Relief

What a relief when one begins to feel better but since I was in this place one time three weeks ago with this bout of Lyme's. I am resilent to claim I am on the mend for fear that the spirichete will morf again and I will be facing it's horrors.

Life altering experience

Lyme's has been life altering for me.
Let me count the ways.
I woke up and realized I need to go to town and get a job so Howard can quit working and we have a steadier income from me and I have some better medical insurance benefits. So as soon as I am well enough that is on the list.
God gave me an attitude adjustment. I realized I do not pray enough. As much as I covet other's prayer, I do not pray enough for others when they have a need. Here I sit begging for healing as many others and fear the worst that I will not be healed. I do know that God is merciful and has delivered me in the past. Why do I have this fear?
I have days that are good and days like today that there is pain and distraction that makes it dificult to work. I have decided to take less work for a time. I have asked for help with the gardening for the garden club.
I am willing to make changes and see errors in my ways. Whatever you want, God.

Sick and tired of being sick and tired

I have been dealing with Lyme Disease for more than two months, possibly three months. I did not recognize the symptoms, the bite and rash were on my scalp, under my hair.
The depression has been horrid, doom and gloom, worry, clouds of fear for the future. Feelings I have never had to deal with before even though I have lived with depression, on and off all my life. I can deal with the pain easier than the mood the descends into my mind.
Two weeks ago I started doxicycline and started feeling better day 6 of treatement, felt better three days then relapsed and was sick as ever with exhaustion, vomiting, nausia and pain. Three days ago I started a stronger antibiotic and had a better day yesterday. Praying, praying I will feel better soon. Concerned that I am taking the right treatment.
Howard went to the doctor yesterday, now being treated for Lyme, on an antibiotic.
Please God, heal me.

Two months of Lyme Disease

I thank God we have antibiotics because I could not have stood another day of the Lyme disease. A week of Doxacylin has me feeling so much better. I felt like I was whining all the time I felt so miserable with the pain and depression, exhausted and fatigued.
Anyways. I spent the afternoon helping Debby move into her apartment on the third floor. She is half moved in and spending the night there with no electricity. I am the only "friend" she could get to come through to help her move. Some friends.
Thank you God for antibiotics.

A letter to Dad and Jeanne

Tomatoes!

What is it about filling the cupboards with canned good that gives such a feeling of satisfaction?
The 20 quart pot is filled for the fifth time this season with something to can since the tomatoes came on. This time it is Spaghetti sauce, the time before it was a wonderful seasoned tomato juice. The pot full yielded 18 1/2 quarts of vegetable soup using the first few tomatoes to ripen, corn, beans, onions, cabbage, and carrots from the garden in a beef stock base.
My mother delighted in buying me tools for canning and the 20 qt. pot was one of the last things she bought me more than 22 years ago. She would love my kitchen now with all the tools accumulated and she would love that I do all this canning.
The tomatoes are pretty much the last thing to put by in jars and we have a such nice large crop this year I am making as much sauce as possible. When I am done I will give the last of the tomatoes to someone who wants to can them. I have been sharing a lot of the garden produce this year as there has been more than I have need or time to mess with.
I love this lifestyle, I think we are healthier for it. We eat well and have food to share with others. The gardening is healthy excersize for me as well. I don't have to do this work, it is a choice and a connection to the past that gives me a lot of pleasure.

My friend Donna Kuntz

When I was 30 yrs old I started walking "the Horn" after my daughter Daisy got on the bus for school at 8 in the morning every day. I met a lot of people that lived in Rockton and I am so glad I got to know several of the "old timers"
Donna Kuntz was one of those lovely folk who became my friend. Little did I know that my visits to her elderly father would endear me to her at the time. Many days I left my home for a walk depressed, often stopping to chat with Andy for 20 to 30 minutes as he sat outside to enjoy the day. As he got older and his health declined I made an effort to stop at the house and visit for an hour. Donna cared for her dying mother, Andy's wife and then Andy also. She appreceated the time I spent listening to her father's stories and lifting his spirits as there are few people who have time for an old man.
Andy had wonderful histories of the people that lived in Rockton during his lifetime, what it was like delivering mail, how hard it was on him when his baby girl, Donna got polio, the tragedy of his son's suicide, and the heartbreaking loss of Donna's husband during WWII while she was pregnant with their child.
I am gratefull my life was on a common road with Donna Kuntz as she enriched my life and I will miss her loving me.

Puttting up veggys

I love having jars of food in the cupboard that we eat. Over the years there have been foods put by that we didn't like or that the recipe didn't pan out. As a consequence, foods that are our favorites or get eatten the most.are what get canned.
Vegetable soup is a two day process and I get about 18 quarts that we enjoy for more than a year. The vegetables need to be ripe at the same time or some have to be bought or begged. This year the only thing I had to buy was the meat and celery and it is delicious, I had one quart that didn't seal that we ate for lunch.
Currently I am working on tomatoes, plain sauce, spaghetti and juice, plain and V8. I have been giving quite a few away because I don't have time to do the canning right away. Howard got the dishwasher (18") installed so I can wash jars in it, YIPPEE.
The glut of veggys is always a "problem" this time of year when time is a challenge to juggle. I took a large box of cabbage, tomatoes, greenbeans and carrots over to the shelter the other day. I am sure the indigent folks there enjoyed the homegrown tomatoes.
There are four wedding gowns and countless dresses associated with those weddings here to work on. I have been to the orthodontist's office (2 hr visits each time) three times in 7 days and as a consequence am feeling stressed to get my own work done. Then there was the depression and inability to deal with stress that I have been trying to get a handle on. On top of that a stressfull friend needed some place to stay till she could get some help. We got her into the shelter for now and hopefully she will get her life back on track.
I am needing some time to do some sewing without calls, folks dropping in and appointments so I can get some sewing done!

These days.

Back again and doing better.
I had a rough week of depression a few weeks ago after several months of being well without medication. It really caught me off guard when I began getting depressed late morning and it would get worse as the afternoon went. It was very severe for a week. I discovered the Neurontin I was taking at night for the fibro was helping the depression so I started taking it in the morning too. Also started taking sAMe every day too. I am feeling better but subject to stress so at those times I am taking a third neurontin to cover.

Transfering audio books to iPOD at two in the morning

Why am I awake? Did I drink too much coffee this morning? Are there too many cats on the bed? Possibly.
I love listening to audio books and if I turn the iPod on when I go to bed I don't want to quit listening. so I just finished up a neat adult fairy tale and wanted to add the latest two books I downloaded to my iPod. Now that that is done. I should go to sleep but the cats (three) are still on the bed so I shall sleep on the couch.
The last time I slept on the couch one of the cats brought a frog in the house and dropped it on my face which woke me immediately. I have had the opportunity to hold several of God's creatures lately because of the cats, the frog being one of them. Today it was a very new baby bunny. I did not think I was going to be able to get it from the cat, Patches but by the third try I was holding that precious thing. I held it till it came to it's sences and I released it in the woods. The other day it was a young bird that Cookie had caught that she allowed me to take from her. Again I held it till it became aware and let it fly away.
I am still feeling better and the dark cloud I was dealing with last week seems to be in the past. The terror that comes with those dark moods will be with me for a while. I needed to be reminded of that horrible place so when I have an opportunity to talk with anyone about their depression I will have that place fresh in my mind.
God is good.

sAMe and more neurontin

Depression hovered like a cloud over my head all last week. I recognized it right away even though I had very little of it over the past 16 years. The Effexor has been out of my system for four months and I have been feeling as well as before I went off the drug. The odd thing was I would wake up fine and the depression would begine to slide in around 10 to 11 am. I got to thinking that maybe the neurontin that I was taking at night may be helping and was wearing off in the morning so I began taking it in the morning also. There was quite a bit of relief but not enough so I added sAMe also and am feeling much bette but not totally the same.
I don't know what moods are normal for people. I can expect a down day but don't want it. I do a lot of self talk to banish the negative thoughts that want to run with my brain. So I am also taking some B complex and multi oil (fish, borage, flaxseed, etc.). This week is going better. I find myself praying more. I have lost some of the confidence that all will be well in the world. I am also getting rid of some of the stuff that is stressing me. (All the male ducks and the ducklings). I am making an effort to get my exercise a few thimes a week.
What's next? I am hanging in there!

What am I going to do with the squash?

Yep, folks better lock their car doors because I have got lots of squash and I pick it small!
I already grated a lot of squash and packaged it with the food saver and put it in the freezer but I suppose I can do some more.
Today Rylan (my grandson) and I dug up a row of Yucon Gold potatoes and had an interesting time. We found lavae eating the potatoes and doing a number on them at that. After some research I found that they are white grubs, the larvae of June bugs. They don't normally bother potatoes but the grubs were in the soil before we worked it into garden and found the potatoes growing around them to be good food. Four more rows of potatoes to dig when they are ready. We got about a half of a bushel of potatoes.
The mulching of gardens is going slow. I have been able to haul and spread two cartloads a couple times a week. It sure helps that we have had this cooler weather. The work is good exercise, especially for the abs, lifting forkfulls of mulch into the cart. The hardest part of the job is backing the cart up and getting it to go where I want it to go. Howard makes it look so easy!
I thank God that I found homes for all the ducklings except one and both the drakes. I was getting really stressed out aout the ducklings that hatched out (at least 24) and then I found two new nests the the ducks were setting on, AGAIN. So there are three ducks (hens) here and the goofy littly runt of a duckling that doesn't seem to be growing. I have everyone watching for a possible fourth duck that may be setting on a nest. She will come off the nest at some point if that is the case. It is also possible that something killed and ate her.
There are way too many critters in the neighborhood.We have a young racoon that is coming around and feels right at home here and I see that as trouble. Hopefully we can get him trapped and carried away. When Don and Deb came to check the corn they have planted here, they saw a good sized (maybe 200 pounds) bear headed for the garden, and Debbie went into action scaring it off . She has been salvating over this corn ever since we planted it in May!
Daisy took one of our cats and I hope he likes it at her house. The cats she brought to our house over the years sure like it here. So we are down to 6 cats which is a relief.
What a life!

Where is this summer going?

It has been a long time since I did a post. I have been working like crazy.
I have more sewing than I want this time of year! Now that the gardens are starting to produce I am trying to keep the sewing caught up (I am a self employed seamstress) so there is time to do some putting up of the vegetables.
We have been eating a lot from the garden, beginning with the lettuce that is now done. There must be a dozen smallish zucchini to grate and put in the freezer. We had BLTs, for supper tonight using tomatoes from the garden. Boy, they were good along with the cuccumbers in dressing. The beans are just now beginning to produce so the pressure canner will be dragged out of the cupboard soon

Daisy's cats were sick and she had me take them to the vet's for care several times. My hours are flexible and that's what Moms do for their kids. She had to have one euthanized and it was buried here along with countless others. It was not an easy week.

Tomarrow and Saterday the plans are to haul mulch since the weather has cooled off. I have tons of mulch, literally and what a blessing to have had it all delivered when tree trimmers were working in the area last fall. I hope my grandson Rylan will help me. We both need the exercise. A lot of the gardens have been weeded and some even renovated (ripped plants out and put new in) and all we have to do is put a nice heavy layer of mulch on the ground.

I have to remind myself to pray and have faith that all will work out as some things worry me more than when I was medicated with an antidepressant. I am still adjusting to no longer taking the Effexor Sometimes I get scared when before I was always confident that all was well. Funny what a pill will do! I had four days with depression this week that spurred me to start taking sAME. I really don't want to take an antidepressant as it has side effects I don't want to deal with.

Well, this long winded post should make up for the lack of posts lately!

Busy Summer

June just flew by!
The gardens are beautiful with perennials blooming like crazy and roses blooming all over the place. I just love those knockout roses. I got the garden at the mailboxes cleaned out and mulched today. I ripped out loads of quackgrass and put in a couple canna. So that is checked off the list of gardens to mulch.
The vegetables are doing great. Biggest onions ever and the tomatoes already have little tomatoes which is unusual but it is a great growing season with lots of rain, sun and warm temperatures.
Howard and I were worried we wouldn't be able to find a good mower deck for the cub cadet but we found a nice one for $150 that Howard will pick up tomarrow. That's what we get with the old lawn tractors, breakdowns and hard to find parts. We find everything new is junk and spends time in the shop which is a disappointment because the newer mowers aren't cheap.
I have the June bearing strawberry bed ready for mulch. It was a lot of work to get cleaned up and edged. We will have raspberries next year. I am astonished at how many canes came up with just planting 8 plants last fall.
The new raised bed is almost done. I have been filling it with composting organic materials (Lazngia method). I don't know what will I will plant there but it will be ready.
So once I get those two areas done I will move on to the pond. I am hoping to get it in a shape that it won't need much attention for a while, like a few years. then I would like to get some mulch in the perennial beds around the house. I am working towards having more shrubs than perennials for easier maintenance.
The ducklings are very confused about their mamas. Some are running around on their own, sometimes I see one duckling with what it thinks is it's mom only to have her fly away. There have been times that every one of the ducklings are with one mama.
As I have said many times, there is never a dull moment.
I hope I can find a good home for Oscar with the add in the paper offering the free neuter certificate to go with him. Found in the EatnPark parking lot three weeks ago, very tramatized, he is socializing very well. I think he will make someone a nice pet. I just hope it isn't me. :)

Annual sunburn!

So much to do, that I have to remind myself I have all summer to do it!
Last year this time I had Lymes Disease and was very sick, taking 6 weeks to feel real well, making it difficult to do gardening. Plants are all ready to go in the garden and holding well till I have time to get them in the garden. The soil is ready for them.
We have lettuce and spinach ready to eat but the peas grown on the outside garden fence got eaten by the ducks. Duh. No more growing them there.
Planting seeds in the coldframe to start worked very well. I transfered cole crop seedlings to cells to hold and they are doing well except for the slugholes. I had to put pellets (organic of course) out to kill the slugs. I have to stay on the ball and check on all the babies. I was on my way to Master Gardener (MG) job last week and remembered I had left the window down on the coldframe. I was worried but everything was fine, the frame did not get more thatn 80 degrees.
Cleaning up the potting table from the Down to Earth garden club plant sale is taking a little longer than wanted, plants and pots everywhere. We made about $1400 in a day and a half. Hard work last weekend, loading trucks, setting up tables, selling plants, giving advice, packing up and putting everything away. Whew.
I went to the Jefferson Fairgrounds to work on a MG project. We got a nice job on the first flower bed, ready to plant and several tubs planted and ready for our demonstration in July. We worked four hours there is more work there in the weeks to come. Then it was off to the City building, two hours there working on two of the beds. Hence the sunburn. Too much time in the sun.

The Family Life I Never Had

Howard and I went to Fort Erie to celebrate my dad's 80th birthday with him this past weekend, May 11th is the actual birthday. It is first time that I remember ever making a fuss over his birthday, going to dinner, making a cake, giving gifts, etc. It was a look into my family dynamics I never had before.
Paul, my youngest brother drove up from Texas and his son drove down from Cambridge, Ontario to spend the weekend. I have never been there at the same time as one of my brothers, yes and Dad is 80. Over the years, I have been the only one to consistently visit my father, wherever he lived. I don't think Jay or Dona have been to my father's house in the last 20 years, it's probably been longer than that if ever for Jay.
You are probably wondering why. It is as simple as brain disorders and alcoholism running rampant in a family and no outside the family support for a military family. Dad was very abusive, emotionally and physically for any number of reasons, to my mother and us kids. My mother left him when I was 13 years old, driving from Mobile, Alabama to Lebanon, New Hampshire in three days with four kids. We got back together within six months but a final break was established within another year.
There was a lot of pain and anger in there for all of us. Some have managed to get over it and some not. Paul has been sober 16 years today. I found a good drug for the bipolar disorder about that time also and was able to recover my life.
Paul and I have been able to express our wills to Dad because of an interesting incident that happened Sunday before noon. Dad said "I think I'll have a shot of brandy". Paul said "I'd rather you didn't". I said " I'd rather you didn't either, Dad. I love you dearly but I don't like you when you drink". So bless him, he skipped the shot of brandy and we had a great afternoon.
I do grieve the family life I might have had but will cherish all the more the times like this past weekend.

What a life!

I was not up long when the phone was ringing concerning a problem with the job in the wood shop supporting the floor of the apartment.
My intentions were to work on prom gowns (8 to be altered) when Paul (my brother visiting from Texas) left for NY and visit our brother living there.
Debbie Renner stopped to see about us planting some corn in the newly worked up garden that was Bill and Mildred's old garden 20 yrs ago. So I got the tiller running after I pulled a mouse nest made of duck down out from around the motor. We got rows set up and while Debbie planted five rows of corn I went out to the shop to see how the job was coming along. Ron had jacked up the floor 2 3/4 inches, making progress but what a mess! LOL.
Well I was dirty now and there was no going in to work on gowns so I spent the next hour or so pulling dandelions out of the new garden over at the pond. If I were to let all those seed spread I would really have a mess to deal with later. I rationalized the gardening by telling myself I needed the exersize. Yep.
I finished up in time to go in to the library to be part of an "expert" panel in a gardening program Friends of the Library was putting on at 1 pm. I wore my Master Gardener name tag. Woo Hoo! I was there mostly for moral support to Jan.
I made a mad dash for home thinking I would get some serious sewing done. Not! There was a young woman here that God had sent to me for help with depression. I had a talk with God. "You know I have all this work to do sewing and I know you want me to talk to this woman and help her. So You have to help me get this work done so I don't get stress and sick myself".I think I gave her the support she needs. I sent her home with Bcomplex, Omega three capsules and an audio on fighting negative thinking.
We ate supper and it was still crazy here. I decided to pay a couple bills and balance the checking account when Fred and Linda stopped in, then my 7 oclock appointment got here and left satisfied. Whew.
Well, what do you know. I finally got to working on a couple gowns at 8pm, got two done around 1am.
Now my head is swimming with what I need to do tomarrow.
Praise God for another day!

Glorious weather.

It is actually hot in the house tonight. I was the only person that knew that windows had to be opened and fans turned on. Two hours later it is getting bearable in the beadrooms.
There was lots to do outside so I did a lot of messing around in the gardens. I worked on potting plants for the garden club sale May 22nd and 23rd.

This is the first bed I took over at the City Building in DuBois for the Down To Earth Garden Club. There was a 15" Blue Spruce growing where the Japanese Maple is now. This a bed at the side of the City building. There are three Knockout Roses, not blooming yet but the tulips are beautiful. I am thinking about taking the shrub out at the left. I don't know what it is but it does not add to the bed.
I love doing these gardens but do not understand why I do them. It seems like a craziness.
I am working at making them sustainable, so they look nice with a minimum of care.
I know that the people working in the office that overlook the garden enjoy the view and people who work in this building take an interest in the gardens. I feel that I am making a possitive contribution to their lives as wll as my own. The work does give me enjoyment and a sence of accomplishment.

Squares at the Library

Another thing I did today besides Mary's hat was planted the squares at the Library. Cannas and Dalias in the soil and petunias in the pots. Not very showy yet but later in the summer it will look very nice. I want to put a few more plants in but this was a start. We have to put the pots in the squares otherwise people walk right on the soil and plants.

Too funny the parking meter looks like it is planted in the pot.

So I learned to post pictures here another accomplishment for today. I have some pics of the gardens I do in town but I don't think I can put them where I want them so I will put them in a new post.

I did not feel like I got a lot done today but I did a lot of differnt things. One job finished was a hat for Mary. The singles club is having a hat contest for Mother's Day so she had me make her a hat. She's happy and I got paid for that fun.

As you can see in the background the shop is full of gowns. They are all colors (three green) and styles. I have a couple wedding gowns to finish up and one coming in next week. Then I have all the regular stuff too.

It's been a while since I posted anything. I didn't expect for there to be changes in the way my brain works off the medication I was on for 15 years.
So I find myself dealing with automatic negative thoughts that I didn't have before, difficulty finding words and moments of feeling sorry for myself. How long will this last? Will I level out at "normal".
Work is going ok except for a few times of stress. So I am trying to walk more and do what is good for my brain.
The fibro pain is not better and may be worse.
I don't know if I like the limbo that I am in but I know that I can wait it out for a while.

Meanwhile the prom dresses are still poring in and I have a couple wedding dresses to finish up. Paul is leaving Texas for North, USA, Saturday and he will keep things hopping here while he is up.

Wish I had more time.

Day Neutral Onions

Did you ever hear of such a thing as day neutral onions? Well I hadn't either but it makes sence. Most onion's growth is controled by the length of the day and when day length reaches a certain point the onions begin to quit growing and go dormant. I got my onions in the mail yesterday and will plant as soon as I can get back out in the garden. I am curious to see what these onions do. I presume they will keep growing untill I knock them over which will force them to prepare to go dormant.

I planted day neutral strawberries this year also . June bearing is what I have always grown except for a disappointing everbearing that were not big enough to mess with. The day neutral are everberring and big enough to put together a desert several times during the summer after the main crop in June.

My peas are up amd I hope there are seedlings of lettuce and other greens since we got all the rain.

Now that I am considered a Master Gardener, I am busy working to get my volunteer hours (50 this year) that are require to maintain the status. It is basically a program that teaches gardeners to help and teach other gardeners. We will be doing two composting programs in the next couple weeks. A hotline has been set up to answer questions from people about plants and related subjects.

I have been working to get sewing jobs done but have lots to do outside. It becomes a juggeling act!

sayCheese Whey

I made my first cheese last week from some goat's milk that I was worried
would go bad. During my "research" I saw a video on cheese making that
suggested one use the leftover whey as the liquid ingredient in their bread.
Seemed like worth a try as the other alternative he offered was to water the
plants. So I used my trusty honey whole wheat bread recipe and used whey
instead of water and I must say the bread turned out better than the cheese!

I was a little concerned that the lemon juice I used to make the cheese, now
in the whey would adversely affect my bread but it did not and I actually
think the bread turned out better. It definately had a different crumb and
the flavor was good. One loaf down, one loaf popped out of the freezer to
eat.

Thank God for Neurontin

I woke up feeling like an old woman. Too much party.
I know the Fibromyalgia is aggrevated by sugar and I sure did induldge last night (fudge,cookies, pie), so I pay today. I think I may also have a sensativity to MSG as I was eating someone elses cooking and that may have been in the spices.
We met Daisy for breakfast and I was surprise (but should not have been) to have fibro pain at 9am. So I popped the Neurontin and a pain medication that didn't kick in till about 10:30. Then later again around 3pm. I don't think I would like my life if I did not have those two drugs.
The pain was bad a church so I went into the nursery and rolled on the floor with a baby and chatted with the lovely couple asigned to the nursery today.
I was able to return to the auditorium in time to hear David Scmidt tell us about his last three months in Haiti. He is a missionary that was raised there and has worked many years at a Seminary Campus totaling more than 50 years. His wife, from our church family met him in Bible college.
I did have a great time at the DCS scholarship auction last night. I bought quite a few items, one of them a geneology done by Paster Mark.
The items I made for the auction were a hit. Marion won the bid for the gold bag and gave it to Phyllis, God bless her! and I had a woman tell me today how delighted she was with the denim pillows her bid won.

We have gotten some much needed rain but with cool weather. The gardens were desperate for the moisture. I need to figure out how to post pictures here. so much to learn, so little time.

There were several cuts of meat thawed to cook in the fridge so I have them in the pots on the stove. I also mixed up some bread using the whey I had left over from making cheese this week. It is raising nicely and I am curious to see how it tastes.
Howard had to have some candy so I melted some chocolate and mixed it with peanuts for his lunch this week.
Laundry going too. Busy day for a Sunday!

Gardens

Juggeling here! Prom is in a month so I am getting a lot of calls and have several weddings I am working on.
Spring arrived early and so I am drawn to work outside to make it look nice and get the exercise. It has been so warm the daffadils have not lasted long but are beautiful. Peach trees, blueberries, lilacs, dogwood and ground phlox are just beginning to bloom.
My mother gave me the first lilac bought for the property for mothers day 30 years ago.
We really need some rain. I had to water some seeds I planted last week. Planted 24 day neutral strawberries yesterday.
So much to do so little time, so I am off to work.

Beef N Barley Soup

About 11 am I thought Edna's family would probably like some lunch to help feed the family that is in for her dad's funeral. What could I put together in a hurry? Well I have quite a few quarts of Beef and barley soup I had canned last summer. I called Edna and asked if I could bring over some soup for lunch and she said she would really appreciate it. There were several family members home and more to come tomarrow, totaling 27 in all.
I heated it up along with some ww rolls and took all over in a crockpot by 11:40. That's when Edna told me Beef and barley soup is her favorite and seldom makes it. A great thing is her little guy can eat it with his allergies. I told him I hope he likes it.
I was giving her daughter a hug when I shared with her that the only food people brought to the house for us was donuts when my grandfather died. We had traveled all that distance and there was no meal after the funeral service, but the counter was covered with donuts.
What an opportunity to love my neighbor and all I had to do was listen to a little voice that suggest I take some lunch over.

Two weeks off the Effexor

So far so good.
Very few brain buzzes these days. I am sleeping much better and bowels are working like a gem. I tear easily but have no depression nor am I easily stressed. (Dad was here three days and I am fine)
Waiting to see what happens with body weight, something that can change also. I am going to get more exercise starting with a walk right now!

bye Bye Effexor!

I am three days off the Effexor, antidepressant I was on for 15 years. It took 2 months of reductions to get off it. I tried cold turkey and got very sick, spending a whole day sick on the sofa.
I am still adjusting, and anxious to see how I do without it, but it is too soon to know. I tear easily, empathetic tears, no depression. I think the drug contributed to constipation and I have not woken and stayed awake in the middle of the night for two weeks.

All winter I had my nights and days mixed up like a baby. doing well now but have worked hard to get adjusted. Waking between 7 and 8 and going to bed by one am.

The drug went from $90 to $170 in 8 years and I pay cash for it.

I am hoping that it will make a difference in the fibromyalgia. I am always making some kind of adjustments to lifestyle to feel better.

I have taken D-Ribose for several years on and off. It helped but I could not find dossage recommendations till a few days ago. I found a recommendation of 5 g three times a day, so I have been doing that for a couple days now. Once establiushed in the system it is to be cut back. I am very proactive to stay well.

I wish I had another month of winter!

I baked some nice banana bread this afternoon. The challenge for me is to cut the sugar, some of the calories, make it healthy and still taste good. There was lots of banana, 3 cups so I doubled the recipe in my Cooks cookbook. 1 1/2 cups of sugar was cut to 1 cup, 4 cups of white flour was half whole wheat flour. 1 1/2 cups of butter was cut to 1 cup butter and 1/2 cup fat free yogert. I had four duck eggs and used them instead of store bought chicken eggs.

Supper was stuffed peppers using brown rice cooked in my own canned spaghetti sauce, stuffed into halved green peppers and baked in the oven for an hour. Yum. We eat good.

I wish I had another month of winter. Now, you don't hear that every day! Lot's of projects I didn't work on that I would have loved to. It's time to garden and the indoor projects are put away till next winter.

There are day neutral strawberry plants to put in the ground. Onion sets are purchased and the soil is waiting for them to be planted. Peas can go in the ground any time now as well as lettuce, chard, carrots and beets. The coldframe is empty and ready to plant cabbage, broccoli, brussel sprouts and tomatoes.
Countless outdoor projects to do, just have to figure out what order to do them.
There are several clematis to move to the trellis we moved last fall at the City Building. There is a beautiful hydrangia not getting enough sun in it's current location that I want to move here at the house.

Life is good.

Six duck hens are laying eggs all over the property. I do not want any clutches hatching out so I am going to have to keep an eye out and see where the nests are and raid them.

Goodbye Effexor

Finding a drug that gave me my life back from the Bipolar disorder when I was forty years old was a Godsend. Having taken it for 15 years I had reservations about continuing. What is it doing to my body? Do I still need it? It costs $170 a month and I know I will reach a point when I can't afford to pay the price monitarilly.

I tried stopping the drug cold turkey and got very sick. Not one of those drugs that you can do that! So I gradually reduced dosage with the doctor's help from 150mg a day to nothing.
What is going to happen now? What kind of changes will my body go through? Do I need to detoxify my liver?
Enough of that for now.

Yesterday I got some lessons on how to post pictures with captions and got very stressed. I did succeed but have much to learn.

Sring 2010

Welcome and here we go.

There never seems to be a dull moment around here, even when I can't sleep at night. If it isn't a cat fussing there is a racket on the porch because a possum has lifted the lid on the catfood can adn it is banging when it hits the deck.
I have enjoyed reading blogs and tutorials of others and hope to post some projects that I share with friends and think others would like.