The Busy Holiday Season

In just a few hours it will be December. Can't quite believe it, but I have to say I think I am glad this year is coming to a close. I am of course thankful for the way things have turned out, but boy I am looking ahead hoping next year will be medical problem free!

Thanksgiving was very relaxing at my house. Husband had to work and with me just getting back to work it didn't make sense to make the six hour drive to So IL. So we decided to cook our own little turkey dinner and invite friends over. They brought the desert (and spirits :-) and we did the rest. My husband took care of the turkey and did a mighty fine job. Believe it or not I cooked the side dishes and they turned out pretty good! Maybe there is a cook in me yet.....We had good times well into the night and I thought it was a really great substitute for my regular family gathering.

On Black Friday I typically vow not to even attempt to go near a shopping center. This is mostly because I worked that day for almost 8 years and I vividly remember the craziness and how much I wanted out of there. But this year I decided I would just go a bit later and also head AWAY from Chicago where there are less people. This turned out to be a very good idea. I had a pleasant few hours shopping and got a large portion of my Christmas shopping completed.

Now it is on to finishing those Christmas cards, wrapping the presents and seeing how many presents I can fit in a suitcase to take home at Christmas because I am taking the train. I think there is a good chance I will be shipping some ahead of time :-)

I still have many fun activities to look forward to before the big holiday including a visit from my sister this coming weekend. It should be great fun as we are heading to downtown Chicago for some Holiday sightseeing and activities. I am just so happy I feel well enough to do it all. Ironically, the only issue I am having is sitting at work. I have to get up quite a bit more than I expected. Luckily it all works out for me, considering what I do for a living. I just figured out what accommodations I need for myself just like I do for the individuals I help at work. It's good to be Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor :-)

Never Say Never

I have been thinking about the Never Say Never saying often lately and have determined these are words to live by. I know that we tend to say never frequently as teenagers because everything you think or feel is soooo emphatic...... you feel like you will NEVER wear that outfit, you will NEVER be like your parents, you will NEVER go out with (insert appropriate boys name here). I am sure I said many of these myself. As I aged I hope that I became more aware of my "nevers" but even in my 20's I was planning everything you can imagine because I just knew it would NEVER turn out any other way. Two very prominent nevers have cropped up in my mind recently mostly because I used to feel very strongly about them. For many years I said I would NEVER live in Chicago......huh......well that didn't work it now did it! Then I also said I would NEVER have back surgery......again, not quite how it turned out. So I think what I have most learned, as I am reflecting on all my nevers, is that from now on the saying should be: Never say Never.....no I mean it really, Never-ever say Never! :-)

Boo!!!!!

Halloween

Most who know me are aware that Halloween is my favorite holiday. I just have such fond childhood memories of it I can't let go. I can't enjoy it this year quite the way I would like to with parties and dressing up, but I thought in honor of my favorite holiday it would be fitting to post a favorite cartoon. This Mickey Mouse cartoon was made in 1929 and even 80 years later I bet any kid who watches it will have a laugh. So grab some Halloween candy and prepare to be spooked - Disney style ;-)

Recovery

It has been some time since I last posted. Mostly because I didn't have much to write about. For those not in constant contact with me I had a turn for the worse with my back and ultimately needed back surgery. I just had it this past week and thankfully it seems to be going well. I have no more pain down my leg which is great. I am however quite fatigued. Seems like I can stay upright about 30 min before I feel like I really need to lay down. I guess that is to be expected. The funny thing is that when I am laying down I feel so good like I should just be able to get up and do laundry, make a meal, do the dishes etc all my normal stuff. But then then reality rears its ugly once I get up. I also believe that I need to pay close attention to how I feel when I am up because even before the surgery I felt quite good laying down but all the pain and irritation would return upon sitting standing and walking. Now it seems that when I sit I still have some kind of irritation but not like before. I know it is silly to think that after only 4 days I can expect anything better so I am actually quite happy with how it is going. I have to be sure I remember not to bend over or twist or anything else that might exercerbate it. I think the hardest part will be remembering that for 4 weeks! The good thing is my best friend and her mom got me a grabber which has proven to be invauluable for those things you forget you just might need to pick up.

I have to say one amazing thing about this unfortunate circumstance I have found myself in is the unbelievable amount of help I have received. My mother stopped everything to come stay with me for weeks while my husband was gone. My best friend and her mother drove 6 hours and took time off from work to help take care of me, my neighbors have offered help, my good friend took care of my cats for a week, my friends and family have sent cards, and prayers and well wishes over and over again and now my husband has returned and he has tried to do everything he can to make things accessible for me, cook for me, do laundry etc. It really makes you remember to cherish all the people you have in your life. Wouldn't it be nice if we didn't need unforunate circumstances to help us remember that?

Apple Fest Fun

Despite the back problems I was able to make it home for my annual visit to the Apple Festival. My home town has his festival every year and I always enjoy coming to see it. I had a full week of activities to enjoy which actually started with a trip to St. Louis to see a Cardinals game with my cousins, my uncle and my mom. It was great fun. We got really nice seats behind home plate but way up high. It was wonderful because we could see really well and we were in the shade for the entire game. Unfortunately the Cardinals lost the game but it was a fun day at the ball park for all of us. After the game my mom and I headed over to one of the casino's _ Lumiere Place It was fun. I think it is one of the best casino's in St. Louis. I did not win that night but I only lost 10 dollars so that's not too bad. Here are some photos from the game:

The view from our seats:


The crew getting ready to enjoy the game:



After enjoying the cardinals game I headed to Southern Illinois to spend the week at my parents house and enjoy the Fest. It started on Wednesday night and my mom, sister and I made sure to take my great Nephew to the fun fair so he could ride the rides. He was as excited as could be running around to ride as many rides as he could fit in. We all enjoyed typical festival food including funnel cakes, corn dogs and for the little one some cotton candy.

Here is a photo of him enjoying the rides:


Next on the agenda was something right up my alley......an 80's party!!! A friend from high school was turning 40 and decided to make it an 80s theme it worked out perfect that I was in town at just the right time so me and a friend made sure to dress the part and enjoy the fun. Boy we had a great time! I even tried to dance for a while (later on I determined that this was a mistake - may back did not approve). It was really a great time.

Here is a photo of me and Monica looking totally awesome:



Today was the big Apple Festival Parade. Everyone usually comes to my mom's house to park as we are just one block away and we can usually find a seat. Luckily we were able to get a seat but boy just by the seat of our pants. This year people were putting chairs out two and three days before the parade. It was Nuts!! My friends and family all showed up and we had room for all thank goodness. The kids especially enjoy it as there is lots of candy being thrown out. It is almost as good as halloween! Here are some pics of the parade:





It has been a great week filled with fun and I am really glad I was able to do it all even though I am still having the back pain. But I am headed home tomorrow and I think I might be ready for the rest :-)

Still here

I haven't had as much to post about these days with the back problems. I can't get out and do quite as much as usual. I am having some improvement from treatment I am receiving but it hasn't been consistent. I am not yet sure what my outcome will be but hoping for the best.

I did have some fun this past labor weekend as my parents showed up for just two nights. They had been on a trip to Niagara Falls and decided to stop by my house on the way back home. Thankfully I was scheduled for a steroid shot right when they got here which allowed me to actually enjoy going places with them. On Saturday we headed out for a day of food, museum and shopping. We started at a local history museum so my dad could find something interesting in the day. Mostly he just gathered information about the way they do things so he can take ideas back to his hobbies at the historical society. Then we decided to have some lunch at a nearby Irish Pub. Here are some pics:

Mom and dad at the pub:


me at the Pub:


My poor husband had to work and could not join us. We enjoyed the food and then headed out for some shopping. We even dropped my dad off at the movie theater so he wouldn't be bored. Mom and I headed to Geneva IL for some shopping. I introduced her to the Life is Good store we have there and I think she is a fan for life. If you have never heard of Life is Good you have to check it out. They have some the the cutest shirts and other stuff I have seen with all there products focusing on the positive things in life. Also the story of how they got started is really something. Click here to check out Life is Good if you want to know more.

After a day of shopping movies and museums we headed out for some yummy Italian dinner. I was so glad I could do all this because lately standing, walking and even sitting can be challenging. Lets hope I keep on feeling improvement!