A few sentences...Part I

I have thought about it all night and all day long. Even with the distractions of the day, it's been on my heart and I can't lay it to rest. I went back and forth on if I even wanted to write about it. Then I decided that if it bothered me that much, I should. It's my blog after all right? *Standing up to the soapbox*

As if you can't tell, pictures are my passion. Not just pictures I take or even pictures of people I know...just pictures in general. I spend at least 1-2 hours every night looking at people pictures on my social network sites, checking out my fave photogs blogs (that doesn't take as long since they don't all post everyday), and editing my own pictures. It's something I really enjoy for various reasons. I love the story that's told, I love the pretty colors, I love the beautiful scenes, I love the fashion, and I love the ones with none of the above. So...you are getting the point right? haha

I came across a blog that was fairly long *yay jackpot* and was enjoying looking at the different pictures and reading the ramblings of the photog...when I came across the few sentences. This particular photog made the comment about how they think it seems like everyone is a photographer these days. They went on to say how they get several e-mails a day wondering how to start up their business and that they have seen their work copied.

Now, it's hard to tell what the "tone" was in those sentences but they ended with "What's up with that?" So...I don't think it's hard to take a guess. I personally, take little to no offense to those few sentences because I have never asked that photog about advice (although I have left positive comments before) and I can't recall every copying said photographer.

With this being said, my heart hurts for the ones who have. Placing myself in their shoes here's what I would feel like... I obviously am a fan of their work or I wouldn't be asking for their advice. Now, who knows how or even IF this photographer (I should have made up a name so it would have been easier to follow along haha) responded to their e-mail. I hope for their sake and for their business, they replied back positively. Because, again placing myself in their shoes, if they had not responded and had I read those sentences...I would never hire that photographer or recommend them. Who wants someone with that attitude? What an opportunity missed to be a leader, to be a role model, and to be a friend. Let me remind you though, I have NO idea if they did respond (or the tone)...I'm totally going off those few sentences!!

Which brings up another point. Words are so tricky. They can be taken in so many different ways especially when lacking the tone of voice and expression on the face. So many people tease me for putting :) ;) or haha in my e-mails, texts, blog, and/or instant messages...and it's because I have seen what a mess "just words" can make! haha So, I try to prevent it. In a perfect world, people would already know that I'm a happy sunshiny person 99% of the time and wouldn't take things I write the wrong way. But it happens. But this post isn't about me...it's about the few sentences said photographer wrote. Those few sentences that made my heart heavy. Those few sentences that could potentially cost that photographer clients! Out of a post full of pictures and ramblings...all I recall are those few sentences. THAT'S what I took from the blog. Not what a great job they did, not about how interesting their day/life was, but those few sentences. I'm about 100% sure that's not what they wanted to happen.

Okay, so if I'm being honest...now that I think about it...I can recall a few pictures but I don't want to mention them and someone now figure out who I am talking about because I do NOT want to diss on this person or have drama (totally don't think they read my blog so I'm not too worried) I just...well I don't know what I am trying to accomplish by this post but I felt the desire to write about it. And maybe that's how they felt. It was their blog after all and they have every right to post what they want! But I just feel bad for the people who had previously written to that person with excitement and passion for what they were wanting to do in their life only to later read those few sentences and know what the photographer was thinking..."Oh, here's another Joe who thinks they have what it takes. Thinks that just because they have a fancy camera (or whatever) they all of a sudden they can take pictures!" Okay...so maybe that's not what they were saying...but that's what I took from it. ;) Which brings me to the REAL reason this bothers me...

***I intended to continue writting but obviously it takes me FOREVER to explain something and get to the point and I'm soooo tired! This is something that has been on my heart though and I'd like to share so bare with me and I'll get back to you later on this! I think it's best for me to take a step back anyway to gather my thoughts rather than type as I'm feeling and thinking ;)**

X's and O's,
Brandi Sue

P.S. I don't want you to walk away from this and also be upset with said photographer because when it's all said and done, (which is taking me forever) it's not what this is really about. Those few sentences were just the "straw that broke the camels back" for me...or whatever analogy goes there ;)

P.P.S. According to Microsoft word and spell check...I would get an "F" on this novel for bad spelling and grammer! But it's late and I'm so very tired so please forgive me for not fixing it! It comes with the territory of writing as you think!

Super-Easy Chicken Manicotti

Prep Time: 15 Mins
Start to Finish: 1 hour 20 Mins
Servings: 7


1 Jar (26 to 30 oz) tomato pasta sauce
3/4 cup water
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 1/2 lb uncooked chicken breast tenders (no breaded) (14 tenders)
14 uncooked manicotti pasta shells (8 oz)
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese (8 oz)
chopped fresh basil leaves, if desired

1. Heat oven to 350*F. In medium bowl, mix pasta sauce and water. Spread about one-third of the pasta sauce in ungreased 13x9-inch (3 quart) glass baking dish.

2. Sprinkle garlic salt on chicken. Insert chicken into uncooked manicotti shells, stuffing each end of shell to fill if necessary. Place shells on pasta sauce in baking dish. Pour remaining pasta sauce evenly over shells, covering completely. Cover tightly with foil.

3. Bake about 1 hour or until shells are tender. Sprinkle with cheese. Bake uncovered about 5 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with basil.

*Betty Crocker Most requested recipes*

This one tasted better than I thought it would!! Although, it didn't look the same as theirs haha. Mine still had a lot of the sauce in the pan and I didn't buy fresh basil. Oh, and then there's how I asked Devin to add the cheese to it for me while I was cleaning up...and I caught him *too late* putting the fiesta blend cheese that I had bought for some other meal instead of the mozzarella cheese!! haha He hadn't put much on it actually and the only reason why I cared was because I needed it for another meal and wanted my picture to match ;) Also, I soooo did NOT use all 14 shells!! I also only used 2 chicken breasts...I saved the other one for another meal. I didn't find them as easy to put in the shells but once I cut them smaller and stuffed them from each end it worked better. There's not 14 in their picture either so I don't know where that went. The cooking time went by fast, I used the time to clean up and wash my kitchen counters! haha I love not having a big mess to clean up after I'm done eating!

X's and O's,
Brandi Sue

Home-Style Chicken Dinner

Prep Time: 30 Minutes
Start to Finish: 1 Hour 20 Minutes
Servings: 4

2 teaspoons dried basil leaves
1 teaspoon seasoned salt
1 teaspoon garlic pepper blend
2 teaspoons olive or vegetable oil
3 to 3 1/2 lb cut-up broiler fryer chicken, skin removed if desired
6 small unpeeled red potatoes, cut into fourths (2 cups)
2 medium dark-orange sweet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces (3 cups)
1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1-inch pieces (1 cup)
3 roma (plum) tomatoes, cut into fourths

1. Heat oven to 400*F. Spray 13x9-inch (3 quart) glass baking dish with cooking spray. In large bowl, mix basil, seasoned salt, garlic pepper and oil. Brush about half of the mixture on chicken. Add remaining ingredients to bowl; toss to coat.

2. Place vegetables in baking dish. Place chicken on vegetables. Brush with any remaining oil mixture.

3. Bake uncovered 45 to 50 minutes or until vegetables are tender and juice of chicken is no longer pink when centers of thickest pieces are cut. Serve with pan juices.

*From Betty Crocker Most Requested Recipes

We invited Alex over for dinner for this meal and it turned out pretty good! I didn't get the veggies cooked through as much as I would have liked but it worked out ok. I didn't have garlic pepper blend and so I used garlic powder and coarse pepper like suggested and it worked fine as well! It didn't take a lot of time to put this together and I cleaned up my kitchen mess while I waited and even had left over time to tidy up the rest of the kitchen. So, for you Mom's out there, that means you have time to chase down kids and make them clean up before dinner ;) If any of you try this recipe, let me know what you think!!

X's and O's,
Brandi Sue

Cooking for two

For the last few years, it's been a running joke that once Devin and I get married...he will...starve! They had reason to joke as I never really cooked while we dated haha. When I would cook it was some box meal or I would cook the veggies while he cooked the meat. I enjoyed us both being in the kitchen anyway. As I like to bake, I always joked that we could just live off cookie dough batter instead ;) You're a vegetarian if you don't eat meat so it there a name for people who only eat sweets?!

Bobby, my Father in Law, always came to my rescue by letting me know that his wife didn't always know how to cook ;) She's all gourmet on us now though!! When I lived with her she made me home cooked meals almost every night! Who needs to cook when you're spoiled like that!?! I'm officially an addict now. of fried squash. it's delicious!

So anyway, back to poor starving Devin... My retort was that I could just pick up a cook book and start at page one and work my way through! After we were married I did just that! I was so proud of my first official meal, that I took pictures haha...well you know me and pictures anyway right?! Several successes and pictures later, I thought it would be fun to post them on here, in case anyone else wanted to make the meals. We have really liked all but two of them! *those will not be posted as I didn't take pictures of them haha* Devin likes to tease that he always has to eat his dinners cold because I hold it hostage for pictures first. He is exaggerating...a little. ;)

Here's a picture of the calzones that he and I made with his Mother's help. They were huge!! and oh so YUMMY!!!!

X's and O's,
Brandi Sue

Life is short

As Devin and I were honeymooning in Hawaii, I would frequently send updates via facebook on what we were doing or whatnot. On our way out the door one afternoon, I got on to see what all was going on back home. I was surprised to see a "RIP Michael Jackson" as someones status update...and honestly thought it was a joke. So we flipped on the t.v. real quick, knowing that if it were true, it would be plastered all over non-stop. Sadly, it wasn't a joke. I was so shocked! I'm sure many of you were as well. It's an odd feeling...I didn't really KNOW the guy but it feels like someone I know passed away. But really, I only know the Michael Jackson that the media wanted me to know. None the less, I'm still sad that he passed away.

With that being said, I am so annoyed with this whole (for lack of a better word) situation. What is annoying me you ask? His so called "fans" and their behavior. They are all gathering around now, supporting one another through their grief. They are telling the family how sorry they are and how they are praying for them. They are talking about how great MJ was and all the good things he did for the world. That's all fine and dandy, I'm sure the family appreciates that. What I want to know is...where were they one month ago? 6 months ago? a year ago? Were they the same people buying the trashy tabloids and magazines? Were they the same people forwarding YouTube videos of his latest slip up? Were they the same people chasing him trying to catch a glimpse of him without his mask on...so they could sell it to one of the tabloids? While I was watching the media go on and on about him this last week, they showed a clip where MJ was being booed at a performance where he was trying to promote a comeback. What?! I can't remember where it was, but what was that all about? Are they the same people claiming to be huge fans? And anytime the media talked about him over the last several years, it seemed they were only trying to tear him down. But now that he is gone, they are flashing all his greatest achievements (along with some of the not so great moments still...they are relentless).

Why does it always seem to take a death to get people to realize that life is short? I see it happen all the time. I'm from a small town, several of them really since my family moved around a lot. In each of those towns I lived in there would always be a case or two of a young person passing away too soon. The town would all grieve, they forward e-mails of positive encouragement, and tell one another to appreciate those you love right now because you might not have the chance tomorrow. I could go to countless Myspace accounts and pull quotes of remembrance for those people they loved and advice to other people out there. I could show where they have proclaimed to never drink again because that's what caused their loved one to pass away. Or maybe they are going to wear their seatbelt all the time now because it could have saved their loved one. Yet, the pain dulls after awhile. People move on with their life and though they still remember their loved one or whoever they were to them...they seem to forget the lesson. Soon they are gossiping about one another again, they aren't taking the time to enjoy each other's company, and they aren't sharing their love for one another. Until someone else dies...then it starts all over again.

I use the word "they" as a general term. I'm not pointing fingers...you know where you stand. I'm also not saying any of this is wrong, it's natural. It has been something that has been bothering me for awhile now and seeing how people have reacted with Michael Jackson motivated me to finally write about it. Just a rant on my personal blog ;) It's so hard for me to understand why people can be like that when I am not. I tell people I love them. I send cards. I write letters. I try to spend time with those I love. I hug you when I see you because I am happy you're my friend, and I hug you before I leave because I don't know when I will see you again if at all. I never want to be that person who says, "I never got to say goodbye" or "I never told them how much they meant to me". I will tell you :) I know it makes me mushy and I know sometimes there are people who think I'm silly, but it's who I am and it makes me happy. I try my best to let the bad roll off my shoulders because, as I have said before, life is too short to hold a grudge. Life is too short to be angry and to hold pain inside. It makes my life happier and better to be happy, I'm a better person when I'm happy.

I have been watching MJ's memorial as I typed this...what a great memorial! It was heartfelt and sweet. How nice would it have been for Michael to have seen that kind of support (from the public who said they were fans) these past few years?! I bet it would have made him feel a lot better than that crowd booing him.

If you haven't already tonight, kiss your loved ones goodnight. Call that someone you haven't talked to in forever. And tell those who mean something to you how you feel, it just might brighten their day :) Just like the cliches say...Don't wait until it's too late. With that being said, I'm going to go cuddle with my honey.

X's and O's,
Brandi Sue

P.S. I'm a Michael Jackson fan...then and now :)

Flip Flop...continued

On Valentine's Day 2005 my present was a baby ferret and I couldn't have been more excited! I am such an animal lover and ever since I was little I have wanted one. So Devin and I went to Petco and picked out a cuddly boy and took him home. We chose the one we did because he was more calm than the others and seemed to have a sweet personality. Now we had to come up with a name!

*This is my all time fave pic of him...shortly after we bought him*

Our stories for how we chose the name are different but in the end it was the same name...Flip-Flop. I came to that name because of how clumsy he was, he would run into everything...kinda "flip-flop" around. Dev said he liked it for some electronic reason...a component or something. (I like my story better ;) )

*One of his many fave sleeping positions*

Since I never had a ferret before and had only been around a few for a short period of time...I had no idea what to expect. I was worried about how much he slept and felt like I wasn't giving him enough attention (found out later that they sleep a lot and it's normal!) I bought the Ferrets for Dummies Book and read it cover to cover that night. I'm really impressed with the information on it and it also helped me confirm that Flip was deaf. (Which explains his clumsiness when he was a baby) I had noticed that he wouldn't react to the sound of me walking into the room but would react to the light change. He also didn't show any interest in the toys that had all the bells and whatnot on them like the others in the store had. According to the book, it was the type of ferret that he was. Apparently the "Blaze", named for the markings on their head, was prone to deafness. Not a problem though, just meant I had to work harder at keeping him entertained.

*Christmas 2009...he lightened up a lot over the years*

Over the years, I learned a lot about ferrets and about him in particular. I was kind of surprised about how much of a personality these little animals could have! He was so different from the ferret we got a little while later. He was such a little lover while she on the other hand was all fighter!! and still is! haha Most nights, I would leave his cage door opened and, while she would stay in the cage and sleep, Flip would often crawl up in bed with me and sleep. I would expect that from a dog or cat but was surprised a ferret would develop that kind of attachment. When he wanted my attention or wanted to be held, he would scratch my foot. I think that's the thing I miss about him the most actually.

*catching some zzzzz's*

When I tell people I have a ferret I always think it's funny how the first thing they say is, "Don't they stink?" That is definitely NOT the main thing I remember about him haha. No, not all ferrets stink. Flip smelled a little musky around his neck but that's it and his litter box never smelled until we bought the other ferret. In my opinion, they do not smell any more than a dog or cat do...if anything...they smell less. It really just comes down to how well you take care of them as with any animal.

*They always yawn a lot when they wake up*

The toys in the above picture never attracted his attention. Until the day I placed them in this pot and put water in it!! He loved dipping his head in the water and retrieving them. I would keep the balls in the pot even when there wasn't any water in it and when I heard them jingling one day I figured it was our other ferret playing with them. I went in there to get a picture and here was my baby boy having a ball! He was so cute to watch. His favorite toy was a tennis ball! It was the only toy that he would hide in his cage. All the others he took under the bed. I would randomly hide it to give him something to do. One day I noticed that if I went and played with him right after handling the tennis ball...he would immediately run to his cage to look for it. If it wasn't there he would go on the hunt until he found it and brought it back to the cage. He smelled the ball on my hands and would immediately know something was wrong in his world! haha

*He really slept like that...no posing necessary! Okay, I put him up there but he stayed long after!*


*The last pic I have with him*

So, if you haven't noticed already, our little Flipper didn't make it from the story in the last blog. I stayed up all night that Sunday night and stayed with him Monday morning while Devin went to work. I tried to keep him hydrated and still tried to get some kind of nutrition in his system. Devin came home at noon and stayed with him while I tried to go see some of my patients. I called shortly after to tell Devin that it was time to try and give him more fluids. He said he would try and hung up. Soon after though, he called to say that Flip didn't fight him when he tried to give him water...not a good sign. He had been fighting it the whole time so now it seemed like he had given up. Devin called the ER vet at his daytime clinic and got an appt. Sadly, Devin called me right after he got there and told me the vet said it was time to let him go. So I drive to the clinic and kissed my baby goodbye. He had been my best friend and companion while I lived alone over the last 4 years. Seemed like a short time to get attached to an animal...be he was special :)

The Vet called awhile later after we had left and said that in the end...it was a hairball that had caused all this. My poor little baby died from a preventable hairball that could have been removed with a $1,000 surgery. Of course, we don't just have an extra grand sitting around but I wish we would have. I had even called the OSU Vet school and asked if they had any kind of discounted surgery prices if a student did the surgery (like with hair stylists haha) but I was told that they do not. :( I wasn't all that impressed with our Vet even though he had been one of the better ones we had been to. But what sealed the deal (on me not liking him as much) was how he told me (after the fact) a mixture I could make in the future that would help eat at a hairball and yet still be safe on the ferret's tummy. hmmmm a lot of good that does me now.

It's all said and done now though. I didn't think it would be all that hard since I didn't have him very long and because he was "just a ferret" but it was really hard coming home and not getting to play with him. That was my daily routine before. Of course, I still get Back Spin out but she doesn't like to play like he did haha. He was the first animal that I have had from begining to end, I can't imagine how I will be with an animal I've owned 10 years! haha I'm happy that we picked him out of all the others he made me so happy and was great company. In a way, I think it's ironic that he passed away when he did. He had been my companion for all those years that I lived alone and he passed away just a few short weeks before Devin became my life long companion. Yeah, kinda cheesy I know ;) And with that I will say.... goodnight!!

X's and O's,
Brandi Sue

Flip Flop

Wow! It's been forever since my last post!! A lot has been going on and so I'm so far behind my editing and posting! :)

Currently, we are going through a semi-rough time. I say "semi" because it's about an animal and I know there are people out there going through worse...but this is MY animal...so it's still rough ;) Anyway, Flip has been going through his shedding season the last few weeks. Which means that I have to chase him down with a brush and lint roller everyday! (the lint roller is for me because when I am done I am COVERED in hair! haha) I also take a lint roller to their hammock once a day and change the whole thing out at least every two weeks. On top of that, they are fed ferret lax to help pass any hair balls starting to form. That doesn't always keep it from happening, but usually I can catch the signs in time and just give him extra ferret lax.

Unfortunately, hairballs aren't the only things that can obstruct these little guys up and we have also been through that. About three years ago, he became very sick. Devin and I knew he wasn't feeling good when we left for Kansas, but we told his mom what to do and figured he would be okay. Well, he just got worse. So we rushed home to Olustee, made an appt with a ferret vet in the city, and left early the next morning to take him. He was so pitiful looking. I had a friend who had to put her ferret to sleep because the surgery was too expensive and we were in the same boat as her. I couldn't make the decision to end a life...even an animal's (ummm not counting fishing haha) so that night...I prayed that my little guy would either pass away in his sleep or would pass whatever was in his tummy.

I checked his litter box first thing in the morning and was never so happy to see poop in my life! haha I could tell that it definitely had something in it as well so I scooped it up and put it in a baggie for the vet. (That's what the Ferrets for Dummies book said to do)

I was happy to find that the Vet was an OSU grad because I had read that they have a little more training on ferrets...and I was even more happy to learn that he was also a ferret owner!! So...long story short...he examined what I brought him and found that it contained the rubber piece that covers the earpiece on headphones!! A few weeks later, when I was cleaning behind the bed, I found the rest of headphones. Evidently, Flip had eaten more of it but it passed through without much problem. The rubber piece sat in his stomach for awhile and then once it finally decided to make an exit...it became stuck in the intestines and stayed there for awhile. We didn't notice anything wrong for several weeks until it became stuck in the intestines. When he recovered from all that...he was like a brand new ferret. He was more lively that he had been since we first got him. We never had a clue that a time bomb was inside him :( But, that story ended happily.

Fast forward several years. Friday, Devin and I were once again packing to leave for Kansas. Once again, I could tell something was up. But he ate his ferret lax just fine, had a healthy sized accident on the floor, and was playing some....so we continued with our trip. We were only going to be gone for a day anyway. Well, why we were up there we heard that he was looking worse. Sigh.

As soon as we got home we knew it was happening all over again. Only this time we knew better and we had been so careful!! We haven't lived in this house long so we don't have anything out for him to be able to get into! He only has free roam in the living room, kitchen, and office so we felt pretty sure he had a hairball gone wrong. By now he wasn't eating or drinking and since we had both ferrets in the same cage, we couldn't tell if he was using the bathroom. Ferrets have a short digestive tract...approximately 2-3 hours long...so it's important for them to eat and drink often. Unfortunately, being "backed up" was also contributing to him being dehydrated. Just like with humans, the longer your BM stays inside you, the harder it gets. The intestines soak up the fluid which makes it hard for the BM to pass...no fun. So after giving him fluids with a syringe, we left to find an emergency clinic that had some experience with ferrets.

Luckily, we found one! The COVE, here in Norman, has a Vet who is also a ferret owner! Score! So after some x-rays, he confirmed our thoughts. Flip had an obstruction. However, the Vet wasn't sure it was just a hairball. Which means bad news because...a hairball would likely pass given time and ferret lax/pumpkin pie filling. An obstruction has less of a chance of passing and if it does there is most likely damage done inside. Lucky for us, the first time he had an obstruction it was soft and round. We couldn't tell what it was in the x-ray, or even if it was anything at all. So he gave us some medicine for his gas and gave him fluids. He instructed us to continue giving him fluids throughout the night and try the pie filling in the morning.

When we got home, Flip and I made ourselves comfy on the couch and put in a season 2 Grey's Anatomy DVD. It was the only way I'd stay awake! You can't fall asleep while watching Grey's ;) Every hour or so, I'd give him water or powerade...much to his dislike. But him putting up a fight was a good sign to me. He had a few messy BM's throughout the night that didn't contain much and by this afternoon he had stopped going again. Plus his gas wasn't going away.

So this evening, we went off to the Vets again. Only this time a little less hopeful. We both don't want him to suffer but we don't want to give up on him too soon. So we had no idea what to tell the Vet. We decided that we would ask for another x-ray (another $50) and see if the possible obstruction had moved any. This time, the Vet couldn't see it. Flip definitely had more gas, but all he could see was the BM stuck inside. We didn't know if that was good or bad. I asked him what he would do if it were his ferret. (surgery vs conservative methods) He answered by saying that it wasn't a fair question for him since the surgery would be free for him. Sigh. He told us to continue with what we had been doing and see if he made any improvements by the morning. The fact that he was holding down everything I gave him was a good sign.

I'm on baby sitting duty right now while Devin sleeps and unfortunately, I'm finished with my Grey's Anatomy. So I'm going through pictures and ran across these. One day I noticed him moving around a lot while he slept so I grabbed my point and shoot camera for some pics.






He is such a sweet boy and I really hope he gets better!! Sorry for the long post, hope it makes up for the weeks I went without posting haha.

xoxo
Brandi Sue