First Times

Well they say there is a first time for everything.

I am trying to get some conversation going on Sexual Health Connection about people's first time of having sex. My goal is to show young folk, especially, that it is sometimes better to wait than to give in to the raging hormones. I do think many people regret their first time as they might not have been emotionally or physically ready.

So anything you have to add to such a discussion please visit this link!

http://www.healthcentral.com/sexual-health/c/824092/93661/connection

Remember that you can be anonymous in answering if you are shy about contributing to such a discussion.

I am going to be speaking...

at a conference! yaaaah!

I am nervous. I will need buckets under my arms for sweat! It is scary but also a great honor. I will talk all about it when I am done. I don't want to jinx myself. But I will be talking about things which are very important to me including the reason for why I write. My reason is a little boy...my son.

I love blogging...I really do. I was "blogging" before blogging had a name.

Words really do have meaning. It is possible to change the world through your words. What a long strange trip it has been. But...I would not change a thing.

Even if you are alone and think that nobody is listening to you....WRITE! It is important. You matter. And you can help someone else who thinks...nobody is listening. Know that no matter what you are going through...you are not alone.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend...I will tell you how it goes.

Thanks to anyone who still visits me here. I am so grateful.

The stuff in my mind...

Life seems...surreal lately.

It is like this big motion picture...you are a part of it...but you are also watching it as the film moves along.

What will happen next? Am I the main character or simply a bystander?

Read a book recently about a CEO who had 100 days to live. He had the "perfect death" where he planned out everything. And also wrote a book. Useful to the very end. I have decided I don't want a perfect death. I want real. This guy asked things at the end like "why am I here" and "what is my purpose?" but...I have been wondering these things since I was ten. I am always living like I am dieing.

Always been afraid of death. But now...I can sorta see it...understand it as a part of life. Had a friend who I confided in that I feared death and she says to me, "Wouldn't you, at some point, be ready for a new adventure?" I laughed out loud at her optimism. Death as a new adventure...well okay then!

Not sure how I got on such a morbid topic. Maybe it is the fact that yes....I want to live fully now...truly understand what is important and what is not.

So many people out there are not right in their mind...delusional. I have never had the pleasure of a delusion. Wonder what that's like. I am glad I am not that way despite how difficult life and reality can be.

I am glad I am alive. Grateful for the opportunity. The chance to help people. The chance to help myself. Even the opportunity for more pain...and subsequent growth. It is all good.

Hello world! I am here.

Come on over...

Hi guys and gals!

Just going to throw this little news blurb out at ya. Today the FDA approved Gardasil for males. Gardasil is the vaccine for the HPV virus...and was being used for females only. Now males can get it...and what it does it helps to prevent HPV from being transmitted to your female partner and...it also helps to prevent genital warts in males.

The population who can receive this drug are males from 9-26 years of age.

Please stop by the sexual health site to give your opinion on whether you think you would get this vaccine for your child. Please!

Here is the link.

I would be most appreciative! :>)

More to come...

Your question could be on The Washington Post!

Hi guys!

Listen...we have a special thing going on over at My Depression Connection where you can pose a question about faith and healing and if your question is selected...it will be posted on The Washington Post site....and answered by the faith and healing bloggers over there. So what do you say?

Come on over...join the discussion!

Here is the link.

I hope you all are well and...I am gonna try to be a super human here and be here and there...we will see if I can do this!

Thank you to anyone who still comes by to visit here!

The UNfriendly skies

I am playing hooky from my regular writing job to blog here! Shhhh be vewy vewy quiet!

Just went on a plane ride recently...haven't flown in several years. Sheesh. Now you can't even have a water bottle on the plane. AND they friggin charge you for each suitcase. They wanted sixty bucks for my baggage. So I put my purse in one...and just checked my big suitcase.

I was also wanded during my lovely time at the airport. Seems I wasn't fast enough getting shoes off, computer out of the case, and so forth. Then the plane was late.

But the icing on the cake...was the A-hole I had to sit next to. The plane was small and crowded and some big dude was yelling at the stewardess upon entering the plane. I think he was told to find a seat anywhere...and of course he had to sit next to me. "EXCUSE ME! I HAVE TO SIT HERE!" he bellowed at me. He threw the seatbelt across the chair and plumped his fat ass down and pouted like a baby. He had his Ipod touch out...playing games...and would not put it away for the take off. Meanwhile...I am terrified of flying. I am like white knuckling the arm rest as the plane takes off....and he is there playing games when he shouldn't be!

Then he spreads his legs wide as I am smashed up against my arm rest. I am a small person so...he was taking up like a seat and half at least. WTF!

What possesses people to act like assholes when they are in the sky? Is it suddenly suitable to do so?

Thankfully it wasn't that long of a flight but geez. Not a very pleasant experience. Next time I would like to take the train.

How have your flights been lately?

I am still alive!

Yes indeed...still alive and kicking!

I hope to revitalize this blog thang soon. Really and truly. I am amazed anyone still comes here.

One big change...I will no longer be writing about MS for Health Central. Waaah. Totally my decision....lots of reasons...but to the powers that be...I am praying and hoping that this change will make a big problem go away. BE GONE! PLEASE!

Wouldn't it be cool if you could just tell your problems to go away and they would? :>)

Hope you are all doing well.

Gotz to go to yoga now.

More to come...hopefully!

Please stop on by...

Hi guys!

I need to get with the program and keep up this blog!

Wanted to invite you all to a discussion I have begun on Health Central's MS site about Obama's proposed health care reform bill and...I want your opinions! You don't have to have MS to contribute. This is your chance to make your views heard as they may go all the way to Washington D.C.

Just follow this link!

We want to get as much discussion going as we can and try to steer things towards productive ideas or even solutions.

So come on over! Please!

Still here...

Hi out there!

I don't even want to know how long it has been. I am sorry for not being here. I miss my blog. I miss you guys. I am just busy. Same old same old. Trying to find a good way to maintain my blog here so...I think I am just gonna post my Health Central stuff here and links to find me there. I don't want to say that is my new home but it kinda is. My home away from home.

I hope you guys are all doing well.

Sending you all a big group hug!

Merely Me

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The Losses of Growing Older


There is nothing that gets you feeling more nostalgic than cleaning out the attic. I was cleaning out my attic the other day and I came across a box with maternity items in it including a brochure about breastfeeding and a well used manual breast pump. There were also maternity clothes, a few bibs, and a "boo-boo bunny" fashioned out of a washcloth. I held the bunny to my cheek. I had never used it with my children as it had been held captive all these years in this box. Then there was the bag tied with curled ribbons. It held all the cards I had received to say congratulations for having my babies. I opened one of the cards. It was from a dear friend from years ago who has since passed away.

I sat in my hallway with these things, remnants of a time of my life which will never come again. And then the tears came.

If you want to read more just follow this link.

It's a Man's World!

Hey out there!

She speaks! She is alive!

Ya know...life and stuff. And its summer. Too hot to blog much. But never fear...I am back and blogging. (I hope)

I did want to bring a very important matter to your attention. You want to know why I have Captain Crunch at the top of this post? Well I will tell you.

IT IS A CONSPIRACY!

Okay just listen to this list: Captain Crunch, Snap, Crackle, and Pop, King Vitamin, The crazy rabbit from Trix cereal, The leprecaun from that marshmallowy cereal, Tony the Tiger, Count Chocula, Franken berry, Toucan Sam...I forget which cereal he is from, and the list goes on!

Do you see what is going on here? There are no women icons for cereals! Don't give me garbage about now and then a woman is on the wheaties box. Okay...I am talking lasting icons here. They are all male. Find me a female icon for a classic cereal. I double dare ya. They do not exist.

What's up with this? Huh....huh? Yeah I dunno either.

While you are pondering the sexism inherent in children's breakfast cereals I will give you something else to think about.

As always I am writing tons.

Here are some links for whomever is interested:

1. On Health Central's Depression site I ask the question as to whether it is possible for depression to make one fall out of love.

2. Once in a blue moon I write something I am very proud of and this post on the MS site is one of those times. It just all came out of me and quite cathartic. I would be honored if any of you would come over to read it.

3. Let's talk about sex. Specifically...how illness can affect your sex life. Chime in with your experience right here.

4. Do you have a child who is hyperactive? Or maybe you are hyperactive yourself. Sensory Integration can help, I promise. Just follow this link to find out more.

5. You all know Dr. Deb right? Well she is just like one of the bestest bloggers out there who just happens to be a psychologist too. And she granted me an interview for the Friends of Quinn site. Please come check it out here.

I hope you all are having a magnificent summer thus far. Stay cool! Eat some Captain Crunch for me despite the sexist ramifications. At least the captain could have a girlfriend or something...sheesh!

My love of cheese

I do...I love me some cheese.

I love swiss, cheddar, and string mozzarella. But...just recently I have found THE cheese of cheeses. It is called Robusto Gouda and it is to die for...it has this nutty flavor which is intense...just a little bit of this stuff packs such a flavor...you will begin to crave it. Found it in a health food store in the cheese aisle where they had samples. Just one taste of this stuff and I was in love.

Cheese can be like that.

But some cheese is not cheese at all! I dare say there is cheese fraud going on out there! And I am here to warn you of it. I had never ordered a Pizza Hut stuffed crust pizza before. And so I finally caved in to seeing those commercials of hot melty cheese in the crust and...my family ordered one.

All I can say is "YUCK!" and...what is that stuff? It didn't taste like any cheese I have ever had. Instead of chewy...as mozarella cheese should be...it was the consistency of...glue.
I was very disappointed.

Have any cheese stories? I want to hear them but of course I do!

In the meantime...here are some links for you!

On the depression site: Social Skills for the Depressed and Socially Anxious

On the MS site: "But I'm Not Quite Dead Yet!" Mortality and MS

On the AHD site: When "Good Job" doesn't cut it: Alternative Ways to Praise

On the Friends of Quinn site: Walking in my Son's Shoes

On the Sexual Health site: What you need to know about Urinary Tract Infections

If you ever wanted to be like Doctor Ruth and answer sex questions here is your chance! Come on over and give your opinions and share your expertise right here. The world can be coming to an end and people will still have sex questions.

That's about it for now. Thank you to everyone who has stuck with me here. You are too wonderful for words.

May is National Masturbation Month!

I bet you didn't know that.



Sorry to be so late to inform you of this fact. You only have a few days left to catch up! :>)



I do apologize for not being around so much. Just so much to do and only one of me. I miss my blog here and I miss you guys. I know things do get slow when we head into the summer months. I feel the need for a hammock. Actually I always fall out of those things. But the thought is appealing.



I hope everyone is doing okay.



So what shall we talk about? Okay how about the topic of masturbation?



I wrote a question of the week for Health Central's Sexual Health site about that Oprah show where Oprah and her best friend Gayle got into it about whether or not parents should discuss the topic of masturbation with their kids. You can find my question about all this right here. I would rather you answer there than here if you don't mind terribly. I am trying to get some more community discussion on the site and it is like pulling teeth! So come on...don't be shy...voice your opinion.



And now for something completely different...



Have you ever wondered about the gluten free diet craze? My son is on such a diet and I feel that it has helped his allergic symptoms immensely. It seems to also have helped his behaviors. This diet has been used too...in order to lose weight by some. If you have any experience with this diet or just want to know what it is about come on over to read and to comment.



And on the Friend's of Quinn site I talk my personal experience trying to undo comments made by teachers due to some of my son's learning disabilities. It is a great site...I do hope you come to visit. Just follow this link.



On the Multiple Sclerosis site I have a two part series about the doctor/patient relationship. Doctor Sethi, a neurologist and fellow blogger has written the first part about his views on this topic. He did such an excellent job...I am hoping you can come by to read here.



I could definitely use your help on the depression site. I wrote up a lengthy piece about how to find mental health services including medication if you have no insurance or money. I would be most grateful if anybody could add more links to resources right here.



Also if you have ever taken antidepressants or are currently taking them...I have a discussion going on about side effects to meds. If you could share your experience here that would be wonderful.



I am going to really try to get with the program and write more freely here. I don't want to lose my spontaneity and free spirited writing.

So what is going on with you? Tell me all that I have missed!

Will write for donuts!

Or brownies.

I bought the most lushious brownies yesterday...they were huge with gooey chocolate icing on top. Just to die for. There were four of those big suckers in the package and I only have one left.

I will be extremely sad when my last brownie is gone. My precious! PMS and brownies go so well together. TMI?

Okay enough of my hormonal indulgences. It is time for links!

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1. Friend's of Quinn site:

Look Beyond the Label and Discover the Gifts

2. ADHD site:

My Interview with Thomas McKean This was such a great interview with my friend Thomas who is on the autism spectrum himself. He talks about what life is like for him as an adult who has autism.

3. Sexual Health Site

My Question of the Week is...do you think sex stops at 40? What can respark sexual desire and interest? Stop by and give us your suggestions and comments.

4. The Multiple Sclerosis Site

"I'm not drunk, I just have MS!" Slurred Speech as a symptom of MS

5. My Depression Connection

Are you sabotaging your happiness?

Midweek Muse: Inspiration to get you over the hump


Stop on by to any of Health Central's sites. Show off your writing. Get noticed. Come answer some questions and help others. Make friends. All that cool stuff.

See you next week...

Change and a New Focus

Well...

Change is sometimes wonderful and especially when you call the shots and decide for yourself what is best for you.

Been writing about Multiple Sclerosis now since before my diagnosis. And I will continue to write about this topic for Health Central but I have decided that the extra responsibility of being the site's Community Leader was too much for me. I have multiple reasons for not wishing to continue on with my leadership role there but my primary reason is to preserve my mental health.

It never sat well for me to think about my disease 24/7.

I am so deeply affected by the stories I hear that sometimes I break down. I think the story that tore me up the most was a daughter who was asking if it was the end for her mother who had been struggling with her MS for decades. This daughter's question about her mother's end of life struck me to the core. I could not read her story and not feel that pain so acutely. I sat here and sobbed.

And then I thought, maybe I am not emotionally ready to dive into the deep end of this topic. I have always immersed myself in mental health. I am not afraid of mental illness. I am not afraid of autism. But I have to tell you that I am afraid of MS.

I cannot remain clinical and objective as....I have it.

When I found out that my son had autism I researched into the wee hours of the night. I went to conferences and still do. I read all the books. I always want to find ways to help my son. But for Multiple Sclerosis...I have no desire to be in some desperate place where I am seeking cures or obsessed with the details of this disease.

I want to live. I want to be happy. It is not mentally healthy to live and breathe MS. I am not my disease. I want to focus on wellness and sanity.

I want to help people the only way I know how...to share my humble experiences in coping with my MS. So I will have my own little island there to write. That is about all I can emotionally handle.

Besides...I would much rather talk about sex than MS any day of the week! It's like...gee...you wanna talk about my brain lesions? "Uhh....I think I will pass on that." But if you ask people if they want to talk about sex then you usually get a more gleeful reaction. :>)

I am very happy with my choice to change to being the community leader for the sexual health site.

Sometimes change....can be very good.

My Political Crush

Okay okay aside from our President...I think the hottest guy in politics has to be....



Drum roll please



George Stephanopoulos

Come on...he is totally hot in that chipmunk cheeked kinda way doncha think?

Who is your political crush? Do tell all!

Got some links for ya.

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In an attempt to get some conversation going on Health Central's Sexual Health Connection I will be asking a question each and every Thursday. Please feel free to join the discussion. We can all learn from each other.

My question for this week is...

I am not gonna tell you this time! You have to come over to read for yourself. Pretty please? With sugar on top? Just follow this link!

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To find out what my Depression Connection question of the week is come and read and join the on-going discussion right here.

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Mood Disorders and MS? You betcha! They seem to go hand in hand. To find out what other MSers say about this topic click here.

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Detecting the Early Warning Signs of Autism

It seems that there is more awareness than ever about autism these days. When I go to the bookstore there are multiple shelves reserved for books written about this disorder. There are more news articles, more research and more public discussions about autism than ever. This greater awareness may be due to the growing rates of children being diagnosed with an autism spectrum disorder. Some estimates report that one out of every one hundred and fifty children living in the United States may be diagnosed as having an autism spectrum disorder.

Yet with all this greater publicity and awareness, autism continues to be a most perplexing and mysterious neurological disorder. I contend that autism is not an easy disorder to detect early on because the child may not show all the signs right away. Add to this, every child on the autism spectrum is unique and may show vastly different symptoms than another child on the spectrum. All we really have to diagnose autism is a list of possible behaviors which the child may or may not display at any one time.

My two sons could be a case study in this confusion.

Want to read more? Just follow this link!

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How to Deal with Difficult People

Sometimes I think Sartre had it right with his infamous quote, "Hell is other people." Okay not all people by any means, just some particularly difficult people. We have all had the experience of dealing with a difficult person in our life. This person may be a neighbor, a co-worker, a boss, a friend, a parent, or even your spouse. A friend of mine once said that some people go to therapy and some people cause other people to go to therapy. Let's face it, how many therapy sessions are probably spent discussing the difficult people in our life?

What defines an individual as being "difficult" is totally up to the observer. I have met plenty of people who I feel are pleasant personalities only to find that others may view this person as totally abrasive. Then there is also a range of difficult as some people may only be mildly annoying while others may be abusive and downright toxic to our mental health.

Follow this link to read more...

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Playing the MS Card

I can hear your indignant cries right now. What does she mean, playing the MS card? Well, I mean using the fact that you have Multiple Sclerosis to get out of doing things you would rather not be doing. You know like chores, attending boring social engagements, or in my case, using my MS to save face for quitting martial arts.

I have never been athletic. As a kid I was always one of the last chosen for sports games. I still remember the humiliation of standing on colored circles in gym class according to height. There I was at the beginning of the line in my blue zippered gym suit standing next to August Soldano, the other shortest kid in the class. We would look at each other like stranded Lilliputians on an island with a tribe of tall, well coordinated savages. These savages would take out their god given gym talents by beating us smaller kids at every competitive game and sport.

To read more of this story just click right here.

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I hope you all have a lovely weekend and I will see YOU next week!

Sex and other stuff!

Now here's something fun!

Come and participate in my Sexual Health Connection question of the week which you can find right here!

The question is..."What do you wish your parents had told you about sex that they never told you?"

And for those of you who would like to present your writing to a wider audience, the theme I want to initiate on the sexual health site is....share your story about "the sex talk" you received from your parents. I imagine for a lot of us of an ahem...older...generation....there may have been no talk at all. Anyways...everything is all set up on Sexual Health Connection for you to set up a profile (you can be anonymous) and share your story.

Come on...it will be fun...something different than the norm to write about.

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Next I want to tell you that a friend of mine and fellow MS blogger has joined MS Health Central and will be writing some posts about her experiences in living with this disease.

Please do stop by and say hello to Vicki Bridges in her introduction which you may find right here.

What I love about Vicki is her kindness and compassion and hey...she is one terrific writer to boot. She used to be in journalism and it shows. Vicki is also one of the most positive people I know. In reading her posts...I feel like I can handle what comes my way. I can't say enough good things about her. So do pop by for a visit.

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My latest post on the depression site is about my father. It was a little difficult to write but I am very proud of this piece. There isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about my father despite the fact that he died forty years ago. I am 44 in case you are wondering. He died from his alcohol addiction.

My fondest wish is that someone will read this piece of writing and some little girl or boy will not have to live life without their parent as I did.

You may find my writing here.

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On the ADHD site we are continuing to discuss Autism Awareness Month. I had the honor of interviewing Stephen Shore by telephone for this purpose. Stephen Shore is a fellow co-contributor to the book, Embracing Autism and he has written more several books himself. Stephen is on the autism spectrum himself and is a wonderful advocate and speaker about how to best help those individuals who share a diagnosis of autism or Asperger's Syndrome.

Please do come by to read and comment upon Stephen's fascinating interview right here.

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Lastly but not leastly....

I will be writing for Health Central's Friends of Quinn site which you can see right here.

Quinn is a more than remarkable fellow who writes about his first hand experience as a young adult who has learning disabilities. He was just on The View with Barbara Walters just the other day. His site is absolutely going gangbusters with lots of wonderful support and feedback. I would absolutely encourage you to join the site.

I am absolutely thrilled to be able to contribute in any way to this site and I will begin doing so come May.

I think that is it! Happy Over the Hump Day everyone!

Beyond Synchronicity

Been more aware of synchronicity lately. I have always promised to write about my personal experiences with it. But I fear that in the translation, I will lose the magic. Ya know?

It is like this secret that I share with the universe.

Let's just say that I am grateful. I am so damn thankful for so many things...so many chances...so many opportunities.

I will just relate one moment in time which is about more than synchronicity. I suppose one could say that it is about faith? It was shortly after my diagnosis with Multiple Sclerosis. I was having a bad day. I was having symptoms and feeling both exhausted and dizzy. My youngest son who has autism was also having a bad day which had resulted in tears of frustration. I remember sitting down on the living room chair and staring at the wall. It seemed time was slowing down to accommodate my inner bleakness. There was this sideways glimmer of light cast on the wall coming from the window blind slats. I watched it creep almost imperceptibly across the wall.

I became entranced with this light.

It felt as though the light was a warm bath warming my body and warming my soul. There was just something so hopeful about it.

I thought about my life and wondered where it would go. I wondered the things that you never want to think about. What would become of me? How could I keep on caring for a child who needs so much care when I now have neurological issues myself? I was on my way to drowning in my fears when I saw that light.

And this still voice inside me told me that it was going to be okay. The voice wasn't something you hear. It was something you feel. It came from inside of me yet it was as big as the universe.

Strangely...I felt that what was happening in my life was meant to be. I *knew* that as difficult as things might become, I would be given the tools with which to handle it. And I strongly intuited that my writing would be one of these tools.

I know this sounds like crock of doody. But seriously...I will never forget that moment I had. I don't want to ever forget it. I don't want to ever lose that connection to something deeper...something so certain.

I will not label it.

Is Twitter for Twits?

Need a good mystery?

Well all you gotta do is go to the internet. It is full of intrigue! Just imagine that someone out there may not know what I am doing minute to minute on Twitter! OMG! Is she picking her nose? Sorting laundry? Eating a twinkie? Alert the media at once!

We are all...so...damn...important on the internet.

It is like we are the Pied Piper...come "follow" me. You don't have friends anymore...you have "followers." Sounds like a stalker's paradise to me. (and it quite often is. *wink*)

Our attention spans are so small now we are reduced to so many characters of expression.

It seems to me that our internet evolution is more like a devolution. Make no mistake that we are morphing into more primitive forms. Soon we will need no words at all. Just send an emoticon.

Have you noticed that people aren't talking anymore? We are just shouting out mindless drivel into the ethereal space.

"I LIKE CHEESE"

"I ONCE TOOK THE HEADS OFF ALL MY BARBIE DOLLS"

" MY DOG'S FARTS SMELL LIKE BACON!"

"IT LOOKS LIKE A SASQUATCH TO ME. WHAT DO YOU MAKE OF IT?"

(warning...never let bloggers blog whilst drinking spiked lemonade)

Well holy Pastrami my fellow bloggers and bloggettes! We must hold some sort of standard for ourselves. We shall use complete sentences! We shall form complete thoughts! We will not fall into the Darwinian Internet cesspool!

Just say no to twitter.

(okay at least until tomorrow. Don't make me come there and give you a twittervention)

Now what was I talking about?

Oh yes...I am happy! You know why? Sex.

It is totally true. In my quest for health site domination I am now the community leader for the sexual health site on Health Central. I ain't lying. Seriously...I am. And to prove it, I spent some of this past weekend writing about gonorrhea. Yeah you try to spell that word over and over. Okay a bit of trivia...do you know why it is called "the clap"? Because the treatment they used to use for men was to clap the sides of the penis to rid it of green or yellow pus. Yeah...that sounds...pleasant. Do you know any historical figures who had gonorrhea? Huh? Do ya? Well I do.

To find out the answer to this and even more questions I know you must have about this particular STD...go here! And did you know...it is STD awareness month. Yes indeedy.

You all are welcome to the sexual health site. This is my personal invitation to you. The focus of the site is going to be more on fertility and pregnancy but both men and women are definitely welcome. Come on over and answer my question of the week at least. Pretty please?

All right enough about sex!

Now for a little depression. Okay let me rephrase that. Now it is time for some mental health!

Have you ever wondered how Buddhist philosophy would help with regaining mental health?

Well I did. I did an interview with a friend of mine who is very knowledgeable about Buddhism (he is the editor of a Buddhist magazine) and gave me a unique perspective on hope and healing from depression. I hope you will be as enlightened as I was to read what he had to say. You can find that interview right here.

And of course I welcome you to be a part of the depression connection discussion of the week which you can find right here.

I would be happy if you ignore everything else I write but came here instead to read my interview with Robert Parish who does some amazing work in creating documentaries about autism. He was my editor for the book I am in....Embracing Autism and...in honor of Autism Awareness Month I really want to get the message out about this topic. Writing about autism is my first love. Writing is my way to give back.

So if you could...come and read and comment. It would mean a lot to me. Just follow this link.

And lastly but not leastly...

I wrote about vacationing when you have Multiple Sclerosis. I wrote about going on a trip to hell...oh I mean Walt Disney World during the time right before my diagnosis. I didn't know I had MS and it made for an exceptionally "interesting" trip. If you have MS and you have a story to tell about vacations or travel please do stop by and either share it in a comment or sharepost. I could sure use some tips and I am sure our readers could too.

Okay so...I know I am a total loser for not visiting you more often. I will get there....sometime soon...like after I eat some more jelly beans and the rest of that rabbit and the ham and...the rest of the christmas candy in the back of the fridge and...

I will be by soon by golly! Or my name isn't matilda magillucutty. Okay it's not but that is beside the point.

signing off now...

toodles!

A question and some links...

Oh lordy I am so tired! Seriously. My bones are weary. I am in the mood to watch bad tv and go to bed early. But the one happy thought I have right now is that today I bought myself a chocolate easter bunny! I know...I need to get out more. Hey...the little stuff makes me happy...what can I say?

Ummm....okay....how about a question? Let's see...what do I want to know about you?

What do you hope the Easter bunny brings you?

I never tried using a different colored font. whoohooo! Excitement! See...I told you I need to get out more.

And now it is time for zeee links!

Contain yourselves. All three of you. I fear that I have permanently lost readers due to my negligence. I am trying to find balance and sanity. I have been very happy with my writing. It is just hard to find time to connect. I do apologize. I promise to visit soon. Now where have you heard that before? :>)

* Do you know someone who has a child who has just been diagnosed with autism? You probably do. The incidence of autism is rising exponentially. In honor of autism awareness month I have written another article specifically targeted to parents. If it helps but one person then I have done my job. Follow this link to read my post on Health Central.

* Sexual assault is not something we like to think about but it happens everyday. My sister was almost a victim but she actually talked her way out of being assaulted. I think this is unusual. What can be done to minimize the chances of being sexually assaulted? I give but some suggestions. I am hoping others can chime in with more. You can find my article about sexual assault right here.

* My journey towards a diagnosis of Multiple Sclerosis is a very interesting tale if I do say so myself. I have not even told the half of it on these videos. Much of it involves synchronicities which I still find hard to believe. Did you know that I had no idea I had MS for ten years? And then I went to see an eye doctor for reading glasses, told him about a single eye incident which happened over a decade ago and he warns me about MS. I had no symptoms other than optic neuritis. I had no symptoms when I saw this eye doctor. But then...after he talks about MS...I start having symptoms. Was I crazy? Noooo. Turns out I had it. Want to hear the whole story? Come view my videos. We are on Part Three.

* I have initated a Question of the Week over on MS Health Central. No I will tell you the question here....you gotta come over and see what it is. Curious? Stop on by and join the discussion already in progress.

* Can you imagine a world without antidepressants? Did you ever wonder how the world survived without them? It seems...not very well. Treatments for depression over the ages have been um...not so great...to put it mildly. As much as we may complain about the treatments today for depression, at least we have some choice. I give a tongue in cheek romp through the history of depression treatement with my biased commentary. I really enjoyed writing this piece and it is one of my better writings if I do say so myself. I hope you stop by to read and to chime in with your own insights.

* And lastly but not leastly...come and join the on-going discussion about what you would want someone to say to you when you are feeling depression. Just follow this link.

I also wrote a piece for a chemical dependency newsletter but I am still awaiting a link!

Okay so now you understand why I am tired and in need of a chocolate easter bunny.

I hope you all have a great weekend. Save some bunny ears for me....

Question for the Day!

What would make you happy at this exact moment in time?

And now...for some linkys!

* Did you know that April is Autism Awareness Month? Yep. And I wrote a piece that I am really proud of. Actually it is an excerpt from a diary I wrote when my son was in the process of being diagnosed. It is very pure as it was happening right then. If you want to read any of my pieces today...please come to read this one as it is very personal and has a lot of meaning for me.

Just follow this link.

* I made some videos recently to tell the tale of my journey towards diagnosis for Multiple Sclerosis. If you want to see Merely Me up close and personal here is your chance.

Here is Part One of my story.

And here is Part Two.

* How does a parent handle when their teen is depressed? Find out here.

* And lastly...a very serious topic. How can you decrease the risk for sexual assault? Here are some safety tips from my research.

That's all for now...I hope you are all doing well!

Just Links!

Addendum: Sometimes you come across something that just tears you apart. This post did it for me. It is a daughter discussing her mom's possible last days with having Progressive MS.

Don't even bother with my links...go here instead.

This post will stay with me for a long time. I don't know why but I can't stop crying.

------------------------------------

In lieu of the fact that I am losing my marbles (has anyone seen them?) I am finally posting my links now on Saturday! This week went by so fast that I have yet to catch up. I have tons of good stuff to share.

So without futher ado...

On MS Health Central:

*Can one exercise when you have MS? Ya sure can! Which reminds me that I have to get off my duff and do it! Here is my latest post on Health Central about MS and exercise right here!

* Next up are some contributor posts about MS and exercise with the wonderful writings of our Nadja, Vicki Bridges, and Schmoozin Susan, OT extraordinare who also writes for Stu. Nadja writes about yoga and MS, Vicki writes about exercise from a wheelchair, and Susan writes about exercise from the standpoint of someone who has MS and is also an OT. Please do stop by to read and to comment. These ladies did a fantastic job! Just follow this link.

* Doctor Nitin Sethi, who is a neurologist, answers some reader's questions about MS. You may find that Q& A right here.

On Health Central's Depression Connection:

* Many years ago I had a miscarriage. It was one of the most emotionally devastating events in my life. I wrote about my experience in hopes that it would be of help to any other woman who has gone through this. It is one of my better pieces. I do hope you will read it. Here is the link.

* Here is something new and easy! There is no article to read...just a question of the week! Come on by to join the discussion of what helps you the most to cope with depression. Just follow this link!

On Health Central's Sexual Health Site:

* My post about the emotional pain of infertility is still up. If you haven't read it or know someone who has gone through this please do stop by.


On Health Central's ADHD site:

* If you have a child with special needs it is sometimes difficult to find an appropriate education for your child. My solution was to become one of the growing ranks of parents who homeschool their child having special needs. To get more information about homeschooling to see if it is right for you just follow this link.

T-t-that's all folks!

And if you need a cute kitty fix just see my post below!

Devious Cats Unite!

I still remember a joke from the Bob Newhart show...where someone asks him, "Do you have cats?" And Bob says "No" and the lady asking him says, "How do you know?" And of course Bob gives that deadpan double take he is so famous for.

Okay...maybe you had to be there.

But seriously...if you are into cats you gotta get this new book out called, The Devious Book for Cats.

And speaking of devious cats...my miss Mew Mew is still stealing things from my bathroom! Now she is into carrying around plastic cups! She trotted off with one the other night and I took her photo. Now tell me she is not the epitome of "devious."

And here she is elongating herself to new kitty lengths.

I have lots of links to share but I am too tired to post them now...perhaps tomorrow.

Stay tuned!

Gentlemen prefer blondes...

I had only seen clips of this infamous movie and especially Marilyn's rendition of "Diamonds are a girls best friend" but until last night I had never seen the entire film.

In my quest to see all the classic films (and yes I say this movie is a classic) I rented Gentlemen Prefer Blondes from Netflix.

I must say...this film was a delight! It was terribly corny with the dance routines and all the breaking out into song but it worked. It was fun and who knew that Marilyn Monroe was funny.

Here are just some of my reflections and ruminations:

* Marilyn Monroe was born on June 1, 1926. So she would be 82 today. Hard to imagine isn't it?

* This film came out in 1953 and so Marilyn was in her late twenties then.



* Here are someof my favorite quotes from the movie:

----[Staring at Lorelei and Dorothy] Evans: Say, suppose the ship hits an iceberg and sinks. Which one of them do you save from drowning? William J. Stevens: Those girls couldn't drown.

Esmond Sr.: Have you got the nerve to tell me you don't want to marry my son for his money? Lorelei Lee: It's true. Esmond Sr.: Then what do you want to marry him for? Lorelei Lee: I want to marry him for YOUR money.


Lorelei Lee: Don't you know that a man being rich is like a girl being pretty? You wouldn't marry a girl just because she's pretty, but my goodness, doesn't it help?

Lorelei Lee: I won't let myself fall in love with a man who won't trust me, no matter what I do.


* I love how they named characters in movies back then. Lorelei Lee is such a great name.



* I kept thinking of how Marilyn would have played Holly Golightly in Breakfast at Tiffanys. I was reading once that this part was originally for her. It would have been a totally different film of course, but I would have liked to have seen it.

* I didn't know Marilyn Monroe's voice was as deep as it was. Her singing voice surprised me at times.

* No matter how many diamonds a man has, a man with a monocle named "Piggy" is just not attractive!



* For the 1950's this movie was very risque I thought! I always thought the 50's was so conservative but I am thinking that they thought about sex as much as we do now.



* How did the ladies get their boobs to look so...so out there? And then I found the secret. It was their bra! Take a look. This is how the "sweater girls" achieved their look.

* When I think of Jane Russel I think of the 18 hour bra that she advertised in later years. Would Marilyn have ended up selling bras later in life? Or maybe she would have ended up on a reality tv show. The possibilities are endless.

* Overall I think the movie was a smart parody of American values. Marilyn was totally making fun of a lot of our culture and values in this film.

* After watching this film I am definitely a Marilyn fan!

Muah! You all have a wonderful weekend

Lotsa Links!

I was just not up for posting links yesterday. Today I am still fatigued and foggy but that is okay...who needs to be peppy and coherent? Very over rated qualities if you ask me.

Been writing...a lot.

What have I learned about writing?

* Don't write with the TV on. I once had House reruns on for most of the day and my writing steadily grew to be more sardonic and sarcastic the more I watched. Maybe that isn't such a bad thing.

* Don't turn down all opportunities to write for free. Sometimes it gets you the exposure you need. But do achieve some sort of balance.

* You are only as good as your last post, chapter, book and so forth. Just because you did well once doesn't mean you can ride on that success forever. You have to treat every writing opportunity as the first. You have to get people to remember you. You have to work it.

* A writer doesn't just write. You are also your ad agency, marketing manager, and salesperson. I have learned that writing is not enough. You have to be willing to put yourself out there. The publisher may do a little but it is usually not enough. You must promote your own writing.

* Just because you are a good writer doesn't mean the red carpet will always be rolled out for you. Writers have no entitlements. You may be cut at any moment, your pay may be reduced, and you can easily be replaced by someone who is willing to work for less money. Don't assume people know your worth. You must show them...constantly.

* If you want to write, really love it, because there will be times when you question your sanity. Don't lose sight of why you wanted to become a writer in the first place.

And now for some links!

* If you know anyone who is going through infertility it can be an especially painful process. I write about my experience going through this time in my life here.

* If you are the parents of a child with ADHD does this mean you are more at risk for divorce? According to a new study, you just might be. As a matter of fact, couples who have a child who has special needs are more prone to splitting up. But this doesn't have to be the case. Read my article to find out what things can lessen the stress of raising a child with special needs.

* In an article by J. Douglas Bremner, M.D. entitled, "The Invisible Epidemic: Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, Memory, and the Brain" the author cites a statistic of sexual abuse as a cause for Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome: "....a prime cause of PTSD is childhood sexual abuse. About 16% of American women (about 40 million) are sexually abused (including rape, attempted rape, or other form of molestation) before they reach their 18th birthday." I have some personal experience with this topic, unfortunately as I was sexually molested when I was five years old. The memory still haunts me today. In an attempt to reach out to others who have also experienced sexual abuse I wrote this article.

* If you have Multiple Sclerosis, the decision to take the MS disease modifying drugs or not can be one of the most difficult decisions you may face during the course of your disease. In a series of three articles I have presented a balanced (hopefully) perspective of why some people do take these drugs and why some people (such as myself) do not. Please stop by to join the discussion of how you made your decision right here.

I do plan on visiting you guys very soon. I know I am so behind. Thank you so much for continuing to come to read me here and on Health Central. I am so appreciative.

I need to clone myself

After seeing Watchmen I am wondering why I can't clone myself like the blue dude did. Well okay that really wasn't cloning. What was that he did anyway? Okay and I would use my extra selves for work and not ahem...what he was doing. Moving right along.

What was I saying? Hell if I know.

How about thinking of nonsense? I am in the mood how about you?

Things I wonder about:

1. Seriously...haven't you ever noticed the resmblance between Simon Cowell and the monster from the Bugs Bunny cartoons? The hair...is so similar.

I am just saying...don't ya see the resemblance?

2. What makes dogs eat other dogs turds? And even sometimes kitty turds and crayons and eyes off of stuffed animals and other odd and assorted non-food things?

3. Why does my cat shun me? All I want to do is sit her on my lap and make her sing the meow mix commercial song. Is this so much to ask? She has the never ending bowl of kibbles...I mean really. Such ingrattitude!

4. Where are the leprecauns? Where is the rainbow and the pot of gold? After the Great Pumpkin fiasco I am having a hard time believing in anything anymore.

5. I had a cookie which had a brownie in the center of the cookie. No lie. I want to know who invented this because I want to thank them profusely. And how did they get the brownie in the middle of the cookie?

6. Why have I not recovered from daylight saving's time? How does daylight savings time figure into Einstein's theories?

7. Why don't you ever see a baby squirrel? Do they come out adult sized?

8. Where are my links? Oh my sweets...you will have to wait until tomorrow. I have so many that I cannot begin to list them today. I am too tired. Bone weary would cover it. Whatever I am supposed to be doing or if I am supposed to get back to you...rest assured....I will...tomorrow or sometime in this century.

Oh yeah...it is Multiple Sclerosis month. and next month is Autism Awareness month. I need a chocolate bunny. No wait...cheesecake. Yeah chocolate turtle cheesecake. I doth declare it chocolate turtle cheesecake awareness week.

How can I look more like Simon Cowell? It is all in the hair.

Nonsense...I got it. Don't touch that dial. Same bat channel...same bat time...tomorrow.

Need sleep....ZZZzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Question for the day

What is your favorite and least favorite fast food restaurants?

I have a fondness for Arbys. Used to go there as a kid and the particular one I went to was in the shape of a hat. Or am I hallucinating this memory? And I love the special arby's sauce.

My most hated fast food restaurant has to be Burger King. I once went on a greyhound bus from Pittsburgh to Santa Barbara California. It was a three day ride...on a bus. And for the most part it was Burger King all the way. Did I mention it was for three days? Ever since that trip when I was a teenager I vowed never to eat Burger King again. I have been successful in my
avoidance of the king.

------------------------------

Lotsa links coming your way next week.

But in the meantime...

Doctor Nitin Sethi, neurologist and blogger extraordinare has written a post for me for MS Health Central about a topic which affects most people who have Multiple Sclerosis. This community discussion is about whether one should take the MS disease modifying drugs or not. What are your thoughts? Come and join this discussion here.

Thank you Doctor Sethi!

And just wanted to thank all the people who have contributed interviews, quotes, and even articles for the on-line communities I am leading. If I haven't caught up with you yet, know that I will soon. I am definitely going to be giving a shout out to my editors about some of you. :>)

Have a great weekend and I will see you guys on Tuesday!

Escape into film...

Watched an old classic last night I had never seen before. Humphrey Bogart and Ava Gardner in The Barefoot Contessa. I love watching old movies now and then but they surely were made differently weren't they? I wanted to turn it off probably a fifth of the way into it. This movie was self indulgent, over acted, and terribly slow moving. But in the end I gave it a chance and now the movie is growing on me. Perhaps our modern minds are not able to deal with a meandering pace or long dialogue. I was forced to be patient. And that is not such a bad thing.



This film was made in 1954, ten years before I was born. I always wonder...where was I? How can this be...this whole world of things going on...movie stars being made...before I was even a thought inside my mother's head. And then I look at everyone in the movie and imagine how they aged and how most of them are gone. It is an eerie but comforting feeling that these people are forever captured on film. But that life goes on. And now I am becoming as long winded as this movie was!



Here are some observations about this movie as well as old movies in general:



* Humphrey Bogart is one goofy looking guy. How did he get all the babes! Actually he looks every bit like the Bugs Bunny cartoon caricatures I saw as a kid.



* They sure did drink and smoke back then. In most old movies that is what they are doing in between action...drinking or smoking. In this movie Ava didn't smoke and talked about herself as a freak for not doing so. I wonder how many of these people died of lung cancer.



* Women back then would be considered fat now. What did they say about Marilyn Monroe? That she was a size ten. For movie stars now...that would be grounds for dismissal and ridicule. How did we get to wanting everyone to look like stick figures?



* I loved the women's make up back then. The red lips, the arched eyebrows. So glamorous!



* Being a movie star back then was more than it is now. Now we make stars out of people who post youtube movies. Everyone has their five minutes of fame nowadays. But back then...audiences depended upon the entertainment industry more. They demanded bigger than life stars.



What are your thoughts?



I also watched french film called "Amelie" This is a movie I wish to buy so I can keep it. It is a delightful feel good movie...so much so that you don't even mind reading the subtitles!



I find myself relating to this character both in the mischief she causes and in her girlish fantasies.

Here are some wonderful quotes from the movie:

Narrator: Amélie still seeks solitude. She amuses herself with silly questions about the world below, such as "How many people are having an orgasm right now?" Amélie: Fifteen.

Raymond Dufayel aka Glass Man: You mean she would rather imagine herself relating to an absent person than build relationships with those around her?

Hipolito (The Writer): We pass the time of day to forget how time passes.

Narrator: With a prompter in every cellar window whispering comebacks, shy people would have the last laugh.

Bretodeau, The Box Man: Time's funny. When you're a kid, it passes slowly, and next thing you're fifty and your childhood fits into a rusty little box.

-------------------------------

So yes you should rent this movie. It makes me happy every time I see it. It is good for the soul.

And now I must dissapear into that realm called real life...

I'm a lean mean writing machine...

Okay maybe I am not so lean...or mean....but I am a writing machine lately!

But as I was visiting some of you recently I felt a wistful longing for a type of writing I have not done in ages. It has probably been more than a year now since I wrote any sort of poetry. I do miss it. And I also miss my stream of consciousness...I don't care who reads this...kind of writing. I feel myself growing more concrete-ized with facts, stats, and research churning through my brain. My logical self has been turned on and the other switches have grown dusty with neglect.

Sometimes I feel dissected. A part of me is over here. Another part is over there somewhere. I am like the scarecrow in the wizard of oz desperate to pick up my stuffing and make a whole person.

Not sure what to make of it...this constant feeling of being unsettled. Yet I know that this is the process of writing. I wouldn't trade it for the world.

And so I write...

Here are a couple of poems from the past to remind me of this part of myself.

Settling

put all the maybes, and soons, and we will sees
and put them in a ziplock bag for me
the half gallon size should do

place the bag in the crisper
keep it fresh and away
from bananas

open up the fridge
periodically
and know they are in there
waiting

to be mixed into the souffle
of half baked proportions
and sunken dreams



Signless

corner figure of a wizened profile
standing with open sign
the end is coming!
prepare!

cars streaming by in mocking procession
undaunted with her task
she stands to warn
and beckon towards
a certain future.

the world is
as the world was
too much the same
too much spinning

where do people go
when they spin off
into the stars?

some people look for signs
in amorphous clouds
and in tears from statues

me...i just pass by
without a sign
without a warning
simply holding on
and dizzy
from spinning

-----------------------------------

And now for some links!


I am writing more lately and I am very grateful for the opportunities given to me. I am fortunate indeed. I have another site I will write for...interestingly enough...I am also going to be writing for Health Central's Sexual Health site. It has been a lot of fun to write on such diverse topics of special education, depression, multiple sclerosis and now...sexual topics.

Please do come to visit me on the different sites. I love your comments and especially when these lead to lively discussions.

• Are you taking antidepressants? Has your libido plummeted at a result? In this post I share which antidepressants are most and least likely (according to the research I have read) to affect your sexual desire and functioning. Care to share any of your personal experience about this? I would love to read your thoughts and suggestions. Follow this link to add to the discussion.
  


• Are you in limbo and awaiting a diagnosis for your symptoms which you feel may be Multiple Sclerosis? March is MS Awareness Month so let's spread the word as to the signs and symptoms of MS. If you are in medical limbo, I wrote this post to include what things to tell and ask your doctor. Some people go months, years, sometimes decades before they know what is wrong with them. I am hoping that greater awareness will lead to a quicker diagnosis for some. Please follow this link to read my post.
  


• Do you have a child with special needs? Do you want to know how to get your child's attention? In this post I give you ten very detailed ways to gain your child's attention so that he or she has more of an opportunity to both engage and to learn. Follow this link to read my article.
  
  
• And last but not least, can you get pregnant from upside down sex or by using a turkey baster? I kid you not, these were some of the suggestions given to me for getting pregnant. Do you have any old wive's tales to share about how to increase your chances of conception. Share them here in a comment after reading my story.

And lastly...the invitation is always open for any of you to join Health Central. As I was saying last week, I am the Community Leader for the Depression and Multiple Sclerosis sites. The site as a whole is a really nice place as members are kind and supportive to one another. There is a lot of good information and support and it is an opportunity for you to meet others who may be experiencing the same medical and/or mental health issues as yourself.

Also...I am just going to put this out there. During my initial interview, even before I was officially hired to write for Health Central I was already thinking about the notion of community. I said...look...there are a ton of people who write well and know about these topics...how can we include them? One way is for you to join the site...write... and show what you can do. I have...from the very beginning...always included a good word for people I feel are great advocates and writers. This is also why I have done the series of interviews. I feel bad that I don't have as much time to come and visit everyone on a timely basis but do know that a sense of community is everything to me.

I hope everyone is having a good week so far...time is going way too fast! More to come...stay tuned!

Hold on!

During the interim...

I will give you Sam and Dave with ...Hold On I'm Comin'

I promise to come around soon to see you all!

My favorite super hero

When I was a kid I used to collect comic books. But never the super hero kind. I uh...liked Richie Rich, Casper the Ghost, and Archie comics. Give me a break...I am a girl and I was less than ten years old.

But now that I am decades older, I kinda like the idea of super heroes. Especially in the movies. They are making the characters less cartoonish and more...human. The newest Batman movies have an innate darkness to them which I really like. The lead role was given to someone who is a bit dark himself. Spiderman is goofily vulnerable. They have not come out with a superman or Hulk that I approve of yet. But Iron Man! Ooooh Iron Man!

Maybe it is because I have a crush on Robert Downey Jr. (Have always loved him. Remember him as Charlie Chaplin or in Ally McBeal?) but the character of Tony Stark is made for him. I love the dichotomy of arrogance and humility. What I especially like about this character is that Iron Man is so human. He doesn't possess super human powers, he is smart enough to create them from scratch. How cool is that?

And the best part about Iron Man is that unlike other super heroes, he fully admits that he is Iron Man. What confidence! He is also able to admit when he is wrong, turn around and do what is right and kick some ass in the process. What is there not to love?

I am so looking forward to the sequel.

So who is your favorite super hero? What qualities do you like in your super heroes?
----------------------------------------------------
On another note...

If you haven't ever checked out Health Central please do stop by. I feel like the Wizard of Oz or something. Who is that person behind the curtain? I have been diligently working behind the scenes for some time and I have recently accepted the position of being the Community Leader for both the Depression and Multiple Sclerosis sites on Health Central as well as continuing to be a contributor for these sites.

I have never liked the title of "expert" and I am very happy to see this designation go and hopefully soon. I am not an expert and will never claim to be one. I am merely a writer who suffers from depression and has Multiple Sclerosis. I have always been involved with on-line support groups and sites and it feels really good to be a part of this. I would not have been able to survive all that I have survived thus far without the help of others.

So if you are in need of support or need some information or just want to hang out with some new really cool people...come on by to check out these on-line communities. As I was saying in an earlier post, there are a lot of folk on these sites who could benefit from your knowledge, stories, and experiences. You can write share posts, answer questions, or simply lend your support to people who are in need.

My last posts for the sites are still going strong...if you still want to join the discussion it is not too late. We were discussing emotionally abusive relationships and also whether or not there is such a thing as an MS personality.

If you have never read Doctor Deb's blog, I would encourage you to do so. Can't say enough good things about Doctor Deborah Serani. She is a writer, mental health therapist, and blogger extraordinare. It was my honor to be granted a written interview with her for MS Health Central. Doctor Deb talks in detail about how to emotionally cope with having a chronic illness such as Multiple Sclerosis. You can read her insightful interview right here.

Also I am hoping to continue the discussion about emotionally abusive relationships in how to leave such a situation. I am hoping with this series of posts to be able to give hope to those who find themselves in such a relationship and don't know what to do. There are so many young girls out there who will end up being in an abusive situation (such as myself years ago) and I am hoping these honest discussions will prevent this from happening.

You can read my latest post on this topic right here.

T-t-t-that's all folks! See you next Tuesday if not before.

Back on track?

I was looking for an image to go with the theme of getting "back on track" and saw this. LOL It isn't what I was originally looking for but is possibly more appropriate.

Oh to have a boring life!


To have a boring life requires a life of no stress. But this is not possible, least not for me. Sometimes stress can spark creativity. And um...let's see...what else is stress good for? I can't think of any other positive spins on stress can you? Other than...it keeps life interesting.

One of the ways I cope with stress is to read. To my son that is...

My youngest son loves books and here is a few of his favorites. He can just about recite them by heart. Sometimes it gets my mind off of my troubles to read to him.


The first of his faves is a book called "Millions of Cats"

I don't know about you but I can hardly deal with a couple of cats. Especially my kitten. She is still stealing my hair accessories!

Another favorite is Ruby the Copycat.

It is a cute story about Ruby and how she wants to be just like another girl in her class, Angela who wears red bows in her hair. So Ruby begins to wear red bows, wear the same clothes, and mimic Angela in every way. Ruby annoys the heck out of Angela until a kindly teacher points out that Ruby should be Ruby first. Have you ever had to deal with a copycat? In school I was the person who people copied from on tests. And I was also the person to write other people's papers. What a sucker I was. :>)

Nowadays kids can simply go on the internet and cut and paste papers and hand them in as their own. Plagiarism is a whole lot easier to accomplish these days for both kids and adults.

I never really went through the phase of copying another's style or identity. I still remember during my college days...going to a punk club with friends who were all dressed in black. I was wearing pink. They didn't want to be seen with me. I found it amusing that they were trying to be so "different" but ended up looking so alike.

And how about that quote: "Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery"? What are your thoughts?

I think it is just damn annoying myself.

My son's personal favorite though is the book called, Bootsie Barker Bites.



Although Bootsie is portrayed as bad girl....my son likes her. Perhaps that is why he likes her. And Bootsie has the hat and boots fashion statement going for her...along with a good set of choppers. What's not to like?

Speaking of choppers...went to the dentist the other day. Sat there waiting until the receptionist looked confused and told me that my appointment wasn't until next month. Nice. Yet another sign that I am losing my marbles.

But who needs marbles anyway?

----------------------------------------------

And now for some links....

1. Fact or Fiction? Does the MS personality exist?

If you have ever perused the literature on Multiple Sclerosis you may have come across a term used to describe the temperament of someone who has MS called, "the MS personality." I began to wonder if MS could ultimately change personality and if so, what sort of personality are we supposed to morph into? I would like to think that I am pretty much the same person as I was before this disease. But is this really true?

Do you believe there is such a thing as an "MS personality"?

Please come and join the conversation by following this link.

2. MS and the Circus (posted on Stuart's Site)

Sometimes I can go about my day and not think about my MS. But that is a rare day indeed. Usually a symptom will erupt to remind me that I have this disease. And yet on other days I am reminded of the extent to which my Multiple Sclerosis has changed my life forever. I took my son to the circus recently. To tell you the truth, I have never been so fond of the circus. But my son loves it and so we go each and every year. It can be fun with all the dazzling colors, fanciful costumes, the roar of lions, and the sweet stickiness of cotton candy. But what is not fun is to have to deal with MS symptoms while in such a public and crowded venue.

Want to read more? Follow the yellow brick road...or this link!

3. How to enlist the help of a special education advocate...

What seemed common sense to us was something we had to substantiate and justify. When I handed the members of our meeting both literature and signed notes from our private psychologist and pediatrician to justify our requests, the school psychologist slid those papers back to me across that long table. When she refused to look at the papers and referred to me as "the child's mother" instead of looking at me or addressing me by name, I knew we were in trouble. I felt as though I landed in some episode of the IEP twilight zone.

I was stunned and could not find my voice. It was then that our advocate, our son's private speech therapist, had no problem finding hers. And when she began to speak, the whole table listened including the belligerent school psychologist. I was never so grateful in my life. And half way through this six hour IEP meeting (yes I did say six hours!) it was our advocate who reminded me of why we were there.

To read more of this story please click here.

4. Ten Signs that You May be Involved in an Emotionally Abusive Relationship

The following post was a little difficult to write about. It is about the topic of emotionally abusive relationships. I can write about such things because I was in such a relationship for over seven years.

"When I was fifteen years old I met my first boyfriend. He was the class clown and had the ability to make anyone laugh. He was extroverted and charmed everyone who met him including me. What the world didn't get to see is that he was also emotionally abusive. I knew because I was the recipient of his abuse."

To read more...follow this link.

PS. In order to have more time to visit you all I am probably only going to be posting once a week here on Tuesdays. Please stop by to keep me company!

Troubling Times...

The state of our economy is truly hitting home lately. You can't go out your door without seeing empty stores. It seems that in every commercial block of businesses I see at least one empty store front. Linens and Things is gone. So is Circuit City. And so are some of my favorite small restaurants. The malls are beginning to look like ghost towns.

But the absence of stores and businesses seem to be a peripheral problem. These bad economic times are looming ever closer to my personal world and to a person most precious to me.

I am very worried right now. My son's funding may be cut for getting him help. He has extreme special needs and I just cannot imagine how this may effect him if this takes place.

But things usually work out...somehow...by the grace of God in the end.

So much turmoil out there...people losing jobs, people losing their homes, people suffering and in pain because they cannot afford to see the doctor or to treat their physical or mental illness.

Sometimes I just want to crawl under the covers and never come out.

But that is not an option is it?

And so I write...and so I write.

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I am doing a series on antidepressants and weight gain. If you would like to "weigh in" on this matter. (excuse my feeble attempt at a joke) please stop by. Here is the link.

Can what you eat help with some of the symptoms or side effects of having Multiple Sclerosis? I say it can't hurt to eat a healthy diet. I discuss some foods which may help here.