Photo of the Week (9)

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It is rare to see fence line next to the road around this part of Idaho. The abundant wheat fields run down the hills spilling into the ditches. But small areas of pasture land are found here and there. This one sits empty, but maybe a few horses call it home come spring.


Other Photo of the Week posts:
Breakaway
Fields of Gold

Photo of the Week (8)

Music man

Other Photo of the Week posts:

Breakaway

Fields of Gold

5 days without, 4 years with

We're celebrating around here. We were five days without Internet, which let me tell you, was not a pretty sight. Not restful, not a nice break, not anything except torture. We missed our friends and conversations, our work, the challenges to our thinking and living, the moments caught by brilliant photography, the book reviews, writing our own blog posts, finding new music...can you see how we suffered?

At times we could sneak a peek at a blog or our e-mail in-box, but with a very slow, weak connection. Only a tease. Today, because I had nothing to lose, I called our Internet provider and threatened ending our need for their services. Wa-lah, by 5:00 we were back in the game. Yay!

So, how to catch up?

I think I'll just come out with it. Our new doctor has found that I'm battling a Lyme infection. Probably have been since the start. There are all kinds of other details, but the best of them is that she's pretty sure that the kids do not face this foe. I've started fighting it with a new protocol of stuff. The kids are fighting some things in new ways, too. We're glad for our new doctor. We're all off to a good start.

So there's plenty to cheer about. Even without the sun shining...although we could cheer even louder with it (which is another story).

Photo of the Week (7)

A Neighborly Greeting



Other Photo of the Week posts:
Breakaway
Fields of Gold

My Valentine to you

That you come here to spend part of your busy days. What a gift you give. I thank you. Wishing you a Valentine's Day chock full of sweet kindnesses. Yours, Sherry

Living today

Today I give you a couple of quotes from songs, because my today has been lit by music: Watching parts of our recorded video with the kids from last night's Grammy Awards; listening to iPod shuffle while mixing cookies; all day inspiring, energizing me. Music was my sunshine, since the beams that gave this flower sparkle just this Saturday had disappeared.

We live we love
We forgive and never give up
Cuz the days we are given are gifts from above
And today we remember to live and to love
We live, Superchick


Sing me something soft,
Sad and delicate,
Or loud and out of key,
Sing me anything,
we're glad for what we've got,
Done with what we've lost
Our whole lives laid out right in front of us
Existentialism on Prom Night, Straylight Run

And I also give you...
The 2008 Song of the Year awarded at the Grammy's:
(*Cheers*)

Photo of the Week (6)

Joy all around.

If you want to know more about this happy event go here and also here.


Other Photo of the Week posts:
Breakaway
Fields of Gold

Mystery

Before you knew about CFS, would you ever have believed there was an illness that made exercise BAD for you? I wouldn't have. It's just surreal sometimes, isn't it? We're surrounded with advice and admonitions - from TV, magazines, the internet - that we have to exercise more in order to be healthy. Not a day goes by that I don't read or hear of another benefit of exercise. It just seems insane to me that something that is so good for the rest of the population can make me so sick. Excerpt from today's blog post from Learning to Live With CFS (Sue)

It is the hardest thing to understand about Chronic Fatigue Syndrome: Exercise Intolerance. Please read the rest of the Sue's post; she manages to talk about this subject in a plain, matter-of-fact manner.

Sue, also, recently posted about a research study, which provides some justification in defining CFS as a mitrochondrial dysfunction. She highlighted this quote from the report:

"A useful analogy is to compare your body with your car. The mitochondria represent the engine of that car, the diet represents the fuel that goes in the tank, the thyroid gland represents the accelerator pedal and the adrenal gland the gearbox of that car. Using cognitive behaviour therapy or graded exercise to treat a patient with CFS/ME is akin to beating up the driver of the car when actually the car needs a re- conditioned engine, suitable fuel in the tank, resetting of the accelerator pedal, a new gear box or whatever."

This is a great analogy. Even though, I am confused as to where we fit in terms of a true CFS diagnosis, this describes how we feel after we've tried to get some good exercise (or any type of exertion that is "too much," for that matter). At first, even those who live with this disease, 24/7, will look to blame other causes for the resulting headaches, worsened fatigue, etc., that follow...but not for very long.