I´m still here

I finally got over my nasty sinus infection and have restarted my Humira injections and the Methotrexate.  It has been over 2 weeks but so far I haven´t felt any relief from my pain.  I´ve been spending a lot of time in my bed because the pain in my hips and lower back is just too much to move around much.  Sometimes I wake up in pain and can´t get comfortable so I can get back to sleep.  Now my sleeping schedule is getting turned around again.  I´ve been sleeping till 1 pm or so.  We have been having cold weather and snow so that also flares up my pain. 

My husband was very sweet and helped me with my closet. I had a small dresser in my closet because my room is too small to have a dresser outside my closet.  It wasn´t constructed very well and didn´t have that support in the drawers that keeps them straight when you pull them out.  The drawers would get crooked and then stick.  I am so weak because of the pain in my joints that I couldn´t get to my clothes or put them away without a lot of frustrations and pain.  My husband went to Lowes and bought a closet organizer with drawers that glide with ease.  It also has divides on side of my closet in two so I have a long shelf in the middle with a clothes rode above and below.  The long shelf at the top got raised so no way can I reach it now but my seasonal clothes can go up there and my husband can get them down for me when needed. 

I went through my closet (very, very slowly) and pulled out a bunch of things to donate or toss.  Now I have a nice organized closet with a place for everything.  It really feels good.

I´ve been reading a lot whenever I was awake in bed.  I´m finishing up the books on my Halloween reading list now and then I´ll be ready for my next project.  I´m working on Genealogy and I want to learn more about Colonial America.  I´m working on my list for that now and have two books on the way.

I haven´t gotten back to my penpals yet but I haven´t forgotten about anyone.  I just can´t write very well with the pain in my hands.  Typing doesn´t feel so great either so I´ll call this finished.

Take care,
Donna

Blargh!

Currently reading: The Second Summer of the Sisterhood by Ann Brashares

I have been really out of it for a while.  I have been kind of sickish alternating with very allergicky but the whole time I've been super exhausted. I have been sleeping so much and I'm pretty sure if I looked in the mirror right now I'd see a sloth. I have zero energy. I've even lost my reading mojo. I started to read the next Anne's Attic Mystery book I have and those are really fast to read. I just couldn't do it. I just stared at it and probably drooled. I have no idea what is up with me but my husband is feeling sick too and he said he feels super tired too.... so maybe it is just a bug, which is kinda funny because he calls me "bug." So, I'm a bug with a bug. I wonder if a bug with a bug is still cute.

It is snowing outside but it is sort of warmish, compared to the super cold we were having. I put on my husband's coat and shoes and went out to check the mail. There is so much snow and I noticed the handle of the snow shovel sticking up in a snowbank where it was leaned against the fence and thought that was funny.  I guess it is a good thing there is another shovel around here that the guys can use to excavate this one.  

I've been taking Dayquil and that always makes me sleep more and dream crazy stuff. I usually wake up and think, "What in the world was that all about?" and then try to forget about it but sometimes I just think about stuff while sort of dreaming. Sometimes I wake up wondering about something off the wall, like, "Why don't bananas have seeds?"  Then I google it.  Turns out they used to have really big seeds so they have been bred to not have them. Good to know in case you are ever on Jeopardy.  

This last time I was thinking about The Sisterhood of the Travelling Pants by Ann Brashares. I've read that book a few times but even though I bought the other books in the series I never read them. I started wondering about what happened the next summer while I was deep in REM sleep. When I got up I was thinking I should just finish reading that book I started first but I just can't. I think I read too many of them back to back and I burned myself out on them. 

It took me a while to find the second book but I did and I've already read the first chapter. This poor book has seen better days. I bought it used and it was super cheap because it has seen better days. The spine is cracked in the middle so I'm waiting for it to fall apart in my hands. I hate throwing away books but this one isn't even fit to be donated. Oh well, I will read it one last time and then.... who knows. Maybe I'll ask one of my boys to toss it for me when I'm not looking.  

P.s. Spring, if you can hear me, please hurry up and come. I'm ready for GREEN!

DJ

Feeling better

Currently reading: Ghosts of the Titanic by Charles Pellegrino

I woke up at 5:30 am this morning and I could breath. My nose is completely clear and I feel pretty good. I have the usual achiness that is always there but I'm used to that. I started a roast in the crockpot and now I am taking a small brake before I do some cleaning.

I was really dreading the really super cold snap they said was coming with -40 to -50 F temps. Anytime the temperature drops like that I can't get out of bed. It was supposed to happen yesterday but it never did. I got a new Special Weather Report that said instead of the cold we are getting more snow. It did snow yesterday but I'm not sure how much. I was either reading or sleeping the whole day. Today I need to get up and do some things around the house. I have been doing little things the past few days while I've been sick but I couldn't handle much. I did vacuum yesterday and then took my canister apart and washed it and the filters that are washable.  They get caked in dust and dirt and dog hair. I thought I was going to have to take the bottom apart again because it was making a weird noise but I found the problem pretty fast and didn't have to unscrew anything.

Buddy my beagle puppy is really happy that he can still go out and play in the snow. He really likes to dig and if he doesn't get to go out and dig in the snow he starts trying to dig in my house. He's been really sweet today. He comes up and sits by me because he wants me to scratch his back. He does this super cute face where he looked shyly down his nose. I will be able to play with him a lot today since I'm feeling better.

The year is almost over

Maybe everyone will stop dying once the calendar changes to 2017. I know if I were famous I'd be to scared to sleep.

We had a good Christmas here although I didn't take ANY pictures. The boys are grown now so Christmas isn't so exciting. We were pretty laid back. We ended up celebrating on Christmas eve since my husband's brother and his wife were going to come over then. My sister in law ended up not showing but my brother in law did. I had my schedule turned up-side-down again since I had a few days where I was sleeping all day. I started cooking in the evening and stayed up all night. I made a couple of pies and a bunch of cookies and planned out when to start cooking the other stuff.  I figured I'd get stuff started and take a nap while someone else took over. Problem was no one did. When I finally laid down I was dog tired and then I couldn't sleep because I was worried I wouldn't hear the timer go off. I finally got a few hours of sleep and then got up and enjoyed the company and a movie. Buddy was a ball of energy and loved the attention he got.

You know, it is really hard to pick out gifts for my boys now that they are grown. They are 19 and 21 but have birthday's coming up soon..... which of course means I'll have to go through this again. My oldest is working now and if he needs something he just gets it. He is currently manning the gas station but it is part of a retail store so on his break he buys stuff he needs. My youngest doesn't have a job right now but he has money in his account still so that pretty much applies to him too. They are into computer stuff and I just don't know enough about that stuff. It was so much easier when they were little and I could buy something with flashing lights and buttons that make noise.

We had a small Christmas this year because my husband's job is kinda rocky right now so we didn't want to go too crazy and then him lose his job. I've always told my boys Christmas isn't about being greedy.  It is about the joy of giving not receiving. Even when they were little we would give them money to buy a small gift for the other people in the family. You don't have to spend a lot to find a meaningful gift. I mainly got them things they needed so they could spend their money on what they wanted.

Well, the doctors always tell me I have to make sure and get enough sleep because the Fibromyalgia flares up if I don't. I ended up sleeping most of Christmas day and the next day. I'm still trying to get my schedule turned around so I can be awake during the day. I was in a lot of pain but then I read that we are expecting a big storm here this week. They said we are going to be getting a lot of snow and wind and usually that causes power lines to go down. I'm pretty sure that is what is causing me to hurt. It started snowing during the night. I'll probably feel better once that is over and passed us.

Crazy beagle puppy moments

I thought I would share a few funny moments I've had with my beagle puppy Buddy recently. He's about 8 months old now. The first thing was actually not so funny at first but I find it interesting now. I've been sitting at the kitchen table working on a cross stitch. My eyes are not the best and the fabric I'm stitching on is black so I need a bright lamp to see with. That means I have to stay there at the table.  I have Buddy in his fence area close to the kitchen table so I can talk to him while I'm working. Well I started noticing that when I let him out he goes right to the table and takes something I had. The first time I looked over and saw he had something black and went to investigate and about fainted when I realized it was my cross stitch I'd spend days working on. He didn't hurt it though; he just wanted to check it out I think. I mean, if I had it it must be something really great right? The next time I actually saw him run up to the table, poke his head up there (he stands up like a weasel) and take my reading glasses. The next time he got my pattern for the cross stitch.  He just lifts it off and after it lands on the floor he stares at it like he's trying to figure out what it says. Another time when I was filing my nails I caught him watching me and later he ran and grabbed the nail file and was holding it in his paws like he was working on his nails. He always grabs something I was previously using or holding and wants to squirrel it away so he can investigate it without me taking it away. Also, whenever I feed my fish he stands up like a weasel and watches the biggest one for a while.  He can stand up like that for a lot longer than I would have thought. It always looks so funny to see him do that and I'm hoping to get a picture of him doing it sometime.

This weekend we got about 3 inches of snow here.  Buddy is new to snow and is still getting used to it.  The first time it snowed he was scared to go outside because he didn't understand what that stuff was. We had to go outside with him before he would go out to go potty. It wasn't a lot of snow so after a while he would grab his ball and run a lap around the yard and come back inside. Before there was snow he would run a lot of laps around the yard until he was dizzy. Now it is cold so he runs one lap, comes inside to warm his feet and then goes for another lap. Well today he grabbed his ball and ran outside and when he dropped it expecting it to bounce it just disappeared. He kept staring at that spot like he was waiting for it to pop back out but it didn't so he looked at me for help.  I just used my foot to move the snow to show the red ball and he started pawing at it.  He played with it a little while before he dropped it again and once again it disappeared lol  It was so funny. Maybe you had to be there. There are so so many times I wish I could get a picture but before I can get the camera he moves.  

He sure does make me smile.

Beautiful pain

How can something so beautiful cause so much pain?

I look outside and I see the most beautiful fall colored carpet surrounding the trees. It is almost as if the trees are dancers dressed for a autumnal ball in golden, russet, amber and scarlet gowns flowing in gleaming satin circles around them. The men, standing straight and tall in their evergreen suits and matching pocket squares, guiding them around the room in elegant patterns. Then, as if the scene wasn't glorious enough, large flakes of snow catch the light as it ever-so-slowly drifts to the ground like feathers from angel's wings.  Can you see it too?

I woke up in the most pain I've had in a long time. After the snow melted it started to rain and that is when my pain shot through the roof. The doctor's would ask me what number I'd give it on a scale of 1-10. The numbers all start to blur together at some point and I can't even think straight to think about it. I do know though, that it is the most beautiful pain. Who knew, changing weather could do that?

I've been trying to do things this week but I can't. I can't think. I can't read. I can't do any of the things I like to do. It is so strange for me to go a whole week without cracking open a book or 3. I also have a knitting project I'm anxious to work on but it is a challenging one and I'm so afraid to mess it up. I started to watch this week's episodes of The Voice on Hulu but I couldn't focus on it. I keep spacing out so I decided to watch it later. Now I'm watching some old episodes of Bones, which I love.

The days of this week have all gotten muddled together and I have spent a lot of time sleeping or snuggled deep in a pile of blankets. Music helps. Sometimes I like slow, sad music and other times I need angry, rock music.

I'm just glad that this will pass and the pain will decrease to more tolerable levels again. Then, I'll be back to "I CAN" and I will.

Watching the Snow Fall

The last several days have been warm and the snow is melting a little.  I haven't been able to see the sun shining for a few days since we have been getting snow.  The sky looks a solid white/gray with no clear spots at all.  This afternoon the snow started to fall and we had some wind that was stirring it around so it looked like the snowflakes were dancing in the air.  I always want to take pictures of the snow falling but it just doesn't capture well so I took a video.

It wont be much longer and we will be seeing that snow melting into puddles.

Travelling Rubbermaid Style

My husband and I flew to Anchorage so I could see a Rheumatologist there.  Hopefully, that doctor can figure something out that will help me.  They took blood and did some x-rays and now I just have to wait.  I did have some fun while we were there.  My husband and I went to some good restaurants and did a little shopping.  I definitely got some exercise from walking around.