Alice G Patterson Photography {blog}

Until it happened to me, I just didn’t know how quickly and drastically one’s life can change from one second to the next.

Many of you know that I relocated to central New York from California, just about two years ago.  What you may not know is that I spent the majority of 2008, recovering from a long-but-thankfully-temporary disability… which was the result of a crazy fall on some icy stairs.  Now, when I say I fell on some icy steps, that doesn’t sound like too big of a deal… but it was.  No, these were not big or steep stairs.  Just four small wooden steps from a porch, but the ice, oh the ice was mean.   I took one step, and flew up in the air, what felt to me like a mile high.  Somehow my body twisted and I landed on my side.  My upper left arm literally smashed against the  hard edge of one of the stairs, and broke into five pieces… big pain!   My sister and brother-in-law brought me back inside, where I cried and screamed until the ambulance arrived.  The tears and screaming did stop briefly when one of the EMTs suggested that they cut my beautiful blue plaid wool coat off of me.  A coat I had only worn a couple of times.  An overpriced coat that I convinced myself I could wear for many years, with a “New York, Here I Come” excitement while I was “browsing” at Fred Segal… an amazing boutique in West Hollywood.  Yes, the tears and screaming stopped, and a definitive “No” came out of me.  I must have sounded fierce, because nobody questioned that “no” was going to be me my final answer.  Suddenly EMTs and relatives alike, lifted me off the couch and gently pulled my expensive coat off of me.  They got the same answer for whatever cardigan I was wearing at the time.  The sweater wasn’t that special to me, but I figured while I’m already up, they might as well get the rest of it off.  Luckily for me I had a tank top underneath that, so there was no more cutting questions, I did not have to go to the hospital in my bra, and most importantly I could get back to my crying.  Now, in addition to having an arm that was broken into five pieces, my biggest problem turned out to be that my radial nerve (which runs from the back of our shoulders down to ours hands and thumbs) was so damaged, that I temporarily lost the use of my left hand and wrist.  I couldn’t move a finger or my wrist, nor could I feel anything below my bicep.  Earlier I said temporary, because eventually I was fortunate to have my nerve recover.  Still, temporary turned out to be the majority of  the year 2008.  Even though I had a great orthopedic surgeon, and a fantastic team of physical therapists, it still took me nine months to recover the use of my arm, wrist, hand, and thumb.  The amazingly good news, is that my body did heal quite beautifully; so just before 2009, I was able to begin working again.

So like most of you, I have big plans for 2010… a whole new decade to look forward to, but I must give a great big THANK YOU to 2009.   In 2009 I was blessed to have my health, my family & friends, and my wonderful clients who made this such an amazing year!  On top of all that, I’m really thankful I didn’t let that EMT cut my beautiful blue plaid wool coat.  I’m still wearing it keep me warm… even if it is “so 2008.”  And because every blog post is better with photos, Beth (aka sister/ studio manager) came over to snap some photos of me and said coat.  I love this first shot…

Maybe it’s because I’m always behind the camera, but I started having a lot of fun in front of it.  I decided I should do a snowball fight sequence.  Only it was just me, and my sister Beth with her camera.  So I started lobbing some snowballs towards the camera…

Then, I actually hit Beth, and got a little too close to hitting the camera.  Apparently this is the face I make when I’m surprised.  I can’t believe I’m sharing this with you…

Then I took the “story telling” directive to a whole new level.  If one is in a snowball fight, one is most likely at some point to get pelted with a snowball.  Now remember, it’s just me and Beth out there, and Beth is holding the camera…

Yes, I did just throw a snowball in my own face for the sake of a fun photo… boy, am I dork or what?