click here to help provide food and care for a rescued animal living in a shelter or sanctuary Lovely quotes:
“To live in this world, you must be able to do three things: to love what is mortal; to hold it against your bones knowing your own life depends on it; and, when the time comes to let it go, to let it go.” ~ Mary Oliver

"Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible." ~ Dalai Lama

“Time is a created thing. To say ‘I don’t have time’ is to say, ‘I don’t want to’.” ~ Lao Tzu

two for the price of one, plus Max!

April 19th, 2010 by Fond of Snape

Just another Manic Monday!

This week’s:

How has your life been different than you imagined? HAHAHA!!! Oh…HAHAHA!!! Um…HAHAHA!!!

What lessons have you learned from your relationships? OMG well, I’m pretty damn stubborn, so I’m not sure I learned anything.

If you had to move to a city besides the one you currently live in, where would you move? See, I tried that. I thought I’d like living in VA (it was actually a toss up between VA & CA…maybe I should’ve gone with CA?)…earlier spring, warmer, less snow. Didn’t like it! You can take a girl out of New England, but you can’t take New England out of the girl. I think you crave where you were raised.

last week’s:

Are you doing what you really want to do? Since I think I’d really like to be a food photographer, then no. Do I know how to go about it? Not really…and since I’m not very competitive, I’m not sure I would fight to be one. Make sense? Probably not…

What is your biggest fear? How can you conquer that fear? Hmmm…spiders…being alone…being a bag lady (I am that now in a way hahaha!!!)…I dunno. I don’t like to even think of those things.

Have you settled for mediocrity in your life? I don’t think that everyone can have an extraordinary life; in fact, ordinary sounds pretty damn good right now.

And…happy birthday to Max! Posted in Manic Monday, Max, Photos | 15 Comments

April 17th, 2010 by Fond of Snape

Photohunt courtesy of TNChick and I’ve got three for you: cake covered in pineapple, brown sugar & butter Covered heads Covered in pollen!

Posted in Photo Hunt | 14 Comments

What Is It Wednesday

April 13th, 2010 by Fond of Snape

Here’s last Wednesday’s picture: This is the shot it was cropped from: a tied up roast!

Kaye was closest: “I think it is a roast–dripping and succulent. May I have some?” What is it?

Posted in What Is It Wednesday | 17 Comments

April 10th, 2010 by Fond of Snape

Photohunt courtesy of TNChick vertical…and horizontal!

Posted in Photo Hunt | 17 Comments

an oddly negative 13

April 8th, 2010 by Fond of Snape Come play along at the new Thursday-13 Hq! 1. I read a blog post today about someone’s friend who has cancer and how she goes with her to chemo treatment, along with other friends and the girl’s husband and I thought…how lucky she is to have that support. I went to most of my chemo treatments by myself. One friend visited me there. Another friend came with me to last week’s treatment.

2. I feel so alone during this part of the illness. One friend says oh, it’s not like you have bad side effects. Well, what’s bad? I’m exhausted, but can’t sleep (note the time). I have near constant headaches. My hands ache. I often have a bloody nose and my nose drips all the time because the chemo burns away the cilia. Just because I don’t have hair loss on my head or other easily visible signs doesn’t mean I don’t suffer. And I don’t believe in complaining…usually

3. I used to get phone calls from friends. Now? Not so much. Maybe it’s my fault. Maybe I need to reach out more. Maybe people think I don’t need anything.

4. A ‘friend’ at work said to me recently, you used to take such good care of yourself. I ordered him out of my office and was incensed. YOU try going through this and see if YOU feel like effing cooking. It would be nice if someone brought me a nice meal. But … whatevs. I’m happy with peanut butter on celery, which is sometimes all I have the energy for.

5. There are a couple friends who don’t even call…or return my calls. Maybe I use the term “friend” too easily. Granted, one is a hypochondriac and the other’s husband lost his job…but still. But then again, maybe it’s my fault, maybe I should call them…altho I did with the hypochondriac but she didn’t return my call or text.

6. No matter HOW easy I make this seem, it’s not. And if you looked beneath the surface, you’d know that.

7. But it’s not all doom and gloom. I do have friends who call and send care packages and go for an ice cream with me when I ask. I think I’m just in a mood.

8. And I do have a new friend who wants to do more, but I push him away vigorously and tell him I need my space. What a maroon, eh?

9. Want some whine with that cheese? Why yes, yes, I would but drinking gives me a headache now. Damnitall.

10. I won’t complain about the heat but does the dog have to lay right next to me? Geez!

11. I didn’t want to go into the nitty gritty details of my cancer here, but I did write about it over on The Women’s Colony if you’re interested. Seven posts as a matter of fact.

12. And I AM grateful for what folks do…more than they’ll know. I probably don’t have the right to complain…I feel like I have to keep up a positive attitude because…well, I don’t know why, but it feels right. Anyway, I guess that blog post I read had me feeling sorry for myself…on the pity pot, as they say. Anyway, that’s my Thursday 13 for the week.

13. From the DailyOM: One of the greatest gifts we can give another human being is to act as their guardian. Whether this gift is related to a specific situation or is representative of an ongoing commitment, we each benefit from the association. To protect someone is to walk with them in challenging times and see them through safely to the other side. In doing this, we grow with them. And those under our guardianship derive confidence from our support and assistance, enabling them to persevere through almost any conditions.

There are many reasons we feel inspired to serve as guardians to those we care for. Sometimes just holding the space for somebody allows them to do what is necessary to grow or heal. We may simply want to see that our friend or loved one is taken care of and equipped to prevail over difficult circumstances. We may also sense that we are in possession of knowledge our loved ones are lacking yet need in their current stage of development. Our offer to serve as a guardian may also be both unsolicited and unrelated to any one situation. Instead of helping someone we care about cope with a specific challenge, we may find ourselves providing them with a more general form of emotional sustenance that prepares and strengthens them for challenges yet to come.

Our ability to empathize with those under our guardianship is our greatest asset because our comprehension of their needs allows us to determine how we can best serve them. Even when this comprehension is limited, however, the loving intentions with which we enter into our role as guardian ensure that our care and protection help others grow as individuals while living their lives with grace. It sure would be nice to have a guardian, she said, wistfully…but I’d probably fuck it up. Sigh…maybe I just need a good cry and to stop feeling sorry for myself, eh?
[null, {"document_url": "http://fondofsnape.com/?m=201004&paged=2", "unformatted_src": "http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/tech-fav-1.png", "src": "http://static.technorati.com/pix/fave/tech-fav-1.png", "formatted_filename": "tech fav", "alt_text": "Add to Technorati Favorites"}, null, {"document_url": "http://fondofsnape.com/?m=201004&paged=2", "unformatted_src": "http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2753/4534115465_2b6e8f9ab1.jpg", "src": "http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2753/4534115465_2b6e8f9ab1.jpg", "formatted_filename": "b e f ab", "alt_text": "13 Pictures of Max", "rendered_width": 500, "rendered_height": 500}, null, {"document_url": "http://fondofsnape.com/?m=201004&paged=2", "unformatted_src": "http://farm1.static.flickr.com/175/425943482_e2cf81dbc3.jpg", "src": "http://farm1.static.flickr.com/175/425943482_e2cf81dbc3.jpg", "formatted_filename": "e cf dbc", "alt_text": "want a bite?", "rendered_width": 500, "rendered_height": 375}, null, {"document_url": "http://fondofsnape.com/?m=201004&paged=2", "unformatted_src": "http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3567/3547728762_e17a174990.jpg", "src": "http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3567/3547728762_e17a174990.jpg", "formatted_filename": "e a", "alt_text": "loved the hat!", "rendered_width": 375, "rendered_height": 500}, null, {"document_url": "http://fondofsnape.com/?m=201004&paged=2", "unformatted_src": "http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3112/2725599405_a1ecca4738.jpg", "src": "http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3112/2725599405_a1ecca4738.jpg", "formatted_filename": "a ecca", "alt_text": "stardust2", "rendered_width": 500, "rendered_height": 333}, null, {"document_url": "http://fondofsnape.com/?m=201004&paged=2", "unformatted_src": "http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4477908054_eec962ee94_m.jpg", "src": "http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4011/4477908054_eec962ee94_m.jpg", "formatted_filename": "eec ee m", "alt_text": "what is it", "rendered_width": 240, "rendered_height": 83}, null, {"document_url": "http://fondofsnape.com/?m=201004&paged=2", "unformatted_src": "http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4477275239_78edf7b2c3.jpg", "src": "http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4031/4477275239_78edf7b2c3.jpg", "formatted_filename": "edf b c", "alt_text": "DSC03665", "rendered_width": 500, "rendered_height": 375}, null, {"document_url": "http://fondofsnape.com/?m=201004&paged=2", "unformatted_src": "http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4518836435_134098c2fa.jpg", "src": "http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4029/4518836435_134098c2fa.jpg", "formatted_filename": "c fa", "alt_text": "whatisit", "rendered_width": 86, "rendered_height": 500}, null, {"document_url": "http://fondofsnape.com/?m=201004&paged=2", "unformatted_src": "http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/1505508061_b4fd30dab9.jpg", "src": "http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2404/1505508061_b4fd30dab9.jpg", "formatted_filename": "b fd dab", "alt_text": "vertical and horizontal", "rendered_width": 375, "rendered_height": 500}, null, {"document_url": "http://fondofsnape.com/?m=201004&paged=2", "unformatted_src": "http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2746/4500893033_59da7acce2.jpg", "src": "http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2746/4500893033_59da7acce2.jpg", "formatted_filename": "da acce", "alt_text": "T13", "rendered_width": 375, "rendered_height": 500}, null, null, {"document_url": "http://fondofsnape.com/?m=201004&paged=2", "unformatted_src": "http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png", "src": "http://www.linkwithin.com/pixel.png", "formatted_filename": "pixel", "alt_text": "Related Posts Plugin for WordPress, Blogger..."}, null]