Family Ties

The sun is setting by the time we arrive, the front door is unlocked and we let ourselves in quietly and make our way through the darkening house to the back door.The dogs sniff each other excitedly and then run around in wide circles.

My mother is kneeling on a homemade cushion at the edge of the lawn, an ancient garden fork in her hand, she gets up slowly wide smile on her face and rushes to greet us. I watch as she takes my daughter in her arms and holds her, rocking her gently from side to side as if she is still a little girl.

Her eyes are full by the time she turns to me.

In the Sunrise of my Life

'Daddy, on days like this Im so happy to be alive'

Olivia 8yrs

The Bible ~

http://www.chrisharrison.net/projects/bibleviz/index.html

While many of you may or may not be Christians, I thought this visualization of the various books of the Bible in an unusual art form may be of interest to some of you...

The bar graph that runs along the bottom represents all of the chapters in the Bible. Books alternate in color between white and light gray. The length of each bar denotes the number of verses in the chapter. Each of the 63,779 cross references found in the Bible is depicted by a single arc - the color corresponds to the distance between the two chapters, creating a rainbow-like effect. Fabulous!

What am I??

In the ongoing quest to stump my friends for as long as possible, here is another unusual view of a common household object....

I will post the BIG picture later today...give it your best shot..I wont say yay or nay until this evening..hehe

Have fun with it!!

Meanwhile, back at the ranch...

Alan (son in law/father/husband extraordinaire) is looking after the three kids, and as it is school holidays, had to fit in a fishing trip too, a school thing of Dads and Sons. They set off bright and early on the first weekend of spring, settled into their cabins and tents, and woke the next morning to find they were in Alaska...

A Piece of Me

Having Jess here seems the most natural thing in the world, she has never been to the US and we haven't seen each other for a little over 18 months, and yet she and I live easily beside each other, shop and drink tea as though we have done it every day, we finish each others sentences and laugh at a joke before the verbalization of it is complete. We lie cuddled in bed and watch movies, a happy puppy moving lazily from lap to another.

We have walked along beaches, through shopping malls and unfamiliar roads ...until our legs ache! At the end of the day we do laundry, prepare simple meals, wash dishes and get ready to to it all again the next day.

My world totally enriched, each ordinary moment sacred, because she's my daughter...

Picture Perfect ~ Joined

This weeks theme is

J O I N E D

leave your link HERE if you want to play along

Four bracelets made from beads and cord

to create a link between

and in our hearts a golden web

to capture and retain

all the love and hope and memories we have

of times we've spent together

inexorably joined

grandmother, mother and daughters

A Snails Pace

Little by little the time goes by,

short if you sing it,

long if you

sigh

She arrives today!

Gratitude

I am in love with today.

From the time the sun peeks out across the mountains through the mist as we walk, you galloping ahead and I, walking briskly behind you listening absentmindedly to the crisp crackle of leaves underfoot as they drift lazily down, a dry shower in the shrouded silence of the morning. They scatter messily on the pathway and I realize as I walk that I am in love with today.

Sinking into a warm bed on a chilly damp morning after a long walk, into a bed piled high with flannel sheets and a down duvet, which I will kick off as the sun streams onto my bed and overheats me. Feeling your little warm body nestled close as close can be, as you tolerate my restless breathing, never knowing how much your presence comforts me, soothes my restless soul and warms far more than just my physical being. I realize I am in love with today.

As I drive home in the moonlight, through busy downtown streets, quiet highways and still country roads. As I open the door to a barrage of love and frolics, I realize. I am in love with today.

Smelling the Coffee

I'm not sure when I realized my sense of smell had been compromised. After years of sneezing, various allergies and bouts of sinus infections, much of which I had accepted as normal. After years of swallowing a variety of anti-histamines of using any number of nasal sprays both over the counter and prescribed, courses of cortizone to reduce inflammation, antibiotics and anti fungals, this year the symptoms and the treatments reached new heights, and a few weeks ago I quite suddenly realized that my sense of smell had diminished dramatically.
After another severe bout of sinusitis and another antibiotic, I decided enough was enough, saw a specialist and had a CAT scan. Apart of a beautiful picture of all my dental work, it showed a true horror story of what years of chronic infection can do. It is undoubtedly a fungal infection, which causes layers of mucosa thickening, and collections of pus, it also changes the physical appearance of your sinuses.
I was a little horrified looking at the CAT scan with my doctor, my hand over my mouth in amazement. The right side where there should be large white air pockets is completely black, showing no entry at all, the right side has a huge cyst and signs of thickening and areas of granulation. 2 large polyps add to the pretty picture. There was no doubt in our minds, I needed the surgery, because the inside of me really didn't look pretty, there seemed to be no order to the flow, thickened paths converged and obstructed the shapes before me had no pattern at all, no aesthetic appeal at all to my artists eye.
So early on the 7th Oct, after my daughters visit, I shall undergo a F.E.S.S, (and have included a description below). The procedure is so common these days, we all know someone who has had one, its done under GA but in the outpatients dept., so I should be in and out the same day.
There is no guarantee that my sense of smell will be restored completely, but my sinuses will be redesigned to work efficiently so I have hope, my allergies are better controlled now than they were before, and the prospect of having a week without headaches is something I long for.
Soon I will be breathing deeply, inhaling the very soul of the coffee bean!

oOo

FESS (Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery)

Functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) is today the most common type of surgery for chronic sinus inflammation. FESS is performed using a small endoscope inserted through your nostril. (An endoscope is a flexible tube with a camera at the end.)

FESS is minimally invasive, which means that it is done without an open incision and is much less invasive than older surgery methods.It has been reported that more than 80% of surgical patients show improvement with the new surgical techniques.

Sinus surgery is not curative surgery but the aim is to recover normal function and achieve a symptom free lifestyle. In less than 5% of cases, patients may require secondary minor revision surgery. The majority of these patients achieve the anticipated results.

Picture Perfect ~ Perspective

Picture Perfect's theme this week is

~ PERSPECTIVE ~

...which depends entirely

on which side of the fence

you find yourself

taken with my sony cybershot, the pictures are unaltered

Hybrid Dog

We have had another dog grooming disaster!!

Not only were her paws bleeding from having her nails cut too short, but she has razor burns in places where she was shaved and not clipped!! I havent told her yet but the look is all wrong too..now she looks more like a... Schnauzer!

Am wondering, is Schnottie a breed...?

Up Up and Away...

In the early morning cold, a sharp ribbon of aeroplane exhaust, extending towards the horizon lifts and carves up the sky. Mounds of early mist mistaken at first for pale-twigged shrubs line the highway on our early morning drive to the airport.

'this will lift once we are through the tunnel' I say optimistically, looking at the sky.

It doesnt. The fog remains thick and dark and heavy looking, the marine layer thick and unrelenting and I know the plane will be delayed. The drive is quiet mostly but we get a little silly as we near the terminal, such a final word that, you would think they would come up with something a little..lighter?

Neither of us want a long drawn out goodbye, you heave out the luggage and we grin stupidly at each other for a minute, a bear hug and a kiss somewhere near my eyebrow and youre gone, swallowed up into the bowels of a busy airport.

I climb back in the car and drive a little way, park and wait for your plane to take off...

.

Thunder on the Mountain

~ Bob Dylan ~

9/7/2008

The Santa Barbara Bowl is a wonderful amphitheatre with fantastic acoustics and while it has a capacity of 4,562 the Bowl manages to retain its intimate ambiance

I have never been a huge Bob Dylan fan, I've always thought that while his lyrics were great his voice.. not so much, and living outside of the USA/Canada realm for most of my formative years, I missed out on the hype, missed most of the formation of Bob Dylan the man, the legend. Ive enjoyed his music sure, but somehow the real knowledge of his impact on a nation..on the world, over the past 5 decades had eluded me. Last night that all changed from the moment he stepped on stage.

He is immaculately dressed, from skin tight leathers and boots, to his legendary boater, he just oozes professionalism. There are few words that can describe the impact of his music, for the most part I was in total awe and sat and soaked it all up, the atmosphere, the noxious weed..the icon which is Bob Dylan...all of it!

I thought his voice was incredibly good last night, in his own husky strained way..he holds a fantastic tune and his band kept the acoustics at an optimum throughout. All in all it was one the best concerts Ive been to, and I wouldn't hesitate to see him again. Honestly if he is in your area, make a special effort to get to a concert...it is so worth it!

Oh and I got the T-Shirt...

Bob's in Santa Barbara!!

Picture Perfect ~ Wet

Welcome to

P I C T U R E P E R F E C T

Each week a new theme will be posted here on Friday morning. You are invited to put up your best picture on your own blog with that theme in mind, and you do have the whole weekend to post your picture, so there is no rush

Remember it should be just ONE and ORIGINAL, taken by YOU,and not off the internet,

Then come back and leave a comment on this page in the comment box so that everyone can link to your blog and see your photo. Don't forget to OPEN your page to EVERYONE for that day.

By all means mention your camera and lens used, and if the picture has been altered or enhanced in any way, so we can all learn and improve our techniques.

Try and post a decent size picture on your blog page for an increased WOW factor. Often so much is lost or distorted if the size is too big or too small.

Remember this is NOT a competition, this about being creative having fun and being supportive of one another.

Out of the box thinking is encouraged.

~ Have FUN out there! ~

...oOo...

The theme this week is

~*~WET~*~

The rain always seems to play a cruel trick

that changes the way I see the world

by clouding me in a drizzle down loneliness

that becomes the window dressing of my silent sadness

while I wait for the dark skies to crack open

and paint a sunny rainbow

of hope across my soul

Kennedy James

From the horses mouth...

Ive been in a bit of blog blah lately. Nothing serious just too busy I guess.. to write, too busy to really feel creative, and ashamed that I don't get around to visit more sites, read more..or be more supportive. Blogging is such a personal selfish thing at times and while I fully support the notion of blogging without guilt I do apologize for not getting around for visits but life is what it is.

My mum is back from her annual UK summer holiday and has mixed feelings about returning next year, suddenly she says 'I am too old to do this again i think' long distance travel is daunting even for those of us younger. I'm not sure now she will go back to Africa again, and I find that so sad it makes my chest squeeze. A part of me wants her young forever and now she isn't anymore and I'm not sure when that happened. She is giving a speech at the local senior citizens and I am helping her put words to paper, her memory of those early days and the people from them are crisp and clear and I'm loving the connection, loving the memories with the familiar words and phrases of my youth, loving the reliving of those long ago experiences which have made me and mine who we are.

Senga had been scratching herself mercilessly and so I decided she must have fleas, we walk such desolate places in high grasses I felt the tick protection would be a good thing too. Within an hour of applying the drops to her skin she had a violent allergic reaction, extreme itching and a drippy nose. I washed her off and then rushed off to the vet. Her ears and toes were inflamed, and her skin had the beginning of hives. The vet and I looked through her coat at great length and couldn't find a single flea, she seems allergic says the vet, the scratching earlier was probably skin irritation brought on by allergies. So a change of shampoo, a little Benadryl, antibiotics, and cortizone ..and three days later she has finally stopped scratching or shaking her head and seems happy again. Once more the Dog is the God of Frolic!! Yayyy!

In between the craziness of work and sick dog syndrome I have managed to finish two great books by Chris Bojalian 'Transistor Radio' and 'Double Bind' both fabulous with a great twist at the end..well worth the read.

I feel the need to see a movie or two, which I shall do with my daughter when she arrives on the 19th. We have not spent anytime together, just her and I that is, since she had her children, so this will be a great time to do girl stuff when and how we please without worrying about our other halves/kids to much, (as much as we love them all) sometimes a girls gotta do what a girls gotta do....

Its hot here today, I have the fan going all day now. I need to sleep..I work one more night and then I'm off for 7 or so. I have a baby-shower on Friday and The Bob concert on Sunday, K fly's back home on Tuesday, Jess arrives and then I go home for a while..and then its Christmas and New Year and then..only then, will life get back to some semblance of normality. Whatever that is!

Double Trouble ~ (pictures to words)

A weekly creative writing challenge, hosted by my friend Shirley, click on the link below should you wish to participate...

Pictures to Words

The chocolate brown wool blanket nestled softly against her sleeping form, a pink sock peeked out from underneath the bottom corner, and without thinking I moved forward and pulled the blanket gently forward, quietly covering her foot, taking care of her as I always did. She didn't stir, her breathing remained deep and even.

The winter sun crept slowly across the sky bathing the room in a misleading warm glow, The air outside was frigid, a sudden snow fall during the night has covered the ground in a fresh layer of snow, making the Aspen scenery look even more picturesque.

We were identical twin sisters her and I, alike in every way physically, most folk had a hard time telling us apart. We were nothing alike though really. She was the gregarious extrovert, and I was the quiet studious one, the thinker, while she was the doer, always the doer. It had been tough growing up in her shadow, being the wind beneath her wings, watching her reap the benefits of my suggestions, my ideas.

Then there was Ben. Gorgeous Ben. Ben, the successful businessman, wonderful father, passionate caring husband! He and I had met at silly team building conference in Chicago one summer. I was a new graduate from law school, a fresh face at the firm, and he put me at ease instantly. He sought me out at break times, brought me coffee was funny and easy to talk to, even for me. We walked around the lake each evening and talked, oh how I talked, for the first time I shared my very soul and I was dreading the weekend ending. However when we arrived back home he called the same week and the conversations continued, I eventually agreed to meet him for dinner, my mistake though was asking him to pick me up at home and meet my sister. He never called me again, or asked me out, the end was there before the beginning really. They married that summer, and baby Jake was born the following year.

I stood and watched them from the window now, and while I couldn't quite hear the laughter I could sense it as they careened down that slope. Ben and I had buried the hatchet long ago the very instant Jake had sucked in his first breathe of air, I smiled as I noticed he was wearing my pink beanie. His arms were tucked protectively around Jakes little body, their faces close together, their laughter leaving vapour trails in the cold air as they twisted this way and that, coming closer and closer.

She scrambled out of bed as soon as she heard their voices at the front door, hurrying to greet them as I knew she would. I was already downstairs when Ben threw open the door and called her name, I already had Jake in my arms when she hit the slippery spot with her cute pink socks and tumbled down the highly polished stairs.

As I knew she would.