Sweet Potatoes

The first two years of college I spent at a community college and lived with my aunt and one of my grandmothers.  That was an excellent experience but along with that I also spent at least one day a week having lunch with my mom's parents.  I learned a lot about them during those lunches and I discovered that my grandmother and I both loved sweet potatoes.  So almost every lunch I had with them we shared some sweet potatoes and I got to be apart of their daily life.  There are days when I remember this time and I miss them even more.  I was truly lucky and blessed!

You Are What You Eat...

....apparently I am fries and other fatty things.  I read all about eating better and think it but have a hard time acting on it.   I enjoy food very much but I need to really get back on a good eating plan or this change off of cymbalta meant nothing.  Well, go go green food.  I just need to add more of that and keep trying.  This week's pain mainly involves burning feet and crazy dreams that wake me up in the middle of the night!  Mixed up sleep does not help improve the pain either.  Sending good thoughts to everyone dealing with this craziness.

Columbia House..You Know You Did It Too

Do you remember the day that you were allowed to spend that 1 cent and begin your time with the Columbia House Tape Club?  This was before CDs, Ipods, downloads, etc.  This was back when you had to order and wait on a package.  This was when you had to look through a booklet and make selections on a card that you hand wrote numbers on.  There was no internet to do this on.  We bought stamps and mailed things.  I remember a few of the first tapes that I ordered in that 12 for 1 penny deal. A Flock of Seagulls...REO Speedwagon...Alabama...Yes, I was diverse in my musical leanings.  There was patience involved.  There was excitement in waiting on receiving what you ordered.  I had tons of tapes before it was all said and done but now I do not have one left.  Sometimes I miss the time I took reviewing my choices and talking my parents into letting me buy more.  Now we get these things so easily that we do not think about what we are spending nor do we make good choices.  Everything is too easily at our fingertips.  The sound quality was poor at best compared to today's music but I knew all those songs and enjoyed the wait in receiving them.

Neuropathy Varies

Spoke with a friend this week who has been dealing with shingles in his head.  Horrible!  He has developed some neuropathy which has shown as numbness in his nose and head.  No matter how you get neuropathy it is never a good experience.  I feel for everyone who has this issue no matter how it developed.  My change in medicine is working for the most part.  I still have some break through pain but glad to have something that I can take.  Weight is coming down instead of going up so I keep hoping things will improve.  Keep eating right and moving!

Epiphany

Today I had another epiphany! I say another because I seem to have them a lot recently.  Today's epiphany concerns weight.  Yes I do need to lose it.  But today I learned a new saying. Don't subtract just keep adding!  This means don't take away food that you like just keep adding good new food.  Over time the good new food will overwhelm all the bad and you will have a way of life!  Remind me to continue to tell myself to keep adding!

Gwendy and the Ice Cream Store

I was in 1st grade when I met Gwendy, we were the best of friends!  We lived in a small town with the proverbial one stop light!  There was a library, post office, schools and churches.  Gwendy and I spent our summer days on our bikes all over town visiting with friends and playing!  At least one time per weekend we would visit the Ice Cream store which also doubled as a market and find anything you want store.  The lucky part about this was that Gwendy's dad owned the store so our weekly ice cream cone was free.  I was 6 years old the same age as my daughter now.  I can not imagine her doing the things I did at that time.  I left home in the morning and got back at dinner and never worried about being out.  Neighbors kept an eye on us and we were never scared!  I get worried having my daughter out of my sight in our own yard now.  It is sad that she will never know that experience.  My age group is the last of the free kids who could travel alone and play outside after dark.  However, she will have her own experiences that I did not.  She is constantly on field trips with friends and groups are a big part of her life.  Maybe that makes her a more social person ultimately.  Her time is more structured some times but I try to open up times for her to just play and be creative.  How I remember so much about my time with Gwendy (up until 5th grade) I can not say.  Maybe those years are still a part of all of us - they just come back when our babies are there and learning new things everyday!

Vimpat and Vacation

My new medication is Vimpat and we have had to reduce the dosage because initially it made me have a very short fuse.  I started the lower dosage this week while on vacation and for the most part it did what it should and I did not get that angry.  However, the last couple of days I have felt down and negative and tonight I feel like my face, feet and hands are covered in a blanket and heated up.  It could be that my body knows that I have to go back to work soon!  Who knows!  Everyday is a new test!  I hope that I can start losing weight so the medicine change will feel beneficial.  Talk more later!