[stevem53]

Hi Everyone..Welcome to our new community members!..Pull up a chair and join us!

I hope everyone had a Happy Thanksgiving..I went out to my girlfriends house, and had dinner with her, and her father, and two of her brothers..The turkey came out perfect, nice and moist, so needless to say, I stuffed myself

I just got back from fishing, and didnt do too good..Lots of empty pots, and others with not too much in them..Bummer!

We had our APDA website meeting this past Tuesday night, and I stayed for the Walk committe meeting as well, so it looks like Im on that committee too....The website should be really nice..We are going to add links to online support, which would be Neuro, and Brain Talk, as well as useful links such as Jean B's website, Paula's Grassroots website, Carey's Clognition Website, Carol McCleods website, and the Pipeline website, if its alright with you folks..and Im open for any suggestions for other websites you may have..On the brochures for our walk, and on our website we are going to have the faces of Parkinsons, one of which will be me probably on my boat, and we have a University of R.I. professor, etc, so it should be nice..We got some ideas from the Conneticut APDA website

How was your week?

[proudest_mama]

Hey Steve,

You always do a great job welcoming people and I wanted you to know how important that is. Kudos to you!

I'm out of the loop, though, and have no idea what APDA stands for so please fill me in.

Thanksgiving was good, better than I thought. All four kids will be home again for Christmas in only 3 weeks. This time they'll be staying for nearly four weeks and not just four days so extra prayers may be needed. LOL (And I'm only half joking).

I haven't even begun our annual Christmas newsletter. If anyone wants to know how to write a good newsletter, please send me a PM. My friends honestly wait for its arrival in their mailbox. (And, trust me, this is the ONLY creative thing that I can do!) I have been known to send them out in January or February, but truly outdid myself last year by sending two year's worth in April. (They make great bathroom reading material!) It is the opinion of one individual (who shall remain nameless) that if you're just going to send me a card with a signature, don't bother. Write at least SOMETHING - one or two lines is better than nothing! My philosophy is that it's better to send them late than to send them with just a signature. (And I only hope that I didn't **** off everyone on this forum by saying this!)

To totally change the subject, many of you know that I'm at a turning point in my life. All I do know is that status quo is no longer an option. That, in itself, is scary, but change always is. If you believe in the power of prayer, I truly need them the next few weeks and months.

Be assured that I still have my faith, my family and my sense of humor. No one can touch any of that!

[stevem53]

American Parkinsons Disease Association

[vlhperry]

We were supposed to go to my brother-in-law's house for Thanksgiving (with the lefse, of course) but my husband developed conjunctiveitis. He went to an Optomologist who suggested some eyedrops. It turned out he was allergic to them, so his lids and and lower skin under the eye swelled up so bad, his eyes were like slits and he couldn't see to drive. I no longer drive, but called his father who took us to a speciality clinic where he saw a different optomologist who represcibed an ointment to be used. So we went to a Boston Market and bought two turkey dinners and stayed home alone.

On the weekend I had an opportunity to see my only grandchild who is 11 months old. He doesn't talk but is very vocal and is walking at 11 months. He is adorable.

Hey Steve do you suppose the lobsters had a merry Thanksgiving and were too stuffed to go for your traps? (just kidding!)

My husband took me for a drive to let me see Christmas light displays. Some people go way out buying anything on the market that represents Christmas. Believe it or not, one house had a rifle totin blow up snowman in a Hunters vest. I did not see one manger scene. What happened to the meaning of Christmas other than a lift for consumer sales to lift the market sales at the end of the year?

Happy Holidays,
Vicky

[proudest_mama]

Vicky,

That's one thing that I miss about living in Norway. The holidays there were truly reverent (all of them). It was changing, though, slowly, slowly, slowly and I'm not sure for the best. It would be interesting to go back and see the difference.

Your comments about house lights struck home, too. When we were there, we went to a movie (can't remember which one) and there was a scene showing a house with massive Christmas lights. The Norwegians laughed hysterically thinking that it was a "joke". I wanted to say, "Hey, we really DO that!"

I was glad to have the opportunity to fly our Norwegian babysitter out here. She flew into Chicago where we showed her the sights of the big city. From there, we drove her to our home in Oklahoma, with the scenery (and temperature!) changing drastically during that 450 mile drive. She also got to witness our highway system and how easy it is to travel from one state to the next. When I asked her what three things that I hadn't prepared her for, her answers were:

1) Everything really IS bigger in the U.S. (she thought I was exaggerating when I told her about our huge grocery stores, let alone everything else).
2) She's never lived somewhere where you go OUTSIDE to warm up (yes, it was summer in OKlahoma and we had that air conditioner blasting away; and
3) She never met so many people who were so friendly.

She opted to go to college in Florida and is still there. She's been trying for nearly seven years to get her "green card" equivalent but hasn't been successful ... in large part because she's not being oppressed because of her religion, her political views, etc.

Well, haven't I got off topic! Sorry everyone ... it seems as if I post like a maniac and then am gone for months only to repeat the cycle. Is anyone else like that?!

[Jaye]

Steve, my beloved spouse and I just got back from Carol's, where we spent Thanksgiving. Her art career is taking off, and you can see some of her paintings on YouTube at http://youtube.com/watch?v=cfr-g_yNwe0. Another of her videos called "Faces of Parkinson's" is there, too, at http://youtube.com/watch?v=7iu2zIDYOOo&feature=related (see anyone you know?). We had an absolutely wonderful time. I have known Carol in person since 2001.

Wish I knew you all in person, but IMHO NeuroTalk is the next best thing. I'm going to the PAN Forum in February. I urge everyone to go if at all possible. I always meet some new folks, visit with those I know, and learn more than I imagined I would. More info at www.parkinsonsaction.org.

Vicky, you describe your experiences so well! I'm with you on the meaning of Christmas. I don't mind if others celebrate the winter solstice or whatever they feel is important, but Christmas, after all, represents the beginning of a way of life that can be very beneficial (not counting those who distort its message for profit). My street looks like the people worship the snow god, or maybe it's the junkyard for Macy's parades, in my not-so-humble and strongly held opinion. Of course others obviously have different views than mine, and that's okay, too.

Teri, I pray for calm, peace, wisdom, and fortitude for you as you go through these changes.

Jaye

[stevem53]

It certainly was a pleasure to meet Carol at the WPC..Her art is so unique..It has its own obvious signature like a Rockwell, or like a Picasso does..No mistaking that it is Carols work

[olsen]

thank you for sharing Carol's utube link--WOW! Love the vibrancy of Carol's work as well as the ethereal, entrancing portraits. madelyn

[vertigo]

Hello friends- ,
I read and learn in this forum ,glad i took the chance and joined in-. My mind remember you as persons ,slowly ,with your own color and smile you become real.
This week YOU gave me the new tema, : Itīs me that has changed, not my family-. Thankīs.
I found Carols art a little scaring, I could hardly bread ,no space, it is her pain, really.
This week winter has arrived , snow and wind, short days. On Sunday we light the first advent candle , in 3 weeks it is CHRISTMAS.

[ol'cs]

no gain? Side stilll hurts from fall, doc thinks i'm a hypochondriac because i thought that i ruptured my spleen. What sucks is it hurts when i laugh.
Allopurinol not working now, got a mean bout of gout, anybody else had the pleasure? 7 colchicine and oxycontin and indomethacin all night long with my foot held over the end of the bed, and i still can barely get myself to the loo. Stopped taking my effexor just to see how much a human can take!. Reread Lord of the flies and found out! I'm just a big wimp like my wife and my doc's say
Spent thanksgiving alone, family didn't want to be around me
Fell down 3 more times, and one because I WAS DRUNK.

Well it's all right now, in fact it's a gas!!!