Splatters of the Heart

Dreaming of Sleep

2011-05-05T22:04:00.000-04:00

The best cure for insomnia is to get a lot of sleep. ~W.C. Fields By far the greatest challenge for me since the brain hemorrhage has been lack of sleep. Waking up refreshed is something I only dream of. You know that expression, "I slept like a log"? Yeah, completely foreign concept to me. I wish I were a log. Or even a stick.

Band Aids for Broken Hearts

2011-03-17T12:22:00.000-04:00

One of my favorite people in the world has a broken heart. She's been crying all morning and there's nothing I can do about it. I wish I could say all the right things or somehow show her the future so she could see why she's better off without this jerk anyway. But I can't. All I can do is tell her I love her and hope she can see how wonderful she truly is, and that this dude must be

Music & Memories

2011-03-14T23:18:00.002-04:00

A fabulous friend of mine on Twitter @jayelisson (follow her, she's almost as much fun as @IanPoulter) is also on Tumblr. She's been blogging 25 songs in 25 days, and she's posted some very cool tunes. They have meaning from different seasons of her life. She recently posted a U2 song that reminded her of her first love. Songs always stir up memories... Personally, I don't need to be reminded

New Year's Eve Reflection

2010-12-31T17:35:00.095-05:00

As I sit here contemplating a year that has simply flown by and doing a little navel-gazing (quite literally -- my right ovary and tumor therein were pulled out through it only three weeks ago and I marvel that it's almost completely healed), I'd like to share with you the nutshell version of our 2010.When I think of the word reflection, what usually comes to mind is the the "fixing of the

Long Time No See

2010-03-20T23:58:00.003-04:00

So it's been what, almost a full year since my last post? Wow. This has been one of the most challenging periods of my life, for many different reasons.I'm not going to go into gory detail, as I try my best to focus on the positive, but I will explain some of it in future posts. Right now I just want to take a deep breath, exhale, and say, "Hello!" It's good to be back.As I type this, I am

A Betta Fish and an Air Guitar?

2009-04-21T11:38:00.046-04:00

This post is for the 8 or so of you who actually read my blog and wonder where I've been. Thank you for caring. :)Like many people, I’ve been short on work and long on the effort to find it. I have written another children’s book (which I’m very excited about), it’s just a matter of illustrating and publishing them both. Easy, right? One can hope. In the midst of it all, I keep my spirits up

Happy Birthday To You!

2009-03-09T14:59:00.015-04:00

March is a very special month, and not only for the Irish. If you happen to have been blessed with a March birthday, you are in extraordinarily good company. Why? Well, for starters, I was born in the month of March. March 4th to be exact. (We’ll skip the year because in the words of Satchel Paige, "How old would you be if you didn't know how old you are?" Let us relish the not-knowing,

You Act That Way in Public?!

2009-02-10T18:25:00.003-05:00

Oh, yeah. We do. The kids and I act all kinds of silly in public places. I’d love to blame it solely on them, but I can’t. I live to crack them up until chocolate milk (or other noteworthy liquid) comes spewing forth from their cute little noses. Then I capture the moment on the iPhone. Terrible, aren’t I? Fortunately, I’m the fast draw with the camera. This could potentially change

My Kitchen Hates Me

2009-02-07T09:54:00.010-05:00

My dinner burning talents have officially broken out of the box and escaped into breakfast as well. Good thing lunch is mostly sandwiches. I think perhaps the toaster oven is possessed and hates me. I don't change the setting and it burns things as it pleases. Its close friend, the electric can opener finds joy in frustrating me to the point of wanting to chuck it out the window. It is

Those Random Things

2009-02-05T19:17:00.010-05:00

If you're on Facebook or MySpace, I'm sure you've seen those quizzes circulating that want you to disclose tons of personal information and share it with 200 or so of your closest friends. One of them is called "25 Random Things About Me." I decided, well, why limit myself to just Facebook when I can embarrass myself in front of the whole world? So here's my list, minus five. Hey, some things

Ba-rock On!

2009-01-30T11:00:00.008-05:00

If you read my November blog, Splatters of the Heart: Obama -- "He's Brown", you know that my 6 year-old is a huge Obama fan. Inaguration day was a big deal around here. As I was celebrating with my Facebook friends online (I know, get a life, right? We'll discuss Fb addiction in a separate post) I came across the words, "Barock On!" This was of course, insanely appealing to a family with

People Watching

2009-01-29T21:43:00.023-05:00

I am an introvert, I confess. I'm an IFNP on the Myers-Briggs and it suits me well. I cringe at the word "mingle." I would much rather be up in front of the crowd than forced to walk through it making pseudo-conversation. Yeck. Dental visits are more appealing to me. Seriously. Just me and the dentist -- I know his name, we share a common purpose, most of the time I don't have to say a

The Do Not Call Girl

2009-01-12T20:19:00.014-05:00

Most of the time I have a very positive outlook on life -- very LOA, keeping the good vibes going, and generally enjoying myself.And then there's dating. Which like using a public restroom, I would probably avoid at all costs if it weren't an absolute necessity. Last week the whole matter of relationships caused me to lose my perspective, my good vibes, and some much needed sleep. I was

Zen and the Art of Sand Castles

2008-12-07T22:13:00.018-05:00

Why am I talking about sand castles in December? Because I live in Florida and this is what we do. We put on sunscreen and hit the beach, shovels and/or cameras in hand. Go ahead and brag about your snowmen, but we have Buddha's made of sand.Over the weekend I took my children to a sandcastle festival and fundraiser, complete with sand sculpting contest. The proceeds benefit wellness programs

Don't Look Down

2008-11-14T17:03:00.024-05:00

Sometimes you come to a place in your life that is so difficult, you feel as if you can’t survive. You think you won’t make it because if there is an “other side,” well, it’s so far out there you can’t even see it. It feels like someone put you up on a very long, very high wire, let you go, and said, “Cross!” There’s this big pole you’re holding on to -- but it’s wobbling. And you are

Obama -- "He's Brown"

2008-11-05T10:22:00.022-05:00

Can a 6-year-old vote for President of the United States? My son did. I picked him up from school yesterday to see an "I Voted" sticker prominently displayed on his little blue shirt. Now, there hasn't been much talk one way or the other in my home about the Presidential candidates. I am an Independent and was undecided until the end, so I voiced no opinion.My son however, came out of his 1st

Remembering Ross

2008-10-31T12:55:00.019-04:00

On Saturday, October 26, 2008, I learned of the loss of a good friend, Ross Edwards. I say “good friend” not for the length of time I knew him, nor for how often we kept in touch, but simply because the words embody Ross -- a good friend; a good man to all who knew him. In his 35 years he touched many lives, leaving a trail of joy wherever he went. Though the time I was privileged to spend

Out O' Shape?

2008-09-22T20:17:00.009-04:00

Is it possible to be 5'5" inches tall, weigh in at 109 lbs., (I have no idea what that is in kilos my British mates, sorry), have 11% body fat, and still be out of shape? Yes, my friends, it is. How do I know this? I know this because the trainers at the gym give you a free evaluation when you join. Yay! No. Apparently, my thoughts on what it means to be "in good shape" need some serious

"You Shall Not Pass!"

2008-06-01T18:54:00.020-04:00

My favorite movie of all time is Lord of the Rings (the extended version in particular). I have watched it enough to know most of it by heart, which is frightening considering the length, but I love it. A scene that has replayed itself in my mind recently is the one in which Gandalf faces the Balrog, the big ugly demon. I love the way he looks the thing in the eye and yells, "You shall not

Dissing Dysfunction

2008-05-19T10:23:00.016-04:00

This post is for my beautiful female friends who tend to choose unhealthy partners, or choose to stay with them. It’s also for every nice guy I ever dumped in my pre-therapuetic, I-only-deserve-to-be-treated-badly dating days. Please accept my sincere apologies.When I look back over my dating history, I see not only the guys who treated me like garbage, but also all the nice guys I passed up over

Best of List

2008-04-29T14:41:00.019-04:00

This is my own personal "Best of List," from my own personal little life.Best first date gift:Apple iPod shuffle. (Sweet. Even beats dark chocolate.)Best compliment:"You are so ready to laugh." (Same guy.)Best 5-year old son quote:"Mommy, will you marry me?" (The guy has competition.)Best 10-year old daughter quote:"What?! It's gluteus? Are you serious? All this time I thought it was "bootius"

Why?

2008-04-28T12:13:00.003-04:00

Do you ever wonder why things happen? I do.I’m learning to trust that everything happens for a reason, and that it will all work out for my ultimate good. It’s an interesting process.As a series of events unfolded in my life post brain-hemorrhage, I would sometimes say to myself, “Oh, so that’s why this happened,” or “Okay, this must be the reason for it all.”I am beginning to think I may never

Hell Hath No Coffee

2008-04-16T09:37:00.015-04:00

Does anyone else ever feel like the day starts without you? A night person lost in a morning person's world? It happens to me often. While I'm still half-conscious, the rest of the world, with all it's trials and tribulations, is in full swing. One child's pull-up has leaked in the night, I forgot to set the alarm, important papers for school were not filled out, and my oldest is coughing up

Worry and Wisdom

2008-03-19T18:37:00.001-04:00

I’ve been thinking a lot in the last day or two, waxing philosophical I suppose. This is a good thing.Over the last month or so I have struggled with anxiety and depression, resulting from a cerebral bleed I experienced in January, and a corresponding prescribed medication. I knew the medication would likely cause depression, but the Neurologist seemed to think it was worth the risk to help with