All of the ANGELS AMONG US...

 We have so many angels that walk among us! I am so grateful for their love, hope, caring and giving of themselves freely...

I pray we remember to be Giving thanks for All they do each day to try and keep us healthy each day...

From My home to Yours May Your Heart be Filled with Hope, Faith, Joy, Comfort, & Overflowing as the "Angels" Surround You....

May the Spirit of this Wondrous Season Bring you Hope, Faith, Joy, and Peace that shall pass all understanding. I wish you a safe journey if you are traveling, much joy with family and friends, and for those, like myself, "celebrating" more or less alone, also know that there are those out there who do love and care... 

May the Angels Surround you and Bring to you the Cup of Faith that shall run over, and give to you all of the Tidings and Mysteries, of Christmas Cheer and Magic...

Love, Rhia

 

 

Sharing Life, Holidays, Up's, Down's, Reality, and Dealing/Coping with Holidays when You are Chronically Ill/Pain & have a broken heart, along with problems that follow....

First I share some "Good News" and Happenings lately in my life. After Losing my Pug, Tazzy here about 3 months ago, and she was a Christmas Present 14 years ago, from my "husband", (we are now separated) & Bub's and I, (my Chiweenie, who is 5) were really down and out about the holidays. My "body" really would not allow me to climb into the attic for the big tree and decorations, so I bought a small tree, and put 14 years of Sleigh Bell's, one for every year my husband and I had been together.

Then I and Bub's have been fortunate enough to have a brand new "fur-baby" addition to the family just this week! He is only about 3 months old, and his name is "Peanut". I've officially adopted him, so he is getting used to myself and Bub's, and we are learning to adapt to a new baby in the house! But, I think he is really the best "Christmas" present we could ever have, and I am so grateful he came along at just the right time.

I adopted him from a local non-profit here in my area called "Tales of Hope". It is all volunteers, who take the pups into their "foster care" until they find homes and owners for them. I am happy my Vet suggested I adopt from them, and so far it has been a very peaceful and simple thing to go through. He came and had a "house visit" for 4 or 5 days, to see if he and us were all a good fit, and then just a matter of a bit of paperwork, they take care of his puppy boosters, micro-chipping, and then neutering, in a few months when he is old enough... so we are happy he has joined us.


Here are some photo's I've taken, of them, of myself lately, and me trying to put "me" back together again, after my husband no longer here, and then of course we lost the lawsuit over the 18 wheel tractor trailer that RAN OVER HIM WHILE THE DRIVER WAS ON HIS CELL PHONE WITH HIS BROTHER!

Needless to say, I know I have told some of that story, but was kind of under a "gag" order until after the trial, which was the 1st week in November. You can imagine where that left myself, but much more than that my husband, who suffered MANY terrible injuries, of which left him partially paraplegic, without some of his "memory for things such as current", and harmed his concentration levels a great deal. All of that with the pain and suffering, from having his back basically broken in "two", with 9 fusions down the thoracic spine, and wired together... he has more "broken" ribs, that not, and a concussion, that they did not realize how badly it effected him until months and months after the accident. He is a web developer, designer, and has been for 20 years, and that takes a huge amount of concentration, and the ability to "hold onto" information as far as not only long term, but short term... which all suffered from the accident. So, without any settlement funds, he is basically not able to get health insurance, cannot apply for federal disability because he had worked for himself so many years, and made well below the amount to pay in social security. The job he had before then, he did pay in, but as we know, that has to be within so many "months" before you apply and he of course did not have those "units" before, since it has been years since he paid in from a regular job.


The pain and suffering harmed my own health of course, and he had been somewhat my "caretaker" when I had surgeries, or flares with the Lupus/RA, or was too ill. He did some of the cooking, running errands, going to the market, etc... and after the accident, he could not even walk down two steps at our front porch, much less walk in a store, drive, or do anything that required, bending, lifting, carrying and so forth. So, as any spouse would have done, I "negated" my own issues, as far as health, trying to help him heal, both physically and mentally... all the while I started getting ill with more flares, and just have one crisis after the other with my own health, and mentally of course I felt almost as if I had "lost" myself and him... I feel I was "grieving" over losing my own "health" and then to watch him change, I grieved over losing him and us.


I know in MY HEART AND SOUL.... THOSE PEOPLE on THE OTHER END OF THE LAWSUIT FLAT LIED IN DEPOSITIONS, AND ON THE STAND, I BELIEVE THEY "PAID OFF" THESE TWO SO CALLED WITNESSES, THAT I KNOW COULD NOT HAVE POSSIBLY HAD SITE OF THAT BUSY HIGHWAY COMING INTO DOWNTOWN DALLAS, I-45 THAT DAY! But, I KNOW SOMEONE USED THEIR MONEY AND POWER, AND PEOPLE TO LIE, thus we lost the suit...

BUT, WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND.... IT ALWAYS DOES... AND SOMEDAY, they WILL PAY FOR THEIR OWN WAYS, in some form or fashion... we "never" have to take "revenge" for I've seen it happen too many times... THOSE TYPES OF PEOPLE, are taken care of by their own misdeeds. We must just let it go... and "Let God".... I guess would be the proper saying.... How how, some day the "truth" will come out.... it may not "help" us by then, but when it does, it will effect their lives, and then someday they may understand just how horrible our lives have been, and what they have taken away from a marriage, a family, two people, and all we feel we "lost" within those seconds of that accident....


All right, so now I have that part out.... I am taking one step at a time, one breath, one "breath's space", and one moment, day, week... as they come... There is not much else I can do but either "give up"... or move forward... as the song, "too much time to make up, everywhere we turn, time we have wasted on the way, too much water moving underneath the bridge, let the water come and carry us away"  Crosby, Stills, and Young ...


And I have experienced so many wonderful thing in my life, things I felt I would never be able to do... travel by myself to states and states... move to a wonderful city and stay for 5 years, Seattle, snow ski at Wolf Creek Pass CO, see the beauty of Santa Fe, see a baseball game in Phoenix, make a drive all the way to Nebraska to meet a friend, to have many friends that are "miles away" but close at heart... publish not just one but 2 BOOKS, and working on this 3rd one.... dance, sing, play the drums, write music, play the piano and keyboard, go to college and get my Associate Degree, although NOT in the subject I wanted... run a "retail women's store".......see the ocean in FL, in TX (The gulf), the the Sound in Seattle, take a ferry to Bainbridge Island, see the beaches in CA, Go to Vegas, have many vacations I remember as a child with my parents, experience things I thought I may never.... BUT, STILL, I have so many more I want to do, to see, to experience, and of course go to WASHINGTON dc and "stand upon the White House Steps, and tell Congress how I feel about those in need with Lupus, RA,JRA, Osteoarthritis, and many more chronic health conditions....


My "hopes" are that my life gets back on a "new track", in a very good way beginning January 2016. My hope is that I can get back to my writing, and finish my 3rd book, and have it published. I also hope that I can find the "finances" somehow to get my home "finished"... there are so many "small" things that need to be completed, and without lots of cash, that makes it difficult to do. I really don't need a great deal of materials, and what I need is not all that expensive, but it is the "labor", and finding someone to come and do what "I can't do"... I can paint, sand, (have a new idea about my kitchen,bathroom, and laundry room floors that will cost a lot less)... I need some wall boarding put up in the spare bedroom, and in my laundry room. But, the most expensive thing I truly need is a new roof on my house. This one really is in bad shape, and I am very concerned about the Spring and Summer, and stormy weather... plus my entire outside of the house needs painting, which some of that I can do... it is the higher parts, where I have to be up on a ladder higher than I should be that I will need help with. I am going to try and put new "hog wire" fencing up around my back yard, and most of the posts are there, but I need some help getting a couple of dead trees out of the way, and then probably getting the fencing tight enough, plus this back 1/2 acre or so of land that is mine, truly needs to be completely cleaned up. I have a huge pecan tree that died and most of it is down, but it needs to go... plus some other smaller trees be cut down, and trimmed... then I have a piece of an old bus, that was here, when I bought the house, and it needs to be hauled away. It is old, an eye sore, and someone could probably take it with a trailer, and sell it for the scrap metal... so some things are more just time, others I need a bit of cash, and others are in need of assistance, and then of course the roof, that means about 5,000.00 or so....

So, my hopes are that I can stay well enough, to get at least "some" of these projects accomplished as far as the house, I can finish my book and get it published, can get a surgery out of the way I am in need of, and maybe two.... plus just find "myself" a new light, a new path, and follow my heart... go back to dancing, singing, listening to music, and doing what my "body" allows me to do....

My wishes are that YOU, shall also find your path, your light, and your "love" of what ever that may be, whether of the human heart, of a new job, a new place to live, or just doing some of the things in life we tend to put off.... and we never know if "tomorrow" nor the next breath will be here....

I am putting up some pics, and links of some of my "wishes", and my ow hopes for my life the comes with each step I make forward..... Honestly, I've spent way too many years putting everyone else "1st" in life.... and all of what I want, need, or wish always goes on the very back burner... and there shall be some that are not "happy" with this decision... but I am chronically ill, I have many health issues, and I stay in severe pain most days, and I feel like if I do not put my foot down, and begin taking care of ME... I will regret things later as I get older.....


I hope you find the courage to put "you" first... and put the things in life that are important to you, on the "front burner"....

Holidays, Illnesses, trying to cope and hope for a 2016 to be MUCH BETTER, and How to survive the attacks on so many & wonder what will happen here...

IT is difficult NOT to talk about the horrific violence in France last night. The scope of what the terrorists have been able to accomplish and all under the "radar" is one frightening situation. I realize our "security" since 9/11 is much improved. We know this by going to an airport, or even to one of our courthouses, I saw it on Capitol Hill in 2014. Yet, with all of our "intelligence" and capabilities, and as many events like this we have "thwarted" it still remains that no one is "completely and utterly" safe in our world anymore. Once again they have been able to blow up a plane with so many on board, and now again attacks in several locations, all well planned and thought out by these inhumane beasts, and even in a small town such as this one, you have to wonder which place will be next? Alas, there are so many other things going on in life, we remain such a busy nation, a busy world, to try and put your "life" on hold, due to madmen out and about it not an easy thing to do. After such dread and violence, and seeing the carnage they have left behind, as the number of deceased has grown to over 160 souls, and possibly more to come, at times it makes you want to crawl under your house and stay there... but as I said we are a town, a state, a nation and a world with so many things to do, and I think as something like this happens, it makes us feel an "urgency" to even be more abrupt in accomplishing our goals and aspirations. We have this sense of "what if" thus we become more wrapped up in the things we have began and want to finish, or what we have put off, all too often we feel as if there is "no tomorrow" thus we find ourselves muttering about, and scurrying around like the squirrels do in my yard and trees, getting ready for the Winter's cold.... we try and ready ourselves more for life, and also for the possibility that if we don't "live", we have made our "mark on the world".....

 

 

 

 

next portion....

 

now, that I have the post about the "violence in France down below started" (I am quite sure I will add to it), I wanted to say a bit about the entire ordeal and state of things right here in my own home.... first of all and I am sure for the very 1st time, I ALREADY HAVE MY CHRISTMAS TREE UP!!! I am quite sure I have beat my daughter, who always puts hers up the weekend after Thanksgiving! But, I had decided since we did not even get a tree up last year (mainly due to illness at the time) and it was difficult to get the huge tree down from the attic (which I still have to get up there and get some things down, to get rid of actually)... so I decided since it is just myself and Bub's right now, I would buy a smaller tree, and decorate it mainly with all of the sleigh bells we accumulated over some 13 years or so. I actually bought one last year, and then I bought one earlier this year, and both of those I had out and not in my camphor wood chest. So, the lights, a few sparkling red bows, and two of the sleigh bells are already on it. I turned it on last night, while Bub's and I watched a Christmas movie (yes Hallmark Channel is my all time favorite, especially this time of year) LOL!, and it was so nice to have just the lights from the tree and the sparkling from the glitter on the bows, and the way it almost danced in the living room over the entire room. It is only a 4 foot tree, so it is not nearly as huge as the other one. In fact, I am not sure it will hold ALL of the sleigh bells! They are pretty big! But, I have some of the ornaments and a few things in the chest, so that way I don't have to try and get into the attic right now to hunt for Xmas decor. I am going to have to brave going up there, and pulling some things out, some to get rid of, and I probably may have some boxes of papers to shred up there, and some other things that need to be taken down, plus I probably need to put some of the "mouse peanut butter bars" as I call them up in there. They tend to like the insulation to hide in for the Winter. Thus, I put the type of stuff up there that keeps them from smelling if one eats it .... LOL!!! IF one gets in this house, I may vacate it for weeks!!!!! HAHAHA, but I can say I did pretty good with those darned salamanders this year. Between the "spray" I made with Hot pepper sauce and tea tree oil, and my trusty "several" fly swatters, I kept them almost out of sight on the porch also. I found out about the tea tree oil and putting Tabasco sauce in a spray bottle, and boy you spray one with that, for one they fall, and for the next, they usually are deterred from coming back... nothing will "kill them".... I found out they are probably all over in the cracks between my siding and windows etc... during the Summer, they spread quite prolifically, when I finally found out about what they were, thanks to my Vet, Venetia Shafer at Bluebonnet City Veterinary Clinic who we got to see yesterday! Bub's did so well! I was so proud of him. Last time we went to get his nails trimmed, he "snapped" at Penny, her assistant, so I had to "muzzle" him, and that just about killed me... I had tried several years back to muzzle him at home and cut them, but I just could not stand putting the muzzle on him.. he HATES his feet touched... but so did Tazzy! She was just the same... she was so laid back and easy going, but she hated her feet touched... anyway, I held him yesterday and Penny talked to him, and he actually did not have to be muzzled, and did so well. I think because I "talked to him" before we left, and told him he had to be a sweet boy, plus we also talked a bit before we even went into the room to get him up on the table, he was so engrossed in everything else, his nails were cut, and he got his rabies shot, before he knew what was going on!!! So, he got one of his favorite bones when he got home, and he was so worn out... last night he acted as if he had ran a marathon! I had walked him for a bit up and down the sidewalk in town before we went into the Vet office, and I think he was so totally exhausted, he was even panting... and he rarely pants.... he is more cold natured -

Anyway, of course I face going to the "wound care specialist" at the end of next week, on Thursday.... and honestly, I think both of the abscesses are looking a bit better finally. But, I fear I am allowing them to close too much, too quickly... and that would mean they could still have infection on the inside... they are not closed off yet, and I have not allowed them to do that, but the right one especially is so terribly tender, it is really difficult to "dig" in it as I was able to do with the left one the first time...

Anyway, I have been contemplating writing my annual Christmas Letter, and due to all of the "crap" that has happened this year, I am not sure I really want to write it... but I shall do some thinking about it, to see if I can come up with a bit of a positive spin on some things, and then see about writing it. I've been doing this now for gosh, many, many years. I have a cousin in TN, that did it and still does, and I kind of picked it up from her's that I saw when I was younger, and she still writes them, but both her and her husband are much older than me, and I know neither of them are in good health.... so I hope she is able to do one this year. Anyway, I don't want to sound like "Scrooge" or the "Grinch" in a Xmas letter, but with all that has taken place this year, kind of difficult to find the "higher road"..... anyway, once I finish the tree, I will put some pics up... of course when my daughter gets hers up I will share those also... she always has such a spectacular tree! It looks like it should be in a magazine, or dept store window like Macy's.... :) I guess she got her decoration habits from me... my home used to be decorated in every room, when the kids were smaller... even the kitchen and bathrooms had decorations... and we usually had trees in both kids rooms, as well as the living room.... I always had the table set with my Christmas China, and linen napkins and tablecloths... it was always a memorable time of year for sure.....

Wishing Your and Yours A Very Wonderful Holiday and A Happy New Year!

Before time flies by and I don't get here to post as I want to... I am doing this a few days early, so the "brain drain and brain fog" does not take me away from doing this.

I am writing a long piece about the holidays, the things I miss so much, that I can't do anymore because of the Autoimmune Illnesses, and just how heartbreaking the diseases are for so many. They take the quality of Life away that you had, and turn it upside down. They often take away many things you used to love to do, even small things we used to take for granted now, are sometimes impossible to achieve.

I shall post it when I am finished but for now, I want to ...

WISH YOU AND YOURS AN INCREDIBLE CHRISTMAS, A 2015 THAT SHALL BRING PEACE, HARMONY, GOOD HEALTH, PROSPERITY AND MANY MORE OF THE WONDERFUL THINGS IN LIFE YOUR WAY... and I also wish our WORLD would FIND PEACE, A WAY TO GET ALONG WITH EVERYONE, COUNTRY TO COUNTRY, NATION TO NATION, NEIGHBORHOOD TO NEIGHBORHOOD... FOR EVEN IN OUR OWN TOWNS WE SEE THEM DIVIDED AND IT SHOULD NOT BE THAT WAY... So the saying from the Word of the Lord... 

Peace on Earth and Goodwill to "Men" and Women....

"Resolving Resolutions" for 2014 & Weird Weather, High Humidity in December, & RA/Lupus PAIN!!!

It's Time for A Chance To Touch Others Lives, even through Autoimmune Illnesses, You CAN make A Difference!

As I am deciding as I do each year at this time what I shall decide to try and "change", do more of, less of, try new, stop the old... in other words... what some call my "Resolutions" for 2014, I actually don't like the term "resolutions". Simply said, more often than not, it is a "cliche'" and those things usually don't get accomplished. I'm not saying "we" just make them for lip service, but it has become this tradition to make your New Years Resolutions. Whether it be to eat healthier, quit smoking or other bad habits, visit family more, exercise more, get stress under control, and the list of those things we want to try and do or not do, to make our "New Year" a fresh beginning. As we press forward quickly into the 2014 year, and I do mean QUICKLY; as most of us, I also am reflecting upon 2013. I managed to get my 2nd prose and poetry book published! That was a great achievement! Yet, I am somewhat disappointed as myself because I did not get as far on my "life's battle with AA illnesses" as I wanted to. Last year 2012, I had made a promise to myself to have it ready for the last look overs and edits; then have it ready to publish in February 2014. At that time, the task seemed very possible. I was thrilled to have made myself a goal in date form. So, I put my eyes on the road of writing, yet got wrecked and knocked off that driven path several times over the course of 2013.

As I had begin to say in another blog post, that I still have not "published", I had been writing about our little neighborhood and town in general. Usually right at the first of December, every house on my street has some Christmas lights and decorations, including us. It is like we almost have an unspoken tradition on the block that we all put something up for the holiday, even if it is just lights. We have icicle lights that look amazing on the front of our tiny home. I had decorated my two beautiful planters last year with wrapped "presents", Xmas Flowers in silk, and had lights around those also. I had little sacks that I put the tiny battery operated tea lights in, in every window in the front, and always turned them on all night about the last two weeks before Christmas. A door decoration, our tree with our at that time 10 "sleigh bells" we order each year as a tradition from our very 1st Christmas together, little decorations that I hang up above each doorway in the house, cup towels decorated for the holidays, and my Christmas Bedspread set that is just beautiful with these "golden colored" sheets I use with it. At one time Jim and I even made a new Christmas puzzle together to hang up. It seems we either got bored with those (I have like 40 we put together, put on a backer board, and I have them hung up in the house. I have three "logs" that I had gotten from a huge limb that fell several years ago from one of our trees. I took the saw and cut off a fairly thick section about 14 to 16 inches long or so. Then I take Xmas flowers, ribbon, tiny decorations, cotton for snow etc, and decorate all three of them. One for each room we are in the most. Kitchen, Office and Living Room.

But, as of this morning, one neighbor has his lights up. Not one other home is lit up, including ours. As I began to reflect over the past couple of months in our own little world, there are MANY, MANY of us who just almost "missed" the fact that holidays are here! From the horrible things happening in our nation; destructive storms and weather, to wildfires, droughts, floods, crops destroyed by bugs. People are still hurting from job loss, homes being foreclosed on, trying to just feed a family, money is tight for a huge amount of our nation and around the world. I had a conversation with a close friend of mine. She had told me her husband, who has been with a company for 11 years, had his Christmas bonus cut down to ONLY 10% of what it always was!!!! This company is NOT hurting by any means. It had the financial ability to treat its employees right. Yet, one bad apple in the bunch, with greed as green as a gourd in a "management" position, took away from those who have worked for it, so he made himself look good. Thus his "bonus" is quite "stuffed", and the others that have been loyal employees for years, are facing Christmas, with children, and no idea until the last moment, they are not going to have the bonus they are expecting. GREED! It is all over this world!

As I look around at my sparsely decorated home, and see that we are certainly not alone, it instills in me, that we must open our eyes, and open our hearts to make a difference in this nation in the coming years.

Whether we are advocating for a medical and health causes, government cause, specific health problems, domestic violence, and all of the other 100's of Charitable causes we contribute to, we are giving of ourselves to make a difference in the quality of life for others. To me, giving of yourself, through being a volunteer for an organization you truly believe in, is one of the kindest, compassionate, and self less things you can do.

With "one" person's voice, we can "change" the world! One leads to two, two lead to 10, and from there it grows, shapes, expands and becoming a beautiful thing.

We can all give a bit of cash here they and yonder, but to give of your time, of your heart, and do it freely without an provocation but because you want to make a difference in the lives of those who suffer and who will suffer without OUR voices uniting together!

So, as we reflect on what is truly precious in our holidays activities, or as you think about some of those "New Years Resolutions" give thought to giving of "your time" as a volunteer online to something, someone, any cause that touches your heart and soul! Within those moments that you give of yourself freely, you shall find a peace that does pass beyond all you could ever understand....

Hopeful for a better year in 2014.... Rhia

Fatigue, Stress, RA, Lupus, Sjogren's - Holidays and Looking At The New Year!

Surviving Our Own "Impossible" Schedules with Autoimmune Arthritic Illnesses

All of us, and I mean those that are "chronically ill", as well as those "healthy as horses" - tend to try and live up to our own "no way, no how" over the top expectations; especially during this time of year. Annually, when Thanksgiving gets here... We are constantly pressing ourselves to do more, buy more, be more, have bigger, better, larger parties, more guests, a "prettier tree", more goodies, a "luxurious dinner", fit for queens and kings. We want to give our children a "Wow" of a holiday season! We love seeing their eyes sparkle Christmas morning! :) I know I did! I'm sure all of you did and do also!

Yet, what about the "we" in all of this "We Wish You A Merry Xmas"? When I say "we", I mean US, those of us "we's" that are extremely fatigued from autoimmune arthritic illnesses. I just got through sending an email reminding a dear friend of mine to "take care of herself". She suffers from the misery of RA, and a cross of other AAI also. So, I knew she was busy, with home, and with her volunteer work, where she is a "co-founder" and an active volunteer. When you are kind of a "co-chief", cook and bottle washer, no matter what type of "work" it is, it is WORK! Even as a volunteer I can attest that I am "trying" so much more with my volunteer work, than I probably have in many years! As much as I push myself on writing my books, I don't think I do that as much as I am doing in order to try and give a piece of me to help others. When you are involved with a fantastic group of folks, that ultimately share your exact feelings and goals, it does make you want to "be all you can be" and "do all you can do"...  And that is NEVER a "bad thing". 

I am so grateful to have another "pathway" to guide me into the realms of where I can make a difference for others that live with the horrendous illnesses, that seem to creep upon us when we least expect them to.

Yet, we also still in some capacity have our personal "holidays" chores. Whether you are younger, with a job, children, spouse, or even if you are a bit older, kids gone, and just the two of you, or like Mom on her own, there is always something that needs to be done during the holiday season, and for the end of the year. 

I am already feeling the "stress" of my own expectations. I have a "mental" list, and it should be more like a WRITTEN on paper list before I forget half of it, of the "To-Do's" I need "to do". Let's see, my Christmas letter is still not finished, my tree or any decorations are not up. I have another batch of fruitcakes to make; along with cookies and fudge (if I date attempt it again this year). Before the holiday, I have a pain pump that will have to be filled, medications that need to be refilled, my Mom sounds like with her own issues with severe shoulder pain probably needs to get into our orthopedic doctor, and my husband is still waiting on the MRI results from his own severe shoulder pain, that they think maybe his neck. I have to get myself in order for a trip to OK, IF the weather allows and we  decide to spend Xmas day there, rather than at home. I have my blog here to keep up, as well as doing my volunteer work for IFAA and I need to get a blog post written for Systemically Connected, which is IFAA's official blog. 

I need to buy stamps so I can put them on these cards, and actually still have a couple of cards that need addresses. Never fails... either someone moves, or I lose an address... and then I am scrambling to get what I need to send my cards out. 

I did get my cards out to the "Troops" and made the deadline, ahead of time thank goodness. Then of course there are those "errands", if you are buying gifts, that in itself is a headache. We are not really doing that much as far as "gifts" this year. Our finances as they maybe, have taken a "hit" between all of my doctor and dentists bills this year. Plus we still face whatever my co-pay may be on the hernia surgery, and we had to pay some on Jim's MRI, which are not cheap. After my other older I-Mac decided to go "feet up" on us unexpectedly, this new one was not an expense we were expecting. Same with our old vacuum cleaner. Another one of those not anticipated "out of your pocket" expenses. My old one "threw a belt" LOL... but the issue with that was "good luck" finding a belt locally for the stupid thing.  I could have just ordered one, but in all honesty that "purple monster" as we called the old vacuum, was SO HEAVY, I just could NOT push it around anymore. Needless to say, I came in with a MUCH lighter brand new Bissell, that will almost suck the carpets right off the floor! :) In fact, with a couple of my older rugs that are just runners, and I did not pay nearly as much on, are losing their backing... it is just coming off of them because they are just getting old and ready to be replaced. Always something... oil in the car needs to be changed, the house taxes are in, thus a reminder those will come due shortly! 

Then the "Happy New Year 2014" rings in with a new rush of a New Year and all of those "tasks" that also "ring" in annually. Taxes to pay, house insurance and car insurance to probably come time to renew. Taxes, which I do my Mom's Income Tax forms and filing, and all of the other 100 items that come in like a flash of lightening through the black ink darkness of a clear night's sky. 

Alas, it is my time to begin thinking about my own personal "Agenda" for 2014. Call it a "Resolution List" if you wish, but I have one each year with some things that are probably pretty standard for all of us. 

Well since I just posted on FB! I shall add it here to finish this post off and post it for everyone! You shall see what I've been doing since very early this morning ;)

Okay!!! One MORE project out of my hair;)  I should not say that at all. I just finished getting my "annual Christmas letter" finished, printed and put in my Christmas cards! ;) LOL! I always "say" every year, Oh, I am going to "skip it" or make it shorter, and of course, that NEVER happens. It became a tradition many years ago by a cousin of mine in TN. She is older than me, so when I was younger, I remembered Cathryn's letter every year in her Christmas Cards. I loved it so much, that after I got up and was sending my own cards, I began the "tradition". I don't think I've missed any honestly. Not even through out surgeries, illnesses, etc... I've been fortunate enough to be able to get it done. :):) Anyway, I finished it, and I feel awesome to have them ready for stamps, and the post office!!! LOL! Of course, I have NOT put up ONE decoration yet. But, with Jim's shoulder/neck thing, and my stupid "hernia" thing... and now my Mom is having massive pain with her right shoulder - which I think is also her neck. I've got to get her into a doctor. She has an appt with our PCP tomorrow, but I know he won't be able to do anything, but send her to an orthopedic specialist. Then we are going to have to have out if it is her shoulder, or her neck. Mine was both! So, I know that will be a hard row to hoe with her. She is NOT a "hospital person".... I saw that when she was there just overnight with her heart monitor incident. Then with the wrist surgery, I thought I would NEVER get her to get it repaired. It took me months and months to get her to go and have it done. She uses "me" as an excuse... LOL!!! And that has to stop.... just because I have "illness issues" does not mean she can just "wait" and not have it fixed... We just have to work all of us around one another... talk about a mess... my surgery is scheduled for the 30th for the hernia... which means I will probably not be able to do much but be on the computer or sofa for weeks... esp. no carrying or lifting, well heck, how the devil am I supposed to survive if I can't do what I need to do??? ;) We always manage... but with Jim and his own neck..shoulder issues, it won't be as easy as usual... anyway we maybe all looking for "nurses" at our homes.... HAHAHAHA!!! I wish all a good rest of the afternoon... it is still COLD and nasty outside here... so I am headed to get stuff all ground up to make another batch of fruitcakes... well I hope... I am already exhausted. I got up at 3:30 this morning... and have not stopped since.... 

Just a Couple of Happenings in my World to catch you up on...

YEAH!!!!!! I FINALLY got to finish the project I need to finish!!! My computer crashed out at the very worst moments of my life... I was in the middle of a "graduation project" for becoming an Active Volunteer for IFAA! I was just in the beginnings of working on it, when whatever transformer blew down the street, that took my I-MAC with it! i finally got my new I-MAC in Wednesday, and as I said I think the FEDEX man deliberately waited to bring mine as the very last delivery of the day! He always comes by 3pm. It was like 5pm before he arrived... I thought maybe he crashed his truck or something.. then of course we had to get all of my stuff off of my back up drive and onto my new one. And then settings, mail, you name it, of course, it had to be done. Plus there are SO MANY new features, that I am loving already and more I have to even learn about. So, finally after some Friday, part of yesterday and most of this morning and part of the afternoon, I finished up my research and just emailed it to Tiffany, who was the Founder, and now one of the 4 co-founders of IFAA! I also think I may get to participate in some other activities with another big health advocacy organization! I'll know more this week. PLUS HUGE news!!! I've had a couple of days over the past week almost 500!!!!! people on my blog!!!! I am so thrilled! I am so happy I didn't give up. So, I know it is something that is meant for me to do. I am also going to be a "lead blogger" on another site (one of the Lead bloggers)... there are several... and when that is official I will also post that too.... I finally feel like the work of all the advocacy that I feel it what I am here for is finally coming together! Lots of patience, lots of just waiting until the right moment, the right people, and the right time comes along... I am absolutely exhausted, but I am absolutely thrilled about all of it. 

There are some great things happening and I am honored to share them with all of you. You are the ones that make me keep going. Even when I "see" only a couple of "fans" have been here on one day, those over 400 the next makeup for it! I appreciate every one of you, and my hopes are that each of you will give in a bit off yourself, and comment on some of my posts. It doesn't have to be long and drawn out, but a few quick words about your feelings will always be welcome! As this holiday weekend winds down, and we look ahead just a few weeks until the next BIG TWO are coming soon, I hope everyone is safe, happy, and well. We always hear "take care of yourself", or we catch ourselves saying it, but most of the time, WE think we know better; and for the most part we do know ourselves better, just sometimes we don't "listen" very well!  

I hope to be back on the right track since the new I-MAC has arrived, and we shall see what the surgeon has to say about these darned hernia's tomorrow morning... I'll keep you posted...

Rhia

Holidays and Autoimmune Arthritic Illnesses

After bringing up the subject of "holidays and Christmas" when I posted about sending card to the troops, it also again this year made me stop and try to figure out how we "do" the holidays this year. It seems to of course be an annual question now. Used to we always did the exact same thing. My husband and I cooked the entire gamut of a holiday meal. From sweet potatoes, to turkey with home made cornbread stuffing, we did it all "A to Z". So, our first several years together, even though it was just the two of us, our one pup back then Tazzy, and our two cats (who have now passed away, D-Link and Lightening) it was a spread of food, fit for any King! :)

As we moved to California, the day before Thanksgiving there, I had an accidental run in with one of our cats - Lightening. Actually not a "bad" something he did, but our landlady had some guys working on the windows. We were in a upstairs, 2nd story tiny apartment. My husband had just left for work and I heard one of the cats "crying". So, I went to see what was wrong and he was barely hanging on outside the bedroom window. He had gotten on the ledge and it had the screen off of it, so he slipped. Well of course instinct to me said help him, but what did not dawn on me, as that he was totally flipped out. So, as soon as I went to grab him, he bit down into my hand so hard that it pierced all the way through the skin under my thumb. I had several very deep wounds. He had seen it was me and he let go. Bless his heart he was scared about almost falling, and he realized he had hurt me. I was screaming to the top of my lungs, and crying, and calling his name…. so of course he knew I was hurt also. Blood was going everywhere. I grabbed a small towel and wrapped it around my hand. Then called my husband, who of course had a brand new job, that he had just began only about 3 weeks before that… it was a nightmare. He did turn around and come back home. We did not even know where the nearest hospital was there in San Pedro. We have just not been there long enough to know where anything was other than the market, and a few stores on the main road. I knew I needed a tetanus shot, and possibly antibiotics, plus the pain was so intense, I cannot explain how badly it hurt. Any kind of animal bite is extremely painful and since these were very deep gashes it was a nightmare.
Anyway, we already had most of what we needed to cook with and our neighbors had gotten to know us a bit. They were not going anywhere and we had asked them to come over, but since that happened we went to tell them it was off.  So, they came over and helped my husband cook!! It was so nice!!

Now just a few years later, neither of us "feel" physically like cooking that huge of meal in the about past three years. After promising not to succumb to "old" age, or getting "too lazy" to cook for the holidays. But, I guess I have had to "admit" to myself and to everyone there is just no way I can take all of that on… We have to freeze most of it, which is fine depending on what it is, or make my Mom keep some, or give it to the neighbors.

These illnesses change each of our lives in so many ways, in each and every day. Even the smallest of tasks that we used to be able to do without blinking an eye, now become some kind of monumental feat… including dinner for a large family. Just another one of the many, many ways Autoimmune Arthritis "hits" us in the gut with a hard punch at times. It was a horrid reminder over the weekend before when  i took Mom to the Casino. I never gave a 2nd thought to wearing my black patent platform pumps with this very long skirt (maxi-skirt) as I guess they still call them. Yet, as the day wore on, I knew that would be my last time wearing those heels for any length of time. Just to go to church, or something for an hour or so, or if I am going to be sitting down a lot, will be only time I'm ever able to walk in them. Those hours and hours and hours…. and probably about 8 to 10 MILES by the time you walk from one side around to the other and then back and forth again… you definitely get a work-out!

Even that…I was able before to have no problem getting to be checked in, bags to the room, parked and all done. Not anymore, just doing the Huge Hotel walk in itself, and getting around to the elevators that are several turns around from the check in/reservation desk. Then I was the one that did all of the parking, and walking, and then walking and picking Mom up at the door… I am now trying to resolve myself to the fact that some things I will still be able to do, but I must make a very "detailed"plan so I will not wear myself out before I can even have fun.

So, with every turn, around every corner… from the mountain top you trip and side down, only to crawl back up scraping your knees… still to shout Victory when again you reach the top… to when the oceans tides seem to want to blow you into the vastness or when the soft sands of hope caress your feet…. all can just "never" be… So, Accept and Rejoice in what you CAN do, and allow those things you CANNOT do, to be swept into the oceans of where you never have to worry over them again….

Christmas Cards to The Troops

For the last 4 years now, I've been participating in this. I just decided I needd to do "something" to show how much I appreciated these brave men and women that put their lives on the line each moment in order that our country, our world and all of us remain safe from those that want to harm us. It is a MASSIVE undertaking and without them I doubt seriously we would have FREE nation!


So, here is the deal, as the link below will explain:

The deadline is NOVEMBER 25th. Just buy some Christmas cards (I go to the Dollar Tree) here but any of your stores that sell things like this less expensive and pick out as many boxes as you feel you have time to write something in and get sent in by the deadline. I always promise myself I will buy them early or buy some at the end of the holidays this year for the next year, so I can get a head start to write in them. It needs to be a "handwritten" note inside the card. As much or as little as you want to write. NO stamps are needed, and you can put stickers on them, even put your email address in if you want, etc… I sometimes have included an email address.  Anyway, the guidelines are also listed in the URL:
http://www.operationchristmascard.org/Participation_Info.html

This is one of the most precious things I think I do now for the holidays. To give a kind word or a few words to let those who are far away from home, family and loved ones fighting for all of us…

Please even if you only have time to do even a few cards, it is truly worth it. Where to mail them is in the site.