monday morning question

      
What's the worst thing you did as a little kid? (smeared cheese on the wall, accidentally called Japan, called one of your mom's friends' fat, inadvertently downloaded Pentagon files to your dad’s computer, etc.)

My answer:  When I was about 8 years old, a relative called my parents and said they were nearby and they would be over in about an hour.  The house needed a little tidying so my Mom put us to work.  I remember I got to mop!  I thought it was fun!  Then my Uncle, Aunt and their kids arrived.  We were talking about all sorts of things.  I wanted to join in the conversation so I piped in, "You should have seen us before you got here!  We were cleaning up a storm!  I got to mop!"  My Mom just looked at me.  After they left she told me that was not what you said to guests when they arrived, that you had just cleaned your house before they got there!

Now tell us what you did as a child!

Tags: Monday Morning Question

i'm sad, John's mom is dying

Yes, I am up early.  I had one massive  charley horse that caused me to wake up.  Strange thing about it was that I screamed at the top of my lungs, and John didn’t even wake up!  It’s because I had my CPAP mask on, and he couldn’t hear me through it.

I can’t get back to sleep either.  I am very sad.  John’s Mom (my mother-in-law) is in the hospital.  We got the call in the middle of the night.  I guess she’s dying.  John wouldn’t like me to say that.  He would want me to say she is getting better, that she will be getting out.  But in my gut I know she won’t be.

She has been having problems for several years now.  Her doctors are constantly arguing with each other over what her diagnosis is – but now they are saying it’s most likely Parkinson’s.  Mom has finally come to the point, John’s sister said when she called last night, that she can no longer speak.  Well she tries, but all her words are gibberish.  Mom believes she is speaking, though, I think.  Also she can no longer walk, or even move much for that matter. 

She’s not going to make it.  I don’t know how much longer she has.  Last time I heard she wouldn’t feed herself.

I’m very sad.  Last time I spoke to her on the phone (two weeks ago), I didn’t know it would be the last time I would get to have a conversation with her (here on earth).  A conversation that she understood.  But I am glad I ended the last phone conversation the same way I always end it.  “I love you and I like you, Mom.  Bye.”

Krissy     

Tags: mother-in-law, dying, blogplugs

JLand Photo Shoot #131 participants... (Subject: Sacred)

                          
                      

                                  JLand Photo Shoot #131: Sacred  

Thanks to all of you who participated this week.  Your pictures were particularly poignant, and very special to see and meditate upon.

Let me bring you the entrants.  I am sorry I didn’t post them earlier.  My shoulder was in severe pain and I was not up to typing. 

Here are those who participated:

Guido of  Northern Trip

Linda of Linda's World

Dana of  My Photo Lounge

Betty of Koda's Corgi Tales

Linda of Footprints in the Sand

Elayne of We Made Our Own Huppah

Jama of Sweet Memories.....

Linda of Lost in my own thoughts

Monica of Mamarazzi

Martha of Perception

Josh (Mary’s husband) in  Hunybea's Open Journal

Thanks to each of you who participated.  I hope everyone will check out these special entries   (even though I am posting this late)  because the entries are well worth visiting.  We all know what it is like to want our photos visited also.  Sorry this posting was so late. 

Please play along this week.  I will have a subject posted for you tomorrow (Monday, March 31, 2008).

Love you all, Krissy  

Tags: JLand Photo Shoot, photo shoot, photography, photos, Sacred, blogplugs

a meme: Questions!

Questions!

This meme originated with Dawn...

Your best friend tells you she is pregnant.  What do you do? 

My best friend is single, and she may feel pressured not to carry the child to term, so I would encourage her to have the baby, and help lead her to resources.    

When is the last time you wanted to punch someone in their face?

Gee, I don't ever feel like punching anybody in the face!  I do get angry and frustrated at times.  But I try to work things through in my mind to dissipate the anger, or talk things out with a trusted friend or sister to do so.  

What is the last thing you spent money on?

supper out last night with girlfriends (a turkey dinner and diet coke)

Do you think you gained or lost weight this past month?

definitely lost!

Crunchy or Puffy Cheetos?  

puffy cheetos, if I were still eating junk 

Congratulations! You just had a son. What's his name? 

Christian James

John and I have definitely decided that is what we would name our son, even though we can't have children because of John's rounds of chemo and his stem cell transplant.  And if it was a girl, she would be

Anna Kristine  or   Anna Kathleen

What are you craving right now?

Mexican food with keylime pie for dessert!

What was the last thing you cried about?

When one of my friends died of cancer recently.

When you buy something and your change is 2 cents, do you keep it or tell the cashier to keep it?

Keep it and put it in my coin jar for a rainy day. 

What color is your tissue box?

blue 

Do you have a ceiling fan in your room, and if so, is there dust on that fan?

Yes, I have a fan, ceiling fan, no it is not dusty, yes I HATE ceiling fans.  they are UGLY and blow papers around the room, and make you too cold!  Why do I have it?  It came with the place!

Scariest thing you've experienced in the last year?

one of my good friend's driving, LOL

Have you ever had a garage sale?

Absolutely not.  I feel they are a waste of time.  The time you put into them is not worth how much you make.  LIke you spend 72 hours putting tags on clothing items that will sell for 25 cents a piece, and toys that will go for 5 to 50 cents.  You don't make any money if you consider your labor, and what you would have been paid for it per hour, LOL.  Then maybe you might sell a table for $25 if you are lucky.  Then you might find the same table on ebay, finding out it is an antique worth $500. Why are you selling your treasures?  Save the antiques, give the other stuff away!  

What color is your iPod?

don't have one.  does everybody?  

What is the last alcoholic beverage you had?

Don't remember.  Haven't drank in a long time.  Don't drink anymore.

Are you happy right now?  

Extremely!  Very much so!

Who came over last? 

My sister Valerie and her boyfriend John

Do you drink beer?

DISGUSTING.  The taste.  And I don't drink.  So I guess that means no.

Have your brothers or sisters ever told you that you were adopted? 

No.

What is your favorite key on your key chain?

My house key.  It, well, gets me in my house. 

What was the last movie you watched at home?

Eight Below.  Watch it!  It's based on a true story about a team of huskies and malamutes who were left in Antarctica as a storm approached, because the team who was working with them had to get out.  Watch this movie and find out whether or not the sled dogs were rescued! 

What is in your pocket?

Nothing, but a little while ago there were two quarters, and a nickel.  I put them in my coin jar  

Where do you hurt?

My left shoulder is killing me.  Because of the tear in the muscle above my rotator cuff.  I went to Occupational Therapy today so it hurts more than usual tonight.  Even when I don't move it. 

Has someone ever made you a Build-A-Bear? 

No.  And I am glad.  I saw a consumer report type show on the Build-A-Bear company.  A lot of the folks were saying that by the time they got home with the bears, they were already falling apart.  The stuffing was coming out or the clothing was ripping.  The bears were NOT made for the average child to own.  Perhaps not even for the average adult to have, they were so poorly made.  I wasn't impressed after I heard this. 

What's something fun you did today?

Talked to a friend

What is your favorite aisle at Wal-Mart?

I have two favorites:  The clothes & electronics.  In the electronics section, I love the DVD movies.  I also love the digital cameras (even though I can't afford one right now), and the TVs (I can't afford one right now either, but I need a new one, mine has gone black almost).     

When is your birthday? March 13

Is there anything hanging from your rear view mirror? 

sometimes a Rosary

What kind of milk do you drink?  2%

What is something you need to go shopping for? 

clothes, veggies, whole chicken, seafood (John wants the whole chicken, I guess he wants roasted chicken)

Okay, that's it, Krissy  :)

Tags: meme, memes, Questions, blogplugs

i have a tear in my muscle above my rotator cuff

I'm writing this while having Narcolepsy problems, so I hope you all will bear with me, and I hope it makes sense, LOL.    

 

I've started Physical Therapy again.  Well, technically, Occupational Therapy.  On Thursday of last week I was released from Physical Therapy for fibromyalgia.  Then  the beginning of this week I started rehabilitation for something else.   I have a torn muscle above the rotator cuff of my left shoulder.

 

Dr. Bosha knew it was most likely torn, but did an MRI to check it out.  A few days later, I was led into his exam room.  Dr. Bosha showed me images of my shoulder on the computer.  Sure enough, I saw a large tear.  Wow, modern technology.

 

At any rate, Dr. Bosha was very glad (as was I, trust me!) that the tear was not all the way through, and that there was enough muscle still attached above the rotator cuff.  Otherwise the rotator cuff would become detached (extremely painful I hear) and I would have to have surgery. 

 

So we were both most pleased that the muscle will heal without surgery.  That is if I am not too reckless with it.  The idea is to get the shoulder/arm to move enough so that it becomes mobile again, but not move the shoulder/arm so much that the muscle will tear more. 

 

The reason I didn't tell you all before this, when my arm was hurting so badly (and it has been hurting for a month or two), is because I didn't know if I was going to have surgery or not, and I wanted to wait before I concerned anybody.  And I wanted to confirm what it was.  

 

Now is going to be the fun part.  Occupational Therapy two times a week.  It won't be easy.  I know it will be painful, because my shoulder often hurts around the clock as it is.  A lot.  And my therapist is going to be stretching it out.  And I, of course, will be doing exercises daily. 

 

I have very little mobility in my left arm and shoulder now as it is, and I want to keep up on the exercises so I don't lose use of my left arm. 

 

Even typing hurts.  I am limited to 20 minutes of typing at a time.  Then I am  to stop doing any activity with my shoulders or arms until the pain is completely gone.  I am then allowed to resume typing.  Hmmm, 20 minutes of typing at a time!

 

Okay, must run, my time is up!  I have stuck to the 20 minutes (Ya right!). 

 

Love you all, 

 

Krissy :)

Tags: rotator cuff, tear, occupational therapy, blogplugs

JLand Photo Shoot #131 - Sacred

             

This week's JLand Photo Shoot will begin today (Monday) and will be due on Saturday, March 29 at 11 PM EDT.  That's Saturday, almost midnight, an hour before Sunday, for those of you who are getting confused!

Our subject this week is:

                                     Sacred

(Interpret this anyway you like.  Some suggestions are: holy, faith, religious, prayer, church, solitude, Bible, etc.)

After you've posted your entry in your journal/blog, please put the address of your entry in my Comment Section below.  If you need an explanation on how to do this, or need to know any other instructions concerning this photo shoot, please click on the link below.

                      Instructions for JLand Photo Shoot

I hope you play along.  I really wanted to do this one myself, and was looking forward to posting it, but my camera stopped working about two weeks ago.  It is going to take me a little time to save up for a new one, so I won't be able to do this one. :(  I'll try to get a new camera soon.  I'm looking forward to seeing you all's entries. 

Krissy :)  

Tags: JLand Photo Shoot, photo shoot, photography, photos, blogplugs

monday morning question

      

If time or money were no object, what new hobby would you choose to take up?

My answer:  jewelry making, probably with glass and silver beads

Tags: Monday Morning Question

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Some Easter cartoons :)

Happy Easter!  He is risen indeed!  I trust that you are having a holy Easter, and a beautiful celebration!  For He is risen!  Last night I left you with the Gospel, this morning I wanted to share some Easter cartoons with you!

                               

               

 

           

Well, I hope you enjoyed the cartoons.  I'm off to get some tea, and then start making Easter dinner for noon.  I will be making something different this year.  Hawaiin pork chops.  And lots of other things!

Would anybody like me to post the recipe for the pork chops?  Let me know and I'll do it.  

Happy Easter and love you all,

Krissy :) 

Tags: Easter, Happy Easter, He is risen, cartoons, comics, Easter dinner, pork chops, blogplugs

Wishing you a holy and fun Easter!

I hope you all are enjoying special time with loved ones.  And thoroughly enjoying your weekend.  I hope you have a holy and very celebratory Easter.

I wanted to leave you with Easter's Gospel reading from Mass, and then a very special video I found.  It contains a praise song.  I feel it's worth watching.  

A gospel reading from Matt 28:1-10     

After the sabbath, as the first day of the week was dawning,
Mary Magdalene and the other Mary came to see the tomb.
And behold, there was a great earthquake;
for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven,
approached, rolled back the stone, and sat upon it.
His appearance was like lightning
and his clothing was white as snow.
The guards were shaken with fear of him
and became like dead men.
Then the angel said to the women in reply,
“Do not be afraid!
I know that you are seeking Jesus the crucified.
He is not here, for he has been raised just as he said.
Come and see the place where he lay.
Then go quickly and tell his disciples,
‘He has been raised from the dead,
and he is going before you to Galilee;
there you will see him.’
Behold, I have told you.”
Then they went away quickly from the tomb,
fearful yet overjoyed,
and ran to announce this to his disciples.
And behold, Jesus met them on their way and greeted them.
They approached, embraced his feet, and did him homage.
Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid.
Go tell my brothers to go to Galilee,
and there they will see me.” 

                            praise song:  Sing Alleluia

                                                  

Love you all,

Krissy :)

Tags: Easter weekend, Easter, The Gospel, praise music, Happy Easter, blogplugs

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Happy Spring!

Happy first day of Spring!  Thank God it is not snowing, at least not yet.  It's raining.  So I'll be spending the whole day inside, but that's okay, I have a lot to do today.

 

I'll be going to physical therapy for fibromyalgia (I have been for the past several months), and then I will go to my writer's critique group this afternoon.  I am so excited.  It will be the first one I attend, as last month I had pneumonia and had to miss.

 

Anyway, I gotta run, I just wanted to say Happy Spring!

 

Hope you all are enjoying your day.

 

Love you all,

 

Krissy :)

 

                           

Tags: Spring

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a few questions

I have been asked a few questions by readers recently in my Comments Section, so I thought I would answer them:

Hugsdoodlewacky (Amanda) wanted to know:  Did you ever get your Christmas Tree down?

The answer to that one is yes!  A week ago, or was it the week before?  Remember the Christmas tree was in the photos of John’s birthday party?  Some of you were wondering why it was still up!  Because I thought it was beautiful and it was my first tree in 9 years because Michael was not ready to have one before that – he was not settled enough not to climb a tree, LOL.  So we finally put one up this year and thoroughly enjoyed it.  But yes, it finally had to come down.  I made the decision because I wanted it to come down before Easter!

Sassydee50 (Deb) asked:  Did you get your crocs yet?

Yes!  My Alice mary jane Crocs came two days ago.  They are absolutely gorgeous and oh so comfortable.  One is the cutest black pair, the other ruby red!  They are more of a ruby color then the red that I showed you.  Which is what I wanted.  I have always wanted a ruby pair of shoes!  Now I am oh so happy!  I have a ruby colored dress to wear them with, but I am going to wear them with other things just for fun.  I hope to take a pic.  My camera is broken but maybe I can use Val’s.

This really wasn’t a question, but jimsulliv3 (Jimmy),  jmoqueen (Jenny), and pharmolo (Guido) wondered why I would be shopping at such an hour as 5  the other morning.

That’s an easy one.  I have never been conventional, and do anything at any hour I feel like.  And I am definitely a middle of the night person!  I guess you can tell, as I am writing this entry right now!  I fell asleep for about two hours earlier, so now I will be up for about two hours!  What a good time to get things done.

Now that I have answered some of your questions, I wanted to ask a question myself.  I posted a pic of my new haircut the other day.  How do you think it looks?  Just curious!  Here it is again.

                         

So do you like my new haircut?

Love you all,

Krissy :)

Tags: questions, Christmas tree, Crocs, haircut

I'm going to Florida for vacation!

Gosh I am excited!  I'm going to Florida!  Probably in the next couple of months.  John's Dad and Stepmom called and asked if we wanted to come down for a week or two.  

I'm hoping John can clear it with all his doctors.  And I hope I'll be able to clear it with mine.

Since John got his first cancer almost 10 years ago, we haven't had a vacation.  Except our honeymoon which was about three days long, and was local.  The honeymoon was absolutely wonderful, fabulous.  But I am ready to go to Florida too!  

We haven't been able to get away because John had two cancers, oh so many chemo treatments, a bone marrow transplant, so many complications and years of hospitalizations, constant transfusions, and constant labwork.  He was just unable to get away.  This is our chance to finally do it!

I haven't seen the beach in years.  John's parents live near Orlando.  Near the beach.  I want to spend some time just touching the sand, LOL!  And walking in the ocean.  And listening to the ocean as it laps against the shoreline!  How glorious.  Oh, and I want to see some palm trees!  I have only seen palm trees, to my remembrance, once in my life.  They were beautiful, a quite curious thing!   

Gosh, just to do something different.  Anything different after ten crazy, serious years.  Not that I don't appreciate the growing experience of those ten useful years, but it is time for a vacay!  Something different!

Of course there is DisneyWorld.  Where we really want to go is Epcot Center.  That is, of course, the more scientific Disney park.  I don't want to go on traditional amusement rides.  I hate them!  They scare me!  But I want to go to Epcot Center.  We both have different ideas on which exhibit we want to see, though, at Epcot Center.

I'll tell you more about that later.  He wants to live on the wild side and I want to go tame.  I want to go to the aquarium, LOL.  Maybe the men will have to go to one area and John's Stepmom MaryAnn and I will go to the aquarium.

Then again, maybe not.  We'll see.

I just can't wait for the whole vacation!

Love you all,

Krissy :) 

Tags: vacation, Florida, Orlando, beach, sand, ocean, palm trees, DisneyWorld, Epcot Center, blogplugs

Grocery shopping at 5 am

I awoke this morning at 5 am and John was awake also, so we decided to go to the grocery store.  Yes, we do things like that, go to the store real early if we wake up.

Outside in the cold I noticed snowflakes wafting down.  I looked over and noticed the beautiful blue glow of the Christmas lights lining the streets in the complex where I live.  Wait a minute.  Christmas lights???  I knew that they had been up awhile ago, but I hadn't even thought that they were still there!  Sure enough they are!

Okay, so they will be up till Spring.  I hope they come down by summer, LOL.  You have to know my town.  They can't get enough of their Christmas lights! 

Anyway, it looks eerily like winter will last way into Spring, if you know what I mean, with the snow and the pretty blue glowing Christmas lights all around.

I just looked at the forecast.  There will be snow three days out of the next seven.  I am going grocery shopping again in a few minutes, just in case we get snowed in for Easter, and I can't make my meal. 

It's scheduled to snow on Thursday.  That's the first day of Spring!  

It's going to be strange to have snow on the first day of Spring.  

But then again, that's Spring in Pennsylvania for you.  Oh well.

Krissy :)  

Tags: grocery shopping, snow, Christmas lights, Spring, Easter, blogplugs

no JLand Photo Shoot this week

              

There will be no JLand Photo Shoot this week because of Holy Week and Easter.  

A new subject will be posted on Monday, March 24, 2008.  See you then!

Krissy :)

monday morning question

         

What are you doing for St. Patrick's Day?  Wearing green?  Making corned beef and cabbage?  Pinching somebody who doesn't have green on? 

Or is it just another day to you?

My answer:  I am Irish, not just on St. Patrick's Day!  So I really celebrate!  I am going to wear green, and make some corned beef, cabbage, and potatoes in the crock pot.  And you better watch out, if you're near me and you are not wearing green, I might pinch you!  

Krissy :) 

Tags: Monday Morning Question, St. Patrick's Day, green, corned beef, cabbage potatoes, pinch

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JLand Photo Shoot #130 participants... (Subject: Photographer's Choice)

                          
                           JLand Photo Shoot #130: Photographer's Choice

Once again we have had a great week with some amazing submissions!  The thing that makes this week's photo shoot so interesting is the wide variety of photos.  And now without further ado -

Here are this week's participants:

Julie of My Photo Journey shows us where she likes to eat lunch while biking.

Greg of Photo Trek shows us what he likes to do while camping!

Dan of Slapinions shows us a photo of his daughter from about three years ago, and marvels how she has grown.

Hope of MY THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS!! shows us her "hubby's sweet ride".

Martha of Perception saw this building while driving by it, and decided to stop and take a photograph.

Dana of My Photo Lounge shows us the breathtaking Smokey Mountains.

silverdoe64 of yathink? shows us her two adorable boys!  Make sure you visit her and welcome her, this is her first time playing the Jland Photo Shoot.

Monica of Midnight Conversations shows us the salmon of Tacoma!  They are special sculptures.  Just take a look!

Betty of Koda's Corgi Tales shows a mama and her twelve offspring!

Lisa of The Periwinkle Post shows us her Easter ham.

Linda of Footprints in the Sand shows us some photos of what is in her back yard.

Linda of Lost in my own thoughts shows her Mom and her nephew on a, well - you'll just have to see!

Gina of The Change within Me took a photo of some ominous weather she had a couple of nights ago.

Nancy of Nancyluvspix made her husband stop the car on Tuesday night so she could get these pics.  Check them out.  It was worth the stop.

Nancy of My Life And Loving It shows us her son at the local zoo.  With a lion.

Antonette of Jottings From Jersey shows us something very colorful.

Jama of sweet memories..... shows us a special rose on display at a local flower festival in her country of Singapore. 

Sharon of I'm A Survivor can't find the photos in her files that she wants to show us, so instead she shows us some pics from online.  These pics have to do with her name.

Adventures From Florida to Kentuckiana (private)

Thanks for playing this week.  And thanks for visiting each others' entries.  

Please come back on Monday (March 17) for a new photo shoot subject.

Love you all,

Krissy :)

Tags: JLand Photo Shoot, photo shoot, photography, photos, blogplugs

do you like my birthday present?

So in the last entry I talked about my girls' night out, the night before my birthday, but I didn't talk about what I did on March 13th, my special day.  Betty asked me about it, so I thought I would spill the beans!

John and I decided to take the day just for us.  Well, it wasn't completely for us, LOL.  In the morning, we had to do some errands and see some people.  Then the maid came, and I had to show her how to do a lot of different things.  Which was fine.  I love my maid to pieces!

Then John and I were free to spend the rest of the day together.  We went to Outback Steakhouse and had a great time.  I had something different this time - ribs.  I also had dessert because it was my birthday!  It was a pecan fudge brownie with vanilla ice cream and fudge sauce!

I got some cool presents this year.  A friend gave me three CDs.  John's father and stepmother gave me a beautiful winter white jacket to wear in the Spring!  My parents gave me a present also.

I wanted to take a pic of the jacket as it is beautiful, but my camera has ceased to work.  Major bummer.  Major major bummer.  At any rate, the jacket is beautiful.  

I did want to show you what John got me for my birthday.  Remember I said I had been wanting Mary Jane Crocs?  Well, Crocs came out with a new shoe that is a more "adult" mary jane.  They are called Alice mary janes.

John ordered me some for my birthday.  He ordered me black and ruby.  They'll get here in 10 business days!  Here they are:

                        

Question:  Do you like the shoes John ordered me for my birthday? 

Or do you just say, "Oh no, not those ugly plastic things again!" 

Tell the truth!

Love you all, Krissy :)

Tags: birthday, Outback Steakhouse, Crocs, mary janes, present

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My birthday Party

I had a blast on Wednesday.  

 

My girlfriends and I went to Red Lobster for my birthday.  I haven't had that much fun in a long time!

 

I had something called Admiral's Catch, which was fish, clams, scallops and shrimp!  It was good.  I also had a pina colada without the alcohol.

 

However, the most important thing was the company!  I just love my girls!

                      

Tags: birthday, birthday party, Red Lobster, blogplugs

What do they have up their sleeve?

Tomorrow's my birthday.  I'm excited.  I'll be pretty busy tomorrow, so tonight my girlfriends are taking me out to dinner.  We're going to my favorite restaurant, Red Lobster.

I'll probably get shrimp.  I usually get crab but I feel like shrimp today.  And one of those pina coladas without alcohol.  They make good ones at Red Lobster!  Lots of ice and coconut like I like it.

I've already received some very nice presents.  I wanted to show them to you all, but my camera batteries died.  I need to buy some today.  After I pick up the batteries I'll take a few pictures. 

I told my friends I didn't want a full blown party like we gave John.  I told them I didn't want a party at all.  Then they said, let's go to dinner.  I was excited.  I like that!  Then yesterday on the phone one of them said, "Be at Red Lobster at 6, and don't come early!"  Now that sounds myserious!  Do they have something up their sleeve?

Krissy :)

Tags: birthday, Red Lobster

JLand Photo Shoot #130 - Photographer's Choice

            

This week's JLand Photo Shoot will begin today (Monday) and will be due on Saturday, March 15 at 11 PM EDT.  That's Saturday, almost midnight, an hour before Sunday, for those of you who are getting confused!

Our subject this week is:

                            Photographer's Choice

This week photograph whatever you'd like.  If you don't have time to get out your camera, then pull something up from your files.  That's okay too. 

After you've posted your entry in your journal/blog, please put the address of your entry in my Comment Section below.  If you need an explanation on how to do this, or need to know any other instructions concerning this photo shoot, please click on the link below.

                      Instructions for JLand Photo Shoot

I hope you play along.  I can't wait to see your photo!

Krissy :)

Tags: JLand Photo Shoot, photo shoot, photography, photos, blogplugs

monday morning question

         

What does your first name mean?  If you would like more help to find out, check out this site:  Behind the Name 

My answer:  My name is Kristina and it means Christian

So what does your name mean? 

Tags: Monday Morning Question, names, blogplugs

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JLand Photo Shoot #129 participants... ( Subject: Sights of My Town)

                               
                    JLand Photo Shoot #129: Sights of My Town

Welcome to this week's photo shoot.  I want to thank those of you who took the time to go out and shoot photos this week.  It's interesting to see the towns where other people live.  I feel like I have gone on a mini vacation after viewing these photos!  Now on to the pictures. 

 

Here are this week's participants:  

 

Betty of Koda's Corgi Tales show us her beautiful beach  

 

Antonette of Jottings From Jersey lives in a town where you can still ride horses or walk your dog unleashed

 

Dana of My Photo Lounge shows us her courthouse and a former cotton mill

 

Linda of Footprints in the Sand shows us a flowering plum tree and a flowering pear tree!  This time of year?

 

Jama of sweet memories.....  shows us Singapore

 

Addition:  Please check out the entries below also.  AOL was making adjustments on Saturday eve/night and some were not able to post entries by the deadline.  Others were late because they were unavoidably delayed.  Here are their entries: 

 

Martha of Perception shows us the sights of her town!

 

Monica of Midnight Conversations shows us Tacoma's metal palm trees!

 

Adventures From Florida to Kentuckiana (private)  

 

I also took a photo this week.  Here is my entry.

 

                        

This bronze statue is a landmark in my town.  It was recently sculptured, based upon a local photograph taken in 1894.  In the 1894 photograph, a pig was in the street (a now very busy street) in my town.  It depicts how rural and agricultural we used to be! 

 

Okay, thanks again to those of you who played.  Let's all visit these entries, as each person went to a lot of trouble to take the photos!  Thanks so much!

 

I will post a new subject tomorrow (March 10).

 

Love you all,

 

Krissy :)

Tags: JLand Photo Shoot, photo shoot, photography, photos, blogplugs

i've got a Pulmonary Nodule

I guess I've been missing in action for awhile.  I've been real introspective and haven't felt much like writing.

 

But I thought I'd update you with what is going on with me.  I'm finally over the pneumonia.  I got a CT scan the other day and it was determined that the pneumonia is gone.  Tonight I finish up my antibiotics.

 

I got a call on Tuesday that while doing the CT scan a "Pulmonary Nodule" was found.  That can mean a tumor.  If it is, it can be either benign or malignant.  Malignant as in "cancer".  If it is cancer it would be lung cancer.

 

The course of action my physician is taking is to take another CT scan on April 15 to see how the nodule has grown.  Benign and malignant tumors (that are Pulmonary Nodules) both grow at different speeds.  That's why Dr. Raquet is taking the CT scan, to see the growth rate of the Pulmonary Nodule.  From these findings he will then decide what action to take.

 

I didn't like Dr. Raquet's plan at first.  I didn't feel it was pro-active enough.  So I called my pulmonary specialist (lung doctor).  He agreed with what Dr. Raquet wanted to do - to wait a month or two and then take a CT scan to see the growth rate of the nodule.  That should determine a lot.

 

One good thing is that the odds are very much in my favor.  I probably don't have lung cancer.  I have never smoked.  However, if one has had a history of pneumonia, bronchitis or asthma, which I have had, your odds are not as good.  But I am not going to worry about that.  Because I am young and have never smoked a cigarette in my life -- both factors which really do work to one's favor when diagnosed with a Pulmonary Nodule. 

 

Perhaps I shouldn't even have mentioned this until April 15 and I know more.  I don't want to let this color our lives.  I think I mentioned it because it does effect me, but I don't want it to be a humongous deal, you know?  I did want to share, though, as you all ARE a big part of my life.

 

I've decided to try to keep a positive focus until April 15.  I am trusting in the Lord to take care of me.  It's probably not malignant, and even if it were, He has always been there for me.

 

And worrying wouldn't change anything anyway.  Some friends told me that the other day -- that I shouldn't worry, because it wouldn't change the outcome anyway.  I kind of got angry at them, thinking they were asking me to deny my feelings and how scared I felt.  Then I realized they were right.  What would worrying do for the next month or so?  It wouldn't change any results.  So I have decided not to worry, and to hang cool. 

 

I hope I stick with that!

 

Okay, so I plan on blogging again, and some happy entries, starting right away!           

 

Love you all, Krissy 

Tags: Pulmonary Nodule, Solitary Pulmonary Nodule, SPN, blogplugs

JLand Photo Shoot #129 - Sights of My Town

               

This week's JLand Photo Shoot will begin today (Monday) and be due on Saturday, March 8 at 11 PM EST.  That's Saturday, almost midnight, an hour before Sunday, for those of you who are getting confused!

Our subject this week is:

sights of my town

After you've posted your entry in your journal/blog, please put the address of your entry in my Comment Section below.  If you need an explanation on how to do this, or need to know any other instructions concerning this photo shoot, please click on the link below.

             Instructions for JLand Photo Shoot

Please consider playing along.  This will be like taking a Winter vacation - we'll go visiting each other's towns without leaving home!  I'm excited to see some part of your town.  I hope you want to see mine too.

Krissy :)

Tags: JLand Photo Shoot, photo shoot, photography, photos, sights, town, blogplugs

monday morning question

      
What is the weirdest food you've ever eaten?

My answer: cow's tongue, snails

Tags: monday morning question

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last entry on John's birthday party!

This is a continuation from the previous two entries:
John's 46th birthday party
games we played at John's birthday party 

As I mentioned in the previous entry, we were having a blast playing games.  Some were very active, some were more calm.  One had us drawing a portrait of John with crayons as he posed.  The best artist (determined by secret ballot) won the giant box of Crayola Crayons.  I wanted to show you the photo of John posing and the scanned pic of the winner, but drats, my scanner has suddenly stopped working.  Uggh.

After this game, we decided to go for the cake.  It was carrot cake with cream cheese frosting.

                     
                              Matthew, Val's son

                           
                                 Birthday Boy blowing out candles

                         
After we ate cake (and yes it is weird looking, that is a sunflower, LOL), a few people had to go.  Then we heard a knock on the door.  Another guest had arrived late!  She came in.  We played another game.  It was very fast moving and fun, similar to Jeopardy I would say. 

Then we finally decided that even too much of a good thing was "too much", LOL.  We decided to call it quits.  Before people went home, I gave out the rest of the prizes.  Some of them were boxes of old fashioned candies.  They were fun because I hadn't seen them in years, and they reminded us all of our childhood.

I wanted to leave you with one final picture.  Here is John sitting amongst the mess after everything was over.  I am showing this to show you how messy our party was, LOL                                                        
      
                                     John amongst a mess! 

So that is about it, I hope this was fun to read!

Love you lots,

Krissy :)                                    

Tags: birthday, birthday party, cake, blogplugs

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