Farm Town Long Sleeve Shirt by slashkey

I'd Rather be Farming! (Virtual Farming) by MyRazzleDazzle

Spaghetti Cat by jamierushad

What are Zazzle's 12 Deals of Christmas?

30% of the Zazzle Custom Stamp, mousepad, keychain, button, magnet, bumper sticker, and round sticker net sale price will be deducted when the coupon code 12DEALSSTUFF is applied at checkout.

3 Snowmen wearing scarves Postage by LisaMarieArt

Christmas Party Postage Stamps by Susie_McCaffrey

Tree Trimming Friends by gabycat

Today is DAY THREE of the 12 deals of Christmas and your deal is:

FREE SHIPPING when you order $25 Dollars or more of Zazzle stuff!

Avery Binders!
 

colorful christmas ornaments notebook-01 by dooni_notebooks

The Nutcracker Binder by IslandVintage

When I Was Little Photo Album averyphotobindercont by littlegoose

I know, I know. I have not posted any photos of my crafts in a long time! Well, I have been a bit busy over this last Summer and Fall, but the Winter is shaping up to be a good crafting season, so there will be more to browse...I promise!

If you want to easily view my past crafts, check out this link to view my Flickr photo sharing pages (or click on the link to the top right-hand side of my blog). They're all neatly organized in an easy-to-view format.

Have fun...and check back here around Christmas time for some knitting, sewing and such project photos!

-RM

It might surprise you, dear readers, to know that I rarely find joy in anything. Disappointment builds character and I am brimming with character. I am so used to hitting snags and being turned down and cold cocked with "NO" that some days I don't even try. I just wait for sleep and dread waking up. Today is not one of those days, my friends!

Jingle Bells

When I went home to Arkansas in September, one of my goals was to get my mother's copy of Christmas with the Mexicali Brass and take it back to Canada to do a phono to cd burn. Sure, it was scratchy and skippy and possibly unplayable...but I had to have that record. So, I ask mom and she points to the album sorter. You know the kind. Looks like it's made of clothes hanger wire and you slip a single album in each slot...So I furiously slide each album up looking for the Mexicali Brass and when I find it I squeel! Then I mutter, "sonofabitch." All album cover, no album. Mom says it's in there somewhere. Yeah, but where?

Today I was feeling kind of festive - getting out the wreath and stockings and all. I started thinking about that Mexicali Brass record and how much I would like to listen to it while I decorate or make cookies...just like when I was little. My mom would hit the egg nog and before too long we were dancing in the kitchen to mariachi-fied Christmas songs. Long story short - itunes has the whole album and it is clean and remastered and now it IS MINE!!! I think I felt a little joy today. When you are used to hitting snags and being turned down and cold cocked with "NO" as much as I am - a little "yes!" goes a long way.

03 The First Noel

The Mexicali Brass

08 Deck the Halls

The Mexicali Brass

This is to my husband, with whom I am now back together, and will always cherish for being the man he is.

My life tells me not its breadth,

But with your love, I find its depth.

-Micol Day

Love you always, Cory!

I want to believe in doctors, but my past experience makes it very hard to trust anything any of them have to say.
Yesterday I found myself in the walk in clinic up the street to get a refill on some meds. While I was in there I mentioned to the doctor that I had a severe pain running down my legs after walking a few blocks. I stood up, pulled up the leg of my jeans and ran my finger down the outer side of my leg - between the knee and ankle. I specified that the pain is from here (about an inch below by knee cap) to here (just about my ankle bone). I told her that it starts out as a slight burn, but if I continue to walk the burn becomes quite intense and I tend to lose the feeling in my feet. If I rest, the pain subsides (after about 5 minutes) but resumes when I start walking again. I also told her that it was quite the problem since I walk in Vancouver, I do not drive. Most stores I frequent are within walking distance. The pain is excrutiating and it keeps me from being as mobile as I would like.

I told her I bought some shoe inserts and her response was, "and they work?"
If they worked I wouldn't be telling you about the pain, now would I?

I said that it doesn't matter what shoes I wear but I do not have this pain when I ride my stationary bike...only walking.
I also told her that I didn't notice it so much in the past, but that might be because in Arkansas I didn't do as much long distance walking, like I do in Vancouver or when we are on vacation and out sightseeing.

So after telling her all of that here is what she said.
"You have a pinched nerve in your spine. You need X-rays."
I said, "Really, you think that's what it is?"
She says, "Well, the other thing it could be is PAD - but you don't want that. People with diabeties and other chronic illnesses have that. You aren't there."
"Ok. The pain doesn't run up my hip or thigh...just my lower leg."

"How long have you had this problem? Did you have it in the States too?"
"Yes, but it was not as noticiable because it only happens when I am in a situation where I find myself walking a lot."
I was pretty sure I had made this point already but I found myself going through it again, in a more illustrative way. "You see, in Arkansas I was a driver. I didn't walk to the store or anywhere to get to places. Walking the Target parking lot then strolling the aisles isn't the same kind of walking that I do now. I had a very bad episode in Philidelphia several years ago while sightseeing and doing a lot of walking, but I chalked that up to legs not used to walking great distances. I thought it was weak muscles...but my legs should be used to walking by now. I shouldn't hurt this bad. My feet shouldn't go numb after walking 2 blocks."

"So, here is what I want you to do - change your shoes. Don't wear the shoes you are wearing."
I stopped her. I thought I had already gone over this.
"It doesn't matter what shoes I wear. I have Converse sneakers, leather boots, track shoes, Reeboks, slip ons...it doesn't matter what shoe I have on - and I don't wear heels so that is not an issue either."
Didn't I just show you the brand new arch support I put in the shoe???
"Well, I don't think it's anything too serious."
"But I can't walk."

She took a breath. "Hmmm, well it looks like you haven't had a physical in a while...we should schedule you for a complete physical."
Nice way to change the subject.

So a few minutes later I found myself getting 8 spinal Xrays. SIX maybe but...I am not sure why I had to get EIGHT GOD DAMNED X-RAYS. Seems excessive.

I need to find another doctor.

Marc talks about prison food and the hypocrisy of alcoholic politicians...

Marc Emery's Prison Potcast - Episode #1 | Cannabis Culture Magazine

http://www.cannabisculture.com/v2/con...

Emery, who is current locked up at the North Fraser Pretrial Centre, is awaiting extradition to the United States where he could serve a 5-year prison sentence after being targeted by the government for selling marijuana seeds over the Internet and using the money to fund activist organizations.

A week or so ago I saw a blurb from one of my long time friends (Brad) on facebook about a mutual acquaintance. To cut to the chase, Charles Zook needs a dog. Not just any dog, but a service dog.

When I knew Charles in the way way back, he wasn't in a chair. I didn't know Charles had been in an accident and when I saw him after a large time gap I reacted in what I can only describe as a "am I dreaming this?" moment. I literally had to search my memory and reassure myself this chair was new and then I tried not to get emotional...so my reaction was pretty stupid. Acting casual when you are in shock and disbelief is rarely pulled off with grace. Sorry, Zook.

Charles

Birthers, Tea Baggers and all you other loons...I can not believe so many people are willing to make fools of themselves in public and for what? Were you promised a klondike bar or something?

What else are you willing to do in order to please your corporate masters? Shout down people, burn effigies, bully and harass, be ignorant for the sake of being ignorant? Makes me wonder what you good citizens are like at home. Do you react irrationally on a regular basis? Are you really this pig headed or are you feigning ignorance just to be contrary? Children will do that, you know.

Perhaps the reason why those puppet masters of yours want you to disrupt and step on the rights of others is because they don't want you actually hearing anything that might be considered detrimental to their fiscal health. Hell, most of you don't even know the basics like where your Medicare/Medicaid comes from! I know it's hard to admit when you are wrong, but you don't have to be wrong and stupid. Wrong and stupid is no way to live your life...

Remember how disappointed Ralphie was when he got his Little Orphan Annie decoder ring only to find out it was nothing more than a marketing tool for Ovaltine? Are you seeing similarities yet? No?