Just Relax

So... last night, we got a surprise storm!!  I went to go and grab my camera and video camera, and then I just decided to go outside and enjoy the storm.

I can't explain how nice it was just to stand outside and feel the wind and the rain like I used to.  I have become so focused on documenting every storm that I encounter that I forgot that feeling.  This is what I love about the weather!  The way the wind and air feels just before a storm hits.  The clouds rolling in....  It's so easy to forget to notice the beauty around you sometimes.

I hope everyone has a great weekend!

Happiness!!!

Yesterday, we received a miracle!!!  My father went back for the results of his biopsy and NO CANCER!!!  I was in a terrible mood all day!  I just knew it was going to be bad news, but all is well with my dad!

As far as the terrible blood work goes, the doctor could not explain it.  He is going to do a full body scan just to be on the safe side, but, thanks be to God, my dad is going to be fine!!!

Now... I'm waiting for a stormy weekend!  :D

STORMS! :D

So... I had two amazing storms last Thursday and Friday!  The storm on Thursday brought gusty winds, heavy rain, and just an overall good time!  Friday's storms were a bit different!!

As I left work on Friday, I had no camera, video or otherwise.  The wind was picking up and the lightning was insane.  I was upset about not having my camera.  There was some amazingly fun scud and oh.. the lightning!  I might have actually been able to capture this lightning since it was so frequent!

The wind and rain finally caught up to me, and I could not see a thing!!!  I had to turn around in the battlefield, because of some street flooding.  I'm glad I saw that truck turn around, because I probably would have ran right into it, since the heavy rain was completely blinding me!

I arrived home to find the power was out!  The house had already started getting sticky and humid!!!  Luckily, it was only out about an hour.

Thursday's storms I managed to document in 3 parts! 

See www.youtube.com/jcpalmer1976 for the videos! 

Have a good Monday!

Stuff Going On Right Now...

Well, this summer has taken a turn for the worse.  We found out a couple of weeks ago there was a good chance my dad's thyroid cancer had come back.  Then, last week, it was confirmed that dad had a tumor on the right lymph node in his neck.  Now, Thursday, dad goes in for the official biopsy to see for certain.  Sigh...  I really hate cancer. 

Other than that.. I really have had an amazing summer.  So many good things have happened.  :)  I'm trying to focus on the positive now, because that's the only way I personally can cope.

I can't say enough about what amazing friends and family I have.  They are always there for me when I need them, and I'm always reminded that they are much better friends to me than I am to them.  That is going to change. 

Hope everyone has had a great summer!!

Neglected!

Wow!  I have completely neglected my little blog lately!  What's worse is that school starts in about a month, and I'll be back to being so busy I can't see straight.

One of the things I've been thinking hard about lately is the possibility of chasecation next spring.  I will probably only have a very small window of opportunity for chasing, but, if I can afford it, I'm going to do it.  The only way for me to see a tornado is to head to the plains.  So, I've done a lot of math lately trying to figure out if I can swing it.  The hubby is not particularly thrilled with the idea of chasecation, so I'm actively looking for people to either go with me for a bit of the trip or the whole trip.  I would like to find people who have MORE chasing experience to go with me for a chase or two while we are out there.

But.. first things first.. I have to budget for this.  So, I've cut myself off on unnecessary purchases and I'm saving my pennies.  I will be in the Plains for a week next spring!!  Wait and see!  :)

The 4th of July! A Celebration of Life

Yesterday was an amazing day. 2009 was a pretty terrible year for my family. In May of 2009, my sister was diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer (that's really bad), and the prognosis was grim. There were lots of scary times. By the time my sister finished chemo and radiation, she was very weak and sick. She was hospitalized soon after due to an allergic reaction from the chemo. Then, not long after, she made the difficult decision to have her colon and most of her large intestine removed to prevent the cancer from coming back. That surgery was long and difficult and the recovery was hard. But she made it through! And she's doing great now!

Not long after my sister's recovery, my uncle (my mom's brother) was hospitalized with complications from pneumonia. He also contracted MRSA from the hospital. That combined with Rheumatoid Arthritis and many many heart problems caused his health to spiral downward rapidly. There was one very late night that I sat at the hospital with my mom, when we were certain that my uncle was not going to make it through the night. My aunt said "Just wait! Next year at our 4th of July party, we'll be laughing and celebrating the fact that both (my uncle) and (my sister) survived 2009!"

Well, guess what?? Yesterday, we had our annual lake party in Spring City, TN! And guess what else??? We celebrated our two survivors!!! It was a very happy and emotional day for us all!

And I am so thankful everyday that my sister AND my uncle are still here with me! That is what I'm thinking about this July 4th!

Happy 4th of July everyone!

Favorite Band Almost EVER!!

So last night, we made the trek down to Atlanta to see one of my favorite bands, The New Pornographers.  Let me just say that was one of the most amazing live shows I have ever been to!!!  And I've been to a LOT!  They played a great variety of songs from all of their albums.  The end of the set was The Bleeding Heart Show, which gave me chill bumps and nearly moved me to tears.

I don't think there is anything better than amazing music.  :)