Butterflies Are Everywhere. . .

Can you see a butterfly and not feel the joy of watching it flit from one flower to another or light on a beautiful blossom?   Sometimes a butterfly appears most unexpected and in unusual form.  As this one did.  Appreciate a butterfly wherever you find it!   As you can tell, I am sure,today is a better day.  Don't know why.  I didn't sleep well but woke up with a different spirit inside.  I am going to work hard to hang onto that spirit.  That's the one I prefer and seek .   Thank you all for being my sounding board, my therapy yesterday.  Tom is making soup of some sort for dinner for us to have with fresh bread from the bakery.  How lucky am I !   I know.  Very lucky.  And very grateful.  For all life has given me.  Love and hugs for all. . .And watch for butterflies. . . . Sandy

I Don't Have Moods!!!

Well, I should say, I usually don't have moods!  Yesterday I was in such a mood that I didn't even want to be around myself.  How does this happen?  I have never had a depression.  I don't believe in being depressed.  That is for other people!  I don't have time for that nonsense.  But yesterday I had a mood and I don't want to go there again.  And thank you to Tom for continuing to be my sweet and kind best friend, nurse and sweetheart.  I didn't even like me yesterday and he was still nice to me.  That is above and beyond!  Today was better and I have confidense that tomorrow will be better yet.  I am physically feeling well and staying busy.  I was waiting for a mental adjustment so I could write a cheery blog post.  I'm not quite there today but just wanted everyone to know that all is well with my "unique feature".  (That's my new name for my much operated on body part. )  Still  waiting for healing of the open wound but have been pretty much pain free.  That is on my gratitude list.  Along with many, many other blessings.  How does one get through this life without gratitude?  I don't know.  I couldn't.  Life is good.  Who-Hooo!  This bog has had 4000+ reads. .that amazes me.   Next time I blog it will be about happy things. . promise. . . Love and hugs to all,  Sandy

I Feel Good! And Other Blessings

It has been a great weekend but first to let you know that I am celebrating the best nights sleep in months and waking with a great feeling of energy and that of nothing hurting.  What a joy just feeling good is.  I know that at 69 it may not  last and aches and illness is part of the benefit that living in your senior  years but for now I am just say yippee and I am enjoying!

 Now to the weekend. .I  think this rainbow,( and there is a double rainbow if you look closely) appeared Thursday morning. That should be a positive sign! Friday was the kickoff day for Ft. Bayard Days.  We are supportive of the Historical Group that runs the museum there and were assisting them with photography of the two day event.  Saturday  brought with it busloads of school children with mostly 4th graders from 34 different schools.  That is a lot of 4th graders!  They started the day with a flag ceremony and then were off to  different stations manned(or womanned) by costumed experts in different areas of what life used to be like at the historic Ft. Bayard.  Saturday was the day for the general public and ended in the evening with a military ball.

 There were many other things going on around and about Silver City.  We made a quick trip back into town to catch the parade mid day on Saturday.  They use a lot of big paper mache puppets in the parades here and I knew there had been a workshop for making new ones.  We weren't disappointed!  The puppets and costumes were exceptional.  Such fun the parades in Silver City are.

 Other delights of the weekend were the sighting of three fawns with spots still showing.  I wasn't sure when the birthing time for the deer population was here, but I think it must be now!

 It's Sunday night and we have been to the gallery where we have shown our photography for the summer and loaded it all in the back of the Mountaineer and getting ready for the show we are doing next weekend.   Next week is going to be a busy week.  And it feels great to be able to keep up with busy days and weeks without it wiping me out!

  Gratitude for new energy and enthusiasm .  And beautiful fall weather.  And for family and friends.  And for finally  figuring out how to make the vacuum cleaner pick up kitty hair off the carpet. Blessings abound !

 Love and hugs to all,

 Sandy

PS  Sorry about the clutter of all of the extra photos but so many of these happenings in Silver City are hard to explain and "You just kind of have to be there"!  Thought they might help.

The" Help"

Miz Sophie is one my favorite all time cats.  I gaze into her eyes and imagine and wonder what she is thinking. She is an independent cat.  But comes to me once every evening to scratch her head.  Briefly.  And then she is gone.  To the guest bedroom. On the bed. That's her space where she likes to sleep.  I realized that once we moved into the house and keep a washable spread over my good guest bedroom comforter.  Just for Sophie.  Cause she likes it there.  And I love Sophie cat. According to Tom, to Sophie we are just "the Help".  You know the cats have servants thing.  Sophie does.  That's us.

And that leads me to the movie "The Help".  I had read the book and knew I had to see the movie.  Good movie,great acting and a jolt for those of us who went through the era of integration.  The movie made you laugh and made you cry.  But more than anything it made you think.   Or say, did I really think that way?    Most of us not to the extreme shown in the movie.  But most of us grew up with a certain amount of prejudice.  Around and about us, if not in us.  I was in highschool when our schools were integrated.    It improved our chorus and our football team.  And we made an effort to be sure that one of the black students were put on the student council.   The chorus director asked the black student if they objected to our annual minstrel show, which was done in blackface and with many "black" jokes.  They said they didn't object but then they didn't come or participate.  Had she really thought they would?  But it was cancelled the next year.   I remember  our very thoughtful and peaceful highschool integration as a fascinating, rather beautiful thing. But I can't remember ever having a conversation with a black student or inviting them to my house or to sit with me at lunch.  So I have to admit prejudice was within me.  Not hate. Not intentional. But prejudice was there. I grew up with it.  I think "The Help" does remind us of where we've been.  And in some cases how far we have to go.

I am feeling well.  Impatient for the open wound  healing to be finished but grateful that it is going well.  And continue to realize how fortunate I am for early detection and good doctors.  And for Tom's continuing care and caring and for all of my friends and family who are always there for me.  Life is good  and someday will also be normal!

 Love and hugs to all.

Sandy

Gratitude Is Easy Today

Some days gratitude is just easier to find than others.  Today I think I am being pounded with reasons to be thankful for that which surrounds me.   The TV is literally "flooded" (excuse the pun) with Hurricane Irene news and the aftermath for the millions of people effected by this huge storm.  No power, flooded streets, houses crushed by falling trees and lives lost.   I am sitting comfy, under air-conditioning with all the conveniences that I have so completely adapted to.

  I heard a lady this morning talk about the struggle to feed hungry children in a Mexican  border town.  The goal is for the children to be able to eat 1 meal a day.  Many of the mothers bringing children for food only have food for themselves to eat every third day. Children must pay a fee, plus for school supplies and uniforms to attend the public schools in Mexico. As a result, many poor children are unable to attend school and have any opportunity for a better life.  Poverty and violence is everywhere in that area.   I have a fridge full of fresh produce and my only eating decision today is what meat to take out of the freezer for dinner and when to start the fresh peach cobbler.  Plus my two most recent books that I have been reading are "Just Like Us" and  "Stones Into Schools"  both about humanity struggling for what most of us take for granted. 

 So I say "Thank you God" for my many blessings.  There could go I. . . And particularly this day, gratitude abounds for the life I have.

Sandy
P.S. Today left breast is just dandy!

Wild Flowers, Old Pets, Chocolate and other Ramblings

What is it about a flower?  I never lose the desire to take one more photo of a flower that comes into my view!  And some of my favorite are the imperfect ones.  Like this group of very scraggly wild daisies? .  Probably not the right name for them but still caught my eye and my camera.  Saturday was a fun day.  Really half of the day and wisely we came home.  My energy was gone but we had the opportunity to get out and around town and do some photography and see some of the many happenings going on in Silver City.  I look forward to the day that I don't have to stop half way through!  Highpoint of my day today was having the carpets cleaned.  Very nice young man that came and did a great job.  And I have threatened the animals if there are any new spots!  But there will be.  And I will forgive them .  Because they are old in people years.  And I understand old.  More all the time!   Getting the carpet cleaned gave us an excuse to go out to lunch at the Curious Kumquat while it was drying. Great lunches and unforgettable chocolate desserts!  Today was chocolate cake with lemon filling and chocolate moose between the layers. Yummm!   So the days roll on. Some better than others. But isn't that true even without a much abused left breast?  It's life!  And a whole lot better than the alternative.   Love and Hugs to all. . Sleep well. . I will. . . :)   Sandy

New Day and Life Gets Better

Life has it's ups and life has it downs.  I should sit  on both hands so I don't burden you with the down days by posting an unhappy blog! There are a lot more good days in my life, even now, than bad days.  I am a positive person and a happy person and I will darn sure try to do better than that last post.   Started this morning with an early morning wound care session with the home health nurse and her giving me all of the virtues of the healing going on in my left breast.  That was good to hear from someone with 30+ years experience in doing wound care.  Today was the last day of my antibiotics and also when the surgeon from Mayo is suppose to call and check on my progress.  So good day.  Tom and I went to breakfast at our favorite spot and then strolled downtown for a bit.  It felt good.  Home for a nap and to work on a writing project for our art group.  So all is well here.  I am conscious of having used the word "good" numerous times in this post.  Good word that "good"!  Love and Hugs to All. . .Sandy