Category Archives: Fibromyalgia

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: April 29, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY April 29, 2014

Outside my window… dark. It’s 4 a.m. and I’m having fibro pain in my legs as well as insomnia.

I am thinking… about what I’m going to be facing in a matter of hours in terms of my day.

I am thankful… for those who have donated to my participant page for the Promise Walk.

In the kitchen… need to cook the last of the quinoa.

I am wearing… green t-shirt and black capri sweats.

I am praying for… sleep (failing there), various people, the ability to forgive, and a couple special intentions.

I am going… to hope that they can fix our bathroom fan tomorrow.

I am wondering… why I’m getting hit with insomnia and fibro pain tonight/today.

I am reading… Jesus: A Pilgrimage by James Martin, S.J. — I’m reading it one chapter at a time so that I’m not having to remember too many details when I have to put the book down.

I am hoping… I can get my fabric trimmed tomorrow and primed to cut the strips for tying.

I am looking forward to… the Promise Walk on Saturday.

I am hearing Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me on iTunes.

Around the house… lots of cleaning to do in the dining area part of the kitchen.

A favorite quote for today… “There are no ordinary people. You have never talked to a mere mortal. Nations, cultures, arts, civilisations—these are mortal, and their life is to ours as the life of a gnat. But it is immortals whom we joke with, work with, marry, snub, and exploit—immortal horrors or everlasting splendours. This does not mean that we are to be perpetually solemn: We must play. But our merriment must be of that kind (and it is, in fact, the merriest kind) which exists between people who have, from the outset, taken each other seriously—no flippancy, no superiority, no presumption. And our charity must be a real and costly love, with deep feeling for the sins in spite of which we love the sinner—no mere tolerance, or indulgence which parodies love as flippancy parodies merriment. Next to the Blessed Sacrament itself, your neighbour is the holiest object presented to your senses. If he is your Christian neighbour, he is holy in almost the same way, for in him also Christ vere latitat—the glorifier and the glorified, Glory Himself, is truly hidden.” — C.S. Lewis, The Weight of Glory

One of my favorite things… Trader Joe’s Organic Tea – Lemonade.

A few plans for the rest of the week: ABA therapy for Daniel on weekday afternoons, mani-pedi on Friday, counseling appointment on Friday, and the Promise Walk on Saturday.

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The Simple Woman’s Daybook: March 9, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY March 9, 2014

Outside my window… dark. It was a mix of sun and clouds today. We’re supposed to be getting rain tonight which will be good for our drought in California.

I am thinking… that I shouldn’t have allowed Daniel to take that nap today even if it meant that I got to take it with him. I have a feeling that getting him to sleep tonight will be interesting.

I am thankful… for a peaceful afternoon with Daniel.

In the kitchen… dishes to do tomorrow. Wheeeeeeeeeeee!!!

I am wearing… charcoal v-neck shirt from Old Navy and black capri sweats from Lands’ End.

I am praying for… discernment, the ability to forgive, sleep tonight, everything going on this week, and for my toes to heal.

I am going… to try and get a bunch of errands done tomorrow.

I am wondering… what the exact purpose of Daylight Savings Time is other than to torment me.

I am reading… Between Heaven and Mirth by James Martin, S.J. — it’s a re-read before I tackle his book on Jesus that comes out this week.

I am hoping… to get to sleep before 3 a.m. tonight. Stupid fibro flare-up!

I am looking forward to… my massage on Friday.

I am hearing the 10:00 news.

Around the house… lots to clean tomorrow.

I am pondering… various things related to the special intention for which I have been asking prayer.

A favorite quote for today… “Those who reject Christianity will not be moved by Christ’s statement that poverty is blessed. But here a rather remarkable fact comes to my aid. Those who would most scornfully repudiate Christianity as a mere ‘opiate of the people’ have a contempt for the rich, that is, for all mankind except the poor. They regard the poor as the only people worth preserving from ‘liquidation’, and place in them the only hope for the human race. But this is not compatible with a belief that the effects of poverty on those who suffer it are wholly evil; it even implies that they are good. The Marxist thus finds himself in real agreement with the Christian in those two beliefs which Christianity paradoxically demands – that poverty is blessed and yet ought to be removed.” — C.S. Lewis, The Problem of Pain

One of my favorite things… big orange scaredy cats.

A few plans for the rest of the week: errands tomorrow, meeting on Tuesday morning, haircut on Thursday, massage and rheumy appointment on Friday. Also ABA therapy for Daniel every afternoon from Monday to Friday as usual.

A peek into my day… Pharrell’s song “Happy” done at Boston College.

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The Simple Woman’s Daybook: February 23, 2014

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY February 23, 2014

Outside my window… dark. As usual, I’m blogging after everyone has gone to bed.

I am thinking… about the wife and kids of a family member who passed away this weekend.

I am thankful… for a good weekend with my parents.

In the kitchen… lots of dishes.

I am wearing… Online Debate Team shirt and black capri sweats.

I am praying for… family members, the ability to forgive.

I am going… to start campaigning for the Promise Walk this week.

I am wondering… what is possessing me to do the 7 posts in 7 days challenge from Jen @ Conversion Diary.

I am reading… The Sinner’s Guide to Natural Family Planning by Simcha Fisher. It’s pretty good.

I am hoping… my counseling appointment goes well tomorrow.

I am looking forward to… my massage on Friday.

I am hearing the space heater in the bedroom.

Around the house… lots to pick up.

A favorite quote for today… “Reality, in fact, is always something you couldn’t have guessed. That’s one of the reasons I believe Christianity. It’s a religion you couldn’t have guessed.” — C.S. Lewis

One of my favorite things… purry black cats, even when they are sitting in front of the keyboard being a pest. (Can you tell that Edda is helping me write?)

A few plans for the rest of the week: counseling appointment tomorrow, ABA for Daniel in the afternoons, Morning Prayer on Tuesday, trying to get devotions compiled, and I have a massage appointment scheduled for Friday. (Lest it sound like I live a spa life, the massage is to help treat my fibromyalgia.)

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7 Quick Takes: Secret $tarbux Menu, Health Grumping, and the Olympics.

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Secret menu at $tarbux. This is probably not as cool as the secret menu at In-n-Out but it’s cool to know that $tarbux has a secret menu of drinks that baristas can make.

— 2 —

Tom Brokaw. Tom Brokaw is battling multiple myeloma which is the same cancer that my father-in-law has been fighting for 4 years. I’ll be interested to hear the various ways he will treat it, having been privy to what is going on in research on this cancer in the last few years.

— 3 —

Olympics. The Opening Ceremony was interesting and I’ve had fun watching the snowboarding and slopestyle-skiing. I’m kind of meh about the figure-skating in all honesty though I’m kind of amused that Yevegny Plushenko had to drop out, especially because there was a controversy with him being given too generous scores in the team competition. I’m kind of rooting for the Filipino male skater who qualified for the medals round because it would be cool if he made the podium.

— 4 —

Grumping. The mutant death cold that took my voice away last week evolved into a respiratory infection so I was put on Augmentin. Well, Augmentin caused ummm… a secondary problem so I had to have two doses of Diflucan called in. Have I mentioned that taking Augmentin and Diflucan together does not do good things to my stomach? I’m hoping that all of this eventually gets cleared up — I’m not getting much done on errands because I’m so tired and needing to sleep. Let’s not even go into why my fibro started flaring at this point…

— 5 —

Special intention. For those praying for my special intention, we’re still needing prayers for discernment. Please and thank-you. 🙂

— 6 —

The Jen Lancaster book. I’m having to put The Tao of Martha aside because it’s just really not holding my attention. I mean, it’s funny in its own way but it’s not really piquing my interest because I hate domestic things and Martha Stewart falls into that category. I’ll be sending it back to my mother-in-law who is a Martha Stewart groupie and will get a whole lot more out of it.

— 7 —

Orphans. Do you see these beautiful children?

L-R: Brett and Iris
BrettIris

Brett still needs a mama. Iris finally has a family committed to her and they were supposed to have met her on the 29th.

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

7 Quick Takes: My Week, Requests for Help, and World Series Musings

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7 Quick Takes

— 1 —

Relief. Jon is home after being gone since Monday to our denomination’s pastor’s conference. It’s good to have him home and I’m not just saying that because I now have someone to do the laundry/dishes/cat care. I’ve had a sick kid since Tuesday night and had to haul butt to UCD Pediatrics Urgent Care yesterday — it’s good to not be handling this alone.

— 2 —

The sick kid. Daniel refused to go to sleep on time on Sunday and Monday nights. I thought that it was probably due to Jon being gone on Monday night but he went down super early on Tuesday night which would have been great had I not been hit with restless leg syndrome. (Fibromyalgia, you suck!) Wednesday, he got sent home from school with a fever of 100F and I got the call right as I was putting my feet in the warm water for my pedicure. (I know… #firstworldproblems) His temperature started spiking so that it was 102F by mid-afternoon and I called the advice nurse at UCD Pediatrics Urgent Care to ask what they wanted me to do. The answer: “GET. UP. HERE. NOW!!!!” Diagnosis: a bad ear infection in his left ear and an upper respiratory infection which was setting off his asthma. He’s on antibiotics and I was alternating Motrin and Tylenol to lower his fever. I’m hoping he’ll be back to school tomorrow.

— 3 —

Forty to Forever. From my Facebook wall:

OK… I’m the social media person for the Forty to Forever fundraiser and we’re trying to raise money for families adopting kids internationally who have special needs. We need two things:

1.) We desperately need churches who are willing to sponsor families with prayer and also with funding to a degree. This doesn’t have to be costly and there is information on the website about what to do. If you ladies could talk to you church councils/pro-life groups/ missions people/women’s ministries/whoever, I’d greatly appreciate it. If you can’t find the answer to one of your questions, let me know and I’ll get the information for you. You can find most of what you need here.

2.) We need people who can commit to being prayer warriors and praying for us/the families/the kids one day a week during Lent. (We could also really use it right now.) It’s a fifteen minutes per week commitment and if it would help, I can send you prayers, a litany, or whatever you need in terms of help in how to pray. The page for sign-ups is here.

The website is http://www.fortytoforever.com/ and we’re also present on Facebook and Twitter.

Thanks!

— 4 —

NaNoWriMo fundraiser. I’m taking part in NaNoWriMo this year and I’m pondering the idea of making it into a fundraiser for Brett. I’m thinking of offering to let people read my manuscript for a $10 donation. What say you, readers?

— 5 —

World Series. The Cards just took Game 2 and I was happy that they showed up to play tonight instead of sending their middle school doppelgangers. (Obviously, I’m rooting for them and not Boston.) The series goes to St. Louis next and I’m hoping the Cards do better on their home field.

— 6 —

Orphans. Do you see these two cute children?

L-R: Brett and Iris
BrettIris

Brett still needs a mama. Iris finally has a family committed to her and their dossier is on its way to Iris’ country.

— 7 —

World Series fun. You have to love it when the *ORCHESTRAS* from the cities of the World Series teams start trash-talking. 🙂

For more Quick Takes, visit Jen at ConversionDiary.Com.

{Virtual} Coffee Date (vol. 6)

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{Virtual Coffee Date}

Once you’re done here, go visit Karianna and the other coffee drinkers.

If we were having coffee, I’d introduce you to Miss Isabella Heaton… formerly known as my Reece’s Rainbow Guardian Angel child, Kaia.

Miss Isabella Heaton

Isn’t she adorable?

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you about torquing a muscle in my neck while holding Daniel’s head still so his audiologist could take molds for hearing aids. I’ve been getting intimate with some Flexeril and Aleve (which I’m not supposed to have) ever since. It was for a good cause though — the bear child will have hearing aids in 3 weeks. God willing, it will help with him developing speech.

If we were having coffee, I would tell you about breaking my keyboard. My H key was sticking so I pried it up to see what was wrong… and broke part of it off. I need to go track my new one and see when it should be arriving…

If we were having coffee, I would tell you about the amazing visit I had with my family this weekend. Mom and I went to Whole Foods with Daniel, took him to the local nursery where I had him find me flowers and things that were certain colors, got lots of coffee at Peet’s, and had fun attempting to avoid the heat. My dad was also adorable with him. (He and Daniel just understand each other.)

Thanks for having coffee (or tea) with me. See you next week!

The Simple Woman’s Daybook: August 5, 2013

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Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY August 5, 2013

Outside my window… sunny and warm. It’s in the 80’s so we’ll probably go play outside during therapy today.

I am thinking… about the devotions I’m trying to get written.

I am thankful… for Daniel falling asleep in my lap while I sang to him.

In the kitchen… chicken marinating.

I am wearing… green “Online Debate Team” shirt, running shorts, and my Celtic cross.

I am creating… devotions for the book.

I am going… to be seeing a lot of the Glassrock Building at UCD Medical Center this week — Daniel has a peds check-up and an ENT appointment.

I am wondering… if penguins have knees. (It’s related to a Facebook picture.)

I am reading… Banished by Lauren Drain. I finished Going Going Ganache by Jenn McKinlay last week and Apologia pro vita sua is still on hold.

I am hoping… Daniel’s ENT goes well tomorrow and we’re not stuck waiting in the exam room for a long time.

I am looking forward to… saying Compline tonight. It’s actually gotten to be the highlight of my night.

Around the house… trying to channel my inner Flylady and get the clutter under control.

I am pondering… many things internally.

A favorite quote for today… “All the world is made of faith and trust, and pixie dust.” — J.M. Barrie, Peter Pan

One of my favorite things… quiet mornings which don’t exist in my house at the moment with Daniel on break from school.

A few plans for the rest of the week: ENT appointment for Daniel tomorrow, peds appointment and ABA therapy for Daniel on Wednesday as well as Ladies’ Night Out for me, a rheumatology appointment on Friday, and Date Night for Jon and I on Saturday night thanks to Respite Night at a church in Elk Grove..

A peek into my day… I’ll share the image involving penguin knees.

Do penguins have knees?????

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