(Off The Cuff) well sort of, Talk About Having the Heck Scared out of me this morning!

Morning All! I had been checking email this morning and reviewing the weather, latest news, FB posts and so forth. Then I come here to see what is happening, and I could get into the "backend" of my blog. But I could not SEE the actual BLOG itself!!! I just about had a heart attack! I thought something had happened!

I could not get it to come up in either browser. I kept trying and trying, was just about ready to cry. Then I went into another area of the backend where I can make changes etc. From there I can also view the blog, and FINALLY, it came up. I guess I happened to be in here while Google was updating blogger or something. It is NOT a great way to start out your day for sure.

I hope that my "off the Cuff" post to the blog, will kind of give an "introspect" to "life" as someone who has "autoimmune arthritic illnesses" yet still does want to live life as "normal" as they can. That is IF there is a normal to any life these days.

Bear with me this morning. I think Blogger is updating something and I am trying to figure out the proper key commands to get the "emoticons" to work on my blog. I used to be able to "code" them with the ASII coding. Of course then they make them easier for FB, Myspace, and other places like the Messengers. But, I am still thinking I should be able to use them here on my blog without having to use HTML code to do it.

I am up to my eyeballs in "overload". After only being gone overnight, I came in yesterday and just was "aggravated" all day long. For one thing the "brain fog" was terrible. I could not type, think, I was dropping everything, spilling everything, and everywhere I look even this morning seems to be a pile of junk I need to either throw away, do something with, dust, clean, vacuum, check on, fix, make, wash, clean or whatever!!!!

Then having to think about going to the surgeon with this hernia is not making it any better. Especially when Jim's shoulder and neck are NO better! We maybe facing him having an MRI and no insurance. Even though we found that the "Hope clinic" will get it done for a very reduced rate, it still means over $300.00! PLus on top of all of that, I have a few teeth that are not "right"…. I fear I have another cavity at the gum line on a top front tooth… and then several they pulled, seem to have the teeth next to them either have chipped off or something, they are cutting into my tongue and cheeks when I eat or talk! LOL!!! Well heck, good way to lose weight and not have to have people listen to me griping and whining. I know several that would probably be overjoyed at the idea that I couldn't talk for a few days.

Then the dogs are not really well. They are getting a bit older and the younger one, Bubba Gump, is ALWAYS COLD! Bless their hearts they are not happy campers about this sudden change in weather. I am having to give them Claritin and Benadryl for allergies. Then all of my plants (and I mean over 50)  had to come in due to it getting cold. Well, they aren't happy either! They are all pissed, and their leaves are turning brown, yellow and I am pulling so many leaves off of them, I fear I will lose them!!! My house is just a wreck. I got to looking around yesterday, and I need to have a major (throw away) session! Our home is tiny. About a 1,000 square feet! We have to "make shift" closets, because there really were not any when we first bought it. Don't get me wrong, we are still thrilled with it. But, I seem to have become a pack rat I guess. I look around and it seems I have just too much "stuff"! The older I get the more I want to "reuse", "recycle" etc. And that is a good thing! There are MANY things I do that really help the environment, conserve waster, and save money that is for sure. But, I think I have also almost gone overboard and I catch myself "saving" this, that or the other, thinking "Oh, I'll find something to use "this" for?" Then 3 months later it is STILL SITTING HERE, piled up and NOT used! Thus, I am going to get a HUGE box and begin recycling right to the recycle, or to Good Will, or we have a place here called "Soul's Harbor". It is kind of like Good Will. They take all kinds of "stuff" and resell it, for a tiny amount. In fact many people go there for "odd" things such as old china, and things you probably might find at a "thrift" store that has been in the community for decades like this one has. It was here when I was little, thus it has accumulated LOTS of "stuff"… as they say one person's trash is another person's gold mine!

In fact, we laugh at my Mom. She tends to go through these phases of getting "bored" I think more than anything. So, she goes through every closet, every drawer, and starts "boxing" stuff up. Then 2 months later, she unboxes it all, and then puts it all back in another box! In fact she has really "thrown" so much away, or given it to Soul's Harbor, that I don't know where she even finds anything to box or get rid of anymore! Heck, I've taken so many things for her and gotten rid of them, I am surprised her house is not completely barren. But, as I said, I think for her, it is something "to do" to keep her busy, especially if she can't get out due to weather, etc. So, I just smile and let her talk about how she is getting rid of this, that and the other. Then fuss because she doesn't have any new clothes etc. Bless that woman's heart, she happens to be one of the most DIFFICULT people in the entire world to BUY FOR! OMG, my Dad bought all kinds of stuff for her, and she always took it back, or gives it away. No telling how many things I've gotten for her, thinking it would make her life easier, or it was something she could "really" use, and guess what? She either gives it away, gripes about it, or gives it back to me rather than use it.

I can recall after I was grown and married, Dad calling me a couple of weeks before Christmas telling me to "go by Mom" something from me for Christmas! And as I always told him, she will not be happy with it if the President gave it to her. She can't even buy anything for herself she likes. She winds up never wearing it, or taking it back, or again just giving it away. Clothes and shoes are the worst. No lie, I spent a YEAR, or more trying to find a PAIR OF SHOES, that woman could wear and LIKE! We have been shoe shopping more times than I can count on both hands. And every time she would buy some, go home, leave them in the box, and gripe about them for some reason. She wore the same pair of worn out "sandal" like shoes through "ALL" seasons, and I could NOT find any shoe especially closed in for the Winter should would wear. So, about a year ago, we were in Belk, over in Waxahachie. Well, the lady in the shoe department over heard our discussion. Again Mom took back yet another pair of shoes, to exchange. Well, the woman said she had the perfect shoes as far as "comfort" that Mom could ever put on her feet, BUT they are not PRETTY! And they aren't. They are the "clog" type of shoe, and are a black suede leather enclosed of course in the front. But believe me, they are not made for "dress wear". They ARE made strictly for comfort!

But, low and behold, the lady brought a pair out in Mom's size. She put those shoes on, and never took them off!!! She put her old worn out shoes in the box, and wore those out of the store! I almost fainted!!! I thanked that lady about 10 times!!! OMG, talk about a relief! And believe me she wears those suckers everywhere with everything.

NOW! If I could ONLY FIND her some pants, tops and dresses she liked that well, half of my life's problems would be SOLVED!!!

So, even though this is kind of "Off the Cuff"… it is also about how we, each and every one of us with these Chronic Daily Autoimmune Arthritic Illnesses, STILL DEAL WITH DAILY LIFE! We have ALL of the daily "stuff" to do, along with trying to KEEP OUR OWN BODIES, from DESTROYING US! It is a difficult battle, and not one for the weak at heart…..