shakin' it off

 A decent Nights sleep is important for ones health even if you don't have issues like Fibromyalgia. i emphasize Night for the fact that humans are on a biological clock known as the Circadian Rhythm that makes sleeping at night an actual need for our bodies proper function.

 i once was a night owl... preferred the night shift whenever possible. In fact my Husband and i spent our first year together driving Truck. He drove daytime, i drove nights. They said we'd be divorced before the year was up... little did they know! Who are They anyway?

      When this last health mystery came up i hadn't been sleeping well at night. So many things on my mind, being all wound up over crazy things going on in the community and the church as well as the stress of my job driving shuttle bus. Then there were family issues...but aren't there always family issues? maybe not. Anyway, sleep was elusive, life became a struggle, every day got harder to deal with. 

      i began paying attention to Them this time, those ones who have an answer for Everything and a criticizm for Anything they decide is their business, which it largely isn't. i tried the best i could to listen to Them since my own fuzzy mind was playing tricks on me and my body was freaking me out with this bizarre new thing. But my Dearest One, My Husband, did his best to remind me... that i knew better what was happening to me than Them... those ones he aptly calls "Well Intentioned Dragons": Those ones who mean Well... but end up Dragging you down & tossing you into the Well of despair...&  Well, that's just plain mean when all is said and done! Seriously.

................... Did i lose you there?

    Yeah...that's how i felt. Lost at the bottom of a well...one full of slimy fungus and creaturely apparitions: Toxic people. One of the toughest parts of my recovery was in learning not to listen to Them because, i love people. It was hard for me to see past all the negatives to recognize the faces of the true sweethearts that were nearby waiting to offer their Care, their Love and Encouragement.

       We left Oregon while i was still literally Under the Weather, as the inversion layer was squashing me down as usual. i did not say enough Thank You's and i Love You's to the good folks who helped launch our little old Buzz down the Bumble Bee highway in search of our desert Island.  

       This last week was a break through week for me. After following a Detox program... nutritionally as well as spiritually... it's as if a Bubble Popped in my head, the way it feels when given a big dose of  Oxygen... things that were fuzzy are clearing up... The sun seems brighter somehow...

 (i'm in a desert it's always bright...=)

 but somehow This is different... at last i think i'm getting clear of the muck...

&

 shakin' it off.

Paradise lost & found

Sweetie B. bought this picture from a Mexican-American Artist many years ago. It is his favorite and depicts his idea of Paradise. Funny, He bought it in the little Town of Paradise, Cal. He often wonders where the Artist went from there. There is No signature... only that of his brush strokes.
The tiny Oregon town we moved from was as close to this as we've been. Our cabin was in the middle of town on a street fronting the railroad but there was a large blue spruce right beside it, not unlike This Cabin, only ours was not of  Log construction.
   My Love gave up So much for me in coming to this place of complete opposition. Maybe not So complete? Instead of majestic Evergreen Spruce,  there are spindly Dr.Seuss Palms. The secluded shores of a serene lake, traded for the banks of a bustling vacation hot spot on the River. People powered Canoe exchanged for Jet engine power speed boats. i don't remember Cactus up north, Not Saguaro's anyway... and have yet to find anything resembling a Morel Mushroom here. Instead of Wood stoves to stay warm...we fire up the B.B.Q. to stay fed. Mmm... Yah, We both like the Bar-B. much better!
One day while negotiating a narrow mountain road in Oregon (My husband driving; i in the Catbird seat beside him & Mother in the back seat with the window open) a gnarly Pine Beatle of Horror Movie credentials...came crawling up my Moms leg ...i saw it first and tried to alert my B. but not in time to prepare him for the equally horrifying blood curdling screem right behind his Ears.
       i thought we were due to wreck at that moment but somehow through the numbness he found the side of the road and quickly evicted the creature from the car. Lucky he had a pair of gloves... the bug did Not want to leave his comfy ride and was chewing chunks out of the leather like the wild tree destroyers they are. "Rrrriiip..*.*.. Ptooeey<<***"
    Not sure if Mom will come to the desert any time soon... But i'll be checking Every Inch of land  before She gets a greeting from This environments Horror flick creature ...the Scorpion! Now i remember why my hair is turning white. Moms was white before that , bless her heart;} i'll talk about B.s Hair later....

Honey I'm Home !

CocoMoco has been serving as our alarm clock each morning since i can remember. i just don't remember when he decided 4:30 a.m. was The Hour ! It's like, Before the crack of dawn even... ggrrrrrrrr!( 
     Sweetie B. worked late last night so he hoped to sleep in a bit. Says He needs his Bee-auty sleep. Kiddles & i enjoyed the sunrise and  Humming buddies, How Quiet it is before the world starts buzzing about. At his usual time 'B.' got up and all seemed swell as we read The Word, had breakfast, packed his lunch n' waved our corny goodbyes as he drove off to work. About and hour later as i settled into some research on the latest political storms in our country Abby & i heard a car door close in our driveway and up the stairs comes My Sweets; His Boss had brought him home with a Migraine. He hasn't had one in a while, 3 or 4 X's a year is not unusual.
   immediately i brought him his stash of Raw unblanched almonds that seem to dampen the pain and effects very well. Then went around putting all the window shades in to darken the house so he wouldn't have to hide in our room the whole day. CocoMoco wasn't real pleased with losing his "Bird T.V." but We jump to the chance to do something for the Man who is our Hub and Hero; he's good for a snuggle at 'Dads' feet.
    My Hub-bub has been so sweet and thoughtful of me throughout this ridiculous health mystery. It's hard to believe one person can be so patient and encouraging but he has Never wavered in his cheerful support, even when i thought there was little to hope for. i was a major wreck while participating in a Med. study to approve of a new drug for this Fibromyalgia diagnosis..but we stuck with it hoping for a breakthrough. Finally the Dr. told Us the best place for me to be was 'Death Valley!'.... at least somewhere hot and dry. So...my Love gave up his Pastorship in a tiny little church, we left the tiny house with its porch where our Rocking Chair brigade was planned... a place for friends & family. We took the leap of faith and with the help of dear friends, lightened our load and packed the rest in a goofy half sized school bus. We flew off into the unknown and found ourselves here in the desert. What others see as a Dry & Weary land, we have found to be the Biggest Blessing. i have a way to go but here at last i can breath, i can walk around the block and not be winded, i am regaining my balance and slowly i am waking up...from what seems a Rip van Winkle night mare. Hope has found a place in my heart again.
"Honey i'm home!"

Helo my luvs!

CocoMoco adorez my Sweetie B.s shoez... This would make them the "Catz Meowz"...uh-huh.
   This "Young man" (as my sweetheart calls him) has been my main 'kare-kiddle' throughout the ups and downs of this journey through the fogbanks. He sleeps next to me and sometimes perches right on top of me like a mother hen hatching a very large egg. He walks with me everywhere i go, & his favorite place is in my lap Sitting like a little Gorilla so i can rub his chin and belly. "BellyWhompers"!
We learned long ago that He is sensitive to certain chemicals most people assume are fine for pets such as in Flea treatments. Also He & His Sister, Slippersdoodles, can not tolerate the additives and dyes most commercial companies use in cat kibble. So far we haven't had a flea problem here in the desert. The kiddles stay in-doors because of stray dogs and coyotes that roam the "Trailer-hood". We found a brand of kibble that has no dyes or other strange additives ... so they say... i read the label . We're all going through a "ratty" season though, Shedding and skin changes due to this dry environment. We're gittin' up there in age too... so ...... So there!
     i learned a new word today on our local Country (& a little bit more) music station... "Trailer-hood" ... instead of Neighborhood...Can't wait to ask my Neighbors if they've heard this one yet.!

Well Hello Kittie!

"Excuse Me ..... Were You looking for the Welcome Kitty Committee??"

Hows the weather out there?

They say Monsoon is arriving early in the desert this year. My body is our Barometer, i knew the atmospheric pressure was changing before it showed up in the low hanging clouds.Weathermen talk about "Upper level lows" How come i never hear about lower level Highs? There's much to learn about the Art of Meteorology... perhaps i'm a little old to become a Weather...Person(?) Or would that be Weather -Mam?

One can always improve on their knowledge base...

Despite feeling like i had a Mac truck sitting on me, i was able to enjoy some time with the "little people"; 2 adorable preschoolers who came to swim in our puddle pool for a little bit, while Their Dad and my Hub-bub caught up on stuff. i used to work in a Pre-school, but forgot how active they are... Whew! So much fun though, it's been too long. Little ones have a way of reaching in and pulling your soul back up out of it's stagnant swamp...with such impishness.

Abby, our Overgrown Pug thinks children are the Bee'z knees... Am i obsessed with Bee'z knees?

Apparently...

When i was on medications for all these things diagnosed...my legs were so swollen i didn't know i had knees! I'm off All those toxins now and i discovered i have Ankles too! Meds may be fine for some people... i needed to be free of those and so many other chemicals one would never expect to be so bothersome. This is why we moved to this dry and wondrous place. So i can Breath and feel Mostly human.

It Is So Humid here this time of year.

The running joke about the Desert is :

"It's a Dry Heat".

with a picture of a skeleton propped up against a Saguaro cactus.

Good Morning Sunshine!

It's 3:30 a.m. Here in this desert oasis my Sweetie B. brought us to. i can't sleep. Oh s-well! This is a common occurrence for me. So my entourage; CocoMoco & Slippersdoodles have come to the big window with me to watch the sunrise and the humming buddies feed.

CocoMoco is the funny belly-up kitty in my "About Me" Photo. i will post more Pictures of our funny little troupe of "Care Kiddles" as i learn How all this stuff works. Thanks for remembering that we've all got to start somewhere, and that my "somewhere' is Now.

Our neighborhood homes take turns getting Bugg Bombed throughout the month, So i stay In-doors with the air cleaner more than i care to. Yesterday i was pleased to see that a tiny Preying Mantis has taken up watch on our scrawny sun burnt Tomato plant. Since we're Fumigation free in our yard this is a great Discovery. i only hope he likes it here. the Humming buddies (birds) are also excellent bugg catchers . Our local Roadrunner has been absent so far this year and i'm wondering if the toxic bugg population had part in this. If i could protect all these amazing creatures i would... but people are too busy with their lives to take the time to cultivate healthy environments around our living spaces. It's easier to just spray everything down.

SunRises in the Desert are the Beez kneez!