There are few real-life angels and it's rare when we have one in our lives.  I am so blessed to have many angels in my life and there is one, in particular, that I dedicate this photo to.  She's an incredible friend and I love her dearly.  You know who you are and that my prayers are with you as you walk through this life.  There may be some tears but there will be a lot of laughter for you know how we are when we get together - you are my angel! 

 

Now, onto another kind of angel, the type that kept an eye on my dad this week.  Mom and I took Dad to the hospital Monday night due to chest pains; chest pains worse than he's had before (a man who had two open heart surgeries and three bypasses, and countless angina episodes).  The ER doctor did not like what he saw and kept Dad overnight and that overnight turned into three nights.

Around 3am on Tuesday morning, Dad's heart went into A-Fib (out of rhythm) and he realized the feeling was the same feeling he had two days before his last mini-stroke.  When his heart goes into A-Fib, the blood pools in a chamber of the heart and then it forms blood clots, one of which, broke loose and caused the mini-stroke.   

Dad's cardiologist saw him on Tuesday and ran a lot of tests then decided to do an angiogram Wednesday morning since he continued to have chest pains despite the blood thinner and nitroglycerin IV drips.  Not a good sign. The angiogram didn't show anything significant that would cause the severe chest pains so the docs were perplexed.   

The chest pains began to lessen and his condition stabilized and planned on releasing him Thursday afternoon, but before he left, they did a cardiopulmonary test.  We don't know the results yet but should hear something Monday.  His doc wants him to have an MRI of his chest and more blood tests.  

It's a great feeling to know that Dad's docs take good care of him and are digging deeper to find out what's going on with his heart.

Dad is happy to be home and Mom and I are keeping our eyes on him since he's unsteady on his feet and is on two new medications.  My siblings were great this week, pitching in to help and be there for Dad.  We're truly blessed to have angels as parents.   

 

This is a poem that I wrote for Kayla a while back and I've modified it.  She passed away on Saturday, May 2, 2008 after years of courageous battle with cancer. 

Few souls were as strong
And wise as you were.
You were and always will be an inspiration,
To both the young and old,
The way you fought the demons.
With your grace and faith.
By taking the negative
And only seeing the positive,
Embracing life and love,
Refusing to give up, even at the end.
The light within you will never fade,
For your spirit is far too strong.
Keep your eyes toward the light,
Refusing to see the dark.
May your family and friends be blessed,
With peace, love, and your sweet spirit,

Never to part.

Rest in peace, Sweet Kayla, you will always be in my heart and memories.

With Love,

Karen 

 

You can visit here and leave comments for her Aunt Susan and for Kayla's family.  You may also click here to light a candle for Kayla.   

It takes little to make a baby smile and that trait is something that we should carry with us as adults.  I find myself smiling constantly when I'm with all the babies, toddlers, and my nieces and nephews. 

While babysitting my grandniece, Eli last Friday at my house, she had eyes for my dad and it brought big smiles to his face and a tear or two in his eyes.  I snapped this photo when dad came downstairs to see what Eli and I were up to and this is the reaction he got.

 She's got so much love in her little body, it amazes me.  I took Eli with me to meet my friends for a late lunch and they loved her (again) and we had a lot of fun.  She didn't fuss at all and just took in all the new faces and sounds around her.  My friends got a laugh over the vibrating corncob toy (see last Monday's post "Gee Whiz... It Vibrates!", if you missed it!) ... you know I had to show them.  Me thinks I need to buy one for each of us now!  *snicker*

My grandnephew, Caleb is a cutie too.  He's the son of my nephew Tyler and his wife Sara (we have two Saras in our family).  Here is a video they made (it is set to music) of his first car.  He's 9 months old and weighs 24 lbs so he's a big guy and it's all muscle.

It's a great feeling seeing my nephews and nieces raising their own children. I'm so proud of all of them. Who in your life makes you smile?

Me: the doc thinks I have sleep apnea.

Hula: what? Flatula?  

Me: no, apnea *giggles*

Hula" oh, what the heck is flatula?  I know what flatulence is!   

Me: no, I don't have flatula... maybe it's like that song, "Party all the time..."

Hula:  *giggle*  Yeah, like "Farty all the time..."

Me: Yeah, it's farty all the time, farty all the time... *giggles*

Me: I don't know if I snore or not.

Hula:  Yes, you do.  

This is what happens when I'm bored at work, tired, and Hula doesn't feel well.  Oh wait, we're like this all the time.  We're two peas in a pod, we are! 

I had a Gee Whiz moment Friday while watching my grandniece, Eli.  She grew tired of the set of toys she played with all day and I went to through the diaper bag to find another toy to entertain her.  I saw this cute little corn cob toy and I took it by the handle and proceeded across the room to give it to my young charge.  I grabbed the corn cob end to give it to Eli and as soon as I squeezed a bit, the corn cob vibrated!  Gee whiz - a corn cob that vibrates!  It's the John Deere Massaging Corn Teether.

It didn't occur to me how funny this was until I was telling Vickie about it Friday night.  We laughed and laughed over the fact that I had my Auntie Karen and Photographer hat on and didn't realize how funny it really was. 

Dang... I need to get me one of these!!  No, not for that...  It's a great little massager for stress relief... oh crap... never mind...  LOL

Gee whiz, it vibrates!Miss Eli and I had a great day together.  We played with toys, she ate lunch of sweet potatoes, we went for a walk around the apartment complex where there is lovely streams and ponds.  The ducks waddled and swam while we enjoyed the fresh air and sunshine.  Her daddy told me that taking her for a walk was a great way to get her to sleep, however, she did not fall asleep.  Rats.  She did take a short nap but she wanted to play more than anything.

It's amazing how much she changes in a week or two.  She is sitting up better and she is a lot more active; she really keeps me on my toes. 

While I tend Eli, I also get the pleasure of spoiling Bella, the Wonder Cat, and two dogs.  I'm allergic to dogs so I can't spoil them as much as I'd like but sometimes they don't care.  If Bella gets attention, they get attention!  Bella is usually a calm kitty but Friday, she was on crack!  Actually, she finally showed me her true personality and she is a hoot!  

Just My Size!She kept jumping up the wall to attack something that wasn't there, sliding and skitting around on the bathroom and kitchen floors, and sneaking up to the dogs and batting them on the heads a few times then running away.  She doesn't have claws so it was more irritating to them than anything and it made me laugh.  She tried to wear my Crocs on her paws and her head (I didn't get a shot of her head in the Croc - darn it!) and then flipping them around the floor.  She really got my attention when she kept trying to climb up my body (tough to do without claws!) until I finally sat down so she could share my lap with Eli. 

Eli was on my left and Bella was on my right and the two of them played a bit, Bella kissed Eli and she tugged on Bella's fur.  Bella buried her face between Eli's arm and body and nuzzled her a bit then she decided to climb my chest, which forced me to lay back in the chair.  She climbed over Eli and nuzzled my neck, then the next thing I knew, she flipped out my first earring hoop and had my second earring (a half carrot diamond!) in her mouth! 

I managed to get the diamond out of her mouth before she swallowed it and I thought she swallowed the other earring until I found it on the floor while looking for the back of the diamond earring.  I have no idea why she did it or how she could see my earrings because my hair covered them. Needless to say, I was a bit freaked but while Eli napped, she cuddled with me and kissed me all over my face so she's forgiven.  What a cat...

When Sara got home, I asked her if Bella was hitting the Nip.  She laughed and said it was normal for her to be hyper.  Bella never gets the Nip because she clearly does not need it!  ;-) 

I was outside for a bit over the weekend and took some photos of the latest blooms in my yard.  There are three daffodil blooms and about ten Forget-Me-Nots out so far.  The blue of the Forget-Me-Nots is so vibrant and I've waited a long time to get a good, clean shot of these.  Thanks to my lovely macro lens, I finally did it! 

Photos are copyrighted and can only be used with the expressed written permission by KJR.  

I wasn't able to attend the Wasatch Camera Club meeting tonight due to me feeling like poo.  My blood sugar dropped to 32 just before lunch today and despite me eating lunch AND a donut, it only got up to 80.  I felt rotten so I went home early to rest and do some work from home.  On the way home, I stopped and got a burrito, thinking the protein would help, which it did - a little.  My blood sugar went up a whole 10 points.  I am reactive hypoglycaemic and I've done well with controlling it by eating small meals five times a day but I don't know what happened yesterday but it hit me hard. 

After spending the evening feeling sorry for myself (LOL), I got a call from my friend, Darlene, who told me that she was bringing home a ribbon for me!  My photo of Eli, named "Sleeping Beauty" won 3rd place!  W00T!!  I'm so happy and excited - and of course, honored!  Darlene is bringing my ribbon to the pool this morning and I'm excited to show it off!  Darlene deserves part of the ribbon for helping me and encouraging me!  Thank you, Darlene!  You ROCK!  

I want to congratulate Darlene on placing 2nd with her photo!  WOOHOO!  We're both winners!   

Here is the photo of the Sleeping Beauty, Eli.  

 

Eli's mommy, Sara, sent me a photo of Eli eating her first veggie, sweet potatoes and to announce her first tooth finally broke through.  How cute is she?! 

I just love this little bug to pieces and it makes me feel good to have an active role in her life.  I love her daddy, Travis, as I would a son and her mommy like a daughter.  They love me for who I am and support me in whatever I do. 

Travis does me proud when plays practical jokes.  Speaking of jokes, I haven't heard how the letter did yet but I imagine Kent will get the letter today *evil grin*

What a slacker I've been in not writing my Gee Whiz posts!  Gee whiz, what's wrong with me?  LOL

1.  It's been an interesting week for the news in Utah.  This first story is about some pranksters who went into a 7-11 with a bag of feces and put it in the microwave, set it for 10 minutes, and walked out.  Needless to say, the shit hit the fan - or should I say, it exploded!  It not only ruined the microwave but it caused $3500 in damage.  The police ask help in finding the pranksters... good luck to them!  We had a lot of laughs about it at work yesterday when we heard about it.  Not even I would go that far but it's funny!  Gee whiz, what a shitty thing to do! 

2.  An ESPN Analyst, Ric Bucher called out the Utah Jazz fans.  He said that Utahans are Mormon and there's nothing to do here and they have to be happy and smiling all the time so the only time they can be vicious is at a Utah Jazz game.  He also said that there is more off-color language than anywhere else.  Click on his name in blue on the link and you can listen to the mp3 file.  Gee whiz, what an ass.

3.  The inner prankster inside me escaped this morning.  A coworker and buddy, Kent, had both his knees replaced last week.  He's doing great and we all miss him because he's a fun guy and likes to joke around.  

We call Kent every day to see how he's doing and to see what he's up to.  He told a couple of guys about an experience he had in the hospital last week.  A woman nurse named Arianna gave Kent a sponge bath and it turns out that Arianna was once a man.  Nothing against her but Kent had everyone cracking up at his reaction (no - not that type of reaction LOL) to her and how embarrassed he was.  A little light went off in my mind this morning as one of the guys was retelling the story. 

I wrote a letter, posing as Arianna, to offer Kent her special sponge bathing services.   The letter looked professional wiht a logo and address.  The address is bogus but the phone number is another coworker's number *snortle*  Below is the letter.

************ 

Arianna’s Magic Fingers
1269 Rubadubdub Cir
Roy, UT 84067
801-XXX-XXXX

Dear Mr. B*,

Greetings!  How are you, my friend?  I hope you remember me; I was your nurse last week at LDS Hospital.  I am known state-wide for my special sponge baths that you enjoyed during your hospital stay. 

Besides working at the hospital, I am available for house calls for a variety of services:

•    Specialty Sponge Baths, includes pure Rocky Mountain spring water, authentic sponge, and gentle aromatic cleansing gel
•    All-over-body massages (I am a licensed masseuse)
•    A variety of personal services, as requested (charges may vary) for your enjoyment
•    High tech methodology and the latest devices for your every desire
•    Portable playground equipment provided for an additional charge and is available for month-to-month rental
•    No job is too big or too small, I love them all!

Health care premiums may cover the majority of the costs of services rendered and my assistant bills insurances at no additional charge.  I look forward to serving you!

Sincerely,

Arianna

************ 

The "playground equipment" is what Kent calls "bedroom furniture."  He will know it's from one of us - or all of us - and that's OK.  We were all laughing and imagining Kent's reaction.  I bought a stamp from the office and mailed it in a plain envelope yesterday.  One of the guys is taking Kent lunch today and we hope the letter will get there so he can see the look on his face.  Oh, to be a fly on the wall...with a video camera to capture his reaction!   

Gee whiz... sometimes I really crack myself up. 

Back in June 2001, I began blogging and soon after, a sweet and brilliant lady, Clara Barker from the Isle of Man in the UK began blogging too. I found her blog via one of the first bloggers who linked to me (Ariel) and she went on about how brilliant Clara was and she was right.

Clara writes songs, plays the guitar, and sings. A few years ago, she honored me with a copy of her first demo CD and I loved it from first time I heard the songs. They were two of the first songs that I put on my iPod. Clara - you rock - totally!

Clara emailed me today to announce she is now on YouTube! RAH for Clara! She has written many songs and each one is great and I'm so proud of her. Here are the two videos on YouTube.





She also has a MySpace Music blog where more songs are posted. Her main site is clarabaker.com where she has her earlier works and info. Clara - you are such a star and I'm so proud of you!! Lots of love!

Much to my surprise, an excellent fellow blogger, John gave me the Excellent Blogger Award. Thank you again, John! This means so much to me and helped bring me out of a lost feeling of late.

I caught a nasty stomach flu from my grandniece and was down for a week or so. Catching this on the heels of the bronchitis/walking pneumonia junk left me feeling completely drained and rotten. My body doesn't bounce back as I think it should, which is frustrating and has me wondering if more is going on with my immune system. I see my doc on April 21 and we'll see what he thinks. OK - enough about me! This post is about excellent bloggers!

I will start by stating that this list is short of many excellent bloggers because, to me, you all are excellent bloggers!

Darlene is a friend of mine and fellow photographer, who I met at the physical therapy pool. She's fun, smart, and a caring lady and I feel blessed to have her in my life. She invited me to the Wasatch Photo Club and teaches me a lot about photography and life. Along with Darlene, I met her mother, Elaine, and friends Joyce, Arlene, and Mable who are all so much fun. On Fridays, when I'm not tending Eli (or can get my behind out of bed) I look forward to seeing these ladies in the pool. Darlene's fun personality and love for family and extended family shines through her words on her blog. She is an avid walker/runner and she finds money every time she goes out (rain or shine) then keeps track of it in her posts.

Next is my friend, Hula Doula, whom I love dearly! She's so fun and she puts up with me when I go to Denver. She also has the BEST throne in the world, complete with air conditioning! She and her Hula Hubby had the opportunity to completely re-do their bathroom, which would mean dismantling the throne and air system but they decided not to mess with a good thing. I tend to believe she did it for me but I also know it's her secret hiding place when she needs to get away from her kids LOL Hula and I have a lot of laughs when we're together and we share a lot of like experiences, which made us bond. She writes of adventures with her kids, Hula Girl and Hula Boy and they're the most wonderful children, filled with love and life. Believe me - Hula Boy is every bit as effervescent in life as he appears through Hula's writing. Hula Girl is as wonderful too and more; she's growing up to be quite a young lady. If you haven't read Hula's blog, you're missing out!

Hula led me to the next Excellent Blog, the Lost Fart of Blogging. This blog is so funny and fits with my twisted sense of humor. Bob is hilarious and so is his wife, Joyce, who comments a lot on his posts. The stories he shares of his adventures and past experiences crack me up... now I just need to visit more and leave comments; I've become lazy in my blog reading and rely on the SharpReader.

Dave is another friend of mine who has a great blog. He had to go "private" for a while due to coworkers and his boss reading his blog but he's back in the public sector now so I can give him this award and for you all to be able to access his blog. Dave is a very caring man who has a great passion for those in his life. He loves Corvettes, fine wine, sports, his family, and traveling. He has a great sense of humor and loves to laugh. You'll always find a wide variety of things on his blog because he not only writes about what's going on in his life but also finds great links to the strange news.

Trée is a fantastic writer and artist; he has a great imagination and has the makings to be a sci-fi writer.  His story of characters in another world is interesting, captivating, and full of passion.  His imagery and fractals are breath-taking and beautiful.  I've been following the story for years and it gets better all the time. 

Margaret is an incredible lady who is a teacher in Washington state.  She is passionate and supportive of her family and her two daughters' dreams.  She has a great sense of humor and she's one of the few people who get me.  She and I share the same types of anxieties and understand one another when we're stressed out.  Margaret has been there for me many times and I'm blessed to call her a friend and have her in my life.   

I encourage you to write about the excellent blogs you love and share what you find excellent about the writers behind the blogs.  Spread the sunshine and the world will be a better place. 

"Life is too short to wake up with regrets. So love the people who treat you right. Forget about the one's who don't. Believe everything happens for a reason. If you get a second chance, grab it with both hands. If it changes your life, let it. Nobody said life would be easy, they just promised it would be worth it... "   --Unknown

I received the above from a text message and found it profound.  Friends and those we care about are irreplaceable and precious treasures.

This reminded me of how it is in the workplace, which according to managers and coworkers, that one can always be replaced.  A position can be filled with another, however, the one that filled the position cannot be replaced.  

Recently, a friend (A) who I worked with found another job within the company and relocated to New York.  It was a fantastic opportunity for her and her family and I am happy for them.   

A has a way of making anyone feel at home (in our home away from home) and appreciated. Her sense of humor is a lot like mine (that is a compliment!) and she always supported me in my outside-of-work interests.  She is one of the few people at work who I know I can trust and know our conversations went no further.  There's definitely only one A... and she is missed.

You raaawk, A!   

Monday afternoon, this sweet, 7-year old girl disappeared from outside her family's apartment building.  An Amber Alert was released and countless hours of searching by FBI, police, and volunteers, they found her lifeless body in an apartment close by, last night. 

They arrested five suspects but one just confessed.  He is 21 and faces three felonies.  I hope he gets what is coming to him...

As for the sweet, innocent Hser Nay Moo, rest in peace little one.   

Spring fills my soul with renewed passions ... I love spring!  These are photos of the tiny new flowers blooming in my garden. 

 

 

 

The promise of new beginnings ... the first tulip bloom of the year. 

© KJR Photos may not be used without my express written consent.  Thank you :-) 

Once again the season changes to spring, leaving the cold of winter behind as new life rises and breathes for the first time.  The tiny buds come from beneath the snow and reach for the sunshine. 

Last week, as I battled a second round of the cold/bronchitis, which returned with a vengeance Monday night, I found myself restless.  I thought a lot about things in my life that weren't working - or feeling right.  Foremost, I felt a void in what I hoped would last longer, perhaps the rest of my life.  The seasons change, once again and I found myself reaching for sunshine and wanting to put the cold behind me.  The winter was not all bad, I enjoyed the beatiful snow as it fell from the sky and how it sparkled in the sunlight. Perhaps who warmed my heart during the winter will return again in the summer or fall but for now, he needs to grow on his own.

This past winter, I almost fell in love with David, yet the past few weeks, it became apparent that something was wrong.  In the beginning, we spoke for hours about what we want out of a relationship and life.  I felt as if I'd found the man I always wanted.  An epiphany hit and I realized that what he said he wanted and what he was living were two different things. 

He wanted romance - both to give it and receive it but he didn't.  He wanted to give his heart - but it was not ready to give (which is what I sensed was wrong).  I was as more patient than I've ever been but my patience ran out when I realized that he was not ready for a relationship.  I'm setting him free and in doing so, I'm setting myself free.   

I know he came into my life for a reason and one day, that answer will be discovered.  My heart is not broken and I feel blessed that he was in my life.  I wish him well on his journey, but for now I'll flutter along on my own journey.  I'll continue to break through the soil of life... and reach for the sunlight.  This is a positive change and I feel good about it.

In the famous words of Ms. Vickie... Life is good.  Now if I can only set the bronchitis free, I'll be good.  ;-) 

Happy Easter!