Life Muses by Ro

Thanksgiving Blessings - Views of Rocky and Ochre Mountains

It's quiet here. Gary has to work today. Hopefully, they will release him from the airport early (he is a TSA Security Agent). We are going down to his brother's home for Thanksgiving. With our family, there will be 19 people there so a (relatively) small group.

I had to share one of my favorite blessings. I adore the Rocky Mountains. Our new home has amazing views of them and I pinch myself every time I look out the windows and see them. I can see the sunrise coming over them from my bedroom and am looking forward to getting some great shots. Sometimes in the winter, the clouds turn orange and pinks as the sun rise. I hope I catch that happening this year.

It's cloudy today, which is a blessing. As you can see, it's snowing in the mountains. We depend upon the snow pack for our water so the mere fact that we've had snow today (and rain in the valleys) is a blessing.

So on with the show...

View from bedroom - sun is beginning to rise over east mountains

View from bedroom - sun is continuing to rise

View from bedroom - more sun rise

View from bedroom - east mountain range - sun is higher

View from bedroom - close up of scrub oak that lines back of property

View west out of bedroom window - scrub oak and the golf course

View over west mountain range. I love this because you can see the rising sun hit the mountains and a little bit of Utah Lake.This range are the Orchres. This is the same range that holds Kennecott Copper Mine which is the largest open pit copper mine in the world, I believe. At least it was the largest one when I was a kid. If it isn't now, it's still massive and is something you ought to see if you ever visit Utah.

View from front of house - See the snow clouds?

View from front porch - mouth of American Fork Canyon

More view from porch - further south down the American Fork Canyon range

View from front porch again - even further south on that mountain

View from porch again - I like the light in this shot of the mouth of American Fork Canyon. The sun was higher and so the fall leaves are more colorful.

That's it. I guess I better get dressed now and eat something. I got so involved with the photography that I haven't done it yet.

See ya later.

No Guilt Day is Nearly Here

What we're really talking about is a wonderful day set aside on the fourth Thursday of November when no one diets.  I mean, why else would they call it Thanksgiving?  ~Erma Bombeck, "No One Diets on Thanksgiving," 26 November 1981

I say that if Erma Bombeck says it, it has to be true. Diners - to your forks!

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Books I Will Be Reading

I bought some books from Amazon last night... late last night... as in, "!hat business did I have being up that late when I am recovering from surgery?" last night. (Oops!)

I was inspired to buy the first one after watching a documentary on the History Channel about the Revolutionary War. (Sound boring?) When discussing George Washington, they said that Washington memorized an etiquette book when he was a young man because he wanted to become a good leader someday. I decided that if it was good enough for G. Washington (I've always been interested in him), it was good enough for me.

Okay... so the chances of me memorizing the book are about as remote as me winning an Iron Man race, but I figure that I can at least read it and find out what a dope I am when I eat the last cookie.

Miss Manners

This one looks suspiciously familiar. I'm hoping that I don't have it in the boxes of books I haven't unpacked yet (waiting for the office cabinets to be installed). If I do, maybe I'll give it away. I hope I haven't bought it before because I am feeling like I could use a jump-start. (The old writing brain is feeling kind of fried at the moment.)

100 Ways to Improve Your Writing

This one plain peeked my curiosity. The reviews make it sound like a slice of creativity heaven.

The New Drawing on the Right Side of the Brain

Now the wait. I have gotten so that I go to Barnes and Noble when I'm looking for books because the wait is hard. But the prices at Amazon are good so I decided to go this way. Either way, I ought to buy stock in these two companies.

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Just Keep Running

Woman Running, Dallas Road Waterfront, Victoria BC, originally uploaded by JoshMcCulloch.com.

(I wrote this in December, 2006. I rediscovered it today in my files. It's just what I needed today.)

"Fourteen more," I thought. "I can go fourteen more."

One… Two... Three... Four... Five….

I counted under my breath as I jogged around the track behind the high school gym while the remainder of the eighth grade girls loafed about on the lawn. They had little to do in between practicing for their assigned track and field events besides gossiping about each other, comparing the state of their tans, and deciding if they needed to shave their legs. Occasionally Miss Wilson would call several of them to their posts and a short race would occur. But once their duty of the day had been completed, back to the lawn lounge chairs they would go.

Meanwhile, I counted… Six… Seven… Eight… Nine… Ten…

Each spring Millard Junior High School held a track and field competition. It was expected that every student participate. As soon as it was warm, our teacher would trot us out to the track and would audition us for placement in the proper events. Unfortunately for me, I was a disaster at everything.

I can't hop, skip or jump. My inability to jump excluded me from jumping over bars or into sand pits. It turns out that I am rather dangerous when I attempt to throw things about so the shot put and the javelin were out. And apparently, it was decided that my slow pace as a runner disqualified me from any of the more interesting races.

When I was fourteen, Miss Wilson had a chat with me. "Because you are unable to do any of the events, Rozanne, you will have to run a mile a day if you want to have a grade that is higher than a C."

A mile a day?

I supposed I was being sentenced for some mistake committed in my sleep because I didn't understand why my lack of sports talent would condemn me to this fate. But because I preferred to receive good grades, I began running. And as I ran, I counted to distract me from the pain.

Eleven… Twelve… Thirteen… Fourteen…

When the quarter was over and the day of the big competition arrived, I was informed by Miss Wilson that I was to run the long distance race. As she spoke, I considered running the long distance between Fillmore and Salt Lake City so that I would be out of the view of my peer group. I didn't say anything to her, but quietly pinned my number on the back of my shirt and assessed my competition which included a girl who was training to be a marathoner, an extremely overweight girl, and myself.

"Ready. Set. Go!" the referee yelled before firing the gun to begin the race.

One… Two… Three… Four…

I began counting immediately so I could block out the site of the entire school watching me run.

Five… Six… Seven… Eight….

I saw the back of the marathoner disappear around the bend in the track.

Nine… Ten… Eleven… Twelve….

I saw the back of the overweight girl disappear around the next curve. I was alone. It was just me, the track, and the numbers.

Thirteen… Fourteen… One… Two…

The marathoner passed me.

Three… Four… Five… Six…

The overweight girl passed me, too.

Seven… Eight… Nine… Ten…

I heard a roar from the crowd. The marathoner won the race.

Eleven… Twelve… Thirteen… Fourteen…

A burst of applause came from the stand. The overweight girl completed her task.

One… Two… Three… Four…

I had completed one lap and had one left. I considered quitting. I considered running around to the entrance of the field and then running out of the entrance and running until I disappeared around the bend that led to my grandmother's arms. I heard the voice of a friend yell, "Just stop, Rozanne. You don't have to keep running anymore."

But I chose to keep running on the track.

Five… Six… Seven… Eight… Nine… Ten… Eleven… Twelve… Thirteen… Fourteen…

By the time my race was over, the crowd's attention had been diverted to another, more interesting, event and my crossing the finish line was not noticed by anyone but my best friend. She didn't know whether she should be proud of me or embarrassed for me.

But I knew; I had just finished the race of my life.

It took me years to understand the ramifications of my choice to keep running that day, despite the extreme public humiliation of my obvious failure. While it confirmed that I am not a great athlete and that there are probably more enjoyable forms of exercise for me than running, it also confirmed that I do not have to quit. I can keep going, slugging it out despite running in difficult situations. I can run despite being weak in areas that I have to manage. I can hang in there and keep going.

All I have to do is count while I wait for the thorny spots to pass, because they always do pass.

One… Two… Three… Four…

Just keep running. It doesn't matter how long it takes you to get there. You will get there eventually.

To be human is to be real

Tai Shan: "I call this pose Hanging Out!", originally uploaded by Nikographer [Jon].

(I am hanging in here.)

I am human.

I do not feed my mind with the writings of Emerson when I am reclining in my sick bed; I watch movies on cable television.

I do not eat healthy food when I am recovery from illness; I eat chocolate cake.

I do not write letters to old friends or draw portraits or mediate about how I can help the poor; I write one word email responses, draw swirls in my ratty hair, and wonder how I wonder how I can convince some poor soul to bring me ice cream.

I am human. I am alive. I am (almost) here.

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It has been harder to recover from my surgery than previously thought. My surgeon understated the facts. Either that or I am a big baby. (The second is the most likely scenario, I suppose.)

Today is the first day I've been able to wash my hair, talk on the phone, and sit erect for a long enough time to be at the computer. I am grateful that my condition is temporary.

I'm stunned...Just when I gave up, a miracle occurred

I have to tell you a little story... It has been such a random thing - and such a blessing - that I wanted to share it with someone. You're nominated.

As you know, I've decided to have a surgery to fix a problem with my front that is causing issues in my back and shoulders. It took me a long time to get the courage to even speak with a doctor about it because I find the whole thing embarrassing. I've been talking about it because I am hoping that it will help some other woman decide to get help for it, if needed. Anyway, once I summoned the courage, I had to go through months of work with various doctors to get the documentation I needed for the insurance company.

The problem? The insurance company was giving my doctor the run around - losing photos, adding more requirements on the list, etc. He became frustrated, explained the situation to me, and gave me a big discount if I wanted to just pay for it. I'd have it in his surgical center.

After thinking it over, I decided to move ahead and pay for it myself. The pain has gotten ridiculous. I can't stand the thought of living with this anymore. I took out my credit card and paid for it (because it had to be paid for in advance) and trusted that I'd be able to pay it back.

Today is my birthday. (This is an over-stated fact in my blog at this point). I mention it because my story has been altered by the fact that it is my birthday today.

My husband is a federal employee and today is the day they send them down to visit with various insurance representatives. This is meant to allow them to decide if we should keep the same insurance company or switch to something else. While he was talking to the girl from our current company, he decided to mention the fact that he had been happy with everything except this situation. She thought it was weird herself and told him that she would see what she could do. She called me and I gave her the facts, as I knew them. Then she called some "upper-upper" guy in the approval department.

He called my doctor, who felt blind-sided by the last minute call from them, and they got into some kind of verbal brawl which resulted in my doctor being insulted by something the guy said. (I'd be insulted too if someone said it to me). The doctor said, "I don't have to listen to this" and hung up on the guy.

Turns out the girl was listening on the line.

I then talked to her and she got really defensive about the conversation and was kind of upset with me on the phone. I kept repeating to her that I was just in the middle of an upset doctor and an upset insurance company and the result was: I was going to have to pay for the surgery myself. I suggested that people get upset. Doctor's... people who work for insurance companies... they are all just people and that perhaps, this is the problem. She told me that an insurance company has a certain list of things that have to be done to be approved and the problem was, my doctor wasn't providing those things. I restated that the doctor had tried but the documentation kept getting lost by the company.

I called my doctor and had a long conversation with him. He was still very upset. I asked him if we could be "bigger people" and provide it all again to them. He said, "In all of my years of practice, I've never had an insurance company ask for a mammogram. It's not indicated." He then told me that they wanted "documented proof" that I'd been wearing a support bra and taking anti-inflammatories (like aspirin) for more than 3 months.

Huh? Documented proof? Of that?

I gave up and told him that I'd just go ahead with the surgery as planned. Oh well.

Imagine my surprise to get another phone call from the girl with the insurance company. She said that she called in all of her favors, got the top guy at the company, and he reviewed everything and put in a manual override and... he approved it! I'm getting my money back! She also told me that my doctor was right... they don't usually ask for a mammogram. (And, in case that it ever happens to you, they would have accepted a doctor's note about the bra and aspirin thing.)

She ends the conversation by saying, "Happy Birthday!" She had felt so badly that I had gotten upset on my birthday about the situation that she pushed people until they realized that they could approve it after all.

So Happy Birthday to me! Blessings have been received. Big blessings.

I'm so grateful to the Lord for this birthday miracle!