A Magic Chair?

Well, it sure has become spring in these parts! The crocuses have bloomed and finished and we have members of the narcissus family appearing, when it’s not raining it’s bright and the trees are beginning to bud and shower their happy pollen up my nose!

I’ve acknowledged before and it’s still true tart my allergies are incredibly mild compared to many people who suffer from them but it’s all personal perspective at any given moment. I’ve been mildly stuffed up but I can maintain my breathing without panting like a dog all the time but I don’t smell as well. That’s such a bummer because they had a couple of huge lilies at the senior center when our MS group met and I tried to smell them and couldn’t. Lilies are one of my favorite springtime scents. My chest and throat are a little gravelly buy while I can feel a little stress when I take a deep breath and my voice is a little raspy, I don’t have a sore throat or cough. I’m taking care of myself by keeping my area warm with the space heater and drinking my Gypsy Cold Care tea. I’m also getting a lot more sleep the past few nights!

I got a call on Monday from the medical supply place we ordered the lift hair from. The chair was in and could they deliver it this week, tomorrow?

Well, yeah!

We’d cleared the area where the chair was to go. It was going to replace the loveseat that the cats had ravaged. I don’t exactly remember the couch and love seat pair’s history in detail, but they far outdate me in David’s world and as he said, “they owe me nothing.” Rather than David trying to take the loveseat out on his own (NOT cool with me even if he’d been dumb enough o want to) we tilted it up on its side out of the way to take it out when we have help. The thing is, tilting it made it brand new to the kitty kids and they immediately started to find new places to prowl on the love seat they’d claimed as a scratching post.

 

For right now it’s keeping them from wanting to scratch the new chair!

I had to have a few tries to get the transferring to the chair procedure figured out. But by bedtime Tuesday I’d gotten myself into the chair and motored back into the fully reclined position. Fully reclined is my torso just lower than my feet, my lower back comfortably stretched and my legs and feet fully supported by the leg rest. I think I get why “zero-gravity” was a thing to my doctor. Part way thought a very restful night I’d moved the back up a little and Kaline slept in my lap for a while. I woke up after a very full and restful night and I had a very good high energy and low pain day. I slept on the recliner the next two nights and David and I both experienced long restful sleep nights. So at least to the foreseeable future we’re going to way of 1950s TV where married couples sleep in different beds and “don’t ask, don’t tell” what happens during the commercials. ;)


Now the Tigers just won an afternoon game against the White Sox walk off style and the chair is beckoning me to catch some ID before the Reds game.

It's Still Monday, Right?

It's a 2-cup(+) day!

What a morning it was today! I slept in a bit; yesterday was just a day with a lot going on and by before the Red Sox-Yankees game was over my legs were telling me it was time to go up and lay back with them stretched out while I read a few chapters.

I sit a lot during the day and if I don’t get enough stretching or moving my legs get sore and my feet swell. This is why I try to do a little walk around the kitchen and stretching exercises a few times during the day. Well, yesterday was the Tigers and Reds games, neither of which was very satisfying at the end. It was also a few scrapbook layouts that were very satisfying. When I get “in the zone” creatively, I tunnel in and forget to come up for air or stretches. It adds up to sore legs and swollen feet at the end of the day. Don’t pity me or worry; it’s my bad and my penance for it!

So, a little extra sleep, a leisurely shower, phone calls to return and appointments to make for the week and here I am; afternoon and finally posting the Monday Quiz About Me, courtesy of Acting Balanced and Touristic.

1. June 3rd is National Repeat Day - what word or phrase do you find yourself repeating? I repeat...

“Stupid. ___” The blank is filled in with whatever refused to do it my way; stupid knee stupid sink, stupid Windows 8, stupid Cardinals, etc…


2. Who do you feel is a real hero?

I don’t ignore the almost super-human acts of men and women in the military, hospitals, police, fire and rescue and I don’t overlook teachers or judges and lawyers who actually do defend and make decisions for the greater good even one individual at a time. But I think I am a real hero, so are you. We spend so much time loosely throwing that word around when something terrible happens that we seem to reserve it to describe reactions to bad things without realizing how influential and strong we all are. As the saying goes; to the world you may be just one person but to one person you may be the world.


3. Are you interested in traveling to countries where most people don't speak the same language as you?

I did that the summer I turned 13! I was in Italy for a month staying with family, most of whom didn’t speak a word of English. By then of the trip, I asked for the price of a souvenir book in Italian and the shop keeper said to me (also in Italian) “you know this book is in English?” Kinda shocked me and I fumbled and said “Yes, um, Si!” She gave an approving smile after I outed myself as an American, affirming, “Inglese!” and sold me the book.


4. It's also dairy month - what is your favorite dairy or dairy-like (for you vegans and allergy sufferers) food or recipe?

I won’t say ice cream, which is an entirely different food group. So, I’ll say YOPA! Yopa is new Greek yogurt with mix-ins from YoCrunch. YUM! It’s all the protein and positives about Greek yogurt plus something crunchy, I’ve tried the cherry and strawberry with granola and the vanilla with almonds; ALL great! Now I’m searching for the vanilla with chocolate chips!


And my question for this week:

David and I had a discussion about ice cream last week as we passed quite a few Dairy-Queen-style soft serve ice cream places. I determined that there are four basic types of frozen treat products to get when you aren’t home. These include any quality, price and ingredients of product. So we’re talking about ice cream (regular, nonfat no sugar etc…), frozen yogurt and fruit ices within the categories.

Categories are:

1. Hand-scooped, (that includes Baskin Robbins, gelato or anything scooped out of a case and into your bowl, sundae or cone.)

2. Mix-Ins (The likes of Coldstone and that includes a Blizzard or Flurry, anything with extras mixed into a frozen product after you order it.)

3. Soft Serve (It comes out of a machine into a bowl or cone and can be served as a sundae or dipped in a topping, but NOT the topping mixed in.)

4. Novelties (That’s anything in an individual package)

Whew! Now after that work up, my question 5 this week:

5. What’s your favorite category for a frozen treat when you’re not at home?

My favorite is hand-scooped. I LOVE me my weekly double-scoop in a waffle cone! The only exception to the waffle cone is if I happen into an ice cream parlor that has pretzel cones.

After that it’s a tie between mix-ins and novelties, depending on my mood. Although soft serve is fourth, that doesn’t mean I’d ever turn down a dish or cone of it. I might pass a DQ if a Baskin Robbins is just up the road, though.

Wednesday Hodge Podge

Good Wednesday morning! Let's get right on to joining Joyce from From This Side of the Pond for Hodge Podge!

1. Share your traditions surrounding the Christmas stocking.

Christmas stockings were something everyone got; my brother and I had the really big ones that Mom made and everyone else got smaller ones. Mom filed the stockings with everything from lip balm and tic-tacs to socks ad scarves to perfume and nice jewelry. I filled hers and had so much fun working on duplicating that same style of contents but very personal for her, like she did for all of us.

The first Christmas without Mom was hard; she was the Christmas Spirit in our family. I tried to do her job, to fill the stockings, even my own because Tori and Rina weren’t elves yet and Santa had to be properly represented; I had NOT been bad, and create the over spilling tree. I think I did okay. I remember that my meditation time after putting Baby Jesus in the manger on my nativity was long that year with lots of tears. I think I let out everything I’d held in since September that year. But I finally felt closure and a great peace on Christmas morning.

2004 was a little easier because Rina and Tori had become elves. They transitioned from believing, to telling me that Santa didn’t really travel on Christmas Eve; he just told parents what to buy if the kids were good, to embracing that magic joy of giving when you grow up to be a Santa yourself. Alter having gone from kid to elf in one brutal day at school, I was so happy they had such a neat view on that transition!

David and I started with the rule that we only exchanged what fit in our stockings on Christmas morning, but somewhere between gifts that were too big that we really wanted to give and Mom’s influence showing as I put so many packages of candy and fun little things to fill the stocking that even a package of Ferrero Rochers didn’t fit and were under the tree one year, that we’ve opened that up and added a couple gifts when we find them. I like that a few gifts under the tree make the tree look better. Last year when Rina was with us on Christmas day was the best because I got to fill 2 stockings and do a lot of the other old family traditions.


2. How many hours of sleep do you average at night? Is it enough?

5-7 depending on the night. Yes, it’s usually enough. I learned self-hypnosis quite a few years ago, it’s a lot of why I am an EX smoker 22-1/2 years later. Being able to quickly get into a deep sleep was helpful when I finished my degree going to school full time and working 3 part time jobs!


3. If you had to give up one thing for the remainder of this year what would it be? 

Pain! The question didn’t say it had yo br something I liked I was giving up!


4. The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (or Wills and Kate as I like to call them) have announced they're expecting a baby. Do you follow news of the Royals? 

Um, ahem… If I lived in Kansas City I’d probably follow the Royals, but Toledo is perfect for me because we get the FOX Sports channels for the Reds AND the Tigers!


5. For me, the sound of childhood is__________________.

It’s also one of my favorite springtime sounds; the sound of childhood is the sound of laughing outdoors when a group of kids are at the playground.


6. Fruit cake-yay or boo? What's your favorite dessert made with fruit?

Depends on the fruit cake. Ridley’s Café  in Rochester Michigan makes an awesome tea cake with fruit called “It’s A Wonderful Loaf.” Celebration Generation made the BEST Fruit Cake cookies. You can’t order them anymore, but the recipe is here:Fruitcake Cookies


7. What is one thing you want to accomplish before 2012 comes to an end?

Get my baking done. I’m physically having a hard time this year. Before next year I really need a taller kitchen work chair and a stand-up mixer. My arms are just not doing so well with the reaching up or the mixing anymore. The thing is my Christmas baking is my greatest joy at this time of the year and I’ll still do it even if it wears me totally out.


8. Insert your own random thought here.

I woke up with an ear-worm and I don’t know WHAT I was dreaming about to but it’s there. I can’t get the old Fritos jingle out of my head!


Munchabuncha munchabuncha munchabuncha munchabuncha Fritos go with lunch…

Patch 365 and a Freebie!

I’ve decided that I have a cold. It’s one of those ones that knocks you down, but you get back up and think it was a little one and is gone, but a day later it comes back. You know what I mean, the nasty buggers that just don’t stay gone. That’s what I’ve got. Tuesday afternoon and evening I felt pretty awful, like I was gonna get really sick. Then yesterday I was feeling a lot better. Now I’m doing poorly again.

My biggest problem is drugs. I’m not good at taking them. I took Benadryl Tuesday when I started really feeling bad and one before bed. When I felt good in the morning I didn’t take any more. This morning I had a nasty ache in my knee, which occasionally happens, but by the time I finished doing groceries this afternoon, I was limping bad and my back was sore on the other side. Then part way through dinner I began to stuff up again. Now I have a soreish throat too. I took another Benadryl and if I feel good in the morning, I’ll try to remember to take another one anyway. It’s a cold. We don’t have anything pollenating yet for allergies!

It’s been an okay week though. I met my new dentist and I got an “okay” on the health of my gums and I‘m scheduled for the cleaning and a consultation for the repair and cosmetic work I need/want done. That happened before I got the cold. So, I didn’t give it to the dentist or her assistant, but maybe I got it that way! Hmmm... I still like her. She was awesome about explaining everything I was going to hear her talking about while I could still ask questions instead of while she was prodding around in my mouth! I also had a few decent jobs I sent resumes to and an offer to redistribute my resume for free from I Hire Marketing which I took advantage of. Next week is my eye doc appointment and I meet with an advisor to get ready to enroll for the next semester at the community college. I want to talk to someone about which IT certificate will be the most advantageous for me to earn.

So, there’s the exciting day-world of Nani. The evenings are more interesting! I’ve been doing some scrapping. I got weeks 11 & 12 of my Patch 365 project done!

Credits: Template from Project 365 Template Set by Digitalegacies Designs,
paper and ribbon made by me. Fonts - Comic Sans, Girls are Weird

Week 11 featured that Cherry Chocolate Blossom donut, Our futile attempts at training Kaline to use her new scratching post, thank you cards for wedding gifts and the shot of the kids crowded in Baggle’s carrier at the Vet!

Credits: Template from Project 365 Template Set 2 by Digitalegacies Designs,
kit - Kitten Kaboodle by Enaideel Scraps

The big shots from week 12 are me before and after my donation to Locks of Love and several cat pictures! Enaideel Scraps’ Kitten Kaboodle was a great kit for this one!

I wanted to share one more layout that I just liked the way it turned out. This was actually for a challenge from last month at Scrap Orchard, but I clicked on the most recent challenge this month in that category and didn’t realize until I’d already done the layout that it was already over. The challenge was to use triangles in your layout. I still think it turned out pretty nice!

credits: BOGO blog train kit from the Scrap Orchard Designers,
papers from: Pixel Geek Designs, Amanda Heimann Designs
and Irene V. Alexeeva Fonts JD and Capitals

Fortunately, it also goes with the My SAS-y Self challenge at SAS!


Now a couple of pages with my One Step at a Time that made great quick pages!

Credits: One Step at a Time quick page blog freebie by Digitalegacies Designs

Ten years ago, little 5-year old twins! :)

Credits: One Step at a Time quick page blog freebie by Digitalegacies Designs.

What a difference a decade makes, huh?? They just looked so stunning at Dave's wedding The bride and all, now three, nieces looked gorgeous! Well, okay, so did the guys, even my brother!


Of course, if you read the credits you know what the freebie is! It's two quick pages made with One Step at a Time!


Download them by clicking the preview. The password is still optimism. Personally, I don't care if it's not a hot seller. I love this kit and I'm very proud to say I created it!

Okay, Benadryl is kicking in and I'm still stuffy and sleepy now. I'm going to hope that it does the trick THIS time! Enjoy the quick pages!

Teddy Bears Looking For Work in the UK!

Okay, okay, maybe not that bad. No one is going to replace the intangible feeling of security from hugging a Teddy Bear (even for us grownups!), but there is a company in the UK that is making Teddy’s job a little easier by supplying the comfort and style of a great bed!

Time 4 Sleep is a UK based company with just a huge selection of beds from the classic metalwork of the Windsor to the elegant dark leather of the Tuscany and so many in between! They have wood, metal, leather and faux leather, upholstered in avant and antique styles. They even have whimsical children’s beds! (Imagine your princess sleeping in a horse and carriage or your little man calling it a night in a bulldozer bed!

Does what a bed looks like make a difference in how well you sleep? Perhaps not in the long run. Once the lights are out, it’s all about the comfort of the mattress, but when you walk into your bedroom, does your bed look inviting? We sleep on a bed without a headboard. As much as it may not seem to matter, we’ve been talking about a nice antique-styled frame. Something that says classic, elegant, cozy! When we switched from the old futon frame to a real bed frame it made an incredible difference! Add that touch of class with the posts on the bed and WOW!

Time 4 Sleep has standard mattresses with various pillow tops for super comfort and Memory Foam mattresses that support the whole body while they cuddle you to sleep! There are also other bed accessories at the site.

UK Teddy Bears may not be unemployed, but their workload sure is a lot easier thanks to Time 4 Sleep!

The Spouse That Snored

Do you have snoring significant other or roommate? Has anyone ever said anything to you about “Shaking the rafters” at night with your snoring? It can be a pain, true. When our family home was being built in 1976, we stayed with my Great Grandmother and I shared a room with her. It’s amazing I made it to middle school!

Seriously, I got to the point where the sound of snoring, even loud snoring, became comforting to me and now even when David snores I sleep right through it, unless the sounds are just “wrong.” When he has a cold the snoring is irregular and noticeable to me. But thus far, I’ve never noticed odd snoring unless he has a cold. But I know a little about what to listen for! I studied up on it as best I could when Mums and I shared a room!

Sleep Disorders Guide is a great online resource. Make sure what you find annoying isn’t a sign of something worse than annoying, like sleep apnea. Sleep apnea is a condition where one actually stops breathing while asleep. Does your partner ever wake up choking or gasping? Does your roomie wake up several times a night? Those could be symptoms of sleep apnea. Sleep apnea can also lead to weight gain, memory loss and depression. That’s a bit more serious than an annoyance to joke about!

Visit the Sleep Disorders Guide to get more information on sleep apnea or other sleep disorders like restless leg syndrome, narcolepsy or bedwetting. You can even get tips on lessening or avoiding jet lag! It’s a great resource to have bookmarked!