(no subject)

Just downed my 2nd glass of orange juice (thanks shana). Been decorating the mantle. No one ever told me this was hard to do. I have waited my whole life for a mantle and now I don't know what to do with it. Actually I got it how I want it, I think. I really want a nice nativity scene to put front and center. I think what was hard for me is that I like it simple and 5 stockings is not simple. So, I settled for some greenery, some glass cylinders filled with red and gold glass balls, and mine and chips stockings. I need to go to bed. Shana said I needed to go to bed earlier than normal. I also need to read my bible. Streed was giving me fits going to bed. He said, "Why do you have an angry attitude?" I told him it was because he was not going to bed. He said, "I think it is because we did not read the bible." I told him he was right and that I needed to go do that.

fyi: i do have a camera. a friend of mine found me one for $30 at an estate sale. i figured it would do until i could get a nice one and that it was better than nothing. but, there is no power cord and my computer does not support this size memory card. therefore, i am still picture-less in my posts.

tomorrow is 8 weeks

No, not pregnant. That is how long I have been sick. I was diagnosed with pneumonia on Sept 30. I took my antibiotics for a week then followed up with my doctor for a chest x-ray on Oct 8. It looked clear so he said I could resume normal activity. Apparently I am an idiot. I did not at all think that I should ease my way back to normalcy since I had basically been on bed rest for over a week. That very afternoon I went walking and did an insane amount of lunges. The next week I went on a field trip with Streed and then took Nate to his 18 month check up. Both of these excursions apparently put me around quite a few germs. Also during that week we got the financial news. So, I guess stress plus germs on top of a weekend immune system sent me into shock. The 17th I got a slightly sore throat in the afternoon that progressed into a severe sore throat along with fever and chills that night. I went to the walk-in clinic on the 18th. Swine and Strep tests were negative but with me just having had pneumonia she gave me Tami-flu just to be safe since I may have caught a virus. At some point I went back to my doctor because I was still congested and coughing. Another chest x-ray looked clear. The diagnosis was I may be getting a sinus infection and that it is probably allergies. He prescribed a steroid pack and Zyrtec. I took all that and saw no progression towards health. I called the doc on Nov 23 because I was pretty sure I had a sinus infection. I did not feel bad, probably due to the amount of drugs in my system, but all other symptoms were there. He called me in a Z pack. That same day a rash appeared from basically my scalp to my knees. I could not see anything on my scalp but it was itching terribly. I took some benedryl that night and went to bed. I slept but the rash was not better, maybe worse, when I awoke on the 24th. That morning, the day were leaving for Thanksgiving holidays, I went back in to my doctor to make sure it was not contagious. He said it looked like contact dermatitis rather than an allergic reaction to something I ate. So, the only thing I can contribute it to is either firewood or our citrus tree. Neither of these are new things I have touched but I touched them both that day. He said take Zyrtec. I did and it totally went away. For days I have had fluid in my ears. I feel like I have been swimming and need to jump up and down with my head tilted to the side. However, this does not help. Last night when I laid down I had pain in my right ear. Ear infection? Who knows. I feel like it is the plague. Chip and I just laugh when I have a new symptom. What else are you gonna do? I guess another $30 co-pay is coming my doctors way. Whoo Whoo!

*Disclaimer--I have never been to the doctor this much in my life. It has only been since moving. My sister asked if I needed attention. At $30 a pop + feeling like a hypochondriac, I don't need it that badly.

soon and very soon

I want to post a few things but right now I am in the throws of getting ready to leave town tomorrow. I have already squandered most of my kids nap time so I must put it into high gear. So, maybe tonight.

honestly

I was thinking today that I do not blog because there is just so much going on. Like everyone, life is busy. I just looked at several other blogs and just get overwhelmed at their ability to document everything. I am not there right now. I know I have been in the past. There really is a lot to say. Probably almost daily I think about blogging a thought, something the kids said, something I read, something to pray for. But then I don't. To be honest I think I was discouraged by the number of comments on my post about laundry verses the vulnerability about our finances. Even then I feel guilty about saying that and wonder should I erase that, will that offend somebody. I think I just at this point in my life feel better and maybe safer with my journal. I had no idea this post was going to go there. People that journal or write process as they write. I am that way. I thought I was just going to say that blogging overwhelmed me. I guess that was only partly true. I guess now I know how I really feel. to post or not to post, POST

the countdown is on

It seems like an eternity ago that I wrote NEW MOON across Nov 20th on my calendar. But much to my surprise it is now Nov 17th. I am not going to the midnight premiere but Chip and I are both excited about going Friday night to see the much anticipated sequel. To fuel my excitement, or to somewhat satisfy it, I have been scanning fan sites today. (Some people are beyond excited. They are disturbed.) I went to stepheniemeyer.com and read some of the Q&A on her page. I loved this question and answer...

My question for you is.... are you at all surprised by the variety in age of your readers? I am 32 years old and absolutely loved your books, and I know I am not alone, in many discussion groups I have found there are 30, 40, even 50 somethings reading twilight. Thanks and keep writing! - Amy B.

Because I wrote Twilight for my twenty-nine-year-old self and not for a future YA audience, it always made sense to me that women my age would get it the same way I did. Are you ever too old to remember falling in love for the first time?