Sunday, June 29, 2014

How to Choose Your Time Lord Name


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If you haven't noticed already, my family and I are a little nerdy. However, our biggest fandom at the moment is the gloriously entertaining (and usually very good looking)- Doctor Who. This show often leads my husband and I into long conversations that serious look into each aspect of the show. Its sad, but its true.
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With this fascination comes are secret desires to be either a Time Lord or companion ourselves. Today we will be exploring the realm of Time Lords on the blog. We will discuss how to find your "name". The Doctor actually chose that name. Although no one actually knows his given name, "Doctor" is only truly a nickname. Every person can find their own name in this sense. His was chosen to repay his past debts and his mission to save other worlds (especially Earth). So what are you?
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*Disclaimer: My apologies if you have no idea what I am talking about... you should watch the show.*

To choose your name, consider these things:
  • Your Career
  • Your Passions
  • Your Current Titles (brother, sister, mother, leader, coach, etc)
After creating a list of all these things, see if there are any that seem to reoccur. Are there aspects of any of the three that are alike? If so, you are getting closer.

Once you have determined a realm, you must then choose a title. This is what it might look like. (These examples are my husband and I's)

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Andrew's List
  • Career- Librarian (Desired), Banker (Current), Educator (future)
  • Passions- Books, superheros, learning, studying, archeology, music
  • Current Titles- Father, husband, son, Banker

After looking at all this the reoccurring theme was books and study. From this my husband looked at the nicknames he has been given in the past and concluded on the name:

The Professor 

 
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My List
  • Career- Educator
  • Passions- Children, writing, children, being creative , fashion
  • Current Titles- Wife, mother, daughter, sister, children's leader, writer
I instantly knew what the best name was for me after considering my list. I bet you can guess it!

The Mother

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I really want to know what your name would be... so share below!

Keep and eye out, because I think I am on a roll. Next in this series....

What does your TARDIS look like?

Followed by...

A Sonic Screwdriver is not the only tool!


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Wednesday, June 25, 2014

The Weird and Wonderful

Have you ever thought about how weird and wonderful each and every person is. Think about this quote from Dr. Seuss,

“We're all a little weird and life's a little weird. And when we find someone who's weirdness is compatible with ours, we join up with them and fall in mutual weirdness and call it love.”

Really, how true is that?!  There truly is no normal person. I was thinking about that the other day. I was trying to think about the little weird things about me. I mean, I know that most people know my major likes and dislikes, but what about the small stuff? Do you know all the small stuff about your spouse? Your kids? Your friends? The answer is likely no. So, here are a few of mine to get you thinking.

  • I am a compulsive list maker. This little problems forces me to carry around paper and pen pretty much everywhere I go.
  • I am always drawn to the color coral in fashion. Although this is not my favorite color, it has a way of getting to me like no other color can.
  • I think sprinkles are awesome. Ice-cream, cookies, cake, and candy are all better with those little colored specs.
  • I love to organize my jewelry box for fun.
  • The smell of new crayons and books are fantastic.
  • I enjoy the process and preparation of party planning probably more than the party itself.
  • I have a small shopping addiction.
  • I have a deep love for the country of Japan. This started at a very early age when I felt the calling to be a missionary.
  • I am currently going through an aversion to peanut butter sandwiches. I don't know why.
  • I love to read self help books!

So, what little things did you come up with? Please share, I'd love to know!

Saturday, June 21, 2014

Reinstating Church Hats

For those of you have been reading my blog long enough, you know that I have a little problem when I decide that something that it is out of fashion should return. I go a tad bit overboard and buy a few (or 50) of whatever fashion do-dad I am crushing on at the moment. I have a new one! The wonderful, classic, elegant....
Church Hat!



Please tell me I am not too young or too white to start wearing them. All I can say is that if I am, I'm sorry because I am doing it. At this point there is very little anyone can do to stop me. I already own a few. This comes from years of plays and collecting, which I am no so thankful for.

At times I get sad that some of the most lovely fashions of the female world fade away. Beautiful hats, delicate handkerchiefs, white gloves all have such wonderful appeal to me. Add to this list the lost love for well made costume jewelry... Im dying!

So, here is my new goal- Every Sunday that I am not working in the back with the kiddos at my church, I am wearing a church hat. I want to bring back this beautiful tradition. I wont lie, I'd like to go back to a day where you wore one every day when you went our, but that may be a bit too much for this modern world we live in!

The pictures on this post is my collection of hats. Now I am working on my collection of hat pins to go with it.

Wednesday, June 18, 2014

Honest Thoughts


The full title of this post was originally "What happens when your not sure about what you've found when your 'finding yourself'," but that was a bit much. After that I adapted it to "Honest Thoughts on Finding Yourself," which I determined was still too lengthy. So in the end I shortened it, but you get the jist.

Basically, as I get older I question more. I look more deeply into the previous decisions I've made and I realize I have more say in who I am than I have allowed for the past 26 years. Honestly, I have been going against a flow of normalcy my whole life, however it isn't until now that I've owned that as being part of me. I've also learned to be more open with my needs, wants, and desires. I've learned to take pride in the aspects of my own personality and appearance that hindered me in my youth. I take responsibility for who I am and who I am becoming. This must truly be something that comes with years or wisdom, because I never saw all this before.

My original post title gives you a glimpse of the internal struggle with what I am beginning to see within myself. The strict rules of conduct and personal expectations I once placed on myself are slowly peeling away. What I'm finding is a long list of curiosities, an interesting mix of passions, and collection of undetermined possibilities. Perhaps this change of mindset is why they say women hit their prime in their thirties. I've seen a lot of things change as I near that magical age. From the emotional to the physical and the spiritual to the sexual, I am feeling more and more like a maze or fine detailed piece of art. There is so much more to me than I realized.

Now, if I only understood everything I was finding. At times the revelations are surprising or even scary. I am so blessed to have my husband who is willing to talk it out and help me reach some form of understanding of what I am feeling, discovering, or exploring. The interesting thing about this is that it happens all the time. I spend much of my alone time thinking, writing, or exploring Pinterest. Even music seems to open worlds within my mind. Its quite an amazing thing. I am rarely bored.

Please don't get me wrong. There is a lot of core aspects of my personality and beliefs that haven't changed at all. In fact, these new found tools and the desire for self discovery has strengthened some of them. It just leaves me with so many questions. It makes me wonder if I could have known and understood some of these things sooner. It makes me question myself at times, "what if I don't like the me I find?" Its such a confusing and exciting time.

I would love to hear stories, tips, and thoughts from those of you have already gone through it or are doing so with me. Let me know that I am not alone... or just tell me I'm crazy and let us move on with life!

By the way, I hope you enjoyed the "shades" of me!

Sunday, June 15, 2014

10 Reasons I Love My Dad


My dad is a pretty amazing man. Although he is not my father by genes, he is the very best daddy in the world. Here is why:

1. He made a choice to be my dad and he rocked at it.
2. He had a way of making me feel special. He drove my friends and I around and let us call him "Henry", he gave flowers on my birthday, and took me ballroom dancing.
3. He is honestly one of the most caring men alive. He just likes to hide it.
4. He took excellent care of me and my siblings. We didn't grow up having alot of money, but I never lacked for what we needed.
5. My wedding- enough said.
6. Spilling the beans when Andrew asked you for permission to marry me. I will never forget the call.... "Hello, Mrs. Powers"
7. His mad math skills. You may not be the greatest math teacher, but I sure do appreciate you doing my taxes every year.
8. I owe him a lot of thanks for all those medical bills he paid. Only now when I have so many of my own do I understand what a burden that was.
9. He always answers my calls. I don't call him much, but I know that he will always answer!
10. He is an awesome Grandpa. I have no doubt he will be as much fun with my boys as he was when I was growing up. In many ways he is still a kid at heart!

Daddy, I love you. Happy Father's day!

Saturday, June 14, 2014

When a Diagnosis Changes Everything

I argued with myself on whether or not to even write on this topic. I say this because not every life changing diagnosis is one that marks your days. Some life changing diagnosis' are the ones that change your life from now on. Others change your near (or distant) future. Although the one that marks your days is probably the most painful to hear, I believe all of them have their own burden.

As a teenager my mother was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis, a disease that affects the brain and spinal cord and is often debilitating. This news came to our family in a rather shocking and unexpected way. A simple bump on the head at a theme park lead to a realization that your whole life is changed. Things like this happen on a daily basis. Perhaps not to you, maybe not even a loved one, but someone, somewhere is having to cope with a life changing diagnosis. Someone's loved one is having to face changes they never even imagined.

(For those who are curious, my mother is doing very well. She stays rather active, despite  what doctors see on her scans and tests. She is a testament of faith and the idea that being a grandparent keeps one young. She often accredits her endurance to my two kiddos whom she keeps daily during the school year.)

Now, I am faced with own mortality. The realization that I am not truly a super being and I wont be able to do everything forever. About a month or so ago I re-started my journey to find the cause and relief to my regular and at times slowing back pain. Since a fairly young age (early teens), I struggled with regular pain in my upper back. I rarely put any though in the matter due to being well endowed at an early age along the bust. As time went on these symptoms worsened and I began to search out some relief. After trying everything from chiropractic care and braces to physical therapy, I got desperate. I finally went and saw a spinal surgeon who ran me through some pretty extensive tests and was able to get me in the right direction.

Sparing you all the extra details, I was finally given a diagnosis. I am sure you can guess by my post title, that it was not the one I expected to get. I was hoping for a treatable condition that could be reversed and I could go on with my attempts of doing it all. This is the furthest thing from what happened. The original diagnoses of Degenerative Disc Disease and arthritis seemed hopeful. Yet in the end, my hopes were shattered and there was little I could do.

I was diagnosed with something called DISH- Diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis. This in its self was even not so bad, although it has no cure. Where my life changed is this, this condition is not all that uncommon, what is uncommon is my age. Most people diagnosed with this are in their late forties at the earliest. This disease can be quite progressive so the older age means less affected time in life. This is not the case for me. My digression started no later than my mid teens. To understand what I am saying you need to know what this disease does. Basically, as discs in your back degenerate, your body creates spurs and bony-calcium deposits that form over the vertebrae. This extra calcium can also end up in other joints as well.
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So, how does that really change my life? Well, my back is completely fused together from vertebrae 6 to vertebrae 12. I have have arthritics in my hips, knees, and other joints as well. Because of the early on set, it is clearly progressive. This means that if I already have this much damage in ten years, what will the next ten hold for me? Amazingly, I have little to no damage to the weight baring section of my back. This is one major blessing. However, being overweight increases my risks for a faster progression. The faster I could lose, the long expectancy I would have for mobility. This in itself is a hard task because the recommended treatments for such immediate weight-loss are not covered by my insurance. Beyond that, there is nothing they can do to change what is already done. All I can do is treat pain. I will be on a pain medication regimen my entire life. I also have appointments to see doctors who specialize in just dealing with pain.

Is the pain really that bad? Until you really know me, you wont understand what I am saying here. I have a quite a high pain tolerance. I've been through a lot in my short life. My mother has seen me on death's door more times than a parent should. I have a pacemaker. I am an old soul in an old body. The only thing young about me is the years I've lived. Yes, this pain changes my life. I come from a family where asking for help was rare. We are a get up and do it yourself crew. I have a strong desire to do things on my own. However, I have gotten to the point I can not. I can not carry my children for any length of time. I can barely get out of bed in the morning. Rolling over in the night can at times me torture, causing spasms I cannot explain. No, you wouldn't know there was anything wrong when you see me at the store.That is because over the years I have learned to hide pain and push on through. Its both a blessing and a curse I received from my mother.

How is this life changing if you already deal with it? I wont always be able to do this. At some point I will lose some mobility. Because this is bone that is creating the problem, I cannot just push through forever. At some point this bone will be in places that will change the way I do things. These changes could be earlier than I really want to thing about. At this point, I may be able to see significant difference by the age of 37. Do you realize how young that is?

So yes, I didn't get a number of my days, but at first, it felt like it. I am fiercely  independent. If you don't believe me, ask my husband. Now I am having to consider things like disability insurance and handicap parking. This is not something I ever wanted to consider. Its not something I ever expected to have to face. Yet, at the age of 26 I have faced more adversity than many do in their lifetime. I have no doubt I'll make it through. Every time I get down about it, I consider my mother. Its just hard now.

Friday, June 13, 2014

Missing but Not Forgotten

I realize its been many moons since my appearance on my blogs. Its been an emotional, crazy roller coaster over the past two weeks. However, I will be returning with a vengeance tomorrow night. I have tons of things to catch you up on. Beyond that, I have to write in all my other blogs as well. I have slacked tremendously. I am sure you will understand soon. I hope all things are going well and everyone is ready for some fun, some depth, and a lot of blogging!