Welcome 2011

Been awhile since I wrote but one of my goals for this year is to try and be more consistent with my blogs.

The last few months of the year were pretty hectic and not always in a good way. I started a diet and did great for a month or so and then totally fell off the wagon, but getting right back on it starting Monday. What threw me wasn't the holidays so much as some news from the Dr.
I went to the first appt in 3 years feeling pretty darn good. Had lost 8 lbs (13 originally but gained back 5) had more energy due to healthier eating and working out, was sleeping better and all that good stuff. Was feeling a little depressed but that always happens around the holidays so was dealing ok,,,not great cause I did put that 5 lbs back on because of some comfort foods, but pretty well overall.

Then the news...right away very high blood pressure...great, with my weight and the high cholseterol this isn't a good thing at all. Then he says "Oh you have a heart murmur" Ummm...no I don't. Yes you do..great news #2...NOT. Then he begins asking me all these questions which I answer truthfully..result? He now wants me to test for Diabetes because my answers all indicate a very strong probability that I have that. I tell him...you know this is why I hate going to the Dr. I felt GREAT until I came here and now I feel like I am going to die any minute! And he wants me to have an echo cardiogram to check my heart.

So, if those tests come back positive I will be a morbidly obese Diabetic Epileptic with high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hyperthyroidism, depression and heart problems.

I am now afraid to do anything!!

Needless to say this all threw me for a loop, and I allowed myself to wallow in self-pity but told myself only until Jan 3. (appt was on 12-16)

I now have more reasons than ever to get back on the diet and work out...although working out kind of scares me now. I NEED to be here for a long time for my sons...a 26 yr old with Down Syndrome and a 20 yr old with Asperger's, my daughter and my 7 yr old grandson.

But the end of the year wasn't filled with only bad news.

I also finally enrolled in a photography course. A professional one that also teaches you the business side of being a professional photographer. Had to go with an online one, but I have been chatting with other students from there and doing a lot of research and this is a good one.

Also for once I used money I got for Christmas on ME and bought several photography related items that I really needed. Which was very fun, btw...you know spending money on me for a change! And I am going to do the same thing with my birthday money too!

So I have lots of major goals for the new year (as well as a few smaller ones, such as blogging and doing more stuff with my online stores and website) and can only imagine I am going to be very busy if I want to make all my dreams become realities.

The first of course is health related..lose the weight, quit smoking, become more active and get my self healthy!

Next, study my butt off and do good at the course and also take a workshop in the spring to become an accredited portrait photographer of special needs children....my ultimate goal.

And finally, rid my life of all the clutter that is bogging my soul down. You know the stuff...all the negative thoughts and self esteem issues. Not to mention all the junk that is STILL in the cellar! Yes there is still a lot there although I did manage to make quite a dent in it. Right now I am thinking I am just going to donate it all to some place so folks that might need it can get it from there. That will be quicker and less of a hassle than trying to sell it. I just want it GONE...the sooner the better.

I guess there is one more...save money. I am so tired of always being broke, of struggling to find extra money for kids' birthdays or Christmas...or God forbid ...an emergency. Even if I can only put a measly $5 away some months, it WILL be done, but heck I am wasting $36 a month now on cigarettes so I should be able to save that much at least.

Already started on the photography one with the course and by contacting the director of the program one of my sons goes to about doing pictures of some of the clients there. A release form will be going out this month to at least 10 people that he is pretty confident will say yes. I can't imagine why anyone would turn down an opportunity to get 2 free photos in return for letting me use the pictures in marketing material...well I guess there would be reasons but they let the program use photos as marketing so why not me. A fellow client's parent? Anyhow keep your fingers crossed for me that it happens!

This would be a great beginning, I would be able to build a portfolio and if it goes well might get a real gig doing photos for them (the program) as well as some referrals to other places or simply word of mouth paying portrait sessions. At least that is what I'm hoping for :-D Of course I AM only a student right now and have a ways to go before my work is on a par with the pros but I have gotten some good comments on some portraits I've done so I am pretty optimistic.

Well, I figure I have rambled on long enough for now. If you'd like to stop by my website and see some samples of work, portraits and some other photography, please do so. I would love to hear feedback on it and also on the logo I designed for it and my business cards (which I already had made up).

Also, if you happen to live in RI and have, or know anyone with family members that have special needs, please feel free to mention my name and my budding business and send them along to my website!

Wishing you all a very happy and healthy new year.

Cathy

Stuff from the past couple of weeks..

As many of you know, I have been dying to get a new camera, I thought I had the one I wanted all picked out and had planned to get it by this fall...however I stumbled across this one and fell in love!! It is a FujiFilm Finepix s200exr...and is as close to having a dslr without actually having one that you can get! I have read tons of reviews and also found an actual owner on redbubble and had a conversation with him about this camera, after looking at his photos and his honest answer of BUY THIS!! My choice is made! SO happy I didn't get the one I thought I wanted last winter!! With luck this will be in my hands in Sept :-) Next spring I am enrolling in the New York Institute of Photography. A long distance accredited learning program that has been in business for 100 years. By doing it in April, I can have it all paid off before heating season begins next fall!
To see more info about this course, CLICK HERE
I am very excited about doing this and hope to be able to bring some extra income in, the course has a business part too that teaches you everything you need to do to run a freelance business or open your own studio...including what amounts to charge for your work :-)

Been a busy time here. Decided to do a garden again, despite telling myself I wasn't going to bother. I am so good at changing my mind! One thing I wanted to do last year but didn't was put out a barrel for rain..as seen above, this year I did! I put it under a section of gutter that is missing a downspout and WOW! Filled it up during one rain storm! Used half and then filled it back up. It's like having a huge faucet above it...lol I use a 2 gallon watering can to do the garden with, takes about 8 gals to do it right,,but so much easier than lugging 2 gals of water out from the house at a time.
Since putting this out, I have done more research and have found that I can add a faucet to my barrel and discovered a way to connect 2 or more together :-)
My neighbor says I should make these over the winter ($30 to make one with faucet) and sell them for $50 next spring..lol You can find instructions for making your own rain barrel HERE,,or simply put a big clean trash can under a gutter, like I did!
Anyhow, my ex fronted me the money last month to get all my plants and stuff, (paid him back already this month) Below begins garden photos and descriptions...as usual clicking photos will make them bigger...

FLOWERS:

2 geraniums (which he already got me),,daisies, above (in order) is the clematis, not sure what color mine will be until it blooms.. and salvia (which I planted last year) (flower pics are from garden sites around the web until mine get bigger to take my own photos!)Below in order are:frosty fire dianthus, calibrochia (or trailing petunias) in a big hanging basket for the front porch :-D, a butterfly bush!! yes I know these get huge, but plan on cutting it to the ground each winter and but am going to keep it in a huge pot, these come in many colors, not sure which mine will be, but I am hoping for a gold or pink one :-), gaillardia a red and yellow member of the sunflower family,



Of course a garden needs scarecrows,,so I made 2 of them..as you can see these aren't your typical scarecrows...LOL First up...little Jimmy is hoping to catch a rabbit! Originally he was going to be catching butterflies, but I can't find the net ...in case you're wondering, the cds are old aol ones, I put 2 together with shiny sides out, another internet idea,,these distract the birds with their shiny reflections/movement and keep them away,,,they also look fun and are pretty when the light hits them!
meanwhile, in another era....Before heading off to the garden party, Rosealie decided to stop by her garden and pick a bouquet for her friend Emily.....I used a styrofoam head for her face :-). Rosalie has been through 3 rain storms already and is holding up very well, I am pleased!!
I don't have a clue, why all the text in this section is showing as a link because I didn't make it one and it isn't so don't click on it!
VEGGIES:2 sweet peppers (he got earlier), jalapeno pepper, 2 tomatoes (also from him),
yellow squash, zucchini, only got a couple of seedlings of both and am going to try them in tomato cages, bush cucumbers. Below is the right side of the garden

and here's the left side
Herbs:
cilantro,rosemary (which will go in 2 pots, one for him, and be an inside plant,chives
dill,basil,oregano,parsley,thyme,sage,still looking for catnip..couldn't find plants or seeds there
mint (he got earlier)....also made John and Sarita a potted herb garden and a pot of rosemary
Planted the herbs in a herb garden I made from 2 liter soda bottles, got the idea from the internet and adapted it using an old bunk bed ladder...The idea is that each bottle drips down into the next bottle when you water it from the top..seems to be working great the herbs are thriving, they are already much bigger than shown here!
If you'd like to make one of these for yourself, great for folks with no yards but porches or patios by the way, you can see the original instructions HERE
Not shown is a birdbath I got and am eagerly waiting for the birds to find. Also going to be making some bird feeders from a recycled soda bottle, an empty juice carton, 2 aluminum pie plates and who knows what else...check back for those completed projects. Have already bought the seed for them,,trying to come up with a feeding station idea now..was going to use the front porch, but will probably hang suet things there instead...for instructions on making bird feeders from recycled objects check HERE and HERE

I also bought a grill so we can have cookouts, which we haven't done in years,,of course every time I plan to do it , it has rained..LOL. And I imagine our *cookouts* will be more a case of me cooking it outside and then bringing it in here to eat, since neither boy will probably go out :-(


Annnnd less you think I have been slacking on the GREAT CELLAR CLEAN OUT, let me assure you that I haven't! I have 8 boxes ready to go and have decided that next week I will begin posting stuff to craigslist. I will be selling box lots.. prices will be between 5-10 a box ex, 20 paperback books $5 for all, 8 brand new 2/3x womens button up shirts AND a new 3 season jacket size 3x. $10 for all, etc etc..since the cellar is so good, I can spread a box of stuff ...out, snap a photo and post it with the ads.
Check back to see how I make out with that!
Have some ideas brewing for when I get the cellar done. I know there will still be some stuff that needs to be stored, holiday decorations and stuff, but am going to hide all that behind some bifold doors that I have. Since it is heated I am thinking of starting seedlings down there when it gets time to do that and putting ads out to sell them in the spring. I can get the seeds from my herbs, and flowers and Butterfly bush to do that, even from the veggies. A lot of mine came from home gardeners who did that, wouldn't you rather spend $1 for a small pot of seedlings than what the stores charge? Doesn't hurt to give it a shot, if nothing else I will just have the plants for myself..lol
May also make a couple of rain barrels and see if they sell, and some garden folks too, Rosalie is a huge hit and folks have been telling me I should try to sell them. The heads only cost $3, can get broomsticks for $.44 and fancy clothes are cheap at the thrift stores so might just give it a shot :-)

Finally, does anyone have Corelle dishes? I love them because they just don't break. Or do they??? Nope, they don't BREAK...these babies EXPLODE!!
I dropped one a few weeks ago (unfortunately with Tony's supper on it) and let me tell you, there was not ONE piece bigger than 1/4 " in the resulting mess! I mean this plate disintegrated!
After I threw it all out I realized I should have taken a photo to show you all. Tony very kindly offered to recreate the incident using MY plate of supper, but even though I appreciated the offer, I had to decline..LOL

So, that's what I've been up too...how about YOU??

Til next time...
Cathy