Friday, January 11, 2013

Getting Caught Up In The Flu Bug Season - A Bad Situation for Many Beginning the New Year

I have been so "under the weather" and felt as if I was "underneath a train" over the past 3 days, that I feel guilty about not being "here". I had posted a few days back thinking that the dramatic change in our weather here had brought on some terrible aches and pains in my joints. It tends to do that when we have pressure changes, changes with thunderstorms, humidity and so forth. It reeks havoc with those that have any type of joint, bone and even muscle issues. there is just something about the barometric pressure rising or falling, and then I always blame the drastic change in humidity that will make someone that feels just fine one day, be able to tell you 3 days before a bad storm strikes that it is coming in.
Actually, we could use joints on people such as mine to more accurately predict the weather than our own weather people now days. Kind of like it was when the first of the "Farmer's Almanac's " came out, (if you have never seen one, you should pick one up for the new year and keep up with it), there are all kinds of different things that can be dealt with, figured out, and so forth, from things like the pull of the moon, when it is full, or at all of the different phases, the soil, the temperature, the growing seasons, illnesses and different "remedies" that have been passed down from generations that have helped many not die honestly. In fact just this morning, I read an extremely interesting post on a friends page on one of the big places such as FB. It was about just this thing, involving onions. there were several really good stories about onions, and if you know about onions when you use them in cooking and so forth, those things make sense. Not only do onions "put off" a strong odor, they also tend to "absorb" things quickly. Smells, or different things even cooked with them, the onions tend to take on other items. Thus the idea of onions as a preventative for things such as the flu, or almost like a healing source to "pull out" an illness makes sense to me. Here is the stories:

ONIONS! I had never heard this!!!
PLEASE READ TO THE END: IMPORTANT

In 1919 when the flu killed 40 million people there was this Doctor that visited the many farmers to see if he could help
them combat the flu...
Many of the farmers and their families had contracted it and many died.

The doctor came upon this one farmer and to his surprise, everyone was very healthy. When the doctor asked what the farmer was doing that was different the wife replied that she had placed an unpeeled onion in a dish in the rooms of the home, (probably only two rooms back then). The doctor couldn't believe it and asked if he could have one of the onions and place it under the microscope. She gave him one and when he did this, he did find the flu virus in the onion. It obviously absorbed the bacteria, therefore, keeping the family healthy.

Now, I heard this story from my hairdresser. She said that several years ago, many of her employees were coming down with the flu, and so were many of her customers. The next year she placed several bowls with onions around in her shop. To her surprise, none of her staff got sick. It must work. Try it and see what happens. We did it last year and we never got the flu.

Now there is a P. S. to this for I sent it to a friend in Oregon who regularly contributes material to me on health issues. She replied with this most interesting experience about onions:

Thanks for the reminder. I don't know about the farmer's story...but, I do know that I contacted pneumonia, and, needless to say, I was very ill... I came across an article that said to cut both ends off an onion put it into an empty jar, and place the jar next to the sick patient at night. It said the onion would be black in the morning from the germs...sure enough it happened just like that...the onion was a mess and I began to feel better.

Another thing I read in the article was that onions and garlic placed around the room saved many from the black plague years ago. They have powerful antibacterial, antiseptic properties.

This is the other note. Lots of times when we have stomach problems we don't know what to blame. Maybe it's the onions that are to blame. Onions absorb bacteria is the reason they are so good at preventing us from getting colds and flu and is the very reason we shouldn't eat an onion that has been sitting for a time after it has been cut open.

LEFT OVER ONIONS ARE POISONOUS

I had the wonderful privilege of touring Mullins Food Products, Makers of mayonnaise. Questions about food poisoning came up, and I wanted to share what I learned from a chemist.

Ed, who was our tour guide, is a food chemistry whiz. During the tour, someone asked if we really needed to worry about mayonnaise. People are always worried that mayonnaise will spoil. Ed's answer will surprise you. Ed said that all commercially-made mayo is completely safe.

"It doesn't even have to be refrigerated. No harm in refrigerating it, but it's not really necessary." He explained that the pH in mayonnaise is set at a point that bacteria could not survive in that environment. He then talked about the summer picnic, with the bowl of potato salad sitting on the table, and how everyone blames the mayonnaise when someone gets sick.

Ed says that, when food poisoning is reported, the first thing the officials look for is when the 'victim' last ate ONIONS and where those onions came from (in the potato salad?). Ed says it's not the mayonnaise (as long as it's not homemade mayo) that spoils in the outdoors. It's probably the ONIONS, and if not the onions, it's the POTATOES.

He explained onions are a huge magnet for bacteria, especially uncooked onions. You should never plan to keep a portion of a sliced onion.. He says it's not even safe if you put it in a zip-lock bag and put it in your refrigerator.

It's already contaminated enough just by being cut open and out for a bit, that it can be a danger to you (and doubly watch out for those onions you put in your hotdogs at the baseball park!). Ed says if you take the leftover onion and cook it like crazy you'll probably be okay, but if you slice that leftover onion and put on your sandwich, you're asking for trouble. Both the onions and the moist potato in a potato salad, will attract and grow bacteria faster than any commercial mayonnaise will even begin to break down.

Also, dogs should never eat onions. Their stomachs cannot metabolize onions.

Please remember it is dangerous to cut an onion and try to use it to cook the next day, it becomes highly poisonous for even a single night and creates toxic bacteria which may cause adverse stomach infections because of excess bile secretions and even food poisoning.

Please pass this on to all you love and care about.

— with Adonain Danny Rivera."


I am not sure exactly where the person got  this, but I found it extremely interesting, especially in these times of "medications" that we tend to take for granted as being the "fix-all" thus we just the because the doctor tells us they will help, rather than at least looking them up to see what they are, what they do, how they do it, do people benefit from the medications, or do they have horrible side effects??? I can't say a word because I have such an "empire" of medications that I take daily, along with more I take on a weekly basis. Yet, I have questioned each one of them. I have done my research on them. I know the side effects, and if the "good things" they do outweigh the bad side effects they can cause. And although with chronic illnesses, we are put on often lots of medications, then we put ourselves on different supplements etc, I still go through my own wide array of scripts periodically checking them out again, and making sure I feel they are doing what they should be. 
After reading this about the onion though, it took me back to those times when the majority of medications did not exist. there were very little, maybe an antibiotic, disinfectant, and some type of pain medication. So, most of these were used only on the very ill, or for surgery, etc. If you were ill with a flu, cold, ear ache and so forth, you were given the home remedies passed down from the generations to be used for the regular illnesses. There we no such things as immunizing against illnesses such as polio, pertussis, measles, mumps, chickenpox and so forth. I would imagine many of these now "known" illnesses were not even named back at that time. they knew they were "contagious" because often entire towns became ill or even died from one of them, but back then they may not have known what it was that caused the illnesses themselves. We have come a very long way in our medical knowledge, yet there is still so much more we often do not know when it comes to things we are genetically predisposed to. 
I just read the article about one of the competing women for the title of Ms. USA will be undergoing a complete double mastectomy right after the pagent next week. She had watch breast cancer ravage her Mom, Grandmother and Aunt I believe the article said, so she is going to not take a chance with her life. She has decided to take this what many feel is a drastic step, but one that will more than likely save her life. This story is even more something to think about, because a portion of her life, is about her "body". Or up until now, being able to be seen in a bikini, and all kinds of beautiful clothing, evening dresses and so forth, is what has brought her this far to winning the Ms. USA pageant. So, what a tremendous decision to have to make, but often they win these pageants up until this point, and from here, they go onto college, and to make a life, "after pageant" life years. So, it makes total sense to me, but still it is a sad and very difficult thing to deal with at 24 years old, pageant Queen or not. I commend her for her decision. 
So, from "flu" to Lupus, to "Breast Cancer"... pageant Queen's and daily life... we dwell in all types of "happenings" and steps in our lives... I big you wellness for you and your family... praying you are not dealing with the flu.. My daughter called and my Grandson, only running fever yesterday, not yet showing real signs of feeling bad, but he does have the flu. So, the "symptoms" or lack thereof are vast for this one this year.

Take care of you... and each other... Rhia

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Allowing the Weather To Rule Your Joints

Unless you have some type of issues with arthritis, joint injury, surgeries, replacements (yes, even totally replaced joints), you could not possibly comprehend what is meant by the title of this post. But, if you are between the ages of a year old (or at least where you are old enough to convey you are in pain) to over 100 years old, and have any type of arthritic illness, from osteoarthritis, to RA, gout, other illnesses such as Lupus, FM, CFS, and dozens of others, to have your joints hurt and ache so badly you could cry when the weather raises its ugly to head to roar, you just cannot fathom what it is like.

At this very moment, myself, and I am sure many more in my type of situation are suffering horribly with joint pains. From a mild ache, to almost a bone crushing stabbing pain, joints can leave you feeling horrid and not able to move at times. Weather changes, such as humidity (which for many is the worst), dramatic barometric changes. I do and try everything to get relief. I take loads of BC powders, well the maximum dosage I am allowed, to rubbing them, massaging, them, running hot water over them, rubbing different NSAID creams on me, taking extra strong pain medication that is also given to me by my physician for times such as these.

We, and as I really speak of me, do not want to feel like a whiner, or griper. But, the amount of pain chronic pain from joints can cause can reek havoc over a personal daily routine. I have always said I can tell the weather, especially when we have a drastic change ahead, like a thunderstorm, or very high humidity, I can, as well as just about anyone with joint issues will tell you what is going on with out even seeing the weather people on television. At times it may come on several days before we even have the new "cold" snap, or the depending on the barometric pressure changes, and especially rise in humidity brings on such severe pain and acutely. Like this past two days, I had been fine one moment, and within 15 minutes, I was hurting as if I did not have a pain pump, nor any medication what so ever in me. My body almost burned at every joint. You name it, especially the smaller joints, but even those that have had replacements, such as my knees will keep in me horrible pain. It comes on as I said above, 24 to 48 hours BEFORE the weather actually starts to change. Then by the time we are seeing the changes, I am usually in a world of hurt. Then it begins to level out as the weather levels out, even in a storm, as the pressures stabilize and the humidity, even high stays stabilize the pain leaves about as quickly as it came on. There are times I am left very tired, exhausted and fatigued in all ways, from mental to physical. I recover quickly, and within a day or so of the weather make itself even out, I feel "back to normal" whatever that is for me again. But, during those few days, it is sheer agony. Whether I sit, lay, stand, exercise or not, nothing will make a difference but Mother Nature herself putting things back in their normal order.

Not so long ago, doctors that "weather" and what people said about pain, aches in joints, doctors put off as a bunch of "bunk". I can recall telling my physicians years ago, as soon as the weather was going to have a very severe change, in pressure, humidity and so forth, I would hurt much more. Those are the times my migraines would be at their worst. Yet, up until the past 5 years or so, many doctors would "admit" it was "true" in many of their patients, the medical world did not recognize it as even being a symptom to assist in diagnosing some of these Rheumatic and Joint type of illnesses.

I never did get to complete this posting yesterday on Tuesday the 8th. I got some things done, such as I did get my kitchen curtains down, along with some other placements and so forth that needed to be laundered and did those things. I managed to literally force myself to "do something" and also rode my exercise bike for 40 minutes, so I would feel mentally like I had accomplished something the the day. Even though the intense pain, which does put me on my butt on the sofa also. Don't get me wrong, I do not claim to be some "super human" woman that can withstand it all, and keep right on ticking. I can also be one on the sofa for a few days, doing not much of anything but watching movies with the puppies. I try to avoid those times, and at least accomplish one or two tasks on my list. Emotionally it takes away some of the "guilty" feeling that just takes a bite out of my psyche, making me feel "less than" or worthless during those times I am "out of order" so to speak with a flare or whatever maybe causing some of the physically ailments that come on.

I am in the process of writing a blog posting about other illnesses, like Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, both know better as FM & CFS more than likely. Since I am not having a very good last two days, not being sure if I have contracted this bad flu going around, or if I am in the middle of a really bad flare from the Lupus, I will close this for now. I shall try and complete the post and get it up tomorrow. I realize many maybe here suffering from these illnesses alone or in combination with some of the AI illnesses. Since I also began this journey within all of my own plight of doctors, tests, medications, and symptoms at that time. they thought I had both or at least one of those also. Yet, now they see that my health issues are more than likely not related to FM/CE or CFS, but the Lupus and so forth. Yet, with so many that are going through the many tests, doctors, and trying all types of different therapies and medications to help them, I feel I need to include in my blog activity. More to come... take care and stay well. This flu situation is not sounding good at all... Rhia

Wednesday, January 2, 2013

Life & It's Unexpected Not So Great Start to a New Year

Well, I was SO hoping for a New Year Good start, yet we had not great news yesterday evening. My Mom's brother suddenly and unexpectedly passed away yesterday. OF course it was a huge shock to Mom, and with everything else over the past couple of weeks, I know this hit her pretty hard. Then being the 1st day of a brand New Year, I know she is feeling like me, we prayed for "good" things. Anyway, she is also one sister, the "baby", her brother was the oldest of the three. Her sister, my Aunt is not in good health at all. She has a rare type of stomach cancer, that is not operable, and has just about responded as much as it will to chemo etc. So of course, that makes this even worse. Please keep us all in your thoughts and prayers. Between the stress of it all, Mom's scare thinking she had heart problems two weeks ago, in which honestly she is still kind of worrying off and on, even though things appear to be fine, and then we are totally blanketed with the flu in our town. Even all three of our doctors and PA's were all ill and the entire office all out last week with the flu. Some of them still are not over it all, thus as I said it is just not a great time to have to be out in the very cold weather and then exposed to the flu. None of us, and me with the compromised autoimmune issues, really don't need to take the chance either. But, I have to be with Mom and help her through this, plus my cousins and I were very, very close our entire childhood. So, this hits me hard also. Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers over the next days to come as we deal with yet another one of life's unexpected trauma's. thank so much my dear friends and family, Rhia

UPDATE 1/4/2013

It does not sound well with my Mom's "baby" sister either. I spoke to another cousin last night who is very good friends with my Aunt. The cancer is not good at all from what she told me. My Aunt and her had talked at Christmas time, and basically my aunt told her she was "ready to go". Undoubtedly, the "stomach" cancer has metastasized and must be spreading over her body from the information I got. She must not be very well, because she did not come for the Rosary last night. They are going to try and come for the Funeral this morning at 10 am. Last night was certainly not easy. This is the first time I have seen any of my 1st cousins in well over 10 years at least. I know I had not seen them since I returned from Seattle to TX 7 years ago. In fact, My other Aunt, which would be this Uncle's Wife, passed away almost to the date of my coming back. She also died of a long battle with colon cancer. This would be my Mom's Brother's Wife who just passed away, so Mom's Sister in Law. She passed away about 10 days before I could get back, which was the 10th of December 2005. So, that was difficult to talk about also with my cousins. As I said it was bittersweet. I was so happy to get to see them. My oldest cousin and I were "running buddies" until high school. We did everything together! We were always at each others homes, or going somewhere together. Then we kind of just went through a phase in High School, and drifted apart. She was an athlete, and went to the Catholic school, and of course I was just in the regular High School here. Between my getting engaged and married so young, and then she also got married a couple of years after I did, etc, and she has 5 children! Twin boys and 3 girls! OF course they are all grown like mine now, which seems so impossible. Then other 2 brothers were just about 3 to 5 or 6 years or so younger than us, so we used to bug the heck out of the both of them! LOL! We would get them to play dress up, and then they had us playing some "war" game outside etc. I can remember very well those times as all of us as kids. Then they have the "youngest" sister that was born after we were up almost in high school. As I said, it was a bittersweet meet, and was certainly not the way family should have to see one another after that many years. We vowed we would not wait again until some tragic happens. But, all of us understand that lives our so busy, too busy, as my cousins Aunt on her Mom's side said as we were leaving. When we were kids, and back in the 70's and even the 80's, life seemed so much less"complicated". We seemed to have time to have a holiday dinner or a family get together, and not have it be years between or a funeral that brought us together. Our worlds are "TOO full"!!! We have too much to do when it is so much that it keeps us away from our closest family members. These are my Mom's siblings, and their children, so they are very close. Plus this is the last of my Mom's family. Her and my Aunt who is so ill with the cancer, and me are really all of the family Mom has that are close. So, if something happens to my Mom's sister, Lord knows how she is going to take it. She did "okay" last night, but as people came and gave their condolences, Mom kept saying "my family is almost all gone". So, today at the funeral also is going to possibly be a very difficult time if my Aunt is going to look like she is not doing very well. She had also made the comment that she was really not eating at all but just drinking Ensure, and I gather they are possibly now giving her strong pain medications, but I just kind of gathered that from the conversation. I will know more if she is even able and well enough to make the funeral today. Yesterday, was just a nightmare in a hundred ways for me. It was enough that I had the funeral and Mom, but I also had lots of my "own" stuff I needed to do that was important, such as it was "bill day" for me. Plus of course I had some other paperwork that needed to be taken care of, and even trying to get things ready to pay my own taxes on the house etc, and I have to take care of getting Mom's paid for where they need to be done. Then Mom left it up to me, so rather than send flowers, we donated in my Uncle's Memory to the Arthritis Foundation. He had "gout" along with probably osteoarthritis, but it was so bad he was almost not able to walk and needed knee replacements I think. He just was not going to go through that. As my Cousin said, and she was talking about her Mom, that My Aunt "called him home". Which is probably true. Him, my Dad, My Grandfather, Dad's brothers, and many friends are now "fishing, talking about deer hunting" and having a party in heaven about now. They are all together. Honestly, the was this world is and where it is headed I almost "envy" them. They are "out" of this world of hatred, disdain, hard hearts, greed, and all of the terrible ways that things are happening here now. They are in a peaceful place, that none of this worldly mess matters. For that I do envy them. So, I made the donation and done the paperwork for that. Also, I am not that well, but I am keeping my mouth shut. Every one of my fingers from deep in the nail beds down the middle of now at least 6 of the are split open and bleeding, along with the cuticles also. Plus I am of course emotionally, mentally, and physically drained. We do not even have our tree down yet and the rest of our Xmas decor put away, so I have that hanging over my head. I have so much to play "catch up" on, from doing all of the "deep" house cleaning I had planned to other paperwork, and their are upcoming doctor visits, and you name it, it is on my shoulders right now. Don't get me wrong, I am so glad III CAN help my Mom get through all of this, but in all of that, what I have really gotten a very good look at is my own Mom and her frailness. Which really took a toll on me also. I have just seen it mentally,because of how much she is not remembering, and then some things she says I am really not sure is true. Then, just the way she is walking, more "feeble" each day, etc. So I just see that she is also even though in good health right now, is aging what seems like faster now. I guess because I am with her all the time, I see it but it really does not hit me until, I kind of get an more objective look from something like this happening. Then I can comprehend the ways thing are. Anyway, today is the funeral, and there is a family meal at my cousins church afterwards. So this will be another "early" starting day, and a long one by the time everything is over, and I get Mom home and myself home. Please continue your thoughts and prayers. I realized more than ever last night all of us truly are in need of it. I am so appreciative of all here....  

Continued early Saturday Morning 1/5/2013


We survived the funeral. That was the 1st time I had been in the Catholic Church in many years. Honestly, since I went with my Grand parents and also my Uncle, Aunt and 4 cousins when we were all young, it brought back lots of memories of my Uncle who passed away, and his wife, My Aunt, who also passed away just after my Dad in 2005. The Mass was beautiful, and there were lots of family members there. The weather was very cold here and in fact, sleet fell a little yesterday morning early. But, it cleared and the sun came out a little bit in the early afternoon. One of the 4 cousins and his wife belong to one of the local Methodist Churches and that church had a wonderful lunch for the family after the interment at the cemetery. Mom was not really feeling like going to the cemetery. So, we came home for about an hour, and then went back for the lunch. Thank Goodness my other Aunt, that I have talked about, my Mom's youngest sister, that has the stomach cancer, her husband, and my cousin of that family, and her husband came along with them from the Mesquite area. I was so happy to get to see them. We were not for sure my Aunt would even physically be able to make it. So, when we saw them coming into church, all of us we very blessed to know she at least was able to come down for the funeral. She felt well enough to come also for lunch, although bless her heart, it is honestly not good. She is very, very frail. She was also very "shaky", and you could tell the medication they are giving her is really making her extremely weak. I also noticed she had something going on and it could also be medication related (she is taking a very high powered chemo pill that costs something like 600.00 A DAY!!) she frequently kind of either blinks or almost squints her eyes all the time. At first I wondered if she may have had a slight stroke, but after talking with her I feel it is just the extremely strong medications causing that side effect. After getting to see them, it was a very mixed blessing for me. As I sit here now, and tears stream down my face, I realize that we may not see her alive again. Even Mom said that as we took her home yesterday. That is Mom's only sibling left, and with that said, Mom, I can tell has got that weighing heavily on her heart and mind. Even the entire funeral and luncheon was such a mixed emotional ordeal. For the most of us, we have not seen one another in years, even though we all live in the same small town. We talked seriously about how that is just a shame, that it takes something so tragic to get us in the same room together, when we live a couple of miles from each other. We vowed to not allow this to happen again, and to keep in touch, and try to get together or at least those of us that can as often as possible. But, I know that if I, or one of us do not make a vow to make that happen, by initiating it, we won't. Words at that time in life are always said with good intention in mind. But, then we get "busy".... too damned busy in "life", and we make excuses about that mess of being busy, and the next thing you know, we will be at yet another funeral saying the same thing. I made a promise to myself, that I would initiate us trying to get together. Even if it is just a few of us that can, but every few months at least now I can call some of my cousins, and see if they want to try and have a lunch or just visit for a couple of hours and have coffee. Anything not to lose contact for so many years, due to the silly excuse of being too busy. Their kids are grown, mine are grown, and even though there are jobs etc... "stuff" is NOT as important as FAMILY! It hurts me to think we have allowed "crap" to keep us apart until my own Uncle passes away suddenly. I am to blame also. I realize my illness keeps me down, or at doctors, or in the hospital... yeah, yeah, but still I can MAKE TIME to at least make a phone call, or get an email address etc... We tend to do "lip service" at these times in life, saying we will, and we have very good intentions at those moments. But, when we leave from that moment, all too often, either it it forgotten, or once again, we get wound into the web of "life" and tangled into lots of "things" and stuff that is not nearly as important as we think it is. I am "preaching to the choir" here as the saying goes. I am just as guilty of this as anyone. But, this will be on my "updated" 2013, things I want to do differently in 2013 and beyond. I pray I will think it through, and make sure I at least make an attempt to check on my cousins, etc. from time to time, if nothing but at least a phone call. Maybe that phone call can assert all of us to do more.. see each other, or then call more often. We never realize just how very short life it, until we get to this point. We begin to lose family members, we see how much older we are, and how time has flown by and we have just missed out in one another's lives. It is a crying shame, that some of my cousins children I had never met. It just should not be that way at all. It is not like we were upset or mad at one another. We just have been wrapped up in the freaking madness of life's crap, and one day you wake up and realize just how much of what if REALLY IMPORTANT IN LIFE you have totally MISSED!!!! It is the same with my own kids and my Grand Kids. I miss out on so much of their lives. I realize for that situation we do have 7 plus hours different between us, but still I do not want that to be the excuse that keeps us apart until we have a tragedy hit. I cab sit here and say well, it is hard for us to travel down to the coast to see them. I can use the excuse they are so busy I don't want to interrupt their lives. I can use the excuse that my illnesses keep me close to home for the most part. I can use the excuse that my "ex" is down there, thus honestly I stay away because of him living down there.. yet I already have missed out on 3 years, 7 years, and about 12 years of my Grand Kids' lives. I see them a couple of times a year, and the two youngest ones do not really "know" who I am when they see me. Of course they know I am "Nana", BUT they are not close to me, they are not able to hug me and know daily or weekly, or hell even monthly that I am their Grand Mom. IT sucks. It truly sucks, and I am as much to blame as anyone. Lots of things that go into our lives, that we use for excuses, that we don't ponder enough over, that we lose sight of, and track of, lots of TOO MUCH WATER flowing underneath the bridges of our lives, all the while "time" is ticking, ticking, ticking away. With each "tick" another moment in life has passed us by. That is just one more minute, one more breath of life taken, one more thought gone, all leading down the hill, or up, however you want to call it... to that place that we shall be here no more but dwell with our Father in our true home. So, we then leave our "family" here behind to grieve, as we cross over into the land of perfect peace, with no pain, no suffering, and back into the arms of all the family we have "lost" before us. They are never lost, just briefly not in our humanly lives. As I close this for now, and I realize I have "said" a great deal this morning, for their is a very large amount that I am feeling, from the emotional, mental, physically, and feeling realms of my own humanness. If YOU take a message and walk away with it from this, I pray it is NOT to allow LIFE to get in the way, of LIVING what is the MOST IMPORTANT to you. With my honor, and as always love to you, Hugs, Rhia
 (after this post)
 I had also posted the words to a Crosby and Nash song they wrote and sang in the early 80's "Let the Waters Come and Carry Us Away"... "so much time to make up everywhere we turn, time we have wasted on the way, so much water moving, underneath the bridge, Let the waters come and carry us away.... I love the couple of stanza's ..."OH, when you were young, did you question all the answers, did you envy all the dancers, who had all the nerve, Look round you now, you must go for what you wanted, Look at all my friends who did and got what they deserved..."

Monday, December 31, 2012

"Purging" The Outdated & Sewing The Seeds of the Vigorously Sprightly

A great deal of nostalgia here this morning, and I am sure it will be that way throughout the next two days. We are all in reflection of what 2012 was and certainly was not for so many. From Mother Nature's Wrath that left more than one path of destruction, and death, to the "inhumane" realms of what those who are supposed to be humans have done in our nation, and all over this vast world, 2012 has been a year pocked with marks that shall remain scars for many of our lives. The toll that this hurricanes, tornado's, floods, and droughts have left behind is one of the record books. 
It seems like each day of this past year has been a night mare when it comes to what can happen when our weather gets "distraught." It seems that as humans we "blame" the weather, yet all too often we can't open our own eyes to see that our levels of pollution in the air, water, and in the very soil we are supposed to get precious food to sustain life has been corrupted with chemicals, trash that will take millions of years if ever to dissolve, and we are in a constant place of breathing car exhausts, poisons, and all of the garbage we pour into the air. Then our water is many places is not fit to drink. Here we are one of the greatest nations in the world, yet rather than have cleaner drinking water, it gets more filthy, with poisons, pollutants, even prescription medications that are poured into it, that show up in our cells. Even though we don't want to admit the way we constantly fill our lands with more concrete, more buildings, more cars, and leave less and less of the land to provide us all of the "building blocks" we need, we continue to build and cover over record numbers of forests and land so we can have a house like the "Jones'" as the saying goes. 
Then there is the extreme amount of devastation filling this country with every heart beat in the realms of our financial, fiscal, and governmental down falls. Our very own people, those that we voted in, pay, and put their to do as we wish to help us, are the very ones sitting like a bunch of fat cats on Capitol Hill playing mind games, and games with our money, our investments, homes, and our future. They could care less about what "the people want". They want to make the rich, get more rich, while the every day common middle class that keep this country going will be cut off from all assistance that we need, from additional unemployment benefits, to tax hikes that will send us further into the "poor house". Why should they care, since they are "sitting pretty" for the rest of their lives, and I am sure the lives of their families, in whom that have made sure will be taken care of even though I feel we head into a the Greatest Depression we shall ever see in our lives here. People have become complacent, uncaring, scary, down right mean, and just plain insane. We see it and hear it everyday in our news, in our magazines and in the headlines of even our own local newspaper. 
The amount of severe crimes, break in's, even murders are increasing daily, and the more violent they are each time they happen. Oddly enough, we can recall the bad things, the mess of an election that held enough funds between both parties to almost balance this substantially over bloated non-budget of ours, yet the bad stuff just keeps on coming, while the wicked of this land, just continue to get more wicked by the day. My question to all is when we are going to truly get a gut full of this abuse of the people, our salaries, jobs, homes and lives to rally up and tell them NO MORE! When will our eyes finally be filled with the disgust we feel inside, and come out all together to forever make a positive change in just how things in our government go that only put us in more debt, use up more public funds to do foolish projects, or things that never really succeed and are there to "cover up" the greed of those who are the most greedy. We such don't mind griping, whining and fussing about it, but we are almost "too civilized" of a nation! We FEAR standing up for our rights! We fear the "big men" on that hill! We FEAR we may cause "problems", or conflict or someone may not like us as much if we open our mouths and give our own testimony to the wickedness of our nation and the world. You can darned sure bet that the "Big Man" upstairs is definitely taking count. He is "seeing" all things, so many bad these days, and when the final horns sound, and the final battle begins, the tally will not be forgotten of those who have harmed their own brothers, murdered their own sons and daughters, reeked havoc in the peaceful nations, and caused nothing but death, devastation, and destruction.  At that time there will be NO Senator, No Governor, No "Republican" or "Democrat", no thief in the night that steals peoples very souls to help at that moment. those trumpets shall mean only one thing, that the very last battle is here, and those of us who have stayed in the realms of faith, hope, and goodness shall reign in our own proper House in Heaven. I am no "prophet", never claimed to be. I am no "Saint", honestly I do not think a human is capable of being a "Saint", but I know what I see all around daily, and I know what the "Good Book" Says. 
We may not be able to predict the time, the day and the moment, but if we only open our eyes, we can see the "signs" of the time of the end all around us. I will not go into the further parts of what I feel about that subject, because I don't often talk about politics or religion even those that sounds like a cliche'. Everyone has their own very intimate, very personal beliefs in those two subjects, so I don't discuss either of them very often. I would rather give others the room they need to feel and express their own feelings about religion and politics. But after the horrid year we have had I just felt I could not hold my own tongue anymore, even about some pieces of my religious and political parts of how I believe. It just exactly what I said earlier in this, it is more than time, it is past time, that we, as a people, stand up for our beliefs, and we "cut out" the frivolous, excess and bloat that has been in our essence of what we refer to as our governmental bodies of town, state, and nation, and put us as the people back in charge of those things. I am NOT talking about some kind of "over turn" bull or anarchy. So, I don't want some idiot thinking I have "lost it". What I do mean though is we have become so extremely complacent, uncaring, and in fear, we have left behind our voices. We have ran away from the things as a body of people we can do to make our nation and our world a better place. 
So, I am not talking about tearing down a "wall" literally, or not being peaceful (Lord knows we need PEACEFUL SO BADLY IT HURTS), but in a "symbolistic" way instead. We need to be open to what is really wrong, not be in fear of making changes, where they need to be made. This crap about not "crossing party lines" is ridiculous! I never quite understood why anyone felt they needed to stand with "one side" or the other, when it comes to a "term", a word like Democratic or Republican? IF a "person" can do the job and do it well to their ability for us, as the people, it does NOT matter what kind of "term" or "label" they put on their backs! Or may I say it does not to me! Their are good entities on both sides of what we want to call "party lines" (which used to be a phone line that more than one person could talk on and they shared in the country when the phone lines were far and few between)... and some silly label does not change the fact (unless they allow it to) how they can govern a body of people. Whether the town mayor, or the US President, who they are within, their character, their very essence of morality, decency, capability, demeanor, dignity, education, and many more descriptive terms are what gives them the "things" that make up what makes a good "Leader". So, for 2013, we need to rid our lives, and purge out all of the stuff that does not "lead" us in the right ways. Maybe not just "leaders" as far as people, but what things "lead" us daily from the inside and outside. We need to finally stand up for the right, and serenade the good, and we need to stand down and not accept what is the wrong, whether they or it seems to be "power", often that power needs to be turned the hell off, and allow new lines to be drawn and new types of "electrical parties" be put in place to bring in what is right. I look back and 2012 as a time of "learning"... learning what sitting around and doing nothing gets you... as my own saying goes  "Do nothing and NOTHING gets done!" 
Thus, sitting on our laurels, and allowing things to happen that we know are wrong, and keeping fear in our hearts to make it right, is showing a weakness... not showing the honor and faith in how we truly believe in what is the right path. We owe our kids, and their kids, and those to come an explanation for how we have "done nothing".,. out of fear, disdain, complacency, out of those things we all too often put first, and that just keep us from facing the hard cold truth, that is it time to stand up and change those things that are wrong. Whether it is a law or not, whether it needs to be a law or not, whether it needs to be changes in leadership, changes in how business is done, changes in the ways go in our schools, public areas, and take away and rid ourselves of what is so wrong, to provide a safe haven of a country for all that is so right. We wait around and "rally" when there is a tragedy! Why is that??? Why do we have to wait until the unthinkable has happened before we get the heck up and say we are not going to stand for the same old thing anymore... our lives from education, to our health program, to insurance companies, banking, corporate business, tax codes, and governments need a change of the guards so to speak. 
After allowing stuff to remain "rotten" for too many years the stench is finally waking some of us up, but it sure has taken a long time to do so!!! We can no longer sit around like old "brackish appendages" knitting sweaters and drinking tea while everything goes to hell in a hand basket. The time of dormancy and hibernation needs to be kicked in the butt, and allow the "butterflies" of our world to prosper. I know for me, those lines above are very personal. I have been one of those "sitting on my hands" not opening my mouth, allowing the ruling of my own life to be done all too often by what society deems, "right". Even in my illness, rather than "fight" like hell against all that is wrong, I became so "docile" allowing doctors and the medical field to become almost dictatorial over my body, that I forgot I do have a mind that I can use to decide what 
I feel is "right or wrong" for me. That very example of being so overtly stagnant, is what also is wrong with many things that go on in our world. We allow it! We turn our heads so as to not face the facts. It is easier to walk by and simply not act at all, than to put yourself out there and do something about what you feel is not correct. If the ONLY thing you feel you can do it "write" an email or letter to whomever it is you feel needs to do something differently, that is far better than bitching about it, and then not doing a darned thing to help overhaul that maligned issue. IF you got nothing out of a word I have said in all of this, think about trying to dig out the old bulbs in your life of ambiguity, and sew sprightly seeds of everything vigorous and unspoiled in your garden of life for all the world to see.  With my Sincere Believe that We can Make this World a Better Place... Love to All, Rhia

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

The Days Ahead After All of the Good Cheer...

Well, here we are! For most of us, the gifts are opened, the food is "partially" eaten, we have loads of goodies and sweets left that we know we do not need to eat' but just can't resist! The tree is looking rather "bare" with no gifts under it, and the stockings are just a bit down and out. Alas they are empty of all of their fruit, nuts, candy canes and small surprises.
Family is still visiting for some. For others, they are preparing for their trips home. Whether flying, driving, or otherwise, much of the country is not really a great place to be traveling in. for some of us we had somewhat of a "white" Christmas. Even here in our town about 30 miles South of Dallas, we had some snowflakes yesterday afternoon. Of course nothing that was going o stick, but it was enough to give you that special kind of feeling that we did also have a bit of a snowy holiday!
The kids are about to drive you nuts with all of their new toys, or wanting to go outside in the cold and play. Or, they are now "bored" and are looking for something to do. Give them a couple of boxes and tell them to make them a "fort" or a "house", or something creative and constructive to keep them busy for the next few days. For most, school will be out until after the New Year holiday.
Some of us are now planning our party for New Year's Eve. For some, that means another house full of family and friends, probably more on the all adult side, with drinks, music, party hats, and "auld lang syne." Others are planning to go out on the town and live it up in their sequined gowns, and formal attire. Others are preparing for a quiet evening, watching the ball from New York drop as it always does at Time Square, wishing everyone Happy 2013 and off to bed at 5 minutes after midnight... (sounds like us IF we CAN make it to MIDNIGHT)!
Hopefully those that don't hold their liquor well, or don't know when to stop, will drop their car keys off at the door, and spend the night or call a taxi, if they have had a couple of drinks.  There will be some with fire works going off, which in much of the nation is dangerous due to so many states in a drought situation. We certainly don't want anyone beginning the New Year with a burned down home from firecrackers thus I hope those are maintained by the professional people at shows on that level.
Many of us are back off to work today. We are wondering how the holiday, that took SO long to get ready for, is now over, done, and all that is left is the mess, left over food, and kind of an almost "empty" feeling inside. So many spend months before preparing for these holidays, and once they arrive, they are here and gone before we can blink an eye, thus we wonder even why we go through all of the effort. But, it means at least one day of family, friends, happiness, hope and faith. So, for that all of that planning and preparation, no matter how quickly it seems to fly by, was worth that effort.
Many of us are preparing our "New Years 2012 New Years Resolutions". It seems to b a huge tradition in this country. I am not sure where it came from, but before I continue I think I will look it up to see, so I can explain. It seems that this tradition of making Resolutions has been going on even back into the Medieval Times, when Knights would "renew" their commitment to their honor of  "chivalry" in a "peacock vow" each Christmas. Other types of Resolutions actually come from some "religious" beliefs, from "Lent" to Christian vows of doing better or being a creed of "self-improvement." So, our traditions of these New Years Resolutions have been going on for the ages, that people see the "New Year" as a fresh start, a time of reflection to be a better person, or do something a better way. From statistics it appears about 52% make of those who make these "good faith" Resolutions annually (in a study in 2007 of 3000 people), and about 88% actually fail at them.  It seems the more  "specific" the "goal" the much more difficult it is to keep for those who make them. OF course that makes total sense. We usually begin the New Year with lots of hope, faith, good will, and in the realms that things will be so much better this bright and shiny starting fresh. Yet, as we go along, things happen, we lose tract of or sight of, those things that we were so positive about that first part of the New Year. But, don't dismay, many of us keep a few of our resolutions! So, you can always be in that 22% that do!
I was reflecting back just a day ago on my own for "2012". I discovered that I did keep several of mine, although not all of them, keeping about 50% of those I made felt like an accomplishment. With hope that I maybe able to keep 70% or more this brand new up and coming 2013!
So, in a few days we will be "ringing" in 2012 with music, champagne, horns, singing, and for many another tradition of eating black-eyed peas for good luck in the new year. I gather that must be more of a "Southern" tradition. When I lived in Seattle most people there had never even heard of it, and you did not find black-eyed peas up there, even in a can very much. So, even in different part of our nation, we tend to have different little "quirks" we do to celebrate.
Of course, with all of the "goodness" and cheer for January, comes all of the worrisome tasks of, paying home and land taxes, for many paying house and car insurance, or like us our car registration also comes due about this time. Then now, depending on what happens with this "fiscal" not just a cliff but a "mountain" we may fall off of, if Congress does not get their butts together, some are concerned about their "tax" refunds that they may not get. Those that really depend  on those "refund checks" may watch them melt away if all of what has been in the past like the "Bush era" tax cuts happen to come to a quick halt. My person feeling on this is that they (Congress) WILL finally come to a decision. IT will probably happen at the very last hour, so they can keep everyone sitting on sharp tax "literally" and biting their nails! But, I have a very good feeling many of them sitting like "fat cats" up their and looking for their re-election in a couple of years, will be acting in order to gain the voters attention. IF they don't there will many that will be "retiring" from their Federal post in Congress for sure. I think Americans as a whole are more than FED UP! WE are sick and tired of the political fall out we get over their stupid  Congressional games! After all WE elect them, WE pay THEIR SALARIES, and then they DO AS THEY WANT!  I feel that the majority of us have had more than we are willing to take of that any longer.
So, in 10 days or so, kids will be back in school, trees and decorations put away for another year, celebrations and parties over with, and the cold of Winter finally settling in many of our parts of the country. We will be back to our routines, jobs, homes, cleaning, cooking, losing that "holiday poundage" we put in from too much of Granny's fruitcake, and settling down to make the New Year all it can be.
For now, it seems kind of sad for me. Even though I am also looking forward to keeping many of my own "resolutions", and have lots of work ahead of me, I feel like mine will be put between all of the other 1,001 things it seems like there always is to do. New Years' never mean "reprieve" from the other things, like laundry, cleaning, cooking, paying bills, and running errands. Resolutions and New Years' come in, but they don't stop illness, emergencies, and all of the ways we get "detained" for one reason or the other. I know my list is quite long, and quite full of many things as far as my 2013 Resolutions. I want to try and "make up", play a catch up game from the several previous years of illness, surgeries, sickness, and those things that truly did detain me from "living" my life on a semi-some kind of normal time frame. I catch myself putting "finishing my 2nd Poetry book and getting it published" in 6 months, as well as having my "book-book" as I still call it (I do have what I believe it a name now for it but have not revealed it yet) by the end of the year. It won't b publication ready I don't think but I would like to have it close to the place of publication for the beginning of 2014. Just those two alone are tall orders. Then I have the usual lose some weight, exercise a little more, eat a little healthier, etc. I also have others like practice my drums several times a week, along with the keyboard and be writing lyrics and singing again. I also would love to start sewing again and make another quilt, this one for our bed, which is queen sized. So, in between hopefully any of my doctors visits, which I hope and pray will be few and far between for 2013, and NO SURGERIES!, few tests I pray (I realize I may already have to go through a couple of minor tests), and I so pray that the Lord will show me the way to keep the Lupus, RA, pain, and other chronic illnesses in check enough that my time is much more about the things I WANT TO DO, and NOT ILLNESS! Those are my "main" goals, resolutions, or whatever you may call them in your neck of the woods.
Well, as you can see, by this post, I certainly have NOT made a resolution to "cut-down" my post and their sizes....:) With much respect, honor, and truly a Hope for Peace and Great Health for All, Rhia  Happy Up and Coming 2013!