With Thanks to "B THE DIFFERENCE"...

It has been a number of weeks since I've posted content other than "news" re additions to my collections on FAA (Fine Art America) which is not typical for me.

I truly detest promotion-based blog posts, yet recognize that it is a very necessary part of being a freelance writer and artist.

Having said this, please allow me to bring you up to speed, which I’ve had on my to do list since mid November 2021, as I wanted to let my readers know I've had another life disruption... but thankfully one of the consequences has led to a true blessing bestowed on me by the B THE DIFFERENCE foundation.

B THE DIFFERENCE's logo (seen directly above) is a turtle, which is a creature with whom I've identified (featuring these animals here on Blogger and in my book, IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS).

The foundation, B THE DIFFERENCE is back from the holidays and I am most grateful to be a recipient of their generosity.

So, dear reader, upon reading this, you may be asking, what is B THE DIFFERENCE?

It is an organization which was founded in October 2011 by Stephanie and Jessica Merritt to honor the memory of their brother, Brandon, and they have shared the fact that Brandon was 8 months old he was diagnosed with Neurofibromatosis (NF), a disease targeting the nervous system by developing tumors on nerve endings. 

As readers of this blog undoubtedly know, NF, is a disease that I was born with (which is discussed in one of my first blog posts as well as in many posts thereafter); and my having it, has impacted my life on many levels, some of which is described in my book project Imperfect Strangers.

It can be viewed on Vimeo and/or You Tube.

Evidently Brandon never asked "Why me?" when NF compromised his ability to play sports and interact with children his age—if anything (according to his family), Brandon's physical disabilities allowed his personality to become incredibly nurturing and sensitive.

I must confess that there were times I did allow NF to restrict me, perhaps that's because I grew up in a different era, or maybe I'm just a complainer at heart.

BUT I digress...from my "explanation" re my uncharacteristic absence here on Blogger:

The following photos of me were taken at an Emergency Room in NYC (Mount Sinai, 59th Street) on Saturday, November 13th, 2021.

At the urging of CITY MD, I had gone to the emergency room on that day because I had fallen the evening prior and my symptoms were worsening. 

Here is the situation:

As I said, I had an accident on Friday, November 12th, and sustained an injury.

Turns out I had a proximal humeral fracture, which, as you may know refers to a break involving the area surrounding the humeral head, commonly known as the ball of the shoulder’s ball-and-socket joint. 

Brittle bones are a symptom of Neurofibromatosis and I've broken many bones in my lifetime, including the first month of 2020 when I broke my Greater tuberosity! So it was not all that surprising for me to learn the extent of my recent injury to my arm.

In any event, the following day, after a brief visit to CITY MD, I received advice to go to the emergency room where I spent 4-5 hours undergoing X-rays which determined the type of injury I now have. 

The upshot is I saw an orthopedist that following Monday who is associated with Mount Sinai hospital and he confirmed the severity of my fracture and the need for me to have Open Reduction Internal Fixation Surgery (ORIF)

BUT this surgery could not be done until 11-22-2021 as I needed to go to appointments for medical and COVID clearances which I did, and I’ve now had that procedure!

One of the after surgery “needs” that the doctor and anesthesiologist recommended for me was to wear a pump for a period of five-six days to release opioids in increments in a safe manner, but ultimately my pump (unbeknowest to me) was cutting off my oxygen leaving me nearly unable to speak and cutting off air circulation.

The pump was originally set to be removed permanently on Thanksgiving morning and I had made arrangements for someone to help me with this, but due to the potential danger I was experiencing (inability to speak and inability to breathe) its immediate removal was mandated.

Because the pump was on my back I could not get to it easily and the doctor warned me I could rip a  “proper” catheter if I did not to it exactly right.

But be that as it may, I was able to pull the device off which gave me much needed relief.

Then on 12-1-2021, two weeks after my surgery, my bandages were removed.

During one of the days following surgery (I've lost tract of specifics), and, out of the blue, I received a phone call from Aisling Rice (Director of Operations at B The Difference), who had heard about my plight with Neurofibromatosis through someone who actively reads my blog posts and whom I am in touch with by phone and/or email but have never met.

The fact that I had suffered an injury involving my arm had nothing to do with why I was contacted... it was just serendipity, or evidence that perhaps my guardian angel is working after all... for I've now been informed that I am the recipent of a generous grant (from B The Difference) to cover part of a medical need.

I am so grateful for this and I've applied their monies towards an outstanding balance of a dental procedure. 

Hopefully one day when I'm in better shape, I will be able to make contributions to others as B the Differnce has done for so many. To learn more about B the Difference, please click here.

Meanwhile, since my arm's movement is compromised, a turtle in Central Park is the one giving B the Difference a HIGH 5!

Tidbits re Turtles

Have you ever taken a walk in the park and been so lost in your thoughts about the lack of compassion in our world that you nearly miss seeing that a turtle has crawled up on top of a rock to catch some rays?

This question is posed in IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS, my newest book which is available in Apple's Bookstore.

On another note, turtles's shells are the inspiration for my kaleidoscopic photographic print titled Turtle Pond, which is pictured below...

AVAILABLE ON FINE ART AMERICA

... and is available in many sizes through Fine Art America (or FAA) who have the ability to print wall art on an array of surfaces (including wood, canvas, acrylic, metal and more).

FAA can also print this photo on to an array of items/products for the household and/or for personal use. Visit my kaliedoscopic collection within FAA and click on the category in the side bar at the left of a product that interests you to get specific information.

"IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS" is now available!

My new book, IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS is now available in Apple's Bookstore. 

I first made an annoucement about it on October 1, 2021, then published a follow up re this endeavor on October 30 2021, and, as of yesterday, the book is live!

This book with a light hearted tone and stunning photography, takes nature lovers of all ages on a delightful journey and includes photos which capture the detail and awesome wonder of various birds; assorted insects; a reptile; a fish; and an array of flowers as well as foliage; all found within New York. 

The narrative provides insights regarding nuances found in these aspects of Mother Nature. Read IT’S THE LITTLE THINGS and add a bit of joy to your day.

Reunited with Turtles

TURTLES ARE THE INSPIRATION FOR ONE OF MY KALEIDOSCOPIC PRINTS

TURTLES ARE THE INSPIRATION FOR ONE OF MY KALEIDOSCOPIC PRINTS

TURTLES ARE THE INSPIRATION FOR ONE OF MY KALEIDOSCOPIC PRINTS

The turtles seen in the pictures atop this entry were seen by yours truly when I ventured out into nearby Central Park this past Sunday for the first time since March (at the initial time Governor Cuomo shut down New York and advocated for people to shelter in place).

I have been heeding the governor's plea for people to shelter in place in an effort to help prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) ever since the eve of March 21st and did not go out (with the exception of walking a few blocks to the postoffice, walking a few blocks to a bank and walking a few blocks to check the status of a local laundromat, which is two blocks away).

However, I had to go out on May 11, 2020, to my orthopedist as I was past my need to follow up on the injury I sustained to my Greater tuberosity this past January and two days later, I began physical therapy at a facility in my hood.

Other than the aforementioned occasions, I've not been outdoors except to water my rooftop garden and to stand in it when participating in nightly #ClapBecauseWeCare sessions (tributes that honor first responders, healthcare professionals and essential workers who keep people safe during the this COVID pandemic).

Under normal circumstances, I spend time in Central Park on countless occasions enjoying the array of flora growing there as well as seeing the many varieties of dogs, and observing wildlife, including numerous bird types, fish and turtles.

The ones included here were spending time in the lake as well as in Turtle Pond and seemingly not concerned about social distancing.

It's Reptile Awareness Day! (Monday's Memo)

Every October 21 is National Reptile Awareness Day and this year I'm honoring the event by sharing a few facts that I recently learned about turtles regulating their body temperatures.

A CHARACTERISTIC OF CORMORANT'S WINGS Tuesday's Truths WK 147

CORMORANTS ARE FEATURED IN VOL 3

If I didn't know better, I might've thought the lone cormorant (seen in the photograph directly above) was providing some shade for a sunbathing turtle when they were both atop a large rock within Turtle Pond, near The Delacorte Theatre in Central Park.

A Few Interesting Facts About Cormorants (Tuesday's Truths WK 146)

CORMORANTS ARE FEATURED IN VOLUME 3

Nine days ago on September 29th 2019, I published an entry about a lone cormorant who was spending time atop a that's rock within Turtle Pond. The other day when I was in Central Park, I stopped by that same area only to find area he/she was still atop the rock (at least I think the creature was the same one, and nearby birders seemed to think so too). The bird had company this time, as you can see from the image atop this entry, a lone turtle joined him/her on the rock. I found myself intrigued by the cormorant's beak that has a sharp hook at the end (check it out in the image above).

Theatrics by Mother Nature

The photo atop this entry is a view of The Delacorte Theatre (located in Central Park) and is a copy of an image on one of the Public Theater's  web-pages. The Public Theatre is the company who oversees productions at the Delacorte. "Since 1962, over 5 million people have gathered inside the Delacorte to experience world class Shakespeare and other productions at no-cost. The mission of The Public and Free Shakespeare in the Park has remained constant."

There are still kind people in the world. Tuesday's Truths WK 132

The other day (Sunday June 30) I had the beginnings of a summer cold with a severe headache accompanying it. Between that and the crowds being more than ever due to people who were in the city for the Pride Parade, I had planned to stay in and hunker down; but the beautiful weather lured me outside. I went for a walk in near by Central Park to pass by the newly renovated Belvedere Castle and to observe the turtles.

The two seen in the images directly above were ones I spotted when walking on alongside CP's lake.

Saw a Great Egret in Central Park Again! (Friday Follow-Up)

A few days ago, in the late evening of Wednesday, June 26, I took a walk to the landing alongside the Delacorte Theatre (in Central Park) with the hopes of observing tortoises in the Turtle Pond which the  landing overlooks. As usual there were numerous turtles swimming in the pond but there were a few teenaged boys standing near the railing so it was hard to get a close view of these reptiles.

The boys were there with fishing gear and speculating on the possibility of their being able to catch catfish.

In very close proximity to the landing a Great Egret was slowly making his/her away along one of the pond's edges. She/he can be seen doing this in the photographs atop this entry.

Monday's Musings: Making Room

The photo atop this entry is from a story that went viral after a young boy sprawled across a few subway seats, refusing to move so others could sit down, and one passenger retaliated by sitting on top of him. Comments from those siding with the passenger to those who took the judge-ye-lest-ye-be-not-judged approach with the little boy were all over the Internet.

I thought of this breaking news story when I came across a few turtles sitting on a log that was within the lake in Central Park as seen in the next photo.

As you can see three of them were resting upon the log, while another (far right) swam towards it.

Evidently he /she soon noticed the small space between the two turtles at the left...

... for he/she began swimming towards it in order to grab a seat on the log, much like public  transit passengers make their way to get an available seat.

Mixed Company and Other Central Park Stories (Throwback Thursday)

This past Tuesday I published an entry here on Blogger that featured a Mallard swimming with turtles in the area of Central Park known as Turtle Pond. I'd like to use this throwback Thursday to refer to that posting by adding this Mallard seemed to enjoy being in  mixed company of turtles and fish, as evidenced by the pictures atop this entry, which I took this past Saturday when I took a walk in the park.

Swimming with Turtles Instead of Dolphins (Tuesday's Truths WK 130)

This past Saturday when I was at Turtle Pond (in NYC's Central Park), I noticed a Mallard swimming with turtles as seen in the photo directly above as well as in the ones below.

My seeing this occurrence of a Mallard swimming with turtles prompted me to recall a human activity: swimming with dolphins and in doing some research, I was somewhat surprised to discover (which is my Tuesday's Truth for week 130), "the reality is that it can be a really intrusive and stressful experience for the whales or dolphins."

Turtles Go Bananas for Bananas

Last In a recent posthere on Blogger, I discussed some reasons that turtles pile up on top of each other as I've seen them do when I am in Central Park. A few days after I published that entry, while taking a walk in by the park's lake, I saw these creatures partaking in another activity which I have witnessed them doing on a few occasions: they were eating bananas, which they throughly seemed to enjoy as evidenced by the pictures atop this entry.

Friday Follow Up re "turtles having your back..."

In a recent entry here on Blogger, I mentioned that "turtles as the saying goes, 'got each other's back..'" which may be true, but something else is also going on when you see turtles atop each others back.

Hey! Hey! Hey! It's #WorldTurtleDay!

Today's post is dedicated to World Turtle Day, which is a holiday that has been celebrated on the twenty-third day of May since 2000. According to Wiki it is sponsored by American Tortoise Rescue and this event "is celebrated around the globe in a variety of ways, from dressing up as turtles or wearing green summer dresses, to saving turtles caught on highways, to research activities. Turtle Day lesson plans and craft projects encourage teaching about turtles in classrooms."

I've written about World Turtle Day in prior entries here on Blogger, including posts you may reference by clicking here. This year I am honoring the day with the photographs atop this entry featuring turtles who appears to be drumming their nails on a sidewalk in Central Park.

Their nails seemed unusually long to me, but I have learned that turtles (unlike humans) do not need to have regular man/pedis —  at least the ones in CP.

Pet turtles will require having their nails trimmed but in the wild, turtles and tortoises walk or exercise enough that their nails will naturally wear themselves down to a manageable length.

Seeing what looked like drumming, prompted me to research the activity of drumming one's nails and the web has a lot to say about this including a page called Changing Minds, where the following is proclaimed.

#turtletuesday is STILL trending on social media! (Tuesday's Truths WK 127)

Last Tuesday, here on Blogger, I announced (in my Tuesday's Truths segment) that  #turtletuesday was trending on social media. Now, a week later, turtles are still the topic of many tweets and they are still the subject of many photos that have been posted on Instagram.

I can certainly see why these creatures continue to fascinate so many people. As I’ve mentioned before, the shells of turtles in Central Park have always intrigued me and I'm thankful that the one seen here (in the photos atop this entry) allowed me to take a picture of the inside of his/her shell.

"TRAFFIC JAM"

As I’ve mentioned before, the antics and shells of turtles (including ones seen in this traffic jam upon a rock within the lake in Central Park) are the inspiration for my kaleidoscopic photographic print titled Turtle Pond, which can be printed on an array of surfaces. Check it out via Fine Art America!

#turtletuesday is trending on social media! (Tuesday's Truths WK 126)

Hello and welcome to the one hundred and twenty-sixth segment of my Tuesday's Truths series. I realize I am a bit late in my posting here on Blogger today, peeps. Let me confess that it's been one of those mornings (and into the late afternoon) which Jermey (the boy featured in the Zits comic strip atop this entry) can probably identify with.

The fact is I've been very overwhelmed with using social media re getting the word out about my additions to my You Tube Channel (which I hope you will check out) but I believe I will get into a rhythm with the new demands that are on me. I also need to learn a lesson from one of my favorite Central Park reptiles; turtles.

They move slowly but get it done. For as Henry David Thoreau supposedly once declared, "Nature is slow, but sure; she works no faster than need be; she is the tortoise that wins the race by her perseverance."

And speaking of turtles, they are now trending on social media (both Instagram and Twitter) with the hashtag: #turtletuesday. Maybe it’s just me, but the turtle featured in the next image looks like he/she is about to do some pushups!

As I’ve mentioned before, the shells of turtles in Central Park are the inspiration for my kaleidoscopic photographic print titled Turtle Pond.

Turtle Pond Trivia & Sighting Turtle Trees

This past Saturday, I published a post re the numerous turtles I had encountered while at Turtle Pond (which is in Central Park) on that day. The aforementioned entry includes an array of photos of this creature basking in the sun on one of the "walls" surrounding this body of water.

Monday was unseasonably warm and when I returned to this place, a large array of this creature type was there and one of them allowed me to take pictures of the inside of his/her shell; as evidenced in the images atop this entry.