Daily Ponderings

Yesterday, K. took the day off to go skiing near Ellicottville, NY. The area down there is HUGE during the winter season for skiing, especially on weekends. But go on a Wednesday? Hardly anyone there! Perk! I have never been skiing, and frankly, I wasn't even interested in trying. Although the temperature was in the upper 30s, and not terribly cold, I know I still would have frozen! And I think I would have been way too tired. So, I stayed inside the lodge near the windows where I could watch out for K, and just enjoy seeing the other skiers coming down the hills! I had a lot of fun, and it was a good time spending it with K! This is one of the lodges that is in the Holiday Valley area. This is where I hung out! I thought this light was pretty cool! There is K, all ready to go!  K. is on the way up the hill! lol The nice fireplace! Ironically, I was too hot to sit near it, and it wasn't near the windows!   The outdoor fir...

It is March already. I find it hard to believe. I have to admit, I've never really been a huge fan of March. Although Spring officially begins during this month, it almost never feels like it when you step outside. So to me, March continues to drag the winter weather out for another 31 days of waiting and hoping that it'll actually stop. For the longest time, March also reminded me of when my Grandpa S. spent almost the entire month in the hospital before he finally died on the 24th. While that is always in my head, it happened 19 years ago this year. I still miss him, that's for sure, but it doesn't hurt as bad as it did back then. If I am able to go to his grave on that day, I will. But usually March doesn't allow me to do that because there's either too much snow or it's too darn cold. So I have to actually wait til maybe April! lol The end of February was a bit demanding on an emotional aspect for me and my family. I mentioned awhile back that someone ...

When I was diagnosed with congenital heart disease and pulmonary hypertension, I was nine months old. My parents were told by my doctors at the time that I may not make it to my first birthday (yikes, that was only three more months to possibly live??), or I might live until 50. They had no idea, and really, the only person who does know is the Good Lord above. So far, He has allowed me to see 37 years, and I am incredibly thankful for that! I happen to be one of those people who will be EXCITED to turn 50, because it would just prove that doctors don't always know everything! What is totally awesome to me is that there are people who live such long lives, and I can only pray that God will allow me to be around when I'm a ripe old age. My grandma is one of those who keeps aging, and she's doing pretty well, I might add! Last month, she turned 90. Ninety!! I can't believe it....and when I called to wish her a most Happy Birthday, she told me she couldn't believe it...

1. I am totally addicted to avocados! 2. I took organ lessons when I was a kid. My mom thought organ would be easier for me to play, rather than a piano. Plus, we also had my Grandpa's organ. Made it easy to practice. 3. I have a crush on Alan Rickman. Don't know him? This might help. 4. If I had to guess, I have at least 50,000 glass beads in the other room. No joke! Most of them are the tiny seed beads, so really, I'm sure my estimate could actually be way more than that!  5. I wash my dishes in the same order every single time: utensils, glasses, bowls, plates, plastic ware, pots/pans, recyclable items. I even find that if I'm washing dishes at another person's house, I must do them in the same order. I blame it on my Virgo tendencies! 6. I still miss Mason and Euan  terribly. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think of them, or even shed a few tears.  Me and Euan Mason 7. I can't stop p...

A phriend wanted to know if the snow was coming down horizontally tonight, and so I decided to do a little filming! I opened my front door (which was almost frozen shut), and stuck my phone out and hit start. This was the result!! I'm thinking of maybe filming a little bit tomorrow, too, since we're still getting snow until the early hours of the morning. I haven't seen this much snow in quite some time! It's nice, and at the same time, I want it to stop and melt!! lol (By the way, I said the name of my phriend in the video, just in case you were wondering who the heck I was talking to! lol)

Already eight days into February, and I have yet to write this month. I don't know why I tend to slack off often with my blog?? I need to figure out something where I can write every day. Maybe a website that gives suggestions of what to post. I'll have to look into that today since I'm stuck inside while it snows like crazy out there! That is the path I shoveled earlier from my front porch to the road, because I get oxygen deliveries on Fridays, and the oxygen guy would not have been able to get to my porch if I didn't do it! Now, normally I do NOT shovel. But, my dad had to go to work really early today, and he usually is the one to make sure the snow is cleared. However, it really didn't start snowing a ton until after 7am, when he was long gone already. Which is why I had to do it. I'm very thankful the snow wasn't heavy! I just shoved it off the porch with the big shovel, and then ever so sloooooowly made my way down the sidewalk, stopping a LOT. I...

I have been stuck in the house since last Thursday. Over the weekend it was brutally windy, and I have a hard time going out in that sometimes, so I just stayed put. And then the deep freeze set in for the week. There have been some days where it hasn't even reached 10 degrees (F)!! And of course the wind chill is even worse!! Needless to say, I'm going a little nutty being by myself this entire week. Even Mittens wants me to leave the house (no, he didn't say that, but sometimes I think he wants me to! lol)! What have I been doing all week?? Besides going stir-crazy? Well, I've chatted away on the phone with several people: I baked some oatmeal cranberry cookies (except I didn't realize the dried cranberries I bought were really cherries.....still awesome cookies!!): I also made a yummy pot of black bean veggie soup, which I think I'm addicted to making!: I started walking on my treadmill again, something I've been meaning wanting...

I dove into the world of owning my own computer when I bought my first Gateway back in January 1997. I was still living at home at that time, and busy finishing my last semester of college. It was fun to be able to do all my homework on a computer and not a word processor (soooo boring), but what really fascinated me was connecting to the world wide web! That computer got a lot of use, including the huge cow box it arrived in. I still use that box today to store my wardrobe for the different seasons. Currently, all my summer clothes are in it! When I moved into my apartment, of course the Gateway came with me. I continued the world wide web obsession, even though dial up left something to be desired. Ah well! It was fun!! And then suddenly, my computer died. NOOOOOO!! I had started going back to grad school, and well heck! I needed a computer!! So, I used part of my loan to buy another one, and I got another Gateway. It was a thinner model, and it wasn't a tower model, which ...

Last year, before the PHA International Conference, I found out that the PHA was looking for people to help them with videos they wanted to make about people living with PH secondary to another illness or condition. This included people living with Scleroderma, Lupus, HIV/AIDS, and Congenital heart disease. Oh! Congenital heart disease! Well, that was me! So as much as I was very afraid to be in front of a camera, because I'd never been filmed before, I told them I could volunteer if they needed me. And guess what? They needed me! So on the Saturday of the conference, I went to an assigned room to film. I was interviewed, answered lots of questions, and felt like I was there for an hour. lol I was wondering when the videos would be made, and found out a couple weeks ago that they were all done! Here I am, along with another congenital heart patient, and MY cardiologist from the Cleveland Clinic! I really respect him and all the research he likes to do about people living with m...

When I was younger, I was an avid reader. I could go to the library and check out the max number of books (maybe like 5-7?? can't even remember!), and spend the next week or two reading all of them. I could read for hours at a time. Sometimes I'd finish a book in a day. I totally loved to read fiction, sometimes biographies, thrillers. It didn't really matter too much! In the past several years, I've really gotten bad with reading. I just don't seem to make time for it. It might take me quite a few months to finish a book, especially if I'm not totally into it. I feel guilty starting a book and not finishing it if I don't like it. lol So then it'll take me much longer to read it so I can move on to another! So I decided to try and make it a goal to read more this year. Not a resolution, because I don't do resolutions, but a goal. So far I've got one book finished!  Michael Jackson wrote this book in the '80s, and some of it ...

A phriend of mine posted something on her Facebook wall several weeks ago, an idea that I totally loved. Basically, it said to get some sort of jar or container, and write down something you were thankful for every single day of the year. How awesome is that?? I know that some people have terrible days, myself included, but there is SOMETHING to be thankful for every day, even if it's just to be thankful for waking up! So, I've started my own jar! I have an old Mason jar, little white squares of paper, and a black pen I keep these items on my bedroom nightstand, and every night before bed, I've thought of something to write down, including the date. I fold the paper up, and drop into the jar. So by the end of 2013, I can go back and read all my notes to see the things I've been so thankful for during the year! Awesome idea, no?? I only wish I had known about it for last year, because that was a very amazing year for me! Oh well, at least I know about it no...

Well, 4 days into 2013, and nothing too exciting has happened. lol I had a really nice New Year's Eve/day with K. We stayed indoors to bring in the brand new year at his place. He bought all the fixings for a very delicious dinner, including a ribeye steak, roasted red potatoes (both which he made out on the grill), salad, and the best triple berry crumb pie I've ever had. Well, it's the ONLY triple berry crumb pie I've ever had! It was fabulous! We had wine with dinner, and rang the New Year in with pink champagne (well, I did anyway). K. built a great fire in his fireplace, and we spent the evening talking about 2012 and the things that happened. I mentioned some things I'd like to see happen for 2013, so we'll see what the year brings!! On New Year's Day, we had breakfast together, and then K. left for a few hours to play tennis. Since there wasn't an area where I could watch him play, I stayed at his house and played...