Moments of Wonderful

…rather than a lifetime of nothing special. A blog about diabetes and other moments.

...rather than a lifetime of nothing special. A blog about diabetes and other moments.

Category Archives: friends

Not Strangers – Friends I Haven’t Met Yet

I have been blogging for almost six years, and it is still a little strange to me that I have a community of friends who live not only all over the United States but all over the world.

It has been my great privilege to be able to meet many of the people of the diabetes online community in person. Any of the blog listed in the sidebar to the right that has a star next to it means that I have met the blogger in person. I don’t get the opportunity to travel too much for my job, but when I do, I am sure to see if I “know” anywhere near by.

Since I know most people who visit this page also visit Kim, Kerri, Jess, George, Scott, and Meri (for example), I thought I would share instead about some people who write about diabetes who I’ve met in person who you might not visit regularly. In no particular order -

  • Brian – read this blog if you don’t need appropriate capitalization, paragraphs, or links to references stories he mentions in his blog. You will be confused, you might laugh.
  • Molly and Dixie – Molly was part of my first ever diabetes meet-up. Dixie is her diabetes alert dog and they are an awesome pair. She needs to write more!
  • Jeff – Jeff wears the best diabetes themed t-shirts and posts some amazing photography on his blog. I think he also thinks he is some sort of triathlete.
  • Katie – I met Katie at George’s JDRF walk celebrating living 25 years with diabetes. Katie had lived less than a year with diabetes at that point and I cannot even imagine finding the knowledge and support of the diabetes online community so early in my life with diabetes. She is a rock star, and even Sam Talbot thinks so.
  • Betizuka – Bea may have a Cranky Pancreas but she has a sweet heart. In a bathroom conversation (yes, women really do that!) at a summit we both attended we had a great talk about people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes learning as much as we can about the other type so we can successfully advocate for each other – a lesson that has really stuck with me!

d365 - March 10, 2012 - day 70The Minnesota meetupJeff is cray crayIMG_4342

(The next time I see Bea, I need to correct the fact that we don’t have a picture together!)

Finding blogs and blog posts that other people in the diabetes community might not be reading but probably should is the whole reason behind the Best of the ‘Betes Blogs. I read a lot of blogs outside of the diabetes community as well and happened upon another community that was doing something similar.

Any time you see a great blog post – this week especially – that fits into one of the following categories:

Best Use of Humor
Best Vlog
Best Recipe
Best Use of Photography
Best Advocacy
Best Reference to a D-Celebrity
Best Story of a D Meet-up
Best non-D Related Post
Best Post by a Type 1
Best Post by a Type 2
Best Post by a Type Awesome
Best Post by a LADA/ Type 1.5/ Not otherwise specified
Best story of a D-mistake
Best Motivational Post
Best Diabetes Art

please send a link by e-mail or direct message to Best of the ‘Betes Blogs so we can continue to celebrate the best.

Send links to your favorite posts one at a time, send them as a group. Just be sure to send them!

Help us all extend the diabetes community wider so we can continue to support and encourage every member of our community.

#bestbetesblogs

All I wanna do

This post is brought to you by the free internet at the Holiday Inn down the street from the airport. I tried to head back to Florida Sunday morning and my flight was so delayed that I would have missed my connection. They could not find another way to route me to the Sunshine state so vouchers-in-hand I spent an extra day in LA.

I have a lot to share about my time at the Medtronic Diabetes Advocates Forum and our related shenanigans but I don’t have the brain power at this moment.

I was able to put together a video from the demonstration of the new mySentry device. Well, I may have had hotel internet but I didn’t have the 12 hours required to upload the video on their sllloooowww internet. Stay tuned for the video tomorrow (hopefully).

More about pictures like these once I get home and get some real food, sleep, and clean clothes.

Lenny stole Scott's seat for the presentationSprinkles ATMso pretty!Diabetes Sisters

(p.s. The title of this post comes from the fact that I COULD NOT say the address of the Sprinkles cupcake shop without thinking of a certain Sheryl Crow song)

A spoonful of sugar… and beyond

The last time I was in the Magic Kingdom was the day before the official beginning of the Friends for Life conference. It was the first time I met Kim, Martin, Jess, Jacquie, Brian, C, and a bunch of other people with with diabetes. In that respect, it was a great day. Diabetes-wise, not as much fun. Heat, humidity, lots of walking, questionable food decisions, and there was more that one type of roller coaster going on that day. I’m not even going to mention the 30 or so minutes that Kim and I spent sitting on a bench trying not to revisit lunch.

Brian was in town this weekend so I made a return trip to the happiest place on earth. Thankfully our day in the park turned out significantly better. Other than a slight low from waiting too long for lunch, I stayed in range all day. I mean, my numbers were so good that I double-checked with the meter just to make sure it wasn’t an error.

I guess you really can do Disney with Diabetes (hat tip: Bennet).

We pray

Please, please pray for my friends the Schuhmacher family this weekend. Clicking on the picture above will take you to the Facebook group to keep updated on ways to love and support the family. On Sunday, we are storming the gates of heaven with prayer and fasting for Ryan, Meri, and her sweet boys. Please join us. They are fighting a tough battle and we are eagerly awaiting our miracle.

I love and hate this song. I love reading and listening to the words because they are true. I hate them because they are true – and I wish they weren’t.

“Blessings” – Laura Story

We pray for blessings, we pray for peace
Comfort for family, protection while we sleep
We pray for healing, for prosperity
We pray for Your mighty hand to ease our suffering
And all the while, You hear each spoken need
Yet love us way too much to give us lesser things

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

We pray for wisdom, Your voice to hear
And we cry in anger when we cannot feel you near
We doubt your goodness, we doubt your love
As if each promise from Your Word is not enough
And all the while, You hear each desperate plea
And long that we’d have faith to believe

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

When friends betray us
When darkness seems to win, we know
That pain reminds this hearts,
That this is not, this is not our home…..
It’s not our home

Cause what if Your blessings come through raindrops
What if Your healing comes through tears
What if a thousand sleepless nights are what it takes to know You’re near
What if trials of this life are Your mercies in disguise?

What if my greatest disappointments,
Or the aching of this life,
Is the revealing of a greater thirst this world can’t satisfy.
What if trials of this life,
The rain, the storms, the hardest nights
Are your mercies in disguise?

Tuesday

Thank you for all the birthday wishes yesterday. I had a great day and it was fun to see all the notifications rolling in.

The “party” started this weekend as some friends and I drove across the state for some chocolate and shopping. As someone said to me today when I described my plans – “road trips are fun no matter how old you are.”

I found out yesterday that two fabulous members of the diabetes community were in the area so I figured there is no better way to celebrate my birthday than dinner with friends. Ginger and I go wayyy back but this was the first time meeting Mike. He is just as funny (and nice) and he seems online (no lie! *blog title pun*). I’m excited to add another asterisk to the blogroll on the right (the asterisk means I’ve met the person IRL – love a good meet-up!)

We may have gotten lost 300 times but we managed to have a ton of fun in the meantime. Thanks for making my birthday feel special guys!

Also, I feel like the gifts I received at work today are trying to tell me something, I just can’t figure out what.

Now that was yesterday, today is… Tuesday.

But seriously, a few weeks ago I was asked to write an opinion column for a student newspaper about being single on Valentine’s Day. I guess they feel like I’ve had a lot of practice. I opened the paper this morning to see if they printed what I wrote. When I turned to the page a friend commented, “hey, isn’t that one of your pictures from Haiti?” The pose looked very familiar.

Let’s just say the artist was inspired by the original picture when she drew her cartoon. As funny (and slightly inappropriate) as the comparison is, the edited version actually fits well with a joke I made in the article and I think it’s pretty funny (everyone was apparently worried I’d be mad). Here’s what I wrote in case you are single today too.

The day before Valentine’s Day is my birthday. The day after Valentine’s Day is February 15. By telling you that, I’m not trying to be the next Rebecca Black. My point is that Valentine’s Day is a day just like any other.

While most of you were trading cartoon-themed Valentine’s cards in elementary school, I was in my freshman year of college at a Christian university in southern California not unlike [current school name]. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to be when I “grew up,” and I certainly had no idea that I would still be spending my days on a college campus over 10 years later. I was sure that I had the same expectations as most girls at Christian colleges: I expected that I would meet someone special – a guy that loves Jesus just slightly more than he loves me. We would get engaged during our senior year and get married shortly after graduation. Ring by Spring, right?

Well, that obviously didn’t happen for me. If you consider the math, it isn’t going to happen for a lot of college students because there are not enough guys for every girl to get a ring. I graduated college, was a bridesmaid in a ton of weddings, finished graduate school, and moved across the country with my two cats. Insert crazy cat lady joke here.

If you are single this Valentine’s Day, consider the fact that most of your friends are single too. Have fun with it. Go get dinner together, rent a cheesy romantic comedy, go bowling, wander around [nearby shopping location], or do nothing at all. After all, it is just a day like any other.

More importantly, take some time to figure out who you are. Know what you like and don’t like. Know what God is calling you to do with your life. Figure out your mission and your purpose. Trust that if God has given you hopes and desires for your life, He will fulfill those desires as you follow him.

Don’t let an overly commercialized holiday mess with your emotions. If you want to spend the day focusing on love, focus on the friends and family in your life who you love and who love you in return.

P.S. If you are in a relationship this Valentine’s Day and you feel like posting a status about how “blessed” you are by God because of your amazing boyfriend, consider the fact that your single friends may also feel blessed by where they are in their lives too.

Happy Tuesday everyone!

These are my friends

As I was packing for this trip and looking for a ride to the airport, quite a few people questioned why I would fly to Kansas in the middle of winter when I could enjoy the beautiful weather in South Florida.

The answer is quite simple. I wanted to see my friends.

squee... is cold
Babs and Bob photo bomb
breakfast buddies
fine fabulous freezing Floridians
love these girls!

You know those times when you laugh so hard that your stomach hurts and you can’t stop crying? This weekend, those times looks something like this.






I can’t think of a better way to celebrate the past nine years of struggles and triumphs living with diabetes.

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Wow! I can’t believe all the comments on my post for the Stick Me Designs Deluxe clutch giveaway! It just shows how amazing her products are and how great they are for the diabetes community.

I put the comments into the random number generator, and Julie L. is the lucky winner. Please click on the envelope at the top right hand side of the page to e-mail me your shipping address and I will send the clutch on its way!

Zing!

First of all, I hope your weather has been as good as mine this winter. Otherwise, please just enjoy this picture.
d365 - January 21, 2012 - day 21

Secondly, I had the best “dinner” a few nights ago. I was practicing for my award-winning lip sync performance through dinner, so I was desperate for food later that night.

There is a chain called Miller’s Ale House that claims to have world famous zingers. Well, the plate platter below had my zingers on it. I forgot to take the before picture, but I will next time – and there will be a next time.

As you may be able to see from the picture, my Zinger Mountain Melt was a platter of breaded boneless chicken wings, “piled over crispy fries and smothered with melted jack & cheddar cheeses, and bacon bits.” I picked honey mustard flavored chicken wings and asked for a side of honey mustard.

I had a horrible DexCom graph the rest of the night and I woke up ready to drink gallons of water but it was all completely worth it.

d365 - January 22, 2012 - day 22

Stories to tell

I wish I could describe this weekend in a way that would make sense to anyone else. It was basically a gigantic competition at my work. And by gigantic I mean there were battles in Jenga, Chinese Checkers, soccer, football, Catch Phrase, ultimate frisbee, table tennis, a dance off, and just about any other game you can imagine.

I represented my team in Scrabble and brought home the victory – probably from all my Words with Friends practice. I also was supposed to play wiffle ball, but they ended up having enough players so was the very important first base coach instead. I took my job very seriously and led us to an undefeated record.

The culmination of the weekend is a lip sync competition. The amount of time, effort, and attention that go into these songs is just amazing and so are the results. I have a “blink and you’ll miss me” role in this video but am proud to say that this was the winning performance.

And I can almost guarantee you that you will never think of Switchfoot the same way again.

P.S. See also – the effects of adrenaline on glucose levels.
pure adrenaline.