Erika,

It is great to finally be at a month ciggy free.  I have been struggling with frequent craves and smoking thoughts starting Thursday night but today and tonight have been better.  I WILL NOT SMOKE ! I WILL NOT SMOKE !

We had a snowstorm Friday.  The roads were awful.  That extra wet heavy snow. I did not lose power - yay.

Because I am a Prince fan , I have to ask you if you have been to Paisley Park ?  

                                                  Lisa 

Lisa,

How exciting the new place sounds like it will be able to help. Yay!! Sounds like she has some serious expertise! I think they need to have the therapy dog start in the waiting room, though, huh?  Maybe a separate “waiting room” therapy dog for the people who have to wait 30+ minutes to be seen? I’d do much better waiting in a waiting room if I had a soft fluffy dog to pet. I really hope Wednesday goes well. You need some good days!

That’s so sad a town near you lost a firefighter in the storm I have so much love and respect for our first responders. It’s heartbreaking to hear of that kind of thing.

Yeah, my dad was very happy to call me up and talk about Michigan. It was sweet, really. I can only imagine I’ll be the same way if one of my kids brings up something they don’t quite remember and wants to know more about when they’re older. 
I’d heard my parents talk about Bloomingdale through the years, but I always thought they were talking about the department store, lol. 

Haha, you were paying attention to boys instead of town politics? Shocking!

I have yet to get my cross stitch out of the bag. It’s sitting there, right next to the couch and I just haven’t opened it yet. (It’s zipped closed to protect it from the cats, so it’s extra effort to get it out ) I think I’m working up the motivation. Tomorrow could be the day! I also didn’t make it to getting sushi, so I’m on a roll. Hee hee. Sushi roll…  It’s just turned into a do nothing weekend, which is fine. I’ll try out cross stitch tomorrow and pick a different day this week to get sushi. I mentioned the vegetarian and non-raw fish options to my daughter and she was actually intrigued, which surprised me. She may go with me and try some teriyaki chicken sushi, so that could be fun. Can’t say I’ve ever tried chicken sushi. I don’t care for the raw fish ones, though, so I’ll try the chicken.

Sunflowers will be fun to watch grow! I love that idea as part of a reward. The Oreos and milk sound like an immediate reward, with the flowers being the longer lasting part.  

I really do think the bigger anniversary dates bring on more craves for us. You’ve had all the extra stress, too, with so much going on, plus so much coming up on your calendar with the medical appointments. Definitely stick with your NOPEs and whatever plans have been working for you. It’s gotta ease up!

Jenny

Hi Lisa!  

We got the wet blanket snow too and it's supposed to keep coming all week.  Glad you did not lose power!  Me neither!  Fingers crossed for us this coming week.  

I love Prince too!  And yes, I went to Paisley Park once before the pandemic.  It is so magical, you can sense him there because they kept everything exactly how it was when he died.  His oversized sunglasses on his office desk, which looks like a slightly miniaturized version of a traditional carved mahogany executive desk.  They have a lot of rooms with dress forms featuring some of his favorite outfits.  I was gobsmacked to get a sense of how tiny he was--his voice and imagination and talent were so huge it seems like he should've been seven feet tall.  

In any case you should make the pilgrimage sometime!!!!!  I have a guest room!!  The Paisley Park gift shop is so cool--they sell black umbrellas with white PP logos all over them and the logos turn purple when they get rained on!  Dang it I just remembered that I lost my umbrella.  I should go back out there for another tour.  

OK take care and talk soon!

Erika

Hi Jenny,

Sometimes we all need a do nothing weekend (s).  Self care etc.  I used to have to protect my cross stitch projects too.  The years I had those projects going on we had 2 dogs and a cat so there was dog slobber and animal fur flying around. 

I would never eat raw fish.  I am not a daring eater.  When I was a kid my Dad would make dishes that had animals in it that he hunted but he would say it was something else.  After we ate , he would laugh and tell us what we really ate and then my brother and I would be disgusted.  Since we were only at his house every other weekend it was easier for him to get away with being sneaky like that with cooking.

It is a beautiful day here in SW Michigan.  Sunny and 46 degrees (warm for here for early March).  I got up too early though and I am going to have to try to get a nap in soon.  Wednesday and Friday I have PT.   The frequent smoking thoughts and craves I was struggling with have improved but you know still present at times .  I want them to be all done with , but that is not the reality of quitting smoking.

I hope you are having a good day.

                                                    Lisa 

Lisa, 

I managed to work up the motivation to unzip that bag yesterday I only did a few stitches, but I didn’t have any trouble getting a bit done! Planning to see how much I can do in a sitting tonight. Providing I get back to it tonight. I was pushing so hard to get as much done as I could before and am just having a hard time getting back into it. 

I wouldn’t have handled the mean tricky cooking very well.  My mom snuck stuff into our food when we were little, but not in a mean way. She was just using up what she had and didn’t tell us. We didn’t know gravy wasn’t supposed to be green. She was blending in whatever leftover veggies were in the fridge at the end of the week. I wised up as I got older and “dissected” my food, as she called it, lol.

I had a pretty awesome thing happen yesterday! My daughter shattered a white Correlle dessert plate in the middle of our living room. I know, awesome, right? The thing broke into what seemed like a thousand pieces and went EVERYWHERE!! After securing the dog in his cage, we stood there, staring at the horror and couldn’t do anything but start laughing. It was really so ridiculously awful. There was glass on the top of the coffee table, behind the kitchen island, on the couch, behind the couch, under the piano bench that’s in the dining room behind one section of the couch. It was INSANE!! She started to work on it while I cleaned up my cat scratches from the 2 cats who had been peacefully sleeping on my lap. Actually, that was when I had my cross stitch out, now that I think about it. Instant way to get cats on the lap.   Anyway, I ended up starting to help her a bit and my back wasn’t hurting like it normally would, so I helped some more. Then I found myself pushing the coffee table to the side, which I most certainly wouldn’t normally attempt. Then it came time to scoot the couch pieces and I helped move the couch!! My back wasn’t screaming. I mean, it complained, but not like it normally would. We finished up and I really expected it would still flare up bad later, but it didn’t do it like I expected it to. I’m getting extremely hopeful that the RF ablation has made a difference! I’m kinda afraid to get hopeful, like I could be positively thinking myself into feeling better for a bit, but this was a really big thing and I’m still not too bad today. Sciatica with hip and leg are complaining, but I’m ignoring that right now. I’m excited my back might be calmer for who knows how long. Time will tell, I suppose. I probably would do well to curb my enthusiasm for a few days, but that’s hard. 

I think I’m going to try some massage for the sciatica. I was looking up info about it and there’s a nice massage/sports medicine guy who does a lot of specialized massage and stretching stuff. I figure it can’t hurt and is a whole lot better than a new medication. 

My craves have calmed back down the last few days. The couple times the thought of smoking has even crossed my mind I’ve just looked at my cross stitch bag and known that it’s an option for something to do. Then I’ve decided to not do it, lol. Ok, going to get back to it today. I really can’t keep putting it off. I definitely need to post a picture here once I finally get it done!

It’s 54F for us today with blue skies. I heard we’re about to get some rain, so we’re enjoying it while it lasts. I need to start planting some herbs for the summer. 

Jenny

Hi Erika,

The last couple days have been decent , but we are getting some icky event late Thursday night and into Friday morning.  I am looking forward to spring.  

Paisley Park sounds wonderful.  I would love to go there some day.  I was so bummed out when Prince died.  I have a lot of good memories tied into his songs.  

                                              Lisa 

   Hi Jenny,

Wow , what a mess that dessert plate made when it broke.  Good thing you two and the fur babies were not hurt from the flying glass.  Be careful with yourself and your back , you dont want to undo the good you are experiencing.  I have made that mistake. 

Massage sounds like a good idea for the sciatica.  Sounds like they stretch that nerve out too?  It seems like Drs mostly like to throw pills at things instead of offering alternatives.  Maybe they just don't know other things that could help.

Yeah, when the craves and smoking thoughts come I do something else.  I have been back to doing my favorite type of puzzle book that I like since I quit.  It is called Frameworks by Penny Dell and I just ordered some more.  I was introduced to it during concussion therapy .  

  Yes , I would like to see your cross stitch project when it is  done.  It is for a music teacher that your family has known for a long time?  There is this new to me craft I might try after I am done with vestibular therapy and have more quitting time in.  It is called diamond art or diamond painting.  My BFF showed me her first one she is working on.  It does not look hard at all.  She does a lot of crafts and is good at them , me not so much.

Yesterday afternoon I took a 3 hour nap and today a 2 hour nap after PT.   I guess I am tired.    Friday after my brother takes me to PT he is going to come over and hang out and we are going to get takeout for dinner and watch a show. No napping that day .

                                          Lisa 

Lisa,

We really were fortunate the glass didn’t hurt any of us. The cat scratches I got were the worst of it. I found I could scoot the couch a little bit without my back freaking out, but squatting down and trying to find something under the sink was too much. There’s still time for it to improve more, though. It’s been about a week and can often take 2 to be fully effective. I’ll remain hopeful, but more careful. I appreciate the words of caution. I sometimes forget that part of recovery when I get excited. 

I’m hoping massage will help the sciatica. I read physical therapy can also help, so I may end up there for it, if  needed. 

How did your PT today go? Sounds tiring if you got a 2 hour nap afterward. And a 3 hour nap yesterday? It’s good you’re getting sleep cause it sounds like you definitely need it!

The puzzle book looks neat. Is the concussion what brought on your vestibular problems? Or is that totally unrelated? I looked the puzzle book up on Amazon cause I was curious what it was. I love puzzle type things. I’ve been getting so restless and something like that would be handy. I find myself standing up and walking to the kitchen, then looking around and eventually just sitting back down because I can’t think of anything I want to do, lol. I finally started making some progress on my cross stitch, so that’s good. If I can get back into a rhythm on that, it will help.

Yes, the cross stitch is for the music teacher at the school my kids have gone to since they were little. It a K-12 school, so we’ve known the teacher for 17 years. Wow, I just did that math and am shocked! She taught my son simple instruments like chimes and recorder, but taught my daughter those, plus flute, violin and some others, plus she was in every school musical and involved in lots of things. The teacher has always been amazing. I saw the pattern years ago in one of my pattern books and thought it would be perfect for her. I thought I’d make it during my daughter’s high school years, but then the carpal and cubital tunnel hit 3 or so years ago and put that plan on hold. Once I finally decided to do the surgeries, I knew I was going to get the project done after all, so I’m determined to complete it by June! It’s a Precious Moments pattern of a little boy playing a violin and little girl playing some kind of wind instrument. I have a pretty good portion of it done, then it’ll be all the backstitching. I do think I’ll make it in time. I’m not super experienced, so we’ll see how it goes!

My BFF made me a diamond dot type art thing for Christmas a couple years ago and it’s gorgeous!! It’s a purple cat and I absolutely love it. She said she found doing the project so relaxing and peaceful. It was like a gift for me and a gift for her, lol.

I’m finally going out for that sushi dinner tomorrow. Just me and my daughter. Well, I invited my son, but I’ll be very surprised if he joins us. He’s working night shift right now, so I’ll find out in the morning if he accepted my invitation. I really hope he does!
Anyway, I’m looking forward to it! Sometimes it feels like a lot longer than 2 months and other times it feels like a lot less. Time is so weird. 

Jenny

Hi Jenny,

PT was tiring Wednesday. They did the goggle thing at the end of my appointment and they are thinking from the video little eye blip when turning me to the left that I have a crystal adhered to the wall of a canal.  That will eventually get loose with the exercises for the vestibulo-ocular reflex weakness I also have and once it gets loose they can do the canal repositioning.    Yes, it is possible the 2 concussions I had could be tied into this , the very least it  makes recovery slower. Also the viral cold thing I had in October right before I had both vertigo and vestibular problems again.  Not sure I will be able to get to therapy Friday.  My brother called at 10pm and cant take me because he is sick.   I have a few possible solutions that might work.  

The puzzle books What's Left and Simon Says by the same company are good too , but Frameworks is my favorite.  They also have a variety puzzle book and other individual puzzle books and adult coloring books.  I order from the company because you can order the individual puzzle books and pick the volume numbers that you want that way.  The downfall of ordering thru the company is that their delivery is slow. 

That's good you are making progress on your cross stitch.  It sounds cute, I bet she will really like it.  She sounds like a special teacher .  

I hope the Sushi is yummy.  A well deserved reward.  Usually I think time goes fast , but with quitting smoking it feels like it has slowed down , maybe because it is still early in the process.

I bet that purple cat is gorgeous !!   My BFF said the diamond art is relaxing and there isn't counting and intense concentration involved like with other crafts.   

                                                      Lisa 

Lisa,

it sounds hopeful that they’re figuring out what the problem is and have a plan for fixing it? Doesn’t sound like a fun process for getting there, though. 
That’s too bad your brother is sick. Hopefully you found a way to get to PT today. Then got a nap afterward!

I’ve looked at some adult coloring books and thought about getting some in the past. There were some fun looking ones!

We had a glitch in going for sushi, but figured it out and ended up having a really good time. We went to a different place, since my daughter didn’t realize the chicken was teriyaki and doesn’t like teriyaki. My kids have always been very picky eaters. My son was going to go with us, but when we had to switch sushi restaurants (she wanted to find one with a non-sushi chicken side dish), he decided to eat at home and go another time when it was a less chaotic experience, lol. He doesn’t deal with last minute change very well. 
Anyway, my daughter ended up deciding to try a vegetarian sushi and really liked it! It was pretty exciting and I was so happy. She was intending to just eat the fried chicken on the side when we got there, which I was sad about since I was looking forward to her trying her first sushi roll. So it made for a fabulous reward!

We have more rain storms coming through this week. I think this weekend is supposed to be the worst of it, so we’ll stay home. The flooding is the most dangerous in our area, but thankfully our house isn’t in a flood zone. 

I’m starting to get more blooms from orchids in my greenhouse, so I’m bringing them inside. They’ve been neglected quite a bit the past couple years, so I’m surprised some of them are still alive, let alone blooming.

Jenny