Reunions

May 12, 2015May 12, 2015 Pam V1 Comment

I am off to my High School Reunion this week. Anxiety is kicking in and I still need to pack. It’s been a long time since I’ve been back. I went to a boarding school, so it’s not like I’m going “home.”

The typical thoughts flood my mind: should have lost some weight, I won’t measure up to other’s successes, I won’t remember half of them, they won’t remember me.

Every school has them; The Breakfast Club breakdown. Princess, Brain, Athlete, Basket-Case, and Criminal. Like the movie, we all share a bond. Most of us away from home for the first time; struggling with adolescence. Gravitating towards our own; forming tribes.

My hope is that time has softened the bad memories enough that we won’t hold the past against one another. The good memories will rise to the occasion and the tribes will come together in perfect harmony. We will discover that no matter how disconnected we were back then, we all had similar experiences. We will laugh and create new memories and maybe even cross the lines and form new friendships.

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Reflections on the A-Z Blog Challenge

May 1, 2015April 26, 2015 Pam V1 Comment

I survived!

I rose to the challenge and along the way what I learned about myself does not make me happy.

I was the eternal optimist. Silver linings? I could ALWAYS find them; even in a surgical waiting room. ALWAYS!

I marveled at glorious sunsets and spectacular moon rises.

I did chores to good old fashioned Rock ‘N Roll.

I smiled. ALL THE TIME. And laughed. Lots and lots of laughter.

Somewhere along the route called life, I lost myself. But, you can’t go back. You can only move forward. So that’s what I’m going to do. I’m going to open my eyes and embrace the humor and happiness life has to offer.

With a PINK ATTITUDE!

PS: I just finished writing this post and “Let it Be” came on the radio. I swear, you can’t make this shit up. Yep, I’m laughing!

Z is for Zippers

April 30, 2015April 30, 2015 Pam VLeave a comment

When I first started sewing, I was intimidated by zippers. I figured out ways to use buttons, elastic, and velcro to avoid sewing a zipper. Then one day, I made a dress and the before mentioned alternatives just wouldn’t work. So, I sewed my first zipper. Far from perfect, but it looked good enough.

Now, I look at life like zippers. There are many times we are afraid to try something for the fear of it not working out. But what if it does? And what about the lessons we learn when it doesn’t?

What are the zippers in your life? Roasting a turkey? Writing a novel? Entering a triathlon? Riding a city bus for the first time?

Open those zippers. I can’t promise success, but I can promise growth and that’s a far better alternative than staying stagnant.

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Y is for YouTube

April 29, 2015April 25, 2015 Pam VLeave a comment

I love YouTube. In addition to the cute pet videos, there is all kinds of how to videos. How to unclog a toilet, how to fry and carve a turkey, how to sew on a button or tie a tie. Granted, there are videos with questionable advice, but all in all a great source of information.

My most recent adventure on YouTube took me to a place I had never even thought of going before. Appliance repair. After some research late one night, I came to the conclusion the control panel on my dishwasher needed replacing. In the morning I contacted an appliance repair company who quoted me a price that would have covered a new dishwasher. Long story short, I found the part locally for less than half the above mentioned company wanted and replaced it myself.

I learned all about torque screws and ribbon connectors. Honestly, the most difficult part was unplugging and plugging the dishwasher in as the cord is under the sink.

So the next time you’re faced with a challenge or wanting to learning something new, head over to YouTube. They’re open 24/7; even on the holidays. I can’t guarantee everything you find will be legit, but a lot of it is and well worth your time.

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X is for x-rays

April 28, 2015April 25, 2015 Pam VLeave a comment

Not an original topic, x-rays, but one that I am far too familiar with. My daughter has had more than her share of them, starting at age 8. Everything started out innocently. She fell over a parking lot tie and had a sore leg, which we had x–rayed after a week. The story gets really long, so I’ll try to shorten it. She had a deformity (that’s got a nice ring to it, don’t you think?) in the growth plate in her hip. This led to the ball of her hip slipping off her femur. Within 15 months she endured:

Surgery 1: Insert a screw.

Surgery 2: Remove screw.

Surgery 3: Osteotomy.

Six years of pain, annual x-rays, crutches, walkers, and wheelchairs.

Then one day she fell in the rain and broke her funny bone. There we were in the emergency room when the doctor came in to tell us and all of a sudden she started laughing. After all she had been through, the irony of a broken funny bone mixed with the hassle of a cast was just, well funny.

But something else happened, her hip really started hurting again. After a few trips to her orthopedic surgeons (yes, she had more than one), and more x-rays, we were given some choices. 1. Morphine patch for the pain. 2. Fuse the hip. 3 Replace the hip. She was 14. After careful consideration, we went with option 3.

Surgery 4: total hip replacement

Surgery 5: tendon release.

She has also experienced oral surgery and broke her ankle, after she performed at Carnegie Hall. Brings a whole new level to the saying, “break a leg!”

So yea, we have way too much experience with x-rays.