Blueberry Season

We are enjoying the fresh fruit our blueberry bushes are producing this season. 

Three of our four bushes have finished their harvest.

Our remaining bush is a Rabbiteye. Their berries are even bigger.

We have enjoyed the fruit in homemade blueberry cheesecake ice cream this summer. 

Hopefully, they will endure the fall and winter seasons in the upcoming months.

Rainy Monday

We desperately need the rain in our area of the state.

One of things I like about when it rains, everything gets bright green and lusciously vibrant again.

The storm clouds invite me to take their photos.

Rainy days and Mondays don't get me down. ;)

Salted Caramel Coffee

We went grocery shopping at Aldi's yesterday. Salted caramel coffee.

We were in the line to load our groceries on the belt when I saw this find. 

OMG!

I made some this morning. 

Delicious!!!

Photography Class

I signed up for Becky Higgins' photography class.

Her first photo challenge on the Facebook group was how low can you go.

I also played around with the photo app A Color Story. I like how you can still see the color of the dandelion and the rest of the photo has no color.

AC, do your thing.....

When it is a hot summer day and you still have one errand to do before going home, you improvise.

You have to keep the milk, half and half and sour cream cold.

AC do you thing.

Why drink decaffeinated? Here's why........

Coffee.

You are my friend.

Decaffeinated.

Some people ask why even drink coffee if you can't have it caffeinated.

I enjoy the taste and the routine of having some hot in the morning.

I can't do caffeine due to migraines. Caffeine actually makes my migraines worse.

My previous neurologist gave up on me. She told me to deal with it and take narcotics, after her cookie cutter ways weren't helping me, but making them worse. I left the office in tears. My husband has been very supportive all through the ups and downs with my migraine battles. That day I came home in tears, he told me that she isn't the only neurologist in town. He said if we had to travel 2 hours to UNC Hospital in Chapel Hill, {we} will find a neurologist to help me.

I have been with my present neurologist ( not at UNC Hospital ) for 4 years now. We have finally found migraine attack medications that work for me. Preventative medications don't really help me too much. BUT, I have medication that gets me through them.

One of the first things he had me do was go caffeine-free. It was one of the worst migraines I have ever had. The withdrawal from caffeine was horrible. I showed up to work green for two weeks.

It was all worth it because I am getting my life back after having chronic migraines since 1991.

I have been caffeine-free for four years.

Don't settle with a doctor's opinion on your health if you know that there's something else to try.

My neurologist is very open to try something new. 

I am a challenging patient for sure.

I have migraines but they don't have me!!

The monotanous drive.....

Getting up early and being on the road to travel to work can be monotanous.

Day after day.

It is the beautiful sunrises like this that makes you forget about it for a few minutes.

The sun peeking around the corner.

I do get to enjoy some awesome sunrises AND sunsets going to and from work.

God is so awesome!

Ready to face the day

Using Becky Higgins' Simple Notebooks to get me through my workdays.

They put up with my wear and tear, pulling them in and out of my work bag, purse and scrub coat.

The paper in the notebook is thick and durable. 

Markers don't even bleed through. 

A plus in my book!

Let's get this day going!

Adulting

It is bad when you have to look at the work assignment schedule to see what day it is. 

Then, realize your work rotation is going to be a killer day.

Exhausted just thinking about it.

It is only Thursday.

Whoever said being an adult was fun doesn't work in heathcare.

College life as 52 yr old

I have been struggling in one of my college classes this summer. It is way out of my league. I do well with the topic assignments and discussion forum participation.

It was nice to read this comment from the instructor yesterday morning.

I have one topic assignment and two tests I need to finish by July 31. I have the dreaded exam to take.

Then, I will have a few weeks to breathe and it starts all over again later in August.

I keep telling myself it will be worth it in the end. Only 10 more classes then I will have my BSRS degree.

Adulting is hard when you are juggling a full-time job, managing and being a working technologist.

On-line classes are harder than in person classes.

The Joy of Cooking

Nothing beats the joy of cooking.

Who doesn't remember getting to be the chosen one who got the lick the beaters after cake batter or frosting was made.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers.

They are always so pretty. I got this stampset from Unity Stamp Company as a freebie about a year ago.

I made this card into a birthday card.

While the 3D effects adhesive was still wet on the card, I sprinkled the different colored glitters on the sunflower.

Blended oxide inks make up the background. Four colors used. 

I have to thank Cathy Z. for geting me hooked onto oxide inks.

Mermaids

I really enjoyed creating this work of art. 

I posted this on my Instagram card site yesterday morning.

 It sold within 4 hours.

 Who knew it would sell that quick.

I already have another customer waiting for her custom card, too.

I better get busy, huh?

Two customers in one day for a mermaid card!!

Rainbow on the way to work......

My morning drive into work started out dreary.

We had severe thunderstorms overnight, with a lot of trees down. Big huge oak trees came down in our area.

When the sun started to peek through the clouds, I thought we might get a rainbow. 

We sure did.

 I watched the rainbow for 45 minutes coming into work. 

A breath of fresh air to brighten my day.

Anniversary Card

I made this using baby boy themed patterned paper to make this wedding anniversary card.

The paper is from Bella Boulevard .

Stamp is from the floral phrases stamp set from SU!

I used zigwriter in bleu for the flowers; green in CTMH marker.

Sequins are from Unity Stamp Company's Ariel and Cinderella collections.

I survived one of my summer classes.

I forgot that summer classes are compressed studies.

Three and half months of study compressed into 5 weeks.

Oh, yeah! It is an on-line class, too!

Whoever said that theatre class was a breeze was wrong.

31 tests

9 writing assignments

Over 200 forum posts

All in 5 weeks

It was an interesting class. I learned a lot. 

Some of my classmates thought I was a theatre major with my play design paper. 

What a compliment!!!!

Now, one more class to finish this summer. I will have a break for a few weeks. Then, I am back at it again.

Birthday cake

Tradition in our house.

On your birthday, you pick out what kind of cake you want for your birthday.

Joe wanted a German Chocolate Cake.

My husband made one delicious cake!

Joe turned the big 2-1!

Pizza Traditions

Family tradition

Friday or Saturday night 

Almost every weekend we make pizza dough from scratch 

Pepperoni

Sausage

Mega cheese

Pizza Hut.... Papa Johns....Dominos ain't got nothing on our pizza

Bring it on!

Hamburgers on the Grill

Hamburgers

On the grill

So big they are bigger than the bun

Oozing juices

Can you smell them?