I hope everyone had a wonderful holiday -- those of you who celebrate U.S. Thanksgiving! Jon and I visited my family in Nebraska. Over the weekend, my mom's family came to celebrate Thanksgiving and my grandparents' 60th wedding anniversary. We spent time at a very nice cabin in Mahoney State Park about thirty minutes' drive from Omaha. I was so thankful to see all my relatives that I hadn't been able to visit with since our wedding, and at that time I was so busy with planning and all that I hardly got to spend time with them!
This season reminded me how thankful I am for all of my families and friends and their support.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Sunday, November 14, 2010
Little News
I've been working on some crochet projects for holiday gifts and doing some sketching lately. Last night husband and I went on a date, yay! Weather is kind of dreary today. I'm looking forward to spending time with my family in Omaha for U.S. Thanksgiving. My husband will be there with me from November 20th to November 27th, and I don't leave Omaha until December 11th.
Thursday, November 11, 2010
Veterans and Remembrance Day
Veterans Day (U.S.), also known as Remembrance Day (Canada) is observed on the 11th of November to recall the official end of World War I on that date in 1918 and to serve as a sober reminder of all that our veterans have sacrificed and to support servicemen and women.
Thank you, veterans both U.S. and Canadian, for your service, whether you served years ago, recently served, or are currently serving in the military.
Canadians here wear poppies in honor of their veterans. The red poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem In Flanders Fields. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war.
In Flanders fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Thank you, veterans both U.S. and Canadian, for your service, whether you served years ago, recently served, or are currently serving in the military.
Canadians here wear poppies in honor of their veterans. The red poppy has become a familiar emblem of Remembrance Day due to the poem In Flanders Fields. These poppies bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their brilliant red colour an appropriate symbol for the blood spilled in the war.
In Flanders fields the poppies grow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
Thankful... Part I
I am thankful for my families and my friendships, both near and far, face to face and across the distance of the internet. And although some relationships may not maintain the same level of closeness as people grow and interests change, as new challenges arrive and new families are created, as new relationships flourish and life hands us things unexpected, I firmly believe that every person we meet leaves an impression on our lives. I am thankful for those experiences and the things they've taught me. Each person becomes a thread in the weave of the lives they touch, and therefore make up a part of that person, whether just a few stitches or a whole section of tapestry.
FOOTPRINTS
Some people come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same.
Some people come into our lives
and quickly go... Some stay for awhile
and embrace our silent dreams.
They help us become aware
of the delicate winds of hope...
and we discover within every human spirit
there are wings yearning to fly.
They help our hearts to see that
the only stairway to the stars
is woven with dreams...
and we find ourselves
unafraid to reach high.
They celebrate the true essence
of who we are...
and have faith in all
that we may become.
Some people awaken us
to new and deeper realizations...
for we gain insight
from the passing whisper of their wisdom
Throughout our lives we are sent
precious souls...
meant to share our journey
however brief or lasting their stay
they remind us why we are here.
To learn... to teach... to nurture... to love
Some people come into our lives
to cast a steady light
upon our path and guide our every step
their shining belief in us
helps us to believe in ourselves.
Some people come into our
lives to teach us about love...
The love that rests within ourselves.
Let us reach out to others
and feel the bliss of giving
for love is far richer in action
that it ever is in words.
Some people come into our lives
and they move our souls to sing
and make our spirits dance.
They help us to see that everything on earth
is part of the incredibility of life...
and that it is always there
for us to take of its joy.
Some people come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same.
~Flavia Weedn
FOOTPRINTS
Some people come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same.
Some people come into our lives
and quickly go... Some stay for awhile
and embrace our silent dreams.
They help us become aware
of the delicate winds of hope...
and we discover within every human spirit
there are wings yearning to fly.
They help our hearts to see that
the only stairway to the stars
is woven with dreams...
and we find ourselves
unafraid to reach high.
They celebrate the true essence
of who we are...
and have faith in all
that we may become.
Some people awaken us
to new and deeper realizations...
for we gain insight
from the passing whisper of their wisdom
Throughout our lives we are sent
precious souls...
meant to share our journey
however brief or lasting their stay
they remind us why we are here.
To learn... to teach... to nurture... to love
Some people come into our lives
to cast a steady light
upon our path and guide our every step
their shining belief in us
helps us to believe in ourselves.
Some people come into our
lives to teach us about love...
The love that rests within ourselves.
Let us reach out to others
and feel the bliss of giving
for love is far richer in action
that it ever is in words.
Some people come into our lives
and they move our souls to sing
and make our spirits dance.
They help us to see that everything on earth
is part of the incredibility of life...
and that it is always there
for us to take of its joy.
Some people come into our lives
and leave footprints on our hearts
and we are never ever the same.
~Flavia Weedn
Monday, November 8, 2010
So Sick and Tired of Being Sick and Tired!
Well... mostly just the sick part... which makes me tired. Other apt article titles escape me at the moment.
I've got two little gallstones creating a whole mess of trouble. The attacks increased in the past week, which worried my mom (who is a nurse practitioner) because when you have loose gallstones, there's always a chance of the ornery little guys blocking the bile duct and that requires immediate surgical intervention. So she told me to go to the ER. We did... and to sum up the weekend, waiting is the operative word. Waiting. And waiting. And more waiting.
Long story short, the little guys aren't blocking my bile duct; they're just being the roly-poly irritants that they are, wobbling about and angering things up. Prescription painkillers (the doctor couldn't believe I hadn't already been on them; I probably should have seen the family doctor for some) should get me through until paid health care kicks in mid-January and then I will have a surgery to remove the whole geddup: gall bladder removal, yep. Apparently I don't need it that much!
So I'm super picky right now about what I eat... low-fat diet is an absolute must if I don't want to be doubled over in pain for a night... and I'm doing pretty good about that. I find that my favorite restaurant's food (Japanese) seems to be really easy on my tummy so that's a hurray for me! Also find myself craving vegetables lately, and not really having a sweet tooth at all, so that's something unusual, too. (I rarely find the thought of chocolate nauseating, but for some reason, right now, I do.)
Now the only issue is that I think I'm getting some sort of kick-back from the pain medication; I'm having pretty bad headaches. It could just be tension from all the craziness -- but even a migraine prescription medication only held it at bay for 6-8 hours and I try to use that stuff sparingly (it's expensive AND it makes you feel pretty nauseated, too). So I'm taking some extra caffeine this morning and working on drinking a ton today to rehydrate (they made me not drink or eat for the ultrasound since midnight the night before, but I had to wait so long at the hospital that I went more than 12 hours without food/drink on Saturday).
Thus ends my complaining-about-my-health post. Needless to say, with all this in play, I haven't been getting much done. :(
I've got two little gallstones creating a whole mess of trouble. The attacks increased in the past week, which worried my mom (who is a nurse practitioner) because when you have loose gallstones, there's always a chance of the ornery little guys blocking the bile duct and that requires immediate surgical intervention. So she told me to go to the ER. We did... and to sum up the weekend, waiting is the operative word. Waiting. And waiting. And more waiting.
Long story short, the little guys aren't blocking my bile duct; they're just being the roly-poly irritants that they are, wobbling about and angering things up. Prescription painkillers (the doctor couldn't believe I hadn't already been on them; I probably should have seen the family doctor for some) should get me through until paid health care kicks in mid-January and then I will have a surgery to remove the whole geddup: gall bladder removal, yep. Apparently I don't need it that much!
So I'm super picky right now about what I eat... low-fat diet is an absolute must if I don't want to be doubled over in pain for a night... and I'm doing pretty good about that. I find that my favorite restaurant's food (Japanese) seems to be really easy on my tummy so that's a hurray for me! Also find myself craving vegetables lately, and not really having a sweet tooth at all, so that's something unusual, too. (I rarely find the thought of chocolate nauseating, but for some reason, right now, I do.)
Now the only issue is that I think I'm getting some sort of kick-back from the pain medication; I'm having pretty bad headaches. It could just be tension from all the craziness -- but even a migraine prescription medication only held it at bay for 6-8 hours and I try to use that stuff sparingly (it's expensive AND it makes you feel pretty nauseated, too). So I'm taking some extra caffeine this morning and working on drinking a ton today to rehydrate (they made me not drink or eat for the ultrasound since midnight the night before, but I had to wait so long at the hospital that I went more than 12 hours without food/drink on Saturday).
Thus ends my complaining-about-my-health post. Needless to say, with all this in play, I haven't been getting much done. :(
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