This Perfectly Imperfect Life

I realize this is a process we all go through as we get, heh hum, older, but I think it may happen sooner than expected for many who are living with disease, like me.  When the holidays get closer, especially once Halloween is over, I miss the retail industry. In one area of my past, I ran retail businesses, from mom & pop shops (my favorite) to big box chain stores. It was exhausting work, not always the most rewarding (apologies, but the customer is *not* always right), but overall I enjoyed it and excelled at it.   My favorite part of it all was when I worked in the mom & pop shops doing merchandising. Creating themed displays and windows, especially during the holidays, was so much fun! I think it's what I miss the most. A creatively productive outlet that was fulfilling.  I always thought I would end up owning my own retail business. Garden nursery, books, office supplies, decorations. Something along those lines. Or a retail merchandising business where I di...

Stunning, ain't it?!  Today was the kind of day that made me wish this weather would last forever! Little to no humidity, temps in the upper 70s, consistent onshore breezes coming in the widows & screen doors all day long and sunny. Warm but not hot. Perfectly pleasant!  I happened to be up early (because I haven't been sleeping well the past few days) and so I've been able to enjoy today's weather from sun up to sundown! I also had a very productive day as a result of the weather and for that I'm thankful. In fact, at about 3pm when I was just about to run out of steam and could feel a migraine coming on, I sat on the patio for a few moments to rest and the breezes lulled me right to sleep! I really didn't want to come inside, but that pesky migraine wasn't taking no for an answer so I had to. Unfortunately, today was the 'calm before the storm' as Summer-like heat and humidity will arrive overnight. I guess that...

My girlfriend, who started the Wednesday evening bookclub, is a teacher and she is doing a presentation on reading for the teachers at her school tomorrow (after the kids go home for the day). She asked me if I could send her a photo of myself either holding a favorite book or in front of one of my bookcases because I am the inspiration for who she wants her students to be as readers! Is that awesome and humbling or what?! I'm not much of a fan of having my picture taken or of taking my own, but, I was so touched by her request (choked up in fact) and the reason for it, I couldn't say no! This is the photo I took today to send her: Often we don't think we make an impact on those around us. Often we do, but we don't usually find out. Imagine what a difference it could make to that person if we did tell them?! I can tell you it's made a difference with me. Have you told that person who inspires you that they do and why? Well go on then and go ...

First off I want to wish everyone a belated Happy Saint Patrick's Day! The photo above is of a plaque hanging in our hallway. Secondly, I'd like to thank everyone for their prayers, love, support and positive thoughts!  We'll have the results of all the tests and two biopsies from this morning in two weeks. We go back  on 4/3 .  My blood pressure was through the roof before hand (I didn't know what to expect, pain wise or otherwise) so my doctor came in and had a very long & good talk with me before the procedures. He still believes my chances for cervical cancer are extremely low to nill, but, he knows I have a depressed immune system so he feels that most of this is to be extra safe and to confirm/disprove the positive hpv result.  If the hpv result is still positive, he feels my chances of my body being able to rid itself of it are very good even with my health issues/depressed immune system. He also believes if the hpv is positive, it's somethin...

(Taken this morning in my garden, 'Queen Elizabeth' grandiflora (pink) & 'Love' grandiflora (red) opened as the fog lifted). Only one day before July is finished once again. I'm amazed at how quickly the year is passing by, but I'm glad Summer is getting on with itself. The heat, humidity & storms have been much to bear this year. Autumn is quickly approaching and that excites me so! Makes me a little sad as well - Summer, for me, seems endless while Autumn passes by in a flash! July 21st was a day I dreaded deeply, but glad we all got through unscathed (or so it seems). In the morning, we spread Dad's ashes where we spread my mother.in.law's 2005 then headed to his old firehouse where the fire company & family honored him. When asked to speak, the only thing I managed through my choking tears was that I love him. It was such a long day. When we walked through our front door, I was so glad to be home.   That night was the first ni...

I wanted to do this as a Monday Musings post, a follow-up to last weeks, (click here for that post) but weather (3 rounds of nasty storms), time and my iv session were against me on Monday and yesterday I wasn't up to anything more than dozing off, reading & watching The Shipping News while camped out on the couch, snuggled under a blanket on a rare Autumn-like day in June. On Friday, during lunch with Mom after her speech therapy appointment, the topic of my father came up and she clarified (corrected) some history for me which I am very glad for because it gave me clarity & closure to some of what I mentioned in last week's Monday Musings post.  Sure, it also peeved me off and left me reeling but at the same time I really wasn't surprised - He was a cruel, sadistic, evil man who abused her in ways you cannot imagine for 17 years, so it's not like I expected anything good from him. They weren't divorced when I was 6 months old and she didn't ...

For newer friends who don't know: My parents divorced when I was 6 months old in 1976 and my father died before I turned 4 years old in 1979. To say he didn't treat my mother well is an epic understatement. To say he was abusive is an epic understatement. His 'tough' city fire fighter co-workers were afraid of him. He drank heavily, another epic understatement, from a very young age and, for all intensive purposes, drank himself to death. He had his first heart attack at the age of 36. He died shortly after his 3rd heart attack at the age of 44. It was a case of Doctor Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, but Mr. Hyde was in control more often than not, whether he was sober or not. And despite everything he did to her, had she known he was lying in a FL hospital bed dying, she would have gone to see him to say goodbye. But my grandparents didn't want her to know. That's another story for another time. Grandmother eventually told my mother his ashes had been scattered in...

It's been an uncomfortably warm and still day here today until late this afternoon when the winds picked up and the temps dropped off. Storms with some crazy crazy lightning passed through tonight and we're supposed to have showers tomorrow. It's storming again now as a matter of fact! (I'm so glad I was done food shopping before the down pour started!) The scent of rain always reminds me of Spring so it's a shock to the senses to inhale its' pungent scent on an Autumn evening. Saturday was awful. Nephew.in.law's memorial service. I still can't get the image out of my head of our niece carrying her husband's box of ashes out of the funeral home afterwards. Gentle word of advice? If you are married or in a long term relationship and/or have children, no matter how 'young' or 'old' all involved may be, please Please get some kind of life insurance! Even if it's only enough to cover funeral and burial costs, it's better t...

First off I'd like to thank everyone who visited my Practical Magic Blog Party post! (See prev). I had so much fun setting up & taking the photo's for the slide show then putting it altogether. And what a delightful time I've had dropping by other participants posts to see their creativity! And now for something completely different- For me, lugging out the Autumn & Halloween decorations is like opening presents on Christmas morning! Makes me down right gleeful it does! I'm battling my first head cold/sinus/throat thing of the season. Been sick since Saturday but doing much better today than I was. Par for the course as they say. We got nearly an inch of rain today which isn't enough but we'll take what we can get. (More rain tomorrow & Thurs - thunderstorms tomorrow!). Only bad part was that the humidity rose every time it Stopped raining! While raining, 70 something % humidity. When it wasn't raining, 90 something % humidity!...

Hello there Monday. We meet again. Comes too quickly, the start of yet another week, doesn't it? If you scroll down the left hand column, past "About Me," "b.w.o." and my countdown to Autumn button (which seems to be a little ahead of itself), you'll come to an enchanting notice about the Practical Magic Blog Party coming up this Saturday, September 25th. Having recently read the novel (by Alice Hoffman) for the first time, I jumped at the chance to participate after stumbling upon it but until this weekend didn't have idea one for my post. I'm very excited to get working on it this week! Have you read the book or seen the movie? I've done both now. The movie is cute but I loved the novel. I was enchanted from beginning to end, no pun intended! Oh, the idea for my Practical Magic Blog Party post, you ask? You'll just have to wait & see until Saturday my pretties... And then there's the Halloween (Blog) Party on Saturday Octo...

Introducing... Our gorgeous niece and her handsome husband, married just this Saturday. I'm still bursting with pride & love, even getting teary-eyed looking through the pics today. (Her brother is pictured in the previous post entitled, "Friday Favorites"). It seems as though this is going to be a Summer of Infamous Jersey Humidity . BLEAH. It's been around for days getting to the disgusting stage yesterday. Because of it, I walked out of a nursery yesterday Empty-Handed ! I even forgot the bag of soil I needed do so some re-potting for things I already have at home. Today is just as sticky out as yesterday was but more cloudy with less sun. Lots of haze again. When the breeze comes it only covers you in the moisture from the air instead of bringing you relief. Movements are sluggish. Thinking is jumbled. Breathing in is like sucking a too-thick shake through a straw. Disgusting. Makes you dizzy & sick. Thunderstorms bring no relief. Bff Kath turned 40 y...