Out of Africa

Greetings to all...I tried to delay this a couple of days after returning so that I could up load some pics, wow you with some portraits of the warmer continent, but alias, I can not find the cable to connect my new camera to the computer to upload pics (and the home computer/ Internet isn't working--alas, it's always something...wait--a cable you say? sounds like a new camera? why yes--that was the beginning of the trip--nimrod that I am--left my right arm (as I refer to my favorite implement, my camera, that is, as) on the plane--never done that before. Hopefully never will do again. So the two days visiting sister Jo, broinlaw Tim and baby Alyse (who is SO cute, fun, happy, and--amazingly LEFT HANDED!!) had to run to best buy and get a minimal substitute...which worked ok. Sigh. So--do have some cool, awe inspiring prints, some amazing stories, some moments that have changed me forever--it was truly the trip of a lifetime and I am sooooo thankful that I was part of the group that went/ really appreciated who I was with and Who I was working for/ with...met neat people, saw and treated things I've never seen (or treated ) before--some without interpreters!! so, soon you all will probably get more details, info, pics from me...just wanted to let you know that I made the (long) trip home in one piece, loved (almost) every minute of it, appreciated your support, thoughts, prayers, help and really got to think alot of who I am/ who we are, appreciate where we come from...etc. I really really appreciate having such a great base of family, friends like you all around me and am thankful everyday that I am living the life I am....I should be giving more praise on a daily basis to God and you all, so forgive me for not doing it sooner. You all rock. Thanks.

Greetings from the wqrmer continent

Hey there everyone
greetings from Africa...able to get brief time to send a quick message out am here, all is fine and great!! Love Senegal so far, the people Ive met; the team from texas is sweet, starting clinics today (played yest with kids more info later) sorry abt this typying french keyboard i am nervous abt numbers, what we will see but all is hunky dory love to you all
hugs and kisses african amy who is not sunburned but hot and still hydrated
ps trip over tons of cramps never felt like running so much in my life!!!
make sure mom sees this!!

Things that improve with age...

So I got a shocker yesterday....the first time I've ever been told that something physically on my body was better DUE to my age...how totally weird and strange does that strike you? "Oh--that ____ has improved due to the fact that you have gotten older and more mature". Now--I'm use to hearing that with--what? wine, right? and guys (well, that's when I did have guys to hang around--before I gave up on them). Let's see- what else improves with time--uhm--oh yeah--puppies (not so hyper), I guess some aged cheeses, right?, your understanding of your parents perspectives, your ability to handle things like criticism (some people, that is), uhm--long-term mutual funds, traditions, --what else do you wanna add here? It's just something that you don't think about when you refer to your overall physical being (seems like always fighting aging affects, gravity,etc). Time is a great ravager/ destroyer of these things...

oh--what was it, you say? why--it was my eyes!! first time ever, since the first time I got glasses in (what was it? second grade??) that my prescription WENT DOWN instead of up--here I was thinking that the fuzzy's were due to needing to up the script and lo'behold, I needed to back down--blew me (and my opthomologist) away!! cool!! (yeah for carrots--right??!?!)

bytheway--what happened to this month??

See and Be Seen

So this weekend was the annual wearable art attraction here in Juneau...it is the way the local arts coucil makes it $$ for scholarships and has become THE attraction over the years (so much so that it had to become a two show venue this year to allow everyone who wanted to see it enuf time/seats to see it...it outgrew the original spot 3 years ago and is held in the convention center and is PACKED--people buy their tickets/ book babysitters 2-3 months in advance, that's how popular it is. And those of us who are nuts enuf to be in it--well, we work on our art for months in advance. What is wearable art, you say?? Well, it's anything that you can make into art--loosely--that can be worn. For this crazy participant (ever since the event was created--what was that--8 years ago??--it means finding something that was gonna be thrown away, recycling it and turning it into something else...like last year a whole years worth of post-it notes from the front office made into a flapper dress (complete with feathers, beads)-previous years a prom dress made out of AOL disks, a boostiae make from spam can labels, a mosaic on a surgeon gown out of immunization vial lids. This year it was a years worth of radiology stickers (each xray has a sticker that says the date the xays was take) made into a --uhm--sorta ballroom gown. Yup--just stretch your imagination some and it'll come. It was fun--I gotta be wild and crazy on the runway (tons of people didn't recognize me) but I got a bizzilion complements....before ya ask, I didn't win any prizes. A "fish" costume made out of old dvds (nice and shiney) and a stiff prom dress made from puzzle pieces won 1st and 2nd prize--3rd split between a mini skirt dress made from bras and two dresses woven from garbage bags. Yup--Juneau full of high culture--I tell ya. Good times, good times. Looking for next year inspiration right now, if ya got any spare crap hangin' around....

Uhmmm Brrrr???

Ok--technically the true "Uhm Burh" was what we use to say as kids when someone was gonna get it (and get it good!!)--I've been told that's a Colorado thing (midwesterns don't even know what the heck that means/ never heard it before...) this, however, refers to the temperatures around here which have been in the SINGLE DIGITS!! yikes! even when the sun shines it still makes it hard to enjoy going outside...as sung in my brothers favorite tom cruise film [it] "takes my breathe away"....I mean, I know I live in Alaska but does it have to feel like it?

A Hard day....

Today turned out to be a hard day to be a pediatrician...really, overall, to be a human being who cared truly and deeply for another. Even tho' he was only 2 years old he lived more in his two years than a lot of people I know have lived in their 20, their 40, heck, even their 60 years of life. He enjoyed EVERYTHING around him, be it a tickle, a smile, a plastic stormtrooper, a night at the Travelodge so he could swim in the morning. He always had a laugh and a "happy dance" for you, whether you were a friend, relative or stranger. He was a joy to see come through the door of the office, and we celebrated his good times (like when his blood counts looked good), we troubled over him (when he had belly pain, when he first got sick), we cried over him (when he had his relapse at Children's) but most of all we just loved him. And he loved us back--whole hearted, unconditional. That's the beauty of children like him--little happy giggling smiling angels. And now he gets to be one full time, without any of the pain, without any of the "bad stuff"--he gets to be full D-man, all the time. We will miss him in body but we'll see him in spirit, in the flowers that will come up in spring, in the smile of a brand-new baby--he will be all around us, everywhere. I will NEVER EVER EVER forget what a pleasant sweet lil' dude he was--I hope those lucky angels who get to hang out with him appreciate what a gift they have--I'm gonna miss mine forever! I thank his parents for letting me get so involved with their lovely family and the light that shone so deeply from it...what a blessing. Good night sweet prince.

opps...

sorry ya'all...i can't believe a month has almost gone by and I haven't had time to say " HAPPY 2008!!!" I was waiting to try to see if I could download a picture from my cellphone (since my usual reliable camera fritzed out and is still at the repair shop and I've had to use whatever was handy!) but once again technology gets the best of me...hence you don't get to see the new yummy wall that is the summary of me for the new year--bright, cheery, somethin' new ya haven't seen before!! (some of you are laughing now..cut it out!) Mom and I had a great holiday, baking, relaxing (I tried not to drag her too many places/ show her off like the show pony she is!!), doing the story inventory (mom rocked at that!) as well as spending time where all mom/ daughter relationships are the best--Home Depot!! We rocked that joint, man! So now the downstairs has the bright red accent wall, rest pita-bread brown (or soon to be--have to finish the kitchen) and the hallway is offwhite (amazing how it makes it lighter/ easier to see without lights) and upstairs is "belvidere cream"--slightly creamy/ greeny--all those beat the dull gray color everywhere I've lived with for the past 4 years--yikes!! I can't believe I let it go on that long..esp in an area where as much light as possible is a big beni! I think the new colors will go a long way....I also found out I SUCK at the trimming..never hire me to paint, please.
I know my talents lay elsewhere...hahaha.