Definitions...

"shoot from the hip" Lit. to fire a gun that is held at one's side, beside one's hip. (This increases one's speed in firing a gun but is much less accurate.) When I lived at home on the farm, my father taught me to shoot from the hip. I quickly shot the snake before it bit my horse. I'm glad I learned to shoot from the hip. Fig. to speak directly and frankly. (Alluding to the rapidness of firing a gun from the hip.) John has a tendency to shoot from the hip, but he generally speaks the truth. Don't pay any attention to John. He means no harm. It's just his nature to shoot from the hip. See also: hip, shoot McGraw-Hill Dictionary of American Idioms and Phrasal Verbs. © 2002 by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.

No, this blog is not about shooting techniques...Yes, it is meant to be a direct and frank look into my life, at this particular time.  Why now?  Well I am currently going through some serious medical issues.  And my medical issues involve my hips (ahhhh- the connection!).  Thankfully, they aren't life threatening issues- but they are ones that have had and will continue to have significant impact on my life.  Experiences that will help define me.  They are ones that I never expected, because I have a whole other set of issues that are partly medical as well (and when you learn a little bit more about me, you'll understand what I mean).  What I have been going through has tested me and will continue to challenge me for some time.  I realized that in order to keep my sanity, I need to keep my mind and hands busy.  Idle hands are the devil's playground and dangerous for me.  Also, as I have done research on my specific condition, I have found very little information from people that have a similar diagnosis and have faced similar challenges.  So this blog is self-serving in one sense, but more importantly, I hope will help others who are experiencing like situations. I have never blogged before.  On my bucket list is to write a book.  I have started many times, but been overwhelmed by the thought of writing about my life experiences.  Where I do start?  Where do I finish?  Seems that there is just so much for me to write about that I couldn't narrow it down and focus on just one aspect of it, or one time period... I'll figure that out when I'm ready.  Meanwhile, I thought I'd give this a try.  I'll spend some time catching you up... and then hope to blog concurrently at some point.  I hope you find something of value in this, and are a bit entertained at the same time!