Wild Weird Wednesday

Life Lessons for Today:

1. Plans are nice, but life happens.
2. Interruptions happen.
3. It is good to breathe deeply.
4. Unexpected appointments happen.
5. Some things take much longer than the time I allot for them.
6. It is good to breathe deeply.
7. Some people are much too precious to sacrifice because of time stressors.
8. Waiting can be productive (cleaned out my purse, texted a few friends) and good for a relationship (played hangman with my son).

Thanks to Laurie at Living Power for a great post about waiting that I just read yesterday. How timely! She has some great ideas to fill our waits as we occupy exam rooms, etc.

I was still reminding myself to breathe deeply at almost 6:00 p.m. What a weird and wacky day. I had more waiting this evening, but with a plan.

Wait! Isn't that how I started this? Plans are nice, but life happens. My plans are not my own. His ways are higher than my ways. I can rest in that.

Thyroid Tune-Up

I am thinking it is time for a thyroid tune-up for me. My start to the new year was energetic, but lately I am like a wind-up toy that is almost wound down! I could take a nap at almost any time of the day with no problem.

I have thyroid disease and have known it and been on medication for it for about 9 years. The years that I was undiagnosed were so frustrating. I felt like a really bad mother because many days (which developed into years) I could not hold my head up, much less be a fun and energetic mom. When I look back I want to cry for those lost years. But, thanks to a wreck where we were rear-ended (!), a doctor felt of my neck for whiplash and discovered the swollen thyroid.

Having a doctor to palpate the thyroid, not just go by blood work numbers is KEY. I had had so many “normal” blood workups. Medication made for a slow but steady recovery, and I have enjoyed lots of good health since. It makes me sad for the thousands who are undiagnosed, though. And sad for the years I lost.

From emedicinehealth.com:

Symptoms of hypothyroidism in adults include:

Early symptoms

Easy fatigue, exhaustion

• Poor tolerance to cold temperatures
• Carpal tunnel syndrome (pain at the wrists and numbness of the hands)

Later symptoms

• Poor appetite
• Weight gain
• Dry skin
• Hair loss
• Intellectual ability worsens
• Deeper, hoarse voice
• Puffiness around the eyes
• Depression
• Irregular menstrual periods or lack of menstrual periods

If you or someone you know is struggling with undiagnosed “feeling bad”, don’t give up! Keep seeking the solution. Perhaps you need a different doctor or someone to go with you who will be persistent.

Stress can contribute to the destruction of the thyroid. Learn how to manage your stress and delegate. Raising a child with special needs can be stressful!

What’s your favorite stress buster?

Day 18 -- Stay, Don't Stray

Ok, since yesterday's post was a little on the heavy side, I am going for something light today. You might notice a pattern with me-- when something is stressful or unpleasant, even, I retreat to beauty products, purses or chocolate. Today I choose . . . beauty products.

I would like, no, make that love, to recommend to you a product called "Stay, Don't Stray" by Benefit. You can find this at Sephora and I am not sure where else. I happen to be allergic to many things that go on the eye, but this one passes the test with me. You just put a little on the eyelid, and it makes a fabulous "base" for your eye shadow. Or, you can easily go without shadow, as it blends out all redness and remains a creamy ivory. The eyeshadow stays so well that you can actually use less than normal. And this is a good thing, since the product itself is $25, but I am telling you, it is worth it! (It pumps out a lot, way more than you can use at once-- this is my only complaint.)

Because I have tried more than a few products, I can say that this is my hobby. Or one of them. Sephora also makes the best nail file around, btw. How's that for "light"?

Purse-onality

As I have been swallowed up into the routine of school and other annoying factors that signal an end to my favorite season, summer, I have decided to focus on purses. Yes, purses. My brain has been so full of ideas for adapting curriculum,
several appointments lately for N, how to help my older son stay on a budget, etc., that it just needs a diversion, a little side trip to keep things more interesting. What could be more important to inquiring (female) minds than what sort of handbags are “in” for fall? If summer has to end, why not console oneself with a new purse? (Okay, if I sound shallow, so be it. Maybe it's just my coping mechanism.)

I found some very good deals on my first foray out into the purse world. I was so tempted by a purse that was so “me” that I only realized after examining it closely for about 10 seconds that I already own it! Good to know I’m consistent like that. I like the “Cross Body” bag with its many zippers and compartments; this one was red. What I really liked was a leather bag by The Sak that was purple. It was also on sale for 40% off. Many others caught my eye, especially the lovely orange one with braided gold metal straps. Too bad --it zing-ed me with its $265 price tag so that I pitched it forward as if I had handled a hot potato.

But many of the bags I looked at lacked something. I smiled to myself when I thought it would be good if the non-boring ones had an area of their own, marked “Bags With Purse-onality.” I like a little something that will be fun and extraordinary, although I was tempted by a few sleek, black ones. I walked away empty hand-bagged. Decided to do a little research first, and I found that a dominant trend this fall is beige. Not my favorite. Below is a different article you might like if you are in the market, too. (And there is no mention of beige.) This could be a good time to buy, since I heard that many stores are putting items on sale that women might buy for themselves. This is because we don’t do much buying for ourselves during back-to-school days. (Thanks for the tip, A.T.!) But this may be the time we could use a little pick-me-up the most.

http://hubpages.com/hub/Handbag-Style-Trends-for-2010

ChocoLOVE

Whether its cause is hormonal or triggered by too many changes going on in my life right now, it is undisputable that chocolate is a need and not a “want”. After school today, I decided that N and I would swing by our neighborhood Walgreen’s for some lovely chocolate. Said Walgreen’s has profited greatly by locating near me, if only from my visits to their candy aisle.

Only one thing caused me to lose my laser fine concentration on the task at hand-- N seemed to somehow know each vice that would be more than a subtle temptation for me! He pretty well skipped down the aisle, stopping at each likely spot to sway me. “Dark chocolate Raisinets, Mom?” I snapped to attention only briefly, as I was pondering the dark chocolate with red pepper by Lindt. While I was comparing the finer points of various Dove promises, he went straight to the coconut M&M’s, and said, “Ooooh, look, your favorite!” (I do love them so.) He has been paying much closer attention than I thought. (And he isn’t even in on half of these trips for the quick fix.)

I was disappointed that there were not more Dove promises in these small boxes, and he quickly located the BAGS of them. Yay, N! My partner in crime is more adept at finding the bigger versions! I’ll keep him on in his current position.

We got in the car and dug in to our treasure. “Ahhhhhhhhh, chocolate heaven,” said he. I couldn’t have said it better myself.