Funny

  

Queen for the Day

Thank you for all of the Birthday Greeting! I had a nice birthday and was treated like a Queen. We left early for brunch at the new Wynn Casino on the strip, then after a half an hour of trying to get me onto the toliet to pee, we went to the Fashion Show Mall on the strip. Watched a fashion show and window shopped, since it is so hard to get my big wheelchair into these stores. I met a Man named Avi that was in a wheelchair. He approached me because I have a Kick ALS sticker on the back of my wheelchair and told me that he has ALS too. I asked for his e mail address and he is quite a go getter. He has started a foundation to help find a cure. You can watch a video of him on the web site. He was traveling with a beautiful woman companion that he said was a friend. They were visiting Vegas for a couple of days. Look up his web site. akremer@prize4life.org

I received a new portable scanner to use on my computer so I can put my old photos onto my photo program. I received books, videos, flowers and a lovely white cake. It was a nice day.

Blessed to have another year

I have survived another year with ALS and my birthday is Friday. I was reflecting on my past wonderful birthdays I have had in my 53 years. I remember the year I came home after working out in a aerobics class and walked into my home filled with family and friends for a surprise party. I remember on my 40th birthday, I came down in the morning to 40 Roses and 40 Balloons. I remember when I was young it was always the day that I could pick what I wanted to eat for dinner ,spaghetti and meatballs Yummy! One Birthday when we were living in Colorado my husband and I went on a beautiful drive over Trail Ridge to see the Autumn colors and what a glorious day it was with clear blue skies, crisp air. One year I climbed the largest 14,000ft Mountain in Colorado on my birthday and it snowed on us coming down. The beauty of that day is forever imprinted into my mind. I have been so blessed to have a family that Loves me and has given me such Joy in my life.

One Deep Breath- Windows & Doorways

Life ever changing
glimpses of my surroundings
through small squares of light

See other haiku here

Be thankful for each day!

It has been 2 years ago this week I found out that I have ALS. When I found out I was in Houston, Tx Medical Center scheduled for surgery on the 22nd of September for peripheral nerve palsy. This was a diagnosis because of me dragging my right foot. I was going to have a very famous surgeon do a procedure to repair the nerve. The day before surgery I had all of the pre-ob appts. such as EKG, blood work etc. After a full morning of tests my husband and I had a break for a nice lunch and then one more appt. for a EMG to find where the nerve was damaged. This was my last appt. at 2:00 and then to the Drs office for the final review before surgery.. I had no idea that the Dr appt would turn my world upside down forever. When the Dr. came in to talk with me he wouldn't look at me and he looked upset. He told me that he had been on the phone with Drs all afternoon regarding my EMG results and that it showed I have ALS and he could not do surgery. I felt this is a joke right? I started to cry and felt I was in a dream. I had only heard of ALS these last few months and knew it was a fatal disease.

When I received this diagnosis, 2 years ago, I was only tripping on my right foot and still an independent working Mom and Grandmother. It has been the roughest 2 years of my life. Now I am in a wheelchair full time, can barely talk or eat. I cannot use my right hand anymore, cannot drive a car,write my name, move myself in bed, bath, and the lists goes on and on. Each loss is devastating. I can still use a computer with one weak left hand. I am thankful that I have had 2 years more of my life to watch my Grandchildren grow, to be able to see Alaska again and I can still see a Sunrise and Sunset. I am forever hopeful that there one day will be a cure for his devastating disease. Be thankful for every day.

This was quote was in my email from my daughter.
In the confrontation between the river and the rock, the river always wins, not through strength, but by perserverance... Never give up!
- Anonymous

Blessing for the day

Lord make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred, let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where there is darkness, light,
and where there is sadness, joy."
~ St. Francis of Assisi

Delicious Autumn

The Vibrant colors
greet me along the worn path
walking in the Mist

Check it out!

WOW!

The following is a picture taken of camels in the desert. It is considered one of the best pictures of the year (2005). Look closely, the camels are the little white lines in the picture. The black you see is just the shadows!

Poetry Thursday- Favorite Poem

Blizzards were blowing everywhere
Throughout the land.
A candle burned upon the table,
A candle burned.

As midgets in the summer fly
Towards a flame,
The snowflakes from the yard swarmed to
The window pane.

And, on the glass, bright snowy rings
And arrows formed.
A candle burned upon the table,
A candle burned.

And on the white illumined ceiling
Shadow were cast,
As arms and legs and destinies
Fatefully crossed.

Two slippers fell on to the floor
With a light sound,
And waxen tears dripped from the candle
On to a gown.

No object in the misty whiteness
Could be discerned.
A candle burned upon the table,
A candle burned.

A mild draught coming from the corner
Blew on the candle,
Seduction's heat raised two wings crosswise
As might an angel.

It snowed and snowed that February
All through the land.
A candle burned upon the table,
A candle burned.

Boris Pasternak 1942

One Deep Breath "Emotion" Tanka

In a desert parched
I'm not dried out at this time
Sit still and listen
In time I will hear answers
what to seek and where to yield


Tanka are written in a 5-7-5-7-7 syllable structure (or short, long, short, long, long) and include a "pivotal image", cotemplation and emotion. They are also more lyrical and literary than haiku. Like haiku they are simple and often reflect nature. Check out the links below to learn more about tanka - the oldest form of Japanese poetry from which haiku originated.

Quote

It is better to light a candle than curse the darkness.
Eleanor Roosevelt

Silver Lined Clouds

It's nighttime
I see your face in the stars
I feel your gentleness
with the swaying of the leaves
It's nighttime
cold and dark
but the moon warms my heart
with the thought that we will
be together again soon

by Susan Schutz

Last night I got up for awhile and I looked through the high window I have in our Living Room and I saw Silverlined clouds from the full Moon. Unbelievably beautiful.

Control

I have been always in control of situations in my life until this disease, When I gained weight I was in control to lose it and when I was sick with bad allergies I could control my environment and take medicine to help me feel better. I took control of a bad situation for my 2 young children and myself with a bad early marriage and went to school to be able to support my young family and get out of the marriage. I took control of taking care of my parents during their illnesses. I took control of the situation when my 3 year old niece was kidnapped out of her own home and was able to get help to find her after 2 weeks of terror. Now that I have found out I have ALS everything is out of control. I have to remember that none of us are ever really in control that wih one situation our whole lives can change. Only God is in control and I have to let go and trust.

First Drafts

Yourself: Sick
Your partner: Caretaker
Your hair: blonde
Your Mother: well-intentioned
Your Father: Funny
Your favorite Item: computer
Your dream last night:scary
Your favorite Drink: water
Your Dream Home: handicapped
The Room You Are In: beautiful
Your fear: alone
Where you Want to be in Ten Years?: home
Who you hung out with last night: Grandkids
What You're Not: healthy
Your Best Friend: daughter
One of Your Wish List Items: walk again
Your Gender: female
The Last Thing You Did: posted
What You Are Wearing: PJ's
Your favorite weather: Fall
Your favorite Book?:Bible
Last thing you ate?: applesauce
Your Life: Stressful
Your mood: calm
The last person you talked to on the phone: Michelle
Who are you thinking about right now?: No one

Beep

Beep...Beep...Beep in my head and I was dreaming what is this noise. I woke up and realized Dang..the smoke alarm is beeping, the battery must be gone and it is in the middle of the night. Now we have 12 foot ceilings and it isn't going to be easy to fix this. My husband wants to ignore it but he can sleep through anything, my older son wakes up with the sound and proceeds to get the tallest ladder out of the garage and puts a new battery in and the beeping stops. Ever wonder why do these smoke alarm batteries go off in the night?. In all of the years having homes with these type of alarms that are attached to the wiring in the house, when the battery goes dead , it is in the middle of the night and you hear beep.. beep.. which is so loud in the stillness of the night. I remember a couple of years ago, before I was stricken with ALS, I was alone in our home and my husband was away on business. Beep...Beep... in the middle of the night, 2:00 a.m. precisely, and I found it was the alarm in the highest part of the house in the kitchen entry. It was so loud and I knew I wasn't going to sleep until I fixed it. We had no ladder at the time to reach it so I am in my PJ's hanging over the top of the kitchen cabinet trying to get the cover off to replace the battery. After some scary moments and good balancing I fixed it and afterward I thought , I could have fallen and hurt myself and no one would have known until hours later. So when my husband got home he changed all the batteries because if one goes they all start to go at the same time. I guess this is why we are suppose to check the batteries on daylight savings time. Otherwise in the middle of the night we will hear beep....beep...beep.......

Poetry Thursday - Blue

Blue Moon
You saw me standing alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own

Blue Moon
You know just what I was there for
You heard me saying a prayer
for Someone I really could care for
And then there suddenly appeared before me
The only one my arms will hold
I heard somebody whisper please adore me
And when I looked to the Moon it turned to gold

Blue Moon
Now I'm no longer alone
Without a dream in my heart
Without a love of my own
Blue Moon

Solitude

The early morning
So thankful for the silence
My soul is refreshed

A Sleepsong to my Grandchildren

Lay down your head
And I'll sing you a lullaby
And I'll sing you to sleep
And I'll sing you tomorrow
Bless you with love
For the road that you go
May you sail fair
To the far fields of fortune
With diamonds and pearls
At your head and your feet
And may you need never
To banish misfortune
May you find kindness
In all that you meet
May there always be angels
To watch over you
To guard you each step of the way
To guard you and keep you
Safe from all harm
And may you bring happiness
And be loved in return
To the end your days
Now fall of to sleep
I'm not meaning to keep you
I'll just sit for awhile
And sing

Strength

You gain strength, courage, and confidence by every experience in which you really stop to look fear in the face. You are able to say to yourself, "I have lived through this horror. I can take the next thing that comes along." . . . You must do the thing you think you cannot do.

-Eleanor Roosevelt

Feeling Blue

Feeling Blue this morning. I love the early mornings and now that I am unable to bath or dress myself I arise early and sit by myself and wait for the others to wake up.. so I was bored and looked up the word Blue in wikipedia and it said:
A clear sky on a sunny day appears blue because of Rayleigh scattering of the light from the Sun.
Large quantities of water appear blue because red light around 750 nm is absorbed as an overtone of the O-H stretching vibration. I feel thankful now I can still see the color blue.