Looks Like PRIMIDONE is THE Medicine for ME

Some medicines have what is called a Honeymoon Period, where they work really well for a short period of time, and then stop helping. I have had some like that in the past, probably including the Sinemet that was originally given as a Challenge - a way of semi diagnosing Parkinson's. I did get much better way back then, but had such nausea issues with it that my Neuro did not keep me on it. I had good effect from the Requip that he changed me to, but then had to add Zelepar to that. So maybe none of them were anything for me but Honeymoon Drugs.

So, even though I have been so elated with the wonderful response I had to the Primidone, there was always a tiny little corner of my brain that wouldn't give up the Honeymoon idea completely. I have been on it now for over a month, with only a half pill added to the original dosage, so I think I can consider this one to be a KEEPER.

Not that I am 100% back to "normal". But then, since I am 65 now I'm not sure I know what normal is any more, anyway. LOL!! What I do know is that I enjoy talking to people again, I laugh a lot, I don't jerk nearly as badly even on my bad days, and I feel truly blessed by God with this wonderful miracle. Hey, that's a "normal" I can LIVE with!!

We don't have cable or satellite, so, as the resident geek, it's been up to me to try to figure out how to set up the HD Converter boxes we bought using the Government Coupons. We want to be able to continue to tape one show on our VCR while we watch something else, and that requires some very complicated hookups. There is so much about the words and terms they use in explaining all this that I am totally unfamiliar with. So, our boxes arrived in the mail a few days ago, and I have spent almost every waking minute trying one hookup, testing it, undoing it, trying another, repeating some over and over as I gradually understood the meanings of the directions and went back to correct mistakes I had made.

PHEW!! I was finally satisfied Friday evening that I knew how to do it, but I needed one piece of equipment that we did not already have. So, armed with my diagrams and the catalog numbers from the internet, we went to RadioShack yesterday. The young man took a look at the diagram and let out an involuntary "UGH!". I agree totally.

Well, to make a long story short, he thought I would get better results with a different device than I had come in to buy, so I took his advice. I spent all yesterday evening, plus got up bright and early this morning, trying to make it all work with this new device, and finally decided he was wrong.

Hubby always goes out on his own on Saturdays, so he took it all back and exchanged it for the switch that I had originally decided would fix it all. I'm all ready for it when he gets home, and more than ready to quit spending all this time and energy on this stuff.

The stress it has put me under has been overwhelming, knowing that there is no one who knows enough about this stuff to be of any help. I've been angry and miserable, one after the other, over and over since Wednesday when I started on it. Hubby has left me ALONE!!! And I am glad that he has. He always thinks he can tease me out of a bad mood, but this time I think I would have bitten his head off if he had tried that with me. I never used to get angry like this. I was an only child and a "good little girl". I never really learned how to argue or express anger until I was grown, as it was not "ladylike".

Of course my mouth jerks and twitches came back when I was at my most upset points in all this, but they would be gone the next day. And even at that they weren't as bad as they were before the Primidone. So I would say I have put it through a grueling test of its powers this week, and it passed the test quite well.

Now the boxes are set up, the TV and VCR work correctly with them as far as I can tell, and the Universal Remote is programmed for all the pieces. I am able to breathe again. But I did tell hubby to be sure he brought me some CHOCOLATE!!!

GREAT NEWS!!! - My New Diagnosis Is ESSENTIAL MYOCLONUS!!

I finally got to talk to a nurse on Dr. Watt's staff today, and I now have an official diagnosis that I can take to insurance companies. I do not have Parkinson's, nor anything in the Parkinson's Family. I have what is called Essential Myoclonus. It is not a progressive disease, which is the best news of all.

They do not know what causes it, but the Primidone is doing a remarkable job of controlling my movements. So I look forward to continued improvement and taking my life back! I asked if it would be OK to add an extra half tablet in the mornings, because the dose wears off in the afternoons, particularly if I am more physically active or stressed. She gave me the usual precautions about not using it if I became overly drowsy, be careful about driving, etc., but they are leaving the timing and use of the half tablet up to me. I am to start it in the mornings and then move closer to lunch if I want to try it there after a week or so.

I have been telling everyone about how wonderful I have been feeling since I went on the Primidone and how truly blessed by God I feel. I have strong emotional ties to lots of online Parkie friends, and I would only wish that they could have such good news from their doctors very soon. I guess I'm going to have to add another section for research about Myoclonus to my sidebar now, and come up with a better name for this blog. I have been very active in the Parkinson's PatientLikeMe forum, but I imagine I will be spending more time in the Essential Myoclonus section of WeMove.com now.

I lived in their world for almost three years, so I have a perspective into what it is like to have Parkinson's that most people can never have, unless they actually have the disease or are very close to someone with it. That is a valuable perspective that I do not want to squander. I'm not sure how God can use me in regards to this, but I'm sure in His good time it will become apparent.

I have tried to chronicle my journey from the very first days of the initial diagnosis of Parkinson's, through all the struggles I had with my digestive system fighting against the PD meds, to modifying my lifestyle to keep me safe, to the onset of tremors that soon turned into horrible shaking. I've tried to present an accurate picture of what was happening to me emotionally, as well as physically.

I am proud of this blog and hope that it will continue to be helpful to those who read it. May God use me and this blog to good purpose.

Praise GOD from Whom All BLESSINGS Flow!!!

I really am doing great, and it's wonderful to be able to say that. Some days I don't have any abnormal movements at all, and on others I have only tolerable ones. I have been on cloud nine now for a couple of weeks, and it looks like I'm here to stay.

I have noticed that as I become more active and expend more muscle effort that the medicine wears off sooner in the evenings. The Movement Disorder doctor said to call him back in two weeks, and he would discuss raising the daytime dose maybe a half pill at that time. Sounds good to me. He just doesn't want me to zombie out on the Primidone, and I don't want that, either. He mentioned physical therapy to help with the slow walking, but that just does not seem necessary to me. I know how to be safe, and as I feel better I am naturally increasing my physical activity. I'm so used to listening to what my body is telling me that I can judge pretty well when it's time to quit.

My house certainly appreciates the extra attention I have been able to give it lately! There's plenty more to do, though. I have about two years of clutter to wade through. When you feel as bad as I have and as unsteady as I have it's just easier and safer to ignore a lot. Hubby has kept us in good meals and clean clothes, but the "stuff" has piled up.

We celebrated our 44th Wedding Anniversary yesterday. I wrote a long post about it on our Yesterday's Memories blog, so I won't repeat that here. The fantastic thing is that even though I was exhausted at night from all we did during the day the last two days, I feel fine today. My muscles are definitely adjusting to more activity.

So I leave this post with a positive outlook and a heart full of thanksgiving!! Whooopppieeeeeeeeee!!!

Mouth Twitches, But That's All

I got up earlier than usual this morning, as I normally do on Fridays, so I can map out a route for us to use to go on our Estate Sale, garage sale, thrift store hunt. Even though it was 4:30AM, my mouth was already twitching slightly. The rest of me was still, though, so it's not really that I am complaining - just documenting.

We did make some good purchases, and we always enjoy each other's company, but it was awfully hot, and we ended up coming home a little earlier than usual. The mouth twitch continued to increase as the day went on, although it is nowhere near as bad as it is without the Primidone.

A very nice lady who was having a yard sale saw me using the cane to help myself get down her driveway, and asked me if I was recovering from leg surgery. After the slightest of pauses, which I am sure no one else would have noticed, the words came out of my mouth for the very first time. I told her I had a Movement Disorder. She went on to tell me how she had had two hip surgeries and had used a walker, and now used a cane. It was a very friendly, normal sounding conversation, but those words coming out of my mouth were momentous for me.

My hand and foot did not shake, my shoulder did not jerk, and I was reasonably stable, particularly when I used the cane. I am selective in when I use it, but I'm careful. After all, we have seen first hand what happens when an older person falls.

If I know a restaurant is going to be easy to maneuver, I leave it in the car. Hubby gives me a reassuring hand to go up and down curbs. But if we go to a sale, I always use it. You never know what the inside of a house will be like, and yards can be uneven or steep. We've stopped at some of the same gas stations and restaurants often enough to know which ones have handicap accessible bathrooms, and which ones don't, so I usually know if I need to take the cane with me to help in the bathroom.

We do have the Handicap Placard, but I try not to use blue spaces unless I am having a bad day. I have used them a lot in the last six months, but not since I went on the Primidone. I look forward to many more days of using regular parking spaces!!

Primidone is HELPING!!

I've been trying to get to this post for several days now, and other things just kept getting in the way. Also, it looks like I have good news, and I didn't want to celebrate too soon.

I finally got in touch with Dr. Watts' UAB Neurology team, and he sent in a prescription for Primidone on Friday a week ago. I took my first dose Friday night, and was pretty well looped all day Saturday, and almost as drugged feeling all day Sunday. But I was NOT jerking, and my hand was still! My walking was very odd, like I was on a boat or a dock. When I stood still I kind of wobbled, instead of shaking, as if it were slowing the speed of the movements down and increasing the amplitude, if that makes any sense. That lasted for several days, but then by about Wednesday I was only noticing the good effects. As long as the dose was in me, I did not shake, wobble, or tremor at all. Ignoring the slow walking, I was back to NORMAL! Even my handwriting improved. I was not depressed, but trying not to celebrate too soon, because the next step was to add a morning dose, and I wasn't sure what was going to happen then.

I started taking a second dose in the morning as well on Monday. I do get a little woozy feeling for just a little while about an hour or two after I take it, but other than that, it seems to be helping a lot. I have a slight mouth twitch today, the third day I have had two doses, which I did not have Monday or Tuesday. But that is the only symptom other than the slow walking that I have! I do have to be more careful with steps - it's like I can't tell where my feet are.

I am not depressed at all with the Primidone, the way I was with the Clonazepam, and I am very hopeful that this medicine will work for me. I am still doing research on this medicine, but its brand name is Mysoline, and its primary use is in controlling seizures. They assured me that there were no signs of seizures from my tests, so this is what they call an off label use of the drug.

This medicine has a very long half life, and that means there is still plenty of the drug in my system when it is time to take the next dose. Actually, when I was taking just the one pill, I took it at 7:00PM and it did not completely wear off until four or five o'clock the next afternoon. I am also on the lowest dose, so there is room to go if I get used to the medicine and need to up the dosage.

Did you see me doing the happy dance????

I am so thankful to God for his tender mercies!!!!!!!!!!

Weaning Off Clonazepam = Thinking More Positively

I'm down to a half tablet at night now, starting today. I will stay on that for three days, and then I will be through with it. I sense the depression passing somewhat, but certainly not all of it. I was depressed before they put me on it, just not as much.

I've been trying to work off as much of my tension and fears in the yard the last few days. I've spread the rich composted "dirt" and planted Centipede seed there. I don't know if any of it will grow, but the weeds are sure enjoying the rich dirt. I can't very well pull the weeds, as the grass is still germinating. The idea is to let the growing grass choke out the weeds on its own. Since that section of the yard is pretty much finished, I've moved to a small section of grass at the front of the house. I'm wetting it down at night and then working on digging all the grass weeds out of it the next day. The hoeing is very therapeutic. It's kind of like a punching bag for me.

My biggest problem right now is that I can't get out in the yard without setting off a poison ivy outbreak, no matter how hard I try to stay away from it and bathe as soon as I come in. I've been super itchy now for some time, because I don't want to take any antihistamines on top of the Clonazepam.

I've been trying to read about Tardive Dyskinesia, which certainly seems to fit what I look like these days. I can't even spell it right half the time, but Google very nicely suggests how to spell it for me. If that's it, then I can add TD to my list of acronyms.

My mouth is definitely jerking and twisting more as the Clonazepam dosage is reduced in my system, but they have told me that there are other prescriptions they will try to reduce the tics and jerks, once I'm off this med. And I've started chewing sugarless gum a lot, too, as that keeps my mouth busy. I chewed so long last night I made my jaw hurt, but at least I didn't have my mouth pulling to the side and twisting all around. I will definitely be using this trick in public, as I am extremely self conscious about the way my face looks now.

Our wonderful pharmacist has printed out all the prescriptions I have been on since he opened his store some years ago. I haven't yet tried to track down where my records would be stored from the previous drugstore, but he suggested I try the CVS in a nearby town. We went without a drugstore at all for quite awhile there, as the previous pharmacist gave up his store to work for CVS. I haven't called yet, because it is likely a waste of time. But I will call. I'll just have to be in the mood to do it.

I've tried researching every medicine that I can remember ever being on, and a few are possible causes. But there's nothing to be done, other than try to deal with the symptoms. Tardive means it's a delayed reaction, so there is no med to "stop taking" to make the movements go away. Our family has always joked that an aspirin will put me to sleep, so I suppose it's not surprising that I would be one who had a delayed side effect to some medicine I've taken in the past.

I haven't been going to the Parkinson's forum. I just don't know what to say there any more. I guess I would still qualify for membership, since I'm dealing with a Movement Disorder of some kind, but I just don't feel like I fit right now.

Hubby has been a big help, and isn't mad at me any more about my reaction to the doctor's news. He's such a sweetie, and I know all this has been really hard on his emotions, too. I don't know what I would do without him.

I ran across a copy of Michael J. Fox's book, Lucky Man, at a yard sale not long ago, and I finished reading it last night. There were several things in it that made me feel better about myself. He talked about all the things he did to make his early tremors stop - how he tricked his brain - so he could hide it from the television and movie audience. That process of being able to temporarily stop a tremor with little mind and body tricks is one reason I thought I was suffering from a psychosomatic illness. I did not realize that at least some people with PD can consciously stop tremors momentarily. I have feared from the very beginning that being able to stop them for a brief while meant mine were not "real."

So, as it stands now, I don't have Peripheral Neuropathy, and there's no way of knowing if I ever did or not. I'm inclined to think I did, but all the super nutritious foods we have been eating for the last two years, plus the Turmeric and all the vitamins and minerals I take, just healed the nerve pathways.

Parkinson's is likely not the problem, although I have not ruled it out completely, as the doctor's always hedge what they say about that. I do have a Movement Disorder of some kind, and I am getting past the point of blaming it on myself. That's a good thing!!

Reading Fox's book helped me, so I hope that reading this blog can help someone, too.

Had a New EEG Test Yesterday

I had my second EEG test yesterday, but my reactions to it were considerably different from the one I had two years ago. Back then, my Neurologist was trying to decide if I had Parkinson's or not. My only symptom at that time was a very labored, slow walk, that he called Bradykinesia. I did not have any problems with the EEG test at all.

Things have changed a good bit since then. Now I have lots of tremors, jerks, and facial tics, that only get worse if I am in a stressful situation, or cannot get my mind "somewhere else". I have discovered that when I am deeply concentrating on something, such as writing here on the computer, that the movements are quieted down considerably.

But put me in a situation that is the least stressful, or in one where I am just sitting with nothing actively going on, and I turn into the hurky jerky girl. Church is the usual place that happens. The only way to stop it that I have found is to go into a meditative state, finding some minute crack or spot on the wall to give my total attention to. It spaces me out, I don't hear the sermon, but at least I am not bothering all the people who sit behind us.

And now I know that it happens during EEG tests, too. With nothing to occupy my concentration, following her directions to do fast open mouth breathing for 3 minutes to make me hyperventilate, and some very uncomfortable series of strobe lights that made me feel even more stressed, there just wasn't any way to stop the jerks. The harder I tried to be still, as she had asked, the more I moved. She finally gave up and said at least it would let the doctors see what my brain was doing while my body was doing its own thing. She did tell me to open my mouth and stop pressing my lips together, so my mouth trembled and pulled to the left the whole time, too.

It took 45 minutes to complete the test, and I was exhausted the rest of the day.

The funny part was my hair!! They do not use the scull cap method, so each of these electrodes was stuck to my scalp with something like KY jelly. And there were lots of electrodes - maybe in the 20's? When she was through and told me to look in the mirror, I looked like something from a Monty Python movie. I smoothed my hair down as best I could, but would have loved to have walked out just as I was, so hubby could get a kick out of it. If he had been the only one in the waiting room I would have, but it was a very busy place.

We were set to drive some distance to a family funeral after the test, so I had anticipated the hair goo and planned to stop at any franchise hair salon along the way and get my hair washed. So that was easily enough taken care of. I am glad I knew to expect that, as it could have been a real problem if we had been running short on time. I didn't appreciate having to pay $12 just to get it washed and blown dry with no styling, but there wasn't anything else to do. I had also brought a complete change of clothes and shoes, so I would not have to take the test in good clothes.

We did get into a situation of some very expensive parking at UAB, though, that just added to the very expensive day. We parked in the closest parking deck to the Sparks Clinic at UAB, but they would not validate his ticket, since we had not used the "right" deck. Of course, they had not told me that I should park in any particular one when they called to tell me the appointment time. So, instead of costing $4.50 to park, it cost us $15.00!!! We were not at all happy about that!! UAB will be hearing from me about that today!!

When we did get to Cleveland, the little town in north Alabama where the funeral was going to be, we ate at a very nice looking local restaurant. Not surprisingly, considering the way the rest of the day had been, their prices were high. So, we took the lunch special of the day. The vegetables were great, but the meat was lousy. The waitress seemed genuinely shocked when hubby complained about it.

I really was worn out by the time the graveside funeral was over, so we begged off on eating at the church with the family and headed straight home. This was my sister in law's side of the family, so I really didn't know that many people there anyway, and I am not comfortable in unfamiliar social situations. I have always been that way, but it's gotten worse now that I jerk and twitch so much.

So we had a full day, one that I am glad to have over with. I have an appointment with Dr. Watt's team in May, with an MRI to be schedules before then, so I will have to wait that long to find out the results of the EEG. Should be very revealing, since I displayed the full range of all my jerks, tics, smirks, and shakes while the brain's electrical activity was being graphed.

I am optimistic that all these tests are going to show more than they did two years ago, and that they will be able to decide what is wrong with me with more certainty. Of course, I know there is no such thing medically in life as a certainty, but I can rely on God to get me through it all. Patience, Rosemary, Patience.

I Have Been to THE Appointment

Well, we went Thursday to see Dr. Watts, the head of Neurology at the University of Alabama in Birmingham, who has a great reputation as a Movement Disorder Specialist.

We were both very impressed with how personable he is. One of the other doctors on his staff did all of the preliminary questioning and testing. He was very easy to be with, too. Most of the tests were ones I have been asked to do many times in the last couple of years. A few were different. They both had me make big smiles with my teeth showing several times, which is not something I remember being asked to do by anyone else, and Dr. Watts had me repeat a few of the tests the assistant had already done.

They also gave me the impression that my family history of neurological problems is an important clue - mother with Senile Parkinson's or Alzheimer's - uncle with ALS - aunt with depression, drug addiction, alcoholism - grandfather was senile, possibly Alzheimer's? Until they asked lots of probing questions I had never connected my Grandfather's behavior and my Aunt's behavior as being pertinent. That's why doctors ask things over and over, isn't it.

Of course, they asked me a million questions about what my symptoms were like, and when and how they started, many questions asked several times. Some I could answer, and some I really couldn't. He was very interested in knowing about anti-depression and tranquilizer drugs I have taken in the past. I have been on several for short periods of time because of the stress of caring for our parents and our daughters, but I couldn't tell him much about which ones I have taken. I should be able to get that information from my Primary and from our Pharmacist, plus I rounded up a bunch of prescription bottles of them that I had kept - just in case.

Dr. Watts sat down right in front of me, looked me in the eye, smiled, and talked with me. I had no sense of him being in a hurry to move on to the next patient. That is so rare in doctors these days, and certainly not what I expected out of such a highly renowned specialist.

OK, so now to what happened. I put on quite a show of jerks, tremors, and facial tics the whole time, partly because I was so nervous about what they would find or not find. There is a big part of my mind that is just sure this has all been a psychological problem, but at least he never said that. At least not yet.

I gave a pint of blood in the lab (OK, so I'm exaggerating - but it was maybe 8 vials full), looking for some clue as to what is going on. He talked to me about the possibility of some kind of antibody/autoimmune problem where my own body is causing the problems. He also seemed to think it might be symptoms caused from one of the medicines I have taken in the past.

He has also ordered an MRI at UAB. He says their MRI equipment is different from others I have been in, in that it is more powerful and may see something that the others did not. Plus, it's been 2 years since I had a brain MRI, and whatever is going on might show up now that hadn't progressed enough to show back then. They will call me with that appointment, so I don't know when that will be.

He talked with his assistant, Dr. D, about lots of things it might be, with all kinds of medical jargon. Dr. D was jotting down notes the whole time and seemed to be making a list of possible diagnoses as they discussed my symptoms. Every once in awhile Dr. Watts would ask me to do something or ask more questions. It was exactly like watching a real live "HOUSE" team in action. When he was through talking back and forth with Dr. D, Dr. Watts gave us a layman's explanation of some of the possibilities. I am not going to list them, since obviously they can't all be it, and maybe even none of them are "it". I did come home and get busy Googling every term I could remember hearing them discussing. You knew I would do that, didn't you. LOL!

He did put me on a titrating dose schedule of Clonazepam, to see if that would calm down the jerks and tics. He said I would be sleepy with it at first, but that this would wear off as my body adjusted to it. I am to take 1/2 tablet at night for a week, then morning and night, and work up to 1 full and 2 halves a day. I have an appointment to see someone else in the practice in May to go over the findings. He said that Dr. D and Dr. Watts would be in on the conference with us at that time.

At this point about all I do know is that it is looking less and less likely that I have Parkinson's, but that I do have some type of Movement Disorder as yet to be named.

We've not told family or friends about all this yet. They know I had the appointment but not why I had it. We decided there was no point in making anyone else worry about all this. We will wait until we actually know something to tell them. I can write it all here, which helps me process it all, because nobody I know personally reads this blog.

Been to the Physiatrist and I'm Still Very Busy

I saw the Physiatrist yesterday. He's the doctor who had to review my records before he would agree to even see me. As it turns out, oddly enough, he is the person who did my original EMG and Nerve Velocity Tests.

I was extremely pleased that he did a complete checkup, rather than just asking about my neck. He went through a complete neurological exam, but didn't venture much as to what he thought was wrong, other than to say Dr. Watts was the one who would be able to say what is going on. He did say he was sure I had some kind of Movement Disorder, but he didn't think it was Parkinson's, either.

He went over some options for the neck pain that has persisted since November. We agreed to try the least possible first, particularly since I will see Dr. Watts in less than three weeks. It's hard to imagine that something I've waited so long for is almost here! Anyway, the Physiatrist gave me a prescription for Lidoderm patches that I cut and apply to the trigger points of this pain. They are basically Novacaine that goes through the skin to the muscle. He felt like I would not have any stomach problems by doing it that way.

I put half on the top of my shoulder near the neck and the other half just below the shoulder blade, next to the spine. Those are the spots that really scream if I sit or stand unsupported for very long. Even the time to wash a full sink of dishes or eat a meal at the table is usually enough to set it off, and sitting on the church pews has been very uncomfortable.

I felt a little bit light headed soon after putting the patch on, but that could have been for any number of reasons, as I had not eaten breakfast yet. I am hurting now, but maybe not as bad as usual. Obviously, one day's use can't calm down this spasm, so I will just have to see how I do. The prescription is for 3 months worth, and thank goodness I have Medicare and good insurance, as it was listed at over $500!

I've been going around in circles lately trying to get a whole lot of things accomplished all at once, and not getting much finished at all. We have started on our taxes, but there are some parts that I must work on before the exact number can go in the form. I've been doing them with software for years, but this time my hubby sat down next to me and we went over each part together. That helped me stay calm, plus he needs to know how it's done.

I'm also trying really hard to get as many of our toys in our online catalog as I possibly can, and I have run into several road blocks I had not anticipated. I had to learn how to use a Shopping Cart program, upload and download files to Google and our ISP to make a searchable data base, and I have been driven half crazy trying to get the catalog to show up properly in Google Base. OK, I know if you are not using the programs yourself that was just a bunch of gobbledygook - but they were very confusing to me, too, and I am definitely not learning new things as quickly as I once did.

I've had printer problems and had to buy a new one yesterday, so I couldn't mail out some orders today, because I hadn't figured out how to set up the network part of it. That actually worked pretty well, once I did understand the directions, and it even has an answering machine and fax included in it! I feel like I have my own home office now.

Our Search Service is keeping me extremely busy, too, and we have made a few sales from it, as well as helping several very happy parents find the lovie they needed, whether we made the sale or someone else did. I am pretty much caught up with answering the initial request, but I am miserably behind at getting the ones I could not find turned into blog posts.

I feel bad about that, as some of these parents sound so desperate, but hubby is still computer phobic, and that leaves this part of the business entirely up to me. He's great at scouring the yard sales and thrift stores several times a week when he goes out on his own, and we thoroughly enjoy our Friday Date Day, and he helps a lot with the packing. He takes everything to the Post Office, too, and he has a lot of input about how to do the business side of selling. He just doesn't want anything to do with the computer part.

Well, enough about all that. It just goes to show that I am staying busy with lots of different parts of my life - and our messy house proves it. Something had to give - so.....


Hopefully it won't be so long before I post again.