by Amy | Jun 30, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Living
So I had surgery.
On my back.
I thought I’d tell you a little bit about it.
It started with a late night and early morning. You see, surgery was Thursday…and we had volunteered to host the Wednesday night youth group at our house. So when I got a call from the hospital, telling me that my surgery was booked for 7:10 am, with a 5:45 am show time…I almost threw up. The surgery was in Bismark–nearly 2 hours south of Minot. So we left after youth group, had a short night’s sleep, and arrived bright and early–ready for the knife.
Now, this is the most serious surgery I’ve ever had. And here is something I learned. Everyone wants your pee. Blood too–but mostly pee. I have given so many strangers my pee in a cup I’m starting to lose count. At my initial appointment for back pain they wanted it to be sure the pain wasn’t caused by pregnancy. {Nope.} Then I gave it to them at my pre-op. Then at 5:45 in the morning they needed it again. Just to triple check I’m not pregnant. {Still nope.}
The next thing I learned is that thinking about someone cutting {really cutting, with sharp tools} around your spine is really intimidating. No matter how brave I tried to be, or how much I had been looking forward to this day…sitting in a paper dress with needles in my arms and those gorgeous, blue hospital socks on my feet…my heart was racing and I had that sick-dread feeling running through my veins. The anesthesiologist came in and explained how his job worked. Then asked me if I needed anything for nerves “now.” I turned him down. Then, when the door shut I immediately regretted it.
But soon enough the time had come. I took my contacts out and left them with Derek {like a total idiot I left my glasses on my night stand…in Minot.} Then they carted me back to a very scary hospital-show-worthy OR. It was so bright and white. But I don’t remember much of that. As soon as they kicked the brakes on there was Nurse Barbie {as I referred to her, because she was so stinkin’ pretty and had the cutest glasses–oh how I wish I hadn’t forgotten my glasses–I’d ever seen} to load me up with happy-meds.
After that, I only remember a couple outbursts of obnoxious laughter {from me} while I tried to answer questions that I was sure they knew the answers to themselves. Then, it was the dimness of the recovery room. Two {very blurry} nurses were messing with a machine next to me, terrible pain in my back, and horrific, shooting pains through my right hip. That’s when I remembered what was going on. I moved my feet. Still working. Praise God! I’ve never been so happy to move my feet. In the back of my mind I really thought maybe, just maybe something would go terribly wrong and I’d be paralyzed forever.
I remembered the advice the nurse had given me before I went to the OR, “Remember, when you are all done, they won’t automatically give you more pain medicine. Tell them if you are hurting and they’ll put it through your IV.”
I found some words and strung them together–in what I am sure was not a proper sentence–to tell them I was in pain. What I wanted to say was that I felt like someone had backed over me with a bus, stopped to steal my organs, then drove over me again. But I just said “I hurt.”
While they worked to make me a little more comfortable, I rubbed my eyes…which were covered in sticky, slimy goo. The pros told me that’s from when they taped my eyes closed during surgery. Oh, sure, no big deal…but could I have a towel please? My eyes feel like they’ve been in a scene from Ghost Busters.
Around this time I took inventory on the rest of my body. Outside of the noxious soreness I felt great. No shooting nerve pain down my legs and up my back. Pain that I’d practically forgotten about because it had become so normal was gone. Really gone.
And it hasn’t come back. Eventually that day I was returned to Derek and release to go home. I could even stand up to get dressed. I had an appetite {so we stopped at my favorite pizza place in Bismarck}. The ride home was borderline miserable. But since then I’ve been feeling better and better. Groggy from the pain meds–a little cranky because I’m always so groggy–but better. Sleeping well. Taking it easy. No lifting. No bending. No twisting.
Thanks for all your prayers! I have felt them and so appreciate every single one.
Amy
by Amy | Jun 28, 2014 | Blog, Crafts, The Art of Art, The Art of Design, The Art of Projects
Hey all! Well, let me tell you. Lots of things have transpired since I last posted. In case you missed the last post, it was the BIG, Fat Reading List. Much anticipated…lots of great recommendations from my most trusted readers. If you are looking for something to read this summer {or ever} you should check it out.
So, I had surgery. On the back. But I’ll tell you about that another time.
Tonight, I want to do a little show and tell and plug. Tomorrow is Minot’s Integrity Jazz Festival and I’ll be there. Yes, I know I just had back surgery. But I committed before I knew I was having surgery. And I’ll just be sitting there. Very similar to sitting at home, just with better music. And Derek will be with me. So no worries.
For the last few weeks I’ve been in what I like to refer to as Sweat Shop Mode. That’s where I work all day and all night on products. It happens a lot at Christmas time. Since this is my first ever vendor experience I kicked it into high gear to be sure everything was ready and I wouldn’t have anything left to do to prep post-surgery.
That’s what I’m showing off tonight. Some of the things that will be for sale tomorrow. I’m nervous. I just don’t know how this is going to go. Or if anything will sell. Which would be a giant bummer since printing all these pieces wasn’t exactly cheap. So–if it doesn’t go so hot tomorrow…you’ll soon be seeing these items for sale here at amyallender.com. And then I’ll probably drop the prices and beg you to buy–if only to salvage my self esteem.
But enough chat. I’m nervous even showing you this. What if you hate it? Okay. Here goes.
Stationary sets some are hand drawn. The Practically Canada stuff was digitally designed. And I hope the people I meet tomorrow have a good sense of humor like you guys.
These I designed and drew and colored by hand. Then I digitized them to make them printable. They might be my most favorite of everything I’ve got for sale.
You may have seen book clutches floating around online. They are precious. I love vintage books and had a great time designing these. What I think sets mine apart from the loads of others in the world is that I sought out some really cool vintage books. The covers are lovely…and I left their original charm intact. Some are outfitted to be wallet-ish. Others are made to hold e-readers. But they make great carry-alls for toting items to the pool {sunglasses, phone, card, cash sunscreen}, holding make up, stashing stationary, etc.
You know I love canning things. Usually I make labels for myself…so I thought others might like them too.
I came across these vintage flour sacks at an antique store. They were too adorable NOT to make into market bags.
These might look familiar from another post…but I’m really proud of how these summer themed pieces turned out.
And lastly…I’ll have these adorable journals for sale. I made these from salvaged pages of vintage children’s books. I developed a technique for removing the page text and added my own graphic. Then I bound them into journals and notebooks. On a side note, I’ll also have individual pages with printing on them for sale. They’ll look super cute in a frame or decoupaged onto something else!
Now the plug. If you are in Practically Canada–you should totally come by the Jazz Festival. It’s at MSU in Anne Nicole Nelson Hall. If nothing else, you should just come say “Hi” and remind me that I am a fool for committing to do this just two days after surgery. Wish me luck!
Amy
by Amy | Jun 17, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
It’s senior portrait time! Have you booked your session yet? Do you know a senior that needs amazing photos? You should book with me…or send them to me. I love seniors, and I love creating amazing portraits at a reasonable cost–without silly print packages that require you to pay me for every 4×6 you want to hand out to grandparents or 8×10 you want on your wall. That mind set is outdated. I believe in creating amazing photographs that you can have. HAVE.
There’s just one flat rate. You’ll get your photos, a release to print them, a release to share them online, a custom grad announcement and a Facebook cover collage. It’s just that simple. You can print your photos however you like, wherever you like and share them any way you please.
So call me. Email me. Get in touch.
In the mean time–take a look at 10 reasons why I love shooting senior portraits.
***It should be noted that I love all the sessions I do. Otherwise I wouldn’t do them. I love big families and naked babies and wedding days. So, don’t be offended. But…seniors sure do rock.***
- They’re able to pose on command. And even better…they smile on command.
- Seniors never pee on my props. {At least none of them have yet.}
- They’re parents never ask me to shoot them in the nude.
- We never have to stop mid-session for a snack break.
- I’ve never had a senior poop their pants during a shoot.
- They are able to sit up on their own, and aren’t at risk of falling off of chairs.
- A lot of times they bring their own, cool props.
- They don’t cry when it’s time to change clothes.
- There’s only one person in the photograph–that means only one set of eyes to avoid blinks, one mouth to get smiling, and one body to pose.
- And…the biggest perk: Hanging out with a senior for a few hours always makes me a little more hip. Whether that’s because they explain SnapChat to me, or talk about cool music, or just let me drool over their adorable outfits–I always leave a senior session a little cooler than when we started. {At least, I feel a little cooler.}
by Amy | Jun 13, 2014 | Blog, Devotional
It’s been a while since I’ve given you an update on my back situation. {You can see the beginning of the ordeal here.} So I’ll be quick. I really don’t like to dwell, or complain, or belly ache about my circumstances. I hope you don’t see this post as any of that.
I have a pretty nasty herniated disc. To fix me, I’ll need a quick, minimally invasive surgery.
Now, the doors and windows thing.
The news that there was something seriously upset in my spine was pretty life altering. I thought that I’d be able to go back to, or keep teaching {at least the low impact} classes at the gym. The news of surgery and serious disc issues led to immediate orders that I stop teaching all classes…and the major blow that I will {most likely} never be able to go back to that line of work again.
With time, and rest, and following the doctors orders, in the future I will be able to return to exercising. Just not for a long time. And probably never like I had been.
But God is good all the time. Even in the crummiest, poopiest, poop pile. God is good.
Before the initial injury, I had been praying about what I should be doing. With my life, my time, my talents. See, God made a real grab-bag when He whipped me up. I have a million interests and a skill set that is as diverse as the big box of Crayolas. I was feeling like a change was coming. Like I needed to hone in on a few things. However, in order to do that, I would need to cut something out. So I prayed. I prayed about leaving the fitness game, because somewhere deep inside, I felt like I was using the job title “fitness instructor” as a mask. It was an easy thing to tell people when they asked what my job is, or “what I do…” Easier than telling them I’m a bit of a jack-of-all-trades who loved undertaking giant projects, I work really hard at lots of things but bring home less money than a teenager working the Taco Bell drive through, I kind of do photography, and design, and I write this blog…I volunteer, and really I just do the things that I see need to be done–if I can.
But that title is gone now. And I’m at peace about it. Folks keep asking me how I’m doing with the loss of my fitness career. And, honestly I’m fine. God shut that door. And that’s cool. I asked Him if I should close it and He went ahead and did it for me. But, He is always faithful…and with that direction gone, He was quick to give me other opportunities. Opportunities I didn’t seek out, or even knew existed.
After I got the news that the gym was out of the picture, I started getting calls. One invited me to be an artist as a summer concert series…I’ll be doing visual arts–not musical arts. Nobody panic. Another invited me to be a vendor at our local jazz festival…where I could sell pieces that I’ve made. Another call ended with a freelance writing gig {I love to write.} And another lined up an ongoing commercial multimedia project.
God is so good. And while one door has closed, like the Reverend Mother told Maria as she left the convent, “When the Lord closes a door, somewhere He opens a window.” I’m feeling very blessed…like I better be sure I’m always fully clothed…because God has surrounded me with lots of windows.
Have you had doors close lately? Have you found your windows, or are you still looking? I’d love to hear from you and know how I could pray for you.
xo
Amy
Pssst! The nifty art in this post is some stuff I’ve been working on since I’m not working out. After the initial sales, you’ll find those and items like it for sale right here at the website!
by Amy | Jun 13, 2014 | Blog, The Art of the Moment
Everybody, meet Leah. She’s new here. As in, new to Earth. So be nice.
She was born on May 31st. And she is an addition to a beautiful family. You might recognize them. From Zoe’s Cake Smash, Fall, Christmas, or–most recently–an adorable mommy and me maternity session.
Leah is a pure joy. I’m just so happy she has arrived.
All new born sessions make me giddy. I just love putting a sleepy baby into little spaces and cute little headbands…taking a zillion photos of their perfect fingers, toes and noses. But this session with Leah had a particularly magical moment. You see, I got to be there when Zoe was first allowed to hold her new baby sister.
If you read the post about the mommy and me maternity session, you know this one can be quite a handful…and a challenge to wrangle a smile out of. But when Allison and Scott sat her down on a blanket in the yard and told her she could hold Leah, I’ve never seen her happier. She eagerly raised her hands up, grabbing at the air, eager.
It brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it. Really. This was an artful moment.
What a great looking family.
xo
Amy
by Amy | Jun 11, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
I could go on and on about our Maine vacation. But I’ve put a cap on my ramblings. So today is the last post about our trip. The last portion of our vacation was spent in the highland portion of the state, at Moosehead Lake.
Since we only had 10 days to spend In Maine, we really wanted to see as much as we could. After spending most of our trip near the coast, we wanted to be sure to experience the inland region as well. This area of the state is just about as different from the coast as we could get. There were no coastal villages, no streets jammed with tourists, no sun hats, flip flops or breezy dresses. Quite the contrast actually. The town of Greenville, which sits on Moosehead Lake, is small, quiet and very woodsy. Unusually cold temperatures meant that {yet again} Derek and I were just about the only visitors around.
In the summer Greenville attracts hunters, fishermen, white water rafters and wildlife enthusiasts. The industry is mostly logging, guiding and lodge operation. But for a town that rugged, we were surprised by the aura of Mayberry it held. Everyone knew everyone. Everyone knew we were visiting.
One night we stopped by an ice cream stand {go figure} and two boys walked up behind us. While I was waiting on my cone the younger, probably seven, dressed in his little league uniform, walked up to the window. He leaned on the ledge, barely tall enough to see inside. A teenage girl was working. “Hey there! How’d the game go? Are we celebrating?” she asked him.
“Eh. We lost.”
“Okay, well, do you need something sweet or something salty to make you feel better?”
“Just shoe string potatoes please,” he told her. His older brother, probably 13 got a cone. The conversation continued, and I could still hear them chatting as Derek and I walked back to the car with our ice cream in hand. It’s a cute place, for real.
Of all the places we stayed, our two nights at the Indian Hill motel in Greenville was my absolute favorite. No, it didn’t include Kim’s amazing breakfast. But it was undoubtedly one of the cleanest rooms I’ve ever stayed in, in my whole life. It’s an old motor motel now owned by a young couple. They’ve done a great job restoring it’s 60’s charm, and all the rooms boast panoramic views of the lake. It’s just breathtaking.
{image via}
I had my heart set on seeing a moose. Yes, yes. Moose do live in Practically Canada. But I never see them. I wanted a Maine moose.
To see our moose, we booked a “Moose Safari,” yes, they actually have those, with Northern Outfitters. They actually guarantee that you see a moose. Guaranteed! They have a land option, which means you travel on foot, and a water option, which means you travel by canoe. We went the canoe route, since walking tends to get uncomfortable for me after a while.
Little did I know a moose safari requires such an early start. We were up and at the meeting spot at 5:45am. From there we took a 45 minute drive north via logging roads into the woods. Once to our spot we got out and into the canoes. We were all silent and anxious to spot one of these magical creatures. It was freezing cold, windy, and drizzling. But I didn’t care. I kept my eyes open, ready to spot. We were all silent as we stealthily paddled around.
That silence was only broken by one sound. The ring of my phone. My 7:30 am alarm going off. Boy am I obnoxious. It was in a pocket on the inside of my coat, under my life vest. Well, that was awkward. But we pressed on. Until it happened again–because I had just snoozed it, not turned it off the first time.
After paddling for nearly an hour with no luck, we decided to get back in the van to try to find a moose on land somewhere, which everyone was in favor of, since the icy temps were making everyone a little miserable. Once back in the van we drove and drove and drove. A couple times we were close. Once we even got out to follow fresh tracks…only to find them cut off and into the woods. So close.
When our four hour tour was nearly over, we had canoed, tracked, driven, and learned all the signs of moose habitation. But still, we hadn’t seen a moose. Frustrated, our guide was just starting to tell us what kind of compensation we could get for not seeing a moose on a tour that guaranteed a sighting…when, suddenly I saw one. Like magic. There is was in a stream on the side of the road. Our guide told us it was a yearling. Even though she was young, she was still huge. The way she moved was fascinating. Slow and lumbering. She looked so weird, like a cross between a horse and a camel, covered in the fur of a donkey.
Okay, so mission #1 accomplished. Mission #2–hiking to Maine’s highest point. That one didn’t end up happening. Based on the activities and pain levels of previous days, Derek put the kibosh on a five mile hike uphill. Instead, we took a ferry to Mt. Kineo and walked a much shorter trail to the summit.
{image via}
A little bummed that I could go to the highest point, this was a very good second. Mt Kineo is gorgeous. As a special bonus, getting to the summit also required facing a little fear, which I like to do. The highest point is in the woods, so there is a lookout tower you can climb to see a 360˚view of the region. Now, I don’t mind heights, unless I can see through what I’m standing on. The metal mesh stairs were–in a word–terrifying to me.
In the end, I was glad I climbed up. Even though, one could argue that the overlooks along the way were pretty cool as well.
Our last stop in the highlands was Elephant Mountain, site of a 1963 B-52 crash. Most of you know I tend to like things on the creepy side, and boy, oh boy–this is one of the eeriest places I’ve ever been. The remains of the aircraft have been placed at the crash site as a memorial to those involved and those who lost their lives. It’s so quiet. So surreal.
The next day we got up, ready to head back to Boston to catch an early flight the following day. Originally we planned to drive straight there, not sure what we would do in Boston all afternoon. But…on the way, got talking about states. Which ones we’d been to, which ones we needed to visit. That’s when Vermont came up. We’d never been.
On a whim, in order to mark it off of our list, we decided to add three hours to our drive in order to stop by Cabot Creamery–which hold the award for World’s Best Cheddar. WORLD’S BEST. Why wouldn’t we go?? And Goodrich Maple Farm. I won’t bore you with all the details, but we toured both and I ate 27 different kinds of cheese that day.
I guess, in hindsight, that was our first “yes” of summer. It was a great choice.
Amy
by Amy | Jun 11, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Adventure
After leaving Boothbay we made our way toward Bar Harbor and Acadia National Park. En Route we stopped at…you guessed it–another historic fort. This was my initial reaction upon realizing we were pulling into yet another fort parking lot.
This time we were at Fort Knox. {photo below from Trip Advisor.} According to the visitor’s center, it is supposed to be super haunted. I don’t understand where that idea comes from, because after reading the information I learned that this fort never saw action and only once had people stationed in it.
At Halloween time they hold “Fright at the Fort.” A big haunted house inside the fort after dark. Can you say awesome? Follow the link for info about 2014 dates.
It actually ended up being pretty cool. My favorite of all the forts we stopped at along the road. If you go to Maine and are into this kind of thing, I put my stamp of approval on Fort Knox. It really was cool.
Since I was injured on this trip I was a bit nervous about our time at Acadia National Park. I’ve never done the park thing without being fit to hike at least 10 miles at a time. I wasn’t even sure what people did at parks if they weren’t taking a physically exhausting trek through the wilderness.
Once we arrived, Acadia put my mind instantly at ease. I’ve never been to a more accessible park. There are loads of things that you can do, even if you aren’t fit {or allowed} to trek. We started by driving the Park Loop Road. It’s a beautiful scenic drive with plenty of overlooks and pull offs along the way at some of the parks highlights. Once pulled off the road, the park’s most famous destinations are just a short walk away. Ideal for a gal like me.
The following day we rented bikes in Bar Harbor {for the worry warts out there, biking is still an approved activity.} The cost was reasonable and the route to the park was only two miles. Acadia has an awesome trail system for biking. Once upon a time J.R. Rockefeller Jr. owned a big chunk of the land that is now the park. He installed an intricate system of “carriage roads” to use to tour through the scenic wilderness.
Because the roads were originally designed for horses to climb while pulling loads behind them, the grade is very consistent, with only slight gradual hills. It’s totally doable, even if you don’t consider yourself a biker. They are also perfect for families toting little ones along. We saw lots of kiddos strapped on booster seats, riding in pull-along buggies, or on a carrier. The roads are clearly marked and travel along some amazing parts of the park. Without the carriage roads there is no way I could have seen this much of Acadia, simply because my back won’t let me do much hiking these days.
After looping through the park, we headed back to Bar Harbor in time for low tide. Since the water was out, it was the perfect time to travel across to Bar Island, via a large, rocky sand bar that becomes exposed when the tide goes out. Most people walk. We rode. I don’t recommend biking across. Yes, it saved us some time, but the sand is deep and the rocks make it a tricky jaunt. Just walk.
Cars are allowed to try to cross over at their own risk. Definitely don’t do that. On our way back we saw a car stuck in the sand up to its front bumper.
After returning our bikes we decided I needed a good, long sit down. So we got in the car and drove around Mount Desert Island. We made our way down to Bass Harbor to see the iconic lighthouse. And boy was it worth the drive. Just seeing the “cottages” that rival Grayson manor along the shore was enough to make it worth the trip. But sitting on the rocks while waves crashed at our feet, one of Maine’s most iconic lighthouses at stage right–it really was magical.
I’ll leave you with some Bar Harbor-ish tips. Things we did {and might do differently} if we were to try again:
1. Don’t stay in Bar Harbor. We stayed in Trenton and saved a bundle. Even if you have your heart set on lodging on Mount Desert Island, there are plenty of places to stay at that aren’t in Bar Harbor. Save your money and spend it on lobster.
2. Stay up late and see ImprovAcadia. The setting is intimate and the talent is wonderful. Just don’t get a milkshake beforehand and think you can take it in. You’ll be asked to finish it on the patio…
3. Go to the Rock and Art Shop in Bar Harbor. Out of all the cute shops in all the cute towns we went to, this was my absolute favorite.
4. Eat at the Side Street Cafe and the Thirsty Whale. It’s where the locals dish and there is a good reason for it. Both are amazing.
5. Going early in the season was great for beating crowds, but bad for taking advantage of all the park had to offer. Some major features–like the free shuttle service and Jordan Pond House were closed and didn’t start up until June.
6. I mentioned this before, but walk–don’t bike or drive–to Bar Island.
7. Get some coffee from Coffee Hound.
8. Plan your day from Agamont Park and take advantage of their free Wi-Fi while you watch boats in the harbor.
9. Take a little down time to walk the shore path. It’s an easy stroll and there are some amazing historic homes to gawk at–oh yeah, and coastal views too. Just make sure you find a bathroom first, especially if you chugged down a Coffee Hound drink before embarking on the journey. There is no where to go and you are always in sight of homes…so it might {hypothetically, obviously} be a very uncomfortable last quarter mile.
10. Figure out the tide schedule and get to Thunder Hole at the right moment. We tried twice, but missed out. I hear if you get there at the right tide stage it is awesome. {Image below is from AcadiaMagic.com–since we were never there when the waves were doing this…}
by Amy | Jun 9, 2014 | Blog, The Art of Adventure, The Art of Living
The response my sister sent me in a text took me by surprise. I’d done something on a bit of a whim. It was a shot in the dark, but I thought I’d text her to ask if she’d like to join in. Now, joining would require a 6 hour drive that would need to commence in about 8 hours from the time of the text. But I thought I’d ask.
So, as I said, I was surprised by the response.
YES.
I sent the text from a booth in the Twin City Grill {eating the best mac ‘n’ cheese you’ll ever taste} inside the Mall of America.
Katie and I were on our way to one of my all time favorite places in the whole-wide-world: Noah’s Ark Water Park. You may remember that we went there last year too. Photo via Noah’s Ark’s FB page.
After much debate on when we should go, if the weather would be warm enough and how we should split the drive, we decided at the last moment, just to go ahead and make the drive. Over dinner, it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe Erin could join us. After all, school is out and kindergarten is over for the summer. So I asked.
YES.
Let me tell you. We had the best time. The weather threatened rain, but held off until three. The cloudy weather and being so early in the season, meant the crowds were slim. In our four hours at the park together we did all the slides. And our favorites more than once. Noah’s Ark really rocks in a major way. Let’s just say it is well worth the 12 hour drive from Practically Canada.
When I told Erin I was really shocked she decided to come so last minute she informed me that this is her “Summer of Yes.”
I like that idea.
Saying “yes” this summer. To fun, and new and exciting, and spontaneous. Saying it as much as you can. I like it and I’m going to try it.
That night we stayed in an adorable motor lodge near the Wisconsin Dells called the WilloWood Inn. It’s decked to the nines in 60’s nostalgia and home to a couple of adorable cats. {One just happens to be a bit…big boned.}
The next morning Katie and I took a walk while Erin slept a bit. We grabbed some coffee and split company. Twelve hours and a Culver’s stop later I was back in Minot. One “yes” of summer down. It was a long drive, a short trip and an amazing time.
So worth it.
Amy
