Photography = Happiness

Photography makes me happy. I have not been able to do as much this year as I would like. Here are a few pictures that I have taken that make me happy.

We don't see these too often anymore, but I remember seeing them when traveling to see my great grandma when I was pint-sized.

We watched fireworks this year from atop of a 6+ foot hay bale.

Even though this water lily is not native, it was a lot of fun to photograph.

 
A goal for myself is to take time to relax through the camera lens. I prefer nature photography, but do enjoy taking pictures of the kiddos.

Do you have any goals that you are working on?

Have a great day!

The Boot of Doom Saga

It has been a while, but I'm back! We have upgraded our internet service to another provider, so posting is a lot easier. Hooray!

 

The Boot of Doom Saga: 

I have posted a bit about the boot of doom, but to simplify things here is the whole story. 

I damaged the ligaments in my ankle in early December. I had the dubious honor of wearing the "boot of doom" for 4-1/2 weeks (December - April). After 4 months of the boot, the first podiatrist gave up on me. It is pretty depressing to have a doctor actually give up on you. But thankfully the next podiatrist had me out of the boot within 2 weeks. I did have an MRI after 2 months in the boot and managed to avoid surgery.

Once I graduated from the boot, I had 6 weeks of physical therapy. I had an amazing therapist. I learned that: It can be fun to write the ABCs with your toes. Walking on your tip toes can be a challenge, until you build up your strength. And, prolonged use of a walking boot also weakens your calf muscles.

Unfortunately, I sprained it again in mid-July and went back into the boot for another 2 weeks as a precautionary measure, for a grand total of 5 months in the boot of doom. I still have swelling in my ankle, but I have been boot free for almost a month now. Hip hip hooray! 

Unfortunately the first round of uneven walking caused twisting of my spine, so I am now seeing a chiropractor. I have been going for a month so far. The chiropractor is pretty amazing and she has a very sweet office dog. Good new is that I can get out of bed now without squeaking in pain and it is getting easier to bend over to wash my hands in the bathroom sink. I have been very fortunate to find some really good medical professionals this year.

I have learned a few things from this experience: 
1) There is a device called Evenup that you attach to your good foot/shoe, it helps to balance you out so one leg is not taller than the other. The chiropractor told me about it, so I had it for the last 1-1/2 weeks of the boot. I wish that I would have known about it back in December though.
2) Avoid hickory nut husks at all times. We need to keep the driveway between the house and garage either swept or scooped of hickory nuts and sweet gum balls at all times.
3) Always wear an ankle brace when on uneven surfaces, although my last two injuries were on a paved surface. 
4) Produce bags from the grocery store are awesome way to protect the soft part of the walking boot and your foot from snow and rain.
5) Safety pins and felt shapes are a fun way to decorate a walking boot.

This experience has taught me quite a bit:
~ I have more empathy for those with mobility issues. I also pay better attention to how close I park to others in parking lots. I never had a handicap placard and there were a few times, I had to wait for another person to return to their car before I could attempt to get into my vehicle.
~ I have had to learn to rely more on others and to ask for help more often. 
~ My children have become more helpful. Pumpkin is now my laundry buddy; the washer and dryer are in the basement. Princess is my dishwasher buddy, helping me to bend over to get items. 
~ A bar stool is a wonderful item to own and it was very helpful for cooking without standing in the kitchen. 

It is my sincere goal to never wear the boot of doom again. ;-)