New thread instead of So Tired

[houghchrst]

Well I figured that I would start a new one since the So Tired one was not always appropriate title wise. Today I am in a good mood and have been for the last couple of days, oddly enough, because it seems as though stuff is falling apart around me lol. My car is having problems and wouldn't start this morning, nor would it start Saturday, think it has something to do with the cold. Thank God my other half is a mechanic. The poor car has over 200,000 miles on it so maybe it is finally ready to be put to rest. My MP3 player that I got for my birthday from my mother in April 2006 just died, got a new adapter for the car for Christmas and of course it decides now to die. Called Philips but they said it would cost about $150 to fix and I can get a new for close to that cost. So that is not good. I made it through my little man's birthday. His best friend spent the night then the next day we picked up another and took them to the movies and then to McDs. Glad I only have the one little one LOL. Yesterday I took cupcakes, punch and giftbags to his class for a mini birthday party and I walked in the door and they all ran up and hugged me like I was their bestest friend. Aaahhhh the power of cupcakes LOL:D. I love the little ones and use to go on all the field trips and help out in class in Pre-k. Now I am lucky to be able to walk to the class room. Greedy little booger of mine kept asking me if there were more presents:eek:. He wanted toys, geez we got him the set of 3 bionicle movies, bionicles encyclopedia, a book on brains (age appropriate, he loves that kind of stuff) Transformers for the PS2 and $10 in a card not to mention the movie, McDs, the overnight friend and the gifts from others. My goodness we just had Christmas, there is no room for anything else LOL:rolleyes:.

The sun is shining today, or I should say trying. It is terribly windy here with a wind chill below zero. A smaller dead tree blew over and is laying on the fence between yards in our backyard, well sort of, we are not sure if it is ours or the neighbors. I think it is theirs but I would like to have the wood for my fire pit. Good thing the wind is coming from the west of it would have blown down onto the neighbor lady's new Aztec. It rained yesterday and last night so all the roads froze and though the salt trucks have been out it is so cold and windy that whatever melts just freezes back up.

I started physical therapy for my ankle at the end of last week. Again. I told them they may as well just send me new paperwork every couple of months because it seems like I just can't stay away from that place. This is the 6th time I have been there in like 3 years. Finally I will get to see the Neurologist on Friday and I am so looking forward to it. My psychiatrist says that I really need to push for a sleep study. Lack of sleep can lead to all kinds of things from depression to obesity so maybe I can get some issues resolved.

Alright well there are more things that have been going on but I am sure no one wants to read my novella so I will save it for another time.

I hope you are all doing well today.

[Buttons2]

Well,what's this new thread gonna be? "not tired?" hehe....

Seriously I enjoy participating in your threads. I can't even recall which one I signed off on as fatso but I sure did get motiviated to change my diet!! And I've increased my walk with my dog. I'm drinking alot of ice water too. Get that fluid flowing right on out of me!! I'm guessing I have at least 15# of fluid by the looks of my legs bulging over my sock tops!

We all know that exercise helps us,it's too easy for me to spend most of the day either sitting here typing or in my recliner watching TV or reading. So today I made myself walk right after breakfast. And I hope to do it again before dark.

I finally finished one cleaning project yesterday. I'm in alot of pain but I'm just mad enough at myself to ignore it. Comes & goes thank God!

Weather here is weird,had snow,sleet,rain,wind and sunshine! I want it to snow & snow! I cannot imagine how you guys survive in your cold climate. My sister in Duluth doesn't even own a down coat or a pair of thermal underwear!

Sounds like little guy had a great birthday! Is he 7 now?

Good luck with the sleep study,who knows maybe it will help you?I'm not someone you'd want to be around if I don't get my sleep!

And I'm glad you're feeling better,so am I (mentally that is).

Today's project is the loft area,where the wicked disused treadmill resides! Maybe it won't start when I plug it in? Good thing I still have the book to tell me how to figure out all those gadgets. Now mind you I don't plan to actually use it today.....I'm going to clean it! Well,that's a start right?

Buttons

[tic chick]

so, we meet here now. :)

i just heard on the news that we are supposed to get 6 to 10 inches of snow on friday. christina lives probably 75 miles away from me, and it was windy as heck here last night, also. the wind makes me feel very edgey. it has since i was a little girl. it was probably gusting over 50 miles an hour at times. all sorts of junk flying around. i found a big pizza box on my front walk this morning.

i had a wisdom tooth pulled yesterday. they must have missed it when i was a kid.:) i really like my dentist. i have been going to her for about 22 years. she has made visiting the dentist a nice interlude in the day instead of something to dread. yesterday, i had an appointment with her for another matter, but i had this toothache since the day before, so i wanted to take care of that. so, the tooth only took about 45 seconds to pull cause it was a wisdom tooth on top. but, i had a panic attack in her office before she pulled it. i haven't had a full blown panic attack in years. it must have been a combination of the pain, a bit of depression, anxiety i had about something else, but they all came together in the office. she had numbed me and i tried to swallow. not once, but 5 times. and i could not. the panic gripped me. i just lost it and started crying, which immediately stopped the panic attack. scientists who investigate these things say tears have a chemical in them that releases stress from your body. thank goodness! :) i was cold and clammy after the attack for awhile. my dentist and her staff were just so wonderful to me.

so, today i am fine. i think...lol.

february is almost here! they say groundhog day is the mid-point of winter, but i think it is halfway spring. just a more positive way to look at it.:)

oh, you know, i just love that movie "groundhog day" with bill murray. in the movie, this reporter, played by bill, relives groundhog day over and over, only advancing further through the day when he stops being a jerk and starts behaving nicely to people. i think it's a very positive movie because it shows that it's never too late to change something you don't like about yourself. i will check the tv listings to see if the movie is going to play on some channel on february 2.

we survive winter here, buttons, because we have nice weather from april to november. that's the only thought that keeps us going. :D

exercise is supposed to release endorphins, which are "feel good" chemicals in your brain. i exercise faithfully 6 days a week for an hour at a time. i feel good for about a couple hours after exercising, but this january has been really hard, for some reason. maybe i need some sun. this is the time of year that i always think i want to move to a warmer climate, someplace where snow is considered a freak occurence when it happens. :D i am thinking northern georgia.

i have to clean out a walk-in closet i have upstairs. buttons, give me inspiration or motivation...lol!

i always felt sorry for kids born on christmas day, cause you know they get shorted on their birthday. but, for kids born the month before or after christmas, you can't really give them any less cause it was just christmas. my son has a january 18th birthday and i just had to suck it up when he was growing up and always give him a nice birthday present, even though he just got a nice christmas present, too.

wishing you all a peaceful tomorrow,
jeannie

[houghchrst]

Morning all. Well another day of cold but the sun is shining. The wind has died down thank goodness. Up to 70mph the news said last night:eek:. Still cold today but not near as bad and we are expecting a warm up which quite frankly makes no sense to me since we are suppose to get 6-9 inches of snow by Saturday morning. Well you know I live in Michigan so I wouldn't be surprised if we got none LOL.

Buttons, congratulations on the motivation. I have decided that I really need to start eating on a more regular schedule instead of skipping breakfast and lunch and then just eating in the evenings. Plus I need to stop snacking before bed. That is a big bad habit of mine. Love the chocolate and chips, especially during hormonal times. Maybe go back to hard candies and pretzels. That helped a lot. That is what I did when I went on my last diet and lost 7 pounds the first week. Maybe just flat out skip eating before bed, is a bad habit. What I really need to do is get back to my Arthritis Yoga DVD. I so lack motivation. I hate it. I don't know why. Is it depression, lack of energy, that it is more of a chore than something I enjoy, probably all of those things and more not to mention the pain. Maybe it won't start when I plug it in? Aaahhh do I detect a note of hope there LOL?

Yes the little man is seven now. I asked him if he felt any different and he stopped and thought about it and said no not really, very tentatively as though he was sure he should but was confused because he didn't. I told him I was just teasing. He really shouldn't and he looked relieved and went off to play. His daddy told him he is a young man now not a little boy. I wanted to smack him :eek::D:p. He is my little boy and the day he can no longer fit in my lap then he will be a young man. I have a lot of lap :D.

Jeannie, wow how about that weather yesterday? So glad it is over. Not too much damage in my immediate area though the tree is down and the cigarette sign from the gas station three doors down was in my backyard. There were a couple of places locally that had power outages and trees down and even a fire at a lumber yard. Hope your mouth is doing better. I don't mind going to the dentist but mostly because I know he is going to make it all better. My panic attacks usually come before having to attend group functions, weddings, parties, anything where there is the possibility of having to socialize with people I don't know or even know but not well. I get a terrible urge to run screaming through the house and find a closet to hide in. I usually break down at least once before we leave for wherever we are going and then I am so weak and tired when we get back home that I feel as though I have run a marathon. I hate it because 9 times out of 10 I have a decent time but am always relieved when we leave. I definitely believe that about the tears. I cry often LOL. I love that movie Groundhog Day too. Has been a while since I have seen it. Another long time favorite seasonal movie is National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation. I try to watch every Christmas. Not to mention all the little holiday cartoons that come on throughout the year. Rudolph, Charlie Brown and such. Like a tradition, my bf teases me but I don't care.

Joy I hope you are feeling okay and that the sun is shining where you are, I haven't heard from you very much lately. ((((((((((big hugs))))))))

Well I guess that is enough for now. Have a wonderful day all.

[Nana4&cntn]

Hi All,

This new thread may get me to stop saying I'm so tired all the time. Jeannie I hope your mouth is feeling feeling better, I can only imagine, I never got any wisdom teeth, Must mean I am an idiot. LOL, My tmas. I asked oldest son was born on 12/21 He always made out like a bandit, probably because I didn't want him to feel he got lost in the shuffle of Christmas. I asked him when he was 6 or 7 if he would like to celebrate his birthday in the summer an have a pool party or something fun outside. He said NO WAY,
I get Christmas 2 times.

Christina, It sounds like you got the storm we had a few days ago, today we have a heat wave, 10 for a high, -1 overnight. But, like we say here in Nebraska, blink and the weather changes, well, I keep blinking and it only gets colder, I am going to use tookpicks so I don't blink.
Buttons, you are amazing, I do wish I had your energy or stubborness, to fight through the pain. You are my hero.
I have started eating breakfast again, not daily, But making an effort. I just can't get any protein down in the am. Getting the three meals and trying not to snack. I am a big chocolataholic. Only had 2 small chewy chips ahoy yesterday. I am seriously thinking about weightwatchers. I need someone to be accountable to. I can justify anything to myself.

Well, I just wrote a book,

Hope you all have a great day.
Kathy

[houghchrst]

I can justify anything to myself

LOL, Kathy I like that, when I was in rehab one of the sayings we always had was you are your own worst enemy, and another was you can run and try to hide but you still take you with you. Aahhh, so true, and here I was gonna run to the mountains and hide in a cave to get away from it all.

[Buttons2]

Well as you gals know my project yesterday was to clean the loft & dust off the treadmill. Over the treadmill are some of those horrid shelves kept up on brackets. The shelves were loaded with books & big Chinese vases. Luckily I removed the vases first.Then being the idiot I am I took books off top shelf & placed on middle shelf.....mind you I was standing on the treadmill! On short step ladder no less! I made the shelf too heavy & a bracket fell out! So here I am alone in the house with a big pile of books coming down on me!:eek:Had to use my shoulder to hold up the shelf while I carefully threw books at the loveseat & prayed the step ladder wouldn't go off the treadmill........I must have looked pretty funny. Now I feel like I need a new shoulder!

But the good news is that I managed to haul all the stuff downstairs,yes my hips & knees hurt but I'm just plain mad about pain right now & determined to fight back! I found a book I'd never seen about Bouvier's. Made me miss the one we had all over again. If I was rich I'd get another one. Best dog in the world far as I'm concerned.Course I love my rescue dog but he's not trained like the Bouvier was & that's a big concern when have to go to the vet & he fights the leash like I'm trying to kill him or something!

I cannot whine about the weather today. Warming up,songbirds out there,lots of birds eating & I saw a bunny yesterday! I thought the coyotes had killed them off. Bunnies eat the cracked corn right next to the doves & other birds......always makes me wish people could get along as well as critters do.

Jeannie,you made me laugh! Can't recall now just why but I did chuckle over your post.And I'm writing this stuff to motivate myself,kinda like a journal I guess. I have to get this weight off!

I already feel "lighter" well if you peed every 15 minutes you'd understand!:eek:My ankles are not as swollen. Haven't gotten on the wicked scales yet today since I think I may have to crawl upstairs to my bathroom!:rolleyes:

Last day of January!! Goodbye & good riddance!!

National Lampoon's Christmas is my favorite holiday movie! I never get tired of the squirrel in the tree & the relatives from ****.

Well now that we're all waiting for spring what plans do you have? Here in the Northwest we go nuts at the first sign of spring,and last year we didn't even get a summer so I hope that's not the case this year. I live between the water & the Cascade mountains. I could be in deep snow within a couple of hours. Our weather seems to be wacky all over.....but then what isn't wacky in our lives these days?

Do any of you have bald eagles? We have a nest nearby. But I've never seen so many eagles at once as I did when I visited Duluth! And I'd never seen a baby bear dead on the road either.....that was sad. As for Nebraska,well my experience there was the lightening storms & the FROGS all over the road,I had to run over them! :(

Later.......assuming I make it through the day! That dust is still waiting for me,but the books are packed up to go & the vases are all clean!:rolleyes:

Buttons

[Tootsie]

I've managed to put off dealing with all the clutter I've removed from my sewing/hobby/clutter/collection room. Now, I'm almost down to bare floor but have a few more piles to go through. Actually, I've found a long, lost recipe for borscht soup, an international address for a distant relative, unfinished projects from long ago, etc.

Today, is overcast, cold, and rain is forecast with snow levels down to 2000 feet. That means that the air, here in the valley will be cold....California cold, that is, about 40 degrees. We complain, at that temperature, so no matter where you live, everyone complains about the weather!

My garden group is planting tomato seeds in the greenhouse,on Saturday, a sure sign of spring! Cheerio.

[Nana4&cntn]

Good Morning All,

This forum is the best motivation,

Buttons you are a warrior against both pain,clutter,and dust, you probably did look very funny, I often think when I am doing some big chore I should set up the video camera, I have been in some very funny positions like under a mattress on the floor. I probably could have won the 10grand on the funny videos show.

Christina, you are so right about the justifying. It is a skill honed as a Social Worker trying to get people the thing they need. The St of Ne taught me well.

Tootsie, I was working in my office/craft room/ sewing room/etc. I found the little tupperware container with 2 binkies in it. (This room use to be my grandsons room. They are 6 now so I had to go down memory lane. Nice stroll.) So many unfinished projects I am embarrased. And a phone number of an old friend I will call tonite.
She is also in Northern CA, my home sweet home until age 19. I envy the 40 degrees, we are finally going to be above freezing so we are catching up.
I am thankful for good friends, a sunny day, and a good nites sleep.

Hope everyone has a great day, I am heading for the basement,lap top in hand to do the laundry and dust.

Kathy

[Buttons2]

Well keep digging to the floors Tootsie & you'll find those missing slippers!

I consider 40* alright here,beats the 30's anyday. I think we're in for massive flooding this year with all that record snow on the mountians!

The treadmill awaits me today,I'm pretty sore from using so many muscles lately but that's OK. A simple sentence is what got me motivated & I'm not even sure I'm quoting it correctly: "Better to live alone than to live wrong". I think I was watching Dr. Phil & it was a show about being with the wrong people. Well I have no desire to live alone (and couldn't even if I wanted to right now), but the living wrong part got to me. I was just wasting my life sitting in the recliner everyday!

Cobwebs here I come.......later,Buttons

[tic chick]

hey all!

thanks for the concern over my wisdom tooth removal. i took a couple of ibuprofen before i went to bed for some minimal discomfort and that was it! the dentist said upper wisdom teeth usually have shallow roots and do not cause much pain. it's the bottom wisdom teeth that are hard to crack :D and cause pain.

well. today is february 1st. we were supposed to get 6 to 10 inches of snow, but we escaped with a measly 3. they closed all the schools based on the predictions of a big snowfall. i remember walking to school before the weather was a decisive factor in whether the school would be open. it always was.

so, i shoveled the snow. it was heavy cause the temperature was right around freezing and i think we got a bit of sleet on top of the snow.

i love borscht. i have eaten borscht since i was a little girl. it's amazing to me how a dish gets translated from one region within a country to another.

buttons! congratulations on getting motivated to go on the treadmill! it's always hard to take that first step, but you will find that the more you do it, the easier it will get and the more you will want to continue doing it.

i was at a meeting for people affected by someone's drinking once. this guy had a tee shirt that had "get honest or die" written on it. i remember being affected by those words because the only person you are fooling is yourself. of course, it didn't change my life immediately, but the more i learned and internalized all these inspiring messages, the closer i got to getting the courage to start changing my behavior.

here i sit today, having attained some remarkable goals. i have changed, but it seems nothing else has. i cannot just sit here and rest on my accomplishments...and sometimes that makes me angry. i have to maintain what i have done, set new goals.

life goes on.

so, i go on.

wishing you all courage to do what you need to do,
jeannie

[houghchrst]

Morning everyone, notice the lack of good LOL. Having a rough day. I think I am reaching a turning point regarding my weight. I have all the tools and know how to use them. It is just so hard to think of this as another addiction. The whole process is so mentally and emotionally consuming and I am so tired. Hey, there it is again. Had a bit of a turn around yesterday, as the pain started consuming me I became more depressed and then last night I was trying to get my son set up for a breathing treatment and when I bent at the waist to pick something up I got a stabbing pain in my bad knee. Could hardly walk, had to sit on his bed and hope it went away. The bf came in thinking I was trying to do something I shouldn't be :rolleyes:. Well he made me go lay down and it didn't go away. As I was getting off of the bed I was sitting on we heard a loud pop and he looked at me and said what was that, I said that was my knee it does it all the time, sometimes is very painful and sometimes just gross feeling with a bit of pain. I am to see the ortho on Monday and we really need to talk about getting something done to find out why I am still having so much pain. It has been over a year and I still hurt quite badly. This thing with my knee has really changed my life. I can "deal" with pain but when it affects the ability to walk it seems to take on a whole new meaning Then the bf and I had a late dinner and watched a movie, well I tossed and turned all night long because my stomach hurt. I didn't even eat all my food but I was all bloated and hurt and I tried to go throw up to see if it would help:eek: but didn't get much. Still hurts this morning and is all bloated. I also started getting this band of pain around my back at about chest level. It is mostly in my back but I can feel it internally, if that makes any sense. I was hospitalized overnight in 2006 for the same thing. Lasted 3 days and started scaring me, thinking heart attack or something but they couldn't find anything and it went away.

Today I decided that I need a day away from most of my pain so I took something. Don't have much but I need a break every once in a while.

Buttons I admire your determination. Keep it up and be careful.

Jeannie, yeah the snow was a bit of a bust. I got up yesterday morning and at that time it was blizzarding out and the roads were terrible. So I called and rescheduled my neuro appt that I have been looking forward to. Well of course about twenty minutes after that the bulk of the snow quit and it just came in little bursts from then on. Went from seven - eleven to four - six and we got about 4. Roads are still sloppy today. I am glad that your mouth is doing so well.

Well I hope you all have a good day today.

[tic chick]

Still hurts this morning and is all bloated. I also started getting this band of pain around my back at about chest level. It is mostly in my back but I can feel it internally, if that makes any sense.

have you had your gallbladder out, christina? cause this sounds like what i went through the past year. if you haven't had your gallbladder out, you should at least get a gallbladder ultrasound to see if you have stones. if you have no stones, get an CCK ejection fraction test.

i follow a low fat diet but sometimes i had a more fattening treat. i would end up suffering from nausea for days.

now gallbladderless,:D
jeannie

[Buttons2]

Well I got on the treadmill yesterday,only 10 minutes,figured I'd better take it real slow since been years since I've used it. Now I can't even walk upstairs! My back is killing me....I think I've just been doing too much lately-duh.And depression caught me off guard yesterday,I wish I knew what makes this happen! I can go for awhile being positive & energized-then wham,bam,down into the pits.:(

We have sunshine today which is surprising. Maybe I'll go sit on a bench & soak up some vitamin D.

I've lost nearly 5# so far,so that's a very good thing! It's all been water I'm sure. My ankles are not swollen & I can feel my stomach has shrunk.....anytime I leave food on my plate is a big thing. Course I'm eating stuff that has no taste so that helps. I love cheese & real butter,haven't had any. Guess I'll eat raw veggies tomorrow when the Giants beat the Patriots! No pizza for me!

No wonder I've lacked wisdom all these years! I had those teeth removed when I was 20yr old. Had that laughing gas stuff (not sure how to spell it). Yesterday I was researching PN & came across some info how that stuff can cause neuro trouble. What's next? Kool-Aid??:rolleyes:

Knee pain? Try rubbing some castor oil on them,it's very oily so wear old sweats. I've had bad knees since I was little,I remember howling in pain as a little girl. And I was a very skinny kid so I'm not sure how much weight plays a part in this. Getting rid of fluid has helped,at least they no longer look like balloons! Stairs are the killer though! Christina I'm wondering what the doc will say,replace your knees?

Hope I'm back to my cheerful self tomorrow!:rolleyes::rolleyes::rolleyes:

Later,Buttons

[cheyriver]

Hi everyone!

I'm new to these forums and was just reading through some of these posts.

I'm not always good with words so sometimes my responses may be short. Don't take it as I don't care. I do but sometimes words don't come to me easily.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day.

I know what it is like to feel stressed, go through medical tests etc. Were all here to support each other. :)

I will write more of a response soon.

[joy]

Hi everyone. Well in the early hours of the 31st I wrote a very long first post here on this thread. And it disappeared! Just like that, lol. Guess my brain was not working as well as I thought. I often check the sent items when I send pm's but did not go back then to see if that post made it or not so I know I did something wrong. Not surprising and I am forever hitting keys and having the computer do the weirdest things these days. Some of them I'd like to repeat but never know just what I did to get it in the first place.

I do remember that I said I'd have to go back to the other thread and get it into my head who said what, lol, and I was only 62 on my birthday. Which reminds me, I have been so sick I have not gone and had my drivers license renewed!! I sure don't want to wait too long on that.

I am so looking forward to spring now. Talking about teeth, I know having all your jaw teeth removed sure makes a person's cheeks look nice and slim, lol. Kinda hard chewing some thing though but I have gfotten used to it. I won't say I was poor when I was young but when I'd go to dentist and have cavaties, I ask which was cheaper, to have tooth pulled or have it filled. And end up having it pulled. Never do I want to feel like that has to be my choice again. I don't have that many left, lol.

Well wish I had some exciting things to talk about but since I don't, 'll stop yapping. aw, here is one of those typos now. I'll leave it and see what it does!

[houghchrst]

Well by golly Joy I was just going to find your last post and pm you to see if you were okay and here you are. I am sorry you are still feeling under the weather. I figured I would pm you before I shut down the puter for the night, now I can just say hi here. I hope you feel better tomorrow.

(((((((((((((((((((((BIG HUGS))))))))))))))))))))))

[tic chick]

how is everybody doing?

buttons, did you get on the treadmill again? i was reading an article today that said that exercise is good for chronic pain. there is supposed to be more information on it on the mayo clinic website under "chronic pain".

i went to my friends birthday party last saturday. i saw a lot of people that i knew and i enjoyed talking to them. the party was supposed to end at 11, but i went home at 10. it is a heavy drinking crowd, or maybe it seemed that way because it was a party. a lot of the women i knew came there already having had a few drinks. i don't drink much, first of all, because with the meds i take you're not supposed to drink. second, alcohol is not my drug of choice. i would still rather have a piece of cake than 2 beers. so, that was my choice.

i am having to pay some extra attention to my mother, who is in the early stages of dementia. it's hard to deal with because she can be sharp as a tack one minute and the next minute be saying something that makes no sense. in my mind i understand this, but at times i react impulsively and regret what i have said or done. i wish i did not have to deal with this, but i do. i have siblings to help, but right now my mom is always calling me when she is lonely.

they built a mall here that has outside areas for people to bring their dogs. i think this is a great idea, as people could walk their dogs and get exercise and be outside.

the sun rises earlier everyday. i get up with my dogs and give them some attention and a little treat in the morning. i eat breakfast and read the paper. doing this routine everyday seems to keep me calm. anybody else have something they do routinely that makes their day right?

all in all, things are not bad.

that's the best i can do :)...
jeannie

[joy]

Hi everyone, gee for a moment there I though my post disappered again, lol. I am getting better but still a tad off, ha. Well I'm always that but not up to my usual grumpy self even. It will happen I just have to be patient. Thanks for the wondering where I was and especially for the hugs Christina.

Jeannie I am glad sorry about your mother. It sounds as if you have a ggod ideal how to help yourself with a routine that calms you. Keep at it, it is important to have something, however small, to try and calm yourself. I used to walk a long time ago. It worked so well I over did it tho'. I love that mall with a place to walk dogs. That is a good ideal. We have a new mall here, no place for dogs, but it is kinda nice to have a newer mall to get a bit of exercise in. I am starting to try and go more often and just mosey around. Any movement is good for me now since I have been in recliner or bed for so long.

Well not anything exciting here and I sure hope I'm not reporting something like a tornado any time soon. It got really warm here for February today and that always means trouble. The warm weather has brought out all kinds of pretty birds to watch. Gee, I will be so glad when warm weather gets here. All I have to talk about now is weather and birds. It is much more fun when I can say I rode the mule or got to ride the jet ski, lol. I don't feel so old then either. I might hurt more, but it is kinda nice for a change when I get to do something. It is awful when spine problems and other obnoxious things make a person feel old before their time. I'd rather feel mischevious like I used to be called. :D

[Tootsie]

I'm trying not to get myself all stressed out for my driver's test tomorrow. After a certain age, you need to go in and take the written test before they will renew your driver's license. Fortunately, you can pick up a booklet and then take practice tests on the computer. I do all right with those, but find myself reading too quickly and misinterpreting what they are asking.

Tonight is supposed to be record cold, but it has stopped raining so there won't be any more snow on the hills. While the sun was out today, the air was still cold enough to need a heavy sweat shirt or jacket. That's what is considered "really cold," here. I know, shame on us.

I'm taking refuge in the PBS stations these days. With the writer's strike, plus all the election non-news, I'm finding TV unwatchable. We are fortunate to have 2 PBS stations in our area, and access to a third if you have the right equipment. We will need one of those funny boxes that the government will finance for you. Last night, a friend came over to watch the latest Jane Austen program on Masterpiece Theater. Cheerio.

[Buttons2]

OK, I've managed to hurt one knee pretty bad,pretty sure it was the treadmill,guess even 10 minutes is too much until I get used to it again. What a life! Here I am all fired up to lose weight & work up a sweat exercising & then my body betrays me again.:eek:

Well, I've stuck to my diet for the past week,I did have a tad of butter today on my rice & green beans. Everything tastes so blah ya know? I've lost 6# so am encouraged in that! :)

Yesterday my housemate came home with a surprise gift.....one of those Siatsu Massage Cushions,now this thing is great! Like getting a quick massage. Only goes for 15 min then shuts off. I was amazed how it worked so well. And here I was convinced it was my tailbone causing my pain,but it was my neck that "cracked" alot! It really hits the spine in the middle. I was thinking of getting one for my mother,she's been housebound for over 2 mos. & of course refuses to go to a doc. But after using it again this AM I've decided it might be too strong for her. She's also getting dementia,so I understand how you feel frustrated Jeannie. Mom refuses to take her thyroid meds & I'm pretty sure that's what is causing her dementia. At least my dad still has his mind!:D

Bad wind here all morning,now the sun out for a second,then clouds roll in. I expect massive flooding in WA from the record snowfalls!:eek:

Haven't had my Pepsi Max fix in over a week now. There are times I'm tempted though! I was drinking one before breakfast instead of my tea,not good.Milk on my granola actually has more sodium,however milk has nutrients & diet sodas are BAD for us.

Ah, come on spring......earlier the better!

Take care you all,Buttons

[joy]

Hi you all. Well it looks like we missed the tornados. Unfortunately not everyone did.

Tootsie I hope you aced your driving test. When my kids took theirs again, I was amazed at how hard I thought it all was, lol. I'd hate to have to take it again. Which reminds me, I still haven't gotten my drivers liscence renewed so I'd best get moving on that or I may have to retake it myself.

Buttons my grandaughter played WI for a short time and even as active as she is, her arm was sore the next day. Moderation in all things, remember, lol.
I had a massage thingy but I think the giver "borrowed" it back. My steroid shots are kicking in and I'm back to craving everything now, and going for it too. What was that I said about moderation, I can 't hear myself, lol.

I am so ready for spring. But not like today, in 70's, if it means tornadoes. I'm still mad because I didn't get to vote today!!!

[Tootsie]

Awk! Why didn't you get to vote?
I had received my absentee ballot, but then couldn't find it. I called the Registrar of Voters and was told to just go to my polling place and they would give me a provisional ballot which would be checked for signature, and to be sure I only voted once, before it was counted. I'll probably find it under one of my several "piles" when I finish cleaning out my sewing room. I AM making progress.

I did vote after I went to the DMV. I only had to take the written test. It is so busy! Fortunately, they have an older man, in a security uniform, that cruises around the area, answering questions and making sure everyone understands where to go next. I asked if there was someplace I could sit down instead of standing in one of the long lines. He just had me go to a different "window," where they corrected my test. I got one wrong. I really didn't know what the jail sentence was for a DUI. I hadn't paid much attention to that when I read the booklet, because I don't drink, except at home. Never
when I'd have to drive home.

I think I must have had some kind of jinx aura today. The computer at the DMV went down just after I started the process. Then at the bank, the printer wasn't working! Today was way too busy for my style of life right now. Tomorrow, I should be back on cruise control. Cheerio.

[houghchrst]

Hi all. I am here :rolleyes:, attempting to recover from grocery shopping yesterday:eek:. My knee feels like it has a 10# ham strapped to it and the pain is almost unbearable. Not to mention that my left foot hurt so bad last night I could barely walk. That was the top of it, we won't even talk about the side that was fractured. Today I will take it easy. I did cut the rest of that fabric for the last of the yoyos for my quilt the other day. Must have felt ambitious. Been feeling out of sorts lately. I think it is a mix of PMS, despair at hurting all the time and stress about money problems. I just often feel like I can't get a break. Wish I could shut the ole brain down once in a while.

My little one has been pretty sick. They sent him home from school on Thursday and by the time mid afternoon rolled around he had a fever of 103 and was vomiting. Saturday I took him to urgent care clinic and then Sunday we went to the hospital ER and yesterday we went to his peds doc for a follow up. This time around they want him to do his nebulizer for the rest of the month with Pulmicort. Hopefully he can go back to school on Friday. I wish there was some way to keep him from catching every cold that comes along. Home schooling enters my mind but I am not up to that challenge, not patient or ambitious enough. Bedsides that he needs the socialization and the exercise.

Not quite sure what to make of this ridiculous weather. Hear last night that we are to get about nine inches of snow over night and throughout the day, I get up and there is maybe half an inch of wet snow. Now they are saying maybe 2 to 4. Geez, I love the snow but only when we get enough to make it worth while. Not this wet, nasty, troublesome snow.

Buttons, my goodness, I hope that knee is doing better today. I am sorry that the treadmill was a bust. Maybe go down to only a couple of minutes. My friend just bought one of those Tony Little Gazelles. No impact but a great cardio workout and also for the rest of the body if used with the DVD. Maybe I should go to her house and work out with her. If she wasn't on the other side of town, well actually just inside the next town, then I would probably do it. Though I know she would have no problem coming and getting me. gee better not mention that to her or she will be knocking on my door 3 or 4 days a week :eek::rolleyes::D. Congratulations on your weight loss. I don't understand what the deal is with me, the more I think of needing to lose the more I eat. I am pretty sure it may be my addictive nature and my brain goes into panic mode. Don't know :(. I would love to have one of those massage thingys. I have thought about the ones that are full length you put in a chair but sometimes my back hurts too bad to even touch. I have had the bf give me a massage and usually it hurts so good and helps for a bit but the rest of the time it is a no go.

Joy sorry you didn't get to vote. How frustrating. The weather has been off all over the country and I just saw a quick flash on the news that there has been about 47 people killed in tornadoes. Terrible. Hope you are getting better. We all need a bit of spring me thinks.

Tootsie glad your test went well. The last time I had to take it the manager is the one who checked it, he is an #!!, and I barely passed and he was quite rude and condescending about it. I had already been driving for about 7 years and had no problems just hadn't gotten my license. I think I was 21 :eek:. I got to watch the PBS story of Jane Austen, can't remember the name of it right off but enjoyed it very much. I did miss a couple of her tales but hope they show them again so that I may see them. I did not know that the government would help get the digital boxes. I will have to check into that.

Kathi, that is funny about the binkies. Both of my boys were attached to theirs but oddly enough had no trouble getting rid of them. We let the youngest know ahead of time that he would be having to get rid of his and set a date and when it was gone it was gone. Not much problem but every once in a great while he would put out that bottom lip and say how much he missed it. Then about 4 months ago we were feeling ambitious and were going through the bookcases to pass books on to others and when we moved the bookcase a binky was behind it, I have no idea how it got there as this wasn't the first time the bookcase had been moved since he gave it up. He was so excited and asked to keep it LOL. So it is in his little drawer where he sticks little things that he likes to collect. Hope that doesn't mean he will be a hoarder :eek::rolleyes:.

Cheyriver, welcome. Hope you stop in more often. We enjoy hearing from others.

Jeannie, how are you? Well I hope. Glad you got to get out to that party. I miss that kind of stuff though I do have a tendency to stress myself almost to severe illness before. No I have not had my gall bladder checked. How do they go about doing that? As for my mother, since some have mentioned theirs here;), I see her at least once a week. Talk to her on the phone probably twice a week and just did her grocery shopping for her on Sunday. I have stopped talking to her about any of her medical issues ie: doc visits, medications, etc. I know that she canceled an appt. while I was there about 2 weeks ago and has not rescheduled. This was a meet and greet for a new primary doc and then she was to go from there to start getting herself together. She knows she has probably reached a point where she will need back surgery but she is dreading it. Me too because I am afraid that she will not do what she needs to do to recover properly. I know that she is drinking too though not to the extent that she was.

Well I hope that you all enjoyed my novella and it neither bored you nor tired you out. Just felt like babbling and wanted to address everyone. Wow I still have more to say LOL. Geez a regular babblina :eek::rolleyes::D. Okay I will give you all a break, time to load the dishwasher and then I do believe I will work on my quilt today. Little man has been dosed and the snow is falling for real now and I am feeling a bit perkier for all my "writing".

Hope you all have a great day.

((((((((((((((((((((HUGS FOR ALL))))))))))))))))))

[Nana4&cntn]

Hi All,

Boy, what an imbitious(sp) group you all are.

Jeannie and Buttons, my mom also is having problems. We thought perhaps it was dementia, but as she is BiPolar and has OCD the doctor has ruled this out. She did better on the pre test than I did.

Wow, Christina, maybe you should write a novel, you write well and are fun to read. Definitely not boring. I have no skills at writing. I dictate well, cant type either, that is why my posts are usually short.

Tootsie, congrats on the drivers liscence. Here if you pass your birthdate they make you take a drivers (in the car) test. This year I almost missed it. I got there at 3pm on my birthday on what felt like the hottest day of the year. August and February are the worst mo's of the year here.

Chey, I'm with you as far as the short posts, and Joy, I have deleted more of my posts than have made it.

I have a Tony Little gazelle, no impact, but sometimes really tough on the low back muscles, I have the best luck working out on the recumbinent bike with an ice pack, gets the heart pumping, no upper body though. I'm not supposed to do over the head or any lifting of weights per the rehab doc. I used to lift weights 3-5 days a week, and rode my bike about 1000 miles a year. I was in great shape prior to my mva. I wish I as now. I have gained almost 50lbs, mostly because of meds, no exercise, and lack of motivation.

Buttons, those massage things are great, to hard for me. I cant stand anyone to touch my back. Take care of that knee.

Hope this finds you all better,
Kathy

[joy]

Tootsie great that you passsed the tesr and did so well on it. I am stressing about not getting my drivers license renewed. Let's see, Jan 31 until now. Was sick, hubby then sick, then vehicle in shop. Hope they don't count off for excuses, lol.

We missed the tornadoes but it was still very scary way back when our town had 30 somthing to die in one area! The next big one, about 1/4 of town was destroyed or damaged. That's just the big ones we've had. We used to be called tornado alley. I think it is moving just a bit in another dirction but you never know. And they keep telling us to get ready for the next big earthquake. I don't even want to think about any of it!! So I don't, so then I don't prepare.

Christina I am picturing your quilt in my mind. If yoyo's are what I think they are, my mother used to have me make some for different thing. I usually stopped at enough for a pillow though, lol. Some of my favorite things are quilts that my aunts, one in particular made. In them, I can remember the dresses the aunt used to use the material for dress and extra material went into quilts. Booth grandmother (one a long time and aunt just a few years. Special memories though. This aunt also did the crocheting around washcloths etc. The middle might get holes in the cloths, but the edges stay as prtty as ever and do't ravel etc. She died before I ever got the hanf og that. I tried several times too but hands were already getting to numb way before she died. I treasure them though, but don't save them. I use them as I know they mean more to me than anyone who will get them after I'm gone.

I'm glad for anyone who ever feels talkative. To me this usually means that I am not quite all the way down. So I always hope that the writer is feeling up to most things when they feel like talking. And to me it is a smart person who is down that does talk about it!! Keeping things to yourself only makes things worse sometimes, I feel. (I do this far too often - duh!!)

I have stories about binkis but because the kid is old enough to be embarrsed now, I won't tell. Jeannie I was just noticing how much earlier the sun rises here now. And just this morning I was thinkg, wow next month when the times changes, it will seem really early!

Buttons go easy on the treadmill. Bet to do it that way rather than have to go days while healing. I'll have to google a Tony Little gazelle to see what one of those things are. I remember riding on a stationary bike used to really get my heart going and I would feel as weak as a kitten when I got off.

Unfortunatley now just taking a shower makes me feel that way. Today I was to tired to really dry off good and my hair did not get dried. It looks awful, i so need a haircut. That is another reason I've been holding off for retake driver's license picture. The one 4 years ago I had lost a lot of weight and I looked like a druggie. I was determined to have a smile on my face so I sat while everyone in front of me had theirs made with one plastered on my face. And that's just how I looked, plastered, awful, lol.

Cheyriver, don't be a stranger. We love having people join in.

edited to add, gee someone else is not the only talkative one today. I'm just so relieved to have the storms over for one thing.

[Tootsie]

We've actually had sunshine for the past 3 days now. I managed to get out of the house and to my gardening class plot to put in some onions that the group had ordered for all of us. The pool where I swim is closed the rest of the week as they are doing some work on the hot tub that was leaking. I never use it abut it seems to be popular.

My heart rate goes up if I'm in hot tub for more than 5 minutes. I get weak and dizzy, so just use a hot shower when I finish swimming.

I'm very relieved that the written driver's test is over. I had forgotten how much I stress out over the word "test" since it's been so long since I had to take one for any reason. If there is any question about your physical condition, they can force you to take a road test also, and even put certain restrictions on your license...like only within 30 miles of your home, only during daylight hours, etc. It is helpful for those whose skills aren't what they used to be, as they can continue to be independent. Cheerio.

[joy]

Still haven't made it into town for renewal of license, this may end badly I'm beginning to think. I forgot to mention why I did not get to vote I think. It is because I guess I did not know you had to vote in a certain time span, and I had not voted in the last 3 years. I make a real big effort to go vote for the biggies I call them but did not realise that unless I voted every ----? years, I would have to reregister. I hope my little mind and bad body parts does not let this happen again.

[Buttons2]

My dad had to renew his license last year,he was 84 (I think). Well he drives a small truck that wouldn't pass inspection so he used my mother's big sedan,which he's not that used to driving.

His first mistake was to walk in the license place using his cane. His second mistake was getting mad cause they forced him to do the driving test,BECAUSE of the cane.

So he flunked the test. He was nervous & not prepared. They took his license. Being the stubborn old man he is,he drove anyway. He had an appointment within 10 days to take the test again.

He knew if he flunked again he'd be in a big pickle cause my folks live in the country & Mom doesn't drive anymore.

He kept his mouth shut the second time around,passed the test with flying colors & even managed to avert an accident when someone pulled out in front of him illegally!

So unless you want to risk taking the entire test ya better not walk in there with a cane!

Buttons

[joy]

I had thought of that. All the while remembering how awfully long it took 4 years ago, standing in line. I will go one way or another soon as it is beginning to bother me too much now, lol.

[houghchrst]

Oh my what a beautiful snow. We got a bit over a foot of snow. So many places closed down. When I got up the bf was still here and was shoveling. He was supposed to work but he said he got about 7 steps from the back door and knew he wouldn't even be able to get out of the driveway. So he had to call in and is slowly but surely getting it done. Lots of accidents during the night. People so often drive like they are invincible in their big metal cages but they don't take into consideration that while they may be a bit safer the other guy may not be. Very careless. Little guy is dying to go out and play in it but the doc said on Tuesday that he really shouldn't be out playing in the cold so he has had his breathing treatment and I am still considering. Maybe with his mouth covered. Poor guy has been cooped up since last Thursday. Only outings were for emergency care and doc appts.

Buttons I wonder if that goes for people who have handicap plates. I can't remember if I had my handicap plate back when I had to renew. seems like I may have had the plackard but not the plate yet.

Today I am in a good mood. Maybe because the PMS is coming to an end and the BF is home. We really are getting along better than we ever have. Almost as though the longer we are together the happier we are together. I am ashamed to admit that I think it is mostly me. Despite my pain and mental illness I am more relaxed in giving of myself and maybe less jealous and clingy. Lived in fear ........ well blah, blah, blah. No relationship analyzing here because I am sure I could go on and on.

Anyway no novella here. The last was pretty long so I am done.

Have a great day ya'll.

[tic chick]

we got maybe 3 to 4 inches of powdery stuff. i shoveled this afternoon. it was not very cold and it was nice to be outside.

christina. gallbladder pain is usually felt in the upper right quadrant of your torso. you usually get pain after eating a heavy or fattier meal, like pizza. the pain can range from a heavy feeling right where the gallbladder is, to pain in the right back, radiating up to the right shoulder, to a kind of band of pain around the whole lower bra line. if you're having this kind of pain, the dr. would do an ultrasound, because it would show if you have stones or any of your ducts are blocked. if you have had an ultrasound when you were pregnant, it's very similar. if the ultrasound picks up "sludge" in your gallbladder, which is a viscous fluid made up of bile and crystallized matter, the dr. then might do a test to see how your gallbladder is functioning. it involves injecting a radioactive tracer through your vein which is then viewed by a machine as it is going through the ducts and gallbladder. the time it takes for it to do this is given a percentage number. usually over 35% ejection fraction is considered normal. if it is below that, it's up to you and your dr. to decide what you want to do. usually if you have stones, they will recommend removal.

i stayed up until 2am watching a movie last night. i am paying for it today. when your body is used to a routine, it turns on you quickly when you mess with it.

buttons. i would start walking on your treadmill at the same speed you usually walk around the house. just doing it for about 20 minutes daily would be enough. then when you could do that comfortably, i would speed it up just a bit. when that is comfortable i would add another 5 minutes. speed, time, is how i would work up to doing a full half hour to 45 minute routine.

i think writing about your feelings is very therapeutic. i only worry about this all being on the internet forever...lol. you know, somebody comes across my postings and reads and thinks, "how lame" :rolleyes:. it makes you feel vulnerable.

thank you all for sharing,
jeannie

[houghchrst]

i only worry about this all being on the internet forever...lol. you know, somebody comes across my postings and reads and thinks, "how lame" :rolleyes:. it makes you feel vulnerable.

One of my biggest things is giving advice. Yes I do often find myself doing it but then I think "how stupid", I should not have said that , or what do I know. Sometimes I get a thanks that was helpful and feel validated but most times I just feel stupid. Not that it stops me from opening my big mouth LOL.

[Buttons2]

Well I do see some small benefit in having BT crash & all my posts giving advice,telling about my son's mental illness,etc. Sometimes I come across my old posts when I'm doing reaserch though! So for the past year I've tried to keep whatever I wouldn't want a family member to read to myself or on PM's. We can't take back what we write!

I also think it helps us to write here,have some feedback,get support. I've always perferred writing to gabbering away on the phone or in person. Nowadays I really don't have anyone to talk to except my dog & my housemate!

This sure isn't the life I should be living,but I think I've come to accept what I can't change right now.

Made the mistake of getting on the scales this morning! I've gained 2oz since I weighed on Monday! Now this is depressing as ****!!This is day 11 of no aspartame & I'm fighting the urge to have an icy cold Pepsi! Have finally convinced my housemate to give up the diet sodas also. He's only on day 4 so hasn't had any detox reaction yet.

Raining here today,better than that horrid wind! Did anyone else see the place in OR that got 12 FEET of snow? Unbelievable!

Glad some of you have pretty snow now. Hope the little guy gets better so he can go play in it Christina. I agree you seem alot better lately,take all the good days you can get!

I agree I need to start slower on the treadmill,and I think joy was right about how the hard flat surface hurt me compared to the muddy trail I'm used to walking on. Today I'll be walking in the rain,that's OK though. My dog seems to love rain (and snow).

Now I've noticed something weird since stopped drinking poison aspartame everyday. My sinuses have cleared up! And I didn't take a handful of hair from the drain when showering! I find it hard to believe this is from just a few days of not consuming the junk but what else could it be? Certainly not from the low fat/low sodium diet? Well whatever it is I'm glad,losing my hair was distressful! And I hate taking Claritin.

I'm not giving up on my pledge to lose weight,might throw out the scales though! I feel "lighter" if that makes any sense,but the gain rather than any loss has me perplexed.

And for those who watch the news,this has been a very strange week! All these shootings,it's not even a full moon!

[Tootsie]

Buttons, please don't be discouraged and stress out over a miserly 2 oz weight gain. It could be extra fluid, or other basic bodily functions that ebb and flow over a period of time.

I got myself on the exercise machine called NU step and also the treadmill at the local Senior Center today, then came home and took a nap. I only did five minutes on each as I had a errand to do before I came home. The pool is closed for maintenance so I needed some alternative exercise. In the past, I've gotten myself in big trouble by overdoing it, so was very, very conservative.

We've had a whole week now, of sunny, clear weather, even though it has been chilly enough for a heavy sweatshirt. Tomorrow, we are planting seeds in the greenhouse, at my gardening class. Spring cannot be far behind. Cheerio.

[houghchrst]

Buttons did you say 2 ounces? Were you naked? Did you have to pee? :D:eek: Sorry but I had to ask. It just seems so small to me, I mean if you drank a glass of water first, ate something, anything could add two ounces. Now 2 pounds and I might be concerned. I hope you aren't too stressed about it and I am not trying to make light of it.

Well you all seem to have jumped on the healthier bandwagon so I think that this week I am going to go back to doing my Yoga for Arthritis DVD. I really must do something. The pain really inhibits my mobility and I know that it is seriously affecting my muscles and my future ability to do things once we get my pain level somewhat under control.

Right now my upper back is in a serious state and has been for days. Waking with head pain almost every morning and if not in the a.m. then it develops through out the day. Reaching a point that not only does it hurt but it is affecting my state of mind, I get that crazy, manic, frustrated, hair pulling feeling in my head. Does not help my mental illness.

Feeling a bit irritable today. Really need some sun and to get out of this house. I have been out three times since the 31st and all of those were either ER care for the little one or a doc appt for one of the boys. I have library books and movies that are over due. I keep saying I am going to work on my quilt and every time I get ready to it seems I get side tracked and then by the time I have time I don't feel like it and it has gotten late.

Well I hope every one else is feeling better than I do. Oh geez, I just remembered that I forgot to take my meds this morning. Almost noon. Rare occurrence.

[tic chick]

ditto, buttons. i would not get upset over a 2oz. weight gain. my scale also shows in increments of .2 pounds. i read that for every gram of carbohydrate you take in, your body holds 3 grams of water. so, if you had a high fiber food, which is good for you, like whole wheat crackers, or bread or pasta, that fiber sucks up water to expand and your body holds onto the water longer. salt is hidden in so many things, also. veggies and fruits have high water contents, also.

i weigh myself every morning, wearing minimal clothing :D. it's funny, but if my scale is turned one way, i weigh slightly less than if it were facing another direction. also, you have to step on the scale at about the same place.

scales can malfunction, also. the best scales are "strain-gauge" because they always go back to zero, whereas some scales gradually lose their ability to go back to zero.

i give myself a 3 pound cushion. if my weight climbs consistently everyday and i reach the uppermost limit i have set for myself, i pay more attention to what i am eating, that way, i can go back to basics for a while and start losing again.

i hope this makes you feel better *bunch.

yeah, christina, i am the same about giving advice as you are. as we get older, we experience more in life. adversity also makes us more compassionate to the plight of others facing it for perhaps the first time. we also have a knowledge base, so we can write intelligently on a variety of subjects.

tootsie, i would love to join a gardening club and start seeds in a greenhouse! i read an article the other day that said more seed companies are producing perennial vegetable seeds now. i never thought of having vegetables as a perennial crop. the only vegetable i have seen come up perennially in my yard are spring onion clumps :(. we have been fighting them yearly, because the person who owned the house before us apparently let some onions go to seed once and we have been digging them up ever since.

joy, wherever you are, i hope you are having a good day.

and to the others who have posted here...come on back!

i hope everybody has a peaceful weekend,
jeannie

[Nana4&cntn]

hi all,

typing one handed today, my once dormant pain in the neck disc decided to rear its ugly head yesterday. Went to er last nite couldn't stand it any longer. I cant take oral anti inflamatories. There appears very obvious swelling in the area,so I got a shot of toradol in the area. They sent me home, hoping with meds I already take will address the pain untill I see my doc on monday. It will be a very long weekend. I use a cane due to neuropathy in the right leg, so the cane is held in the left hand. Well the left arn is useless today due to weekness. I really just need to sleep.
I am very bumed. I hope we can get it under control as I don't wish to have surgery. I should be posting this in the pitty party room ic cp forum.


Buttons I don't own a scale, I just go by the monthly visits to the doc. He has a new scale that is very accurate. I used to weigh every day untill I put my poor scale out of it's misary. I have given up on paying attention to actual weight, my clothes not fitting is getting frustrating tho. I am trying to eat 3 decent meals,and stay away from brownies and chocolate. Sometimes to no avail.lol
Jeannie, I had a small homemade greenhouse for a few years and had great success with it. I wish I still hade it, so much time spent there was very theraputic.
Tootsie, I think I remember you are in Northern California where I grew up, however It wasn't the Silicon Valley then, just apricot cherry orchards, etc. I do remember when Apple computer started. I was a very young mom and cleaned their office areas as a part time job.
Christina I hope you are doing better, Take your meds!! It is the first thing I do when I get.

Hope everyone ahs a better day.
Kathy

[Buttons2]

Well I can see now how silly it was to stress over 2oz.weight gain! It's just that I'd waited days to weigh myself again & was hoping for a loss of 2#!!:mad:

Kathy,I feel for you having neck pain,and hope your entire weekend won't be one of hurting. I really like that Shiatsu massager,I'm using it for 15 each day. It really helped with my neck.

Christina,I figure you'll get around to the quilting project before I get to my picture album project, so don't rush it too much! And I'm really down today myself with this weather,etc. I did see a small bloom on a rhoddie today,so hopefully spring will be here soon.

Tootsie,I wish I had a greenhouse! I can think of some perennial veggies like artichokes,they have really huge stalks. And asparagus. But I'm guessing you are referring to other veggies right? I planted hollyhock plants last year not realizing I'd have to wait for any blooms! So now I need to remove them from the whiskey barrell & find make a bed for them.(What was I thinking??:confused:)

Jeannie,my scales are those digital things that seem to have a memory of their own! My doc once told me to only weigh once a week & I plan to follow that advice. I can see a change in my face from the water loss. Yes gals I'm weighing myself naked,I need all the loss I can possibly achieve!:D

I went to an estate sale this morning,first sale around here since last fall. I thought getting out of the house would help my depression,well seeing all the muddy fields & everything all dreary didn't help one bit! I did see 4 eagles & some snowgeese though.I scored on some original artwork for cheap prices.

Now my housemate is noticing his rash,hives & constant itching is improving from cutting out aspartame! He's suffered for years from this & been to doctor's that never helped. I'm still just amazed how my sinuses have cleared up. I actually stopped drinking that one soda to cut down more on sodium,in fact the milk on my granola has more sodium than a soda does,but it also has nutrients! I hope none of you are consuming aspartame!

Got soaked walking my dog yesterday,but being able to breath in the fresh rain in the woods was nice!

This is good weather to curl up with a book & drink hot tea. Take care everyone & have the best weekend possible. Is anyone besides me a football fan? I'll be getting my last fix of the season tomorrow watching the Pro Bowl.

Later,Buttons

Other people are always welcome to chime in here,especially if you are cheerful & upbeat like the rest of us!:rolleyes:

[joy]

Oh boy am i ever tired. we kept the 3 year old grandson last night and was with his all day until just a short time ago. He chatters so much but at least now I can understand most everything he says. He goes around singing a lot which I just love to hear. if it wasn't for my 2 grandkids, i'd be down in the dumps all the time.

i worry a lot about things i tell, like not driving unless i am tip top, or just not driving much etc. now i know i am a safer driver even with my neuropathy than most people on the road. i have always kept my mind on driving. i had one reck where i was tired from work and on the way home was kind of driving, you know where when you look back you realise you had been kind of mindless!! that did it. that wreck was not even my fault but i did know that maybe well not , lol, not rally, i topped a hill and there was a car turning in front of me. so i swerved, and there was a car blocked that i could not see behind it. so i hit the second car!! the first car stoppe, looked, and went on!~! the staye trooper siad if the vehicle and driver could be found, they would be responsible for the wreck. but there was a hill so just a bad thing happened.

it is so nice to have 60 degree weather even this late in the day but i wish the wind would stop blowing. my ear and head is having some discomfort and i am afraid it is my trigeminal neuralgia, or miagrine and tn. all i need is to start worrying about having a meniere's attack too, lol. so wind, stop!!! maybe it is just ear pain and headache.

well i am griping too much already and will be wishing i could erase it, lol. so i'm going to just say - enjoyed reading everyone's posts. I agree, everyone that will, please join in. this is a wonderful way to get to know people better.

[houghchrst]

Joy I so hope you do not have an attack and that your discomfort abates. Griping is allowed in fact I am about to LOL. Just kidding. I have days where I have left the driveway and look around me and think wow, should I really be driving? I have kids that I drive around. All this medication on top of the Fibro really affects my ability to focus and process. Very scary. Add to all that the other people who drive like they are on the road all by themselves. I am jealous of your weather LOL, we are freezing here.

Well all please pray for me today, I am on the edge of one of those ER migraines, I have reached my limit of Imitrex and with my Zoloft the risk of seizure rises tremendously. So I am very carefully sitting here, trying no to move my head too quickly. I am hoping that with a couple cups of coffee the caffeine will help.

My teenage son has decided to come home for a couple of days. His grandmother is driving him nuts. Boy she is an evil woman. It is funny but I had a dream with her in it just before I woke this morning. So I will be getting up way earlier to get him to the bus stop and attempting to stay calm while he is here. He is Bipolar so with mine and his together things don't mix too well. He is a great kid, smart, funny but we butt heads and he often goes too far. I am hypersensitive to noise and chaos and that is what we tend to have when he is here. I miss him but at the same time am dreading it. I know that makes me a terrible mother, especially according to his grandmother, but I was at a loss as to what to do to help him so I let him go.

I did get to work on my quilt for a bit yesterday. I will today too. There were all kinds of things I wanted to do today but I don't know if I want to go out. It is so cold. Not even supposed to reach the teens today. Bbbrrrrrr!!! Hopefully this is the last cold snap before spring. Does that sound too hopeful?

Hope you all have a great day.

[Nana4&cntn]

Hi All,

Joy griping is mos definitly allowed, I did my fair share yesterday.

Doing more today, my neck is still bothering me big time. My left arm and hand are pretty much useless. I did not make it to church today. I am afraid to drive as I can't turn my neck to change lanes etc. My anxiety is at an all time high, the possibility of more tests and a looming surgery. enough already.

Christina, you are not abad mom. I had to send my son to live with his father in Tennessee when he was 13. It was a tough decision,but, best for all. You have to do what you gotta do. I wish I would have worked on my quilt. It was supposed to be moms 70th birthday gift. Well she turned 70 the 1st. It is a memory quilt and she has alot mor pictures she wants added to it. She can't find the pictures. So we are at a stand still. I hope your headaches are better and that your weekend is quiet. I understand the bipolar issues as mom and my DIL are bipolar.I often think living in their heads must be incredibly hard. The both are OCD also. I don't mean to offend you, just thinking out loud.
Buttons I do envy you ability to walk in the wood or on the beach. I was in WA state last june when we buried my Grandmother. It is such a beautiful state. I love the mountains, the ocean, but not the overcast weather.

Take care all,
Kathy

[houghchrst]

Headache is better but the pain seems to have spread out. Kathy, no offense taken at all. I don't mind talking about my mental issues, after all it is another of the many reasons I am here. Yes it is very hard being in my head LOL, if fact most days I hate it, like today, one of those crying days. Thank you for the understanding regarding my son, it means a lot to me. Many can't understand unless they have been in our shoes.

I did manage to go stand in the sun for about a minute and a half because it was 1 degree out. Gust of wind came up and had me skittering towards the door. Decided to spend the day in my room, coloring Mandalas, doing some mending, working on quilt, and making paper airplanes for the little guy. Tried to go out but the doors on the car are frozen shut LOL. Maybe it was a sign or warning so I decided not to push my luck.

Okay back to my warm, cozy den.

[joy]

Well I don't think any of us are back to our best yet from the way it sounds. I will say this also, I know enough to say that I understand completly why a mother would let a child go live with another relative. I know enough about all of you by now to know that you love your children. But somethimes choices need to be made for what is best for them and it just might mean not living with a parent full time.

I can relate to the part about noise. My mother used to tell me this about keeping my kids, and I have to say by now I can understand it all to well. She would tell me, I am not used to noise now and it gets on my nerves.

By today my body is in a state of something bad. It is stress I think, it is feeling like a rubber band stretched to its limit. It is afraid it is going to snap! I feel weak, and tearful. I may have told this, about how I try my best to NOT cry. Well by this morning, tears were rolling down my cheeks whether I wanted them to or not. I feel bad, really bad. I often don't take my third baclofen but I took the second one early today along with something for anxiety. I just need to go to bed and stay there. But can't as I have granddaughter. My daughter and sil have the flu so I will have grandaughter for awhile.

My mind has been willing to keep pushing but my body is yelling NO in the only way it knows how! Kathy I need to read more about you, you must have neuropathy, do you? I also understand about migraines and about seizures too. My daughter has those and unfortunatly it has changed her life and not for the better for her.

I don't want to be gripey, stressd out person but after being sick for so long and being fearful my worst kinds of pains are going to return, I feel pretty bad today. I want all of this to disapper and stay gone right now. Arrgh I have to find a stopping place, ,lol. I'm looking forward to better times. But I'm also awfully glad to have company that understands me too. Even long distance. That is better than being all alone any time, any day.

[houghchrst]

Oh Joy I am so sorry you are feeling so down. I wanted to cry when I read your post. I wish you were nearby and I could pop over and maybe have tea and a mutual cry/laugh.

{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{{HUGS}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}}

[Buttons2]

Well I'm a total grouch today myself. Let's all hope that tomorrow will be the beginning of a better week.

Christina, you are not a bad mother. And I hope the week ahead with your older son there will not be too stressful. Feel free to scream if you need to.

I was just reading an article about bi-polar. I have a hard enough time dealing with my brain as it is,so very grateful I don't have those extreme ups & downs. You seem well focused & very aware of your own abilities on how to cope best. Good for you! I see you as a very strong person.

Wow,it is raining so hard right now I can't believe it! Have any of you ever gone outside in warm rain & just stood there & let it soak you? I recall doing that as a kid.

Joy, I hope the flu goes away in your family soon & that you get better!

And we all had a huge overload of bad news this week......the bright spot was the baby found alive after the tornados! Sometimes we just have to struggle to get through the day huh? Hoping tomorrow will be better & do our best to not let it get worse.

Hang in there everyone!

[Nana4&cntn]

Joy,

I second what Christina said about a hug, tea, and a cry. Sometimes the endorphines released from crying really helps the pain, ad an added benefit is if you cry heavily before you go to sleep, you sleep better. Of course then you have fish eyes in the morning. I think it is a small price to pay for a good nights sleep.
I do have some major neuropathy in my right leg. Permanent damage from a pidicle screw hitting the S1 nerve root, also some damage to nerves at L4/5. But, the problems I have today are from a bad disc in the neck. I have really been ignoring it. I had to take moms cat to the vet on Thursday. He and the carrier weigh 20+lbs. So I am sure since I carried him in my left hand and its the left side that is really a mess. I see the pm doc tomorrow so probably more tests. Oh joy!!

Buttons do you read alot? I guess if its raining it is a great pasttime. Can you see the ocean or ports from where you live? I have only been to Seattle, once for the funeral and once to board a ship for Alaska. That is a state everyone shouls see. I want to go back. Yhis time to fly to Anchorage or Nome and take the train thru Denali. Oh my wish list grows fast. Too bad the pocketbook doesn't.

I hope you all have a good night.
Kathy

[tic chick]

yeah, the sun came out a bit here about an hour ago when i started exercising. there is a very nasty wind, it's been angrily howling all day making me edgey. i am listening to loud music to drown it out.

kathy, did you build your greenhouse from scratch or get a kit? i want to create an oasis of color and comfort in my yard. we have no garage in our yard, so there is lots of open space for me to plan to do stuff. now i am even thinking about tearing out some of the cement driveway that widens out towards the back of the yard. its taking up too much space. i probably would let that be the area that my dogs could use for their stuff :).

there is this fantastic singer named corinne rae bailey. she has a song called, "put your records on". it's kind of a bluesy, jazzy song. it makes me so happy to play because it reminds me of summer and being outside and listening to music. corinne has that quality that minnie ripperton had, a singer from the 70's who sang, "loving you". minnie unfortunately died too young. here is the url to the you tube video: http://youtube.com/watch?v=bN85GFf-FUc

buttons, how is the treadmill walking going? have you started back up again?

having a mental illness caused by a chemical imbalance does not mean you cannot make intelligent and rational decisions or observations.

music and reading were my salvation from the chaos and abuse that was my childhood. ann landers taught me more about people and gave me a feeling of hope and validation than my mother did.

to spring,
jeannie

lol...i started this post at 430...and am finally finishing and posting it at almost 730...so, obviously the sun was not out an hour ago, like i said in my opening paragraph :).

[Buttons2]

Yes, I do read alot. Wish I had a new book right now as a matter of fact. No,I have not been back on the treadmill,my burst of energy has gone bye-bye for now. This is just how my life is.I have been walking my dog everyday & walking in mud must be using some new muscles cause my legs are really bad today,I use a walking stick so I'll get back out there today....without my rescued dog I bet I'd just vegitate! The trail I walk on is not flat,so I do get some benefit.There are streams of water coming off the hill right now,and huge puddles!

A greenhouse sounds nice! I've always wanted one.

I hope my comment about bi-polar wasn't offensive,I didn't mean it that way. I admire Christina for beating her addictions.

Take care everyone,Buttons

[Buttons2]

Oops,someone asked if I lived near the water,no I do not. It's a very short drive to see the bays around here. Can see the ocean when I visit my son,he lives on an large island.I'm about 65 miles north of Seattle. You can google Skagit Valley Tulip Festival & get a good idea of the beautiful scenery around here.

Tourism is big here. But it's basically a farming,logging,fishing area. I feel very fortunate to live here. I grew up in E. WA which is all sage brush hills & alot of orchards,and I think they grow most of the world's hops. I hate that side of the mountains! I love the ferns,moss,old growth trees & the wildlife here. And we don't have rattlesnakes! However we do have some rather large slugs!

[Nana4&cntn]

Joy,

I made the greenhouse from an old large 6ft by 6ft dog kennel. Since my old dog was gone I decided to put it to good use. I wrapped it with heavy duty construction plastic. Used a tall 2x4 in the middle to give it more height. I used duct tape to keep the seams in the plastic from leaking cold air. The door was removed and a construction door of plastic with a zipper was used. A hot lamp to keep it warm especially on very cold nights. Made benches from 2x4's spaced over brick o blocks, like the ones used to make basement foundations. I started the seeds in the basement with florescent lights then moved them outside. The greenhouse wasn't much to look at. But it was very sucessful.. I still have many of the perrinials in the yard. My tomato crop was incredible as were the peppers, watermelons cantalope etc.
I also was able to vent it by opening the door. I kept several buckets of eater in the greenhoud to keep the humidity high. I hope you get the general idea. It really was an eyesore but so worth it.

Christina, you are a great person, I love your posts.:cool:

Buttons, you are my idol, I really miss having my dog. He wouldo demand me to walk. Although I can just see myself walking my huge golden retriever while I use my other hand for my cane.:eek: He used to love to run at the ball fields down the street.

Take care all,
Kathy

[joy]

Kathy who cares what it looks like if it works, lol. It sounds great. I loved my planting plot that had recessed 2 inch concrete blocks set level into the ground. They were about 4 foot by 4 foot and I could kneel on the blocks and reach into the middle from every side and do the planting, weeding etc.

I misssed a few years of doing anything with it. It still did not look bad just in the yard and I thought it was easy enough to mow over. But the first time our son had to help mow, he took them up!! aargh. This is the "kid" that has always hated to mow around flowers, trees etc. He has been known to "accidently" mow over cedar trees and things. So no nice, easy planter. I wasn''t going to be able to use it likley but for sure, I never will now, lol.

I would love to have someone plant some asparagus someplace in our yard and some more vegetables like that that come back every year.

I want mums again, and hollyhocks and I had the prettiest, biggest blossoms of gee, can't think now, lol. Don't you hate that, when you memory goes blank!! Anyway they were a fall flower and had the prettiest blooms. It will pop into my head tonight when I should be asleep! We also had more than enough squash and peppers, our tomatoes were big b ut not good. They had hard white pitty spots in them!!

Jeannie I haven't watched that youtube thing yet but I am going to. I sorta gave up music when I got menieres. But way back when, it revived me. I bought a headset thingsy to listen to tapes and I started walking and having a good time enjoying the scenery, watching the birds and looking at the wildflowers and everything else. I even walked in winter, the only thing that stopped me was if it was to icy slick. I tryly loved it. But no more, to worn out and the weird sounds are too much competition for music, lol. But I remember how nice it was and I am glad I had a good time while it lasted. Its nice to know I wasn't always a couch potato, lol.

It is thundering and flash lightning and I don't like it. I know it is not tornado weather but I'm just a bit jumpy from all the activities last week. I'm going to get ready for bed and hop I go to sleep sound and miss all the rain I'm sure is going to fall. It's 33 degrees, it may not stay rain.

[Nana4&cntn]

Hi all,

The greenhouse Jeannie and joy is gone now, I had raised beds put in several years ago when my yard was leveled out. I had a huge hill that was hard to mow or do anything with. I have made several plans for the beds, but haven't done anything with them. Just weeds and grass growing that's it. I have been thinking of having a pergola built with a bench under it. I could sit on a nice cushion and read under it. I think wisteria would be beautiful to grow on it. I used to have the ability to build things like that, but, my body just doesn't like anything like that anylonger. I have made all kinds of sketches for my yard, and designed the retaing wall and deck. I used to have a beautiful yard with blooms year round. Now I have hired someone to mow, I still try to weed but usually it looks like they have taken over. I can't wait for spring maybe I will be up to doing more this year. Well I just spewed my yard all over here.
Joy you can always make another area to have your flowers. Maybe a few 4x4 boxes with a small fence around it to keep it from being mowed over. I love hollyhocks, I used to have some but not anymore. I have a ton of mums, alot if purple ones and a few of other colors. If any one wants purple cone flowers I have millions of them. They love the sun and thrive on neglect, dont need much water either.
Maybe we need a gardening and flower thread?
Anyway I hope all of you are doing well.

Heres to spring,
Kathy

[houghchrst]

Morning all. Gee this may be a long one so get comfortable with your morning coffee, tea or orange juice (gee that sounds good).

Kathy thank you for the compliment. I often feel that my posts are too long and people get tired of reading them or start to think "oh no here she goes again" with an eye roll (come on you know you do). But when you have very few intelligent adults to talk to you take it where you can get it. (Sorry honey, I love you, LOL) I have always wanted a pergola and have bugged my bf to build me one off the back of the house. I too even made up plans with measurements and everything. We have a tiny back yard but it is divided in half with my little flower bed and my furniture and my chimes and the rest is for his eyesore of a shed and the little guy's swing set and to play in. I usually plant my dahlias back there but I also have phlox now and something else my brother gave me that he can't remember the name of. I will see if maybe I can attach some pics from early last summer. http://bestsmileys.com/flowers/7.gif Up front I have beautiful Hibiscus, lilies, little flowering tree, golden sedum, and then I have space in there for my annuals that I like to plant. Well actually the bf plants them now :rolleyes:. Too hard for me to get down there, well up I should say :p:o. I think I will do Hollyhocks again this year. One year I planted them and they were a lovely fuscia color and the next year they came up, one of the plants put out yellow blossoms. Never seen anything like it. I also do house plans. I once drew my dream house plans and even had a notebook that I collected pictures of furnishings and art that I wanted to put in it. I went to print it out not too long ago and the floppy disk that it was on was corrupted and couldn't get it. I was heartbroken. I spent 2 years doing that house. Little furniture, the grounds, the mother in law cottage. I still have some of the others but not that one. Guess I need to do a new one now that I don't do stairs so good maybe put in an elevator :eek::D.

Jeannie, I have seen Corinne Rae Bailey on a couple of shows when she first became popular. I love her style. I miss Ann Landers, I know they still have the column but it just does not seem authentic with her gone. As for reading I too love it. I went to the library yesterday and was standing there perusing the new release shelf for brain books (nonfiction) and already had a stack in my arms and a very elderly gentlemen came in and says in a very heavy accent, (Russian, Polish maybe) sure is a lot of books and I said good morning and he says do you read a lot and I responded yes I surely do, everyday, he says in bed too? Oh yes, everynight, can't go right to sleep unless I do. Little did he know that I usually bring home about 10 books if not more. Half of those or more nonfiction. Some days I need my cart to haul my bookbag because it is so heavy. I like that they also have DVDs. We can have them for a week then they charge you a $2 per movie late fee. I always seem to wind up taking my checkbook :D:eek:.

But the first time our son had to help mow, he took them up!! aargh. This is the "kid" that has always hated to mow around flowers, trees etc. He has been known to "accidently" mow over cedar trees and things.Joy, that is kind of funny. I feel bad for the bf, mowing our little bit of lawn takes almost all day because I have so many shepherd hooks and my furniture and my rose bushes and he has to move all the stuff so that he can mow. He is very meticulous when he mows, and often has to rake too. He grumbles every time I want to add something to the yard because he knows he will have to mow around it :rolleyes:. I hope today finds you in better spirits and feeling better. Did you get snow? We are supposed to get 2-4 inches today. We'll see, it is Michigan after all.

Buttons I hope you are in a better mood today. I love standing in the rain, I have also passed that love on to my children. My youngest wants to go out every time it rains in the summer and most of the time he does but he gets frustrated when the thunder and lightning get bad and I won't let him. My son has spent the last 2 nights away from he grandmother's house. We let his girlfriend spend the night last night, they begged and her mother said it was okay as long as adults would be here. One slept on the couch and the other slept on a mattress on the floor. I left my bedroom door open and kept checking on them so I didn't sleep much but they were well behaved. It won't happen again. It just didn't seem right. Maybe I am too old fashioned. The only reason I said okay was because her mother gave them permission first. I try to be the cool mother without crossing proprietary boundaries and my son has no problems displaying his affection for me in front of his friends and his friends like me but I am not as lenient as a lot of his friends parents and most of them claim they hate their parents. It is hard being the mother of a 15 yr old in this day and age.

Well the last couple of days the pain has become just about unbearable. Fortunately I will see my ortho on Thursday and see if maybe he will consult with my Rheumie and then help me until I can get to the pain management doc. IN MAY!!!!! My son has been exhibiting signs of chronic pain. Back ankles, knees, hands, frequent headaches, so his psych doc said he wants him to have some tests run for maybe Fibro, Lyme, Arthritis and whatever else they can think of. He is too young to have to go through this so I pray for God to take it from him and give it to me. I also found out that he hasn't been taking his psych meds since some time around August. :eek::eek::eek::mad::mad::mad:. I was devastated. One of my biggest fears come true. He said he did go back to taking the Concerta for he ADD but nothing else. I cried and told him never do it again, if he has a problem with one of his meds then to tell me and we can fix it. He said his mood stabilizer was making him feel like crap. He said when he quit taking them he felt so good, like he was on top of the world, uuhhh, can you say manic episode http://bestsmileys.com/hyper/6.gif http://bestsmileys.com/hyper/9.gif!!!!!????? Then he started dropping into the depression pit about 2 weeks ago and decided that he had better start taking them:rolleyes:. Boy he is a surly thing. Don't know how much longer he will be staying. Says he may go back today. Any more than 24 hours and he gets irritable.

I got a letter today saying that my request for a SSI hearing has been changed to a different office so that the process can be expedited. I don't know how much longer that I will have to wait but hopefully not much longer. I called the lawyer's office and left word that I had more info she may be interested in.

Okay I am sure I have "talked" your ears off so I will say goodbye. Thanks I feel better. http://bestsmileys.com/mouthzippedshut/1.gif

[joy]

Well guess what i grabbed to eat while I was reading? Peanut butter and crackers. I don't know what it is but I have been wanting (and indulging) that for several months now. I surely don't need the weight from it nor the eerm little problem it causes, as my pain meds do that well enough, lol. I am wondering if my body is telling me I need something that the peanut butter is providing? Someone, something to relieve the guilt here please, I will eat that peanut butter before I reach for chocklate and have both in the house.

I am afraid that my days of flower planting is over. That is why my son felt that he could remove the blocks, everyone is pretty certain those days are over. I decided yesterday to make myself go with hubby to pick up granddaughter. I knew that way I would get some exercise as we always go into a eating place and sometimes stop at stores to pick up some things we need. And trust me, I don't get exercise at home.


Christina that is so neat that you can draw houseplans. I can't see things even looking at books myself.
Myself I already figured out a long time ago, I hate chosing a plan as I know I'll have to live with it forever and I just haven't lived in but a few houses in my life to know what works best. And they weren't anything to brag about, lol.

We just missed the freezing rain. Rain we got plenty of but the temperature was just over freezing. No wonder everyone here stays sick. Spring weather one day and back to freezing the next.

Jeanniue you were right on, that is a great song. And Corinne Rae Bailey looks like she is enjoying singing it very much. I saw the guitar players hands and it reminded me of my poor guitar, all alone and now used by grandkids, lol. I wanted to learn how to play the guitar when I was young. I could just see myself in a long dress, sitting on a stool, playing my heart out and trying to drown out my voice with the guitar sound. I don't have a good voice at all. But always felt like that playing the guitar or any instrument would be a way of expressing how you felt and maybe inproving it.

[Buttons2]

Well I just got back from a trip to town with my housemate. We got 2 dark pink azeala's,one for the cemetary & one for the house.Today is 11yrs since my housemates' wife died & Thursday is 2 years since I lost another dear friend,so this is a rather sad week for me.

I got some new books to read,I'll begin with "the Kite Runner"which I know nothing about except it was made into a movie. My gripe today is my hip is killing me!

Do any of you watch Dr. Phil or Oprah? Yesterday was kinda interesting cause I never knew how those 2 met or how he got started on TV.

I can't seem to spell today,in fact I've noticed alot of my posts have boo-boo's lately. Maybe I need to get back on the B12?

Very discouraged about not losing any weight! My face looks thinner,my middle still looks like I'm 9mo pregnant even though I can feel my stomach has shrunk. Well,that's just too bad,I'm gonna continue eating my rabbit food,veggies & good grains! Nothing tastes good anyway! This is day 15 of no aspartame!

Well gee,nothing I've written is very interesting! Sorry!

Joy,last year I wanted annuals again so I put the planters up on benches so I didn't have to bend over,or try to get up off the ground. It worked really well & it's so nice to see the bright flowers from my office window.I need to prune the wisteria,it's not in a good spot-tried to take over the satelite dish for one thing. The daffodils are coming up in the fields here,won't be long before we get the first influx of tourists!

There's still alot of trumpeter swans here eating up the field grass,these are huge birds! They can clear off a large field in a short time too.

Does anyone have a favorite flower? I'd probably choose daisies,they look so cheerful!

Hope everyone doing OK today. Christina that must be heart wrenching when older son doesn't take his meds. The good part of this is that he TOLD you about it,most important is to keep the communication flowing. I'm glad my son also talks to me,he's not on any meds right now & I don't push it since he seems better without them.Course my son is a grown man,and he makes his own choices. Hard to believe he will be 40yr old this year! That makes me feel older than my own aging does.

Buttons

[Nana4&cntn]

Buttons,

I love Stargazer lilies, asiatic lilies, Trumpet vines, bee balm, lemon balm, daisies, pampas grasses, phlox, hibiscis,sweetpeas, all bulbs especially narsissis. some roses, mostly the wild and climbers, mums asters. Well I could go on but I think you get the idea.

Today has been a pretty good day. I spent time with my young grandsons. My pain levels have been a bit better. I still have to have the MRI next week. I haven't had much sleep so I feel like a bit of a zombie.,,The sun is shining thru the bay window and putting me to sleep. I think I will take a nap soon.
Well, I am just rambling. I really am looking forward to spring. I think I will be using alot of comtainr gardening.

Take care all,
Kathy

[houghchrst]

My goodness you guys are getting me all fired up about spring and it is snowing right now and we are to get about 4-6 inches. Yuck, we are still trying to clean up from the last snow storm. I get a little crazy when the snow starts to melt and start acting erratically. Real hyper and giddy. Don't know but that first day when you can open your windows and let the breeze air out your house is one of my very favorites.

Favorite flower, huh, there are so many but dahlias and hollyhock are two of my top ten. Oh and sunflowers are top five. Love those big old guys and gals.

[tic chick]

i just came inside after shoveling about 4 inches of powdery snow. i did my neighbors' on either side of me, also. it's nice to shovel white snow in the dark because it kind of lights up the dark. i like the way the shovel makes clean, sharp edges in the canvas of the snow. i could hear others shoveling and the gentle whir of snowblowers.

we used to have a strip of lily-of-the-valley by the side of our house. i could open the bathroom window and smell them on a warm spring day. then my idiot neighbor (who is now gone) decided to mow that strip one day. it was not his to mow, as it was our property. well, he said he didn't know that and also didn't know that the leaves were lily-of-the-valley. they never came back after that, cause i think they need a whole summer's worth of sun to store for food to bloom the next year.

we also used to have about 10 hybrid tea rose bushes. various colors. my favorite was this very light purple one, it had a bluey-grey cast to and it smelled like apples. hybrid teas are beautiful, but, a pain to grow and take care of.

so, i love dahlias, tulips, almost any kind of groundcover, bush roses. lilacs, lavender, strawflowers, grape hyacinths, hostas and a few i can't think of their names right now.

i am thinking of making fake stone containers called "hypertufa" this year. it looks pretty easy and cost economical to do. a website which describes how to do it is here: http://www.efildoog-nz.com/hypertufa.htm i want to plant my lavender where it will get sun all day...and thats right in the middle of my yard. i also need containers cause the dogs will trample on anything that isn't protected. this hypertufa looks like a fun project to do on a warm spring day.

christina, write away. long, short, we will read. oh, and i LOVE your manic smiley there...lol.

buttons, i didn't write my sentence about people who have mental conditions caused by chemical imbalances and are still able to make rational and intelligent decisions because of anything you said. i was just thinking of something that had happened to me and christinas sentence about mental illness reminded me of it.

kathy, what a clever way to make a greenhouse and recycle at the same time!

joy, peanut butter is great for you! i have some every morning on a whole wheat english muffin. a tablespoon serving size is a good source of protein and peanuts contain monosaturated fats, which are good for you. a one ounce serving of nuts is great to have daily. almonds are especially healthy.

buttons, keep eating healthy and the pounds will come off! you will be forming good eating habits for the rest of your life. maintaing weight loss is just as important as losing it. nothing worse than denying yourself food to lose weight and gaining it back when you have to go back to the real world of making good food choices on a daily basis.

thanks for writing about flowers today, all of you. it really lifted my spirits on this snowy, cold day.

thank you for sharing,
jeannie

[Nana4&cntn]

Jeannie,

I love the hypertufa containers and little creatures, I have made troughs like these with the same basic ingredients but also added fiberglass shreads of fabric for more strenght. Too bad we all live so far apart rom eachother, we could have so much fun and maybe money making these types of things.
This is one more thing to add to my to do list. I love the little creatures.

Hope you have a great day,
Kathy

[joy]

Hi everyone. My favorite flower is any that will stay alive with minimal care, lol. I had such plans to make those contains many years ago but never made it that far. It looked like such a good ideal. my mind was willing but that was all. Brrr it is a very cold 18 degrees now. that dratted groundhog and his shadow. I'd like to put a bug in his ear before next year.

I had a good time keeping both grandkids last night and will likley do so again tonight (with huibby's help). The flu is spreading here something awful so we are trying to not take them out places to eat and crowded places like we usually do. So that means MY floors have to be swept up a bit. First I'm off to bed to make up for last night. 18 degress and it's too cold for anything else for me.

[houghchrst]

Hi all. Been having a rough time with the pain. Managing though for the most part. THe evening is the worst.

Jeannie, I absolutely love the pot idea. That is something I can do and it is right up my alley. Gee maybe I can even make and sell them out front. We got about 4" of snow and haven't shoveled yet but just kind of plow our way out of the driveway LOL. The roads were pretty bad when I first went out this morning but by the time I got done doing my running around they had started plowing and salting. As I was crossing the expressways this morning I noticed a total of three backups due to accidents. I too love how when we get a lot of new snow and the moon shines on it it will sparkle and be light outside. Even the sun this morning was sparkling.

Joy my little one loves peanut butter. He only will eat it on a spoon. For some reason he doesn't like it on anything. Strange lol. Chocolate is a big downfall for me. Sometimes I get a fierce craving, especially during that wonderfully special time of the month. Hard to give it up because the bf is worse than me. Hope you all manage to avoid getting the flu.

Kathy I have the Sterling Star Lilies out front, unfortunately they don't last long though they are beautiful. The Stargazers are beautiful. I have a JFK rose bush that I got year before last that has the most beautiful scent. Not your usual rose smell, stronger, more elegant http://www.pbase.com/hjsteed/image/79786987, this is what the blossoms look like. There are a few different kinds of JFK roses.

Buttons I have heard that The Kite Runner is an excellent book. I far prefer reading compared to watching the movies. You get so much deeper into the characters and I hate when I read a good book then watch the movie and so many things are different. I probably won't watch the movie because I have a general idea what it is about and it will just make me sick at heart and with my depression I don't need to add anything. I always enjoy your posts so whether you think it is exciting or not I am interested/nosy/curious lol. I am sorry about you and your housemate's losses.

Well I am free today until 5 pm thanks to an after school program that my youngest is in 2 times a week. Don't quite know what to do with myself but I am sure I will find something ;). Trying to decide whether to take something for pain now or wait until it starts to get worse later. I have an appt to see the ortho tomorrow morning, I can't wait. Well I spoke with my lawyer this morning and I have to write out a list of any new tests and docs that I have seen so time to get out my notebooks and calendars and referral papers. Good thing I have kept track of everything for the last 3 years. Well I think that is about all. seems I am forgetting something :rolleyes:;). Seems there was something I was gonna tell ya'll but I seem to have forgotten. In the words of my mother "musta been a lie" lol. Have a great day all.

[Nana4&cntn]

Joy,

I wish my grandkds could come over, they used to but due to their allergies my cat keeps them away. I just can't get rid of him. So I visit with them at their homes. They do wear me out though, they are very active, and Nana doesn't have the energy she used to.

Where is everyone else? Wake up all. Sorry Christina, I missed your post, I am happy your young one is feeling better.
I am getting some type of stomach virus, so I think I will be going back to bed.

Have a great day all,
Kathy

[Buttons2]

Had to write that title so I'd remember what I wanted to yap about today!:eek:

I forgot about sweet peas! I never seem to remember to get the seeds in time,and this is the time right now! I love the smell of them,also lily of the valley,mine is covered with weeds & sedums though.And lilacs bring back alot of childhood memories,so do sweet william. My grandma got me interested in flowers.

Did anyone watch the Westminster dog show? Our groomer got to go there on a "lottery" ticket invitation,her Australian shepard didn't make it to the finals,but what a thrill just to be there! I love the beagle,Uno,that won best in show! I was cheering for the red Dobie & the gorgeous Great Dane,they came in 2nd & 3rd.

Now my dog,Rags, watches TV,he came undone when the trainer just touched his dog on the side of the head! I had to make him sit by me & behave......course if housemate hadn't been here, I might have encouraged Rags to knock over the TV, so we have to get a new flatscreen!!:Dthen we'd get the best picture possible for football & all those nature shows I love.Well,maybe next year!

Now I know what "The Kite Runner" is about,I tend to grab books without reading the jacket. Well,I'm already learning alot & the guy does know how to keep you reading,which I like. If I get bored I toss the book into the sale bin. Or if the plot/characters are too complicated.

My hip went back into place last night,I also had myoclonic jerks the entire night! The cat decided she had to sleep with me,Rags was up all night stalking the cat! So I'm a zombie today!

We're thinking of getting another rescue dog,it's been nearly 2 yrs since we got Rags. Housemate asked me what dog I'd want if we got a purebred,I said Bouvier without a doubt! I keep seeing the box with little dog's(Pepper), ashes on the porch,hopefully we will get them buried soon or I'll take them down to the basement where the Bouvier's ashes have been for the past 5 yrs!!:eek: With all this acreage you'd think a pet cemetary wouldn't be that hard to figure out. Cats are buried in a flower bed and now the rambling rose covers it. I want the dogs where they won't be disturbed.

I have a rather weird question: last year on the 14th I called my longtime friend to let her know I was thinking of her mother, who had died the year before. She got mad cause people were calling her! Said she wasn't gonna forget the date,well I felt bad cause I figured I would just let her know I remember the date & was thinking of her & her mom.An act of kindness right? Seems she didn't think so! So now I don't know if I should call tomorrow or not? I know everyone handles grief differently,but was I so out of line? I loved her mom like my own & was very upset when there wasn't any memorial. Well last year my friend finally saw fit to tell me her mom didn't want any memorial service (why didn't she just say that @ the time?) I spent an entire year being mad!

We're back to gloom here,although the sun did come out late yesterday. And we're supposed to have a nice weekend!! Yipee!!

Buttons

P.S. Curious how you all came up with your names here? I used to collect buttons,now I'm selling them mostly. Never did get around to all those art projects I thought I'd do with them!Well the truth is I managed to burn myself with the glue gun on the first attempt & the buttons fell off the wooden box I was covering,so I just gave up!

[joy]

I decided it best to edit what I said. I am a bit weird myself and my reactions to things often reflect that very thing. I am sorry it happened to you Buttons as I know you have a kind heart. I should stick to the weather and flowers most of the time anyway. And on that subject, I finally looked up a pretty bird after seeing them here for years. To my surprise they must be junco birds. Pretty little gray headed things, in the sparrow family. I can't imagine it took me this loong to look them up. We also have 1 lone dove back eating. At one time a few years ago, i would have 12 or so. I hope more return and oh yes, one fat little squirrel stopped jumping from the electrical wire overhead and treetops and came down to eat also. Time for me to resupply them and put out water as it all is frozen.

[Nana4&cntn]

Buttons,

Calling your friend was a speial thing. I am sorry you got the brunt of her pain and frustration. Maybe this year you can send a card to let her know you consider her a special friend. I wouldn't mention hers mom. She may just need your friendship. My two cents worth.


sweetpes are great!! I have perrinil ones. they are a deep pink o fushia.

Buttons I also collect buttons, somw go back to the civil war, alot of them were from my greatgrandmother,

My name came from being a Nana of 4 with i on the way hence nana4n
cntn. Not rreal interesting, but, true. lol.

Hope everyone has a great day, I am getting the stomach problems.yick!!

[houghchrst]

I don't know if this will work but I thought it might be worth a try.


http://houghchrst.myphotoalbum.com/albums.php

[tic chick]

oh, christina!!

THANK YOU for sharing pics of your world. it is so nice to have a pic to the name. it makes the world wide web just a little bit friendlier.

buttons, gee, your friend still must be having a hard time. i would send a card, like kathy suggested, but perhaps you can write your friend and tell her how much her mother meant to you and you understand why she is still upset.

kathy, you have to tell me more about how you and the hypertufa did. do the containers break down over time? where do you get fiberglass fabric to reinforce it? can you buy fiberglass in a box and mix some into the hypertufa? what is the best thickness for containers? did you partially submerge the containers in the dirt, too? lol...sorry to ask so many questions, but i like to pick people's brains when they have experience that i don't.

oh, christina. i found out about hypertufa from an article in "twist" magazine that is a sunday supplement to the detroit free press. this woman who lives in the metro detroit area has been making containers for years and she even had a workshop after the article came out on how to make the containers. the article appeared on september 23, 2007. i tried to get the article in the free press archives, but it costs $2.95. i think i can get a copy for free from the public library, either downtown or at my branch. i tried to get my daughter interested in making them, she has artistic talent and could make sculptures out of it to sell, but she didn't seem interested. kids.

joy, we all know at times we come here with pain, physical or emotional and it sometimes comes through in our postings. i think if we all remember that and know that no one is here to hurt another person, that we don't have to walk on eggshells with our comments.

oh. i was trying to remember this other plant that i loved and post it here yesterday. alas, the synapses weren't going that far back in time to my brain :D. then, a few minutes ago, i remembered. it's coleus! they are leaves, mostly colored green and yellow and deep red and white and when you plant them close together, they look like a patchwork quilt. in late summer, a shoot comes out from the middle of them, about a foot higher than the plant and there's kind of a flower at the top. i don't care for that flower, so i just keep the shoot trimmed until it's time to dig out the coleus for the winter.

i came up with the name "tic chick" because i have tourette syndrome, which is a tic disorder. when i first found the old chatrooms here, about 1998 or 1999, i wanted a catchy name that was a bit sassy and showed that ts does not get me down. in the 70's, girls were called "chicks"...and it was so fortuitous that "tic" and "chick" rhymed. :) thus, tc was born!...lol

getting some sun today!

oh, happy day,
jeannie

[Buttons2]

Hi again,thanks for the input,my friend only lives about 10 miles away,we have been friends for over 25 yrs,her mother's passing seems to have put a huge rife in our friendship. I won't call her,why get a strange reaction to someone I've called every Valentine's for years? Her mother's passing will always share Valentine's Day for me,but I'll let it go. I'm not in her shoes afterall,nothing she has done the past 2 years makes any sense to me anyway.

Christina,thanks for sharing the pictures! And I bet just looking at those, with all the snow on the ground now, makes you feel warmer already.

There was a big hawk today @ the birdfeeder,not a bird in sight however! All I have to do is look up & I can see the feeder from my computer. There's also a wishing well & my planters to see. The woods are in the background. I try not to focus on the ugly oil tank or the junk my housemate leaves around!

Wow it was so muddy today on the trail that I just about got a mud bath! The doves have a home in a small spot of alder saplings,Rags likes to scare them up. Sometimes we see a blue heron @ the pond,he always has to chase those away. To me they look like prehistoric birds. They eat any goldfish and go for all the frogs. Too bad they don't eat cattails!

Does everyone have a dog? Christina your fluffy dog is adorable! My dog isn't much to look at,he's just big & goofy.He was pathetic looking when we went to the shelter to meet him,had just had his ruff shaved off from surgery & it took along time to grow back. Well I didn't get him for his looks afterall!

I'm pleased to say I lost a bit of weight,and even more exciting was no hair came out in the shower drain today!! I just can't believe this,it's only been a couple of weeks since stopping the aspartame! It will be interesting to see how I'm doing after 60 days without that junk in my system.

I must be the only one without kids in my life. I don't think I could handle young one's making alot of noise.

The book is getting interesting.....gives me a good excuse to not work on my taxes!

Kathy,how's your neck doing today? Better I hope.

Buttons
P.S. I've been to button shows where men had very nice displays of Civil War buttons. Not to say women didn't have nice displays,it's just that I wanted to point out men also collect buttons! I love getting a tin of mixed ones & "playing" with them,looking them up in my books for the value,etc.

[Nana4&cntn]

Christina, thanks for sharing your pictures, they are great!! I have mispaced my digital camera, so ,when I find it I will share photo's also.

Buttons, I used to have a great big golden retriever, I had to have him put down years ago, I keep thinking of getting another do, a smaller one. But, It would be unfair as I am unable to walk enough to give the dog enough exercise it. So, it's just me ans Sam the cat. Good for you and the weight loss!! I went to the store today and bought chocolate, I will never learn that chocolate is nit a food group.
My neck is a major pain,but, I missed the call from the imaging group today, so I will call tomorrow.
Jeannie, The troughs I made are awesome, they are very plain lookin, no sculpting on them. They have held up fo several years, I do empty them and turn them over to keep the soil from freezing them. The fiberglass syuff I got I bought at a cement factory here. I think you can order it online tho. I will look and see if I can find it. I originally got the recipe from Martha Stewart show. I cant wait to try the sculpting. I collect Hippo's, and, would really like to try to make one out of this stuff. My oldest so when he was small used to say "mommy I love you whole hoppo's, rinocerosaurcereses' and efalumps" I tried to spell them the way he said them. So he started getting me hippo's
and this caught on to the whole family.
Joy we are all friends here, I think I speak for all of us when I say to speak your mind. We all know what it is like to have a bad day, or say things that we think won't go over well. We are all here for support and are friends, I can;t think of a thing you could say that would change this.

Love to all,
Kathy

[houghchrst]

Kathy have you seen this?

http:/****eo.google.com****eoplay?docid=-1800842398482777276

[Nana4&cntn]

Christina,

The video looks great, so cute. But I have no sound for some reason. I have checked all the settings on this puter. It's been soundless for months, and driving me nuts. As it is still under warranty I am taking it in the next time I am in omaha.

Thanks, you made my day, I absolutely Love Hipo's. I had a horrible night and awake every hour. My neck and things on my mind I guess. What I dont get is I take a sleeping pill for this reason.

Happy Valentines Day All.

Kathy

[joy]

I hope everyone with pain startes to feel better soon. I reallly enjoyed the pictures. It was a treat and so good to put a face with names. The hippo was cute and I enjoyed the music. 'll really tell my age, I can remember listening to that song when it first came out as a kid. Loved it then and still do. Now it always reminds me of another song, the Green Door also. I liked that one too.

Does anyone know how I can turn this feature OFF on my computer? It happens when I put the caps on at same time I am typing I !! And I I I I am tired of it, lol!!!!!

Grandaughter asked yesterday " Why don't you have out the hummingbird feeder grandmother?" I said it won't be long now, in March YEAH!

[Nana4&cntn]

Joy,

I wish I could help with the font thing,but, I can't even fgure out how my sound went away LOL. I am computer iliterate.
I am having a horrible day! I had about 3 hours sleep last night, that is with taking Lunesta. This neck thing is driving me nuts. I have an MRI appointment tomorrow at 9:45 am. Wish me luck. I am praying I don't need surgery. I have been avoiding this for almost 10 years. It is soooo cold and windy, I am a whinny baby today. Maybe I should go back to bed.

Happy Valentines Day
Kathy

[Buttons2]

Hi all,hope everyone is feeling better soon. Kathy good luck with the MRI.

I finished reading The Kite Runner,I thought it was an excellent book! The kind you aren't likely to forget. I've never flown a kite in my life! And I certainly didn't know much about the Afghan culture.

Christina,how did the face get on the tree in your mom's yard? And I can see how much stuff BF has to move to mow the lawn! Ever considered paving that area with bricks or cement blocks? The bench is very nice,you not only have a mechanic but a carpenter too huh? Good for you!

Hugs to all,Buttons

[houghchrst]

Joy, if you accidently hit the control key at the same time you hit I it will give you italics. See!!??lol I discovered this on accident because I just did it.

[Tootsie]

Buttons, many of the sites mentioned in the "Kite Runner," are within driving distance of my home. The flea market mentioned is well known and used by many immigrant groups to supplement their income. Just a few blocks away from me is an Afghan restaurant which has been very successful. The food is hearty and really good, if somewhat unusual. My husband and I both love lamb and that is what we usually order, in some form or other.

The author is still on leave from his medical position, but that office is about 10 miles from me. His more recent book, "A Thousand Splendid Suns," is much different and deals with the role and position of women in the Afghan culture. I heart bled reading the cruel and limited choices available to the average woman. However, there is a way they find to validate their existence, even if unpalatable to us. Cheerio.

[Nana4&cntn]

Tootsie,

Where are you in Northern CA, it sounds alot like where I grew up. I am going to try to find the books you and Buttons have been talking about.
Buttons I can't believe you have never flown a kite. It is wonderful fun. You don't have to run to do it. Just get a steady breeze and off it goes.
Christina thanks for sharing your pictures. Your kids and bf are very handsome, and you are a beautiful woman.

Take care all, and Happy Valentines Day,
Kathy

[houghchrst]

Kathy thank you. I almost didn't put the picture of myself on as I am not very photogenic but figured that would be unfair so I did. THank you for the compliment. How did the MRI go? Smoothly I hope, I know they can take forever and can become painful from being so still in an uncomfortable position. For me that is flat on my back on a hard surface.

Buttons, kite flying, yes great fun. Near me they have a kite day and you go and register and you get a free kite and they reserve the park and you can spend a couple of hours with your kids and fly. You can even take your own kite. I missed last year but maybe this year I will take my chair and a picnic and we can go. As for my mother's tree, they sell kits that have different expressions that come with eyes, nose, mouth and you can hang them on your trees. Even some that glow in the dark but we thought that might be a bit creepy. Here is a link that will give you an idea of what kinds there are http://www.onlinediscountmart.com/forest-faces.html. Some are pretty neat.

As for my name I have considered changing it but I am afraid that it would lead to a bit of confusion. It is actually a combination of my last and first name. Though it is my married name and it is the name that I use for everything because I can't remember things so well.

Did I mention that I saw my ortho yesterday and he has agreed to attempt to help me with my pain until I can see my PM doc in May. He wrote me a scrip for pain meds and we set up appts to get injections in my right knee as it did not heal so well from my ACL reconstruction in Nov. 2006. Now I have arthritis in it so we will do Supratz injections in it.

Well I hope you all have a great day and may the sun be shining in you part of the world.

[joy]

Hi everyone. About the pictures Christina, I was happiest to see your two boys. I was wishing already I could see them because of how lovingly you speak of them, I wanted to see them too. It matters not what people I like look like and I really don't spend much time trying to put a face to them but kids, yep. I am guilty of having a look see if on new posts it says pics of...I look.

I think I'm finally feeling a bit better and I am making an effort to move more to get more strength back hopefully. It is good to see the ice melted this morning so little birds don't have it so bad. Hubby does not have to give me gifts ever as long as he is understanding and helpful with my love for critters. That's good enough for me, of course I still get the occsional gift and even more often cards. Son called last night and acted offended that dad would go to fire department meeting on Valentine's day. I reminded him of all the Thanksgivings that he went that night to the meeting, lol. Son will have a hard time from now on, getting married on Valentine's day!! In my opinion anyway, lol.

Thanks for the help with the italics. My fingers are so numb who know what I hit! I really should start looking at my hands when I type, must get over that. And glance at the screen more often. The thing that is troubling me is I REMEMBER being at a place and choosing to set the keyboard to something different! But don't remember how. Now if it was all controlled by WordPerfect, I'd know, but not for everything. It is awful to have a poor memory. Hubby is even more forgetful. He had misplaced the dogs' heart worm medicine for a long time. Found it this morning. The box looked like a movie box and it had been right under both our noses and we just did not recognise it, lol.

I am so feeling like spring is close today. Don't know if that is just wishful thinking or not but that feeling is preferable to thinking it is never going to happen.

[Nana4&cntn]

Hi All,

Had the MRI this am, I had to medicate for it as I has a major anxiety attack last time. Well I made it almost all the way thru and then the panic started. The had to pull me out. I calmed dowm and was able to finish it. Hoping to get the results this afternoon. I sure hope that something shows why I hurt so much. But I sure don't want further surgery since all the others have failed.

I think spring is just around the corner. The crocus are trying to poke their heads thru the snow. A sure sigh of spring. It is bitterly cold here today, -2 over night and the high today is 15. But the sun is shining, so it seems tolerable.

I haven't been sleeping well the last week so it seems to be taking its toll pain wise. I wish I knew what the problem is as I take Lunesta at night along with a bunch of other stuff.

I got a call from the twins yesterday to say "Happy Valentines Day Nana" that just melts my heart.

Well I have spent enought time here complaining and mumbling your screens off.lol

I hope you all have a great day,
Kathy

[joy]

I'm glad the Mri is over Kathy. Have you told you anything else yet?

[houghchrst]

Morning all. Well I am going to be gone for most of the day. I am going on a road trip with my brother. He is going Up North to get a car from my cousin and needs someone to drive my mom's car back. I love it up there and haven't been up during winter since I was a little girl. So I had the BF hook up TENS electrodes and wires because I can't reach and I have all my stuff ready to go. Keep your fingers crossed that I can keep the pain at a minimum and that all goes well.

I hope you all have a great day.

[Buttons2]

Have a safe trip Christina! And enjoy the scenery!

Kathy, did the radiologist tell you anything at all after the MRI was done? My first one was on my spine,I was thankful I didn't jerk off the table & have to have it re-done. My second was on my brain & I was so desperate for answers I kept very still,seems like I was given some kind of pill but don't recall now. Anyway,I hope you find some answers! Good luck!

Joy,hope you have a good weekend & less pain!

It's just getting daylight here,I was so hoping for sunshine today,doesn't look like it though,I can see alot of clouds.We had just enough rain yesterday to keep it very muddy here. I envy people that can actually wear white tennis shoes & keep them clean,impossible for me to do!You guys should see the floors,big muddy paw prints everywhere,plus the cat walks all over the counters when I'm not looking!

Only two weeks to go until March will be here! Yeah!!

Take care everyone,Buttons

[Nana4&cntn]

Hi All,
Thanks for asking about the MRI, the tech didn't tell me anything except it would be read and faxed to the doc. I will call him on monday. I prat iy is something that can be taken care of without surgery.

Christina, I hope you have a good trip and don't have alot of pain. I an glad the Tens unit works well for you, I have had very little help from them or the dorsal column stimulators.

Joy I also wish you a pain free or limited pain weekend. Take care of yourself, read a good book or whatever you enjoy doing.

Buttons, I have had white tennis shoes, they never do stay white tho. I have my outdoor ones, The ones I use on workout days and the ones that should have been thrown away long ago. I dont workout anylonger, but do walk at the gym, so those are still in decent shape. I also wash my leather ones. What I really need to get are a good pair og shoes to wear while doing yardwork whenit is chilly. Ptherwise I am a bare foot gardener.
We have sun today, I would be willing to share with you, but it is very cold, although the weatherman says it should get into the upper 20's to lower 30's.
Buttons I want to thank you about the diet coke warning. I am going to do further research, so now I will drink Propel, no fake suger in it and onlu 30 cal per bottle, with real sugar.

Hope everyone has a great day,
Kathy

[Buttons2]

Kathy, I forgot to reply on Javi's thread about you eating cold pizza for breakfast-my very favorite!I prefer cold pizza cause then the cheese isn't all stringy!And my favorite pizza is frozen DiGigoro (sp),I've been a fan of that brand since it came on the market. Pizza is a no-no for me however so I seldom indulge.....

Smile everyone,at least try to!
Buttons

[Nana4&cntn]

Buttons,

The radiologist didn't tell me anything except I could call the doctor later that day.

I will call him Monday. I talked to Javisi, I posted on her sight. I wish she lived cloder, she is about2 hrs from here. out of my range, maybe this spring if I feel up to it.

Take care,
Kathy

[tic chick]

christina, i hope you had a nice drive up north. did you go up to the UP or just the upper part of the LP? i went on a driving/camping trip with my hubby before we were married to the sand dunes on lake michigan, then up to the traverse city area, then over the bridge and up to tahquamenon falls. one of the most indelible memories of that trip was eating dinner in a restaurant by traverse bay and watching a car pull into the parking lot and a person take out a small sailboat and just push it into the bay and drift out into the sunset.

i have heard that the forests have been somewhat decimated by dutch elm disease and the emerald ash borer. how did it look to you?

i know a lot of you here like to play word games. there is a website i came across that i want to share with you.

it is: http://www.freerice.com/index.php

while you play this game of choosing the meaning of the given word, you earn FREE RICE for people in impoverished countries. you can play as long as you like. the site is programmed to make the words harder as you get more answers right. it also tells you what level you are at and scores you. when you aren't getting as many words right, it makes the words easier. there is no amount of wrong answers that will stop the game. you just keep going and earning free rice!

the detroit free press had an article about this website a few weeks ago. it is legitimate and the person who started the website now has lexicographers working for him to add more words and add more difficult words. you can improve your vocabulary and those of you who have teen-age children can let them practice on this site for their SAT's and earn free rice.

kathy, i hope you get good news about your mri tomorrow. it is tough being in so much pain. don't be afraid of surgery if you need it. sometimes it does help! maybe a pair of black tennis shoes wouldn't show the dirt as much and could be cleaned easier than white? also, "duck" shoes are great for yard work. they are waterproof, made out of man-made materials and are sturdy for yard work. buttons, they would also be great for walking your dogs along those muddy paths!

i used to be a barefoot gardener also, until the day i stepped backwards onto a nail in a board buried in the dirt. it went into my heel about 3-4 inches. i went to the doctor, cause i knew i hadn't had a tetanus shot in 10 years. she looked at the wound, quickly left the room and called another doctor. in addition to cleaning out the wound, i had to get xrays to make sure a piece of the nail was not in my heel. but, it turned out that stepping on that nail was serendipitous, because i found out that i was hypothyroid and needed to start taking meds for it.

i have been doing some light reading the last few days. i go through all the sales in the sunday circulars (that come on saturday...lol), to plan my food and non-food shopping for the coming week and also clip coupons.

i love a good veggie pizza, too, buttons. i get a craving for it a couple times a year and because i am maintaining my weight loss for 15 months already, i indulge myself once in awhile. i would feel deprived if i didn't eat what i craved sometimes. i think if you eat healthy foods in proportion daily, then you can indulge once in a while.

well, onto the exercise bike! i have a great, fast tempo music line-up and the hour passes by quickly!

thank you for sharing,
jeannie

[houghchrst]

Hi all, I made it. Paying the price. Spent most of the day recovering yesterday because my back hurt so bad I could barely move. Today my lower back is quite painful. I had terribly bloody, gory dreams this morning thanks to it. I would like to take something but I have an intensive eye exam this morning and I am afraid that an opioid might alter the findings. Course if that is something I might find myself on in the longterm once I see my PM then I might want to. Think I will call and ask. Well shoot...hold off until after I come in. Figured as much, good thing I called. Brain must be somewhat working. I had a good time Up North, it was the LP. Glennie, the family cabin is no more than a hike in the woods to Alcona Dam Pond. The name is deceiving because it is pretty big. Got to see my cousin and his kids. Last time I saw him was Aug. 2005 and his wife was pregnant. Got some pics and of course one of the "overlook". It is a hill road and just when you get to the turn for the cabin you can look down and you get a spectacular view of the Pond. One of my all time favorite spots. Got some pics but all you can really see is the snow and trees. My brother was quite cordial and we talked all the way. He has a great sense of humor but his moods can be just as volatile as mine so I was a bit leery. My 7 yr old went and had a great time. He is wonderful when it comes to road trips. Cheers every time we get on the expressway lol.



This might be a long one because I have a situation to pose to you. I don't know if I could be being childish about this and should let it go or if I should pursue some kind of........shoot I don't know but I could use some advice. Anyway here goes. You all know that my bf is a mechanic and he is very good at what he does and one of his dreams is to own his own shop. Well since he got this job he has slowly been adding to his tool collection through the Snap On truck. I don't know if anyone is familiar with them but they go around to all the shops and sell tools. Great quality, ridiculous price. They also do payment plan so he would get a tool he needs and pay $20 a week until it was paid off. This is a great source of irritation to me since I am the one that handles all the bill paying but I understand and tolerate it. Well a bit before Christmas he informed me that he had bought a tool and I asked why he didn't wait until after Christmas and he said he just wasn't thinking. So one day just before Christmas I asked him how much he owed Snap On and he said about $25 and I took this to mean that he had a payment left and would be done. Well a week goes by and I see that Snap On has taken another payment and asked why. He informs me that he purchased this scanner thing that he has been wanting for 2 years just before Christmas (that was the tool) and would not tell me how much it was because he knew I would be mad. Said that his work would reimburse him for a $1000 of it once it was paid off :eek::mad::mad: and that it would help him make money. Furious, still won't tell me how much it was. So I get past my anger even though I have no idea how much this tool is. Well then I notice that Snap On has started taking about $33 weekly and he is making less money then before he bought the tool and when I ask why he says something about interest. INTEREST:eek::eek::eek::mad::mad::mad:!!! So yesterday I finally get to see this tool because he is looking at my brother's car that we brought back from up north and using it. I snatch it up and read the model number off of it and in the meantime he is telling me not to look it up because it will make me mad. So they are talking and I get on the computer and look it up and it is $3,795. Do the math...... $3,795 divided by $32.67..... that is over 2 years. He is supposed to be looking for a better job so if he finds one he will not be reimbursed for the tool. I don't see it making any more money than usual. So of course I was furious all over again. Fifteen hundred maybe two grand I can see but my god, over four thousand dollars with interest. I understand that he needs that tool for his work but we are not in a financial situation that can afford this. That is $130 dollars a month that we need. The big reason I say all this is because we had just been discussing marriage earlier in the day and I am the one who is the coward. But he has a tendency to lie. I am not talking about everything or even really big things though there have been a couple over ten years but little stupid stuff. Why a trip to the store took so long, why he is so late from work, trips to the store for milk and hides Little Debbies in his trunk and these are just the more common ones. Most of these lies are the kind guys often tell to keep themselves out of trouble lol, maintain the status quo. I know I am a bit paranoid and have never really recovered from my first marriage but these little lies build up and I find myself doubting everything he says. It has even become a bit of a family joke because he will tell the kids outlandish lies and for 10 years they come to me and say "dad said this" and I have to tell them the truth. I love him and I know he loves me and he is wonderfully understanding, patient, loving, hardworking, an all around great guy but there is this one issue and I know it has a lot to do with his upbringing because his mother lies terribly too. I am at a loss. Do I demand he get help because that is what I think it will take, do I just talk to him about it, do we not get married because that way when it comes to me just not being able to take it anymore then I can easily leave? Do I just not say anything and leave things as they are. Which is very easy to do because we have attempted to discuss this but he becomes defensive as though I am just flat out calling him a liar. I know you guys can't tell me what to do but I could use some advice. The last big fight he was supposed to start counseling and see a psych doc. He has a lot of things from his past. Very rough childhood. Abuse, drugs, alcohol and all that comes with it. Learned to take care of himself at a very young age. Also diagnosed with ADD but it is not severe, just don't leave the TV on if we are getting ready to go somewhere lol. I am just heart sick because when we talked about marriage yesterday morning I was really considering setting a date. I have already allowed my son, my mother, his age, to be deterrents and had finally come to the point where I wasn't going to let them be the decisive factors. But it is so hard to live with someone who you doubt almost everything they say. Right now we are getting along better than we have in almost ten years. Mostly due to my getting psychiatric help and also becoming less jealous and possessive. I am sure there is more but I have gone on long enough. I just don't want you to get the wrong impression of him because he is a wonderful boyfriend.

Sorry for the length. Have a great day.

[joy]

Wow Christina I know I won't be able to give as good advice as many will be able to about the imotional things but I can give some advice on the practical things hopefully.

Hubby and I are trying our very best to get our Tahoe fixed. It has a shaking problem that scares grandaughter and myself. We are afraid it will quit on us and leave us afoot. We keep waiting for the red light to come on. When it does we run it down to the shop for the man to hook up the computer thing.

Hubby says that nowdays you can 't fix any cars unless you get that read-out from that computer. So boyfriend is planning ahead knowing that this will be a necessary part of his financial future perhaps? If this is what he is purchasing, he is right about needing it. I know the interest and all gets to you, I am the same way myself. But even I don't see how to get something like that without sticking his neck out. I hope this is what it is, for all your sakes.

I know you love him, the kids too most likley. I can see why you are reluctant also. Well I can see I'm not going to be of much help after all but did want to point out at least this much about what mechanics do need to do a job these days. It's not at all like it used to be when you open up the hood of a vehicle. I hope things work out for the best Christina and I am glad you know you can come here and talk with us all. That fact helps me many times these days too. :)

[tic chick]

just my thoughts and opinions...

you are all fired up right now, christina, and understandably *smallrose. wait about a few days to a week to cool down. then ask your boyfriend to sit and have a talk with you. go to a park, mcd's, someplace semi-public so you aren't tempted to get heated :). even if he knows about your trust issues, tell him again. say you understand why he didn't want to tell you about the price of the new tool, but tell him how that made you feel. he needs to know that if you are going to take that next step into marriage, that big decisions that entail big money or changes in lifestyle have to be discussed by both of you. forget about the petty lies. don't even mention them to him, because he will be less apt to discuss the bigger issues if you are picking on the smaller ones, too. you know that hiding little debbies does not make him a pathological liar :).

i agree about the counseling. i don't think couples counseling is effective until each individual in a relationship has resolved their own problems. it is ultimately his decision to seek counseling. but, you can tell him how much you feel it has helped you and how much easier it would be for the both of you to be able to talk about things if he had insight into his behaviors.

you can share what YOU have learned about counseling, your own problems and how you are trying to resolve them. however, you can't talk to him about his problems and tell him where they are coming from and what he can do about them, cause then you put yourself in the position of being his counselor and one-up on him. that can cause him to become defensive. you have to walk a fine line and keep your statements relating to how you feel when problems come up between you. using "i feel" statements and repeating back what you are understanding from what your boyfriend is saying might also make him less defensive. validating his feelings also helps.

sharing a list of the top 3 to 5 qualities most important to both of you in a marriage and discussing why might help both of you to see where each other is coming from.

he does sound like a great guy, christina. anybody that builds you a wooden bench arrangement to sit outside is okay in my opinion. the fact that you have been together for 10 years shows he has a commitment to you and your sons. the fact that you are considering marriage is a major act of trust in your relationship to him also, christina.

it's a balance between discussing the big stuff and knowing what stuff to let go.

hope this gives you words for thought,
jeannie

[Nana4&cntn]

Christina,

I am glad you made the trip ok, the scenery sounds incredible.
About the bf, I really don't know, My ex husband spent a fortune on snap on tools so I understand your anger there. I am a firm believer in couples talking about large purchases. In my case that would be over $50.00. I don't know if your jealosy is valid or not. I really don't know everything I would need to know.
Something I know from experience is if you have doubt about getting married, DONT.
Our subconscience has our backs so to speak. You too really need to talk about what you both expect from eachother. And maybe do some couples counseling, and pre-maritial counceling after that. Thi is just my opinion! I have been in some very interesting relationships, they have all ended in abusive situations, not physically just verbal and controlling. So I may be the wrong person to ask.
Listen to your subconscence. I hope your pain gets better thru the day today, it really sucks to have to pay for having an enjoying day. Been ther done that. Do something nice for yourself today.

Take care, my prayers are with you,
Kathy

[Tootsie]

Christina, the thing that really jumped out at me from your long post about your reservations about your bf, was the fact that you have never really recovered from your first marriage. I think that is what you need to explore with your psych counselor, as it may lead you to other insights about bf.

I also agree with nana, that if you have doubts about marriage, don't. People do not change after the ceremony. What you have now is what you get, when married. Having difficulty now with your bf's spending habits will only annoy you more, if married.

It is a fact of life, that in marriage, you simply put up with a lot that isn't how or what you would choose, but isn't really relevant enough to make it an issue. My husband and I do not work well together, simply because we organize tasks differently. Therefore, we stay out of each other's way.

Like you, I pay all the bills and keep an eye on the bank balance. In your situation, I would plan on having a conversation about this long term debt. Ask him for suggestions on where you need to cut back in your monthly budget in order to pay this off faster. I think he's had too much of a free ride, buying things, with no thought, as to how to adjust and compensate in other ways, to pay for them. Could he have a garage sale and get rid of outdated tools that he no longer needs or uses? Could he get another part time job? Don't make excuses for him. This purchase was his decision. Now he needs to take responsibility for it. Do NOT get angry. It isn't worth your effort and you are only letting him have more control, giving him reason to lie once again.
Cheerio.

[houghchrst]

Thanks all. Tootsie, he already works 50-60 hours a week and does a large amount of stuff around the house because I am often in so much pain. Not to mention the occasional side job here at home. Sometimes he will get a customer who will come in and get some work done and then cannot afford the expensive extras and if it is something they really need he will offer to do it at home to let them get a cheaper price and to help them. It is not like he just goes out and randomly spends an exorbitant amount, just the occasional tool, cheap, here and there.

He has a new manager at his shop so I am hoping when the new guy sees how much he works and how good at it he is that maybe they will do something about his wages. He is working extra hard now to try to make commission so I know that his next couple of checks will be bigger. I can deal with this added expense as long as he makes sure to make commission. At this time we are struggling a bit because business is slow and recovering from the holidays. I am sure this all sounds like I am making excuses for him and it is not that it is just that I understand his reasons and if he would have talked to me first we could have done this and made a plan. Together. My big thing is that he went behind my back and did this and never discussed it with me. If we had talked about it I can tell you exactly what would have happened. I'd have said no, we cannot afford it. I would have been mad. Then he would have proposed a plan to pay for it, like working harder to make commission and such. I would have agreed. I think that the initial fear of me getting angry was what made him do it. He had brought it up many times in the past but it was more in passing then actually sitting down and discussing it. Yes Joy, this tool, scanner, is a necessity. I am just hurt.

Aaahhh. Issues with my last marriage. Yes. We met when I was 11 and grew up together. First love and all that. Were together for, geez I don't know, 12 years. We were both in the midst of drug addiction and alcoholism, same thing, and decided to get married on spur of the moment because we went into panic mode when we had broken up and decided to start seeing other people. I got pregnant shortly thereafter and quit partying and he didn't. We were married for about a year and a half when I began to spy on him because I was getting suspicious that he may be cheating on me or at least about to so when my suspicions were confirmed I packed his things and put them on the porch. He kept smoking crack and still is. Oddly enough when I am dreaming and it is about my current BF, if something bad happens then he turns into my ex for the rest of my dream. Okay, yes I know what that says LOL.

Kathy, we have done counseling and it went relatively well. But I have issues of my own that need to be taken care of and this pain stuff is just really taking all my mental and physical energy to get through so when I am in counseling that is what we deal with mostly. Maybe we can go back to the two of us occasionally. We can discuss it and see. Timing is just hard because if he misses a day of work it really screws us financially.

I am sorry if this seems trivial. I just needed some unbiased/neutral opinions. I can't talk to my mom because she has days where she thinks he is the greatest thing since sliced bread and then the next she thinks he is an unmotivated loser :rolleyes:. She has her own issues with men and is quite bitter. She has been single since I was like 11 or 12. My best friend is married but her hubby does nothing but sit on the computer when he is home. Has no mechanical skills whatsoever. I mean I don't think he knows what to do with a nail. She complains about him all the time and rags on my bf. Good naturedly though.

Today I have to take the little guy for allergy testing so I will be back on later.
Have a great day all.

[Buttons2]

Christina,I suggest you hold off on marriage plans,when the time is right you will KNOW. If that day never comes,then that's OK.When in doubt-do without.Depending on where you live (state laws),you could be setting yourself up to be responsible for any debts he incurrs.

This tool purchase wasn't a Little Debbie! Was it urgent? Doesn't sound like it. Will it happen again? Possibly. Nobody can see the future.Can you trust him? Here's where you have to decide what's important & what isn't. Nobody's perfect afterall.

How much did your long trip factor into your reaction? If you'd discovered this deceit on one of your best days healthwise-would you have reacted differently?

What happens next? You build up resentment over the payment & interest? Or can you let this issue rest & work out a plan TOGETHER to get the tool paid off as quickly as possible?And did he sincerely apologize for deceiving you?Sometimes words are just that,easy to say.But I'd think you need that to validate the fact he hurt you.He upset you. His actions are causing you stress.

Fact: what's done is done. Now where do you go from here? And you might ask yourself how his behavior is teaching your son lessons in deceit & lying. How will this factor in for the future?

Good luck! And HUGS,Buttons

[houghchrst]

He told me he had made the purchase around Christmas but would not tell me how much. He knew I would lose it. We had discussed it then and he was very apologetic and promised it would not happen again. I took it upon myself to look up the actual price on Sunday. I have not mentioned it to him and he has not asked. That is one of the reasons I bring this up because we have already had a row about it but now that I see the actual amount spent it is like it opened up the wound again. As for my boys, they don't know about most of it except for the teasing part and my oldest knows about the snacks in the trunk because the goofs were together a couple of times. They have gone to the store together and mowed a box of snack cakes on the way home. He knows how I feel about the lying even when teasing to the boys. We discussed it in counseling about 6 years ago and the therapist referred to it as passive aggressive. He does things that he knows will irritate me without doing them directly to me. Once again can be attributed to his upbringing but it is a trait that can be unlearned if the effort is made. Yes the debt he incurs has occurred to me but I know that can go both ways.

We will not be getting married this year. I guess we just need to talk more and I need to stop keeping things inside and letting them fester. I use to write letters when I was upset because then I was sure to say what I mean and if I made a mistake then I could erase it.

Thank you guys for your input and support.

[Tootsie]

My only comment now, is to reread the last paragraph of my previous reply. He needs to take responsibility for his purchase, and suggest ways to adjust the family budget to pay for it. Cheerio.

[Nana4&cntn]

Christina,

this is not trivial, you are hurt and reaching out, this is what this forum is about. I hope today finds you better. We are here anytime you like to post, feel free to pm me if you want to.

Take care,
Kathy

[tic chick]

hey all!

this month has flown by! i can't believe today is february 22! seems like just yesterday i was whining that i wish january would end. march is spring! i already feel a little tingly at the thoughts :D.

one of my favorite discount stores here is t.j. maxx. i needed a tjmaxx fix on wednesday, cause we were close enough to smell the merchandise. hubby and i parked in the lot and looked, and the store was closed!!! as in gone, never to return again. the store was a well performing one, too. they are replacing it with a best buy. *sigh

a very good friend has asked me to be a coach for her while she tries to lose weight. i don't want to mess up the friendship...lol. i want to find the right spot of motivating her and yet having her be accountable for her food choices. i do not want to get bossy, or be a know-it-all, because i am still struggling to lose my last 20 pounds, too. maybe this will give me the impetus to lose those last pesky pounds, though.

today is trash tv night. it's friday, it's been a long week, i don't want to think and read a book, i just want to be entertained.

kathy, did you find out anything from your mri? buttons, ready to get back on the treadmill? christina, i have recorded 3 weeks worth of those pbs specials that have featured stories by jane austen. i have yet to watch them:(. tootsie and joy, i hope you are feeling better. they say the flu has hit with a vengeance this month.

i hope you all have a nice weekend, and thank you for sharing,
jeannie

[Nana4&cntn]

Jeannie,

I think you could bd your friends coach if you 2 set up ground rules. Such as I will continue to be your friend even if you don't like what I eat. etc.
I think you would be a good coach. I had asked a dear friend to be my accountability partner, to give me advice on how to keep up with daily chores and spending when I am out with her. We continue to be best friends, and she is still my best friend. Maybe you both could be eachothers coaches, you said you still have the pesky 20 pounds to loose.
I have about 40, mostly med related, but I would love toget rid of it. I ear a healthy low fat diet, but no weight loss. exercise is very hard for me.
I did get the reaults from the MRI. I read it again a few minutes ago, It says I have problemd from C2-7 I thought it only went to C6. I have 2 tarlov cysts, stenosis, several different things pressing against the thecal sac w/o nerve involvement. I will wait and talk with the doc about what he thinks. I have major pain in my left arm and shoulder. But I am going to put off surgery as long as possible,untill I am at risk of permanebt nerve damage as I have in my rt leg. Thanks for asking I really spilled there,
they aso checked T1, not even going there.

Take care,
Kathy

[Tootsie]

I'm feeling a bit better every day. This flu is as horrible as everyone says it is. At my age, it always takes longer to get better but the stamina improves as the wheezing subsides. I do have a stronger inhaler to use for asthma, when I get sick.

It rained earlier today, but the sun is out now. There is supposed to be a big storm moving in with gale force winds and more rain. We're told to be alert for power outages.

Tonight is "mystery night" on our local PBS station and something I always look forward to.

I didn't get to swim today as I have to wait for the tree people to finish taking down my neighbors back yard tree. We offered to pay half if she would have it taken out. It is truly huge, with 5 big, major trunks. If it went over in a storm, half of my house would be underneath it. She was told that it would cost several hundred dollars EVERY YEAR, to keep it trimmed, so she agreed to have it removed. Cheerio.

[houghchrst]

Tootsie I am glad to hear you are feeling better. I hope that storm misses you or peters out before getting too bad. It is a shame the tree had to be uprooted but I wouldn't want my house fallen on either. I will have to check on my PBS tonight. The bf is going to watch wrestling so I will be going to my den after a good shower and watch tv and peruse my newer brain books from my last library trip. I think I saw that Pride and Prejudice was on. May be wrong though.

The Topomax, so far no really adverse affects but it is only the second night. We are at 25 mg. I am trying to have a positive attitude about this because I want it to work. It really has helped me sleep like a rockhttp://bestsmileys.com/sleeping/16.gif. My head MRI and MRA has been scheduled for next Wednesday and I went and had 6 vials of blood drawn today. They really should give you juice and a cookie after that many lol http://bestsmileys.com/fainting/1.gif. My EEG is scheduled for the 28th and then after all the results come back we will see about a sleep study.

Jeannie good luck with the coaching, I need coaching too lol.

Kathy, when do you see the doc? Did I miss that? Let us know what he says. Sorry about the stressful MRI findings.

I know that there are others here I need to address but it is late and I have stuff I need to tend to so I must go. I will check back in the morning.

have a good night

[Nana4&cntn]

Hi All,

Tootsie, if it the type of tree I remember from my youth,sooooo long ago. It is sad, but very necessay. I remember the storms out there, all that pacific rage comung inland. The only thing is you will lose shade. But it is a trade off, hmmm safety for shade? Safety wins.
I spent the month of February 2000. Mom was moving out here after living in her large house for 37 years. That was the most painful thing I have ever done, not the packing so much as the cold wet rain for the entire time I was there. My body is used to a dry cold,that damp sent me into orbit. Thank God for meds and perserverance.

Christina,
I am happy to hear the topamax is helping you to sleep. Are you still taking the day time meds (2). I hope so as they seemed to be helpful. What happened yesterday? sounded scary. Let us know how things are going, especially the test results.

I don't see the doc until the 7th. If he say something he was concerned about he would have called the day he got the results and had me scheduled for additional testing. The really weird thing is every time I read it I see more things, like not 1 but 2 tarlov cysts. And 2 areas said mild stenosis the rest are moderate, There are also bone spurs. Can anyone explain to me in normal speech what is Moderate Facet hypertrophy. There are several disc bulges or disc protrusions that are pressing on the thecal sac and one that abuts the cervical spinal cord.

Okay for my piece of mind I am calling him on monday. I am sue I am overacting just after the mess in the lumbar is bad enough.

Sorry all for going on, I am abit stressed, My left arm isn't participating vert well today.

Have a great one all,
Kathy

[houghchrst]

Kathy, yes I am still taking all of my other meds. I think I posted on CP forum but I guess I forgot to mention here that I had an appt with the neurologist on Wednesday because of head pain and migraines that have become more frequent and intense. So he ordered a bunch of tests. I am sorry to hear about the results of your MRI. Though now you can find out exactly what you are dealing with and get some help hopefully.

Tootsie I hope that storm missed you and you are feeling better today.

Have a good day everybody

[Buttons2]

I hope everyone going through tests & procedures will find answers & get some relief from pain & anguish. I'm getting mixed up on who is having what done however! Try not to stress too much,think ahead to next month & getting better!

Tootsie,stay safe in the storm!

TicChic,my treadmill is getting dusty again,I've been in pain since the pruning job earlier in the week......I can never slow down when I have those rare energy bursts,then I have to pay the piper so to speak.

I'm amazed my depression has lifted for so long now,am wondering if that's yet one more positive from cutting out the aspartame? Housemate says I'm more "lively". He hasn't gone through some of the withdrawal symptoms yet.....headaches,etc. I would get down on my knees & thank God I finally got wise about the poison....but of course I'd never get back up! So I say prayers in the shower when I see a drain free of my hair!

Have a good weekend everyone,a week from today is first of March!!!
Buttons