Bodies On the Beach-2
I just can’t resist posting this picture.
We could hear the wife telling this man to NOT go into the ocean on this board with his camera.
He patiently explained to her that he was only going to be on his knees. He pointed out (sarcastically) that this way he could maintain perfect balance and not fall.
This is a picture of him handing his wet, soaked camera back to his wife.
Aloha!
Bodies on the Beach-01
I came to Maui and my fibro flare followed.
The airplane trip was pure hell. They cram people into teeny tiny seats that don’t move.
I arrived on Sunday and have been very ill since. On the positive side, the pain attacks are subsiding.
Today, I seem to resemble a human being.
We’ve been coming to Maui for nearly 30 years. I love it here.
We look out over the ocean from our lanai, where I’m taking it easy and recovering while I write this blog.
I get to do a lot of people watching from the lanai.
I wake up early every morning. I come out on the lanai, and it is still and quiet. The only sound is that of the surf on the beach. A bird here and there.
Slowly, people arrive. A jogger shows up. Then older couples start their morning beach walks. Later on, the children with their parents and grandparents are coming out. It’s fascinating to watch.
I used to be able to wear those brief bikinis and strut around. Not now.
What I’ve noticed in the last three years, is that most people do not have those fantastic bodies everyone seems to strive for. What I see is that there are as many kinds and shapes of bodies as there are people.
I decided that I want to take a series of pictures called Bodies on the Beach. See if you find yours. I will try to post a picture most days. Remember, I’m on vacation in Maui, things are much slower here. I’m so calm and peaceful even if I did bring FM with me.
The photo above is the first of the series. It is taken with Camera+ and enhanced in Afterlight on my iPhone. I highly recommend both of these products.
Blues
I was nominated for the Reader Appreciation Award. I am so excited and thrilled. Now I get to nominate six of my readers for this award.
Jennifer Avventura started this award to show appreciation to her readers.
For details, please go here.
I was awarded by Jumping Jenny 444. To check out her fabulous blog, click here. Like me, she has fibromyalgia, but manages to go on with life with a great attitude and never feels sorry for herself. A very brave and courageous woman.
Jenny states in her blog, and I totally agree,
“Yes, I have fibromyalgia, but fibromyalgia does NOT have me!”
Like most of life, the Reader Appreciation Award has a few simple rules. Here they are. I managed to handle them, so I’m sure you can.
1. Award your top 6 bloggers who have commented the most.
2. Be thankful.
3. You cannot award someone who has already been awarded. And you cannot give the award back to me.
4. Don’t forget to tell the bloggers you’ve awarded.
5. If you don’t want to pass on this award, that’s okay too. Just admire it.
Here are the readers who are also bloggers I’ve nominated.
I also want to mention Leigh Prim, who doesn’t have a blog, but has been super supportive to me in this venture into blogging.
Abstract-13c1
I was so excited when I started this blog. I had so much energy.
Now, for the last couple of months, I’ve had a fibro flare. It started with just a bit of tiredness. Then that got worse.
Now, I’m having horrid, unbearable pain. Well, not totally unbearable, as I’m bearing it. But it’s bad. Since about 1998, the pain has been pretty much under control with medication. I’ve had a few episodes of breakthrough pain that last a few days at a time.
This pain started two months ago and is not giving me a break.
The doctor who treats me for Lyme decided to tell me to try taking fewer pain meds. I did this, thinking he knew what he was talking about. He didn’t. After going down just 15 mg., the pain came and it has stayed. I really dislike this man right now. I’m working very hard on not hating him and not getting angry at him. I’m trying to be able to handle my feelings towards him with trying to learn. The lesson from this? Don’t listen to doctor’s who give advice about areas where they know nothing.
I was doing so well. I was able to get out of bed and go out for up to four hours at a time. I always had to rest the next day, but I was getting out.
Not now. I’m at home, in bed, in severe pain.
At least I can paint on the computer. It takes me away for a while.
Abstract 13
I’ve written a bit about how God works in my life.
Basically, I believe there is an energy out there that I can become part of. When I am part of this energy, that I believe is God, things go amazingly well in my life.
I believe that what most people call coincidence are actually miracles. Some major and some minor. But miracles just the same.
What I notice is that just when I need help, it comes.
When blogs started several years ago, I wanted one. But I was way too sick to look into blogging. But now, my dream has come true and I’m blogging.
When I decided to blog, I had no idea what to do. Since I had been unable to read for so long due to serious brain fog, I hadn’t been following blogs or seen what people were doing with them.
First step, I got on the internet and started reading some blogs.
I decided Word Press was the way to go.
Next thing I did was check out a whole ton of videos on Word Press.org. OK, laugh here. I wasted hours of time learning how to customize a Word Press.org blog. I almost gave up in tears.
Then suddenly, I noticed there were two Word Press sites.
Then somehow, I’m not sure how, I found this fabulous blog by Heather D. Roberts. I was amazed. Here was a young 20-something woman who was a modern-day Renaissance Woman. Truly. She writes, all the time, about all kinds of things. She paints, writes poetry and plays in a band. In addition, she’s got a passion for science. She’s busy going to school and getting her education. Not only all that, she is a feminist.
In the 1970’s I was a founding member of two different Women’s Liberation groups. We were the forefront of the Women’s Liberation Movement. I thought all the feminists had disappeared.
I commented on Heather’s blog. Well, one thing led to another. We have been emailing constantly for the last few months.
What’s so wonderful about this is that God dropped Heather into my life just when I needed her.
I was so intimidated about blogging. Heather has been a great support to help me get up and blogging. She has helped me out tremendously with my various technical questions. What a great find.
I not only got someone to help me out in a time of need, but I found a new friend and very talented young woman.
The Blends is a series of digital paintings I did with brushes I made myself.
I had recently started exploring brush making in Painter. I decided to try my hand at making my own brushes. Painter has an incredible amount of settings for brushes. Making brushes is a very complex process. But it is a lot of fun.
I wanted a brush that would blend.
I also wanted a brush that would paint and allow the layer beneath to show.
Not knowing much of anything about brushes, I didn’t realize I could have just reduced the opacity of the brushes I already had. This would have solved one problem. But I just wasn’t happy with how Painter blends.
So I put together a series of brushes that blended and painted as I wanted.
I did a series of digital paintings using only my blending brushes.
You can connect to them by clicking here
In my last blog, I said I would write about how changing my life got me into a positive flow of energy that I call God.
My coming to believe in God happened on one night. Usually with most people, it is a slow awakening process to come to understand God.
I believe there is an energy flow out there that we are all a part of. We can either choose to take part in it or go against it. It is just like a river; go with the flow or fight a constant battle upstream.
So what did I find that puts me in this flow, that brings me happiness and peace?
One area that needed immediate attention was lying, cheating and stealing. This did not appeal to me at all. I thought I benefitted from all the dishonesty.
I told lies. I stole things. I cheated. I thought this was the easy way. My rationalizations included everybody does it, it won’t hurt anyone, it’s a big corporation, etc. Those reasons are not true. Not everyone lies, cheats or takes what is not theirs.
I quit.
Kerry C. Mitchell's Adventures 