Helping Grandmas Use Canes

Getting old is universal. I am finding that holding on to pride and abilities is also more prevalent across the whole page.

 

It has taken a lot for me to accept I need a cane. From purchasing it, letting it sit in the corner when I needed it in order to go some place and not have someone see me using it, to falling and realizing how stupid it was for me to hold onto my pride and fall when I could've held onto a cane a saved my brain.

 

This has been a progression of feelings. But, surprisingly, in some offices I have had old ladies ask me the question or comment on the cane.

 

Grandmother: "Did you find it hard to start using a cane?"

 

Me, looking around for my journal opened to the page talking about it: "Why,yes, Actually."

 

Unknown older person: "I need to use one of those but I can't bring myself to do it."

 

ME: "You are kidding me."

 

 I said in confusion at the person next to me, in the age group that I thought would gladly go to the store with motorized scooters and pick out her first cane. In her heart and mind she was just like me; stubborn.

 

Me: " Well, after I had taken a few falls, one of which gave me a nice concussion, I realized that it was more important for me to use it than take that sort of chance. "

 

She nodded like she was now more able to accept her aging body/disability, swallow her prior self and walk into the Scooter Store.

 

I didn't realize I would be helping Grandma's cross the street in this way.

Telemarketer, "Kevin Cooper", is Searching for Me!

 

The oddest call I have ever received, took place..

I am still trying to process it.

Normally, if you are like me, you don't answer the telemarketers that call. But lately have any of you had it come through your cell phone? They are getting more aggressive. But after this one, I didn't know what AGGRESSIVE was.

 

 

That is like crossing the holy grail of solitude. Although cell phones now mean you are supposed to be available or found at any time and any place and even if you are in surgery and can't be reached someone is really peeved.

 

 The line should be drawn when they have called your LAN line during dinner on

 

The Sabbath

 

 or while you are trying to google something important,

 

OR

 

 trying to get in touch with and/orwaiting to hear back from a Dr. that takes years to get ahold of them and they have information about labs sent to another country that is saving your life and there it is;

 a call on your cell from a Telemarketer.

 

????????????????????????????????????

 

 

?? I guffawed at the timing.??

That's it! Someone was gonna pay for all my life's wrongs!

I couldn't wait to lay into the victim. I went against everything I know about solicitors!

 I answered!

Replete with the no noise mute button, then the fast intro after I'd yelled " hello!"  

a couple times

(which made me feel better already)

 

 then I heard the fury of other marketers on their own calls in the white noise background as the call was unmuted.

 

 My first attempt to hurt the caller was backfiring already.

As a side note- I've done this with Padre as he's tried to adjust his headset and he's never been fluffed about it, so maybe silence would be the best thing....

 

This is if you don't hang up after answering. But if you want to skewer them then you have to let them give a little of the sphill before you ask to not be called cause you are in the middle of dying.

 

When I saw it was from Miami, Florida, I was a little curious it may be my Dr. or a lab out of town. But, alas, they fooled me.

 

And this salesman was of a species I have never encountered.

In my confusion and duress, I tried to understand what he was even saying in a very thick accent. Something about saying,'Yes' to his message, given with the intensity akin to the Second Coming of Christ, this guy sounded like he was a terrorist proposing marriage.

 I am not kidding.

Tripping over words out of shear befuddlement I said:

"Not interested. Take me off your calling list!"

Terror Tele-guy: " No-wah! I whill nhatah!"

Perplexed Me: "what?" (this is me thinking he is under a pledge of the Better Business Bureau Act to say, yes, Ma-am. But to tell me, " No" ??



Empowered Telemarketer: " Nawtah unteell I give you my messhajuh!.... bloha, bolha, blowah."

Me: "I totally didn't even understand what you just said. What is your name?"

Kevin Cooper: : "Khevin Coo-purr"

Me:"Look, Kevin, I think that is the first time you have ever pronounced your name in my language, but I want you to take my phone number off your calling list.!!"

Khevin: "No-wah!"

ME: "I guess I will just have to change my number."

(this guy is already becoming part of my top ten moments in life and then he says..)

Khevin: "I whillah  finda you !"

 (this made me pause and imagined myself at places like Great Harvest Bread eating a free piece with Jaden under an umbrella on a sunny day and wondering if Khevin, the terrorist telemarketer, is searching for me and will find me in person. And share his message.)

Using my shocked silence to his advantage,

Khevin: "You have problem with birth control, no?"

 

*click*

I

Eavesdropping on J's Prayer

Well, not really eavesdropping. I was there, it was family prayer. On top of the bed to ease the burden of hard floors on the knees. Which come to think, I don't kneel normally anymore. It is a sideways lean.

Hope it still counts.

 

 When I come here to tell about what J has said,   that's when I FEEL  it is eavesdropping! But I have to share because it is so sincere.

And one day he will be saying his prayers without me. Or without that tenderness.

It's hard to have a boy grow!

 

After suffering from a really bad week's worth of a canker sore, hard work, home work, and other life lessons, the simple

 

 words from an exhausted  soul (J.) right before he zonked out makes me realize

 

 

God is real.

 

 

 I won't repeat  all the special words that seemed to drift from his mouth and were soaked up by His Father in Heaven because he is so true.  Here are some that are okay, I think, to write.

One about the little ones born into our family,  are so tender. They the kids= light up when he enters the room, it's really quite cute. ...

"...thanks for the roof over our head. that you've helped me work hard. I have never done this much"
(referring to mowing, saving, paying his tithing and then NOT spending what he has.)

then there was
sweetness about me. which of course makes me cry. and then something I've never thought to ask God to do

 

: " ... please bless the babies, that they will stay cute."

So far, they have.

My Reward!

 

Who doesn't like a reward?

 

It all began with smelly stickers on spelling tests of 110%, Gold Stars on your Theory piano book pages that you successfully theorized.

 

And then....

 

Well, rewards become harder to earn when you are in the thick of a really hard test!

 

 

Just when I thought J. could not get any more quotable or profoundly more 'from heaven' to me, he helps me with this scenario:

 

Dr. ordered new med for body, my heart had a bad feeling about it.... but I listened and took it!

Annnddd..... it did not turn out so well. I went from trying to come along to

 

 "so long calm stomach and so on! I went from pulling myself up to blog, and reading

to: Not.

 

To:  the place that exists when you take medications that your body says: "Nope." to.

 

To: a place that makes you wonder how you will blog, read, reach for your water, or whatever,

 

ever!

 

And this is one day after talking about amping up my dreams post.

 

In a very short time period I was not even close to thinking about attaining any dreams.

 

(he just sneezed in his sleep in the other room. he must know I am talking about him. it was cute)

 

With all the prayers in the mundo helped me crawl to the bathroom. After all day of no fluids.

My head rocked. My stomach wanted to put up a for sell sign and move from my body.

 

My mind was under the impression my body had not gotten the flu shot and I was experiencing the flu!

 

But I wasn't!

Phew!

But it resembled stomach flu that we already passed through.

 

Faintly I heard the door open, footsteps padding up above and then down the stairs to see me.

 

 

J. came in my bedroom where my head was buried into my pillow, he pressed his cold lips to my cheek, and I could smell Idaho fall on his person.

 

 

ME: "Could you grab a Saltine?"

 

He could tell I wasn't too well. And asked what had happened.

Another hug ensued.

 

"Awww," hugging my head to him, " you need a reward!"

 

he squared his cute glasses covered face in front of mine as he cupped my face in his hands.

 

The reward seemed to be looking at me.

 

Then he said happily:

 

"This is it!"

 

"LIFE!"

 

"You are HERE. "

 

he exclaimed as if I had just finished my first marathon. Heck, he made me feel that what I had done

all day yesterday, was my first marathon.

 

"YOU are alive! You made it through, Mom!"

 

he said this matter of fact, that I should  put my sadness away as if all would be better; down hill from here.

 

 

 

This made me cry, Readers.

 

Because after my bathroom experience, I was in rough mental shape.

I don't like the feeling of meds. Especially if you are having an allergic reaction or bad reaction to it.

Some you can get used to. Mild forms of dizziness. Headache. Whatever.

And then there are some that simply don't comply. They go against the grain. And it is the most horrible feeling. And wondering why on earth you have to go through the trial and error thing has to be part of life really sucks.

 

I will admit it didn't take all the bluck away. Been a roller coaster and I have had to try to not give in to the negative self talk. And I can't wait till morning.

 

Hopefully it will mean I am closer to this reaction being over.

 

**And one other thing makes me a little emotional.

On these blogs I can tell how many read the posts. Occasionally I will check it.

My friend used to read this before she passed away.

So I get emotional with that "minus 1". **

 

Somebody needs to rest. 

 

 

 

 

Ten Lawns From Now.....







ME- talking during Pillow Talk Time and then interrupted.

J: "You should see it mom. there is this bike...." he continued, in a state of infatuation.

This made me look around his room at all his bike stuff and think:

"What for?"

J: "oh,  oh, sorry to interrupt you, mom, But do you mind if I tell you about this bike that I could buy  ten lawns from now?"

Me: Sure, I was just telling about the importance of flossing, how it reduces the chance of cavities by a huge percent. And how it attributes to overall health- Einstein told his kids in a letter to be sure to brush his their teeth as it would help with illness BEFORE there were all these studies to support it! Pretty boring though- go ahead with your interruption. And, heck, look at me. I took care of my teeth and an immune disorder and meds have messed up my mouth. So continue with your dream!

j: " It has a back fat tire that can help me. blah, blah bluh. "

Me:  I thought you wanted such and such with the money you have earned from" twenty lawns". And don't you have those, those, uh, bike thingies already??

He has his arms behind his head and looking up dreamily to the ceiling as if he were expounding on all the traits of  a girl he liked he continued without hesitation.

(Minions love bananas as you can see.)

J: "It is a Specialized bike, (something about brakes and other parts of a bike that I really don't understand but try to follow) and it comes in this cool lime color.  With dark green on the blah, blah."

(dunno if this is it)

 

Me- Feeling relieved he isn't talking about a girl in this much detail.And recalling a time when I could set a goal and save my money with each pay check, instead of seeing a lot of it going to the dentist for teeth I took care of but prednisone helped me ruin.

J: "I can show you a picture."

ME: I already have a good idea from your description but sure, why not put off bed time.

J: "In ten lawns I could get (fill in the blank) - such and such. Heck, I could even get such! "

He went on dreaming. And telling me about bicycling needs in certain terrain or situations. And how having several, for different things, is o.k. While in my mind I thought of what my dinero goes to and for. And how I have gotten off the dreamers path and onto the necessity path.

Like this guy below: He wants to mountain bike when in snows. With car tires on his bike,now he can.

 

I remember dreaming.

 

In fact, I recall waking up from one just now due to RA pain.

Sometimes I still dream" in healthy," and that is when I am not inhibited by RA or Crohns, side-effects or the "down in the dumpsies".  And I am doing normal things.

Waking from those dreams are the

 

Hardest.

 

Like waking in a different place, other than your room, and your memory has to adjust as well as your eyes to the surrounding area.

With that adjustment settles in the reality.

 

Hearing J. talk got me thinking I needed to start dreaming too.

That "giving up" on those dreams due to health or financial circumstances in unhealthy.

 

Like me wanting a bike, too. And riding with friends. I wanna do that!

Here is a dream I had of a bike.

 

 

This bike is uber expensive. But back in the day when I coached baseball, it would have been perfect to throw mitts, bats, blankets, hats, what ev in this back.

 

A healhty me would ride this to market. It's turning into winter however. So this bike would have to have the Specialized tires from up above. And a healhty me.

so in my dreams.

 

But isn't it functional?

 

They call it an urban bike. But to me it doesn't look anything like keith urban.

 

It looks like one efficient bike. That would replace a car.

Especially since Mary ( my car) is resting in peace.

 

My p.t. got a bike especially fitted for him. So that his back and all that are in alignment.

I don't know his people. But I wish I had people that his people could get in touch with.

 

Now that I am thinking of impending winter and my fingers are loosening up from typing a bit and moving around, I am wondering what a winter dream of mine would look like.

 

It's hard when you have stopped dreaming to upstart. Especially if you are not capable.

 

So let's see....

 

hm.

 

 

When you are here your dreams have to be realistic. I have really enjoyed the dream of reading a book of Susan Branch's.

 

She went to England on a cruise ship. That would be sooooo amazing. To stay in little bed and breakfasts. Write in your journal while big, soft sheep grazed around you.

Love Susan for doing this for me as I am unable!

And thank you K for sending it. I love it.

 

A friend brought me the best cupcakes. I dreamt of those one week and lo and behold-

 

she shows up with cupcakes that were heavenly.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Speaking of heaven, I think that is where my dreams and wishes get routed. Seriously, I put out a prayer and then it comes. Or something comes.

Just a blade of grass at a time, like J. said.  

 

Oh, I have wanted to travel back east to visit some friends and see some sites with J.

For some reason I want to eat lunch at Kevin Pearce's Dad's place.

And wander through the shops that display his glass work and even watch how they make the glass.

 

I don't know how many lawn equivalents that would take me.

 

Thankfully one of my dreams of getting a new curling iron happened.

 

That was so NICE.

And I got my hair cut after a long stint of not. I kept it long- no prednisonal major changes.

But maybe I will be brave and do something different once I'm off the pred. and have shed some!

 

 

I want my hair like this. But I think I need to have this person's hair, or be this person. So it doesn't work.

 

Or be able to do my own fish tail bun. this is very hard.

And not being able to spend time in my garden this summer meant my hair didn't get bleached.

So..... I don't have any nice blondish/honey looking strands of hair.

 

Darn.

 

Oh, well.

 

In life's scheme- not a big deal.

 

I have a tip for mouth sores.

 

Alum.

 

Fixes canker sores like you wouldn't believe. I think I have posted this. But after putting it on a Dime sized or even NICKEL sized canker....

 

SUCCESS!

 

The person in need of canker help rolled around in the chair for several minutes as the pickling powder did its thing but, yes. it is better than anything at shrinking and taking away canker pain.

 

follow up with good dental hygiene of course!

 

I am using Clinpro 5000 to help re-enamel my teeth, I guess.

It doesn't make me want to cry when I brush.

After the dental appt. the other day I have had some major nerve shocks at points.

 

 

 

I think that is what woke me up. I must have had my mouth open and then breathed warm air or cold air and it sent me through the roof. And the RA

 

AAHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!

 

I used to be able to eat popsickles with my front teeth. side teeth. Back teeth.

Same with ice cream. No problemo.

 

That has changed. Unless all this dental work can recover my receding gums.!

 

With all the care I give my teeth( i. e. brushing with a soft bristle, going super easy on them. Using special tooth paste,  my jaw dropped when I watched Padre brush his  like some construction worker using a concrete vibrating machine to break up cement sidewalks.

whoa.

 

diversity. we all have different teeth and gums.

 

(j. would love this stooge spoof. gotta show him)

 

Can I ask what you are reading with your kids? My son started out with Walk Two Moons.

I made him read an Ensign article tonight due to the fact I can't find that book. And he wasn't stoked on it.

 

He actually learned some stuff and got emotional about it. The article is about

 

HOPE.

 

I learned too.

 

 

I am in love with minions.. They can pretty much cover any mood.

 

Well, I am going to wander over to Susan's blog to relax,. maybe read up on some RA info.

Possibly read about
HOPE.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Memories Began

Well,  we finally started making memories.

According to a certain RV Ad, the place where "Memories Begin" was at their super center, where you bought a trailer, head up into the wilderness, slept safely amongst the wild, and maybe even acted wild. (cabin/tralier fever with a touch of prendnisone)

  Padre, with the help of J's pleading, bought into the advertisement of Bish's RV . He was hounded at the beginning of the summer. And mid-summer. Then desperately at the end of summer.

Padre put him through what he did with us kids; he'd go look at something, make us and the salesperson believe he was going to buy it. and then: not.

Looking, comparing prices and wishing were all sorta like a sport to him.

Like people take up golfing for sport to relax and hang out with business associates with out having to wear suits and ties- Padre visited all sorts of places and lingered over big ticket items, made salespeople drool at the possibility of a comission... things of that nature.

OR

 

Padre would buy it, have the item returned with the receipt taped to it's box, before we woke the next day.

So all the while that J. and Padre  went sporting all over I.F., looking at trailers, I knew the disappointment J. would feel was around the corner. However, Bish's came through for Padre and inadvertently, me.

Their commercial cleverly states that memories begin with trailers. And J.  repeated that we needed to start making them

NOW,

like the commercial implored.

You can't imagine J's face when he saw the" Big Memory Maker" on our street....



J: "Whose trailer is that?"

Padre: "Some poor soul's."

J: "Why is it parked in front of our house?"

Padre: "So the person who bought it wouldn't have to think about it and get a bad case of 'buyer's remorse.'

Then J. figured out the riddle and was so happy and couldn't believe it. They  even threw in sweatshirts and hats for us to wear while doing some memory advertising!

With this blog I'm sure to be an Influencer of Trailers. Like those bloggers I was able to read about in the WSJ this weekend while camping, are influencers of fashion and get free trips to NYC by fashion icons, to take in the spring Garden Collection. And then instagram it.

(I don't know how many folks want Instagrams of my life.... it would be pretty telling. But I am not there yet.)

Isn't it fall? What are we supposed to be wearing for fall right now? See, I'd be a bad fashion instagrammer, cause I've already forgotten what is hot for fall.

Oh, well.When you are on the full time job of the chronically ill, It doesn't matter. Just the fact that you can spend some time with your boy is what matters. so,

Trailers are in. And, thus, their sweatshirts.

 Trailer camping seemed like the only camping I could do under my circumstances. We found out some kinks in the process, tweaked them, and found a comfortable way I could sleep in one.

For the first time this summer, well now it is over, I smelled the fresh pine trees, heard the gurgling brook that brought water down from the tip tops of the Tetons, and saw J. play amongst the mountains.

One of his best quotes: "For some reason I just like looking at Mountain Ranges."

Padre's best quote: Well, he had a lot of them but the memory that come to mind right nowt was when talking with the Padres before bed, I caught sight of a SPIDER in Padre's clean pompadour, and electrocuted it with this really cool zapper/racket thing. So I took that tennis racket killer and with my best back hand, killed that spider!

 

Not exactly like ours, but the lightweight racket was fun to lure bugs in with its light then

 

zap!

The gross part was how they wrapped themselves around the strings of the deadly zapper.

Padre's spider had long legs that intertwined itself and was difficult to remove..

They are handy and a new and improved way to camp.

I'd really like to take it, one of the sticky spider traps outside to the garden, sit on the stool Padre bought and zap a few insects while I waited for some to get caught in the trap and see what I could catch. Cause all the house traps have only caught some gnats.

 

Shave Your legs on Prednisone! Or immune suppressed!



One day after shaving my legs I sent a picture to some close friends. It was a pathetic selfie of the  immuninty road I ride. It looked like I'd used a
very dull blade, had the measles and chicken pox then simply rolled that blade over the scabs..

I haven't talked to them much so the picture had to be a surprise.

Wasn't the best topic to share after a long time no talk.

Here is J's response:

J:" Mom, you have little bleeding dots all over your legs, like you are bleeding from every pore...."as  he looked off into biblical passages stored in his brain; And felt possibly I was a leper.

ME: I know!  It isn't every pore that a hair grows out of, thank goodness, but I am gonna have to

STOP shaving.

on top of all the other Krrrr-ap this situation brings because this is just the last straw!

He went to play shortly after examining my legs.

While he played, I sat there in the the recliner examining my legs and wondering what in the heck I was gonna do.

 

For some reason, on prednisone, or in a flare, Or whatever: I can not shave without each hair follicle putting up a fight!

 

The result: red, screaming dots and massive razor burn. Which looks awesome on my white, purplish skin. As you age, legs tend to look like they need a surgeon in some way so maybe this is part of a lot of people's pain. And anyone can identify with this post. If not, you will

in geriatric years.
 

 Pastey white, pin pricked legs are not lovely.Maybe fake tanning lotion would alleviate the pain of someone losing their eye sight upon looking at thte whiteness of my legs. I may need to stick to jeans.
 

 

 Or I can courageously go granola, let my leg hairs grow out, and save my body from getting infections.

 Can't even pack into the mountains so how can I go that care free?

So I googled to help find a solutionl.

 After some research I found

 Hibiclens-

an anti-microbial agent used to clean the skin, usually before surgery, and reduce any bacteria from creeping into the new holes you've made.
Some folks with folliculitis found this to help.

YAY!


After shaving, I found it truly did work. hm. Now I don't have to be furrier than necessary.
I pretended to be as cautious shaving as a Dr. performing brain surgery, however.

 I Found Hibeclens for a pricey sum at Wal-Greens.
(you can even get a topical anti-biotic if the follicles are really infected)  

These  are the exaggerated surgical steps to shaving:

 

Wash the skin with normal soap and a wash rag.

1.Using a clean rag, wash again with the Hebiclens.

2. Let the razor soak in some Hebiclens if you have used the razor before. -the sites/forums I looked at said to use a new blade each time. I can't. That is expensive.

 3.Shave with shaving cream,  cheap conditoner/ shampoo works just as well in financialy tight  times.

 4.Rinse the legs using the Hibiclens once again and  with a clean wash rag.

As you can see I am being uber careful about the wash rags. I used hot water to rinse the blade after each swipe and a few wash rags. Because I am dealing with immune system problemos.

After all the hard work, I still had some  nicks due to useless prednisone skin and close shaving.
I haven't tried using an electric razor. Which would still give a razor burn to pred skin.

However, with the Hibiclens,
there were no huge amounts of bleeding, from every pore,

accompanied by the pin prick sores for days after. The skin also didn't suffer
AS BADLY
from razor burn due to sensitive skin.

 Probably because I treated it like surgery, really slowed down and didn't rinse my razor in a sudsy sink full of shaving cream and hair. Yup, HOT water to rinse each swipe.

 

neat.

However, I still had to smear on Vaseline over my legs afterward. And to be honest, they still hurt a bit simply because the my skin is so thin. So I won't really shave much anyway, to avoid the pain.

 

I noticed that the Hibiclens helped  prednisone acne too. Dries it out. And keeps the face super clean..
Do not get this stuff in your ears!

AND here are some

warnings 

to avoid Folliculitis- which is inflammation of those hair follicles,  because despite your immune system,  they can lead to

 boils.

These bacterial infected follicles hurt. If you have more then one and they are clustered beneath the skin, they have another name that seems to belong to mariners or scary sea creatures:

Carbuncles and Furuncles

ewwwww. and ouch!!!

Do NOT try to pop a "furry uncle", as they will only spread your pain.And if it is MRSA- spread staph infection. Not wise.

You can put warm compresses on it, using a hot wash rag and the boil can resolve itself.
The boils odd/ Dr. Suess-ish name:
Furuncle,
adds to the fun of these inflammed pores

Although they aren't furry at all, at least what I have seen, they are a red infected area neccesitating in drainage. If you experience fever, it's lasted more than two weeks, or keeps recurring in the same spot and hurts like Hates- call your Dr.

Most boils are caused by Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria commonly found on the skin and inside the nose.

*I didn't know this part*.

Boils sometimes develop at sites where the skin has been broken by a small injury or an
insect bite,

which gives the bacteria e-a-s-y entry.

Or just the common every day shaving of your legs that I took for granted all those years.

More Tips to Avoid Pain and Suffering While Shaving.

1. Don't Share Razors- no brainer. but who hasn't?

2.Don't go hot tubbing or swimming in sketchy pools. (Ones that look like they may not get a chlorine test on a regular basis..... a cheesy, cheap hotel comes to mind. but I've been at expensive one and had the chlorine be messed up too. Poor chlorine pool people. Hard job. 

(I didn't and don't do any of these things,if I am flaring and super suceptible to illness.

 but if you are
normal,

 this is how you could get the miserable painful "furry uncles, or pass them on....

Close contact with a person who has a staph infection. You're more likely to develop an infection if you live with someone who has a boil or carbuncle (.Or go to your nearest hospital.....in my opinion)

Diabetes. This disease can make it more difficult for your body to fight infection, including bacterial infections of your skin.

Other skin conditions. Because they damage your skin's protective barrier, skin problems, such as acne and eczema, make you more susceptible to boils and carbuncles.

Compromised immunity. If your immune system is compromised for any reason, you're more susceptible to boils and carbuncles.

This is where I raise my hand, that I fall into this category, then put my head on my desk and just feel defeated.

All these conditions can get worse if they enter into your blood stream and that is when you can get

SEPSIS-
deep body infections that you don't want to hear about.

Soooooo, Hibiclens is
Wonderful.

Now if I could find the energy to shave more often.But despite the minor set backs. I have 3 Stooges
assessment:
 

"SUCCESS!"
(this is when they achieve something on a minor note or mess up something in a major way but think it is success.)
 

I have another experiment with the Hebiclen I'd like to try:

 to see if I can clean wear earrings again.

 Since the onset of this disease, its meds or whatever, I've been allergic to earrings.

I would put on a pair of hoops or chandelier earrings and within a short amount of time my ear had puffed up like Will Smith's in the movie Hitch.

Ok. Not that bad. But it still was hard to face

one more loss

in the list of losses with Crohns, RA, Prednisone frequency and so on..

 

Post later on that experiment later.

This post made me a bit quezzy. Sorry


 

Facebook and other Myths



It's hard to keep up with those who keep up with facebook.

 

After  not using it, you can run into users and be surprised to find that these people know more about yourself, loved ones, friends, past friends, those in the virtual world, people in the world, and in a very short time period.

 

It'a not their fault they facebook, happen to be on second to second news cusp, and you, having not facebooked, are in the dark with each second.  

 

But hey, I just woke up from sleeping and dreaming of being a college student trying to carry my bike up to my apartment and write on my laptop at the same time. The dark room added to my confusion and it took a minute to get my bearings, realize I am not in college and acutally have a son in the next room.- So those recall moments happen,

 

Except you expect to not be so disoriented or confused when you are awake, it is during the light of day and you have lost your communcation/memory bearings.

 

Like yesterday.

 

  I stumbled sluggishly in a conversation and, due to a sore throat slowly processed  the previous week, which was what the conversation was about- it was like waking to the dark room after a really believable dream and realizing reality.

 

The conversation happened with someone I really don't know well, but must facebook, or read a blog of someone close to me.

 

The really nice Person said: "Wow! So- and- so had quite a week!"

 

 I had to stop and think because I know so and so quite well. Then I realized I was WITH so and so some of that week and had to unravel what happened that made it quite the story.

 

Oh, Yes. Duh.

 

 It dawned on me or I realized that the person must have thought I read facebook or a blog. Or was closer to the situation.Which I wasn't. This person knew more than I did.

 

Working through the information fog, slowly I made the connections AND

Once I did, I could say without hesitation, that it was quite some week.

 

 

 : But, like Gru up above finding out that he sat next to a guy who stole the pyramid was surprised; so was I.

 

Oh, yeh. That was a crazy week!

 

Unfortunately the in depth questioning and alluding to information still cryptic continued..

 

 "How horrible that such and such happened!. And so and so  blah, blah, blee happened!"

 

 

 

I was totally off guard, again.

I

 

Had I not been informed about blah, blah, blee just five minutes prior to this conversaton, I would have crashed and burned.

 

Thankfully I knew the "news".

 

"Yes, it was".I said solemnly.

 

Should I face book, or confer with those that do, so I am

not in the dark?



 

 

So long Summer Re-CAp and Back to School Eve!

So long summer...... 

 

After the most

 

ACTION

 

packed summer, only 23 hours separate J. from the

 

greatest fun

 

he's had in a three month span of his life.

 

(Danny Mackaskill, a trials bike rider that J. really digs.)

 

Grueling hours behind a hot, dusty mower  paid off.....

 

J. got a new bike. And I said good-bye to my

orange cruiser.

 

 

That bike held a lot of memories riding with my boy!

 

 

It was a little bit hard to let go because, for awhile,  that's how people identified us.

 

"Oh! You're the one with the little boy that rides a bike!"

people would say if we met them for the first time.

 

Becaues that cruiser was so bright and

 hard to miss, it enabled Jaden to ride safely next to me in his early stages of bking. Here he is practicing for what would come four years later.....well, he hasn't gotten upside down yet. hope that doesn't happen for another four years.

 

Here is another plug for Danny MacAskill, he has a new video. The first was On the Way Home which featured him doing all of his street action amongst some landmarks on the way to his home in

Skye.

 

This NEW video is of a young Danny, playing in his bedroom with a bike, and his toys as things to

 

RIDE.

I can't imagine having an

Imagination

 

so

 

BIG

 

 

 

 

 

Red Bull produces an amazing short flickof young Danny in his room, with life sized blocks, train tracks, cards, a jack and ball, and  a tank whose turret the real Danny rides down and dismounts....

 

(he actually falls once in the making of the video J. and I watched and for ten seconds was out cold. He got up, shook it off and went back to "palying". Scary.)

 

This film is

 

EXACTLY

 

 the mind of a young kid! I can see it and re-awaken it when I see J. run wild with a toy motorcycle, bike, skate board in pre-performances or visualizations of themselves doing the same thing!

 

It seems to me that my pretending was very benign of action. But I still dreamt....  

 

J  has seen more adventure this summer because he is older, his skills are getting better, and he's stinkin' lucky. But it has been an unfolding of his dreams.

 

And it is teaching me to start thinking big, too! Sick or no.

 

Seeing all the pictures of his adventures has been a blast. Talking about all the things he did has been like reading a book- he's transported me to those locations.

 

Possibly his new teacher will ask the students this week:

 

"What did you do this summer?"

 

OH! An essay on Adventure! I'd be so excited!

(That's why I'm blogging now.)

 

 J. should have PLENTY to write about. However, I wonder if he will start to day dream.... 

And I don't know if he'll be able to recall everything because it happened so

fast!

 

It feels as if they just got out of school and he brought home a book bag full of crumpled up papers, worn out folders and nubby crayons with their paper peeled off.

  

 

 I wonder if he will draw a "rut map"

like he did for me.

 

 

What is this? Oh, rut lines.

 

Caused by jeeps or four wheelers,

Either way they are part of the path that J rode and part of a post adventure conversation that he told me would take TWO hours to expand upon.

 

In this particular ride

 

he had to "swim" through flour. Which is the very fine form of dirt on the trail that is the equivalent of powder.

 

He misspelled flour at first.( I thought it was so cute. )

 Can you imagine a daisy where he wrote "flower"?

 

sorry, the teacher in me had to correct the cute mis-spelling.

 

 

Here is the mini version of motorcycle he "rode" this summer.

Danny Macaskill style.

 

J. took his new bike to the Tetons.

Mountain biking on the trails next to the Tetons.

 

He flew down the terrain on trails called:

Bronco, Lucky Charm, and Quick Draw. 

 

 

 

 

 It is hiking on steroids.

 

 

 

(they have a full body suit that armours the person if you should fall. or run into a tree. Like J. he walked away unscathed. whew. This guy above, I'm not so sure.) 

 

 

All the beauty we have here in Idaho is so amazing. I enjoyed hiking it as a kid and now my son is getting to know the mountains. Granted in a different way than I expected, but his eyes are seeing some of the grandeur that is in our back yard.....

 

 

(J. and I love this pic. of the Tetons)

 

So the sun has set on another summer!

 

 

I don't know about J. but Jitters and butterflies are stirring in my  stomach today.

If it were me, I would be wondering which outfit to wear to the First dAy

 

back to school.!

  

 His

 

 School supplies are snuggly tucked into his desk, carefully placed by the new student who met his 

 

*NEW*

 

 teacher and room on:

 

 Back to School Night!!

 

While all the kids re-united with friends they have not seen all summer,

 

I wonder if the supplies had a get together too....

 

Like the movie: Night at the Museum (or the Nightmare Before Christmas)

 

What are those supplies up to when kids, teachers, principals and janitors, leave that first night?

 

I am picturing that they are 

climbing out of packages, doing some deep knee bends and psyching themselves and each other up for the new year!

 

Maybe they have a little party, because after school gets into full swing, they will just wanna sleep.

 

Can you see it?-

 

The glue sticks twist their bases so they can have a look around the joint with their arms on their non-existent hips, the cops, of the school supplies. They will be keeping their eyes on the scissors to make sure they don't attack the new collegiate lined paper just yet.

 

The yellow pencils,  freshly sharpened, slide out their cases and start mingling with the others, in a tight, collegiate way. They come across as the most intelligent of the supllies as they are used the most!

 

 

 

Do the Crayola crayons crawl out of their packages, gasping for air because they are

suffocating from their own toxic smell?

 

 

(Does anyone else almost faint by color crayon fumes?

If students wanted to know how to make a teacher pass out, they would only need hold a hanky full of crayons over their nose and Teacher would crumple up on the floor with her super comfy shoes straight up in the air. )

 

Either way, these supplies have not gotten to know their "student" yet !

 

Some of the faint hearted supplies might be trembling, wondering if they will be the ones to lose their eraser heads or be impalled by a nervous student's mucnhing teeth.

 

It's their last few hours to hang out as 'new supplies', ready and expectant for a new year. 

 

While the thought of school supply partying is fun to think about, I have some spider tales to weave!

 

 

After reading up on how to spider proof your home, I have only reached the part where all of the items in J's closet have been removed and it was vacuumed. Some shoes and other items have been put back in, his sports equipment organized into a box for bats, and his different cleats and shoes have their own little pockets in the shoe organizing thingy ma bob.

 

And........

 

These:

 

 

 

 

 

School isn't the only place for GLUE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

As the name implies I have some CATCH Masters to help me with my spider situation.

If you can't read it, you are not alone. It should read Mouse and Insect Glue Boards.

I was really in a hurry to break them open and didn't focus the cam.

 

My cool friend showed me how to fold along a perforated line .

 

 

before tearing off the sticky layer lying between you and a glue that can stick to your hand and not let go!

 

 

The substance smells almost like popcorn- so don't mistake it for such and put it in the microwave.

But do be careful and fold those lines BEFORE you tear the sheet off because they are buggers to fold into their trap shape.

 

The spiders were really cute when I put them in certain places. Pulled back my white battenberg curtain in the window well, and one spider backed up into a seam of the window so I could properly place the trap.

 

Aren't spiders considerate?

 

After putting one in J's closet- remember those wily characters like dark spaces- I made sure the trap was snug in the slot atop, so he didn't accidentally put on a shoe and find himself walking to school with what could look like toilet paper, stuck to the bottom of his foot.

 

How would you explain that to his friends and new school supplies? 

 

And P.S.

 

when my friend first showed me her traps and what she caught:

 

HOBOS and other "still-alive- spiders" stuck on the popcorn goo, I had to do a double take on the mouse part.

 

Mice stumble onto these traps?

uh, I don't like mice. more than i don't like spiders.

 

So I don't want to go check my traps and find a mouse.

 

OK?

 

As I bent the traps into their positions and decided where the best places to put them would be, I had another spider that wasn't obliged to come into my trap.

 

I walked into the bathroom and went to place the trap when I saw a spider! I put the trap flush with the floor and tried to scooch the tiny guy into my trap.

 

He turned around and went the other way.

 

What the heck?

I know that the some spiders are quite blind and maybe he didn't like me prodding him in the bum.

But he went the other way as if he'd been told about these things.

Finally I scooped him onto the thing and put the trap in its place and hope that it is a the highway they use in there.