My New Hip!!!

Having a PAO was a big decision but so far I'm happy I made it! Now on to recovery:)

Ramblings

One bum shoulder (right) and with the fact that I'm right handed I figured I'd sit down and begin the art of mastering such tedious matters left handed!  Hip surgery is approaching and as I prepare for that I'm also busy with pre-op appointments, commissions ect. ect. ect.....

I had to donate over 500ml of blood for this surgery coming up.  With all honesty, I'm just starting to feel a little better from it and its been a week.   Losing all that blood really didn't help POTS;)

one of many paintings I've been working on!

LOVE it !!!!!

Love, LOVE this song!!!!

"We need to live by faith not by sight" Derick Rabelo 

 WOW Films is coming out with a movie, called Beyond Sight, about Derick Rabelo who is a truly inspiring blind surfer!!

New Blog!!

Hey everyone!!  I just set up a site for my art and photography business. Feel free to check it out!! :-)

The Studio: Alana's Art and Photography

Good Ol' Summertime

My summer has been a busy one, but I can't complain too much.  I'd rather have things to do than nothing at all! It was only about three weeks ago that I really started reacting to the heat.  I'm so thankful for feeling a wee bit better this summer:D

Earlier in the week, I went on a trip.  It was lots of fun but sitting in the car for 10hours and then the trip to PT wasn't all that great on my SI joint and hip.  My SI came out of place the other night.  I was able to get it back in but during PT the next day it came out again.  My plan for this week is lots of time in the gym and no long car trips.  With POTS really giving me a hard time the past week I'll probably remain horizontal when I can't be vertical :)

I have to say that I have found my new all time favorite smoothie! A friend introduced me to green smoothies.  The sound 'green' smoothies made me.......lets just say it got me interested :) She really liked them and with that said, I was willing to try it.   Not because she was my best friend, more like I trusted her taste buds better than say....my brothers :D

It doesn't look all that green because I put blueberries in it.

You can put pretty much anything you want in it. Today I used bananas, spinach, avocado, blueberries and frozen orange juice.  Next time I'm going to put our homemade Greek yogurt in it!!  You pretty much put anything vegetable and fruity in it and walla!! Since I don't eat vegetables for breakfast this is a good way to have something full of protein and vegetables and still call it breakfast.  It even a good snack and also makes a good lunch :)

A few pictures from a rodeo earlier this month.

Hip Chick and Artsy Randomness

For the past few hours I've been busy cooking, cleaning, laundry ect.  For the past two hours my bad hip has been trying to get a message through that its just plum tuckered out.  Unfortunately I seem to be ignoring it ;-)  I still have a few things to do but I'll make myself take it easy for a little bit.  I love being busy and active but having a bum legs kinda gets in the way sometimes :-D  

making homemade granola!

The past few weeks I've been getting really busy with art.  I'm also getting ready for some art shows and competition this summer!


Here's a few things I've been working on lately:

watercolor

watercolor

watercolor

Its gonna be loud this summer!

Now, these insects aren't the most attractive or let us say.........quiet, but it only happens every seven years.  Yesterday, as I was walking around the yard picking flowers I noticed several cicadia  skins on an iris bush.  Then, THE bug in a flower. A few moments later I noticed that they were all around.  In the bushes, trees, even in the tall grass in the woods......all full of skins. The more you looked the more you saw.  Its was quite a sight. I only remember hearing them when I was younger (probably when I was about 11 ;) 

yes that is poison ivy :)

I must have seen about twenty or thirty of theses things!!

Its gonna be a loud one :D

Spring has Sprung

Spring has come quickly.  Its seems like it was just the other day when we got a couple of inches of snow.  A little over a week ago I finally finished high school.  It took a week or so to get use to the idea of waking up in the morning and not having to do school!  So right now, I'm off to new things-looking for jobs, taking classes and working on getting a business going in the next year or two.  It takes a lot of thinking and planning beforehand- this I've realized quickly!

watercolor and pen/ink

watercolor and ink
Soon to become stationary!

watercolor and ink
First painting of mine to go up for sale in a gallery!!

 

graphite and pencil sketch
Finally finished and framed.
It took about 40 plus hours of work to complete it!

Photography class this past month

In February, I took a photography class and loved it so much!! May is going to be full of photography workshops, watercolor classes, a painting class and drawing classes.

Best time of the year!!

The past week or two has brought 80 degree weather and surprisingly I have been able to weather it fairly well with POTS!  I am really hoping I'll have a better summer than the last one.  I staying busy working out at the gym.  I'm still planning on going surfing this year!!!

"Why are you troubled, and why do doubts arise in your hearts?  See my hands and my feet, that it is myself.  Touch me and see."      Luke 24:38-39

It looks like Narnia!

Eight inches and a possible five more to go!!!! I'm hoping for a good snowball fight before this is over : ) Even thought the snow is beautiful, EDS never ceases to make its presence known in this cold weather!  I was feeling it even before it started snowing last night........great weather announcer I'd be : )   

Finding Joy In the Simplest of Things:)

Earlier this morning:

Had fun taking these pics!

I was able to snap some shots this year as opposed to last year. :D

Right now:

POTS is making me feeling plum tuckered out
I feel like giving in
I feel unproductive with my day
I'm fustrated

I'm feeling lazy

But:

All I need to do is focus on the things I CAN do and take joy in the simplest of things that I'm blessed with each moment:)

Two things that make me smile:

One of the best two cats in da world!!!
Earline playing with my camera 2010:)

 

The other best kitty in da whole world:) 
Her royalty in all her glory:D