Marge

I just set my jaw and try my best. My w/c arm rest was coming loose, and since I use my arms to pull me where my legs can’t take me, this is a serious defect. My son said I wasn’t strong enough to fix it. He will fix it Sunday. Well, you know I am going to try. And I did it!! Tightened up everything on my chair and am now challenging myself to get 12 blocks to my sister’s church, Will take the side streets if there are sidewalks. This is an old part of town and not every street has sidewalks. Also lots of beautiful old trees which makes the sidewalks pretty rough. Putting my orange flag on and leaving now. If I don’t make it today, will mark my map and try again tomorrow. Nothing like a hard challenge to fire up my blood. I am getting too lax in trying new things. Wish me luck and see you soon. Love, Marge

Woke up with the same old aches and pains, but doing my yoga stretches really helps. Another thing that makes my days so much better is posture. I was letting myself slump in my chair and I put little notes up to remind myself to straighten up! Push my behind to the back of the seat and keep my back and shoulders ramrod straight. Feels wonderful. Keep my head up and shoulders down. I remember that the last couple of years Ed was with me, we would wake up and both moan as we climbed out of bed. Then we would look at each other and laugh. Might as well laugh. Ah, the cycle of life. Need to really get back on plan of recording everything, every stray bite, as I am slipping somewhere. Not lost anything for a couple of weeks. Of course, my Dr. telling me he is so pleased with my weight and lab results, that everything is fine, has kind of made me slack off. I am NOT pleased. Want to strive for that last seven pounds. Happy anyway, but we need SOMETHING to strive for. Have a super week buddies and keep STRIVING! Love, Marge

He called to wish me Happy Thanksgiving and to tell me he won’t be able to come to dinner later because his steady girl friend’s mother is having dinner an hour earlier then mine. His older brother called me last night. He is 22 and also has a steady girl friend. Her parents live in Ohio and they are going there for dinner today. Ahhh, seems I have been through this 4 times before with my sons. My sons now live in IN, and most of them get here for Thanksgiving, but sometimes it is not my turn. I told the boys I was happy that they were wanted so many places for dinner, but somewhere deep inside I know another era is gone. I am always careful to put a smile in my voice, because who needs a guilt trip. I guess we have done our job, They are out and making their own lives. Maybe next year, bringing their girl friends with them. Both are fine girls and they come to visit. I have to finish dinner, three of my sons and their wives will be here later. Also a few friends. But I will miss those young faces. Remember, we do have to let go and it is always too soon. Love, Marge

Things to be Thankful For lists on your blogs today and we are so fortunate. We have family, friends, buddies, low cal. recipes. We are so lucky we have enough to eat. So very many don’t. The food banks are very low on food this year. I am giving 23 cans of food to my local food bank just for the 23 lbs I have lost this year. I wish I could help in a shelter, but I can’t because of my disabilities. But I will wrestle a small turkey and all the extras tonight and tomorrow to feed my gang and a couple of neighbors. And add up my blessings, a small, warm, dry place to live, the money to buy a new w/c because mine is tired of so much spinning,  (a brace broke and here I am 23 lbs. smaller, what’s with that?), my loved ones, including my buddies, my books, (food for the soul and mind), my d-i-l Allison, who is still with is, (although she will be having brain surgery soon). This is the 55th Thanksgiving dinner I have cooked. Tough old bird, aren’t I? Take care, Have a great holiday, be safe. Love, Marge

this past week, ” I was a jet fighter pilot over Korea in my youth and I was frightened, all the time. My friend looked at me one day and told me. We are all going to die sometime. We know that, so don’t waste your days with fear. Look around you at the beauty in God’s world and enjoy every moment. We don’t know when will be our last day, so live each day as though it were your last. Fear can kill you, and if not kill, it can ruin your joy. LIVE each day and do what has to be done, but continue to look for the wonder around you.” My sister told him, “My sister tells me that all the time”. Yes, but I don’t have MD after my name. So here’s to joy and having the best week we can. Move around, eat healthy, and most of all, look for the wonder. Love, Marge

seasons have to be gotten through. Life is always changing and I read somewhere that we go through the finest times of our lives and don’t always realize it until it is in the past. How I would love to have my sons and daughter and Ed with me again. The children young and excited about Santa. I was so busy I didn’t appreciate the gift of those loved ones as much as I would now. But life goes on…. too quickly. We lived in a large old Victorian house and we invited all our extended family for Christmas dinner. Parents, cousins, sister and nieces and nephews. I did all the cooking and gift wrapping and was exhausted by New Years Day. I will cook the holiday meals again this year, but my strong right arm will not be here. A lot of faces will be missing from the table. I have to have my little “pity party” every year. Yesterday was the party and ate WAY too many crackers, have not exercised for two days. Blood sugar was up. ENOUGH, MARGE! Getting back on plan today and am swearing to myself to get on with it (life). Don’t want pity, I can do enough of that for myself. I just pray for courage to not dampen the spirits of those around me. It is 60 degrees out and time for a LONG w/c spin and a clear head. Need to turn on the Loud music and dance. Jump back into routine and stop this “memory lane” thing. Life is good. I have much family and many friends. My friend from the library told me I was her sherpa, her guide, for the times ahead that will come to us all. Sorry, been in the house too long. Got the blues. GOING OUT NOW! Behave yourselves and if you can’t, then do whatever it is for me, too!! Love, Marge

that I would never make it back. My sister and hubby were already on the bus when I boarded. The driver lowered the ramp and came and gave me a push on and fastened me in. Very nice driver, we laughed and talked all the way there. Bus was almost empty. We went toy shopping with a list made up by great-nephews. Two of the boxes were almost as big as I am. I had the smaller bags in a big cloth bag on the back of my w/c, my b-i-l carrying the largest box, my sis the other big box. I wanted to call a cab, but my sister said it would cost a fortune as we were on the edge of city at a mall. It was 40 degrees and we had to cross two streets to get the bus back. I didn’t mind the 2 block w/c ride, but then my sister went into her CONTROL mode. At the crosswalk, she lined us up like ducks and started yelling at the cars. ROAD RAGE!! “Hurry up!! Can’t you see these old people are freezing waiting on you in your nice warm cars. If you’re going to turn, TURN. Put down that cell phone and use your turn signal!” My b-i-l looked at me and said, “You have just met the Crossing Guard Lady”. I got very quiet and my mouth was hanging open. We arrived home safely after one more repeat performance at the corner across from my apartment. I swear my Dad is alive and well and living in my sister’s voice. He used to rant and rave anytime he drove. My sister asked if I would ever ride on the bus again with them. I told her I needed tape for her mouth first. Remember, watch your mouth. Your kids are listening and learning! Crazy day. I am just now recovering. Have a great weekend. Hugs, Marge

CIGARETTE AND I  TIGHTENED UP MY GUNS. I said this can’t be me, must be my double. But I can’t forget, I can’t forget, I can’t forget but I can’t remember what! Good old Leonard, you drag me out 0f bed every morning. The only crush I ever had in my life. His music got me through some rough times. Still does.    I hope you remembered to go vote. A lot of people have given their lives to ensure that we can. I wasn’t crazy about the choices we had in KY this year, but I went and voted and tried to pick the best choice. So many issues I am for are being ignored but never give up. Things will get better. I bundled up and crossed the parking lot, down a very steep ramp, across another parking lot and VOTED. I asked the polls worker to please not put mine in the shredder ( that’s what it looks like). That got me an odd look and she knows me. Maybe that’s why the odd look! I made it back up the ramp with a lot of huffing and puffing, but I MADE IT! Tomorrow I am going to use public transportation for the first time. They have kneeling buses that will take me in the w/c. I am calling it “Marge’s Great Adventure”. If you never hear from me again you will know I am still circling the city, forever. Wish me luck. Stay on plan and be plotting YOUR great adventure. HUGS, Marge

on this site Thank you for the great comments you sent me when I really needed to hear something sweet. Now I am opening my eyes and my heart and looking for all the goodness around. You won’t find it in the newspaper and you sure won’t find it on TV. 19 months ago I didn’t have a computer and had no idea how to even turn one on. That super couple in my building brought me their extra computer and came up and taught me how to use it. I have a new computer now and they are teaching others how to use them. They were God sent to me, Daryl and Linda, and taught me how to find a whole new world and life even though w/c bound. I need your prayers for Darryl. He is having that very risky surgery on heart and arteries on Nov.19. He is a buddy on here, but is not actively into slimming right now as Dr. told him his weight was mostly water weight from faulty heart valve. He has stopped smoking, a great feat in itself. Remember him on the 19th. I will remind you. Nag, nag, nag!!! My b-i-l works for Project warm every winter. One woman asked him how old he was (he has grey hair and beard, very tall and slim) and when he told her 72, she said get off that ladder. I’m younger than you. But he does this every year. He came over to this apartment building and helped us mobility challenged women set our clocks back. Good, sweet things happen all the time. I just need to take my blinders off and look for them. There is a lot of illness and problems for my children right now and I want so much to make it all better for them. Just the way I tried to do when they were small. But we all have our hard times in life we have to work through and one son told me a couple of weeks ago he is so happy I am able to take care of myself. No wonder I diet and exercise like a demon to keep myself healthy. I don’t want to add to their problems . All of you take care and have a WONDERFUL week. Oh, I lost another pound and lowered my goal 5 pounds with my Dr.s blessing. Hugs, Marge

family and friends has been so depressing. Is it because of election year? People seem on edge and I exercised three seperate times yesterday to lower my stress. PLEASE tell me something wonderful that has happened in the past couple of weeks. My grandsons called me 3 times this week to check on me. WOW!! I lost a pound. Good thing. Now tell me something good that happened to you. Did your kids do something great? Did you feel that baby kick for the first time? Did you get a super new job? Win the lottery? Reach a new goal? I need some puppy uppers. Things to make me smile. I’m hanging in there. Hugs, Marge