Kindness goes a long way. Especially in these trying times. Saying please and thank you are something you can do to replace your smile that is hidden behind your mask.
Tipping even for carry out and delivery orders to let these essential workers know how much they are appreciated. Hey, they got you out of cooking or shopping. I really enjoy online shopping and appreciate being able to tip the delivery person.
I feel people forget to be kind lately. Wave to your neighbors. Some of them may be lonely. See if they need anything if you are able to leave the house. I am fortunate to have my husband and brother living with me who drive, since I can no longer drive.
So if you are out say hello to strangers, hold doors, etc. Be kind, my friends.
We have stay at home orders to hopefully get the number of covid cases under control. So, Ralph and I are doing our part. It’s hard on Ralph and his folks, but I have family members across three states with COVID-19 and I don’t want it, nor do I want to be responsible for giving it to anyone. Three of my family members were part of a group of five that met up to help one of them move.
So, small groups aren’t safe now and that is scary. I realize it’s because you can’t control all the variables. You are less likely to wear masks and social distance with your family if you even have enough room.
I am trying to remain positive by thinking by staying home now, we’ll all be around when the vaccines are administered and it’s safe for us all.
Ralph and I are getting the house ready for our tree. That makes me smile. I love the lights.
Remember when the world seems full of misery there is one place you can go to find some peace. For me it’s nature.
Sometimes just stepping outside is good. Even just opening a door or window to smell the air helps me find that peace.
The air no matter the weather helps me breathe. It smells different before it rains. Like the promise of something new. I love the crisp way the air smells just before it snows.
Here in Vegas just at the foot of the mountains, we get that smell without getting the snow. It usually remains in the mountains. We get the best of both worlds. We can be safe in the desert climate or we can go up to the mountains if we want to play in the snow. Me? I prefer to look at it from a distance. I like not having to don heavy winter clothing to keep warm much of the winter, but I digress.
Nature brings me peace. However, I can also find nature sounds, photos, films, etc that help me when I cannot get outside. And I have my memories and imagination. So, peace is really within me whenever I choose to look for it.
Before I had ever been on a cruise, I could imagine lying on a deck with my future husband, soaking up the sun, while Caribbean music played, people laughing and dancing around us. I was spot on.
In these unusual times, what do you do to find your peace?
I have had Lichen Sclerosus much of my adult life. I just didn’t know it. I was treated for yeast infections time and time again. Sometimes, I did have a yeast infection. Many times I didn’t, since the treatment didn’t work.
What is Lichen Sclerosus? It’s a vulvar disease characterized by white thinning tissue or red areas that itch. It’s painful. The scarring changes the shape of the vaginal wall and area around it. For me it affects my anal area too.
Wikipedia says Lichen sclerosus (LS) is a chronic, inflammatory skin disease of unknown cause which can affect any body part of any person but has a strong preference for the genitals (penis, vulva) and is also known as balanitis xerotica obliterans (BXO) when it affects the penis. Lichen sclerosus is not contagious. There is a well-documented increase of skin cancer risk in LS, potentially improvable with treatment. LS in adult age is normally incurable, but improvable with treatment, and often gets progressively worse.
We were talking in group about biopsies. Numbing is not always a complete lack of feeling. When I was diagnosed in my 30’s, I had a biopsy to rule out cancer. The discovered the LS, and fortunately I was not pre-cancerous. It was painful and at the time I thought the numbing didn’t work, because I felt it. Though hours later when the numbing wore off, the pain was excruciating.
Indeed, when I had a biopsy on a mass in my ovary in my fifties without any numbing… Well let’s just say that the first time the numbing worked.
I always recommend females know what they look and feel like in their vaginas, so they are aware of changes. Getting this under control is crucial.
I use clobetesol and it has been effective at controlling my LS. I use neutrogena soap, I pat, don’t rub, resist the urge to scratch (this is hard), wear cotton underwear, loose fitting pants (hard with my fluctuating weight) and I was told not to soak in water. The latter some of the women in my group use various kinds of soaks. I have followed my routine for 20+ years and my scarring has been minimized and returned to almost normal, so I have found what works for me.
I had been in remission for awhile until recently. Still it’s just a mild nuisance.
The stress from the past few days must be catching up. I woke to vertigo. Fortunately, it was a short bout. Unfortunately, Meniere’s is not done with me.
Yesterday to let off nervous energy.
These mini spins have visited me throughout the night. And they affect my balance in between. I walk like a drunk even more than my usual tipsy self. I need to bring the rollator upstairs for nights like this one. I was able to make it their grasping onto walls and doors.
Have I said one of my biggest triggers is stress? So I should not be surprised about the episode.
I stood between the door jam to do my squats today, but I got them accomplished.
Sorry if I’ve been neglecting my blogs. I have been busy. Or maybe stressing is more apt.
It’s not even about my November challenges. They are coming along just fine. 50 squats is easier since I have been practicing since I signed up. And my words are flowing pretty well these first two days.
It’s the upcoming election. I keep telling myself no matter the outcome… I’ll be okay. If Biden doesn’t win it’s only 4 more years. I don’t want to spiral into a deep depression again. 4 years ago it was bad enough that my brother wouldn’t leave me alone.
That is all I am going to say about my politics. Needless to say these past few days I have been stressed. I just wanted to fill you in on what’s going on.
Hopefully it won’t be so long between posts again.
I like a challenge. This November I’ve set myself up for two. The first I have been doing most November’s since 2009. NaNoWrimo. I win some and I don’t always accomplish my goal.
Every word you write is a word toward completing your novel.
Notice I didn’t say lose, because I don’t feel you lose if you are writing. Some people just write at different paces.
Is it possible to write 50,000 words in 30 days? Absolutely. It just doesn’t always work out. And that is okay. I am establishing writing habits. The trick is to keep them going after November.
My other challenge is a bit more philanthropic. I am raising money for The American Cancer Society by doing 50 squats a day in November. Here’s the link for Rita’s Squat Challenge. There’s a Facebook group and we will track our squats through messenger.
Hopefully I will raise money and have a book ready by the first of December.
Today we attended a funeral for old friends of Ralph’s parents. I never met them. We traveled to Boulder City to the Veterans Memorial, but first we met up with a friend we hadn’t seen for awhile.
Though I am still nervous about meeting people during covid times, especially when it’s on the rise, I wanted to see our friend. We both share depression and anxiety in common so it’s good for us to get together once in awhile.
After the funeral we stopped at A & W for that frosty mug taste. And then went to Hemenway Park in Boulder City to eat and hopefully see the big horn sheep. We were in luck… they were there!
It’s been a crazy week. Ralph and I voted on Monday. We were going to vote by mail, but decided to not take any chances.
I didn’t see any of the craziness here in Las Vegas that other cities have had across the country. I don’t get why we can’t all just get along. My husband and I are on two different sides of the political spectrum. We exercise our right to vote in a Democratic society.
The important thing is to get out there and vote. Vote anyway you can. We did early voting to avoid long lines and as a result we were out start to finish within a half hour. I am a slow voter.
My head gets fuzzy when I am doing things like this. I don’t know if it’s the brain fog or ADD… Maybe a combination of both? So I take my time and re-check my answers.
The first answer was the most important one. I got that one right!
Have you voted if you live in the US? Was it easy?
Many of us live with invisible disabilities. People tend to dismiss it as not being real because they cannot see it. They are real. This is our week to educate others about having an invisible disability.
How will you help educate others? I constantly talk about mine and other types of hidden disabilities. So speak out and don’t discount someone when they say they have a disability just because you can’t see it or because they don’t act like it.
