Just Open Up Your Eyes

Lifting my glass in a toast to all my online friends, old and new, and wishing you a happy, healthy new year. I am not going to make resolutions this year because I know I won't keep them but one thing I will try to do is look forward and leave the past behind me.

Below the cut are some lyrics by Chris Daughtry that resonate with me. I am going to leave you with his words; I could not have written them any better. Song is in the playlist and well worth the listen.

A single rose left to remember
As a single tear falls from her eye
Another cold day in December
A year from the day she said goodbye

Seems it's only been a moment
Since the angels took him from her arms
And she was left there holding on to their tomorrow
But as they laid him in the ground
Her heart would sing without a sound

For the first time you can open your eyes
And see the world without your sorrow
Where no one knows the pain you left behind
And all the peace you could never find
Is waiting there to hold and keep you
Welcome to the first day of your life
Just open up your eyes

A single lifetime lays behind her
As she draws her final breath
Just beyond the door he'll find her
Taking her hand he softly says

For the first time you can open your eyes
And see the world without your sorrow
Where no one knows the pain you left behind
And all the peace you could never find
Is waiting there to hold and keep you
Welcome to the first day of your life

Just open up your eyes as I lay you down tonight
Safe on the other side, no more tears to cry

For the first time you can open your eyes
And see the world without your sorrow
Where no one knows the pain you left behind
And all the peace you could never find
Is waiting there to hold and keep you
Welcome to the first day of your life
Just open up your eyes, eyes, eyes, eyes

Chameleon Part 6

This is Thalia at around age 2. I know it looks like she has makeup on but...no.

I wasn't sure I would manage a post before the end of the year but this one meant a lot to me so I am glad I was able to put it up. This piece was written for the simfic50 writing prompt, Past.

As with most of our work, this piece is written for adults and has a strong sexual reference. Might not be as strong as I think but I am putting it out there anyway just in case.

I also used the "Blog This" feature in Picasa so I hope the images look a little better.

Link to the piece is here -> Chameleon Part 6 ~ Past

Reflections

Quite a lot has happened this year in South Beach and much of it occurred "off camera" if you will. Many of you will recognize this motley crew of youngsters but in case you don't, they are as follows: On the sofa left to right are Eric Stanfield, Devlin Holloway, and Nate Stanfield. Standing between Eric and Dev is Riley McDermott. Toddling on the floor are 3 kids that I doubt anyone knows about (except their parents of course) Autumn Taylor, Garrett Savage, and Harmony Stanfield. Beth and I were discussing the youth in our world and you will be seeing and hearing more from this group in the coming year.

Because I am not capable of growing kids without chronicling every last detail, there is picspam under the cut. I promise I kept it to a minimum (not). And please forgive the image clarity, I used the in-game camera for many of these shots. Which actually look better than my unedited Gadwin shots. Hmmm...

I hope you all had a holiday that was filled with peace, light and love.
[begin picspam]


First up is Devlin Holloway.

Devlin blows out his toddler birthday candles with a little assistance from his father, Shaun.

Yes, Dev, life as a child is indeed quite good. He loves the water just like Shaun.

Not sure about this hair but his child hair was a bit too...I don't know, short maybe? It may change again down the road. But he is quite stylish! Gets that from Stevie I'm sure.

And a closeup. Very handsome. I can see both parents so it will be fascinating to see how he turns out.

Next up is Garrett Savage. I don't have a lot of shots for him since Slim and Bonni's lot keeps crashing on me.

Slim wasn't very happy when I told him he had to move. This is a really nice home but...it crashes without fail. It probably isn't the lot since the house I moved them to crashes as well. I blame Slim and his social network.

This is Garrett right before the game crashed but just after he was toddlerized. Dad's gorgeous green eyes. I admit I cheated when I packed him up to send to Beth and grew him up. Watch out ladies, this boy is gonna be a stunner!

Bonni helps with the candle blowing. Isn't baby Garrett adorable?? So small...

I ended up moving Slim and his family back to their original home dirty dishes, blasting music, unmade beds and all. It wasn't all that bad. He was able to teach Garrett to walk...

...and manage to shoot some hoops which he could NOT do at the beach house. (so there!)

Last but not least is Riley McD. I took a boatload of shots because the kid is so photogenic.

Dad is looking a bit rough around the edges but manages to break into a smile for his boy.

Ryan tries to spend as much quality time with Riley as he can. Being a single father is rough but Landry's mom helps out when she can. Here Riley gets a helping hand from his dad as he takes his first steps.

I love this shot. He looks so much like Ryan here but he seems to have the darker red hair that his mother had. Riley is mostly a happy kid although he does get a bit melancholy at times.

This was cute. Hopefully that isn't the latest copy of Probe that Riley is reading...
[end picspam]
And because it is like a tradition on Mondays, a blogthing. If you managed to get this far you might as well have a reward.

You Are Chocolate Truffles

You are unpredictable and even a little zany. No one knows what to expect when you're around. You have a short attention span and need a lot of variety in your life. You are easily addicted to the things that you love. It's hard for you to only eat one chocolate from the box.

What Chocolate Dessert Are You?

Blogthings: Take a Quiz. Annoy Your Friends.

Plowing Through Heavy Snow

I wanted to announce the latest update posted at Passages. Considering the tremendous struggle Beth faced in order to keep the game up long enough to get shots, she did an incredible job.

Link to her latest post is here -> Passages 10

Road to Recovery ~ Week Fourteen

Merry Christmas Everyone!!!

Linkage to one of my favorites, Here is Christmas performed by Heart. Right-click lets you listen while you continue reading this post. What I would give to sing like Ann Wilson...or Nancy.

I thought it would be nice to feature the next generation so Randi Taylor invited everyone to her university rental for a get-together. Jett of course was being...Jett. He didn't bring a girl along since he couldn't decide which one to choose.

I don't know why but my shots do not look crisp and clear. Does Photoshop do that when you tweak images? Or Blogger? Speaking of which, a colleague loaned me a book, a classroom in a book actually, on CS3. I have CS2 but whatever. I am going to try and devote an hour a day to mastering Photoshop. Even if it kills me.

This will most likely be the last Road to Recovery update I post. It may even be the last post before the New Year. So let me take the time now to wish all of you a very merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

I have been cleared to return to work full time although I will still be on modified duty. I have mixed feelings about that. I mean, who wouldn't want to work half days and get paid for full days? I should be thankful I have a job and I am. The time off, although it was due to surgery, was much needed for me mentally as well as physically so I am grateful for that.

I am allowed to bench press 4 whole pounds! I have never been much for upper body strength so that is rather amusing for many reasons. My kids make fun of me especially when they see me curling soup cans. They are lucky I can't quite throw anything yet. My max lifting weight has been raised to 10 pounds from 5. So now instead of lifting a half gallon of milk I guess I can lift a whole gallon! Still can't do the laundry since we all know how heavy a basket of wet clothes can be.

I saw the surgeon last Thursday who told me I am about 1 month ahead of schedule for recovery which is odd since I am historically a slow healer (I wear bruises for weeks) but I have been diligent about my at-home exercises so I am sure that has helped.

The holidays around my house have been...morose. Can't really think of a better word. I think I have redefined the phrase Bah Humbug. Not like me at all but...such is life.

Leaving you with some holiday blogthings. Link goes to the Christmas ones. I was going to do one for each of the Twelve Days of Christmas but...no. Bah Humbug!

Happy holidays to everyone! May all your dreams come true.

Your Holiday Wish is Being with Family and Friends

The holidays are near and dear to your heart. You don't need much to make you happy this time of year. As long as you're able to be near the people you love most, you are content. It's really that simple. You want nothing more than a full house of people celebrating the season. It doesn't matter if it's your house or not, just as long as everyone is there. And if someone doesn't happen to be around during the holidays, you think about him or her often. You get very sentimental this time of year.

What's Your Holiday Wish?

Blogthings: We're Not Shrinks, But We Play Them On the Internet

You Will Get Three French Berets

Twelve glam rockers drumming Eleven marshmallows a-puffing Ten midgets a-leaping Nine ladies yodeling Eight llamas a-milking Seven eggnogs a-intoxicating Six kittens a-meowing Five golden bowls of chicken noodle soup Four calling bill collectors Three French berets Two Jesus action figures And a crazy homeless person in an apple tree

What Will You Get for the 12 Days of Christmas?

Blogthings: If Quizzes Are Outlawed, Only Outlaws Will Take Quizzes

You Would Be an Idealistic Santa

You keep dreaming of your perfect Christmas, even if you'll never achieve it. You love the idea of a cozy home, perfect presents, a big happy family, and blankets of snow. You think that almost everything about the holidays is nice - especially opening your home, heart, and wallet to those in need. You think that anyone who is grouchy or stingy during the holidays is naughty. You resent those who make this time a bummer for others.

The Santa Hat Quiz

Blogthings: Our Quizzes Weren't Written By Bored 12 Year Olds

You Are An Elf

You are highly creative and artistic. You are good at working hard. While you love to work, you also love to play. You have a naughty side to you! You love pulling pranks and teasing people. You always seem to be getting into some sort of trouble. People can rely on you to be industrious and responsible... but you're going to have fun while you're getting stuff done.

Are You An Elf or a Reindeer?

Blogthings: 100's of Fun, Free Quizzes and 3 Stupid Ones

Feeling Stronger...Yeah, Stronger

"How are you feeling today?" he asked. "I'm feeling...fine."

Straying from the usual Monday post. This day normally takes me to a dark place. Instead of falling into the pit I want to look at the joys I have been left with...my boys. They are, in a word, awesome.

As many of you know, they are musicians. Very talented musicians. When they were young and first starting out, my oldest got guitar lessons, the middle one drum lessons and the youngest bass guitar. They learned to read music. Those lessons had to stop because I could no longer afford them but the boys persevered and taught themselves. They all play multiple instruments and they play quite well. Not everyone likes their style (heavy metal anyone?) but I love anything and everything they do.

I haven't been able to give them a lot lately but they don't complain. My youngest wanted to take piano lessons and I just couldn't do it. So he downloaded sheet music and taught himself. I helped him read the music and he did the rest. This song was my gift from him. If you are a Final Fantasy VIII fan, you will know what this is. It is heard in Ultimecia's Castle and played on an organ. Both are pictured below.

Part of the castle.

The organ in the castle where the song is played.
Obviously we do not have an organ, in fact, we don't have a piano except for the little electronic keyboard I got them when my middle son was taking piano lessons (he learned 2 years worth of piano in 6 months).

I would like to share this gift with you. It isn't a high quality recording, it was captured on an iPhone, and between the sound of the keys being struck a little too forcefully and the popping of the lame wall heater in the background, this is my youngest. He probably wouldn't like that I shared this version since it was not perfect by his standards but to mine, it is perfect and then some.

I could not be more proud of them. They have been my strength when I needed it. So for them I hold my head up and will fight the stray tears...

No need to download, just press play -> The Castle

Sessions ~ Holiday Update

This might be the last update I have a chance to work on for the year...not sure yet. We have been putting this one together for awhile. It might feel a bit disjointed but it is supposed to. The piece is called Your Arms Feel Like Home.

I want to take a minute to thank everyone who has supported our work. Many of you have been here since the beginning and some of you are just now finding it. Thank you. And of course a special thanks to Beth. I will never ever be able to express how I feel about everything you have done for me. I am at a loss for words, which as you know, is rare.

Wishing you all a happy holiday.

Road to Recovery - Week Twelve

Yes, I skipped week 11. It was not worth discussing and a week I would rather just forget all together. Let's just say I was in the mountains chopping down a Christmas tree with Rafe. For free. I prefer that image in my head.

Welcome to the Bah Humbug post. I'm cold. It makes me hurt, seriously. I have a very small threshold of tolerance for temperature changes and it hovers around 70 degrees for me to feel warm and toasty. It never made it out of the 40's on Monday and today when I left for work it was 31 degrees. Had to scrape ice off the windows. Couldn't turn on the heater because the car would go into cardiac arrest (ok that wasn't funny). Those of you who live in the freezing weather states, I salute you. *hurries to make a cup of hot cocoa to cradle in hands*

This image is the wall heater in between the living room and hallway wall. Please note this shot is pixelated; my walls are not that gross looking. This thing heats my entire house. No, that is not entirely correct, it attempts to heat my entire house. It fails. Miserably. I call it the little engine that couldn't. I have taken to wearing my driving gloves in the house. You know those nice knit black gloves that a secret Santa gave you one Christmas that you never thought you would really use because, hell, you live in sunny California! Ha!

So let's see...what else is new. I started using light weights to give me some resistance when doing my shoulder exercises. If nothing else I will get toned while I strengthen. Will 2 lb. weights tone one's arms?

Got an amazing gift from my son. Wish I knew how to upload it properly. I would love to share it.

Oh! Put up a holiday playlist. Who knew Twisted Sister sang Christmas carols? Seriously you have to check it out!

I'll admit I am in a blue funk. Trying not to be. Life just blows chunks sometimes though. No Lessons Learned this week. But I will leave you with a blogthing or three. Cuz that's how I roll.

You Are Midtown

You love so many things, you don't fit into any one label. You're the type of person who goes to a fancy restaurant one night and a dive bar the next. You can fit in almost anywhere. You feel equally comfortable in old jeans and designer duds. You are unpretentious. You are neither a snob nor a hipster. You're just you.

Are You Uptown or Downtown?

Blogthings: Waste Time at Work!

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

Blogthings: Discover the Parts of Your Personality that Have Been Hiding

Your Snow Test Says You're Independent

You feel like something good will happen to you in the next few months. You love to work, especially when work is creative. You have the makings of a successful artist. You are an independent, individualistic person. You thrive when you're doing your own thing. Your biggest worry in life is your family. You stay up at night thinking about them. When it comes time to relax, you always go the extra mile. You take relaxing as seriously as anything else in life.

The Snow Test

The First Rule of Blogthings Is: You Don't Talk About Blogthings