halt stop forget relax

Yesterday I got an E-mail from a sorority sister who occasionally sends (forwards) religious E-mails to large groups in her address book. Most of these are kind of cheesy, but well meaning, cutesy messages of good will, and God loves and protects us all, etc. etc. I have no problem with those. But this one had a short video attached (which I wouldn't post on my Blog even if I knew how) that proposes to prove that there is a message in the Bible that, get this, the Anti-Christ (A/C) is none other than ... Barack Obama. It points to parts of Scripture that reference the (A/C) bringing us all up to great heights (you know, the great temptor leading us to the fall), and then tries to make sense of these references by explaining that in ancient Hebrew, and in Aramaic before that, the languages in which the Bible was written, certain words that pointed to the A/C were pronounced "Ba rack O ba ma," leading us to believe that IT IS WRITTEN that our President is the AntiChrist. ...

Since the 16th, the day after we went to the Fair, though the weather has been pretty nice I haven't really done much. I've finished listening to the book Twenty Wishes by Debbie Macomber and I enjoyed it. I had a sorority meeting on the 17th; it being the first meeting after the Summer break, it was a Salad Supper. I did the easy thing - I brought dinner bread from Great Harvest. The written directions I had weren't correct so I ended up making two wrong turns before getting to the right street, and I remembered that the condo clubhouse was at the end of the road (which was not written down), so I got there just fine. Coming home, however, it was dark, and I got turned around; I wasn't lost, just going farther from home instead of closer to it! I don't know what to blame for that -- my eyes (lousy night vision), my MS addled brain, or simple unfamiliarity with the northwest part of town. I'm just glad it wasn't raining. And this reminds me that I have a r...

I don't know what the Daily Reviewer is or who it is they support and/or promote, but this little award was forwarded to me by Jaime. FWIW, I'll take the free publicity knowing deep to the core of my being that being in their "top 100" is absolutely without meaning. Anyway, there it is on the right, just beneath the Memory Mints. Jaime is in the process of undergoing a stem cell transplant with the hope that it will reverse the effects of her MS, or at the very least stop it in its tracks. Thanks for this, and I'm praying that this Halt MS Study works for you. change of subject line - that's all this is DH and I did the Puyallup today! The weather was lovely, sunny and maybe 76F. I paid an $11 admission and DH got in free for the priviledge of pushing me around. To get back, I make him pay for the parking which was $10, but only because he didn't always have to push me. Sometimes I'm perfectly capable of pushing myself, until I get tired, or have ...

I just went to see my PCP to have my blood work checked. Last year I was borderline anemic and my cholesterol was just over 200. Because I have been so darned cold all year, I wanted him to check for both anemia and thyroid. Lo and behold he told me my numbers were all normal. It's the MS playing with my temperature regulation. Suggestion? Socks and sweaters. Very practical, and yes, doable, though it seems a little geriatric wearing a fleece vest when its 68 degrees out. He called back later in the day to tell me that my Vitamin D level is just 11 -- normal is over 30! So he is calling in a script for Rx strength Vit D for me, and after that I will start taking a daily OTC capsule; we'll recheck it again in a month. He'll call tomorrow with my new cholesterol levels, and I will ask him about getting the flu shot which I completely forgot about at my visit. I've always avoided getting the shot because I never get the flu - - but my concern this year is that I have p...

They come, they go, they come, they go. Tonight they came and now they don't want to leave, the little bastards. I'm going to swallow another 40 mg of baclofen and put the dog out. Then I am going to go to bed. It is 4:30 A.M., after all. Good Night, TTYL and Be Well [Don't forget the hugs --------> ----------->]

There, I said it, I'm feeling guilty for not posting lately. Even though I have, right there in the sidebar, a Blogging Without Obligation gadget thingy, here I am feeling guilty. It's just that I don't have anything to write about. Perhaps, I kid you not, I should start carrying around a little notebook to write down the pithy little things that occasionally pop into my head to tell all y'all about. Lynn has been back in Yakima packing up the things she's really attached to. For someone who moves as often as she has been during these past ten years, it boggles my mind how much she has accumulated! Much of it will not be brought here, as there simply is no space for it. DH and I have been wondering to each other, well speculating really, how long she will actually live here. Her son promised the use of his regular sized pickup truck, only to be transferred to do training at another base in Georgia or So. Carolina or somewhere - so apparently he won't be around ...

DH had to throw the blackberries out today. They were fermenting. This is because he took them from the car and put them in front of the refrigerator in the garage. Not IN the refrigerator .... in FRONT of the refrigerator. Then nothing. Neither he nor Lynn went back out there to take care of them. In fairness Lynn was gone most of Sunday. I was crashed most of Sunday. But what ticks me off the most is what I just heard DH say regarding the pity of having to throw them out; He muttered "I didn't think it was my responsibility." Dear Lord, I so appreciate his support. At least he picks me up if I fall. I just had to get this off my chest. Good night, TTYL and Be Well

I went to the BBQ yesterday, and Lynn came with me. Another couple of sisters drove us, and we figured a simple way (well they did) to do something to the walker that made it MUCH easier to fit into a small trunk! We brought fruit salad, which Lynn made, and boy was there a lot of good food there! I ate a lot, and could have had more, but restrained. My sorority sister, where we had the BBQ lives in Buckley, and has a nice house on 40 acres; they have a greenhouse, a lovely vegetable garden, a big lawn that has lots of mole and/or gopher bumps on it, and a nice view of Mt. Rainier, though the mountain was not out for most of yesterday; most of the property is not developed. She took several groups on a little tour around on a little heavy duty open four-seater vehicle. They are building another hangar (I think they own five planes now!), and are going to dig out and expand a pond that is there on the property. She has blackberries growing all over in the woods, and after Lynn picke...

Today HSFR is ONE! Happy Birthday to my Blog! I never would have believed I'd make it through a full year of blogging that included two NaBloPoMo challenges. NaBloPoMo for the uninitiated is National Blog Posting Month wherein you register with them to take up the challenge to post every day for a month, either on a certain subject or not, your choice. Of course there were the other months that I posted much less often than everyday, like this month. But I also belong to BWO - Blogging Without Obligation - which takes the pressure off of keeping a blog. It offers much needed relief. As I have (often, I'm afraid) said, I still don't feel like I have much to offer here, but several of you readers who comment, tell me that you enjoy my blathering. So blather on, I will. ***** Lynn came over today instead of yesterday, and we spent the time ... not getting much done! Go figure. When she called me the other day she was pretty stressed out about this impending move, th...

Tuesday, the usuals and I went to lunch at the Chambers Bay Grill. I had a yummy grilled chicken sandwich on a Kaiser roll with lettuce, tomato, grilled onions, avocado and bacon. It was served with sweet potato fries which are delicious, and I had an "Arnold Palmer," which is an iced tea topped off with lemonade. Refreshing. I was late. It seems I'm always arriving late these days. I'm just not used to how much extra time it's taking me to get ready to leave the house! I can't tell if it's just me in the mornings, or the MS being slightly more problematic, or that I tend to dawdle more than I should. Maybe it's a combination of the three, but I'm getting a reputation! I was planning on skipping the sorority summer BBQ this Saturday, but we talked about it amongst ourselves at the table and I was offered a ride by our Chapter president, who is also bringing someone else. I'll let her know by Friday. Lynn is supposed to come tomorrow for a visi...

In 12 hours I will be at my GYNs office getting an annual checkup with all that that entails. Oh happy, oh joy. After, I will go to Trader Joe's for my once a month shopping trip there, and maybe to Great Harvest, too, as it's the 13th and I haven't used any food stamps yet. Lynn is planning to come for the weekend, and she thought maybe she'd paint my room! I don't think so. Many things need to happen before it's ready for fresh paint. Also, things have to happen upstairs before she can move in. Last time I talked with her she was all fine with a slow moving in process, and yesterday she seemed almost manic in her need to get everything done yesterday! I'm a little confused, but will take it as it comes. I suggested we go through some (many) books that need sorting. And make a trip to Sears to return a purchase and buy some vacuum bags. IMO the upstairs should be her priority, not my bedroom walls! Enough said about that. Our heat wave has been broken with ...

Don't be getting all excited. This is a special award for a special person who speaks the truth from her heart about difficult issues better than anyone I know. Herrad , this is for you. You have touched me in ways I cannot fathom, and I hope for lovely pain free days for you and Richie and Spike and Marlene. Be Well, Herrad. TTYL

In my last post I said that I was married in 1981. Well, no, I wasn't married, I was diagnosed with MS. I was diagnosed in June 1981 with transverse myelitis (because all my symptoms were below my neck) and not all in my head, as the first doctor I saw in May had told me. Yes, 1981 was the hottest year on record in our corner of the world where it usually rains. I remember sitting in the back yard in my wheelchair under the hawthorne t rees with the garden hose running, keeping my legs wet and cool. My neurologist had told me I had "probable MS ," but that TM was my official diagnosis. Alas, nobody told me that people with MS are sensitive to heat. It was no wonder that I did so poorly that first summer (well, actually the entire first year). I was married in 1987, on the hottest day of that year. I sure knew how to pick the day! It was my good great fortune that I was doing phenomenally better by then; the heat didn't faze me in 1987, even with the MS. I couldn...

It's a heat wave we're having here in the Pacific Northwest, and the last time we went five consecutive days above 90 degrees was in 1981. Yes, on the second day of that heat wave I was married in my parents' back yard. I was doing much better with my MS back then, but I'm sure I made it through the day due only to that extra rush of adrenaline that was coursing through my veins. Today, and the rest of the week, I have no such source of adrenaline, so it will be cooling vest time sitting in front of the fans. On top of it all, I've been having a few hot flashes, which to be fair, can only be characterized as warm surges when compared to those I have read about. I have been drinking water, iced water, a fruit smoothie, several iced chai (yum), and a tangerine soda that I got at Trader Joe's. So I am staying hydrated. My brother came over today and he and DH took the old mattress and box springs to the dump. YAY. Right now DH is vacuuming my room and putting in m...

Friday was my birthday. I turned 54. There was no celebration to go with it. As a matter of fact DH sort of spaced out on it. Late in the day he told me he was going to go buy me something, then just spaced it out. I told him that what he could do was to make me a large pot of chai, which he did. So I am a happy girl with enough chai concentrate (he makes it that way) to last through the heat wave! I also got a small gift from a friend at the yard sale Saturday - a tote bag that has a Louisa May Alcott quote on it, "She is too fond of books and it has addled her brain," plus a little book called The Sisterhood of Wonderful Wacky Women . Saturday, I spent the entire afternoon at our yard sale. We ended up making a little over $1000 to give to charity. It was one of our better sales; last year we made under $700. It is really interesting to take note of the people who frequent these sales. There are the kind who love to haggle you down, even if the price is already dirt cheap ...

I've been enjoying a lazy Summer so far by doing as little as possible. I did go to India Bazaar last week and buy the spices I need for chai, but I haven't made any yet. First I had to do some dishes, then we had a few hot days which precludes me doing anything near the stove. If I get up early enough tomorrow, I'll try to get to it, and make enough to last for a few days. I had placed an order with Land's End that was having a summer sale. I got two pairs of pants, a pair of crops, a lightweight cardigan, a polo, a layering l/s tee/tank, and two s/s tees, and a pair of sandals and a pair of moccasins for me; I got DH two polos, two tees, and two l/s shirts. I do not want to see my next Visa statement because I'm sure I have spent about $200 more than I meant to, because unknown to me, DH also ordered a new battery for our lawn mower which cost, I think, $100. Remember, last month we bought my new mattress and comforter cover which brought my balance up to $1175. ...

I got this from Weeble Girl. 30 Things You Wouldn't Think To Ask 1. Have you ever been searched by the cops? Nope. 2. Do you close your eyes on roller coaster? I haven't been on a roller coaster since I was about seven. It was the Wild Mouse at the Seattle Center (1962 World's Fair). I'm sure I kept my eyes open. I know, due to too much junk food throughout the day, I threw up at the top on the first turn! [my apologies to those standing below] It was a tiny roller coaster by today's standards. 3. When's the last time you've been sledding? When I was about 11, down the hill at the end of the block where I grew up. 4. Would you rather sleep with someone else, or alone? I prefer to sleep alone where the snoring of DH is just a light rumble a room away. 5. Do you believe in ghosts? Yes. 6. Do you consider yourself creative? Sort of. 7. Do you think O.J. killed his wife? Yes. My leather gloves are really tight the first time I put them on in the Fall, after ge...

On May 25 I wrote an entry called "Antibiotics and the Sun Don't Mix," and every week since people who have googled antibiotics and sun have been directed to my blog. Who knew it was such a prevalent problem? I imagine there are a lot of people out there who, like I do, have sunburns on the tops of their feet, or perhaps even worse since I thought I was being careful. It seems wondrous, the whole Google phenomenon that enables millions of people to have access to the thoughts of millions of other people who have open blogs, is being used to query about that, bowel and bladder issues, and Belly Bags. Just thought I'd mention that. What a way to get traffic! I think the only other readers I have are people who also have MS who I follow, or people I have found through other people's blogs and who I follow. I have quite a time trying to keep all my Kims, Annes, Jans and Lindas straight! Aren't you glad there aren't a lot of Websters out here? LOL Our weather...

A couple or a few weeks ago I was fooling around with the layout of this blog, and as I was doing so I wanted to change the font to - yes - comic sans, the much overused font that some people want banned from the internet, but which I love and find very easy to read. So I followed a link to another, then another, and finally another site, and came upon the cutest blog on the block and downloaded my new font. Sounds simple, right? And so it was, except for two things: I can't seem to change the size of the titles of each post and I have no recollection of what I did to change it. I would like the titles to be much bigger than the body text. As it is now, they look more like a post script than a headline, and it just isn't right. Do you have any suggestions for me all you whizzes out there? I would surely appreciate it/them. Sorry, but there's not much going on to write about in li'l ole' Webster's life right now. I canceled the newspaper for the summer so I can...

All these new drugs we now have for MS - Avonex, Betaseron, Copaxone, Rebif, Novantrone, Tysabri - the list goes on. Not one of them promises to make us feel better. As a matterof fact, many of them tell us to expect to feel worse (with flu-like symptoms)! But still we endure the injections, IM or SubQ, weekly, several times a week, or daily, or the monthly infusions which offer even graver possible side effects, some of which can kill you. Still, most of us take one, either out of hope that it will slow our pregression as promised, or out of fear that if we do nothing we are surely screwed. I held off for several years because I was doing well, and because I was on Medicare. I simply couldn't afford any of them. Also, I wasn't charmed by the meager benefit I felt they promised. Basically, they help one third of the people who take them slow their MS by about one third (of projected outcome). That sounds like a crap shoot to me. Still, I signed on. I was prescribed Avonex first...