Monday, December 31, 2018

Happy New YEAR!

Now have any of you ever thought why the New Year is new?
Each day IS NEW TOO!
And yet we do not say daily, HAPPY NEW DAY, do we?
Or do we?
Some may.
And that is lovely, just that thought... HAPPY NEW DAY!
I declare that from now on we must all say, HAPPY NEW DAY!
Okay, I cannot tell you what to say, you are free agents to do and say what you wish.
Although, as I did state my logical case for the reason why I do believe that it might be the NEW YEAR'S  new catch phrase, try it see how it rolls off of your lips, HAPPY NEW DAY!
LOUDER! I CAN'T HEAR YOU?
Shouting won't help you,... you do know that I still will not be able to hear you, really!
But I suppose you did know that really.
Funny, fun, my fun at your expense.
Nah, don't tell me that it wasn't fun for you too.
Don't start! I told you NOT to tell me! HA, ha, ha!

See, fun!
Maybe, maybe not.

No tomorrow is NOT just another NEW DAY, but a whole NEW YEAR!
Wow, what a concept, changing those four clustered numbers of the date every 365 or 366, give or take a day, yup Kiddies!
We play with a NEW DAY, more or less, every four years!
Now the bigger question is where does that one not so happy day go every four years?

Every four years?
Sadie Hawkins Day,  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sadie_Hawkins_Day, but of course oh wait no, it is called Leap Year, but of course, but notice NOT, "HAPPY LEAP YEAR", perhaps it was at one time painful? In reality it does sound that it might be, "LEAP", over a whole year, make that three?

Any-who, many have been born on that spare day that for some strange reason that they tacked onto February! I suppose since FEBRUARY IS DAYS POOR! Having three years only just those 28!
Sympathetically, someone in all "their" wisdom felt the necessity, I guess to bestow an oddity of just one more, to make them i.e. February and all its days feel better about itself being a shorted days' month still, but then periodically giving then that extra one to become, 29 DAYS, and why is it that no one has clearly defined that, since a few extra days from those months to share would nearly make FEB be almost normal... I'm just saying thirty-one, more than many! Sharing with February yearly might have been nice, ya know, if for no other reason than for continuity!?
Balance those calendars?

Over my lifetime I have met people who were born on February 29th and insist they are like eight years old instead of thirty-two... I could go on and on, but you can figure this one out by just doing the math without me aiding and abetting any of you! HA!

These issues have not been addressed if I recall!

Who would like to jump on this band wagon?

I bet if someone would just write up a petition we could get this done!

Anyone?

Oh, well, maybe next year?

Wait that's tomorrow, here we go again... start at the top!

Sunday, December 30, 2018

The Graduate, again! With Russia love again today!

Our own Aussie Awesome has passed his intermediate training class! Doesn't he look so very happy; when asked he had to admit the test was grueling! Ha! We think that his winning smile makes him so approachable, and it does he is still a people magnet wherever we go! So, he's NOT a miniature at fifty five pounds as we were originally told, we still love him floating hair, even after wire brushed... and all!
Next comes his advanced placement class in March; he had passed his beginner one in November!

Hubby has been totally responsible for taking him and learning with him the commands necessary to have a well behaved dog! (And Hubby too!)

Moving on...

Them going weekly allowed for more Mommy and me girl time that is not to say that we did each others nails, but I did try new hair styles on her newer shorter bob! She loves being fussed over, a Diva after my own heart! Thus her often additional moniker of, Princess Bella!

Our substitute grandchildren!
You show us yours, these are ours!

Happy good night all!

They must really like me! More love from Russia! Tap on the screen to enlarge.
Count your blessings and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Saturday, December 29, 2018

From Russia with love?



If you tap on the below screen shots you might be able to see that the people in Russia appear to be looking for something in my blog? This has happened before, and to their dismay I do believe I have not given them anything to tantalize them in that way... you know that POLITICAL WAY! HA! NIET! Oddly enough periodically they continue to amaze me in their reasoning for reading anything I might self publish here nightly? For Moi has nothing intriguing enough to add to their desire to let's call it as many are thinking of it as for them to want to take over OUR GOVERNMENT! To them I say wait until I locate a more inhabitable place where FREEDOM is not just an abstract thought, but written in stone or some other tangible location... let's say, oh I don't know maybe ... in a constitutional document or some such thing! When there is a swelling of people's hearts needing to know that our homeland called the United States of America recalls on what front this nation from, a land where people from all over could come to make sure that their unalienable rights that states in our Declaration of Independence, "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men (and Women) are created equal, that they are endowed with their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness..." And if they are willing to meet all those qualifications, as well as those set into our Constitution and understand them and respect them and all Americans for who we really are, a melting pot of mostly decent human beings, as well as most Americans do...maybe they will then be able to know why what they did to our 2016 election was dreadful! And no, we do not want them to take over now or EVER!
MY grandpa left Russia at the turn of the 19th/20th century for many of the same oppressive reasons people are leaving countries today, and you can be darn well sure we as AMERICANS, true AMERICANS GET IT!

Now I have written way more than I intended to, since I am a riled up American who still believes that that at times the PEN CAN BE MIGHTIER THAN THE SWORD!
Although, these days even that can get you unjustly killed!
Oops, perhaps I have said once again way too much!

I did not intend on writing all this due to my ailments creating havoc with my stamina that is compromised daily anyway.

So I will bid you all, even our Russian neighbors, according to X-Gov. Palin and geographically she was right... Happy good night to all!

Count those blessings and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Friday, December 28, 2018

I think in the New Year of 2019 I am going to be much more selective with picking my ...

...  battles to post here.

But until then I have another rhetorical question...why would a medical complex stay open with non-medical personnel, at least that when you ask them any questions even after putting you on hold they come back with stating there is no one there who can answer that question... hard one, "Whether or not to continue to taper off my use of gabapentin or wait to see the doctor!?", that when called are unable to give you any discernible medical information and all they can do is apologize for that!?
And I am NOT talking about answering services this was a so-called medical tech???
Not even a, "doctor or nurse", on call?

Any-who, why pay all those people to do nothing?
Thus, in my mind more reasons why premiums are going up higher and higher!
Anger adrenalin is seething inside of me!
But no greenish skin yet...THE HULK folks, get it? HA!
Perhaps, that adrenalin will work in my favor with helping with my pain?

Yup, I have diminished my gabapentin use by half, from 1800 mg. down to 900mg. and tonight I was going to go down another 300 mg. to 600 mg. daily!
But for two reasons I hesitated: first is due to the pain that I am experiencing from my fall last Wednesday and second is that I still have my tremors and nystagmus that were accused of being caused by the gabapentin my research also had it as the cause too, and so I called my two physicians, Dr. Valente at SW Florida Pain Center, as well as Dr. Montoya's, who is my neurologist and her infusion nurse Angie, and she was the first again to return my call.

They seem to feel that the gabapentin might be causing the nystagmus and tremor more so, but until I get completely off of the gabapentin I will not know for sure. They did want to give me Lyrica instead for the pain and I had been offered that before, but due to my asthma and weight, it does make you eat even more than the gabapentin that does too! But Lyrica is dangerous with people with respiratory issues and my asthma will not allow me to have that, my elevated liver enzymes will not allow even Tylenol for pain!
Gabapentin had been my safe goto pain medication, now ice alone?
I do ice all my painful spots!
Although, that alone probably will not cut it!

Confused and wanting a logical response; confusion is easy to come by these days.
I suppose I will continue  with my tapering of the gabapentin and see what happens.

Dr. LK Valente of SW Florida Pain Center, Sabrina his medical assistant said he will be back by Thursday to ask. He was the doctor this time who prescribed the gabapentin.

This is personal this battle of mine for my health, for myself, and to verify no more harm will come to me. We are our own best advocates!

Meanwhile, Dr. Casanova the internist who never once returned my calls while I pleaded for insulin for my rising glucose going towards 400, and all he told his nurse Maggie was to tell me to go to the hospital if it went too high! I did call prior to that, and told him that my own history was why I knew I would need the insulin! I only have a diabetic reaction during Solumedrol infusions for the exacerbations of MS and that has been seven times since 2009, otherwise I am NOT a diabetic! But all previous internists gave me the insulin to prevent going to the hospital! So the hospital could get nearly 8K from Medicare instead of the doctor just writing a prescription for insulin, priced for me with insurance at $6.71! Thankfully, no charge to me from the hospital due to my insurances including my supplemental, but it is the principle of the whole thing! So Hubby suggested I not answer the robo call last night verifying the appointment made months ago for this morning for Dr. Casanova. Hubby reminded me that he couldn't call you, so do not call him! I was tempted to call and tell him that he was FIRED!
But instead, I hung up on the robo call last night, and I did not call this morning!
We, Hubby and I have a new internist as of January anyway.

Debbie DOWNER LIVES!
Sadly inside of me.

Happy good night all!

Count those blessings and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Thursday, December 27, 2018

Catch your breath yet?

Breathe!
Deep cleansing breaths... one after another!
Whatever you do; "DO NOT STOP!"
BREATHING THAT IS!
Did any doctor ever think that that could be the answer to preventing death?
As easy as that! DO NOT STOP BREATHING!
Silly in its simplicity, hmm?
See now I just cured every fatal disease known to man and woman!
DO NOT STOP BREATHING!

Not so funny; I guess?

But in reality wouldn't that be great.
So many worthy non-profits, so little money to give to all of them that I sincerely wish that I could!
So without too much shame I admit right here and now that I give to none.

When I myself was well and not in need I was able to physically help by actually rolling up my sleeves and working any which way that I could!
Now I sit, literarily on the sidelines and watch and hope that someone else will pick up my slacker do- nothing inability physically and unfortunate mentality of truly not able to do my best.
Please do, do something!
Help pick one or a few, give money or time or both to any cause you deem needing you!

For forty years on and off I did all aspects of volunteerism, from fundraising, board member, teaching classes etc.!
You can too, just choose one or more that fills your heart near and dear to you!
Oh, I still do advocacy online, but that is about it, yes it is it.

Okay, now I feel if only one of you does help another person from this unabashed request, my heart's woes will have been lightened.

Happy good night all!

Count your blessings and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Wednesday, December 26, 2018

Yesterday's Christmas meal for two, thus a replay of all tonight!


I made a 2.88 lbs. of turkey breast, bones in coated with extra virgin olive oil thyme, Rosemary, parsley, sage and garlic powder, cooked in our convection oven till reaching an internal temp of 165 degrees, sides of real mashed potatoes made from four golden potatoes, quartered and boiled for ten minutes then mashed with skim milk and butter added and then a dash of salt and pepper, California blend frozen veggies consisting of broccoli, cauliflower, and carrots, whole cranberry sauce, homemade dressing made from the heels and smaller pieces of rye, multi grain and white breads toasted and then cut into small squares next added in sautéed onions and garlic with sodium free chicken bouillon and a smidge of butter and parsley and water to moisten, lastly the homemade gravy cream of mushroom soup low fat with sautéed onions and garlic in extra virgin olive oil when turkey comes out add in those additional drippings, a slight fat splurge, also added sodium free chicken bouillon. The pumpkin pie was also made from scratch except the interestingly different Graham cracker crust, two were made the other one frozen for company, with different ingredients than many might not put into them, 1 cup of skim milk and four extra large beaten Egglands Best eggs, sugar, a full cup was called for...3/4 regular sugar was used with the remainder of stevia not a 1/4 cup instead about four packets, remember two pies... any-who, extra cinnamon, and ginger, and nutmeg as well as by mistake ALLSPICE, but Geez it tasted rather good! My crazy eyesight had me going over to a different recipe! Oh and that was with a twenty-nine plus ounce can of pumpkin mixed together then poured into the pie shells and cooked till done at 375 degrees for approximately 50 minutes, actually till a knife pulls out clean from the center, all ovens are slightly different as well as elevations!
Allow to cool and then refrigerate till ready to eat or freeze one as we did. Serve with your favorite topping or none as we did!

Way too much food for two! Fortunately, we have dinners for a few nights! Or turkey sandwiches and soup?

                                        Pumpkin pie below, just us, so not fancy, but delish!
Tonight we will repeat and eat the same meal, although Hubby just informed me that he finished last night's veggies while cleaning up*, which for him is AMAZING since he even ate the leftover broccolis that he doesn't consider food, he calls them weeds and usually avoids them like the plague!
So that was a very small Christmas miracle, ha!

Happy good night all!

Count those blessings and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

*Our retiree rule has been whomever makes the meal the other person cleans up... although, sorrowfully due to me feeling poorly so often Hubby has gotten stuck with both way too often and so when I have a good day I have been known to do both too! A little bit less lopsided that way?

Tuesday, December 25, 2018

Merry Christmas!

                                     Aussie being Aussie enjoying the day, what a great guy!
                                                           Bella being Bella below!

                                             Bella, what a sweetheart!



                                Where are we? Hawaii? Tahiti? Fiji? Any other island paradise??????


                       No folks this is FLORIDA! Mid-seventies temps with wonderful sunshine today                                                                        Christmas Day 2018!
                     
                              Another end of the Harborwalk in Punta Gorda Florida!
                      
                      No filters are ever used on any of these pictures, what you see is what you get!
                                Happy MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL and to all a good night!

                                                  Count all your blessings and we will too!

                                             And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Monday, December 24, 2018

On today's journey...

We went for a repeat of yesterday's, once again to Gilchrist Park along the river in Punta Gorda Florida AKA (Peace) River City! This time Hubby and I were lucky enough to get our usual parking spot. And so the journey this time took us east on the Harborwalk under the Tamiami Trail, named for the road from Tampa to Miami, AKA Highway 41, toward Laishley Park on the other side of the bridge!
Today we decided to take out lunch from the Crabhouse Restaurant right there in Laishley Park; Hubby had a blackened Grouper sandwich with fries and Cole slaw, and I had a grilled Grouper sandwich with also fries and Cole slaw, we had our own beverages. We ate outside at the back of the restaurant facing the water at a table, actually belonging to Harborwalk Scoops and Bites, our favorite ice cream place! We were so full from lunch that we ate only half, ice cream for dessert was not on our minds at all! Hubby and I really could have shared lunch, it was truly that much!

Some times it is nice just to go places and not take anymore pictures so you really can just look at your surroundings and enjoy them wholeheartedly!
And that is just what we did do for today.

You would almost think many would be out shopping for that last minute gift, but no it seemed that everyone was caught up and just enjoying the beautiful weather here too! Walking, jogging, also walking their dogs, bicycling and playing volleyball, etc. all along the route. The day crescendo from the low fifties into the low seventies with very bright sunshine! A perfectly gorgeous day!

Happy good Christmas Eve all!

Count those blessings and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

Hey kids, below is YOUR SANTA TRACKER!

May all your Christmas wishes be fulfilled! BELIEVE!

https://www.noradsanta.org 

Sunday, December 23, 2018

Last Night's Christmas Boat Parade and today's Gilchrist Park giant card display! Both in Punta Gorda Florida!


























































The first published title would have been correct if all pictures showed up in the area that allows me to place them in my blog!
Unfortunately since last night I was the furry kid wrangler the pictures were taken by Hubby on his camera from his phone not mine; and for some unknown reason it does not recognize our in-sinc phones?
Therefor in spite of the title's and my good intentions of showing you also last night's PICS from the Christmas Boat Parade they were not made available for this blog?????
ALTHOUGH THEY ARE MINE AND HUBBY'S!!!!

Forgive?

Next time.

They were awesome!

Happy good night all!

Count those blessings and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square, ya hear!

JUST IN!
All Christmas Boat Parade Pictures accounted for!Well, what do you know they are here!

Speaking My Mind: Which way will the war go?

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