Wordless Wednesday

Bunion Blog 1

So yesterday I spent 1 1/2 hours at the podiatrist to have a 5 minute visit and for her to tell me that I can't have my surgery until March 18th because she just found out she has to go to a podiatry convention. And I need to have a physical, bloodwork and another visit with her before surgery. Bummer. This stinks, and not just because it's feet we're talking about here. We already had moved some upcoming events around to accomodate surgery sooner and now, being off of my feet for 2 weeks is going to mess up my plan. Yeah, yeah, yeah, I hear it - I said MY plan. At some point I will learn that it's never MY plan. It's GOD'S plan and surely He has a reason for this delay, but I still say "fooey."

I was probably WAY too excited about this surgery anyway, especially when I start thinking about what it entails, but honestly, I really am excited about it. I have been walking with intermittant pain for 10 years and that moved into constant pain for about the past year. So, the sooner I can get the cutting, sawing and stitching done, the better.

While this is not my foot because that would just be gross... it gives you an almost exact replica of what my foot actually looks like.
And that should make you understand why it needs to be fixed.

See the little circle at the base of the big toe joint? In a normal foot position, that should actually be under the joint. When we are born, that is where our big toes are. When we develop bunions, our bones move and ligaments lengthen. I have a bunion on the big toe side of my foot as well as a tailor's bunion on my little toe side, just like the picture. My surgery will entail cutting a v-shaped wedge out of the bone beneath my big toe and straightening the bone. Then she will shave off the boney overgrowth and shorten my tendon on top of my foot. It will all be held into place with 3 screws and a pin. At the little toe, another wedge of bone will be removed and the toe straightened and bone shaved - no pins on that side, just a couple of screws. Exciting stuff, huh?!? And, once again, I'm gonna be awake for surgery! Well, doped up and numbed but awake... I think I'll take my iPod so I don't have to hear that bone saw. I may get brave during these quick chronicles and post some real pics or x-rays if I can convince the doc to share, but I don't want to lose what few readers I have, so I'm still contemplating.

Wordless Wednesday

Success!!

(A continuation from the previous post)

She found this in her desk this morning...
And subsequently found these in her locker...

Happy Valentine's Day!

Wordless Wednesday

Save the drama for your mama!

Oh, wait, I'm the mama!

I totally thought that teenage drama came as the name suggests... with teens, but I stand corrected. This week, the other "woman" in the house ran the gamut of emotions, which in and of itself isn't unusual, however the topics were a bit new. Words were coming from her that were completely new (and for your benefit are indicated with all quotations henceforth!)

See back in August, a new classmate and Sis hit it off really well. It was pretty exciting for us around here because Sis doesn't historically make friends easily. She knows everyone everywhere but she has her mother's issue of a lot of acquaintances and very few friends. Anyway, like I said, the girls hit it off and have spent a lot of time together since then. There have been sleepovers, gifts exchanged, BFFs written repeatedly, even talk of bridesmaids in weddings. After missing the last week of school and several unreturned phone calls, Sis found out from her teacher on Monday that said BFF moved to Alabama. YES - she moved away without a single breath about it. Tears flowed. I heard things like "betrayal", "unbelievable" and "whhhhyyyyy". What is a mom to do but give hugs and assure her the world isn't ending? I certainly didn't know... relationships aren't my forte!

After a few days of wallowing and snuggling and "I guess I have to move on. I mean this is what happens in life, right?", it was like a swinging pendulum when she came out of her room in the midst of her own Valentine's day preparation, smiling from ear to ear on Wednesday. You see, she is in week 7 of a "relationship, you know, like my first real one". She wanted to make sure that her boyfriend "knows how much I care" so she wrote him a Valentine's day poem and made him a crown, completely decorated with his name and a drum set. The drums were, of course, because "he's a drummer and it's pretty cool to date a musician." Really, what has her father created in her?!? She went to bed SO excited to give him the poem, crown and a box of chocolates because "boys don't really like flowers, do they mom?". I think I could probably just copy and paste the end of the previous paragraph right here. OH. MY. GOODNESS!!!

The week is seemingly ending on an even higher note as BFF reported back to school on Thursday!! It seems she while she WAS in Alabama and she DID move, the two were not interdependent! She moved to a new apartment in town and was in Alabama for 2 weeks for a death in the family. Yay! Life is all good!

Now, let's just hope her Valentine's day venture goes as planned and we don't come crashing back down next week...

Girls are exhausting. And my revelation from this week is that I commend anyone who has to deal with a woman on a regular basis!!

P.S. I copied the poem so that I had it, you know, just in case I should need it for future reference or something! I'll let you know up front, she's got some skillz...

Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
You may not know it,
but someone loves you.
Wear this with special care.
It'll make you feel like a king,
in hopes that I will
soon be your queen.

I believe...

I'm not typically a forwarder on-er or repost-er, but I sent this to someone over a year ago and it came back to me from that same person today. It has so many truths in it and it was what I needed to hear this morning. Maybe you need to hear something from it too...

I Believe....
That just because two people argue, it doesn't mean they don't love each other.
And just because they don't argue, it doesn't mean they do love each other.

I Believe...
That sometimes when I'm angry I have the right to be angry, but that doesn't give me the right to be cruel.

I Believe...
That we don't have to change friends if we understand that friends change.

I Believe...
That no matter how good a friend is, they're going to hurt you every once in a while and you must forgive them for that.

I Believe...
That true friendship continues to grow, even over the longest distance.
Same goes for true love.

I Believe...
That you can do something in an instant that will give you heartache for life.

I Believe...
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to be.

I Believe...
That you should always leave loved ones with loving words.

I Believe...
That you can keep going long after you think you can't.

I Believe...
That we are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel.

I Believe...
That either you control your attitude or it controls you.

I Believe...
That heroes are the people who do what has to be done when it needs to be done, regardless of the consequences.

I Believe...
That money is a lousy way of keeping score.

I Believe....
That my best friend and I can do anything, or nothing, and have the best time.

I Believe...
That sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down will be the ones to help you get back up.

I Believe...
That maturity has more to do with what types of experiences you've had, and what you've learned from them... and less to do with how many birthdays you've celebrated.

I Believe...
That it isn't always enough to be forgiven by others.
Sometimes, you have to learn to forgive yourself.

I Believe...
That no matter how bad your heart is broken the world doesn't stop for your grief.

I Believe...
That our background and circumstances may have influenced who we are, but we are responsible for who we become.

I Believe...
That you shouldn't be so eager to find out a secret. It could change your life forever.

I Believe...
Two people can look at the exact same thing and see something totally different.

I Believe...
That your life can be changed in a matter of hours by people who don't even know you.

I Believe...
That even when you think you have no more to give, if a friend cries out.. you will find the strength to help.

I Believe...
That credentials on the wall do not make you a decent human being.


So, what do you believe?

Bigger

So apparently you don't like anagrams, eh? I must admit, I was looking forward to seeing people's names rearranged into fun new words, but it was not to be. AND (insert stern mom voice here) don't you go doing it now just because I brought it up!

And reflecting on last week's post even more, can I again reiterate how annoyed I am by this whole "I hate winter. I hate snow." stuff?!? It's Illinois. It snows in the winter. It's what makes winter winter around here. It happens every year, but people always act surprised and disgusted and whiny about it! I personally love winter - not because I'm some sadistic person who loves being so cold her body shakes uncontrollably and her fingers hurt, but because I love the change of seasons. I love living somewhere where I can experience snow, rain, sunshine and changing leaves, and none of them stick around forever. To me, it marks the progression of the year and our lives.

Yes, I know this storm was brutal. I know that the winds were dangerous and the snow was deep, but it was also beautiful. It was white and thunderous. Do you think that maybe it's God's reminder that there is an awesomeness that surrounds us that we sometimes become oblivious to?!? We like to think we're the ones in control. Then a storm like we had this week comes along and BAM! - back to reality! There are bigger things than us and our earthly priorities and possessions!

Overheard at our house this week:
Dad - "Can you go upstairs and grab my red multimeter?"
Beebo (after a quick return) - "I can't find your freakin' multimeter, ok?"
Me - "Ummmm... oops!"