Blog Under Construction

Hello All! 

My blog will be under construction for the next couple of months.  My new blog will reflect my awesome Origami Owl business and my interesting life.  Stay Tuned!!!!!

Thanksgiving

I love Thanksgiving.  It's a holiday that gives you permission to over eat and feel like a fat cow.  A few years ago, that is in fact, what I did and had a little incident at my sister-in-law's where I was in the bathroom gagging.  I wasn't nauseous, but something happened when I overate that caused me to just gag for a half an hour.  So, since that day, I have been careful to not overeat that much ever again.

That incident aside, I love pretty much all thanksgiving food (without any sort of cheese mind you - I detest all kinds of cheese!  Yes, you read that right - I do not like cheese and I never have).  I would have to say my favorite dish on Thanksgiving is stuffing.  My sister-in-law makes the best stuffing.  I also love pumpkin pie.  In fact, I love anything pumpkin!!!

I also love Thanksgiving because of the tradition it stands for.  Celebrating and giving thanks for our lives, the people in our lives and the prosperity we have.  I will never take this holiday for granted.

Thanksgiving is also a time for rest - especially when it is a four day weekend filled with shopping, eating, drinking and just overall holiday merriment.  My sissy and I usually are some of the crazy shoppers that end up getting up at midnight on Black Friday and go shopping.  We live only a quarter mile from the mall and we have been doing Black Friday for over five years now.  It was a tradition of ours.  Last year's Black Friday was physically awful for me because I did not go to sleep before we left the house at 11:30 on Thanksgiving to stand in line at the mall to start shopping.  My IBS came into full force and we had to retreat home to sleep.  We agreed to go again in the afternoon.  We ventured out to Target around 1 pm on Black Friday and within a half-hour I had to head home again.  Our shopping trip was ruined by my IBS.  Damn you IBS!!!!  So, needless to say, we will not be getting up at the butt crack of dawn this year.  Sissy has to work anyway and we will go in the evening on Black Friday.

So, in summary, there are many reasons I love Thanksgiving.  I give thanks to my creator, family and friends every single day, but on this day it seems to be cemented even more.  I hope all of you have a great Thanksgiving. 

Until next time.....

xoxo
Cricket

Ms. Delaney Mae Cantonwine de la Rosa

Below is a new picture of Ms. Delaney Mae Cantonwine de la Rosa.  This picture was taken on 10.19.12 after her grooming appointment.  What a sweet little Westie girl.  Well......most of the time.

Until next time.........

Cricket

Here I go again.....

There are no excuses as to why I have been gone from the blogosphere.  I have simply been lazy.  I will give another try to attempting to blog on a regular basis. 

This is my favorite time of year--Autumn.  The crisp, cold mornings and warm, sunny afternoons.  The leaves changing color.....what a site.  I am so happy I live in Washington State.  I don't think I could ever live in a town/state that does not have the change of seasons.  It would depress me. 

My favorite holiday is only a little over a month away....Thanksgiving through Christmas.  It gives me something to look forward to and gets me thinking about holiday food, warm cozy drinks, heavy sweaters......It makes me happy!

The only thing that dampens the happy mood during that time is the date in which I lost my Hompa--November 29, 2007.  I cannot believe it has been five years since his passing.  Not a day goes by that I do not think of him.  His birthday is Halloween and this year I am going to start a tradition and light a candle on Halloween in rememberance of my Hompa.  I think he would like that.  I truly believe that he is here with us somehow, someway.  I miss my Hompa.  We all miss our Hompa....

Whew....ok.  Enough of the sad stuff.  Hompa would not want me to cry, but let's face it--I am a BIG BAWL BABY and I can't help it, so let's get back to talking about looking forward and planning for the upcoming holiday....

Hmmmmm.......I forsee crock pot stuffing on the menu for tomorrow.......YUMMERS!!!!

Until next time.......

Cricket

Chronic Illnesses Sucks!!!!

Ugh.  As I find myself feeling like crap on my lunch hour, it occurs to me how often lately I have been feeling like crap. 

I was diagnosed with IBS in 1997, high blood pressure in 2003, Psoriasis in 2009, and Psoriatic Arthritis in 2010.  On top of that, combine structural damage in my neck and ulcers from prescribed medication from a car accident in September 2010, and I feel either pain or crappy on a daily basis, it is just a matter of how much.

My IBS went into remission in 2003 with the removal of my gall bladder and I felt like a normal person up until the diagnosis of Psoriatic Arthritis and the car accident.  Then, all hell broke loose with my body and it is a daily struggle to live without some type of pain.

Now I am fighting extreme fatigue and exhaustion on a daily basis.  I get 8-9 hours of sleep every night and I wake up exhausted and it just continues througout the day.  I used to be a woman who never left the house without makeup on and now I could care less.  The last thing I want to do in the morning is put makeup on.  I have been wearing the same outfits to work for the past month and a half.  This new development makes me think I have more going on within my body.

I know what some of you may be thinking or asking--you may be depressed.  Believe me, I have been severely depressed in the past--in despair even.  I know what depression is and I am not depressed.  My life is great other than my health issues. 

I have made an appointment with my Rhumatologist in May to ask questions and get some answers regarding the massive fatigue and exhaustion I am feeling.  I am making a valid attempt to exercise 4-6 days per week and have restricted my caloric and fat diet intake and I am not dropping any weight and not feeling more energetic at all.  If anything, I am even more tired.  But I am determined to keep doing it because I know it is essential for my health.

I try to mimic the spirit of my late grandfather Dale, Hompa, who always said while fighting prostate and bone cancer, that it could always be worse.  I agree with him.  I am great compared to people who are so disabled with chronic illness that they cannot work. 

I guess writing this post is a way for me to vent my frustration at my body.  I also wanted to let the people who read my blog to know how lucky they are to be healthy and not struggle to feel well and, well....good even.  Be thankful that you don't have pain.  Be thankful that you don't have a chronic illness--ugh....

Well...that is my rant for today.  Thanks for reading.

Long Time, No Blog

I am terrible at remembering to blog.  I need to make it a priority because I do have a lot to say.  I need to figure out how to say it and put it into words.

I have become a victim of my chronic diseases as of late, thanks to an auto accident in September 2010.  My arthritis has accelerated and I am in mild pain all the time, as well as back pain directly from the accident.  I am exhausted all the time and I have gained some weight.  Now that I am 40, taking weight off is so much harder than it used to be.  I am working on taking it off and trying to feel better.  I don't look like I am 40 years old, but I physically feel like I am 45 maybe 50.  I am working on that.  :-)

That being said, I am going to try to blog more frequently. 

If you know me, you know I am OBSESSED with Mad Men.  OBSESSED I say.....It sincerely is an addiction of mine.  The Incredible Actors....The Writing...The Costumes....The Set Design...

I will try to remember to blog about this show and why I love it so much.  There are so many reasons to love this show. Whether you remember the 60s yourself or not--IT IS JUST EXCELLENT TV.  It has won the Emmy for Best Drama four years in a row.  How can someone argue that it is not television at its finest?

Well...more to come about that....and many other things.  So, for now I will try to blog once a week.  Until then....have a great week!

xoxo  Cricket

Blogger is being difficult!!!

I onced love blogger.  That love has now dissappeared!!!

It is so difficult to apply the different "free" blogger backgrounds to the new templates.  They do not turn out right and my blog looks horrible.  Oh well...such is life...