Change of plans.

Every time I think about writing the bitch blog I get weighed down with a headache. So, instead I will WHINE.

For a VERY long time I have felt like crap. No energy. No enthusiasm. Muscles extremely weak. When I don't absolutely have to go somewhere I sit in the apartment and wonder if I should take another NAP.

Yesterday a thought came to mind and I looked up "symptoms of anemia"--(I have been anemic my whole life). Yes...you may put my picture next to the list!

I did something RED by the ones I can relate to.

Symptoms common to many types of anemia include the following:

XEasy fatigue and loss of energy
XUnusually rapid heart beat, particularly with exercise
XShortness of breath and headache, particularly with exercise
XDifficulty concentrating
XDizziness
Pale skin (I'm always pale, so I didn't count this one) LOL
XLeg cramps
Insomnia

Other symptoms are associated with specific forms of anemia.

Anemia caused by iron deficiency:

XHunger for strange substances such as paper, ICE , or dirt (a condition called pica).
Upward curvature of the nails referred to as koilonychias.
XSoreness of the mouth with cracks at the corners.

Anemia caused by vitamin B-12 deficiency:

XA tingling, "pins and needles" sensation in the hands or feet.

XLoss of sense of touch.
XA wobbly gait and difficulty walking.
XClumsiness and stiffness of the arms and legs.
Dementia
Hallucinations, paranoia and schizophrenia. THANK GOODNESS it hasn't come to these yet!

Sooooo...I researched RDAs for B12, Folic acid and Iron and went shopping.

I guess I have officially arrived in 'old farthood'. Tomorrow its GNC for B12 and Folic acid!

It is nice to have HOPE again. To see/feel every day if there is an improvement in my energy.

ANYWAY---I figure the bitching stems from the irritability that fatigue causes.

I know. I know. It's been forever since I posted. But I (sort of) have a good excuse.

I subscribe to the belief that you should focus on the positive. Don't talk about the negative because it only validates it in your spirit. And it seems lately that there is so much crap gettin' on my nerves all I wanna do is B-I-T-C-H!

Now I've decided to subscribe to the "get it off your chest" concept to see if perhaps that will take away my urge to slap some people (and bugs).

WHERE DO I BEGIN? This could take me days--with lots of edits and afterthoughts. Maybe today I'll just list some of the topics driving me to the brink. Just thinking about them gives me a headache. Maybe you can relate just by the topics and start your own headache (I mean bitch session).

CELL PHONE USERS
DRIVERS
THE PUBLIC
GETTING (BEING?) OLD
BUGS !
COMMUNITY
PUNKS
OUR SOCIETY TODAY
HEAT AND HUMIDITY (i.e. summer in Florida)

.......................okay, in an effort to keep my head from exploding I will stop there for now. It just keeps getting better and better, eh?

(I'll bet now you're sorry I'm posting again)!

Florida State Fair--Tampa--February 14, 2009

I mean, is he cute or what?

Hey! Look who I ran into! It's Diane and Donny!

Can ya tell I just love COLOR?

Have a fried green bean, Mommy. Oh! and great hair day, by the way!

I couldn't have said it better myself. z-z-z-z-z-z

this is so weird...

CJane posted a pic of her refrigerator art on her blog yesterday http://blog.cjanerun.com/ One piece in particular caught my eye. I assumed she or Nie or one of her bff's had made the collage. It really bugged me that I hadn't made it. I thought it was really great.

SO...today I'm cruisin' GOOGLE images for 'lip prints', then 'kiss print' to do maybe some smoochie thing on my header. GUESS WHAT? Up pops the pic from CJ's fridge! It wasn't hers or Nie's or a bff's (or mine!) after all...it was by a REAL ARTIST!

go figure.

Gustav Klimt

"The Kiss"

I KNOW. I KNOW. I can hear you now..."You didn't KNOW that was Gustav Klimt? Geesh!" And the answer to that would be "ummmm, no? In fact I don't believe I've ever HEARD of Gustav Klimt." Ha! And now I love him (well, his work, anyway).

I really like his work.

I'm sure he had OCD.

the 'weird' part is that I like that picture but wasn't looking for it and it just jumped in my face.

In case you were wondering.

Weird.

and yes...

I did notice the other Klimt print on the fridge. I like that one, too.

("Fulfillment", I think)

Spruce goose

I have found my inspiration for posting! Every time I comment on someones blog I feel the need to come here and SPRUCE THE PLACE UP a bit. Consider it spruced, 'cause it is WAY past my bedtime!

Damn!

umm, football ?

In box

94

Thats how many emails I've gotten from the FDA since Jan. 11 saying 'don't consume

anything with peanuts in it.' 94! In 20 days!

I finally emailed my family and friends (after sending about 8 of these warnings) and told them:

IF IT TASTES LIKE PEANUTS, SPIT IT OUT!

(update 1/31- 10 more today and the night is still young!)

For CarrotJello

Greetings lunch buddy! Thanks for coming to my blog! (oops, I think I just peed on my leg I was so happy to have a visitor).

at last...

Stephanie and Christian Neilson

(Christian is in blue) : )

www.nieniedialogues.blogspot.com/

Stephanie Nielson Day!

JANUARY, 16, 2008

NieNie Dialogues returns!

AURAS, cooties and fitted sheets

I think about the woman at a St. Louis laundromat in 1970 who, after watching me struggle, taught me how to fold fitted sheets. She has no clue (I bet) how often she is thought of or how large a 'RIPPLE' she created that day.

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I find it amusing that now, when it seems possible a woman could be elected President of the United States, there is talk about making the 'first spouse' a paying position. Gag me, testosterone.

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Isn't it interesting that as we finally near a withdrawal date for Iraq, the plans are being made to ramp up U.S. troops in AFGHANISTAN? Looks like the lessons of Viet Nam were all for naught. And, to be redundant, gag....testosterone.

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Does the concept of infinity drive you crazy? It drives me crazy. Being so caught up in the boundries of life in this physical plane I cannot stretch my (wild and vivid) imagination far enough to go forever. This concept first began to plague me in my teens and it still does today.

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I wonder what ever happened to the first guy who ever kissed me. (I hope he didn't disappear because of me! You know, COOTIE FACTOR. YIKES!)

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Do you suppose 'mortal pieces' of MADALYN MURRAY O'HAIR is as far as she made it? Do you think she found God sometime shortly before the saw? Nehhhh.

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I seriously believe in the 'butterfly theory'. (See St. Louis lady above)

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If you've only seen 3 episodes of a t.v. show, how can it be a re-run EVERY time you watch it?


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DID YOU KNOW the term 'GAWDY' comes from the work of Antoni Gaudi, a Spanish architect? http://www.red2000.com/spain/barcelon/phgau.html

I guess I like GAWDY because I like GAUDI.

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I have seen BALL LIGHTNING!!! At least I think I have. It was about the size of a marble and sparkled like a sparkler. It moved though my room and out the window. A steady pace and a level plane. I was so relieved 40ish years later to come upon the term 'ball lightning'. FINALLY! An explanation for that anomaly in my room all those years ago. phew!

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Okay, maybe I shouldn't mention this, especially right after the ball lightning thing--but it was THE COOLEST THING I EVER SAW!!! I used to ride the bus from Clearwater to Tampa to go to school five days a week. Some days I would catch a nap on the 45 minute ride since when I got off the bus I had to work 4 or 5 hours. ONE DAY as I was waiting for the bus to finish loading passengers I happened to notice an elderly couple getting on. The first thing I noticed was they were dressed, for lack of a better description, like Amish people. All in black..he wore a hat, she wore a long black dress with an apron over it and a kind of 'bonnet' on her head. Their faces were almost wrinkle free and had THE most serene expression I have ever seen outside a painting. HERE COMES THE WEIRD PART. As they ascended into the darkness of the bus I could see they were GLOWING. I swear to GOD. It was so plain, so obvious that I was just frozen for a few seconds. Then I looked around the bus to see if anyone else noticed. Nobody seemed to. I wanted to just scream "check these guys out!!!!" I thought--okay--this is my eyes playing tricks on me. I looked at other people. Really focused. I looked back and the couple was still glowing. I read a little from a textbook. Still glowing. Nothing I did would change the fact that I could see these peoples AURAS. This lasted the entire 45 minute trip. I was 17. I have no explanation for why I was able to see that. The word 'countenance' comes to mind. Not sure if that describes their overall appearance. I DO KNOW THIS...I am now 59 years old and I've never, before or since, seen that kind of 'light'. It cannot be described. It warms your soul to see it. It was a 'halo' light. It was real.

...and I feel extremely priviledged to have seen it.

CHRISTMAS was...

FAMILY

out of FOCUS

TEST drives

meltdowns

and PRETTY LIGHTS!!!

CJane knows...

How sad is this? Almost 80 degrees forecast for CHRISTMAS DAY.

WAAAAAAAAA!!!!!

CJane ( http://blog.cjanerun.com/2008/07/peanuts.html ) is right. Florida sucks. (she didn't put it exactly like that, but I'm sure thats what she meant to say ROFL)

Retail Christmas

Okay, I ADMIT IT, I am NOT the best blogger on the planet. I do have what I think is a pretty good excuse though, for not posting for over 5 weeks. Working in retail this time of year sort of sucks up all your time and resources. Since before Thanksgiving (and I presume till Christmas Eve) it has been BUSY, BUSY, BUSY!!! The recession has not dampened Christmas shopping in the Tampa area.

SO. Above is my sister-in-law's Christmas tree. One of them. She put up four this year and each one is prettier than the one before. I featured this one because it was the best picture...LOL. We will have big doings at their house Christmas Eve and again Christmas Day. Then, I suspect, dinner at Uncle Tom's house and home (for me) early...to sleep! Eight o'clock schedule for the day-after-Christmas returns starting! Ugh! Gonna be another long couple of weeks of Christmas for retail. And the stories...."They SAID it came from Stein Mart!"...no tags at all (or better yet a Marshall's tag)...and not even a brand we carry. Oh, and a little hint...if it is a small appliance, don't even waste your time (or ours)...Stein Mart doesn't carry small appliances! And sparkly jewelry with no tags attached? We KNOW you wore it to your holiday parties and now want your money back! We don't forget faces, either. LOL. Bringing your return to us in a Stein Mart gift box does not insure it is our merchandise and that we will take it back. Please leave your boxes at home---you are just bringing us your garbage.

LOL Can you tell I am worn out from all this? I'm starting into my Christmas curmudgeon phase. Pardon me. Its retail.

Now I am off to wrap, do laundry, grocery shop ( and something else I can't remember at the moment)...my only day off now till Christmas!

And The Winner Is.....

BARACK OBAMA!!!

This was a MOST unusual election! For ONE thing it went on for about 2 years...the campaigning, that is. But I am with politics the way I am with football--Let me know when its down to two and I'll choose up sides. For ANOTHER thing, it was the first time a man of AFRICAN AMERICAN decent made into the finals. AND a WOMAN was on the ticket for the GOP V.P.

FOR ME, the most unusual part of this election year was the fact that I actually liked BOTH guys! Usually I like NEITHER and vote for what I consider to be the lesser of 2 evils. Not this time. It was a real struggle to weigh the pluses and minuses of the two candidates and come up with a firm decision. Firm. Maybe thats not the best description. I should just say "come up with a decision". But I did.

Lets just say when it came right down to it I reverted to my usual technique for choosing...I voted against W.

ETSY!!!

These are the pieces with which I opened my ETSY shop! It is a scary venture, I'll tell ya!

First of all, the whole process

had me scared. Write a bio, make a banner, pick an avatar. write shop policies...and so on. All I knew about an AVATAR at that point was what I had seen on CSI:NY and it was pretty strange...LOL. The first few weeks of this 'planning stage' I worked on possible names and banners. And I worked on crafts. As usual I started a few that ended up in the proverbial rag-bag. Then came the tassles. I kinda like my tassles. I just don't know if anyone else will be as in love with the idea of hanging hunks of yarn and fibers in their house as decorations. I hope so. Anyway, I have to bead those up a little more before I put them online.



Besides worrying about the OPENING process of an ETSY shop there is another big concern. IS MY WORK GOOD ENOUGH? WHAT IF NOBODY WANTS IT? WHAT IF EVERYBODY WANTS IT? whatif whatif whatif??? AAARRRRGGGHHH!



Okay, fast forward to October 30. Well, I mean fast forward from the months of agonizing over all of it. As I tend to do I just JUMPED. I went on ETSY and just went for it. It wasn't so bad. I made it up as I went along (the bio and stuff, I mean)--they kind of walk ya through it. Next thing I knew I had my own shop! Now comes the REALLY scary part!



By the way, the name of the shop is RUSTY HEART and here is the link: RUSTYHEART.ETSY.com

Now it seems there is something wrong with my camera. : ( I am HOPING that it is NOT actually the camera but the memory card. When I put it in the computer the last time it brought up a notice that said "memory card needs to be reformatted". I got out the camera box to get the USB cable but it wasn't there. I'm bummed. I am SO hoping its the card and not the camera!! You can't have an ETSY shop without a (good) camera. Besides, I have some GREAT lace I need to get pics of to put in my shop! I guess we'll see. : /

The Link: http://www.eastvalleyproductions.com/player.cfm?media=/movies/Nie/Glendhill
(pic borrowed from sister Liz--hope she won't mind :\)



First let me talk about GYMBOREE play and music centers (owned by TOT-BOT) closing here in Pinellas and Hillsborough Counties (FL). Apparently they were pretty rude about it--Didn't even tell the franchise owners till the day it was done. The owners, in good faith, had sold packages right up till the end. Other bay area play centers are offering specials for parents who got stuck in that debacle. (Here comes the pitch...) PlayMania Tampa will honor Gymboree packages when you make an equal or greater purchase at their location. They are an independent, family owned business (my niece Whitney and her husband Todd) located in the Sweetbay shopping center at Big Bend Road and I-75 in Ruskin. The number there is (813)649-8919.


Okay. I feel like I did something nice. LOL. The fact that I have no readership is beside the point...rofl. But hey, they are good people trying to run a new business in these really crumby times. Ya ought to go sign up just 'cause they're so brave!


Now, for an update on my newest 'friends' from the blog world, Stephanie and Christian Nielson.



He is now out of the burn center AND the rehab center and is going to therapy on an out-patient basis. YAY!!! And...(a drumroll here, please) Stephanie is being gradually allowed to wake up from her 10 week sleep!!!!! It is so emotional, reading cjane's blog---and Jaimee Rose's articles



After fiery plane crash, a sister is held even closer . I am totally in love with that whole family, all 40 or 50 of them...LOL. J/K there, but ya do almost need a program to remember everyone. (There are 11 siblings in Christian's family and 9 in Stephanie's. Add husbands, wives and kids and...well, sometimes I forget who belongs to whom. (whom? is that right?) If you have no clue what I'm talking about click on the 'Cjane Enjoy It' button on the right and/or read the Jaimee Rose article. Bring tissues. Saturday night Mindy Gledhill did a benefit concert for the family and S&C's daughters got on stage to join in singing "Golden Slumbers", a lullaby, for their mom.


Talk about a boo-hoo!

.pictures from work (Stein Mart)..

I LOVE the Tie Tables---like lifesize color wheels : )

They are on my mind and in my heart

PRAYING for them...
...won't you join me, please?

http://www.nierecovery.com/ http://blog.cjanerun.com/