The Clavicle Saga is Back!

I haven't had much to write about in the past few months when it came to the never ending clavicle saga. Don't let this entry fool you. There really isn't too much to say, but I did pay a visit to my orthopedic surgeon this morning so I thought I'd share the newest findings with you.

First let me say that I'm a pro at these follow-up visits. I've been doing them for almost a full year now. (August 27th will be my one year anniversary of breaking my collar bone! My goodness!) This visit was probably around the 40th time I've sat in his office. So I was prepared with a thick book, and my trusty "posh" sudoku travel book. It's not uncommon to wait for a room for 45+ minutes. Today however was unlike any visit I've had to endured in the waiting room.

I was scheduled for a 9:30 appointment, and of course being the uber neurotic person that I am, I made sure I was there 15 minutes early. I sat in the waiting room till 10:20. Okay, an hour is not terribly bad, especially when you're prepared and know you'll be will waiting. They stuck me in an exam room, and the doc came in right away. I was in shock, I'm usually left alone for at least ten or fifteen minutes. He looks at my shoulder, touches the skin which has grown sensitive again, and sends me down the hall for the ever popular x-ray.

I grab my bag and book and leave my room knowing that in the waiting room full of patients one lucky person will snag my desired room. Snap, snap! Two x-rays taken. And now I wait for a room to open so that I can see the doc and see my ever healing bone. Finally at 11:00 a room opens up, and I walk back down the hall, sit on the table covered in paper and begin to wait.

I wait. And wait. And wait. I read over 100 pages in my book, have finished two sudoku puzzles and have had people check in on me so that I know they haven't forgotten that I'm there. Finally the doc graces me with his presence, spends probably three minutes with me and tells me we'll meet again in November. I leave his office at noon and even though I have be there for close to three hours, some how I still have a smile on my face because what else can you do? No point in getting all huffy, right?

Anyway, in those three minutes I saw my clavicle, and it still looks pretty darn good. The plate looks like it's still in the right position, snug against the bone. I'm overly worried that it might shift or begin to lift again, so I always check. Surprisingly I still have a small area that has yet to fuse. Am I the slowest healer on the planet or what? I informed him that I will be starting school again in the fall, and I would like to have my final surgery to remove the plate on my winter break. So we both agreed that December sounds like a good plan. So there you have the newest addition to the clavicle saga. Hopefully we won't have another update till my next visit with him in November.

Aunt Taryn's Gift to Shayla

This past weekend I completed my first gift for my niece Shayla. I wanted to create something special for her, something that perhaps one day she could look at and say, "My Aunt Taryn made that for me when I was two weeks old." I made her a wall hanging of her beautiful name. I tried to use a sophisticated color palette, so that it was something she might not out grow.

When I lived in Oregon I use to always have little craft projects going. I had a closet full of supplies, the inspiration seemed endless, and some how I always found time. 95% of the things I made were gifts for those I cared about. Since moving out to East Coast, going to school, working at the office, taking care of a home,and the buzz of every day life, I had forgotten about my passion for crafting. So when this idea of making a gift for Shayla developed I was thrilled, and determined to make it as perfect as her.
My supplies for the project. Not everything you see above made it onto the wall hanging, but thats okay. It shows a sense of reserve, and balance. Picking out the right color scheme was probably the most time consuming. I didn't want it to be too "baby-ish", but at the same time I didn't want it to be too mature. I would have to say that I spent close to an hour in the scrapbook isle finding the perfect papers. (The employees at the store must have thought I was bonkers!)

The finished project. (If you click on the photo it should enlarge to see the finer details) I gave it a slightly distressed look with chalking around the edge of the larger letters, I filled the edges of smaller letters to reveal the white core of the paper, and I used a charcoal colored ink pad around the edge of the background paper to help it blend with painted wood molding.

I'm am so grateful for my new little niece. Because of her I have a greater understanding and a deeper love for my own Aunt. My Aunt Irene made things for me all the time as a kid. I always admired her work, and use to watch her paint for hours. The pieces she made for me are so special, and I am so blessed to have them as a reminder of her love for me. I want to be the Aunt to Shayla that my Aunt Irene was to me. They're big shoes to fill, but in a way, while I was making this gift for my niece, it was as if I could feel my Aunt Irene standing by my side, watching me work, and if she was there I think she would have been proud of what I created for my niece.

It's Raining, It's Pouring!

I'm just checking... I live in New Jersey right? I ask simply because for the better part of the summer I have been confused, and truly wondering if I live in Seattle. This is why... (Press the play button)


But I bet many of you would not be surprised to learn that I love the rain. So I've actually enjoyed the soggy summer of '09. But then again, we've always known that I am one odd Duck. (Go Oregonian Ducks!)

The Jersey Shore

This weekend Christian and I did something we hardly ever do. We took the weekend off, which meant closing the office on Saturday and headed down to his parent's bungalow at the Jersey Shore. Not only was it great to get away from the hustle and bustle of the fast-paced, populated squishy towns that are around us day in and day out, but this was the first time that we were the only two people at the family's shore house. (Don't get us wrong, we love spending the day on the beach with the family, but it was cool having the place so quiet that I sat and read a book for over an hour without a single interruption! I can't even think of the last time that happened.)

You can see me in the reflexion of Christian's glasses. Say Cheese!

Okay, this late into the summer its not very hard to tell who is new on the beach. I was no exception, with my glowing pale complexion. All I can say is thank goodness for SPF 36 Bull Frog Sunblock spray!

Christian has always been a water baby. Growing up each summer for the entire month of August his family lived at the Jersey Shore. I've heard stories of all four boys spending hours in the ocean racing each other to the buoys. The water was rough on Saturday. I didn't dare venture into it with my shoulder, but I stood on the shore and watched for Christian's bobbing head after each wave toppled over him. Needless to say, I was relieved when he said he was tired and came out of the ocean alive. (If I'm this worried about my husband in the water, just think how I'll be when I have kids? Sheesh! I don't know how Kathy did it all those years with four boys! Kudos, Kathy! Kudos!!)

Yet another feat I achieved thanks in part to the solitude of the bungalow. I have never sat with a deck of playing cards and attempted to build a house of cards. This was my first endeavor, and I think I just may have a knack for it. Four levels high, not too shabby for a novice.
One man on the beach really knows how to take advantage of the brisk breeze blowing in from the ocean. I was in awe of all the kites this fellow has. The ones shown in the collage above are just from Saturday. On Sunday he had a giant blue crab, a very large accordion style Chinese lantern, and giant donut shaped circle with black and white strips that spun like a hypnotist's tool. (Of course I forgot my camera for the afternoon and was too lazy to go back and get it, so the descriptions will have to do. Sorry)I took a stroll to the Bay as the sun was setting. Its one of my favorite things to do. In a way it helps me feel closer to the West Coast as I watch the sun putting the East Coast to bed and knowing that it's traveling towards my family. There is an amazing pier in the bay, and surprisingly it was not filled to the brim with people on Saturday evening, so I took the chance to snap a few photos of what caught my eye. I'm very pleased with the single photo of the pier above. I just dig the colors, and the perspective of it. (Pat myself on the back. )

I know that I'm a country girl, and that the mountains and lakes are where I feel the most at home, but the Jersey Shore does wonders to help relax and create fond memories during those hot fast summer months. And I must admit that it's one of my favorite places here in Jersey.

The Newest Kaufman

On Monday, July 20 my sister-in-law and brother-in-law, Krysty & John, welcomed to the world the most precious gift, a baby girl. She was born at 7:25 in the evening, weighed 6 pounds 12 ounces, and was 19 inches tall. She has the cutest blond hair that flips into a tiny curl at the top of her head, the deepest blue eyes that melt your heart, and the face of an angel. She's positively perfect! Ten tiny little toes and ten tiny little fingers. She even has the tiniest little muscles that I've ever seen. (Both her Mom and Dad are strong people, she's going to be amazing!)

Krysyty and John did a remarkable job taking care of her all through the long nine months leading up to her birth. John never failed to create the healthiest meals for his wife. Krysty kept active with baby yoga. And together they took long walks with her puppy Bailey.

I'm so thrilled that she's finally here, and so utterly happy for my sister-in-law and brother-in-law. So please welcome the newest Kaufman, John and Krysty's precious baby girl, and my niece

Shayla Maureen Kaufman

The Big Move

This weekend marks a monumental day! My father moved out of the house that I grew up in. He lived there for a grand total of 23 years. Honestly, when we first moved in, we thought we might only be there for a few years at most. But as the years passed, we both grew quite comfortable in our super tiny home. We watched the neighborhood change over the years from "not that bad" to "little salsa-ville" to just plain "ghetto." (Please don't be upset with me for my descriptions. I'm as open -minded as they come, but when you grow use to traveling circus Oom-pah-pah beats, you start to think that something is wrong with the neighborhood.)

When I moved to the East Coast I begged and pleaded my Dad to try and find a new place to live. It wasn't an easy task, and frankly, I think we both knew in the back of our heads that it would take a major life changing moment to pick up the roots and move.

Well, as many of you are aware, my Aunt passed away a month and a half ago. She lived with my grandmother, who will be celebrating her 85th birthday this November. My Aunt's passing was the major life changing moment that allowed my Dad to uproot himself and take over where she left off. He is moving in with my grandmother (his Mom), and I am utterly grateful for this, on so many levels.

He will have someone to come home to, and talk with. He has a new found purpose, and has been spending more time outdoors, mowing the lawn, stacking wood for the winter and taking care of Nana's property. I no longer need to worry about his well-being in his own house. (Nana lives just outside of town WAY up in the mountains. Now the worst thing I could even worry about is that he doesn't get sprayed by a skunk.)

But what brings the biggest smile to my face, is the knowledge that both Nana, and my Dad are together. My family in Oregon is incredibly small, just five of us, and with my Aunt now waiting for us on the other side, now is the time we need to bond together even tighter.

So celebrate with me, and say goodbye to the house I grew up in. I wish I could say that the next family to live there would build such happy memories as my Dad and I did in it, but sadly, I doubt that the new tenants would stay that long. Goodbye little Stukel house. I'll miss you.This was taken a few years after we moved in. It was such a cute house, wasn't it?To this day I still enjoy shoveling snow. Strange, but its something I've done since I was child, and I find it so peaceful.Whenever we had a snowfall, I'd try to dig a path from the front door of the house to the driver's side door for my Dad. I was alway so worried he slipped and hurt himself. This photo is one of the last shots my Dad took as he was moving out this past week. He rented a dumpster to help clean out the clutter from inside.In case you can't read the red type. The top says, "The blue roof is my old house. The red car is my Dad's car." To the left reads, "This is my elementary school." and to the right reads, "This is my Church."

Celebrating America's Beauty

This Fourth of July weekend Christian and I decided to head out to the Delaware Water Gap on the New Jersey/Pennsylvania boarder and do a little hiking. Little did we know what we were getting ourselves in to.Being the avid National Park fan that I am, of course I stopped in the visitor's center to ask the rangers for hiking suggestions. They gave us a map, circled several trails and told us to go have some fun.

We headed off on our first trail. After walking about two miles on it, we figured out it was actually the Appalachian Trail, which for those who aren't familiar with, starts in Georgia and ends in Maine. We made the wise choice of heading back to look for another trail. The cool part of making this first pick of trails, not only can I now say that I've hiked part of the Appalachian Trail, but we also saw this... (press play)

As we meandered back to look for another path we had a chance to pass by nature working her magic. So of course, there I am, surrounded by it and I have camera in tow. Here are just a few of the beautiful things we saw on the way back down.

Our second pick for a trail was suppose to be "hard" according to the park ranger that I had spoken to. It was a steady climb to the summit of the tallest peak on the Appalachian Trail, but she told us that it had the best views, and was well worth the effort. So Christian and I headed up our second trail.

After just a little effort, we arrived at a lookout point, which we thought was the summit. We were amazed at how easy this "hard" path was. Until Christian looked up and saw a steep-rock filled pathway with other hikers walking down. It dawned on us, we were not at the top. So we carried on, determined to see the summit.A little taste of the mile and a half "path" that created a challenging hike. (Below a look down at the rocks we had just hiked up)
Finally we reached the summit and were ever so pleased to sit down! The ranger was right, the view was spectacular. And even though the quickest way back down was the way we came, we chose to play it safe, by searching for an easier, yet longer trail, that twisted it's way back down the mountainside.

When we arrived home, after a long day's adventure, with the Empire State building as a back drop, we were treated to New York City's firework display on the Hudson River from the comfort of our apartment. So enjoy the show and I hope you all had a wonderful Fourth of July. Christian and I certainly did.