Stolen Moments

We have flower pots outside the front door of both clinics. (Granted the Anthony one is CHAINED to the wall, but that's beside the point) They make everything look nicer, especially this time of year when the flowers are so bright and colorful. We change them out periodically, as they need it, to keep them looking fresh, but sometimes get a little "help" from our patients who like them just a little too much. 

One day Amy was removing the deceased, or nearly dead flowers in order to make room for new ones, and a woman waiting in her car for someone in the pharmacy called out (in Spanish) "Hey! Why are you throwing out those flowers?" Amy says (Again in Spanish), "Oh Seniora, they're dead and we're getting new ones." The woman replied, "No, I take flowers from here all the time, and they do very well.."

Violet

It's SPRING, finally! Edna (my Powerbook) has been sick for almost a month, thus my absence from Bloggerland, but is back home to her mother now and the world can begin spinning once more. 

Violet is 13 months old, and she has a hard life ahead of her. She has 4 older brothers and sisters, her mom is 27, and she doesn't have a dad. Her mother's boyfriend has a long history of Seizure Disorder, and has the mental capacity of an 8 yr. old. He isn't allowed to be home alone with any of the children, not their rule, CPS's rule. Her older sister was tazed, along with their mother, by her first husband. He tazed them so that they would be still enough for him to run them over with his car. The four older children witnessed their grandmother bleed to death, and two years later, their grandfather's fatal heart attack in the bathtub. The second oldest girl has tried to kill her teacher (really), and attempts to strangle the youngest boy when he won't quit crying. After the death of their grandparents, the mother moved them all to California to live with her only remaining family. Their uncle beat them and they left everything they owned to take an 18 hour bus ride back home. Once they got back, they lived for two months on a friend's screened in porch until they could find a place to stay. The mom has since secured them a house through her church, and is attempting to put her life back together. 

She isn't a bad mom, but she is so in over her head. 

We first met Violet at two days old. In a world SO full of chaos, God made a miracle. She is the most perfect child. When she was four months old, I asked her mother if she would consider letting me adopt her. Her reply? "Are you kidding, she's the only beautiful thing I have." 

X-Mas Highlight Reel

What you need to know about my Holiday Season

~I traveled the world (ok not really, but most of Texas and Oklahoma)

~My bags traveled even more than I did (which is not a good thing). My clothes ended up in Birmingham, Alabama. I ended up in Amarillo, TX. Not Good.

~I have the best family. We all made Gingerbread Houses (ok, so we cheated and used Pop Tarts)

~I reconnected with a dear friend

~Saw "Doubt" with K.C. and David (Not a movie for the masses, but we REALLY liked it. Unreal acting)

~I attended the MOST FABULOUS K.C. Clifford Show at the UCO Jazz Lab. Ahhhh heaven

~I had sweet sweet time with all my best-est friends.

~ I painted in Steve's new studio (jealous)

~I ate my weight in Sushi

~I did a wee bit of shopping (blushes)

~I had one (or two) too many Vodka Tonics (with a bloody mary in there somewhere) and olives and came home with Snausages instead of toes. 

~Came home to a nice dinner, and my OWN BED!!! YAY!

~Amy and I saw "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button". Incredible. If you havent seen it. GO!

It was so great to have time with my family and favorite friends, and so nice to have such a great home to come home to. I have so much to be thankful for. 

Happy New Year!

T-Day

Thanksgiving was great. 

For the first time in 20 years, I had ONE AND ONLY ONE Thanksgiving dinner! Yippeeee!

(if you don't know why, check it out here)

I did get to hang out with my Granddad, who has GOT to be the COOLEST man to have that title EVER. 

He has a brand new Mac with a 24" inch screen, and we couldnt resist being a bit goofy with the camera...

At 87 he still rides the stationary bike at the "Youth Center" 15 miles a day, and has a daily "Paper Route" which involves moving all the neighborhood little old ladies newspapers from their driveways to their porches.

I also had the pleasure of a session with one of the MOST talented photographers you can imagine (who just happens to be a lifelong friend) for some "Mommy(s) and Daughter" photographs. It was such a great time with my two mommies, and  a special special day. They should be up here on Lissa's blog soon.

Momma Kay came back to El Paso with me for the week, and we are taking full advantage of the FAB shopping around town...(you can only imagine)

I am so thankful for all of the blessings in my life...my family, friends, home, partner, job, health, opportunities, and so much more...I try to be grateful EVERY day for all that I have, but it is especially apparent during this Holiday Season.

Happy Holidays~

Creepy Crawly Critter Update

This is a sequel to Promises Promises, and Ding Ding Ding...We have a Winner. Haven't read them? Shame on you...go now, click above.

Well, did I tell you we caught the second Kangaroo Rat? This one was much smaller than the first (we're assuming this is the female) and quite a bit less aggressive. Still closely resembles a Disney mouse, and pretty darn cute.

Hopefully she found Mr. Roo Rat behind the Dairy Queen and they lived happily ever after.

Notice those LEGS. No wonder she could move dog shit from shelf to shelf in a single bound.

In other news, it was a sad day for Geckos nationwide (especially this one). The stow-away gecko from Key West that vanished behind my vanity mirror was found dead this week on the bathroom floor. Crusty and with empty eye sockets, it was not a pretty site. Obviously I was correct in my statement that Geckos don't (and can't) live in the desert.

Not me...

This post started as a comment to thewishfulwriter 's post "Forward Backward", but I realized it needed to be more than a comment, a statement. She was commenting on America's giant step forward for African Americans that was simultaneous with the giant step back for the gay and lesbian community. Prop 8 passing in California.

It breaks my heart, both ways. Breaks my heart for the millions of african american children whose parents can now say with certainty that they CAN be anything they can dream of. For our older americans who can finally gain some healing for the sins of of our country's past. And for all of the people that have heard no all their lives to finally be able to stand up and say "Yes We Can!"

But for those of us, gay or straight, who wish that our children could grow up in a more tolerant and open-minded society, it is a soul crushing defeat. Amy says that in all actuality, GLT rights have not really changed in her lifetime. That the majority of Americans, if they got the chance, would still throw a beer bottle at our heads if they thought no one was looking. It is strange to me that America can progress so far as to elect an African American man as the most powerful leader in the world, but be scared shitless of two people who love each other and want to be recognized as a family.

Let me be clear, for me it isnt about "the wedding" or the piece of paper. I know to some, that is of monumental importance, and I understand that. For me, it is about being able to have a family, to have insurance, to have a house if something happened to my partner, to have her at my bedside if I am ill and in the hospital, to be able to leave our legacy to our children. Tell me please how those wishes make anyone else's marriage less sacred. I'll tell you what is threatening to the sanctity of marriage. Divorce, abuse, adultery, disrespect. Not me.

Today I'll be disappointed, and tomorrow, again, I'll have hope that with a new administration, and a new direction, this country will be able to do right by all it's citizens.

A Vote Cast (and a tiny little fickle one)

I couldn't wait to vote this morning. Double checked my polling place last night, and was up EXTRA early to try and beat the crowds. At 6:50 I was at our local Fire Department ready to cast my ballot. Waited just a few minutes in line, but when I got to the table the lady said "oh, we have had a lot of confusion over this, this isn't your polling spot, you need to go to the middle school." 

Okay....so off I go to the middle school (i'm not super familiar with which schools are which here, but I asked around and ended up at the middle school. To which I was greeted with "oh well this has caused a lot  of confusion, not this middle school the OTHER middle school".

Alrighty then strike two.

So off to the old middle school, yes sir-y bob. Finally the right spot. There was ONE person there besides me. I have a few theories as to why this was, but Im going to keep those to myself. 

I was determined not to vote a straight ticket, but to go through every single contest and pick the right person for the job. When it was all said and done, I voted Democrat all but one.

I'm ashamed to say that the one Republican I voted for was a very fickle decision. 

We have these CRAZY neighbors. They are just absurd, really. Anyway, they have had a HUGE banner of their pick for County Commissioner on their fence since JANUARY!!!! Not only is it the first thing I see every morning, the lady in the picture is wearing a giant cowboy hat. A COWBOY HAT!

So it just so happened that that was the last contest to vote for and I thought to myself, "I have looked at that woman's ugly mug for the last 11 months, and at this point I just want that face to go away."

She is a democrat...and her box was the only democratic box that didn't get checked. Shame on me I know, but I just couldn't do it.