Showing posts with label about me. Show all posts
Showing posts with label about me. Show all posts

December 9, 2015

7 Things I Want for Christmas

I wasn't sure if I was going to have much Christmas Spirit this year. When you live in a world controlled by chronic illness and caregiving, you often don't have the energy for things that aren't musts. Sometimes you wonder, what's the point?

As Thanksgiving neared, I knew I didn't want to be in charge of the meal; I asked my dad to run with it. I thought for sure I'd start decorating for Christmas during Thanksgiving weekend, but I didn't. I wasn't even sure if I'd send any real holiday greetings this year.

July 14, 2015

How I Became Visually Impaired

I think it was the summer that I was seven when I first realized I couldn’t see the stop sign at the end of the street clearly. My mom took me to an optometrist and I got my first pair of glasses.

No biggie. Kids needs glasses all the time.

A few years later, when I was 10, I noticed some little fuzzy, black dots floating around in my field of vision. This was some inflammation in my right eye. It was treated with a shot of steroids (in my eye!) and life went on.

During the summer after my freshman year of high school (I was 15), I completely lost the sight in my left eye.

June 4, 2015

Four Life-Altering Choices

I've been feeling a bit of bloggy nostalgia since my five year anniversary passed at the end of April.

While many of my early posts kind of suck, there are some that I am very proud of, but that most of you probably never read. Either because I was ignorant of how to pimp myself, or because you hadn't discovered me yet (which I suppose kind of go together).

So I'm thinking while my family is in this place of flux due to the end of the school year, coupled with my husband being away from home in a rehab facility, I would dig up some gems, edit and republish.
___

I first wrote this post back on May 6, 2011.
It's about those decisions we make in life that change our lives in some way.


May 29, 2015

I Am Poem

Hey you guys! This? This right here that you're reading? It's my 1000th post!!


What in the world should I write for my 1000th post??

Well....

A couple or three years ago many bloggers I read were writing "I Am" poems. I didn't at that time, but saved the template for it in my favorites, hoping I would one day set to writing one of my own.

This appears to be as good a time as any.

April 14, 2015

How Others See Me

Looking for reasons to blog and topics for blogging, as I am wont to do these days because I have been having a hard time with that, I noticed a prompt to simply list 10 random facts/things about myself.

Well, I have done this several times before, so I was like,sigh...I'd probably just repeat myself.

Also, one of the reasons I'm having such a hard time with blogging is my brain doesn't seem to be able to form its own thoughts.


I have started and stopped a few blog posts lately because I simply lost what I thought I wanted to say.

Poof! Gone.

March 20, 2015

Old School Blogging: Things You're Dying to Know

The theme of my life this week is "old school".

From my best friend since high school visiting, to the kick-ass new cabinet she built me*, to finally getting the retro diner style table I've always wanted....

Yeah, old school.

So, Elaine says that Old School Blogging this month is "full-on random".

Random works for me because, along with old school, everything feels pretty random to me right now as well! (I cannot seem to have a day go according to plan to save my life.)


February 17, 2015

My Way or the Highway

Did you know today is My Way Day?

I'm a sucker for these silly daily "observances". I mean, why not?

My BFF -- also named Jennifer -- calls it taking a "Jen Zen" day.


If I had my way -- totally and completely -- for one whole day...

January 17, 2015

Old School Blogging: Reflective

Old School Blogging is back for 2015 and this month Elaine came up with all her own questions that get ya thinkin' about your past.

1. Who do you idolize? Idolize? Like, someone I consider an idol? Not like, American Idol, though, right? Hmm... You know what? I find myself developing a growing fondness for my elders. For their stories, experiences, insights, wisdom. I'm not saying I think they're always right (ahem, Mom and Dad), but I think it's definitely worth taking all that they've learned into consideration.

2. What is something you are really proud of that you have accomplished? Besides the typical and obligatory mom answer of "I grew tiny humans!", which I did do and I am proud of (especially giving birth all natural the first time)....besides my marriage....maintaining a good long-distance friendship since high school, and this blog.


December 9, 2014

Touch Typing, Tattoos and my Toes

After I wrapped up the year-long View From Here guest post series, I launched Ask Jen, and have published two posts in which I answered a reader question.

However, I need more questions to answer! I have a few.....but they're kind of hard....

Luckily, I have been pointed to a list of 100 random questions and charged with choosing 10 to answer by the Tuesday Ten gals, Lisa and Rabia.

For Ask Jen practice!

1. Would you ever consider living abroad? Yes! England would probably be my first choice. For most of my life I couldn't imagine living anywhere besides the US (heck, couldn't even see myself living anywhere besides the West Coast of the US), but I've been getting a little more disenchanted by the politics in America (basically, assholes) and honestly wouldn't mind a break.

2. Do you really know all the words to your national anthem? All of that in #1 said, yes, I do know all the words to The Star Bangled Banner and I love to sing it, standing, with my hand over my heart. And when someone delivers a kickass performance of it (Whitney), I even tear up.

November 20, 2014

A Post About Puke

I hate vomiting.

I don't think anybody likes it, but I have been known to feel so strongly against throwing up -- and try with all my might not to -- that when I finally do, I also pass out. And cry.

Then fall against the bathroom door so my husband can't get in to check on me.

You see, before I met Mark, I wasn't around people who had serious health problems. In my mind, if you needed to expel the contents of your stomach back out through whence they entered, you were really sick.

And probably dying.

November 17, 2014

5 Randomly Quirky Things

Who's up for some "5 random things" Old School Blogging?

Just telling you five random things about myself might sound easy, but I somehow have to choose which five things it will be (that you hopefully don't already know)....

Answering questions is easier, man!

1. Here's one my father just learned about me: Even though my toes are cold, I don't want to put something on my feet. I don't. I am not a fan of wearing anything on my feet in the house. It just bugs me. I think I want to feel the floor....or something.

Problem is, I'm getting older and my toes are getting colder. I am now understanding why old people move to warmer climates. Sigh. So yeah, I own a pair of slippers and several pairs of funky socks and I am begrudgingly wearing them around the house.


October 17, 2014

These Are a Few of My Favorite Things

As soon as I saw the topic for this month's Old School Blogging, this song started playing in my head:



And it has been stuck in there for DAYS. Hopefully getting this written and done will purge it from my brain!

Is it in your head now? Mwahaha.

September 10, 2014

My Anxiety

For me, anxiety manifests in mainly two ways:
  1. All the terrible, awful, scary things that can happen flash in my head.
  2. I become Chicken Little crying, "The sky is falling, the sky is falling!"

August 18, 2014

Sometimes I'm a Bitch

Am I a bitch, or are you just annoying?

Of course I'd like to think that it's the latter.

If you're doing something that's irritating the hell out of me, aren't I within my rights to bite your head off?

No?

Oh c'mon!

I contend that we all have certain things -- perhaps more than a pet peeve -- that get under our skin, make us lose our cool, and we really don't think we should have to apologize for it.

August 3, 2014

5 Random Either/Or Questions

I recently noticed that I haven't joined any new blog hops in awhile. A pretty big part of blogging is connecting and getting to know other bloggers.

In this, I have slacked. Shame on me.

Imma totally play the "my husband had all these surgeries and I was mainly concentrating on just writing decent posts for y'all and staying consistent in at least that" card.



May 2, 2014

5 Things I Have Absolutely No Interest In

Do you ever find yourself on the outside of a fad or expectation or whathaveyou?

I feel that way a lot. There are things about me and my life that are not typical, so I don't see things the way a "typical" person does.

For example, my dad tries to talk to me about women. I sit there listening to these observations he's made about women in general from various influences and so often have to shake my head and say, "Well, not me. I'm not like that. I have no idea what to tell you."

Heh, or maybe it's that most women can't explain why we behave the way we do! Ahem.

To illustrate further, let me enlighten you on five things I have absolutely no interest in.

April 4, 2014

3 Years of Ultimate Blog Partying

Ultimate Blog Party 2014

When I first stumbled upon the Ultimate Blog Party in the spring of 2012, I was still a bit of a wide-eyed newbie blogger.

I feel that my intro post for 2013 was better than the first. In beginning this post, I noticed that I copied and pasted a few bits from year one to year two....

At first I thought this was tacky and/or lazy of me, but the thing is, those parts are still true for year 3, and I think that's a good thing.

It means I am being consistent and staying true to who I am and what I want to put out there.


What was, and is still, true for me, that I want you to know if this is your first time here:

Although my blogging has gotten bigger and broader, this space was originally my place to get things out, and it still very much is. Quite a lot is about issues regarding my husband's health problems. He is a Type 1 Diabetic on dialysis with a host of complications, including several things wrong with his heart. We have nearly lost him a couple of times. We feel very fortunate that he is still with us, but are now mindful of the possibility of losing him. It's hard and I need to write about it sometimes. And even when I'm not writing about it, it's always there, in the background.

On the other hand, I am also a mom of two, a 13 1/2 year old girl and an 8 year old boy. They are smart and beautiful and crazy. They complete me. I talk about them, what motherhood is like for me, and parenting.

Regardless of the subject, I am as upbeat and positive as I can be, laugh instead of cry most of the time and am full of gratitude for my many blessings.

I like social media very much. I play on Twitter and Facebook the most, but also dabble in PinterestGoogle+ and LinkedIn. I participate in Fat Mum Slim's Photo-a-day challenges and share on Instagram. And I might be starting to get a little more familiar with YouTube.

In my offline world I enjoy TV, movies, music, knitting and crocheting, walking, reading, coffee and wine. I live in Western Washington state.

What's newer that I'd also like you to know:

I changed the name of my blog to Dancing in the Rain last fall, and I am so happy I did. My original name was starting to grate on me. I love quotes, so I looked to some of my favorites for inspiration. "Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass...It's about learning to dance in the rain" stood out because of how I try to find happiness even in the midst of my struggles, and because I live in a place where it rains a lot. It's a double entendre!

Around the same time last fall, I also started a guest post series called The View From Here: Your Perspective, Your Voice. Every Thursday I publish a post someone else has written that highlights something they have a certain perspective or opinion on; something about where they are in their life. I love these posts! I cordially invite anyone and everyone to submit their info to be a contributor.

If you want even more details about me, my family or this blog, please check out the pages at the top, as well as my labels in the sidebar.

I welcome you to my little corner of the blogosphere and hope you might like to stay awhile!

Thanks so much for popping in to meet me!
Do we have anything in common?



March 21, 2014

Without Method or Conscious Decision

The March edition of Old School Blogging is completely random!

nataliedee.com
Questions have been asked, which I have answers for:

What is the last thing you watched on TV? Grey's Anatomy and Scandal. Scandal was super intense. And sad. It made me FEEL, and I like that.

When did you last step outside? What were you doing? Yesterday afternoon to go with my husband to his first physical therapy appointment.

What is on the walls of the room you are in? We moved our computer upstairs to the "loft" a couple of months ago. There are two airbrush paintings JHo did so long ago she wasn't even "JHo" then, some kid art, a clock, a Sky Landers chart and the Bon Jovi logo my friend Jess painted for me.

If you became a multi-millionaire overnight, what would you buy? A super fun, awesome vacation for my family.

Tell me something about you that most people don’t know. So I have bad eyes, right? Well, sometimes I pretend I see something someone is trying to show me instead of explain that I can't see it, or just to make them happy.

Who made the last incoming call on your phone? My Aunt Renee.

If you could change something about your home, without worry about expense or mess, what would you do? Oh let me count the ways! I like my house, I really do, but.....when they built it, they could have done a few things differently. Like, extend the master bedroom all the way over the garage, they should have done the half bath door differently (it battles with the door to the garage), I don't understand the rocks on one side of our house and I kind of wish there wasn't a tall juniper blocking my view of the street.

What was the last thing you bought? A copy of Star Trek: Into Darkness on Blu-ray with a Target gift card. I may have said, "Hello, Chris Pine", when I picked it up. Maybe.

Would you go bungee jumping or sky diving? No. Seriously, I don't understand. Life is dangerous enough, I don't get why one would need to tempt fate.

If you could eat lunch with one famous person, who would it be? Jon Bon Jovi. Or Nathan Fillion. Or Oprah.

Which store would you choose to max out your credit card? Probably Costco. If they accepted anything besides American Express.

Is the glass half empty or half full? You know the answer to that!

What’s under your bed? The cable for the TV and some other random (there's that word again) electronic wires, a blanket, pillow, dust bunnies.

What is your favorite time of the day? I think the moment I feel like I'm done for the day, when I feel like I don't have to do any more things.

What inspires you? Truth, courage and a sunny day!



Now, tell me some random thing about you!

November 22, 2013

33 Questions and Answers Laced with Gratitude

It's Old School Blogging time!

Like last month, I am going to combine it with my weekly gratitude list. I wasn't going to, but then a really stressful thing happened and I didn't have it in me to write two more posts this week.

Cool? Cool.



Thankful #1: Where is your cell phone? Sitting next to me here at the desk.

Thankful #2: Your significant other? A man named Mark who is 5 1/2 years older than me, has chronic illnesses, works for Home Depot, likes guns, hard rock, strong coffee and soft sheets, and is the love of my life.

Your hair? Cut into an inverted bob and colored medium ash blond. And needs trim!

Thankful #3: Your mother? Has two horses, is happily married to a retired firefighter, is a pescatarian and just recently began living in two places, one for the winter and one for the summer.

Thankful #4: Your father? Lives 3.5 miles from me, will turn 60 the day after my son turns 8 in January, is the fourth of five children and is known as "Scan Man" to his colleagues.

Your favorite thing? Hugs.

Your dream last night? Probably something like not being able to use a phone, not remembering my locker combination or someone having a baby.

Your favorite drink? I mostly drink three things: coffee, water and wine.

Your dream/goal? I hate this question. I think I have more than one.....how 'bout, lower my cholesterol?

Thankful #5 (my  house): The room you are in? The living room.

Your fear? Losing my husband, and my kids losing their dad.

Where do you want to be in six years? Six years older.

Where were you last night? In my bedroom watching Grey's Anatomy and Scandal.

What are you NOT? Tall, college educated (a little), a Republican, insincere.

Muffins? Occasionally.

One of your wish list items?


Where you grew up? Everett, WA from birth to 12, then South Lake Tahoe, CA until age 19.

The last thing you did? Took a shower.

What are you wearing? Yoga pants, a long-sleeved t-shirt and....well, I'm having shoe issues since I shrank (is that correct?) my walking sneakers and broke a lace on another pair of shoes. Sigh.

Your TV? Hangs from the ceiling.

Thankful #6: Your pets? One fat orange tabby named Julius.

Thankful #7: Your computer? An HP PC.

Thankful #8: Your life? It is what it is.

Missing someone? This is the second time I've been prompted in this way this month, and I'll say the same thing I said the first time, this beautiful lady:

Thankful Emily (that is actually her name) holding my baby AJ in 2006,
about a year and a half before she passed

Your car? They won't let me drive! But my husband's car is, as of this year, a Dodge Durango.

Something you are NOT wearing? Make-up.

Favorite store? Probably Target.

Thankful #9: Your summer? Was beautiful.

Like someone? YOU.

Your favorite color? Blue.

When was the last time you laughed? I laugh at my kids for some reason every day!

Last time you cried? The other night.

Thankful #10: What is one thing on your to-do list? Christmas crochet projects.

Ten Things of Thankful

November 11, 2013

Comfort? Me? Hell Yes!

Hi, I'm Jennifer and I refuse to wear anything that isn't mostly comfortable.

No belts.

No heels.

No underwires.

No lipstick*.


Also, I don't have to. I'm not a business executive or a flight attendant. I'm a mom. I wear a "momdrobe". And I like it! But really, why do executives and flight attendants have to dress uncomfortably, anyway. I feel sorry for them.

There are other things besides comfortable clothing that bring me comfort, and they are....

1. My children sitting so close to me on the couch they are nearly in my lap.

2. My cat sharing my pillow.

3. Sweet, creamy coffee.

4. A glass of red wine.

5. Knitting or crocheting.

6. The rare occasion when my son will give me a kiss on the cheek.

7. My husband's hugs.

8. When all four of us are at home.

9. When I first lie down in bed at night.

10. Christmas morning.

What brings you comfort?

*Lipstick makes my lips feel weird and all I wanna do is lick them.

Linked up with Monday Listicles.