June is...

....Alzheimer's & Brain Awareness Month.

 In honor of my dad who is in the late stage of Alzheimer's, I'm wearing purple all month. 

This is my dad, Jay (BIG puffy heart) 

This was taken last year and has been sitting on my desk top that long-waiting for the perfect moment to be posted. Today seems perfect.
 This moment is rooted into my brain for eternity.
 After a MUCH needed hair cut at the center where my dad lives, I was wheeling him back to his room~Oh my the fuss the nurses and other residents were making as we walked by. It was more than a little overwhelming for dad. He couldn't understand what all the hullabaloo was about. Well-meaning nurses were popping their heads into his room and telling him how nice he cleaned up. Dad only got a quick look at himself back at the barber shop so he asked me for a mirror. He wanted to get a better look. Wanting to indulge him, I locked his chair in place, joked..."don't move, i'll be right back"...he chuckled, and I ran back to the barbers to grab this mirror.

I can only imagine the thought process that was going through his disease riddled brain.

I always have my phone handy and I quickly snapped this photo which pretty much speaks volumes. I see fear in face, something I never witnessed back when his life was normal.
 He never spoke a word...he didn't have to.
Admittingly, some weeks I'm really good at calling my dad, others...not so much. It's just that I'm elated when I call and he recognizes me and says "this is my daughter, Kelly." I know there will be a day when he won't know who I am-but at least the phone call before he did. So, some days drag into longer days that go by.
It's a lousy excuse, I know, but guilt always wins out-I call...and for the time being, I am remembered.
I don't know how purple became the chosen color for The Alz.org 
Maybe because purple symbolizes mystery...which the disease certainly is-even to the experts. Maybe because it's a combination of red and blue...color spectrum extremes-like the extreme turmoil alzheimer's brings to a family? In any case, I'm wearing purple all month, in some way, shape or form in on honor of my dad, Jay.

Happy (purple) snapping!
xo
Kelly

Texture...

...Tuesday 

with Kim Klassen

Yikes...I actually had to scroll through my Instagram feed to see when I visited the local Japanese garden. I'm embarrassed to say it was 7 weeks ago...7 weeks friends. But if you missed THIS POST it sort of explains what was going on at the time. I noticed as I was going through the desktop file these were in, the top photo has Kim's "make some noise 1" texture  applied so I know that I had originally planned to post this on a Tuesday....Oh...look at that, it's Tuesday...only 7 weeks later! 

I make the little drive once a year in the spring to catch the brilliance of all the blooms.

It WAS a beautiful day at the garden. 

The lilies were in bloom...

...the cherry blossoms were in bloom...

...the maple tree was a brilliant shade of red.

Sadly though, evidence of the drought has started rearing it's ugly head in this well manicured sanctuary in the middle of the valley. 

It's like there's a bubble of the garden and the entire world gets shut out for a bit...and all that's left are the thoughts in your head, the sound of birds and the pit pat of a water feature.

Nature is my medicine. ~Sara Moss-Wolfe

Happy (late to the party) snapping!

xo

Kelly

Hello...

...June

It is with childlike giddy-ness I welcome June. With only 5 days left in the school year, my mornings will soon be free to do as I wish...free to snooze longer than 6 a.m., free to linger over the morning crossword puzzle, free to take my daily walk before the heat kicks in, free to write, shoot, play, travel and free to move about the day according to me.

 June also brings with her much trepidation. I've only recently come out of a self loathing funk & ready to talk about why I'll be getting a partial hysterectomy June 25th. A rather large (19 cm & growing) fibroid has taken up residence in my abdomen and playing havoc on the neighboring organs. I've been rather miserable & have especially hated looking 3 months pregnant. (If you're pregnant, no offense...I've had my 3 kiddos and I'm 51!)

  Sometimes things happen beyond our control & the only thing you can do is cope the best way possible. Arming myself with information to make the best informed decisions is how I feel best able to take back some control. The surgery has put a crimp in our summer plans with pre-op appts and recovery time. To make matters more challenging, I've developed an umbilical hernia. I asked to have both surgeries done at the same time but because of where both surgery sites are, there's a threat of infection and possibly compromising one or both sites. Because of where the fibroid sits, a hysterectomy or menopause is the only way to get rid of it...the latter is no where in sight~so the big H it is....yeah... 

If you have any words of wisdom I am ALL ears! 

Happy (summer) snapping!

xo

Kelly