MelaniePenelope

So Long 2018, Welcome 2018: Saturday 9 & Sunday Stealing

Howdy, folks! I missed the super amazing fun times this past weekend because I'm having a bunch of anaphylactic episodes due to what my immunologist termed a "full-blown autoimmune assault." So that's fun. I did an undercover assignment for several hours with my younger daughter, Sophia, and reacted there. And everywhere, pretty much. It's not awesome - especially because I missed you guys!

So I'm trying to get these two in under the radar. While eating delicious fruit salad. And watching a marathon of Bob's Burgers with Sophie, Jack, and Hubs. Funny stuff. Do you watch it? Why not?!!

Here goes Saturday 9:

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Saturday 9: Winter Wonderland (1968)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

Welcome to the last Saturday 9 of 2018! Thanks for a great year, everyone.

 

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1) This is an unconventional take on an old familiar song. Over the holidays, do you prefer traditional carols? Or do you like to mix it up with with more contemporary fare?

 

 

I like to mix it up. Along with old favorites, I love the song "Santa Tell Me" by Ariana Grande along with pretty much everything by the Pentatonix.

2) Now that Christmas is behind us, are you enjoying a relaxing week? Or do you have socializing/celebrating/chores to do?

 

 

I think most of the socializing and celebrating is behind us, other than having fun times tonight with the family. I did want us to go downtown here in Boise, where instead of a ball - I shit you not - they drop a potato. A damn potato! But we're all sick, so I think we may end up just staying home and watching it on the local NBC affiliate tonight. Bummer. Also tomorrow, I wanted us to go up to Bogus Basin, where the ski resort is near us, for all kinds of New Year's Day festivities, but the two older kids have to work, which would be no fun.

3) Winter is a time for cocooning. What book or movie did you enjoy in 2018 that you would recommend to your fellow Saturday 9-ers?

 

 

I really enjoyed the movie Dumplin' with Danielle MacDonald. We've been watching a lot of movies on Netflix and Amazon Prime Video lately, but I think that may have been my favourite.

4) Looking back on the past year, what was one of your happiest moments?

 

Two things: On April 16^th, Hubs had surgery for prostate cancer. His recovery was fraught, and I hated every minute of it for him. He ended up having another major surgery and more hospital stays. As for myself, I had surgery on May 22^nd, and it was supposed to be far more major than it ended up being. I was honestly scared for my life and, if that ended up being not in jeopardy, then I was scared of being in even more pain than the endless amount I've been suffering for more than 3½ years. In the end, my surgeon decided to close me up early and save the rest of the surgery for another day. So I can honestly say, in 2018, my happiest moment was waking up alive and well, and being still here to torment the rest of Team Odette!

5) What was the smartest thing you did all this past year?

 

I persevered! It's worth it.

 

6) As 2018 comes to a close, what are you most grateful for?

 

♥ Smiles, joy and happiness from my loved ones ♥

7) This week's featured artist is Herb Alpert. Because of the style he popularized and the name of his band, people assume he's Hispanic. Yet his parents were Jewish immigrants from Romania. What's something we'd be surprised to learn about you?

 

🤦‍♀️ I dunno anymore; everyone knows everything about me! 🤦‍♀️

 

Maybe that I've been varying levels of vegan/vegetarian since August 1995, and as of about a week ago, all five members are now onboard with giving veganism a good go! Why? Get on Netflix or some other streaming service and watch What The Health? and Cowspiracy, and that'll explain a great deal.

  
8) He performed an instrumental version of "The Star Spangled Banner" at Super Bowl XXII. How did your favorite sports teams do in 2018?

 

 

Oh, God. My Miami 'Canes were a disaster! They were up against Wisconsin in a rematch from last year at the Pinstripe Bowl four days ago, and we got totally trounced 35-3. What an embarrassment! Hopefully new head coach Manny Diaz can turn things around for the 2019 program.
 

9) Random question: When did you last check your social media feed?

 

I just checked my Instagram notifications a few minutes ago. I'm on it now more than Facebook, although I suppose now that they're both owned by the same people, it doesn't much matter? No, really, I like the quick-speed format of Insta much more, I think.

 

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That was fun. Thanks, Crazy Sam! I'm going to go right into yesterday's Sunday Stealing now, so go take a quick walk around your house or the block or something as an intermission. Then link up here if you want to play along with me and the rest of the thieves, albeit belatedly! ;)

 

 

Stolen from Strawberry Lollipop Kisses.

 

 1. Are flowers a nice gift to give someone?

 

 

They are if they're a bouquet from Bouqs, like these beautiful calla lilies! I love Bouqs. ☺

2. Do you wear any jewelry?

 

Yeah, and I like to change it around frequently. I really love Pandora rings (That's why I bought a bunch of inexpensive costume jewelry on eBay recently. I just got this new ring today, and I love it! Except it's scratchy...

3. Have you ever lain in a field of flowers?

 

 

I have, but it's been ages, so here's a photo from our April 2015 visit to the Chihuly exhibit at the Fairchild Garden in Miami.

4. Do you like tea?

 

 

I like bubble tea. Other tea is okay, as long as it's both caffeinated and flavored. Absolutely no iced tea for me, though!

5. What would you do with a million dollars?

 

 

a. Get a good financial advisor and invest wisely, living off the interest as much as possible. b. Buy us a beautiful, elaborate, multi-roomed house like the ones I've been dreaming about my whole life. c. Set up a grantor's trust, so that the kids don't have to struggle any more than we already have and any more than what's necessary for them not to lose their work ethics. and d. Take Hubs on a whirlwind tour of the world, retracing our steps for the last 18 years (our anniversary is on Wednesday!), including here to La Calle Ramblas (with lots of beautiful architecture by Joan Miró) in gorgeous Barcelona, Catalonia, Spain. e. And the whole time, I'd have The Barenaked Ladies serenade us with one of our courtship songs, "If I Had a Million Dollars"!

6. What word do you have trouble saying?

 

 

Many, many things, but since this is one of Hubs' favorite drinks, I have to attempt to say it a lot: Arnold Palmer. I fail each and every time.

7. Favorite fairytale?

 

 

Maybe Little Red Riding Hood, since I have fond memories of my sister and I planning out our skit of it, making props, and then acting it out in front of our grandparents and some of their friends and neighbors.

8. Do you sleep with stuffed animals?

 

 

Yes, I sleep with the huge teddy bear Hubs gave me when he gave me my engagement ring.

9. Do you prefer the city or the country?

 

 

I am definitely a big city girl at heart!

10. Are you a big fan of makeup?

 

 

I used to be, but nowadays I usually keep it simple and just wear mascara and maybe some lip gloss.

11. Favorite drink?

 

 

Hands-down, it's Diet Coke! (And for my grandpa, it was "Coke on the rocks!"

12. What’s the longest amount of time you’ve stayed awake?

 

Several days in a row, once Chloë was out of the NICU. Even when she'd sleep, I had awful insomnia. Man, those were some miserable days for me! (Aside from the beautiful new baby girl, natch.)

13. Have you ever traveled outside of your country?

 

 

Beautiful Talofofo Falls on Guam

 

Yes, many times, but the one I'm most yearning to return to at this point in time isn't even technically outside the United States.

 

14. Do you like Spring?

 

 

I love Spring! It's my second favorite season after Summer. Especially when all the tulips come in around Idaho.

15. Lipstick or lip gloss?

 

I'll wear lipstick (like my Young Living ones) on the odd occasion, lip gloss (like the lighted mirror-containing one at the back of the picture above) slightly more frequently, but mostly lip balm.

 

 

I really like this minty one on Grove Collaborative.

 

16. Favorite color?

 

 

All the blues in the sea...

17. Do you like to decorate?

 

 

I do! My tastes run eclectic and colorful as hell, like here, which is certainly not for everybody!

18. Do you ever go barefoot when you’re outside?

 

 

I love being barefoot! Especially when we're at the beach... nothing like it!

19. Are aliens real?

 

 

How the hell should I know?!

20. Does your zodiac sign fit your personality?

 

 

I don't really buy into astrology as anything more than entertainment. I find bits of myself in all 12 signs of the zodiac - and some of all the Chinese ones, too. But I do often see a lot of myself in the Virgo horoscope, like above.

21.Favorite sea animal?

 

 

I think right now, at this moment in time, it's the Tasselled Wobbegong, Eucrossorhinus dasypogon. Cool looking, right?

22. Are you a nice person?

 

 

I try very, very hard to be. I don't always succeed, but I keep trying!

23. Favorite word?

 

 

FUCK! (hee.)

24. Night or day?

 

 

Oh, I am a total night owl. Also, science has found that we night owls are: more creative; more intelligent; more productive; and, more successful. However, we are also more likely to be single and die early.

25. What would make you happy right now?

 

 

It would thrill the shite out of me if I stopped having allergic reactions to every single thing. I mean it: everything. Every food I eat. Being too hot. Being too cold. Medications. And things are moving quickly in the wrong direction. So yeah, for 2019, which in this time zone (MST) starts in 04:12, I would really like for at least that aspect of my poor health to turn around. I just can't do it anymore!!!

 

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So it's almost 8 PM, and I guess I better figure out the plan for New Year's Eve! Kinda late for that, but meh! Not feeling it this year.

 

 

So, Happy New Year 2019, y'all!!!

 

Fin.

 

Decemberists Thus Far... 2018

Heyyyyy kids and bigger kids! I figured I'd try to blahg here and there, once in a while, to fill up some cyberspace with my special brand of bizarre.

🐣🐥🐤🐔🐓

We're down to 20 chickens in the backyard coop now, which sounds like a lot for city life, and that's because it is... They have grown SO much - and all 19 that survived this year's September hatching are much bigger than Athena, our only 2017 flock survivor. I'm gladdened and amazed that so many of our n00bs have done so well. Even little Waffle, our runt of the "litter," is thriving! See them up there, barging out the coop door and then peering in the window, when someone forgot to latch the door? Haaaa. Kills me. (And yes, we have more than one feeder; the 20 of them are so dumb, they never realize it.) But they are pigs! They eat a freakin' ton and a half. I need to get a bucket with a lid, because we're going to start giving them fermented feed at least once a week. Good for them and good for the pocketbook!

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♥💑♥

So like, Rob and I are currently in awe of the fact that we've now been together 18 years. We had a whirlwind courtship: We met online on November 1st, 2000, and eloped on January 2nd, 2001. Two months! Throughout November, we put daily (or so) sticky notes on each others' bathroom mirrors to find when, y'know. Bathroom stuff. We took them all off at the end of the month, and now we've started over again for December. It's nice. Romantic, right? We're telling each other all the things we love and are thankful about each other. I'm surprised there are so many things about me that Rob has to say! Delightfully surprised. But I'll run out of Post-Its™ long before I run out of niceties to share with Rob. ♥

💎💍💎

We met in person for the first time on November 17th, and by December 8th, at our second tête-à-tête meeting, Rob put a ring on it! At the end of that weekend, I drove all the way back to St. Pete from Panama City Beach, Florida, trying not to crash while I admired the ring on my finger. ♥

 

🐻

 

This is "BearPo," aka "Xavier the X-rated Bear" (heh), aka my engagement bear. Robert gave it to me the same night he gave me my engagement ring, but he hadn't had a chance to tie the ring around BearPo's neck 'cause I drove about 100 mph all the way to the Florida Panhandle (aka Lower Alabama). I still sleep with BearPo - and Hubs - every night. Every damn night.

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Apropos of nothing, I'm really having this rose gold moment. It's weird, because historically, rose gold has been hovering pretty damn close to the bottom of the totem pole when it comes to my favorite metals. (Mercury is probably, y'know, rock bottom.)

In order of love, from greatest to least, here you go [please note, I have never had a relationship with platinum, so don't send me hate mail. I'm a champagne and caviar dream on a beer and silver-plated budget kinda girl, ya dig?]:

Copper, Cu > Silver, Ag > Gold, Au > Rose Gold, umm Rose Au > Cadmium, Cd > Nickel, Ni > Lead, Pb > Mercury, Hg

(Yeah, uhh, Cd and Ni had to be included because they're often the base metals in your cheaper jewelry {ahem from China ahem}, and I am severely allergic to them. So fancy it is, for me!) 😉

Anyhoo, so now that rose gold is having its moment, it kind of pisses me off that I find myself drawn in by it! I usually loathe trendy things! I despise following the trends! I'm the opposite of a fashion-follower, you know? I do my own thing. Now that everyone and their motherfecking brother has pierced their nostrils, I hate it. Hate it!

So, that prettiful septum ring (not trendy so far, I hope?) is rose gold from here, but I don't love it because it's really poorly balanced and looks crooked AF unless I constantly adjust it. The hibiscus earring from here (yes, it's the same shop) is supposed to be for my tragus piercing, but doesn't freakin' fit in there, because the post is waaaay too short 🤬😠; it's also rose gold. And the two stacked skinny rings from here on my hand are rose gold. All from Etsy. I want more, but the budget says noooo...

👁👁💩

 

Also, my sister says she misses my "shit-brown eyes," because they've been turning greener and greener as I get older (and ahem, I am not old, no matter what all this mail from AARP is trying to tell me!). I like it. She does not, apparently. I think she feels like I'm horning in on her green/blue-eyed genetics?! 😏

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💔😭💔

On Sunday, December 9th, we observed the annual Compassionate Friends' Worldwide Candle Lighting for all the angel babies. At 7 PM, in every time zone, candles were lit to keep the wave of light going around the world. We were supposed to go to one of the downtown parks to join in communion with other bereaved families, but I was not well enough to make it that night. So Sophia, Rob and I lit candles for Robby, our little boy lost, and all the other babies in the world who are dearly missed. (Chloë and Jack were at the church youth group.)

♥ I miss my son. ♥

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Right now Rob and I are sporting these beautiful enamel Breast Cancer Awareness pink ribbon pins I bought from Jos. A. Banks, in recognition of a close family member going through this particular trial right now. We are praying and hopeful, but it's been a rough go for her. Additionally, since my grandmother had breast cancer twice, in her 30s and 50s, and my BRCA gene-testing proved to be "indeterminate" thus far, we are forever vigilant. With this and Rob's prostate cancer (with a very strong family history) along with, well, pretty much every other health problem in the books between us, the kids really have NOT won the genetic jackpot! Sorry, kiddos.

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🎄

Now that it's December, of course Christmas is on my mind. Here's a little blast from the past, part of our Christmas 2013 photo shoot. Hard to believe it's been five years - but these kids have changed so incredibly much since then, I guess I have to believe!

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Presents are now present! (We used to do a present here and there along the month of December, as part of our Advent calendar activities and stuff, but we didn't plan on doing that this year. We failed.):

🚲

Jack's been wanting to buy himself a mountain bike so he could get himself back and forth to work when Rob and I aren't able. Sometimes, he works, Chloë works, and Sophia needs to be in Eagle (a 40+ minute drive) for horse lessons. With one car and, currently, one driver much of the time while I'm down and out, the kids find themselves waiting and waiting. Jack HATES that, and I get it. So since he's on the autism spectrum, one characteristic of note is that he obsesses. He gets an idea, and he obsesses and dwells and talks and talks about it. (It's kind of annoying, but I'm used to it.) 

Anyway, he talked up his desire to buy a good mountain bike at church, too, so imagine my surprise when his church youth group leader, S, called me up to say they'd just bought him one and wanted to bring it by the house! He was so extremely delighted, it was fabulous. Yay, Jack! And thank you, Vineyard Boise! ♥

Robert, so far, has gotten a new Farberware Stockpot. I had to give it to him early, so he could cook me some shizz. And the rest of the family, but whatever. He loves it! (I think; he's not the most emotive sonofagun.)

As for me, if Rob doesn't get me this artified Emirates diamond-encrusted private jet, I'm frankly not interested. Wait... Lindt chocolate truffles, you say? All right, let's talk.

This year, we decided to put up a white Christmas tree. Chloë and I both agreed that we wanted a white tree, and I couldn't decide whether to do pink lights or teal lights. In the end, we decided on teal, but the fates did not allow. So we have... this. But I love it! I think it's so pretty. ♥ The kids decorated the entire thing themselves.

This year, I've partnered with BSM Media to promote their Original #PillowPets campaign, and in exchange for this adorable Eeyore Pillow Pet (which I pretty much wanted for myself, but that would be super selfish, and I'm trying to avoid that ugly trait), I am sharing him with y'all and my other social media channels. [I received no other compensation. All opinions are, as always, honest and my own.] Because Jack is our resident grump (hehe), I decided to gift Eeyore to him. I wouldn't call Jack depressed nor friendless, but you get the point. Ho-hum, y'know? I think he liked it. He seems to have gotten the joke. I just hope his two bunnies don't decide to snack on it! (P.S. It now belongs to Muffin, his cat, who quickly adopted it for its softness.)

Chloë's grandmother (Rob's mom) was always interested in making sure my kids were reading. She always wanted to know what their annual book lists were for school (we homeschool: Sweet Pea Academy is our domain). In 2014, Grandma gave Chloë, knowing I'd given the kids Kindles for school, all seven of the Harry Potter e-books for her Kindle. Oh, mah gaw! This kid devoured book after book after book, and then we bought her all the movies, and she is now berserkezoid crazy about all things Potter. So finally, after years of yearning, we've given her the book set so she can hold them, turn the pages, and feel the stories. She was ecstatic! (I had Sophia wrap them, taking each book individually out of the case and wrapping it. Hee!)

Sophia got a new pastel oils set that night, for her masters art class that she's doing this year. She's doing beautiful work, y'all!

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Okay, that's it for this post. I'm going maybe chop Christmas 2018 up some, for brevity's sake. Yeah, 'cause I'm brief. I've never been succinct a day in my life.

Happy Chrismakkwanzah, y'all! ;)

Fin.

Not A Creature Was Stirring...

Well. Except the chickens. The chickens want to be fed. The sun was up, after all, and roosters and hennies do not keep quiet.

Foraging while impatiently waiting for their Christmas breakfast

Ahh, Chloë to the rescue with Fine Dining First Course: Leftover noodles

Look at them. She's got it, they want it. She's like the damned Pied Piper of Hungry Chickens.

Also, which of you kids left the %^&* hose out?!!

Fine Dining Main Course is out: cooked beans, good for a little protein and fat for cold, hungry birdies.

{And don't judge; we just ran out of our usual 'spensive oranic [chicken] layer feed. Nobody told me we were getting low. It's Christmas and our feed stores are closed. And it's not bad for them. So :P}

Twenty feathered dinosaurs, all in a row...

A few chickees started foraging again, and Chloë still had beans for them, so she pulled out her trump card: She started singing the "Happy Birthday" song, which is our associative cue to the chickens to come to us. We sing it when we feed them and they're coming running, so even when we're not feeding them, if we sing it, they come running. #BecausePsychology

Watch how it works.

And here they come! PFM: Pure F*****g Magic!

{Tin Type is my favourite editing effect of the moment.}

Oh, what'd you say? You want a little more? I got you.

Hard to believe how quickly our chicks, hatched September 4th, have grown into big, beautiful chickens! sniff

Well, Merry Christmas, y'all! Now I gotta get back to editing my hyoomin photos! ;)

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: It's The End Of 2018 As We Know It

Welcome back, homeslices! 🤣 I woke up sick as a DAWG today 😞😭🤧😷, so I'm not feeling the (self) love. I know just being "here" with all of y'all will cheer me up, though, so let's bring it! 😍🤩💗💖 Link up here if you'd like to play along with us this weekend, or want to check out all the other amazing thieves among us!

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What did you do last year that you had not done before?

Well, since two of my kiddos came out late last year as gay or bisexual, the three of us attended the Boise Pride Festival this past summer. It was SO fun, so loving, so joyous, and so inclusive. I loved every moment of it, and I am so proud of my girls for having the strength and courage to embrace their true selves. ♥

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Did you keep your New Year's Resolutions/goals for the year and will you make/set more for next year?  What are they? What are your new ones?

I'm sure I set some, but I don't remember what they were! I'll probably set more for next year, but I haven't done so yet. I'll keep ya posted! 🙃

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Did anyone you know give birth? Or become pregnant?  Or adopt?

My good friend Stephanie, who first was my kids' babysitter in Virginia Beach, when they were itty bitty, is pregnant with her fourth son!

And my high school pal, Lora, gave birth to her second son this year. Her kiddos are so cute! It's the year of boys! ♥ (I'm sure there are plenty more, but I'm forgetful.)

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Did anyone you know die? Or have a serious illness/injury?

Gosh, I can't think of anyone who died - I hope I'm not forgetting! Aside from myself, Hubs was diagnosed with prostate cancer earlier this year and had surgery to remove the prostate. The recovery was heinous for him, and he had another surgery after that to repair the perforated bladder and fix the internal bleeding happening after the first surgery and on and on... it was just terrible for him. 😢

Also, someone on his side of the family is in a serious breast cancer battle right now, and we are thinking of her all the time, wishing her well.

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What places have you visited?

Well, the hospital for one - a LOT! heh heh

We visited the Boise Ronald McDonald House on multiple occasions to make donations and take tours. This is a cause that's near and dear to our hearts (Dammit, Gal, I left it off your annual charity round-up post! DUHHHHHHHH!!) because we stayed in one while Chloë was in the NICU in Pensacola for 10 days. It's an amazing place. Visit one and I guarantee your heart will melt.

We drove out to Wasatch Sport Horses in Eagle, Idaho, many, many times for Sophia's riding lessons. Our new second home!

We went to many lessons at Chloë's fencing club, until she decided not to continue at the end of the season.

Listen, y'all, I could go on and on. And on!

Any new pets? Lost a pet?

Yes; critters we've lost this year:

We lost Rob's gentle giant, Henry, to a suspected sudden asthma attack. It was very sad.

We lost both of Chloë's beloved guinea pigs, Alexander Sirius and James Theodore, on the same day to unknown causes. She feels devastated and blames herself. 😢

Jack's old gerbil, Lucy, who lived a good, long, loved life with him, passed away peacefully. She is missed.

And finally, we lost all but one of our 2017 chickens, our White Silkie Athena, to a predator massacre. I was so crushed!

Critters we've gained this year:

We got 21 new rare-breed chicks in September. There's Athena keeping watch over the new babies. Two of them have since died, so we're at a 2018 flock of 20 chickens, currently.

Jack adopted this bunny-buns, Fudge, for his 4-H project this year. He's ridiculously soft!

And very shortly after that, Jack - an extremely conscientious pet owner - adopted Rocky so that Fudge could have a playmate. The two are still in separate cages, though, awaiting their neutering so they don't fight. Rocky's such a love! ♥

*

What would you like to have next year that you lacked this year (doesn't have to be a physical thing i.e. love, job security, peace of mind...)? 

Well, aside from improved health, obviously, I would love to buy and move into a house of our own once again - like this one!. I yearn for it!

*

What date from last year will remain etched in your memory and why?

April 16^th, 2018 - that's the date of Hubs' prostatectomy that sucked big ass. He's still recovering.

*

What was your biggest achievement last year?

I try to keep it lighter in my SS posts, but that's not always possible for me. So to answer this question: I realized and acknowledged that I was raised in a cult. I was an unwilling member for almost 21 years. And I went back to therapy, where I am finally in "intensive care" to undo the effects of the trauma, abuse, and brainwashing I've endured.

*

Did you get sick or injured?

Well, yeah! I have a lot of new diagnoses from this year. Mast Cell Activation Disorder, ME/CFS, and (possible, waiting to be genetically tested) Ehlers Danlos Syndrome among them... and since I'm now stumbly-bumbly all the time, lots of injuries from falling. I rely on my walker or wheelchair most of the time when I'm out of the house now.

What was the best thing you bought?

Well, I don't know! Lots of things, I guess, and I'm sure I'll get this wrong. I won, this week, a photography contest, wherein I was stacked up against several professional photogs, and for the prize I could get a $50 gift card to anywhere. I opted for P.F. Chang's, which we never get. I don't know why. But I snuck a slice of cheesecake in there, and WOW! That shizz was the bomb! And this is coming from a New Yawka who knows her cheesecake. Two thumbs up!

Oh! And I signed up for Grove Collaborative to get all kinds of good-for-us and good-for-the-earth stuff, and I'm really happy with our membership thus far. Their customer service is outstanding, and the products and prices are great! I'm a huge fan. If you want to sign up here, you'll even get a free 5-piece gift set. I loved mine!

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Where did most of your disposable income go (money leftover after you pay for food, medical care, basic clothing, transportation and shelter)?

You say that as though there is any disposable income! 😂😂😂 Have you never tried to raise three hungry teenagers, 20 chickens, two dogs, three cats, and two bunny rabbits - not to mention the four score and seven prescription medications I take daily - on an enlisted veteran sailor's pension? BWAHAHAHA! But if so, we tend to spoil the pets. Especially the doggos. I mean, I love to get the chickens toys and chubby mealworms and stuff, watch the cats go insane on new catnip toys, etc., but the dogs! Nothing makes me happier than watching two butt-wiggling pooches get their BarkBoxes in the mail!! And oh, they know that that box is theirs, long before it gets opened. They just know. (I highly recommend it!)

*

What song will always remind you of last year?

"Girls Like You" by Maroon 5, featuring Cardi B (Gal, can we please, please, pleeeeeaaase do this song on Sat9 sometime?) is a song my 13yo daughter Sophia and I have played on the radio, YouTube, or whatever umpteen million times over and over. We sing along to every word and then, when Cardi B's part comes on, we blast it even louder and rap along to every word. I don't care how white we are, we rock that $h!t!

*

What do you wish you would have done more of?

My husband! 🤪😂😈

What do you wish you would have done less of?

Crying in pain (this photo is from Friday night, just hours ago, but represents many nights)

*

What was your favorite new TV program? Movie? Album/Songs? Or if you didn't pick up any new ones, what are you still watching/listening to? Any recommendations?

Well, I've finally really gotten into Bob's Burgers this year, and it's a good thing I did, because that $h!t is fookin' hilarious! I like to pretend I'm just like Linda, which I am, and I do both Linda's and Bob's and sometimes Tina's voices. If you're not watching it yet, why not?! You oughtta be. I DVR every episode. We all love it. Yeah. So.

Also, I recommend Ellen De Generes' new stand-up special, Relatable, on Netflix. I love her talk show, so I finally queued it up and am watching it right now. She swears, y'all! That's relatable!

What was the best book you read this year?  How many did you read?

I'm reading Recipes for Repair right now, which I just started but bought about two years ago, to see if it will help any of my autoimmune disorders. It's hard. I'm having allergic reactions - sometimes anaphylaxis - to every single thing I eat lately, so I've just gotta do something! Plus, my therapist recommended I read something along these lines. I don't think I've read any other books this year! Shocking!

What did you do on your birthday and how old were you? Did you feel differently? 

Well, first of all, I turned 42, and Chloë made me these birthday cupcakes. She baked Hubs' chocolate bundt cake - his favorite - too, and was really excited about doing both. Only, I was looking at these photos recently, and I just don't remember these cupcakes. I mean, I know I was there and must have taken the pictures and blown them out, but I cannot recollect them for the life of me. This is very distressing. My short-term memory has been stolen from me since I became ill in 2015, and I hate it!

Also, Hubs gave me a pedicure, which he often did during my pregnancies when I couldn't reach and now often does again since my joints are so stiff and painful. Yeah, he's a keeper. (Also, pssst! Robert! I'm due for another one!)

Chloë's birthday (9/7) is the day before mine (9/8), so we usually celebrate together by running around collecting all the billions of birthday freebies out there. Here are some from this year:

[click to embiggerate]

I'd list them out for you, but as you can see, um, it's kind of a lot.

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What political or social issue stirred you the most?

I will always, first and foremost, be an environmental activist. Now, more than ever, it is crucial for denizens of Planet Earth to become acutely aware of what we as people are doing to harm the planet and what we as humans can do to remedy that.

Additionally, I am a Global Citizen, and I am dedicated to working for the causes of education for all; those that promote equality for women and girls; ending world hunger; and, bettering the health and sanitation practices around the world. I even get points for sharing the information I learn, and I've used those points to enter contests. This year alone, I've won two concerts: Amy Lee (of Evanescence) and Lindsey Sterling, which I'd entered for Chloë's sake - but I ended up winning the one in Phoenix, Arizona, and we could of course not make it there. The other concert was just recently, here in Boise: Metallica, which I sent Rob and our 15yo son Jack to. They had a blast!

*

Who was the most interesting new person you met?

Hmm. I don't know; I've met a lot of interesting folks. I'll say my new orthopedist, Dr. Alex Homaecheverria. Not only is this doctor smoking hot (I'm married, but I mean, c'mon! I'm not dead!), but he's relatable. Great bedside manner. And he genuinely seems interested in truly helping me improve.

*

What changed at your job?

Well. For one, Chloë, Sophie, and I started a specialty candle company called Every Wick Way on November 1^st! I'm so excited about this! Most of our items are listed in our Etsy shop, but I'm still working on the website for Every Wick Way. Check it out! ;)

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What changed in your home?

Well, we got those 21 baby chickies from the hatchery, so they would need a place to live, right? After forever and a day (seriously; we're talking over a year), Hubs and another military vet friend got together and built it basically in a day. It's not perfect, but it's pretty great, and so far we've avoided another slaughter. Whew!

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Describe how a relationship changed.

Well, I'm like this ^^^ so it's completely surreal for me to read things like this. Anyway, I've been distancing myself emotionally from my father more than I ever have in my life. It's been hard. He's noticed, too, and wrote a note to me about it in our Christmas card. Such tomfuckery. I'll not have it!

*

Do you think you are still the same person that you were at the beginning of the year?  How so?

No. Of course not. At the end of every year I hope I have grown and learned so much during that year that I am a completely new and more enlightened person by the end.

*

Summarize the year in three words or less. Bonus points for doing it in one word. Explain.

*

How have people around you changed?

Well, I don't know about everyone's internal dialogue or whatnot, but I feel like this year, as I've become even more self-aware and adulty than ever, I feel that people are changing the way they respond to and interact with me. I feel it every day. It seems like some people actually like me, which I never really thought could be true. It's delightful.

*

What have you learned throughout the year?

Well, I've definitely learned that I do, in fact, have limitations. And also that getting older sucks, and I do not care for being forty-freakin'-two!

*

What was your favorite outfit for warm weather? Cooler weather?

Warm weather:

Something cool, comfortable, and hopefully, cute!

Cool Weather:

Anything remotely warm, comfortable, and hopefully cute! ;)

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Did you learn any new crafts or techniques? What was your favorite thing you made?

Oh yes, of course! For Every Wick Way, the girls and I jointly learned how to make soy and beeswax candles and melts, and we're taking very explicit notes so that we can duplicate everything that turns out great. And most things do, because we're just amazing like that. ;) I'm always learning something new in the craft world. Every year, I've got a new thing going. I embrace change. Love it. Adore it!

*

What changed about your physical appearance? (Hair? Wrinkles? New makeup style? Etc)

Well... Before:

And now:

So let's see... Since the top picture was taken a couple of years ago, I've gained a little (read: not a little) weight, my eyes are getting greener as I get older, I've at least temporarily stopped coloring my hair auburn (which I've been doing since my freshman year of college!), I started growing out my bangs for the first time ever in my live (but just got sick of it and trimmed them back to 'normal' this week, heh), pierced my septum, and pierced my tragus. Dang, when I read it back, it sounds like kind of a lot, no?

*

What are your hopes and dreams for the new year?

Well, I'd love to say I wanna buy a house (but I said that already) and that I want to lose weight (but when don't I?); however, instead, I hope to bring awareness about and then somewhat defeat the health struggles constantly plaguing me:

I have multiple Autoimmune Diseases, including: Raynaud's Syndrome, Mast Cell Activation Disorder, Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria, and Anticardiolipin/Antiphospolipid-Antibody Syndrome, for starters - but now I'm blessed with a medical expert in Asthma, Allergies, and Immunology who is doing the right tests and looking at the right things.

I struggle with Fibromyalgia, but now I'm blessed with a medical expert who brings me in and gives me Trigger Point Injections whenever I call up and say I need them.

I have Bipolar I with Psychosis, but now I am blessed with an expert psychiatrist who listens to me and knows what to tweak when I tell her what I am experiencing, as well as an incredible therapist who is helping me navigate the intense, childhood-long traumas that (I believe) led to the bipolar, along with severe PTSD, OCPD, and Generalized Anxiety Disorder.

I have Chronic Lyme Disease and am daily trying to manage the extreme pain in my bones and joints from that, while trying to explain to every medical professional under that sun that just because I was treated with antibiotics for two weeks after I tested CDC-positive for Lyme, that I am not "cured." Some listen. Much, much more education is needed on this subject, and it is intentionally being squelched. Very frustrating!

I probably have Ehlers Danlos Syndrome, but I'm waiting for genetic testing to rule it in or out, which takes up to a year for the appointment in these parts. I have hypermobility and am constantly having dislocations and subluxations, along with just about every other symptom up there - but fortunately, I am now blessed with a knowledgeable physical therapist and a stellar (and hot - see above) orthopedist who have many tricks up their respective sleeves to try and help a girl out.

And now, I also have Myalgic Encephalomyelitis, but I'm now blessed with an ME/CFS specialist in Salt Lake City, whom I now see every other month or so, who has made it her life's work to care about those of us with this devastating illness. 

And that's not even my whole list. So when someone (I believe from here, but I'm certainly not going to name names) tells me to "snap out of it," or when I get letters from my fng father telling me not to be a drain on society and make something of myself... well, it kinda breaks me. That is so soul-crushing. So, you guys, just don't do that to chronically ill people, okay? That is just not cool!

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Whew! That took me hours upon hours to do! Well, okay, I watched the Ellen DeGeneres Netflix special Relatable. And then the whole family sat down with me to watch the Netflix documentary What The Health? which everyone should totally watch, and they all - even JACK!!! - decided pretty much on the spot that we're all gonna be vegans now. I'm so excited about that. Okay, and then Chloë and I stayed up all night watching Titanic, and finally the girls and I just wrapped up Crazy Rich Asians, both on Amazon Prime Video. So I was a little distracted... Hee.

See y'all after the happy merry!

Fin.

Saturday 9: Dudes, I'm Walkin' In A Winter Wonderland

What's up, guys?! Didja miss me? Nah, of course not. I hope y'all have had a great week. Link up here if you wanna join us in this Happy Holidays post, 'cause we'd love to have you. Jumping right in:

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Saturday 9: Happy Holidays! (from the archives) 

1. As you can see, Sam loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. Yet some children are reluctant to climb into Jolly Old St. Nick's lap. Did you enjoy the tradition or were you shy? Or did you bypass it altogether -- either because you wrote him a letter or because your family didn't celebrate Christmas?

Hmm. I can't remember sitting in Santa's lap ever, so I don't know if I did or not. NONE of my kids liked it their first and maybe their second Christmases - we have pictures of all three sitting there crying in his arms 😂😂 as babies. I probably hated it too, if I did it, because I've always been desperately shy. I don't think I ever wrote him letters, either; after my mom died, my stepmother just asked us to write lists for her.

2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? How did you get there?

Oh, I remember this question. I think for once, this year, I'm on the Nice List! This is quite a shocker, as I generally try to keep pretty naughty. Hubs and I are coming up on our 18th anniversary, and we had a couple of grumpy months over the summer and early autumn. So I came up with this idea to stick sweet things I love about my husband on his bathroom mirror every day. Then he started doing it back, and by the end of November, we had two mirrors full of  Post-It notes! I took them all off and we started over again in December. I love it! It's a real pick-me-up. ♥ 

3. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? If so, which one traveled the farthest?

I sent a gift to my niece, Karen Joyce (who is named exactly after my mother), now a freshman in college. I'm kind of a slacker in the gifts department, especially this year, and Karen has a younger sister, Hanna! I haven't sent anything technically for Christmas for them yet, though. Karen's got a December birthday, so that was that gift. I'll make it up to them. I swear. 😉

4. Did you buy yourself a gift this year?

Well, I'm in this rose gold season of my life - did I mention this last week already? If so, forgive me for the redundancy but it's 0604, I'm watching Titanic with Chloë (her first time), and I haven't slept a wink! 😉 So I treated myself to a few things; my husband spoils me entirely too much. I bought this rose gold septum ring on Etsy, and I have a love/hate relationship with it because it isn't properly balanced. I have to keep adjusting it.

I also bought this hibiscus tragus ring from the same Etsy shop, but the post isn't long enough to meet the back of my tragus hole, so I'm wearing as an earring at the mo' and have a hoop in the tragus. I'm annoyed about that, too.

I got these rose gold stackable rings from a different Etsy shop, and I am very happy with these. I would love more! And I got the ColorStreet nail appliqués for free for me, when I bought three more sets for the girls' stockings. I thought they were beautiful, but because of the glitter I think, they did not last anywhere near as long as promised. Boo. 😞

For Chloë, Sophia (whose birthstone it is), myself, and Chloë's boss it turns out, I was able to score nine pairs of diamond earrings for less than $4.00 on eBay! So when they came, I was happy to share with the boss-friend. Why not?

And finally, so that Rob could have something to give me for Christmas - because I rarely let him buy me anything - I got these Dearfoams slippers for an absolute steal on Shoes.com. I wanted them early to keep my feet warm, though, so here they are. haha!

5. What's your favorite holiday-themed movie? Have you seen it yet this year?

Miracle on 34th Street. No, not yet. I think I recorded it on the DVR, though. The kids have never seen it.

6. Thinking of movies, Christmas is lucrative for Hollywood. Have you ever gone to a movie theater on Christmas Day?

I know we saw Home Alone - maybe more than one of them in subsequent years? - on Christmas Day. Maybe others, but that's the main one I remember.

7. Have you ever suffered an embarrassing moment at the company Christmas party?

No, but I have had an embarrassing moment at a different company party. Not exactly PG-rated, though! I'm too embarrassed to tell it on this post! 😜

8. What's your favorite beverage in cold weather?

Hmm. I don't know, maybe egg nog spiked with Bailey's Irish Cream? We had that for my first and only time in Miami one Christmas. Didn't take us long to finish that bottle! 😂

9. Share a memory from last Christmas.

I spent last Christmas and New Year's - a total of about two weeks - in the hospital with a life-threatening case of double MRSA pneumonia. I was fighting for my life, locked up in a tiny leaded room, crying thinking I was going to die and leave my kids motherless just like I had been, and thinking maybe I wouldn't even get to see them that day. But for 90 minutes, they were allowed to come in! I truly felt like it gave me a much needed boost of immunity that day, and I pulled through. ♥

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Thanks so much for joining us again at Saturday: 9. As always, feel free to come back, see who has participated and comment on their posts. In fact sometimes, if you want to read & comment on everyone's responses, you might want to check back again tomorrow. But it is not a rule. We haven’t any rules here. Join us next week for another version of Saturday: 9, "Just A Silly Meme on a Saturday!" Enjoy your holidays!

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Fashionable

Welcome back, kids! My sleep schedule is all upside-down and I've been sleeping in the afternoons and up all night. So here it is, almost 2 AM, and that means it's time for Sunday Stealing! Link up here if you'd like to play along today!

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This is from "Fashion Asks"

What season has your favorite looks?

 

 

Definitely Summer. I hate being confined by sleeves and pant legs and - gasp! - turtlenecks, much preferring exposed arms and maxi skirts.

Formal or casual?

 

 

Maybe a little something that walks that fine line? Although I would always opt for something more casual, given the chance.

Thrift store, boutique, or online?

 

 

I love the thrift store!! Since we moved to Boise, I've been buying almost all of our clothes there. I discovered a really great shop just down the road from us, and the prices are bomb! Love it.

What’s your favorite decade for fashion?

 

 

I'd love to have been alive in the 60s. I'd have been a flower child in a second!

Do you like to accessorize?

 

 

Often, yeah. The other day, with all my facial piercings, I had on diamonds and sapphires in/on my ears, tragus, nostril, septum, fingers, neck, wrists... Hehe. I didn't think I was going anywhere and was just doing it for fun, but then I realized I had an appointment at the TMJ Clinic and had to run out like that. Ha!

What does your basic outfit look like?

 

   

 

These days, there's a lot of VS flared leggings, comfy sweaters, and now that they've just arrived in the mail (because the weather here lately is an 80% chance of Sloppy), my Crocs boots. I live in Crocs, y'all. Not (much) afraid to admit it, either.

What piece of clothing do you spend your money on the most?

 

 

My husband's clothes. Anything of my husband's. He has the most (cough ridiculous cough) expectations for what shit should cost in comparison with what we can pay for it. For instance, he has this $75 (I kid you not) sweatshirt on his Wishlist on Amazon right now. It's been there for months. It's not budging. ;)

Do you wear hats?

 

 

Generally, no; I don't think I look good in them.

What is your opinion on wearing socks and sandals together?

 

 

It's not my favorite thing in the world, but there are worse things for me to get up in arms about.

What colors do you like to wear?

 

 

I'm all about basic black with a pop of color, but I'm also all about a pop of color with another pop of color. As I've long been saying, I'm living my life out loud, in living color!

What are some of the strangest outfits you have seen?

 

 

Anything at any given fashion show. I just don't understand that. Why?!!!

What fashions do you hate?

 

 

Skinny jeans on men, especially on men who are not... super skinny.

What are your favorite styles?

 

 

The Boho style is my faaaaavorite, hands down.

What do you think of body piercing?

 

Well, so far, all of my piercings are above the neck. So far. Can't promise the same will be true five years from now. But I can promise I'll never pierce my belly button. Way too trendy for me.

Do you like dyed hair?

 

 

Sure, why not? I would definitely do my hair like this if I had the dough, too! ;)

 

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Thanks for the fun, Bev! And now I have this weird feeling I'd like to go dress shopping!

 

Fin.

Saturday 9: We Need A Little Christmas

What's up, bunny rabbits? (Don't ask, I won't know either.) I've been a little manic this week, which is great. Also, it's not so great. I ate some things last night, knowing I'm highly allergic to them already, but I was f-ing HANGRY. So I wolfed it down quickly and had an immediate anaphylaxis. Rob got me in the car, shot me with the Epi-pen® while en route to the hospital, and stuck me in the ER for meds and observation. Two and a half hour later, we were discharged, but... on the way out I had a second phase of anaphylaxis. I wanted to go HOME, though, so I did not, uh... mention this to any medical professionals. Also, later on that evening, I ate even more of the offending food.

Listen, I may be brilliant AF, but I am also stupidly stubborn!

So that happened.

Let's go, y'all! Link up here if you'd like to play along with us this weekend; we don't bite! (Well, that's a complete lie. I totally bite someone daily. Not even exaggerating.)

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Saturday 9: We Need a Little Christmas (2006)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) At the beginning of this recording, Daffy says he hopes all his friends remember his size, style and favorite color. What piece of clothing would you like to add to your wardrobe?

I've always wanted a Burberry trench coat. I'm kind of digging this long black, cashmere one. It's only $3,790. Totally in the budget!

2) His friends are late for Daffy's holiday soirée. Think about the last get-together you attended. Were you early, late or right on time?

I was fashionably late to Sophia's most recent Pony Club meeting at a local pizza joint. I despise being late, so by that I mean fewer than five minutes.

3) It hasn't a snowed a single flurry where Daffy is. Have you had to shovel yet?

I did plenty of snow shoveling growing up in Syracuse, New York! Snow capitol of the world, I swear. I am now physically unable to snow, though I bet I could do it in an emergency, with the right amount of adrenaline. That being said, Boise is actually a desert, so we don't get too much snow.

4) Daffy sings that he's looking forward to fruitcake. How about you? Are you a fruitcake fan?

I could take it or leave it. I think it gets a bad rap. I don't really care for the red and green candied bits, but the rest isn't awful IMO.

5) Daffy is an American Black Duck. Their usual diet doesn't generally include fruitcake (he he he!!!). These ducks more commonly dine on seeds, foliage and bugs. What was your most recent meal?

 

My most recent meal consisted of Ahi Tartare from The Cheesecake Factory, and then I snacked on three Lindt Lindor Milk Chocolate Truffles for dessert. I'm kind of addicted to those little balls. (Heh.)

6) The only Christmas card Sam has received so far this year is from her insurance agent. She never sees her agent socially. In fact, she doesn't think she's seen him at all in 2018. Have you received many cards this year? If so, were they from people you feel close to?

So far, I've sent out about 95 Christmas/Holiday (because a number of our family & friends & associates are Jewish or Atheist) cards. It's my favourite Christmas tradition, and I don't care who responds in kind! I've gotten exactly one back from a neighbor, today, along with a plate of homemade cookies. (Yay!) We've also gotten three or four from business, and another from former President Jimmy Carter. That one may be my favourite? I still have plenty more; would you like one? If so, drop me your address info: smellyann at gmail dot com ☺

7) When do you start holiday shopping: Christmas Eve (haha!), Thanksgiving/Black Friday, Halloween?

I've never, ever done the crazy Black Friday gift grab thing, and believe you me, it is definitely not on my Bucket List. I usually shop starting in September or October and put things away here and there. I follow Hip2Save closely, especially during this season, and snag what I can when there's a stellar deal.

8) Sam was recently driven crazy by kids running through store aisles wearing elf hats with bells. Do you have any apparel that makes noise? 

Only dangly earrings. I have three (well, technically four, but I rarely use the fourth) piercings in each ear, plus my right tragus, along with my right nostril and septum. When I wear multiple earrings in each ear and swish my head, it can be a bit noisy. But clothing? I don't think so. [Photo is a selfie from 08 December 2018.]

9) This time of year is big for charitable fundraising. Here's your chance to plug a cause or organization that's near and dear to you.

Well, am I making a huge faux pas if I name more than one? Right now I have several that are critically important to me:

I've mentioned Heifer International in multiple years past. You can read about it here. It's a fantastic organization, and I've fully vetted it; it's legit. This year, we gave a flock of chicks, though I was torn among that, a flock of ducks, or a flock of geese. BTW, when we buy a house, if there's sufficient acreage, I want to add ducklings to our menagerie. ;) (I have not informed Rob of this plan. Heh.)

*

Secondly, there are obviously a number of environmentally-conscious projects dedicated to, well, "saving the earth." That may sound like crazy hippie tree-hugger talk, but I absolutely do not care. This should be important to all of us. Those running our country (USA, for those of you who are not American) are hell-bent on destroying this gd planet, and where will that leave future generations?! I have three living kids. Some of them do want to have kids of their own. I aim to make this possible for them, so I support projects like the Environmental Defense Fund, and others.

*

The third charity I'd like to mention is The Blue Ribbon Foundation. Because I have been diagnosed with ME/CFS by Dr. Lucinda Bateman of The Bateman Horne Center in Salt Lake City, which I visit monthly or so, a horribly misunderstood (especially my the medical community) and under-funded disease, I would love for more awareness to be brought to this cause. I mean, I'm 42 years old and take about 90 medications daily just to function, and I rely heavily on the use of my walker and my wheelchair. I sleep far more hours per day than I care to admit, and I'm still exhausted. My ability to drive is now severely limited, and I'm usually in bed each night, crying out in pain and begging my husband and kids to amputate my arms and legs. In short, it's no picnic!

*

And finally, I'd like to call attention to the Diabetes Research Institute. Diabetes research has long been an important cause of mine, ever since my mama died very suddenly and unexpectedly at the age of 33 from untreated diabetes. (In my opinion, she was murdered by my father and the Christian Science Church, but that's a story for another day.) I was seven years old and suddenly motherless, and I've been a bereft daughter ever since. During all my pregnancies (and, of course, when not pregnant as well), I've been extremely vigilant about that particular aspect of my health. I am adamantly not going to leave my children motherless, the way I was! No way in hell. So far so good, but my doctor did put me on Metformin just to be on the safe side. I'm fine with that.

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Well, I enjoyed that! Thanks, Crazy Sam for another excellent meme and for the chance to dedicate our posts to those things that are important to each of us. I really appreciate that!

Have a great Saturday, y'all.

Fin.

Saturday 9: We're Gluing The Christmas Tree!

Hey, y'all. Pretty interesting week here for me.

Long ago, after we first moved to Idaho in March 2017, I read that a lot of people with Lyme disease and autoimmune diseases - as I have both - find that their pain is the worst when there is a full moon. I have since found this to be true for me. But I have not kept track of the moon cycles or the rising tides since then... ;) I do keep track of my Good vs. Bad (and everywhere in between, including extremes) on Patients Like Me, and for the first time in eons, I've had three "good" days!! So I was thinking about that in the shower tonight, when I had a thought. "JACK!" I yelled to my son, the only other person home. I asked him to ask his phone ("Okay, Google...") what phase the moon is in right now. He told me it was the new moon. "I KNEW IT!" I shouted. So, there's that.

Link up here if you want to play along today.

Let's begin:

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Saturday 9: I'm Gonna Put Some Glue 'Round the Christmas Tree (So Santa Will Stick Around All Year) (1954)
Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

1) This week's featured songstress, Peggy King, sings that she'd like to extend the Christmas season all year. How about you? Do you wish the season was longer? Shorter? Or do you think things are fine as they are?

I think things are definitely fine right now. Our tree is up, but it's a new artificial one, and the branches haven't been completely "floofed" yet, as I say. The girls have tried lighting it, but it's all a big fail. For Team Odette, Christmas decorations can't go up until Thanksgiving is OVER, and I like them down by New Year's Day.

2) She specifically mentions toys. Have you purchased/will you purchase any toys as holiday gifts this year?

Well, since my kids are all teenagers, I thought we were kinda past the toy phase. But 13yo Sophia, who sold and/or gave away here entire (huge) Littlest Pet Shop collection in Miami, came to me recently and said she wanted to start collecting them again. Sheesh!! Kids! (She'll get a few.)

3) Search for "glue" on The Home Depot's website and you'll get more than 3,000 results. There's heavy-duty adhesives, all-purpose glue, clear epoxy, wood glue, and more. Do you currently have glue in your home? If yes, how many kinds?

We have about 50 Elmer's glue sticks, probably some Office Depot glue sticks, a couple bottles of regular Elmer's white glue, maybe some purple Elmer's glitter glue (crafty house, lol), some glue sticks (both big and small and for both warm and super-hot use), and several cans of spray adhesive. No "man glue," according to Rob.

4) What's the last thing you used glue for?

Personally, I used the spray adhesive in Miami for some art projects the girls and I did for our homeschool, Sweet Pea Academy. But the girls use it all the time. I could've sworn we had Gorilla Glue, but Rob still says no. lol

5) This week's featured artist, Peggy King, was a TV staple in the 1950s. With her perpetually upbeat persona, she was known as "Pretty, Perky Peggy King." Do you consider yourself upbeat, aka "perky?"

I mean... I have diagnoses including rapid-cycling Bipolar I with Psychosis, PTSD, OCPD, and severe Anxiety Disorder. So, I'm nothing and everything all at once?

 6) Ms. King got her start singing radio jingles for Hunt's tomato sauce. Prepared tomato sauce, properly stored, can safely be kept in the refrigerator for days. Do you have any leftovers in your refrigerator right now?

Oh, gosh, yes. There are always leftovers in there. Speaking of which, I have to yell at Rob for not repackaging the two family-size things of chicken legs and several other packages of meat and freezing them. It's happened before that he's left them in the fridge too long, and they went bad. Gah!

7) Her biggest movie role was in Abbott and Costello Meet the Mummy (1955). Do you watch scary movies and shows all year around? Only at Halloween? Or not at all?

Not at all! I hate scary movies. My kids love them. They have to wait until I'm not home or sleeping to watch, though. ha!

8) In 1954, the year this record was released, President Eisenhower dedicated the Marine Corps. Iwo Jima Memorial at Arlington National Cemetery, just outside of Washington DC. If you were to play tourist in our nation's capital, what site would you be certain to visit?

When we lived in Virginia Beach, we visited Washington, D.C. multiple times. The first time I went, I was extremely pregnant with Sophia, and we did all kinds of touristy things. Chloë was 3½ years old, and Jack was 2, so they don't remember all that. My favorite thing was visiting Arlington National Cemetery, and the most meaningful moments there for me were when we sat for a while and watched the changing of the guard at the Tomb of the Unknowns. Such incredible meaning goes into that whole monument.

9) Random question: Which of these common household items would you miss most if it suddenly went on the fritz -- your bedside lamp or your hair dryer?

I don't even know the last time I've used the hair dryer. It's probably in the girls' bathroom right now. Of course, I don't have a bedside lamp right now, either. The above lamp, from Target, is in the living room currently. I have no night table, either. Hate it!

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So that's it for tonight. I'm watching Bob from Bob's Burgers fight with Jimmy Pesto right now, so forgive my crappy answers. I'm distracted! Blame the kids again. ;)

Fin.

Sunday Stealing: Art Historic

Hey, guys! It's been a hectic couple of weeks since I (think I) last posted, so I've missed y'all. I'm just going to jump into it today, before the busyness picks up again, lest I miss out. Link up here if you'd like to join us today!

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This [meme is] from Art Historic

Classical: If you were an Olympian god, what would you be known for?

 

 

I would be the goddess of the sea, love, and peace.

Byzantine: Do you prefer gold or silver accessories?

I'm particular.

 

In order of preference, I like copper, then silver, then gold jewelry. Which means it makes no sense that I'm currently awaiting the arrival of a new septum ring and tragus ring, as well as two actual finger rings, in rose gold from Etsy.

Medieval: Are you religious?

 

 

I would say more "spiritual."

Gothic: What is your favourite historic building?

 

 

I've always been obsessed with the leaning tower of Pisa, so I guess it's that. I'm still surprised by how big it was when we were actually there in 2008, compared with how it had always looked to me in pictures. Super short!

Renaissance: Have you ever had a time in your life when you felt enlightened or changed?

 

I've had moments when I've felt that way, yes, which is why it's truly odd to me right now that I can't think of what, exactly, they were and what happened. But of course, I think, there is always a higher plane one can reach.

 

Baroque: Do you enjoy the finer things in life?

 

 

Oh, you know, champagne taste and caviar dreams... beer budget... that whole thing.

Rococo: Is your bedroom full or trinkets and pictures? If so, which pictures adorn your walls?

 

 

This is not it, but I have some koi art that my sister-in-law gave me years ago. I love it. It is not actually on our walls at the moment. No pictures and trinkets, either. Our room has our bed, a little bit of other furniture - very little - and a shit ton of boxes. Still. Ugh. We haven't decided whether we're buying a house yet or staying put for the time being.

Neoclassicism: If something came back into fashion, what do you hope it would be?

 

 

Kindness

Romanticism: Do you often see things in a positive light?

 

 

I really try. And when I can't, I get there with the help of my therapist and EMDR. ;)

Pre-Raphaelite: Which book would you like to see turned into a film?

 

 

I know they've already done My Sister's Keeper, but I'm still annoyed by their treatment of it... and now I've gotten Chloë (my 17yo) to join me in that annoyedness! I'd love for them to redo it and do it right.

Impressionism: Do you look for details or take everything in at once?

 

 

I'm trained to take in all the details, but I prefer to be a "bigger picture" kind of person, so... both.

Art Nouveau: When were you last at the theatre?

 

 

I don't know. It's been a while. This probably wasn't even meant as the movie theater, but that was definitely the last type of theater in which I was. I've been trying to get out on a date with the hubs for weeks - months, maybe - to see Crazy Rich Asians, but even now that it's been at the dollar theater for a month, I haven't felt well enough to go. Maybe this week...

Surrealism: Why does the porcupine think it's a duck?

 

 

I dunno, who are we to judge?

Pop Art: Do you enjoy pop culture?

 

 

I'm not embarrassed to say I do. Okay, maybe a little sometimes...

Contemporary: What did you do today?

 

 

Well, I did a lot on Friday, came home and went out and did a lot more on Friday night, then stayed up all night and did a lot more on Saturday... so I'm not afraid to say I went to bed early (by force, people) last night and slept in past noon today with my doggos. I've been catching up on email, business-y stuff, doing this, and watching The Big Bang Theory, Bob's Burgers, and Young Sheldon ever since. I really should buy some groceries, though...

 

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So about those groceries...!

 

Fin.