Ten Things of Thankful: Blessings Beyond Measure

It has been such a long time since I have written a “Ten Things of Thankful” post.  I was a bit worried the group had broken up, but it makes my heart happy to find that the same core group exists, and they even have their own webpage now (which you can access by clicking the above link).

Someone once said that there are so many flowers at a funeral is because people have more regret and guilt in their hearts than gratitude.  I don’t believe that is true, but I do believe that people, in general, including myself, specifically, don’t always access their gratitude to the same degree that guilt and regret can be at the forefront of the mind.  To make things even more complex, there are some circumstances or people or events or states of being that people feel both regret or guilt for, yet are intensely thankful for this particular item in their life.

One of the often-mentioned “thing of thankfulness” is a person.  I know I am incredibly grateful for the different people in my life, but I also have great amounts of regret and guilt about how, perhaps, I have handled some of the situations I have found myself in with certain people.  It follows that my feelings towards some people are a mixed bag, just as my feelings toward certain events are mixed, are a sort of paradox.  How dialectical, right?  (Ok, Ms. DBT, we get it!)

In no particular order, I am currently, at this moment, crushingly grateful (and sometimes regretful of certain bits) for:

(ONE)

LarBear continues to be my daily rock.  Sometimes we disagree, sometimes we even have harsh words with each other, but we always come back together, stronger than ever.  We don’t ever let an argument or disagreement last very long, and we are both keen to point out to the other just how much we love each other, just how good we are together in so many ways, and how any negativity that might exist between us is always overcome by a sincere appreciation for the love and caring that we have for each other.  I had to kiss many frogs (toads, even) to meet my prince, and I don’t think my life would feel complete without him in it.

(TWO)

There are the obvious people in life that I am thankful for, namely those people making up my inner circle (when added to LarBear).  I have to say that I am happy with the relationship I have with QoB and Mikey Mike, moreso than ever before.  I feel like we all understand each other better than at any other moment in time, and also feel like I have been able (with some prodding) to step out more into my own life and not rely so heavily on them, but know that they are still available, and still right there.  My  dad is also a great support, and is often “the one” who gets selected to talk me off the ledge, if you will.  He can, at times, insert such compassion and common sense and reason into a conversation, that he can truly set my many anxieties aside.

(THREE)

My sister, Ab…wow, I am just so proud of her, for the great mom that she is, for the amazing things she has done with her life, for her accomplishments professionally and personally, but mostly I am proud of her because we have worked and worked at building a relationship and I feel like we are really getting there.  She is teaching me things about life that I never knew, never appreciated, and I would like to think that she is realizing the things that I have to give to the relationship that are of value.  I am very thankful for my network of online friends.  While there is only one or two people that I “speak” with on a regular basis, it seems that I can return to these relationships after months of being “gone” and things can be picked right back up.

(FOUR)

My mental health treatment team is pretty amazing, and I was lucky enough to be in touch with Goddess of Mindfulness lately, and that just made me realize how far I have come in so many different areas.

(FIVE)

I haven’t been in the crisis center or the hospital for just over one year now, with my last stay being in April of 2016.  There have been several times when nurses, therapists, family have wanted me to go, but I have (stubbornly) resisted and here I am, still standing and doing pretty darn well.

(SIX)

My jewelry is starting take off at the gallery, after nearly a year of it just kind of sitting there.  I am getting better at my craft, and taking more pleasure from it.  Like my original art therapist said, take pleasure in the process and everything else will fall into place.

(SEVEN)

I have managed to get into an exercise and nutritional plan that works for me.  There have been tweaks along the way, but I am seeing some success and I am staying away (for the most part) from any eating disordered behavior, and I haven’t been able to say that for ages.

(EIGHT)

I have found a new friend, and she has introduced me to a new church.  I am taking things slowly, but it feels good to be back in a church and I really am enjoying the people in this particular place.

(NINE)

Kizzie and Lucy continue to keep on keeping on, even though now they are considered to be something of “senior” dogs.  They still play and want snuggles and pets and pretty words and treats, and I plan to just keep enjoying every moment we have with them.

(TEN)

Last, but certainly not least…I have a new niece!  Miss Adelaide Louise was born to my sister and her husband earlier this month and she is sweeter than sweetness itself.  More to come about her and my nephew, Oscar, who is now THE big brother!

Ten Things of Thankful, Home-Life Edition

**Just a word to the wise, there is not currently a link-up for Ten Things of Thankful, but you CAN find them on Facebook.  It’s a closed group, but just type Ten Things of Thankful into your search bar and you can request to be added.  I am not sure how much longer there were cease to be a linkup, but you can get more information there.

 

Another week down, another whole bunch of things to be thankful for.  I like to try and do TToT “themes” each week, and this week is no different.  I am a person who prefers to be at home, or to at least be feeling that “at home” feeling even when not at home.  I can get that at my house, and a select few other places.  This past week, I’ve really tried to be “out” more, and it makes me appreciate the weekend and nowhere I really have to be (today), that much more.

When I was in the crisis residence, I was surrounded by people who are currently homeless and some who had been homeless for very long periods.  It’s never happened to me, but it’s not impossible to think it would ever happen, albeit it’s unlikely if I keep up with my mental health treatment and continue to have family around that cares.  A house and a home are two things that I never take for granted, though, and so I’d like to dedicate this week’s TToT to all of the home-related things that I am thankful for:

1. A fenced-in backyard.  For my dogs, for my sanity.  I really enjoy being outside, and I am thankful to QoB for making sure that every home I have ever lived in has had a pleasant outdoor space.
2. The current house I live in has a very nice, large front porch.  It is very nice and cool in the afternoons, and breezy yet warm in the mornings.  Recently, my mom came and trimmed up all of the rosebushes (of which there are several,  VERY large) and laid mulch.  The porch was swept off and all that is on it are a few comfortable chairs and a footrest/table.  I have been loving sitting out there with company, and with LarBear.  It is also a good way to get a break from life, in general, by myself, with just my thoughts and a cold drink.
3. A house as opposed to an apartment.  This is my personal preference, and I have been exceptionally lucky to do very little apartment-living (save from college years).  Houses are so much quieter, so much more private, and are what I am used to.  I feel almost spoiled by this one.
4. Hardwood floors, with a few nice area rugs.  I really detest wall-to-wall carpet, and I think that is just because I was raised with hardwood floors and area rugs.  I really don’t like to vacuum, and I don’t like all the dust and dirt and grime and (potential) messiness of carpets.
5. My kitchen has a large closet that has been converted to a pantry.  I didn’t have a pantry in the last two places I lived, and it seemed like I always had things stacked up everywhere.  With a pantry, you can put everything away and you can stock up on things without worrying about having the room to put it.
6. I absolutely love that I have a driveway of my own to park in.  I have lived in places where I had to park in the street or in a large parking lot, and I hated it.  In the town I live in, it is pretty typical that most houses have a driveway and more often than not, there is also usually a garage (at least in this neighborhood).  I do have a garage, but I choose not to really use it for various reasons, some of it being sheer laziness.
7. Being able to choose the colors of my walls has always been important to me.  I am not a fan of neutral, and really appreciate my yellow kitchen and lavender bedroom and green bathroom.  It makes it more homey to me.
8. All of the Rose of Sharon bushes, Crepe Myrtles, and other various bushes that my mom planted on the west side of my house, in front of windows when I moved into this house.  They are grown up now, and it is lovely when they are leafed out, because I can keep the curtains open day and night and no one sees in, and they are also very pretty to look at.
9. For the past few years, I have had an inflatable kiddie pool in my backyard.  I am spoiled by it now, and fully expect to put one up again this year.  You can get them for about $30 to $40, and as long as you keep chlorine in it, and sweep out the bugs/leaves/debris, they stay nice all summer.  There is nothing better than sitting in your own backyard in 30″ of water.
10. I grew up in a house warmed (partially) by a woodstove and with no central air until I was well into high school.  I didn’t really think anything of it at the time, but I must say, I am very, very grateful for central air and heat.

Ten Things of “Keepin’ It Sane” Thankful

We all have our little tricks that keep us going in the worst of times.  I choose to use this Ten Things of Thankful to highlight the ten things that keep me sane which I am most thankful for.  Don’t forget to go check out Lizzi at Considerings, the originator of this little blog hop, and to link your own at the end of her page.

Sometimes a little gratitude list (even if its for the really, really small stuff) can bring about a big positive change in your attitude.  I try to do this blog hop once a week, (which is also perfect because then I don’t have to think too hard about what to write about), but the reason I do it over and over, is simple…it WORKS for me.

1. Unlikely, but included nonetheless, super-heavy-duty ponytail holders save my sanity every time.  There is nothing worse than having whispies or big chunks of hair touching your face all day.  (and yes, when I said touching, I put my fingers up in the air and wiggled)  I know I am not alone in having hair that can drive one straight up the wall, although I admit that it’s a bit strange to be my number one item on this list, but I have taken down and put my hair up about nine times today.  The long hair struggle…it is real, y’all!
2. Anything lavender-scented.  My current favorite is a lavender-lilac candle my dad bought me,and I would swear to you that using the lavender lotion by Zum can sometimes be about the only thing that will calm my raging anxiety.  Or at least that was the case yesterday.  Heaven knows it will be something else tomorrow.
3. Kizzie.  Kizzie belly rubs and Kizzie kisses and Kizzie barking happily at me and feeding Kizzie treats and Kizzie, Kizzie, Kizzie.  If she wasn’t so wild, she could be a certified therapy dog, but she is my therapy dog, so that is what matters.  She knows when I am sad and when I am anxious and plants herself in my lap.  She licks my tears away, and will lay calmly at my feet through almost anything.  I really don’t know what I would do without her at times.4.  And Kizzie leads straight into Lucy, the standard poodle that I have opened our home to, who used to live with my mom.  She is so darn happy here, it’s amazing — she and Kizzie play and leap around like puppies half the time.  With the addition of a little carprofen (which I am also grateful for), her arthritis is kept at a minimum and she can focus on being the Princess that she truly is.

5.  That I have managed to actually blog a few times this week.  It has been cathartic and freeing and enjoyable and lovely to interact again.  I hope I can keep that stuck in my head and repeat over and over.

6.  Fairly related, I have found several new bloggers that I am excited to follow.  I hadn’t added a new blogger to follow in a really long time, but some super awesome people have stopped by this ol’ place and I am excited to put time and effort into it, like I used to.

 

 

7.  The fact that LarBear and I both believe in buying the actual CD of an artist’s music.  We buy ours mostly from Amazon, and have found some real winners lately with Chris Stapleton, Old Dominion, Cam, Keb Mo, Jana Kramer, and Kacey Musgraves.  Just Google, you will find…they are all spectactular!  And seeing as music is one of the main things that calms me down, I just consider that we are buying cheap therapy.

8.  It’s that time for the Interpersonal Effectiveness Tool, “FAST”, to rear it’s head and I am READY.  I have several situations where I do not want to over-apologize, where it is important for me to get across my point of view without losing my self-respect.  I have already tried it out a few times, but I am building up to a really big FAST that will be unveiled soon.

9.  I am thankful that I have reasonable insurance and that medications are filled as they should be and I can get in to see my treaters when need be.

10.  I am thankful for friends who are only an email away, who never give up on me even when I have been gone for a really long time, and who I can start BS’ing with just like old times the moment I am back in the picture.  Thank you.

 

 

Ten Things of Thankful (Muddling Through, Not-Giving-Up Version)

Well, I couldn’t find a current TToT anywhere to link to, but I know that these things happen on the weekends, and its the weekend (I think…ha!), so I’m going to throw it up here anyway.  Life has been a series of ultra-rapid-cycling bull-stuff, going on, so some of this may be a stretch, and some of it might only make sense to me, but I’m going to continue on anyway, because I have made it this far, and I will not give up:

1. The realization that certain persons may not give a damn, to the degree that I had previously thought.  I really want to be done asking myself why I try so hard with certain people.  Other people, more deserving people, could be getting that love that is so thrown away by others.
2. The realization that certain persons DO give a damn, more so than I had originally thought.  I would really like to stop asking myself WHY (and questioning!) these people love me the way they do, and instead enjoy it.  These people, would be the more deserving people of the love I have to spread around.
3. Pandora Radio — one of the only things keeping me remotely sane, is playing nearly 24/7
4. Mostly positive Christmas celebrations.  Meaningful exchanges, warm conversation, good food, flickering fireplaces.
5. Love.  Even though I am feeling up and down, around and around, I still have love.  Granted, I am realizing that some love I thought existed does not, I have newly-opened-eyes to how huge the love is of certain persons.
6. The ability to turn my mind.  I may have to practice it over and over, repeat, repeat, repeat, but I CAN turn my mind, if only for a moment.
7. Not impulsively burning bridges, and realizing that this has served me well over the years.
8. Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) — thank you for teaching me how to save my own life, once again
9. The possibilities of addressing deeper issues in the new year in therapy, possibly looking at doing EMDR.
10. Having learned to ask questions when I need validation or support.

 

Ten Things of Thankful: Coping Skills Edition

 

Through living most of the last twenty years of my life with Bipolar Disorder and PTSD, I have picked up a trick or an idea or a method that works to help calm the pain inside my addled head.  Much of it is learned from DBT (Dialectical Behavior Therapy), a lot of it is common sense, and so much more came to me through the process of trial and error.

Captain Jack is right — it is often how you think about a problem, and your attitude toward a “problem,” that is the issue.  While I don’t often think of these skills after the storm has passed, when I am in the thick, I am really thankful for the ten random things listed below that help me get through:

1.  An extreme attempt to change body temperature.  From going and standing out in the winter air in shorts and a t-shirt, to a cold compress to the back of the neck, this is my number one go-to coping method.  It also works in the form of a super-hot shower, a super-cold shower, frozen bag of peas behind the knees.  I don’t know the science, but the temperature change trick almost always snaps me out of hysteria.
2. Coloring or doodling.  I have several “adult” coloring books and a seriously large collection of markers, pens, colored pencils, crayons.  This is becoming a more popular choice among many anxious people, and has even turned into a big of a “fad.”  The thing about this “fad” is that is REALLY works.  If you can get yourself coloring or doodling, you will find that you can turn your mind over much more easily than if you are just sitting and angsting.
3. Phone a friend.  Not just for “Who Wants To Be a Millionaire?”, this coping strategy works especially if you have one person in your life that can talk to you for five minutes and bring you outside yourself.  For me, this person is usually my dad and sometimes my mom.  They both know me well, and often five minutes after picking up the phone, I am mostly calmed down, or at least I have a plan to calm down.
4. Get a hug.  A hug, or really any physical contact, can be helpful.  LarBear knows that if I am really upset and he rubs my neck or my back, that I can start to calm down.  There is something reassuring about human touch, something that makes us not feel so alone.  Sometimes I can calm down if LarBear simply sits and holds my hand for awhile, even if he says nothing.
5. Get up and move.  Of course, this is easier said than done.  In the midst of hysterics, its tough to get up and do anything, but I find that if I can even get up and do a little pacing, or, even better, find a small area of the house to organize (like a drawer or a shelf…think small!), I can calm myself.
6. Five senses meditation.  This is a great grounding exercise and it is exactly what it sounds like.  Out loud, name five things you can see, five things you can touch, five things you can taste, five things you can smell, five things you can hear, five things you can feel.
7. Get it in writing.  Blogging is great for anxiety, but journaling or even free-writing can be helpful.  I have numerous written pages, where I have been extremely anxious, and have put pen to paper for a set amount of time (usually five minutes) and written down things as they flew through my brain.  It is an excellent way of letting thoughts go on down the road.
8. Mind your breath.  After the temperature-change exercise, the thing I do most to calm down is to focus on my breath.  There are many ways to do it, but my favorite is to do a breath in to the count of five and a breath out to the count of seven.  You might have to play with it to see what works for you, but if you can put all attention on your breath, you may be able to calm yourself that way.
9. Hug a tree.  No, seriously, I mean it.  Go outside and hug a tree.  Panicked, anxious, sobbing your eyes out?  Go hug a tree.  This is a very grounding exercise, and, similarly, sitting or laying in the grass can be almost as helpful.  Concentrate on the textures and feelings through your hands or on  your legs.
10. PRN medication.  As an opportunity of last resort, after I have tried all of these things, or if I have tried several and none are working, I will take a teensy dose of Klonopin.  I don’t do it everyday anymore, or even every other day.  It is meant for short-term, very occasional use, and I really don’t think there is anything wrong with using that tool in my toolbox, as long as I am not abusing it.

Do you have any coping skills that you use, that I haven’t mentioned?  I would love to hear from you and have a blog post full of what works for everyone!  In the meantime, as a PLUS-1, maybe take a few minutes and put a Ten Things of Thankful list on your own blog.  ‘Till next time!

Ten Things of Thankful: The BIG Ones

Sometimes I get so caught up with what is in my head, what nonsense is spinning and scrambling and screaming at me.  As a wise woman said to me not too many hours ago, after I had thrown my temper tantrum and had my pity party, not everyone’s reality is the same.  And that is just so true — true enough that it struck me right in the heart, but I didn’t feel it lodged there until hours later.  So, that wise woman, and then the very special friend that messaged me, having a hard time, and completely brought me out of my own bullshit problem:  Thank you, both.

Thank you for making me remember that I have more blessings in my life than I am ever grateful for.  Thank you for bringing me back to myself and making me realize that wow, things are not just “ok” — they’re actually pretty darned great.  Without the wise woman’s words, and the special friend’s typing-back-and-forth to me, I would probably still be sitting here and listening to my sad music and crying and feeling sorry for myself.  Instead, I feel as if I have had a real “a-ha!” moment.

 

1.  I am thankful for the basics, the things I take for granted every day — a warm home; enough food to more than feed myself, LarBear, and the dogs; working transportation; the basics of life that so many people have to worry about, which I do not.
2. I’m grateful for LarBear, for our relationship, for him not giving up on me so many times when I have been whacked-out-symptomatic, for always giving more of himself than I think is possible, for always making me feel safe, secure, loved.
3. For three parental figures who have been there, and continue to be there, for me no matter what the issue is.  Maybe I don’t always get exactly as much of your time or love as I would want, but I have never wanted for anything, and I know that when it comes down to it, you would be there with bells on if it really, really mattered to me.
4. For the Kizzer dog, who has brought more joy to my life than I ever would have thought possible, and for Lucy Lou who joined the party more recently, but is just as loved.
5. For a truly remarkable psychiatrist and mental health team, in general.  In addition, I have a wonderful medical primary care provider and good access to hospitals and urgent care.
6. I am thankful for friends, online and not, that constantly keep me entertained, laughing, and sometimes cry with me.
7. For the best DBT group I have ever been in, for all my years of doing DBT.  It has never made more sense, and I have never felt closer to another group of people other than my family.
8. For my sister — for being who she is, for making time to call and text when she can, and always supporting me with her expertise when I am trying to exercise without breaking a foot or harming myself otherwise.
9. For good books, and for an excellent library that keeps my Kindle full.
10. For an ever-growing music library, thanks to LarBear

Ten Things of Thankful — Found It!

With a little push to my brain, and fingers flying fast over Google Search, I remembered the key words that I needed to find this prompt last week (that I unfortunately couldn’t find until about five minutes ago), and am now back in business doing a link-up for thankfulness.  Woot!

So because the point of this post is to get down the the nitty-gritty right away, let’s talk about what was keeping me thankful and grateful this week:

1. Sunlamps, and the realization that I do NOT have to keep skipping out on my psychiatrist.  I am supposed to go in when I am feeling bad or off, so that is what I will do!
2. The knowledge that a dear friend’s Thanksgiving went much better this year than in year’s past.
3. Knowing that volunteering ourselves to go to the big shindig for the Big Dawg’s side of the family probably got him out and away from the TV and a frozen dinner.
4. Was able to see my nephew and really bond over the last week, and have plans to see him again on Wednesday.
5. Much less discord between LarBear and I, which I attribute to both of us listening more, communicating more, and being more patient…also thanks to therapy, for the both of us.
6. The YMCA pass Dad is providing LarBear and I.  I did water walking yesterday and am very sore, but determined to keep up with it.
7. A little extra money (I hope) to get caught up on buying some personal hygiene items.
8. Two happy, healthy dogs
9. It appears the new infusion that LarBear is taking for Crohn’s is working.
10. Starting to have relationship again with stepdad

 

 

Ten Things of Thankful, Turn-it-Around Edition

This past week has been one of true growth, new realizations, (somewhat) painful lessons, and most of all, a focus on turning it around.  Turn around my perspective on health, both mental and physical, and revitalize and begin to use DBT skills again, like mindfulness, meditation, and willingness.  I am pretty sure I can easily bang a TToT out of the past week’s events.

1) Began meditating on a regular basis again, remembering that, for me, the easiest and most gratifying meditation is any form of the Loving-Kindness.

2) Turning away from wilfulness and embracing willingness.  Making the committment to be more open, to people and change.

3) Baby O still just rules my world.  His momma keeps me in pictures and I am basically getting to see him grow up everyday even though I can’t actually be there every day.  Everything about that little boy is so right and he has motivated me to do so much!

4) So what has Baby O motivated me to do?  Well, he is one of the many reasons that I quit smoking on September 13th.  I have hung in strong, and I have motivation from a lot of other places as well, mostly my health.  I know it’s not a “big deal” till you’ve done it for awhile, but I am proud that  I have not smoked for:

One week, 10 hours, 14 minutes and 21 seconds. 445 cigarettes not smoked, saving $60.15. Life saved: 1 day, 13 hours, 5 minutes.

5) Making a decision to not get mired in feeling sick.  Yes, I feel sick, but there must be something I can get up and do, even if it seems small and insignificant.  Then, if you might feel halfway decent, you slowly add another task and another over a course of a few days, and the to-do list that has been rotting  away in your hand, can be thrown away.  It is totally true that a body at rest will stay at rest, and a body in motion stays in motion.  I “get” that saying now.

6) My realization that a “family member” did not have my best interests at heart, and cutting that relationship out of my life.

7) Having grown to the point where I don’t have to spread juicy gossip, really don’t even WANT to.

8) Mom found a bunch of really cute clips for my shorter hair (with bangs…ugh).  I think this will all be workable in the end.

9) It is amazing the things that you find your postal mailbox.   No, not EVERYTHING gets emailed or texted.  🙂

10) The biggest thanks to old and new readers that were supportive this week I restarted blogging.  I realize some of it is absolute drivel, but like Marilyn says, it keeps getting better as you keep going (I paraphrase).

Now it’s your turn to head out to the TToT link-up with Liz over at Considerings.   If you don’t feel like writing a top 10, consider a top 5 or a top 3.  Or just go check out all the other crazy writers on this train!

Ten Things of Thankful, The “Week Off” Edition

In the past, I have written gratitude posts on a weekly basis for “Ten Things of Thankful.”  I quit doing that after awhile because I thought I wanted to give it a go by myself, and then I foolishly thought my focus was different and special and started “Building a Life Worth Living.”  And then I lost my focus, and I am back to the beginning.

Knowing “Building a Life Worth Living” was never going to go anywhere (although there is another blogger in the sphere who might pick it up), I’ve decided to return to “Ten Things of Thankful,” and have seen a lot of really great posts on it lately.

So, to participate in TToT, write a list of ten things you were thankful for or that were particularly awesome in the past week.  Click here to link-up with Liz at Considerings and your happy little post will be shared around the blogosphere.  Have fun!

1) I can’t remember if I mentioned it on the blog (although I know I have on FB), but I had Sunday thru Thursday off from work and it was WONDERFUL.  I caught up on sleep, TV, and with friends.  I did a ton of laundry and cleaned some neglected areas of the house.  I feel like I accomplished quite a bit, although there is always more to do.

2) In related news, I was able to go to the big city on Thursday and spend ALL DAY with Baby O.  I fed him and helped with his bath and he even let me hold him, but just a little.  It was a good day all in all.

3)  My dad and uncle are in Colorado on vacation, and Dad called to let me know they survived a scary and intense drive up and down part of Pike’s Peak.  They are both afraid of heights and Dad said, now that he’d done it, he didn’t think they’d do it again.  While I find this somewhat amusing, I am really glad they are ok.

4) Put up 12 PINTS of grape jelly (picked right off my own property) with help of my dad’s wife.  We had a lot of fun and I’ll have several Christmas presents to hand out, especially considering I don’t like grape jelly…like, at all.

5) Was sooooo very hungry yesterday morning, with little in the house but coffee, and I found a box of Shredded Mini Wheats that was only partially stale.  I know that sounds gross, but…hungry!

6) Able to speak with Goddess of Mindfulness for a bit yesterday.  Seems that other than a few little glitches, things overall are pretty good.  We have been doing a system where I leave her messages and she reads my blog, and I let her know when I want to speak with her or sometimes she will call or email me based on what she has read or heard.  It seems to be a pretty good system.

7) Big stack of paperwork to sort and file, and receipts to catalogue and put in Excel, waiting for me when I got back to work.  Job security!

8)  The busy season is pretty much over for now, so I am happy everyone is getting a little extra time off to do what they want to do.  Busy season ends always right before (or sometimes slightly after…yikes) people seem like they’re going to snap.

9)  Thank goodness for Medicare and Medicaid.  I start Medicare in October, and will have an increased number of doctors and specialists I can see.  And the Medicaid will pick up the remainder of the bill.  The best part of this is that I will have coverage for my CPAP again!

10) We are getting a lot of rain, and that will mean beautiful color on leaves during autumn.  Really must do a scenic drive of some sort!

 

 

Five Things of Thankful — Domestic Goddess Edition

As you may or may not have noticed, I am still down with the same bug that was plagueing me last week.  I pondered doing a Ten Things of Thankful — SickiePoo Version 2.0, but I just didn’t feel too inspired about it.  It had been pretty much the same ol’ week and I was pretty much grateful for the same things.

Before I went inpatient at our local psych hospital, my sister and Mom had helped me do a big deep-cleaning a my house.  Kinda airing out the bad DSB spirits (and smells), if you will.  When I was released from the hospital, I was very serious about keeping it clean and did so.  The first few days I was sick, I didn’t care.  About four days in, I started to care.  I mean REALLY care.

Who has more time to look at dirt or grime or goo than a sick person?  A trip from the computer room to the back bedroom takes you through the kitchen and living room, and right past the bathroom.  And you’re walking very slowly, trying to keep your balance and (some) of your dignity.  You see it all.  And if you’re like me and sit very still for long periods of time, trying not to be sick, you see even more.

So I started cleaning, bit by bit.  Doing this and that.  Today I did even more; not because I felt better, but because I’m going maddeningly stir crazy.  It occured to me that this week, there have been some Domestic Goddess products and appliances that I have greatly appreciated over the last 10 or so days.  I thought that, well, since I’m still being thankful and, well, it does still cover a week, that it would be okay if I put my own little spin on it.  Considering that I wrote a short novel for the intro (brain wander much?), I’ll keep the list short (only five…I feel like crap, people!) and to the point.

1) I am immensely grateful for paper towels.  This week they have been used to mop up spilled drinks, clean bathrooms, and blow my nose.  They have also been there for me during meal times when I heat my Ramen too hot.  I have always loved paper towels, much to the chagrin of green family members and friends, but there is so much to love!  I could probably do a post about the greatness of paper towels.  (Don’t worry, I won’t!)

 

Obviously, I would LIKE to give a shout-out to toilet paper next, but that’s not really related to this post.  SO, it’s not getting it’s own number, but HOORAY for good TP!

2) I am generally partial to 409, when it comes to serious anti-bacterial scrubbing, but my sister brought this (and left it here!) and it is by far the very best all-purpose antibacterial cleaner.  It takes greasy handprints off walls (thanks, DSB, the welder), spiffies up bathrooms in a hurry, and it doesn’t have a super over-powering scent.  We used almost this whole bottle in that one day, forsaking the loads of other cleaners we could have used.  This is the cleaner I have been using in my bathroom all week, so that if a non-sickie person went in there, they might have a smaller chance of ending up sickie.

 

 

3 &4) I am probably always going to be most thankful for my dishwasher.  There is nothing like having a trashed out kitchen and being able to get it totally sparkling with not a dish or papertowel in sight, if you only have a dishwasher and a trashcan.  I’ve got both!  The bonus is that the dishes come out super-clean and you (usually) don’t have to worry about stuff left sticking to the glasses.  I use this fantastic product (in addition to detergent), because I have very hard water.  Works like a dream!

5) Probably my most favorite Domestic Goddess tool is none other than the Kizzer dog.  She is great about cleaning up small messes, eating the  last bite of the banana, knowing when it’s time for a bone, jumping all over my dad (he hates dogs), and mostly just keeping me company.  I know that doesn’t qualify her as a cleaning product, persay, but she keeps me sane, and if were to not be sane, I probably wouldn’t be cleaning.  Amen to that.