I have the most enjoyable game for me on the internet

I happily wandered into Facebook and discovered this marvelous game called Packrat. It has me totally captivated. I am a FIRM believer in reading, playing outside, socializing and being active. However I've finally found the lure of video games. Although Packrat is more of a trading game with some fun twists it is still a game. It is also extremely addicting, I have to set time limits for myself. Which is good because YOU can have to much of a good thing, lol If you have Facebook, you should try it- here's the link and tell the rats to leave me a present, lol

http://www.facebook.com/apps/#/apps/application.php?id=2431403991&b=&ref=pd_r

Went to see the New Chronicles of Narnia Yesterday

It was fantabulous! I first read the books when I was eight. They were a birthday present from godfather, nowadays to be reading Chronicles at eight is not unusual but then it was very rare. I think it took me until the summer to finish them. which is pretty fast for an eight year old, lol Now it takes me roughly a day or 2 maybe three depending on my schedule and life's challenges to finish a book.

I went off on a tangent didn't I...sorry. the movie was everything that I wanted it to be and I will be seeing it as many times this summer as I can afford to. I want to memorize every seen like I did with the first. The biblical truths were so evident, yet they weren't blatant and I can almost guarantee that non-Christians won't even realize that they have been ministered too. Which I believe in some estimation is what C.S. Lewis intended when he wrote the books. He was expressing his love of God to others and the fact that many found God through his books was a very happy side effect.

Okay the weather here is freaky

On Monday my brother and I went to my PT appointment and then to the kids school for the talent Show rehearsal. When we got out the car we took the T-shirts I had made into office because it was pushing 110 outside and I was afraid they would melt. Today it is cloudy- COLD (68) and threatening to storm. I don't know what is going on with AZ weather but this is wierd. I'm all achy and my right ankle will not support my weight it is quite annoying. If any of you can tell me where my warm weather went...I would greatly appreciate it.

I made these with the help of my son

My son and daughter wanted to do the talent show w/ their friends for the end of the school year fling so I choreographed pieces for them and made shirts here are the shirts. They took Marcel and I several hours to complete. We had painted them with puff paint after ironing on transfers for the outlines. Marcel painted his shirt and Rashaia's shirt. I painted the rest, and did all the lettering.

Is there such a thing as MAD busy?

If there is, then I'm it. The last week has been a whirl wind of events. From- the beginning-

Thursday- my dd and one of her Phoenix bf's (she has 2) tried out for the school talent show, and got in. They are both very excited and I am happy to be working with them. In the midst of that a discovered another group of talent ladies to help w/ the talent show, in my son's class. So I am now totally engrossed in choreographing some very simple pieces for their talent show.

Friday- after such an exhausting day it was time to rest. However I didn't get any I spent most of the day and all night working on the two pieces and then editing the songs to both be 2 mins or less. That was challenging, I did it, although it took me till 4 am Sat morning to finish.

Saturday- the afternoon was spent in rehearsals w/ both groups of girls. The little girls, Tatyanna (my dd) and Rhianna(her bf) are called- The Anna's and are doing Hannah Montana's -Who Said. The 5th grade girls- Lexi, Rashaia, Karolyn, and Katelyn are doing the Cupid Shuffle and are named- Cupi Dolls I spent until 3:45 working with the two groups.
the evening was spent w/ my husband at a jazz concert featuring Dominic Amato, Eric Marenthal and Warren Hill. the concert was absolutely Fabulous! Dominic Amato is a newcomer to the jazz seen but gave the performance of an old pro. His youthful style was most entertaining and he was smooth as well as suave. I was honored to be sitting behind his young wife and their 2 children. Whom I later had the pleasure of conversing with, all and all very fruitful and enjoyable evening. After the concert my dh and I went to I-Hop for a LATE dinner and I had the Stuffed French Toast- OMG that was so good....more please.

Sunday- Mother's day!, didn't start off that great...I pushed my self TOO far on Saturday w/ the rehearsal's and paid for it. I took some meds after we got home from I-Hop and the made me a little queasy so I had about 2 hrs sleep. However when I got up @ 8 I had my second wind. The kids having stayed at friends were picked up and we went to church. the service was wonderful and was followed by lunch at the Macaroni Grill. unfortunately it was interrupted by several calls from gig contacts for my dh. they wanted him to come out to a gig where George Benson would be performing. So on my Mother's Day my dh went out to a gig. LOL

Monday- to make up for not spending the evening w/ me my dh made me a nice dinner. Enchilada casserole and rice, which the whole family enjoyed, my dh wants to make it again in the near future.

Tuesday- was yet more rehearsals w/ my groups followed by yet another crash day on Wednesday and we come to today.

Thursday- today I have to run errands, read @ the school, got to Physical Therapy, more rehearsal, pick up dh from work, more rehearsal and then a LONG Nap.

As my baby brother told me last night at least I'm not bored.

Blessed and so very thankful...

I can not even think of the friends I have that have complained about their in laws. It would be too arduous and numerous to name them all. I think about these people and must comment on how God has blessed me. I have to say that I have by far and away the best IL's EVER! This no joke and I would not state it if it wasn't true.

It didn't start out that way of course, this is a relationship that has grown and matured over several years, 15 and half to be exact. My husband and I met in H.S. and his mother especially thought that her little boy could do better. She made it quite plain that she didn't approve of me, that they were less than pleased. When we married 2.5. years after we had met my husband did NOT inform them that we had married. My parents were ecstatic from the beginning and have always supported my decision. When T's parents did find out, it was not good! His parents didn't speak to him for 7 months! When we finally had to tell them we were pg w/ Marcel they relented that this was NOT a figment of their imaginations.

I think the bond of motherhood is what started and has let flourish my relationship with my MIL. Once she really got to know me, she stopped seeing the young women who was stealing her little boy. She had to admit I was a good, decent, loving person. Now I'm not saying we ALWAYS agree but we do agree to disagree and are happy to be so. She is a wonderful, loving, caring, Godly mother and woman. I am truly blessed to have her and my FIL as my "other" parents.

So why all this mush about my IL's well... for mother's day they sent me an Apple Ipod Shuffle. I thought it was because she knew my Sony Mp3 (bean) had died. However when I asked her she said- no, she just thought that since I listened to music all the time it was a good gift. Now tell me truly whose IL's would do THAT for their DIL ? I know of only one other person who's IL's are as cool. And I'm happy to call her my Sissy. The Campanelli's are as loving to my sister as the Hardy's are to me. How my sister and I were singled out by God to have such a blessing..... I will never know. But I will NOT question it. I always accept it gladly and with many thanks.

the signs of a bad fibro day

Today I woke up and realized it was going to be a bad Fibro day. then I realized that I've never explained what a bad Fibro day actually feels like. Now I'm going to describe a day of about an 8 on the pain scale. This is where my pain is today and yes it hurts to type.

So to begin we start with what happens when you wake up. Usually I realize before I get out of the bed that I'm hurting but today ahhh not so much. I idiotically jumped out of bed with the alarm and quickly realized I was screwed. I stumbled to the bathroom yelling at myself the whole way. You see my legs were jumpy w/ some throbbing pain and very unsteady. After waking the kids I immediately climbed back into bed. I awoke some time later about 10 am, and got dressed and came to my office. As i sit hear I am experience a wide range of pain symptoms. I am going to make a list by body part and then what the pain feels like or/and what the part looks like.

1. face- warm, achy, tight, heavy, tender- w/ my cheeks being puffy and red.
2. arms- heavy, achy and pulsing
3. hands- heavy, achy, shaking, tender w/ the palms being puffy the knuckles swollen and the hands and all over pinkish which will probably be a deep red by the end of this post.
4. chest and neck- tender and tight
5. back and shoulders- tight, tender, achy, nagging w/ the back injury places being an intermittent jabbing and stabbing pain when I move to quickly
6. legs- heavy, shaky, tender, w/ them being unable to hold my weight whenever they feel they can't
7. feet and ankles- tight, achy, and just a tad swollen

Over All- I am lethargic, achy, sweating, and mad. My temper will be short today, i feel for my children and husband. I forced myself to get out of bed and now am wishing I was back in it. Days like this are extremely annoying, it's as if my body has gone on strike. Now there are always or usually reasons for the revolt. Yesterday I played a couple games of hands of Hand and Foot (a card game) with my one my AZ bf's., Stephanie. Who is actually a transplant from Alaska, but I did it knowing my back was unhappy. Then we ran to the movie store to return a movie, to the kid's school (Taty's sandals had broke), and then to TC's for lunch. And as if that wasn't enough we ran to the BX after that to check out grills for Steph w/ the expertise of my husband. Bad, Bad, Bad me, I knew I was pushing but did it anyway- DUMB. So now I pay for it

Now not all of my bad days are this bad, but this is a pretty bad one and looks to get worse. I'm going to end this post her because simply I have come to my ability to tolerate the pain. I need to medicate, eat , and sleep. Hopefully I will feel better tomorrow. Thankfully AZ has made it so that my goo days outweigh the bad. I could be an 8 today and a 3 (normal) tomorrow. Wish me luck!

relaxed, rested, reprieved

There something to be said for giving yourself a treat. I have to admit with money being so tight, that it was a moment of frivolity. However it was much needed, as you have seen by more recent posts. Life has been hectic, harrowing, and brutal. Yet we have remained steady and grounded. With that, my friend Steph and I decided we were going to have a us moment. We went to the nail salon and had pedicures. I do have to say we paid WAY too much and I will not be going back to THAT salon. Yet the service was good and my toes look fantabulous, not to mention it made me FEEL good. And there's something about doing something for yourself when you NEED. Sometimes it has to be , and that is totally unselfish and well-deserved.

I have ALWAYS had a hard time treating myself. I always feel like I could have spent the money or the time in another wiser way. It's been one of those Achilles heel's for me. I struggle with it and maybe that's why I have such a hard time with my dh. I always feel like he does a lot of very selfish things. To me he seems to do it ALL the time. Where as it is weeks even months between my selfish diversions. As a matter of fact I am sure that the last time I had a pedicure was late February and it is now May. When I was working and money was common and flowing I went every 2 weeks. And every visit I to had both my hands and feet done. Now I feel as if it is a luxury item and should be saved for special occasions. Time and money should not be squandered just because you can, and even more so we you can't.

Ahh, that I feel better and will now climb into my bed, feeling as if the world is right for a least one moment.

Lost in the memories

I had the most wonderful phone conversation today. I was lost in memories and catching up with my oldest and dearest friend. It was soul soothing. Now matter how long it is between our conversations or meetings we notice the gaps but it's like we still live right down the street from each other. In fact he commented about the fact that my son will be starting middle school next school year. Then he says '....sometimes I feel like we are still in the sixth grade, ourselves..." As he was saying that I realized that we had been friend since the 6th grade. When I lived 5 minutes from him on the westside of Columbus, Ohio. I am now 32, and we've been friend's for over 20 yrs. Unbelievable.

We had been playing phone tag for a couple of days and respectfully I knew that he is extremely busy. He is one of the head hunchos for the glaad organization in NYC. Right now that man is really unreachable and yet he still found time for me. I of course, was humbled and delighted. The fact that he agreed to help w/ another little pet project I'm working on, well.... Needless to say I am very honored that I will have his assistance. To me his help (in my mind) assures the success of the project. He is one of those NEVER FAIL kind of people. He always gives his best and anyone who has ever worked with him or just plain knows him will feel awed. All I can say is that I feel truly blessed for his continued friendship and his unconditionally love that has lasted many years and many miles.