120/365 And she was ready for bed

I was supposed to go to bed early tonight.  That didn't happen.

Laundry.
Packing.
Grocery shopping for snacks.
Filling up the tank.

Tomorrow will come earlier than usual.  I'm traveling with the 5th graders on a three day field trip to Atlanta, Georgia and the buses will roll out at 6 a.m.  I'm pretty excited!

Now You
52 of You - Motion
17/52

119/365 A lot of nothing and a little bit of everything

A rainy afternoon and a visit from the people who will hopefully approve us to be foster parents.  A large chunk of the paperwork for the home study has been turned in and the first home visit was a success.

We were approved to be a visiting resource for a particular little girl from my school who was recently placed in temporary foster care.  If things go well, we will soon get to be her foster parents.

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that it will happen before the end of the school year.  I'm so ready for her to a part of our family.

118/365 We had fun and dim sum

Dim sum restaurants are pretty amazing places.  After eating too much food, we walked off the food coma at a huge farmer's market.  And then we drove the four hours to come home.

I guess that it is true -- all good things much come to an end.

It was a fun weekend!

117/365 Archie

Archie the cat wanted to go inside in the worst way.  He finally got happy that we were hanging out on the porch for a while.

East Atlanta Village is such a cool area!  We stayed with great friends this weekend and they live a block over from lots of restaurants and shops.  It was awesome!   Plus, they have an amazing house that was built in 1900.

It was a great Saturday!

116/365 We got to see Leon Russell

In Atlanta.  Staying with good friends.  And seeing Leon Russell.  Life is good.

I love my husband!  It was fun watching him reminisce during the concert.

115/365 Still better than wrestling an alligator

The alligator claws are still drying from the alligator my husband skinned a few weeks ago.  They are just creepy.  A weird addition to the geranium pot.  

But feet were on my mind today. 

I had an appointment with the podiatrist today.  Running marathons is so very hard on my toenails. 

And I don't want to talk about it anymore.

Just in time for sandal season. 

114/365 Inspiration

One of my needy students wasn't feeling well today so I let her sit with me while I ate lunch in our office kitchen.  She got very excited about the magnetic words on the refrigerator and I let her play while I ate.

The first thing she organized was "wish for love" and then "rainbows are the best."

She reminds me of all that is important.

113/365 Making a dent

Tonight, we worked on the paperwork to become foster parents.  I'm glad they are thorough but I swear childbirth was easier.

112/365 When she ran out of pots in the garden, she used other vessels as containers.

And why not?

This is my old Canon that dared to die on me a couple of years ago.  For some reason, I saved it -- then I had the idea to plant something in it and I decided to go with it.

111/365 Pink

More and more flowers are blooming in the yard.

110/365 Lunch crowd

Went to Jacksonville with the man to visit with his brother and his uncle and aunt.  Basically, we sat around and ate and talked.

109/365 Knocked down but getting back up again

Yesterday morning I woke my husband early because I had an African tribe doing a war dance in my head.  I don't remember ever having a headache so fierce before and I was unable to tolerate the light at all. All I could do was curl in a ball (as much of a ball as post-surgery would allow) and plead with the warriors to stop banging on their drums.

A little more than 24 hours has passed and finally it feels like the headache is moving out.  The doctor at the ER said it was probably a rebound headache from the pain meds.  Ironically, I hadn't taken many pain meds but I was gulping them down to get rid of the headache.

It made me want to say bad words.

I did take one picture through the window.  So this is it... the picture of the day -- a sweet cardinal as viewed through my headachey haze.

108/365 “Humans are divided between those who can still look through the eyes of youth and those who cannot.” ~ Dave Eggers

Today, I appreciated the sunlight.  And the blooms on the new tree.

I'm ready to be back in action.

107/365 Ground control

My station at the moment.
Sofa.
Pillows.
Comforter.
Laptop. Books. Journal.

I'm sore more than I anticipated.   But I'm ok.

106/365 Getting my cheer on

I took this picture with my fun (but oh so challenging) Lensbaby right before heading to the hospital.

The surgery was a success.  Everyone was so nice and I felt comfortable with the doctor -- though I barely remember seeing him.  When they woke me in the recovery room, apparently I asked them how the elephant was doing.  I don't recall the question or what prompted me to ask but it did humor the nursing staff.

Just a few hours later, I was home and sleeping on the sofa.  The sofa and I are bonding nicely.

Today, I am sore but it isn't unbearable -- though of course, I probably can thank the pain meds for that.

Thanks to all for the well wishes.  I am doing fine and my family (especially the man) has been so fabulous to me.

105/365 Have you ever seen the rain?

About to head out the door for the pre-op appointment.  The surgery is tomorrow.  My insides already feel shaky.

I know it will be ok.  It is just an out-patient surgery.  I need to forget what happened after the surgery in January 2012.

It didn't hurt to find a four-leaf clover.

Creedence Clearwater Revival has been playing in my head.  Trying to calm my nerves.

Someone told me long ago 
There's a calm before the storm,
I know
It's been comin for some time.

When it's over, so they say,
It'll rain a sunny day,
I know
Shinin down like water.

[Chorus]
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
I want to know, have you ever seen the rain
Comin down on a sunny day

Now You
52 of You - Music
15/52

104/365 Rainy day accomplishments

Slept in.
Read.
Did laundry.
Read.
Baked cookies.
Read.

It has been a great lazy day.

103/365 "If they give you ruled paper, write the other way." ~Juan Ramon Jimeniez

It was a day of traveling and hosting a family reunion. On the way back, my sister and I kept laughing from comments we made to each other -- just like when we were kids. The men in the front just kept looking at each other.

The wildfires several years ago made this land pretty chaotic. What was once rows and rows of pine trees is now rows and rows of... what looks to be pineapple.  Pineapple in south Georgia?!  Is that just crazy talk?

102/365 The things she said

The things she said today will haunt me.

"Wishes?" she said with a smile while tapping her cheek.  "Well, first I'd wish for a bed.  And then a pillow.  And then a box of crayons."

Oh the things I've taken for granted.

101/365 "Even the darkest night will end and the sun will rise." ~ Victor Hugo

It was a night of little sleep.
Restlessness.
The boy went back to the ER at 11:30 p.m.
He was home 3 hours later with a cauterized throat.
But peace knowing that he was ok.

My anxiety was then with me.
Calls were made to the doctor.
Tears were shed.
A surgery scheduled for Tuesday.

Work helped to keep my mind off medical issues.
Helped me remember that everything was going to be ok.

Still, I couldn't shake the tired eyes.
Really tired eyes today.

100/365 Just a little freaked out

This is the view from the Emergency Room waiting room.  My son's throat started bleeding some and they had told us if that happens to go to the ER.  So we went.  And waited.  And waited.  After several hours, the bleeding was minimal and we decided to go home.  If he were going to bleed out, he would have done so in the waiting room.

He'll go to the doctor in the morning.  I'll probably wake up and check on him all night long.

Besides worrying about the boy, I just discovered tonight (ironically, after we got back from the ER where we didn't see a doctor) that I have another umbilical hernia.  I felt something move today as I was moving boxes of the state tests to sort them out.

I just had that fixed a little over a year ago.  I think I'm just going to go to bed.

UPDATE:  The bleeding started again and he had to go back to the ER at 11:30 p.m.  My sweet husband (best husband ever) took him since he could sleep in today.

99/365 “Love is the only way to grasp another human being in the innermost core of his personality." ~ Victor Frankl

Currently, I love these yellow and white stripped flowers.  I have no idea what they are.  I just saw them at the garden center last week and had to have them.

Today marks my mom and step-dad's 36th anniversary.  My step-dad has been a wonderful father and he has been in my life since I was five.  Also, today, my step-dad had two stints placed in his heart to address two blocked valves.  He is doing well and will be home tomorrow.  We'll celebrate the anniversary this weekend.

98/365 Let's go!

Coming home for a few minutes.

And then right back out the door.
Love that orange bag the man bought for me this past weekend.
I think orange will match... everything!

97/365 “Live the full life of the mind, exhilarated by new ideas, intoxicated by the romance of the unusual.” ~ Ernest Hemingway

It was a busy Sunday as they often are.

Went for early long run.
Lunch with friends at the Indian restaurant (where else?).
Visited a friend in the hospital.
Cooked potato soup for the boy (his throat is still hurting but he is doing great from his tonsillectomy).
Did laundry.
Read and napped (my favorite part of the day).
Watered the plants.
Visited with my sister and her husband.

Tomorrow is back to work!  Spring break was awesome but it went by oh so fast.

96/365 The Color Run was fun!

My husband and I went to Atlanta yesterday so that I could run The Color Run (Happiest 5K on the Planet) with my cousin's wife and 24,000 other runners.  It was her first 5K and she did awesome!

95/365 Bradford Pear Blossoms

At least, I think these are Bradford Pear blossoms.

We went to Atlanta so that I could run the Color Run with my cousin's wife.  There were several things going on in Atlanta this weekend: The Color Run, a Braves game, The Final Four basketball games, and free concerts from several bands.  It was a whirlwind trip but fun!

The traffic was pretty horrible all the way to Atlanta.

 

 The hotel was clean and there was a friendly little note left on the headboard. 

94/365 Spring diptych

So I attempted to learn Bridge today. At first, I thought I could handle it.  And then I wondered why use Bridge when iPhoto does what I need for organizing.  And then I realized that somehow I'd deleted every single picture from my computer.  I had put them in the trash and emptied the trash.

I felt sick for a moment.  Until I remembered that I had just backed up my computer a couple of weeks ago.  So, I've only lost a couple of weeks of photos.  I can live with that.

I think I'm going to just stick with iPhoto.  It is far more intuitive and user friendly than Bridge.

93/365 Outpatient

My oldest son had outpatient surgery today to remove his tonsils.  He came through just fine and is already home and resting.  The first thing he said to me after they moved him back into the recovery room was, "It feels like they made a four lane in my throat."

That boy always has the best descriptives.

92/365 Things I love about the south

Oak trees

Warm weather

Sunshine

Lots of sunshine

Rows and rows of crops

And that my husband fished out a dead alligator from a friend's pond to bring home to skin.  It smelled gross but it made me laugh.

Belle was curious about the alligator with a bullet in it's head.

91/365 Getting ready

The man and I went shopping for new plants for our garden today.  Tomorrow is planting day and I'm so excited!

This ladybug seemed to give us her approval as we loaded up the truck. And then she flew away.