Thursday, May 26, 2022

More prayers than gratitude today..... (Thankful Thursday #359)




It has been no secret that I've just not been in the blogging mode this past year.  All the tragedy of covid & the fighting of political sides & just the craziness of the world.

& then we get in the past 2 weeks of 3 mass shootings....

Anyone else feel like they're drowning?  Smothering? Choking?
All the torture things?

Just me?

I dont know if I envy those that sort of push things aside & live in a world that is rainbows & butterflies... because this world is a hot, flaming mess... & it only seems to be getting worse.  I dont think we CAN push things aside much longer.  The longer we do, the more people get hurt & die.

...but...

I AM thankful today that my family is all safe in this moment... because we know in a blink, it can all change.

Today though, I'm not looking more of a gratitude view... I'm looking at a prayerful heart....

Praying for every single family member that has lost a loved one in these latest rounds of shootings - from Brooklyn to Laguna Woods to Uvalde... People that have lost loved ones that when they kissed or hugged them in the morning & expected to see them at the end of the day, & then things take a turn & they end their day with a piece of their soul missing.

Praying for the children that witnessed the school shooting in Uvalde. How can that not effect them as they grow up?  To think that the kids from Sandy Hook are going into High School now.... I'm sure just hearing the news of this latest shooting is enough to bring back the trauma.

Praying for change.  No one is saying you have to throw your guns in a pile & let's burn them - leave that to everyone who wants to do that to books  - but change HAS to happen. How are we supposed to continue just accepting these stories & then go on... waiting for the next event to happen?

Today... I'm just praying for our country.  All you can do when things feel hopeless.


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Friday, May 20, 2022

Friday Favorites

 

Click PIC for link


Favorite Vase


Its Spring time! All the fresh flowers!
& this vase is GORG! All the colors in it - & I bet it gives off a rainbow spectrum if its near a window!


Favorite Feet Smoother


Sandal season!!
I'm just curious to see how these work too
the pictures look DISGUSTING of the peeling... but I'm so intrigued by it too!


Favorite Chair


I'm needing a replacement for my purple couch I have in my Beauty & the Beast room.  This yellow would be perfect! 
& it pulls out to a lounger & even lays flat to like a twin size bed.
Two of these in there would be perfect!!!


Favorite Bag Cleaner


What in the world???
You put this in your purse or bag & apparently its sticky - so crumbs & little things that settle in the corners of your bag, like paper shreds, they stick to this!!!
& you just rinse it off & toss back in.

Kinda a genius idea!

Favorite Shoes


I've been on a boat shoe kinda kick lately - making me think back to my days in the 80's & the peg leg jeans...
But these are Sketchers!!! I love a Sketcher shoe - so comfy!
These come in brown & red too! 



Favorite Face Soother


An ice roller for your face & eyes...
& since you fill it up yourself, you can add things to it - 
lemon or oils... 
This is perfect for the hotter days coming up too!

Favorite Bottle Opener


Yep...this would be perfect for Hubby!
His Marvel loving heart would geek out - plus, he drinks bottled Root beer every night so it would actually get good use.
Maybe a Father's day gift from the dogs


Favorite Funnies
























Happy weekend Y'all!!!

Thursday, May 19, 2022

Is that a baby in my shoulder? ...... {Thankful Thursday #358}

 Well, that title doesnt sound like a good start to a Thankful Thursday, does it?

But I'm going to use todays post to do an update on what's the latest in my ever going "body falling apart" saga.  & we're going to find the blessings in it... hence, finding gratitude in it all.

So, you've probably seen me mention in my posts a lot about my arm pain lately & you've surely seen if you've been here over the years, a lot of posts about bicep tendonitis & flare ups & all the misery that brings.

When I was in the hospital for that mini stroke in December, they took my blood pressure in my bad arm every 15 minutes for 3 days.  Do the math - that's a lot. & if you know, you know - those hospital blood pressure cuffs are made from some torturous evil creature.  They choke the will to live.

Think of that tight compression around a muscle that is already damaged.


I came out of the hospital with the biggest flare up of my life.  I'm talking, couldn't even TOUCH my arm. I thought for sure there were bruises.

Nothing has been the same ever since with my arm.

The pain has gotten more severe in the bicep & the pain in my shoulder has gotten even worse.  Now, before, I would hurt right around the armpit area of my arm. I would usually put a pillow in my arm pit & put pressure & it would give some relief. Nothing gives relief now.  

I can't stretch my arm to full extension - I get spasms in my arm that shoot down to my hand causing me to drop whatever is in my hand (which is really fun when I'm putting on mascara!) - I can't lay on it & laying flat at night makes it even worse for some reason.  & the topper, I can't raise my arm over chest level.  So try fastening a bra, or washing your hair, or pulling up my pants. I can't vacuum with the pushing & pulling in my right arm, cant wipe counters, cant get wet laundry out of the washing machine.... all sorts of little things you dont think about until you do it & end up in tears.

I called my orthopedic that I've seen through the years. He really is the best... & because of that, they gave me a "rush' appointment..... 8 weeks out. Are you freaking kidding me?

I told them I would see anyone in the practice - nope - that was still the earliest appointment - which I'm sorry. LIES! I dont believe that for a hot second.

I thought I would make it. Fine. I'll deal. In my biggest dreams, I thought, it'll even be healed by then & I'll call them & do a Pretty Woman move ....


Well, joke was on me because my arm has gotten so much worse. It wakes me up every evening around 2 am - & I cant get any relief. I sit up & cry for like an hour or 2 every evening in the middle of the night.  My dogs have been very concerned.

Driving into work on Monday, I dont know why I hadnt thought of it before, but I was like, wait, my niece had shoulder surgery... who did that?  So I call my sister in law & ask her who did the surgery & she gave me the name. I googled them, got on the web site, sent them a message regarding an appointment & no joke... it couldnt have been 60 seconds & my phone rang.

I told them the situation & they said, "Can you come in tomorrow at 9am?"

.... I may have cried.... 


The next morning couldnt have come soon enough & I go in & the staff was so super nice & the doctor was very straight forward - all business - right to the point.

He was moving my arm, making me do crazy things - like raising it up! How dare he! But he even said my shoulder was so tight & then said, "Well, you have a little bit of a mess going on"

They pulled in the ultrasound machine & he showed me all sorts of things - that I couldnt make out - because I'm not doctor.  Was that a boy or girl in my shoulder? I'm pretty sure I saw an eye ball....but he pointed out that I have bursitis in my shoulder, my bicep muscle is so inflammed that its ready to rupture, and the kicker, my rotator has a tear in it. 

Anything else?

Oh yeah... he said my shoulder feels like its going to freeze if we dont get everything under control soon.


Sure... why not.

His first question was, "how do you feel about surgery?" & I was like, "ummm.... I have a job" & ironically, I'm getting ready to cover for someone who is going to be off for shoulder replacement surgery.  I asked if we could do all the things first & if it didnt get better, then we'll talk surgery.

What is the response to that?  Let's bring out the longest freaking needle I've ever seen in my life.

They pull out the ultrasound machine so he could see where it needed to be injected. I told him I was starting to feel anxious & Mr. Straight Forward said, "understandable"... good bedside service right there.

Honestly though, the nurse stood there with some sort of cold spray & started coming at me like she was ready to mace me in a dark alley & went to town on my shoulder.  


& before I know it, I see a needle inside my arm on the ultrasound machine. How did that happen? It was really bizarre..  Stupid me - I said, "Well, that didnt hurt"... & then he proceeded to move the needle around & injected the shoulder, the rotator & the bicep & each injection, the pressure....ohhhhhh the pressure.

He got the needle out & all of a sudden, my arm was like REJECT REJECT REJECT!!!!!!  It started getting spasms inside & I just had to grip my arm & take deep breaths. Honestly thought, it wasn't horrible.  It lasted for like 20 seconds & then it was OK.

As of right now, I'm not feeling much difference with the shot... that's discouraging.  But I'm hoping today is the day because they said it could take 24-48 hours before you feel relief.

& I have my first physical therapy session scheduled. Which... that's a whole other thing. Why are places like that only open during basic work hours. Dont they know people actually like... work? So I dont even get in till 2 weeks & even then, I have to leave work early... I need to find a PT that is open later.  Why are things so hard???

So yeah - in all this crazy - did you catch the gratitude? Probably didnt sound like an attitude of gratitude - but it was there.

I'm so glad I have made it this long in so much pain.
I'm glad I thought to reach out to my SIL
So thankful how fast I was able to get in with this doctor.
Glad to find out everything that was wrong - gives us a gameplan.
Thankful that the doctor is trying out options before rushing to surgery.
Thankful the shot didnt make me scream bloody murder & make me reflex ninja move on the doctor.

& honestly, the doctor told me if I had waited to go to my appointment that is still a month away, he said my bicep would have definitely ruptured by then & my shoulder would have been totally frozen - which apparently is even more of a nightmare.

Which, add to the list that things could ALWAYS be worse.

that's the latest.  Who ever said life is boring?

Have you ever had any arm/shoulder issues?

What do you do for relif of aches & pains?

Do big needles going through your body freak you out?

OK - tell me something good about your week!


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Wednesday, May 18, 2022

Three Things

 




Snagging up from Steph
Who is so darn good at coming up with these!


Three things that make a lot of sense to me
1. Vegetarianism / Veganism - for your own health & animal cruelty
2. Sleeping in whenever possible
3. Learning to say "No" to things with no guilt

Three things that do not make sense to me
1. How I can clean my kitchen (counter top, mop floors) & walk out & walk back in & it looks trashed again 15 minutes later.
2. That the weekends move at warp speed.
3. How drastically changed the Republican party is.

(Side note - I could do a post of probably 100 things on this topic)

Three things I’d like to explore 
1. Vegan cooking YouTube videos
2. Libraries / Bookstores
3. Coffee shops

Three things I have no interest in 
1. Influencers
2. Tik-Tok
3. All things sports - games / drafts / players - (except Tennis)

Three things I have more than enough of but always want to buy
1. Stickers
2. Pens
3. Books

Three things I am always in search of
1. Tee shirts that are long enough but not boxy
2. Comfortable underwear / bras
3.  Anti-frizz products that work for my hair

Things I've recently checked off of my To Do list
1. Got Zoe all groomed up
2. Sent in a 25lb box of cloths to ThredUp
3.  Got a tea organizer for my coffee bar

Things I have had on my To Do list forever
1. Clean my enclosed porch
2. Clean my closet
3. Learn Lightroom

Three things I'm loving right now
1. Spring weather
2. My new phone charger at work where I just have to lay it down to charge
3. Aldi's apple pies

Three things I'm hating right now
1. Ticks
2. Insurance deductible starting over again
3. People still dying of COVID - & people still not caring

Friday, May 13, 2022

Friday Favorites

 


Click PIC for link


Favorite Ramen Bowl



Favorite Folding Tray


So this is labeled as a folding Desk which works too.
But I would love to be able to use this to move around the house with my laptop but also have available space on the top.


Favorite Blanket


WAIT - Is this the PERFECT Summer blanket?
Its a Muslin, cotton light weight blanket....
Basically like a baby blanket but for adults... I'm adding this to my cart ASAP


Favorite Ring


I love these sideways initials...
So cute for your kids names (you can stack more than 3) - or you & your spouse (2 rings) - or even your own initials! They even have numbers so a date would be cool too!


Favorite App

Because who doesnt want to see a Ryan Reynolds pic

Its the new app everyone is talking about called New Profile Pic

I downloaded it & am loving it so much - because some of them look like a beautiful painting - but I love the cartoon versions too.

& note - I keep seeing people saying its a sketchy site where you info is getting hacked... you can look it up - that's not true. It access the same information the popular apps access.


Favorite Graduation Gift


This is a unique gift... a little time captured in a bottle moment.


Favorite Funnies



































Happy Weekend Y'all!!!!!!!!!

Thursday, May 12, 2022

Thankful Thursday #357

 



Got Zoe in Vet
Our little diva has been having some issues. She'd had a tumor on her rear for years... well, over the past few weeks, it was starting to give an odor (in other words - STANKIN' up the place!) Hubby got home one day & saw it was bleeding! UH OH - not good. We called the vet that she goes to & they were so rude & were like, um, cant get you in for 2 weeks. I'm sorry - my dog is bleeding here.  ... so we know a vet in Louisville that is first come first serve basis. Its like a long standing, very popular vet... the lines there can be HOURS long. We knew what we had to do. We took a day off & got up at 5am & headed out to get in line at 6am... they open at 7.  We were actually 2nd in line.  But got in fast & was out of there by 7:20.  Zoe got an antibiotic shot & meds & we got instructions on how to do Epsom salt baths every night. Fun stuff.  Just thankful for good vets that actually want to take care of animals - geez.

Side note - just in that short period of time we were in & out, there were already 24 cards of people waiting in line by 7:20am.  

Not a happy puppy


Tee Shirt from Amazon
This weekend is the Purple Strides Walk to fund raise for Pancreatic Cancer.  I went online to look up tees to wear & found this & knew it was perfect. Plus, at my door in 2 days. Amazon really is the best thing ever.


Also - if you're interested - right HERE is the link to my fundraiser page if you want to give anything. $1.00 is never even too small - ever penny counts! 


Avocado Toast
I have been on a kick lately. Maybe its all the yummy fresh tomatoes that is giving me all the joy of it. But this has been my breakfast every day I'm home in the morning.



Mother's Day  
So glad my mom felt well enough to go out for lunch & to go shopping & just hang out. We had a really good day together.  Doesnt she look so pretty?


Sitting outside with Zoe
My favorite time of year - sitting outside.  Especially with an old dog. Does everyone remember all the photos of sitting outside with Bruno. He was blind & couldnt see anything - Zoe is deaf but still loves watching all the commotion - especially the Aussies running around.  She's going to be 17 on August 1st & besides this infection, she's still doing really well!

All her brothers watching out for her
.. you can see the infection too - poor girl!
its looking SOOOO much better than that now!


Tell me something good about your week!!!

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