31/1 jewelry

Last week I embarked upon yet another exercise in creative practice…Ali Edward’s “31″ class.  You can read more about the class at BPS here, I think today is the last day to sign up.  Everyday there is a writing prompt and the opportunity to pair a photo with your writing.  We just finished day 6 in writing so I am late in posting….a little busy with that stuff called every day life…

31/1  Jewelry

I love jewelry, and it’s funny because I don’t wear that much normally, but I love to collect it and wear more of it on special occasions.

Every day I wear my wedding ring and my engagement ring on my left ring finger.  Charlie surprised me with my engagement ring…I knew nothing about it.  It’s yellow gold which is not always “in style” because platinum has become so ubiquitous but I like the warm color, and the diamond is a lovely pear shape.  My wedding band was cast from a beautiful rose gold antique ring…I really wanted the original ring but was afraid that the two golds were too different, and not in a good way.  When the store owner told me she could reproduce that ring in yellow gold,  I was sold.  I love my ring, it’s a combination of old (design) and new (metal)  The ring is very flat and the band is about 3/8” wide with tiny lines incised in the background and roses and flourishes carved around it.

Almost every day I wear a sterling silver band on my right ring finger that is inscribed with hieroglyphics that read “I love you” in ancient egyptian.  Charlie bought it for me years and years ago and I love it.  It’s cool and funky and not flashy and I think of him whenever I catch a glimpse of it.    I also have started wearing one of my “Swatch” watches again, Charlie brought it back from one of his NYC trips for me, it’s white with a bright floral print on the band and on the face.  Love it.  I find I’m going back to wearing a watch instead of looking at my phone all the time as that practice sucks me into other things.

I have a number of earrings that I wear when I remember, I have loads of bracelets that I usually only wear when I’m going out for something…too jangly for every day.  I have a number of necklaces too but most days if I’m hanging around at home, I don’t put them on.

I love love love antique jewelry, I have all sorts of super cool pieces from my mom, both of my grandmothers and some from my great grandmother… I’ve picked up jewelry at flea markets and second hand stores.  I definitely have more than I know what to do with and I need to find some ways to re-work some of the pieces so I can wear them more often.  All of the rings are too small for my 20th century fingers.

I keep most of my jewelry in a big jewelry box that used to belong to my mom.  I think she was surprised when I said I wanted it  (she put all her things into their own piece of furniture!)   but it’s a great size and has nice divided drawers for things and I think of her every time I  go hunting for something.

Black Belts

The girls received their junior black belts in karate this weekend…

we are just a little proud!

They 

Are 

Awesome

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.

 

{this moment}

{this moment} – A Friday ritual. A single photo – no words – capturing a moment from the week. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember.

If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see.

…day four…and no brown

I thought a lot about process today, the HOW of getting things done.  Sometimes I think we spend so much time on the why we don’t pay attention to the PROCESS of the HOW which can be just as informative as the why.

But that, I think is fodder for another post…

May 4, layout 4.  I wanted today’s page to be bright…it has rained all week and it’s totally gray and drizzly.  The prompt didn’t grab me today but I was flipping thru photos and found these of the girls at the park last summer…tugs at my heart that they still fit in the little kid cars…and in no time at all there is no way they will fit, or even want to try.

The journaling reads:  You girls have been riding the “leave behind” toys at the park since you could walk.  Many, many v. cold days yelling “just one more ride mom” or …Sunset, bugs coming out “please one more!”  You are now 9 and still the cars at the park beckon…A quick adjustment. look under the hood and you’re off on another adventure.  I didn’t think you’d fit, either of you.  but you did just barely.  How many more rides before you are truly too big?  Many More I hope.     Summer 2011

 

*sigh*

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…special for Tina

Hi Sis!

So this post is for you….because I scanned all those cracker recipes for you and the file was so big that I couldn’t email it….try clicking Cracker recipies and see if you can download the file it is linked to…let me know if it works!

Fun with web sites!

another day, another layout

I’ve been digging around in boxes and bins and trying to make some order out of chaos when I found this “kit” of papers and photos that I’d put together a few years ago but never actually made the layout….so today I did, I added some other items and wrote a little but having all the papers etc…already in one place made things go so much faster…even with pulling some other things.  This was from 2006…I can’t believe how time has flown.  But we still have that red wagon.  The more things change as they say….

I realized today that the last three days layouts have been very dark … maybe it’s the super grey rainy days we’ve been having (but boy do we need the rain)  or just what I have been putting my hand on to work on….maybe tomorrow will be brighter, we’ll have to see.

Most days, I don’t have a set idea of the story I want to tell for that day, I just let the story find me.  Seems to be working out so far so I’m gonna just go with it.

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“it’s required of all new patients”

ha!  no this post is not about scrapbooking… that will be later today 

So here is a little glimpse into part of what I think is wrong with our healthcare system…Not the ONLY thing mind you but a “case in point” as it were.

I had an appointment the other day with the Spine Clinic / Pain Management department at my doctor’s group…now the doctors we go to (harvard vanguard) are part of  huge huge doctors group which is affiliated with the best teaching hospitals in Boston  (so read…in the world)  We have been very happy and extremely well served with this group

but….

I check in and as the nurse/tech is bringing me back for vitals tells me I have to pee in a cup (what?).

Me:  Just went, sorry.  (cue apologetic grin)

Them:  Well you have to, it’s required of all new patients (huh?!)

Me:  Well, I don’t have to go, sorry, should have said something when I booked the appointment.

Them:  Well, here have some water, you can try again later, we have to have it.   (Why do i suddenly feel like i’m 3 years old?)

 

Have a great consultation about my back pain with a lovely doctor, I’m feeling good about things and as I walk out the door, I’m presented with…the cup

 

Me:  I’m sorry, I still don’t have to go (another apologetic grin)   (this skill comes in handy on long car drives and hikes)

Them:  Well you have to give a sample before you can go, there’s the bathroom.

 

When I ask why, I’m stonewalled with “it’s required of all new patients”  Now I’ve been an hvma patient since 1996, not exactly new, and I’m starting to feel harassed.

 

She must be out there with a stopwatch because she KNOCKS ON THE DOOR to see if I’m OK?  Seriously?!

Me:  I’m really sorry, (why am I apologizing for crying out loud)

Them:  Well, here’s some more water, go sit in the waiting room, you have to give us a sample before you can leave.

At this point, I’m imagining huge guards are going to come out if I leave.  And why don’t I just leave you ask?    Because I’m generally a “good girl” and do as I’m asked by people in authority or employers.  At this point, I’m in the waiting room and getting mad, texting Charlie, stewing etc…

The nurse comes out to check on me and I start to (politely) give her a hard time about this because I have things to do and I”m tired of being nice about this situation, and she’s stonewalling me.

Then it dawns on me…

…They have not given me any real reason why they need a sample other than “it’s required of all new patients”

…This test is going to take lab time and resources away from really sick people.

…I will have to PAY FOR THIS test !!!

…I don’t recall giving permission for them to administer this test.

…The real reason they are doing this is probably to do a tox screen to see if I’m a junkie looking for a fix (it is the pain clinic after all)  but, they could look at all past tests from 1996 onward and see all of the results, and unless chocolate is a controlled substance, I am not a junkie  (just wanted to clear that up)

I’m forming up my argument when she comes back and smilingly says…”I talked to the doctor, you don’t have to…have a nice day”

So my friends, this is what I think is part of what’s wrong and why healthcare is so expensive…

-Tests that are done because that’s just what they do, not because they are necessary

-Patients who won’t challenge the medical professionals as to why tests and procedures are needed (and, I may point out, you can do this politely without getting nasty about it)

-The un-necessary one take time and resources away from people who really need it.

-Patients who don’t realize you can JUST SAY NO

-Patients who don’t realize that even though they have health insurance, they are still paying for this test with their deductibles and because the insurance company is paying for un-necessary tests they end up passing all those fees onto us in the form of higher premiums  (you don’t want to know how much it costs us to self-insure)

 

OK  I feel better now…next time I’ll tell you about Lily’s $465 splinter removal.

…day two…load done and dog clean…

Today was crazy day, good day and loooong…

Out early with pup for her check up at the vet … seriously, my dog has an auto-immune disorder … never heard of that happening in a dog.  ever.   She’s doing fine though thanks for asking, medicine is working.

Then, off to my pal Sara’s house for a visit/catch up and doggie playmate which included my dog wanting to play w the cat and the guinea pig.  neither happened.  then it was take the dogs for a walk wherein my lovely sweet lab dog rolled in the leaves, and the dog poo underneath.  I guess we’re lucky that she’s almost two and this is the first time this happened.  Sara and I managed to scrape off the worst of it with some (big) leaves and then paper towels at her house.  Thank you to Kris and the fabulous crew at ABC who met me at the front door for an emergency grooming session.  Shadow is now shiny and smelling great.

In the midst of dog drama I managed my layout for the day.  The prompt was “no picture” that is pretty much sacrilege around here.  But, I’m up for the challenge…went through my bin that I had set up during the “Twelve” class I’m taking @ BPC and what did I find but the receipt from the dinner where Charlie proposed.

Totally forgot I even had it…

… but I’m glad I did.  To further challenge myself, I used one of my Basic Grey kits (and nothing else) I’ve been hoarding err, “aging” in my studio for over a year.  Nice to get things out of those bags and all over my worktable.   Have to say, had it not been to put everything down to pickup the dog from her little impromptu spa date, this would have taken about half an hour which is pretty quick for me.

 

 

 

…and the girls made dipped and coated pretzels this afternoon… no end to the fun around here!!

 

hope everyone had a great day out there in blogland.

…because i don’t have enough to do…

…i’m also super-challenging myself and participating in Lain Ehman’s “Layout a day” challenge this month. Yes, my friends, if I’m really on top of things…a new scrapbooking layout everyday will grace my blog. Lucky you! Because truly, I am not busy enough.

So I decided to “play along” with today’s prompt (there is an email every morning with a “prompt” for a topic/technique/idea of what to work on for that day….you can use it or do your own thing) and did a layout about myself, which I hardly ever do. So you get to see me in a bathing suit at the pool ha!

I’ve been working in digital for so long, it’s fun to go back to paper although my studio is now a mess after one layout. Hmmm need to work on that.

I did complete a layout every day in February so I’m confident that I can do it again this month. In addition, I’d like to post them here every day as part of the process.

In addition to this frivolity, I will be putting together my “week in the life” album whenever I get my prints back (that I’m going to upload today)  and work on the house, and sew a whole bunch of things for me, the girls, and the house…and maybe sleep just a little  ;)

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