Lovely Sunday Photograph

"Jea Louvre" by Claude Bencimon

Silence and Lovely Sunday Photograph

Hello Everyone!

I hope all of your Sunday's have been full of rest, food, and family.

I had an exam yesterday in my Anatomy and Physiology class, plus a lab quiz and I think if I had studied any more this week science facts would have been spilling out of my brain!

The real reason for the silence this week on the blog is that on Wednesday I woke up with burning and pain going up and down my left arm which was very reminiscent of what happened last October right before my disc in my cervical neck exploded.

I am trying not to get excited and upset.  Instead I have an MRI set up for Thursday and I am taking steroids which have definitely reduced the inflammation.

Icing and my neck-brace have also returned to the daily routines of my life.  C'est la vie.  For now I will just keep moving and hopefully my body will keep up.

The image below by Elizabeth Messina is how I feel every Sunday should be.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Lovely Sunday Photograph (Quote) and a Happy New Year

To all of those who are celebrating the start of the Jewish New Year tonight I just wanted to say L'Shana Tova, I hope you all have a happy, healthy, and sweet New Year.

I didn't do a photograph today.  I thought an inspiring quote for the New Year would be more fitting.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Inspiring and Funny Quote by Maurice Sendak

Hello Guys!

What a looong day.  Did anyone else feel like the clock was moving backwards today instead of ticking forwards. 

I am so tired (per usual), Mer has a sinus infection, and I have an unbelievable amount of reading to do for Anatomy and Physiology.

However, I found a great quote today by Maurice Sendak that made me laugh out loud at work today:

"Once a little boy sent me a charming card with a little drawing on it. I loved it. I answer all my children’s letters — sometimes very hastily — but this one I lingered over. I sent him a card and I drew a picture of a Wild Thing on it. I wrote, “Dear Jim: I loved your card.” Then I got a letter back from his mother and she said, “Jim loved your card so much he ate it.” That to me was one of the highest compliments I’ve ever received. He didn’t care that it was an original Maurice Sendak drawing or anything. He saw it, he loved it, he ate it."

—Maurice Sendak (found on Bobulate)

 I love this story.  Life can be really beautiful a lot of the time.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Drowning in School Work and my New Nephew Caleb James

Hello!

I haven't blogged in a few days.  The reason is I am DROWNING!  Drowning in classes, work, and house stuff.

I admitted to Meridyth last night after I worked all day, made dinner, and studied Anatomy and Physiology for two hours that this may be one of the hardest things I have ever done.

Learning I love medicine this late in my life and wanting to fulfill my goals of going into this field is not going to be easy.  I am just hoping that all of these nights that I am not talking to the people in my life that I love will go toward that bigger goal.

For anyone else that is working a million hours and going to school I applaud you.  This shit is not easy.

Now onto Caleb James!

My sister-in-law and her hubby had a beautiful baby a month ago and I took some pictures of him and their family.

This is the first baby session I have done in awhile and I think they turned out pretty well!

I'm off now to study and run to work but Welcome to the World Caleb James!  We love you so much already.

I would actually love to do more family portrait work.  It was A LOT less stressful than weddings!

Also, isn't my sister-in-law so pretty?  I was so happy with their family portrait because even the dog is looking!

Lots of Love,

Jess

Lovely Sunday Photograph

Cinque Terre, Italy by Sergio Del Rosso

Put Your Big Girl Panties On...

I don't feel like doing anything tonight.

I'm feeling nauseous, I worked all day, comforted sick people, convinced people to take medications they didn't want, had a difficult money conversation with Meridyth, made dinner, cleaned the messes I made at my parents house, and now I am sitting down at 8 p.m. to study Anatomy and Physiology for a test I have on Saturday.  Did I mention I have to try and study Statistics after that?

As I mentioned above, I don't want to do anything.  Really what I want do to is watch the last Housewives of New Jersey and chill out my brain to get ready for tomorrow.

However, after I talked to Mer she told me I needed to read Michelle Obama's DNC speech last night.  She didn't tell me why she just said I should before I started studying.

I did.  I cried.

I am a Democrat, particularly on social issues.  I personally think it would hard to be a Republican because I am a Gay woman who right now has no legal marriage rights in Maryland because of conservatives. 

Yet, I don't think I cried because I am a Democrat and it was a kick ass speech.  I cried because the speech spoke to what Meridyth and I are living right now.

We are STRUGGLING (can I make that any bigger an emphasis?) to pay our bills.  I have medical bills past the 10,000 because of my surgery.  We both have student loans from undergrad, and Mer and I are both in school again so we can make more money and hopefully have a family and take care of our parents as they get older if they need it.

I want to be successful, but like many people it gets discouraging when I work a 40 hour work week and can barely cover my bills let alone pay for groceries or medications.

Michelle Obama's speech made me feel re-energized tonight.  Especially her story of President Obama driving a rusted out car and that their student loans costing more than there first mortgage every month.

Even though I really do just want to relax tonight, as my co-worker always say's before we do something difficult, "Put your big girl panties and get to it!".

I'm going somewhere.  I will be able to provide for my family one day and if I must stay up and study after a long day so be it!

Lots of Love,

Jess 

Sculptures by Gavin Worth

Hi!  How is everyone today?

I am staying at my parents house this week watching there dogs because they are in Seattle visiting my Sister who just had her fourth child about three weeks ago!

Welcome baby Jack! 

When I am at my parents I have more time to play on the internet because Meridyth is not here and though I adore the dogs I am a little lonely so it distracts me.

This is a totally different post, but I am actually surprised how lonely and bored I am when I don't have Mer around.  In the past I relished spending time by myself but I guess after seven going on eight years with Mer, even if we are not the same room, I am spoiled having her around.

I digress, onto the artwork!

Gavin Worth is a sculpture, painter, and all around artist who has lived all around the world and currently lives and works in Cairo, Egypt whre he teaches at the American International School.

I don't usually find myself drawn to sculpture but his are so amazingly beautiful.  They are delicate yet hard at the same time and I love the play of those two things.

"And Light Fell on Her Face Through Heavy Darkness"

"Corpus Callosum"

"Hands Clasped"

"Hands Supplicated"

"Morning Pose"

"The Sadness of Meeting

"Thirst"

As I look at these sculptures I realize that part of the beauty of them is not only the intricacy and details, but also that the artist seems to be drawing as if he is using charcoal and not wire.

Check out more on his website.  It will also take you to his blog.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Blogger Submission for Blogger Academy in New York run by Kat, Gala, and Nubby

Hi Everyone!

I hope your labor day weekend has been fantastic!

I have been busy studying, but I just took some time out to record a video as a submission to win a spot at the Blog Academy run by Kat from RocknRoll Bride, Gala from Gala Darling, and Nubby of Nubby Twiglet.  These three fabulous ladies are giving away one spot from there two day blogging academy.  It would be a dream come true to learn from these three and I know I have a lot to learn!

They wanted something creative.

That sentence brings us to the second part.  I tried to be creative!  I tried signs, and dancing cats, but none of it felt like me.

So instead I recorded myself talking to the camera.  It's a little awkward and goofy, but that's me!  Even if I don't get that one coveted spot; I'm sure there are so many other submissions, I had to try.

So here it goes, my submission.

Lots of Love,

Jess

Lovely Sunday Photograph

Mark Wallis Photography

Favorite Movie to Watch When I am Feeling Blue

Happy Saturday Everyone!

Well, my Saturday hasn't been so happy.  I've felt sad today.  Actually sad all week.  I went back and forth writing about it, but I figured that everyone should know that sometimes things suck. 

Actually, nothing in particular is really sucky at the moment, it is just an all over melancholy feeling that I can't shake.  I did have a migraine last week, I miss Meridyth because I am staying at my parents, and I'm feeling a little overwhelmed with my statistics class.  There are other things of course, money, housework, all the usual things that everyone has to deal with.

However, I think someone was watching out for me this afternoon.  I studied all day, took a nap, and woke up to study more but turned on the t.v. to see if any show would keep me company while I learned about standard deviations.

It just so happened that my favorite feel good movie was on:

Julie and Julia.

I love this movie for so many reasons.  It is about food, which I obviously love.  It is about a woman who is feeling unhappy with her career and through hardwork and some luck she is eventually able to do what she wants to with her career which is write.

I think I love this movie because I feel a strong bond to the main character.  Her drive to be creative but having to work full time because she needs to make money.  Feeling selfish and acting selfish with her partner because of her need to get somewhere in life, and her perseverance with many slip-ups in-between.  Meridyth groans when I watch this movie.  She thinks it is cheesy, but I think that is also why I like it.

I feel good when I watch this movie because it gives me hope that dreams do come true.  Plus, Meryl Streep is absolutely charming as Julia Childs and I want to put her in my kitchen and talk to her all day.

I definitely recommend watching this movie if you are feeling blue.  It will help to keep the blues at bay.

Lots of Love,

Jess