Readers Delight Christmas Contest!

Go to this link and read all about it!!

All you have to do is leave a comment here playing a little game called, "What I Don't Want for Christmas." 

You might be chosen!

...to all the colors of ribbons that are worn in support of a cause. I found this on this site:  Cause Keepers after finding it via a homeschool site called: Home School Spirit

Pink and Blue Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol for the March of Dimes and its efforts in fighting premature births, saving babies, and finding a cure for birth defects.

Pink Ribbon :
Meaning: Most commonly associated with breast cancer awareness, this ribbon is also a symbol for birth parents, and childhood cancer awareness (alternative color: light blue)

 
Yellow Ribbon :
Meaning: We've all seen this symbol used to support our troops, but it is also a symbol for MIA/POW, suicide prevention, adoptive parents, amber alerts, bladder cancer, spina bifida, endometriosis, and a general symbol for hope. A yellow ribbon with a heart is used to represent the survivors left behind after a suicide.

Pale Yellow Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of spina bifida

Red Ribbon :
Meaning: Most commonly associated with the fight against AIDS and HIV, this ribbon also is a symbol for heart disease, stroke, substance abuse, MADD, DARE, Epidermolysis Bullosa, Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy

Burgundy Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of brain aneurysm, Cesarean section (worn upside down), headaches, hemangioma, vascular malformation, hospice care, multiple myeloma, William's syndrome, Thrombophilia, Antiphospholid Antibody Syndrome, and adults with disabilities

Purple Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of pancreatic cancer, domestic violence, ADD, alzheimer's, religious tolerance, animal abuse, the victims of 9/11 including the police and firefighters, Crohn's disease and colitis, cystic fibrosis, lupus, leimyosarcoma, and fibromyalgia

Lavender Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for general cancer awareness. It can also be a symbol for epilepsy, and rett syndrome

Periwinkle Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of eating disorders and pulmonary hypertension

Blue Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of drunk driving, child abuse, Osteogenesis Imperfecta (OI), the victims of hurricane Katrina, dystonia, acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS), alopecia, Education, Epstein-Barr Virus, Save the Music, colon cancer (alternative ribbon color: brown), colo****** cancer (alternative ribbon color: brown), and anti-tobacco - particularly anti-second hand smoke (in Canada; alternative ribbon color: brown), I Love Clean Air/ILCA Campaign (Japan) 

 Dark Blue Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of arthritis, child abuse prevention, victim's rights, free speech, water quality, and water safety

Light Blue Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of childhood cancer (alternative color: pink), prostate cancer, Trisomy 18, and scleroderma
Gemstones: Blue Lace Agate, Blue Quartz

Teal Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers as well as sexual assault, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and tsunami victims 

 Green Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of childhood depression, missing children, open records for adoptees, environmental concerns, kidney cancer, tissue/organ donation, and worker and driving safety

Orange Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of leukemia, hunger, and cultural diversity

White Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of innocence, victims of terrorism, peace, right to life, bone cancer, adoptees, and retinal blastoma

Pearl Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for emphysema, lung cancer, mesothelioma, and multiple sclerosis

Black Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of mourning, melanoma, and gang prevention

Brown Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is an anti-tobacco symbol as well as a symbol of colon cancer (alternative ribbon color: blue), colo****** cancer (alternative ribbon color: blue) 

Grey Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol of diabetes, asthma, and brain cancer

Silver Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for children with disabilities, Parkinson's disease, and mental illnesses such as severe depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, and anxiety disorders.

Gold Ribbon :
Meaning: This color is a symbol for childhood cancer

Jigsaw Puzzle Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol for autism

Lace Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol for osteoporosis

Flag Ribbon:
Meaning: This style of ribbon is a symbol for both the victims and heros of the 9/11 attacks. It is also a symbol of patriotism and support of our troops. In addition, it is a symbol of fireworks safety.

I'm starting to really feel good! Haven't gotten into a car for anything longer than 5 min. one-way trip to the nearby 7-11 for a concoction of Cherry & Coke Slurpee in the last 5 days. That was a success, but throughout this whole health deal, it's always been when I was in a car for more 10 minutes and more before I started really hurting. Thursday, we'll head to my dad's and that's a good 20 min. trip, so we'll see how well I do with that. I'm hoping to make it to church this Sunday. (That's close to a 30 min. drive and then there is a lot of walking to get to where we sit, plus we sit on folding chairs that have never been that comfortable. So I know "going to church" might be a bigger challenge, and that's why I've not gone as yet.)

Every month, I have three newsletters to create. I did two yesterday, which is fairly amazing, since, generally speaking, one usually takes at least a full 10 hour day, if not two days. One of those needs to be tweaked today, but only slightly. I have the third to do, but probably can allow it to slide til next week, but I'm waiting on word from that particular group to know which way to jump on that. I have this week's column (and all of December's if I can) to write. At least I have a few general subject ideas for each week. Just need to write them.

It feels so good to feel so good though! It's been too long! I know, as the gyn told me last week, that I will have good days interspersed with bad days. So this may be a spat of good days---but that's A-OK with me! LOL I'm ready to take what I get. God is GOOD, all the time!!

Saw my gyn yesterday and I'm "in the clear" and can resume all normal activities, as I feel up to them. She said it would be another 3 to 4 months of "good days and bad" before I suddenly wake up one morning and realize I'm back to normal (or even better than normal). Right now with the changing temperatures, I'm dealing with a lot of congestion. We've been hitting the upper 30s/lower 40s at night, with highs in the 60s in the days (which is very pleasant). I have a feeling that it's the lows and all the wind blowing in this cold front (as well as whatever mold or spores, etc.) that is to blame on my sinuses.

God is good! Dh has been called for contract jobs fairly consistently. He's been "unemployed" since the day I found out I would need surgery, back in July. We're still needing the unemployment checks, and it's more month-to-month survival, but we're at least getting enough to not worry too much about food and such. ;) In fact, we're considering (if he can get on with enough companies), to not necessarily seek a full-time "normal" job, but to continue with contract jobs. Glenn's been crunching numbers and it appears that this could work, and perhaps even give him 3-4 day work weeks, giving him time for other projects.

Heading for my second cup of tea for the morning and something to eat... Oh, check out PRMama's column today where I wrote about my experience in writing my book.

Was a success, but also told me it's not time to go gallivanting in the car as yet!

I'm at 4 weeks and 4 days post surgery. I turned a major corner on Monday this week -- like in the difference of night and day. The last 4 weeks were pretty hard-going. Small incremental steps of progress, but in pain, and not "fast enough" for me!

I see the gyn on November 16th for my post-surgical appoointment, hopefully to be released to drive and to lift things, and whatever else I may need to do...   

1. Grab the book nearest to you, turn to page 18, and find line 4.

"It was Marcelo's idea to return to Chile, and he had worked hard to make it all possible; he had leased the plane, hired the pilots, arranged the games in Chile, and created tremendous excitement about the trip."

(Full sentence, the 4th line is bolded above.) It comes from the book, Miracle in the Andes written by Nando Parrado. It's about the tragic airplane crash back in 1972 and the survivors (Uruguay rugby team) were on the mountain for 72 days before being rescued. My son picked it out for his nonfiction selection and he's still reading it. I picked it up because I was bored and didn't have anything else to read during this recovery period. I finished it yesterday.

2. Stretch your left arm out as far as you can. What can you touch?

Book Shelf

3. What was the last thing you watched on TV?

The movie last night called Dreamer. EXCELLENT movie.

4. Without looking, guess what time it is.

4 something in the afternoon

5. Now look at the clock. What is the actual time?

4:16pm, Saturday October 28th

6. With the exception of the computer, what can you hear?

The ending music of the movie "Independence Day" as my son has been watching it.

7. When did you last step outside? What were you doing?

Hmm, that would probably have been Saturday, October 14th, when I got home from staying at my dad's a week (6th thru the 14th), after being in the hospital from Oct. 3rd thru the 6th. I was walking VERY slowly and HURTING quite a bit, but nothing like I was on Friday the 6th after being driven from the hospital to my dad's... OUCH!!!

8. Before you started this survey, what did you look at?

I was looking at CoffeeGirl's blog! That's where I got this survey!

Thanks, Coffee Girl!!   

9. What are you wearing?

My bathrobe.

10. Did you dream last night?

Actually, I did... and I remembered it right after I woke up, but can't remember it now. Bummer!

11. When did you last laugh?

Probably last night.

12. What is on the walls of the room you are in?

Hmm, well, it's a living room... We have shelves, some photos, a fake rock portion of a wall behind the gas heater (looks almost like a free standing fireplace), some cross stitch pictures I've done, a picture someone gave me, and one of my better watercolor paintings (only watercolor painting posted on my website under Artwork), then 2 candle sconces on each side of a large lithograph that my high school English teacher bought for me in Paris, France (I didn't get to go on that field trip! ), these last three are over the couch.

13. Seen anything weird lately?

Hmm, not really...

Here's an "interesting weird" thing... When I hug on my dog and make a "MMmmmm" sound, she makes an "MMmmmm" sound in reply... She's so smart, I think she is truly trying to mimic me and let me know she loves me too. 

14. What do you think of this quiz?

Quizzes can always be fun... depending on what they are asking me about! LOL

15. What was the last film you saw?

Dreamer, last night.

16. If you became a multi-millionaire over night, what would you buy?

First thing, tithe -- boy, our church would love that! LOL Then, finish this Old House, as well as landscaping the front & back yards. Maybe buy a few somethings that I'd like to have (not sure what that might be, but a little mad money would be nice!), but with the rest after the house & yards are done, put it in a good CD or Money Market account, so we could (hopefully) live off of just a portion of the interest...so that we would be able to give liberally to those things that the Lord would direct us to (organizations, causes, people, etc.)

17. Tell me something about you that I don't know.

Probably have already posted this, but I have Nail Patella Syndrome, a gene mutation that causes my fingernails to be split and my thumbs to look like they do. It also caused my tiny knee caps (patellas), can cause glaucoma and kidney problems down the road.

18. If you could change one thing about the world, regardless of guilt or politics, what would you do?

Make sure that the Gospel message was being told to everyone on this planet (and those on the space station grin). Get the U.S. out of the U.N. and have the U.N. move their headquarters to another country.

19. Imagine your first child is a girl, what would you name her?

Well, my first child was a boy and so was my second son, but if I could have another child and it was a girl, I'd call her "Grace Anne".

20. Imagine your first child is a boy what would you name him?

My first born's name is Michael. Our second born's was Richard. I love both those names... don't know if I have a third name...maybe Robert.

21. Would you ever consider living abroad?

SURE!! If money were no object! LOL

And I'd prefer it if I could drink the water.

22. What do you want God to say to you when you reach the pearly gate?

Well done, Good and Faithful Servant! Well Done!!

...to those who have subscribed, so I have changed the RSS subscription service to Feedblitz.com.

If you had a subscription to get updates posted on my blog, I imported your addy to the new service. Feedblitz should be sending you an email, but according to my subscriber information page there, all 14 who were subscribed are "in the green"....

Sorry for the problem. Hopefully Feedblitz will cover me better than Bloglet did in the past.

Let me know if you find any problems.

Thanks, Dee in Florida! I saw Feedblitz on your blog and checked it all out. (Also thanks for the Cbox tagboard that I'll be adding in just a bit!)

Ok, 50 degrees F might not be all that cold, but we live in a drafty (no insulation) 120 year old house....and so it's a bit nippy to be inside the house! LOL This was my costume du jour....

When I got up, it was 50 upstairs, inside the house. I got out of my flimsy night gown and robe, put on long johns, socks, and winter houseshoes, and put back on the robe. My ears were cold, so I got my burgundy scarf over the top of my head covering my ears and both ends swung over my shoulders. I was thinking the scarf would slip, so I put on the bonnet I bought at Dodge City, Kansas, when I was visiting Connie years ago. THEN I put a throw blanket over my shoulders... and got my hot tea going....

Some costume, huh? LOL

Doing pretty good on the recovery process... Some dear friends told me to take one pain pill (Darvocet) every 5 hours during the day instead of "limping along" ibuprofen, and then continue with taking 2 Darvocet at bedtime. I've been trying to make it last and such. They told me that if I can control the pain, then I can move easier, walking more, and thereby getting to feel better much faster.... I think they were right! I've always thought of med use to be "as needed" and that "as needed for pain" was to wait until the last possible moment to take meds. Hate taking pills. Anyway, guess that goes under the heading of "learn something new every day"!

Still hurting but moving around the house a little bit easier. Maybe next week will really be the "corner turning" for me!

Thanks for your prayers!