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Thursday, March 29, 2012

I Can't Get You Off My Mind


A big sized bowling bag, found when browsing Goodwill before Christmas. Passed it by begrudgingly, not knowing if this was still the teenager's style. I wanted it for myself but was trying to behave. Sent said teenager a photo of it, turns out she loved it. Went back and it was gone. Dang! It was only $5. I don't like it when I try to be good. 

Yup, it's March and I'm still thinking about 'one that got away.'

Horizontal Stripes in Metallic Paints

I wish I had a before my before shot of my client's kitchen. The wall was red and the cabinets were white. 


After they had the cabinets painted black and the wall primed white, they called me in to do some line work.




Metallic stripes in medium grey, pearl white and charcoal grey. 


Then a piece of color punch, a photograph by the Mr. of the house.

I love it when a client is the type that steps out of the box.

Saturday, March 24, 2012

Saturday Night...

Dinner, movie and drawing 'tattoos' on teenagers' body parts.


Thursday, March 22, 2012

Multiple Sclerosis and Natural Healing

A few months back I started to follow the blog, Elana's Pantry. I had gone grain free and this blog was mentioned as one to read. I've tried many of her recipes and have been happy to eat them. I get each of her posts via email as I do not want to miss them. Today's post had incredible meaning to me.

31 years ago, right before I turned 17, my mom died due to complications of Multiple Sclerosis. She had been diagnosed with the disease 5.5 years prior. Before being diagnosed, she had lost weight and was feeling great, she had gone from a size 16 to a 12  and at 6' tall, she was feeling pretty good about herself. We went on a family vacation to visit her cousin and best friend in Virginia. I can still remember the day when we got home, her standing outside the car and telling my dad that she felt a numbness in her left arm. A few days later, the numbness also was in her left leg. She went to the doctor. It then took 6 months for a diagnosis as it was a newer disease that was being explored and she was often a guinea pig to new remedies, trial medicines and treatments. Prednisone ended up being the answer and if you know anyone that's been on it, or have had the experience yourself, it puts weight on, a lot of weight. She gained the weight back that she lost, plus an additional 4 sizes. I saw her go from a vivacious women feeling good about her body, to a woman that was not feeling good about herself, consistently worried and depressed, mostly chair bound and could only get around with assistance of a walker or a wheelchair for outings.

I now have a good friend, Angela, that is battling the disease. We became friends when she adopted a Schnauzer Mix from me. She has become the person I go to for 'mom' advice even though she is not that much older than me. When I met her she was fully functioning with the disease and now has had to relinquish driving rights and has difficulty taking the dogs for a walk even in the back yard. She is a strong women (her blog is named Indomitable Angela for a reason) and will do the best she can each day, and is grateful for the the life she has and the family and friends that surround her. She forges ahead with creating beautiful quilts, knitting and doing cross stitch. Doing what she can with whatever energy she has on a given day. Mostly, I try not to get attached to her disease, probably because blocking it out is easier for me, but it is not something I can do any longer as she recently discussed the possibility of having to find a home for her sweet and crazy dog Cassy. She is sometimes hesitant to tell me of a new physical development because it happened to be what my mother battled. She is sensitive to my history. I hate seeing her having to give up things in life that she's enjoyed doing. She has tried different and new medical treatments, often times feeling worse for weeks as the chemotherapy type treatments worked through her body, and in the end they didn't help. Recently we started talking about things she could change that she's putting into her body.

The post today 'Natural Treatments for Multiple Sclerosis" was apropos to this conversation.

In the post by Elana's Pantry, I learned that Elana has battled MS, and the video she shares of Dr. Terry Wahls was educational and fascinating. This post was about MS, but I would bet that it could make a difference with other diseases as well if a change in food lifestyle is adhered to. I believe, and know, that it can make a difference in your life even if you are disease free.

I hope you are able to take the time to read the post as it may be quality information you can share with someone you know now, or in the future.

Friday, March 9, 2012

Freekibble Giveaway


I answered my daily Freekibble questions and they're also having a give-a-way --- 5,000 pieces of kibble to your favorite shelter if you win. To enter you have to send in a limerick, poem, rap, etc. with 50 words or less about the pets in your family.

I sent this:


Two little Schnauzers
yes they are
they run and play
and like rides in the car. 

Big boy Hanz
is whiney and needy
Little Bug got her name
'cuz she's nosey and speedy.

Because of them
I've made this rhyme
Oh how I love them
I'm glad they're mine. 

Silly, maybe even a little juvenile...I'm sure they will not choose the winners for content...hmmmmm, or will they? Well, either way, it'd be fun to be able to donate food to a shelter, the hard part would be choosing which one!

Sunday, March 4, 2012

Nantucket in February

Perusing the Nantucket pictures finally, and oh how far away it seems since being there. Time is funny like that. It was a relaxing, do nothing, eat, drink, read, watch movies and take walks on the beach week. 




The dogs loved it, too. 



It is the home of  Bella's parents that we were lucky enough to be invited to stay in. The house is about a 1/2 mile from the beach. We walked dirt roads in the dunes, threw balls in the field, walked the beach. They were all exhausted the rest of the day.


Bug had her nose to the ground, R. calls her his little Retriever 'cuz she's a tracker. She's usually good at a recall but her nose and mind were on one thing on this beach...I imagine it was the dog that had walked the sand with it's owner, a little bit before us. 



Bella stayed with us and then spent another 8 days back home here. She was so happy to have R. around to walk her and play with her, there in Nantucket and here at home. She lovvvvves him.