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 |   Getting to know me. |
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One of the goals I set for myself this year was to create a blog. There are a lot of reasons I wanted to do this. 1. I think a blog will encourage me to write more often. 2. I want people to get to know me better, and hopefully I'll know more about you from your comments. The grammar won't be perfect, but a blog is a more relaxed type of writing, I think. I want to share my, and Sir Trevor's, adventures and lots of other things too! |
| Tuesday July 26, 2016 Aches, Pains, and Laughter. Rheumatoid Arthritis is an autoimmune disease in which the body’s immune system – which normally protects its health by attacking foreign substances like bacteria and viruses – mistakenly attacks the joints.  One of the first clues was when I was a child. My older sister had friends over and they wanted me to turn the skipping rope for them. I turned for something like an hour, then I got a terrible throbbing pain in my thumb. I dropped the rope on the ground and burst into tears. One of them asked me what was the matter and I replied, “I have a toothache in my thumb.” This became a family joke. Another clue was when taking long walks with my mum and sister my knee joints would buckle and I'd fall on the asphalt on my knees. It was many years later, when speaking with my Rheumatologist, it was discovered that I had suffered from Juvenile Rheumatoid Arthritis. Finally, at age 19, I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis. By then I already had some deformities in my hands. The medications back then weren't as sophisticated as today so the deformities and pain got worse and worse and it was obvious I was headed to a life of hell.  The trick of living with this disease is to keep a positive outlook and a sense of humour. Hard lumps, called rheumatoid nodules, grow under the skin in places such as the elbow and hands. One day I look down at my arm and declared, “My God, I have seven elbows.” It's been a long journey and it isn't over yet. My best advice is, if you suspect you may have RA, get seen by a Rheumatologist as soon as possible.With an early diagnosis and the proper medication you can lead a normal life. On a Lighter Note: You Might Have Rheumatoid Arthritis if...   You might have Rheumatoid Arthritis if... your fingers are shaped like bowling pins. You might have Rheumatoid Arthritis if... you wake up slightly suspicious that your otherwise docile spouse may have beat you in your sleep! You might have Rheumatoid Arthritis if... you have more heating pads than remote controls. You might have Rheumatoid Arthritis if... you can’t get the lid off of your medication, which is supposed to help your hands so you can do things like get the lid off your medication… You might have Rheumatoid Arthritis if..."doing shots" is not affiliated with alcohol, but rather pricking yourself with a needle. You might have Rheumatoid Arthritis if... it takes you a minute to realize that the ad on TV for Old Navy "flares" is an ad for blue jeans. You might have Rheumatoid Arthritis if...your car doesn't start...because your hand can't turn the key! You might have Rheumatoid Arthritis if...you're kind of excited about your bronchitis because it means you get extra prednisone!  Sir Trevor was here. A Bit of Newbie Comedy
Getting to Know Me I love WDC. I'm a semi-vegetarian. My favourite colour is blue. Until next time, River  |
| Monday July 25, 2016 Pokémon Go, flies, and other annoying things. Pokémon Go This game seems to be the latest craze. It was released in July 2016, but I didn't think it would hit my little town so soon. I had to go grocery shopping Saturday. The parking lot is one of the busiest spots in town. Four young boys entered the lot with their heads down looking at their cell phones. They were paying no attention to cars backing up or entering and exiting the lot. Anyone of them could have been hit by a vehicle. Granted, they were getting some exercise by walking all over town, but at risk of life and limb. Whatever happened to actually playing? The town has a swimming pool, a volleyball court, skateboard jumps, a park, and other attractions. I'm talking real exercise here where these kids could actually interact and have real conversations. Flies I had supper at a fast food place. I'm not sure if I'm allowed to mention the name of the chain so lets just say there were golden arches. I searched for a table while my friend went to the counter to order. Flies! They were everywhere. My friend had already ordered so I found a table in the section with the least flies. Unfortunately, as soon as my food arrived so did the flies. Flapping hands and napkins to ward of flies I managed to eat my meal although my appetite was quickly fading away. If there were this many flies where we were eating I wonder how many were in the kitchen? Call me strange, but I'd rather see a fly striker or two place discretely or one of those little light thingys that instantly fry the little buggers. Gross Little Buggers Last year some kind of small beetles turned up in town. They came in a shipment of goods from a foreign country. Upon their arrival they headed straight to my patio door. Every night the screen would be black with the little creeps. They look like June Bugs, but much smaller. By morning most of them would be dead making a horrible mess in the door tracks. I guess these ones were the males. Having completed their mission in life they simple keeled over. The females flew happily away to lay their eggs in the grass. I'm not a fan of pesticides, but in this case I think they were warranted. Anyway, to make a long story short my landlord called the exterminators. Well, guess what? They're back. In droves. The exterminator was called about two weeks ago, but he hasn't shown up yet. I think he wants to give them enough time to lay their eggs, guaranteeing him a job for next year. Wow! I'm so excited today. My Blog is being noticed. It was mentioned in the July Blogging Bliss Newsletter. I was encouraged so I subscribed to the email. Here is a story written by a Newbie who joined us July 13, 2016. I liked the dialogue in this piece.
Getting to Know Me: I'm a procrastinator, but I'm working on that. (Just not today.) As you may have noticed, I don't like insects. I actually have phobias about a select few. I have severe rheumatoid arthritis and Type 2 diabetes. More about that in my next Blog entry. Until next time, River |
| Saturday July 23, 2016 Murphy's law, coincidences, and other oddities. This day has started off badly. One of those days where everything I try to do ends up a disaster. I think it's a prime example of Murphy's law; Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong. It's still quite early in the day, so I hope this trend reverses it's self. I won't bore you with the details, but I'm almost afraid to take my shower! So far, I've done one review this morning. It was a Dear Me letter, I don't know what drew me to read it, maybe it was fate or devine intervention, but I soon realized this guy and I have a lot in common. I didn't write a Dear Me letter this year, or even make a resolution. As I read his letter, I discovered that the things he had listed were all things I need to work on. I didn't need to make a list of resolutions after all, I will just follow his. Too bad I hadn't come across the letter earlier in the year! GOT seems to have taken over WDC this month, it's even taken over The Challenge! Every task I need to complete is GOT related. I admire all the people that are participating, but I'm pretty sure it's not for me. It would eat up all my time and energy! So what am I doing? It's all about Newbies. Newbies: When I joined WDC in April 2014, I received a lot of help, reviews, and support from the community. The past two years have helped me grow as a writer, and a person. Now, I'm trying my best to pay it forward. I like helping Newbies because I remember my struggles when I was a Newbie. Oh, the errors I made!  I'm a proud member of NAG, where I've been elevated to Junior Leader and Review Coach. I help out at Review Perks recording all the reviews posted each month, I do 15 Newbie Reviews each month for The Newbie Welcome Wagon, and this month, I'm helping out at the Newbies Academy Members Forum while Sophie is away. I'm loving every minute, and I wish I could do more. Did he or didn't he? You decide.
Getting to know me. Hobbies and interests: Reading Writing Bird watching Scrapbooking Crochet Cross Stitch Until next time, River |
| Thursday July 21 2016 Here we go again! After two days of blessed relief, the heat and humidity are going up, up, up. The dehumidifier is running double time, and the drapes are closed against the scorching, morning sun. Rain and thunderstorms are forecast for the next four days. Let's hope no mini tornadoes uproot trees and dump them on the power lines this time round.   An update on the Strawberry Social. Everything was going well until we got out of the SUV. My friend, Rhodie, was hobbling painfully, along favoring a broken toe, and my daughter was struggling to get my transport chair to the handicap ramp. She pushed with all her might, but the chair barley moved. Equipment failure! Upon close inspection, we discovered the brake on left side was jammed. My daughter, Nan, was determined that chair was going up the ramp. We inched along, several big, burly, brutes of men pointed out the brake was on. Really? Rhodie, for some reason known only to her, elected to take the stairs. Finally, a nice lady pulled as Nan pushed, and we made it to the top of the ramp. We waited there for Rhodie, knowing if she ever made it to the top we would be in our proper place in line. However, Rhodie was having a devil of a time getting up the stairs. Finally reunited, we found a table. They parked me and went to get our plates.The previously mentioned nice lady had already loaded her plate and sat down across from me. I leaned forward in the chair to hear what she was saying, the chair lurche forward, almost pitching me, face first, into her plate of ice cream and strawberries. My back wheels were completely off the ground, and I was holding on for dear life. She raced around the table and got the back wheels back on the floor. The rest of the evening went smoothly. We enjoyed ice cream topped with fresh berries and homemade sauces, sponge cake smothered in butterscotch, and other delectable goodies, while catching up with friends we hadn't seen I awhile. Sir Trevor was laying in wait for us when we got home. He greeted us with the evil eye and great wails of discontent. We were gone about an hour and a half, but in cat feline time, I guess it was much longer!  Blog Reviews I've received two reviews of this blog. Both people suggested I join Blog City Prompt Forum or Blogging Circle of Friends Prompt Forum.. I don't think I'm ready for that yet. There are still so many things I need to learn. For example I can't seem to figure out how to get the cover image to work for me.  I'm waiting for Nan to come for lunch. She works nearby and comes most weekdays for lunch. This being Thursday, the menu will be baked beans from Tm Horton's. After lunch, she'll inject methotrexate into my thigh. I think she, secretly, enjoys this. It's a revenge thing from her teenage years. The injection usually puts me to sleep for the entire afternoon. I'll get all comfy in my electric bed and read Eleventh Hour By Catherine Coulter. I love a good murder mystery, especially one involving a serial killer. Eventually, I will drift off to sleep and the book will smack me in the face.  So, that's it until tomorrow. River |
Hey Everybody. Welcome to River's Rants and Reflections. This has been a bit of a strange week, so far. Well, most weeks are a bit strange, around here.Monday was a gloomy day with thunderstorms and a few mini - tornadoes that resulted in a power blackout that lasted about 12 hours. No biggy, but it made me realize how much we depend on electricity. Do you know what you can do without electricity? Nothing! It wasn't too bad in the daytime hours, but then it got dark... I was equipped with a candle and a flashlight. I tried desperately to save batteries. Especially for my cell and tablet. My phone and WI-FI were out and of course I could't make coffee. Coffee is an important part of my life!  Sir Trevor, my feline companion, wasn't impressed, at all, with the situation. It seems a large part of his lifestyle also depends on electricity. Think can opener. It's difficult to imagine how our ancestors lived before electricity! Here are a couple of things I wanted to share with you today. I discovered an author I had never read before. I recommend Look Again by Lisa Scottaline. This book was a page turner, and it kept me guessing to the very end. Here is just a brief description I found on Amazon: When reporter Ellen Gleeson gets a "Have You Seen This Child?" flyer in the mail, she almost throws it away. But something about it makes her look again, and her heart stops—the child in the photo is identical to her adopted son, Will. I also wanted to share a short story I read and reviewed this week
by Newbie Aippper   Check it out!Now I must go get ready for a Strawberry Social I'm attending with my daughter and a friend this evening.  Ice cream, fresh strawberries, cake, squares, and coffee. It will be heavenly... too many calories, but heavenly. Sir Trevor will be sulking when I come home. He wants to be included in everything.. Please pop in a leave a comment. |
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