Winslow Breed Series by Gilbert Morris. I was more interested in them because they were storied around the time of King Henry VII, Queen Elizabeth, and King James. But they turned out to be greater than I expected!

I found River’s book on the bookshelf in the study room. It was thick. Four hundred and twenty-three pages. It was not even the cute cover or the summary on the back that made me want to read it. I just wanted a good thick book to take on our travels, so I could read on the airplane rides and in the cabin we are staying at in the mountains. 😀 Just looked like that style of book fit for a vacation. I opened it just casually and read the first few pages. Two days later the book is finished! Guess I need to find another good book for our trip. I should put a lock on the next one. 😉

I really, really enjoyed this book! Francine Rivers seems to bring in an array of aspects of our society into one book. I will try to do my best of explaining without spoiling anything. There are many characters in this book. Anne-Lynn, or Annie, is eighteen and desires to follow God but is living with a verbally abusive mother who is in her third marriage. Corban is in a big league college studying Sociology and needs to finish his term paper, but needs a case study. Leota has a broken family. She is old and lives alone in the ghetto neighborhood in Oakland. Her garden has not been touched in years and only talking with the Lord keeps her company. Through the course of the plot these characters start on a new journey. Each character that Rivers writes brings in another aspect to the bigger picture. Annie’s friends, Leota’s neighbors and children, Corban’s girlfriend. Each person has their own personality, worldview and problems. As the story progresses, you see that their paths were not just coincidence. They were God designed.

The story touches subjects that are hard to embrace: poverty, abuse, AIDS and cancer, hatred and grudges, pride, selfishness, war, abortion, euthanasia injections, benefits and burdens quarrels, money (rich and poor), power and greed. It showed the sinful nature. It showed our human nature. The situations these characters live through are not just fiction…they are things that go on in the world we live in…and only God can fix the mess. He already did fix the mess. The light of salvation is what shines in the darkness. The story that started as so painful turned into something beautiful. Rivers wrote about the hard subjects…I think it made it so real. By the end of the story, I thought I knew how it would end. “Typical Christian fiction” ending I thought. It did not. It ended even better than I imagined. It was a story of truth and forgiveness. A story of hope.

This book would be a great recommendation for any ladies study group. My mom had read the book (and loved it), so I had some discussions with her and I was so thankful for that! It left my mind so open of thoughts that I needed to share them with someone who knew the story. The book sparked a few memories of my past. Things I said in anger, things I regret. God’s love holds no room for guilt and shame. I must forgive myself, because I have asked for forgiveness from those I hurt and from God. It is like weeding the garden. Taking time to prune, to moisten the hard soil, to nurture. The fruit we bring forth is a reflection of how it is planted, grown and nurtured. I want to grow good fruit. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing,” John 15:5.

If anyone has read Leota’s Garden or even Brother Andrew’s book, I would love to hear your thoughts about them!

References:

http://www.quotationspage.com/quote/2856.html

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May 18, 2012 · 10:07 pm

Running the Race.

Last week, I finished Kathy Van Riper’s autobiography called, A Race Worth Running. A friend had given me the book as a birthday present last year and I put off reading it for obviously a good year. I am not sure if that was God timing, but I think I got more out of it now–being a year later–as I have been through a bit more experiences in my physical body, such as the blood clot. I was so emotional reading the book that after I finished I was talking with my mom and just started crying (a variety of things), but I pointed to the book on the couch and said, “I don’t know why this book has made me so emotional.” Mom looked at me and said, “Probably because you can relate to what she went through.”

I thought about this. It is probably true. If you compared my life to Kathy’s life, there are some extreme differences: she was married, had two kids, battled an extreme case of breast cancer for ten years, and lived in CA her whole life–and yet we also had similarities: We both loved running (I can’t physically anymore, but love walking!); we both had treatments on the same chemo called Avastin (although she went through ten other different chemo treatments; I have only been through two.) We both had a blood clot with all the blood thinner shots and pills that follow; we both lost our hair; we both had radiation; we both were (and I still am) supported by an amazing circumference of family and friends who love endlessly and share support during the good and bad times; we both had to switch hospitals and doctors after years of care offered by another one; and we both have faith. Kathy’s faith is now complete. I am still on the journey.

Kathy’s “life verse” was Hebrews 12:1-2,

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

I put in bold the phrase that she quoted most often in her journal entries that were at the end of the book. Kathy was a runner. Unlike myself who ran cross-country in high school but hated the races, Kathy thrived in races–anything from 5k, 10k to marathons. Whether you run or not, running as if in a race is almost the strength and perseverance mind-set for life: “[Forgetting] what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 3:13b-14.

When I ran cross-country in high school, training was what got me through the races. For training, we would run on a variety of things during the week: grass, sidewalks through town, and other times, run up the mountain. I remember this one place…not quite sure where exactly in the mountains…but all of a sudden after you “warmed up” running the road, it just turned into a straight shot up the mountain. Rocks everywhere, so steep. It was literally a “breath-taking” view! 🙂 Coach always encouraged us to never stop. Never. So even though I was bringing up the rear end of the team while running slower than most people’s walking speed, I never stopped. After you got over that huge steep hill, things leveled out. Sure, it was still a mountain, but it was more like the hiking paths and less gruesome. Even after all this training, sometimes during the races I would want to give up. But then I would remember and say to myself, “Pull yourself together. You trained harder than this.” And I would not stop. Mental determination. The finish line was my goal. And that was the best part, because as you near the end you start to hear the cheers from everyone at the finish line. You pick up the pace, knowing that the finish line was just ahead. You forgot about the rest of the race…how much pain or how many people passed you. You strived to the end with all strength left in you. The verse that was so special to Kathy fit her life–her personality, her faith, and her race against cancer. The common phrase for people who have died from cancer is, “They lost the fight.” Indeed, our lives are worth fighting for but after reading Kathy’s book…I would not say that she lost the fight. Rather, she finished her race.

“Pressing on towards the goal”–I have shared Kathy’s favorite verse. I would like to share with you now my favorite verse. It is from II Corinthians 12:9-10,

But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.  For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

I had started running in the 7th grade…slacked off here and there, and in college, I started going to the gym every night. Not much kept me from the gym each night in college. I think it was my own way of “pressing on” during those times. I loved it. Something happened after I graduated, I stopped exercising every night and lost a little determination for a bit. I lived close to some different parks in my neighborhood and started walking there. I loved seeing the season changes and talked to God while I walked a few miles. My old job was also connected to a mall which had an indoor mile lap and I would often walk during my lunch breaks. Please understand me when I say this…as this pertains to my life and mental determination: When I either give up exercising, or can’t exercise from health reasons, I see a change. Like my attitude changes about how I see things in life…big struggles seem even harder, and even little things seem so hard. I told my mom about Kathy’s life during our conversation that night I finished the book–how she would go on mile runs a few days after chemo treatments. I said, “I don’t think I could do that,” as if it made me feel guilty for not getting out for walks lately or getting a few other things done that were stacking up in my room (which it sort of did). Mom said I didn’t have to. We were all made different.

Then I thought back to times in Denver. I worked Thursday-Saturday eight hour shifts. The weeks of chemo I worked Thursday, chemo Friday and then back to work Saturday-Sunday. Regardless of how much I tried to talk to work about changing this schedule, it never did. For months this happened. I think that is where my favorite verses really set in…”When I am weak, then I am strong,” because it was almost my reminder of my semester in college when I was on chemo pills. I don’t know how I got out of bed then, or on the weekends of work after chemo. Definitely not on my own…but on God’s strength.

The thing is, most people look at me and say the exact thing of what I said about Kathy’s life, “I don’t think I could do that.” And I would tell you, “You don’t have to. We are all made different.” God gives me strength to endure, just like he gave his strength to Kathy. He gives it according to our need. I think that is what makes life so special. We all have our own race–our own life worth running…enduring through pain, encouraging others and in return receiving it, rejoicing with those who have crossed the finish line, and striving for what lies ahead.

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May 17, 2012 · 2:54 pm

Chickpea Nibble Recipe

I think the Disney movie, Ratatouille, made a great point: “Anyone can cook.” Although there are some such as myself who stretch the line a bit, it is a great motto for any persons new in the kitchen. In the movie, Remy (a rat) helps the new garbage boy, Linguini (sounds like a pasta, lol), to create wonderful recipes while in secret working from under Linguini’s toque. I always laugh when Linguini runs around the kitchen holding up spices to his hat so Remy can smell them. HAHA. 😀 Although I cannot run around the kitchen and smell things, I did decide to try a recipe I found in an old Martha Stewart Living Magazine.

Ready for more name humor? The recipe is called “Chickpea Nibble.” 🙂 I just found that so funny, I actually took time to read the small paragraph of the recipe. It seemed so simple, so I put it to the test. They turned out EXCELLENT! So delicious! Here is the recipe:

Ingredients:

19 oz can of chickpeas [I used two 15 oz cans and it worked just fine!]

2 Tbs of extra-virgin olive oil

1/2 tsp of salt

A pinch of ground pepper [but I added a good-sized amount because I love pepper!]

1/2 tsp of your favorite dried herb or spice [I chose oregano]

Instructions

Drain, rinse and pat dry the chickpeas.

Toss in a bowl with the other ingredients listed above.

Spread them in a single layer on a rimmed baking sheet. [I had put down parchment paper on the bottom of the pan, which was so genius!]

Cook at 300 degrees and stir occasionally until they have browned and begin to crisp. [The recipe says it would be around 50 minutes but mine took a little over an hour. Just keep checking them and taste testing. There is a difference when they start crisping.]

That’s it!!!! So easy and SO GOOD! Healthy too. 🙂 I like to eat them plain, but tonight we are going to finish them with salads!! Big salads of different greens, tomatoes, mushrooms, onions and I hope the big red pepper I just noticed in the refrigerator!!! Yum!!!

I guess I will end with a little reversion of what I remember Martha Stewart saying on her tv show (back before the new show…I am talking the OLD show! I thought they were so cool to watch!) I am going to quote this, just because it is my own version, so don’t take it as one of her real quotes. 😀

“With summer sneaking in with longer days of sunshine and green grass, the days of barbeques out on the patio served with potato salads and all sorts of goodies–remember this delicious and simple recipe. These chickpeas are sure to bring delight to all your guests whether served in a small dish or on the salad. It’s a good thing!!” 😀

*Martha Stewart Living Magazine. “Chickpea Nibble.” March 2007, page 72.

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May 14, 2012 · 12:00 am

I love you, Mom!!!!

Yesterday, I tried painting outside.  I decided next time I might just stay inside. 🙂 While I enjoyed a whole afternoon outside with my family, I did not enjoy flies landing on my wet boards, my paint drying too fast as I was trying to paint, and finding a spider crawling on my shorts. I just so happened to be painting with red! I voiced my “Mel scream”–just a big AAHHHH!!!!–and hit my leg with my red paintbrush a few times. I don’t think I killed it (although my shorts and shirt say otherwise), but at least I got it off me! Yuck. I am no fan of spiders! 😛

Otherwise, I did a set of paintings that turned out pretty neat. At first, I was not liking the colors. Somehow they looked better in my mind when I was planning them, but when I put the beads on later, then it turned out really different!! I like it. The beads are not glued on yet, because I ran out of glue. When they are set on, you can make the paintings stand up; they are wooden boxes, not canvases.

 I painted the “o” with a sponge! 🙂

My mom has the gift to see the potential in things. Yesterday, it was a small painting I was trying to do for a friend. I came in the kitchen and said, “See,” with disgust. Mom looked at it and said, “Let me think of some different ideas.” 🙂 Moms are great for that. You hand them anything you make that is not worth the potential and they see beauty in it. We would make Mom bird houses out of milk cartons when we were little and she thought they were great.

Today is Mother’s Day! Happy Mother’s Day to my grandmas! Thank you for your love and godly influence in my life. Happy 1st Mother’s Day to my dear friend–Auntie Mel can’t wait to meet Baby M!!!! 😀 And Happy Mother’s Day to my mom! You are my best friend! Thanks for listening to my thoughts, day of work stories, frustrations and tears, laughs, tacky jokes and questions. Thanks for spoiling Muffy, being with me at appointments, all the times you drove to Denver for chemo and to do fun things. The week we spent at the Hyatt (thank you Broncos!), which were the days before iPhones and GPS…all the wrong turns and one way streets. 🙂 Thank you for the encouraging notes, prayers and Bible verses that bring me hope on the days I have none. The list could go on. I love you so much, more than I could ever write on a blog post. XOXO

My first Mother’s Day

The first time Mom and I were together in Denver was in 5th grade. She was a chaperone for my class field trip to the Capitol and Nature & Science Museum. She bought me a necklace from the souvenir shop. I still have it. 🙂

Right after my surgery, December 2008, to place in my medi-port for the IV chemo treatments I had during that spring of 2009.

Right after a chemo session, 2010. We went to the Art Museum for the King Tut exhibit. Mom was pushing me in a wheel chair and I fell asleep. 🙂 Which was a bummer, because it was such a cool exhibit! Oh well. We hope to go the Pompeii exhibit in Cincinnati soon!

Most recent picture.

❤

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Filed under Family Times, Funny Stories, Hospital Trips, Muffy, Paintings

May 11, 2012 · 10:04 pm

[pruh-nuhn-see-ey-shuhn]

This week has been a good week. I restarted a few hours of cashier shifts. Let me clarify that…I said I would do a max of 2 hours cashier each shift. I am so glad I said that because it ended up being more exhausting than I realized. Or maybe it was due to late (LATE) nights on the weekend, because my sister was officially home from college. Much cheer. 😀 Either way, I found Tuesday’s 2 hours in cash office/2 hours of cashier consuming my energy. I came home that afternoon and found myself sitting on my bed watching a bit of tv shows on Hulu while I worked on a wedding gift. Wednesday, I just came home and took a full nap! 😀 I had today off! I am so glad! It was BEAUTIFUL outside!!! I went with my mom on some errands, picked up my bridesmaid dress for a wedding in June (more to come on that in a bit!), took a walk around campus in town and read a lot! I am finishing up an amazing book. I want to tell you about it now, but there are so many thoughts in my head and emotions that I think it is best to finish it (almost done!) and then share my thoughts. It was one of those books where once I started it, I could not put it down!! Good thing I started it Wednesday evening. I only worked 2 hours yesterday, so most of the day otherwise was spent reading. 😀

Yesterday, I got my new glasses! I think they are superb!!! And totally cute too! Here are the sides. Note the lack of eyebrows and perfect eyelashes. 😀

And here is the front:

I got a comment from a friend that they were my “librarian look” glasses. Now, people might think of this as a strange comment, but anyone who knows me–knows that I think librarians are cool (most anyway). CCU librarians probably thought I was an obnoxious student, because even if they were sitting at the desk, I would still come up and ring the bell. LOL. That is my favorite part! 😀 I thought about being a librarian. Who knows. Maybe someday I will be. But for now, I have a few things I need to work on. One–not so much that I talk loud (which is a no-no in public libraries–at least the one in my neighborhood at Denver), but I talk TOO much! So, I need to control my talking, especially when books or my favorite subjects are concerned. A librarian listens and offers good recommendations (and doesn’t reveal the entire plot or ending of books to people). 😉

Also, if I were wanting to be a librarian, I would need to take a bit more caution on my pronunciation of words. I think what is hard for me is that I do not always hear the correct sound when someone is saying the word. Or, I say it like I am reading it. Or, I just don’t know the word and the first time I say it, I say it how it is spelled. Other times, I just get my words mixed up or something with lip-reading is involved. Maybe part of it is my talking too fast or now that my lips move a bit slower on the left side (I now spit when I speak…embarrasing!) maybe that affects my speech. The latter is a bit more an excuse. I have a history with getting my words mixed up or pronouncing things wrong. The first one I remember saying wrong is when I was in junior high…maybe freshman year of high school. I was discussing hair with my dad. Not sure why we were having this conversation, but I was telling him how he should get a toupee though I said: “Dad, you should get a tapoo!” My dad was confused and asked, “What is a tapoo?” I said, “You know…” while pointing to my head. Thankfully, Dad thought it was hilarious and that was the last time I mentioned anything to my dad about a new hairstyle! 🙂

Another time, we were driving through town and I noticed a new shop that opened on Main Street. I said, “Look! Corner Mercantile.” But I pronounced it as “mer-can-til-ee”. My mom liked that one. Once in college, my roommate and I were getting ready to call it a day. She had the top bunk and I slept on the bottom bunk. I was always up later than she was so I thought she was already asleep. I had already taken out my hearing aids and taken my glasses off (the time when I feel a bit like Helen Keller) and my roommate turned over and sat up. Pretty much startled me and she asked if I could get her the vaseline from her desk drawer. Of course I read vaseline clear as day (I had her bend her head down and I stood on my tiptoes to read her lips), but for some odd reason when I opened the drawer, I grabbed the sticky notes. Confused in my brain, I went back to the bunk beds and said, “For some odd reason, ‘vaseline’ looks like ‘sticky notes’ when you read lips.” [It doesn’t. LOL] My roommate said, “That’s because I did ask for the vaseline!” HAHA. We laughed so hard about that one for a long time.

After I graduated, I roomed with several roommates over a year and a half. The last girls I lived with were really fun and made my last of Denver a great experience. I remember one time I had chemo on Friday, December 30th. I went to work the next day (yes, more to come on that in the post about the book!) and as I got home, they invited me to attend Downtown Denver with them for Cheesecake Factory and fireworks. I knew I was tired and cold, but I thought I could attend the fun. We rode the metro to the 16th street mall (first time metro ride for me), but it was not a fun experience. I got such bad cramps, I felt sick! I knew I was having a bathroom problem, so I told the roommate sitting next to me that I was about to be sick and needed to find a bathroom asap when we got off. We found a Walgreens, but they don’t have public restrooms (ugh!) So, we found a Starbucks not too far from there and thanks to the compassionate girls in line, they let me cut and that was that. My hands were so cold, I could not button my pants and just tried to buckle my belt tight. I came out in tears and my dear roommate (her boyfriend was there too) offered to take me back home. 🙂 Anyway, back to pronunciation–two of my roommates worked for a coffee shop called, The French Roaster. They had awesome White Peach ice tea. I went in a lot to read and have tea. Once, I decided to go for breakfast. I was reading the menu and decided to try something new. My roommate’s friend took my order (my roommate later told me this) but I said, “I will try your cinnamon crepes.” But I pronounced it as “creeps.” How was I supposed to know the French italic pronunciation?? LOL. I was so embarrassed after that when I saw the girl. She was so kind about it though and we had a good laugh.

The most recent one, I have to admit was only a few weeks ago. My mom and I were driving back from an appointment and we passed some restaurants, one being a Thai Asian place. My older sister has Celiac disease, so she is not allowed to eat any glutton or wheat products. I know her and her husband love Asian food and so I said, “Too bad she isn’t here so we can go to the Thai food place.” Except I pronounced it as “thigh.” Oops! 😀 Needless to say, we had a good laugh about that one!!! There have been many others, but I can’t think of anymore at the moment. Maybe with more intellectual looking glasses, my phase of mispronunciation will pass. Here’s to hoping. 🙂

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May 8, 2012 · 4:59 pm

Jungle Jim’s

Now, if you are like me…the first thing that comes to mind when someone says “Jungle gyms” is a playground. 🙂 In a different context: Yesterday my sister, her friend and I went to Cincinnati. To Jungle Jim’s!!!! It is a huge international grocery store! What a great time!!!

When you first walk in, you enter the olives and cheese section. It was actually my favorite section! Next time I go, I am going to dedicate more time trying samples of all these cheeses from around the world! Very cool!!!

Melissa…this is for you! 🙂

I thought this cheese section was neat, mostly because my first job was milking sheep. Yep…three summers in high school and that was my job! It was stinky, disgusting and a good time all together!

We decided to check out the restrooms. After all, they seemed world famous!

 

HAHA!!

After that…you walk around and see just about everything! Different nuts, coffees and teas, fruits, veggies, candies, meats, shelf items…all these things from different cultures and areas of the world.

Above: Celery root.

I forgot to write this one down. Reminded me of the fish, Bloat, on Finding Nemo. 🙂

Red bananas and sugar cane.

I am not sure what these were either.

Dried squid.

Lobsters.

I had a short visit back to Greece. 🙂

I bought the Swedish cookies. Delicious!

The Asian food section.

Wooden shoes in the Holland section. Then my camera battery died. 😦

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We had a good time! If you plan a trip, reserve a few hours. There is so much to see! We did not even go out to the garden section where they had all sorts of different plants and flowers.  Next time I hope to see that as well.

While we were walking around, my mom text me and told me the results of my MRI scans for the brain and neck. They are stable!!!!! 😀 Another big praise!!! Thank you for your prayers!

Off to enjoy a beautiful evening!

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