Green Green Everywhere

Spring is here and you can really tell with all the leaves turning a rich green and the flowers blooming.  Well, not many flowers here at the Medical Center where I slave away, but there are tons of Ginko trees.  The "greeness" of the trees was so beautiful that I had to take a few pictures! It was more beautiful in person let me tell you!

Occasionally a cute little kitty cat pokes her head out from underneath the bushes in this walkway, but today she was no where to be found.  

BasketMate

I have to say, this is one fabulous product, not just because it makes life more organized, (I LIVE FOR ORGANIZING THINGS), but because a hijabi came up with the idea :D

I do have to say though, I can totally use this.  My laundry basket looks like Mt. Everest after I wash all my loads.  I only fold laundry because Mt. Everest can only get so big before gravity takes over.  I can see one downside to such an amazing product though, I probably will never fold laundry again.  Laundry only gets folded because there is one basket in this tiny apartment, and I need the basket for the next batch of clothes, so I'm forced to sit and fold.  But hey if you can make Mt. Everest taller, why not???  Oh, the time one would save!  I think that totally defeats the purpose of this item, but hey, what ever works right?

The 15 Friends Project - UPDATE

If you remember my previous post on 'The 15 Friends Project', here are the final versions of the two canvases. They were up for auction, but it seems (according to ebay) it didn't sell.  How sad! Keep an eye out for it on Ebay.  Maybe it will return.

They are just fabulous! If I didn't have my own handful of paintings and lack of wall space, I would definitely purchase them! 

My Haftsin

I never got around to taking pictures of my haftsin, so now that I'm back home and remembered to take pictures, here are a few! Enjoy!

 Aren't they adorable?

 My birdie salt and pepper shakers found their way onto the haftsin. 

While I was gone, the hubby "trained" spots to come up and get food.  I'm so impressed.  He no longer hides when I come to feed him.  Fishi was the only one that would come up and spots would always wait till I would leave, but now he comes right up to the top and sometimes does the "Feed Me" wiggle.  I don't know how the hubs did it, but its great :D

Sadly, the vacation is over (officially was over yesterday).  My brain is still mush...hate this feeling!

Flashbacks

This brought back memories! I could have definitely used this back in the day when I was taking piano lessons.  I could never remember my scales and my teacher hated me for it.  I never practiced and never really cared to learn them.  I didn't see the point to it.  Why couldn't I just play the piece?  Well, years later, I understand why, but if I had an iphone back then, I might have been in better shape ;)

The power of technology, yet amazing and incredibly useful, is going to change things (in my opinion) for the worst.  In other words, we are all going to get very lazy.  I am going to resist a smartphone for as long as I can.  Once you get one, there is no turning back. 

POWER TO RESIST! 

Tea on the balcony

My parents are visiting and we decided to take advantage of the rare and beautiful weather here in Socal.

Would you like some tea?

 My mother-in-law baked all these sweets for the new year.  Isn't she amazing?

Visiting a friend

I have a friend who is more like a sister to me, who was diagnosed with an AVM about 6-7 years ago located right above her brain stem.  It has been a struggle for her from the start, with debilitating headaches, hydrocephalus and loss of motor control/skills.  Over the years from her initial diagnosis, she managed to improve with various treatments to shrink the AVM and lots and lots of physical therapy and prayer. She regained her ability to walk and talk and all that is important. You would have never known there was something wrong, but then, about a year and a half ago, she had another treatment to further shrink the AVM (embolization) that didn't go so well and caused her to lose much of her ability to eat, swallow, walk, talk, see, and hear.  As far as my friend is concerned, they screwed up.  She seemed to be improving over a period of 8 months, when what was left of her AVM ruptured and caused her to have a stroke.  She has been since trying to regain her motor skills.  She is now 23 and over the past year has barely improved, of course we tell her she's doing so well and has improved so much, but I haven't seen a change in her since I saw her 5 months ago.  The worst part of all of this is that she realizes everything and knows exactly what is going on.  Her parents and siblings have put their lives on hold for her, doing everything and anything they can.  It has been a very traumatizing experience for everyone.

I knew her when she was a baby and it kills me that as her best friend, I CAN'T DO ANYTHING! I visit her whenever I go up north to see my family and try to spend as much time as I can with her, but there is only so much I can do.  Every time I think about her, I feel sick. I miss the way she used to be, I miss the sweet, amazing person she was.  The little stubborn, fiesty sister who, given was 4 years younger than me would tell me what to do, and I loved it.  

We decided to take her out shopping (of course in a wheelchair with her nurse) to give her some fresh air.  When I asked her if she wanted to go shopping, this was what she wrote.  We have to hold her eyelids open (since she has no muscle control anywhere, and can't even open her own eyes) and hold her hand so she can write.  This was her answer:

I didn't understand why she said "shopping now", until we took her out 3 hours later.  She was so tired and unresponsive to everything.  I felt so bad.  It took forever to get her ready, with her feeding and all the other things they needed to do.  She knew she would get tired and so was trying to tell us, take me out now! Poor baby.

I Left My Heart in San Francisco

A lovely day in the city with 2 of my favorite people.  Wouldn't you love to live in the city? I dream that someday I will retire there with a cute apartment and a gorgeous view.  Nothing big and fancy, just cozy and bright! 

My mother's cousin lives in a cute little studio apartment overlooking the bay. I love her little place!   

 She has some of the cutest, most unique knickknacks ever!

Hi Mimi girl!

 What a life! Sleeping on a pillow with a gorgeous view!

Out for a bite to eat at Bistro Boudin.

 Don't you love crisp white napkins! Makes me feel so elegant.

 Boudins bread is amazing!

 Great food, crazy prices!

 Hi bread turtle!

                                     

 Pete's Coffee

 It was chilly!

 A cute little shop at The Cannery

                                           

 I love that table!

Rocks galore...

 Doing what they do best...buying orchids!

 It was a great day! I was really relaxed and just enjoying the company of these two bobbsey twins! I wish I lived closer to them.  Sigh...