4th in Tennessee

Sorry no photos of our Fourth. I thought maybe we'd have some of Mariah, because Mike was experimenting with Taryn's 35mm camera, but they didn't turn out. I think the camera is a lemon. They can't seem to get a good photo out of it. Mike is trying alternating the auto focus with manual focus with Mariah as his model again to see what happens. I think Taryn will be getting a new camera. Just hope this one is still in warranty.

I did my physical therapy exercises. Mike stood and watched and made fun of me. He also noted that I was not nearly as diligent last time around and wondered why. Well, the last one hurt alot more, and it IS my right arm, so there's a little more incentive to get full use back. Plus, I realized two things: 1) my left arm still hurts and is only about 50% as strong as it used to be and 2) with my left shoulder I was unable to return to the gym for weights or yoga until May and by then I was scheduled for surgery in June and didn't want to get started just to have to stop again. Yoga hurts that first month! But NOW...I think I am ready to try yoga on Monday! Besides being a better physical therapy patient, another thing I did different was taking homeopathic for nerve rejuvenation after surgery. A whole bottle of it. When I ran out and stopped taking it the rapid improvement stopped, so I just bought some more on Thursday. Every morning I wake up with a very stiff and sore shoulder, but this recovery is so much better than the first time.

We had a nice time with our friends over for bbq. We had Western Griller steaks. I googled them for a recipe and found out they are incredibly low in both calorie and fat! Yay! I was able to stay in my calorie goal for the day, but unable to take the walk I had planned on to get my double exercise points due to a tummy ache. I was going to go to the HOA party at the pool and try swimming with Mariah. Mariah and Mike went without me. Poor Mike didn't get an umbrella and got tanned. Luckily the tummy problem went away before dinner. Mariah was happy to finally have friends to play with, the cats went into hiding, and the adults had a nice rousing game of Phase 10. And yes, there was some friendly competition! But it wasn't all-out. Maybe next time. And Mike, he sat all the way on the other side of the table! He said something about wanting to see the action unfold...as Indy would say, what-ev.

We all went to our church lawn to watch fireworks. It's a great viewing location. All the kids and many adults were running around wearing glow stick bracelets and necklaces. On their ankles, wrists, around their necks, even as hats. Enterprising young folk string them together to make hula hoops and frisbees and play glow in the dark games with them. I love it!!!! You know why? We started it all!!! Here's how it happened: The first year we came for fireworks, our kids were running around in the dark and I couldn't tell where they were, which ones were mine, and the Californian in me just shuddered at the danger of it all. The tic in my eye was rampaging, I tell ya. The next year, I hit upon an amazing idea and brought glow sticks for my kids, the kind that you can wear around your neck. It was so great! I could totally tell which kids were mine in half a second flat and all the kids gathered around them and they made up games to play with the glowsticks. We gave all my extras away, babies were enthralled, hearts were gladdened and parents far & wide jumped on the glow stick bandwagon. The next year, I reminded everyone I knew to bring their glow sticks. The 4th year, I found the best invention that ever hit the glow stick market: battery operated glow sticks in 4 different colors!! I'm pretty sure it was year 4 when the scout leader decided to sell glow stick bracelets and necklaces for a troop fundraiser. Previously they tried candy and parents have too much resistance to children begging for sugar, but they have almost none at all to those big eyes begging for a glow stick. And now it's tradition in these here parts!! Musta been a hundred glow sticks flying around. Now you can say you knew me when. And, to keep my personal tradition alive, I still give some away...little Amy Mei whose mean mommy said NO when she wanted to keep one of our wonderful glow sticks, had big brown tear filled eyes and yea, she was crying up a storm, but it had been a long day, and after a hug from Aunt Chrissie, she stopped crying and went home with a green battery operated glow stick!