Time out. The past few weeks have been very stressful. Well, since Bush was elected back in 2000, many of us have been living with an increased Anxiety Level – Red. So, let’s take some time out to share our good news for a moment. Tomorrow is another day and we can go back to stressing then. Bushco always gives us something to stress about. At least they’re consistent and successful in those efforts.
Okay. I think my months of stabbing kidney pain are gone. I think. The last time I felt that severe pain was Saturday. I’m almost scared to breathe in case that brings it back again. Maybe it really is done. I don’t know, but if it is, I’ll dance in the streets. The downside is that either my body is readjusting or my lupus and FMS are acting up because I’ve been needing extra, extra long naps and the rest of my body just hurts. Don’t get me wrong though – this is the kind of hurting I’ve lived with for years and I’ll take this over that damn kidney pain any day.
On the financial side, my tight ass provincial Conservative government here in Alberta has decided to share some of the huge surplus we now have as a result of higher oil and gas prices. Every Albertan will soon be receiving a Prosperity Cheque and it isn’t even an election year. Go figure. That’s good news because I’d like to get a little car so I can visit my daughter, her fiance, the grandherb and the new grandherb (coming soon) more often.
What else…? Fall is here. I don’t really like fall because it means colder weather but I love the pretty fall colours. And – I like sweaters. Sweaters are good.
It’s nice to have good news in the midst of so much chaos and pain. I think it’s important to take time out now and then to look at the balance in life. There is balance. Sometimes, it’s just harder to see.
I also got some free outdoor plants via Freecycle today. I love free stuff. There should be more free stuff in the world.
smiles and warm wishes are free from me…
glad to hear things are going well catnip, it’s been a long struggle for you & it makes me happy that you are happy.
(sorry for the mush, my doppelganger had taken over the keyboard)
Make sure you take the time to let your body finish the healing process…
Good news here too — THE SPOUSE IS GOING BACK TO WORK TOMORROW!!! Well, sort of; he’s still not cleared to drive a bus yet (blood pressure’s still too high for the DMV), but he’s been approved for his employer’s “Transitional Work Program”, where he can do other duties and not use up all his sick time (and not drive me crazy by being around 24/7!). He’ll watch training videos for part of the day, then possibly head out to one of the light rail stations and help people figure out how to use the system. Should be interesting to hear the stories tomorrow evening. As for me, I’ll be able to get a semblance of routine, of which I am in desperate need.
Hopefully soon he’ll be back behind the wheel and we’ll really be back to normal (or what passes for normal)…
A prosperity check? Seriously? Is this like a tax refund or like profit sharing?
I’ve been to Canada a few times-Toronto, Montreal areas and the thing that always struck me is the cleanliness and the endless clothes-lines in Nova Scotia-gorgeous area.
Does cranberry juice help with kidney pain? My sister has had 3 kidney stones and swears by the cranberry juice.
Our doctor recommended cranberry juice to my wife after her kidney stone to avoid a comeback. She was pretty religious about drinking it for about a year, then got sick of it. Fortunately, no stones again, knock on wood.
Not too often. 🙂
Apparently, Alaska pays dividends to its citizens from its oil & gas revenues. People here have been pushing for that for a long time but these prosperity cheques aren’t new policy – they’re just an extra bonus because we’re swimming in money. The gov’t has constantly low-balled oil price predictions for a very long time – somewhere around $22/barrel and we’ve had surplus after surplus that they kept stashing away for a rainy day while not funding important things properly. They couldn’t hide with these staggering oil prices since we’re now debt free, so it’s about time we got something.
Here’s my midwestern U.S. glad you are feeling and doing better card.
floating down that river on a raft, with a cooler of food and cold drinks…lolling the afternoon away…(wake up Wry, you’re stuck in cubicle hell! Arrrrrrgggggghhhhhhh!)
I like a nice hot chocolate and bundled into thick sweaters….watching the leaves drift slowly to the ground….
Getting reading for the Equinox tomorrow….thanks for that wonderful picture!
Mmmmmm…to be paddling along there, bag of Twizzlers in my lap…
Using the voice I found out here I was able to find the courage to ask for a raise and low and behold I got it….WooHoo!
I’m sure you’re worth every penny of it! Congratulations!! 🙂
Hooray for you, Lee!!
I’m sure you’ll just spend it all on the grand-girl, save some for you!
😉
Thanks my friends. I am going to start putting away for a vacation to Kauai. I really miss my island and need to go over for some R&R. probably not until next spring but something to look forward to.
Thanks Catnip for an upbeat diary. We all need a good dose of positive vibes to try and stay balanced these days. Also very happy to hear you are feeling less pain and it is somewhat tolerable. I have suffered off and on for years with migraines and it is so good that they are getting less frequent. You all have a positively glorious day. Back to work and earning that raise.
Good for YOU! I have never been to Hawaii — I expect a full report! 😉
I’m so glad you are feeling better…thank you for being so involved despite your pain…
You are a great source of inspiration to me. Bless you.
pure stubborness…
Ok, here’s mine — the hub and I have a date to watch a movie together after kidlets are asleep Friday night (Hitchiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — since we never got to see it in the theatre as we had planned) — it may not happen all at once, since we are known to fall asleep pretty early on Fridays, but at least it is somethng to look forward to — we haven’t gone OUT together in over 6 months, and our “in together” time is most limited….
That’s the good news from here!
Fun movie! We just watched it this past weekend, too. And you’ll see the bumbling, bureaucratic aliens (Can you spell FEMA?) in a new light post-Katrina, LOL.
We got our first VCR when our older son was born; he had terrible colic and would cry from 11 PM to 2 AM every night. While one of us paced the floor with the baby, the other would read aloud to keep both of us from going crazy. We read the entire Lord of the Rings trilogy that way!
Good news: there is light at the end of the kidlet tunnel – we have one in college and one in high school, and we either fix a fancy dinner at home or go out to eat each Friday (after I post the Jazz Jam) to make up for those kidlet years…
Thanks for sharing KP, they aren’t really the problem, the hub and I could make more time for each other if we wanted to, we sometimes are just too lazy to actually plan anything….
I love Douglas Adams — I was really saddened by his too-early deminse.
Thanksfully, Terry Pratchett is still around and cranking them out!
You two sure deserve a date! 🙂
I love good news! I’m so glad your health problems are easing up, and I love the idea of a prosperity cheque…Canada is looking more and more appealing sometimes.
Mine is that I have plenty of work through the end of the year (as a freelanceer, that’s always nice to know), our new baby chicks are coming next week, and the weather here is simply gorgeous. I’m looking forward to enjoying the crisper weather on my runs and snuggling into my favorite fleece sweatshirt in the evenings in the next couple of weeks…
I’m so glad you’re feeling better, perhaps your body needs to rest from healing? I love autumn, in a kind of corny melancholy way. And if I get my unemployment squared away I might hit Goodwill for some big sweaters, I love the oversized, stretched, almost hit the knee fuzzy sweaters. Like a security blanket you can wear without too many comments coming your way!
So glad to hear your kidney problem seems to be resolving, knock on wood! That’s good news for all of us! 😀
I don’t have any special good news; we’re all reasonably healthy so that’s good news enough, I guess.
I really appreciate your support through all of this. Thank you. hugs
My kids have a day off from school. Professional day for the teachers… Time for them to do some training and perperation for the rest of the year.
So that means my oldest daughter is home and will be able to help watch the wee ones! YAY!
The really good news?
It’s a really nice day here. I think we will spend a good part of it outside playing. If I had the car today I would take them all to the beach. I guess the backyard will have to do.
Hello from across the Sound :o) You aren’t kidding about the weather. The only thing that could make this day better would be if it was a Sunday. This and spring are my favorite times of the year. The pumkin stands are gearing up for Halloween and Thanksgiving, firewood is stacked and football is back. Ahhhh
My oldest son is playing “fall ball” baseball – heavy on instruction, light on win/lose worries – in preparation for a higher level of competition next summer.
He has willed himself to become quite a good catcher – really working hard at it. After a really lousy summer during which he basically rode the bench as an afterthought on a team that had tricked it’s way into what should have been a generic city league team with a coach who yelled instead of taught – his love for the game never diminished. He viewed himself as the backup – and knows from watching our local college team that the backup doesn’t play much. GREAT attitude. I was so proud of him – but he wanted to PLAY too – so we found this new team for fall.
His little brother had a great summer – played and practiced, really hits well – not just for a 6 year old – but really hits well – his stance is darned near perfect. (comes from playing constantly with his big brother and older friends)
He’s been a trooper this fall – hanging around practice watching his brother do all the fun stuff. He’d have me toss him some balls – and then started mimicing things the coaches were showing the older boys. Picks stuff up like a natural…
The other day a couple of the big kids were absent – so the coach invites my youngest to take a turn at the drills – and he does pretty well… and his big brother loves it.
So last night they have a scrimmage game scheduled instead of practice – but a couple players are going to be late – so the coach asks my youngest if he’d like to “fill in”!
Got to play center and field a grounder, came up firing right to the cutoff – and made contact during one at bat…
I’ll never forget the look of delight on both my boys faces as they told me about it – each one praising the other for how well they did…
Very very cool.
They sound like great guys! (And don’t you just love the fun of playing “spring” sports in the fall? Lots of fun, little stress.)