I know what you mean about the pool, Tammy. And I sure think that move causes stress. What a nice vacation, Meme. Sounds idyllic. I should tell my son to go for a walk with his dog. Well, that tv survey is done!! And VBS-I did learn how to crochet a bit. They were teasing me so I think I will bring in one of my grandmother's and say I did it. It was fun to learn something new. My kid's workshop only had 4 and they were funny. One little boy was putting tape on everything. Massage today and grocery shopping. we are heving 12 people over Sat night to watch a DVD of the Christmas pageant we saw in Ft Myers but I am only serving cake and coffee-actually it's an orange creamsicle cake for Brad's bd.I found the orange suoreme cake mix and after it's baked, you pour in jello, add pudding and Cool Whip on top!!! Got the recipe off the net. Brad keeps bugging me about dessert!!! I think I have gained a couple of pounds again. I am too busy and it's been too hot to walk. bYE mIMA

I'm going to start taking Nika out on her leash more and teaching her to lead. She's really proving to be a smart little dog. I told hubby I'm thinking about taking her to training classes this fall. Time is the main problem with that. I also want to take a target shooting class and get my gun permit. Don't know if I'll be able to find time for both. I'll have to drive all the way to Bend of the River for the gun classes and that'll take me about 40 minutes one way. Add to that the business (full time), piano lessons four afternoons, housework (and you know all that goes WITH that), church and the family ... not a lot of time left.

The water sure does help. I'm trying to talk hubby into putting a hot tub on our deck. He didn't say yes but he hasn't said no, either! Maybe you strained your back moving all that stuff. Doesn't take much to do that you know.

I don't usually have a problem with the gagging thing. I can do the diapers, clean up the puppy mess, etc. When I was little we used to drive from MI to NC regularly. We'd stop at gas stations with outdoor toilets (plus my grandpa had an outdoor toilet.) It was either use it or hold it. And the trip took about 20 hours one way back then. I learned to breathe through my mouth and think about something else. I just shut down and learned to not let it bother me. I eventually transfered that over to a lot of other areas in my life growing up. My dad drank on the weekends and took it out on me pretty regularly. I used the same technique then. He told my husband once that when I was little I'd hold my breath and nearly pass out to keep from crying when I was little. Well, I told hubby later that was because he was beating me and I didn't want to give him the satisfaction of knowing that it hurt! It's called survival. But I'll tell you one thing that WILL make me gag ... and that's BO. Someone can pass me up in the store and have body odor and I'll nearly puke. Hubby thinks as strong as I am in other areas that that's funny. I think they need to buy some soap while they're in there and go take a bath!

Today's Stress Tip
for 7/21/2005

Tell them you'll get back to them.

When people ask you point blank to do something-like volunteer, go on a date, buy something, change your schedule, do them a favor, or donate money-don't feel you have to answer right away. Even if they pressure you to do so. Surprise tactics aren't fair. And could force you to commit to something you'll later regret. Tell them: "I have to think about it." Or, "I'll get back to you." Or, "I need to check on something first." If that doesn't satisfy them, decline altogether. Being too accommodating is probably what has you stressed out in the first place. It's time you looked out for yourself.



Hey Meme, the above is just for you Glad you had a wonderful trip. Sounds great to me. Now, you can go back to your more than busy life - your choice, I guess. Glad puppy had a good holiday as well.

Tammy - Glad you had a good time as well. It is just nice to get away and do NOTHING except what you want to do. Tammy, I have had back problems for over half my life now. Had back surgery 20 years ago, and now have OA in that same area. Sometimes, you just can't win! However, I am walking around, pain or no pain, and it could be so much worse.

Mima - sounds like your yard is coming along. So Brad had a birthday and you get to eat cake. Well, that is nice! It is nice to learn new things. I can crochet a bit, but when it comes to losing stitches, boy, I can't do that. I don't knit either, as that has always been so hard on my lower back. I have to concentrate so hard and my head is down and that seems to pull on the spine - causing great pain.

Candice - where the heck are you???? Hope you are ok, girl.

Joanne - Hope you enjoy your holiday. Nice to be there with your family.

Not so nice to be there with all MY family!!! We tried that in the fall of 2003 with my daughter and her family and guess who wound up doing all the work and taking care of the kids? My daughter emailed me a site with condos on a beach in NC and said lets split one and go on vacation together again in October. Hey ... Anne ... guess what I said?

NO!!!

Aren't you so proud of me?

Hubby and I went fishing this afternoon. Caught 3 decent catfish. The lake was tranquil and it wasn't too awful hot, either. We live about 20 minutes from one of the largest lakes in TN ... runs from here all the way to Nashville. It's a beautiful lake ... Center Hill. If you'd like to see pictures I have 3 pages on my art website: http://memeart.tripod.com/Lake1.html

Anne, I learned that answer a while bak-I'll get back to you. When I remember it, I use it. I had a nice massage yesterday. I'll go back to her but now I have to tell the lady I always went to. It's just too far. The new one found some sore trigger points I didn't know I had. Lots of them know quite a bit about fibro. I did find I can knit again-but not constantly. It gets me in the neck. I worked on a crocheted square yesterday but it came out round, When I look at my grandmother's pieces, the work is amazing. I have a bedspread she made!!! Brad has to fast because he has bloodwork this morning-then we need to go grocery shopping. Meme, why do you need a gun permit? Those things scare me. I always thought there was a relationship between fibro and being abused as a child-I was also beaten severely. But that's not everyone. But that's you and me. Bye Mima

No abuse on my end. I had a great childhood and have NEVER been abused. I think FM comes from the spine. Just about every person I have ever talked to that has FM has some sort of problem with the neck or lower back. When my back is good, the FM is good as well.

Yes, Meme, I was wondering why ON earth you would need a gun permit. I wouldn't have a gun in my house. Most people in Canada don't walk around with guns (well it appears the young one's do - gang members etc). It is getting really terrible out there in that big old world. SWARMING has become a thing they do now. A bunch of kids will swarm around somebody and beat them up. God help us all if this kind of thing doesn't change soon!

Meme - I am proud of you that you said NO, but feel sad that you can't go away with your family and enjoy it, instead of get stuck in the roll. THAT is what you need to say TO!!!!

Mima, that cake sounds yummy. Funny about the quilt. I think you should take in the one that your grandmother made.

Meme, I remember at Girl Scout camp we had to clean the latrines. I would run in, do a little bit, then run back outside to breathe. Yes, people laughed. Good for you for saying NO! I need to learn that.

Anne, I should have read that stress tip earlier in the week!! I had a call about a Jail and Bail fund raiser for Muscular Dystrophy. I said yes, and then later found out that I'm expected to raise $600. I thought that I could raise what I could, and that would be ok. I e-mailed them and told them I would still do it, but not to expect that much. I sent e-mails to people and most have turned me down about the money. The day of Jail, I get to go sit in a nice restaurant, enjoy a meal, and visit with other jailbirds for an hour. I think if I can raise $100, that is a nice amount.

The rheumatologist told me yesterday that she's pretty sure that I have OA in my knees. They are much worse than they were a year ago. I should have the results of the back x-ray next week sometime. Stress test is Monday.

Neck and back problems. That's what I'm having now and the Fib. seems to be worse. Maybe you are on to something Anne.

Off to do some laundry!! Oh boy! what a thrill.

Actually ... I wasn't planning to walk around with a gun. I was going to lock one in my glovebox when I travel ... and take it in the hotel room when I stay over. I travel back and forth to Nashville and to NC alone a lot and it scares me to think about being stuck on the highway alone ... it's dangerous out there. I can handle a weapon. My dad and brother taught me that when I was a kid and teenager. My hand gun is registered to me but you have to take the class to get the permit to carry. There's nothing wrong with guns if you have the proper respect, lock them up, keep the safty on, keep them away from children and treat them right. It's the criminals behind the guns and idiots that are the problem. If you take the guns out of the hands of all the sane people where does that leave America? It leaves all the idiots and criminals armed and dangerous and all the rest of us without a prayer. Sorry ... didn't mean to get on my soapbox ... but if someone breaks in my house one night with intent to do me harm ... God help him because he'll only get one warning to flee.

Tammy ... I started getting OA in my knees when I was nine. Now I have no cartillage left. I've had surgery on both knees. My rheumatologist just told me a couple of weeks ago that I need another surgery on my left knee because it won't straighten ... I said no thanks.

Good morning-something hit me yesterday-I think it was an allergic recation from eating things I am not supposed to-I feel better today but not 100% and we are having company. If I thought it was a virus, I'd cancel but this sinus stuff happens to me. I am stuffing everything in the den and serving lemonade and the cake!!! Keep it simple. Definitely the neck and the back throws everything off. Actually, I remember reaading that article about the neck and fibro, thanks Anne. I have some OA-I think I have it in my hips because they never get better, And my fingers are getting crooked!! I am getting better with the crocheting. But it will be put away today. Bye for now. Mima

Mima ... I hate to tell you this but you probably have Rheumatoid arthritis in your hands if your fingers are getting crooked. I have both ... OA mainly causes bony knots to form on the joints and you can't bend your fingers and wrists ... really stiff - RA causes deformity ... your bones bend and twist. One of my fingers is turning around to the side. It isn't real noticable yet. And your knuckles become enlarged. The ring finger on my right hand is three times the size it used to be. I think it must be hereditary because my dad had the same thing in his hands ... the knots on his fingers and they twisted just like mine are doing, too. My hands get really cold and then all of a sudden they'll be like they're on fire. They hurt all the time and I wear a wrist brace a lot, too. My Dr. is "keeping an eye on them." Like every thing else!!! He asks me every time I go if I'm still playing the piano.

Go read this. It's not 100% accurate but it's really close to what they are both like. (They kind of meld into each other when you have both.)
http://www.orthoindy.com/conditions/hand/arthritis.cfm
It's really important to use them though. I bought some of those hand exersise thingies that you squeeze ... that's really hard for me ... just to keep up some strength in mine. I have none! My fourth and fifth fingers on my right hand won't bend all the way down. I've been trying to find one of those little stress balls.

But my fingers don't hurt-just a little stiff and the RA tests come out negative. My poor mother had the worst RA but she took to the couch. And took too many pills. We postponed the company for 2 weeks, I just wasn't up to it. Brad got Chinese for supper so I had hot and sour soup and felt better last night. Still not ok but I think I will go to church. Maybe I will go see doc tomorrow. It's probably a sinus infection. I just read the article Meme and it's OA. I can live with it. Mima

I typed something this morning and it isn't here! Wah!!!!!!!!!

Meme, I'm glad that you aren't planning on strolling around with a gun. My SIL has had surgeries on both knees. She is younger than me. She told me the other day that she thinks she needs to have it again on one of them.

Mima, hope you are feeling much better now!!! I think everyone that I know has had Chinese this week. I like to have that every now and then.

Tomorrow morning is the stress test. I'm nervous about it. Has anyone ever died during one? terrible question, isn't it?

Hi Tammy! You are monitored the whole time. They put the bloodpressure cuff on you and the nurse and Dr. are right there with you - at least that was how it was for me. I am sure you will do OK with it - it doesn't hurt. You just have to walk on the treadmill.

My brother was having a stress test while in the midst of a heartattack Sometimes these medical types don't listen to the common folk He knew he was having one, but they told him he wasn't, so they went ahead with test. Needless to say, he couldn't do it.

Yes Meme, I am glad to hear you will NOT be a pistol packing Mama

Not much new here, other than we will be moving by the 30 September. I don't know if we are going to buy something or not. Went and looked at a condo today and it should be finished by the end of September. We shall see what happens. It's time to move again to get rid of the junk that has accumulated over the past 1 1/2 years! It's amazing how that happens. It is just like fat - it comes and stays

Catch you tomorrow.

I can't believe you're moving again already. This is about 3 or 4 times since I've "known" you!!! How can you do that? I hate moving! I'm cleaning closets. You all should be proud of me ... I've finally decided to give up some of my bigger sizes. I took my MIL a bunch of clothes yesterday ... she was so happy. Then I came home and did a little more before Garrett and Kaylyn got here (we took them to see Charlie & the Choc. Factory & they spent the night & went to church with us this morning.) I found 2 more dresses, a suit and 2 jackets for MIL. Sizes 18 and large 16s. She's shorter than I am so she'll have to take them up some but she sews. I have a whole hamper full of hangers now ... threw away a garbage bag full plus 2 garbage bags of old clothes ... Goodwill would not want them either! Trust me! It was mainly stuff I hadn't worn in years, some of it was stuff I had put back to paint in, etc. Some was just worn out and some others maybe had a spot or needed to be dry cleaned before wearing and was too old to bother with that expense. I still have 2 more closets to go and my walk-in is going to take forever because I'm going to 'remodel' it.

Tammy ... good luck with the stress test. I'm sure you'll ace it! I hate losing posts.
Mima ... hope you're feeling better. I've had RA for a very long time and it didn't show up in my blood tests for years. My doctor told me it didn't always show up. He diagnosed me with it about 10 years before it actually showed up. Last time I had my sed rate checked it was 200 ... it's supposed to be 30.

Read this - I think it's interesting: (what did people do for info before the web?)
http://www.arthritis.org/conditions/...diagnosis2.asp

Good morning. I am feeling better, not perfect. Don't worry Tammy, they will be right there. I think the worse thing is waiting for the results-at least 2 weeks. I wish there was something I could do about my reactions to food. I am going to do a search. Now we are not moving downstairs. Going to make a nice apt and rent it out and then if one of us is left alone, we could go down there. I would never live alone in this big house. Anyhow, Anne I moved twice in one and a half years, much easier the second time. And then we moved into the mobile home in FL so now that's 3. It was the first time that was brutal, especially since I was by myself from an 8 room house. The fibro kicked in big time-I couldn't sleep the first night, I hurt so much. Life is sure different now. Brad is so strong. Don't hurt your back!!! Bye for now Mima