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 |  Fibro fog, pain, writing sandwiched in between. Quotes. Sermon notes. Encouragement. |
A Texas Sunrise  A friend, William Taylor, took this picture. He visits Surfside Beach with his dogs almost every morning, watching the sun rise while the dogs prance about at the water's edge. This is only about ten miles from where I lived in Lake Jackson, Texas. Sadly, I only visited this beach about four times in the six years I lived nearby. Each day is a challenge. A challenge to get by without thinking about the fibromyalgia pains. A challenge to stay awake when chronic fatigure wants to take over. And a challenge to navigate through fibro fog. I haven't been writing as much as in the past. For years, I wrote at least 500 words a day. Now, I'm lucky if I write 500 words in month. Sigh. For more information about what my day (or life) is all about with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic pains, IBS, depression and everything else thrown in, check this out:
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| I was so excited yesterday when I learned my illness had turned into bronchitis. Strange, I know. But there are medications for bronchitis! The prescription I received for antibiotics is in the same family as one that has caused me problems before. The last time I took that med, I was sick - vomiting - for 3 days. Supposedly, this med, although in the same family, has been "improved" and changed so it doesn't cause nausea. Well...it didn't work that way on me. I've been sick since I started taking it. I threw up last night, then kept a heating pad on my mid-section to help with the pain. Today I've already napped once. Now I'm heading back to bed. Yes, I made a call to the doc's office requesting a different antibiotic. |
As I logged on here and checked my emails, the one that hit me was the devoinal from Jason Mitchener. The subject read, "Tired of Feeling Tired." I can certainly identify with that.  Two Sundays ago, our pastor said something in his sermon about being "sick and tired of being sick and tired." I understood those words as well.But...the great news is that I now have bronchitis, and that's treatable. I dropped off two prescriptions at the pharmacy and asked hubby to pick them up on his way from work. One is an antibiotic, and since it's one of those 5 day things, I figured it wasn't generic. With our prescription plan, we don't pay anything for generic drugs. For those that don't have a generic yet, we pay either $25 or $40. Since hubby has the checkbook, I figured it was safer for him to pick at last that one up. The other is for cough medicine, something stronger than I could get over-the-counter. Hopefully this will knock the begeebers out of my bronchitis and I'll be left with just being sick and tired of the fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue.  ********** I chatted with my baby sister a bit yesterday afternoon. She was at her hubby's office helping him with something. Karen is 13 years younger than me, making her a mere 41 years of age. She's feeling old, though, because....she just discovered next September she'll be a grandma. She's not too happy about that. Her son is 22 and his girlfriend is only 18. This was not something they planned. Our mom is excited, though, about becoming a great-grandmother. But in her mental confusion she doesn't understand why it has to wait until September. This reminded me of back in 1983. My parents - especially Mom - really wanted to be grandparents. Their friends and their siblings all had grandkids and they didn't. They weren't that old back then - just 54 and 56, in fact. Anyway, in 1983, three of their four kids (their girls) all announced that they were pregnant. Only Carol had planned having a baby at just that time. She was quite a planner. She and her husband planned everything. They banked her salary and lived off Jeff's as they saved for buying a house and having children. I imagine when they bought their first house that probably they had at least half of the total price to put down. That's planning! Then, when they were ready to start trying to have children, Carol and told me that she had stopped taking the pill.As the big sister, I felt it was my duty to explain that after going off the pill some women spent years trying to get pregnant. But, it was probably less than a month later that she discovered she was pregnant. Sometimes I hated how life smiled on her. Our kids were all born in 1984, in March, June and July. I was just shy of 32, Carol was 26, and Karen was 19. Our parents were so excited. It's a bit sad to think that our Dad didn't live to see any great-grandchildren and that our Mom obiously doesn't even understand the process anymore. And poor Karen. She will be only 42 years of age when she becomes a grandma. I think she'll be quite a foxy grandma. The only picture I have right now of the three of us is from about 1998 or 1999. I'm not sure. I should scan some others. There are some fun pictures of the three of pregnant and the three of us with crawling babies. Those are fun. We should also have at least one from my niece's wedding last May. For now, this old picture will have to do. Karen is the foxy one - the one at the bottom of the stairs. She hasn't changed much.  This one of me is more recent.  Or you could go looking in my port for the one of me and Incurable Romantic   when we got married. |
Hmmm. The weather reporters said that there would be most likely be a light snow dusting last night, but when I went to bed there was about an inch of that snow dust on the ground.  This morning as I drove to pick up my son from work (in the dark), the snow kept creeping down the roof to the hood of the car, then landed on the headlights. I kept thinking there was something wrong with my lights, but it was just the snow finding a way to block them. How weird.********* Someone remind me to post this in hubby's fibromyalgia blog too. Fibro fog might make me forget.Doctors and scientists don't really know what causes fibromyalgia. Studies are always being done...about causes and about treatments. I'm sure knowing with absolute certainty what causes fibro would help tremendously in treating and maybe in preventing or curing it. One thing upon which most professionals do agree is that the immune systems of fibro patients are somehow affected. Now, a pain management doctor in Evansville, Indiana has discovered that the fatigue, aches and chills his patients describe are the same ones patients with flu describe. He decided to test his patients for viruses and they came back positive. Below is a list of viruses he established for testing. His patients all tested positive for between three and nine viruses each. Dr. David Johnson is now prescribing anti-viral medications to his patients. *Epstein Barr virus EBV *Cytomegalovirus CMV *Herpes virus: 8 types *Parvovirus B 19 Norwalk agent *Rotavirus *Enteric Coronavirus *Enterovirus Astrovirus Calcivirus *Varicella - Zoster virus VZV Torovirus *Adenovirus Picovirus Pogosta virus Sindbis virus *Coxsackie A and B virus *The most frequently involved virses. Most patients have from three to nine of these viruses at abnormal levels. Here's a link to Dr. David Johnson's article: http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=2271049&nav=3w6rQvkD It could just be that the immune systems of fibromyalgia (and chronic fatigue) patients are so compromised and weakened that they are susceptible to viruses. Of course, there are lots of studies that have been done and are being done. Some have come to the conclusion that mycoplasma infections are the cause of fibromyalgia in approximately one half of patients. The bulletin boards at http://www.immunesupport.com/ offer links to many of the most recent studies for both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. ************** As I sit here at my computer, our kitty, Opera is sitting next to me. She's fascintated with the screen, especially if I go to a page with flashing lights. She just cocks her head and stares. She likes the TV too. Sadly, she's still not gaining any weight. She's just skin and bones.*************** Some good quotes I got in an email today: Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. Albert Einstein Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man has plenty, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. Charles Dickens *************** Some people have way too much time on their hands. Hey! Not me! If you're one of those, there is a site where you can build a snowman online. Here's one that caught my attention. It's the nativity scene in snow people. http://snowmanconstructionkit.com/snowman30167_It%27s_All_About_Him.html*************** Here's something fun. If you missed the President's State of the Union speech, there's a place where you can click for the to read the speech. But even more fun than that , at this site you can see how frequently the President used certain words in the speeches each year. For instance, he used "Iraq" or "Iraqis" 34 times this year and only twice in 2002. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/washington/20070123_STATEOFUNION.html?th&emc=th**************** I'm really tired. After a nap, I have to figure out a way to get a poop sample from both cats. I guess I'll have to sit next to the litter box and watch to see when each cat uses it. Now that really sounds like a fun project. After that nap...  |
| The small group lessons and our pastor's accompanying sermons call Christians "Christ-followers." I like that term much better than "Christian." Too many folks call themselves Christian who just don't exhibit any fruit. Christ-folowers just sounds like a stronger, more active and bold way to define oneself. It probably also requires some action. (Following...as opposed to just being...) I definitely want to be a Christ-follower. I really did enjoy being with a group of like-minded women on Sunday night. At the end, we laughed about how different our discussions would probably be from the discussion of a men's group. We prayed for our kids and our pets. The guys will probably pray about the Super Bowl results. Hubby will be going to his small group this evening. I hope he feels a connection like I did in mine.******** We're supposed to get some more snow tonight. I hope the weather forcasts are wrong. If I had my way, the one snow we did get would be the only snow of the season. Fat chance. ******** As a Baby-Boomer, I often think about how things were "back in my day." The world certainly is a different place now, and there are many arguments about why and how that came to be. Some blame the fact that prayer was taken from our schools.To me, the biggest difference in today's world and the one I experienced as a child is the lack of respect - for our elders, our neighbors, even our own friends and family. The lack of respect is really evident in how everyone speaks about our President. I remember hearing, as a child, how the citizens of the U.S. were divided about whether or not they liked President Franklin Roosevelt. They were also divided on whether or not Roosevelt should have gotten involved in World War II. But, even though they might have disliked the man and even though they disagreed with some of his decisions, the man was the President and worthy of respect. Perhaps in their homes and behind closed doors, people might have spoken against the President. But in public, they showed respect, and patriotism towards the country, the flag, the military and, yes, even to the Presdient. Our parents and grandparents knew that the world was watching. They understood that - in public - we should show a united front. I was just a kid when President Kennedy came into office. There were those who really were against having a Roman Catholic as President. They believed, that his allegience would be to the Pope before the U.S. Even so, the man was our President and each and every man, woman and child mourned him when he died. It was not a difficult task to show unity in this tragedy. I tend to believe that the respect shown to govenment officials back then was given because our country was more of a "Christian country." And the Bible was very clear about how one should treat those in authority. In Romans 13: 1-7 (NIV) it says: 1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Even "church folks" have forgotten the importance of giving respect to those in authority over us. We not only openly and publically criticize and make fun of our President and other government officials, but of pastors and religious leaders, of teachers and professors, and of any others in authority. Is it any wonder that today's children and young people show no respect for leaders and authority figures? They take their cues from us. ************ That reminds me... Someone inquired about the Bible program I have on my computer. It's Biblesoft's PC Bible Study 3.0. On it, there are 12 versions of the Bible, Nave's Topical Bible, The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, four Bible dictionaries, seven commentaries, Greek/Hebrew dictionaries, concordances, pictures and maps. I love it! But, if you're looking for a good online reference, here's what I recommend: http://www.biblegateway.com/ This has many of the same tools. On the home page, there's a verse of the day listed. Today's verse: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."- James 1:5 NIV There's even a way to add the verse of the day to your own web site. That's all for now folks. *********** I received an email asking that if Hilliary became President would I feel the same way about respect. The answer? Yes. The Bible passage above would include her if (Heaven forbid) she would become President.I do think I might take to writing/ranting like the Psalmist, though... |
| Let's see... Tiffany's mom called at 8 a.m. yesterday and woke Jim. Normally Jim takes Tiff home on Sunday afternoons on the weekends she stays with us. Her mom was concerned that with the snow - which was still falling at that time - Tiff might get stuck here with us if the roads were bad enough. So hubby took Tiff home before the snow could become a bigger problem. Then we went to church. Our pastor started a new sermon series to go along with the lessons our small groups will be studying. The series is about evengelism - called "Just Walk Across the Room." Basically, the idea is that we don't all have to be evangelists. We just have to be ready to go where the Spirit leads - to talk with people about everyday things and be friendly. The snow did stop and my small group leader called at 5 p.m. to say that we would be having our small group at 7 p.m. That was fun - and educational. Small groups are much more intimate than church services. The group I decided to attend is a woman's group. I do need to be in the company of women sometimes. I had no idea that one woman was a doctor, another a social worker. At church, we all wear name badges, but not anything that indicates our occupations or vocations. *********** Today, I did a little shopping. I went to the dollar store first, intending to spend $20. Sure enough, I spent $19.37. Then off to the grocery store. I knew what I wanted to buy and I figured on spending about $63 dollars. I had a bit more than that, but that was my goal. When everything was totaled, my bill was $62.83. Not bad, huh? Actually, there were a few things I wanted to get that just weren't on the shelves. And I got a few things in place of the ones I really wanted. On my way out, though, I stopped at the customer service desk to request that they restock some of the things I wanted. Like cappuccino - English toffee flavored. Yummmmmy. And some Kashi cookies (I have about six coupons for free boxes. Might as well try them. And the store does carry Kashi crackers.) And Godiva white chocolate raspberry ice cream. There was something else I wanted to request, but of course it eluded me as I stood at the customer service desk. At home as I was putting away the groceries, I remembered that other elusive item. I found a pen so I could write a note to myslef, but as I had the pen poised over the page ready to write, whatever it was up and left my mind. Grrr. I finally did remember. Thomas (or it Thompson?) Bagel Squares (Bagle Bread) - with everything on top. Have you tried that? Making a bagle sandwich is fun...with this new bagle bread. I did write it down. Now I just have to remember to take the note with me the next time I'm going to the grocery store. Sure. I can do that... |
| I woke to the alarm clock this morning like any morning. Although I don't work, I do usually have to drive my son to and from work. Each morning, I await his call. His shift should be finished at 6:30 a.m., but his actual departure time is anywhere from 5:30 to 8 a.m. When he called at 6:30 he said, "I have a ride, Mom." "Are you sure?" "Well, I know you don't like to drive in this stuff." I looked out the window and was shocked to see about two inches of snow. "Oh my goodness, it snowed." "Yes. And I have a ride." "Good. Tell your ride to drive carefully." I'd hate to be the weather forcastors. Each station agreed on the forcast for the next few days. We were supposed to get a rain, sleet and snow mixture starting this afternoon. My hubby had already suggested that Derek might find a ride coming home on Monday morning. When I woke up this morning, I didn't even check on the weather. The 11 p.m. news had not mentioned getting any precipitation this early, and when I went to bed aroud 1 a.m. there was not a hint of the white stuff. Some folks will be thrilled. They've been so upset at this year's lack of snow. Tiffany has been hoping for a snow day. If this keeps up, she just might get her wish. |
| This afternoon, fatigue hit with a vengeance. I guess I slept for a few hours, while Jim and Tiffany and the two cats went about normal life. Even after I woke up, I could have just crawled back into bed and slept for about eight more hours. But I didn't. While I was sleeping and dreaming, my mind created an entry in this blog. Funny, huh? Something that I must have thought important in my sleep again. When I woke up, the idea was gone, even before I could write it down. Grrr. On a lighter note... The gas station/convenience store nearest to us has some yummy candies sitting on the counter. Candies that remind me of being a kid. They're square chocolate candies called "Ice Cube." Does anyone else remember those? I loved buying them in the summer and having them just melt in my mouth. Of course I had to buy one the other day. Twenty-five cents for one. I remember when they were... Oh never mind. That just makes me sound old. |
I've been thinking a lot about friends and friendships today, thanks entirely to Budroe and his latest blog entry. "Invalid Item"  I felt so sorry for Bud and for his friends who have decided that they cannot continue along Bud's journey with cancer. They hurt too badly!!???? Imagine how he feels. But in the midst of his anger and disappointment, Bud offered forgiveness to his friends. Now that is a faith that we should all cultivate. While pondering friendship, of course I turned to the Bible. I remembered some verses in Proverbs. Proverbs 18:24 NIV A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Prov 17:17 NIV A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Actually, if you search the Bible for verses about friends, there are quite a few. But these are the two I wanted to find. As I thought about friends and friendships, I realized how few I have myself. I had the same group of friends from age 3 to 11, some closer than others. Then my family moved. We stayed in the same school district, so I did see those same friends in jr. high. But things were different once we were not in the same neighborhood. In jr. high, I had one really good friend. Then my family moved again, this time from the suburbs to the city. I don't think my "friend" called me even once after I moved, nor I her. In high school, again I had quite a number of friends, some closer than others. Some I met in school; others I met in church. I had one really close, best friend. But for some reason (that I never knew), she got angry with me in our senior year. It wasn't until over 25 years later when I connected to some other friends through Classmates.com that I found out her married name and phone number. We spoke on the phone, then exchanged letters a few times. She didn't remember why she had dumped me as a friend either. It couldn't have been very important. We shared so much as teens, and it's a shame that our friendship didn't follow us into real adulthood. In Florida, I developed a few close friendships with women in church and, in one case, with a woman who once worked for me. I still have contacts with these friends. I did not develop any close friendships in Texas, even though I was there for six years, and even though I was quite active in church. I was only in Michigan for two years, and during that time I helped take care of my aging parents. While I did attend church services, I never felt I could be away from my folks for long periods of time. The only places I went besides the once a week church services were to my own doctor, chiropractor and accupuncture appointments. Now here I am in Ohio, married to Incurable Romantic . I've been here since December, 2004 and have yet to develop any close friendships.Is there something wrong with me? I know what a big part of my problem is now. With the pains of fibromyalgia, I cannot do much (sometimes no) cleaning. And I have a hubby who has filled the house with all kinds of trinkets and do-dads and "memories"...not to mention the antique player pianos - in what should be a living room and all over the basement and garage (and in storage!!!). I guess I am just old enough that I still believe that it's a woman's job to keep a clean, warm and inviting home for entertaining. I'm embarassed that I cannot keep the home that way. And we certainly don't have the money to afford cleaning assistance. So...although I have a table in my kitchen big enough to share coffee with a few friends, I have not taken the time to find those friends. That's really makes me sad. Yes, I have loads of internet friends, and for that I'm thankful. But I realized that if I were forced to take a journey like Bud, there would be no one but hubby around to really cry with...except online. If you've read what I wrote a few years ago about resolutions vs. commitments, you know that I don't believe in making resolutions. Most folks just don't follow through on them. I know I don't. Rather than resolving to change this, I need to make a commitment to change it. So, perhaps that's my new goal for 2007. I need to actually have some local friends. My first step in that direction is coming soon. I have joined a women's small group at our church. Our first meeting is this coming Sunday evening. (And hubby, who is also lacking in male friends has joined a men's small group that meets on Tuesday evenings.) This is only going to be a four-week session about evangelism. But the woman who leads this group will, most likely, be the leader for the next round of lessons. She has been leading a small group in her home for a few years now. |
| When we used to ask my dad what was up, he'd say, "The sky." When we asked what was new, "New Jersey." As a young man he wasn't that feisty. I think it was living with my mom for so many years that made him come out of his shell. He had to. I have stolen those answers myself and use them quite frequently. Yes, the sky is what's up today. There is actually sunshine. It's cold, but we're really blessed compared to so many parts of the country experiencing those ice storms. Hubby, Incurable Romantic , went to the doctor's office yesterday about his blood pressure. At home, his readings had been higher than the doc wanted. Ten of the fourteen readings that I saw in the blood pressure cuff memory were higher than the doc wanted. But, naturally, when he went to the doc's office, his blood pressure reading was quite normal. Isn't that the way things happen? So...the doc wants him to take readings for two weeks, then to check some of the retail locations that have blood pressure machines to see how his monitor compares with those readings, just to make sure his gadget isn't giving false readings. (I doubt that it is, since I've used it twice and came up with numbers that were my normal 119/77 and 118/78.)No news on Piewacket's blood tests. And, yes, we still have to get stool samples from both Pie and Opera. Perhaps with hubby and I both here this weekend, we can watch the potty habbits of both cats and catch them right after they exit the litterbox. Like we have nothing better to do than stake out the litterbox??? We did finally get the Christmas tree down last night. I had attempted getting it down over the past few weeks, but Opera always wanted to participate. She was sacked out on our bed and we worked quickly to get the ornaments and lights off the tree. She didn't wake up until Jim was trying to sweep the floor where the tree had been. Of course, Opera thought it was a new game. At least he got to see what I had been going through.I'm really not used to having to plan my day around when the cats are sleeping. Doing any cleaning with the young kitty awake and playful is tiring. And I really don't need any help being tired! I can't believe it's Thursday. I must really be getting old. The weeks just seem to fly by anymore. |
| Not much to report on our kitties today. Piewacket must not have enjoyed her visit to the vet. Since she got home last night, she has been spending most of her time behind Tiffany's bedroom door near the heat vent there. Hiding. Poor thing. The first day at the vet, she had her butt poked to get her temperature. The second day she had her belly shaved to see if she'd been spayed yet. The latest blood tests won't be back for a few days. Meanwhile, now we have the task of getting stool samples for both kitties. Or rather challenge, since they share a litterbox. ******** Nothing to report on hubby's health yet, since his doctor's appointment isn't until later this afternoon. ******** We've still have been blessed with better winter weather than usual (and than other areas). Yes, we finally cold temperatures, more usual for this time of year. And we did get another snow dusting yesterday and last night. But nothing more than a dusting. ******** Two bad accidents in our area today. Early this morning, a school bus crashed and all 17 kids and the bus driver went to the hospital. Most of the kids, especially in the back of the bus, had injuries, albeit minor ones. They showed one girl just a while ago on the news. She had bruises on lower body that couldn't be seen. But she had obviously had lots of glass in her face. She had red scratches and small gashes all over her face. Sure hope there's no scarring. I think only two kids were hurt badly. The horrible thing is that some of the kids the news folks interviewed said the the bus driver - a woman - was playing games on her cell phone when she lost control of the bus. It swerved to one side of the road, then to the other, and finally ended up hitting a pole. If they're right, that bus driver is in for some trouble. The other accident was between a pick-up truck and a train. The pick-up truck driver must have tried to get across the tracks before the train. He failed and both the driver and passenger died. Why in the world do people try that??? I remember when I lived in Jackson, Michigan years ago, the trains went right across town a couple of times a day. One was early in the morning, right about the time everyone was trying to get to work. There were many times when that train made folks late for work. Grrr. There were also Amtrack trains that came through, but usually later in the day. Once, I was crossing train tracks and when I got across them, I heard the warning sounds going off. As I looked in my rear view mirror, the gate closed just behind my car and then an Amtrack train came zooming down the tracks. Scared me to death. When I cross train tracks, I always look for trains, even if the signals are not going off. I did so that time too, and that Amtrack train was no where in sight. Boy do they go fast. I cannot imagine trying to beat a train. They're waaaaaaaaaay too big and even going at a snail's pace, they'd do horrible damage to any vehicle. ********** My buddy Bud started a series of essays about blogging. Do check it out.
And don't forget to check his blog too:
Really. |
| I took our cat, Piewacket, to the vet's office this morning. She was none too thrilled to get her leash on this morning, although she usually loves walking. She fussed about getting in the car. Yesterday's memory of the car trip and vet trip were obviously still fresh in her mind. The vet's office called a little while ago. When they shaved Pie's belly, the discovered that she had already been spayed. That's one expense we don't have to have. But...the blood tests from yesterday had come back, and one of her readings for white blood cells was elevated quite a bit. For cats, normal is 2 and Pie's reading was 16. Not good. The vet thinks perhaps Pie has heartworms, which, she informed me, is harder to treat in cats than it is in dogs. It also makes putting her under anesthesia a danger, and they had wanted to give her mild sedation to see what's going on in her throat. She still can't meow. They'll be doing more extensive blood tests and fecal sample tests to find out exactly why her white cells are elevated. Meanwhile, we certainly don't want to put her under, since it could cause her to die in the process. There's a slight chance that the elevated white cells could mean cancer. But the vet said there's less of a chance of that than the heartworms. We need to know what's wrong with our poor cat. So the extra tests are being done this afternoon. Here's hoping and praying that it's nothing serious. We really don't have the money for extensive treatments. We also don't want to lose this important part of our household. *********** I'm still coughing, but haven't even thought about making a doc appointment for myself. Sleeping on the recliner in the living room isn't fun, but it does help me not cough all night. *********** Tomorrow, hubby Incurable Romantic has a trip to his doc to see what can be done to bring his blood pressure down.*********** Yes indeedy, life is complicated. ************ You know, if we could sell the 1925 Steinway antique baby grand player piano that sits in our living room, it would help our finances. (It would also mean I could have living room furniture!) Don't suppose you know any who wants to buy it? For a friend of a friend, we'd gladly take $14,000. It surely is beautiful. |
| Sigh. Animals can cause you just as much grief as kids. Perhaps more, since they cannot tell you what's happening with them. Our adult cat, Piewacket or Pie for short, used to be such a talker. I think I wrote about that a while back. She knows by the tone of your voice if you're asking a question of her and is always apt to respond. Her meows are different for different things. Lately, though, she hasn't been doing much meowing. I thought that it might have something to do with having the kitty. She has not been too sure she likes sharing her house with that new kitty. She never minded having Allison's dog here. But another feline? She's just not sure that's the right thing for all of us. This weekend, I noticed (or rather my son pointed out to me) that Pie opens her mouth to meow an answer when you ask a question. But nothing comes out. It appears that she's lost her voice. Pie and Opera were both scheduled to see the vet on Feb. 7. But those plans have changed now. When I checked with the vet's office, they said she needs to be seen - today. Let's hope this doesn't cost an arm and a leg. My own sore throat and cough is back to being annoying and I'll probably need another doctor's appointment this week. Bird poop! What's that? You don't understand my reference to bird poop? Well, hubby would. A while ago, our pastor (and it might have been sooooooo long ago that it was the pastor at Jim's old church), told a story about a man whose life was in shambles. I can't remember all of the things that went wrong for that fellow, but there were many. And when he complained and shook his fist at the heavens, wondering how much more he could take or if there was ever going to be an end to his troubles, the answer came. Some bird pooped on his face. That's what I was thinking. You know, when it rains, it pours. (And it is raining here today, by the way. Some areas of Cincinnati are expecting flooding.) Or, when you really think there cannot be any more bad stuff happening in your life, a bird poops on your face. The shorthand version of saying all of that is to just say, "Bird poop" when someone is having a bad time. *************** We're back from the vet's office. Seems like she's mimicing what I went through. We can't pass the same viruses around. But I guess while we're suffering a bunch of viruses, so are our pets. Grrr. Blood tests show that she doesn't have anything bacterial. But the vet couldn't really see down her throat. I guess cats are the worst for having you look in their mouths. So...tomorrow Pie will arrive at the vet's office somewhere between 7 and 8:30 a.m. to be spayed. While they have her anesthetized they'll also be able to look at her throat. Thankfully, while we were there, Pie tried to meow for the doc. She moved her mouth and nothing came out, just like at home. (Riding in the car, which she didn't like at all, she tried doing a loud cat howl. With all that effort, a small squeak did come out, but that's all. Poor thing.) The vet said Pie could have any number of problems. It could be that she has a sore throat and laryngitis like a human. Or, my son could be right about the hairball. Doc said sometimes they actually get them stuck around the vocal chords. Who knew? The doc also said it could be something worse than that but we're not going there until she checks Pie tomorrow. Good idea. We're not ready to think bad thoughts. Happy thoughts, that's what we're thinking. The folks in the waiting room were all impressed at Piewacket walking on a leash. One couple had tried that with their cats and had nothing but scratches to show for it. Tonight, we have to take up the food and water bowls after 8 p.m. That's going to make two felines very unhappy. Maybe we'll have to put the young one in our bedroom with the door closed and some food and water on our floor. She eats and drinks all the time!!!! That's all about Pie - for now. Meanwhile, if you didn't look at the new picture at the top of my page, you probably missed that I made an album of pictures of downtown Pittsburgh, the inclines and Kennywood. Here they are:
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| At our house now, with that 5 month old kitten looking for things to play with all day long, you can't drop anything on the floor. If you do, Opera comes a-running and takes off with it as if she's playing hockey. Boy is she quick. It doesn't matter if I drop a small piece of food while cooking in the kitchen or if she knocks mail off the kitchen table. Anything on the floor becomes her toy. She swats things under the stove and refrigerator. Yesterday, she even swatted something under the door to the cellar. I found that out when I started down the steps and found a piece of junk mail on the steps. Luckily I didn't just step down without looking. ********** This morning, I noticed that there were lots of birds singing. I thought it rather odd, considering the time of year. You just don't usually hear bunches of birds singing in the winter time. Later this afternoon, I realized that the weather must have the birds totally confused. First, I noticed a robin on the tree in our front yard. When you live in the northern US, you usually can't wait to spot that first spring robin, knowing it means that warm weather is coming. I saw that robin and, again, thought it rather odd. Just 30 minutes later, I was sitting on our front porch and was truly amazed. Frankly, in my 54 years, I don't think I've ever seen more than two robins at one time. I saw about 200 this afternoon. There were four to six in every tree lining the neighborhood. Plus there were about another 50 sitting in one yard just down the street from me. I wondered... Are these birds finally flying south because they know we're supposed to finally have some winter weather? Or are they returning because our winter has been so mild? I never really thought about it before, but the strange, warm winter must have the migration patterns all goofed up. From what I've been told, even Canada has had a mild winter. Hmmm. |
| Does anyone else have this problem? My home page is set at Yahoo, and if I'm curious about a news item, I'll start there. It used to be that a news item from the present day or the day before would be something easy to find. It's still easy to find them, but many of the "featured" items are now videos. On those videos, a commercial comes first. I guess I understand that. But what's happening with me is that I only see the commercial, never the actual news clip. It's happened more than once. Quite a few times, actually. I end up checking somewhere else for the news I sought. Grrr. Anyway, what I wanted to check out was about those two boys who were found - one who had disappeared in 2002 (Shawn Hornbeck}. I saw in PastVoices 's blog "Invalid Item" that this was a story about St. Louis, and as I explained a few entries ago, I lived in St. Louis for only 6 weeks. I did discover that the boys were found in an apartment in Kirkwood, and that's the exact place in St. Louis where I lived (and where my son's dad's family lived). What a miracle it was that the one boy was found alive after a few days. It's a super-duper-miracle that the other was found alive after more than 4 years.Our adult cat seems to have lost her voice. Do cats get laryngitis? Thinking back, I realized that she hasn't done much of her normal talking with me since we got the kitty. I thought maybe she was mad at having to share her space. But yesterday, I noticed that she is opening her mouth to meow and nothing is coming out. My son thought maybe she had a hairball she needed to get rid of. But that's never been a problem before. I wonder what's up? I saw my gastro doc yesterday and some new prescriptions for my tummy problems. One is just for bloating. It really is annoying that I can eat one tiny piece of watermelon and then burp like crazy. I told the doc that eating out is really not an option when I have to burp so much after eating. Looks like I'll have to see my regular doc next week. My sore throat is back and my sinuses are clogging up again. And I've never really stopped coughing, although it did get better. I haven't been coughing in the daytime, just at night. My cabinet looks like I have my own pharmacy... |
| My brother, that is. Sigh. Bill is an alcoholic and homeless. He was the smartest of all of us, but chose to quit school in March of his senior year in high school. Drugs and alcohol became his way of life. Now, he can only afford - somehow - the alcohol. Beer companies don't tell you all the horrible things that can happen to someone who chooses to drink morning, noon and night. Bill's body is a mess. His liver and kidneys don't work well anymore. He often has to go to the hospital just to have his fluids drained. He looks like he's pregnant. And his belly button is herniated. It's an ugly growth that looks like another body apendage. He's often able to drink because he bets new bar customers that he has an extra male part. That's what it looks like. Bill started lying as a kindergarten kid. He used to tell our mom that kids gave him toys when he came home with his pockets full of trinkets that were not his. His lying continues today. Last week he called his daughter and told her he was in the hospital to have his gall bladder removed and was finally having an operation to remove/fix his herniated belly button. She called one of my sisters, who passed on his (supposed) number in his hospital room. Both of my sisters tried calling that number and it just rang and rang. Odd for a hospital room phone to just ring and ring. Bill's daughter showed up at the hospital and discovered that he wasn't there and had not been there. She searched bars Bill is known to frequent and found him. When she confronted him, he said, "Your mother owes me $300." His daughter told him not to ever contact her, her brother or her mother again. This has been a mild winter. But there have been harsh winters when Bill has lived in cardboard boxes, in abandoned cars and in abandoned buildings. I wonder what makes people turn to drinking this way. I wonder what makes people lie to the ones who really care. I wonder... |
| Here's some information about a new Gospel Music Channel that will be on 24/7. If your cable or satellite provider doesn't decide that they have enough Christian programs. http://womenoffaith.com/newsletter/january07/GMC.html Part of the write up I received says: "Enjoy contemporary artists like Jeremy Camp, Steven Curtis Chapman, Natalie Grant, Tammy Trent, Nicole Nordeman, Kirk Franklin, Mary Mary, Casting Crowns, and Mercy Me; country artists like Tim McGraw, Carrie Underwood, and The Crabbe Family; and traditional gospel artists like the Blind Boys of Alabama, Byron Cage, Shirley Caesar, and Sandi Patty. Want to see it for yourself? Go to gospelmusicchannel.com to watch a sample video. You can make a difference Isn’t it time we had a positive, faith-based, entertaining music television network not only for our kids, but also for US? Support the channel that will support your faith! Help spread this positive, faith-based music television network to homes across America and in your community. Many cable and satellite providers believe they have enough Christian channels – or that their customers don’t want a Christian music television channel How You Can Help Call 1-800-DIRECTV within the next few days, while they are making program decisions – even if you’re not a DIRECTV customer -- to let them know you support the channel in your market or want them to launch GMC in all their markets. Call your cable or satellite provider to let them know you want GMC made available on your TV. Together we can spread Gospel Music Channel across America." |
| Yesterday, I went grocery shopping with $105 in my wallet. My goal was to get what I needed and spend $100. Alas, when I went through the check-out line I discovered that I had spent....$100.36. I love it when I can get that close! And I did get everything I wanted...without a list. ******** I was searching for a good picture of Pittsburgh that I could use at the beginning of my blog. Those snowmen are cute, but the way they're arranged, they look too much like a Christmas tree. And Christmas is over. I decided that a picture of the Duquesne Incline would be great. (For those of you who don't know, I grew up in Pittsburgh.) There aren't that many inclines left in the world. The Duquesne Incline is in the Mt. Washington area of Pittsburgh, and that's where I spent my high school years. In fact, that incline is just steps away from the church I attended. While searching, I discovered that USA Weekend named the night view of downtown Pittsburgh from Mt. Washington as #2 of the top 10 most beautiful places in America. I have to agree. In fact, when I married my first husband, I wanted to get married on one of the observation decks in the early evening with downtown Pittsburgh as the backdrop for our pictures. Alas, his mother thought that was the most stupid idea she had ever heard. She won, and if I had been a bit older and wiser, I would have realized that we never should have married. Not when his mother was going to win over important decisions. Oh well. New picture(s) coming soon. I also thought about including pictures of other places I've lived, but instead I'll probably create a special place just for those. A few years ago, I determined that I have lived in about 37 homes in 50+ years. I lived in Pittsburgh for the longest time - 21 years. But while there, I lived in the communities of Mt. Washington, Brentwood, Baldwin and Crafton. I lived in St. Louis, MO the shortest time - about 6 weeks, I think. I've also lived in Michigan (Jackson, Rapid City and Midland), Texas (Houston and Lake Jackson), and Florida (Ft. Lauderdale, Seminole, Largo, Belleair, and Lake Wales). Ooops. I just realized that my shortest time was actually at California State College (in California, PA) - 3 weeks. That's quite a story...******** At one time, I had relatives in about 40 of the 50 states, and one in Canada. That was back when my mother did monthly newsletters for the Mackenzie and Zitzman sides of our family. Everyone sent news to Mom and she did monthly newsletters for us. There were so many aunts, uncles and cousins on both sides of the family that writing to all of them was impossible. But writing to Mom/Sister/Aunt Ellen was something everyone could do - and did. She would type up the newletter, then run off to the local office supply store to copy pictures that everyone sent to be included. Many of the aunts and uncles sent money to her to help with copying and postage costs. She stopped doing the newsletters right about the time everyone got computers and started using emails. Unfortunately, none of us have kept up with news about relatives since. Some of us email a few relatives, but no one took up the task of writing a monthly newsletter. I miss knowing what all my relatives are doing. ******** A few weeks ago, I asked Budroe about the stastics for his blog - "Invalid Item" . I've been trying to help him promote his blog ever since I discovered it. A few days later, he informed me that 12% of the hits to his blog had come from mine. Today as I was checking my stats, I discovered that 6% of my hits have come from TexansBeatTheMiamiDolphinsBy3 's blog page and 5% from Bud's. Oddly enough, two hits came from a search someone (or two someones?) did at answers.com about Philippans (yes, misspelled!). Turns out I had misspelled Philippians in my entry on October 30. "Relationships" (When I'm through here, I'll change the spelling. Maybe I'll get even more hits with the right spelling.)*********** I warned you with the title to this entry that it would be a hodgepodge and so it has been. I still have not remembered the profound thought I had a few days ago. It may be lost forever. And that, my friends, is a message for us all. When you have a thought, do write it down. Bye for now. And God bless. |
| I still don't remember that profound thought that I should have immediately documented here. Actually, I did remember it yesterday for a brief time. But I had my hands full. I was sitting at the vet's office with kitty struggling to get out of my arms to explore. Once the vet visit was over with and kitty and I were settled in back home, I realized the thought was gone once more. Since it came back to me, though, I think this is one of those thoughts that will continue to bounce around until I capture it on paper (or computer screen). Budroe 's last blog entry mentioned a friend's theraputic cat. Like him, I was never a cat person. My grandmother (dad's side) was a lover of any and all animals. Her home always smelled horrible, and I came to learn that it was the cats that made it smell that way.My dad never liked cats, probably because his mother was so fond of them and there were always lots of smell-up-the-house cats around. He also told the story of visiting a friend's house and discovering their pet cat on the kitchen counter licking the human food that was about to be served. A friend once shared that a neighborhood cat used to lie in wait in a tree and pounced on kids as they got off the school bus. Never having cats around as a kid, I always thought of them this way. They licked human food before it could be consumed and they pounced on school kids. Besides, we always had dogs and puppies around. They're so much different than cats. You can own a dog. Dogs love you no matter what. Cats, on the other hand, own you. They can look at you quite critically, while your doggie friend is looking at you with adoring eyes. Then one day my ex and my son and I moved to "the country." We lived in a mobile home on an acre of land with a 30x50 barn and an above-ground pool. What a great place that was. Our lots were pie shaped, so that the mobile homes were fairly close together on the cul-de-sac. Our backyards contained most of our acre of land, and the only neighbor facing our backyards was a commercial orange grove. Of course we would end up raising dogs, cats, ducks and nursing sick squirrels there. I've already written about "Hissy Cat and Pretty Kitty" - two wild cats that ended up at our place. I've also written about "Daddy Guard Duck & the Rest of the Gang" and "Spike The Wonder Dog" . Someday, I'll have to add the story of the squirrels we raised.When my son and I left Florida and his dad, we went to Texas. My sister and her family had eight acres with plenty of horses, one dog and two barn cats. Then something strange started happening. Somehow, cats and kittens appeared at their front gate. My sister took them to the vets to be fixed and they stayed. A few cats died, but by the time they moved to Michigan they must have had about eight or nine cats. All that interaction with kittens and cats changed my mind about them. A bit anyway. I still think/know that they own their humans. But I realize now that there is more to them than just getting on kitchen tables and counters. Waiting in trees to pounce on kids. Jim and I inherited a cat from his dad when the elder Jim moved from a big house to an apartment with his girlfriend. (Funny thing to talk about a guy's girlfriend, when the guy is in his 80's.) Piewacket is somewhat typical and somewhat not so typical of a cat. She's certainly not very graceful. When she jumps down from the windowsill, her feet loudly thump on the floor. And, while she's probably about 4 or 5 years old, she only started playing about six months ago. In fact, it's because she got so playful that we decided to get a kitty. Opera (who everyone calls Oprah) came home with us from a no-kill shelter just a few days before Christmas. We thought she was 10 months old, but it turns out she's only 5 months. That explains why she's still such a baby. She is! The Christmas tree, of course, was pretty attractive to this kitty. Since I've had animals before, and since Pi was attracted to the tree last year, I was smart enough to put unbreakable ornaments on the bottom of the tree. Good thing. Opera knocked off most of the ornaments at the bottom of the tree and knocked them around the house. She's a cutey. When I yell at her or tell her, "NO!" she curls up in my lap and starts her purring machine going really loudly, while looking at me with such innocent eyes. She figures she's pretty irresistible when she's that cute, and she's right. She waits until I've forgotten why I tried discliplining her, then she repeats whatever it was she did the first time. I've tried explaining to her that the loud purring isn't really getting to me. But she knows that's just not true. Yesterday, the vet said I was right to be concerned about her. She is rather skinny with a distended tummy. They did $99.50 in tests yesterday, and I'm still waiting for the results. Of course, we still have to get a stool sample, but I think Incurable Romantic is going to have to help with that task. Our cats share a litter box and somehow we have to snatch up some poop right after kitty uses the box. Doesn't that sound like a pleasant task?Animals. Gotta love 'em. |
| Last night, I thought of something that would make a good blog entry. At the time, I thought it was rather important. But since I had already made an entry for the day, and since I have not been making daily entries, I thought I'd hold off until today to make that "important" entry. I guess I shouldn't be surprised that I've totally forgotten what was so important last night. Sigh. Fibro fog? Or just getting old? Or a combination of both? Grrrrrrr. Oh well. Perhaps as I think and write last night's revelation will return. Right. Anyway. Onward and upward. A few days ago I got an email newsletter that I usually delete. It's one of those things that I really don't know why I receive it or how I got on the mailing list. Heck, it's got some pretty technical internet stuff in it and I'm just not that technical. But this last one had an interesting link in it. Originally, I think this article appeared in some computer magazine that doesn't even exist anymore. But someone discovered this and posted it. It's a list of the best and worst of 1994 and predictions for 1995. Remember...this was back in the days of Usernet. Before my (computer) time. I got my first computer in 1999. And I'm still using it!Here's the link: http://www.neonshop.com/bio/iw/bwv6n1.htm What made me chuckle was this quote: "The organization of the World-Wide Web. I love the Web, but finding something specific on it is a nightmare. And because the Web is growing by leaps and bounds, I just don't see things getting easier anytime soon." And this prediction: "The Information Superhighway as delivered via set-top boxes will die forever; a good idea gone awry (gone the way of Betamax); unless someone figures out what people really want, such as the ability to search reference works, participate in distance learning, search the holdings at the local library, and practice electronic democracy." *********** I also got some "cute" forwards in the past week or so from an internet friend who is the king of forwards. He sends so many that I usually don't have the time to look at them all. Two this past week caught my attention, though.One was a reminder that too many of us put off living until later. We say, "When the kids grow up, I'm going to do such and such." Or, "things will be better when...(fill in the blank)." Or, "When I get that promotion I'll have more money to...(fill in the blank)." The email was a reminder that today's journey is just as important (and maybe moreso) than that future better time that may never come. The other was a slide presentation with music that took a while to deliver the whole message - that life is like a train ride. One never knows who will sit beside us or for how long. Sometimes we forget to watch the scenery. Sometimes we sleep through parts of the trip. Some other passengers get on and off much too quickly for us to ever get to know them. Others stay for a while and become our friends. Sometimes those friends choose to sit in another car, but it's okay for us to seek them out. And sometimes when we do seek them out we discover that someone else is sitting next to them. Our train ride always comes to an end eventually, but it's important that we enjoy it while we can. Both of those were messages that were good ones for this time of year. Here we are in a brand new year. We have many choices in how this new year plays out. There are also some circumstances over which we have no control or choice. But we do have a choice in how we react to life as it unfolds. *********** Hmmmmm. I still haven't remembered what was so important last night. I have learned a lesson, though. Next time I think of something profound, I'll make sure I document it immediately. Now...if I can just remember that... |
| Okay. It's been days and days since I posted anything. I went from barfing to having a sore throat to coughing and coughing and coughing. I think we're on the home stretch on this cold or whatever it was. Finally. Things have been tough. Allison, my son's former girlfriend, drove in from Memphis to pick up the rest of her things here and to deliver some of my son's things. Having her leave was sad. My son still loves her but says he's not in love with her. He still considers her his best friend, but she's really not handling this well. Neither am I, frankly. I really love Allison. Derek is dating someone else now. I like Laura too. It just takes some getting used to the idea that Derek and Allison aren't getting married. After Allison arrived back in Memphis, her dog disappeared as she and her mom were unloading the car. I still haven't heard whether or not they ever found him. I surely hope so. Allison has had Bone since she was about 14, I think. That's 7 years! Losing both your boyfriend and your dog cannot be an easy thing. I also heard that the dad of one of her lifelong friends was in ICU when she got back to Memphis. And she's supposed to be starting a new job today. What a mess. When it rains, it pours? My son's job may be in at risk. He works the night shift at our local Target and it seems that having a new super Wal-Mart just down the road has affected business there. I guess if things don't pick up his 10 p.m. to 6:30 a.m. shift will be cut. Instead, they'll be offering him a shift starting at 3 a.m. Since he's still not driving and I'm his ride to work, that's not going to work at all. He tried a shift for a while that started at 5 a.m. That would certainly be better... Meanwhile, once winter is over with, my son really does need to learn to drive. The kitty we got just a few days before Christmas has me worried. Opera eats all the time, but she's all skin and bones. I think a visit to the vet is in order. I just hope it doesn't cost an arm and a leg. (I keep thinking back to when I was a single mom in Texas. My son and I could see our family doctor for $65, but every time we took our dog to the vet the bill was always over $100, often closer to $200. I wonder why that is?) Having the kitty around has been good for our cat. It used to be that around 3 a.m. Piewacket would realize that Jim and I were sound asleep and she was in the living room all alone. She would start to meow and howl as only a cat can do. Jim would meow back at her, telling her to join us in the bedroom. And that would go on until she gave up and came to bed. Now, she chases the kitty around the house at 3 a.m. Lucky for me I sleep rather soundly. |
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