I got an email from my sister-in-law Rita today telling me how she caught up with things via my blog -- it's so great being able to keep in touch with loved ones from the Philipines, Indonesia, Paraguay, Canada, all over the United States, and who knows where else with just a quick (yeah, okay, long) blog entry! I love the emails, comments, etc. Keep 'em coming!
This weekend it dawned on me that I'm getting OLD! Okay, I've had creaks and aches for awhile, but my parents celebrated their birthdays yesterday (Mom) and today (Daddy). And I realized....my MOM is closer to 70 than she is to 65! And Dad is closing in on the big 7-0, too. Wow! (Sorry, Mom, I don't mean that in a bad way, it's probably just as hard to realize you have a daughter who is 41!) Is it me, or do people just turn like ten years older when you blink? I mean, kids I used to babysit have children. Babies I held in my arms are DRIVING. Kids who I used to have to bend down to talk to now have to bend down to talk to me! Anyway, happy birthday, Mom and Daddy!
Health-wise I'm doing much better these past few days. I did really well for about a month then started having problems again with my stomach, chills, shaking, fatigue, weakness, etc. My right foot was also very painful to the point where I could barely walk. I finally called my doctor after dealing with these daily for almost three weeks and she asked me to come in right away. Blood pressure still pretty low, severe plantar's faciitis (or however it's spelled) -- doctor's orders to wear shoes in the house, a definite no-no in this one! (hey, I'm married to a farmer with a hubby and kids and visitors coming in all the time after being in the fields and cow barn, need I say more about what may or may not be trekked into our house???) So I wore my sneakers that day then went and got a pair of Crocs the next day -- and got a pair for Tony, too. My feet are already feeling MUCH better! She also gave me a prescription for my stomach problems with strict instructions to call next week if there was no improvement so she could order an ultra-sound to check my gallbladder. I'm very happy to report that there was a big improvement the first day I took the medication, and I'm back to feeling 100% now, praise God! I still have to go in one morning for more blood work....I'm so tired of this all....but at least I have energy again, and was quite surprised and thankful when I told Tony last night (after the TOH show) that my LEGS hurt from standing all day, and not my feet!
Remember the 14 bushel of apples we got last weekend? Last fall, we sold maybe a total of 7 bushels of apples throughout September and October. I thought 14 bushel would last at least thru mid-October, or at least until the end of the month when I hope to go back down to the Cities for Honeycrisp as well as restocking other apples. Good grief. We have less than a bushel left! By Friday afternoon, we had sold about 12 bushels of apples with people requesting even more of the common ones (McIntosh, Haralson, Cortland) and some that aren't being picked yet (Honeycrisp, Gala, Fireside). I'm heading south again on Tuesday.....
We are getting ready for our pumpkin parties. The first one is this coming Saturday, then we'll add Friday afternoons in October. Tony has added duck races this year, too. So this week will be packed with him busy at the market getting the maze and everything ready while I bustle around with the admin side of things -- wristbands, give-away candy, buying food and making treats for the concessions, getting out the pumpkin party paraphenilia, and wondering if everything will be done in time...while getting in that trip to the Cities all day Tuesday and a trip to Fargo on Friday! Thankfully, though, things do slow down work-wise once the first pumpkin party is done!
The Taste of Home cooking show! I've had questions on how it went! It was busy; we had a GREAT location for our booth, about five slots from the entrance. Good set up, good products from the Market and from Watkins, you name it. Two years ago when the show was here before, they told us over 2300 people came through. I had three helpers scheduled along with me and hoped we'd be prepared. Well. The show didn't sell out. They even had more than 100 extra bags AFTER cutting the bags down from 850 to 800. Everyone in town saw the big advertisement in our paper for the show....two days earlier in Alexandria (an hour or so away), but only one person remembered seeing an ad for the Park Rapids show. Even today at church three ladies I spoke with didn't even realize there was a show yesterday...and would've been there if they knew! We did have brisk business off and on throughout the morning, but not as good as I was expecting. However, from what others said who have been there before, they had great long-term results from exposure at the show. So...that's what I'm hoping for! Maybe the calls and orders will start pouring in for Watkins...and the market will be innundated with customers from now until October 31! They did give each of the vendors one of the give-away bags, and there were some GREAT give-aways! Best thing, though, is that we found more participants for our home-based business show on December 6 (more about that in another blog) and I was asked to participate in a huge pre-Thanksgiving bazaar at a local church here in town! So...we'll see where that leads!
Luke and Susanna have decided they are coyotes and go around the house howling all the time. Either that or wild ponies. Or farm dogs. Or sheep. They do give us clues by the sounds they make.
For now, I'm heading off-line. Got a few more things to do before bed time as well as figuring out when I'm going to do what this week! I think, God willing, everything is under control...but you can keep us in your prayers!
And big congrats to my cousin's son, Brandon, who was baptised today! God is good. ALL the time!
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Showing posts with label health. Show all posts
Sunday, September 21, 2008
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Too soon...
Ah, I updated my blog too soon. My body has betrayed me. Or have I betrayed my body? I worked all day at the market, taking my usual hour break in the early afternoon to get some rest, but it was a busy day! High temperatures, very humid, not good conditions for me as those are all triggers....and after coming home and relaxing for about thirty minutes, my body said "enough!" I've spent most of the evening in bed, sleeping, praying, and tired of the shakiness, etc.
Oh, well, at least tomorrow I only work the afternoon...and when I work all day Saturday, the weather conditions are favorable -- very cool day (maybe not even reaching the 70s!). Keep me in your prayers.....
Oh, well, at least tomorrow I only work the afternoon...and when I work all day Saturday, the weather conditions are favorable -- very cool day (maybe not even reaching the 70s!). Keep me in your prayers.....
Updates
Wow, it's been awhile since I've blogged, but life's been busy! I love this time of year, though. We are crazy busy at the market selling all kinds of stuff, along with so MUCH of our own produce! We have our own carrots, cabbage, cauliflower, broccoli, cucumbers, zucchini, summer squash, shell peas, green and wax beans, sweet corn, tomatoes and more tomatoes, green peppers, egg plant, pickling cucumbers, dill, and have also (finally!) started bringing in the long anticipated melons (muskmelons and passport melons...watermelons will start in a week or less). We had a slow start this year on produce, but God has been so good to us! Even earlier this week when we were wondering what to do about all the beans we have (Tony assured me he didn't plant very much and we probably wouldn't have any to can for ourselves....I've already canned three bushel!), an area school stopped in to order 300 pounds of beans! Minnesota started a program a year back or so that supports schools to buy local produce and can/freeze it for student lunches...the state reimburses the school most if not all of the money...we're caught up on beans, now!
I also finally talked with my doctor yesterday about what to do next with all this health stuff. I know so many of you have been praying, and I really appreciate it! Your prayers have helped, and many of my symptoms have gone away or have been greatly reduced. I've learned to recognize (and usually avoid!) many of the triggers as well as things to counter when I'm feeling ishy (that's a word from my MIL, isn't it great?). Getting a couple hours rest, even if it's just quiet solitude, every afternoon is crucial, as is starting the day with prayer, protein, and vitamins! Drinking plenty of water. Not overdoing things (ha!) and cutting back on other things. Anyway, my doc feels that the best thing to do at this point, since things are better, is to just wait it out. If stuff starts happening again in the future, there will be more tests. However, God willing, I won't have to deal with it any more!
I also got an email update on Angela that I'll share with you all.....Angela is back to work for the dentist, she is wearing contact lenses on the eye where the tumor was removed, She will need to have the stitches removed first before she will know if there is any vision lost from the eye, we will know in about four weeks from now. Far as she knows, there is little or no change how she can see out of her eyes at present. Thank you for all of your prayers again.
Tony and I attended a funeral/memorial service for Jane's husband Lowell on Monday. It was definitely more of a memorial service than anything else. There was so much laughter in reminiscing about Lowell, and you could tell from things the family said how much love their was in their home growing up and even now. I learned more things about Lowell that I wish I knew when he was alive (isn't that always the case?) like how he knew so much about plants and flowers -- there was so much I would've asked him, if I only knew! And the shell that used to be home to Lowell's spirit looked so at peace, so relaxed -- after all, he is home now and no longer suffering. One granddaughter did tell her mother that she didn't think he'd be too happy if he knew they put lip stick on him!
My summer Bible study is winding down. My SIL Lori and niece Carrie returned home to Iowa this week, and as she's an integral part of our Bible study group, we usually end when she leaves but will be wrapping up one last chapter next week. What an awesome study on the Harmony of the Gospels! We plan to finish it next year....
Lots of family now. Mark and Beth moved back to Park Rapids (did I write that already?) along with their two youngest Tessa and Steven. Carla and her girls are here right now through this week before closing up their cabin in Canada and heading to new adventures in Rome. Dwight and his business partner along with Juan's son Jose are on their way here after arriving in the States late Monday (early Tuesday) morning. The new house my in-laws are putting up will -- hopefully! -- arrive today to put on the foundation. Things are really happening!
It's also been a blast (usually) enjoying my kids....but that is a whole other blog! There may be time tomorrow to write some more...but after that, hang on tight! Next week is going to be another wild ride as we approach what is usually our biggest day of the year....Labor Day!
And as predicted at our wedding, my love for Tony continues to deepen in ways I never imagined it could. Newly weds are so naive! You think there is no way you could love that wonderful person even more than you do on that day. But then life happens. Kids happen. Ups and downs happen. Health issues come up. Finances go crazy. Things that might break marriages when two people truly are not committed. And when two people truly love each other and are absolutely committed through thick and thin, good and bad, it just deepens love and makes it grow. How I love and appreciate that wonderful man God blessed me with!
And thank you....each one of you....for your prayers and encouragement. And just for being you.
I also finally talked with my doctor yesterday about what to do next with all this health stuff. I know so many of you have been praying, and I really appreciate it! Your prayers have helped, and many of my symptoms have gone away or have been greatly reduced. I've learned to recognize (and usually avoid!) many of the triggers as well as things to counter when I'm feeling ishy (that's a word from my MIL, isn't it great?). Getting a couple hours rest, even if it's just quiet solitude, every afternoon is crucial, as is starting the day with prayer, protein, and vitamins! Drinking plenty of water. Not overdoing things (ha!) and cutting back on other things. Anyway, my doc feels that the best thing to do at this point, since things are better, is to just wait it out. If stuff starts happening again in the future, there will be more tests. However, God willing, I won't have to deal with it any more!
I also got an email update on Angela that I'll share with you all.....Angela is back to work for the dentist, she is wearing contact lenses on the eye where the tumor was removed, She will need to have the stitches removed first before she will know if there is any vision lost from the eye, we will know in about four weeks from now. Far as she knows, there is little or no change how she can see out of her eyes at present. Thank you for all of your prayers again.
Tony and I attended a funeral/memorial service for Jane's husband Lowell on Monday. It was definitely more of a memorial service than anything else. There was so much laughter in reminiscing about Lowell, and you could tell from things the family said how much love their was in their home growing up and even now. I learned more things about Lowell that I wish I knew when he was alive (isn't that always the case?) like how he knew so much about plants and flowers -- there was so much I would've asked him, if I only knew! And the shell that used to be home to Lowell's spirit looked so at peace, so relaxed -- after all, he is home now and no longer suffering. One granddaughter did tell her mother that she didn't think he'd be too happy if he knew they put lip stick on him!
My summer Bible study is winding down. My SIL Lori and niece Carrie returned home to Iowa this week, and as she's an integral part of our Bible study group, we usually end when she leaves but will be wrapping up one last chapter next week. What an awesome study on the Harmony of the Gospels! We plan to finish it next year....
Lots of family now. Mark and Beth moved back to Park Rapids (did I write that already?) along with their two youngest Tessa and Steven. Carla and her girls are here right now through this week before closing up their cabin in Canada and heading to new adventures in Rome. Dwight and his business partner along with Juan's son Jose are on their way here after arriving in the States late Monday (early Tuesday) morning. The new house my in-laws are putting up will -- hopefully! -- arrive today to put on the foundation. Things are really happening!
It's also been a blast (usually) enjoying my kids....but that is a whole other blog! There may be time tomorrow to write some more...but after that, hang on tight! Next week is going to be another wild ride as we approach what is usually our biggest day of the year....Labor Day!
And as predicted at our wedding, my love for Tony continues to deepen in ways I never imagined it could. Newly weds are so naive! You think there is no way you could love that wonderful person even more than you do on that day. But then life happens. Kids happen. Ups and downs happen. Health issues come up. Finances go crazy. Things that might break marriages when two people truly are not committed. And when two people truly love each other and are absolutely committed through thick and thin, good and bad, it just deepens love and makes it grow. How I love and appreciate that wonderful man God blessed me with!
And thank you....each one of you....for your prayers and encouragement. And just for being you.
Monday, August 11, 2008
Update on me
Hi all -- today was what I was TOLD was an EEG to determine if I had peripheral neuropathy or not, trying to get to the root of all the health problems I've had lately. What it was instead was an EMG which involved electric shocks (they likened it before the doctor started to touching an electric fence) and lots of needle jabs deep into muscle tissue. I'm wondering now if they deliberately told me it was an EEG so I would show up today!
At one point after having electical shocks up and down different parts of my arms and legs (thankfully only on the right side of my body!) and now having needles jabbed throughout the same locations (and WIGGLED on top of that while he was telling me to push my muscles further into the needles!), I told him through tears that it had been easier going through induced labor for 24 hours with Luke while not having the relief of an epidural. Another time, after yet another scream from me and more tears, he must have thought he'd lighten the mood by telling me that people often have that reaction when it's a rainy day like today was. It didn't lighten the mood, nor did it invoke any humor on my part, just in case that was his intention, too.
Final results today -- I do NOT have peripheral neuropathy. All my muscles and nerves are very healthy, thank you very much. He even suspected during the physical exam that I may have some carpal tunnel in my right wrist and was able to rule that out completely. He did determine that I do have advanced plantars fascitis (spelling?) in my right foot which explains the pain I've been having in my heel and arch.
More questions were raised, though. I wanted to verify that what he was doing did comletely rule out MS and he told me that it did not...he was testing the peripheral nervous system while MS affects the central nervous system...and was inclined to think my doctor and neurologist should check more into the MS side. Yippee.
While they told me there are usually no problems after the tests he did today, it took me over ten minutes to hobble to my car. My leg felt like it was in a constant cramp and I couldn't put much weight on it, and even after I got to my car, I sat there for almost 15 minutes and cried from the pain in my leg and arm before trying to call Tony on the cell phone. I couldn't even curl my hand into a loose fist, and I couldn't lift anything at all on the right side, not even the door handle to open my door. After resting in my car for about 30 minutes, I drove to Starbucks and got something to drink while curling up in one of the easy chairs and resting for another 45 minutes before starting for home. The usual 90 minute drive took about 2 1/2 hours while dealing with limited motor skills and heavy rain on top of that. Now, almost five hours later, my muscles are more relaxed in my leg and it feels like I have pins sticking all over my leg.
For now, this doctor told me that all today resulted in was eliminating peripheral nerve problems and opening the door to even more questions and potentially more tests. I hope and pray that they aren't anything like today!
As for me (at least BEFORE the tests!), I'm doing better than I was a month ago. I'm forcing myself to take regular rests during the day, cut back on so much stuff (anyone wanna come and clean house for me?), and taking my vitamins (watkins, of course!). I've lost 17 pounds without trying in the past month...and am not complaining about that! But it is frustrating not knowing what is going on. It's even more frustrating knowing my health limitations are causing even more work for Tony, but he has been wonderful in helping wherever he can (mainly in taking the kids with him at different times during the day as well as getting meals ready).
I am so thankful God has been giving me strength, physical and mental and spiritual, to get through each day, sometimes (like today) each minute. I am so thankful to all of you out there who have been praying for me. And I am even more thankful that one day I'll have a brand new body without any of the troubles this current one has! And I am thankful that, while it feels like what I'm going through is horrible and awful and terrible, I really do have good health compared to so many others out there. I have a friend who is battling affects of Lyme's disease and lupus, another acquaintance from church who is in ICU trying to get stablized before they amputate her legs, someone else on my prayer list who is battling cancer for the third time, the wife of a friend's friend who is dying of a rare form of blood cancer after having just given birth to a beautiful baby who doctors wanted to abort to save the mother's life, and there is so much more. Through it all, for me and these others, God is good...and has a plan. And knowing that, even if I never know what that plan is, is what gets me through each day (along with the prayers of all of you).
I don't know what is next. I'll let ya know when I do!
Thanks for your continued prayers......
At one point after having electical shocks up and down different parts of my arms and legs (thankfully only on the right side of my body!) and now having needles jabbed throughout the same locations (and WIGGLED on top of that while he was telling me to push my muscles further into the needles!), I told him through tears that it had been easier going through induced labor for 24 hours with Luke while not having the relief of an epidural. Another time, after yet another scream from me and more tears, he must have thought he'd lighten the mood by telling me that people often have that reaction when it's a rainy day like today was. It didn't lighten the mood, nor did it invoke any humor on my part, just in case that was his intention, too.
Final results today -- I do NOT have peripheral neuropathy. All my muscles and nerves are very healthy, thank you very much. He even suspected during the physical exam that I may have some carpal tunnel in my right wrist and was able to rule that out completely. He did determine that I do have advanced plantars fascitis (spelling?) in my right foot which explains the pain I've been having in my heel and arch.
More questions were raised, though. I wanted to verify that what he was doing did comletely rule out MS and he told me that it did not...he was testing the peripheral nervous system while MS affects the central nervous system...and was inclined to think my doctor and neurologist should check more into the MS side. Yippee.
While they told me there are usually no problems after the tests he did today, it took me over ten minutes to hobble to my car. My leg felt like it was in a constant cramp and I couldn't put much weight on it, and even after I got to my car, I sat there for almost 15 minutes and cried from the pain in my leg and arm before trying to call Tony on the cell phone. I couldn't even curl my hand into a loose fist, and I couldn't lift anything at all on the right side, not even the door handle to open my door. After resting in my car for about 30 minutes, I drove to Starbucks and got something to drink while curling up in one of the easy chairs and resting for another 45 minutes before starting for home. The usual 90 minute drive took about 2 1/2 hours while dealing with limited motor skills and heavy rain on top of that. Now, almost five hours later, my muscles are more relaxed in my leg and it feels like I have pins sticking all over my leg.
For now, this doctor told me that all today resulted in was eliminating peripheral nerve problems and opening the door to even more questions and potentially more tests. I hope and pray that they aren't anything like today!
As for me (at least BEFORE the tests!), I'm doing better than I was a month ago. I'm forcing myself to take regular rests during the day, cut back on so much stuff (anyone wanna come and clean house for me?), and taking my vitamins (watkins, of course!). I've lost 17 pounds without trying in the past month...and am not complaining about that! But it is frustrating not knowing what is going on. It's even more frustrating knowing my health limitations are causing even more work for Tony, but he has been wonderful in helping wherever he can (mainly in taking the kids with him at different times during the day as well as getting meals ready).
I am so thankful God has been giving me strength, physical and mental and spiritual, to get through each day, sometimes (like today) each minute. I am so thankful to all of you out there who have been praying for me. And I am even more thankful that one day I'll have a brand new body without any of the troubles this current one has! And I am thankful that, while it feels like what I'm going through is horrible and awful and terrible, I really do have good health compared to so many others out there. I have a friend who is battling affects of Lyme's disease and lupus, another acquaintance from church who is in ICU trying to get stablized before they amputate her legs, someone else on my prayer list who is battling cancer for the third time, the wife of a friend's friend who is dying of a rare form of blood cancer after having just given birth to a beautiful baby who doctors wanted to abort to save the mother's life, and there is so much more. Through it all, for me and these others, God is good...and has a plan. And knowing that, even if I never know what that plan is, is what gets me through each day (along with the prayers of all of you).
I don't know what is next. I'll let ya know when I do!
Thanks for your continued prayers......
Friday, August 1, 2008
Health Update
Well, Tony and I are back from meeting with a neurologist in Fargo today. While we still have no definite answers, Dr. Fitzgerald seems to think that MS is probably not the culprit, but that there is something going on with the nerves. He has me scheduled for an EEG in Fargo on Monday, August 11. He suspects this may be something called peripheral neuropathy...I'm googling this to find out more about it as I'm blogging! Not sure if this is a good or bad thing, but we'll see what happens as more tests are done and more results come through.
Dr. Fitzgerald also gave me a prescription to help with the fatigue and the shaking/trembling I've been experiencing, but after reading more about that, I have even more questions! I'm going to talk with my regular physician first before filling the prescription. I do NOT like the side affects that are listed, yikes! And I'm not sure if I'm at the point where this prescription is really necessary. Please pray for wisdom for both me and my doctors in this decision. The doctor I saw today assured me there were no side affects at the level he is prescribing, but that's not what the drug site I read says!
Tell me, is the internet a help or hindrence for physicians? Self-diagnosis, patients looking up drugs to see what all the information is about them, you name it! Or is it better to be informed about one's health?
So many questions...God grant me wisdom and the doctors answers!
Thanks so much for your prayers and continued prayers.
Dr. Fitzgerald also gave me a prescription to help with the fatigue and the shaking/trembling I've been experiencing, but after reading more about that, I have even more questions! I'm going to talk with my regular physician first before filling the prescription. I do NOT like the side affects that are listed, yikes! And I'm not sure if I'm at the point where this prescription is really necessary. Please pray for wisdom for both me and my doctors in this decision. The doctor I saw today assured me there were no side affects at the level he is prescribing, but that's not what the drug site I read says!
Tell me, is the internet a help or hindrence for physicians? Self-diagnosis, patients looking up drugs to see what all the information is about them, you name it! Or is it better to be informed about one's health?
So many questions...God grant me wisdom and the doctors answers!
Thanks so much for your prayers and continued prayers.
Thursday, January 3, 2008
My turn....
Ugh. Sometimes I wish the Mama could be the first one sick....then she'd know exactly what everyone else was going through as they take their turn in falling ill. But, after last night, I understand so much more what each of my family went through while we were on vacation (but I was sure glad we were home when it was my turn!).
I'm feeling better...this bug is a fast-acting, fast-leaving thing, but please keep me in your prayers.
Special thanks to several wonderful ladies who drove me home from AWANA, arranged for a ride for me, and brought Luke home so he wouldn't have to leave early :)
I'm feeling better...this bug is a fast-acting, fast-leaving thing, but please keep me in your prayers.
Special thanks to several wonderful ladies who drove me home from AWANA, arranged for a ride for me, and brought Luke home so he wouldn't have to leave early :)
Wednesday, January 2, 2008
Home at last!
Okay, so this is a few days late...but the first day (night) home, nobody wanted to do much but enjoy being HOME again, the second day we just wanted to enjoy being HOME again, then I started blogging about other things, unpacking (there's still a pile of "extra stuff" in the foyer), and having cousins over.
We set off for Ohio on December 21, half an hour later than we were shooting for but at least an hour or two earlier than I thought we'd manage. I'm still amazed at how much we piled into my little green SL-1 Saturn. The trunk had to be sat on to close (and thankfully not opened until we reached Ohio). The kids had great foot-rests on top of all the things piled on the floor of the back seat, Tony and I sat on our coats (the kids' coats were buried in the trunk...we were all wearing warm clothes so we wouldn't need to travel wearing coats), my feet and legs were crowded out by everything else on the floor of the front seat, and I'm amazed Tony could see out the back window with everything piled on there. BUT, the travel was great and uneventful (notice I said the TRAVEL and not the trip?). The kids did fantastic, keeping themselves occupied with everything I'd thought to pack into their backpacks (which added to the clutter in the back seat, stuffed within reach between their car seats).
We had great traveling weather -- overcast and a bit gloomy so we weren't wishing we were out enjoying the sunshine. It did get a bit foggy towards the southern end of WI and through IL, but nothing too bad. We arrived at our hotel in West Dundee (Elgin) about an hour later than expected, but we also took two hours to play Burger King, too! I posted earlier about Luke hitting his head, his mid-night bout of erps, and our rush to the emergency room, so I won't add more here...except when the nurse asked him where he lived, he told her "Across from Cypren," our neighbor boy who Luke very rarely sees.
Saturday we started earlier than planned, although by the time we attempted to fill Luke's anti-nausea medicine and picked up a caffeine-loaded Starbucks for me to stay awake long enough to drive through Chicago so Tony wouldn't have to deal with the big-city traffic, we were right on schedule -- hitting the highway just before noon. Traffic was great -- we were just about through Chicago when Tony asked if I thought we could make it through all the way without having to deal with the mess that is usually in that area. I am so thankful we stopped for the night and didn't have to deal with Chicago rush-hour traffic on a holiday weekend!
We got to Papa and Grandma's about 7:00 local time, and sat down to a welcomed meal. After cleaning Luke up again, we all settled down pretty quick, not surprisingly. Sunday we went to my parents' church and enjoyed visiting with some of the people who watched me grow up. Sunday after naps, the cousins came over, and we all enjoyed some more good food, opening presents, and the general ruckus that comes with nine children running around.
Tony, however, didn't have a good night and stayed home while the rest of us went to Doylestown to visit my grandma Toth on Monday. He enjoyed a quiet peaceful house and day consisting of not much more than sleep, and we enjoyed visiting with Grandma and more cousins. My cousin and her family from Canada joined us for lunch...her two older boys, one a bit older than Luke, one a bit younger, were highlights of Luke's day. Or maybe it was all the Thomas toys they had brought with them from Aunt Liz's house.....I was just glad to have time with my grandma!
Christmas came with the kids all excited about Jesus' birthday, Luke's "conversation" with Jesus (see my previous blogs), and a relaxed morning. The kids had a blast decorating a birthday cake for Jesus (thanks, Aunt Tammy, for sending over an extra cake!). Then the cousins descended again, bringing more merriment to Papa and Grandma's basement....until Susi's tummy rebelled. After getting her cleaned up, everyone went back to their respective corners for much needed naps before coming back to Papa and Grandma's for more fun in the evening.
On Wednesday, we all headed to Akron after piling up the car again (after Tony gave it a good cleaning). This time it was off to my uncle Julius', Dad's youngest brother. He has a gorgeous new home and I am quite envious of his bathroom. It's at least as big or bigger than our bedroom, has a huge tub, a shower as big as our bathroom, a wide-screen tv to watch while soaking in the tub, two sinks, and a butt-warmer on the toilet seat! (and other contraptions we won't go in to here....) However, the highlight was spending time with lots and lots of family. Oh, and the great food.
That night, we stayed at my aunt Sarika's in Doylestown. She recently got married to a wonderful guy, and we had a great time getting to know Neil, too. They live in an old farm house, and when I say "old," I mean...they aren't sure if it was built as noted in 1803 or what the oldest records show, in 1828.
Thursday we spend visiting with Sarika and getting ready for a Watkins party in the evening. While the turnout wasn't great, the orders have been fantastic, and we had a good time visiting. However, Susi got sick again shortly after bed time, and Tony hunkered down to sleep with her on the floor as she continued her battle through the night. What was I doing? Spending the night in bed, praying "please God, don't let me get sick! Thank you for Tony. Help Susi to get well soon." Yep, I was battling the same thing but thankfully it didn't progress as far as the others' did. Our departure was delayed by two hours the next morning mainly because of my yucky tummy, but I think it was also God's way of making sure we missed the nasty weather in Chicago that we would've run smack dab into if we'd left on time!
All in all, we had a good visit, good trip, with little bumps along the way that couldn't be helped. However, God gave us the grace to get through them all while enjoying the time with family. We're also very thankful for safe travels and good weather. And as much as we enjoyed our trip,
It's good to be home.
We set off for Ohio on December 21, half an hour later than we were shooting for but at least an hour or two earlier than I thought we'd manage. I'm still amazed at how much we piled into my little green SL-1 Saturn. The trunk had to be sat on to close (and thankfully not opened until we reached Ohio). The kids had great foot-rests on top of all the things piled on the floor of the back seat, Tony and I sat on our coats (the kids' coats were buried in the trunk...we were all wearing warm clothes so we wouldn't need to travel wearing coats), my feet and legs were crowded out by everything else on the floor of the front seat, and I'm amazed Tony could see out the back window with everything piled on there. BUT, the travel was great and uneventful (notice I said the TRAVEL and not the trip?). The kids did fantastic, keeping themselves occupied with everything I'd thought to pack into their backpacks (which added to the clutter in the back seat, stuffed within reach between their car seats).
We had great traveling weather -- overcast and a bit gloomy so we weren't wishing we were out enjoying the sunshine. It did get a bit foggy towards the southern end of WI and through IL, but nothing too bad. We arrived at our hotel in West Dundee (Elgin) about an hour later than expected, but we also took two hours to play Burger King, too! I posted earlier about Luke hitting his head, his mid-night bout of erps, and our rush to the emergency room, so I won't add more here...except when the nurse asked him where he lived, he told her "Across from Cypren," our neighbor boy who Luke very rarely sees.
Saturday we started earlier than planned, although by the time we attempted to fill Luke's anti-nausea medicine and picked up a caffeine-loaded Starbucks for me to stay awake long enough to drive through Chicago so Tony wouldn't have to deal with the big-city traffic, we were right on schedule -- hitting the highway just before noon. Traffic was great -- we were just about through Chicago when Tony asked if I thought we could make it through all the way without having to deal with the mess that is usually in that area. I am so thankful we stopped for the night and didn't have to deal with Chicago rush-hour traffic on a holiday weekend!
We got to Papa and Grandma's about 7:00 local time, and sat down to a welcomed meal. After cleaning Luke up again, we all settled down pretty quick, not surprisingly. Sunday we went to my parents' church and enjoyed visiting with some of the people who watched me grow up. Sunday after naps, the cousins came over, and we all enjoyed some more good food, opening presents, and the general ruckus that comes with nine children running around.
Tony, however, didn't have a good night and stayed home while the rest of us went to Doylestown to visit my grandma Toth on Monday. He enjoyed a quiet peaceful house and day consisting of not much more than sleep, and we enjoyed visiting with Grandma and more cousins. My cousin and her family from Canada joined us for lunch...her two older boys, one a bit older than Luke, one a bit younger, were highlights of Luke's day. Or maybe it was all the Thomas toys they had brought with them from Aunt Liz's house.....I was just glad to have time with my grandma!
Christmas came with the kids all excited about Jesus' birthday, Luke's "conversation" with Jesus (see my previous blogs), and a relaxed morning. The kids had a blast decorating a birthday cake for Jesus (thanks, Aunt Tammy, for sending over an extra cake!). Then the cousins descended again, bringing more merriment to Papa and Grandma's basement....until Susi's tummy rebelled. After getting her cleaned up, everyone went back to their respective corners for much needed naps before coming back to Papa and Grandma's for more fun in the evening.
On Wednesday, we all headed to Akron after piling up the car again (after Tony gave it a good cleaning). This time it was off to my uncle Julius', Dad's youngest brother. He has a gorgeous new home and I am quite envious of his bathroom. It's at least as big or bigger than our bedroom, has a huge tub, a shower as big as our bathroom, a wide-screen tv to watch while soaking in the tub, two sinks, and a butt-warmer on the toilet seat! (and other contraptions we won't go in to here....) However, the highlight was spending time with lots and lots of family. Oh, and the great food.
That night, we stayed at my aunt Sarika's in Doylestown. She recently got married to a wonderful guy, and we had a great time getting to know Neil, too. They live in an old farm house, and when I say "old," I mean...they aren't sure if it was built as noted in 1803 or what the oldest records show, in 1828.
Thursday we spend visiting with Sarika and getting ready for a Watkins party in the evening. While the turnout wasn't great, the orders have been fantastic, and we had a good time visiting. However, Susi got sick again shortly after bed time, and Tony hunkered down to sleep with her on the floor as she continued her battle through the night. What was I doing? Spending the night in bed, praying "please God, don't let me get sick! Thank you for Tony. Help Susi to get well soon." Yep, I was battling the same thing but thankfully it didn't progress as far as the others' did. Our departure was delayed by two hours the next morning mainly because of my yucky tummy, but I think it was also God's way of making sure we missed the nasty weather in Chicago that we would've run smack dab into if we'd left on time!
All in all, we had a good visit, good trip, with little bumps along the way that couldn't be helped. However, God gave us the grace to get through them all while enjoying the time with family. We're also very thankful for safe travels and good weather. And as much as we enjoyed our trip,
It's good to be home.
Tuesday, December 25, 2007
Another one succumbs....
Well, today we added Susanna to the list of sickies in our family. Thankfully, Luke seems fully recovered and is back to his non-stop all-boy action. He continues to make me tired just looking at him...but I'm thankful for him!
During a late lunch, Susanna had her tummy troubles. I'd suspected she wasn't feeling well as she was terribly whiny this morning and felt quite warm. She also wanted only to be held. However, once everything was done and she took a nap, she seemed to be her happy cheerful self again. We limited her supper, though, although she did put away quite a bit of Watkins chicken broth with brown rice!
As for me, my tummy was a bit grumbly the past few days, but I, too, seem to be on the mend as does Tony, thank God!
Other than that, we had a wonderful "Jesus' birthday." Luke and Susanna came in our room today, and after being reminded that it was Jesus' birthday, they sang then Luke left the room to go and talk with Jesus. He told us last night he couldn't wait for Jesus' birthday because Jesus was going to come and they could talk together! Well, after a few minutes of us hearing him chattering away in the next room, he came to inform us that "I talked to Jesus and He told me thank you. And He is 6." Okay.
His prayer last night was equally precious as he prayed and thanked God for the day, then asked for another Buzz Lightyear for Grandma's house because he needs one more there (there are already 3 or 4), so please poke a finger through heaven and send down another Buzz Lightyear. And thank you!
It was a fun time visiting and playing with "the Ohio cousins" today while I caught up some with my brother and sister-in-law. We missed having my youngest brother with us, though. Ron and Tammy invited a friend of theirs from church, Ron Jon (not sure of exact spelling) who moved here from Bangladesh 17 years ago. He was raised in a Buddhist family and became curious upon meeting Christians at the university he attended here...and soon had a hunger only Christ could satisfy. A wonderful Christian man. It was a pleasure having him join our family today. A friend of my parents' also stopped by this evening, a man from their church who is also a new Christian.
We had a wonderful time caroling at a local nursing home today. I don't know who enjoyed it more...us or the residents or the employees! They especially loved the children, hearing them sing. I was impressed that even my shy Susi who was under the weather made it a point of telling everyone she saw "Merry Christmas!"
We hope and pray yours was, too.
During a late lunch, Susanna had her tummy troubles. I'd suspected she wasn't feeling well as she was terribly whiny this morning and felt quite warm. She also wanted only to be held. However, once everything was done and she took a nap, she seemed to be her happy cheerful self again. We limited her supper, though, although she did put away quite a bit of Watkins chicken broth with brown rice!
As for me, my tummy was a bit grumbly the past few days, but I, too, seem to be on the mend as does Tony, thank God!
Other than that, we had a wonderful "Jesus' birthday." Luke and Susanna came in our room today, and after being reminded that it was Jesus' birthday, they sang then Luke left the room to go and talk with Jesus. He told us last night he couldn't wait for Jesus' birthday because Jesus was going to come and they could talk together! Well, after a few minutes of us hearing him chattering away in the next room, he came to inform us that "I talked to Jesus and He told me thank you. And He is 6." Okay.
His prayer last night was equally precious as he prayed and thanked God for the day, then asked for another Buzz Lightyear for Grandma's house because he needs one more there (there are already 3 or 4), so please poke a finger through heaven and send down another Buzz Lightyear. And thank you!
It was a fun time visiting and playing with "the Ohio cousins" today while I caught up some with my brother and sister-in-law. We missed having my youngest brother with us, though. Ron and Tammy invited a friend of theirs from church, Ron Jon (not sure of exact spelling) who moved here from Bangladesh 17 years ago. He was raised in a Buddhist family and became curious upon meeting Christians at the university he attended here...and soon had a hunger only Christ could satisfy. A wonderful Christian man. It was a pleasure having him join our family today. A friend of my parents' also stopped by this evening, a man from their church who is also a new Christian.
We had a wonderful time caroling at a local nursing home today. I don't know who enjoyed it more...us or the residents or the employees! They especially loved the children, hearing them sing. I was impressed that even my shy Susi who was under the weather made it a point of telling everyone she saw "Merry Christmas!"
We hope and pray yours was, too.
Monday, December 24, 2007
Travel Trials and Joys
Merry Christmas from Ohio! We decided shortly after Thanksgiving to travel to Ohio for Christmas this year. It wasn't an easy decision....it's hard traveling 1000 miles each way with a 2- and a 3-year old, but my last living grandparent was recently diagnosed with throat cancer at age 92, and Grandma decided that, given her age and knowing where she was going after death, she didn't want to have any treatment. So, we decided to make the trek southeast and spend Christmas with my side of the family this year.
Given gas prices and some vehicle problems, we decided to drive my Saturn, a small 4-door sedan (did I mention it was small??). Oh, it's amazing what all we fit in to that car, even before we squeezed ourselves inside! I have a couple photos of how crowded the back seat was with the kids! And poor Tony with his long legs! But praise God the kids traveled well, keeping busy with all the fun things packed into their back packs....stickers, coloring books, snacks, and more! There were many times I wasn't even sure if they were in the car!
Friday night, we stopped at a "resident hotel" in Elgin, IL. It gave us a chance to get out, relax, not deal with Friday night/holiday weekend rush hour thru Chicago! Plus, my brother Tim comped us the room with his hotel points, so that was an added blessing. We settled in, ate supper, then the kids started running around releasing all the pent up energy they had. At one point, Luke jumped on an unsuspecting Tony, causing Tony to rear back and Luke to go tumbling off his back. On the way down, his head was bonked, resulting in tears and a HUGE egg on the back of his head. We kept an eye on him, but within a few minutes he was running around like normal...to the point where we had a call from the hotel manager...the folks in the room below us were complaining about the thumps! By then, it was time to settle down for the night, so we pulled out the sofa, got the kids settled down, and they were out in no time. Tony and I joined them in dreamland from the other room shortly after.
Mothers have extra-sensitive hearing and a sixth sense when something is wrong. At about 2:45 a.m. I heard a noise that no mother wants to hear, especially in the middle of the night hundreds of miles from home. Rushing in to the other room, Luke was sitting up in bed in the middle of his second heave. Poor little guy. Tony came to help and took him to the bathroom to get him washed up and changed while I put Susanna in our room and started taking off the sheets, checking stuffed animals (only Susanna's baby got splattered, and only a wee bit, thank God!). During this time, we were again checking Luke's pupils, asking him questions to see if he was addled, checking his walk, reflexes, etc. Was this a result of finding all the snacks in his back pack and downing half of them when Mama was unaware? The bump on the head? Did another child go to AWANA Wednesday night with the flu and infect a bunch of unsuspecting children? Was he developing travel sickness? A combination of the above? Thankfully, our insurance company has a 24-hour on-call nurse, so I called to see if we should get Luke checked out. Sure enough, she thought we should, so Luke and I started on our next adventure. Thankfully again, the hospital was only 5 minutes away.
We got to the ER and they said it would be just a matter of minutes....however, as they were taking our info, an ambulance came in, so our wait was longer. About 90 minutes later, we finally went back to a very kid-friendly room where he was checked out again with a recommendation of a CT scan. That took another long wait as yet another emergency came in with a very bad head trauma. Thankfully, again!, it came back clear, but he was diagnosed with a mild concussion. He had several bouts of heaves, and they gave him some medication to deal with the nausea and relax the stomach muscles. We ended up filling the prescription they sent with us after getting to Ohio and having him get sick again.
Luke loved the doctor. He was a younger African American man with little braids all over his head. Luke thought that was hilarious! The second time he came in, to tell us the result of the CT scan, he asked Luke if he wanted to touch his hair. Amidst giggles, Luke said yes...then started laughing even more while telling him his hair was very "fuzzy."
We did arrive at Papa and Grandma's house in time for supper Saturday night, and I am again thankful that the kids travelled so well! Susi was fussy about the last 30 minutes, but she assured me she did NOT want us to turn around and go home!
We enjoyed a fun afternoon and evening yesterday with my brother's family (wife and seven children), opening gifts, feasting on steak and potatoes and countless Christmas cookies, and just watching the kids go wild. However, illness struck again...
Climbing into bed after getting everyone settled for the night, I noticed Tony was moaning. He had chills and a fever, aches and a very yucky tummy. (Luke didn't have a fever, chills, or aches.) After tending to him, I settled down with the kids on the floor of their room. Today Tony stayed "home" in bed while the rest of us went to visit my grandma with some additional visitors joining us (cousin Martha and her gang, Uncle Ralph, Aunt Carole, Aunt Sarika, and Uncle Neil). By the time we got back to my parents', Tony was among the living again although he is not quite 100%.
All in all, we've been enjoying ourselves, and we have many unforgettable memories of our 2007 trip before it's even over! Please pray that Tony and Luke continue to be completely healed and Susanna and I don't have a turn in this episode of events!
Tomorrow will be a quiet Christmas day as Ron's family again joins us, along with two family friends (quiet? 9 kids?). We'll be caroling at a local nursing home and enjoying a ham dinner. Wednesday will see us at my uncle's home in Akron with my dad's side of the family (guaranteed it will NOT be quiet!), and Thursday I'm having a Watkins party before we head back to Park Rapids with another stop in Elgin (I hope the hotel welcomes us back!).
I trust and pray each of you have a wonderful Christmas day! Please jot a comment and tell me how you celebrated Jesus' birthday!
Given gas prices and some vehicle problems, we decided to drive my Saturn, a small 4-door sedan (did I mention it was small??). Oh, it's amazing what all we fit in to that car, even before we squeezed ourselves inside! I have a couple photos of how crowded the back seat was with the kids! And poor Tony with his long legs! But praise God the kids traveled well, keeping busy with all the fun things packed into their back packs....stickers, coloring books, snacks, and more! There were many times I wasn't even sure if they were in the car!
Friday night, we stopped at a "resident hotel" in Elgin, IL. It gave us a chance to get out, relax, not deal with Friday night/holiday weekend rush hour thru Chicago! Plus, my brother Tim comped us the room with his hotel points, so that was an added blessing. We settled in, ate supper, then the kids started running around releasing all the pent up energy they had. At one point, Luke jumped on an unsuspecting Tony, causing Tony to rear back and Luke to go tumbling off his back. On the way down, his head was bonked, resulting in tears and a HUGE egg on the back of his head. We kept an eye on him, but within a few minutes he was running around like normal...to the point where we had a call from the hotel manager...the folks in the room below us were complaining about the thumps! By then, it was time to settle down for the night, so we pulled out the sofa, got the kids settled down, and they were out in no time. Tony and I joined them in dreamland from the other room shortly after.
Mothers have extra-sensitive hearing and a sixth sense when something is wrong. At about 2:45 a.m. I heard a noise that no mother wants to hear, especially in the middle of the night hundreds of miles from home. Rushing in to the other room, Luke was sitting up in bed in the middle of his second heave. Poor little guy. Tony came to help and took him to the bathroom to get him washed up and changed while I put Susanna in our room and started taking off the sheets, checking stuffed animals (only Susanna's baby got splattered, and only a wee bit, thank God!). During this time, we were again checking Luke's pupils, asking him questions to see if he was addled, checking his walk, reflexes, etc. Was this a result of finding all the snacks in his back pack and downing half of them when Mama was unaware? The bump on the head? Did another child go to AWANA Wednesday night with the flu and infect a bunch of unsuspecting children? Was he developing travel sickness? A combination of the above? Thankfully, our insurance company has a 24-hour on-call nurse, so I called to see if we should get Luke checked out. Sure enough, she thought we should, so Luke and I started on our next adventure. Thankfully again, the hospital was only 5 minutes away.
We got to the ER and they said it would be just a matter of minutes....however, as they were taking our info, an ambulance came in, so our wait was longer. About 90 minutes later, we finally went back to a very kid-friendly room where he was checked out again with a recommendation of a CT scan. That took another long wait as yet another emergency came in with a very bad head trauma. Thankfully, again!, it came back clear, but he was diagnosed with a mild concussion. He had several bouts of heaves, and they gave him some medication to deal with the nausea and relax the stomach muscles. We ended up filling the prescription they sent with us after getting to Ohio and having him get sick again.
Luke loved the doctor. He was a younger African American man with little braids all over his head. Luke thought that was hilarious! The second time he came in, to tell us the result of the CT scan, he asked Luke if he wanted to touch his hair. Amidst giggles, Luke said yes...then started laughing even more while telling him his hair was very "fuzzy."
We did arrive at Papa and Grandma's house in time for supper Saturday night, and I am again thankful that the kids travelled so well! Susi was fussy about the last 30 minutes, but she assured me she did NOT want us to turn around and go home!
We enjoyed a fun afternoon and evening yesterday with my brother's family (wife and seven children), opening gifts, feasting on steak and potatoes and countless Christmas cookies, and just watching the kids go wild. However, illness struck again...
Climbing into bed after getting everyone settled for the night, I noticed Tony was moaning. He had chills and a fever, aches and a very yucky tummy. (Luke didn't have a fever, chills, or aches.) After tending to him, I settled down with the kids on the floor of their room. Today Tony stayed "home" in bed while the rest of us went to visit my grandma with some additional visitors joining us (cousin Martha and her gang, Uncle Ralph, Aunt Carole, Aunt Sarika, and Uncle Neil). By the time we got back to my parents', Tony was among the living again although he is not quite 100%.
All in all, we've been enjoying ourselves, and we have many unforgettable memories of our 2007 trip before it's even over! Please pray that Tony and Luke continue to be completely healed and Susanna and I don't have a turn in this episode of events!
Tomorrow will be a quiet Christmas day as Ron's family again joins us, along with two family friends (quiet? 9 kids?). We'll be caroling at a local nursing home and enjoying a ham dinner. Wednesday will see us at my uncle's home in Akron with my dad's side of the family (guaranteed it will NOT be quiet!), and Thursday I'm having a Watkins party before we head back to Park Rapids with another stop in Elgin (I hope the hotel welcomes us back!).
I trust and pray each of you have a wonderful Christmas day! Please jot a comment and tell me how you celebrated Jesus' birthday!
Thursday, November 15, 2007
My Tony
Hi all -- I have another prayer request for you; this one even closer to home.
Tony is at the hospital right now, just admitted to ICU from the ER. Yesterday his heart started doing funny things (and I wasn't even in eye sight!), but he neglected to let anyone know until this morning when he informed me he thought he should go to the clinic. Upon calling the clinic, they told him he should go directly to the hospital due to his symptoms (irregular heart beat, lasting more than 24 hours). He told me this has happened twice before when he was in his 20s; both times they could find nothing wrong, so he didn't say anything figuring it would work itself out.
The hospital informed him if he'd have come in right away, they could have given him some medication to see if that would regulate the rhythm, but since he waited so long, there was a danger of clotting and they'd have to give him blood thinner first. He spent about 3 hours in the ER before they finally got him up to a room and opted to put him in ICU because things involved the heart. By the time he got in his room, he was quite hungry and his heart rhythm seems to have regulated, praise God! He thinks they won't let him leave today, though.
We were able to spend a bit of time with him in the ER before the kids got to squirrelly. I was surprised they weren't phased by seeing Daddy hooked up to all kinds of monitors and with an IV in him. Susanna's greatest concern was why the doctor took his clothes and made him naked (waist up); Luke was more concerned with getting back to the lobby to play with all the toys. I pray God will help me to remain calm so that the concern I do have isn't transmitted to the kids.
Right now it appears as if everything is back to normal. They are doing some blood work for Lyme's disease, mainly because he had a deer tick attached in mid-October and want to rule out that possibility.
I'll let you all know more as I know.
Thanks for your prayers.
LindaSue
Sunday, October 21, 2007
Small print (and solutions)
Okay, so I'm still trying to figure out what is going to work best, and based on my last posting (even BEFORE the comments), I realized the font was waaaaay too small. Sorry about that! But it did inspire the content of this posting (the small font, that is) -- well, that and how people are actually voting on my poll that they want me to post about Watkins! Okay, two of you did, but still!
So for the very few of you that don't know, I signed up with Watkins over a year ago, mainly to fill a void in our town after our local Watkins lady remarried and stopped selling. I was pleasantly surprised at how well business took off...and even more satisfied with how much I love the products! And I'm honestly not saying that because I sell Watkins.... I'll write more about other Watkins products and stuff in the future, but going back to the first paragraph, about the small print and the comments and all...
My cousin Liz is a bit older than me, not that much older than me, but enough to realize that when I got engaged, she is actually older than my now-husband (okay, that's a reminder of an email she sent me telling how she was surprised I was getting married to a guy who was so old...then realized she was actually two weeks older than he was, so he really wasn't that old). ANYWAY! Liz commented something about her eye sight as she gets older (I don't remember precisely at this time what the comment was, but it was along those lines, and bear with me, cuz I have another comment about memory, but I'm already off on too many tangents!). See, at the beginning of this year, I realized that I was starting to have to hold things with smaller print at arms length so I could read it easier. I was horrified! Was I getting old? Well, yes, I turned 40 in June, but that's beside the point. Who really wants to admit they're getting old? On a lark, and because I like to try the different things Watkins makes so I can give personal testimonials, I decided to try their Eye Care Plus supplement for a month, see if it really did make a difference. I honestly didn't notice anything, but then again, I honestly wasn't paying attention (reminder...follow up on above tangent on memory).
So I was hosting a party in May, and as I was talking about the supplements and how much my kids love the Children's Chewable vitamins, as usual, I started reading off some of the fruits and vegetables contained in them (all kinds of things most kids won't touch, but my kids really love, like asparagus, beets, and a bunch of other stuff), I realized I wasn't holding the bottle away from me AND I was seeing everything quite clearly! That, of course, segued into an "oh my goodness, guess what I just realized and what I have to talk about next!" I sold six bottles of Eye Care Plus that night (and three of the Children's Chewables...). The Eye Care Plus really has made a difference in replacing my potential need for bifocals (at least for now) and once again, I don't feel too old (except when I try to keep up with my kids!). Some of the testimonials I've read about the product also talks about helping astigmatism as well as near and far sightedness. I just know I'm really sold on it.
Watkins' supplements are really great. Another one of my favorites (and one I use ALOT) is Linimax. Linimax is a musculo-skeletal supplement that contains, among other things, glucosamine. And where glucosamine usually takes one to two months to kick in and start relieving pain for arthritis sufferers, Linimax starts working (at least for me and several others I recommended it for) within a day or two. I love seeing friends of mine who have started taking Linimax stop walking with that painful limp when you first get up and start walking again (another personal testimonial -- I have bone-on-bone arthritis in both knees, and going back to that age thing, I noticed late last year that when I stand up after playing on the floor with my kids or sitting in one position for quite awhile, my hips are pretty stiff and awkward moving for the first few minutes. However, I don't have any problems since I've started taking Linimax...well, except for when I'm working at the Market for nine hours walking constantly on the cement floor without gettting a chance to sit down, like at the pumpkin parties....and by the following morning, stiffness and soreness is gone). Again, some of the testimonials I've read on Linimax talks about improvement and in some cases completely pain free for individuals with "achy" problems (including degenerative disks, torn tendons, fibromyalgia, and arthritis).
Okay, the memory thing! Watkins also has a supplement called Brain Plus that is supposed to help with memory; it has ginkgo biloba and other stuff in it that is great for "bringing back your memory while preventing against age-related mental decline" -- so, since I tend to forget stuff sometimes, I thought I'd get some and try that, too! Maybe add another personal testimonial to my collection...but (and don't laugh at me!) I keep forgetting to take it. Seriously.
So anyway, check out my Watkins website http://www.watkinsonline.com/lindasuecarter and look at some of the supplements and other great things for yourself. (Supplement information can be found under "home remedies" then "supplements for all lifestyles" -- supplement names may vary slightly in Canada.) I'll write more in the future about some of the other great products, like their chemical-free cleaning line, their awesome 2007 holiday gift line, and their other long-time favorites!
And while I'll keep the font at a more reasonable size, do consider giving Eye Care Plus a try (you can order anything right one line)...and I promise I'll remember to take my Brain Plus!
Love and blessings,
LindaSue
PS - I hope I remember to tell you about our fun adventure after church today! Well, not TELLING you today, but maybe tomorrow or Tuesday....
So for the very few of you that don't know, I signed up with Watkins over a year ago, mainly to fill a void in our town after our local Watkins lady remarried and stopped selling. I was pleasantly surprised at how well business took off...and even more satisfied with how much I love the products! And I'm honestly not saying that because I sell Watkins.... I'll write more about other Watkins products and stuff in the future, but going back to the first paragraph, about the small print and the comments and all...
My cousin Liz is a bit older than me, not that much older than me, but enough to realize that when I got engaged, she is actually older than my now-husband (okay, that's a reminder of an email she sent me telling how she was surprised I was getting married to a guy who was so old...then realized she was actually two weeks older than he was, so he really wasn't that old). ANYWAY! Liz commented something about her eye sight as she gets older (I don't remember precisely at this time what the comment was, but it was along those lines, and bear with me, cuz I have another comment about memory, but I'm already off on too many tangents!). See, at the beginning of this year, I realized that I was starting to have to hold things with smaller print at arms length so I could read it easier. I was horrified! Was I getting old? Well, yes, I turned 40 in June, but that's beside the point. Who really wants to admit they're getting old? On a lark, and because I like to try the different things Watkins makes so I can give personal testimonials, I decided to try their Eye Care Plus supplement for a month, see if it really did make a difference. I honestly didn't notice anything, but then again, I honestly wasn't paying attention (reminder...follow up on above tangent on memory).
So I was hosting a party in May, and as I was talking about the supplements and how much my kids love the Children's Chewable vitamins, as usual, I started reading off some of the fruits and vegetables contained in them (all kinds of things most kids won't touch, but my kids really love, like asparagus, beets, and a bunch of other stuff), I realized I wasn't holding the bottle away from me AND I was seeing everything quite clearly! That, of course, segued into an "oh my goodness, guess what I just realized and what I have to talk about next!" I sold six bottles of Eye Care Plus that night (and three of the Children's Chewables...). The Eye Care Plus really has made a difference in replacing my potential need for bifocals (at least for now) and once again, I don't feel too old (except when I try to keep up with my kids!). Some of the testimonials I've read about the product also talks about helping astigmatism as well as near and far sightedness. I just know I'm really sold on it.
Watkins' supplements are really great. Another one of my favorites (and one I use ALOT) is Linimax. Linimax is a musculo-skeletal supplement that contains, among other things, glucosamine. And where glucosamine usually takes one to two months to kick in and start relieving pain for arthritis sufferers, Linimax starts working (at least for me and several others I recommended it for) within a day or two. I love seeing friends of mine who have started taking Linimax stop walking with that painful limp when you first get up and start walking again (another personal testimonial -- I have bone-on-bone arthritis in both knees, and going back to that age thing, I noticed late last year that when I stand up after playing on the floor with my kids or sitting in one position for quite awhile, my hips are pretty stiff and awkward moving for the first few minutes. However, I don't have any problems since I've started taking Linimax...well, except for when I'm working at the Market for nine hours walking constantly on the cement floor without gettting a chance to sit down, like at the pumpkin parties....and by the following morning, stiffness and soreness is gone). Again, some of the testimonials I've read on Linimax talks about improvement and in some cases completely pain free for individuals with "achy" problems (including degenerative disks, torn tendons, fibromyalgia, and arthritis).
Okay, the memory thing! Watkins also has a supplement called Brain Plus that is supposed to help with memory; it has ginkgo biloba and other stuff in it that is great for "bringing back your memory while preventing against age-related mental decline" -- so, since I tend to forget stuff sometimes, I thought I'd get some and try that, too! Maybe add another personal testimonial to my collection...but (and don't laugh at me!) I keep forgetting to take it. Seriously.
So anyway, check out my Watkins website http://www.watkinsonline.com/lindasuecarter and look at some of the supplements and other great things for yourself. (Supplement information can be found under "home remedies" then "supplements for all lifestyles" -- supplement names may vary slightly in Canada.) I'll write more in the future about some of the other great products, like their chemical-free cleaning line, their awesome 2007 holiday gift line, and their other long-time favorites!
And while I'll keep the font at a more reasonable size, do consider giving Eye Care Plus a try (you can order anything right one line)...and I promise I'll remember to take my Brain Plus!
Love and blessings,
LindaSue
PS - I hope I remember to tell you about our fun adventure after church today! Well, not TELLING you today, but maybe tomorrow or Tuesday....
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