I've got to be me....(forgot to add something)

OK, Call me insane! But I see a few perks that could go alone with this breast cancer thingy...........lol

Ok, So I have to have my boobs removed......they're old and sit lower and lower every year anyway right? They are diseased too so..... good riddance! And I will be given new, perkier boobs.....and with implants these days they remove your own fat cells to make your new boobs  and I hope I can request "ass removal" so as to kill two birds with one stone! lol ..what is to hate about that???

Chemo will remove all my body hair, so there will be no bad hair days.....no blow drying, no curling iron, no mousse, no hair spray, no shaving of the legs and under arms and sometimes your hair comes back thicker and curlier......what's to hate about that??? And let's not forget that your periods stop with chemo too! Nothing to hate there either right??

So let's see........I could end up with killer thick, curly, and blonder hair, with killer perky, don't have to wear a bra anymore kinda boobies, no more PMS, a smaller, sculpted tush and I won't have to worry about shaving for awhile!

Tuesday morning I meet with the surgeon and I will keep you all updated! Thank You!!!

At my request I can get all my films and reports on a CD tomorrow, so of course in the name of the "YA YA Sisterhood"....I will be posting the mammogram results and ultras sound results (in pictures) here in my blog......I want this to be a learning experience for all those out there with boobs or has love for a woman with boobs....maybe I can help others along this new path of mine! Ü

A Million Thank You's!!!!

LOVE.........is the best medicine, the best antidepressant, the best pick me up there is out there. I am blessed because I know I am loved! I want to thank you, the ones that I know well and the ones I don't know at all that have sent well wishes my way........When they say the Internet is a dangerous place, we all know it is true but they never talk about the positive things the Internet can brings to ones life, the friends, the instant bonds with people we wouldn't even recognize passing us by on the street. But know this..... my heart would recognize you immediately, even if my mind couldn't make the connection.

I'm not doing very well in public right now, I need the sanctuary of my home, my family and my very good friends. I still have not shed one tear for myself, I only get weepy when I see how this is affecting everyone who loves me and I will never forgive cancer for that. I keep apologizing to those who needed to know and break down with the news. I am sure my break down will come a little later but I am happy that it isn't now. My family and my friends need me to be strong.

Now on to the fun stuff....lol! Even though I am staying out of  public right now I needed to be with my family and my friends at the lake last night, so after the days heat and humidity cooled off a bit, Jim and I packed up the kids and went to the lake....seeing the friends that already knew was a little rough, we sniffled, we raged and we made promises to each other.......I promised to fight a hard fight and they promised to be right there by my side! And after a lil bit of too much tequila we all ended up on the pier singing our hearts out to the songs we grew up with, James Taylor, The Carpenters, Bread and John Denver. There were a lot of made up words because af forgotten lyrics and alot of a la la la la la's and something, something somethings (which was very funny) and then when we got tired of our own voices we put on the Motown station.....we laughed and we danced and that felt soooooo good!

A good friend (Jay) disappeared for a few minutes only to come running through the dark down the long pier and with white boxer briefs flying by me at the speed of light he jumped into the lake.....it only took a few seconds longer for the rest of us to look at each other and then yell at the top of our lungs "You only live once!!!" and with that the rest of us fully dressed....joined him!

Thewater was cool and the night was warm and for a few hours or so I wasn't the one with cancer, I was a carefree woman, giggling like the little girl that once took up residence in this body of mine and all was right with my world again! I love those perfect moments and knowing that will be one of the wonderful memories that I can hold onto on those days where I won't wanna be where I'm at.........That will be one of the place I can 'will' my mind and my body to go too, when it doesn't want to be where it's at.

I am loved and it doesn't get any better than that!

Comfortably Numb........

I walked the quiet, neutral corridor
and I responded to smiles with a smile
I entered without a care in the world
I left with the weight of the world
on my shoulders......

Mammogram.....as rude as the tech
after she heard the results
her eyes never met mine again
I knew by the fast appearance
of sympathy that replaced her
I hate my job face.........

Ultra sound.... as gentle as the tech
she saw passed the patient
and remembered the person
she slipped quietly from the room
returning with the Radiologist

With his brown eyes looking
into my baby blues
he used words like non-suspicious,
borderline and suspicious
he added "way beyond" to my "suspicious"

I now not only have two breasts
I have two tumors
two tumors that were not there
just a few months ago...
now they are taking up residence
without a lease....squatters I will call them

Now suddenly there wasn't enough
space in that ultra sound room
Cancer had joined us and had sucked
up all the oxygen for a moment
I wanted Jim more than the oxygen anyway.....

I have cycled through all the emotions already
I see-saw between numb and really pissed off
It's a good thing I'm a warrior
and I can draw from my own strength
I will not walk quietly, I will carry a big stick.
I will not go quietly.

That ain't no way to treat a lady........Ü

Ok, Today I go for my mammogram and ultra sound.......for those that haven't had the good fortune to have a mammogram yet, it's equivalent to placing your boob in a window sill and having the window slam down on it! HARD!!!!!! Your Boob is now flattened and protruding several more inches from your body than you ever thought possible........and the part I love best is when the tech say's "now hold your breath and stand still" ..... Who's breathing? I am in too much pain to inhale and as far as moving.......where the hell am I going to go with my boob under glass??? It's not as if I am going anywhere without it......well at least not now! lol

I hold mammogram's about as much fun as a pelvic exam......now there's a party there right girls?? It's just another instrument of torture we as women have to endure for the sake of our health. I think that if women have to have their breasts tested in this manner it's only fair that testicle cancer be detected the same way! They get a kinder, gentler test......ultra sound....I'm having one of those done today too....on my breast that is, not my testicles.......... Although I have been told most of my life, I have balls ....But not the kind that gets cancer if you know what I a mean! lol lol lol

Another instrument of torture that was developed for the good of all woman kind was the "epilady" anyone out there that had one and tried it? I got mine as a Christmas gift from my Mother many years ago....I think it was in retaliation for all the hell I put her through as a child!  My Epilady....I guarantee you.....one use was all mine got! For those that don't know what an epilady is it was a hand held tool that had a loop of vibrating coils that were to aid in leg hair removal by passing it gently over your legs.........the part that it didn't tell you was that it "RIPPED" the hair right out of your body! Can you say "OUCH!" For my hairy chested male readers out there it's kinda like that piece of jewelry your wife wears that forever is getting caught in your chest hairs and when she moves she takes some chest hair with her......for my husband it's my tennis bracelet.......by the year 2025 his furry little chest should be completely hairless..........;) It's a shame cuz I love a hairy chest! lol lol lol

So it is with the Mammography machines, the epiladies and the yearly pelvic exams......Helen Reddy sang about all those years ago when Iwas a child and had no idea what would be in store for me as a woman.... "That ain't no way to treat a lady. No way to treat your baby. Your woman, your friend!" lol lol lol

Hopefully I will get the results of the test early next week and the results will be good and all will be right in my world once again....My Husband Jim who considers himself an expert on my boobs....has promised me that it is NOT breast cancer....that as usual it will be something weird that is wrong with me......like all the other diagnostic testing that I have had all my life that never resulted in a life threatening illness.......just something "Weird"

Seizures - But not epileptic in nature, just seizures that was a result from a childhood head injury

Atrial Fib - But not heart disease in nature, just something my body does from time to time

Thyroid disease - That even after 18 years they still can't regulate with medication....it's either too high or too low but never just right

Aging is HELL on the body I tell ya......but do the testing and take care of yourselves........My body is not so much my temple as a way to move my spirit around and I'm not done moving just yet! ;)

OK, So I'm spoiled..so what??

I could not of made it before air conditioning....I did for many years as a child but then again as a child I thought farting and burping in public was doable too!

At 2:10 p.m. this afternoon a truck took out a utility pole....it couldn't of been a telephone pole....nooooo it had to be one that carries electricity to my home. I thought to myself isn't everything fiber optic and underground in 2006? Apparently not so up until a few minutes ago I was without electricity.....no internet...that was OK, I have wireless access on my phone, but my phone doesn't provide air conditioning...........I need air conditioning. Here is 4 words that can stop a woman in her tracks.... HOT FLASH.......NO AIR. It's a wonder I didn't hurt anyone!!! lol lol lol

I like going from my air conditioned home to my air conditioned truck.......so I'm spoiled so what?? Right??

I remember when my truck was being repaired and Jim was out of town hunting.....and I had to borrow my Sister's car I actually whined that I had to manually roll down the window......Geesh sometimes I could just slap myself! lol lol lol So what have I learned? I can live with rolling down my windows if need be, but I can't, I repeat CAN'T do the no air conditioning! lol

Thank you repair man!!!! lol lol lol

Heard it in a love song......."My Best Friend"

"My Best Friend"
as performed by Tim Mcgraw
written by
(aimee mayo/bill luther)

I never had no one
I could count on
Ive been let down so many times
I was tired of hurtin
So tired of searchin
til you walked into my life
It was a feelin
Id never known
And for the first time
I didnt feel alone

You're more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Everytime I look at you
I dont know where Id be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
Youre my best friend
Youre my best friend, oh yeah

You stand by me
And you believe in me
Like nobody ever has
When my world goes crazy
You're right there to save me
You make me see how much I have
And I still tremble
When we touch
And oh the look in your eyes
When we make love

You're more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Everytime I look at you
And I dont know where Id be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
Youre my best friend
Youre my best friend

Youre more than a lover
There could never be another
To make me feel the way you do
Oh we just get closer
I fall in love all over
Everytime I look at you
And I dont know where Id be
Without you here with me
Life with you makes perfect sense
Youre my best friend
Youre my best friend (my best friend)
Youre my best friend (my best friend)

Monday Photo Shoot.....A lil R & R

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Yawn!

 

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Get a picture of someone yawning and/or stretching. Clearly, pets are eligible for this photo shoot as well.

Ok, I found this little guy "grazing" out in my front yard yesterday evening.....at first all I could see was rabbit ears sitting up out of the grass (The DH has been slacking on the yard work! lol) But this lil guy was very trusting and let me get up close and personal for his closer-upper shot! lol......... Just too cute I tell ya....TOO CUTE!

kmh 2006

Come on! I know you wanna play along......Come see John about how to and see what other people captured for this photo challenge ......... John Scalzi

Are you happy?

There REALLY is something about "Mary"........ She makes me laugh, she makes me think, she makes me wander back to my past from time to time to remember how I got 'here'.... I think Mary is capable of doing that with all kinds of people.......

Come meet Mary  **Mary**  <~~~ Link

Mary made me ask myself this morning if I am Happy? I have to admit I am happy most of the time.....what makes me so fricken happy you ask? That I am content with who I am and my life......and being content makes me mostly happy. I think I got the raw end of the deal during my childhood and I am much to much of a warrior and/or a survivor to have that ever bring me down and keep me down....so from the age of 18 and on my life became better and better....It's a whole new world when you aren't living under the threat and actuality of a beating.....or when you no longer hear the words that tried to break you as a child.....I  also no longer hold this against my abuser, I learned later that this is how he felt about himself but he didn't want to be in pain all by himself.......so although I don't forgive him it made it easier to understand why things were the way things were.........knowing "why" things happen always give me some sort of peace and that helps me to let things go.

So I guess I am one of those 'happy people' and I'm "HAPPY" with that too! lol lol lol

Weekend...in rewind

Friday night was spent out at the lake....we've had some amazing weather and to just sit around the bonfire and enjoy the 'fireworks' that only burning cedar can make was absolute heaven. One of my girlfriends Husband, likes to play this sort of game on quiet nights like this.......He asks a question and everyone gets a few minutes to share their views on an answer, unchallenged and uninterrupted...it's a great way to learn more about what's going on in other people lives and other peoples heads. There was a beautiful summer wind blowing in off of the lake and it was nice to just sit around and share stories with our friends.

Saturday morning was spent at the gym.....I'm sucha good girl! Then back to the lake to enjoy our "Christmas in July" theme party! Most of everyone brought out their Christmas decorations. It was great! we had Christmas trees, Christmas lights, lawn decorations and we even had roasted turkey's and hams with all the holiday fixings. Santa made an appearance via a boat across the lake to check on all the kids to make sure that they know this is how he checks up on them 'out of season' He came bearing  Christmas presents and just after his departure he made it 'KINDA' snow for us! Out of nowhere and huge storm came through with about 10 good minutes of moth ball sized hail!!! Santa is amazing..........oh and so where those Jello shots Mrs. Santa brought for the adults! We were treated to one of the most beautiful rainbows at the end of this storm......maybe it was a lil 'St. Patrick's' day thrown in too.....who knows!

Sunday morning was spent sleeping in and then back out to the lake for all the holiday leftovers! The weather was beautiful again yesterday......sunny but not too hot and just enough of a breeze to keep the humidity away....love those kind of summer days! And guess what I did yesterday?? I learned to shoot a bow!!! Grant it, I was only pulling back about 30 lbs but I was very accurate with my hits! I am not a hunter, nor will I ever be, but I am married to a hunter.... so even though I won't hunt with him, (which would make him either incredibly happy or incredibly unhappy......I have problems sitting still and even bigger problems being quiet! lol ) I might just start practicing more so I can join him on a few 3D shoots or bow darts!

I had a great weekend with family and friends and I am blessed for those moments that will become great memories!Iam sorry for the lack of pictures to go along with this entry......I just haven't been in the mood to shoot and if my heart ain't in it, it shows! I am still waiting on more wedding photo's to share with you all later.....I haven't forgotten that a few of you are awaiting 'wedding gown' shots! lol

"Boobs"......Man's real best friend(s)! lol lol lol

Just some random talk around my house lately.........This is not meant to offend or hurt anyone who has dealt with this illness....my sense of humor has gotten me through some very tough times in my life, now with breast cancer possibly waiting for me in the wings....I will deal with it the only way I know how..........with humor. If you choose not read on, that's OK too.....We all live our own lives with our own comfort levels.

Now back to the random talk around my house lately.........

Me - So Jim, You still gonna love me "truly,madly deeply" when I am bald and boobless?
Jim - Sure, I loved you when you were crazy right? (OMG! He finally used the past tense of the word crazy, he said "Were" instead of "Are!" That 2 years of Prozac and 2 years of therapy finally paid off huh? lol lol lol

Me - "You know if it is Cancer, I'm just going to have them removed, I'm not as attached to them as you are so it will be no big deal....it's more like they are attatched to me..... but I will have them replaced"
Jim - "Replaced? As in bigger???"
Me - "As if 36 D borderline double D, isn't  big enough?? NO! NOT BIGGER! probably the same size just "PERKIER" Hey I'm 43 years old, I nursed my babies, the "girls" aren't where they should be anymore, only standing on my head puts them back to where they should be but that makes me dizzy after awhile! lol lol lol

Jim - "Seriously, you wouldn't go bigger?"
Me - "Ummmmmm  NO! If you would like I can have the Doctor put the old ones in a mason jar filled with formaldehyde for you to fondle anytime you wish?"
Jim - "Now that is just sick!........Can they do that??"
Me - "I don't know....do you really want me to find out?"

After a few moments of us both caught up in our own thoughts ...........

Me - "You know sometimes I wish our boobs were on our backs......that way the massages you men give us would last a hell of a lot longer!"
Jim - "Maybe you can ask your Doctor about that!"


GOD I LOVE THIS MAN!!!!!

Monday Photo Shoot....Negative Thoughts.....

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Life in Negative

Time for your Monday Photo Shoot, and this time, I thought we'd try something just a little different, which will require the use of some photo tools:

Your Monday Photo Shoot: With photo editing tools, take a picture of yours and turn it into a negative. The idea here is not to take just any picture, mind you, but one that you think will look particularly striking with its colors inverted.

 

My Negative Thoughts.......

 

kmh 2006

 

 

 

kmh 2006

 

For more of other peoples impressions on this please visit John Scalzi's blog and play along.

 

Monday Morning photo Shoot

My Life (last 30 days) in rewind.........

My life (at least the last 30 days) in rewind.............

Did some 'mad' cleaning because the in-laws were coming in for a visit.

Survived another 4 day visit with the in-laws!

updated our Wills because of trip to Jamaica (the last time we updated our will was 1991)

Not only dealt with the DH's 1st wife but flew on a plane with her all the way to Jamaica and not one incident (that I am aware of, but you know her tongue was a wagging anyway! lol)

Our oldest Daughter got married and all that entails! lol

The DH and I took our first real vacation alone (well semi-alone if you want to include our oldest Daughter, her groom, his family, their friends and let's not forget the 1st wife and her family) but the majority of the time on the Island we were alone and that was delicious!

Came back from Jamaica to find out Middle daughter relationship with her live in boyfriend was over ( it needed to be over)  and then 3rd day home found out he has been stalking her, getting into her apartment and CLEANING it, yes you heard me right he cleaned it! lol But that more drama was taking place and Momma had to "end it" or he would have to deal with the wrath of Momma! lol! My only "Job" right now is to protect my children and teach them to protect themselves and to always keep them aware of their self worth..that's what Momma's do!

Survived a bleeding UTI in another country......water, cranberry juice and a bottle of antibiotics.....never leave home without it! lol

began to feel the effects of peri menopause....it ain't pretty! lol lol lol

Found a lump in my left breast the size of a nickel and watched my left breast increase in size while the other soft tissue around it has grown hard and painful. I have a mammogram and an ultra sound scheduled for the 27th of this month. Doesn't look good right now, but hey......I'm a tough Irish broad right??

And I lost another 4 pounds!!! That gives me a total loss of 12 pounds! My Husband gained 7 pounds while in Jamaica and I LOST 4 pounds!!!! While at an all inclusive resort and I hadn't been to work out since the 7th of June!................How is that for the "GLASS HALF FULL????"

So here I sit, teetering on the edge of something....holding my breath...I wonder what the next 30 days has in store for me?

But we didn't order a water bed! lol

With the ceremony over and a few hours to kill in between the ceremony and the wedding dinner everyone retreated back to their resorts. With the heat and humidity on the beach for more wedding photo's (Which I did not have my camera with me, I left it behind at the table) Jim and I thought it was a good time for our afternoon siesta....I know we weren't in Mexico but hey....A king size bed, fresh linen, a quiet air conditioned room and not to mention we are ALONE a siesta sounded fantastic!

Around 2:00 O' clock in the afternoon and really big storm came ashore......this was the time the wedding was originally scheduled for, so it was a blessing that they switched it to earlier in the morning. Jim and I were both sound asleep when the phone rang........it was the new Son in law..........the men had come to our room to get ready for the wedding that morning  and Tony was wondering if his clothes were still there because he could not find his wallet.....So just as I hop out of the bed to check his pants pockets I feel.............drip.........drip.............drip! I look over at Jim and he is laying in a rain shower.......the slanted roof over our bed was leaking .....heavily! I assure Tony his wallet it safe and sound and that we are in the middle of a down pour in the middle of our room, in the middle of our bed...now I know why the bed was up so high.....it doubled as a life raft during the torrential down pours! lol lol lol ....time to call the front  desk! lol

The water bed that wasn't! lol

So with just a few minutes to spare we are whisked away to the Paradise building, this room was larger, more open and had a beautiful balcony along with flowers climbing up the vine and a view of the island and the mountains off in the far distance....only draw back to this room was it was on the third floor and the balcony had french doors in the middle but on the ends of that wall it had slatted (glassless) windows with  screens on it, so the heat and the sounds still came through, the air conditioner was no match for the humidity.

The new room........

The view from the balcony...........

Since I didn't bring my camera to the dinner and I am still waiting for wedding photo's to be made for me (from the professional photographer) and at some point everyone who attended the wedding trip is supposed to hook up and share their photo's so everyone can get copies, I'll have to post them at a later date......this will include full wedding gown shots......my camera was acting up so bad that details were lost while trying to get a shot of Melissa in her gown.

I will be posting random shots of more photo's from Jamaica in my Photo Blog  "Photographic Memory" so be sure to check them out over there.........thanks to everyone who sent well wishes to the Bride and Groom......The wedding itself was PERFECT and that made everything else that happened before and after seem so insignificant.

Photographic Memory

The Ceremony

The mornings in Jamaica are very still, no breezes, hardly any movement out in the ocean and still very humid. Melissa and Tony's wedding has been rescheduled for 10:00 a.m. giving them a little more privacy on the beach since the late night revelers are still sleeping if off and the ones that are in Jamaica to relax are still having breakfast, it's about as quiet as the beach can get.

At the last minute the 1st wife (Birth mother of the Bride) decided to include me on the getting the Bride ready for her wedding rituals and for that consideration I am thankful. It was while Melissa was getting ready that the 1st wife finally referred to me as Melissa's other Mother.........took 20 years but I finally got the props for being a good Step Mother. The 1st wife and I took turns helping Melissa with her hair and her gown and it was while just her and I were alone in the bathroom that she looked at me in the mirror and whispered she wished she would of just eloped like her Father and I did. It was another precious gift to me that I was still her confidant. For a minute I spied the little girl who used to love to play dress up with all her pretty pretty princess clothes. She looked radiant even if her nerves were getting the best of her.

When the time came for her Daddy to give his little girl away I was bawling like a baby........all the Mom's were. The ceremony was lovely, the words were lovely, the tears streaming down my new son in laws face were lovely.........His face said everything I needed to hear....he adores her.

First glance of his Bride coming down the walkway to the aisle.....

kmh 2006

Listening to the Preachers words on Marriage...........

kmh 2006

The Wedding Cake................

kmh 2006

I'll post more on the day later..........Ü

I wanna be a Beach Bum when I grow up! lol

The next day began with Mimosa's on the beach and then it was off to breakfast.......is it me or is breakfast ALWAYS better at the oceans edge?? lol We spent most of the morning wandering around the resort and laying on the beach. After lunch we decided to take a walk to Beaches Sandy Cove that is the resort were Tony's family was staying at and we thought it was the perfect opportunity to get to know our daughter's new In-Laws.

To get to their resort you have to walk through a public beach area....it was about 800 feet wide and on this little stretch of beach is were the locals come to peddle their wares....you want t-shirts? they got em! You want wood carvings? They got em! You want to get your hair braided? They do it right there....I didn't think the Bo Derek look would go over well for the wedding album! lol Then the last thing they would offer you is Ganga (weed) or Hash.... They were not as pushy as the street vendors in Mexico....so one polite "No Thank You" took care of that.

We hooked up with Tony's parents and spent the afternoon sitting ocean side with them while Tony's Father tried to ply me full of shots the native drink down there....Appleton Jamaica RUM.....let's just say that SMOOTH is not one of it's qualities! lol The bartender took sympathy on me and made me a softer drink called BBC......Banana's, Baileys and coconut rum blended with ice..........YUMMMMMM!

A lot of beach and palm trees were lost during the Ivan Hurricane a few years back and for the remnants left behind wood carvers made artwork out of the tree stumps.......to be able to create something beautiful out of something destroyed by Mother Nature changed the whole effect of the devastation left behind. There were pirate carvings, Bob Marley carvings, eagles and this beautiful Jamaican mermaid........

kmh 2006

The gardens located on the inland side of the resort had beautiful statues everywhere..........indoor, outdoor and up high on carved mahogany enclaves........


kmh 2006

kmh 2006

This last shot is of the garden where we had Champagne and Hors d'Oeuvres  after our daughter's wedding ceremony... complete with Koi Pond........ this was also the view from our second room with more to come on that later........yes we had to be moved!

kmh 2006

This was also the day that my Daughter saw another wedding taking place on the beach and was dismayed over the amount of people encroaching on it. She had built her dream wedding up so big that at first she was disappointed when she arrived at the resort....her suite was not set up they way she thought it was, the beach was too public for a private wedding ceremony, the stress of everything caught up to her and since she anticipated so much it sent her into a mini downward spiral.......I knew she had to work through this on her own. Since I really didn't put much thought into the expectations that I was very pleased with just about everything. She decided to meet with the wedding coordinator later in the afternoon and switch everything.....she isn't anywhere near the "Bridezilla's" you see on that TV show but she wanted a more private ceremony than she thought the beach would allow. In the end it was a good thing she switched the ceremony from 2:00 p.m. to 10:00 a.m. because a really strong storm came ashore the next day which was the day of her wedding around the time the wedding would of started.

I'll post more later   Ü

Monday Photo Shoot....Aquatic

Your Monday Photo Shoot: The Life Aquatic

Your Monday Photo Shoot: Go under the waves (or at least pretend to) and take a picture relating to something aquatic. Fish are always nice, but anything you'd usually find underwater will work. It's okay if they're not real. Work with what you've got.

This topic is a very good choice for me right now!

Jim went snorkeling while in Jamaica last week and since I was not allowed in the water (UTI! GRRR!) He brought up a treasure to share with me..........Don't worry folks no starfish were injured during the making of this shot! It was lovingly returned to the Sea! lol lol lol

To play along with John over at By The Way ...... just click the link ~~>> By The Way

 

kmh 2006

The bigger the bed...the harder you fall! lol

When we arrived at the resort we were greeted with smiles and champagne....my kinda place I tell ya! lol Our room was ready upon our arrival and I have to say the best bellman EVER! was there to help us to our room.........what I loved about him most was that he said Jim's suitcase was waaaaay heavier than mine ;) He can never call me the "Queen of over packing" again!

The room was gorgeous it had a (extremely....more on this later) high four poster bed with a wonderful king size mattress on a frame of slats........no box spring...it was heaven to sleep in for the first 2.5 days....(I told ya more on this later! lol)......The view was of the garden side..... nothing particularly lovely from our view.....but that was about to change later. The room itself had a slanted high ceiling over the bed, a mahogany bedroom suite including a lovely armoire and writing desk, the hallway to the bathroom had a lovely marble bar on one side and plenty of closet space on the other and the bathroom was more than adequate for space but the one thing it did not come with was an electrical outlet..........hmmmmmm where do I plug my curling iron in....the bathroom was the only room with a mirror......now imagine yourself trying to handle a hot curling iron, then actually attempting to curl your hair with a blind fold on.....what to do?.....what to do?

Ok, back to this bed.......I stand 5 feet tall with zero inches to add after that fact....in my family you were either given long legs or big boobs....let's just say I didn't get the long legs! lol So in order for me to get up into this bed........(ok, visulaize yourself getting on a horse) with my hands firmly gripping the sheet, I throw my right leg up over the side of the bed and Jim pulls me up/over from his side of the bed.......now remember that I have a UTI and I am flooding myself with water and cranberry juice...let's just say I know where every bathroom is on that resort..........by the time night time comes I have worn myself ragged running to the potty.

Now here I am sleeping I'd say 1500 miles away from my own bed and I wake up in the middle of the night with this unbearable urge to empty my bladder and I forget I am almost 3 feet off of the floor and I fall off of the bed......HARD.....into a wall....on my way down! Does the DH hear me? NOPE! But I am sure the occupants underneath my room did........who knew getting in and out of bed could cause so muchbruising.....by the end of this trip .......I HATE THIS BED! for more than this reason ;) .....more later on that! lol

BAD BED! lol

kmh 2006

Now our resort is right nextdoor to the nudie resort Hedonism II.......let's just say that there were some people that should of been naked and that there were some people that should of never been naked.........with a few of them that should not of been naked even at BIRTH! lol lol lol what I did find amusing is that partial nudity is always somewhere on the beach but no flames are allowed naked! lol  see below picture....lol

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This was on the front of the fenced area from the view of my room........told ya, nothing spectacular to look at....I just thought this sign was too funny not to photograph since people were naked only one resort down from us! lol lol lol The picture below is of the sunrise the next morning from our room.......we never actually ever got to see the sun crest over the land because the view was always blocked by the palm trees. I never was able to see a Jamaican sunset either....every afternoon a squall would come it for about an hour and then leave the sky mostly cloudy the rest of the afternoon with the sun breaking through some of the time, but never at sunset. :(....hmmmm maybe I need to go back again sometime.

kmh 2006

I'll post more later...............Ü

You're in Jamaica Mon....

Half way between Chicago and Jamaica I start to feel the beginning of the UTI........But I still have no idea what it is because it's been years since I've had one.......besides I am too excited about this trip and all my eyes are about to behold.....I see paradise in my head, but most importantly something tells me I am not going to be disappointed.

As shown in the previous entry the Island itself is gorgeous but I'm telling ya.....where the ocean meets the sand is my sanctuary! What I loved about sandals is that most of it is exposed to the outside, very few walls.....open.....airy.........breezy by mid morning....and this time of year a little humid for me, but I tried to remember I'm in JAMAICA!!!!!!!I have NOTHING to complain about.

The lobby is the main building but really only has one wall around it....the rest is views of the pools, the swim up bars, the palm trees and the ocean.....most of the dining area of the main dining room called 'Bay side' has only a back wall (hiding the kitchen) the rest is open and airy......like your sitting on a balcony.........loved it!!

Beach side has all the ocean views, the palm trees, the beach, the ocean breezes, the view of all the water craft, the heavily thatched cabanas to enjoy the ocean view but not the mid day sun....most importantly the sound of the ocean.......I can never give it justice by trying to describe it....just close your eyes and you will hear it.

A few picture for your view pleasure..........lol

The first three are from my Daughters balcony.......

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This shot is taken from my cabana that I pirated almost every morning after Jim and I took our morning strolls on the beach....hand in hand.....half way in and out of the ocean.

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All around the resort were beautiful views........from the oceans to the gardens and with most being exposed to the outside the sun dappled pretty much everything.....truly a beautiful place without being over the top gaudy.....The woodwork is crafted mainly of dark mahogany.......I love mahogany! And painted all the color of the tropics.....I tild Jim when we get back I am turning our bedroom into Jamaica....I have already been into wrought iron and distressed woods and I pretty much already have the billowy sheath drapery....I just have to spruce it up with a raised canopy bed made of mahogany and throw in a splash of caribbean colors! lol

Piano Bar..... light and airy......love it!

kmh 2006

I'll post more later..........Ü

Touring the Island....fast and the furious!

First please excuse the quality of the photo's, I'm afraid my camera that has been picture perfect is about on its last leg, it's been faithful and brilliant but it's getting old and please take into consideration I am flying by ( about 75 miles an hour) in a mini bus for 8, through hair pin turns and driven by a man who's country has no right of ways on the open road...........not only do you have to avoid other vehicles and pedestrians but at anytime you may have to dodge a  wandering goat, steer, donkey or run away rooster! lol

 

On of the many coves along the way.....

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This is the actual color of the ocean..........see all the subtle hints of blue and turquoise?? I love this COLOR!!!

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Some more remnants of the hurricane that blew through the Island in 2004 I think......Ivan

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Limos, airplanes and lil buses.....Oh My! lol

I figure the best way to remember everything I wanted to share was to start from the beginning........

Jim and I decided to hire a limo to take us to the airport since we had to be there very early in the morning, We picked up Tony and Melissa on the way. The limo was a white stretch limo and it was nice to sit back and enjoy the ride before the coming of all the different players. When I booked the limo the person who answered the phone asked if I wanted a town car or a stretch and when I said "stretch" he asked if I was sure because there was only 4 of us...........this is when I mentioned that one of the four was a bride to be and they understood perfectly that meant lots of luggage......Tony had his Tuxedo to bring along with his Brothers.... so we needed the space! lol

The Airport and the coming of the families was blessedly uneventful..........The 1st Wife and I did all the small talk and the 2 DH's that we brought with us did the ignoring........I think Jim and the 1st Wife exchanged one complete sentence between the two of them and then polite avoidance......That made Melissa VERY happy! The airport scene will be classified as part of the many "Weird" moments I'm sure we all felt but kept to ourselves.

Another pleasant surprise is that we were all seated very far apart from each other. Melissa and Tony up front, Tony's family "Right Center" Jim and I " back left center" and 1st wife and her family back of the plane. This gave us all time to sit and breath the same air but not have to interact with one another. The other two couples that were friends of M and T were already on the Island.

Ahhhhh now the Island......incredibly beautiful, incredibly lush and green and incredibly colorful, nothing soothes me faster the colors of the Caribbean.........turquoise, coral, muted yellows and oranges...........just lovely. The one thing I wished I would of thought to do before taking off to Jamaica was learn more about their beliefs and customs. I'll do my homework a lil better next time I fly off to a new country........RESPECT is a huge part of their culture. So consider is a huge compliment when a Jamaican say's "Respect" to you and remember to answer with "Respect" back to them and look them in the eye when you say it.

Another thing that I'll remember about Jamaica was the very wealthy and the very poor just live a few steps away from each other on the Island. Across the road we weredriving on (the resort was 1.5 hours away from the Airport which was located in Montego Bay and we were staying in Negril.) on the Island side were some really beautiful Island stucco homes and then on the ocean side were these very small shanty's maybe the size of a one car garage, with corrugated steel roofs and walls held together with plywood and cardboard, they looked like little fishing shacks and if it wasn't for the laundry drying out on the line near them you would never think somebody lived there.......Some didn't have any indoor plumbing or electricity...Hurrican Ivan really did a number on this Island a few years ago and part were never rebuilt.

We could of taken a short plane ride (10 minutes) on a smaller plane to Negril, but I was looking forward to the 1.5 hours on the tiny little 8 passenger tour bus......Did I mention no one has the right of way in Jamaica??? lol It's a free for all!!!!!!! lol lol lol

 

              
                  kmh 2006

 

    

Here are a few shots of the scenery on the way to Negril.......I'll post a follow up entry with just photo's and a lil bit of info maybe later today and then devote tomorrows entry to an account of our first day on the Island and more photo's of the resort.

kmh July 2006

Ya Mon.....My Jamaican Prologue Mon......No Problem Mon!

I haven't had to time to sit and sort all the moments and memories from our Daughter's wedding in Jamaica yet, so bare with me.....I'm flying by the seat of my pants and since I don't want to leave anything out, I might be jumping back and forth and for that I am sorry...........I can talk about the beautiful moments, I can talk about the strange moments and I can talk about the times that tempers flared a wee bit, but what I will find extremely hard to share are the time that hurt my heart and there were a few of them.......I'm not sure if it was just the situation, or just me, or just an over sight....but I'll share what I can.

By the way........I was to have left for Jim's families reunion this morning but because of an UTI (urinary tract infection) that reared it's ugly head....Oh, I'd say somewhere above the clouds in the plane over Georgia I have to see my Doctor on Monday morning......So no road trip for me, thank you very much! Now if I was a man I might tempt it, I could stop and pee every half hour on the side of the road, but since I am not equipped to stand and pee that is out of the question on the side of the road! lol

When a man stops to pee on the side of the road it could look like many things, maybe he sees something where he's looking, maybe he just needed to stop the car and stretch his legs for a bit, maybe he's in a deep thought or taking in a great view..........but when a woman stops to do that.........it's very apparent to everyone in view of her exactly what she is doing.......no wondering what she is doing, no way to make it look like anything else.....it is/was a road side emergency! lol lol lol

Another by the way........did I tell you I have been coffee free for 8 days??? I pick the weirdest times to give up chit! lol lol lol

More teazer shots.....MY BAD! lol

This is where we stayed...................

kmh  July 2006

And this is one of the many gorgeous views from inside the resort! This is one of the two outdoor swimming pools that are only a stones throw away from the beautiful turquoise colors of the Caribbean.......lovely isn't it?

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I'm Baaaaack!

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So much to tell, so many photo's to share and absolutely no energy to do it right now........but I promise to do so very soon.

The Wedding.....The Island......were oh so very beautiful, but nothing was as lovely as my Daughter on her Wedding Day!

kmh 2006

Jamaica me crazy!

 "Don't worry! Be happy now!"

See ya when I get back.....I'm taking lot's of pictures!!!