~ Cozy at Home ~

This weekend finds J at home!

After a very long work week, 

he has three days off.

Hooray!

The heat in east Tennessee is 

hovering around 95 degrees over the next few days.

And we are going to snuggle on the couch,

watch the antics of our critters and 

maybe a few movies.
In the cool, wonderful coziness of the A/C!

Oh, and watch the Indy 500.
J is a huge race fan.
Me?
Not so much.
But, I will watch.


Oh, the things we do for Love!


So, tell me.
What are you up to this Memorial Day weekend?
I would love to know!


Whatever you do, 
wherever you go,
be safe!
xo,
misha


{I just signed up for "Pinterest"..any helpful hints?}

~ A Window with a Feathered View ~

Outside our bathroom window is a glorious

Rose of Sharon.

It is full of thick green foliage 

and waiting on the blossoms that make it so lovely.

It is where we hang three Hummingbird feeders each year!

The Hummingbirds have arrived and

are feeding daily from the bright red feeders.

The felines have already been spying them.

The distinct buzz their fragile wings make,

let the cats know when they are drinking the

"pure energy" in their feeders!

Buzzzzzz.

 On Wednesday I noticed this trio was not leaving the window.

And again yesterday!

When I inspected further, by sitting on our front steps,

I saw a Mockingbird flying to the bush with a mouth-full

of twigs!

When she left to gather more nest-building material,

I inspected the bush and found the nest she is so 

diligently working on!

 The cats are in heaven.

The nest is almost eye level from the window,

letting every move that Mama Mock makes 

an event for these felines.

They have chattered non-stop!

Three tails swishing..

back and forth, over and over.

 But, eventually even a cat has to store up 

a little energy.

 Pippa and Sissy left the window to take a snooze.

And Mickey was the winner of the prime seat in the house.

He wasn't moving that pudgy little body for anything!

You can bet his feline dreams were filled with feathered creatures!

This weekend, J will put up a fence guard at the 

mid-way section on the Rose of Sharon.

To keep critters from making breakfast of 

Mama and Papa Mock and their soon-to-be brood!

I guess I need to move move the 

Hummingbird feeders to the Honeysuckle Bush.

Mockingbirds are known for being very territorial. 

Swooping down on humans and critters.

Along with the beautiful collection of songs they trill, 

copying everything from other birds to the tunes insects sing,

they also are known for dive-bombing any enemy.

Which is probably how Brutus got that 

little pecked, bald spot on the top of his head!

Oy.

~ ~ ~

I will be here tomorrow.

Asking you each a question!

I hope you will drop by and keep me company :)

Many hugs and kisses for all the sweet words

left on my last post.

You are each appreciated more than you know!

xo,

misha

~ It is what it is ~ The Diagnoses of Lupus

For a very long time I have carried the mantra,

"This too shall pass"

in my brain.

With each day always bringing new symptoms,
{from Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, and Rheumatoid Arthritis} 
I would tell myself that this was only temporary.
These symptoms would hang around awhile,
force my body into a Flare,
and then slowly, slowly, they would make their exit.
A week, a month, or longer..I would wait.
For the day I knew I was feeling somewhat better.
And my mantra was right.
It did pass.
Although never symptom free, I could then
function at a pace of a somewhat normal life.

This has been my life now for the last 5 years.
The first 4 years, I was able to function at a good level.
To still care for the horses, muck stalls, yard-work,
do all the grocery shopping, errands.. 
everything that takes the energy our bodies give us
to complete our daily tasks.


But, last June, I had to face reality.
Mornings found me unable to get out of bed
when the alarm clock said it was time.
And the insomnia that has plagued my nights 
for so very long, 
just increased the fogginess during the day.
The days became filled with heat and humidity.
And that only added to the intensity
of my muscle, joint and nerve pain.

So I tucked myself in for the summer.
Staying in the comfort of air-conditioning,
giving my body the break it deserved.
Summer turned into Fall,
Fall into Winter.


I felt like I was sliding down the rabbit hole.
The muscle and nerve pain was worsening.
And the unrelenting fatigue became so overwhelming,
that most days just lifting my arms or walking
from bed to couch, took every bit of energy my body
had stored in it.
Through all this, I went on a research mission.
Reading up on every disease that manifests these symptoms.




Then one morning in February,
I had a bright red rash across my cheeks and nose.
In the shape of a butterfly.
And I knew.

A tell-tale sign of Lupus.
I made an appointment with my physician
and he scheduled the protocol testing for this 
adding in a few other tests to cover all the bases.
It took a good month for everything to come back.
It came of no surprise that indeed I do have Lupus.


Even though for the months I was reading and researching,
becoming filled with knowledge of this disease,
it still knocked the wind out of me.


It's one of those things where you have to keep 
reminding yourself that this is reality now.
Having Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, 
Rheumatoid  Arthritis, and then
throwing Lupus in the mix..
Ye, Gads.
I sound like a train wreck!




Last week I began a new medication for the Lupus.
Until my body adjusts to this new med, 
the side effects for the first 6 months are pretty intense.
It increases my fatigue. 
Which means right now I am pretty much in the negative
for being able to bank any energy!
It also make me incredibly sick.
Very, very sick.
For all the reading I have done on this
particular med, 6 months is standard until my
body finally adjusts to it and the benefits kick in.

But, that's OK.
I have the time.
Since January I have pretty much been home-bound.
So having to deal with nasty side effects is just 
something I will get through.
Hopefully, none of the "bad" side effects that
remove certain patients from this drug 
won't happen to me.
As I only have a couple of other choices
when it comes to medications.
And the side effects of those are greater 
than what I am dealing with.


So here I sit.
Waiting.
For time to fly.
A whole 6 months.
And hoping for a few changes 
that may give me back some quality of Life.
~ ~ ~
What would I do without this place?
This blog of mine that has led me to 
wonderful friendships and a sense of belonging.
This little neighborhood I visit each day,
to catch up with all of you!
I would be a very lonely girl 
without my lovely community filled with people
who so graciously open up their own lives to share.
My quiet little world gets a little louder,
and a little happier each day I come here to visit you!
And when you visit me?
It is chatter in my living room!

So for now, I am taking this one day at a time.
Practicing acceptance.
And living in my new mantra,
"It is what it is".


Thank you so much for reading.
Have a glorious day, each one of you!
xo,
misha


Learn more about Lupus by visiting the
Lupus Foundation of America.

~ Waiting on the Wells Fargo Wagon ~

A week ago tonight,
our wireless internet router died.
Kaput.
No more.
Cease to exist.
I awoke Sunday morning to hear J on the phone.
I could tell it wasn't a social call.
Then I figured it was the "boss-man"
letting J know he needed to pack a bag
and head out for work.
Noooooo! I thought.
Then I heard J say,
"So we won't have internet service for a week?"
And I knew.
Goodness. Up to a week to wait for a new router.
I yelled from under the covers,
"That is unacceptable!"
~ ~ ~ 


When I was little,
my Aunt Debbie was often my babysitter.
Nine years apart in age we are.
{And you may know her from the comment section as "Aunt D"}
Although I am sure at times, she didn't
want to be stuck with me,
 it was downright fun and exciting for me!


One particular weekend my parents went out of town.
Aunt Debbie and her BFF,
also named Deb,
came to stay with me.
I was in heaven.
Me, the 8 year old, and the teenagers!!
I felt so cool when I got to hang with them!


These girls had something big planned for the weekend.
A party at my parent's home?
No.
Inviting boys over and bribing me not to tell?
No.


Both Aunt Debbie and Deb were active in
all the drama productions at their high school.
And they decided I was to attend the auditions for
"The Music Man",
of which they each already had parts!
Of course, my parents had no knowledge of this.

I was to try out for the part of
Amaryllis, one of Marion's piano students.
Could I act?
No.
Could I sing?
No.
Could I play the piano?
Nope!

I remember trying on every frilly, girlie dress in my closet.
They chose one that work for the audition.
They curled my waist-length hair and chose a 
big floppy bow for me to wear in it.
To make me look all the part of little girl in 1912.
And because they were not satisfied with my shoe
selection, we stopped at a Pay-Less shoe store
on the way to the audition.
I was the proud new owner of black-patent MaryJanes!


All threw this, I was memorizing my big lines for the audition.
"Can I have a drink of water?"
And Marion the Librarian corrects me,
"May I"
"May I have a drink of water?"


I had those lines down pat.
But the playing the piano part?
Um, no.
Of course, I didn't get the part.
But I did begin a long fascination with musicals. 


My parents, Nana and Papa, and I were all there
on opening night to see my 
Aunt Debbie perform in 
The Music Man!
And I knew every song because my mom had 
purchased the soundtrack for me!
~ ~ ~
And you are wondering...
What the heck does this have to do with 
our wireless router going kaput?

For years now,
whenever I am waiting on anything to delivered,
I have sung this song from The Music Man~


O-ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-comin' down the street,
Oh please let it be for me!
O-ho the Wells Fargo Wagon is a-comin' down the street,
I wish, I wish I knew what it could be!

All week long, in my quiet little world, I waited.

For the Wells Fargo Wagon,
disguised as a Big Brown Truck known as UPS,
to ramble down our one-lane road!
And finally, yesterday, it did.
A brand-new shiny wireless router was delivered.
Hooray!


I feel as if I am back in the land of the living!
Now take 1 minute and 23 seconds to watch
the clip from The Music Man
that I sang to the critters over and over again!
And see how adorable 
Ron Howard was as little child!   

Thanks to everyone who emailed this past week,
making sure I was OK.
I so appreciate it :)
I hope you all have a grand weekend!
xo,
misha

~ Mothering Sunday 2012 ~

My Mom at the farm in June 2010.

She is beautiful.

Inside and Out!

~

And to all the other mom's...

Happy Mother's Day!

Wishing each of you a beautiful Sunday.

xo,

misha