The Happiest Place on Earth...

Monday, August 13, 2012

3 weeks ago I went into cardiac arrest for 12 minutes. A somewhat simple surgery turned into the scariest day of my life. I can't even begin to express how grateful I am for my surgeon, the team of doctors + nurses who never gave up, the EMS crew and my loved ones.  Good laaawwd, let's please never do that again, OK?!! Check!

My recovery has been up 'n down. I have decided to make the best of my good days and listen to my body on the more challenging ones. Today was a good one so far - no pain meds needed, left my oxygen tank at home as I enjoyed the reprieve from the humidity, took a drive through Pocantico and then picked up some groceries.

My "True Blue," aka Kristi, is in Denmark right now exploring and embracing Danish inspiration for her work via Silver Trailer. Kristi has traveled her whole life, and I am lucky to have traveled vicariously through her! Thanks to the best thing since sliced bread, we have been texting for free every day using the WhatsApp app. If they changed the name to "Instant Therapy Abroad," I'd say they were spot on. Here is one of my texts to Kris...

"For once I am letting it out, too...a little each day. It's so scary, isolating and even more so when I am in pain. Today was a good day though. Life is definitely challenging us all right now....and I continue to think about Jen and Stacy and how they found strength each day to fight forward. On the bad days, I feel really fragile, like I have no more oomph. On the good days, I want to make the most of it, whether it's making something,  sending a letter or taking a ride and admiring the iconic trees around here - they remind me of my childhood and of you."

Before Kris headed off to Coppenhagen, we joked. Denmark apparently is the happiest place on earth! To Kristi's testament, it truly IS - cuteness galore in everything from their design aesthetic, abundance of bikes + people riding them, and the Danes' love of being social...in person + sans the technology. It sounds dreamy and while Kris has her sad moments, too, we are limiting them while she is in Denmark, so as not to put a kibosh on their claim to fame...HAPPY, HAPPY, and more HAPPY!

Look what Kris put together just for me...this "good day" just got better! Lovin' the small stuff...xo.

Birthday Giftie

Jeannette, Jay, Jay Jay, Pallie, My True Blue, Jay Nay, Sister. These are the names I call my girlfriend since 2 years old, Jeannette Acacia Ho.

 

Jeannette has always been creative, her grade school art was always adorable, mine, not so much. I’ll bet she gets a lot of it from her mom, Margaret "Jing Mei”. Jing was a second mom to me as we were growing up. When my mom worked, Jing would look after me and my two sisters, never mind the fact that she had ten children of her own to think about.

 

Jing taught us Chinese brush painting in the basement along side the air hockey table; (yup, it was a dreamy basement). She showed us how to make wontons and how to care for and dance with puppies. She had stories upon stories to tell us; her mental diary of her life in China. She would often tell us of her dream for all of us to go back to China, and looking back through her stories, I often feel like she took us there even though we never left that kitchen with yellow Formica kitchen table.

 

Jing never judges, she is always feeding whomever walks through that door, no matter how exhausting her day has been. She is ageless and ever so beautiful.

 

She has a laugh you could replay in your head over and over to keep yourself in a good mood. Her generosity is limitless. Her gift giving is always creative and just perfectly thought out for the recipient.

 

I celebrated my birthday on Monday and Jay emailed me this video of Jing that she recorded with her iPad. 

(Bump your volume up for the full Jing effect!)

I’ve looked at it so many times, the way she tilts her head back when she laughs, the way she blinks her eyes. Jay and Jing are my heroes. Jing and Little Jing. They are my heart and soul. They are soulful and silly, nurturing and innocently naughty, thoughtful, and generous to unbelievable depths. I love them as mother and sister. Being on the west coast and Jay and Jing on the east coast, this video closed the distance and warmed my heart for one of the best birthday gifts ever. Thanks, Jay Jay, you always give just the right gifts. 

Mmmmwahhhhh!

~Kristiana

My True Blue

Zzzzzzzzz.....huh...wha...hmm, where am I?  Ohh, hey...yeah, that's right...sooo sorry.  This is a blog.  I nearly forgot.  Perhaps I should refresh my memory...


Here are the results of my research...


A "blog" is defined as;


1. (verb) Add new material to or regularly update a blog (hey wait, I thought you were never supposed to use the word you are defining in the definition)


2. (noun) A personal website on which an individual records opinions, links to other sites, etc. on a regular (oops) basis

A blog is a type of website, usually maintained by an individual with entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in reverse-chronological order (piece of cake...I got this one down pat!)

blogger - a person who keeps and updates a blog (oops again) 


Humphfff (sound it out, please).  Well, now I feel sorta crappy...calling myself a blogger and barely blogging.  I might as well be put up on the wall of shame along side Milli AND Vanilli.

"Girl You Know It's True..."

So, yeah, it's been a looong while, and I'm not gonna lie to you.  There is zero excuse for my lack of blogging. BUT, fear no more...I am here to post...here to post that I WILL be posting again.  What's even more exciting is that I have asked my "oldest" (as in "I've known this chick since we were 2 years old!!!") pallie to guest blog.  Yup, that's right!  To shake things up a bit here at "the small stuff," I've asked my friend, Kristi (AKA Kristiana) to contribute to my blog. The funniest thing about this whole deal is, "How presumptuous and ballsy of me is it to ask my BFF to blog on a nearly dormant blog?!!"  Now that's freakin' FUNNY!!! 

Despite the truth of my "fake blog," it's no surprise to me that Kris has enthusiastically agreed to blog here and share some stuff with us...she is THE REAL DEAL!!!  Kris has been my "true blue" for almost 40 years (HOLY MOLEY..."Moley" - that's a whole 'nother story for another time) and more recently she has become my mentor, too.  Her creativity, passion and love for living are what have cultivated her business, Silver Trailer...she is inspiring, interesting and amazing all in one breath!  Stay tuned for her post and feel free to learn a bit more about my celebrity blogger by visiting Kristi's blog or her website.

Here she is.  I told you she was a beauty!

Peace, my friends and "I'll be back!" (ohh, Arnold)