COLONIC

I count myself in

nothing else so happy
As in my soul remembering

my good friends.
--- William Shakespeare

Yes, you heard it right in today's title my big adventure last Friday was I had a colonic! Has anyone had one? Yikes, I can't believe I did it! In fact, a friend may have one since I did and we were joking that if Lori does it then it must be OK......I said, "what am I, the canary?" I am such a big baby and have been in such a place of fear these past few years. That is what happens when you are not feeling well. But onward and upward I keep saying, although most of the time, I seem to slip back......very frustrating. Anyway, I will not give details of the procedure just to say that if you ever have to get one, they are not as bad as you think, but I think the main thing is to have someone you trust. I was fortunate that I had already met the person who did it so when my doctor recommended, I knew where to go. I may not have been so open had I had to hunt someone up....know what I mean? I don't think I have mentioned that I have been diagnosed with lyme's disease and a mold allergy/yeast issue. I don't remember being bit by a tick(although they are all around where we live and I always wondered if that was my problem), but I have been scratched during my feral cat rescue escapades so I could have been exposed then. The yeast/mold issue is something I could have had for years (which makes sense to me) and which had probably been lowering my immune system so I wasn't able to fight it. (some people may be exposed and not have a problem) Lord knows I haven't felt well for the last 15 years. That is the problem......you just don't feel well and go to the doctors and they can't find anything, then you feel a bit better until the next cycle comes along. That is what these neurotoxins do.......up and down, back and forth, forward, backward. I will probably go on antibiotics this next month, but once these become chronic, antibiotics alone will not get rid of them. A little bit of everything is what is needed. The regular medical community will tell you different, but there are just too many people out there who are sick! I have been fortunate that one of the main symptoms of lyme's are headaches, but thank God I haven't been plagued by them. Mine have been digestive problems...mainly acid reflux and nausea, not so much in my bowels thankfully(though bloating), joint & muscle pain (which travels around my body, but seems to like my left hip and knee), brain fog and problems concentrating (which really flared up this past year and a half), alternating tingling and coldness in my left arm and hand and right foot), gall bladder and liver area pain, but no gallstones and losing partial vision in the bottom portion of my left eye....well, it isn't completely gone, but something is going in there......a glare coming up from the bottom right portion of my left eye which does leave a spottiness when my right eye is closed so I cannot see what my eye is directly focusing on, but I can see the upper and outer edges....weird huh? When this happened back in April, the eye doctor said I had swelling on my optic nerve which led to 2 MRI's in 2 days.....brain tumor I asked? Could be, he said....gosh thanks doc for being so straightforward! Happily, no brain tumor (thank you God!), but no real answers to why. Well, I know why.....it is all related to whatever bacteria is hanging out in my body. The past 6 years or so I just felt like something was in my body that wouldn't leave....I thought maybe a virus, but these co-infection bacterias are slow growing so sometimes you can have them for decades with these myriad of symptoms that really don't make sense or seem connected. Some may "reproduce" only once a week or sometimes every 10 months....very slow for bacterias! This is one of the reasons why the AMA has had a hard time accepting Lyme's etc.(though not technically a bacteria) because the usual bacterias like staph, pneumonia, meningitis, etc are constantly multiplying 100's of times an hour....which is why if you are exposed to one of these you get sick within a day. Anyway, it is all very fascinating and it has really opened my eyes to what a lot of these medical mysteries could be....like MS and even some of the mental diseases (like bi-polar). AND FOR THE RECORD, THIS IS THE WAY I UNDERSTAND IT AND IS NOT MEANT TO DIAGNOSE ANYONE.
Well, for now, that is all I have to say about that!

On a brighter note :o) after posting yesterday, there was a knock on the door and it was the FedEx guy delivering a box of flowers to me! I thought it was from my husband since he is out of town, but it was from his sister, my wonderful sister-in-law Terri! She has been such a blessing over the years and I couldn't have asked for a better sister. In fact, the same goes for my in-laws, but that is another story. THEY ARE THE BEST! The flowers were from a company called OrganicStyle so they are organic and sustainably grown. I haven't checked their website: http://www.organicstyle.com/ but their return address was in Florida. As you can see they are gorgeous and so cheery. Yellow sunflowers and little pom-pom mums and absolutely fabulous deep purple/blue delphiniums! THANKS TERRI, I LOVE THEM !

I also wanted to share several other gifts I received. I didn't take a pic of all of them, but wanted to show you this lovely teacup that another dear friend, Diana, up in Fortuna sent me. She had just been to the Biltmore "House" in North Carolina last month (lucky dog!) and purchased this replica teacup from one of the Vanderbilt's china patterns. Love it! I am using it for my morning coffee. Diana and I have always shared a love for the Victorian era.....THANKS DIANA!

Hanging on the rim are the cutest pair of mermaid earrings (I love mermaids and my undated website will include a storyline of mermaids) from my friend Cheryl. Are they just the darliest things you have ever seen? (except maybe for some cute babies!) Love them too! (she also got me a neat enameled kitchen pot with lovely purple flowers on the outside since I love purple)

Other items, were floral file folders, notecards and 2 DVDs of old Rin Tin Tin and Bonanza episodes which I can't wait to watch from my friend Marie (yes, I have quite eclectic tastes) and some sweet vintage embroidered handtowels and handmade notecards from my dear Mother-in-law Ruth. AND LASTLY, I didn't want to forget my dear husband who left little presents of deliciously-smelling Crabtree & Evelyn products hidden around the house for me to find! (he is away on business) I used to work at Crabtree & Evelyn in the late 1980's and I absolutely loved them ! Now, I am trying to use only natural, organic body products, but once in a while it is such a treat to indulge in these scrumptious smelling items! THANKS HON! It was fun to find them, but I thought it was good I wasn't Lucy Ricardo or Carol Brady who tore the house apart looking for their presents! Does anyone remember those episodes?

Today's poem:

COOL MINDED

by Frank B. Whitney

Cease to fret, be calm and patient,

Poised and trustful ever be;

You will find you need not worry,

All things righted you will see.

If you will be cool, collected,

If you cease to worry too,

You'll behold your troubles vanish,

Only good will come to you.

~~~~~

Cool in mind and never fretful,

Patient, calm, your thoughts controlled

You'll behold your utmost vict'ry,

you will find increased your hold.

Nothing good can e'er escape you,

Only good in life you'll find;

You will have, if calm and patient,

Only thoughts of peace in mind.

~~~~~

Cool in mind, dismiss the weather;

Sun or rain---it matters not;

What reck you of storm or sunshine,

Whether days be cool or hot?

If in mind you're cool, collected,

If your thought is poised and true,

You will find the world is showering

All its blessings upon you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AMEN TO THAT! The next 2 days are going to be warm and sunny here in my neck of the woods so out I go into the world!

I am having lunch with a friend today too.

HAVE A NOTICEABLE DAY!