pretty photo of the day

the windy (and cold, and rainy) city

We just got back from a quick weekend trip to Chicago for our 10-year wedding anniversary.

I know. I can’t believe it, either.

We had a blast. Ate way-too-expensive anniversary dinner, saw the best concert ever, rode the underground train thingee, saw pretty things, ate a great meal here, wondered about this place, bought a ring here, and slept here.

It was incredible and I wanna go back.

Even though it rained almost the entire time we were there. And it was VERY cold.

Great, great time. Can’t wait to go back.

play

your hands

It’s been a difficult week. A difficult few weeks, actually.

I hate it when things get hard. And it’s been harder than usual. It’s been so bad that my fingers tingle and the sadness in my heart overwhelms my every cell. Every breath. My entire being.

That’s how it’s been. But it’s getting better. I hope.

Sometimes when I need to be knee-deep in work, writing a story, making a schedule, creating a to-do list, my mind wanders to you. To your health. I wonder what went wrong. When it went wrong. Why you wouldn’t get help. Why you didn’t care enough to take care of yourself.

Sometimes I think of your hands. They’re tan. The veins are large. The nails have a slight curve. You don’t wear polish and rarely wear jewelry. I don’t know why I think of your hands. I just do.

When you called, your words were simple. “I’m going to tell you because you always say I never tell you anything. I had a stroke.”

I remember my mind going in a million directions. You were talking to me. Telling me this. So surely you were fine. Right? But stroke? Stroke?! How could you be fine? You can’t be fine. It’s STROKE.

Then I remembered. It all came flooding back to me. You have no insurance.

YOU. HAVE. NO. INSURANCE.

You paid your dues. You’ve paid your dues all your damn life. It’s always been so hard. Why does it have to be so hard? Why does my heart hurt so much thinking of how hard it’s been? It shouldn’t be so hard. WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE SO HARD?

You paid your dues. You had insurance. Till he was laid off. That was only a short few months ago. YOU HAD INSURANCE.

Now you don’t.

Now you’ve had a stroke.

Somehow we talked you into going to the emergency room. But it’s been more than a week since it happened. You haven’t seen a real doctor for probably 30 years. I’m scared. We’re all scared.

I get word that you’re having tests. Then I get word that the hospital turned you away because you don’t have a doctor you currently see. Do they not get it? You’re not only deathly afraid of doctors and hospitals, but you have no insurance. Is this not a clue that you might not actively be seeing a doctor? And how the hell do they turn someone away who is walking around having had a stroke and who has a blood pressure reading of about 200 over 100-plus?

A few days pass. You’ve seen a doctor … you finally have medication. More tests are scheduled.

I finally have the courage and a bit of a clear head to write this. But I’m still freaking out. I’m wringing my hands. I’m biting my lip. I’m trying everything in my power not to fall apart. To lose it. To crumble into a million pieces.

I can’t keep my hands from tingling. Which just reminds me of your hands.

I can’t stop thinking of your hands.

a visit with Tut

An out-of-the-blue invitation arrived in my e-mail a couple weeks ago, tempting me to venture out to The Children’s Museum of Indianapolis.

Now this doesn’t sound like a “dangerous” trip, I know. But for those of you who have read or heard about a past trip to the museum, you know just how dangerous, or should I say nerve-wracking,  it has been for our family.

But that was then. This is now. And now, King Tut is in the Circle City … using his mystical power to seduce the Jacksons out of their sick house (I’ve been sick for a week now and haven’t left the house much at all. I need out!).

I’m glad we answered the call.

I saw a King Tut exhibit in 2006 in Chicago, when I was about 20 months pregnant with Little Man. I was fatter than a mosquito after a nice, long, warm drink. I was waddling and sweaty and thrilled to be in, what’s it called, Chi-town, for the exhibit. However, about a million OTHER people were thrilled to be there as well. IT WAS SO HOT and PACKED in that museum. It was a disgusting display of elbowing fanatics with a hint of rancid body odors. I can’t tell you what I saw and what I didn’t. I do remember baby mummies, though, which was disturbing to a mama-to-be. Totally nasty.

Anyway, back to Indy.

We were lucky on this trip to the Indy Children’s Museum–we were going toward the end of the day. I waited for the kids to get home from school and we headed downtown around 4:45. The museum closes at 6:30, so it was pushing it to go this late. But we were so lucky and thrilled. We practically had the place to ourselves. It was incredible.

The kids (ages 6 and 8, for those not following along), were spellbound. I don’t know if Tut cast some sort of ancient crazy spell on us all or what, but I haven’t seen these kids so attentive and interested in anything in a very long time. They wanted to read every single description. They wanted to know what every ancient piece was made of (gold was their favorite, and the limestone toilet seat left one of them asking, “Was that made with Indiana limestone?” Funny.) I was just as enthralled. It is so incredibly difficult to look at these pieces and the photos taken by explorer Howard Carter upon their discovery and not think, “How in the world did these people carve these things? Make these things? And how did it all stay intact this long?” Especially the bed. How in the world is that bed still in one piece? It’s beyond words. You must see for yourself to believe it.

As a photo buff, I was sad to not use my camera in the exhibit. I knew going in that I couldn’t. It’s so hard to hold back. But I played by the rules. Promise. But don’t think I didn’t really WANT to sneak a few shots.

I did, however, get the chance to use a few photos taken by Sandro Vannini and provided by National Geographic, organizer of the Tutankhamun: The Golden King and the Great Pharaohs exhibit. How ya like these?? 

Tutankhamun Canopic Coffinette, which held Tut’s stomach after his death.

This canopic stopper is in the form of Tut’s head. It originally was a lid on a container with four hollowed out sections that held Tut’s organs.

The kids LOVED these. These are Tut’s golden sandals, and were on Tut’s feet when Carter unwrapped the mummy.

So those are the pro photos. Here are a few fun shots I shot around the museum.

The boys LOVED the real starfighter from Star Wars … wanted to jump off the balcony and get inside. I didn’t let them.

Tut may have been handsome, but he was never this adorable.

If you wanna check out the Tut exhibit, you better act quickly. Tut is wrapping up his Indy tour October 25 and, I believe, heading to Canada. Take my word for it … if you’ve got kids, they’re gonna love it. And you will, too!!