We sure have digressed fromn the STRESSBUSTER`S IDEA...but I am certainly not complaining. It has been a whole heap of fun..and I guess we can draw a conclusion from this..that our penchant for posing starkers or otherwise,or wailing in a moshed together band,may just be the stress relief we are after.So all those who are game ...get yer kit off...jiggle your bits...sing a few strains of a re-mix of "Don`t shove your Granny while she`s shaving" ...capture it all on a Polaroid and BOBS YOUR UNCLE.There you have it. Total calm.

Now...for those who would sooner their cymbals and bongo`s,marracas and castanets,remain covered...how about some more STRESSBUSTER ideas.

Any good reads?
Any pieces of tranquil music?
A game of tiddlywinks?
Flotation tank?
Shark watching?

ANYTHING?

You may think I am totally off my trolley,but until today,the UK has been subject to rain,rain and more rain.
Well as much as I am a sun worshipper,during one particular downpour,I suddenly thought...
"What if I had never experienced the sensation of rain on my face..." and yes...I`m afraid I did it... I ran out into my back garden like a wailing banshee and stood ,face lifted heavenward....stuck out ,my tongue [checked no-one was looking] and yes I really am 48 and a half years of age...and stood there in torrential rain.The effect was euphoric.The raindrops like tiny needles,prickling my face...but how alive I felt.
Until...out of the corner of my eye...tongue still out...clothes stuck like gluie to my body...mascara streaking my face [I looked like Alice Cooper]
I saw a delivery man standing at my garden gate...ashen and rooted to the spot.How long he`d been standing there I haven`t a clue but I slowly put my tongue back where it belonged,half smiled and sloshed my way towards the sodden package he was holding limply in his hand...his jaw on his chest.
Not a word was exchanged as I took the package from him and his eyes took on an unbelieving glaze at what he had just witnessed.

I slunk back into the house and my face broke into a broad grin.Yep...I felt alive.I felt revitalised...and by jove... rain never felt as good as it did that day.The Water of Life. I truly think so.

xxx

I have told this story over and over but it remains as memorable today as it did back in the sixties. It has made me really nervous every time I am caught in the rain.

I was living and working in Miami Beach back then at the Beau Rivage beauty salon and going to see if I could get a job at the Fountainbleu so i wanted to get dressed up for the interview.

I had a gorgeous dress that was my favorite color of brown with small beige polka dots on it. it had a v neck and flairs around the three quarter sleeves i felt so good in it.

At that time in my life I had 4 kids and no money so this dress was special.

Well i took the bus down Collins and went to the hotel where I got the job. I was ecstatic.

I went out to go home again once more on the bus and it had started to rain but to my surprise all of the rain was on the other side of the street so I stayed where I was and waited till i saw it coming before I crossed over. I got a little damp and that was all or so I thought.

I had to stand up on the bus and while holding the strap began to feel really weird. I felt like everything was closing in on me and stood there with my eyes closed for a minute to try and relax.

I opened them to look down and my bust line looked like I had wrapped myself in bandages and the sleeves that were three quarter were now almost at my elbows. I began to freak right there and everyone was looking at me so funny like.

My dress had risen above my knees now and my slip was hanging out by about 4 or 5 inch's below the hem.

My bloody dress was becoming as a child's dress on my bloody body and I hurried to get off the bus before I could not breath at all.

I went down the steps to the whole bus just enveloped in one big hee haw and I stood there on Collins and cried and cried. Then I smartened up and ran as best I could which was very slowly into the motel where we stayed and my sons became hysterical at the very sight of me.

Today if I dare mention buying anything I still get the remark ha ha make sure it is rainproof.

Almost 35 years and they still laugh at me.

I AM PEEING MYSELF !!! This is just hysterical.
O MY GOD/...Hope you had knickers on
OR WORSE.....imagine knickers made of the same shrinkable material....

Let your buns hang out babe.

Oh..still laughing.

NICE ONE.

How`s yer cymbals....way too funny.

Thanks for this
x

Steffi-

You are so right.....
I've always said that I have a brain that never rests. I am ALWAYS thinking. My brain never seems to shut off. I stay up late, get up early. I am a procrastinater to boot, so always stressed to get things done and do them correctly. I always have to do my best and do a good job with everything.

I burned the midnight oil all through college. And if that wasn't enough, I chose a profession that requires me to work 24 x 7. Teaching is an endless job that always requires tons of planning, looking for new ideas, grading papers, checking homework, keeping student portfolios, cutting, gluing, tracing, copying papers, creating new projects, making a classroom into a show place, meetings with and calls to and from parents, trying to individualized the curriculum for each child, county requirements, paperwork, fitting the demanded curriculum into each school day, eating lunch in 15 minutes whilst cleaning up spills, settling arguments, opening student containers........well, you get my point....

What occupation is your sister in law? Where can I find out more about these exercises?

Oh, I have gone on haven't I?

I wish us parkies could get together and chat.....
It would be nice to have a profile page with pictures, etc. too.

Thanks for the humor on that other thread... the calendar idea was hilarious and fun...needed the laughter.

Okay, okay I'll stop (for now)...

Mary Frances

My sister in law is a physiotherapist but has worked with PD patients.She has a real understanding of how it affects your body.Sadly she now lives too far from me for regular treatments.You need to see a trained physio Mary.And they should be clued up on PD iif possible.
Understand fully what you are saying about teaching.I used to love it but like you..burned the candle etc etc and evbentually burnt myself out too.

It is vital we count to 10 and take stock every now and again.This has been a long and arduous lesson for me to learn as anybody would think I`d got PD or something....lol I am never still

Take time out Mary.Your school is important but your health more so.

chat soon.
x

Just a quick note for anyone looking for help from a physiotherapist (physical therapist, PT). We all graduate from university with the same information, more or less, but then a lot of us start specializing in one thing or another. A PT who only looks after burns or sports injuries isn't going to be much help with PD. Your best source of info is probably your neuro or MDS, or your local hospital, or possibly any local PT. A lot of us know who in the area is best at certain things. Or maybe phone the nearest university that has a physio school (Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine in Canada), ask to speak to whoever teaches about PD.

This is great information.Living in the UK I don`t know how the USA goes on about neuro physio so this is absolutely vital information.One or two have asked me about my own therapy,as it has had a great positive effect and it would be so good if others felt a similar reaction.
Thank you so much
Steff