Being a sharer is not that bad an idea?

Information is a great way to help others; i.e. sharing what you know is relevant for their needs.
And so when I find out something as a person who finds joy in this positive behavior, even without knowing if anyone is actually being helped it still does make me feel I have purpose… and if that seems selfish, than let it be.

And so tonight I do have a rather very local organization to share with you, V.I.P.
Now they’re many V.I.P. acronyms in this world, Very Important People, why I belonged to an organization way back in 1987 that used the same acronym for Volunteers in the Public Schools but this one is representative of Visually Impaired Persons, which as I said is quite local, right here in good ole Port Charlotte, Florida and serves our entire Charlotte County!

Their Executive Directive Pam Fico sent me their pamphlet via an email and I will share that with you right here: Oops it will not transfer and so I will instead give you the contact information:

Pam Fico, Executive Director
Visually Impaired Persons of Charlotte County
3459 Depew Avenue
Port Charlotte, FL 33952
(941) 625-8501 phone
(941) 625-8032 fax
E-mail: vipofcc@daystar.com

And I will try to paraphrase what they do for people including myself if need be, since I was told that I do meet their criteria…Any-who…never mind it allowed me to copy and paste their info and it is now below for your viewing:

“Purpose: Visually Impaired Persons
of Charlotte County is a private
501.3c non-profit corporation.

Mission: The mission of our center
is to educate the Visually Impaired
to regain control of his/her
life that severe loss of vision
seems to take away.

We Provide:
A place to meet, share, and socialize
Access to community resources
for blind and visually impaired
Magnification equipment for
use at the facility and equipment
for sale for home use

Who is Eligible:
Residents of Charlotte County who
have vision loss, and their caregivers
can receive help.

Programs Available
Visual Aides Instruction
Using low vision aids such as magnifiers
and closed circuit TVs
Computer Training
Provided in the convenience of your
home

Peer Support Group
Open to the Visually Impaired community
and their caregivers. Meetings
are held weekly, on Tuesday.

Information and Referral
Community resources and services
available to the Visually Impaired,
including speakers for group presentations.
Community support is vital to our
mission. If you are interested in
any of the following, please fill out
and mail the form below or contact
our office.
I wish my name to be placed on
the VIP mailing list.
I would like more information
about the Peer Support Group.
I wish to be a volunteer

Enclosed is my tax deductible
donation of ___________________.

Name________________________

Address______________________
_____________________
Phone________________

Email Address__________”

Please realize that this is a professional organization and that it is beneficial to all who meet their criteria, and hopefully anyone who utilizes this information is someone whom will use their access wisely and with their own or others that they know have needs for this , okay, and thanks.
What I forgot to ask if it is a national organization, hold on… I will check…after checking a bit I saw that there are many similar organizations with very comparable type programs. And so in conclusion, the best I can recommend is that if you live out of the area to do what I did, Google your areas specifically. Here it does appear we have a VIP of SW Florida and also another in Fort Myers and so if need be I am more than sure that you too will find some parallel organization akin to this one.
I do know that people who have had to deal with this visual challenge have had many supporters over the years, but it is always nice to find perhaps one that you might not have been aware of, hmm?
So good luck.

On that positive note, allow me to be the first to wish you all a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all of your blessings and share those overages and we will too!

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

Watering my way into...

Here’s an ironic thing…since I have this hypothyroid new thingy for me, my body temperature is always a full degree or more lower than the norm of 98.6F, usually about 97.6F or as low as 96.7F And so I can go out into the pool with its temperature in the 82-84 degree Fahrenheit range and the morning air temperature of around 80-ish and still feel very comfortable, mind you this is all due to the lower thyroid function, amazing? No need for my cooling vest!
Oddly enough I was doing a bit of research on my medications to see what the side affects are.
And to my surprise my Dexilant for my acid reflux or GERD has two that seem to cause some ailments that were new to me, hmm?
Interestingly enough, one is the lower thyroid function and lo and behold my irritated constantly peepers AKA my eyes! But if I stop I might again choke in my sleep, but oddly enough, now get this my thyroid hormone can also cause choking…will I ever win this game of trying to be well?
Under further investigation is many of my meds also cause weight gain, five toll to date…something to think about, hmm?
We all know that I am an investigative type character who when she feels that a wrong has occurred makes sure that it is righted…well today I was vindicated once again.

Another nurse from the Health Department called me back this afternoon, this time a lovely person who is aptly named, Honey.
She called to let me know that it was a mistake and she knew this since she was the nurse who was there when I went in to see ‘doctor wonderful’ on the tenth of May, and that I did not need to make a return trip on the 23rd or 24th what-have-you and she called to rectify my need for refills on all my prescriptions not just the ones that were not filled for more than a one month supply, now for three months each! Ta da!
I know most of you are thinking I lost my cool, well I really did, and shame on me…but if you were in my position on blood pressure and cholesterol medication and had already seen the doctor for full price have you, never ever for free, sometimes even more or about the same as my Neurologist or my Ophthalmologist’s charges which is in the $42 to $62 price range out of my pocket not a co-pay and why it varies was according to how much they do, they explained. Than perhaps you too would be upset with them telling you that you missed an appointment that when they fit you in earlier they should have cancelled and the funny thing is it was crossed off my calendar since they let me come in sooner, how about that, hmm?

Any-who, they're many there who are decent people who have chosen the right profession to help people with respect and understanding and compassion.
My idea of what all healthcare workers should be, wasn’t Florence Nightingale the one that called them 'angels of mercy'?
Maybe not, but that is how I would like to think of all people who chose that field as their profession.
I respect the ones who do what they know is true and right as in all fields of working with the public, why not?

I again have spoken my mind on a topic that has over these last several years has become too much of a need for myself as well as a frustration when not given unselfishly and with the dual respect that I do believe it requires, all I am saying is that as with anything in life respect is a two way street…true?

On that how I think or over-think life’s issues, allow me to be the first to wish you all a very happy good night and ask you kindly to count all your blessings and share all your overages and we will too!

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

Memorial Day!

This day is to remember our fallen heroes and those who have survived the remainder of the injustices of wars, and why they fought for us.
“As Dr. Fears points out, there are basically three types of freedom: national, individual, and political.
National freedom is the independence of a political state—freedom from occupation or other foreign control.
Political freedom is the right of citizens of a political state to participate in government (through voting or acting as a representative) and to have a fair trial.
Individual freedom is the freedom to do and say what you will so long as you don’t hurt anyone—freedom of speech, assembly, religion, freedom to choose where you live or what job you do or don’t do, freedom to make money and spend it as you please.”
A thank you to the historic present wordpress, here is the site to copy and paste:

http://thehistoricpresent.wordpress.com/2010/09/28/what-are-the-freedoms-we-have-as-americans/

The reasoning of why we must hold this day in utmost reverence is due to what is written above, and the fact that more than ever that now we have an all volunteer armed services. That is not to say that those who were drafted for all those other wars and non-declared wars and all other political conflicts that caused our involvement and losses of too many of our peoples…so all the rest of us could celebrate them and our freedom to have grills of nouveau healthy cuisines, or old fashioned not so healthy but traditional ones… whatever your way to commemorate this day and the others coming up, Flag Day, June 14th, and The Fourth of July, Veterans Day, the eleventh of November, always take a moment to confirm the why we do what we do, okay?

Yes, we celebrate these memorial days with barbecues and fun games and water sports, and even fireworks for many, tis the season here in these United States, but again, if it were not for the ones who preserved all of that for us to have that ability, this day would never ever be needed to remember what they have done unselfishly for all of us.

Although, not a day goes by that we Americans are NOT proud of where we live and all that we have to be happy about and that is such a nice feeling… like we say if you can read this thank a teacher, if you have the right to read this thank someone in our military!

On that note of noteworthy respect for all, allow me to be the first to wish you all a very happy good night and to ask you to count all of your blessings and share your overages and we will too!

And next time please be here or be square ya hear?

PS here’s a site for the kiddies to access, just copy and paste: http://www.usmemorialday.org/backgrnd.html

Astronaut food, minus the Tang and tubes!

Oh what fun it has become choosing to utilize the food processor that we have had for decades and yet did not use that often…
Smooth and creamy and aesthetically appealing are challenges for even those who feel that their homemade baby food days were over! Oops, did I say that?
Now please be objective when you view the dinner we had this evening…I would like to think it was nearly a salmon mousse, creamy mashed potatoes, and split peas with mushrooms moist medley made with love… After all I ate it too!

Not too ugly, quite colorful and eye catching I think, and did taste good too!

Now, we only have four and a half more days to go with trying for taste and creativity!

Hubby was a bit turned off, when I said that he reminded me of one of the Muppets.
You know the ones… the grumpy old men that sit up in the balcony and give their thought provoking commentary with their toothless mouthy expressions…
Hubby was brave enough for me to post his picture without those glistening Hollywood, future falsies, oops I meant teeth!
Are you ready? Are you sure that you are?

Well, here he is… I cannot understand why he was so shy about posing, but he was and so he wouldn’t see what I was doing he took off his glasses…HA!

Moving on…
Medical theories of mine will be under investigation in the upcoming weeks, but for now I will leave you wondering, I do understand that you too have inquiring minds.
But until I have all the facts, I will let it be just a future project that is in need of some more legit research.

Shorty tonight, whew I hear you!
Allow me to be the first to wish you all a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share those overages and we will too!
And next time please be here or be square, ya hear?



Footnote: *(Hope I don’t get in trouble using this guy, all I did was take a picture of him online. He’s available to any who wish to utilize him, the site is: thanks to them I could express in pictorial form what Hubby knows is just a caricature of himself, I hope..: copy and paste if you so wish:
http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3Dgrumpy%2Bold%2Bmen%2Bmuppets&w=160&h=104&imgurl=www.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dgrumpy%2Bold%2Bmen%2Bmuppets%23focal%3Dbff29c147aa1e3658ee87c13ff7ddb75%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fimages.mylot.com%252fuserImages%252fimages%252fpostphotos%252f2017336.jpg&size=&name=search&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dgrumpy%2Bold%2Bmen%2Bmuppets%23focal%3Dbff29c147aa1e3658ee87c13ff7ddb75%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fimages.mylot.com%252fuserImages%252fimages%252fpostphotos%252f2017336.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dgrumpy%2Bold%2Bmen%2Bmuppets%23focal%3Dbff29c147aa1e3658ee87c13ff7ddb75%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252fimages.mylot.com%252fuserImages%252fimages%252fpostphotos%252f2017336.jpg&p=grumpy+old+men+muppets&type=&no=3&tt=115&oid=http%3A%2F%2Fts3.mm.bing.net%2Fimages%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D4597896218346298%26id%3D99bd62e05339b277be54a4ba0f81537e&tit=The+grumpy+old+men+from+the+show&sigr=15l2cc42l&sigi=15e41j4kb&sigb=120na95g6&fr=yfp-t-701-s)

Pureed barbecue chicken, but wait there's more...

I have come to the conclusion as Hubby has that in order to get through this next week we must pretend that he is an astronaut, huh?
I hear you all say; well I suppose I cannot really hear you say that.
Go with me here, since until he receives those new pearly whites his and my diet will and has been consisting of pureed foods of the unexpected…
Do any of you remember what the astronauts ate?
Oh, you do?
Good for you!
Well, for all those who don’t have that perfect recall allow me to remind them, tube food was what they, the astronauts used to eat… and to be honest I have no idea what they eat now, but give me a few minutes… think of something while I search, oh okay, here it is…just copy and paste the below site…

http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http%3A%2F%2Fsearch.yahoo.com%2Fsearch%3Fei%3DUTF-8%26p%3Dastonaut%2Bfood&w=160&h=118&imgurl=www.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dastonaut%2Bfood%23focal%3Dcdb24c8b202a12773ee23f0e4885d7ec%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252f3.bp.blogspot.com%252f_RLAiIu23kKE%252fSwPXKyNSCCI%252fAAAAAAAAA1I%252f5M_rLFhZtqQ%252fs1600%252fpictures-of-space-food-9.jpg&size=&name=search&rcurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dastonaut%2Bfood%23focal%3Dcdb24c8b202a12773ee23f0e4885d7ec%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252f3.bp.blogspot.com%252f_RLAiIu23kKE%252fSwPXKyNSCCI%252fAAAAAAAAA1I%252f5M_rLFhZtqQ%252fs1600%252fpictures-of-space-food-9.jpg&rurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bing.com%2Fimages%2Fsearch%3Fq%3Dastonaut%2Bfood%23focal%3Dcdb24c8b202a12773ee23f0e4885d7ec%26furl%3Dhttp%253a%252f%252f3.bp.blogspot.com%252f_RLAiIu23kKE%252fSwPXKyNSCCI%252fAAAAAAAAA1I%252f5M_rLFhZtqQ%252fs1600%252fpictures-of-space-food-9.jpg&p=astronaut+food&type=&no=1&tt=113&oid=http%3A%2F%2Fts1.mm.bing.net%2Fimages%2Fthumbnail.aspx%3Fq%3D4509407024316692%26id%3Dd2ca18f9bfb95aaea3d1d6ea00b12de3&tit=Lounge+Pictures%3A+Food+and+drink+The+Astronaut&sigr=16s4i7diu&sigi=16l24lima&sigb=11n21mn6o&fr=yfp-t-701

Or…go to this one and copy and paste it, your choice: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Space_food

I see that their menus have improved, but believe me when years ago they ate out of tubes you had to squeeze to get the food out of; imagine that!

The reason I brought this up is that since Hubby is sadly on hold with waiting on his new smile arriving after he again jumps through the hoops of the process… it was either calling his bizarre diet ‘baby food’ or a more manly adult name of ‘ASTRONAUT FOOD!’ LOL! Mine too! Who knows this could be the diet I have been waiting for…

Any-way, you slice it its no fun for me or him…it’s a holiday weekend and we are both house bound! Can’t even use our own barbecue to make those traditional Memorial Day foods… hamburgers or hot dogs etc and he draws the line at those being pureed,ha…you know what I mean, darn!
Although, to be truthful Hubby in all his toothless glory was courageous enough to venture out… to pick up some more grocery supplies…

So far I did puree that barbecue chicken, homemade soups of tomato (last night) and vegetable soup consisting of cauliflower spinach, mushrooms, potato, and broth and a few other secret ingredients (his first night)…tonight’s menu consisted of black bean soup with chorizo sausage (just one small one) and onions and garlic, I did put mine over a bit of brown rice and we had apple sauce for dessert, not in the soup, but I bet you knew that.

We also both enjoy Greek yogurt, Oikos, yes, the one that John Stamos advertises, that cutey. Hubby’s with honey, a natural anti-biotic and mine with blueberries or strawberries they have seeds not good for Hubby at this time, and those are for our in between snacks, ya gotta have em , ya know? Sure you do.
And of course the very soft milky scrambled egg, Carnation Instant Breakfast, and oatmeal too…boy what a variety hmm?
Maintaining a healthy diet is a challenge right now… but he doesn’t know about my plan to puree that salmon that’s in the freezer tomorrow night that I will be adding in some cream cheese, ya know it just kinda goes together, hmm? Probably a side dish of that left over bean soup, who knows … where this may all lead, nah, yuck!… but if it does lead to a new trend, that all of you would like to copy, go right ahead, hmm?

Any-who, any other concepts for our sort of gourmet healthy diet, would be welcomed, but keep in mind Hubby will be gumming the food products so now no lumps or bumps or sharp thingies can be involved in the recipe please!

On that silly note of not much note, thank heavens this inconvenience is only a temporary glitch/ blip in time… and a bit of fun to try to contend with and so allow me to wish you all a very happy good night and ask you kindly to count all your blessings and we will too!

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

Me too...

How could two words mean so much and become so profound.
Well, since you asked, I will tell you and to me it was my reasoning that I have espoused over and over again right on here in this venue…of me SPEAKING MY MIND!
Howie Mandel was on The Talk today, on CBS a women panel, a clone of the View on ABC, when some thing is good of course they copy it, and he told a little anecdote about when he first met Howard Stern as a guest, back in 1999 on Stern’s radio show.
Any-who, what he said, now this is not verbatim, but the gist of the interview which was extensive and quite entertaining: that after their time was up and he was about to leave someone had sneezed, I might have gotten this wrong, but they touched the door knob to the exit door that Howie needed to use to go out. He asked for a tissue or someone to open the door for him, and Howard thought it was odd and said go ahead just open the door, but Howie started to get very upset and anxious and said no I can’t, some one must open it for me…Howard was very insistent and said come on you’re standing right there, just open it, meanwhile Howie is getting more upset and panicky and persistent saying that he could not…Howard was relentless telling him sure you can, and Howie without realizing that this whole conversation was still on air, said NO I CAN’T! I have O. C. D, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder! And with that someone opened the door and Howie ran out to the New York City streets realizing what had happened and thought now my career is over, no one will hire me ever again, and I shamed my family and no one will understand and perhaps I should end it all… And just when he was thinking all these life changing negative options… Someone came up to him and asked him if he was really Howie Mandel and he said yes, and the man said I heard your interview on the Howard Stern Show just a little while ago and you know something, me too.
Yes, he too had O.C.D. and thanked Howie for telling everyone about his own.

Helping others can happen when we least expect it and so sharing is where the true compassion can come from to prove that we as beings on this planet are never ever really alone…and if we think we are, shout louder and tell someone how you feel and listen to what they have to say, and you know something you will never ever be alone ever again!

I know that some think this is just dirty laundry being aired here, but no, in my mind it is realizing that we are all more alike than different. And each and every day that I am on this planet, called earth, I am more proud of that feeling…
We all have bad days and good days and we all have horrid times and incredible times that make you smile from ear to ear and that my friends …IS CALLED LIFE, and we all share that commonality, thank goodness! Because, me too!
YES, ME TOO MY FRIENDS!

On that bit of an upbeat story, allow me to wish you all a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share those overages and we will too!

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

Thursday, a day that will go down in infamy!

Perhaps a wee bit too much descriptive wise, and than again, not really…Are you all ready to hear how our day really went?
Nay, you say, well too bad you are already my captive audience, right? Sure you are…and so ready or not, here I go…
And I must tell you that what I am about to say is all true…but slightly enhanced for poetic licensing, okay?

Remember Hubby’s last night gigantic smile?
Well, shortly after that photo op he gagged and had to remove those new objectionable features of not so artful appliances of facsimiles of the real thingies!
His mouth was full of that ruby gold liquid and not a Vampire or Vampira in sight, oh no, not a one!

The pain was not that bad, but the fit was horrendous.
In stead of tightening as he had been told verbally and also on the paperwork that they would they were so loose he could invite the neighborhood into his mouth!

Now on those worry wart phone calls back and forth I had made while his procedure was underway the tech told me that he should not take them out since the pressure worked as if a band aide, which sounded logical to me.
And so with all that Hubby was going through I told him to put them back in, and he said the doctor said that he could take them out and use the gauze instead with his mouth close to work to do the same thing. And so we called to see what the doctor thought and she called back and of course Hubby was correct and she added if the bleeding doesn’t let up use warm tea bags between his gums, huh?
Thankfully, we never had to try it.

He had been given anti-biotics and pain meds and had to also get more gauze than what they gave to him. And he was taking it all, but with that he was cold even with it all and so I almost gave him some non-aspirin pain reliever, but than I was concerned with all his other meds, so we opted for those slipper socks that they give you in the hospital and a blanket, and it worked!
In order to sleep without ending up in a pool of that ruby gold fluid we decided to use a new, of course, plastic garbage bag with a clean white towel over it for a more comfy washable surface and protection for the pillow under it all. And it was a good thing, what Hubby thought was only two spots of you know what was more like a splattering or fire storm of it…gosh and he wasn’t even dizzy!
Once awake I soaked the towel in cold water and Chlorox two and did a small cold wash in the machine and all was well again, like it never ever happened.
Unfortunately, his new denture saga is going to go on…since today when he went back to get them to check the fit, with them in a paper towel and Ziploc baggie, the Doc said to Hubby that they made them all wrong and now he has to start all over without teeth for the next week, although they did give him the ill fitting top ones to, we have no idea what for since when he puts them in his upper lip bulges out and so he is now toothless and denture-less for the next eight days, until next Friday! The molds start again Tuesday…boo hoo I cry for you my Hubby!


Moving on…
And my last couple of days has been very frustrating, nah maddening too.
I called in three of my prescriptions, my Baclofen and my blood pressure and cholesterol medication, and told the pharmacist that the two from the regular doctor’s office at the Health Department had no refills left and that she would have to fax them as usual, no problem, the Baclofen is from my neurologist which has plenty of refills always.
And so today I get a phone call saying that since I did not show up for my appointment yesterday that they would not refill my blood pressure or cholesterol medications, huh?

That appointment was canceled since they fit me in on the tenth! And I did not need to see the doctor since he called me back with the results and said that too!

Well, with the holiday weekend I was justifiably concerned and panicky and so I let them know that they goofed, not me and that I needed those medications to not have any bad health ramifications!
Actually what I said, in anger mind you, is that if I have a stroke and end up in the hospital that they would get the bill!
Not nice of me, but I was very, very angry and in my mind rightfully so!
Any-who, the fellow Chris a RN at the department of ‘we will help you if you scream loud enough’ called back and said that he took care of it and called my pharmacy and that it was all taken care of, whew!
But short lived, you see the pharmacy when I called them back to verify and ask them to use their free delivery service due to Hubby’s ills and me no longer driving and I gave them my card over the phone, to the pharmacist.
Pinki said that he did not give me any refills, just the one month supply!
And so, I guess you all know what I did… I will tell you just to make sure, yep, I called them back, that dear sweet Chris RN fellow, and got his voice mail… and yelled into it asking if he was playing games or what, since he didn’t really, did he?
What he calmly explained to me, and I do have more respect for him now is that as a RN he was not authorized to give me the refills only to give me enough to get through the holiday, but he made them a months’ worth until he checked with my doctor on Tuesday. Okay I said…and again wished him a good day and a happy holiday weekend and suggested to have a class on teaching bedside manner and another on proper ways to communicate with patients. That we are not all dumb as they treat us…more than they realize that we do want to know what is going on specifically in reference to what’s what on our own medical issues.

In the end Hubby is doing unusually well, mouth healing wise, and my medication was delivered.
And so, I hate being so angry with these things but I also hate my circumstances that makes some feel that I am a second class citizen with them having a right to mistreat us, hmm?
We, the nouveau poor are just as worthy of being treated with dignity as anyone else, and all that I was trying to do was make them realize that I did not make THAT mistake that they did! Recap: That THEY should have cancelled that appointment since THEY fit me in earlier, and than the medicine issue would have been handled appropriately and no problem would have occurred!

On that note of standing up for yourself, even when you cannot really stand, allow me to be the first to wish you all a very happy good night and ask you to kindly count all your blessings and share your overages and we will too!

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