%%USERNAME%%    %%ACCWORDS%% %%ONOFF%% |
 |  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:
|
| They say there is a tomb of an Anglican Bishop in Westminster Abbey where these words are inscribed: “When I was young and free and my imagination had no limits, I dreamed of changing the world. As I grew older and wiser I discovered the world would not change – So I shortened my sights somewhat and decided to change only my country, but it too seemed immovable. As I grew into my twilight years, in one last desperate attempt, I settled for changing only my family, those closest to me, but alas, they would have none of it. And now I realize as I lie on my deathbed, if I had only changed myself first, then by example I might have changed my family. From their inspiration and encouragement I would then have been able to better my country, And who knows, I might have even changed the world.” What wise words they are! The only person we can truly change is ourself. But in really trying to change, in trying to have God's heart when we interact with people around us, others are bound to notice. And they are more apt to mimic our behavior. Both smiles and frowns are contagious. Wouldn't you rather see smiles? Both kindness and rage are easily shared and multiplied. As the year draws to a close we ponder about the impact we have or have not had on the world around us, as we begin planning and making goals for the coming year and beyond, this bishop's wise words should be inscribed upon our hearts. We can all make a difference, if we first learn to nurture ourselves. |
A few entries back, I mentioned that I hurt my hand just doing laundry. I bumped it on the washing machine agitator. I think that was on about December 2. I took a picture of it last night. My digital camera isn't very good and I'm still not used to it, but it gives a general idea. |
| Goethe said, "Nothing is worth more than this day." There's something to ponder. |
| Getting out of bed was rather painful today. Sitting is also painful this morning. Hmmm. I was exploring my files (and with my fibro fog, I forgot why I was searching!!!) and in my search, I discovered this link. If you think that here in the good 'ol US of A that getting Social Secuity Disability is easy, think again. This essay explains one woman's experience. Her's is not unusual. http://www.frontiernet.net/~lindaf1/bump.html Personally, I first applied for SSD in June, 2003 - with "just" my back and knee injuries. Since then, I've been diagnosed with fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, chronic pain, IBS, spastic veins and arteries, palmaplantarpustulosis, thinned skin, depression, sensitivity to drugs and chemicals. The disability advocate I had got sick and didn't tell anyone how sick he was. While I was sitting in an abuse shelter in December, 2003, I was denied and had 60 days to respond. Andre didn't tell me I was denied. He finally got so sick that he transferred his files back to his home office. I moved from TX to MI and the disability advocates finally assigned someone to help me in MI. My new advocate didn't know I had been denied either. When we inquired of SS, they always said that I was waiting for a hearing before an administrative judge. That information turned out to be partly true and partly false. I was waiting for a hearing, but not with SS. The hearing was for a Michigan judge to decide if I was disabled enough for Michigan benefits - Medicare, mostly, since I was receiving $284 in disability income from Michigan just because I was taking depression meds and seeing a counselor. This advocate finally discovered that I had been denied benefits, just before I moved to Ohio. I have a good attorney in Ohio, but I had to refile my application, since I had been denied in 2003 and didn't respond in the 60 days. I might have been able to get the SSA to reconsider that first application, since I never received the notification. (The notification went to my advocate, since I was in a woman's abuse shelter.) But my attorney and I decided to file a new application, using the original date filed as my disability date. I was denied within a few months. SSA acknowledged that I had all of the problems listed above. But they thought I could be a secretary somewhere. When I asked my attorney if SS was going to find me a job, he just laughed. I have considered making a new resume, giving not only my skills and experiences, but also listing my maladies and what they would mean to my employer. Like...not being able to sit for more than an hour without walking around. And not being able to be on my feet for long. And maybe having to take a nap or two throughout the day. Possibly bleeding all over my work, if I just bump my hands. Perhaps I'll still do that. Now I wait for a hearing with a SS judge. And because of the backlog in Ohio, that could be another year or so. Yippee skippee. At least here in Cincinnati, I have doctors who acknowledges that fibromyalgia is something real. In Michigan, I saw one doctor from another country who told me that she would never, ever fill out any forms about my having a possible disability. She informed me that if I lived in her birth country that I could have only one arm, one leg, one eye and numerous other ailments and would still be expected to work at something. I kindly suggested that she might want to go back to her country.  Another Michigan doctor informed me that pain is never disabling. Really? I considered wishing that he had a few pains, but, of course I did not do that. I did pray that God would open his eyes.Well now. See what happens when Kenzie starts searching for an old file? I wish I could remember what it was I was originally wanting to find. Oh well. It did remind me that when I listed my maladies I completely forgot fibro fog!!! |
| Besides pain and fatigue and IBS and all sorts of other things, I have thinned skin due to shots and meds taken about 5 years ago for my back injury and pains. My poor hands look like they belong to someone 20+ years older. That wouldn't bother me if my thin skin didn't bruise and bleed. Sometimes I don't even know that I've injured myself until I start bleeding. That was not the case yesterday. I was doing the laundry and hit my hand on the agitator. OUCH! I know when I do feel something, that it's going to be bad. I ended up tearing most of a circle of skin away. Boy did that hurt. I quickly doused it in peroxide and clamped down on the injury so it wouldn't end up being a raised bump that couldn't heal well. As it is, it will probably take about 2-3 weeks to heal. Hopefully, in the meantime, I won't bump that hand again. I have so many scars on that hand now! So, here I am complaining again. |
I found a few old notebooks with some scribblings in them. Some of the pages have been torn from the books. On some pages, the writing is so bad that even I am having trouble reading it.  But I have started trying to type some of those scribbgles here:
|
If you haven't visited this blog or made it one of your favorites yet, you need to do that pronto.
|
| This fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue stinks. Really. Although I would love to sleep all the time, the most painful time for my joints and muscles is getting in and out of bed. So getting into bed hurts. And I know that when I get back out of bed that will hurt as well. Even when I'm thoroughly exhausted, knowing that getting in and out of bed will hurt so badly doesn't make sleeping that attractive. I'm not sure which is worse, but I think it's getting up in the morning. Sometimes I lay awake in bed praying. But, ultimately, I have to get up at some point, even if it's just to answer nature's call. And I would just like to scream and scream because of the pain. Considering the pain that I do experience, I think I'm still a rather pleasant person to be around. Sometimes I want to be reeeeeeaaaaaaaaaallllllllly grumpy, but I try not to be. |
I keep forgetting to list some of the strange things that have come from my mouth recently. Some of them, Incurable Romantic   and I have listed in his blog. It's like I've developed a dyslexic mouth.I have said: I've very been good. That's very not nice. Crinimal Minds (instead of Criminal Minds) And....Dullbozer (instead of bulldozer). Why would we be talking about bulldozers? I tease Jim when I wake up in the mornings hurting all over that he's been running a bulldozer over me while I sleep. But not long ago, I said, "dullbozer" instead of bulldozer. Weird. |
| Have you ever done a Google search of your own name? There are lots of Marilyn Mackenzie listings. I find it fascinating that the women who share my name are writers, pastors, artists, speakers, volunteer coordinators. Recently, I found a quotation by one of them: "I want women to be aware of abuse without bruising. Women should be aware of the controller, the manipulator, about being put down, being lied to. You may not even recognize this type of abuse at first but this does effect the way you live your life, the way you react to your children, family and friends." Marilyn Mackenzie , London, Ontario, November, 2005 I really find this fascinating, since I have been a victim of this type of abuse myself. |
| Yikes. I wonder if I can remember everything that has happend since I last wrote something here. I took Derek to the airport in Dayton on Tuesday, Nov. 7, and continued driving north. He was going to visit his girl friend in Memphis for her 21st birthday. My destination was Rapid City, MI - in northern Michigan. That's where my sister lives, and where my Mom now resides as well - in an assisted living center. What fun I had with my (baby) sister and her family. Karen is now 41, but she'll always be the baby. ********** On Wednesday, Karen picked up Mom and told her there was a surprise back at her house. I was pleased that my mom knew who I was. We went to lunch, and that was an adventure. Mom claimed she had no appetite, then ate like she hadn't had a meal in days. Even so, she couldn't finish her cheeseburger, so she wrapped up half of it and put it in her purse. We sent back to Karen's after eating, and Mom was restless. She kept asking what we were going to do next. Finally, after she had asked that about a gazillion times, I reminded her that when she was ready, we'd take her back to her home. She said she was ready. We took Mom back to the home, and as we drove up she said, "Do I live here?" (She has been there for nine months.) Once inside, Karen asked Mom to show me her room. With the help of signs on the bedroom doors, she was able to find her room. But she stood in the middle of it saying, with amazement in her voice, "All of my things are here. Look! My clothes are in the closet. I have so many clothes. Look! My handsome Harry's pictures are on the shelf. I lost my handsome Harry, you know." Of course we knew. Dad passed away in August, 2005 and Mom's mental switch seemed to turn off completely when he died. Before that, she was getting forgetful. After he died, she changed dramatically. Karen asked Mom to show us the puzzle she was working on when Karen arrived to pick her up. In the community room, there were a bunch of men watching Lingo on the TV. One, who cannot speak, gestured to my sister that he and Mom (and no one else) do puzzles together. His eyes twinkled as he explained this to Karen with his hands. (No, he doesn't use sign language, just gestures. Karen was always good at playing charades.) Mom listened to Karen interrpret the man's hand gestures and commented, "That man must be my friend." "Yes, Mom, he must be your friend. You do puzzles together." As we started to say our good-byes, Mom ran and got her purse. "Are we going to eat now?" she asked. "No, Mom, we already ate. Remember? You have half of your cheeseburger in your purse. You need to take that to the kitchen and ask someone to put it in the refrigerator for you." "No, I'm going to eat it for dinner." "They're fixing dinner for you, Mom." "They are? How nice." Later in the week, the staff at the home told Karen they had found the cheeseburger in Mom's dresser drawer. *********** On Thursday, Karen and I drove to see our other sister, Carol in Midland, MI. She just divorced her husband of 26 years. Seems he had cheated on her for most of those years. His present girl friend has been in his life for the last 7 years. Carol is just devastated. We were there to offer some comfort, but also to go through some of Mom and Dad's things. We found pictures that none of us had ever seen before. We shared Dad's Seabee's pins and Sheet Metal Worker pins. We discovered that Dad had 3 Bibles, so we each took one of those. We do have a brother, but he chooses to be homeless and at this point we really don't know where (in Pittsburgh) he's staying. We did put aside a few things to send to his children. I came away with a very special hat of my father's. It's a Steeler's knit cap. He wore it every time he sat watching a Steeler's game. Attached to it are old Steeler buttons, a miniature "terrible towel", and a ticket stub from one of the Super Bowls he attended in the 70's. What a treasure. I could probably sell that hat on e-Bay and make some money. But the true value is in the memories. Karen and I spent the night at Carols, then headed back to Rapid City on Friday morning. ************** On Friday afternoon, our cousin Ed came to visit with us and Mom. He had not seem Mom since he lived with my parents for a few months in about 2002. Karen brought Mom to her house for another surprise. She remembered Ed too. But her comments were much the same as they had been on Wednesday. Cousin Ed did discover that Mom's memory of music and lyrics is better than life moments. ************** On Saturday, Karen and her two daughters and I went on a "shop til you drop" trip. In fact, at the last two stops, I stayed in the car. We must have shopped for 6 or 7 hours. Well...they shopped. I just tagged along. It snowed on Friday and Saturday nights, but it wasn't cold enough to stay on the streets, thankfully. On Sunday, Karen continued her demolition project. She had been tearing down walls before I arrived, and she continued that as soon as everyone was awake on Sunday. I left northern Michigan in the early afternoon on Sunday. I was truly thankful that after traveling about 20 miles down the highway, the sun shone brightly. After another 10 miles or so, there was not even any evidence of snow on the grass beside the road. I was able to take my time heading on back to Ohio. Derek's flight didn't arrive until almost 11 p.m. We arrived back home probably close to 2 a.m. on Monday. *********** I had not seen my mother since my dad died about 15 months ago. I'm glad I made the trip, since I don't know when I'll get back to see Mom again. She may not remember that I was there, but I know. |
| It has been a few days since I was here. My back has been really giving me trouble. Sitting and standing produce so much pain that I want to scream. I don't. But I do grumble enough that hubby knows I'm in pain. I have also been taking pain meds and muscle relaxers more often than usual. And I saw the chiropractyor on Friday and have another appointment scheduled for Monday. And sleeping a bit more than usual because of the meds. Even so, I'm planning on making a trip up to Michigan to see my sisters and my mom. My son is leaving on Tuesday morning to visit his honey (for her 21st birthday) and will be gone until Sunday. Since he won't need me to drive him to work, it's a perfect time to make the trip to Michigan. (And...the weather looks like it will be nice enough that there shouldn't be any snow.) I'll drive my son to the airport in Dayton, OH on Tuesday morning and then just keep driving north. So...I'll probably not be logging on here often in those days. I missed church this morning. Thankfully, hubby really tries to make his handwriting legible on his sermon notes. (Not always totally legible, but he tries.) Wanted to pass along this link to an essay about Social Security Disability - and the problems that go along with it. Even if you're not someone who needs these benefits right now, this essay should be of interest. The writer is the founder of an online disability group to which I belong. (I think Lifewriter alerted me to this group.) http://thisibelieve.org/dsp_ShowEssay.php?lastname=Fullerton&uid=12510&start=0 That's all for now....and possibly for a week if I don't log on while in Michigan. |
| I was remembering a visit my aunt had to her family doctor when she was going through menopause. She was having bladder problems. Every time she coughed or sneezed, she would wet herself. The doc must have thought he was a real comedian. He told her to stop coughing and sneezing. I guess I remembered that because my back is sooooooooo painful, but it's even more so if I move. So, I guess if I just stopped moving, I'd have just the normal ouchy back pains and not the pain that also shoots down my leg and up my spine as well. I'm probably walking strangely since I hurt so much, so now my (bad) knee is complaining too. When I move, my knee really feels like bone moving against bone. And yes, it hurts when I cough or sneeze too.  Lying down in bed eases the "normal" pains a bit, but moving while lying down is more painful for some reason. The worst pains are when I move the muscles in my back to get up and down from a chair or anywhere else where I might need to be sitting. Enough about that stupid pain! I have shared before that my computer is in the kitchen, beside a big bay window. Outside the window is a tree. I love watching the birds and squirrels romp and play in and around that tree as I type and think. Last year at this time, I watched as the leaves on that tree changed from green to bright oranges and yellows. I watched as the winds blew and those leaves came tumbling down. And I watched as one lonely leaf stayed green and connected. All winter long, as the harsh winds blew, temperatures dropped and snow landed on the tree branches, that one lone green leaf survived. That one lone leaf inspired me last year. It was a reminder to me of the importance of staying connected to the One who cares the most about me. And that by being connected, I could survive all the winds and cold the world wants to dump on me. ************ And what a strange world it has become out there on the other side of my window. The US census reports that over 85% of Americans still say they believe in God. If that is true, how have we allowed God to be taken from our schools? Benjamin Franklin once said, "I have lived, Sir, a long time; and the longer I live, the more convincing proofs I see of this Truth, that God governs in the Affairs of Men. And if a Sparrow cannot fall to the Ground without his Notice, is it probable that an Empire can rise without his Aid?" I believe it was also Benjamin Franklin who said that the only true history is in the Bible. (Although I cannot find the quote that I read again just yesterday.) Our children are being taught a history of our country that is false or is only half true. Most of the founding fathers were godly men and they knew that without God, our country could not survive and thrive. Our children are told (and so many adults believe) that Thomas Jefferson was adamant about the separation of church and state. Many, wrongly, think those words are in our founding documents. They are not. They were penned by Jefferson in a letter where he was assuring the recipient that our government would not dictate or form a religion that all must follow - as had been the case in Europe for years. Jefferson did say, "And can the liberties of a nation be thought secure when we have removed their only firm basis, a conviction in the minds of the people that these liberties are the gift of God? That they are not to be violated but with his wrath? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just: that his justice cannot sleep for ever." In his 28 Principles of Freedom, Ben Franklin said:  The only reliable basis for sound government and just human relations is Natural Law. (God's Law) A free people cannot survive under a republican constitution unless they remain virtuous and morally strong. Without religion the government of a free people cannot be maintained. All things were created by God, therefore upon him all mankind are equally dependent, and to him they are equally responsible . To protect human rights, God has revealed a code of divine law. The core unit which determines the strength of any society is the family; therefore the government should foster and protect its integrity. The United States has a manifest destiny to eventually become a glorious example of God's law under a restored Constitution that will inspire the entire human race. John Adams wrote: "I always consider the settlement of America with reverence and wonder, as the opening of a grand scene and design in Providence for the illumination of the ignorant, and the emancipation of the slavish part of mankind all over the earth." Our founding fathers thought they had a divine mission. By doing nothing, each US citizen is partially to blame for today's outcome. We think that one person cannot make a difference, but that is just not true. Voting takes place in just a few short days. Another of Ben Franklin's 28 Principles was this: "The most promising method of securing a virtuous people is to elect virtuous leaders." |
Yesterday, our pastor spoke about how to have successful relationships. As I listened, I realized what had so frustrated me about the "conversations" I tried to have in
With Christians, everything is about building relationships. We're geared up for relationships because being a Christian is having a relationship with Christ. Having Internet relationships isn't always easy. One cannot see facial expressions or hear voice tones. All we can rely on are the words on a page. At the above mentioned forum, there really isn't conversation or dialogue going on. Developing friendships is not the goal. Rather, Christians ask questions of Muslims, who answer with their own questions. There really is not a give and take going on at all. Our pastor reminded us of an old Chinese Proverb: "Seek to understand before seeking to be understood." I believe that's what should be happening in a forum designed to have conversations between people of different faiths. Or as Philippians 2:4 NIV says, "Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." I smiled as our pastor used the term "relationship rubble." And I wrote it down. He said, "relationship rubble is what heppens when you tear down with words." Proverbs 17:17 NIV says, "A friend loves at all times." I had never really thought about it this way, but our pastor also said that genuine friends take sides. They do! And perhaps that's why the forum entries sometimes bother me. The Bible tells us in Revelation 3:14-16 that our deeds should not be lukewarm. The lukewarm person does not become greatly disturbed at hearing heretical teaching, and is not vigorous in the defense of the truth. This spirit of indifference is the most tragic thing that can happen to a church. I thought about this as our pastor spoke the words, "Genuine friends take sides." More and more, our freedoms to be and practice Christianity are being eroded. Shouldn't we - as friends of Jesus - be taking his side? Isn't it time that we put on the whole armor of God? That we are girded in truth, have the breastplate of righteousness, are shod with the preparation of the Gospel? With these and the shield of faith, the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, we can and must be willing to defend the faith, here and in the world. (See Ephesians 6:13-18.) |
| Today I received a link to a test that would score "the impact of fibromyalgia on a person's life and work." The average FM patient scores 50; more severely afflicted patients score 70+. My score was 159.64. Yikes. If you suffer either fibromyalgia, chronic pain and/or chronic fatigue, you might want to take this test too. (Hopefully your results won't be as depressing.) Here's the test: http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/fibromyalgia/a/FIQ.htm And here's how to score: http://chronicfatigue.about.com/od/fibromyalgia/ht/FIQscore.htm |
| Aren't blogs fun??? Sure they are. They allow us to say things - on the run - that we might not say anywhere else. Last night, as Incurable Romantic and I were talking about my piece that made the Spiritual Newsletter this week "Abuse Lives On...and On"  . I made the comment that if we create something or invent something, then we're the ones who know best how our invention or creation should work. It surely seems to me that if one believes in God, one should see the wisdom of using the Creator's handbook and instruction manual. After all, He knows how we're supposed to work; He knows us best. Jim insisted that I write that down, although the thought isn't a new one. So there it is. Two nights ago, I sat on the porch and realized that the cold we're experiencing - ALEADY - has chased away the crickets. Hooray! There were so many this year and they were soooooooo loud. But my joy was interrupted by another sound, and I listened and listened. Our yard is blanketed with leaves, most of them getting quite crisp from being off the tree a while. Something was crawling beneath those leaves. Actually, it sounded like there were a few somethings crawling beneath those leaves, because the sounds were coming from various parts of the yard at the same time.I did see a mole in my neighbor's yard, so perhaps moles were what I heard crawling beneath those leaves. But...since I've lived in warmer climates before....my mind pictured an army of cockroaches under those leaves. And I had to retreat into the house. Still, as I sat inside, pondering those sounds, I thought more about cockroaches. I started writing - in my head - about them. My first encounter with one at the age of 16. My move to Texas, where everything - EVERYTHING! - is bigger. Fearing going back to get my things from storage in TX, where they've been in boxes for 3 years. Hmmm. I just might have to write about those nasty creatures. Bye for now.  |
| As I sat in church today, a thought came to my mind about something I learned in a lay speaker's class many years ago. I'm not sure why it popped into my head during our worship service, since it really didn't fit my worship experience today. Oh well, perhaps someone else needed to hear it. Or I'll need to remember it again sometime soon. The thought? It really doesn't matter if you are in a church where formal hymns are sung and you prefer more contemporary music. If you're in a Christian church, it really doesn't matter which one it is or what format of worship they use. It's not about you, but about pleasing God and about worshiping God. Each time we enter God's house, we should ask that we be able to experience God through OR IN SPITE OF the pastor, the choir or praise team, the ushers or the people sitting around us. Like I said, I have no idea why I remembered that lesson from long ago, but I did. ****************** Today, our pastor spoke of forgiveness. He was not saying anything new, but perhaps with all that has happened in my life (and the lives of others close to me) over the past several years, it was probably time to have this topic revisited. Before he started his sermon, he asked us to answer four questions with either true or false. I got them all right, but I venture to say that not everyone did. Here they are: 1) A person should not be forgiven until he asks for it. 2) Forgiving includes minimizing the offense or the pain caused. 3) Forgiveness includes restoring trust and reuniting a relationship. 4) You have not forgiven until you've forgotten the offense. The answers for each one were "false." Pastor John reminded us that forgiveness should be instant, but that trust has to be rebuilt, and that forgiveness - like love - is supposed to be unconditional. He said, "Hurt people are the ones who hurt people." He's right about that. And I made sure to write that in the margin of my sermon notes with a star on it. I marked two verses in Matthew to further study: Matthew 10:8 NIV Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received, freely give. Matthew 6:15 NIV For if you forgiven men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins. ****************** My mind doesn't always wander in church, but sometimes it does. Today, I thought about putting a bumper sticker (actually something not permanent - magnetic or clingy) with just the reference of a Bible verse number, without the actual verse. Then if/when someone asked, "So what does Philippians 4:13 say?" (or whatever the Bible verse referenced) I could hand them a card with the verse printed on it. Strange... ****************** That's all for now. I'll try to be back again tomorrow. I didn't know that their were reminders sent when one doesn't write in a blog for over 15 hours. |
| It never fails. When I'm having a rather rough day, I'll suddenly get a fantastic devotional in my inbox from Jason Mitchner. Jason is such an inspiration. He is a man in his middle 30's. The biography on his web site begins: "Jason Mitchener was born with a rare neuromuscular disease that now confines him to an electric wheelchair and requires him to use a ventilator to breathe. His body may be confined, but his spirit soars free." Jason's devotionals are supposed to be daily, but sometimes his life or technology keeps it from being so. Here is his website where you can explore or request his devotional: http://www.JasonMitchener.com When I think I'm having a tough time, God directs me to others whose health issues are far worse then mine. Not long ago, I discovered a writer named RevDrJack at PearlSoup.com. Here are a few words from one of his stories: ""New Vistas ... by and for the Disabled" was born in an unused studio at MacLean Hunter Channel 8 in St. Catharines in 1980. The high-level quadraplegic became the lady in the control room, and with her head stick and limited movement, looked like a demented woodpecker as she mastered the control board cutting in and fading camera to camera like a pro. One cameraman was a recovering alcoholic epileptic, another was cerebral palsied. A man with less than 10% eyesight became our sound engineer, and we had a color balancer who was deaf. We maximized the talents and minimized the limitations." To read the rest of the story: http://www.pearlsoup.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=pearls.view&pearlID=18184 When I get perturbed about how the voice of Christians in the U.S. is being stifled or ignored, I remember that in other parts of the world my Christian brothers and sisters are being killed for standing up for their faith. The Voice of the Martyrs has a new program called Bibles Unbound. They are seeking Christians to mail Bibles to China, Columbia, Cuba and the Middle East. Here is the information for those who might be interested in getting involved: http://etools.780net.com/a/jgroup/bg_biblesunbound_ct-connection_263.html And how am I doing? I have the usual aches and pains this morning, and even though I slept soundly (I never heard Jim getting ready for work), I'm still tired. BUT ... I was just blessed with the most wonderful sight. My computer sits in the kitchen, next to a large bay window, where I can watch the world go by. This morning two rather frisky squirrels have been entertaining me as they jump from limb to limb in the tree, then to the rooftop, to wires, then back to the tree. They have been chattering as they romp, and taking turns doing the chasing. Although the sky is gray and gloomy - not unusual for this time of year - the wind is still and the temperature is supposed to be "pleasant" for this time of year. I almost wish I could romp outside myself, scooping up leaves and jumping in them like I did as a child. But the dampness would certainly cause these bones to ache. So I'm content to watch the world and God's creatures from this side of the window. |
| So? Maybe since I changed this to a blog, I'll be forced to write something more often. We'll see. Actually, I have been writing. Here's a link to my articles at Ezinearticles.com. Some of those were things tucked away in my files; some are newer writings. http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Marilyn_Mackenzie And here at WDC, I finally cleaned out my "What's New?" . Instead of holding writings from two or three years ago, it now really does hold my most recent writings. Seeing fewer items there should make me want to fill that folder up again. How about those new font sizes and types? I have always loved this font style (Comic), but it doesn't really go well with serious writing.. Oh well. In recent days, I've been visiting and commenting at:
I was also given an awesome sig by kiyasama. Thank you Kiya! And just yesterday, I came across this quote: "Write while the heat is in you. The writer who postpones the recording of his thoughts uses an iron which has cooled to burn a hole with. He cannot inflame the minds of his audience." ~ Henry David Thoreau What a great reminder for us all. |
| I've started something, so I intend to continue writing as much as I can. But, I have asked to be deleted from the Daily Writing Challenge group. On Tuesday night, Incurable Romantic and I were scheduled for a class at church from 6:45 to 9:45 p.m. Since he was on call for work and I had to take my son to work at about 9:30, we drove separate cars.I had to buy gas, so I left before Jim to do that. I got out of my car and slammed my right thumb in the car door - AND LOCKED IT! Talk about pain. My purse was on my right arm, and I couldn't get to it or my keys. There was an older man at the gas station, and I yelled, "Help!" and he came running. He tried just opening the door, but, of course it was locked. When he found out my keys were in my purse, he said, "I can't get in your purse." "I'm giving you permission to get in my purse! Please!" He dug around in my purse for the keys and unlocked the door. My thumb was smashed. But the pain hadn't really started yet. I pumped my gas, then got a cup of ice for my thumb and went on to church. Once I was there, I realized that I wouldn't be able to concentrate with the amount of pain I was experiencing. So, I went home and cried. (It's a wonder I didn't waken my son.) I drove Derek to work and Jim was at home when I got back. He drove me to the emergency room and we were there, of course, until close to 2 a.m. The doc numbed my thumb and punctured the nail to get the blood out (that was accummulated under the nail and causing the throbbing pain). The nurse put a a splint on my thumb and they gave me a prescription for pain meds. Poor Jim took a half day of vacation on Wednesday since he was up so late. Typing is an interesting experience with one thumb bandaged and big enough that it wants to hit all the keys at once. At least the pain isn't as bad as it was a few days ago. |
View Portfolio
Visit Notebook
Send Gift Points
Awards
Badges
Send Email
Community Newsfeed
General Discussion
Sponsored Items
Book of Trinkets
Static Items
Books
Groups
Interactive Stories
Audio
Campfire Creatives
Community Notes
Crossword Puzzles
Documents
Folders
Images
In & Outs
Madlibs
Photo Albums
Polls
Product Reviews
Quizzes
Survey Forms
Web Pages
Word Searches
