Hurtling toward the end of the tunnel.

     The end is in sight for another Back To School cycle for me.  This one has been particularly rough.  There have been a lot of changes in my industry in the last few years and our big change this year means that I have been doing long-LONG-days (yesterday and Monday were 15 hours each at work for example) on my feet and I have been there 24 days in a row now without a break.  Needless to say I am exhausted, my everything hurts and I am ready for it to be over.  The big push will be tonight.  I am going in to work in about an hour(it's now 6:30am) and won't be done until after midnight.  Then all that's left is a 12 hour day and then I will be done and can relax for a nice long weekend with my puppies and my folks.  Mom and Dad know my schedule so they will be cool with it if all I feel like doing is resting.  I am so thankful for that since I know that many - far too many- with RA and Fibro have family members who just don't get it.

     I have to confess something.  I feel like I am getting too "old" for this and it is really weighing heavily on me.  I have been known to push through the pain and fatigue but this year it just seems to be getting harder and harder.   I love what I do (for the most part) and that usually keeps me going.  This year it is just not enough. As Wren would say (I am paraphrasing here)," the Rheuma Dragon is raising it's head and showing its teeth".  Unfortunately- Excalibur is stuck in the stone and I just can't get it out to fight this time.  That means the Dragon is munching on my feet, my ankles, knees, hips, back, hands and neck.  In some spots he's just nibbling, in others he's full on chomping down.  Even worse- the exhaustion is starting to affect everything.  Last night at work my words just wouldn't come.  I would start a sentence and not be able to get my words out.  That is a blatant sign that I am hitting a wall.

     It's such a vicious cycle, the more tired we are- the more we hurt.  The more we hurt, the more exhaustion creeps in.  Yes, if you don't deal with pain on a regular basis, pain saps everything out of you and leaves you exhausted.  Other than rest- I just don't know what I will do but I am going to have to re-evaluate after we get through the beginning of this term.

     On the bright side- I set a reminder in my iPhone with its own ringtone that jingles every time I leave campus and says "Something Positive".  It doesn't matter if I am just going down the street to grab a bite or going home, when I leave the campus proper the tone sounds.  When I hear it, I automatically start making a list of the good things that have happened on this day and I am able to relax a little on my way home.  It's a neat feature and has helped a LOT.

     It's time for me to get moving so I hope you all have a lovely day and a terrific Labor Day weekend!  

Sometimes it's just too much

"I know God will not give me anything I can't handle. I just wish that He didn't trust me so much."
- Mother Theresa

• This time of year my calendar is packed.  I look at it each day to see where I am and I am overwhelmed.  
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• I am not- by ANY stretch of the imagination- a good housekeeper.  My poor mother probably wonders who raised me.  I look at all of the things that truly need to be done around here and I am overwhelmed.  
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• I have a million and five things that need to be done at work before school starts in just two weeks.  Just thinking about all of the little details makes me feel overwhelmed.  

The problem is not just that I am overwhelmed but the "side effects".  The brain doesn't stop which leads to little sleep which leads to exhaustion which leads to having to make choices as to what must be done (work stuff) and what gets pushed to the wayside (house stuff and snatches of sleep) which leads to more buildup in those put off areas which leads to being so overwhelmed that I don't even know where to recover. Phew!  

I kind of feel like I am a hamster in one of those Habitrail balls.  Rolling all over the place, but not getting anywhere and can't find a way out.  I have been thinking a lot about this because the end of my tunnel, the deadline to my madness is in October when my dearest friend comes back for her annual visit to The Ville.  

My big "failing", I feel, is at home.  What I could really use is two things:  I need a professional organizer to come in and force me to declutter and get things pared down at home and I need a housekeeper to do the "beyond the basics" stuff that I never seem to have the time/feel up to/ never feel like I get it right/ stuff that people that are good at that kind of thing seem to find so easy. It would take a real load off of my mind.  Unfortunately- that professional organizer and housekeeper will be me (with help from the hubby who is also exhausted and not a neatnik) over the next few weeks. The hard parts- finding the energy and motivation to get moving after very long days at work.  

   I really feel that if I could find the way to pare back, to simplify my life, to get into a livable routine; I could take that deep breath that I need to get through the rest.  I will take any and all suggestions. Goodness knows that I will take any help I can get. So here are my questions to you:  How do you find that extra energy and motivation to get done all that needs to be done?  How do you decide what to let go in order to simplify and minimize your "stuff"? 

He made me cry...in a good way

     My "baby" is a grown man these days.  I was not diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis until he was 18.  We moved to the Midwest and he stayed behind less than two years later.  One of the few good things about this  is that he didn't have to grow up with a mom who was struggling to find out how to live with these illnesses.  Instead, he grew up with a mom that burned the candle at both ends, worked her butt off and did everything I could to give him a good life.  The flip side of this is that, having not seen too much of this journey first hand, sometimes I feel like he just doesn't get it.  I am woman enough to admit- I may have been wrong.

     Josh has dedicated much of his life to martial arts in general, Kempo in particular.  He began lessons when he was a freshman in high school because his football coach said that the players all needed to find something to make them more flexible.  Once he started- he never looked back.  Josh worked very hard and in just a couple of years, when he was 16, he began teaching at his dojo.  He loves sharing what he has learned with his students.

Josh being silly at the China section of Epcot

     The other day we were playing phone tag.  We talk almost every day on the phone and we are both pretty busy during the day so that was not so unusual.  We finally connected during my afternoon break.  It turns out that he was trying to reach me for advice.  He said "Mama, I have a new student starting this week.  She is very young and has JRA.  I would like to know how to work with her so that I can teach her and treat her just like the rest of my students, without causing her more pain.  You have been living with this pain so long that I know you can help me shift my style so that she will not feel like I am singling her out because I know from you that all you want is to be treated like you are normal."  He explained that he had spoken with her father who told him where the young lady had her particular challenges and Josh had already asked what joints were the most painful for her so that he could design a somewhat modified program for her.  We talked a while longer and I gave some suggestions before signing off.  Once we said our "Bye, I love yous" I sat in my car and just let the tears come for a few minutes.  I was so proud that he recognized that there ARE particular challenges that we who live with this disease face.  I was proud that he had taken the time to talk to the father and ask good questions so that he could effectively teach this young lady without exacerbating her pain.  I was moved to know that he values my knowledge of his craft combined with my handling of RA (and Fibro) to feel that I would be a resource to help him tailor his teaching for this girl.  Most of all, I finally feel that he actually understands what it is that I go through, at least a little, and for that I was thankful.  

     It's so hard to explain what it is that we go through to people who see us everyday, much less to those who live so far away and don't see us regularly.  He has never seen me have to use my cane.  He has never seen me struggle to make it up the stairs to my bed.  He has never seen me so exhausted that I cannot function- and still cannot sleep due to insomnia.  I don't like to complain about how I am feeling- I feel it does no good yet somehow there is at least a glimmer of understanding there- and that is all I can ask for with us being so far apart geographically.  

Rebounding from burnout.

"I have heard there are troubles of more than one kind. 
Some come from ahead and some come from behind. 
But I've bought a big bat. I'm all ready you see. 
Now my troubles are going to have troubles with me!" 

- Dr. Seuss

It's that time of year- back to school.  For many that means the deep sigh of sending the tots off for 6-8 hours of education.  For many, it's a break.  Not so much when you are in my business.  I have a bazillion things to get ready- and the deadline for a lot of them is next Monday.  I have been positively frantic and I have been a bit short handed at work which lead to a minor bout of burnout.  I haven't been able to stop my brain from going in 47 directions at once. My to-do list is a list of lists- but that's all I have been writing.  I haven't been able to write here, on my latest project or even in my journal because my brain couldn't get beyond all of the tasks I have to do.  Making the decision as to what to make for dinner had become a major chore. I was exhausted when I went to bed and exhausted when I woke up.  I had pushed and pushed myself until I was ready to both collapse and pull my hair out-at the same time.  I needed a break- so last week I took one.  I left work Wednesday afternoon with the intention of taking two vacation days and the weekend to just be a lump and rest.  

Well, despite daily (and sometimes multiple daily) phone calls from work- I slowly found myself leveling off.  One day- I didn't even get out of my pajamas. One day, I read until my eyes closed, took a nap, and read some more.  I caught up on personal emails.  I played with the dogs.  I finished watching the first 7 seasons of Supernatural.  Hubby and I *finally* got to see The Dark Knight Rises then went next door to Meijer and picked up live lobsters on the way home to make a small feast.  Much too quickly it was Monday again and though I could feel the tension creep back into my shoulders and neck, it was back to work.  

I still have a million things to do.  I still have lists of lists but where the burnout was consuming me, it has been relegated to the back corner of my brain.  The time off gave me just enough perspective to see that by taking each day by day I WILL make it through this season.  

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On a side note- yesterday I received a really neat honor.  This little blog has been named to healthline.com's 22 Best Rheumatoid Arthritis Blogs of 2012  I am in great company as most of these are blogs that I subscribe to, written by people much brighter than I am feeling these days.  I found this out yesterday, just when I was at a low point of the "going back to work" Monday-afternoon-blues and it made my entire day.  I urge you to check out this list.  Flipping through the slideshow you will see some familiar names (Congrats RA Guy, Kelly, Wren, Deb from ABCsofRa, Cateepoo!) and will discover new blogs that come from all different viewpoints and walks of life.  You won't be sorry! 

Spinning out of control.

I wonder if this happens to anyone else.  When I start to flare in even a minor way, it affects every other part of my life.  I don't mean depression or inability to do things.  I start beating myself up.

For example.  I have been doing very well.  SO well, in fact, that I had eased off my pain meds and was only taking my Orencia.  I was so happy- I am sure some of you have an idea just how happy.  Then it started.  My lower right side of my back is hurting.  Hurting a lot.  Hurting; back on the pain meds, can't get comfortable to sleep, hurts to sit-stand-lay;hurting.  This leads me to the "I hate this, I hate my body" thinking.  That leads to "I hate my body; if I wasn't so fat, maybe this wouldn't happen."  "I hate my body; I am getting old and ugly."  "I hate my body; If I could just follow through on exercise- I could lose the weight and blah, blah, blah"  I am sure you see where I am going here.

This morning, I sent a message to my baby sister in our private weight loss group on Facebook. I started thinking about my sisters.  One had a gastric bypass and looks terrific.  She was (in my mother's words) so focused and so determined and did everything the doctor said to the letter.  She did it exactly the right way.  The other sister went through marriage difficulties and ended up separating from her husband.  When she moved out, she found free time on her hands as they share custody and she started using her time to go to the gym.  She looks like she did in high school.  I cannot express how proud I am of them.  In my current state of mind that started me spinning.

It started with " I am so proud of them- they are taking great care of themselves and doing this for themselves and it shows."  That wound around to "Why can't I do that? I always make an excuse.  There's no reason.  I don't have kids at home.  It's only a half hour to an hour of my time each day.  Who cares if I am too tired?  Who cares if I am hurting?  If I really wanted this I would push through the "tired" and the pain and get off my ass. God I am stupid and lazy!"

I know what I need to do.  I have to get off this merry-go-round.  I have to celebrate when I DO do something right (like eating right, which I try to do all of the time) and when I DO exercise (like yesterday when I did a cycle of yoga at home).  I have to find a way to get out of my own head and push through the cycle of kicking myself while I am down and refocus on my positive side.  The hard part will be doing it.

So my question is this- does this happen to you?  If so, how do you get out of this?  

Karma Cleanse

I saw this on Pinterest and really liked it so I wanted to share:

Who are you really?

This past weekend I went and got my hair colored.  It's fairly dramatic.  I went a few shades darker all over with pretty blonde highlights sprinkled throughout.  I have been thinking of doing this for a long time but fear of any hairdresser not being MY hairdresser (I miss my Jody!) has held me back.  Finally I decided that; to heck with it- if I didn't like it, there are a thousand boxes at the local Target that I could throw on there and change it up again.  When Krista (the stylist) turned me around in my chair at the end of the appointment I just sighed and smiled.  It was exactly what I had envisioned. It looks like, well, what I have felt like for quite some time.  It just feels right.  After years of varying shades of blonde- which was perfect for that time in my life, this now feels like me.  Do you know that feeling?

My slight transformation started me thinking about the changes I have made in my life to get to this "new" place.  Gradual changes made over the years have brought me to a new place far more than contracting (do you really contract these illnesses?) Rheumatoid Arthritis and Fibromyalgia.  The conclusion that I have come to is that I have reached a place where, while of course the daily nagging pain and the stiffness that creeps in while I am sedentary (not to mention the pill collection O_o) are reminders that I have these illnesses, I think about it it far less than I have in years before.  I have finally, again gradually, reached the point that RA and Fibro are just a background factor like the color of my eyes or my distinct lack of height.  They are things that I cannot change, they just "are".  I have often said over the years since I got past the initial diagnosis that these illnesses are just a part of the overall me- but now I feel like they have truly taken a back seat to the rest of my life.

My point?  Well, I am not "the woman with RA".  There is so much more to me.

I am Josh's Mom.
I am Harley and Auggie's Mom.
I am Jim's wife.
I am a daughter.
I am a sister.
I am a friend.

I am a hard worker
I am loyal
I am dependable
I am honest
I am loving

I like reality tv
I like scary movies
I like magazines

I love books
I love cooking
I love the hot days
I love spending time with family
I love to write
I love naps

I dream of traveling around the world.
I dream of breaking the NY Times 100 bestsellers
I dream of having a housekeeper
I dream of doing the million things I would like to do (yoga classes, volunteering, giving big gifts to my 5 favorite causes, learning to meditate and more)
I dream of going to school perpetually
I dream of winning the lottery to finance my dreams

I am interested in self improvement
I am interested in the Paranormal (specifically Ghosts- not cryptozoology)
I am interested in crafts
I am interested in DIY projects
I am interested in trying new things

I do not like house work (see the dreams above).
I do not like extreme heights.
I do not like spiders
I do not like ignorance or bigotry
I do not like traffic or waiting in lines

See- there is far more to me than my illnesses.  How about you?  Putting aside your challenges- who are you really?

Good news/Bad news

For me- not for anyone else.  The good news is, after 12 days I finally feel human again.  Bronchitis/sinusitis hit me this time- and hard.  But thanks to antibiotics and a lot of rest, I am well on the mend.

The bad news- after 8 days with no cigarettes at all- I picked them back up again.  I cannot believe the struggle that this is.  When I was sick- I didn't miss them at all.  As soon as I started feeling better- It was all I could think about.  So- I have re-started the Livestrong program and am working on quitting again.  The goal is to be done with this-for good- by my birthday next month.

In the mean time- I will tell myself this- over and over and over:

  

Contributors wanted

I have been vacillating back and forth about how I wanted to write my next book.  The first was really my story and was very personal to me.  In thinking about the next one, I realized that I don't want to do the same thing over again.  That would be "How to Bore Readers 101" .  I started really looking at the options and made a discovery.

I want to relate a true story at the beginning of each chapter and then expand on the "lesson" to tie it in with how we can live well with a chronic illness.  What I DON'T want is to tell just my stories at the beginning of each chapter.  I mean, really?  No one wants to hear all about me.  Personally, the myriad of experiences is what draws me to books like the "Chicken Soup" series and the Readers Digest series.  Plus- as you and I both know- every one's story, every one's experience with their illness, is different.  If I have a variety of people contribute it creates a greater chance that a reader might recognize themselves in the narrative.  And that is one of the big reasons that I write, so that maybe, just maybe someone will read my book or blog and see something that they can relate to and helps them in some way.

So, I am scrapping what I have written thus far and and starting over.  The first step is to narrow down the topics or chapters that I want to include, and then to gather stories that will fit within those chapters.  In the meantime- I am going to throw this out there- would any of you like to contribute a story for the next book?  You would obviously be given credit and your bio along with any website info included as well.  There's no monetary pay- last year's book sales netted me a whopping $144, but your story may speak to someone out there who needs to know that they are not alone.  If you are interested- either leave a comment here or email me at Chronicallypositive@gmail.com

Have a terrific Thursday!

Under the Weather

Sorry gang- I am not ignoring you, I promise.  I have been fighting illness for over a week and finally caved and went to the doctor on Saturday.  A sinus infection and bronchitis.    As soon as I am feeling even remotely better, I shall return.  

Stay well!  

"Get into the solution"

"Get out of the problem, get into the solution."  Trace Adkins via Stephen Baldwin

Trace goes on to say; "It's a perfect way to put it and a good way to look at things.  Get out of what caused this situation to be the way it is and just start focusing on what's going to make it better and where to go from here, and not waste your time and energy and thinking (on something) that you can't do nothing about" (Country Weekly Magazine, August 22, 2012)

This just spoke to me this morning.  I was so tired and cranky when I woke up. I worked a lot of hours last week at my regular job.  I then administered the SATs bright and early Saturday morning and then packed up the dogs and drove to my folks right after(which was my highlight).  Sunday, Auggie and Harley got out of the gate at their house.  Harley didn't make it farther than the front of the house but Auggie took off running and I ended up walking, calling and whistling for him, around the subdivision while Dad drove around looking for him for an hour or so before *thankfully* one of the neighbors called the number on his tag and we got him back.   Yesterday morning I worked an event down there, went back to Mom and Dad's, gathered the dogs, driving back home last night just worn out.  Today is my "late day" at work, meaning I close tonight so I should have been able to sleep in but was up with the chickens.  I dragged myself out of bed this morning and looked around and can see a million things to do around the house.  It just made me want to crawl back in bed and stay there for the day or maybe the week.

While I was curled up, watching some of this weekend's DVR, waiting for my coffee and meds to kick in I  read this article.  Trace was talking about the fire that took his home (as a result they have moved into their "country home" that he has been working on for years) which is exponentially larger than anything that I am going through, but it just resonated.  

There's nothing I can do about last week and how tired I am.  There's nothing I can do about how the housework has piled up.  There's nothing I do can do about getting out of bed when I should have just rolled over and tried to get a little more rest.  There IS something I can do about how I go forward.

First, I can take a deep breath and get ready to face my week.  Getting it all out here helps.

 Second, I can make it a point to do a little bit of housework every day this week.  Besides a TON of laundry to fold (which I can bang out tonight in an hour or so) the most of the issue is clutter.  I have got to let go of some "stuff" and organize the rest. I think I will give Flylady a shot again.  Last time the emails where too overwhelming but I really need to get this done.  I know that if/when I get caught up, I will be good to go- I just need to get into a routine.

Finally- that magic word I just threw out there- routine.  I know that with my medical issues I need to be in a routine or my energy will be completely sapped.  So when, like tomorrow, I have to break my routine ( I have another event that will keep me out of the house till 10pm or so) I have to rearrange my my schedule so I can make up for the down time.  I can't keep trying to run on all cylinders- I just don't have them any longer to run on and I know better than that.

I know what the problems are- now to focus on the solutions.  

Counting your blessings

“Count your blessings. Once you realize how valuable you are and how much you have going for you, the smiles will return, the sun will break out, the music will play, and you will finally be able to move forward the life that God intended for you with grace, strength, courage, and confidence.” ~~Og Mandino

Why do I blog?

Well, here's the wrap-up to our May Blog Challenge and the question posed is why we do this?  I started thinking about this...oh about a week ago and I keep changing my answer.  That tells me that they are all right.

I started this blog to share my journey with others who are also trying to find their way to a place of positivity and gratitude.  I continue because:

I love to write, always have, and this is a great medium.

It helps me make sense of where my head is.  It's cathartic to put pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard) and write out whatever is going through my mind.  The editing process may be long at times, but it truly helps me to stop the swirling mass that goes on in there and get my thoughts straight.

It keeps me on task.  When I open my browser in the morning and I see the Dashboard sitting there on my toolbar it's a reminder to start my day in the right place whether I am there or not.  It's a mood changer.

 Most importantly, I have met terrific people through my readers who comment.  Your feedback is so important to me.  It helps me see things in different ways.  I want to give a special shout out to Deb of ABC's of RA She comments often and I look forward to her take on any subject that I post.  If you have (or know someone who has) RA, check out her blog.  Another shout out to Wren.  Her Rheumablog helps keep me SANE!  With or without RA- Wren's descriptive writing style of her journey (both good and bad sides) make you feel like you are sitting there with her having a conversation with a friend.  Thank you ladies!

Thank you all, whether you comment or not, for going on this ride with me.  If you would prefer not to comment publicly (anonymous comments go directly to spam) but there is something you would like to see here, you can contact me directly at ChronicallyPositive@gmail.com

Next month the plan is to re-focus on positivity and gratitude starting with some of my favorite quotes.  See you then!  

What's in your makeup bag?

I don't wear a lot of makeup day to day.  Don't get me wrong, I have nothing against it at all.  In fact, when I was younger (*cough*80's*cough*) I wore probably too much makeup and wouldn't have thought of leaving the house without my warpaint.  These days however, with my hands not too cooperative many morning, I have learned to pick and choose.

For everyday, I wear Maybelline Waterproof (liquid) Ultra Liner and either Covergirl Lash Blast or Maybelline The Falsies mascara.  Liquid Eyeliner is much easier for me to control and I can sweep it on even when I have numbness in my fingertips.  As for the mascara, I have very long eyelashes but the tips are blonde.  These two mascaras have great coverage without the "spider" effect.  I have actually had someone ask if I used false eyelashes- which I took as a great compliment!  I also use either a basic or tinted Burt's Bees lip balm or a light lip stick.

For those days that I feel the need for more coverage or when I am going someplace special, my makeup bag is pretty precise.  I am a HUGE fan of the Bare Minerals line.  It only takes the lightest touch to brush on even coverage, you can choose how deep or how light you add your bronzer or color and the Mineral Veil sets everything without looking "cakey".  It lasts all day (or evening) and even if you sleep in it, it won't harm your skin.  It's a bit spendy (around $99.00 for the Starter Kit at Sephora) but it lasts SO long because you don't need much to look polished.  I am also a bit of a lipstick hoarder.  I find that they can change your whole mood.  In that vein- I am a fan of the M.A.C. line.  It goes on smooth and lasts without feeling sticky or cakey.  I also like the Sephora line and Bobbie Brown as well.

Do you have a particular product that you love?  I am always interested in finding the next great mascara, lipstick or any line that is easy to apply and looks good!  If you care to share- I would love to hear what secret "look great" weapon you have in your arsenal!  

Where have you traveled? **edit- May 29th Post**

Though I definitely did not realize it at the time, I was very blessed when I was growing up.  We were a military family and moved around quite a bit and then when I was married, my husband also did a short stint in the military.  From the time I was 7 until Josh was 6 months old I lived in:  Indiana, Texas, Florida, Missouri, The Philippines, Illinois, Massachusetts and Turkey.

Of course, the fun part is getting there.  We traveled all over the the country by car.  That explains my love of road trips.  My folks always built in time to actually see the sights as we traveled.  We saw all the big things that you would expect as we made our way from one base to another (such as the Grand Canyon as we drove from Missouri to California to catch our flights to the Philippines) and as we traveled overseas we got to stop in Hawaii, on Guam, in Germany and such.  When we were living overseas, we made it a point to see the country as well.  When we were in the Philippines we saw the Thousand Islands (where the next SURVIVOR is set!), we swam with our swim team at Subic Bay, and I got to take a week-long field trip through villages of all size  to the Banaue Rice Terraces.    

How neat is that to see when you are in middle school?  

In Turkey, we lived off base, on the economy in Adana, for a year.  We traveled to the city to shop, camped and swam in the Med, participated in the feast before Ramadan at a Turkish friend's home in a nearby town and made a point to travel locally.  

In the states- always- my parents made it a point to see our local "sights".  We did all of the tourist things like Disney, the Alamo, the San Antonio Riverwalk, Cape Cod, ALL of the Revolutionary War sights in New England and more.  Some we loved (Old North Church, Concord, MA- I wanted to get married on the bridge there) some we referred to as "Forced family fun" (camping in Vermont)  but in retrospect- we know how fortunate that we were.  Even as adults we spent weekends from NY to Montreal and traveled between New England and the Midwest, up and down the east coast and to Vegas and California and back.

The thing that has brought home to us how lucky we are the most is staying put in one location- especially now that we are away from military bases.  We lived in Massachusetts from 1988 until 2007 and now in Southern Indiana from 2007 to present.  In MA- we still saw our friends who were "brats" with us so a bit of that vagabond life was still there.  More and more over the years we have met people who have rarely traveled out of their own area and can't imagine leaving their state!  Heck- we live on the border of Louisville and spend a LOT of time there and there are folks that we know that just can't fathom why we even want to cross that bridge into Kentucky.  I cannot imagine being so insulated.  It would make me feel itchy!

 I hope that my child also knows how blessed he is as well.  Though we planted ourselves in MA when he was still a baby, my folks did not retire until 2001.  Every summer from the time he was a year old until he was in his late teens, Josh traveled to where they were stationed and spent a month with them.  He saw more of the country than his father has; even "moving" with his grandparents as they changed bases from Las Vegas, Nevada to Norfolk, VA one summer.  He has seen all of the tourist attractions (and far more amusement parks than any child should) and state parks, beaches on both coasts and everything in between.  It was an amazing opportunity, and I hope that he treasures it now that he is an adult.  

In closing I must say- if you have not traveled outside your area, your state, your region and you have the opportunity to do so, take it.  It's a big, beautiful world out there and it is made to be enjoyed.  

What are you looking forward to?

There's nothing like fast forwarding your life, but I am really looking forward to October.

If you know me- you know that for me Halloween is not a date, it's a state of mind.  I love all things Halloween.  Thursday, I realized that my new group of spooky books had arrived at the store and it got me going.  I have decided that I am going to do a BIG Halloween display this year and started planning it right away.  I am not going to give away the details until I have firmed them up- but for me it will be tons of fun.

More importantly, my best friend is coming back in October.  I cannot wait to see her.  We really enjoy just spending time together but always manage to cook up some fun.  It will be a true vacation when she comes.

On a closer front, I have been asked to work a couple of stops on the IU Tailgate tour.  Essentially, the coaches travel and do events to raise money for the Athletic Program and we will sell our merchandise at the event.  One is close to home- which is nice but one is near Mom and Dad- which means I will get to combine work and a visit to their house.  Those are coming up soon and will be a lot of fun.

Shortly after that is another trip to Tennessee for a plasma donation.  On this trip, I am meeting my sister and we are bringing her kids back to spend some time with my folks.   I also have a lot of things I want to do this summer- but I can't let the cat out of the bag just yet.  I have to make sure we can get them done.  I will only say- it's going to be a good summer.  

Post your favorite recipe

Christmas of 1990 my mother gave use girls a precious gift.  She spent months compiling her own recipes and then got on the phone with my Granny and gathered recipes from our extended family.  We will never know how much time she spent at a keyboard typing these up (and she mentioned in the opening letter that Dad missed quite a few meals but also spent hours standing at the copy machine to help put it together) but the end result is so special.  She gave us our culinary heritage but also added in personal information and stories about the people and places the recipes came from.  

I used this cookbook so often from 1990 to 2007 that when we moved, Josh tried to squirrel it away so that HE could keep it.  He had learned to cook from it and wanted to keep that piece of all of his family.  Needless to say- that didn't go over well but after we came here we found that Mom had another copy and so Joshua got one for Christmas of 2007.  It's the one item of all his possessions that he has made sure that made it through all of the moves he has made since he's been on his own.  

This recipe is one that I have used most often over the years.  On Thanksgiving , I always made this and then invited friends who were away from their families for the holiday to enjoy with our family.  I am writing it here exactly as it was written for us. My Aunt Aleen is actually my great aunt.  She's my Granny's sister.  She is still a hot ticket. Whenever I make this, I can't help but think of the women of that side of the family.   Should you choose to give it a try, read all of the way through before you gather your ingredients because there are "extras" listed in the body of the recipe.  When I read it, I can hear Aunt Aleen speaking because it reads exactly as she speaks.   I hope you enjoy it as much as we have.  

Chicken and Dumplings (from Aunt Aleen)

1 large Hen                                 2 cups flour

1tsp salt                                      1tsp baking pdr

1/2 tsp Poultry Seasoning            

Cook hen in salted water to cover and when done, remove from broth.  Put flour in a large bowl and add salt, baking powder and poultry seasoning.  Add enough hot broth, about 2 cups, to the flour mix to make a soft dough.  Turn on a floured board and knead about 10 times adding enough flour to handle.  Roll dough to 1/2 inch thick and cut into squares.

Drop the squares into boiling broth.  DO NOT STIR.  When you have the dumplings in the broth, sprinkle pepper on top.  I usually cut up a celery stalk and put it in the broth first, before I add the dumplings.  Turn the heat down and simmer and cook for 1/2 hour.  Remove the chicken from the bones, add to the dumplings on top.  Let the chicken reheat.  It's ready to eat.  

An Old Picture

Today's Challenge was to post an old picture of myself.  As this is my fourth or so PC- most of them are on the old ones.  This pic however, a friend that I have reconnected with from high school posted on Facebook.  I look at this picture and it makes me sad.  Sad because this was taken around 1983-1984 when I was a Sophomore or Junior in high school and back then I was SO self conscious because I thought I was just plain fat and much less attractive than my friends.  Not a good thing in high school when image was "everything".  I had serious body image issue then- which have carried over now some 28 years.    I look at this photo and think "Who IS that little girl?"  It's the whole "hindsight is 20/20" thing but I only wish I looked like that now.  If only I had known then...

May 25th Blog Challenge

The topic for today is Your 5 Favorite Blogs.  I was rushing to finish and schedule it because I am prepping to go to the parents for the weekend and hit PUBLISH instead of SCHEDULE the other morning.  Please refer back if you haven't checked it out.  

My 5 Favorite Blogs

These are kind of all over the place.  Different Subjects and very different writers. I read a lot of blogs and narrowing down the top five was tough.   I hope you check them out and enjoy them:

First there is My Loueyville  Her love of Lou is so infectious.  As a fellow transplant- I love reading her take on our new city.

Second:  Rheumablog  Wren has such a distinctive writing style.  I love reading her take on living well with RA. She is so delightfully descriptive that I can really envision her "dragon."

Third:  This Treasured Life   Amy loves her family, and always has a good story to tell.  She is also my inspiration for trying to stay connected spiritually.  She is honest and open.  I just love her to pieces.

Fourth:  Straight From the Keyboard  M.R. Sellars writes thrillers.  His novels are can't-put-it-down gripping.  He also is one of the funniest people I have ever seen.  His website/blog is a mixture of both.

Finally:  Rheumatoid Arthritis Guy  Circling back to RA- this blog is one of the best in the "business".  He is so informative, so compassionate and so funny.  Reading about and learning about Rheumatoid Arthritis can be downright depressing- RA Guy is the antidote to that.  If you read nothing else- check out his 60 Second Guide to RA.  It's just brilliant.