THE LONG AWAITED LOVELY BLOG AWARD

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CHEERS

It took me about 2 1/2 weeks to finally be able to go back and respond to this amazing award with due justice. I have been lucky enough to be nominated for the Lovely Blog Award by the oh so gorgeous Tou89lou. Go check out her blog – I love it!

I just want to take a moment to thank everyone who reads, likes, comments, follows and supports my blog. I have received several nominations and awards in the last six months but this one is one I have secretly been hoping to receive for quite some time. I have no idea really why I wanted it but I just did. I think it was because I wanted people to think that I gave off a ‘lovely’ vibe inside and out no matter what my design looked like. That I did not have to spend a lot of money to get my point across and fill you guys will love and fun. It means the world to me knowing that people take time out of their day to actually read and take an interest in my thoughts and opinions. I have only been blogging for a 6 short months and I have been blown away by the response I have received already. It is so exciting to see stats and love and support that shows that people really are so nice and caring. TO know there is a community out there. To be able to keep track of them and be able to go back and talk to them.

The rules for award acceptance are:
Each nominee must thank the person who nominated them (including a link to their blog). They must list the rules and post the blog award badge in the post.
They must add 7 facts about themself.
They must nominate 15 other bloggers and notify them that they have been nominated.

7 Facts about me

1. I have Myasthenia Gravis but it does not have me.

2. My favorite color is blue (yep i may be a bit of a tom boy with that one but I’m ok with that, lol)

3. I love adrenaline rushes and most anything to do with them. So I like roller coasters, I’m scuba certified, I have been bungee jumping, I enjoy adventure races, hey I will try just about anything at least once.

4. I have a slight obsession with the Asian culture, lol. I love anime, their clothing, history, food ( I even cook many of their foods at home from scratch weekly), architecture, art forms, etc…

5. I am a musician/ singer

6. I have Generalized Anxiety Disorder (my triggers include high financial issues, car issues, and Terri we share this one –> I get anxiety when I have to drive somewhere I haven’t been before. I panic about getting lost and finding somewhere to park) I take several forms of GPS–my phone, my husband’s phone, and regular GPS in addition to turn by turn written directions for long trips and a phone number. I refuse to get lost!

7. I have 2 master’s in 2 different forms of psychology.

Here are my nominations for blogs that I enjoy following:

Kent Wayne

Baraaq

Kelly Stillwagon

Claire

Caitlin

Abril Marquez

Nimitode: a vagabond

Jan

Fawad Hassank

Moylom Enterprises

Becky Bee

Fashionable Librarian

Facetioussoup AKA MLWA

Stephanie

The Happy Healthy Kiwi

Go check them out too!

 

As always thanks for reading 🙂

Chris

Crafty Creatives Subscription Box

I love crafts and I found this quite interesting never seen anything like this!

Claire's comfy corner

This year I’ve signed up for a few subscription boxes – I’m looking forward to trying new recipes and crafts. The Crafty Creatives subscription box offers subscribers the opportunity to learn new crafts or rediscover old ones: these boxes contain everything to make a whole project.  Every box is different. The company work with suppliers all over the country – often small businesses who are experts in their craft – and they provide kits from wet felting to jewellery making, mosaic to willow weaving.

I was excited to receive my first box this week.  I didn’t know what to expect because you don’t find out what’s in the box until you open it. It’s all part of the fun! So I opened the box to discover a pink drawstring bag, inside was a multipom kit. This kit contains everything (apart from scissors) to get me started and learn how to…

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Made from Scratch Meatball & Spaghetti

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I was so inspired to make this dish after making made from scratch salisbury steak last week after an accidental discovery. While making my made from scratch salisbury steaks I made one entirely too small and said to myself, “well this will be the tester/ taster, to see how things turn out.”

The recipe called for making the salisbury steaks with hamburger and then adding breadcrumbs and eggs to bind them as well as your own mix of dry ingredients (dry onion soup) and so on. I instead used my food processor and pureed some onions and made my own dry ingredients to taste with a bit of cumin, seasoning salt, garlic powder, parsley, oregano, chili powder, and about 2 ounces of homemade cream of mushroom soup in the mixture not on top because we like the flavor. However, you can omit the cream of mushroom altogether if you like.

I browned the meatballs for 2 minutes on each side in a skillet and the put them in my crock-pot for high for 1.5 hours with a bit spaghetti sauce. I did not cover them in sauce it was just enough to cover the bottom of the crock-pot. Make they are also in one layer if possible.

I’m going to give you the “book recipe” to follow but as you can see from above I did my own changes and I made mine from scratch because I had the time and inspiration. You can do it so much easier this way though and I have, and it works really well too!

Easy Salisbury Steak—Which I converted to meatballs (just do not use the cream of mushroom soup)

Ingredients

1 1/2 lbs ground beef

1 egg

1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs ( but Italian works best for flavor)

1 package (about 1 ounce) onion soup mix*

1 can (10 1/2 ounces) golden mushroom soup, undiluted

you may pulse onion soup mix in a small food processor or coffee grinder for a finer grind , if desired.

  1. Coat inside of crock-pot slow with nonstick cooking spray (or buy crock-pot liners). Combine beef, egg, bread crumbs and dry onion soup mix in large bowl. Form mixture evenly into four 1-inch thick patties.
  2. Heat large skillet over medium-high heat. Add patties; cook 2 minutes per side until lightly browned. Remove to crock-pot, in single layer. Spread mushroom soup evenly over patties. Cover; cook on low 3-3.5 hours.

Makes 4 servings

My husband and I had a ball making these and now he knows how to make meatballs and not just brown hamburger. We are becoming quite the little chefs. These are things I want him to learn because they are fun activities that can be done with children when we finally have some.

My Love Affair With Spices

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Lately I have been obsessed with the the world of difference that one spice can make in a dish. I mean people just do not understand how using one different spice can change the way a dish smells and tastes and puts the whole atmosphere into a completely abstract state of mind.

By adding vanilla you can have a warm sensual or romantic sense. By adding a touch of chili powder a daring edge. Or by adding chamomile the relaxing effect you are proving. The point is that everything you add should have a purpose, not just thrown together. I feel like lately when I cook I am cooking with purpose and if I am not then I do not want to cook that night and it’s my husband’s night to cook. Then he can do as he wishes, which usually has no rhyme or reason, but his goal is to make sure your belly is full. Though I do try to coach him a bit.

When I was younger I always loved Italian food. I loved the intense aromatic spices of the peppers, oregano, onion powder, garlic powder, cilantro, parsley, rosemary, and so on. I still do. However, since college my shift has been middle eastern and Asian. I have fallen in love with cumin, turmeric, curry, coriander and the like. I have found these flavors and scents soothing and delicious. They have great benefits to the body as well. Such as antioxidants and anti-inflammitories. I enjoy sharing them with my family and my husband.

Have you ever seen the movie Mistress of Spices? It’s about a woman who harnesses the magic power of spices and helps her clients find the spices they need to be successful in their endeavors in life (healing sick people, keeping relationships healthy, finding love, etc) however, she is not allowed to fall in love because her only love is that of the spices.

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You get the idea it’s a good movie little movie if you ever want to watch a little romantic movie and fellows score romance points with your lady. It’s not a comedy just a love story. Sorry fellas.  I mean the scene where she runs her hands through her spices sifting and touching them; I love doing the same thing. I would love to go to a bazaar or farmers market and just buy spices buy the bagful and jar them. I would be so tickled. (i know that sounds a bit silly but I would, it’s exciting me as I think about it). I am already looking for jars for the bags I bought at the store in the ethnic aisle and the Asian supermarket recently. It’s cheaper than buying regular spices of brands Americans know that would cost $5-8 for 1-3oz. When I get 1lb and pay $2-3 for a well known brand that you eat in the Asian restaurant or overseas. I prefer authenticity.

Anyways. The point is I felt like her, I feel like with my spices I can do anything. I can smell them and put my hands on anything in my pantry and put something together. It is quite empowering and so far it has opened up my husband’s picky “I don’t eat this or that” attitude quite a bit. He eats quite a bit more than he would normally eat thanks to my spices and experimentation.

Tonight I will have him make spaghetti, but instead of his usual brown some hamburger and then add sauce and simmer style, I will help him make homemade meatballs which he has never done and I did for the first time last week (but he wasn’t there to get any). So he will get to try and make them and eat them. This helps us grow together and have some fun as well. I can already smell the fresh Italian spices filling my nose. I can’t wait to get dirty, lol. Aprons ON! LET’S COOK!

To Cleave or Not to Cleave, That is the Question

This was friggin hilarious and I had to share!

Okay Peopleaneous. I’m about to perform a little exercise in exposure therapy. Here goes. Are you ready?

Breasts.
Boobs.
Jugs.
Tits.
Tatas.
Funbags.
Bouncy pillows of joy.
Those jiggly things.
Gazongas.
Hooters.
Knockers.
Rack.

Whew. I hated that. Like seriously, I’m cringing. You see, while I wasn’t raised in some sort of puritanical household, I was raised in the South where boobs are hidden except by tarts and women with boobs that defy the laws of nature and could never be covered even by the quilts of a thousand grannies.

It has been pointed out to me that I take it more seriously than most. Like. Super seriously, man. It’s not that I’m a prude, though I’m prudeish. I don’t mind sex jokes. I can handle sex scenes in movies, though uncomfortably at times. I’m totally vulgar and crude at times. To the point where I’ve embarrassed some of…

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My Mouth is Drunk, But I’m SOBER

download (1).jpg I love this book by the way

When you have Myasthenia Gravis there are things you just do not always have control over and even when you are stable and have taken all your medications, when you are really tired and have and exacerbation (have over exerted yourself) your body will tell on you. For me the first thing that usually tells on me is my mouth or more specifically my speech.

I will be talking to people and my voice begins to sound nasally to me and when I mention others will swear they don’t notice it. But I know I know it’s coming. Then by the time they notice it it’s far too late I am about to sound like a drunken loon. My tongue speech slurs and then my tongue just gives up altogether along with the soft palate of my mouth and they just die all at once.

When they die they I just have to let them recover. There is nothing I can do. I cannot eat, drink, or anything. I can barely swallow until they recover. I have to just wait it out. Sometimes it comes back in a matter of minutes, sometimes it takes hours. If it takes longer than that…Well then I am usually in crisis and need to be admitted to the hospital for treatment.

The funny part is when it happens in the middle of a conversation and people are looking at me like I am having a stroke…Or when I explicitly warned them that I was getting nasal and they said they didn’t hear it then my speech slurs and becomes incomprehensible and it is uncomfortable for both us because now I am stuck trying to finish saying something important that I was trying to tell them should have been left for another time when I was stronger to talk about the subject or could have emailed to them.

People are just hard-headed. I mean i get phone calls from people who do not understand my disorder at all because they refuse to take the time to understand it, people in my own family and then look at me confused when I will not speak to them. No I will not talk to you if I have to keep explaining my disorder to you and you are not mentally disabled and you claim to want to be so highly esteemed in my life…NOPE.

The funniest thing is that I use the dragon technology thanks to my mom and her brilliance and it understands me when my speech becomes incomprehensible. However when I speak normal it has no idea who I am. So I had to create two profiles and train it twice. That was hilarious. I have two completely different speech patterns. They are truly that distinct! I recorded myself and I honestly sound like a person who is deaf and who has never really heard speech before perhaps a bit more stunted when my speech goes. I find it truly amazing. I do not like speaking to people when I get like this, expect for my doctor who I do not mind letting him and his school and students study me (I love letting others learn, especially if it helps find a cure).

My parents are great about it! My husband takes it in stride. He doesn’t miss a beat when my voice goes, he doesn’t even acknowledge it though I know he hears it. I just have to remind him when he hears it that it means I will have trouble eating certain things because he forgets that.  He knows I usually need rest and now without even missing a beat he is usually trying to get me comfortable checking one me asking if I’m ok or if I need something because he sort of knows something is not right if I am slurring so badly. But all in all I usually just tell people I am ok, I am not drunk or intoxicated though sometimes I wish I were but my mouth has a mind of it’s own and may be!

Sleep Talkers Madness

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So until I met my husband I knew of people who talked in their sleep and said maybe random gibberish but to have full sentences and laugh often and wake up doing as much as he does I was baffled. I mean I have done so less than a handful of times in my life that I can remember. I remember waking up crying or laughing a few times in life EVER. This man never remembers doing so and wakes up doing some of the most extreme things. Including but not limited to kneeling and punching and I luckily I was sleeping on the other side.

So he last night he left the lights on the living room and fell asleep on the sofa. He does this often and it annoys me. I came in as usual nagging him for it. Now I never really believed that people could be so asleep that they say anything when they were sleep…I believe just like when you are mad you say what you mean even if you did not quite mean to say it they way (tone) you meant it in. So I said something to the effect of, “you are the leavingest (yes I made it up, lol) lights on, wasting energy, memory impaired person I know”, and he half stirred bleary-eyed and said, “uh-duh” and fell back asleep. I faltered in my nagging smiled, laughed, and, said “dumb ass.” Then preceded to text him the exact wording of the conversation so he could see what he said the next day so he could see what happened knowing he would not only laugh but realize these are the things he does all the time and swears never happens.

He is so weird…

Hippy Drippy Wanderings

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OMG being on too many medications can be a hazard to one’s stability in the real world and grip on reality. Then again it can be one of the best experiences into your own series of day dreams ever. I had so  many wonderful day dreams in in the past few hours I could have sworn I have been on some illegal or highly narcotic pain killers. I mean I have not tripped like this in quite some time. The last time was the the spinal I had for my kidney stent (cath) when I had a kidney stone. I mean I tell ya I went all out then.

But today my mind has been on full ROAR. I have not been able to focus on work only wander on fantasy. I finally decided that if I do not have fully written how to instructions on what needs to be done, things will not get accomplished today.

I was in the middle of trying to get a report done, looked up and realized over 30 minutes had passed. How did I notice that if I was daydreaming? When I first looked up a certain show on t.v. was on and a member was yelling at her friend they had to do their workout for 30 minutes, and then when I looked up then next show in the line up had started and they were gone and in the locker room and I was still in la la land. I had been thinking about one of the books I had been reading and the fact that people were hung up on the fact that God was not ‘real’ in the book and instead of them focusing on the cleverness of the book the focused pn all the bad of it. Whether the author was an atheist or not I have no idea but the creatures they created and the concept and the philosophy behind it took a great deal of research and it poses a lot of thought and discussion yet people are so simple minded they can only see the one aspect and clung to it.

Then My min wandered further and I posed what it would be like to have a soul outside of my body inside of an animal and what that animal’s form would settle on as I became an adult. And I was pretty certain mine would be some partial marine life of some sort. I am just too fond of water but not completely marine because I would still want to ‘walk’ the earth. So something like snake, polar bear, crocodile, or even loons and pelicans. I just want to be close to the water and land. I am not afraid of air I just feel like I am flying when I am stilled in water and I prefer water, it has always felt safer and more natural to me.

My thoughts wandered even further…I began thinking about my mannerisms and how they would come off to people and children that watch them. Do I look fascinating? Do I look mysterious? Could I give off an heir of foreboding if I desire with just a look in my eye or tilt of the head? These are the things I need to pay attention to more closely to write my book but also to if ever to consult on if I were to turn a book into a movie. You want them to adequately cast your characters and setting in your vision. I may be getting ahead of myself but my mind was spinning. I was excited. I was thinking about writing books about magic, mystery, and with a hint of detective work within it. I mean we all have to have that moment of who did it? That’s always fun. My target audience are the young adults and kids because these are the ones I want to make sure are our literally inclined, lol. I mean yes as we get older we gain more responsibilities and reading gets pushed off but hopefully at some point it comes back full circle again. It has for me. I definitely want my books to be a series so that people get to know my characters and get invested in them to have a chance to fully get into the background of all the amazing things each of them have to offer.

I am starting to get an idea of what I want to write about more clearly and how I want to compose it so now I need to find that software to begin my writing and drafting more clearly and get all my ideas and things into one place. I don’t want to lose any of these great scribblings. They are all mixing together in a wonderful kaleidoscope of images and colors and small little skits in my mind.

Interrogated, Dosed, Posed, & Prodded

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So yesterday, what I had planned to be a day to try and rest a bit from what I hoped was a common cold, but new deep down was not, ended up being everything but restful. I mean from the mental strain and the physical strain. By the end of the day I felt like I should have stayed at work all day, yet I would not have accomplished anything on the front of my health so at least I am enlightened on that matter.

So I had taken a half day as I stated on Monday yesterday to relax a bit and run a few errands. I was going to go to my other job and pick  up an item and maybe run by the grocery store and try to slowly clean my house if I felt up to it. But if I did not feel up to it with this cold I was just going to rest because I knew I had not bounced back from this last cold nearly as well as I usually do.

Monday night I started thinking, maybe I should go to the minute clinic. So, when I got off I saw that they would be at lunch and so I went and grabbed some lunch too and then went to minute clinic. After I got there it was a pretty quick eval. I was praying that she did not tell me I had pneumonia. I was asked a million questions it seemed that I felt I had already answered on the kiosk form and that should have already been in epic that she said she could see but I kept answering anyway. My prayers were answered. But she also would not say much more…she sent me to the urgent care for x-rays and further treatment. I was a bit nervous now. She said my left lung did not sound happy. It was definitely wheezing.

I knew I was hearing it in between coughs and I was unsure if I should use my inhaler as I had not been told to use it since this was not allergy season…I usually have bronchitis (inflammation in this area) during this time and require my inhaler 1-3 times a year. So very rare. I get to the urgent care. They ask me all the same questions as the minute clinic refuse to look at my sheet from which I was referred over with and  never even look in the epic system making repeat everything all over again. Not happy with the interrogation system here. I mean really. They tell me later save myself a time and bill and just come straight to them first because they (minute clinic) never do anything only refer everyone there and we never look at the sheet they give you. I noted this. I also noted that as of yet minute clinic did not give me a bill at had covered all my charges thus far unless I managed to get one in the mail later and they had cost me $175 since I had not reached my deductible yet… When I get to the back they give me the x-rays and in the mean time begin a breathing treatment of albuterol (the same inhaler treatment I already have) on me. You have to love x-rays where they make you stand in awkward positions and hold them and hold your breath and place your hands here and pose this way and shift that way. I felt like a friggin model. ANYWAYS, In hindsight I should have started using my inhaler as soon as I started that cold/ wheezing and he said as much. Now I am told that I need to use my inhaler every 4-6 hours and that I have to take an antibiotic everyday for 5 days that happens to also be a contraindicator for people with MG but it’s benefits outweigh the bad right now. Plus I have been on it before while having MG.

At this point my 1/2 day of rest is annihilated as it is now 4:30 in the afternoon and I have to drive to pick up the prescription. I get home at 5:15p and think I would have gotten home around this time anyway. That almost felt like a waste and I do not feel rested, LOL. Then I start reading the prescription warnings further and start laughing. They are always good for that. The label says that I should not take with calcium enriched foods…okay normal, do not take with antacids within 2 hours blah blah blah…then it gets interesting when it says it does not treat things such as the common cold (which is viral… I get that) but it treats ANTHRAX. Dear GOD, what have I got going on, LOL. They never tell me what my diagnosis is…I had to read it on my discharge paper later as I was leaving…I thought when he was saying I will call you with your x-ray results that he was saying I will tell you what your results are, LOL. He only meant he would be clarifying would be getting a second opinion my lungs from the doctor as he was the PA that they were in fact clear ok. Just had some drainage in them. So yes, final diagnosis was Respiratory Infection.

Then as if that is not enough it causes addition muscle weakness and breathing issues for MGers so I was a bit more tired than usual after taking it last night which was fun. Which only made me more annoyed as I listened to construction work suddenly blaring at 8:30 at night lasting til at least 11 when I fell asleep. I was really annoyed by this. This was not road work either this was construction on a new hotel bed and break expensive type inn that HAD a deadline of November 2015 so now that they have fully missed that what made last night so durn important to dose and shovel and bang away until the late night? Then they were up bright early before 8a again today. DO they not realize people actually live on this street since it’s all businesses except for the few houses and apartments over the art galleries, or do they just not care. I mean that’s pretty reckless considering that some of the ones who own the businesses live in these houses and would be recommending people to stay in that place or NOT.

As it is they actually had people who made reservations for that place in November way back in the summer when that place was being thrown up and looking like it was going to be done soon then things slowed way down for some reason and now they are far behind schedule. People were supposed to get married there, they had it splashed all over the local paper. I can only imagine how upset and irritated people were…I would not have reserved a place that was not finished being built for my wedding. Anything can happen and obviously did.

Well now after my day yesterday I have decided that I will take off from hard labor and just do paperwork. I will stay in my office for the rest of the week, do consultations and then I have Friday off. I will have to get through this and rest. I am pooped!

Man I NEED A BREAK

Why is that when we hit our 30’s we feel like we are OLD? I mean like life is already 1/2 over. We know that is not likely the case, but we feel like it. We do not think like the young person we we once were because we have so many responsibilities and that has a lot to do with it, but those responsibilities feel like weight.

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So, then outside of paying bills, taking care of house, spouse, kids, and working…WHY are we so beat up? I mean really, why do we feel like we have been hit by a truck when in actuality we were way worse to our bodies when we were younger? We use to abuse our bodies barely getting any sleep, eating unhealthy junk food, drinking, studying at all hours of the night, hanging out with friends, and then when no one was watching even trying those new fads like p90x, tanning, the atkins diet, smoking, adventure races, and so on. Not all of these things are bad but they do put a great strain on the body over time.

Yet when we hit our 30’s it’s like it catches up to us like a person holding us on a leash and we just finally got to the end of that leash.

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We feel every joint hurting, we are reminded of every dumb thing we did, and we start repeating all the things our parents use to say to us even if we don’t have kids. You wonder when you became your parents. Like seriously, you get up some mornings and sit on the side of your bed and just pray that you get through the day because you just need that. Not because you are depressed or sad but because you feel RUNDOWN, lol. You feel old! I seriously get up some days and just shake my head and say dang where did the time go. I was in such a rush to get older and now I’m older and I just want to be 5 years younger, lol.