PIZZA, JOY and The LAKE

 

It’s been one thing after another. First of all… the weather has been totally uncooperative. RAIN, rain and more rain. And temperatures all over the place. Hot, cold, very cold, then hot, but more rain. For a couple months now,  I’ve needed to drain my brain and take a trip down to the lake, since my 'Happy Place' the OCEAN is simply too far away.  But something has always thwarted my efforts to do so. And the trip kept getting postponed. For those of you who follow me on Facebook… you probably know I took quite a nasty tumble. Carrying a couple bottles of water and a sandwich into the family room for lunch... I stepped over our cat, missed the step and ended up splat on the floor. It was quite a DROP. I tried to grab the tellie for support on the way down, but almost snapped it's legs off. An old fashioned TV would have helped break the fall. But this new modern one  was simply too lightweight to steady me. So my already ravaged body took the brunt of the landing.  Everything hurt. Everywhere. Bones I didn't know I had were screaming out in pain, aching. When this happened I had just  gotten over my 2nd vaccine dose and it's side effects. Which were brutal. So falling like I did was a real bummer. It added insult to injury. I plastered a big old smile on my face and pretended to be better than I actually was. I thought I’d be out of commission for a day or two. Turned into a lot longer. As I lay there recuperating. All I wanted to do was go to the lake. But it never materialized because a lot of other things did. In the interim our kitty Mira was sick. She went blind in one eye and will probably lose sight in the other sooner than we’d like. On top of which, she also has a thyroid condition that requires daily medication. Quite a chore giving an animal a pill.  A year ago we lost her sissy. And two years ago we lost my dad. It’s a difficult time. Not to mention the pandemic. I needed a breather. But the day trip to the lake kept getting pushed farther and farther off. Finally push came to shove last weekend. I woke up, got dressed  and I shouted to my hubby,  “I’m going to the lake.”  It was about 9:30 am when I made this declaration. And a few minutes later, the hubby and I were on the road headed towards the water. The temperature was about 50, a definite chill in the air.  Sunshine fleeting. And the wind was blowing fiercely. A bad thunderstorm was expected for later that afternoon. But nothing was going to stop us, stop me, now. I intended to take in whatever residual sunshine there was and find myself some much needed solace. Even though it was still technically breakfast time... We bought a couple of pizza slices from a local vendor. And I got some cold raspberry tea. Hubby was satisfied drinking water. We drove around… until we spotted a rickety old picnic table, at the water’s edge, got out of the van and hunkered down.  And then proceeded to have a blissfully perfect morning and afternoon… chasing wayward hair, blowing napkins, paper plates and the like. The lake was invigorating, the waves crashing to shore, just wonderful. Looking off in the distance was mesmerizing. Breathing in the fresh air, a Godsend. It stirred something deep within. It was our first meal out of the house in over a year. No masks. Such a feeling of normalcy. We delighted in every single moment there at the lake before the storm rolled in. Seeing those dark ominous clouds accumulate overhead, and a few raindrops begin to fall, made me want to kick up my heels and dance for some odd reason? But caution won out.  Instead we decided to pack up and hit the road. Shouldn’t take chances with Mother Nature. She can be ruthless. For sure it had been a delightful mini vacay… though only 4-5 hours in duration. The storm was quickly on our tail, chasing us home, but we beat the bulk of it. And even managed to stop and get some delectable shrimp with cocktail sauce for dinner. Yum. Yum.  Life is about simple pleasures. Words really can’t describe the joy I found at the lake that day. But I will tell you this… It was just what the doctor ordered.

Easter, Passover, Jelly Beans & Christmas

Even though we celebrate all holidays… For decades, I have kept my Christmas décor up,  year round. I suppose it’s because my godparents did. As a small child I was delighted to see their tree and lights up…  in middle of summer, when it was 95 degrees, in the shade. Or in fall, before it became fashionable to celebrate the Christmas season that early. I swore when I grew up, I too would celebrate Christmas everyday. And I have,  for quite a long time. Too many years to count. Our tree and lights helped to get us through the pandemic, in the past year.They were a source of hope.  And, as they lit up inside, they also lit up outside, so our neighbors… were comforted by their glow too. I noticed one of our neighbors... joined us,  keeping their Christmas tree and lights on... and shining until well after Valentines Day. I was sad when they finally pulled the plug. I used to watch those multi-color lights in the distance… dance in the wind and paint the snowscape, as I sat in my armchair looking out the window. It reminded me… we were all ‘muddling through somehow’. And… that maybe next year,  things would be better. Well here we are. And though now, I only see darkness out there in the boulevard.  I no longer feel despair. Having gotten my second dose of the Covid vaccine… hope springs eternal for the future. So a few days ago, sitting in my family room, I did something a-typical for me. I began taking down Christmas everywhere in the house. It was like a huge weight lifted off my shoulders. Spring is a time of renewal and rebirth.  And, instead of red, green and Santa…  I wanted pastel colors. And bunnies, bunnies everywhere. And eggs.  I went on a frantic search for my vintage egg collection… that hasn’t seen the light of day since  9/11. Unfortunately, they are packed away someplace where I can’t find them. So, they will not be on display this year as I intended. Instead, we hard boiled some eggs, and decorated them in uplifting colors.  And then... will eat egg salad sandwiches for a week.  Meanwhile, I found a few bunnies that fit the bill for decor duty.  And a Tom Clark gnome called EggBert. So these treasures are now scattered about the house. I’m tickled seeing them again. Though, they don’t add up to the multitude of rabbits, I originally envisioned... when something got in my crawl, to upend our lives by un-decorating for Christmas. The high point of that day, was getting out the small baskets I used, once upon a time, for Easter. As I was fluffing up the grass inside, I discovered some jelly beans. Being the connoisseur of candy, that I am. And also being the keeper of the 5 second rule. Without nary a thought, I plucked a few out of the faux grass they were hiding in... and plopped them right into my mouth. And… to the utter amazement of my spouse, I didn’t keel over in a pile, dead on the living floor, from food poisoning... despite the jelly beans being many, many years old. And guess what?  They were NOT stale either. The jelly beans were absolutely, positively, delectable. No kidding. Though… BEWARE. I advise you to do this, ONLY at your own RISK. PROMISE me folks! In closing…  I want to wish ALL of my family, friends and blog buddies a very Happy Easter.  And to those who celebrate Passover. I hope your Seder’s have been wonderful. We attended a couple virtual ones, ourselves. They were quite uplifting.

I'll be donning the EARS to celebrate Easter.

Our decorations are low-key

The basket below holds my lost eggs.
I still haven't found them. 

Good thing I took a photo.

And finally, here are our hard boiled eggs

to make some yummy egg salad.

And a little, not so subtle, commentary...

about the world we live in.

 

Hope things are back to normal soon.

BREATHING EASIER TODAY!

 

I had quite a scare the other day. I take all my meds at night before I go to sleep. There are quite a lot of pills, about 10. And I also take 4 baby aspirins. (In the morning when I wake up, I take all my vitamins, close to 15 of them. My doctor’s have advised me to take them.) Truth is… it’s a major ordeal, so I have a routine, after I take them, when I go to bed. I put a mug of ice water on my nightstand. This is so I can get rid of the aspirin taste, after I chew the aspirins. And then, since I’ve had some congestion recently, I use my Vicks inhaler. Because I have been short of breath, I also take a deep breath of sports oxygen too. It’s the kind athletes use, not the kind you buy in medical supply stores with prescriptions. I’m due for a pulmonary function test because of my breathing troubles. But because of the pandemic it got canceled. It’s supposed to be rescheduled soon. So hopefully I will find a definitive answer about the breathing troubles. My hubby thinks its COPD. I think it’s the extra pounds I packed on about 6 years ago. Anyway, getting back to my nightly ritual. The last thing I do, before lights out, is to spray lavender on my pillowcase. I was diagnosed with Gastroparesis about six years ago. It means the food in my stomach doesn’t get digested properly and backs up into my esophagus. And sometimes, the position I am laying in can aggravate it. I had to have surgery back then to widen and open up, my esophagus and throat. It has narrowed again because of scar tissue and swallowing has become difficult and I can feel when the food backs up. It’s bothersome and a nuisance. And I could choke to death. But, it’s the least of my worries. I also have something called chronic Polymyalgia Rhematica. It is an autoimmune disease. It is worse than my other health issues of Diabetes, High BP, Osteoporosis, Gastroparesis and Optic nerve damage. It is quite painful and positioning myself in the right spot in bed, is critical. ‘Cause turning over isn’t an option, once I lay down. The lavender scent has a calming effect and helps ease me into sleep. But the other night something terrible happened. My throat began to close, like a boa constrictor had me in its grip. Every time I took a breath in or out, it was like breathing fire. I was in dire straits. Was this Covid? Gastroparesis? Or an allergic reaction to something? My hubby thought he should call an ambulance. I said no I wanted to die at home. Go ahead and say it. I’m stubborn, set in my ways, STUPID. He called my doctor as I writhed in pain, trying to catch my breath, asking her answering service, to call in a prescription for an EPI-PEN. ASAP. We didn’t have one on hand here at home. I hysterically ripped off the necklaces I always wear. I felt they were choking me to death, too. My husband was beside himself and about to override my desire to stay home, by calling 911… when suddenly I remembered Benadryl could help with allergic reactions. That's why he called the doc for the EPI PEN. I’m allergic to penicillin, bees and Payday candy bars. And I respond this way when exposed to them. It was clear I was having an allergic reaction to something. But I seldom if ever have used Benadryl. But thought it was worth a try in this case. Hubby got it and had me drink quite a lot. Within a minute or two, it had taken the edge off and made my breathing easier, the fire went away in my lungs. I laid under the covers and drifted off to sleep. I slept for 5 to 6 hours. My hubby kept monitoring me to see if I was still alive. It was stressful for him to see me so sick, and it was a wakeup call to me. I needed an EPI-PEN by my side in case it ever happens again. My doc was a little late, but she did give me a prescription for two EPI-PENs later in the day. Thank goodness we had the Benadryl to counter the allergic reaction I had. It was determined the ‘sports oxygen’ I took, reacted with the lavender spray, and the Vicks inhaler, I had breathed in… making a lethal combination, on top of all the meds I had taken. For some reason, I knew it was NOT food lodged in my throat. I was grateful I didn’t end up in the hospital. I was so scared I’d never see my family again, if my husband took me to the emergency room. So I took my chances and stayed in familiar territory. Have you ever faced a life threatening situation? How did you handle it?

(Check out the links below.)

https://www.arthritis.org/diseases/polymyalgia-rheumatica

https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/gastroparesis/symptoms-causes/syc-20355787

Leprechauns, Shamrocks & St.Paddy

 

Hope you'll be wearing a 

bit of the green. 

BUT...

HOWEVER you are DRESSED -

LET THE SHENANIGANS BEGIN.

Everybody's a little bit 

IRISH today.

HAPPY ST. PATRICKS DAY

to all my family, blog buddies

and friends...

CHEERS!

PS) I swear I just saw a leprechaun.

Did you???

MAY THE LUCK OF THE IRISH

BE WITH YOU...

Vaccinated and Ready to Hug

Looks like this dreadful virus is getting tackled by the right stuff. More and more people are getting vaccinated. And the Covid case numbers are going down in alot of places. So that’s a good sign. Hopefully, by the end of this year, we should have a handle on it, variants and all. My hubby got his first and second doses of the Pfizer vaccine, with a few side effects, a while back. Mostly he was just very fatigued. I got my first dose of the Moderna vaccine, more recently. Had a horrible headache and jab site was terribly sore. If that means the medicine is working, I can’t complain. I’m scheduled for the 2^nd dose on March 22^nd. Two weeks after that, we are entertaining the notion, to eat out in a restaurant, for the first time in over a year. And, my hubby wants to get his hair cut too. (Though I like the ponytail.) Of course, that will be AFTER we HUG our daughter and grandchildren. I’m bursting with excitement at the very thought. I’ve missed them so much. We will still be wearing masks out and about, everywhere else. And we will not be traveling out of state anytime soon. Still too many restrictions in place. On top of which, my hubby doesn’t trust hotels, at this point. Their ventilation systems and handling of bedspreads, blankets, sheets and pillows are troublesome. We could bring our own, but it’s too cumbersome. Our mobility is limited and lugging all that stuff, in and out, is too problematic. So sadly, this means no visits to my elderly mother, halfway across the country, until late into the fall. Our fingers are crossed we’ll get to see her by Thanksgiving. Something to look forward to for sure. Even though, we are very unhappy it couldn't be sooner. So how are you all doing? Have you gotten your OUCHIE from FAUCI? What are your plans 

when the coast is clear?

MOONFACE, SNOW & WEIGHT

 

Since the Pandemic hit, I thought I might have packed on a few pounds. But the truth is I haven’t. This comes as a big surprise to me because the refrigerator has become a very good friend. I’m always rummaging around in there, for something to quell my seemingly endless desire to eat, in lieu of doing something productive. Salty, sweet, savory. It doesn’t matter.  Seems I can never find the right thing to satisfy my hunger. So I just keep stuffing my face. But no weight gain. Imagine that? Crazy right?  However, I must note that  the steroids I take for my health issues have given me a huge MOON FACE. That is more than a little frustrating. Seeing it get bigger and bigger is why I thought I was tipping the scales. Made me want to cry.  Unfortunately, it’s a side effect of the medication I take. So... I shouldn’t complain if it’s otherwise doing it’s job. But I can’t help wishing my old, wrinkled face, without so much bulk along the sides, returned. Maybe one day it will. Fingers crossed.  Have you ever experienced MOON FACE? 

Meanwhile,  more snow is in the forecast here. A total of 14 inches during a 3 day period. YIKES.  Winter is getting old. But since I have nowhere to go.  Let it snow.  Let it snow.

VALENTINES GALORE

 

To all my blog buddies, family and friends

I hope you find joy in today...

ENJOY!