through my eyes... scene I

I need Africa...

I saw this video posted on a friends blog today. Boy does God know when I need a kick in the rear!

I have been moping around for the past couple of weeks because MY life isn't going the way I wanted it to go! I have been subconsciously yet fervently looking for something to "obsess" about (a little game I play to avoid depression... hence the frogs... and the earrings... and food... and sleep).

Anyway, I had almost forgotten the opportunity I was given. I need Africa more than Africa needs me!

I need to remember the joy in the face of the child with nothing. I need to remember the excitement in the eyes of the man hearing the Gospel the first time. I need to remember the woman graciously receiving a gift from a stranger. So many beautiful memories I was given on my trip to Angola.

How could I have become so jaded in such a short time? They have so little and I have so much! How could I forget how blessed I am?

I am ashamed at my lack of faith! I know that MY God has a plan for me and I need to relax and follow Him.



In the following weeks I am going to post some of my favorite photos of my trip to Luanda, Angola. I hope they give you a glimmer of the hope they gave me.

The Survivors Club...

Take the test and post your results!

LC
ps. here is the book.

Favorite Music Video

My Wish List

LC

ps. I like anything that sparkles!

Happy Valentines Day!!!

To my handsome grandpa... who turned 93 on the lovely day...

His cake was so cute! Billy wanted to know where the okra was though...

And to Leah Caroline Curley who is one week old today!
Here she is in her daddy's arms...

In her new bed...

And blowing me kisses on her first Valentine's Day!

Talk about love... I never knew how much I could love a little girl... she is wonderful! And... they say she looks like me! How fun is that?

LC

It's a girl!!!

Well we knew that part already... but we didn't know how beautiful she would be! Leah Caroline Curley is 7 pounds and 19 inches of pure cuteness!


And here is a picture of the proud mother. My sister! Can you tell I am a proud aunt?


Well, that is all for now... I have to go back to the hospital and visit...

Have a wonderful day!

LC

My weekend project...

Harold and Maude (D. auratus "bronze") have not been happy campers at the office. So, I decided to make them a little bigger and quieter place to live. Hence the new vivarium for them.

I started with an empty tank. I siliconed the background on and placed my beautiful rose quartz in the tank first. (Thanks for the rock Billy!)

Next I added the rocks for the water feature in the front of the tank. Then comes the hydroponic clay balls. They help with drainage. I decided to put small white rocks all along the sides too, just for the sake of appearance.

Here is a picture of the tank from the front.

And I get so excited at this point that I always forget to take a picture with only soil and wood in place. So, this is the (almost) finished viv. for my bronze beauties! I will add a little more ricca grass and maybe another Creeping Fig. Anyway...

... Harold and Maude were absolutely ecstatic! They have been jumping around the whole thing. They are looking for new hiding spaces and things to climb on.

Maude is still a little camera shy.

Here she was hunting for food before she saw the camera flash.

Harold, on the other hand, is always ready for a picture.



Have a hoppy day!
LC

ps. I will be Aunt Leslie in just 5 days... if not before...

Seven days till I am Aunt Leslie!

So... I have been hard at work on my vivariums. Creating my own little spots that I can watch grow and flourish! And my little ones are very happy!

My Christmas present from Billy is coming along very well...

... in about nine or ten months (he he) the plants will have grown in beautifully!

Rainy and Beau have really been enjoying the new and bigger home. This one even has a waterfall!

I love watching them check out every nook and cranny!




All joking aside... this time next week I will have a beautiful niece named Leah! I can't wait to share her with you too!

Merry Christmas!

Just a little reminder to myself of how wonderful this past Christmas was!



The pups got new collars...

Billy got a helicopter...

I got a new tank...

...that I am building...

...for my little ones, Rainy and Beau.


And in 10 days I will be an Aunt!

Don't forget the good times!

I should change the name of my blog!

That's Death!

So long to Fancy!

2009 proved to be to much for my little friend...

Frank the Tank...
Frank was quite a trooper. He survived his first night at my home under the refrigerator... While being a spur of the moment purchace Frank fit right in. He cleaned up real nice! He soon met his three new vivarium mates. Although Frank was always the smallest the others seemed to know this was really his house. Frank the Tank will be missed by all...

...3...2...1...

Bye Bye 2008...

Things I said good bye to in 2008...

1. Penny, Lowly, and Fiona

2. My cousin, Jimmy Border

3. Smoking

4. Sleeping in on Monday-Friday

5. Chocolate Cake (at least for a while)

6. My 20's

7. Migraine headaches!


Things I said Hello! to in 2008...

1. Billy, my cute boyfriend! (and Rowdy)

2. a gaggle of Frogs

3. the Gym (not as bad as I thought it would be!)

4. the scale (worse than I thought it would be!)

5. Germany... a beautiful country

6. a gaggle of earrings

7. BLOGGING!

This was quite a year... Can't wait to see what the next one has in store...

Hope everyone has a Happy New Year!!!

Love to all,
LC

Shot in the head four times...

AND IT IS WORKING!!!

Actually I had four Occipital Nerve Blocks... this procedure consists of superficial injections of a local anesthetic with corticosteroids at the level of the superior nuchal line to develop a wall of anesthetic surrounding the posterior occipital artery. Occipital blocks offer immediate and sometimes long term palliative benefit to patients suffering from migraine, tension and/or cluster headaches! Blah blah blog... but, like I said, it is working! I got the injections yesterday and my migraine just washed away! Today the injection sites are sore but some Advil took care of that. I am feeling FANTABULOUS!

UPDATE: still a non-smoker, working out and eating better than ever!

Fatty fatty 2 by 4...

Now that I am a few weeks into my new life goals I thought I would throw in another one...

I am publicly vowing to lose weight and get in shape!



I thought I would share this with family and friends so there would be less chance of me giving up again!

As most of you know, I love food and relaxing! These things used to work for me… they work no longer.

At almost 5 weeks as a non-smoker and a couple of weeks going to the gym... today starts the eating Light & Right diet. (My own little diddy I've come up with.) It's pretty self explanatory.

So, with the promise of shame and embarrassment if I do not accomplish my goal... I will begin.