A Hop and an Award

Cluster made with A Book of Me by Aprilisa Designs

 I do know how little of Friday is left compared to everyone else who posted the Friday Fill-In this morning at Feeling Beachie. I’ve been working pretty much all day trying to unlock the secret of getting a video that actually syncs up the way it does in the work-window. In December, I was up until 5 AM the day of Bortrail editing David’s show to make it just so with precision edits, like I’ve always done when I edit video. I was mortified that night as the show played and the edits I’d worked through the night on were so badly out of sync you’d think someone who knew nothing about video opened the software for the first time and threw some stuff in the editor. I’ve tried the executable file, creating a free-standing video, burning a DVD direct from the editor, all out of sync. I spent some time on the phone with tech support. I cleared the cache and cleaned up the program and my file, I rebooted the computer before rendering. Still, out of sync crap. I did a show for Tori and Rina’s Sweet 16 with an editor half the price and it was perfect. So now I’ll be recreating the show on that editor and I’ll find out if it’s the “standard” railfan software or the still new enough that I haven’t done video on it computer. If it’s the software I won’t be at all happy. The newer crappy software is twice the cost. But if is the software, I’ll be singing the praises of Wave Pad to every railfan I know!

So anyway, aside from a day wasted with that software that puts me starting the month off behind on my Sugar Cookie comments at Ginger Scraps and about a half a day late in posting my blog…things aren’t bad. I started today with chocolate hazelnut oatmeal! That’s a nice start. ½ cup of quick oats with a tablespoon dark chocolate chips, 1 tablespoon crushed hazelnuts and 1 tablespoon brown sugar. Set the Keurig maker for 8 oz. hot water. Cover the bowl with a plate while you make a cup of coffee in with the Keurig, Free Trade Vermont Blend this morning, and by the time I stirred in a tablespoon of Coffeemate the oats were ready and the chocolate melted. MMM! The oatmeal, which I was too busy loving to photograph, was a little more than I usually have for breakfast, 9 WW points, but every now and then you have to do something special for yourself. It was worth every point. And since the creamer is a point and the apple I had was 0 points, I still strayed in my 10 point target for breakfast anyway.

Okay, now finally the fill-ins, Chatty Nani I am tonight.

This week’s statements:
1. I was probably the only kid in the world who ____
2. ____ is my favorite juice
3. I never thought I would____until I___
4. I have always wanted to_____ but_____

My Answers:

1. I was probably the only kid in the world who liked squid! Tastes change and I am so NOT a calamari fan now, but I liked it as a kid, the fried tentacles were my favorite.

2. Pineapple-orange is my favorite juice.

3. I never thought I would get married until I started talking silly wedding talk with David.

4. I have always wanted to hang glide but now it is the one thing the stupid MS stands in the way of.

I'll be checking out everyone else's fill-ins tonight and tomorrow!



My First Award of 2013!

Okay, on SUNDAY, way back in January, Edna presented me with a wonderful award. I managed to stop by and thank her, but I’m just now posting it. Like I said to her in comments yesterday, good thing it’s not a punctuality award!

But it’s better than a punctuality award. In fact the occasional lack of punctuality is in there because it’s the REALITY award!

Isn’t it sweet?

The rules are pretty easy:

(1) Visit and thank the blogger who nominated you.

Did that, even twice thanking again yesterday.

(2) Acknowledge that blogger on your blog and link back to them.

In case you didn’t put the 2 and 2 together, Edna is my dear friend the owner of Miss Edna’s Place

(3) Answer the five simple questions. See below

(4) Nominate blogs for the award and notify each of them. Also see below

(5) Display the award on your blog somewhere.  See above




Here are the questions:

1. If you could change one thing, what would you change?
2. If you could repeat an age, what would it be?
3. What is one thing that really scares you?
4. What is one dream you have not completed, and do you think you'll be able to complete it?
5. If you could be someone else for one day, who would it be?



1. If you could change one thing, what would you change?

I’d make all diseases that attack people who have done nothing to put themselves at risk disappear. Autoimmune disorders, cancer, diseases of the brain; all gone, poof, those afflicted everything the disease made happen, back to normal.

Okay, and if I can’t have it that way for all diseases, then selfishly, I’ll cure MS first.


2. If you could repeat an age, what would it be?

Edna said she’d stay where she is now, and in many ways I’d say the same. I’ve never had trouble with my age and being happy with my world just as it is right now. I have demons, but I also have wonderful things that have entered into my life.

I could say 28 because it was before my mom got sick and she’d still be with me. But if I look to go back to still have the riches I’ve lost in my life, wouldn’t I want to go back to early 1994 when my grandfather was still with us? But my Papa and my nieces never knew each other. In order to have Papa in my life I’d have to give up Tori and Rina. Even getting Mom back, Mom and David never met.

One time I was asked that question and I said 39 because It was before the MS symptoms got bad, after David and I got together, we’d found Kaline and we had all four cats between us. But Carla hadn’t been born yet. So you see, to pick one age from my past, I’d have to choose who to keep and who to give up. So because I really don’t like decisions, I’ll pick slightly closer to 47 than 46.


3. What is one thing that really scares you?

Stairs. I crawl up the ones at home, but I still have to get to a standing position for the top 2; scares me half to death every time. Fortunately, succeeding without falling thrills me half to life!


4. What is one dream you have not completed, and do you think you'll be able to complete it?

I have always tended to have goals rather than dreams as far as things I want to attain. Current dreams include a job and a new home with David’s train layout taking up the whole basement, a ranch with easy accessibility be it walker or chair, laundry on the main living floor and a modern kitchen with appliances that work and a pantry that’s not in a corner over a corner section of counter. Oh yeah, and smooth no grout countertops. Both are attainable, jut not sure how many months/years down the line.


5. If you could be someone else for one day, who would it be?

Just for a day? As much as I always say I’d give anything for just one day with no pain and the full abilities I used to have, I think I’d choose to be someone with greater physical disabilities than I have so I could better appreciate how good I actually do have it. Bet I’d never say the “I’d give anything” idea again.



Now I would like to pass this award on to:

Kelly at Coffee Cups and Christianity
Debby at Just Breathe
Josanne at A Chocolate Bouquet
Jen at Grown In Southern Ground

As usual, I realize everyone has busy schedules, even me sometimes!  So, this award is a ift without requirements.  I'd love to read your answers, but don't feel obligated to answer the questions, just know you've been acknowledged as one of the blogs I love to visit!