Tick Tock. Tick Tock. Tick Tock...

The Universe must think I am an incredibly slow learner.  Waiting a week for biopsy results is crazy. And a test of my patience. And a test of my ability to handle stress. And a test of my wild imagination. And a test of my sense of humor. 

If you should ever find yourself in a similar situation, here are 21 things to do while waiting to see if you have cancer:

1. Rearrange your house.
2. See a comedy show.
3. See Steve Martin in concert.
4. Take your dog to the Vet for a mani-pedi.
5. Eat some wickedly fattening Mexican food.
6. Take a very long walk in nature very early in the morning.
7. Create something. Anything.
8. Back to that eating thing... ice cream. Lots of it. Within reason.
9. Purge your closet. And just about every other part of your house.
10. Alphabetize the DVD movies you never watch anymore.
11. Trim your rose bushes.
12. Do a little retail therapy. Within reason. Or not.
13. Ok, maybe I'm a little obsessed with the food thing - but make a homemade pizza. With lots of cheese.
14. Laugh. Because what choice do you have?
15. Spend time with an old friend. And laugh. A lot.
16. Stay positive. (Ok, that one's wearing a little thin.)
17. Remember and appreciate how lucky you are to have loving support from friends and family - and especially from that one special guy who is just as nervous as you are. 
18. Make plans for the future - vacations, more comedy shows, more concerts, plays... anything.
19. Stop worrying about your weight. It may turn out to be totally irrelevant. And the least of your problems.
20. Drink the good champagne. Within reason. Or not.
21. Calm the hell down. You're not in control of this one...

Decision Time.

I read my horoscope almost every morning.  Not because I believe in it.  Just because I'm curious.  Sometimes it is just silly.  Sometimes it is pretty close to what I'm thinking/feeling.  And sometimes it cosmically helps me make a decision or answer a question.  On those days I believe in it.  ;-)  Take today's horoscope for instance (and I'm paraphrasing):

"Be as realistic as possible and clearly let others know what you can and cannot do.  They will appreciate your direct approach and accurate assessment more than an unrealistic promise that can't be kept.  Take a deep breath and smile; even super heroes can't be everywhere at once."

Today that helped me make a decision.  One that enabled me to walk out the door with my camera this morning and go for an honest-to-god 20 minute walk.  Something I haven't done in months.  And for someone who used to walk at least an hour every morning it is something I have dearly missed.

So as invitations for my Whee Ones and I to participate in summer markets and local artists' events are coming in I've really been on the fence.  

Because even though some of the markets and events are quite prestigious and well-attended, with my usual workload keeping 9 stores across the country stocked with both Whee Ones and photography and maintaining 2 Etsy shops ~~ it's a lot to take on.  I even received an invitation to exhibit my photography at another RAW Natural Born Artists/Denver event.  I'm so flattered and honored by the invitations but what I am learning is that even though my first instinct is to respond with a resounding "YES!" ~ it's not always in my best interest [personally] to commit to every offer that comes my way.  So I am really trying to take time and listen to my heart.  If my heart isn't in it it's time to say no.

I've been running like a machine for a couple of years now and it has taken a toll on my family life, my social life, my eating habits, my sleeping habits and now my body ~ my back has been jacked up for months and I've put on more lbs. than I'd like to admit.  (Denial has been my friend for a long time now...)

So although it's been hard, I'm saying "No" a little more often and finding that it allows me to do things like ~ go out the door, camera in hand and discover the beauty that lies in my own backyard (or front yard as it may be)...

Like these little guys bravely surviving our recent snows... literally outside my front door.

And sunshine...

And dreams of travels to faraway places.  Or at least the PNW...  And the realization that reclaiming my life ~ at least a small portion of it ~ is going to be a good thing.

And with that ~

Mornin' peeps!!

Birthdays and Aging and History

It's my sweetie's 54th birthday today.  The 22nd one I've spent with him.  So that thing I said about time being fleeting.  Hell yes it is.  Wow.

He was actually 31 when I met him; but as we were learning about each other and he discovered I was 36 he lied and said he was 36, too.  He turned 32 a month later and I think I began to suspect something was amiss then.  By that time it didn't matter.  I was too far gone.

When I met him he was younger than both my sons are now in 2013.  That is how fricking fast time goes.  (They are 36 and 33 now.)  And yet ~ I don't feel much older than when we met.  Of course, looking in the mirror reality smacks me upside the head on that one. 

Thinking about aging always brings to mind a line from "Meet Joe Black." Anthony Hopkins (as William Parrish) toasts the crowd assembled for his birthday saying, "And I'm going to break precedence and tell you my one candle wish:  that you would have a life, as lucky as mine where you can wake up one morning and say, 'I don't want anything more.' 65 years, don't they go by in a blink?"

And to that I say ~ hell yes they do.  

So Charlie and I are going to take a big bite out of life today.  Or at least go to lunch.  After work.  And maybe start planning that 20th Wedding Anniversary vacation ~ because that happens this year, too.  Wouldn't that be loverly...

I caught these geese gliding by the kitchen window early this AM as I prepared breakfast for Cry Baby Ranch (aka A-choo).  Her nickname is another story for another day.  

So, Mornin' Peeps!