Dana Thomsen

My Geek Out

                Fixer Upper is my geek out.  I love watching the show to see how they can take a home and totally transform it.  The best part for me is I get ideas from how Joanna decorates the house.  I get ideas from her for my house. 

                Joanna has a store in Waco, TX. Called Magnolia Market.  Joanna sells items she uses in her designs on the show and sells them in her store.  But, I am on a budget and I like finding the same things or similar things for a cheaper price.  My daughter wanted a half wind mill and they are charging upward to $100.00 and we found on at Hobby Lobby, regular price was $49.99 and we got it on sale for 50% off.  For me that is the best part is looking for items at a cheaper price.  When I find a design, I like I print the picture out whether it is from her show or somewhere else on the internet I have the design I am wanting to do.  I call this my inspiration room.

                So, the hunt begins.  I go to Hobby Lobby, Michaels, Target, and the Dollar Stores.  You would be surprised what you can find at the Dollar Stores for decorations.  Once you start purchasing your items store them until you can get all the pieces.  Then, once you have them all put your room design together.  Sometimes when you are working on a budget it might take you a while to get all your pieces together.  I have one wall I have been working on for about two months, but I am having a tough time finding some of the pieces I am looking for. 

                But, in the end it all comes together.  If you are not into the farmhouse look, then you can go on several different websites to find your inspiration room.  One of my other favorite places to look is Pinterest.   Happy decorating.

Dana Thomsen

Blog #6

How Cancer can affect you

      Cancer and how it effects people’s life. It’s funny how you think you have your whole life ahead of you and you don’t. Paul finds this out as he is nearing the end of his residency. When he found out he had cancer their whole world.  Turned upside down. In the coming months, he goes through treatments, and they have a child. He spends time writing a book and time with his family. Then he passes. Kalanithi’s, then must figure out how to go on. After she reads a book “A Grief Observed” by C.S. Lewis. Then she finds out that “bereavement is not the truncation of married love but one of its regular phases.” She then learned how to breath. She is living for her and their daughter. They go to the place where Paul lays and Kalanithi lays with Paul and their daughter plays in the flowers. They are still living a life together, but apart. Kalanithi is even taking friend with her and they are having a beer with Paul and watching the sun set.

      I have realized that there is life after death in some ways. You may not see that special person every day, but they are still in your heart. I can understand how she feels, because I have lost someone and wish everyday they were still here.

     

      Kalanithi’s strong voice is worth listen to. I would have never looked at death like she does. I am glad she has written the article “My Marriage Didn’t End When I Became a Widow.” This was an awesome article on how you can look at death in a different way.  Hopefully it will ease the hurt of losing someone. I am glad Mr. Stills assigned us these two articles to read.

April the Giraffe

Blog #5

April the Giraffe

              I have been watching April the Giraffe, she is at Animal Adventure Park in Harpursville, NY.  April is pregnant and waiting to have her calf.  Giraffe are a unique animal - they are not like humans and carry a baby for nine months - they can carry a baby for 15 months. April is 15 and this will be her 4th calf.  They are also not considered to be in labor when the contractions start it's when you see the hoof has come out.  They hide their labor so when they are in the wild the predator won't attack them or their baby.  Once the calve is born it will wean itself off which normally take 6-10 months.  After it weans itself it will be sent to a different facility to start a breeding  program there. The calf cannot stay at Animal Adventure Park, as it would lead to incestuous mating and undermine the genetics of the program and species.

             Animal Adventure Park has an awesome team taking care of April, they give updates on her twice a day on her progress.  The caregivers say she loves to give kisses and she is a happy Giraffe.  There are thousands and thousands of people watching and waiting on the calf to arrive.  The park will have a place to where you can give different names for the calve and they will choose one from there, but that will not go up till after she has the calve.  It's funny how one Giraffe can have so many people watching and waiting, some people have the live feed up all day and night long just watching and waiting.  I check on her three times a day.  Watching her is better than reading all the negative stuff about what's going on in this world.  April is something happy.

            If you want to check it out you can go to Animal Adventure Park on Facebook and you can see the live stream and check the updates on her.  I have been watching for a week already.