We don't really get much of springtime per se, we just get alternating winter and summer. Today feels like winter, it's very chilly outside, but tomorrow it will feel much more like summer. I have to say, though, that our past few winters haven't been nearly as snowy as normal. I had bought snowshoes maybe 4 years ago, and I haven't been able to use them for at least the past 2 winters. We just haven't gotten enough snow! That's pretty odd for us, we're in a northern state and not far from Canada, so we usually get more snow.
I don't know why but trying it in my driveway always seems to work. I've done that before too.
So I always feel good about donating there and shopping there. Good for you for donating so much stuff to a good cause!
Called my GI yesterday and talked to his nurse and she said she'd get the message to him, but I didn't get a call back. I'm going back up to 7 mg pred because I need to be functional. I was up at least 3x last night with diarrhea, and then later cramping woke me up. I'm so sick of this! I finished the blanket I was working on, thinking about starting either a scarf or trying to make a sweater vest today. I saw a girl on a TV show wearing a really cute, long, loosely knit sweater vest and it looked like something I could make.
Anything that helps me reduce clutter is a good thing! I do still read plenty of regular books, but when it's an option I usually opt for an e-book.
Or maybe I've just stopped caring?
Once, a few years ago, I walked right into one of the weight machines in the gym and gave myself a big bruise on my thigh. It went from purple to sort of reddish-brown. The following week, I walked into the exact same machine again in the exact same spot! I got a new bruise right on top of my old healing bruise. So then it was purple on top of reddish brown.
Have fun couch shopping!
Please continue to keep me posted on how you're doing and how your grandfather is doing, too.
Ha ha. I haven't been in an argument like that over politics since before my grandpa died! My parents and grandparents used to argue politics all the time, and I mostly hated it, but it does make me miss my grandpa now.
He couldn't quite make the transition from cooking for 200, to cooking for just 2, so we'd end up with huge amounts of food, ha ha. Fortunately he got better over the years at portion size and the amount of food that he cooks for me! And since I know that basically everything on the menu where he works is NOT belly-friendly for me, I tend to just avoid eating anything that he brings home. The guacamole was the exception but I'm definitely avoiding that in the future too.
So I won't run out of things to crochet. I did finish the Japanese drama that I was watching, though, so I need to find a new show to watch.
Hubby and I decided to do some work outside in the yard. I was going to do "just a little" work in the yard, but of course that turned into like 3 hours of me pulling weeds and picking up dead leaves and sticks and planting new primroses and various other things. I definitely felt like I overdid things, so I made sure to rest up after the yard work was completed. I feel mostly okay today. Still coughing though, and first thing this morning I coughed so much that I hurt my back a little bit! It feels like I just pulled a muscle maybe, but it was not fun. And that might be due in part to the fact that I overdid it on the yard work yesterday. Oops.
Yay.
Thanks guys. Carol, it's okay, no worries. I don't think a letter could contain everything that needs to be said. I often think I should just write a memoir or something (I have a lot more stories, that's really just the tip of the iceberg). I haven't told my parents any of that. I kind of don't want to. I think I'd rather just write a book anonymously under a pseudonym, release all of those bad memories and painful times out into the world, and then move on - if they happen to read my book, fine, and if they don't, fine. A friend of mine wrote a couple of books and she said it's quite easy to self-publish on amazon (apparently you can make a kindle version or an actual physical copy of the book through amazon, she's done both). So that's something I'm strongly considering doing. I know it's going to be hard emotionally to write out everything that's inside of me, which is why I haven't started yet. But I'm reading a book by Cheryl Strayed right now and she is inspiring me - I'm paraphrasing, but she said that if you've got a book inside you that is yearning to get out, then you must write and write and write. And I feel like that's what I have to do. I just need to be brave enough to start.
No, MissLeopard, I don't believe in any sort of god nor religion, but it's okay. Even though my life certainly has had no shortage of crappy times, I don't think there's any sort of afterlife waiting for me. I think this life is all I've got, so I need to be creative at times and find ways to be happy and okay, because this is what I've got to work with and this is it, there isn't anything more from what I can see. So I do things that make myself happy, like go to the gym and buy myself presents, and along the way I try to do little things to make others happy too (I donate a lot of the things I crochet, for example). The universe seems like a cold and indifferent place and I feel like it's up to me to make my own happiness and my own purpose, so I do that as best as I can.
Wow, this thread got a bit serious. I didn't intend for it to be so, sorry for bringing you guys down with my sad memories! And hey, if I do write that memoir (it might take me awhile), I'll let you guys know. That way, if you're feeling too happy, you can just read about my childhood.
You seem to imply that I hate god or am mad at god, both of which are inaccurate (and that is something that atheists hear a lot). You don't hate santa, right? Or the tooth fairy? You just don't believe those things exist and they simply have very little bearing on your life - hate doesn't even come into the picture because you'd have to believe in them in the first place to have an emotion about them. That's what god or any deity is to my life, I simply don't see any evidence for any deity and don't believe in any deity, and it has very little bearing on my life. I'm a very analytical person, I like data. And I simply don't see any data that can quantify anything pertaining to a higher power or afterlife or anything supernatural. I just like reality and things that can be proven. Nothing to do with my parents or my childhood, I promise. No hate, no anger, just simple lack of believe because of lack of evidence. She didn't actually listen to me very much and she just kept telling me that I should meditate, as if that was the answer to all my problems including my flare (hmm, nope). I am sure there are good therapists out there who could probably help me, but I'm sort of soured on the thought of it ever since the "yay forced meditation" lady. I don't think my brain is built for meditation, I have one of those brains where it's like 100 thoughts are happening all at once, all the time - to try to get my brain to be quiet is an exercise in futility. And I already have other ways to get my brain to quiet down somewhat (exercise - when I'm in the gym and I'm paying attention to my form and counting my reps and focusing on my body, it's like there's no room left for other thoughts, so that's as close as I can get to meditating). So yeah, therapy isn't happening for me at the current time because of a bad experience, but maybe in the future when I'm ready for it I'd be willing to give it another try.
My turn to analyze.
As for therapy, they made me see a therapist last year when I was hospitalized for my flare, and she was terrible.
It's not going to rain straight through for 10 days, but there's at least a good chance of rain every single day. It was already pouring rain as I drove to work this morning. Fun.
And when I am feeling well, of course I'm exercising as much as I can.
It was not cute, at all, and it was not supposed to be wavy! Ha ha. They had the nicer yarn on sale for the price of the cheapo yarn, so I stocked up and have enough to make a (yet another) blanket. It's really pretty colors, too, very vibrant. I bought it in reddish-purple, a bright blue, and a sort of teal green color. I'm already planning a blanket with stripes of those colors.
Might be best to stay off the bike for a bit longer to make sure that you don't aggravate anything.
Fortunately hats are always in demand, I can always donate those to a cancer center. I think I'm going to make even more hats and make a big donation all at once. I have a bunch of scarves made up that I can donate too.
That's why I didn't walk today, because I had to make sure to get to the pants sale. I had a pretty good haul - I got one pair of jeans, one pair of workout capris (in purple! - usually I go for black), two pairs of work-appropriate trousers for the office, and two really cute skirts, one black and one fuchsia pink. I never used to wear dresses or skirts, I hated them. Then I had to go to a fancy banquet thing for work a couple years ago and I felt *so* uncomfortable wearing a dress all evening. So I told myself I was going to work on that discomfort and wear dresses & skirts more often. Now I feel pretty good wearing a dress or a skirt here and there! But since pred made me gain a bit of weight, my old skirts didn't fit around my waist anymore. Thanks, pred. So I was really glad to find two skirts today that fit perfectly and look really cute on me. That was a nice little boost of self-esteem.
I'm not feeling so unwell that I can't go buy some yarn, ha ha. Carol, if you lived closer, I'd totally give you a handmade throw for your new couches. I have 2 completed that are without owners yet, although I know one of them is going to my childhood best friend, I'm just not sure which one yet. One throw is in shades of blue and the other is in shades of red. My friend has 2 little boys, so I think I'm just going to ask the boys which color they like better, blue or red, and I'll give their family whichever color throw they pick.
She is extremely treat-motivated.
Just had lunch with my boss and she bought us all chocolate chip cookies. I can't have too much chocolate, again because my GERD doesn't like too much of it, but a small bit each day is definitely needed.
