Making it all work

   Sometimes I think that I just want to curl up in a little ball and sleep for days. Or at least for a few hours, get up, eat, stretch, lay on the sofa in the sunlight, then go back to sleep. In short, I wanna be a CAT.
   Yes indeedy, they don't have to do a whole lot just sit around and purr. No bills to pay. No campaign rhetoric to listen to. No houses to clean (okay, you still have to groom yourself, I will grant you that.) But you pretty much are just petted, fed, and fawned over. How can you go wrong? I got so incredibly sick this week. Again. I keep thinking, what on earth? Now, if I was a cat, someone would take me to a Vet and he/she would figure it out in no time! But no, I am a human. Whatever should I do?  Here's an idea: Go to the doctor. Warning you don't have to read every one, it just gives an idea how complicated life can be; Stay tuned. This might get good. More on this later in the coming days...

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Magic Moments are Everywhere

   Yesterday was my birthday and I wanted to just hang out and do fun stuff on the weekend. The plan was to go to the movies on Saturday (I know what you're thinking...who is she going to pick a fight with next?) I will get back to that in a second.

 





   Sunday afternoon was reserved for the Veg Fest, a total Vegan/Vegetarian showcase of everything from books/lectures/veggie-friendly pleather shoes and purses/and food...lots of delightfully delish veggie and vegan dishes and treats and samples. It was really great trying some new things and old favorites.
   Since DH is fairly new to the Vegan-ish scene, it was good for him to sample things to see his likes and dislikes. It was really fun and interesting. I think the best part of the whole experience were the people. I remember years ago, vegetarians seemed to be slotted into two categories: Hippies and Seventh Day Adventists (Thank goodness, they have come a long way from pasty yucky greyish things in a can from Loma Linda products, speaking of which, I wonder if they are still around and if they are any better?) Hey just looked them up, they still look a little dicey but their sister site lists Morningstar which is pretty tasty...But I digress.










Any way, what I was going to say was that there were a huge cross section of people: Young, old, pink-haired, gray-haired, punk, business men, African-American, Asian, Sikhs, Muslim, Christian, Jews, probably atheists and agnostics but I didn't ask, gay, straight, and probably closet meat-eaters just to see what all the fuss was. (A survey asked if you were Vegetarian/New/Long-time/Vegan/Curious, that made me laugh. In the Gay world if you're "Bi-Curious", well, I shouldn't have to explain THAT one, but what do you call a part-time Vegetarian? Bi-Carrot? Bi-Broccoli? Bi-Pork? Bi-Beef? How about Veg-Curious? Hahaha. That cracks me up to think about it. Okay, I thought I totally thought that one up, but I decided to plug it into a search engine and a bunch of stuff comes up! Here's a cool website if you are "Veg-Curious"
http://www.nomeatathlete.com/vegetarian-diet-myths/


     Now, back to Saturday and the movie. No, I didn't go looking for a fight. The original plan was to drag DH to a Chick Flick (although I hate that term, it's probably as good a description as any) Then so our son didn't sit home alone all day we thought maybe he could see a movie at the same time that he would prefer. As it turned out, I went to Girl movie alone (my choice!, sort of a birthday gift to my hubby so as not to torture him) and he and our son went to a movie I probably wouldn't go see. Their movie started earlier and as I had some time to kill, I was stopped by a young woman to watch a test trailer and answer some questions about the trailer and how I perceived the movie. As it turned out, the trailer (which I had never seen) was for a movie that I had heard a bit about: Lincoln. (no, not the Vampire movie). This appears to be a dramatic presentation of President Lincoln dealing more in depth into his personal life, his choices that guided him during the horrible period of slavery/Civil War and his family. A lot of "brand" names in the movie and because I am a Lincoln buff, it caught my eye. (It is based on a book called Team of Rivals by one of my favorite authors, who writes a lot about our Presidents and politics.

Doris Kearns Goodwin
  To read about the book, here is a link:

 http://www.amazon.com/Team-Rivals-Political-Abraham-Lincoln/dp/0684824906

     So any way, went to the movie: It was so-so. Mostly women in the audience (big surprise) and yes, before you ask, there were talkers and guffawers but I chose to ignore them haha. But, now this is where the magic moment came in: 
   When the young woman that was asking me questions earlier about my demographics for the movie trailer, I happened to mention that it was my birthday. She wished my a Happy Birthday and she was very sweet. She had asked me what I was seeing and we had made a bit of small talk about the movie. Now this is where it gets good. As I left the movie she was coming towards me down the long hallway (she had her computer/trailer station set up in the lobby) and she was carrying a box. 
   She walked up to me and handed me the box: it was cupcakes that she had purchased from a store outside the theater and on it she wrote Happy Birthday R...! I was absolutely stunned by her kindness and thoughtfulness. In fact, I kind of got choked up. It was more than cake...it was the reminder that there are more, far more, good people in this life than there are bad ones. I will probably never see her again and have no way to let her know what that meant to me. It was just that Magic Moment that we all treasure, but rarely get to experience.  To do that for a stranger was just beyond all words. Thank you Erin! You made the memory of the crazy woman the day before go "Poof!" and disappear....

Fists of Fury, Trucker Mouth

Free speech:O   Insanity:1

I shouldn't have done it. I should have just let it go. My righteous indignation and subsequent confrontation was ill-timed, not well thought out and just plain stupid. I know that now. But man, oh man, was I caught off-guard! 

Here's the scoop: Had a week from the page book of  "Your Personal Pile of Poop". It was just a never-ending exhausting week that culminated in DH saying "let's go to the movies!". Actually, I think it was me. What was I thinking? We like to go on Fridays when the new movies come out and go early in the day when the theater is not crowded. As I said, this has been a hard week for medical issues that just snowballed, so getting out was supposed to be a fun spot in a crap week, but it turned into a nightmare. You know when the previews are on, you can kind of figure out how the audience is going to be during the movie? There are the loud talkers, but you sort of let it go because, silly me! you think they will be quiet during the flick. Hahaha. Nope. The movie, a drama that I had been anticipating for the last few weeks (since we have seen the preview a million times) started. I knew there was going to be trouble when near the beginning scene (this is a cop movie), the one cop says about his partner's locker "It looks like something from Pottery Barn" mocking his neat and tidy locker. Then a couple rows behind us, off to the side, a woman starts guffawing like a demented donkey. This apparently was so hysterical of a line she just chortled and practically rolled on the floor in riotous laughter. Ahhh, the fun was only beginning. There was so many comedic scenes such as the bad guys shooting at the cops, people being choked, blood spattering, children in horrible danger such as being duct-taped to chairs in a closet so their parents could smoke crack, that it continued to elicit much merriment from this delightful individual. Now everyone who knows me, knows that inappropriate laughter sends me over the brink in a movie. I wanted to move several times. I got up to do that, but DH just kept saying "relax, let it go!" (I felt like if we had moved to the opposite side of the theater at least I wouldn't have heard her as much) Why oh why didn't we move? Why oh why did I snap? After the film, on the way out, I went up to her and said: "You know, your talking and laughing through the movie just kind of wrecked it for me, thanks."
Then suddenly this crazy woman of about 60 started spewing every profanity she could think of and then some! She called me every name from B to C to S to W, then said FFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFFF over and over. I started backing away: I was in the presence of greatness. Greatly crazy I mean. Then she came at me so quickly, and slugged me in the jaw. I have to pat myself on the back. I didn't curse back, I didn't raise my voice, I didn't hit her back. I think I was too stunned. (Now if I had had a Taser....)I walked out to the lobby where DH was and said "She slugged me!"
He was so upset with me, rightly so, as it could have been much worse. He has warned me to keep my mouth shut, but me, little Miss Make Things Right, had to blab because I'm sick of being pushed around. She came out (with her husband) still screaming obscenities and saying "I never touched her!" then "I only pushed her!"
Honestly, I was still so stunned I just looked at her and we walked to the back exit until they left. After that, I walked up to the manager, crying, and told them what happened. They were really great and decided to look at the video tapes to possibly ID her and ban her from the theater. (They all had been mystified wondering what the heck was happening as this crazy woman was cursing all the way out through the lobby, but no worker had witnessed what had happened in our theater)
Please oh please let me be a terrible lesson to you. It's not worth it. Oh it might give you a couple of minutes of satisfaction to speak up, but don't do it. There are nuts out there that will kill you for asking for a different bread for your sandwich. I know! I know! It isn't right! But you have to let it go. I don't know if I can say I lost the round yesterday. I am glad I didn't respond in kind. But I wish I had just let it go. I will go forth from this moment on and (try to) keep my mouth shut.


PS: I could have taken her!

Birthday-a-rama

Back in April, the 6th to be exact, I didn't think we would be celebrating another birthday with DH. But Tuesday, Sept. 18th is a doubly sweet day...it is DH's birthday. Five months post-stroke and I have to say this day will be both simple yet joyous. I have my DH! All is right with the world. We said no presents. I lied. I got a restaurant gift certificate from Living Social (sort of like Groupon) .
Also, one dark chocolate cherry-almond candy bar. Yum. And a total extravagance. (Don't tell him, he won't get it til Tuesday)
   I found a sweet little table made from a tree stump. We have always loved those woodsy type of tables, chairs, benches, but they are usually handmade: read terribly expensive, obviously worth it, but a bit out of our budget. There is this woodsy store that opened a few months ago and we drive by every so often, but we are usually on the way to somewhere else. Today, I was determined to stop by after dropping my son off at soccer practice as it was a couple of blocks away. I hit it nearly at closing time and met the owner. His prices were more than reasonable, and he told me his father lives in Indonesia where the items are crafted and sent here. They were lovely! A lot of teak and other exotic woods. He told me that a lot came from reclaimed and downed wood (I sure hope so, since I worry about rain forest stripping and fair market practices) As I looked around, it was evident that each was unique and lovingly made...and I saw the perfect little side table and another! and another! I finally had to choose and I can't wait to see his face.it's not the big elaborate coffee table or dining room table, but it is symbolic. Just like the last few months of our marriage: It is smooth, it is rough, it is satiny, it is fluid, it is solid, it is graceful, it will be around for many many years to come.





Although this isn't the actual piece, this will give you some idea. The table I got has a similar top to the table pictured, but it is more the size of the stool by the table.If I could, I would have my whole house furnished in this wood...then we can pretend we are in a Hobbit House. So I lied to him when I said no gifts...the only reason he was agreeable about no gifts is my birthday is this weekend and he hates picking out stuff, haha...oh well, we will both treasure this piece as a gift to us!

Sew Sew

   Waaay back in January (where did the time go????), I got an email from my Aunt. She asked me if I had any extra fabric for a project she was doing. The project was to make dresses and shorts for children in a Kenyan school. She, her brother, his wife, and several other people were going to Kenya in July and they wanted to take clothing for the kids. It is a mandate from the Kenyan government that if children go to school in Kenya, they must have a uniform. Consequently, as these families are very needy, it takes a lot of resources to supply those uniforms leaving little or nothing for other much needed clothing.
   I'm thinking, duh. I can sew. Why can't I help make the dresses, not just give fabric? My original goal was 75, but DH's stroke put the kibosh on that lofty goal, but I was able to sew 51 dresses.
   Reality set in soon as I went to buy a couple yards of fabric, it set me back $25. Not a huge outlay, BUT I thought, if I am going to make a mass amount of dresses, I have to make it economically feasible. First thing I thought of: Goodwill As-Is. If you have never been there to one of those As-Is stores, you are in for a treat! It's a crazy, noisy warehouse where-old-Goodwill-stuff-gets-a-last-chance. You buy things by the pound! Woohoo! At first I was shocked how much brand new fabric I found. I loaded it into the cart...then I got another inspiration: Why can't I cut down big lady clothes into smaller clothes? So the horizons got expanded. I found a brand new duvet cover, plaid on one side, flowers on the other. And a great deal of fabric...enough to make 6 or 7 dresses! New sheets, new pillowcases, all for dresses; I was like a kid in a candy store. When all was said and done, I spent $25, enough to make about 35 dresses. THEN another miracle, a good friend has a consignment shop that supports the homeless. Her shop is amazing and everything is donated.
   Well, sometimes she gets clothing that is a little outdated, so she collected these dresses/skirts for me....great fabrics, weird styles.  PLUS, she donated many many skirts that went to the elder women in the village too,
http://www.gunghoministries.org/
 Since I used to design re-purposed clothing for children's wear, this was a no-brainer. So, after all was said and done, a total of more than 300 dresses were sent, and I believe over 200 pairs of shorts.
   So thought I would share some pictures with you. It made me cry. If you are interested in helping this ministry, here is their website   http://kizimani.org/kz/About_us.html

 Without further ado, here are the sweet children wearing new dresses (look for the plaid dress with a flowered heart decal...the famous duvet cover lol!   PS, this was one of the most fun things I've ever been a part of. Thank you Auntie D for sharing this project and TH for the dresses and sis-in-law for more fabric!

Right Place, Right Time...again

   DH and I decided on such a gorgeous day we would head to the little village district close to our house and take a walk. We stopped at the senior center and looked in at the art gallery. It was a great display, a single artist that leaned heavily towards political lampooning. It kept us guessing if he was a "righty" or a "lefty" (and I am not talking about his dominant painting hand) since everyone appeared to be fair game...from the Tea Party to the Occupiers from POTUS to NOTUS (Not of these United States). Pretty fun actually.
   We sauntered into the senior center to have a looksee and some were eating, some were doing wood carving of some surprisingly detailed Polynesian-type masks, others were on the computer, one elderly lady was letting the world, nay the entire UNIVERSE know of her political views of no one in particular. We decided to go to a lovely little cafe and have lunch, then to the farmer's fruit stand (I am so going to miss local fruits/veggies at the end of the season) and then home. I don't think we had been home for more than half an hour or so when the phone rang.
   It was our neighbor M_______ saying her husband had fallen and she needed help. I was downstairs when the call came, I headed upstairs to DH, said "We need to go NOW, J_______ has fallen." We found him on the far side of the house laying on very uncomfortable pea gravel, bloodied from conking his head on heavy metal edging. DH had some gloves handy and we tried to make him comfy. After ascertaining his injuries (he has other health issues that compounded the immediate injury) we had his wife call the ambulance...this is getting to be a habit. They arrived quickly (the first responders in a fire engine) then an ambulance shortly after. Upon their assessment, it was decided to transport him; We were glad we decided not to move him and let the pros take over.
   However, it was a test of what I was just saying yesterday. If you can't do something, find someone who can. I am also thinking I would like to take a refresher First Aid course. Both DH and I can do basic First Aid (although he is more proficient, in that he is pretty calm, I am a wee bit more, shall we say Type AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA?) However, I do think we complement one another...I am the detail person: Must move car to give them room when they get there, must flag down paramedics, must get towel to cradle his head, must get blankie over him to keep sun off (which was beating down on us) and DH is awesome at the outset: Assessing, comforting, confident, not panicking. I do love him so. Let me tell you, if you have fallen, and can't get up, you so want to call him. Me? I'll cook you a meal when you come home.
   I am so ready to have a day without drama...

Paralyzed By Fear or ?

   Went to the post office today. Big deal right? Except today was a bit different. In our post office we have a self-mailing machine. (Oh I LOVE technology). I use it a lot because it is almost always faster than the long long line that snakes out the door. Let me set the picture for you. 
   When you enter, you are in the lobby with mail boxes etc. Then there are double doors that get into the inner sanctum of the belly of the beast: You can get personal service, pick up packages with a REAL LIVE WORKER. I rarely have to use them. Today I was at the machine which is directly in front of the doors (which are open), there is the typical long line, and I hear an awful moaning. I look up and see an elderly woman sitting on a stool hunched over at the head of the line. Not one person is helping her and no one seems to be with her. Snoopy me, I went over to see what was the matter. She has vomited and is in danger of falling over. I speak to her, to see if she needs help. (The first rule they teach you in first aid). I see she is clammy and sweaty. I ask if she is in pain. Suddenly, people start springing into action.  I tell her we are going to call an ambulance...telling her she doesn't have to go, but I feel that she needs to be assessed. (She has a pkg with her with a return address, I ask her if this is her name)  She is begging to lie down. I ask what meds she is on, who is her doctor (to pass the info on to the person who was calling the ambulance)
   A gentleman gets padded mailers for head. Someone gets a roll of paper towels from their car (Costco!) to cushion her back as we had her legs elevated, someone cleans up the mess, someone cleans her up. I ask if she has someone to call when I see she has a cell phone. She dials her daughter. no answer, but I leave a message. The paramedics arrive in record time (Bless them all!) and I tell her I am mailing her package for her, I slip her the receipt and off I go...

   I do not know why people don't get involved. I am not trying to be judgmental, and  I think people genuinely are caring people, but they are paralyzed with fear. Fear of getting into people's business, fear of the unknown, fear that they will do the wrong thing. There is ONE thing we can all do: If you don't know the right thing to do, CALL someone who does! GET involved in some way! If we all do something, it will get done. If you see a need, try to fill it. Ask yourself, "What if that was my mom? what if that were my child?"  Again, if you cannot, find someone who can. No one should EVER be suffering alone. I know there are good people in this world. Please be that one. Love to you and yours.
  

Blood Will Tell

  Just when you thought it was safe to breathe a sigh of relief...
  Everything seems to be going well. It's sunny out, no hurricanes have hit your part of the world. (Funny how we get so complacent when the bad stuff happens to other people)

   But something is not feeling right. You are feeling hungover and you don't even drink.Shaky, room spinning at times. Eyesight changes. Hmmm. You ignore it because someone else needs you more.
   You read about Rosie O'Donnell's heart attack and you think "What???!!! How can a bright woman who presumably reads and keeps up with trends have such obvious symptoms of a heart attack and ignores it until its almost too late?"

I will tell you in one word: DENIAL
We don't want to hear it: From the woman who doesn't get a mammogram because it might be "bad news" to the person who continues to eat poorly because after all "everything will kill you anyway eventually".

  No one wants to hear bad news. No one wants to face mortality. No one wants to think the unthinkable.
   I have always prided myself on being a fairly healthy cook, little or no processed foods, heavy on the fruits and veggies, etc. but boy, put a cookie in front of me and I will be your best friend. Love cookies. No, not just love cookies in small letters. I LOVE cookies. Any type, but leaning heavily into the chocolate anything category.

  Just pile 'em up and feed 'em to me now.

    So what? All is fine tra-la-la...until you get those pesky blood test results back. I had been noticing over the past couple of years that my fasting blood sugars have been on the higher side. I was always watching it due to the fact that on my dad's side, diabetes runs rampant. Concerned, but not consumed by the fact (pardon the pun) that they were high-ish, I vowed to be more careful. More exercise, check. More veggies and fruit, check. Less sweets and cookies...er, well, uh...
   This week marks the end of Life As I Know It.
   A more indicative test (A1C, which measures average blood sugars over the past three months, which is more like a video than the one-time snapshot of a fasting blood sugar) came back high, showing that my blood sugar average has been way higher than it should be.
   Coupled with an abnormally high insulin level, it shows that my body does not properly process insulin. I have joined the thousands of people in the "pre-diabetes" category. Insulin-resistant. Metabolic syndrome.
   Whatever you call it, it is serious. If you are in the pre-diabetic column, your risk of getting diabetes w/i 5 years has now just sky-rocketed. No one wants to hear the words "diabetes" (pre or full blown) in the same sentence as "You have..."
   Of my dad's relatives, if you do not have diabetes, it's because you have DIED from diabetes. 
   So, apparently DH and I are now sharing this new thing. I am going to do a little more investigating. Is it becoming more common or are the tests more sensitive or have they lowered the parameters?   What are the stats saying about becoming diabetic after this diagnosis? Can it be reversed? What are the odds you have it right now and don't know it? What can you do to control it?
(Your chance of heart failure and stroke have just now gone up....)
  




 So now what? My doctor told me she doesn't know how long I can remain vegetarian since it is obviously heavy in carbs. I am resisting because the thought of meat makes me want to be ill. I stopped eating meat due to high cholesterol but hubby says I need to find a balance, I can't be extreme in either direction. I will keep you posted on what I find out.



  to be sick...especially if you don't know it.


One last look at my addiction

End Games/Pineapple is next/Gift of the Month Club

Ahh, the traditional "end of Summer" as we roll into Labor Day. Funny thing about "Labor Day", you just sit around eating and doing nothing. I have personally celebrated Labor Day 4 times, but I have 4 kids to show for it. Ha.
   We had a visit to the stroke clinic on Friday, I think they are very pleased with DH's progress. His blood work is great and that is all good. However, he expressed concern. (DH, not the doctor)
His concern is what if it happens again? I am sure this is a totally normal reaction to any life event. I think this is a human behavioral response to anything in our life that is out of the ordinary. Car accident? Nervous about getting behind the wheel. Heart attack? Am I overdoing this or that to cause another attack?
   You know, I once hurt my back while washing windows on the outside of the house, so therefore, I am no longer going to do housework. I know that sounds silly, but I think we really sometimes over- react to circumstances beyond our control. But then, it doesn't matter how we know something is silly in our head: The heart thinks what it does.
   So on that note I decided this was going to be about funny stuff.In honor of the End of Summer, I decided to review all my notes to myself I have made on my phone "note" app so far this year:


   Feb 18th: Noted a new friend's birthday
   March 9: I was in the hospital and met a nurse who had a farm, copied down his CSA address (have yet to do it, thinking we were gone all summer and didn't need produce then)
   Mar 14th:  Was celebrating one of my granddaughter's birthday. She got my note pad and wrote this: "K rocks a lot of course she does and Noni and Grandpa and mommy and daddy and of course me again." That makes me smile when I read that, it has to stay.
   April 6th: DH has had a stroke, affecting vision, at hospital having MRI and scan. (Now this was a sucky day!)
April 7th: Has had a good night, motor skills.speech not affected, vision loss (funny I was so succinct, inside I am dying)

April 14th: This note says: "They're real." What the heck???? Then I realize it's the name of a mascara hahaha

   April 23rd: Doc appt for DH, summary of tests

   June 7th: Movie titles (when we go to movies we watch trailers of previews and I sometimes forget what I want to see, so now I write them down during the previews. This is a significant date because it is the first time we went to the movies, post stroke due to vision loss)

   June 18th: Someone else's bday
   July 5th More movie titles!
   July 18th: found a new restaurant at the coast, wrote down how amazing it was, and when it is open...http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Irish-Table/140118542730248
   July 18th: Notes for my blog as we traveled and I saw funny things
   July 21st:  An especially good wine that DH had at a restaurant (Abiqua Wind Pinot Noir Rose)
   July 22nd:  Another yummy wine (Troon Flying White wine)
  July 27th:   A magazine website that encourages children to cook (http://www.chopchopmag.org/)
  July 28th: Funny website: http://surisburnbook.tumblr.com/ (This is funny because it makes fun of celebrities who are famous for being famous)
   July 31st: More movie previews, but this one has Denzel!!!
   Aug 7th: a list: Mini vac, Sin Dawg, warranty. http://www.daveskillerbread.com/killer-bread/sin-dawg.html 
Sin Dawg is disgustingly amazing bread, I have no idea what I meant by warranty, as for the Mini Vac, didn't locate it.
    Aug 11,12,17, Notes to myself for blog and/or movie previews. We are forming a pattern here.
   August 18th: Listening to DH's shortwave radio, a dispatcher for some police department in California said: "A man wants to blow up the earth because it interferes with view of Saturn" I do believe there is a story in that. I wonder if he will succeed. Ain't nothing coming between me and Saturn people!
   Aug 22: Listening to a comedian: (Mitch Hedburg) he was closing out his bit and he said: "I've got a roll of fruity Life Savers in my pocket: Pineapple is next."    I swear I don't know how many times I said that to myself as a kid.

Aug 24th MORE MOVIE PREVIEWS what is this????
Aug 28th: I have no idea of the context, but I heard this and I laughed and laughed:
"Valium of the Month Club" If there isn't one, there SHOULD be, don't you agree?












And one more thing! last night on TV they were talking about back-to-school shopping and this sweet young mom says that on her kid's list was this: PeeChee type of folder.
And then she said the UNTHINKABLE: "I don't even know what that is"  WHAT THE HECK?

WERE YOU BORN IN A BARN, UNDER A ROCK, NEAR THE PLANET SATURN, THAT WE CANNOT SEE BECAUSE EARTH IS IN THE WAY?????
Seriously????????


 THIS is a PeeChee. As you can tell, women are only allowed to play TENNIS and wear cute skirts and men can run track and play football. Have they not heard of Title IX???? (the backside is worse, boys playing baseball and basketball ,a girl riding a ski lift. Ho Hum.)


Herewith is a funny version of the famous "PeeChee" called Bike Hugger