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 |  Fibro fog, pain, writing sandwiched in between. Quotes. Sermon notes. Encouragement. |
A Texas Sunrise A friend, William Taylor, took this picture. He visits Surfside Beach with his dogs almost every morning, watching the sun rise while the dogs prance about at the water's edge. This is only about ten miles from where I lived in Lake Jackson, Texas. Sadly, I only visited this beach about four times in the six years I lived nearby. Each day is a challenge. A challenge to get by without thinking about the fibromyalgia pains. A challenge to stay awake when chronic fatigure wants to take over. And a challenge to navigate through fibro fog. I haven't been writing as much as in the past. For years, I wrote at least 500 words a day. Now, I'm lucky if I write 500 words in month. Sigh. For more information about what my day (or life) is all about with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic pains, IBS, depression and everything else thrown in, check this out:
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| Time passes and another Monday has arrived. Hubby and I only watched a bit of the Superbowl now and then in between watching other shows. We didn't see any of the commercials. It amazes me that they showed pieces of those commercials on the news shows all morning. When did commercials become news??? There's quite a bit of talk about women and heart health problems lately. That's why Feb. 2 was Wear Red Day - for a reminder about how many women die from heart attacks and have heart problems now. Back in 2003, I had some heart pains and ended up in the hospital. I had a heart catheterization and was doped up and ready for angioplasty when my cardiologist discovered that my problem was actually spastic veins and arteries. They blamed my fibromyalgia for that. With fibro any muscles - including organ muscles - can and do spasm. That's when I learned how important it is to have specialists, as well as the regular docs, who understand fibromyalgia. While I thought I had heart problems, though, I did a bunch of studying and discovered that women experience different signs of heart attack than men. The "experts" have known this for a while, but it's only been in the last few years that they decided to share the information. Figures, doesn't it? It's no wonder women have died from heart attacks...when they didn't know the symptoms they experienced might be heart problems. With heart problems, in addition to chest pains, women also experience: Shortness of breath Naseau or vomiting Profuse sweating or cold sweats Dizziness Neck, shoulder, upper back, jaw or abdominal pain Extreme fatigue For years, doctors and women patients didn't consider testing the heart when these problems arose. After all, many of them could be from menopause. For years, if a woman arrived at the hospital having chest pains, she was not whisked away for tests of her heart, especially if she was also having some of the above symptoms as well. Now the medical community, and hopefully women themselves, are beginning to understand that the importance of testing a women's heart when she's having chest pains. ********* As I've said before, our pastor and our small groups are focusing on evangelism with the study, Just Walk Across the Room. On Sunday, our pastor asked each one of us to write out our story in just 100 words, including information about ourselves before and after we really met God. Boy, am I going to have trouble with that. It's not that I don't have a story (or two or seven!) to tell. But if you've read anything of mine - including this entry  , you know that I have trouble being that concise. It is a good idea to have a story like that prepared, though, so that it's easier to share. Of course, the pastor wants our stories by Wednesday... ********** Hubby is dropping off my computer at our repair guru tonight after work. Hopefully the fixin' won't be long or costly. Until next time. God's blessings, Kenzie |
I spent a bunch of time on the phone with Gateway this afternoon. The techie finally said my only option was to wipe everything out and start all over again loading re-loading Windows. I told him that would have to wait, since I'd need to visit safe-mode and copy a bunch of things onto CD's or floppies first. I'm like everyone else. I don't back-up stuff as often as I should.  Anyway, having the computer repair geek fix everything will only be about $60 and I'll know it's fixed. I had a bunch of stuff I wanted to share today about our pastor's sermon. But with computer problems and the fact that my small group meeting has been moved from 7 p.m. to 4 p.m., that will have to wait until tomorrow. Wanna guess why the time for our small group changed??? Of course! Football!!! That reminds me. Did you see - either on the news or Nightline last night - that churches are not allowed to show Super Bowl games on big screens for their members? Nor are they allowed to even use the word Super Bowl in their church bulletins or newsletters? And that the NFL was really serious about this and coming down on churches? Personally, I'm going to send a letter to the NFL first thing next week. How stupid of them. I know lots of folks who might not watch that game at home alone, but they would at church with a group of friends. So...if they didn't watch at home, they would never see those pricey commercials. Stupid, stupid, stupid. Maybe I should write to the companies who are advertising on that game too. Hmmm. Meanwhile...the "rules" actually say that you cannot show "that game" on a screen larger than 55 inches for a group of people. Considering how big some folks personal TV's are now, I wonder if the NFL is going to get mad at folks having those SB game parties in their homes too. I have to get ready for my small group meeting now. I'll be back tomorrow. |
| A few days ago when I did a virus scan, I discovered a trojan on my computer. Now it just isn't acting right. I noticed that while I was online about 9:30 this morning and again at 7 tonight the computer was really sluggish. Maybe I watch too many crime shows, but it "felt" like someone else was using my computer too. I started searching to see what files, if any, were altered today. Oddly enough, there was a lot of activity in updating/altering files at about 9:38 this morning and again at 7:14 tonight. One of the places where there was activity was on Outlook Express, which I haven't even used in 3 years. I guess I'll be calling my handy-dandy computer repair geek on Monday to see what he can find. Too bad the one computer we ordered wasn't even set up as able to connect a monitor and neither had any back-up CD's with them. My son is going to buy one from us and the other - the one that has no monitor connection - is going back. Someday I'll get a new or reconditioned computer. Meanwhile, as frustrated as I get sometimes with my Gateway, I have had it since 1999 and it has been really reliable until the last year or so. So I can't really be that upset. I do have lifetime phone support with Gateway. Maybe I should check with them tonight. Maybe I will. Oh yeah. In case you're wondering, I'm using hubby's computer. He and his daughter are bowling. They often go bowling on the weeks that she's here. It's something they've both enjoyed, although today she said "it's kinda getting boring." Of course, she thinks lots of things are boring. I don't remember thinking so many things were boring when I was ten. I thought the world was an awesome place... Still do! Although waaaaaaaaaay different than the dark ages of my youth. And sometimes scary even. |
| I woke this morning just as Punxsutawney Phil was making his annual prediction. Unfortunaely, I missed the hoop-la on television and had to resort to checking Yahoo for the news. I complained in one of my entries that when I have tried to see the AP movies of news items on Yahoo, I have been able to see the commercials but not the news clips. I fixed that this morning. It seems that there's a place for choosing your interenet connection. Supposedly, Yahoo had detected my setting as dial-up instead of DSL. Once I changed that, I was able to see Punxsutawney Phil's news clip. He thinks we'll have an early spring? I just hope his predictions are better than the weather persons. When I searched, I could find Phil's predictions since they started keeping records, but no comparisons with what actually happened to the weather. Hmmm.Also in the news clips this morning was something that must have shown on Good Morning America. Some developer in Big Sky, Montana is building the world's most expensive home - $155 million! It has 12 bedrooms, 20 bathrooms, 53,000 sq. ft. of living space and a 20 car garage. I think they said it will be twice the size of Trump's house. Why? Can you imagine how many people could be fed and housed for $155 million??? I also stumbled upon some sites that show different holidays and celebrations. February is Black History Month. That's a good thing. For so long, we didn't know anything about some of the great people who helped make our country what it is, because their skin was not white. Some other February facts: Today - February 2 is also Kiwifruit Day and Wear Red Day. It is also the day that the bottle cap was first patented, but I couldn't find the year that happened. If I were a more organized person, I would just use each of these other facts on the appropriate day. But I'm not, and fibro fog would probably make me forget. February 3 is Artist Day. February 5 is Chocolate Fondue Day and Weatherperson's Day. February 7 is Wave All Your Fingers At Your Neighbor Day. I wonder where that started...and why? February 8 is Laugh and Get Rich Day. I can't wait for that one. February 9 is the day that the Beatles first appeared on the Ed Sullivan Show. What year was that??? February 11 is National Shut-In Visitation Day. February 12 is the real birthday of Abe Lincoln. February 21 is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of the Lenten Season in the Christian faith. Many attend church that day and their preist or pastor will place the sign of the cross on their forehead in ashes. I looked at some of the words spoken at these services. From: http://www.explorefaith.org/faq/ash_wed.html Remember, you are nothing but dust, and to dust you will return. Remember, you are nothing but dust: Precious dust, molded and formed in the womb by a loving God, precious, precious and beloved are you. Remember, you are nothing but dust, and to dust shall you return: Unique and precious, you are created for eternity. Remember, you are nothing but dust: And that makes you free — free from human ambition — free from prideful denial — free from fear — free; free at last! Remember, dust you are, and as dust you are loved and free. The Lenten Season is such an important one in the life of a Christian. For many, it is a time when they give up something. For others, it is a time of fasting and prayer. If we are, as a pastor friend of mine always said, "Easter people," then the time leading up to Easter should be one that we use to get closer to God. It's been only in recent years that we - Christians - have really focused on the horrible pain that Jesus suffered for our sins. This is all so serious. And yet, hmmmm. If I know my hubby, that part about Ash Wednesday and dust is going to remind him of a joke that I received from an online friend - one who forwards a gazillion of things every day. I can't read them all, but I did read this one and I passed it on to my hubby. A visiting minister spoke eloquently during the offertory prayer. "Dear Lord" he began, with arms extended toward heaven and a rapturous look on his upturned face. "Without you we are but dust. . " He would have continued but at that moment, a very obedient daughter (who was listening!) leaned over to her mother and asked quite loudly in her shrill little girl voice, "Mom, what is butt dust?" Now, I really need to get some work done around this house. It has been snowing, then not snowing, then snowing again. Thankfully, the roads are still clear, probably due to the fact that they were "pre-treated" with salt that the local news media informed us is really bad for our car's paint and metal. Yeah winter. Oh yeah...I forgot...February 22 is George Washington's real birthday. Th-th-that's all folks.  |
| It does seem that the year is progressing without me. Ahhh February. Tomorrow the Ground Hog will see his shadow and we'll be in for another eight weeks of winter. Well, duh. That's what the calendar says, and usually what that nasty ol' ground hog says as well. Why would this year be any different??? Two of our special presidents had birthdays in February. When I was a kid, we celebrated them separately. Now we lump all Presidents together and celebrate one Presidents' Day. Somehow that just doesn't seem right. And then we have that day that is set aside for love - Valentine's Day. I tend to think of Valentine's Day as my mother always did about Mother's Day. First, it's a great day for all the card and candy manufacturers and for florists. Secondly, if you can't love me the rest of the year, what makes you think that loving me on one day is sufficient? It must be how God feels about how some folks celebrate Christmas and Easter and ignore Him the rest of the year.Back in the dinosaur days when I was a kid, Valentine's Day was another day to single out popular and unpopular kids. Or artiscit ones and not so artistic ones. We always decorated a very special box - usually a shoe box - where our secret valentines would be placed. It was like having our own mailbox for that one "special" day. Those who had artistic talents or who could take their shoe boxes home to have parents or older siblings help them decorate their Valentine's Box always won the prizes for the prettiest, biggest, and most original boxes. Those who were not artistic or whose parents were not likely to help, or those whose outside resources were lacking, ended up decorating their boxes at school with whatever resources were given. Their boxes often looked pitiful along side those marvelous creations that won the prizes. Our Valentine's boxes were placed somewhere where kids could put their cards in them without being seen, if they so chose. On the day of our party, we opened our boxes and discovered how many or how few cards we received. I usually receivd enough cards that I would not be embarrassed, but not as many as the more popular kids. I also usually found tucked inside a few fancy cards, which might or might not be signed. Usually those cards were from my "secret admirer(s)." Back then, we could not admit to liking anyone of the opposite sex until we reached junior high, and even then we might pretend otherwise. I always felt sorry for the kids that were "odd" or not at all popular. Sometimes there was a campaign to make sure some kid got no cards at all, but I would not participate in such an activity. Even if I didn't sign my card (for fear of being teased), I always made sure everyone received a few Valentines. By the time my baby sister (13 years younger than me) got to school, things were starting to be a bit more "politically correct." Rather than giving only some kids Valentine's cards, they were urged and encouraged to give something to everyone. Instead of anyone being embarrassed at receiving no cards at all, they would receive the generic cards from everyone. Special cards were made or purchased for special friends. When my dad came home on Valentine's Day, he always had a huge heart-shaped box of candy for my mom and smaller boxes for each of his kids. I don't remember that my mother ever got my dad or us kids anything for that day. Mom always helped us decorate our Valentine's boxes and helped us make or purchase just the right Valentines. But beyond that, I don't think she participated by buying or making anything for my dad or for us. Funny. I never thought about that before today. Perhaps she thought about the day as I do, although she never articulated it. Perhaps she also thought that Valentine's Day was a great day for florists and card and candy companies. Hmmm. |
| Yes, I missed making an entry yesterday. Just about the time that I was planning on coming here and writing...something...my computer started acting up. It froze and then would only boot up to safe mode. I did the scan disk and defrag operations late last night, then a complete virus check this morning. Sure enough there was a trojan on my computer. Hopefully all is well now. Jim and I both have older computers that run Windows98SE. That is becoming a problem, especially for me. My computer doesn't have a decent sized hard drive and it's rather slow. We ordered two reconditioned computers and they finally came yesterday. Instead of the Windows2000 they were supposed to have, it appears that they have WindowsXP. But CD's were not provided. And one of the computers doesn't even have a "normal" connection place for a monitor. Looks like we'll be sending them back. Grrr. ******* Every once in a while a few white flakes fall from the sky now, but we haven't had any "snow dusting" or worse. Thank goodness. It surely is cold, though. When Jim went to his small group last night, he and the fellows all agreed that it seemed colder than it had been in the morning. Apparently it was. Although the temperature was supposed to be about 20, the windchill factor was about 3. This morning the real temperature was probably in the teens. This is why I reeeeaaaaaallllllllllyyyyyyyyy dislike winter.******* My son's new girlfriend picked him up from work this morning, so I didn't have to brave the cold. I actually slept in - until about 8:30 when the kitten decided I should be up. That's when I ran the virus scan on my computer. And, honestly, I haven't done much else, haven't watched TV, haven't had the energy to do any cleaning. And yet here it is 11:30. I have no idea where the time goes sometimes.I really should do some laundry and at least clean the kitchen and bathroom. I remember my mom and grandma telling me that if those rooms were clean, people could excuse the mess in the rest of your house. ******** In case you missed it or don't subscribe to the Romance/Love Newsletter, I was the guest editor this week: http://www.writing.com/main/newsletters/action/archives/id/1514 |
| Yesterday, the snow did not continue throughout the day. Thankfully. There were a few times during the day that it snowed, but this time those weather guys and gals were correct in calling it a snow dusting. The temperatures have also dropped. I just heard on the local news that it's just 15 degrees with a windchill factor of 6. Brrr. I drive a '92 Chevy Cavalier with just over 100,000 miles on it. It was my dad's car. Twice he gave me his cars when he bought new ones. Because of that, I haven't had a car payment since 1983. Before he died, he gave his last car to one of my nieces. Bless his heart. He was concerned that I wouldn't understand, but I did. And this ol' car has been running just fine. Problem is now that the a/c needs fixin'. Not very comfortable in the summer. And the heater just doesn't want to heat very much. That's not a big problem when the outside temperature is 30 or 40, but when it gets down as low as it is now, it's downright cold in the car! Our pastor continued his sermon series to go along with our small group studies - Just Walk Across the Room. It's a good study about evengelism. Sunday's lesson was about developing friendships. During our small group, the DVD presentation talked about a friendship the book's/study's author developed over a period of eight years before the man came to know Christ. I guess that should help us all be more patient... Some of the notes I made at the side of my sermon notes page stand out more than the "real" notes. Like... God didn't send Jesus just so we could have Christmas, but becaue people were lost. Or... Those who criticized Christ's ministry prized rigid rules over love. That's a problem for many even today. Especially in our churches. How or whether we should do certain things becomes such an issue. It's no wonder that folks just aren't interested in Christianity when there is so much fussing and fighting amongst denominations. I got to do the advice column in the People's Choice Newsletter for February. That was fun.
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I skipped entering anything yesterday. I've already been reminded of that by a few friends and inquisitioned by a few others.  Funny. For a while, my entries were rather sporatic. Then when I had a daily thing going, missing one day got folks' attention.I spent much of yesterday sleeping. Tired and with an upset tummy. The first antibiotic had to be replaced, but even the second one makes me a bit ill. I guess that's my sensitivity to drugs and chemicals showing again. Anyway, I didn't fight my body when it just wanted to sleep. I feel like I could sleep right now, and probably will do the nap thing after church today. I picked up my son from work this morning around 7 a.m. He asked me to stop at Kroger's and Walgreen's, which I did. We've only been home for a short while - long enough for me to get logged on here and to check my email. Outside my kitchen window, the one I love because it's right beside my computer, the weather has had a big change. (And the ones the cats love because it's a big bay window where they can sit and watch the world.) It was not snowing when I picked up my son, nor when we got back to the house. But it is snowing now - LOTS! In fact, if it keeps up like this, we could have 2 inches by the time we're supposed to be leaving for church. It's pretty, I do have to admit that. The flakes are the big, fluffy ones. And our kitty - who is young enough that she's not familiar with snow - is watching it come down and actually trying to reach out and touch it through the window. Cute. I wonder if I should wake hubby and suggest that we attend the earlier service. Maybe I should turn on the TV and see what the weather people think is going to happen today. If I recall correctly, they told us on the news last night that we were in for another snow dusting. Maybe we should request a definition of snow dusting... |
| I was so excited yesterday when I learned my illness had turned into bronchitis. Strange, I know. But there are medications for bronchitis! The prescription I received for antibiotics is in the same family as one that has caused me problems before. The last time I took that med, I was sick - vomiting - for 3 days. Supposedly, this med, although in the same family, has been "improved" and changed so it doesn't cause nausea. Well...it didn't work that way on me. I've been sick since I started taking it. I threw up last night, then kept a heating pad on my mid-section to help with the pain. Today I've already napped once. Now I'm heading back to bed. Yes, I made a call to the doc's office requesting a different antibiotic. |
| As I logged on here and checked my emails, the one that hit me was the devoinal from Jason Mitchener. The subject read, "Tired of Feeling Tired." I can certainly identify with that. Two Sundays ago, our pastor said something in his sermon about being "sick and tired of being sick and tired." I understood those words as well. But...the great news is that I now have bronchitis, and that's treatable. I dropped off two prescriptions at the pharmacy and asked hubby to pick them up on his way from work. One is an antibiotic, and since it's one of those 5 day things, I figured it wasn't generic. With our prescription plan, we don't pay anything for generic drugs. For those that don't have a generic yet, we pay either $25 or $40. Since hubby has the checkbook, I figured it was safer for him to pick at last that one up. The other is for cough medicine, something stronger than I could get over-the-counter. Hopefully this will knock the begeebers out of my bronchitis and I'll be left with just being sick and tired of the fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. ********** I chatted with my baby sister a bit yesterday afternoon. She was at her hubby's office helping him with something. Karen is 13 years younger than me, making her a mere 41 years of age. She's feeling old, though, because....she just discovered next September she'll be a grandma. She's not too happy about that. Her son is 22 and his girlfriend is only 18. This was not something they planned. Our mom is excited, though, about becoming a great-grandmother. But in her mental confusion she doesn't understand why it has to wait until September. This reminded me of back in 1983. My parents - especially Mom - really wanted to be grandparents. Their friends and their siblings all had grandkids and they didn't. They weren't that old back then - just 54 and 56, in fact. Anyway, in 1983, three of their four kids (their girls) all announced that they were pregnant. Only Carol had planned having a baby at just that time. She was quite a planner. She and her husband planned everything. They banked her salary and lived off Jeff's as they saved for buying a house and having children. I imagine when they bought their first house that probably they had at least half of the total price to put down. That's planning! Then, when they were ready to start trying to have children, Carol and told me that she had stopped taking the pill.As the big sister, I felt it was my duty to explain that after going off the pill some women spent years trying to get pregnant. But, it was probably less than a month later that she discovered she was pregnant. Sometimes I hated how life smiled on her. Our kids were all born in 1984, in March, June and July. I was just shy of 32, Carol was 26, and Karen was 19. Our parents were so excited. It's a bit sad to think that our Dad didn't live to see any great-grandchildren and that our Mom obiously doesn't even understand the process anymore. And poor Karen. She will be only 42 years of age when she becomes a grandma. I think she'll be quite a foxy grandma. The only picture I have right now of the three of us is from about 1998 or 1999. I'm not sure. I should scan some others. There are some fun pictures of the three of pregnant and the three of us with crawling babies. Those are fun. We should also have at least one from my niece's wedding last May. For now, this old picture will have to do. Karen is the foxy one - the one at the bottom of the stairs. She hasn't changed much.  This one of me is more recent.  Or you could go looking in my port for the one of me and Incurable Romantic   when we got married. |
| Hmmm. The weather reporters said that there would be most likely be a light snow dusting last night, but when I went to bed there was about an inch of that snow dust on the ground. This morning as I drove to pick up my son from work (in the dark), the snow kept creeping down the roof to the hood of the car, then landed on the headlights. I kept thinking there was something wrong with my lights, but it was just the snow finding a way to block them. How weird. ********* Someone remind me to post this in hubby's fibromyalgia blog too. Fibro fog might make me forget.Doctors and scientists don't really know what causes fibromyalgia. Studies are always being done...about causes and about treatments. I'm sure knowing with absolute certainty what causes fibro would help tremendously in treating and maybe in preventing or curing it. One thing upon which most professionals do agree is that the immune systems of fibro patients are somehow affected. Now, a pain management doctor in Evansville, Indiana has discovered that the fatigue, aches and chills his patients describe are the same ones patients with flu describe. He decided to test his patients for viruses and they came back positive. Below is a list of viruses he established for testing. His patients all tested positive for between three and nine viruses each. Dr. David Johnson is now prescribing anti-viral medications to his patients. *Epstein Barr virus EBV *Cytomegalovirus CMV *Herpes virus: 8 types *Parvovirus B 19 Norwalk agent *Rotavirus *Enteric Coronavirus *Enterovirus Astrovirus Calcivirus *Varicella - Zoster virus VZV Torovirus *Adenovirus Picovirus Pogosta virus Sindbis virus *Coxsackie A and B virus *The most frequently involved virses. Most patients have from three to nine of these viruses at abnormal levels. Here's a link to Dr. David Johnson's article: http://www.14wfie.com/Global/story.asp?S=2271049&nav=3w6rQvkD It could just be that the immune systems of fibromyalgia (and chronic fatigue) patients are so compromised and weakened that they are susceptible to viruses. Of course, there are lots of studies that have been done and are being done. Some have come to the conclusion that mycoplasma infections are the cause of fibromyalgia in approximately one half of patients. The bulletin boards at http://www.immunesupport.com/ offer links to many of the most recent studies for both fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. ************** As I sit here at my computer, our kitty, Opera is sitting next to me. She's fascintated with the screen, especially if I go to a page with flashing lights. She just cocks her head and stares. She likes the TV too. Sadly, she's still not gaining any weight. She's just skin and bones.*************** Some good quotes I got in an email today: Not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted. Albert Einstein Reflect upon your blessings, of which every man has plenty, not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some. Charles Dickens *************** Some people have way too much time on their hands. Hey! Not me! If you're one of those, there is a site where you can build a snowman online. Here's one that caught my attention. It's the nativity scene in snow people. http://snowmanconstructionkit.com/snowman30167_It%27s_All_About_Him.html*************** Here's something fun. If you missed the President's State of the Union speech, there's a place where you can click for the to read the speech. But even more fun than that , at this site you can see how frequently the President used certain words in the speeches each year. For instance, he used "Iraq" or "Iraqis" 34 times this year and only twice in 2002. http://www.nytimes.com/ref/washington/20070123_STATEOFUNION.html?th&emc=th**************** I'm really tired. After a nap, I have to figure out a way to get a poop sample from both cats. I guess I'll have to sit next to the litter box and watch to see when each cat uses it. Now that really sounds like a fun project. After that nap... |
| The small group lessons and our pastor's accompanying sermons call Christians "Christ-followers." I like that term much better than "Christian." Too many folks call themselves Christian who just don't exhibit any fruit. Christ-folowers just sounds like a stronger, more active and bold way to define oneself. It probably also requires some action. (Following...as opposed to just being...) I definitely want to be a Christ-follower. I really did enjoy being with a group of like-minded women on Sunday night. At the end, we laughed about how different our discussions would probably be from the discussion of a men's group. We prayed for our kids and our pets. The guys will probably pray about the Super Bowl results. Hubby will be going to his small group this evening. I hope he feels a connection like I did in mine.******** We're supposed to get some more snow tonight. I hope the weather forcasts are wrong. If I had my way, the one snow we did get would be the only snow of the season. Fat chance. ******** As a Baby-Boomer, I often think about how things were "back in my day." The world certainly is a different place now, and there are many arguments about why and how that came to be. Some blame the fact that prayer was taken from our schools.To me, the biggest difference in today's world and the one I experienced as a child is the lack of respect - for our elders, our neighbors, even our own friends and family. The lack of respect is really evident in how everyone speaks about our President. I remember hearing, as a child, how the citizens of the U.S. were divided about whether or not they liked President Franklin Roosevelt. They were also divided on whether or not Roosevelt should have gotten involved in World War II. But, even though they might have disliked the man and even though they disagreed with some of his decisions, the man was the President and worthy of respect. Perhaps in their homes and behind closed doors, people might have spoken against the President. But in public, they showed respect, and patriotism towards the country, the flag, the military and, yes, even to the Presdient. Our parents and grandparents knew that the world was watching. They understood that - in public - we should show a united front. I was just a kid when President Kennedy came into office. There were those who really were against having a Roman Catholic as President. They believed, that his allegience would be to the Pope before the U.S. Even so, the man was our President and each and every man, woman and child mourned him when he died. It was not a difficult task to show unity in this tragedy. I tend to believe that the respect shown to govenment officials back then was given because our country was more of a "Christian country." And the Bible was very clear about how one should treat those in authority. In Romans 13: 1-7 (NIV) it says: 1 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2 Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3 For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4 For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer. 5 Therefore, it is necessary to submit to the authorities, not only because of possible punishment but also because of conscience. 6 This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing. 7 Give everyone what you owe him: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor. Even "church folks" have forgotten the importance of giving respect to those in authority over us. We not only openly and publically criticize and make fun of our President and other government officials, but of pastors and religious leaders, of teachers and professors, and of any others in authority. Is it any wonder that today's children and young people show no respect for leaders and authority figures? They take their cues from us. ************ That reminds me... Someone inquired about the Bible program I have on my computer. It's Biblesoft's PC Bible Study 3.0. On it, there are 12 versions of the Bible, Nave's Topical Bible, The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, four Bible dictionaries, seven commentaries, Greek/Hebrew dictionaries, concordances, pictures and maps. I love it! But, if you're looking for a good online reference, here's what I recommend: http://www.biblegateway.com/ This has many of the same tools. On the home page, there's a verse of the day listed. Today's verse: "If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him."- James 1:5 NIV There's even a way to add the verse of the day to your own web site. That's all for now folks. *********** I received an email asking that if Hilliary became President would I feel the same way about respect. The answer? Yes. The Bible passage above would include her if (Heaven forbid) she would become President.I do think I might take to writing/ranting like the Psalmist, though... |
| Let's see... Tiffany's mom called at 8 a.m. yesterday and woke Jim. Normally Jim takes Tiff home on Sunday afternoons on the weekends she stays with us. Her mom was concerned that with the snow - which was still falling at that time - Tiff might get stuck here with us if the roads were bad enough. So hubby took Tiff home before the snow could become a bigger problem. Then we went to church. Our pastor started a new sermon series to go along with the lessons our small groups will be studying. The series is about evengelism - called "Just Walk Across the Room." Basically, the idea is that we don't all have to be evangelists. We just have to be ready to go where the Spirit leads - to talk with people about everyday things and be friendly. The snow did stop and my small group leader called at 5 p.m. to say that we would be having our small group at 7 p.m. That was fun - and educational. Small groups are much more intimate than church services. The group I decided to attend is a woman's group. I do need to be in the company of women sometimes. I had no idea that one woman was a doctor, another a social worker. At church, we all wear name badges, but not anything that indicates our occupations or vocations. *********** Today, I did a little shopping. I went to the dollar store first, intending to spend $20. Sure enough, I spent $19.37. Then off to the grocery store. I knew what I wanted to buy and I figured on spending about $63 dollars. I had a bit more than that, but that was my goal. When everything was totaled, my bill was $62.83. Not bad, huh? Actually, there were a few things I wanted to get that just weren't on the shelves. And I got a few things in place of the ones I really wanted. On my way out, though, I stopped at the customer service desk to request that they restock some of the things I wanted. Like cappuccino - English toffee flavored. Yummmmmy. And some Kashi cookies (I have about six coupons for free boxes. Might as well try them. And the store does carry Kashi crackers.) And Godiva white chocolate raspberry ice cream. There was something else I wanted to request, but of course it eluded me as I stood at the customer service desk. At home as I was putting away the groceries, I remembered that other elusive item. I found a pen so I could write a note to myslef, but as I had the pen poised over the page ready to write, whatever it was up and left my mind. Grrr. I finally did remember. Thomas (or it Thompson?) Bagel Squares (Bagle Bread) - with everything on top. Have you tried that? Making a bagle sandwich is fun...with this new bagle bread. I did write it down. Now I just have to remember to take the note with me the next time I'm going to the grocery store. Sure. I can do that... |
| I woke to the alarm clock this morning like any morning. Although I don't work, I do usually have to drive my son to and from work. Each morning, I await his call. His shift should be finished at 6:30 a.m., but his actual departure time is anywhere from 5:30 to 8 a.m. When he called at 6:30 he said, "I have a ride, Mom." "Are you sure?" "Well, I know you don't like to drive in this stuff." I looked out the window and was shocked to see about two inches of snow. "Oh my goodness, it snowed." "Yes. And I have a ride." "Good. Tell your ride to drive carefully." I'd hate to be the weather forcastors. Each station agreed on the forcast for the next few days. We were supposed to get a rain, sleet and snow mixture starting this afternoon. My hubby had already suggested that Derek might find a ride coming home on Monday morning. When I woke up this morning, I didn't even check on the weather. The 11 p.m. news had not mentioned getting any precipitation this early, and when I went to bed aroud 1 a.m. there was not a hint of the white stuff. Some folks will be thrilled. They've been so upset at this year's lack of snow. Tiffany has been hoping for a snow day. If this keeps up, she just might get her wish. |
| This afternoon, fatigue hit with a vengeance. I guess I slept for a few hours, while Jim and Tiffany and the two cats went about normal life. Even after I woke up, I could have just crawled back into bed and slept for about eight more hours. But I didn't. While I was sleeping and dreaming, my mind created an entry in this blog. Funny, huh? Something that I must have thought important in my sleep again. When I woke up, the idea was gone, even before I could write it down. Grrr. On a lighter note... The gas station/convenience store nearest to us has some yummy candies sitting on the counter. Candies that remind me of being a kid. They're square chocolate candies called "Ice Cube." Does anyone else remember those? I loved buying them in the summer and having them just melt in my mouth. Of course I had to buy one the other day. Twenty-five cents for one. I remember when they were... Oh never mind. That just makes me sound old. |
I've been thinking a lot about friends and friendships today, thanks entirely to Budroe  and his latest blog entry. "Invalid Item"  I felt so sorry for Bud and for his friends who have decided that they cannot continue along Bud's journey with cancer. They hurt too badly!!???? Imagine how he feels. But in the midst of his anger and disappointment, Bud offered forgiveness to his friends. Now that is a faith that we should all cultivate. While pondering friendship, of course I turned to the Bible. I remembered some verses in Proverbs. Proverbs 18:24 NIV A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother. Prov 17:17 NIV A friend loves at all times, and a brother is born for adversity. Actually, if you search the Bible for verses about friends, there are quite a few. But these are the two I wanted to find. As I thought about friends and friendships, I realized how few I have myself. I had the same group of friends from age 3 to 11, some closer than others. Then my family moved. We stayed in the same school district, so I did see those same friends in jr. high. But things were different once we were not in the same neighborhood. In jr. high, I had one really good friend. Then my family moved again, this time from the suburbs to the city. I don't think my "friend" called me even once after I moved, nor I her. In high school, again I had quite a number of friends, some closer than others. Some I met in school; others I met in church. I had one really close, best friend. But for some reason (that I never knew), she got angry with me in our senior year. It wasn't until over 25 years later when I connected to some other friends through Classmates.com that I found out her married name and phone number. We spoke on the phone, then exchanged letters a few times. She didn't remember why she had dumped me as a friend either. It couldn't have been very important. We shared so much as teens, and it's a shame that our friendship didn't follow us into real adulthood. In Florida, I developed a few close friendships with women in church and, in one case, with a woman who once worked for me. I still have contacts with these friends. I did not develop any close friendships in Texas, even though I was there for six years, and even though I was quite active in church. I was only in Michigan for two years, and during that time I helped take care of my aging parents. While I did attend church services, I never felt I could be away from my folks for long periods of time. The only places I went besides the once a week church services were to my own doctor, chiropractor and accupuncture appointments. Now here I am in Ohio, married to Incurable Romantic . I've been here since December, 2004 and have yet to develop any close friendships.Is there something wrong with me? I know what a big part of my problem is now. With the pains of fibromyalgia, I cannot do much (sometimes no) cleaning. And I have a hubby who has filled the house with all kinds of trinkets and do-dads and "memories"...not to mention the antique player pianos - in what should be a living room and all over the basement and garage (and in storage!!!). I guess I am just old enough that I still believe that it's a woman's job to keep a clean, warm and inviting home for entertaining. I'm embarassed that I cannot keep the home that way. And we certainly don't have the money to afford cleaning assistance. So...although I have a table in my kitchen big enough to share coffee with a few friends, I have not taken the time to find those friends. That's really makes me sad. Yes, I have loads of internet friends, and for that I'm thankful. But I realized that if I were forced to take a journey like Bud, there would be no one but hubby around to really cry with...except online. If you've read what I wrote a few years ago about resolutions vs. commitments, you know that I don't believe in making resolutions. Most folks just don't follow through on them. I know I don't. Rather than resolving to change this, I need to make a commitment to change it. So, perhaps that's my new goal for 2007. I need to actually have some local friends. My first step in that direction is coming soon. I have joined a women's small group at our church. Our first meeting is this coming Sunday evening. (And hubby, who is also lacking in male friends has joined a men's small group that meets on Tuesday evenings.) This is only going to be a four-week session about evangelism. But the woman who leads this group will, most likely, be the leader for the next round of lessons. She has been leading a small group in her home for a few years now. |
| When we used to ask my dad what was up, he'd say, "The sky." When we asked what was new, "New Jersey." As a young man he wasn't that feisty. I think it was living with my mom for so many years that made him come out of his shell. He had to. I have stolen those answers myself and use them quite frequently. Yes, the sky is what's up today. There is actually sunshine. It's cold, but we're really blessed compared to so many parts of the country experiencing those ice storms. Hubby, Incurable Romantic , went to the doctor's office yesterday about his blood pressure. At home, his readings had been higher than the doc wanted. Ten of the fourteen readings that I saw in the blood pressure cuff memory were higher than the doc wanted. But, naturally, when he went to the doc's office, his blood pressure reading was quite normal. Isn't that the way things happen? So...the doc wants him to take readings for two weeks, then to check some of the retail locations that have blood pressure machines to see how his monitor compares with those readings, just to make sure his gadget isn't giving false readings. (I doubt that it is, since I've used it twice and came up with numbers that were my normal 119/77 and 118/78.)No news on Piewacket's blood tests. And, yes, we still have to get stool samples from both Pie and Opera. Perhaps with hubby and I both here this weekend, we can watch the potty habbits of both cats and catch them right after they exit the litterbox. Like we have nothing better to do than stake out the litterbox??? We did finally get the Christmas tree down last night. I had attempted getting it down over the past few weeks, but Opera always wanted to participate. She was sacked out on our bed and we worked quickly to get the ornaments and lights off the tree. She didn't wake up until Jim was trying to sweep the floor where the tree had been. Of course, Opera thought it was a new game. At least he got to see what I had been going through.I'm really not used to having to plan my day around when the cats are sleeping. Doing any cleaning with the young kitty awake and playful is tiring. And I really don't need any help being tired! I can't believe it's Thursday. I must really be getting old. The weeks just seem to fly by anymore. |
| Not much to report on our kitties today. Piewacket must not have enjoyed her visit to the vet. Since she got home last night, she has been spending most of her time behind Tiffany's bedroom door near the heat vent there. Hiding. Poor thing. The first day at the vet, she had her butt poked to get her temperature. The second day she had her belly shaved to see if she'd been spayed yet. The latest blood tests won't be back for a few days. Meanwhile, now we have the task of getting stool samples for both kitties. Or rather challenge, since they share a litterbox. ******** Nothing to report on hubby's health yet, since his doctor's appointment isn't until later this afternoon. ******** We've still have been blessed with better winter weather than usual (and than other areas). Yes, we finally cold temperatures, more usual for this time of year. And we did get another snow dusting yesterday and last night. But nothing more than a dusting. ******** Two bad accidents in our area today. Early this morning, a school bus crashed and all 17 kids and the bus driver went to the hospital. Most of the kids, especially in the back of the bus, had injuries, albeit minor ones. They showed one girl just a while ago on the news. She had bruises on lower body that couldn't be seen. But she had obviously had lots of glass in her face. She had red scratches and small gashes all over her face. Sure hope there's no scarring. I think only two kids were hurt badly. The horrible thing is that some of the kids the news folks interviewed said the the bus driver - a woman - was playing games on her cell phone when she lost control of the bus. It swerved to one side of the road, then to the other, and finally ended up hitting a pole. If they're right, that bus driver is in for some trouble. The other accident was between a pick-up truck and a train. The pick-up truck driver must have tried to get across the tracks before the train. He failed and both the driver and passenger died. Why in the world do people try that??? I remember when I lived in Jackson, Michigan years ago, the trains went right across town a couple of times a day. One was early in the morning, right about the time everyone was trying to get to work. There were many times when that train made folks late for work. Grrr. There were also Amtrack trains that came through, but usually later in the day. Once, I was crossing train tracks and when I got across them, I heard the warning sounds going off. As I looked in my rear view mirror, the gate closed just behind my car and then an Amtrack train came zooming down the tracks. Scared me to death. When I cross train tracks, I always look for trains, even if the signals are not going off. I did so that time too, and that Amtrack train was no where in sight. Boy do they go fast. I cannot imagine trying to beat a train. They're waaaaaaaaaay too big and even going at a snail's pace, they'd do horrible damage to any vehicle. ********** My buddy Bud started a series of essays about blogging. Do check it out.
And don't forget to check his blog too:
Really. |
| I took our cat, Piewacket, to the vet's office this morning. She was none too thrilled to get her leash on this morning, although she usually loves walking. She fussed about getting in the car. Yesterday's memory of the car trip and vet trip were obviously still fresh in her mind. The vet's office called a little while ago. When they shaved Pie's belly, the discovered that she had already been spayed. That's one expense we don't have to have. But...the blood tests from yesterday had come back, and one of her readings for white blood cells was elevated quite a bit. For cats, normal is 2 and Pie's reading was 16. Not good. The vet thinks perhaps Pie has heartworms, which, she informed me, is harder to treat in cats than it is in dogs. It also makes putting her under anesthesia a danger, and they had wanted to give her mild sedation to see what's going on in her throat. She still can't meow. They'll be doing more extensive blood tests and fecal sample tests to find out exactly why her white cells are elevated. Meanwhile, we certainly don't want to put her under, since it could cause her to die in the process. There's a slight chance that the elevated white cells could mean cancer. But the vet said there's less of a chance of that than the heartworms. We need to know what's wrong with our poor cat. So the extra tests are being done this afternoon. Here's hoping and praying that it's nothing serious. We really don't have the money for extensive treatments. We also don't want to lose this important part of our household. *********** I'm still coughing, but haven't even thought about making a doc appointment for myself. Sleeping on the recliner in the living room isn't fun, but it does help me not cough all night. *********** Tomorrow, hubby Incurable Romantic has a trip to his doc to see what can be done to bring his blood pressure down.*********** Yes indeedy, life is complicated. ************ You know, if we could sell the 1925 Steinway antique baby grand player piano that sits in our living room, it would help our finances. (It would also mean I could have living room furniture!) Don't suppose you know any who wants to buy it? For a friend of a friend, we'd gladly take $14,000. It surely is beautiful. |
| Sigh. Animals can cause you just as much grief as kids. Perhaps more, since they cannot tell you what's happening with them. Our adult cat, Piewacket or Pie for short, used to be such a talker. I think I wrote about that a while back. She knows by the tone of your voice if you're asking a question of her and is always apt to respond. Her meows are different for different things. Lately, though, she hasn't been doing much meowing. I thought that it might have something to do with having the kitty. She has not been too sure she likes sharing her house with that new kitty. She never minded having Allison's dog here. But another feline? She's just not sure that's the right thing for all of us. This weekend, I noticed (or rather my son pointed out to me) that Pie opens her mouth to meow an answer when you ask a question. But nothing comes out. It appears that she's lost her voice. Pie and Opera were both scheduled to see the vet on Feb. 7. But those plans have changed now. When I checked with the vet's office, they said she needs to be seen - today. Let's hope this doesn't cost an arm and a leg. My own sore throat and cough is back to being annoying and I'll probably need another doctor's appointment this week. Bird poop! What's that? You don't understand my reference to bird poop? Well, hubby would. A while ago, our pastor (and it might have been sooooooo long ago that it was the pastor at Jim's old church), told a story about a man whose life was in shambles. I can't remember all of the things that went wrong for that fellow, but there were many. And when he complained and shook his fist at the heavens, wondering how much more he could take or if there was ever going to be an end to his troubles, the answer came. Some bird pooped on his face. That's what I was thinking. You know, when it rains, it pours. (And it is raining here today, by the way. Some areas of Cincinnati are expecting flooding.) Or, when you really think there cannot be any more bad stuff happening in your life, a bird poops on your face. The shorthand version of saying all of that is to just say, "Bird poop" when someone is having a bad time. *************** We're back from the vet's office. Seems like she's mimicing what I went through. We can't pass the same viruses around. But I guess while we're suffering a bunch of viruses, so are our pets. Grrr. Blood tests show that she doesn't have anything bacterial. But the vet couldn't really see down her throat. I guess cats are the worst for having you look in their mouths. So...tomorrow Pie will arrive at the vet's office somewhere between 7 and 8:30 a.m. to be spayed. While they have her anesthetized they'll also be able to look at her throat. Thankfully, while we were there, Pie tried to meow for the doc. She moved her mouth and nothing came out, just like at home. (Riding in the car, which she didn't like at all, she tried doing a loud cat howl. With all that effort, a small squeak did come out, but that's all. Poor thing.) The vet said Pie could have any number of problems. It could be that she has a sore throat and laryngitis like a human. Or, my son could be right about the hairball. Doc said sometimes they actually get them stuck around the vocal chords. Who knew? The doc also said it could be something worse than that but we're not going there until she checks Pie tomorrow. Good idea. We're not ready to think bad thoughts. Happy thoughts, that's what we're thinking. The folks in the waiting room were all impressed at Piewacket walking on a leash. One couple had tried that with their cats and had nothing but scratches to show for it. Tonight, we have to take up the food and water bowls after 8 p.m. That's going to make two felines very unhappy. Maybe we'll have to put the young one in our bedroom with the door closed and some food and water on our floor. She eats and drinks all the time!!!! That's all about Pie - for now. Meanwhile, if you didn't look at the new picture at the top of my page, you probably missed that I made an album of pictures of downtown Pittsburgh, the inclines and Kennywood. Here they are:
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I'm praying for you. And I hope your cancer meds continue their success.
