Taking A Break

Summer vacation is winding down....and it feels like it just began, to me. Teaching summer school right after school got out really put me behind in terms of letting go, relaxing and renewing myself. So I'll be taking a little time off from blogging....just a week or so, I imagine. Next week sees me going back to work and attending to some other issues. So while I'm doing that, listen to the words that James so soothingly sings, maybe revisit some of my older posts, if you wish, and do take care of yourself. See you in a few!

P.S. Go play over at this blog for a delightful give-away, great music a chance to win some yummies!! OOhhhh...I hope I win! : )

The Happiest Place on Earth

When you read this I'm going to be up in the mountains at my favorite place in this whole world! My daughter, her friend and my ya-ya's and I have packed up tons of food, clothes, goodies and surprises and driven up to a log cabin tucked waaaay back in the forest....a beautiful, ponderosa pine forest that is unspoiled, respected and sacred.

Our yearly getaway is a tradition that renews the spirit, deepens our love and commitment to each other to always be supportive, laugh and carry our spirits through this journey of life and celebrates all that is good in life! Six girls in one cabin! We laugh, eat, drink, giggle, cry, pontificate, and just be....breathing in the pine air and humbly enjoying the beauty that surrounds us. This year we are taking our yoga mats and doing our yoga in the forest....I can hardly wait!! In the lazy afternoon, thunderheads build as they drift from left to right...bringing a fresh rain and scent that drifts down among the tree boughs. Nightime finds bats amazingly circling our niche, the Milky Way spilling along the midnight blue night sky and this time... the Full Buck Moon starting her graceful roll across a blanket of stars.

I always come back renewed...and my spirit always taps me a little harder on the shoulder....'Oh, girl...someday.... some day.'

Yes... some day.

I'll see you all when I return. Be safe.

Paging Dr. Rod Serling

**Disclaimer...(I know, another one) The following post contains a four-letter word. Those with delicate ears or queasy stomachs might want to head over to ebay or something.

Over the years, I've had the dubious honor of dealing with a cantakerous gallbladder. Once in a while, it flairs up for about a week - causing me tummy pain, trouble and an over all feeling of being run over by a mack truck. Another attack began Saturday...and still wasn't gone as of yesterday morning. A call to my doctor ended with me being told to go the the E.R. Great...just great.

As you know, my ya-ya's and I are heading up to the mountain cabin tomorrow. I don't have time to have surgery. I don't have time to have an operation. I don't have time to 'be sick'. So I told myself that I could heal my little organ and all would be well....while thoughts of being out in the middle of nowhere and needing to go to the hospital loomed in the back of my mind.

Last night, my book club met at Mimi's to discuss 'Julie and Julia'. Ms. K had sent us all the cutest little red-checked aprons (complete with minature rolling pin) for our evening and we all showed up, dressed like french cooks! What a great group of gals! Some faces were back and some were new and the evening was just perfect!

Until the french onion soup.

And salad.

Uh-oh.

I'm not feeling so well.

As the discussion went on, I got whiter. I turned to ya-ya N and said, "I think we need to go to the emergency room." So we did. R and N accompanied me there, while J and K were coming along, too.

Now, as most of you know, that is not a fun place to be. It's full of sick people. And 'icky' stuff.
I don't have time to sit in an e.r. I'm going on vacation! I have stuff to do. I must say, though, I was attended to in a pretty fast fashion. After doing vitals and such, they were concerned, as was I and the gals, that my gallbladder was not a happy one and surgery was just around the corner. I'll be honest. This didn't sit well with me. I don't have time for this. I'm going on vacation Thursday!

I was hooked up to an i.v.. given morphine for the pain, an anti-nausea medication, blood work drawn to check my gallbladder, pancreas and liver enzymes, to see if I was having a heart attack (since I am over 45), an EKG and last but not least...a sonogram to look for stones or other things that would be causing my situation and to confirm that it's time to remove this little beast!

The morphine made me feel loopy. The sonogram made me begin to panic...I was sure that the little white line on the screen was a laceration to my liver and that I was just months away from a certain fate. (Uh..they did say that the morphine can make you 'emotional'...as if I weren't already!) Everywhere I went I had to carry my little saline bag/i.v. ... and my ya-ya's were gracious enough to hang it up on the wall hook each time.

Finally, I was taken back to an examination room where the doctor was going to come in and give me the news - of which I was sure was...."Nasty gallbladder, prep for surgery, blah blah blah." We waited. And waited. And waited.

Oh....here he comes.... "God, please help me be calm and make it through the surgery and not let it be anything fatal and take care of my daughter should things not go right."

He asked me some questions about my symptoms. He tapped on my tummy.... here....and there (points to spots with finger)... He listened to my heart, my lungs. He looked at all of my lab work and the radiologist report from my ultrasound. I braced myself for the horrid news...dabbing my tears with the corner of my hospital blanket. Then here came his diagnosis, which none of us were prepared for...

'You're constipated.'

......

.....

"I'm what?"

Dr. Brad - 'You're constipated. Your test results are perfect and clear. But when I do this (taps again on my tummy)...hear that 'drum' sound? You're backed up. Your symptoms can mimick a gall bladder attack and explain the pain you've been having.'

Me - 'You mean.... I'm full of shit ??!!????'

Dr. Brad - 'Well, that's not really the medical term for it, but sure!'

Me - 'You mean... no surgery???? I can go on vacation Thursday???"

Dr. Brad - 'That's right!"

Tears of joy! Relief and happy dancing! Prayers of gratitude given! Smiles and hugs! Tubes and monitors unhooked!! Clothes put back on!

Then an ornery little thought strolls through the examine room...
My friends have earned the right to be able to tell me that I'm full of shit....
and I can't argue.

You should see the smiles on the faces around me.

Anticipation

If you've been following the little ladybugs crawling up the sunflower, you'll see I'm just days away from the heading up north to my favorite place in the world - a beautiful log cabin tucked waaaay back into the forest! My ya-ya's and I have been going there each summer for the last 4 years and we truly look forward to it for sooo many reasons. I've made about 3 lists so far....heaven forbid we get settled in out in the middle of God's country and someone forgot to bring the orange juice!! We get a little crazy with all of the anticipation... guilty! We chat, plan, buy, create, make lists, replan, buy again, make some more and all the while, laugh and have such glee in being able to take this trip!

Yesterday was the perfect day, cloudy and rainy, to bake some banana walnut bread to take. These guys look like they're ready for Goldilocks! We'll be bringing enough food for a week, but that's all part of the fun, too!

Ya-Ya sister, B, is driving up Friday evening to join in the fun and merriment! She's such a wonderful woman (I love this gal!!) and the three of us are so excited that she's coming up to join us! : ) Six girls in one cabin in the woods = BLISS !!

So much planning is necessary. There's always the ya-ya ritual to begin our stay in the woods....a candle lit with a blessing for our stay....and one brought for our wonderful hosts, as well. And it's not unusual for special tokens to have made the trip, too. I can't show you any more than this....that would spoil the suprise...but I've been giddy for a month over this!!! Just plain giddy, I tell ya!!! I'm off to gather more goodies for the trip. Have a beautiful Monday!

50 and FABulous!

Our birthday girl arrives outside to our doorbell ringing and banging...50 tealight candles in silvery paper cups glitter on the lawn, while hot coffee and bakery treats away her as James serenades us! What a way to welcome the birth day!

hugs from her ya-ya's...

this one from Vicountess Shimmering Moon!

and from Queen Giggles A Lot!

and this was only the beginning of her day!

We brunched at Cracker's... with a yummy birthday treat, then finished the day with a birthday feast at her home, all prepared by her adorable hubby! It was a day full of true birth day love! Happy day, R!! You make 50 look gooooood!