My 'Fro

My words have been minimal throughout this week. Weather-wise one could label it as hot, humid and hot again. My hair resembles that popular style you could achieve after sticking your fingers in the light socket. Hopefully, people will incorrectly label it as an attempt to mirror the Afro look popular in my teenage years.

On Thursday, we drove to Indiana for a walk through on Stephanie’s beautiful new home. Things looked great. With our ailments, we found some minor things needing help. Bob discovered the railing on the stairs is loose as he grabbed hold climbing up. I noticed a wobbly closet door as I leaned after doing all that climbing. They also don’t have oxygen to help climbing up stairs. See, chronic pain has its advantages. Her home though is absolutely gorgeous. Bob offered to move in once he saw the kitchen and family room. May they be blessed with many happy memory-making experiences.

I mentioned earlier this week that I would make a synopsis of our mail. The box has been emptier than usual actually bringing us a few less bills. Before I get too excited, I realize that many of our bills come in the e-bill format. Let’s examine today’s pile.

Angie’s List sent us another mini-catalogue touting its recommendations. Another mini-catalogue was sent from a gift store that carries Wee Folk Mice, a favorite of Bob. So far, this doesn’t explain a great deal other than we strive to find good deals, but also enjoy satisfying our need for cute collections.  Bob also got a postcard describing a free workshop explaining how to maximize Social Security. OK – we’re old, or at least Bob is since he also got his retirement money. Sam’s sent us a small booklet with bragging rights for great deals.  Our vet sent an appeal to buy Heartguard from them. The last envelope begged Bob to buy some new coin. It went in the garbage before Bob saw it.

So, Bob is old or archaic and someone in the house likes collections. No, that does not include my dreams of a chocolate ice cream collection. We have a pet. That would be Einstein, not Bob. We try to be careful with our purchases but are also able to spend some cash, or credit, for fun, especially if it is in honor of those cute little grandsons. Bob is the one with the looser wallet. I have to watch his nutty expenditures. With that description, it is pretty darn close to dead on.

People can tell a lot from your mail. I’m just glad that we didn’t get anything embarrassing the last couple of days.

Whew – life is hot and humid, but good too!

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good

        -  Our decrepit bodies notice different things than those youngin’s who can easily fly up the stairs.

Mail

It’s funny how much your daily US mail tells about you. There’s times when the mailbox is literally stuffed with that slow mail, yet when I go through the items that we received, I find myself tossing it all in the garbage. I cringe at the wasted postage from organizations begging for our money or catalogues that I probably won’t even open. They will however find their way to our family room table where they are scattered, just begging to be opened, but instead sliding all over the place.

I’m going to take a few days and tell you what our postal carrier (see how politically correct that I can be) brings to our home. I will include every item that we get. I hope that I won’t come back to regret my openness. Go ahead and start your polls on

the number of politicians who will brag about their accomplishments, bags of medicine and magazines that I won’t even read. (You see, Bob signed us up for boecoo magazines in order to receive some exciting gnome or crop on Farmville. I love him, but I could shoot him sometimes.)

Let me start with the big items first. We got a copy of Arthritis Today. Now that is one magazine that I will actually peruse. The articles make me giggle. “A Sweet  Way to Lose Weight” is one that makes me guffaw right away. Why in tarnation do they even need to mention the word “sweet.”? It better include a lunch of Snickers and chocolate cake with an evening of chocolate chip cookies and Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups. I doubt it! There’s also “Find Your Joy Again.” Who says I lost my joy? It’s just scrunched underneath that pile of magazines on my table.

Bob also got two big envelopes from Mayo Clinic. Boy, that sure brings back the memories. Bob will see the neurology department beginning on July 23^rd. They are very thorough in the detailed forms that I probably will be the one completing. They might even question the number of catalogues we receive and his great grandfather’s shoe size.

He got a copy of the church newsletter from The Buddhist Temple of Chicago. His mom was a member and we have provided donations in her honor. Like any church, they could use some more money. No jokes there.

We got a mailing from Cabela’s, Bob’s favorite store in the whole wide world. He could open up his own store of fishing goodies with all the “stuff” he has in the basement. My poor hubby gets dehydrated when we go there by so much drooling. They promise $20 off any $120 purchase. That still means that we have to spend $100. (See how good I am at math!) I’ll toss that one in the trash before Bob sees it and gets any ideas. Right with it is an advertisement about a SPECIAL release of ORIGINAL Morgan Silver Dollars. There are lots of capitol letters and exclamation marks begging us to open it up. Sorry, trash! If Bob gets a hold of that, our checking will be in major troubles.

St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital sent me cute address labels while asking me to send back money in return. I forgot about address labels. We get about four packages each week. We could never use them all with just mail. I might start sticking them throughout the house though to remind me of my name on those bad days.

There is also a postcard from InkPixi. I bought some T-shirts from them once and they still remember me. I would rather have the money they waste in postage to me than all of these postcards. We also received some small print information from the National Financial Services LLC. That’s another place that sends out tons. They probably are partially financed by some ophthalmologist who is enjoying watching me scrunch up my forehead in my struggle to read all of this worthless information.

The last thing is from Medicare providing a summary of Bob’s doctor appointments. That will just get him in a frazzle as he double, no triple, better quadruple check the dates and amounts. It will be a late one for him tonight.

That’s our mail for today. Stay tuned. It shows that life is good since so many people think we have all this money to spend on “stuff”.

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good

     -  We got proof that more doctors will check on Bob while we get 3% of the bill paid. Is that the joy that Arthritis Today was talking about?

To Do's for a Ta Dah Day

I’m curious to your reactions concerning my list of Summer Thrills or To Do’s for a Ta Dah Day. People very rarely respond to the things I write, but now I wish I could crawl straight through your Skype and peek at you while you read these postings. (I promise I won’t take pictures if it is a bad hair day or your clothing choices are beyond Friday casual.) I would love to picture all of you lying outside looking at the clouds or better yet eating your way through the alphabet. Can my words elicit actions? If I can’t convince my husband or even myself to watch some old movies, my words probably aren’t igniting action to make a Ta Dah Day. I’m curious though which suggestions peek your interest and have you take pause. Could they even gather up steam and get you to come up with your own options? What a great transition into my first idea for today.

21. Make your own life-long bucket list, alone or together. You should always be working toward accomplishing one item. Then compile another group of simple ways to spend time with your significant other or your family. Peek at what I have gathered for some inspiration to get you going. If an old lady like me can come up with 25 things, you should be able to figure out at least ten! I would love to see them somehow too. Put them on Facebook, comment on a post or drop me an email.

22. Spend time rattling through a museum, preferably one you haven’t seen for a long time. Get lost in the time and just enjoy the exhibits before you get to be the age to be considered a relic yourself. Just wander and enjoy. Sit back and look at all the wonders, I don’t mean the human ones even though that often can be more enjoyable.

23.  Bite the bullet and go for a road trip. This involves some bravery for you need to head out with no destination already determined. I realize those silly men with those goofy white coats might come to chase you around since the exorbitant price at the pump hasn’t allowed this behavior since I was a child. Just hit the roads and see what you can discover. If you have a GPS and need a little more structure, aim the directions toward some unknown POI (point of interest). Nearby ones are the Americana Hollywood Museum in Metropolis, Illinois or the Chester Gould – Dick Tracy Museum in Woodstock, Illinois. Drive over to Indiana for the world’s largest ketchup bottle. You can be astounded by what surrounds you.

24. Start a new hobby. Bob and I picked up geocaching a couple of years ago, which is similar to an adult Easter egg hunt with a GPS and coordinates. The cost is minimal and you even get some exercise. There are several Frisbee Golf Courses around my neck in the woods. Just make sure your ego can take a little pounding if you lack the ability to throw far or straight.

25. My daughter did a variation of this for her hubby and sons. Think of perhaps 25 reasons why you love your spouse. Write each one on a post-it note. Repeat then put them all over the bathroom mirror or inside the dash of the car. I think it probably feels good both directions – reading and writing. If you can only come up with 2 or 3 reasons, gulp, you are in big trouble and REALLY need to do this.

There are my 25 things. I have a shorter checklist format of my To Do Ta Dah’s at the conclusion of today’s blog. Hopefully it will bring a little fun. I’ll let you know our success in July. First I have to convince my husband to be romantic. Yikes this might be more difficult than I first imagined. Stick with it though since life is good.

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good

-       I get to have a blog with a few loyal followers who actually read these crazy thoughts. Wow!

25 Good Ways to Remember Why You Fell in Love

        Or

25 Average Ways to Spend a Day with Your Significant Other

       Or

25 Lame Topics for a Blog on Chronic Pain

1. Go for a long walk around the neighborhood. 

2. Take some goodies to the local police or fire department.

3. Buy some frozen juice things for neighborhood kids.

4. Try to catch a jarful of lightning bugs.

5. Read some classic book that missed you as a child.

6. Look at the cloud formations.

7.  Write a note to someone in your life who might need a smile.

8. Take the opportunity to brag about an employee to the boss.

9. Buy two bouquets of flowers. Give one to a neighbor and keep the other for yourself.

10. Eat your way through the alphabet.

11. Do something out of the routine.

12. Watch a couple of old movies on TV.

13. Be a visitor to your own city.

14. Catch up with old friends.

15. Go out on a date. 

16.  Pull out old photo albums.

17. Spend the day in pajamas.

18.  Make some delicious treat from an old recipe

19. Get a massage together.

20. Go to a local winery for a tasting.

21. Make your own life-long bucket list.

22. Visit an unknown museum

23.  Go for a road trip to an unusual or unknown destination.

24. Start a new hobby.

25. Leave post-it notes on why you love your spouse.

Happy Summer

Happy first day of summer! I’ve written the opening paragraphs of today’s blog seventy two times which is unheard of for me. Usually, I say a prayer for God to help me find the witty words, apologize to the daughter and hubby ahead of time so I don’t embarrass them of anything too outrageous and then type away. Jabbering doesn’t involve a heavy dosage of brain use. Consider the source.

We all have known that 2012 is no exception to the weather confusion caused by more than just global warming. My personal range of acceptable weather conditions is quickly narrowing, and I admittedly spend more than my time allotment complaining about the weather. I hate to stop my loud words of complaint since complaining is one thing that I accomplish quite well. Even so, I want to continue with my list of summer suggestions while my fingers are still moving.

The rest of this post will contain items 16 through 20 of easy things to do with your significant other in your personal trek to a good life. There are so many sites, books and garbage mail aimed at convincing you to spend your time and money having fun with your family in order for your kids to be accepted in any future college choices. You must use a second mortgage to go convince your family that Fun should legally be your new last name. I wanted to come up with some more realistic ways to check in with your honey and remind each other why you fell in love. (Isn’t that sweet?) So, on with my list.

16. Pull out old photo albums. You can either remark on how handsome everyone used to be or convince each other you are far more gorgeous now. Avoid comments about puffy hair, huge glasses and unusual clothing styles. We all know that those trends will be popular again soon enough. Nobody has gained weight; it’s just something in the air that is shrinking clothing.

17. Lock the doors, pull the shades and spend the day in pajamas. Do whatever you want to do as long as it involves relaxation. Have a day of rest. For God, the seventh day was to be with no work. Now we are too ashamed to sit down and let our minds slow down. I dare you to post a message on the computer during the day before and then turn off your phones, unplug the laptops and spend time together. Will you make it past noon?

18. Get out an old cookbook or pull out your parents’ old recipes, then make some delicious treat that is full of sugar, butter, and white flour. Maybe make some cookies but eat plenty of cookie dough before they hit the oven. Make a mess when you are pretending to be bakery chefs. Ignore looking at fat grams; that is just some sort of scientific conspiracy. Enjoy!

19. Go and get a massage together. My husband now understands the essence of this luxury and quickly dons those white robes at resorts. Let the masseuse gently work out some of those tension kinks. Try oil or those delightful warm stones. Close your eyes and “be with the moment.” That feels so good even typing it down. Can you hear that spa music in the background?

20. Hit a local winery for a tasting or two. You can frequently purchase some appetizers to go with a glass of wine. Practice your swirling – of the wines not your bodies. It’s generally awkward to get up from those wooden floors and pretend you meant to slip to a horizontal position. Plus, fights with your significant other can arise when he walks off pretending not to know you. The whole idea is to spend some quality time together to remind you that life is good.

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good

      -  You can always blame your pain on those awkward flips and slips to the floor.

No Internet

We got our internet back after 36 hours, so here goes. . .

Another day dawns and I’m in quite a pickle. You see our internet is down now and Bob is off with his friends for his weekly men’s breakfast. My schedule is off kilter you see. Normally after I’m up and dressed, I head downstairs for my online Bible study. Some of you more astute readers found a problem in that sentence for “online” is now “offline”. (Yes, this will be posted at another time.) I used a print Bible instead and read the things that had already downloaded, but my pace is off. After Bible study, I check my emails – not doing now – and then go to Facebook. Facebook provides many ways to waste my time. My latest addiction is Word With Friends. (Anybody out there who wants to play?)

Today I can’t do what I normally do and that has set off my whole rhythm. Look! I’m even writing my blog in the morning. (Enter dramatic intake of air!) All of us claim that we dislike boring monotony, but the safety of a routine can comfort many a frenzy.

Let me type up the next five goodies now and I’ll just wait until evening to put it up. Wow! I’ll have something done early. That’s unheard of around here, especially on a day when we are juggling multiple doctor visits around other obligations.

11. Be unique. Do something out of the routine. Sit in a different location at church. Drive a different way to work. Sit on a different end of the couch. All these could get your pacemaker out of joint, but a new perspective can never hurt. This item is considered after my morning without internet. How many routines can you crack in one day?

12. Sit back and watch a couple of old movies on TV. Dim the lights and pop that corn. Use butter since the movie was made before all the horrors of fat became known to society. Pick a couple of black and white romantic flicks and hug your honey.

13. Be a visitor to your own city. We live in Chicagoland. People flock to this city faster than my vertigo whirls, yet Bob and I seldom venture out of our section of suburbia. We need to go see things we haven’t seen in ages if at all. We could even play the whole tourist routine and take our cameras.

14. Catch up with old friends. So many people we love dearly have slipped or are slowly slipping out of our reach. Being on disability, Bob and I seldom have evenings out on the town. We have lost touch with so many people because that yearly Christmas card is just not doing it. With internet, (I know, our’s is down now but we’ll pretend it will soon be fine.) you can send out a more specific email. Check up on people’s Facebook entries. Call them up on the phone. Don’t let the doldrums steal your friends away.

15. Go out on a date. Make your husband drive around the block and come back hopefully with a nice rose in hand. HINT! HINT! Go to some romantic place and have dinner. This might be hard but talk about yourselves without any conversation about your kids or even grandkids. Remember the reason you fell in love. (That’s one fall everybody needs to make!) Concentrate on just the two of you. This might be really tough, but if it is hard, you need this date more than ever.

There’s my five for today – done early. Now I’m off for my same cereal in my same bowl. Then I’ll watch the same TV and ponder how to best waste my day. J I might just have a day without internet. Forget I wrote that for that might be a great 16 on my list. Boy, life sure is good.

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good

      -  I get to sit back rather than venture off to work and have the same morning routine.  

Grandma Wants It Now

I just had a chat on the computer with my daughter. She had sent via email four great pictures of the grandsons. I immediately wanted to post them on Facebook or perhaps get a billboard on some nearby expressway. She teasingly commented that it was said that young folks today don’t know how to delay gratification. I let her know that such patience did not pertain to grandmothers. By my age, I didn't and couldn't delay gratification. Who knew what would happen later? With that, she took her dog out and went up to read a book. I think that means that I won.

Some of you might know what I mean. There is that inner thrill with having the cutest kids of the world that you just can’t help yourself. The lady behind you in the grocery store needs to see their little faces. It just wouldn’t be right otherwise. The receptionist at the doctor better look at all the newest prints or else her day could be ruined. Nobody has ever turned me down. It’s my duty as a grandmother to share these vital moments in history.

As part two of my list of fun stuff, let me give you the next five things. When I was thinking over what to write, I noticed that all my initial five items had to do with food. I’m not sure if there is some correlation to need to my need to lose weight, but I figured I better save some of those events until tomorrow if I can still remember them. Here goes.

6.  Get in a lawn chair or lie in the grass and look at the cloud formations. Do you see a unicorn or a hamburger? Those food things just slip in there. The only key thing to note is that if you do lie on the ground, make sure you have a neighbor close by to help you get up. Otherwise some snacks for the ground may be a necessity.

7.  Write a note to someone in your life who might need a smile. It could be to someone in your workplace or church. I sent one out to each child in the kids’ choir once in church. Last year, one of the high school graduates said he still had my note. Now I know my gift of gab is special, but simple notes of thanks can go a long way. Plus folks are so used to getting any mail from the internet that an actual item from the slow mail will blow their minds.

8. This is kind of like the last one, but take the opportunity to brag about an employee to the boss. Maybe the grocery clerk was extra nice; talk with the manager. The UPS driver always is good with your packages: send a letter to the UPS headquarters. (I did this once and had the president of UPS call me up to thank me for the unique note. Apparently notes of praise are pretty nonexistent.) After great service from a waiter, email the boss. Tell a wife that their husband brought you guys great drinks. (Ha Ha! Get it! Let the boss know that someone was good.) You get the idea. It’s easy, cheap and fun. What more do you want?

9. While you are at the grocery store, buy two bouquets of flowers. Give one to a neighbor and keep the other for yourself. They always help brighten the day. I don’t have flowers often and love the grocery store ones lots if my husband surprises me. That’s a hint Bob. Will someone call up my husband and tell him?)

10. Here is a food one – eat your way through the alphabet. The next time you go out to eat, pick a restaurant that starts with an A. It doesn’t have to be a whole meal, maybe just a drink and an appetizer. Try Applebee’s or Auntie Anne’s for example. Then the following time, go to a B place. Buena Beef, Ben and Jerry’s or Burger King are three simple choices. Bob and I were always going to do this, but never followed through. Give it a try and let me know how it goes. What a great excuse to eat out. Good luck on some of those harder letters. Some creativity or travel may be needed.

Well there you be. Pretty good for one post! You got five more items to add to your bucket list and input about the grandmaternal instinct that needs instantaneous gratification. Enjoy your day for life is very good.

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good

        -  Who else can eat your way through the alphabet and say it is for health reasons? Have local French fries; use less ketchup. A diet chocolate milkshake is one with no whipped cream. Get the idea? Boy, life is good.

Sudsy Cookies and Bugs

The highlight of my day was right after our cleaning lady left this afternoon. She had started a load of wash before heading out. I was upstairs when I heard a loud crash. Upon investigation, boy did I find a mess. You see, our washer is aging just like the rest of us. It likes to dance around the room while working. All that excitement had our new jug of Tide go crashing to the floor and those plastic containers can break open. We had laundry detergent everywhere. You should have seen me try to clean up the mess, for the floor gets mighty slippery with all that soap. I was doing disco moves I hadn’t tried since the 70’s. My yoga instructor would surely have a special name for some of my positions. It’s sad when cleaning up a mess is the major attraction for the day.

I wrote yesterday about compiling a “bucket list” for those of us over 29 (or 49). There are multiple computer sites describing events and activities for families to do during these summer months that take little money and resources. Some of them would be fine for Bob and I to do without kidnapping any youngsters from the street, but I think all that commotion would be too much for us. We have done some of these things, want to do some others and probably won’t accomplish the rest. I want to give you a few such items each day for about a week. Wish me luck.

1  Go for a long walk around the neighborhood, probably after dinner. Make the effort to greet neighbors. We actually make some new friendships, plus had the good opportunity to comfort strangers of my sobriety when walking. I’ve seen a lot of relief this past month from people comforted that I hadn’t consumed a couple of bottles of wine before 8:00 AM.

2. Take some goodies to the local police or fire department. You can use your baking skills or buy them fresh from your local grocer. I do the latter for two main reasons. First of all, they don’t have to worry that some psycho put weird things into the batter. Secondly, the fire department will not have to make a trip to my home in case a couple of trays get too crispy.

3. Buy some frozen juice things for neighborhood kids. The two little ones next door even know where I keep them stashed in the freezer. It’s fun to see their excitement.

4. Try to catch a jarful of lightning bugs just like you did when you were a kid. Your antics will amuse your spouse and any neighbors watching, plus the activity can count as exercise for the day, or maybe month.

5. Read some classic book that missed you as a child. Gone with the Wind or Uncle Tom’s Cabin would be great starters. Avoid Moby Dick! I disliked Ishmael for a whole semester my junior year of high school. I actually downloaded War and Peace on my Kindle. We’ll see.

Well, there is the first five for my suggested activities. Stay tuned tomorrow for other goodies.

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good
         - The neighborhood is amused at your antics when trying any of the above.

Good Morning Mr. Dinosaur

I’m not really sure where the time has gone and am somewhat aghast that it has been four days since I last wrote on this blog. There is really no excuse or no marvelous adventures for the days are just silently ticking by. We’re getting used to the change of seasons and constantly bless our air conditioning that is running away. Our salt-water tanks really heat up the house, particularly the family room and add humidity that is not needed at this time.

Last night, we were the guests of friends at the local baseball game. They are a non-affiliated team with lots of fun competitions between innings. We saw water balloon fights, knock the head off a costumed foe and rolling a tire from first to third base. No, that wasn’t Bob after sipping a brew. They are all goofy stunts from volunteers that still bring smiles to those in the stands.

I’m lacking motivation and need to get my tush moving more. When I stayed with my little grandsons, they greeted me each morning by sneaking in my room for early snuggles. They didn’t want to lay and chat about the day as I envisioned by my past experiences with my grandmother. Beware of jumps on my stomach, racing cars careening up my legs and dinosaurs roaring 3.2 inches from my blinking eyes. I loved it. I frequently took a head break for a short time in the afternoon. There were no chances of sleeping too long for a toddler would soon be wanting me up to play. I got my exercise from races down the hall, pushing swings at the playground and tackling toddlers. Bob is not too interested in climbing on a nearby swing, so my days are now much more sedate on my own turf.

There’s a lot that I should be doing so perhaps I need to write more frequently as a daily accountability. Who wants to read a blog to hear the adventures of someone who naps most of the day. Even relaying my exciting games of Words with Friends might be a snoozer for those not closely involved.

I’ve been reading on Pinterest some free and easy activities to accomplish with your children now that summer has arrived. Although many of the activities would have our neighbors shaking their heads in disbelief, I’m sure that I can come up with two or ninety things to accomplish around the house. I guess you will just have to stay tuned.

So I will do my best to be more exciting tomorrow. The challenge is on. I hope you can somehow manage to sleep after reading this thrilling page. I will work on a summer bucket list that even you might find interesting.

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good

        -  I am able to arrange my own day into boring or exciting. I get to be the one to help people say that life is good.

Still Spinning

Admittedly, my brain cells are decreasing at an alarming rate, but I am still able to jabber away. Thus this blog! I began writing at this site to describe vertigo, tinnitus and migraines to those of you who have not had the displeasure of experiencing them. I took detailed notes of my days up at Mayo and have since slightly veered off course. Tonight, I will head back there.

I’ve tried to figure out what sets my path into circular motion. I still far too frequently walk as a little drunkard and have my eyeballs dancing around to the beat. People have become accustomed to my wayward ways and hardly blink an eye as I bounce off walls or other obstacles. My doctors urge me to figure out the cause of my twirling paths and I long to know why I continually dance to a different drummer. Some of the triggering or precipitating causes follow.

Wind – If wind or even a slight breeze catches hold of my protruding ears, beware!

I wear my hood throughout the winter season, but the heat of summer makes this harder to avoid. My parka looks a little crazy when the mercury reaches into the 90’s.

Waves – As I was wading in the Gulf of Mexico last week, my head started spinning like a top. This was repeated after a trip to a wade pool at a Mississippi water park.

Maybe I personally have unconscious fears about a tsunami crossing my path, but my head spins faster than kids splashing in the waves.

Migraines – Initially, my migraines triggered the release of vertigo into my system. This has not diminished. There is a strong link between the two. If I get a bad migraine, I know that vertigo will soon follow. If my dizziness finds me first, beware of an upcoming headache that scores zero on the fun meter.

Loud Music – Everything from our church organ to the background piped in music at Five Guys all send vertigo my way. This is pretty darn close to the migraines that I mentioned earlier. Any days of being a band groupie are now gone.

Weather Man – When a big front passes through town, the meteorologist notices my resemblance to the silver pinball being diverted throughout the game.  At least that also can be seen as a positive. I could rent out my head to the highest bidder.

Tired – If sleep escapes me, it is replaced by vertigo symptoms. Usually that is not a problem because I easily head upstairs for more beauty rest. With the amount of snooze time required for any sliver of non-ugly, this can have me spinning away for weeks on end.

Emotions – if my lack of abilities frustrates me, vertigo comes a knocking. Then I get bewildered by the vertigo, so the vertigo spins faster, which makes me sadder, which increases the rotations, etc, etc.

The Bends – Anything that is accidentally dropped to the floor stays there. Our family room and kitchen show a unique path, but if I bend over, I better not ever stand up. I would look even crazier bent 90 degrees or more, so up and around I go. It makes it highly amusing to try to imitate picking up any scattered papers in my less than tidy home. I turn into a bowling ball slowly careening down the lane.

Needless to say, I still have my vertigo. My medications really haven’t addressed these symptoms because they are more aimed at my migraines, so I’m still bouncing off the furniture or sitting in the grass. I definitely stop to smell the roses unless I’ve squashed them all by my awkward steps.

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good

       -  As long as I am down on the ground, I’m great at finding lost coins or earrings that have been MIA for quite some time. Wow! Life is good!

Creaky but Happy Bones

I have arrived home after a busy two weeks away. It seems strange not reading a nighttime story or helping anyone with his pajamas. With those fun filled days, I feel more invigorated to keep moving. There is nothing like the force of a toddler pulling on your hand and heart to get you moving in a hurry.

Teddy didn’t understand why I called Bob so frequently. His mom doesn’t call Daddy when he is gone because the phone reception on a submarine is lousy. He also thought that I drank an awful lot of water. We hit three more states to Teddy’s challenge to visit all 50. Calorie laden foods like French fries, po’ boys and beignets were snarfed down at some of these sites. Teddy knew there was always time for puzzles and trains plus trips to playgrounds and pools.

I was fortunate enough to spend a lot of time with these cuties. While in Mississippi, they slept in my hotel room each night.  I love the snuggles and early morning hugs. We listened to Ollie and had a Caillou marathon each night at bedtime. Can there be a better way to bring happy dreams? Basically, we were together 24/7 and I wouldn’t change a second of it.

I do have to admit that my speed was starting to slow down as the calendar pages kept turning. I tended to be the caboose while herding children more for my benefit that theirs. I could drift off to sleep if I got too comfortable reading a book but would awaken with Teddy’s nose approximately two inches from my own.

My suitcase is staying packed until tomorrow after church. I’ve got lots for which to give thanks to God. How blessed I am to have such a wonderful family to visit and the finances to pay for it. Stay tuned for more tomorrow. Life is good.

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good

       I’m slower and creakier getting up from the floor.

Back to LIfe

Hurray! I have returned from chilly Mississippi and am currently finishing my visit with Stephanie and those cute little grandsons. My body has started to remind me that I have some physical, and perhaps mental, disabilities, but has done remarkably well for what I have put it through. I creak, groan, fold and moan when I attempt to train for an Olympic feat like breathing.

I purchased compression socks after Bob’s orthopedic surgeon got a glance at my ballooning ankles after my last airline flight. I’m not sure what caught his attention for my legs haven’t captured the attention of any males for over a century. I used to think world records could be stomped out if my ankles were measured in hot weather after an airplane ride, however that was before my daughter and I just watched a TLC show depicting a man with a 200 pound leg. Yep. (Check out one of these sites for those of you curious about my exaggeration of any part of this tale.)    http://www.foxnews.com/health/2012/01/05/man-undergoes-surgery-to-remove-200-pound-tumor-on-leg/

OR

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57353897-10391704/vietnamese-man-has-massive-200-lb-tumor-removed-from-leg/

It’s just too weird for even me to make up. Anyway, I decided my pudgy ankles were not wonderful to lug around Mississippi and didn’t want to confuse Ollie, my little animal lover, by having him think I was partially cloned with an elephant. Although hardly a fashion statement, these lovely legwear were worn resulting in minimal water retention. Success!

Now, back to the main reason for my trip south of the Mason-Dixon line. The commissioning of a submarine is awe inspiring and something more Americans should get to observe. The majority of the program was listening to multiple senators, governors, mayors and high ranking military officials congratulate each other for a job well done. Security was tight. Helicopters hovered overhead, and small ships with huge guns circled through the surrounding waters. About 8,000 folding chairs had been set up with the use of lasers to insure proper placement. (That’s a heck of a lot of seating.) We were ushered to our seats by members of the crew after somehow surviving a definite logjam of vehicles that extended as far as the eye could see, delaying the ceremony for a good half hour. Even with that timing, many people didn’t make it to the submarine. Here are a couple of great pictures from the day:

http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2012/06/crowd_building_for_mississippi.html

OR

http://www.sunherald.com/2012/06/02/3983950/uss-mississippi-joins-the-navy.html

My favorite part by far was after all the speakers had finished. The commanding officer addressed the crew who had been standing at the rear for about two hours. They were commanded to, “Man the ship and bring her to life!” With those simple eight words, the crew in their dress uniforms dashed up the main aisle, down the ramp and aboard the waiting submarine. The surprised crowd cheered away as they saw their loved ones about to partake in what they had long been trained.

I wonder what I would need for me to come to life. I got back to Connecticut with Stephanie urging me to head to bed. My ankles weren’t swollen, but I think my brain got washed away. My blog has been postponed for even today she insisted that I return to bed. My eyes have been glazed and pills have been popped. I pray that tomorrow I will also “come to life.”

That’s enough for today. There’s a lot to talk about now that I am attempting to get back on track to the living. Thanks to God, my life is good.

God Uses My Chronic Pain to Prove that Life is Good

       -  My body attempts to assume a Sleeping Beauty imitation after any travel.