Merry Christmas to all

The Christmas tree looks great. Mike and I are having a relaxing Christmas day at home. Just us … and the cats. It’s almost lunchtime and we are still in our PJs.

For breakfast I made caramel-pecan monkey bread. Big YUM! We each grabbed hunks and enjoyed it with a glass of eggnog. A perfect Christmas morning.

Tigger enjoyed the wrapping paper. Punk (the other cat) is nowhere to be seen. He doesn’t like any noises or activities out of the norm so unwrapping presents was scary for him.

I cooked a feast for Thanksgiving so Mike is cooking our Christmas dinner feast. I’ll be sitting in front of the fire watching out the window for the snow we are supposed to get later today/tonight.

Hope you are enjoying your Christmas – wherever you are. You could come and visit us – but please call first so we have time to change out of our jammies into something more appropriate for company.

Are Homemade Gifts Acceptable?

I am unable to work which means I don’t add to our bank account. My husband is wonderfully understanding, but I still don’t like to spend much money. So, this year, outside the immediate family, I decided to make gifts. Pretty much the whole year I spent whatever time my back allowed knitting and crocheting. I also made some homemade edible treats – like buckeyes (chocolate covered peanut butter balls), candied rats’ brains (sugared pecans) and cookies.

Do others enjoy homemade gifts? I don’t truly know. I hope so. I enjoy putting thought into what I make and give. Here’s some of this year’s gifts.

I made several people (including my daughter Katie and my counselor Rebecca) fingerless gloves and scarves (I already got a request to make another set for Katie’s friend Marlo – they are on the needles now).

I made a several bags (I think homemade bags are so much better to carry groceries in than the plastic store bags).I saw a pattern for a table cover and immediately thought of a special friend so I worked my butt off and that one for months. I like the end result (and based on her reply, I think she did too).

I even made some Christmas decorations including placemats and hanging Santas.

All in all, I think I did good. Maybe it would be fun to go to the mall and spend hundreds of dollars on gifts, but this is what I can afford and I really put my heart, my sole, and my back into each and every gift. In addition to being gifts, making these things was a gift to myself. My counselor and I recently talked about my need for projects and a greater purpose in life. Work used to be my project. But now, my main project is learning to live with pain – and that’s not a project I enjoy. Making things – mostly small items because that’s all my back and shoulder can tolerate (even with extra pain medicine) is good for me. I do hope the special people who received something homemade from me like it as much I as liked making it for them.

And now it’s time to rest …

No Birthday Cake for Brady

Last weekend, Mike and I traveled to Nashville, Tennessee for Brady’s first birthday. It was the best weekend in a long time. What made it so fun? Daughter Katie is a tremendous and organized party planner … Katie and Jason’s friends are super sweet … Mike and I always have fun together … opening Christmas presents … beer, wine, tacos, pizza and other good food … and of course, the awesome one-year-old Brady.

Mike had the best line of the weekend. He said, “Brady is about as perfect as a baby can be. I blame Katie for that.” Ahhhhh, very sweet … and I agree.

Since it was Brady’s first birthday, everyone (except Katie) thought he should love the birthday cake and wear it all over his face. Brady wasn't having any of that. Brady has never had sweets (no juice, no cookies, no cake, no candy, etc). He prefers blueberries, avocado, tomatoes, bananas and anything else. We tried shoving cake and frosting into his mouth (at least to get the one picture), but he just spit it out. A kid who doesn't crave sugar … very cool!

I like sugar though and I’m presently making Christmas goodies (one batch per day). I want the rewards without too much pain.

Happy birthday Brady!

The 3 Minute Doctor Appointment

I went to my monthly appointment at the pain clinic on Friday. Statistics show that doctors typically listen for 18 seconds before making a diagnosis, but I have never had a three minute doctor appointment before … and it’s not with a doctor, but a PA.

I’ve been going to this pain clinic for six months now and almost every month I see a different PA. I’m a person who likes to build relationships and have continuity and consistency. I want my doctor to understand me. Not here. The PA started out by asking how I was doing. I said fine. In the past, that would elicit a follow-up set of questions regarding my activity level, what is causing pain and talking about how I was feeling. Not here. The PA said, “Good, so which prescriptions do you need refilled?” Since she didn’t seem interested I didn’t tell her about the new anti-depressant or the weather/pain changes. And, at last month’s appointment, that PA wanted me to try a TENS unit and supposedly ordered one for me. This PA didn’t even mention it. Shouldn’t it be in their notes?

So, in less than three minutes I took my one prescription and left. I just don’t think health care should be like this, but if all the practices are overcrowded and overworked and just trying to meet their quotas, I guess it is the way the game is played nowadays.

I left and met Mike for lunch. He likes me … and that makes life in NC bearable.