Dog Days

The "dog days' of summer are finally here. After having 1 years worth of rain in six months it is nice to have some dry weather and some heat. Now we have had our fill of both and they can leave.

I have spent May, June and July mostly doing my favorite things. Having some of my children around, having time with my grandson, watching the deer and other wildlife "sneak" into the yard for their favorite snacks. I have also done some of those things that I did not like mostly dealing with the state and federal government but that is over, so now I am back doing what I enjoy.

I have learned many things since January 1 of 08 and expect to learn many more before January 1st of 09. I already knew that there is a price for raising independent free thinking children and I would gladly pay that price again because I love to hear their tales of life and see them happy doing what they do.

So here is to the second half of 2008. May it be as fulfilling as the past.

The Good The Bad & The Ugly

I have to admit I love weather. Not just the sun is shining, the skies are blue weather but weather in general. I am particularly drawn to thunderstorms. I love a good thunderstorm. The lightning, wind and rain can fascinate me for hours. I am riveted to the TV following the brightly colored screens that are ever evolving. I can sit on the porch counting the distant of the last lightning strike and not mind at all that I am getting soaked. I know that thunderstorms frighten people and cause untold monetary damages. I know from first hand experience that thunderstorms are not all fun and games. I have Meniere's disease. There is something in a good thunderstorm that causes me to have some pretty severe vertigo attacks. Some expert just scoff at me and tell me that there is no correlation, "it is all in my head" (pun) and others just say that it is the sudden drops and rises in barometric pressure. I don't care I know that when a thunderstorm is approaching I can tell. So for now I will just take some extra meds, to try to keep my vertigo in control, and grab my camera and settle in for another spectacular lightning show.

Me Bad

Well, as a blogger I am a total failure. The winter has come and gone with out one single blog from me. Not that it is important that I blog for as far as I know I am the only one who reads it. I like it that way because I have only my self to please. Spring is here in all it's glory and warmth and I love it.

Fall has come and we welcome the newest member to the family. He is the most adorable. After along hiatus I must return to work a week from Monday. I have very mixed feelings about this. On one hand I look forward to the money and on the other I want to spend more of energy toward my own business and my family. Ah! Life is full of dilemmas. I swing from one side to the other. I do know one thing. Life will continue no matter which choice I make and I can always change my mind. For the next week I am going to just enjpy my life as it is. I do love fall.

Summer is gone

Summer is gone and fall is here. Oh, yes glorious fall. The air feels crisp and the sun still has warmth. I finally have a diagnoses to my condition. I have Migraine Equivalent Menieres. The new meds are working and unfortunately my 3 1/2 month sabbatical is over at the end of October I must return to work. Hopefully not for long.

Time Flies

Time flies after you live it. April, May and June were all taken up by work and overtime. My work is a job that I neither enjoy nor look foward to participating in. I like the people whom I work with but the actual work is just there to pay the bills. You see I have an addiction. I love my house and I love food. So to keep food in my "ample" belly and this lovely roof over my head I work.

I would much rather be doing other things. There is a slavery in knowing that while I am working I must cater to the whims of my malady of Meniere's so that I can go to work every day. Conversely there is a wonderful freedom in know that for at least the next two weeks if I have a wonderful period of time where if a spell of dizziness hit I can just wait for it to pass and then go on. An episode will not adversely affect my employer because I am on vacation. What glorious freedom that is.

Okay, I have decided to try a new enterprise to see if I can make some more money. Ultimate goals, pay off my house and loan and invest enough money so that when (if) my meniere's progresses to a point I can't work I will be able to be comfortable in my retirement. Initial investment is low now to spend the time to build the business.

I do love spring, 30 today and 70 tomorrow. Green is everywhere.

Spring is here. The dogwoods, redbuds and tulips are in bloom. The grass needs to be mowed and green is now a primary color. It is a beautiful site. Different medications make the spinning world spin a little less often. We will see what tomorrow brings. Tried a new new couscous recipe that has potential but needs some work. Will publish when I think it is ready.

Run For Your Lives

Run for your life. It is an epidemic. What is all the fuss about? Meniere's disease that's what. Is it an epidemic, no it is just a vestibular problem with possibly 10 different sources ( and maybe more) and I have it. Life is what you make it and it doesn't end with dizzy spells or nausea. You go on. My Meniere's right now is under some control as long as I am very, very good about diet and medication. So welcome to 2007 and enjoy the good times every day because you never know when your world will start to spin out of control.

Beauty

Winter is finally here. Such beauty, just add water and freeze.

Exciting Times

Have you ever had one of those days that isn't bad but it is not great. That was today. It wasn't bad but it wasn't a terrific day either. It was just here. Weather was drizzly and overcast. Just blah, until tonight. The excitement tonight made up for a blah day.

The Great Horned Owls are still here. Now that is probably not very exciting to some but I love to listen to those two big goofy looking birds. They are a mated pair and they never really leave the area but they have their silent periods when they don't do a lot of verbalizing. But the excitement is that come Novembe/December they start talking "love" to each other again. There is nothing better than dozing off to sleep listening to those two great birds calling to each other in the night. Yeah today was a great day.

Another Day

Well, went to the Doctor again and now have some new med. Hopefully these will work a little better. Also got not only new meds but a little new hope. At least I found someone who is willing to try and work with my condition and not say "go home and learn to live with it". I guess I am too much of a control freak. I have now someone to work with that understands that I am willing to trying to seek if not a cure at least a way of being able to function and contribute to this world. There is too much of life to experience not to try what is available to make life better. Will post more later today on 300 Million. Enjoy the day!

Change

Okay, I don't know if anyone besides myself reads this and I am not sure I want to know. Knowledge does not always set you free. I think I would be inclined to "pull my punches" if I knew people were reading this. I have always felt that people should live who they are and not be manipulated by others. Of course I have always felt that people were basically good, well meaning creatures, I may be wrong but that is my reality and I am sticking with it.

The reason for this rambling is that I am about to be painfully honest (at least it is painful for me). For over a year I have been told that I have Meniere's disease symtoms. Now that is not a death sentence by any means and to most people it is just an inconvience. I thought that was to be my plight. Apparently for the last 10 years my symptoms have been increasing but very slowly and I could always adjust and adapt. I figured it was just life. Last year the symptoms got a name. This year things have been progressing rapidly. At the present rate within the next year I possibly be unable to work, drive or do the "normal" things in life. When the world spins it is difficult to focus on anything.

Well, enough ramblings. If someone else is reading this just enjoy the pictures on the blog and kinda of skip over this. I will probably write more later. With Meniere's medical answers are at best ambiguious and generally non existent. (At least that is my experience) This is a good place to just vent.

It Won't Be Long

It won't be long, just four more days and the temperature will drop to freezing. The last time it was that cold was in March. It won't be a hard freeze but enough so that the plants have to come inside. Winter is almost here.

Fall

I am listening to the rain and thunder, thankful that finally the weather has broken and the ponds will fill. The acorns have started to fall from the oaks. The deer will start to be more active in the area as the weather cool. It will be good to see how this years' fawns are looking.

Fall Hungers

Fall has finally showed up and so has my annual fall cooking frenzy. As I write ribs & potatoes are slow cooking in the oven. Tomorrow will bring apple bread and possible a pork roast. Since work gets in the way Monday through Friday it is the about same menu every day. Come the weekends stand back and smell the fun.

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Okay, it is time for summer to temper it's enthusiasm. It is just too hot. Even the air is starting to dry out. It is time for fall, warm days and cool nights. A smidge of rain thrown in for good measure would be wonderful. The luna moths have come and gone. They are perdictable within a week or two. Such a fleeting beauty and a prize of summer.

The Weddings are done. They were both wonderful and beautiful. I discovered that my children have changed as they have matured but at the same time they have remained the same glorius people that they have always been. The "new" members of the family fit as if they have always been here. Life is settling into a routine. Work, house work, and of course eating. I have found several new, great recipes which I will post in a couple of days.

Rain

It is raining here. That wonderful slow all day rain. True tha grass is getting tall enough to be hard to mow but today is a day to find a good book and a cozy corner. It is a day for soft, classical music. A day for dozing and mulling. The sun will come back out and the chores will not go away but it is a day of wonderful laziness.

It is summer today but it will be spring tomorrow. The high today is 92 and the high tomorrow will be 72. Typical spring in the Ozarks. That is one of the reasons I love living here. If you don't like the weather give it a day or two and it will change.