What I like and what I don't like... about blogging

One of the reasons I started blogging was.... essentially... fear. It seemed the older I got the faster time was going by. I needed to be able to slow it down a bit, make a mark... a record of the passage and what I was doing in it. I do think this is the case for a lot of people.... I could be wrong ...

I am quite pleased when I see now that I am able to look back and see what was I doing this time last year? The year before that? It’s a really fantastic diary! Of course it doesn’t contain the personal stuff that diaries are made of, but I have hit the highlights and am able to fill in from there :)

The other huge benefit to me is I have effectively catalogued my photos. Quite a while back Sweetie bought me a coolmax external hard drive which I promptly transferred my gijillion photos to. Well this was okay but I needed a system! There’s that damn right/left brain war again. So I decided simple is a good start... I catalogued the everyday photos by month and any special moments like family celebrations (like my Grandparents 75th Anniversary !!) or our vacations in their own folders. It turns out simple works for me!

So it seems the only negative is the dry spells... There are definitely times when I really have nothing to say, even to myself. I just am. I’m not necessarily doing. That brings me to a wonderful writer/blogger whos’ coined the brilliant concept of BLOGGING WITHOUT OBLIGATION. A wonderful idea and one that I have to convince myself is okay!

If you feel the same check this out: blogging without obligation

Looking back to last years entries in March I found I was recovering from carpel tunnel surgery, taking a lot of photos and running away to Victoria!  Isn't that a kick!   As a retrospective I am sharing some photos today of the gorgeous flower arrangment my wonderful coworkers sent me as a get well and the amazing Abkhazi Gardens in Victoria.

The mummy paw part II

Don't you just hate sequels?  After yesterday I sure do!  I now know that I would rather not know what those freezing needles feel like going in.  O O U U C C H H .  Well, it's done. All that's left is the healing.

In a couple weeks it will just seem like a bad dream.  I will once again type with both hands, although it is surprising how fast you can get going with just one!

I took some pictures of the flowers my friend from work gave me the day I left, they are still amazingly gorgeous.

And because more pictures are always better .....

beach treasures

Ouch

Yesterday I finally went under the knife. Yup, had the carpal tunnel surgery.   It was surprisingly painful to have several injections in the palm of your hand.  In fact, here I am hours later and it's still somewhat frozen.  Not so sure if that's a good thing or a bad thing.  Of course with my over active imagination, it's never a good thing. At least I didnt totally embarrass myself and pâss out... okay, so it was touch and go there for a minute or two...

This might be the shortest post ever since I am typing with my left (just a spare really) hand. This is the unblemished, albeit wrinkly paw pre surgery. It was once described as a palm readers delight!

  

Resolutions, pain and Happiness?

Resolutions

One of my resolutions for this year was to print my photos, frame them and display them in my home.  Last weekend I did just that.  Well.... I printed 9 photos with my new HP Photosmart printer (Christmas present from Sweetie) and I framed and hung 3 of them.  Its a start.
Earlier in the blog I was questioning how to pick which photo's to print.  Turns out when I really started looking through them all (oh My God, who took all those???)  I knew exactly which ones I want to look at every day.

This really is a photo I took of wild ginger in Hawaii.  I was playing with a demo of an online painter program and this is the result.  The printed photo is gorgeous.

With the same online painter program I turned a photo of Koi fish (taken in Hawaii outside our favourite Starbucks) into an oil painting.  The printed photo is good but it would look much better on matte paper.

Again, another favourite photo from Hawaii.  Do you see a theme happening here?  I also realized that not only do I collect tea pots I like to take pictures of them too!

Such a beautiful view.  The color of the water almost hurts to look at.  Hawaii again.  What a rugged land.

Mai Tai's at our favourite restaurant on Maui.  Mamas Fish House.  All I can say is YUMMY.

 Check it out:  Mamas fish house on Maui

And finally, the first picture I see every day when I get out of bed

5th Avenue, New York City.  The place where stone castles meet glass skyscrapers.  I will forever be reminded of this wonderful trip.

Pain

The pain is all about the carpal tunnel.  Crappy. I'm looking at surgery some time in February.  More on that at a later date.  Here's a little info though http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carpal_tunnel_syndrome

Happiness

Some time before Christmas I was on Amazon looking for the latest book by Elizabeth Gilbert.   I was so excited to hear she has written a sequel to Eat Pray Love.  I will read anything she writes, even a grocery list !   http://www.elizabethgilbert.com/eatpraylove.htm

Along with Elizabeth Gilberts new book Committed was a recommendation for "The Happiness Project" by Gretchen Rubin.  The more I read about this book the more intrigued I became.  It hadn't been released yet and I wanted it.  I ordered two copies, one for myself and one for my sister.  They came in the mail a few weeks ago and I've been reading it and thinking about it ever since.  Check it out:  http://www.happiness-project.com/  I'm so taken with this idea that I am going to start at the beginning and read it over again, taking my time, bad habit, that speed reading.