A Short Update

I haven’t posted in a while, and I thought I would try and give a small update on what has been going on with me. This is by no means an excuse for why I have been slacking on posting, but I want to make a record of events that have been important recently.

Since the end of April, my Mom had surgery to help fix her cubital and carpal tunnel issues on her right arm. She has informed me that I made a pretty great nurse while she was recovering. I was up with her before work, and helped her get all her things together for lunch, and was an assistant to tasks that proved difficult due to her dominant hand being the one that was healing.

The weather has also improved. This meant that my household has been out in the yard working on cleaning up after a Wisconsin winter. Now the gardens are full of color, and the yard has become a gathering space once again. Days like Memorial day were full of yummy food from the grill, and fresh produce that has officially become available in the surrounding area. With the good also comes the bad, so we have had a storm or two. The biggest one of note actually knocked a couple of large branches off our trees in the front yard, and punched a small hole in our roof. The fix was pretty quick and thankfully the only real damage done.

We celebrated my Dad’s birthday as well! My father has always been my superman, and he is the reason that I am a loud and proud geek. He has taught me that being passionate about something is never a bad thing, with a few exceptions obviously. He has always loved superheroes, and has passed that love on to his children. Superman is a favorite of his, so my Mom and I got him a zip up hoodie with the Superman logo on it. At one point he was wearing it over one of his Superman t-shirts and had the zip at just the right spot that it looked like when Clark Kent is changing into his super suit. I got a pretty good giggle out of that, and had to take a picture. My Dad thought it was awesome as well, and proudly posed for the picture.

The live action Lilo and Stitch movie came out in theaters and I went to see it with A. I got crafty and made some Stitch ears for us to wear, along with our Stitch shirts. When I sent a picture of me wearing them to my aunt, she told me that her daughters declared that they both needed a pair as well, due to them also being major Stitch fans. As soon as word got out that I was making Stitch ears, my list of requested pairs only got longer. I ended up making seven pairs of ears, including a pair for A.’s daughter, who recently became obsessed with Stitch.

As for how the movie went, I have to say that I still prefer the original. It is what I grew up with, so there are lots of happy memories attached to it. That said, I do think that they did a good job with the live action. There were moments that pulled on my heart strings, and I think they did a decent job of trying to relate to modern issues without completely messing with the original story.

Lots has been happening lately, and I am going to try my best to post more often. Fingers crossed that I keep my promise.

P.S. Please wish my Grandma and her twin sister L. a very Happy Birthday today!

Positivity Shift

Now that the weather shifts in trend towards the warmer side of things, I have been truly loving just finding a pool of sunshine and parking myself in it with my book of the moment. I am lucky enough to have western facing windows in my bedroom. The afternoon sun comes in and creates nice warm rays across my bed. I will often find Erza lounging on my bed, soaking up the warmth.

Vitamin D has been proven to help lift your mood. Sunshine helps your body with the processing of vitamin D, so that means that laying in the sun, within reason, can have some pretty nice perks. With the warmer weather, that means more chances to get outside for your daily dose of sun.

I have been getting curious about what activities people are doing outside while we are still warming up. Here in Wisconsin, the water is certainly still way too cold for any fun to be had, so that means we need to find things to do on dry land. My family has already started the spring cleaning of our yard. Sunday afternoon was spent picking up sticks, raking the grass to lift the dead vegetation off, and cleaning up a winter’s worth of dog poop. The gardens have been left alone for now, to allow the new life a chance to get a solid start.

Green has become the color of the moment due to the sprouts that are peeking out from under the leftovers from last year’s garden occupants. My favorites are the daffodils, mostly because they pop up so early compared to the other flowers. Certainly doesn’t hurt that they are my favorite color, yellow. There is a small patch of them in one of our backyard gardens that I go out and cheer on every year. The one year that I forgot to get out there early, we only got one actual bloom from the bunch. So ever since I have been informing the daffodils that I believe in them and celebrate each bud that turns into a beautiful flower.

This time of year, as things begin anew, I try my best to embrace the positivity in the air. Time to renew a little bit of faith, and spend some time just soaking up the sunshine.

Glasses Fashion

I have a genuine inquiry for those of you who wear glasses. Recently I had my annual eye exam and my prescription changed, so that meant I should order new glasses. Yesterday my new frames and my new prescription sunglasses arrived and it got me thinking. When you choose your new glasses, do you feel like changing it up everytime, or do you always go for the same frames?

I have been changing the style for the last few times. Started with some pure black frames, that changed to black with white arms, and then a dark green set, changed to a pair with various shades of red. Most recent frames are an eggplant purple frame that look more red toned in the sunshine. I have mostly gone into frames shopping with the idea that if I have to wear them every day, then I want something that is fun. To me color is how you avoid making things boring.

Another thought on my mind is the idea that some people choose frames with the intention of trying to maintain their overall style. If they mainly wear dark colors then black frames are probably a good choice, since it goes with everything in their wardrobe. Some people will go for their favorite color. Mine is yellow, so that would certainly make for some interesting set of glasses.

So I am genuinely curious, what do you think about when you are choosing a new pair of glasses? Please let me know in the comments below. I would really appreciate some more interaction with these posts.

Fun Filled Weekends

This weekend I have been getting out of the house and having fun with my friends. Yesterday B. and I went out for lunch and then to a garden center that was hosting a thrift sale for the local humane society. I obviously wanted to go and support them, they have given me five incredible animals the past few years, and I am glad I have the means to give them a little help. Today, A. and the kids are picking me up and we are heading to Action City for a morning filled with games, laughter, and memories in the making.

Some weekends I am not up for having big plans. The week was hard enough and I need the weekend to recuperate my energy levels for the following week. This week though, I am very grateful for friends who make plans. I have been enjoying getting out with them lately and I hope my body cooperates, and lets me continue to have lots of fun. (One of the draw backs of having chronic illness.)

My friends have always been a bright light in my life. They get me and are very understanding. B. A. and L. are my three best friends. Sadly L. lives across the country or I am sure we would be hanging out much more. I am also grateful to have lived in the time of easy communication. I am able to reach out to all three with a quick text whenever I need or want to. That text can sit there, in their inbox, as long as it needs to, and they can answer when the get a moment. Two of them are professionals with busy jobs, and the third is an incredibly devoted mom who is always busy as well. So I am glad whenever they get the chance to message me back.

This weekend is the first in a long time, where I get to see more than one friend, in just those two days. My social battery is being given a workout, but I couldn’t be more thankful to have the time with them. Like I mentioned earlier, it is weekends like these that are memories in the making, and I know I will look back at them and smile.

Fun filled weekends are few and far between these days, especially as adults with responsibilities. So when you get the opportunity to spend a little extra time with someone you love and cherish, don’t let it slip away. Let yourself have those fun packed days every once in a while.