Lisa's Blog

Here are two of my favourite things I've read this week:

Enjoying the Small Things: Nella Cordelia: A Birth Story - Kelle Hampton is a brilliant photographer and a touching author. I've never seen such vivid colours in the photos she takes of children. In this touching post from January, Kelle shares the birth day of her second daughter. All of her excitement and her anxiety of having a second a child was rocketed into a new dimension when she gazed at her new born daughter for the first time and realizes she has down syndrome. Read it

Auto-appendectomy in the Antarctic: case report - In this article, you can read the story of a Russian surgeon, Leonid Rogozov, who developed appendicitis while he was in Antarctica in 1961. As the only surgeon, and with no way to evacuate, Leonid had no choice but to operate on himself. This fascinating article contains photos and diary entries written by the surgeon. Read it

Imagine this strong, tough-guy, husband of mine, the man who was a self-sworn bachelor for life, the man who now has to deal with a woman's irrational, tearful, crazy moments.

I had one of these an hour ago, and he is so sweet and comforting, even if he laughs the entire time, until I'm laughing and sobbing at the same time, and when that happens I can't breathe.

What kicked off this sobfest?

My car. I've been without it three days this week and it has been a big pain in the ass getting the dealership to pick me up and drop me off and Jeff to take me to work, and when I finally get it back they tell me a squirrel has been living in the back seat, and I drive off to find out my Sirius satellite radio is 'd up and I can only get 4 stations - top 20 hits on channel 1, the Catholic station, hard core sports, and a country music channel.

Oh yes, and my shoes.

I had shoes that I loved before, Doc Martens, but Surf ate them (that dog had such an appetite for leather... and glass.. metal... batteries... cd's.. sewing needles..) Anyway, Jeff finally convinced me last Thanksgiving it was okay to spend money on a new pair. This week I was walking across campus in the rain, euphoric that my feet have been doing so well and it is spring and I love to walk and I was so fortunate to have such a comfortable pair of shoes, when suddenly I realized my right foot was soaked. How could my leather boot leak so fast? They are perfectly worked in, but maybe I need to give them a protectant spray again? I came home that night and asked my hero husband to take a look and he quickly found the problem. The rubber sole is cracked completely open across the ball of my foot and the Google is telling me that because I'm outside of the UK and because they are air soles, and because I don't have the receipt, that they are not repairable. I'm crushed.

So it seems if you make it rain, and you take away my Doc Martens and my Howard Stern, it means I sob uncontrollably.

Sorry Jeff. I know the vows should have more been more specific.

My car, my blue beauty, is away for a sleep over tonight.

I hope she's doing okay.

I kept finding damp carpet on the right side of the car but I couldn't figure out where it was coming from and if it was after the rain or a car wash, or what it was from.

Last week the dampness was suddenly a puddle on top of the carpet! It was completely soaked!

The car dealership found the problem so it is staying overnight at the shop and they are fixing the leak, and replacing the carpet underlay - all under warranty. The carpet work is supposed to be stinky business, so they asked to keep it overnight.

It feels weird not having her parked loyally outside my door, or nestled in with all the other cars at work during the day.

Jeff had the day off today, but he still waited until I got home from work so we could go fishing!!

Jeff is up in our fish tally, 4-1, but I think mine was the biggest! Jeff had to take one of his home to the freezer because it swallowed the hook and despite all heroic attempts, its hook ingestion injury was just too severe.

Jeff caught a white perch too. I didn't get a photo of it, but it was cute.

Jeff had some tarps spread across the lawn this morning to dry off and when he went to put them away tonight, he found a cute little toad!

I thought it was a spring peeper, until I googled and rediscovered that spring peepers are WAY smaller.

Here is a list of frogs and toads found in Nova Scotia - http://museum.gov.ns.ca/mnh/nature/frogs/id.htm

I think, based on this, that this guy is a wood frog. What do you think?

Here are some of the best photos I got: