Mariannes Motifs

Happy New Year

Here's one of those silly meme things for the new year.  Wishing everyone a happy and healthy new year.

What are you looking forward to the most in 2008?
A fresh start, better health.

What are you dreading most in 2008?
Cleaning the house!  LOL.

What do you hope to learn this year?
I need to learn more Windows Active Directory. (work junk)

What are your goals/resolutions?
Work out and eat healthier.

Do you have any travel plans for 2008?
Girls weekend away in March.  Also a family vacation but its not planned yet.

Do you have any significant birthday/anniversary events coming up?
Umm... 40.  Yeah, I said it.

What would be your dream event of 2008?
Adam getting potty trained?  LOL.

Do you plan to see or contact any old friends/family members this year?
So now your saying my family is old?  ;-)  Just kidding.

What do you hope to NOT repeat in 2008 that occurred in 2007?
No Crohns flares.

What do you think will be different about yourself come next NYE?
Who knows?

I took the Internet Quiz

Nothing much to report today.  We are getting replacement windows installed so its a bit crazy.

Layout Share - Snow

Here is a digital scrapbook layout for your viewing pleasure.  Happy Holidays to all.

Everything Kim Hill
http://www.cgessentials.com
Royally Grunged Paper
Lace frame from Love N Marriage
Wrinkled Paper Alpha
Tiny Paper flower
Just staples pack
Glitter Blobs (cgessentials.com Christmas freebie)
glitter frame from Happy Hanukkah kit

What if...

I was watching the episode of "The Practice" where they had a patient diagnosed with crohns disease. No-one believed her symptoms were real, thought she had Munchhausen syndrome, anorexia, etc.

It got me thinking about my own life. I was diagnosed with crohns only in 2006 at 38 years old but I think I may have had the disease for a long time. In my high school and college years I had been diagnosed with depression and chronic fatigue syndrome. I was sent to the psychiatrist when no tests could show what was making me so tired and achey I could not get out of bed. Now - I am not sure that what I had was crohns or only crohns at that time because I did have some other symptoms such as swolen glands which are not a symptom of crohns.  I went through so much emotionally and physically. I always felt like I did not want to complain, and I think my stoicism and mental toughness hid the level of my suffering.

At the time I actually thought I was lazy and overly sensitive.   Now, I realize that I have been functioning on about 1/2 the level of what alot of strong healthy people are at! 

I wonder what if... I was diagnosed at that time when I was in college. I would have had better medications and ways to manage my illness. I would have saved myself alot of self-questioning and emotional turmoil. But at that same time, maybe not knowing and overcoming what I did was good for me in a way. I had to come to realizations about the limits of my own strength, and how sometimes there is no easy answer and you just have to tough through the hard times until things get better.

Well... if you made it this far thanks for reading this. Wishing all of you a happy and healthy holidays and New Year. ::::MWAH:::: kisses!

Photoshop Unsharp Mask Settings

Updated 8/8/08

Some of these are from Scott Kelby's book on Photoshop.  I have gathered them from around the net and wanted to share them all in one place.

Photoshop Unsharp Mask settings

Basic - 125/1/3
Soft Subjects - 150/1/10
Portraits - 75/2/3
Moderate - 225/.5/0
Max - 65/4/3
All Purpose - 85/1/4
Web - (200-400)/.3/0
Defog 1 - 20/60/0
New: Landscape Haze Defog 2 - 35/85/0