Finding some kind of "Quiet" in all of the Chaotic Realms of my Own Daily Life, what I want, what I need to do, and why I am NOT doing some of the things I think I "want" to do... as I said "chaotic"

If I sound "off" today, I feel "off".... I've been having so many nightmares, or just plain terrible dreams, I even began waking myself up and writing them down... and my sleep is all off schedule... I get up way earlier than I had been, and by the time 9PM comes around, I am ready to lay down. I try to watch a movie, and sometimes I do, other times I wake up and the movie is over, and the TV is still on... and the weather is really messing with me... although it is warm here, our humidity levels are so high, it appears as if it has rained, and I even Peanut acting a bit "off" ... we did have a full moon, but this has been going on now with me for several weeks. I "think" I am just sick of being in the house so much, and although I have a billion things I can do, for the most part, I just cannot get motivated enough to do them. I've thought it was my diet, so I went back to eating breakfast earlier, like I did while in the hospital...

 so I try to eat by about 8:30AM or so, but then by 2PM, which is too late to eat "lunch" because I eat dinner by about 5:45 for the most part, so I even made some of my own homemade granola... I have to get more stuff to go into it, but it turned out good, and this way I can keep out the nuts and stuff that my dentures just cannot take... I bought some "trail mix" and they have whole almonds in it, and even when I chopped them up more, I still cannot chew or bite on an almond, they are just too hard, and oddly enough, I like the "flavor" of almonds, but I am not crazy about the nuts themselves... I love walnuts, and they are a bit less hard, but I realized while I was looking for granola recipes, you can even put like Cheerios cereal in it, and other things I had not thought about... I used "brown sugar Splenda" in it and a little bit of honey... then put my favorite spices, allspice, cinnamon, cardamon, ginger, and nutmeg... 

and I had a few dried dates, and I took the dried cranberries out of the trail mix, and they had some dried cherries in it... plus I put coconut in it before I put it in the oven... I want to get it a bit "chunkier" though... so probably more honey or brown sugar, so it will "stick together" a bit more... then I need to grab several of my favorite dried fruits to go in it, and those now are easy to find... anyway, I am just having a tough time trying to figure out where to "stick myself"... I came down with a sore throat the last couple of days, and I know everywhere in Ennis I go people are coughing and sneezing, and hoarse, and the flu, and some other viral stuff is going around, plus lots of people are suffering from pneumonia, which I HOPE that new vaccine I took early in the fall helps to keep me away from the pneumonia.. I had it like 2 or 3 years in a row, twice in both lungs, so I don't want any of that if I can stay the heck well. Besides if I come down with something like that it delays my possible new RA medication, and/or my neck surgery... and then this morning, for some odd reason, I was getting up off the sofa, and "hit" the nerve I guess going down my left leg...

 I NEVER usually have issues with that side, but it burned and stung like I was on fire... so I am not sure, if I happened to have "rolled" on it getting up or if my lower back is acting up, but this time on my left side... when I've had kidney stones, my left side usually hurts worse than the right. So, I first thought oh crap, not a kidney stone... but it is more I think all weather related... my hip and right leg have hurt now for about 3 days or so... I even have been getting Peanut on his leash, and the days it is nice outside, we walk 4 or 5 times during the day.... he loves it ... and he got upset with me this morning. I had to go around to the back and get one of the smaller tree limbs that I need to get into the trash, plus I had a whole trash can full of limbs and tomorrow is trash day. I always try and bring the cans up to the side of my house, especially if we have bad weather, so I don't have to go around to the back if it is rainy or cold... so he was upset. I could not hold his leash, and try and bring the limb and the can up to the front... but I had him out for a little while to pick up the newspapers, and it is still damp outside... I figure it will either "cure me" or "kill me: as the saying goes, to get out and walk around for a bit...

 I've got fire ants coming out again, so it is time to get the fire any granules out, but also time to spread the granules out I buy for spring and summer. I have to do it early as of now, since we have basically not "had any real winter weather yet" so the bugs, ants, and every other kind of insect, fleas, will be in the yard if I don't get them under control BEFORE they start.. Anyway, Lots of things I could do, and I need a cabinet, preferably with doors on it. I want to take all of my tools and such I have on two tables in my back bedroom, and get them organized into the cabinet, and off those tables... The room is a damned mess... and although it is my own "controlled chaos" (I KNOW where everything is) still it looks horrible, and I've got to go through some boxes of stuff and throw away some things... but I have so many "hand tools" like pliers, screwdrivers, my cordless drills, and nails and the list of "things" I keep and need the small stuff, just needs to be organized, and put away neatly so I can get that room painted, and get the window repaired that is still broken from hail over 2 YEARS ago,...

 I fear anytime one of these bad winds will come, and it will knock out my "duct taped" window, and I will be up the creek - and mad because I have not fixed it yet... so I have MANY PROJECTS, like my writing, around the house, my advocacy stuff, and my lists go on and on, but my "motivation" is lacking right now.... I just cannot stand to "feel this way"... like I am kind of "lost" in my own sea of "stuff" and can't find which way to get my bearings and "sail" the path that I 1st need to, then go from there... I SWORE TO MYSELF after I got home from the hip fractures, I WOULD WRITE THIS NEXT BOOK... yet I continue to "not be able" to "begin" ... I almost feel like starting at the "back of the book" and work forward, rather than beginning and then coming to an end... the "latest" things to go in there are very fresh in my mind, thus the other stuff is already written down, but i must wade through all of it, and get it in some type of organized chaos, so it will half-assed make sense to whomever reads it...

 I have my drums and keyboard, BUT the right leg, will be the one along with the right foot for the bass... and the type of exercise I would get from "banging" on the drums maybe actually good for my hip and foot... it may help to strengthen those muscles both in my upper leg and in the foot also... My crap with the writing also has to do with my shoulder, and neck... and actually my lower back also, and might as well admit it my hands and wrists... When I sit here for very long, typing etc. my shoulders, neck, wrists, fingers and lower back begin to just burn... from the impinged nerves... and now the RA has gotten to the place my thumbs, wrists, and portions between my fingers are swollen, and stiff and it hurts to type for very long... I THINK IT IS TIME FOR ME TO GET THE HECK OUT OF THE HOUSE OVERNIGHT, THEN GET MY NEW PUPPY... AND try to take all of the chaotic crap, I "feel" I need to do, and sit down to re-organize my priorities again... I've drifted again between those things I "want" to do, and those things I feel I NEED to do... and what lies in between is a bunch of stuff, that keeps me in knots half the time....

Hobbies - #HAWMC - Wego Writers Challenge - April 21, 2015 (this is actually a day early for Wednesday the 22nd.

Over the years I've had many different types of "hobbies". I've always been on the "creative side", thus anything with an artistic or creative flare really suits me.

I learned how to crochet and do counted cross-stitch when I was in my early teens. I love to read books. I love to do all types of flower arrangements. You never know what I may come dragging in the house! From a piece of an old log, that I used to put flowers, ribbons and greenery on. I have 3 of them. I've done Christmas themes with them. I've also done Easter themes, and even one year did a "Shamrock Green" for St. Patty's day. I usually have some type of wicker broom, weather, or even some different very straight types of limbs from trees, that I've made sure are dried, wired those together, and put all types of decor on them. I always have one of those hanging on our front door.

I have oil painted, and was told years ago, I definitely had an "eye" for it. I've played the piano since I was about 7 years old, love to just mess around on the drums, keyboard, and even "write" lyrics and come up with the music for them. Of course writing is one of my all time, best loved, hobbies. It began also when I was quite young, and has been something I've done all my life, through every winding road, on a bus headed for Seattle, a plane headed for Washington DC or Vegas, on road trips, and I've been known to "scratch" down a few words to a poem on a piece of paper or a receipt while sitting at a red light.

I have a "huge" hobby, than really probably is not really considered one. But, it began as kind of a "hobby" for me. Then out of what I felt was necessity, being into research about all types of medical problems, from medications, to illnesses, to research over so many things that effect us on a physical level, along with usually a mental level also. Thus, as a hobby it began, yet now it is not only a hobby, that I absolutely love; it has helped me attain I feel some doctors that I trust, given me direction or suggestions when I need them, and also possibly helped some of my physicians to better understand my health issues at times, more than they do. After all, doctors as a whole, are all too often swamped with other patients, calls, pharmaceutical representatives, prescriptions, and the other 1,001 things they must do in the course of a week. So, I have watched a couple of my specialists truly be almost relieved that I do "have some understanding" of my conditions, so they can then decide of a course of action to take when it comes to treating me.

I am someone who loves to bake! I just absolutely love just about everything "sweet"! So, I am almost in "hobby heaven" when I am in the kitchen preparing for some awesome new recipe, for a new pie, cake, cookies, you name it. I love doing it.

I enjoy "people watching" at times. Not to be nosy, or like I want to say anything to them etc. But at times I find it very interesting the items people buy, whether at the market, large stores like "Wally World" or shopping malls. You can truly learn a great deal about someone by what they may have in their grocery cart,  or what kind of clothing they try on in a department store. Perhaps you are out for a stroll, or you are enjoying the outdoors. It is interesting to see what people are doing when they are outside. Are they exercising, playing with their kids, just having some quiet time, listening for nature in all of its glory. No matter where you are, where you go, people can be so totally amazing to watch.

I do like doing some like gardening. I have LOADS of "house plants". If I counted, I would say at least 80, maybe more. Believe me in the winter when they all have to be brought in, our small home looks like "jungle fever" has hit it. I love to be able to take a small plant, and after a bit of love, food and care, it can grow into something so beautiful. I used to love to mow, rake, do heavier gardening types of things, but now with my health issues, some of those things I am no longer able to do as well, if at all.

I am a "giant" DIY person... (do it yourself). Nothing thrills me more than to be able to "repair something", or fix something. My Mom never ceases to be amazed at all I can "do", "fix"... repair. The DIY is "almost" as good as me saving a HUGE amount on groceries, clothes or whatever it maybe. I NEVER and I mean NEVER EVER pay or will pay full price for anything. I am an avid coupon clipper and shopper. I've saved anywhere from 24% all the way up to 85% on certain things along the way. I watch for those "clearance" markdowns, with an additional amount off, and then all of the coupons I can use also. So, for me, "saving" a great amount of off something I really need or want, is a hobby for me. The MORE I save. the happier I am. Don't get me wrong, I am not the "Queen of Coupon-o-holics. I a not one of these buy 50 newspapers, or dumpster dive for them in recycle bins, but I do get mine of out my own newspaper, and then I frequently print MANY coupons. I also NEVER only in a very rare situation pay for "shipping". I always do and about 98% of the time, I do not pay any shipping. So, that is yet another almost hobby for me.

If I sat here and gave some "foggy brain thought" a bit more, I am sure I could come up with several more things I so enjoy doing and consider them hobbies.

A piece of why I do advocacy and activist, and volunteer work, is because they are kind of a hobby to me. Yet, I don't want to sound condescending when I say that. I guess what I really mean is from my first experiences of blogging, and getting into Facebook, then later finding out how much I would love to be a "voice" for others when it comes to illnesses, pain, and even other things in life... kind of back then, were a hobby of sorts. Since then it has turned into much more than a hobby. I feel it is truly a part of my life daily.

#HAWMC