Carnival of MS Bloggers #110

Welcome to the Carnival of MS Bloggers, a bi-weekly compendium of thoughts and experiences shared by those living with multiple sclerosis.

Story Time

MS You're Never Gonna Win! by Madeline Adams-Gurowitz

Thanks, Amy! You're daughter totally rocks!!

Newbie

by Annie of Mama Melee Society

I am new at this game. It’s been five months, one hundred and fifty one days to be exact, since I experienced my first MS symptom

To those who have struggled with MS for many years, five months may seem trivial, but to me, as a so-called beginner, it’s been a long five months. I feel like I’m just beginning to understand the changes in my life, I am just beginning to learn how to deal with these changes. In other words I feel like a MS preschooler.

Do you remember preschool? For most, it’s a happy time of life. MS and preschool are surprisingly similar!

ABCopaxone. Preschoolers learn their ABC’s. The first thing I did was learn about was the various drugs available for MS. I chose Copaxone and inject myself daily. Did this scare me to death at first? Yes, (I may have cried) but now that I’m experienced, it’s no big deal.

Nap Time. Do you remember rolling out a mat for your preschool nap? Turns out, a daily nap works great for MS too! At least that’s the excuse I keep giving myself.

Recess-it’s not just for kids! Possibly the best part of preschool was recess. I have very few memories of preschool, but I do remember sliding down a slide at recess time. In MS, “recess” is simple: Exercise daily! I walk on my treadmill when possible. Something as simple as stretching also helps me feel better. I have a beginner’s Yoga App on my iPad that I’m starting to love too. Do what works for you.

Arts & Crafts. Every month Copaxone shows up on my doorstep, packed in ice, in a Styrofoam cooler. The coolers are starting to pile up in our garage. My children happily used two of these coolers to make Valentine’s Day Mailboxes to take to their school Valentines parties. What other creative ways can you think of to use those coolers?

Dress Ups. Did you have dress ups in Preschool? A box of costumes that facilitated becoming someone or something else? These days I feel like I am constantly wearing a costume. My first MS symptom was numbness in my right hand. After a few weeks, the numbness escalated into outright pain. Not being able to use my hand interfered with my ability to blow dry and straight iron my hair. So I gave up the hair battle and have gone naturally curly, which is much, much easier. Do I like my curly hair? I’m trying to. I still feel like it’s not really me (ironically), hence the “costume,” but I’m trying my best to adjust.

Story Time. Where do we get our MS stories? From the Internet of course! There are many great online resources for MS. In the early days soon after my diagnosis, I spent time reading all kinds of information online. After a while though, it just got plain depressing. The uncertainties of MS can be scary for newbies, but it is important to be informed of all the good, the bad and the ugly. Knowledge brings power!

Field Trips. We get to take field trips too! Trips to your doctor’s office can be fun! Ok, maybe not fun, but at least helpful. And maybe if you’re lucky, you’ll get a sucker.
Play/Game time. Are you exercising your brain? I’d never played a Sudoku game in my life till a couple of months ago. Try it, your brain will thank you!


Wash your Hands. We learned in preschool how to wash our hands. This is more important than ever, keep those germs away, keep yourself healthy. Always remember to wash your hands before injections.

Graduation! I’m going to go out on a ledge here and assume you graduated from preschool with flying colors. I did too! This gives me hope that sooner or later, I will be a graduate of MS preschool. Wish me luck.

This MS Moment is brought to you by the letters “F” and “U” and the number “2”

by Yvonne Sousa

It was Elmo that finally did me in.   Yes, Elmo, as in Tickle Me.  But maybe that is not fair.  While he was the catalyst, it was really his helpful, female puppet friend Betty Lou that was the root of my actual demise.

It didn’t help that I came late to the magic and wonders of Sesame Street.  Growing up in the early seventies, public television was a somewhat radical concept and the new children’s programming seemed to threaten subversive and counter-culture undertones in my mom’s mind.   The Brady Bunch and The Flintstones were much healthier- nice, safe family values.

As I grew out of my toddler years her television concerns continued.   The Partridge Family was NOT ok.   The fact that Mrs. Partridge was traveling around the country in a bus and allowing her children to perform rock concerts in front of out of control teens was EXACTLY what was wrong with the country.  At least that’s what my mom always said.

By the time she became a grandmother she relented somewhat and relaxed her television rules.   I would watch Sesame Street with my four year old nephew and we enjoyed it immensely.    I remember rolling around on the floor laughing and crying after a recent breakup with some guy or another while Patti Labelle sang “How I Miss my X” to a very sad looking X.   I thought the scene was adorable and was speaking directly to my heartbreaking soul.

“Drew-don’t you get it?   Her ex is the letter X!   Isn’t that a riot?  And look, X misses her too.  They’ll get back together- I just know they will.”

My nephew looked at me as though I was nuts and ran off to play with his toy fire engine.

Anyway, back to modern day.   I was in the midst of a horrible month filled with paperwork, appointments, highs, lows, good news, bad news, good advice, bad advice and whatever else one can throw into a month.   After a frustrating breakdown during appointment number six, it was recommended that I see a therapist.

Thus it was that I was at appointment number seven in the lobby of the one therapist that took my insurance and answered the phone when I called.  Much to her dismay as it was her lunch hour, I was an hour and ten minutes early.   No, I hadn’t bothered to check what time I was due there.  My MS brain knew the time.

While she handed me more paperwork to fill out I asked about her practice.

“No,” she told me, “I don’t exclusively treat children.”   It was hard to believe based on the emotion charts, animal posters, blocks, and teddy bears that sat in her waiting room.

I started the paperwork while I listened to her pack up the hundreds of Legos I noticed on the floor of her office when she opened the door to greet me.    My mind continued to swirl with all that had piled up that month and of all the things I had to do.  But it was my fault I was early (apparently my MS brain knew something that her planner and my calendar did not).  And so, with this round of paperwork done, I grabbed the thing closest to me to read.

It was a book from a Sesame Street series called Sesame Street Library.   In it, loveable Elmo ventures into the library looking for a Little Black Puppy.   As he searches he gets distracted from his important task by story hour.   I do that all the time.   Could Elmo have MS too?

He meets his buddy Betty Lou and, when asked, remembers his mission.  Betty Lou offers to help.   She gives him all library info he could possibly need and then produces a book called, you guessed it, Little Black Puppy.  Poor Elmo has been misunderstood.  I can relate to that too.  More evidence our furry red friend might be afflicted with a myelin damaging illness.

He explains his plight again.  He is looking for an actual puppy that is missing and happens to be black and little.  Again, the kind Betty Lou wants to help.  Back to the card catalog they go and then to the stacks where she produces a book called “How to be a Detective.”

“There Elmo, you can read this book and then you will know how to find your puppy.”

It doesn’t end there.  Betty Lou is a dear friend after all and really, really wants to help so she proceeds to find several other detective books to help Elmo in his search.   Elmo excitedly thanks her.   That’s when I lost it.  In the lobby of therapist’s office who doesn’t just work with kids even though the only things in the lobby are kids stuff, I proceed to yell at Betty Lou.

“Betty Lou that is NOT helpful!!!!!  What kind of friend are you?  I know you mean well but if you really want to help, start looking for the damn dog!   How long do you think it will take Elmo to read all those books before the search begins?   After reading the books he will have get the detective kit and then start questioning people and calling insurance companies and hitting search engines and all kinds of crap that take time he doesn’t have.   Can’t you just help look in corners and yell ‘here Fido’ or something?  How bout you read the damn books and then get back to him?”

Poor Betty Lou.  Perhaps she didn’t deserve my wrath but she was not alone.  Elmo was next on my “need a good talking too” list.

“Elmo, don’t be a putz!  Tell Betty Lou what she can do with her freaking books and where to go.   Don’t stand there with that stupid smile expressing all kinds of false gratitude.   Throw the books at her and start looking for the dog.”

I suppose the moral of the story was that you can find anything in a library.   But I have yet to find a dog there and in my current state, and not being a kid, the message was lost on me.

Perhaps my outburst caused the therapist concern.  She called me in and handed me ten more pages of paperwork to take home and fill out at my leisure.  She asked me what I was looking for, therapeutically speaking.  Then she told me where I could research the answers to what I was looking for.  She recommended some books.  I smiled and expressed all kinds of false gratitude, just like Elmo.

I am even more convinced than ever that MS has got him too.

Image: sheelamohan / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

10 Things That Will Make Life Easier for People with Disability
by Renae of msrenaeclare

1. Dragon naturally speaking voice recognition program. Since I am no longer able to type, thanks to this goddamn Multiple Sclerosis, and I am paralyzed on my left side I am using the voice recognition program for my computer every day when I write. It has saved me from untold angst, frustration and exhaustion. Having MS makes everything exhausting so something as wonderful as this program makes it fun again to do what I love. Of course, it makes some serious errors and sometimes refuses to curse for me. But what the hell, it’s a small price to pay.

2. Ex N Flex. These machines are really great for people who need to exercise their arms and legs and they are recommended by the Multiple Sclerosis Society. I use them every day and without them I would be at a loss. They have my highest kudos and their customer service is bar none.

3. e-books. I read a lot and before e-books I had a hard time holding books properly and drop them often. Because I have to spend quite a lot of time in bed because of MS and read tons of books and I am so thankful for this wildly successful adventure.

4. e-reader. There are so many kinds of readers on the market. I am using the Samsung Galaxy tablet. It’s just the right size for me to read in bed and has Internet features and lots of apps so if I need to look up something while I’m reading, the information is right there in my hands.

5. Handy ride transportation system for people with disabilities. This wonderful program is based in Dallas, Texas and I don’t know what I would do without it. With my wheelchair I am no longer able to get in and out of our car and these wonderful handicapped accessible buses just lift me up or down the ramp and we’re off on another exciting adventure. Without it I would be stuck between a rock and a hard place.

6. Invacare alternating air electric mattress. About a year ago I was hospitalized for many months with a very serious bedsore. When I got home I bought an Invacare air mattress that is the same type that was used by Christopher Reeves. It automatically rotates my body from one side to the other every half an hour and I love it. No more sores.

7. Life Alert. Of all the good things that I’ve done to help myself, this is probably the greatest. It has saved me from countless injuries and the countless times that I have fallen I have had five or six gorgeous fireman pick me and put me back where I belong. This is the number one program you need to get if you find yourself in danger. Believe me you will thank me. It’s a wonderful system and could possibly save your life.

8. Certified home health care aide. Oh, happy day when my present home health care aide showed up at my door. It’s been a long and bumpy road to try and find someone who is kind, professional, and honest. I found her and I love her. If you need help start the process. It’s well worth it.

9. Catheters. Another stinky piece of business but what can you do. The catheter was invented by Benjamin Franklin when his brother was having trouble in the nether regions so we can thank our wonderful forefather for helping out. He would be proud to know what his grand invention has done for mankind. And I can attest to that fact.

10. Bedside commode. My bathroom is small and my wheelchair is cumbersome so I decided enough is enough. There were several times when I had to be rescued by Life Alert and one time I actually broke a rib trying to get onto the toilet. I need help to get on and off the commode but Multiple Sclerosis affords us very little privacy. Embarrassment and humiliation are synonyms for MS. The alternative was just too awful to concede.

These are all steps that I took one at a time over the course of years and looking back on it now I see that each one of these 10 things has added a little more independence to my life and I hope to yours.


This concludes the 110th edition of the Carnival.  The next Carnival of MS Bloggers will be hosted here on March 29, 2012. Please remember to submit a post (via email) from your blog of which you are particularly proud, or which you simply want to share, by noon on Tuesday, March 27, 2012.

Thank you.

Comments for this post.

Carnival of MS Bloggers #94

Welcome to the Carnival of MS Bloggers, a bi-weekly compendium of thoughts and experiences shared by those living with multiple sclerosis.

Good Ol' Summertime

Goodbye Rebif

by Ivy at Life with MS and EDS

In a modest white house,
There was a fridge with blue containers
Stocked with hated Rebif shots
and a woman sick of dealing with…

Evenings wasted each week – three
The need to drink water til the constant need to pee

Heat packs and popping two Aleve
Itchy shot spots nothing could relieve

Shot spots that were also black and blue
Constant fears of waking with the flu

An auto-injector that’s too powerful
A medicine’s whose effectiveness is rather doubtful

Goodbye hate and fear.
Goodbye drinking til my pee is clear.

Goodbye Aleve.
Goodbye time thieve.

Goodbye auto-injector contraptions.
Goodbye injection site reactions.

Goodbye flu-like side effects.
Goodbye mounting skin defects.

Goodbye six full sharps containers that live on top of my fridge.
(Oh wait, I’m stuck with those since no one will take them from me!)

GOODBYE REBIF!

Here I come, Gilenya! Hope you and I get along well!
(Obviously inspired by, “Goodnight Moon”)

No Exchanges or Refunds

by Karen of Meandering...One moment please

You know what I've been thinking lately...

...but it's the only one I have,
so I'm going to have to go with it,
and figure out how to make it fit.

Monsters

by Gracie's Mum

About two years ago Grace went through a phase where she believed that there were monsters in her room.

Not just under the bed, not just in the closet or behind her door.

No, she believed that they came in through the night, from where we don’t know, but she believed in them and we let her and we took the necessary precautions to make her feel confident that the monsters wouldn’t be welcome in her room.

We made a sign.

She couldn’t write or read at this point but she knew what it said:

No Monsters Allowed.

She decorated it and we hung it up on her door so that at night, when it was closed, the monsters knew to turn around and go back from where ever it was that they came.

And it stayed there.

It didn’t come down during showings on the house.

It didn’t come down until moving day morning and only then to be re-hung on the door to her new bedroom.

She still believes that monsters are a threat to her sound sleep. To her security. And although she’s never seen a monster, she knows that the risk is far too great to not hang a sign.

It’s astounding how much adults underestimate the intuition of a child.

It’s no secret that I do not have a spiritual, mystical or religious system of beliefs and that I am an agnostic.

But there is something, somewhere deep inside me, that believes that sometimes things are more than coincidence.

Not more than six months after hanging that sign, I, Gracie’s Mum, was diagnosed with MS.

And, it is in fact a monster.

It goes unseen, unheard, unfelt, for months. But you know it’s there.

And it was.

And it is.

And we live with this monster, the three of us, every day.

It lurks behind doors, at the top of stairs, at the bottom of hills.

It laughs as I get in and out of the tub, daring me to slip and fall.

It nags me and taunts me whenever I walk from a smooth surface to rough waiting for me to lose my footing.

It waits patiently in the dark for the last minute before spoiling a long planned family outing with unexplainable  fatigue or dizziness or lack of balance or all of the above mixed together in a toxic cocktail that can only be cured by a few days in bed.

And in spite of all the signs, or ropes of garlic, or crucifixes, séances or exorcisms, this monster, although not allowed, not invited, will still come through every and any open door in our lives.

It’s the in between times that matter.

The time between visits from this monster that matter the most.

Also, the comfort in knowing we are not the only family being plagued by such a terrifying monster sometimes does more than any sign could.

Knowing there are others out there, like us, going about their business, planting gardens, planning trips, getting ready to shop for back to school stuff, all the while looking over their shoulder, under beds, behind doors and in closets, is often enough to get though the paranoid induced moments in our lives.

MS is a monster in our lives, and in the lives of many others.

MS is a monster in Jeff and Sarah's life. And they have a team fighting this monster. And that team raised thousands and thousands of dollars to pay him to get the hell out of their lives.

And our life.

But, we are not hiding him under a bed.

No.

We will continue to show him off and talk about him, and write about him and lure him out of his hiding and take him for a long walk raising thousands of dollars to show him how much we hate his guts.

And if that doesn’t work, then there is always Gracie’s sign.

Happy Hump Day and don’t forget to look under your bed tonight before turning off the light!

Farewell, MS Magnet!

by Tina of MS Keeps Life Interesting

Some time ago, I wrote about my beloved MS Magnet.  Capitalized, because it meant that much to me.  You see...my tailgate magnets tell an abbreviated story.  A story of me!  I think of car magnets as old skool "colorforms", but for grown ups.  Oh how I loved to play with colorforms.

Admittedly, some folks overutilize.  You've seen this, right?  I was behind one today.  They had quite the collection of hot vacation spot abbreviation stickers and assorted magnets.  I can play that game, too!  If they made stickers that said "WORK" and "BATHROOM" and "HOME", I could put 'em on my tailgate, 'cause those are the hot spots I frequent most;-)  Furthermore, there should be ample space for each magnet.  It's cumbersome to digest as I'm waiting for my light to turn green.  I'll bet when they were kids, they used 2 sets of colorforms, thereby overcrowding and discombobulating the scene they were attempting to create.  But I digress...

I had MS Magnet when I walked from my car to the store.  Twenty-five minutes later, I returned with my groceries, reached for the liftgate handle, and saw a dingy outline of where MS Magnet used to cling.  I let out a fairly loud, "WHAT THE!", followed by, "OH COME ON!  SERIOUSLY???"  I rubbed my blurry left eye, hoping it was a trick.  I looked on the ground, hoping it fell off.  I knelt down to look under the car.  I looked closer at the dingy outline and noticed clean smudges on my dirty car.  Smudges in which fingers were.  Suddenly, it became crystal clear.  MS Magnet was...taken.  I was so angry that I wanted to throw my carton of eggs on the ground in frustration.  Because when I get that angry, I throw stuff.  Alas, I forgot the list on the counter again.  The list those eggs were on.  And so I forgot to buy eggs.  Thankfully...

I bid you farewell, MS Magnet:'-(  I had a sinking feeling that our time together would be limited.  So many people commented on you, asking where it was I got you...they knew someone with ms and wanted you to ride around with them in order to honor that person.  Even my husband has one just like you, which surprised me.  You figure...me, him, and ms are stuck together for the rest of our lives.  It's the whole "in sickness and in health" deal.  You'd think the last thing he'd want would be anything ms-related stuck to his truck.  Though he sacrificially offered that magnet to me as a replacement, I cannot accept.  Losing you is hard enough.  I cannot risk a rinse and repeat occurrence.

"Sooner or later in life, the things you love you lose" - Florence + The Machine

"'Tis better to have had MS Magnet and lost than never to have had MS Magnet at all..." - me

accessible fruit: donut peaches

by Patrick of Caregivingly Yours

(re-posted from August 2009)

Accessible fruit! Who would have thought?

With Patti’s Multiple Sclerosis progression holding and eating some of her favorite foods has become too challenging. As her spouse caregiver, I am always on the look out for solutions and options that can enable her.

Stopping at a road side fruit stand I discovered Donut Peaches (aka Saturn Peaches, aka Angel Peaches, aka Chinese Pan Tao Peaches).

Patti loves peaches. However MS progression was making holding and eating a peach next to impossible. That is until we tried “accessible” donut peaches! They were a hit, easy to hold and easy to eat!

Don’t just take our word for it. Mother Earth News offers the top reasons to eat a Donut Peach:

1. They taste better than other peaches. They're sweeter, with almond overtones.
2. They are lower in acid than other peaches.
3. The pit doesn't cling to the flesh, so it's easy to pop out with your thumb.
4. The fruit's thin, red skin has little or no fuzz.
5. Their small size lends itself to being eaten out of hand.

You just have to like a snack high in Vitamins A and C and only 37 calories per peach.

Thank God when nature lends you a hand.

... and unlike the summer of 2009, this summer they are readily available in the produce section of Giant Food grocery stores at least here in Pennsylvania.


This concludes the 94th edition of the Carnival.

The next Carnival of MS Bloggers will be hosted here on August 18, 2011. Please remember to submit a post (via email) from your blog of which you are particularly proud, or which you simply want to share, by noon on Tuesday, August 16, 2011.

Thank you.

Comments for this post.

Carnival of MS Bloggers #65

Welcome to the Carnival of MS Bloggers, a bi-weekly compendium of thoughts and experiences shared by those living with multiple sclerosis.

The Future, Our Friends, and Overcoming Denial

Raggling One’s Bed by Katherine, aka oligoclonal
at Properly Referred to as "That Stupid Disease"

The clinical version of MS “fatigue” is certainly a different breed of animal than what I understand to be in the “normal” range for people who do not suffer from MS.
Today, after a full night’s sleep, proper diet and hydration and pretty standard low-intensity household activities, I began to crumple. Within an hour of trying (as always) to fight it through, I was face down on my mattress as unmoving as though asleep. Were sleep only a possible relief, that is. My mind, though “foggy,” was pristinely alert; though not suffering from actual paralysis (another different animal altogether*) I could not make my body move — from a corporal weakness felt not even by long distance runners after a full day of ankle weights.

So, for two hours I laid motionless. As soon as I felt the possibility of movement, I sat up and walked into the kitchen to start prepping a dinner salad for three. I then went into the pool and came, with the cool water bringing my core body temperature down, more awake than I had been all day. The “cog fog” lifted into the clear blue sky and I was able to swim heartily, and laugh.

I will never again be certain of what tomorrow will bring. The thought of that no longer frightens me, but it does bore me to pieces.


*Having MS makes friendships and general life activities difficult because when attending an event or invited to someone’s home there is no predicting which animal from the zoo will accompany you. There will always be a monkey on your back (a given cliche) — but sometimes, too, a tranquilized elephant or angry flightless bird. And your friends or strangers will not know which you’ll happen to have with you.

Or, perhaps, think of me this way: if you are my friend and invite me over, know I will be bringing an infant with me who screams at random intervals and cannot be consoled.

 

Untitled #2 by Katherine

It's not always about me
by Catherine at A Life Coping With MS

Getting frustrated about things I cannot change is something I usually don’t indulge in. I’ve always had the attitude that what’s done is done so you’re better to face it head on than stress about the stuff you can’t fix.

My approach to my MS diagnosis has pretty much followed this path and it has stood me in good stead so far.

However, there is one aspect about having MS that frustrates greatly - and it’s something I will never be able to change. And that’s the impact my illness has on those around me.

This hit me hardest when first diagnosed. While I was striding forward, convincing everyone in my wake that this really wasn’t the worst thing to happen, I watched my husband and parents struggle to come to terms with it all.

Looking at things from their perspective I would probably be the same. After all, when someone you love is hurt, whether that be a cut on the knee or a life changing diagnosis, you want to kiss it better.

But they must look at me and I think, ‘What can I do to help?’.
In truth, despite not having a magic wand to make me better overnight, they have helped massively, in all sorts of ways.

My mum helps with practical stuff like the ironing and she has this unbelievable gift of coming into my home like a whirlwind and somehow leaving 60 minutes later with a clean house left in her wake - genius!

My dad just keeps the jokes coming ... and then, every so often, we have a heart to heart where I get to off-load lots of stuff I’ve been thinking and/or feeling and I feel miles better.

And then there’s my darling husband who worries like mad and takes the brunt of any mad mood I may indulge in. He has held me tight while I’ve sobbed (which I might add happens so rarely I think he’s sort of glad I’m actually having a cry so I’m not trying to be superwoman all the time!) and told me very patiently that no matter what the road ahead brings, we will face it together.

The Parking Permit or How I Conquered Denial
by Karen at Meandering...One Moment Please

How come...before I got my Accessible Parking Permit, the only empty spaces in the lot were the handicap ones, and now that I have my permit - those spaces are all full?!!

About a month after I was diagnosed with MS, I got my Accessible Parking Permit. I had to go down to the DMV and get my temporary copy to use while I was waiting for the spiffy laminated one to be delivered in the mail.

Driving home, I was thinking, I will probably never use this, I don't really need this... nah, I won't use it, I won't even need to use it! (DENIAL) I pulled into my driveway and turned off the car, took the permit from my purse and thought, where should I keep it? In the glove compartment maybe, or tuck it in the visor. As I sat there trying to make this momentous decision, the "funniest" thing happened. I was looking at the permit, and saw the initials P/D on the front. Hmmmmm...wonder what that means? Underneath the initials, was one word; PERMANENT. Huh? What are they talking about, this is my temporary permit, I will be getting my permanent one in the m.........

At that moment it felt like all the air had been sucked out of the car! It was hard to breathe, I could feel my heart pounding hard in my chest, my throat tightened as a low guttural scream struggled upward, trying to escape between my taunt lips, tears welled up in my eyes. Then it happened...IT HIT ME...it hit me right smack in the face! I have Multiple Sclerosis, it's for real, I'm disabled, and it is definitely PERMANENT!

That one little piece of paper said it all, and denial was no longer an option. I just sat in the car and cried for about half an hour. Finally, trying to pull myself together, I hobbled out of the car with my cane, permit in hand, and made my way into the house.

Hubbers was just in from work, and as he helped me take my boots off, I said, "Got my parking permit today". "And how did that go?" he asked? "Not so good", I whispered tearfully, while poking at the word permanent on the permit. He nodded, and I saw his eyes moisten, just before he wrapped his arms around me.  He held me for what seemed like the longest time.

It was a torturous night for both of us, neither of us able to sleep or even talk much. I spent most of that evening transfixed by the flames in the fireplace. At some point I had obviously drifted off, because I woke, the fire was out, and I could smell the aroma of bacon wafting out from the kitchen.

Hubbers heard me stirring, and brought me a hot cup of tea  served with a smile and a kiss. At breakfast, we talked a bit about our plans for the weekend, and he mentioned that we had yet to start our Christmas shopping. With a pained groan, I said oh no, not the mall, we can never get a parking spot at this time of year...

And the rest...is history ;)


This concludes the 65th edition of the Carnival.

The next Carnival of MS Bloggers will be hosted here on July 1, 2010. Please remember to submit a post (via email) from your blog of which you are particularly proud, or which you simply want to share, by noon on Tuesday, June 29, 2010.

Thank you.

Comments for this post.