BlogLovin
Popular Posts
-
I'm in the process of reading Fraternity by Diane Brady. I find the subject matter largely uninteresting - the book relays College of ... -
This Memorial Day weekend, my family honored my cousin by having the road my Grandmother, Aunt and Uncle and his family live on renamed fo... -
When I began reading Three Cups of Tea , I made a prediction that I’d either love the book because it was about a man, Greg Mortenson, foun... -
I’ve been doing a lot of thinking recently about what it means to take responsibility for my thoughts and actions. Until recently, I eq...
-
You know how sometimes you can be so used to something, you don't even think about its meaning, until you do then you have your aha mo... -
I'm lonely. No matter where I am or who I'm with - both in a given moment or in the larger scheme of life - I can be lonely. And you... -
I am getting a little worried. As an aspiring writer, I feel like the audience I intend to write for won't be reading my work. Let me b...
-
It feels weird saying because I'm such a spring/summer person, but we're actually going into one of my favorite times of the year - ... -
Starting from the time I was born, I've always had a strange fascination with my feet. I really don't like anything covering them... -
The past couple of weeks I've been bouncing between feeling like everything's on the brink of coming together for me and feeling lik...
Archive for January 2014
Respite
Okay, so my posts this year have admittedly been pretty somber. The last one was therapeutic, but especially hard to publish. And for the past couple of months, I've been writing a post of similar emotional nature. Guess I'm not ready to address its subject because every time I sit down to work on it, I catch a severe case of writer's block.
So, to lighten the mood and let myself off the hook from the unfinished post, I'm going to show off the photography skills I've been working on by posting pics I took at Christmas.
The first also shows off my Christmas tree decorating skills. The challenge in capturing this photo was lighting. After about five attempts, I got the settings on my camera right so I could crisply capture the tree lights and fireplace.
My parents got an espresso machine for Christmas, so not only did I have a ball learning how to make cappuccinos, but I also had the opportunity to work on focusing on an object while blurring the background.
And last but not least, this photo shows of my mad table setting skills and also gave me the chance to work on capturing photos in the correct light so the colors are accurate.
So, to lighten the mood and let myself off the hook from the unfinished post, I'm going to show off the photography skills I've been working on by posting pics I took at Christmas.
The first also shows off my Christmas tree decorating skills. The challenge in capturing this photo was lighting. After about five attempts, I got the settings on my camera right so I could crisply capture the tree lights and fireplace.
My parents got an espresso machine for Christmas, so not only did I have a ball learning how to make cappuccinos, but I also had the opportunity to work on focusing on an object while blurring the background.
And last but not least, this photo shows of my mad table setting skills and also gave me the chance to work on capturing photos in the correct light so the colors are accurate.
Tag :
free think
,
Halima's Faves
,
Something Like Group Therapy
Less than a year ago, I was diagnosed with an autoimmune disorder. In short, this means my immune system has identified my body, the body it resides in, as an enemy and has begun attacking it. My body is attacking itself. Maybe one day I'll feel comfortable writing or even talking more about it, but for now, it took everything in me to write that first sentence.
Since my diagnosis, my life has changed. I go to my doctor's office once a month for a treatment which hasn't been proven to do any good, but is considered the best available option for a disorder with an unknown cause. I've changed my diet. I have to limit dairy products, sugar and processed foods. I've had to give up my beloved cognac and am confined to wine and champagne. And I've had to adopt a gluten-free diet. To give you some idea of how frustrating this is: I went to a restaurant two weeks ago and was only able to eat one item one the menu. I ended up eating a basket of fries.
Imagine how frustrating it is to endure the constant eye rolls I get from people who think I'm just another person on a trendy health kick. The embarrassment of trying to explain myself. The sadness I feel when I have to turn down many of the foods I love and replace them with constant supplement popping. Vitamin D, Omega 3, Zinc, the list goes on and on.
I've been coping by continuing with life as normal and doing my best to learn what I can about autoimmune disorders, but all this makes me feel some sort of way. Mostly upset and scared, but sometimes extremely tired, uncomfortable and even sometimes in pain.
And so I turn again to writing. Hoping admission leads to healing because I can't wait for the day I walk out of my doctor's exam room and continue straight out the door without stopping at the receptionist's desk to schedule a follow-up appointment.
Until next time,
♥ from Halima
Since my diagnosis, my life has changed. I go to my doctor's office once a month for a treatment which hasn't been proven to do any good, but is considered the best available option for a disorder with an unknown cause. I've changed my diet. I have to limit dairy products, sugar and processed foods. I've had to give up my beloved cognac and am confined to wine and champagne. And I've had to adopt a gluten-free diet. To give you some idea of how frustrating this is: I went to a restaurant two weeks ago and was only able to eat one item one the menu. I ended up eating a basket of fries.
Imagine how frustrating it is to endure the constant eye rolls I get from people who think I'm just another person on a trendy health kick. The embarrassment of trying to explain myself. The sadness I feel when I have to turn down many of the foods I love and replace them with constant supplement popping. Vitamin D, Omega 3, Zinc, the list goes on and on.
I've been coping by continuing with life as normal and doing my best to learn what I can about autoimmune disorders, but all this makes me feel some sort of way. Mostly upset and scared, but sometimes extremely tired, uncomfortable and even sometimes in pain.
And so I turn again to writing. Hoping admission leads to healing because I can't wait for the day I walk out of my doctor's exam room and continue straight out the door without stopping at the receptionist's desk to schedule a follow-up appointment.
Until next time,
♥ from Halima
Tag :
free think
,
Sign of the Times
On New Year's morning, I had a dream I was back at my grandparents' home with my entire family. I was sitting on my cousin's lap when the most unique bird I'd ever seen appeared from nowhere. It was almost completely gray, but its face had an intricate, baby blue, swirl design. Also, its tail feathers were unique in that three segments made up the shape of a fan, but the middle piece was shorter while the two outside sections were taller. This is one of those times when I wish I could draw so I could try to capture and share how beautiful this bird was. Anyway, right when the bird landed in my hand, I woke up.
As you can probably imagine, in looking into the meaning of birds in dreams, I came across many different interpretations. The overarching theme is that they are either the carriers of news or they represent goals and aspirations. In both instances, the intent of the bird is based on its beauty and manner. Because my bird was both beautiful and peaceful, it would imply a good omen. And because it was the first dream of 2014, I'm taking it to mean prayers will be answered in a couple different areas of my life this year.
Here's to a very prosperous New Year.
Tag :
free think
,
Posts
