Thanks, Chris, I'm fiercely independent and flit about this country like a lunatic in a race against my disease. I'm self-sufficient for now, but going downhill at a frightening pace.

I have chosen the foothills of the Blue Ridge mountains, specifically, western NC where there is still winter, but a very mild one. I like my sweaters!

When my apartment hunter asked me about my level of disability, there was a striking moment of reality in my heart and mind. I once was an avid outdoors woman and my mind still thinks like one, not like that of a 44 y.o. whose body is failing at an alarming rate.

Here I am a couple weeks ago down on the Blue Ridge Parkway during my apartment hunting expedition. What the picture doesn't show is the good strangers I met helping me to the spot for the pic. One of the gals was keeping my balance for me so that I could stand in the pic. I'm in total denial, this is not happening to me and I am refusing to let it. Yet, when I fall off a chair or can't make it to the bathroom, the truth floods my thoughts.

Try not to worry about my mood, I need to learn to accept some things and I was just feeling like a big baby. I took a nap.

Oh, the cardboard chick is my good friend, Cardboard Kay (a.k.a. FlyFishin Momma), sometimes I miss her so CBK travels with me for laughs.