WELCOME EVERYONE ~ this thread is for anyone with any kind of physical challenge like SB, CP, MS, PK, Lupus, Osteo, Arthritis, Rheumatism, or any other condition (whether genetic or acquired), that causes physical limitations and/or difficulties.

Please join us in this special thread ~ to give support and encouragement; and share ideas, or just chat with one another ...


*** IT'S TIME FOR OUR NEW MONTHLY THREAD ***

HAPPY JANUARY EVERYONE

HELLO LADIES ~ we had a bit of a wind storm today, so we just stayed home and started taking down our Christmas decos; we got about half done, and we hope to get the rest done tomorrow.

Well, it's a new year and a new month; and that brings with it another chance to start anew and to make some improvements over last year. 2007 was really a good year for us in many ways; but as life does sometimes, near the end, some misfortune did arise for some of our family members.

At the end of each day, I ask myself ... what can I do better? I do the same on the first of each month now. I don't bother with resolutions, but instead try to look for ways to improve my life instead.

I hope you ladies all had a nice NEW YEARS, and we wish you the best for the coming year ... take good care, your friend ROSEBUD

good evening!
I've tried to read over the end of the december thread to keep up to date so I know what's been going on with everyone.

I took down my Christmas decorations a few days ago.. spent new years on a reserve north of here with my parents and I go back to work on Monday.

Purple - have I read this right -- you'r going into a diving chamber? I'm getting a mental picture of you doing medically supervised deep sea diving?? I hope it goes well?

and you're right about my hair. long story short.. I was bored one day last summer.. and alone with a pair of sizzers.. so I started chopping at my own ponytail. Once I went to my hairstylist she had to ccut it pretty short to make things even...so I've got some short layers that wont stay up. I'm trying to grow it out.

Rosebud - I'm not making resolutions either. I 'recommitted' myself to my lifestyle change post holidays but it was nice to ring in the new year knowing I had already successfully lost 60 pounds. It looks like the dragonflys in your signature are starting to pile up too!

I'm going to head out -- we're waiting for my parents to come into town for the evening. I'll check in this weekend to catch up

HELLO LADIES ~ GEE, I didn't realize it had been so long since I posted; I thought I was in here on Friday or Sat. The memory plays tricks on you when you are busy, eh? It took almost all day on the weekend to get the tree and rest of the Christmas decos and boxes sorted out. We are using a new system that SHY from Christian Encouragers thread mentioned.

I marked all the boxes with a big number to keep them in order, becuz every year we lose track of at least one box somehow. With this new system, we shouldn't have that problem anymore; we also re-organized them to get more stuff in fewer boxes becuz we do have limited storage space here.

PURPLE ~ thanks for holding down the fort; I suppose you were wondering what happened to me. I like to come in at least every other day or more; just lost track of the days becuz we were so busy. I have been having a longer nap each afternoon to give me more energy. I have been doing a lot of reading lately too; just magazine subscriptions that we got for Christmas gifts and some a friend brought over for me.

I hope that 'pressure' diving chamber works out for you; I have heard of that kind of therapy before. Sorry you had a few small side effects though; but I will be praying for you that everything goes well for you, and that you find some benefits from it.

VAL ~ yes, I love to see all those dragonflies; I noticed that lots of other ladies go by 'five' lb allotments and thought that might encourage me just a tad more; it does look like an army, eh??? LOL! I got a new mobile this Christmas; it's a long string of lovely butterflies (8) that hangs from the ceiling beside my large pink & purple dragonfly; and I have many other mobiles across my livingroom divider. Yah, I love them; can you tell?

Just wanted to let you know that I am keeping on plan; hope my few little treats didn't cause me any problem. I am always amazed at some ladies who even lose weight over Christmas; I hope to at least stay the same.

HELLO TO MO; hope you are well dear. And, that's all from here for now; so take good care, your friend ROSEBUD

HELLO CHICKIES ~ Well, we had another wet day today; it's raining out there right now (drizzling actually). So very odd for January here; we are usually down to -30C at this time of year. The backyard and our parking lot are sheer ice; and one of our neighbours slipped and fell on it, so Dh went out to the side of the road and brought back some sand to spread around the front area for added safety.

We hope to go into town tomorrow for errands and small pick-ups; will have to be extra careful (Dh put some sand around our car too). It's no good for walking at all; have to do indoor stuff for awhile. Never go the snow they predicted ~ lol!

We just did housework today; laundry and stripping the beds and such. Had some of that nice homemade turkey soup with homemade w/bran biscuits for dinner tonight. Had a baked apple for my snack too.

PURPLE ~ hope you are feeling OK after your special treatment today. Why do they have to do so many in a row? Do they have to try and figure out what level of pressure you need? I hope this will help you in some way; still keepin' you in my prayers, hon ...

DH is listening to easy listening rock and roll while I'm playing on here; that's kinda nice to listen to now and then. Gotta find things to do inside when you have yucky weather like this ~ lol!

HI TO VAL AND MO ~ have a great week, ladies!

ANYWAYS, that's all from here for now; take good care, your friend ROSEBUD

hello ladies,

Purple I hope you're relatively well and that those cold symptoms didnt get a chance to really creep on you but if they did.... you must be resting as much as possible to nip it in the bud eh? Have you experienced any of the positives from the chamber yet?

Rosebud Time does fly when we get busy! My first priority online is journalling my daily food at fitday.com but sometimes even that get's left behind nevermind 3fc. Right now, I have a chance to read the forum because I cant sleep! ha ha I decided to stop laying in bed trying to sleep and actually 'do something' though

I changed one of my tickers around a bit too to be more encouraging to myself.. I was doing the self sabotage thing because it felt like I had come so far and still had so far to go. Sometimes the little things really can make a difference like that.



As for the reason that I'm still awake -- today I bought my first brand new vehicle. It's a 2007 Chevy Optra..... I got a great deal... and everything worked out amazingly well (I went in the dealership thinking I could only get a stock generic no options model but came out with my 'ideal fully loaded car' for the same price) Something about clearing out last year's models combined with a 'recent graduate' student bonus along with a christmas promotion that is ending this week.

It's been invigorating but scary at the same time. Anyways, my nerves always get the best of me and kill my appetite AND ability to sleep so I've got a feeling the next couple days till I sign all the car paperwork will be kinda tense.

I'm going to go sit in my bed again -- I've still got to work tomorrow. lol take care all!

HI LADIES ~ nice to hear form you both! We didn't get to go into town afterall becuz we got hit by a terrible snow storm; up to 60 kilometer winds and it's a mess out there; the police are warning people to stay off the roads as they are icy as well.

Dh wants to go in tomorrow morning if the roads are clear enough; we'll have to see. The travelling Vet is supposed to be coming tomorrow; sure hope he doesn't cancel becuz of the weather. We are getting somewhat anxious about what's wrong with her; hope it's not too serious.

PURPLE ~ I'm so glad your therapy session today was so positive and the workers were so enjoyable too. I hope the rest of your treatments go just as well and they have moocho benefits for you.

VAL ~ We're just staying in today; couldn't do much else. I used to do FITDAY.com all the time; later I cut down to once a week or month now, just to make sure I'm keeping on track. I used to just write things down in a regular journal, but Fitday gives a better breakdown of food types.

CONGRATS on the new car, VAL ~ I understand what you mean about scary; a new car with it's monthly payment is a big commitment, but if you are careful to budget correctly each month everthing should be OK.

All our bills come out the first two weeks of the month; we always leave more than enough in our account to pay for everything, so we never have to worry. I always recommend a savings account for backup; a bit off each pay.

I found this article about 'Keepin' the Winter Blues at Bay' and I'm posting it for you in another post as it is long. I know that you mentioned SAD before and we also do whatever we can to deal with the lack of sunshine. Some of the ideas are really good; hope they help ...

HELLO TO MO; and take good care, your friend ROSEBUD

KEEPIN' THE WINTER BLUES AT BAY ...

Strange, we never look within ourselves where the cold emptiness begins. Ironically, the solution exists inside where we can find greater control and empowerment through positive perception. Seeing every day as a good day with its special distinguishing moments creates peacefulness and clarity.

And for those of us who demand immediate gratification, we can change our perception immediately whether at work or at home. It can be as simple as: rearranging a few knick knacks, where we usually sit at the kitchen table, or moving a chair or lamp from here to over there.

Here are some more tips to help you change your perception of winter and bring warmth and light into a chilly life:

-- Raise the blinds and let the light shine in. Sit by the window look out and gaze, or read. Feel the warmth.

-- Try eating more hot soups and stews. Add beans and lentils to your diet. These hearty meals are both comforting and nourishing. (If you use canned soups pay attention to the amount of sodium as many ready-made soups are high in sodium.)

-- Go outside to reset your biological clock. Let natural sunlight counteract SAD. Appreciate the winter landscape: the “tree architecture” that we never notice when the leaves are flourishing, or the feathery ornamental grasses swaying in the wind.

-- Exercise to stimulate and bring warmth to your body. Many of us are bored with treadmills and stairmasters that go nowhere.

-- Change up your routine. Dress warmly and go for a brisk fitness walk. If you can get to the shore, a walk on the beach is peaceful and inspiring. Try some new classes in Pilates, Yoga, Belly Dancing, Salsa and Weight Training. Join a league to participate in fun team sports. Get a buddy to exercise with or make friends in fitness centers.

-- Connect with sunny people. Do volunteer work. We tend to get isolated in the winter and keep to our igloos. Get out and see positive people who appreciate you and if you can’t get out, use the phone or email.

-- Bring tropical plants into the house. Their gracious leaves and greenery will lift your spirits and give you a taste of eternal summer.

-- Look at the color orange which is cheering. No need to repaint your home; just put something orange on the desk or your coffee table. (Note: we did repaint our place off white with 'French butter' cupboards; and winter sunshine yellow; pearl blue; and lilac; and the difference was amazing. People constantly remark how bright and calm our place is now)

-- Try a warm glowing candle light meditation. Light a candle in the evening and stare at the flame for about 30 seconds to a minute. Then close your eyes and breathe to your own natural rhythm and see what comes up for you in meditation.

-- Give yourself an auto-massage. Warm some inexpensive olive oil in the microwave and massage your body from head to toe. Long strokes for the limbs, circular strokes for the torso. Make sure to massage the temples, and using your thumbs, do windshield wiper movements under and over your eyes. Feel the warmth pervade your body. (*what a great idea*)

-- If I change my seat at the kitchen table, I really see things from a different perspective. I might notice something new in my field of vision. If I rearrange paintings or furniture, I see them with a fresh eye and appreciate them differently. When we are beset by winter doldrums, long nights, clearly we need to let the pendulum swing the other way to restore the balance.

-- Try adding bright things to your home; red or yellow roses; other pastel-colored flowers; pretty mobiles; bright cushions and pillows. I find this really made a difference in my home.

-- Simplify your home, room by room. Clean out the clutter and donate what you have not used in years. In winter we tend to contract and go inward. Use this indoors time to organize your home. Sharing the extras with the needy will give you an inner glow.


ROSEBUD

HELLO LADIES ~ well, we had beautiful sunshine all day today; what a nice change for us (was able to catch a few Vit D's after all). We did get to go into town too; the travelling Vet was there and we took our little SWEETIE, who was a bit nervous but handled it OK.

PURPLE ~ sadly, the prognosis was the same one the other Vet guessimated; he thinks she has a large tumor, becuz she is 15+ y/o and female; and this is common at that age. But he did give me some antibiotics to give her for any possible infection and told me to continue the vitamins I was already giving her. He estimates that she could have another 3-6 months after this; to just make her as comfortable as possible and we promised to spoil her even more too. So, she had TUNA for dinner tonight ~ lol!

Will be praying for you DAD for the 22nd of January; hope all goes well for him for his surgery. That's nice that your mom can stay with you so she can keep an eye on him too; that will be such a comfort for her. Yes, with your treatments too, you will be one busy gal.

Good thing I am frugal and have a good financial plan becuz just after we left the VETS, our car broke down again. Thank GOD my UNCLE ANGEL happened along and brought SWEETIE and me home with the groceries. But we had to have the car towed home (we live 10 miles out in the country); so with the Vet fee and meds, plus the car and a gift to my Angel, it was one expensive day for us. But we are still solvent (in the black) ~ lol!

Now Dh has to fix it himself; but I am confident he can; it's better than a car payment at this point for us. We are saving up ourselves for the next one; as we know that this one will not last forever. We are just going to make it last as long as we can; we'll squeek out every mile we can, then go looking for a better one (and we do have a list already) ~ LOL!

WELL, we have had more than our share today, but maybe a good night's rest will put a new light on things for us. I am so glad that I have MY FAITH in GOD and his beautiful Son, in my life; I just don't know how people make it through times of trouble and stress without them. I'm just grateful, that's all.

Take good care, your friend ROSEBUD