Wordless Wednesday: Perfection

It's days like this that make me wonder why anyone would want to live anywhere else.

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The Run Down, Bullet Style

• I have enjoyed THREE WHOLE DAYS off from work. And from class. And it? Was AMAZING.
• I should have spent aforementioned days off working on my thesis. But really, I decided that a total break would be good for my mental health. And you know what? I was right.
• I spent half of my time this week cleaning and organizing. Considering I am not really a messy person, I can't believe how much time I spent doing it. But I have to say, the results are rather pleasing...or at least they will be once I finally finish!
• I was TERRIBLY behind on blog reading...and I ended up just marking almost everything as read so that I could start from scratch. I swear it was nothing personal, but I was NEVER going to catch up otherwise. Case in point? Before I did that, I had over 450 posts to be read. Ack!
• One week from today I will be leaving for DISNEYWORLD!! I am crazy excited to go...yay!
• Being off work for a few days has done nothing for my insomnia. This morning I was up and ready to start the day at 4 am. After going to bed around 1. Which is really going to come back to haunt me (and probably my coworkers that have to listen to me whine) when I am at work until 7 am tomorrow. Why yes....I do see a nap in my future...
  

Of Saints and Miracles

Saints are, according to the ultimate information source Wikipedia, those who have been called to holiness.

If you are Roman Catholic, you believe in Saints, and you probably know at one point were educated on the process by which one actually becomes a Saint. For those of you who want the detailed version, it is right here. But the Cliff's notes version is that there is investigation, some other stuff, and miracles -- for someone to be a saint, they have to perform at least one miracle.

A story ran in the St. Louis Post Dispatch yesterday, with the story of a girl who had cancer. Due to the multitude of funerals that I attended for friends over the last few weeks, this story caught my eye. But when I read more into the story, I realized that I knew this girl that the story was written about. She was a student of my aunt, and someone that I had met once, when she was first diagnosed.

Since her initial diagnosis, the girl has had more than one relapse, but continued to defy the odds. In November 2002, she was discovered to have a tumor in her spine, lungs and heart. The prognosis was fatal, and she was given a few weeks to live.

On May 19, 2004, surgeons removed the tumor from her chest cavity...and discovered that it was dead.

This Monday, May 19, 2009, she has been cancer free for five years. When you have been cancer free for five years, you are considered cured. And if her cure is considered a miracle by the Vatican, Chaminade will be canonized...and become a Saint.

My background is obviously in health care, and I do believe in the powers of science and the major advances in medical science that have helped to cure diseases in multitudes of people.

But sometimes I still believe in miracles.

Best Shot Monday - Babies

Two of the girls that I work with just had babies. Each of them have other children, but this time they both had girls! Before now, it was all boys at their houses.

Since this wasn't their first go around, they didn't have a 'traditional' shower. But we still wanted to get together and celebrate these lovely girls -- we spend all our time at work welcoming other people's babies, so it was such a joy to celebrate two little additions to some of our own.

Summary Saturday 2009: Project 365, Week 17

April 18:




April 19:




April 20:




April 21:




April 22:




April 23:




April 24:

Welcome to May

There are things about Winter that I like. I love the snow, I love Christmas. But, by the time Spring gets here, I am ready for the change. For the warmer weather, for things to turn green, for sunny days and blue skies.

And now?

I am ready to say goodbye to April. April is usually the beginning of the real spring weather around here -- short sleeves, light jackets, sometimes even shorts. The sun shines, the sky is blue and the flowers begin to bloom.

But this April? Has been rainy and gray, which actually seems almost fitting, because it has also been filled with sadness. I have spent too much time at funerals, too much time saying goodbye. And I? Am tired.

Grief is exhausting.

So now May? May is a second chance for spring to come. To fill the days with sunshine and blue skies. And hope...May is also full of hope...