Idea to Walk. A Wild Goose Chase?

Now my right arm is giving me grief. It started, oh, I lose track of time, maybe a year ago, as a pain straight across the inside of my elbow. I could touch it--no pain, certainly acted very MSish. Then, a few weeks ago it went away. Poof! Now my entire shoulder hurts and is so weak I can't hold a pencil...sometimes. My swinging arm exercises now are accompanied by the sound of grating crackling, yep, arthritis. Oh joy.

Aspirin helps, so it will be my new-old friend. I have a plan you see. I have a big plan. Mostly I feel like a kid deciding how to build a "no girls allowed" tree house. I want to walk again. DX MS 20 years ago, had enough of drugs, physical therapists, "devices." I put an ad on Craig's List and I am selecting my team. Found a device online that I'm going to steal some ideas from and have a man who once offered to, "...build me anything."

When I first packed my paper bag to visit my current partner of 30 years, a cousin commented, "Humpf. A wild goose chase." This may be just that, but I must try, then I can sleep knowing I tried my idea and move on to the next. People DO catch a goose once in awhile. Humpf.

Get Loud About Multiple Sclerosis

Click on the side bar to read about all the great ideas for MS awareness that the UK is doing.

Making a 102 Year Old Wait, Come On Doc!

My cousin in Indiana took our 102 year old Aunt Vi to the eye doctor yesterday....usual 6 month appointment to see that her glaucoma is under control. Anyway, they were extremely busy and running behind. They finally make it into the exam room, assistant does his thing and they wait some more. Finally doctor comes in and Aunt Vi says to him: " I'm 102 and my time is very valuable...I don't know how much longer I have left." He laughs and apologizes, mumbles something about several emergencies (which normally Aunt Vi couldn't hear but this day she does) so she says "I guess 102 is not an emergency." What a hoot! Never underestimate Aunt Vi.

Once again proving that stubbornness and a sense of humor can improve your life expectancy.

***Thanks to my cousins for sharing this story***

Inspirational Bloggers

I just received this award from Herrad. Thank you very much. I find the following blogs very inspirational and I hope you will too. I share my award with them and please pass it on to other bloggers that inspire you. (Asking for 5, but I leave it up to you.)

Life of John http://johnrsf.blogspot.com/

SCREW BRONZE http://elizabethmcclung.blogspot.com/

MS Strength http://www.msstrength.com/

Mima's Doings http://mimad.blogspot.com/

Carole's MS Blog http://carolemsblog.blogspot.com/

So MANY blogs inspire me, these are but a few.

Too Many Murders; What is Happening to Us?

Do churchs have fuller pews now? Seems like every time you open a paper (if your city/town still offers one) or turn on the TV there is a local and/or national story about some horrific murder. Sunday school teachers raping little girls (FEMALE teachers) (SUNDAY SCHOOL), a well-off medical student about to be married killing women from Craig’s List (Yes, I JUST used craigslist for the first time) then calmly walking down the sidewalk, men killing their children because their wives are threatening to leave, on and on---Ann Rule must be busy as a beaver. (That is so insulting to other animals.) What is all this “bad choices” (??!!) doing to our societal psyche?

Just watched the movie “Doubt,” (Man, I love Netflix.) and aren’t we all doubting others just a little bit more than we used to? Is this a new thang or just more media coverage of what used to be too gruesome for us? Will we become numb to it? “Oh look, another pastor raped a nun and fed her head to their pit bull. Tomatoes are half off at grocery.”

I never used to watch cop shows, CSI, Law and Order, Cold Case, Nancy Grace, but now I find myself checking them out. Bones---yuck! Disgusting. Kids are playing “kill em” video games, and adults are watching “kill em” TV shows. Ok, yes, my family watched the FBI and Gunsmoke during my childhood, but nothing as graphic as one can see now at dinner time.

Seriously, I have never personally known a murderer, anyone shot at, any drug dealers; never even knew anyone who was raped or beaten or kidnapped. The good people far outweigh the bad. The crazies are in the minority. If we are fascinated by the insanity it is because we can’t understand how or why. How do good babies grow into sinister monsters? Do people really “snap?” And can anyone snap?

Since 9-11, I wonder how busier psychologists are.Wait…I did have a twin relative who killed his twin, but that was 100 years ago. Where was I? Oh, yeah, society. How are YOU reacting to all the daily news that reads like a fantasy? Do you flip the page/channel or do you want to know more?

Does your minister or rabbi discuss it? Your co-workers or friends? As a society, how should we deal with all this? Don’t tell me it doesn’t affect you; you lock your doors when it was not so long ago that we didn’t have to. You lock your car doors. We can’t lock all the bad out. I guess we must work harder every day to fill our world with good.

Bea Arthur Golden Actress Dead

Bea Arthur, a true superstar, has died at age 86. She was a gifted Broadway, movie, and TV actress and most of us will remember her performances with regard to our own age. One look from Bea on Golden Girls and I can't stop laughing.

"Bea was such an important part of a very happy time in my life and I have dearly loved her for a very long time. I'm grateful that she received her much deserved 'Lifetime Achievement Award' when she did, so she could enjoy it. How lucky I was to know her." said Betty White.

Crossroads with M C Escher Alone and Trapped

I really feel I'm at a crossroad. Not happy with my blog writing lately. This year has been so bizarre and a seesaw ride every month. Things look darker than dark then light as the twinkle in your lover's eye, all in a day. I began Twitter, FaceBook, so many people, so many thoughts---yet I have never felt more alone. Yes, I even went on Craigslist, one day before the "Craig's List Killer" hit the news. (Not that I'm worried, just another bizarre thing among so many.) I must focus again on my writing and to do that I must read more. So much to do, life was easier when I worked 40+ hrs a week; I hate roller coasters. I am a rock that just can't stop rolling. That is not me.

Picked up "The Kite Runner" from my assisted living facility's library. I had seen the movie, but a writer needs to read. So many MS projects I'm working on---new exercises, planning a new walking program, trying new aides, many things. All the while dealing with my beloveds physical trauma and ongoing illness. (Now we must both find health insurance.)

Somehow I must brush myself off, start all over again---before the ICU before her "root canal" before our move before her retirement before our lives began spinning out of control.

"Two roads..." but I see millions of roads...millions, millions, millions

Ellen and Lindsay Lohan Affairs of the Heart

Lindsay Lohan was on the Ellen TV show today. Here is what I heard( not necessarily what they SAID, but I heard between the pauses): Sam the DJ just wasn't that into LL and Sam split without saying, "It's over, baby." Or she DID say that and LL denies hearing it, anyway LL followed Sam's gigs until she caught her at a big hotel where LL rented the suite above Sam, so Sam got a restraining order. LL went into twenty-something (which is teen-something with these kid actors who get famous and rich and have messed up parents) lovesick-melt down heartbreak mode. After media got whiff of events, producers started again to shut out LL, even putting the brakes on a project with big name star. So, now LL has decided to focus on her career (didn't she say that before?). Ellen then tells her to stop going to clubs and LL says, Hey, I'm young and why shouldn't I go? I will go and live life. I can do both, have career and dance at night with friends. And yes, she thinks she and Sam still may get together...RED FLAG.

If you don't follow celebrity goings-on, then you probably dropped off reading this post by now, no biggie, but I love Ellen and LL. I have feelings about LL talent as an actress and the thought of all the trash that she has had to deal with (her dad in prison et al) bothers me. I hated it when people dumped Ellen after she came out; hated it when Heche dumped her and I have suffered a broken heart so I just wish I could tell the brokenhearted that it will pass. Ellen knows this now. LL doesn't.

Freddie Mac Death by Guilty Conscience

David Kellerman, the CFO of one of our financial disasters has killed himself this morning. My feelings about this were mixed. I thought of his family, spouse and kids if he had any and all the stress he was under. Were the bad deeds his? Were they actions he KNEW would harm the lives of others or just stupid management? Either way, he is one of many---a club from 2009 with members that must live with their deeds in their expensive homes for the rest of their lives...Kellerman chose not to renew his membership.

Borders book store is supposedly closing. I have wonderful memories of sitting with coffe and books at Borders in Ann Arbor; my partner---memories of Borders in NYC; I don't recall such memories from looking at books online.

McDonald's is going to try a new, more "high-end" burger. Seriously?? Am I the only one who remembers 15 CENTS McDonald's burgers? Just like Starbucks, now they try more expensive products? Lessons not learned.

Why Brown Fat Matters to People with Multiple Sclerosis and Fibromyalgia

A new word has entered my vocabulary: mitochondrial. If you follow multiple sclerosis and/or fibromyalgia, then I predict that one day a medical professional will say this word to you.

The View TV show had a segment about "brown fat," Monday. Apparently it was thought that only infants had this type of fat, used to keep them warm. New technologies have discovered brown fat in adults. As I watched the areas where the brown fat resides it struck me that these are the trigger points used to diagnose fibromyalgia.

Quoting the always perfect (not) Wikipedia: "Brown adipose tissue (BAT) or brown fat is one of the two types of adipose tissue (the other being white adipose tissue) that is present in many newborn or hibernating mammals.[1] Its primary function is to generate body heat. In contrast to white adipocytes (fat cells), which contain a single lipid droplet, brown adipocytes contain numerous smaller droplets and a much higher number of mitochondria. Brown fat also contains more capillaries than white fat, since it has a greater need for oxygen than most tissues."

I knew I had seen that word, mitochondria, during my MS research. It seems that an energy deficient state has been implicated in the degeneration of axons, the pathological correlate of disease progression as in multiple sclerosis. Mitochondria extremely efficient producers of energy and have a crucial role in calcium homeostasis. Scientists from Oxford University have analysed the density and function of mitochondria using immunohistochemistry and histochemistry, respectively, in chronic active and inactive lesions in progressive multiple sclerosis and they found a decrease in the proper functioning of these cells.

Many people with MS also have fibromyalgia (FMS)---stay tuned for new research into brown fat (looking for ways to lose weight) and the extension into IMPORTANT and serious, disabling conditions.

Sharp at 100 Turin-born Levi Montalcini

AP ROME – “Rita Levi Montalcini, a Nobel Prize-winning scientist, said Saturday that even though she is about to turn 100, her mind is sharper than it was she when she was 20.Levi Montalcini, who also serves as a senator for life in Italy, celebrates her 100th birthday on Wednesday, and she spoke at a ceremony held in her honor by the European Brain Research Institute.She shared the 1986 Nobel Prize for Medicine with American Stanley Cohen for discovering mechanisms that regulate the growth of cells and organs."At 100, I have a mind that is superior — thanks to experience — than when I was 20," she told the party, complete with a large cake for her.The Turin-born Levi Montalcini recounted how the anti-Jewish laws of the 1930s under Benito Mussolini's Fascist regime forced her to quit university and do research in an improvised laboratory in her bedroom at home."Above all, don't fear difficult moments," she said. "The best comes from them.""I should thank Mussolini for having declared me to be of an inferior race. This led me to the joy of working, not any more unfortunately, in university institutes but in a bedroom," the scientist said.Her white hair elegantly coifed and wearing a smart navy blue suit, she raised a glass of sparkling wine in a toast to her long life.”

Healthy people of all ages are good at adapting, making new pathways in their brain, figuring how to find joy in life even during the darkest times. It is not easy, but the smallest spark can start a large flame.

Mel Gibson's Church for Adultry

Another homophobic, anti-semitic, Holier-than-THOU, ba ba ba billionaire lifts his kilts to show how small he really is. He built his OWN church! He is an ACTOR. Now, a true court jester.

Chronic Illness Comics

I just LOVE this blog. You have GOT to check it out. So wonderful to find someone who can make a comic life out of the comical insanity of doctors/drugs/illnesses.

A Comic Life, Indeed. http://acomiclifeindeed.wordpress.com/

Please accept your Blog Award! Clap Clap

Medicare Card Too Big, Just Soap on a Rope.

Why did they make Medicare cards so dang big that they don't fit in your wallet/billfold??

Why did they make soap on a rope?

Life is full of mysteries.

A Good Power Chair or Scooter Store//My Story

There is a monopoly in my city of mobility device sellers. I have argued with them in person and on the phone for years. Physical therapists from the large hospitals have a contract with them and all referral roads lead back to the crooks, er, sellers who I once spoke to the Atty. Gen.’s office about. They have over-billed me, held onto my refunds, passed me from person to person to get rid of me, sold me products not suited for me and insisted on money from me before my insurance finished their benefits decisions. I could go on, but I am happy to report that they can shove it.

There is a new kid in town: The ScooterStore.18003917237 http://www.thescooterstore.com/

On Weds. I started calling every power chair store I could find, and there are many. Late night TV often run ads. “We don’t have that model.” “Coming from our warehouse in Vegas might take 3 weeks.” “That is no longer available.” “We no longer sell chairs, just vans, no money to be made in chairs.” “Oh no, we don’t do repairs.” “Batteries are extra.” On and on and on until I called The Scooter Store.

Not only did they have the Pride Jazzy model that I wanted, bit they also SERVICE power chairs! And would I be interested in a used one? And the cost is $(I can’t remember but it was 5 or 6 thou)---NOW, NOBODY wants to tell you the cost of their scooters or power chairs. FIRST they must know your insurance, then they figure what price makes them the most money. I almost lost my dentures!!! (And I don’t even have dentures!!)
Thurs. a rep called me to set a window for deliver in FRIDAY, and, get this: A TWO HOUR WINDOW.
Fri. my chair was delivered. Here is the clincher: I WAS MEASURED!! NOBODY ever measured me before. The rep., Cecil, adjusted the chair just to fit me. When I told him all the past hassles I had with trying to get batteries, or repairs, he almost lost his toupee! (And he wasn’t even wearing one!) All the evil doings what were done to me were true! (Indiana here I come.) I WAS overcharged and lied to.

My new (used, and “used” only after being returned within a day, Medicare rules---something the other store would NEVER mention) chair can be returned within 3 days if I don’t like it. The Scooter Store will fix anything that goes wrong with it, replace batteries, just a dream come true. That OTHER store argued EVERY time I needed batteries replaces that I HAD to bring the power chair TO them.

3 day done deal, nicest customer service rep. you could want, polite and knowledgeable delivery/service person, and the cost? A THIRD less than new model, plus 9 months payment plan NO INTEREST.

I asked Cecil is I could put his pic on my blog---of course, he agreed. After 12 years of crappy service, what a joy to find a decent company. 1-800-391-7237

SSDI Maze, Here Come the KKK, End of Dinosaurs

Reporters seem surprised that there is a resurgence of the KKK. Seriously, and you call yourself a reporter? Helps to know a little history. Oh well. Can Jane run? Run Jane run. See Jane run.
Excuse me I'm tripping on the joy of life again, starting to feel more in control of my surroundings and my partner was accepted on first try for Social Security Disability benefits. Once again, as they did with me, everyone told her to be prepared to be denied. I told her to follow my advice and all would be fine. I posted about how to handle the SSDI maze in one of my first posts. And I loved working and so did she. We hate being unable to support ourselves with jobs. This is America though and she and I worked and paid into Social Security for over 30 years, unfortunately we now need the insurance. It is not a "gimme;" it is a paid into insurance policy.

Back to the KKK---also religious fanatics will be on the rise, gay bashings too. But you pitiful people are too late and your reasoning is too rusty now. It is the beginning of a new era. We will come out of our economic woes with are heads held high and are backs stronger. Have faith and find something to feel good about every day. (Now if that asteroid would just miss us...)

American Idol on Fringe of Ultra Arrogance

OK, yeah yeah, American Idol is great, God is good, etc., but PLEEZZZ stop running over into a show the family (and by "family" I mean my partner and I) likes to watch---Fringe. We DVR shows, early to bed early to rise makes you neither healthy nor wealthy but wise to get 8 hours, I digress----Fringe is a sci fi mystery show so the last 5 minutes are crucial!

Why does Idol need FOUR judges anyway? The back stories of the singers are getting too long. The British version with that grungy-looking "old lady" (younger than me) who had never been kissed or plucked her eyebrows (which I know marks her as a loser to many) who sang like an angel and blew Simon's sax, er, socks, off, now THAT was entertainment!

Anyway, get over yourself Idol and stop cutting off other TV shows.

Exelon Seems Excellent. Alzheimer's and Parkinson Patch

Boy, it sure has been hard for me to dig up info on the new "Exelon Patch" that my mom seems to be on.
"Exelon belongs to a class of substances called cholinesterase inhibitors. It is used for the treatment of memory disorders in patients with Alzheimer’s disease or with Parkinson’s disease."

I am not recommending it because I still don't know enough about it, but I do know this: since being on her patch she is much better. She remembers more and is just sharper mentally, more in the moment when we speak. So many advertised drugs are sold and whether or not the suggested results happen are a mystery---this patch seemed to come out of nowhere!

Anyone else have experience with it? Any doctors recommending it?

Be a Millionaire, Give to MS

On the TV show, “Who Want’s To Be a Millionaire?” hosted by Meredith Vierra (whose husband has MS), a woman played for her birthday and for a donation to the MS Society. She won $50,000.00!!
Meredith mentioned that her husband has MS. Little moments on the big screen can often reach more people than an expensive “awareness campaign.”

Death Before Dance

Diane told a funny story yesterday. She was telling how her older brothers got to do more than her and at age 4 she complained about it. (They were 12 and 11) She said her mother told her, "Don't worry. They will die before you." Everyone laughed, then she hit me. I am upset about the way she has been treating me.

She routinely cusses at me and has abused me. She grabs me roughly, has stuck tiny pins in me, even electrodes. WHY ME? I am the same as I was in the beginning, am I not? And the others glare at me as if they are better than me. I get very sad sometimes.

Diane and I used to play basketball together. We used to take long walks all over Seattle. I miss that so much. Seattle has so much to see and do, now I stay inside most of the time. No more long drives or climbing the long stairs of the art museum. She promised we would go to Ireland one day and act on Broadway! I don't think we ever will. It just isn't fair.

Was it because I tripped her that day she fell? It was an accident. I, I, I couldn't move! Why me? Right leg is so uppity and arrogant about it, like "not MY fault." I try so hard to move, to be strong for her...why me? Why am I the one to stop the dancing?

Well, maybe the right leg will die before me.

Blog Against Disablism May 1

"Blogging Against Disablism day will be on Friday, 1st May. This is the day where all around the world, disabled and non-disabled people will blog about their experiences, observations and thoughts about disability discrimination. In this way, we hope to raise awareness of inequality, promote equality and celebrate the progress we've made."

Thanks to Diary of a Goldfish for including me. For info on how you can join---check out her blog at http://blobolobolob.blogspot.com/

Costochondritis and Salmon Quiche

The meals at my new home have been fantastic lately. That dumpling must have been a fluke. Tonight we had a salmon onion quiche with fresh melon bites. Brunch was ham, squash, scalloped potatoes and strawberries with whip cream. Salmon and cod weekly, fresh watermelon, seasonal squash, shrimp, chicken baked and BBQ, seriously good food.
Just took getting used to from meals that were sometimes just celery and peanut butter or Cheerios. Tofu won’t be on the menu, but I will survive.

The sandwiches are still too big, but I see that the natives just cut them into pieces. The chef is a big man, sooo…

Really there is more food than we can eat and my better half is still recovering from her last “event,” now DX of costochondritis---fun. (not)

She is eating a bit more each day, but I worry. We still are learning how to survive here and get out of the social security disability application maze that she is trapped in.

I got my power chair onto balcony for first time and drank the sun’s D. But, this being Seattle, we are back to rain and clouds. It was fun to watch the boats and seaplanes. If I were a millionaire I wouldn’t have a care! Hmmm, true for most of us, eh?

I grew up believing that America would take care of me if I worked hard…yeah, right. Feel pretty lonely now, over-whelmed by my MS and my partner’s poor health---it wasn’t supposed to be like this; I had a plan. I had a plan. Damn.

Delicious garlic bread with raisin-sugar topping on ham for dinner.

Easter Yesterday and Today

Easter memories…let’s see, okay, in the beginning there was Mom and the Methodist church. A (a=one) photo was taken of mom with the boys (my brothers 7 & 8 years older than I) and me, all dressed up for church. We all complained about the dressing up and I don’t recall any Easter church-going after that. My mom was a single parent in the 1950’s and a day off was a huge relief for her.

Aunt Vi and her longtime companion, Ivah, always colored eggs. Ivah and I did most of the coloring. They owned the house we lived in and rented the large downstairs apt. to us. This was the core of the village I was raised by.

The egg hunt was on; there was always a basket with a big chocolate bunny, and hidden gifts. I remember as if it were yesterday (Aunt Vi and I say this a lot) looking behind a chair and finding a kite! Ivah was a church going, Bible reading, Lutheran; as was her mother who also owned the house and lived there too. Her mom, Lane, was a pray-before-every-meal type and Aunt Vi hated that. Aunt Vi and I would open our eyes during the prayers and wink/smile at each other. “God is great. God is good. Let us thank him for our food. Amen.” Wow, came right back to me.

My point is simply that I did understand what Easter was meant to be. While I hated the twist into bunnies/eggs/gifts (LOVED the kite though---duh), I had seen so much hypocrisy from “good church people” that by the age of 5 I was already turned off of organized religion. (And yes, I had a rather large vocabulary by 5---thanks to Mom’s love of books/reading, TV, and hanging with so many adults. There were no kids my age in my “’hood.”

Now on Easter I watch the activities of humans. Interesting how they deal with the holiday. I like to watch the faces of the children.

People Kill with Guns

Seriously, why keep a gun? WHY??

Jesus Camp, Comedy or Horror Flick?

Well I finally got to see the indie film on DVD---”Jesus Camp.” Where to start?

Nothing much surprising, but it did answer a nagging question I had about the religious right talking about gay people “recruiting” children. What the heck were they talking about? Now I know.

This film is all about the Christian recruitment of children. At first I thought it was a comedy as the group leader (looked to be about 250lbs of middle aged woman with enough hairspray on her head to cause a sonic boom) spoke of not over-indulging. (Well, I’m sure she has a thyroid problem.)

Then she takes kids into a camp she started at Devil’s Lake, ND. and basically breaks them down military style, then convinces them that they will not go to hell if they follow her (her interpretation of the work of Jesus---son of God, not a man, Jesus.) instructions. The kids cry, speak in tongues, wiggle violently on the floor and dance dressed as warriors.

The woman, Becky Fischer (from a long line of Pentecostals), has since ended Jesus Camp and holds, “other events.”

Don’t all religious parents start teaching their kids early on about their preferred religion? That is only normal. But beyond that, when does recruiting begin? We all know most home schooling is done to make sure the correct morals are taught. Fear based, all of these parental actions are fear based. Oh, LOL, Ted Haggard makes an appearance talking to a young boy.

I have to ask: Didn’t God give free will for a reason?

Want to attend Jesus camp? Go lay under the stars or chase a rainbow. (No, the film didn’t mention the cost of the camp.) My favorite scene was of a little girl camper trying to hand out pamphlets (When is the last time you got a “Become Gay Now” booklet?) to three black men on a park bench. “Do you think you will go to heaven?” she asks them.
The men all say yes. “Are you sure?” she presses. Yes, they say. So, she crosses the street muttering, “I think they are Muslim.”

People Don't Die of "Old Age," Always a Reason.

When you get a call at 2AM and are told by a staff member of the nursing home your 102 year old aunt is residing at, then you prepare to hear the end has come. My cousin got that call and was told our aunt Vi had fainted and could not be revived. "What should we do?"

What should we do? Now, wait...you are a nursing facility---what do you THINK you should do? No DNR on file---call 9-1-1 HELLO?! Of course my family is thinking stroke or heart attack.

Anyway aunt Vi spent 4 hours in ER and had every test known to man (Hearing this from my cousin reminded me of my recent stay in ICU where the tests never ended until I said, "ENOUGH.") and the final verdict was a urinary tract infection. (Funny, that was one of the first tests they did on me in ER, must be common---who knew they could be so dangerous? I have only had one in my life! I can only guess that same is true for aunt Vi.)

Aunt Vi is back now in her care facility, but I keep wondering why they couldn't help someone who fainted? The more I get involved with hospitals, doctors, care facilities, the more I wonder how certain events are handled so strangely. And HOW did she get this infection at a skilled nursing facility? Hmmm

It is Easy to be a Hero

“A hero is no braver than an ordinary man, but he is braver five minutes longer.” R W Emerson

Throw a Fish and Save a Child in Seattle

All good tourists in Seattle must visit our Pike Place Market. You must enjoy the fresh foods, flowers, crafts and loads of delightful people. The fishmongers who throw their fish back and forth are a site to see. Today a fishmonger was also a super hero as he took notice of a man in the crowd who seemed to grab one of 3 small boys and pull him away from his family and into the hoards of people.

One of my apartments was just feet from the Pike Place Market and I loved going there early in the morning before the tourists arrived. Once people from across the country and around the world showed up, then it was difficult to find a place to stand! So, no one noticed when a large man grabbed the boy's hand and led him away. The fishmonger noticed and ran out, just as the boy's mother started screaming for her son.

Seattle police on bikes were nearby and after being alerted the fishmonger pointed out the kidnapper, who had shooed the boy away after the mother's cries were heard. The boy is safe. The mentally ill kidnapper is in jail. The fish are flying again, caught by a fishmonger who said, "I was just doing my job."

Yes, we all need to watch over children as if they were our own because by way of humanity---they are.

Devour Confidence Like Caviar

"Confidence is a great aphrodisiac: whether real or feigned, people devour it like caviar."~Jen

http://jen-at-home.blogspot.com/

AND

http://www.msstrength.com/

Wasteful Research is the Itch I Can't Stop

Lord help me, I don’t want to put down “scientists” and “researchers,” really---they are our greatest chance for cures and relief from many diseases. That said: This from the journal, Nature Neuroscience: Scratching dulls the nerve cells which transmit the irritation of an itch to the brain.

OK, let’s think about this. Baking soda works well to stop the itch from measles. Aunt Vi knew that. Yes, friends and enemies, itching has been around for thousands of years. No doubt the dinosaurs had an itch or two and Eve was itching for that apple.

Now, I don’t mean to make fun of itching which can accompany many horrible illnesses and become deadly if skin is broken and infection ensues, but, how much money and whose was it that went into this research?

Researcher Glenn Giesler, of the University of Minnesota, said: “It’s like there’s a little
brain in the spinal cord. We really want to understand that, because then we think we'll understand how to relieve itching.”

Sigh. Central Nervous System CNS, is by definition made up of the spinal cord and brain.

Now, let’s consider this incredible discovery: “Scratching dulls the nerve cells which transmit the irritation of an itch to the brain.” Oh yeah? Then why is it that so often when we itch---we just scratch more?? Anybody feeling itchy?

Daffodils Do Thrill.

Nobody is reading my blog much, so I'll take a Spring break. Take time to smell the flowers.

Two More Gay Men MURDERED, 6 in 10 Days. The Cleansing Continues.

Shunned by family members, feared by society, popular gay bar set on fire, then you die a sinner's death----this could easily be a post about gay life in the U.S.A, yes it could. Are we no better than Iraq? The U.S. will not condemn Iraq's DEMOCRACY for this horrible situation. WE still discriminate against our own citizens. Free homosexuals. Isn't it time? Haven't we grown up? SHAME SHAME SHAME Will the US step up and set the example of freedom and civil rights for all, as Obama says he wants to do?

Boy Cries to Stop Smoking. Point Made.

Speaking of PSAs (yes I was)(PSA=Public Service Announcement) that one where a little boy is left by his mommy at a busy terminal and then he cries---people are all up in arms about how the child was mistreated. GIMME A BREAK

Besides the fact that the PSA will hopefully save some lives (it was anti-smoking, but I say it does double service:DON'T TAKE YOUR EYES OFF YOUR KID IN A CROWD), why is preening and berating a little girl into kid-beauty contests okay?

Read Patty Duke's autobiography, now THAT was abuse to a child actor and now we adults have enacted laws to protect the kids. I say it was a good, smack-some-sense into you PSA.

Domestic Violence PSA w/Keira Knightley; Too Upsetting?

Where Is Safe?

"I never saw a wild thing sorry for itself. A small bird will drop frozen dead from a bough Without ever having felt sorry for itself."
- D. H. Lawrence

Fifty-two years old and I am still searching for that one thing that escapes my grasp. It is a feeling I have always wanted. I want to feel safe. I never feel safe. My deep breaths are never deep enough. I go through each day whether I am strapped in my power chair or in an ICU at a hospital and I can’t get that feeling.
What do I want? How do I know what “safe” feels like? When have I felt it? I dread outages, new caregivers, my partner’s poor health attacks, foul weather…much I dread.

Clue: I seem to feel safest when I am alone. Have no memories of feeling safe as a child. When I used to drive to the Fort Wayne airport at 2AM and play Pong, all alone…I think I felt safe, but lonely. When I visited my best friend from high school during the age of 20, I would fall asleep on her couch and I think I felt safe.

Once in Ann Arbor, MI, I got on the wrong bus and it had to drop me off at the end of the line, in a field. I walked deep into the field and felt so…safe.

Must ponder this more.

Why Do I Have MS?

Why do I have MS? Let me count the ways:

Childhood lack of vitamin D. CHECK I grew up in Indiana, hated the sun, never drank milk.

Childhood viruses. CHECK Had high temp around age 4, still remember the hallucination I had.
Mono. CHECK Doctor said I had that when I was about 7; all I wanted to do -sleep.
Measles. CHECK
Childhood bacteria. CHECK Had cat scratches galore, lots of fleas in house. Had bum-dog.
Head Trauma. CHECK Age 10, pick-up hit me.

I pretty much was a walking MS bomb, just needed that trigger. Genes? Nope, can't find any relative with MS. Here Trigger! Here Trigger! Where arrrrre you?

Michelle Obama's Simple Clothes

Getting tired already of hearing about the first lady's clothes---they are nothing as classy as Jackie wore, yet so many compare the two. GIMME A BREAK It is the classic beauty of her soul that we are seeing! Her spirit enters a room four steps ahead of her. People have no name for this, so they use sexism and call it her clothes. I don't look at clothes much, but today I've been really observing the different dress choices she made during her recent trips. They are simple! J-freakin'- Crew! GIMME A BREAK Reminds me of when Sharon Stone wore a Gap T to the Oscars...IT WASN'T THE Tee!!! We now have a first lady with a beautiful, strong, sexy spirit. Ah, walk that runway, baby.

Dumb Stuff

Been a long day. I'll just riff. saw Star Jones on O. How do you believe someone who has lied to you before? (Especially a celebrity who you don't really know.) My opinion is that Star still needs lots of psycho therapy. (She says she quit after one session.) Her definition of self still relies way too much on others. If she doesn't get her head together she will be fat again in 2 years. After hearing her I would wager that she and her ex never had sex. She felt he was best she could get.

Obama gave Queen E. an IPOD, so says the Huffington Post. Interesting. The F(is it a cap?)irst Lady is so magnif! Love her. Why does a family in the WH move us so? I think we crave a family, a stable loving family. We want to believe we can all have flabless underarms. We want cool; cool like we dreamed of in the '60s...I mean the man wears a black jacket (just like mine except mine has a red Polo Pony ala Ralph.). First expensive thing I bought in Seattle in 1986, at Nordstrom. Or The Bon, which was bought by Macy's.

Today they put isotopes in my partner to try and locate the damaged area. It snowed in Seattle---SNOWED. I still haven't started my taxes. Ugh. Dinner tonight was shrimp and quiche. (I think) Very tasty, we split it.

Ok, will play Jeopardy w/partner, catch Lost later.

Finch or What Bird Art Thou?

Soooo, is this a finch or what? I'm now thinking--not. He is such a joy to be around. (Click on him to enlarge.)

Stem Cell Cure Within Ten Years. Michael J Fox Rocks on Oprah. Learn About Dystonia

Michael J. Fox was on Oprah yesterday, along with Dr.Oz. and I learned a lot about Parkinson's. I asked myself why I wasn't offended as I was when Montel Williams was on, after all both had books to promote.

Well, for one thing Michael was all about the disease and not just how it has ruined his life, made him suicidal, or how dire the consequences could be. He is living in all he now can do and not repeating stories (Montel has told the same sad stories many times) about the times he fell from grace. Michael also has a wonderful sense of humor. http://www.michaeljfox.org/

Along with MJ was a woman with dystonia (Dystonia is a movement disorder that causes the muscles to contract and spasm involuntarily. The neurological mechanism that makes muscles relax when they are not in use does not function properly. Opposing muscles often contract simultaneously as if they are “competing” for control of a body part. The involuntary muscle contractions force the body into repetitive and often twisting movements as well as awkward, irregular postures. http://www.dystonia-foundation.org/) who also is embracing her condition with great courage.

What I really enjoyed was watching Dr. Oz take apart a brain with Parkinson's and explain how stem cells can repair/CURE this disease "...and others..." (Nope, he didn't mention MS) and how our own skin cells may turn out to be the best way to go. Dr. Oz feels that these cures will come before ten years.

"Somewhere over the..."

Tattoo Too Many

I don't like tattoos. I love the look of the human body. Why someone would cover their beautiful skin with tattoos is beyond me. Call me old, no wait, I have always felt this way. Am I missing some mythical reason for tattoos? I don't get turned off my one or two of special meaning, but some people seem addicted like some people are addicted to botox.