Quartzsite, Arizona

We left Sonny and Mary's at 10 am. We had a wonderful visit with them.

We arrived in Quartzsite, Arizona at 2:30. We did not have difficulty finding a place to park our Montana. I took care of sitting up the inside of the RV. Dwain set up the outside, plus set up the TV and internet satellites. He also got the solar panel frame put together.

Tomorrow we will go the the Big Event tent. It is the last day. We will go in the morning. We want to be home by 1 pm because the AFC and NFC games are on in the afternoon.

Right now too tired to right so will head for bed and write more tomorrow.

Fibromyalgia on Facebook

I want to tell you about a Fibromyalgia site I am enjoying on Facebook. If you belong to Facebook, enter "Fibromyalgia" in the search box.

I receive GREAT support from members, female and male, although mostly female. They are supportive and great fun. I also find support in talking to others about symptoms. So many times we don't realize that something they are experiencing is a Fibromyalgia symptom. When we have that realization it is such relief.

Not feeling as well today as yesterday. Had to take add'l medication. Have errands and laundry to do this afternoon. We are leaving Apple Valley, California tomorrow.

Restful Day

Today was a quiet day. It rained buckets and the wind blew. Due to let up tomorrow. Got a few chores done, visited with Sonny and Mary. Also a telephone call with my very good friend Carol. So good to hear her voice. I miss her. She is always positive and makes me smile. I wish she and Bill could join us in Arizona if even for a week.

Tomorrow is errand and laundry day. Planning to leave Apple Valley on Saturday. We will drive to Quartzsite, Arizona, which is about a five hour drive, arriving in time to set up our dish and satellite..gotta be ready to watch the big football games!

My Fibromyalgia did well today. I had an hour and a half nap this afternoon. :D

I feel lucky...have you been lucky today? Maybe the cap came off the container easily. The door didn't hit you in the butt on your way out. Had the rain stopped when you needed to go outside? Your taxes are done. The baby slept through the night.

Bursting with Moments

"Get up and out. The day is bursting with moments" Renee Locks

When I read this quote, it tied in with my last writing on "joy." Our days ARE bursting with moments. We don't always recognize "moments" as we don't always recognize the "joy" in our lives.

I had "moments" with my friend Mary today while running errands. When we were ready to leave the department store, it was pouring rain. We decided to get something to drink at Starbucks, have a visit and wait for the rain to let up. Spending time with Mary is terrific fun. Because we decided to wait out the rain, we had "nose to nose" time for a nice visit with no interruption. We ordered our drinks and settled into a nice window seat. Watching the rain is calming for me. The rain did not let up. We finally made a mad dash to the car and returned home.

My Fibromyalgia began to protest because the blowing wind and I had gotten wet. A change of clothes helped, but for about an hour after arriving home, my legs were cramping and feeling cold. Other than that, my Fibro stayed in check today.

My "moments" during this short trip to the store with a friend?

1. Individual time.

2. Personal conversation.

3. Mary's impish personality.

She grabbed two large Target bags to put over our heads. Simple act... fun!

4. Because I am in a new city, I enjoyed the sites.

5. Less Fibromyalgia pain.

I'm sure there were many moments I should have recognized. I know that since the Fibromyalgia Disease came to stay with me, I recognize more than I did prior to its arrival.

Are you recognizing the "moments" in your life?

A Joyful Heart

"A joyful heart makes a cheerful face." Proverbs 15:13


Are you joyful? I have found it difficult to be "joyful" since Fibromyalgia came to stay in my life. When you have continous pain throught your body, 24/7, it's hard to be "joyful." On the other hand, I have found "joy" in people, situations and things. My family and friends provide joy on a continual basis. The clerk at the grocery store? A few days ago it was the postal worker. The simplest situations provide joy...sunsets/sunrises, hearing the voices of my grandchildren and seeing their joy of life. Your favorite music? Have you ever found joy in looking at a beautiful flower with drew drops? The joy of seeing the arrival of an airplane carrying someone you love? A see-through container with seashells that you collected yourself? Your favorite tea cup?

I hope you can find "joy" in your life...it surrounds you and when you find it, your Fibromyalgia feels better.

Purposefully find something that makes you "joyful" today.

On The Road

As you might remember, Dwain and I live in our 37' Fifth Wheel full-time. We gathered up our little house and hit the road on Wednesday. We are on our way south to the Arizona sunshine. We will take our time traveling. We spent our first night near Newport. Then on to Coos Bay where we will stay 4 days. Dwain is spending time with our friend, taking photos in the area. I have enjoyed most of the day accomplishing some needed tasks and visited with 2 friends. The 3 of us had a good fish and chips dinner at the end of the day.

My Fibromyalgia is doing well since we started our trip. I needed quiet time. I pushed myself over the holiday. I must find a solution to make Christmas festive ahead of time rather than having tasks close to Christmas. Maybe I can come to an understanding that many don't need to be done. I am aware I push my self too far and I need to remedy the situation.

I do enjoy our traveling. There is lots to see and many simple things in life to enjoy.

I'm Back Again!!

So...once my computer was replaced, a strong windstorm broke an important part on our internet satellite. We were able to get the part 4 days ago. I've missed blogging each day.

I hope everyone had a great holiday. We did. Our kids were able to come together for 1 1/2 days. It was great having them all under one roof, enjoying each other.

Nothing is Impossible

I apologize for the visual look of this post. I have spent alot of time trying to include spacing with no luck.

"There is a place in you where there is a perfect place.

There is a place in you where nothing is impossible."

A Course in Miracles

I think this quote comes under the heading of learning to have confidence in yourself. I was fairly confident prior to my diagnosis of Fibro and Chronic Fatigue. At that time, my confidence went in the toilet!

I know for sure (I sound like Oprah!!!) that my God and my family love me unconditionally. After that, how I fit in this world is shaken. I know I will be ok...I'm still "in there." I'm sensitive to how I will accomplish every day tasks; how I interact with others; what and when I eat. Should I drive or does my Fibro Fog cause distractions? The list is endless.

I'm working on regaining my self confidence. Learning who I am, because I feel different. This is a very personal journey. I can feel my progress. When my pain level increases, my confidence is shaky. I question my decisions and responses. Sometimes it's two steps forward, one backward. I'm gaining, but only baby steps.

My goal is to continue working on my confidence so it will allow me to try anything again. Well, almost "anything."

I wonder if other Fibro/Chronic Fatigue sufferers write "To Do" lists. They help me see my accomplishment.

Holiday Thoughts and Living with Young Children

I don't know how women with Fibromyalgia function if they have little ones. My FM came to stay after my children were grown and I thank God daily.

May you have blessed days during this holiday season. Take care of you or you won't be able to take care of your little ones. Ask for help even when you think you don't need it. Find a friend or family member who will take your kids periodically so you can rest. An older child can watch the younger one so you can take a nap.

When you cook a meal, double it so you have another meal, that includes salad. If your kids are older, ask them to help with the meal. Making the salad, peeling spuds, and setting the table are a few things they can accomplish. Stop and read to your children, you both get to sit down. While you are sitting, talk about your decorations, Christmas tree, etc. That prolongs your sitting time and you will enjoy what the kids have to say. Older kids can do laundry. The little ones should be taking their own dirty clothes to your designated spot. Heck, you can fold while you are sitting.

If your kids are older, they can wrap the younger ones Christmas gifts and bake the holiday cookies. I know it is something you have always done, but let go of wanting everything to look perfect and LET them! They can all vacum and dust. No it may not be perfect..it's ok. My friend Kristen's son, Alex, loves to vacum. While he is vacuming, she is dusting. He of course being small, wanted to dust too. :D So, Alex dusts the mop boards while she does the furniture.Young children can also make their own beds and put away their clothes. There again, it will not be perfect, but as they grown it does get better. My kids folded the wash clothes and worked up to bath towels. I always redid them..stupid me!! Only redo if they won't fit on the shelf. Here again, they will get better. Depending on their age, little ones can put the silverware away from the dishwasher. My hope is that you can relinquish some of what you do and give them pride in helping.

Stepping Stones

"Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass--it's about learning to dance in the rain." Pat Stepp

I'm back! It's been since November 10th since my last post, nearly a month. I've missed being here. My computer has been in the shop and I were told it died. So I purchased a new one. Decided to try a Netbook. Interesting...will take awhile to get used to the keyboard. As a friend told me..they are missing keys! Feels like it as the keyboard is small. Because I have typed for 42 years, I know that I will get used to the feel.

During the last month we traveled to Wallowa so Dwain could go on a hunting trip with grandson, Patrick and Patrick's Dad. Patrick got a 5 point buck with a 25" horn spread. As his Dad said, "It was a buck of a lifetime." While they were hunting, I stayed with Heather and grandson, Joshua. We were able to stay through Thanksgiving and enjoy a few of the boys' basketball games. My computer was in the shop while we were gone. I tried to use Dwain's but could not figure out how to get to my Dashboard to post. I said I've been a typist, not a computer engineer.

While packing the truck to return to the coast, I feel backwards, landing soundly on my butt, which propelled my head backwards to the frozen, gravel driveway. It bounced (must be made of rubber) and hit the ground twice. Of course when you fall, your whole body tenses. Because I have FM, the pain of tightening the muscles is more intense and lasts for days. My neck muscles hurt so bad that to turn my head left and right was miserable. My rib cage felt like I had done 100 sit ups. My hips were miserable too. Tensing my arm muscles causes me to loose the strength in my arms. I don't have alot of arm strength to begin with. Had to be careful for fear I would drop things. My head had a hard achy feeling for several days. Not sure I didn't have a concussion. It was definitely bruised to the touch. Noticed that when I lay down or rest my head against my recliner or car seat, it would hurt worse, so often kept my head to the right or left, depending on my need. Trying to go to sleep was ok until I rolled over in my sleep..OUCH! Now been five days since the fall and started noticing feeling better yesterday. So sure it will progressively improve.

So will continue to dance in the rain, while waiting for my storms to pass. Or is that, I will continue to step on stones, one at a time?