Saturday, October 20, 2007

Hot air

Costs. Or at least, air in balloons costs. When I met with my school chums at The Globe a week or so ago for lunch, I bought three balloons in our school colours...garnet, green and gold..and tied them to the bannister going upstairs in the inn so the women would know where to find our table. After lunch we gathered on the steps of the small inn to have our photos taken and someone moved my basket to which the balloons were attached. The balloons then took that opportunity to leap off the handles of my basket and we watched in dismay as three lovely helium-filled balloons lifted skyward, never to be seen again. The friend who dislodged the balloons wrote yesterday to thank me for arranging the luncheon and inside were tucked three rubber balloons. I took them into town this morning to be filled with helium...the cost: $1.00 per balloon, plus tax. It was the tax that got me...paying tax on air. They are now residing in our familyroom.

Sara, I called my friend Joan in Fla. this morning but she was out...100% humidity would make my curly hair curlier and likely make me feel like I was suffocating. How do you cope?

I'm spooling down quite nicely now. I have to go cold turkey running around as I do during my B&B season. I get so wound up that sitting down is boring for me so I find something else to do. What is of concern is my tingly feet. My blood sugar is okay so it's not a diabetic concern. I swam in a pool all winter and while I'm allergic to chlorine, can tolerate a certain amount of it but one morning I got up and my feet were burning badly. Red as can be, both of them and up around my baby toes...both feet the same. I thought that I had walked or stood on chemicals in the pool area. It took several months for the burning to receed, then my feet ached. I'm on my feet constantly in the kitchen, primarily, baking, cooking, etc. during my four month season so it was a bit of a haul getting through the summer this way. I still have burning on the ball of each foot and my baby toes but primarily it's left me with the tingling numbish feeling which comes and goes plus one very tickly itch which can't be itched because it's inside my feet not on the surface. I have also been tested by a specialist who scratched my feet with a feather...whatever ....to see if the feeling was there or not...that turned out fairly well...so the only other thing that I can think of is: the continual movement at Curves on the pads between the machines, plus perhaps a fibro reaction. Tingling in the feet can go with fibro. I do not want to take an anti-inflammatory and can't think that I'd be offered anything else for this problem so Jane, if what you are taking is not a Naisad (or however you spell that), please post and let us know how you are doing on the drug.

Another insulting thing happened the day before yesterday...a mouse entered my spelt pita bread which sitting in an open plastic wrapper in the bread box, the china top of which Jock managed to break but not until it had been in use for two years so that was a record for him in not breaking it until then. The mouse pooped on my spelt pita. What in insult. I brushed it off and ate the pita but can't bring myself to repeat it and will throw the last one out. Shoot! It even went upstairs and pooped on two guest beds...tried to trap it, no luck...it's likely making a tour around the house like goldilocks trying to find the right bed to sleep in for the winter ahead.

Marion, I can see why your little wallhanging as been confiscated by the family. It must have been fun to work on, too.

Guess that about covers it for this week. Just waiting for B&B guests to arrive but the season is drawing to a close. I'm not tired actually but mindful of slowing down, which I need to do.

Rosey

Friday, October 19, 2007

Fibromalgia drug?

Jayne and others--I tried to put a comment on Jayne's post the other day, and tonight realized it didn't take.
Sorry for all the pain you are in with your knees Jayne. and hope you and Rosey start doing better.
Since my DD has Fibromyalgia, as does her birth mother, could you tell me the name of the new drug you are on. Is it something like Lyrica, or some such spelling? A GF with severe RA just started on that, but not sure how it is spelled.
Nothing too exciting going on today, rain off and on, just enough to make the humidity 100%, but not enough to do anything but get the streets wet.
I'm helpiong a GF paint her teen boy's room tomorrow morning, so will take my bod off to bed perchance to sleep if the hot flashes don't keep me awake half the night. (Is that a run on sentence?)
Sara in Florida

Thursday, October 18, 2007

Now I'm on a roll !


Flushed with the success of posting a photo this morning I decided to try again ! This is a small wall-hanging which I enjoyed putting together in the winter months. I won't have it for long as DGD has taken a liking to it !!
On my way home from my walk this morning I bought some plants for the garden. We have a holiday w/end in NZ this w/end and it is traditionally, when lots of gardening and planting gets done. After the shock of last nights heavy frost I may wait a few days !
Marion.

Wednesday, October 17, 2007

Can't think of one

Kathi, I had to come on to comment on what a gorgeous photo you've posted to the board...the colour of the mums and the colour of your retriever...wonderful. I can see that he wasn't happy sitting for his portrait though. You can just tell that he's saying: mom, I hate sitting still...

Jane, I wasn't aware that your other knee will need doing and you've sure been through a lot on your own...brave you. I think though this time since you're all settled in your home you'll find it less stressful coming back home to recouperate. I'm interested to hear how you will do on the new drug for fibro.

I've had increasing problems since last spring with my feet and I also have fibromyalgia. I'm aware that the pace I keep, which is of my own doing running about like a chicken with my head cut off high on my own adrenaline is something that I likely need to think about. I'm trying to spool down gradually though I'm getting ready for our guild's quilt exhibit at the moment as I've committed to taking a booth. Still, the B&B is less demanding at this time of year and I need the time over winter to slow down to a more sensible pace. I wish that I did not enjoy going about "with my hair on fire" as Jock calls it but it's so exhilarating for me especially after the years before when my toxicity meant that I had little energy at all.

There is a heavy fog coming in tonight and we have both stoves going although it is not all that cold. There are storms coming up through the mid-west of the US so I'm hoping some of you who need rain badly will get it.

Sara, your trip in to the Springs sounded like great fun. I was reading through wondering if you would say that you saw gators. We heard of the dreadful accident with the elderly woman who was house sitting for friends and met her demise with an alligator. They are quite fascinating however, I have been chased by one so I know that they don't just loll about or fool around. I've also been chased by a swan, so you'd think I'd know better than to mess with these things when I'm in Florida wouldn't you.

Rosey

Kayaking and other stuff

Good afternoon all.
It's been a while since I posted. Last Friday DH & I loaded up the new SUV with 2 kayaks, 2 bicycles, and assorted stuff and went to central Florida. We stayed in the little town of Silver Springs, and kayaked up and then back the Silver River. The weather was perfect, the water so clear you could see every fish, grass, etc. From out put in spot it was approx. 6 miles to the mouth of the spring. We were expecting that the Silver Springs owners would allow people to dock and get a Coke or sandwich. No such thing, they don't allow docking. At least the river is part of the state park system so we could stay in the water. We had drunk our water, Cokes, ate the crackers by this time and I had a 5 min. "crabby" attack. The way back was easier, as we went with the flow. We got out and stretched our legs at a boat dock in the state park, and felt better. It was only about 2 hours back. There were at least 200 turtles out sunning themselves on the logs, flocks of some type of white birds (maybe Ibis?) and some loons. We did spot some gators, the animal kind. There was a 4 ft. one and a few others we took pictures of. The only time I was afraid was when I saw a 10 ft. (or so) one hidden in the brush and water algee. I gave him a wide area to himself.
He was longer than my kayak.
The next day we did some bicycling, and tried to go to another state park. Well, we did get to the other part, but one of the kayaks flew off the top of the vehicle getting there. Fortunately we were on a not-too-traveled road, and it went into the grass on the side of the road.
The other park was pretty, but hilly, and not exactly wanting to hike up and down to get to the water we just walked around.
It is Rainbow River state park if anyone goes down I-75, just west of Ocala, and well worth the trip.
There was a wedding getting ready to start at 5:00 PM when we left. A lovely setting.
You would think with all the exercise I would be rail thin, but no, fat as a toad still. Even my fat clothes are tight. Must be shrinking in the dryer again.
Our computer is officially dead. The moniter will be OK to use again, but we will have to buy a new main computer. I'm still using the DH's lap top when he is not around. It is different, and I'm sure there are many spelling mistakes, so please be forgiving.
I'm cleared to go back to Yoga, and tonight will be the first time I'll be able to make it. Between sitting in car dealership offices and vein surgery it has been about 6 weeks. Even though I do some stretching it will be good to be back with 4 or 5 other people to be c-a-l-m, and stretch.
Haven't done any quilting lately. I did straighten up the room this morning.
The hot flashes are keeping on. It has been almost 3 years since I got off the HRT. This not sleeping and sweating is wearing me down. I have an appt. with the OB-GYN in Nov. to discuss a low dose patch. I'll keep the options open.
OK, enough of "me". Going to have some iced tea and cool down.
Sara in Florida

Tuesday, October 16, 2007

LUCKY YOU

We are still caught in the midst of what I read today is the worst drought in Western NC since records have been kept. There is no burning allowed, many cities and towns have restricted the use of water even to the extent that car washes have been closed. That hasn't been imposed here in Jackson County yet although an increasing number of individual wells and springs have dried up. So far so good for me. Needless to say, there isn't much blooming here. We haven't had the normal variety and number of wildflowers here this year from Spring on. I guess we need, (don't breathe this out loud) is a hurricane. Trouble with those is they often cause flooding. Farmers who have much livestock are hurting for hay for the winter and the weather service is predicting a dry winter. The local apple crop was destroyed in its flowering stage in what is called here the "Easter Freeze" which ocurred over Easter weekend. Every flower was frozen so there was no fruit. I bought some apples at a favorite place in Waynesville that is normally selling its own apples. They have purchased apples from PA and MI this year. That's still better than the super market apples from WA. It clouded up today and I planned to go to the car wash as I have the dirtiest vehicle in the Western Hemisphere thinking that might bring us a sprinkle but by then I was tired and hungry and the back of the car was full of groceries.

Tonight I start a medication recently approved by FDA for the treatment of the difficult and diffuse pain of fibromyalgia. It has a good record of treating the pain of diabetic neuropathy and post-herpatic neuralgia. A fellow quilter put me onto it. After doing some Internet checking I made and appt. to talk to primary doc about it. She was all for it and had already brought herself up to date on it. Since it is a close relative of the stuff I've been taking in increasing doses for very bothersome restless leg syndrome I will be dropping that and hoping that the new stuff does both jobs. She did warn me to start it on an evening before a day I wouldn't have to drive as it can cause serious drowsiness. Until we know how I will react I'll be cautious about that. If it makes me too dopey I'll go back to the other stuff and continue to live with the perpetual pain and stiffness in the neck and hips. I am fortunate that my fibro pain is nowhere near as bad as it can be. I take some credit for that as I do exercise regularly which is one of the keys to handling that pain. It's the key to almost everything even if we would prefer to sit still and eat ice cream.

I'm also going to see an orthopedic surgeon in Asheville about scheduling a knee replacement as soon after the holidays as I can. It's no where near as painful as the other was when I had that one done but I lost two years hobbling around with a cane putting on 20 pounds and losing all muscle tone. The result of that surgery was not much to write home about and I continue to have modest pain around that prosthesis have limited flexibility in the joint. At this point in my life there isn't so much of it left that I want to waste any more time than I can help sitting around suffering if it's not necessary. That knee is caving in significantly. I was always a bit knock kneed and despite the relatively little pain compared to the other knee, it's getting worse and as a consequence of the increased inward angle the difference in length between it and the corrected knee is increasing thus screwing up my gate big time. I move a bit like Igor in the old Frankenstein movies of the 30s (step, clump, step, clump.) That irritates my hips. The jaw dentist whom I saw today for the first time in four months and to whom I complained about some relapse, spotted a change in my posture for the worse and the funny gate the minute I walked in. He says that will mess you up the spine, shoulders etc. This time I'll go to Mission Hospitals in Asheville where they have all the same new high tech methods and equipment they have at Mayo clinic. I had perfectly miserable nursing care in the local place last time and I won't risk that again. With my doc's referral I was able to get in for an evaluation 10/31. It won't be fun but it will certainly not get any better if I put it off. The knee discomfort has begun to interfere with my efforts at serious aerobic exercise too and that helps with the weight control. Remember that old song that every chorus used to sing called "Dem Bones"? You know...foot bone connected to de ankle bone connected to de shin bone" etc. It's true.

Time for bed and get back to one of my favorite authors, Frederick Forsythe. I haven't read a good spy thriller in a good while. This was, unfortunately, a bit prophetic anticipating the rise of fascism in Russia after a failed attempt at democracy. Sounds like the latest news from our friend, Putin, doesn't it?

Jane in dry and still quite warm western NC

Where are we?


Since we haven't been chatting lately, I thought I'd post a picture taken in my back yard on Sunday. The fall cleanup is just about done, but the mums are WONDERFUL this year. This picture is of one that I put in as a 4" color spot in the spring.


And no, Gus doesn't like to have his picture taken. He always acts like he's being punished when the camera comes out.


Kathi