What do I have to be thankful about?

As I started my 30 Days of Thanksgiving 2012 this year I started out thinking, all of this is going to be about PAIN.  Why?  I could say that it was the wish of Rest Ministries to discuss pain each day, but it wasn't.  It's because I started out
in the ER with a kidney stone that blew through my right kidney.  I slept (right, more like I cat napped for one hour at a time all through the night) there one night.  They seemed perplexed that I couldn't pass any urine.  Well that's why I was there...  I had urinary problems.  <enter sarcasm in the above>

So I sat there talking to my husband (THANK YOU LORD FOR UNITING JOHN AND I IN MARRIAGE ALMOST 20 YEARS AGO!) and thank you for two wonderful step son (grown men).  My husband sat with me until I started to get sleepy and then he went home.  One thing that I've learned is that my husband will support me through anything!  Because ladies, if your man will pull apart the catheter tubes and clean the urine off of them with sterile alcohol wipes and measure your urine and keep track of it in on a tablet, every single time you pee!

So I started writing my days of thanks!  Each one of them was written in total fear.  I basically was on the end of the lifeline and telling God that I do trust him but would He "really" take care of me?  My final diagnosis with my kidneys is that:  1.  The left kidney is super small.  2.  The right kidney is the only one working.  The left one doesn't do a thing.  That was the toughest thing to do and I put all my trust in my husband and my mom (a registered nurse) and my doctors (as I should) but what an awful burden that was for my incredible husband.   So I started reading (well my husband started reading this book to me) "Do You Trust Me?"  <Allowing Hope to Triumph Over Tragedy> by Jessica Leigh Johnson.   This book is about this mother's struggle while having lost her daughter to death at the age of 4.   As John read the pages all I could think was, "How can I be so scared of this when that mother went through the loss of her daughter?"

 

purchase here  

My husband faces his own surgery in the New Year or maybe earlier if they say he has to.  It's related to his colon.  That upsets me immediately because his mom (90 years young!) has/had cancer of the colon.  She's in the nursing home on Hospice.  So all the while he realized that he missed his own appointment where the Dr. would tell him what his surgery is all about and when to schedule it.  Thank the Lord that TODAY he found out that his appointment is next Tuesday.  I'll be doing anything for him with that appointment!

What I didn't want to do this year was have a GENERIC Thanksgiving!  Like putting up the typical quizzes, facts, recipes, The best in Thanks Pinning, decorations for the house, etc...






 

And this definitely didn't make me smile because it's that time
again when my husband and I and our landlord get very depressed.  For my husband and I we see a therapist and have medication, but a good friend who is a neighbor is very depressed and physically feeling bad.  So we try to step in and do some little things to break him out of that mood and into something happy.  But we don't want to step on his feet because I know that the one thing that I wished had happened the most for us is that someone brought us a covered dish meal and help break us out of our depression.   John made a delicious meal that we Californians enjoy year-round...  Avocado Potato Salad.  OMGOSH!  It is to die for!  If you want the recipe, let me know in the comments.   Thanks!

So let me tell you what I think about that verse "A cheerful heart is good medicine."  I think no matter what it takes we should try to get ourselves happy again.  Maybe it's the Bible for some, reading good books (secular and non secular) or watch incredibly goofy shows (and for me it's reality tv at night before I go to sleep because I like that my life is not that bad or made up to be that bad).  You find your thing...  is it crafts?  Blogging?  Earning extra money?  Giving to the ones who have less than you?  Random acts of Kindness?  Not shopping on Black Friday?  Waiting a little bit longer this year to put up the Christmas Decorations except for ONE decoration!  Try to put it somewhere that is out of plain sight and visit with it when you want.  Then all of a sudden you will find that you can take out two decorations and then three and so on!  Or whatever your faith is and what you practice or don't practice.

Articles about Depression and the Holidays: CLICK HERE


Wishing you all the best for each day til we reach the end of the year!  And then guess what... it's a NEW YEAR!  Maybe you should do like John and I do and hang up the MISTLETOE first!  And do it at the kitchen or bedroom...  and watch miracles happen.                               

Pin photo on MediaPin

Pin photo on MediaPin

BEST TIMES for GIVEAWAYS!

Courtesy of: Rafflecopter

Your SWAGBUCKS at work to help the RED CROSS!

I am not using my affiliation number to receive any SwagBucks in return from what you may choose to do with your own using the following link.

Source:  LA TIMES

 Click Here to send your SwagBucks!  We were saving so long that I had enough to send $50.00!   I'm so glad that I saved them this long!  Praise the Lord for that!

Every Swag Buck donated equals $0.01, so donating 1,000 Swag Bucks is equivalent to donating ten dollars. Please support the American Red Cross as well as those affected by Superstorm Sandy and donate your Swag Bucks today.

 Please click on this link to send your SB's!  Thanks friends! 



http://www.swagbucks.com/p/prize/32158/American-Red-Cross-Superstorm-Sandy-Relief-Fund

http://www.wetpaint.com/jersey-shore/articles/hurricane-sandy-destroys-seaside-heights-how-can-you-help


http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/2012/1105/Sandy-relief-How-trips-to-the-Hamptons-turned-into-a-mission-of-mercy

Source:  WIKI

Update on my health:  I am passing another stone today  and the pain has been 10/10 ... just pumping in the cranberry juice, pomegrante juice and other herbal remedies here that have been helpful. 

Thank you Lord for no blood in my catheter!  

30 Days of Thankfulness

30 DAYS OF THANKFULNESSS

Everyday until Thanksgiving, I will be posting a different thing that I am thankful for.  I’d really appreciate it if you would play along and leave a comment each day of something you’re thankful for.

DAY ONE:  No blood in my catheter.
DAY TWO:  No blood in the catheter and pain pills are working!
DAY THREE:  Passing another stone today and have been in 10/10 pain for 8 hours now and I'm thankful that my husband is by my side today while I lie in bed on my back or side, and he's giving me all the juices and tonight a green smoothie from Jamba Juice to get the greens in me!  Found ideal nutritional information at PubMed to tell of us things that I should be eating to help pass the stone!  Thankful for Christian friends from back East who are praying for me (even though they have a disaster to take care of) and the good thoughts of prayers of friends who live in other parts of the country who are praying.
God bless all of you!

Happy Halloween and update on my condition!

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!
(or the day after)

We didn't have as many kids as last year so now we have all this tempting candy here and we were wondering what to do with it to get it out of the house so we don't eat it all :0)   So
here is the plan and where we received the idea with a picture and instructions!  Let me know if this sounds interesting to you?

           photo courtesy of ALL FREE CHRISTMAS CRAFTS!


A huge trend in crafting is mason jars. Gifts in a jar, desserts in a jar - there are so many ways to reuse this versatile supply! As you head into the holiday season, save those glass jars instead of popping them into the recycle bin. Don't just fill them with treats and give them away during the holiday season. Turn this simple gift into a fun Christmas craft. Gift ideas should be catered to the recipient, so many some labels and add elements that really capture the person's attitude and personality. Use felt, a needle and thread to add a fun touch to your simple gift in a jar.

A huge trend in crafting is mason jars. Gifts in a jar, desserts in a

Read more at http://www.allfreechristmascrafts.com/DIY-Christmas-Gifts/5-Homemade-Christmas-Gifts-for-Adults/#PMUhOzRzoD4QDF47.99

 

UPDATE:  Things went downhill FAST yesterday when I had all blood in my cath. and we had to go back to the ER and come to find out that the nurse that did my discharge placed the cath. on the bottom part of my leg (causing it to pull and pull hard). 
So they gave me pain medication and cleaned up the irritation in my private area and used a huge plastic needled to pull out the urine that had built up and wasn't going into the bag.    Today I'm hurting almost worse there and I am drinking like crazy to get the fluids to go through fast and hopefully stop this pain.  I have pain meds and so I already took them.  We may need to go to the ER again because of this pain today.  Please keep praying and sending good thoughts my way and I'll keep you updated on my condition.  Thanks friends and followers!

I'm back!

Hi friends and followers....   it's been a long absence for me and I wish I could ride in with balloons and happy thoughts but it's been a rough and rougher road for me physically through these months that I've not been here.  

First the summer in all it's beauty here took me by storm with my camera and then the deepest, darkest depression just set in one day and was with me (and still continues to be) for months now.  My Dr's have been working so hard with med. changes and the fact that I'm even here right now sharing this with you is because I think we have finally caught on to a fix!  Praise God! 

And now I'm challenged with a new problem... kidney problems.  They are not known yet and as I discover answers to the many questions that lie ahead with my new urologist (first appointment will be this Thursday in the morning) I will share them with you!  I suddenly developed horrible pain in my abdomen and back on Saturday and after 4 hours of realizing it was not going to go away, John and I went to the ER.  I had an erupted kidney (most likely caused by a stone) and my other kidney is too small.  All of that information as to the why, what, will be coming to me starting on Thursday.  As for now, I am wearing a most uncomfortable catheter and will have that removed on Thursday with the Urologist.   So if you are reading this, please keep me in your prayers.  It's one day at a time right now! 

Our hearts go out to those affected by the hurricane back East and our prayers...

John and Carolyn

Lawry's Marinades and Seasoned Salt Review

This summer, two new marinades are joining the LAWRY'S^® lineup:

• Santa Fe Chili with Lime and Garlic – Blends chili pepper, cumin, oregano, garlic and a splash of lime for robust Southwest-style cooking
• Mediterranean Herb & White Wine – Features fragrant herbs like basil and oregano, along with white wine, extra virgin olive oil, garlic and sun-dried tomato

And inspired cooking doesn't stop with the marinades. LAWRY'S^® Seasoned Salt has been a family favorite for over seven decades, packing an expert blend of salt, herbs and spices. Whether you're grilling for your family or serving friends at a summer BBQ, LAWRY'S^® products help make any meal extraordinary.

As a Bzz Agent I received the two bottles mentioned above, a Lawry's red apron, coupons for Lawry's products and a bottle of Lawry's Seasoned Salt.  This is a picture of the products I received (minus the apron):

Here is my husband with the apron and the marinades:

We made the meats (pork) with the two marinades and here's the final products:

JUST THE FACTS:

LAWRY'S^® marinades and spice blends will wake up the flavor in your favorite meals all year long. Here's a taste of what they offer:
LAWRY'S^® Marinades

• Baja Chipotle with Lime Juice
• Balsamic Herb with Italian Spices and Balsamic Vinegar
• Buffalo BBQ with Cayenne Pepper and Vinegar
• Caribbean Jerk with Papaya Juice
• Hawaiian with Tropical Fruit Juice
• Herb & Garlic with Lemon Juice
• Lemon Pepper
• Mediterranean Herb & White Wine
• Mesquite with Lime Juice

• Original Seasoned Salt with Sweet and Savory Spices
• Santa Fe Chili with Lime and Garlic
• Sesame Ginger with Mandarin Orange Juice
• Signature Steakhouse
• Steak & Chop with Garlic & Cracked Black Pepper
• Szechuan Sweet and Sour BBQ
• Teriyaki with Pineapple Juice
• Tuscan Sun-Dried Tomato with Minced Garlic and Olive Oil

LAWRY'S^® Spice Blends

• Black Pepper Seasoned Salt
• Fire Roasted Chile & Garlic
• Garlic Pepper
• Garlic Powder with Parsley
• Garlic Salt
• Garlic Spread

• Lemon Pepper Seasoning
• Original Seasoned Salt
• Roasted Garlic Salt
• Salt Free 17
• Seasoned Salt w/ Mediterranean Herbs
• 25% Less Sodium Seasoned Salt

Santa Fe Chicken with Corn Salsa
1/2 cup Lawry's^® Santa Fe Chile with Lime and Garlic Marinade
1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup orange juice
1 1/2 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast halves
1 can (15 oz.) whole kernel corn, well drained
1 large tomato, chopped
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1/4 cup chopped red onion
MIX Marinade, cilantro and orange juice. Place chicken in glass dish. Add 1/2 cup of the marinade mixture; turn to coat well. Refrigerate 30 minutes.
TOSS corn, tomato, bell pepper and onion with 1/4 cup of the remaining marinade mixture. Set aside. Remove chicken from marinade. Discard marinade.
GRILL chicken over medium heat 6 to 7 minutes per side or until cooked through, brushing with remaining marinade mixture. Serve with Corn Salsa.
Makes 6 servings.

I am a Bzz Agent and received the products to write this review but the opinions are mine and I was not told what to write for this review.  I hope you will try the products yourself!

Tribute to the Aurora Victims from others (pics)

Eileen is on a group with me for the victims and she drew this picture and is sharing with everyone!

The above are the 12 memorials to the 12 who were killed.   Now I have more pictures of the surrounding area.  I don't have the names of the above to match their cross.

Be. Wine Review

I am a Bzz Agent and this is a great product to be able to review!  It came with several $1.00/off coupons for any of the 4 varieties of Be. Wine.  It also came with a Be. small mirror, Be. small lip gloss, Be. small container of mints and a Be. double nail file.  It's as if they knew me perfectly and the little things I like to carry in my handbag!

There are 4 different Be. Wines:


1. Be. Flirty Pink Moscato – This mischievous Moscato, with rich berry and delicate floral notes, is made to be sipped with a wink and a smile
2. Be. Bright Pinot Grigio – This effortlessly drinkable Pinot Grigio keeps things light, with sun-ripened citrus flavors and a crisp, fresh finish
3. Be. Fresh Chardonnay – This cheeky Chardonnay energizes taste buds with crisp green apple flavors and zesty hints of citrus
4. Be. Radiant Riesling – This dynamic Riesling blend brings an exuberant vibe with tantalizing fruit flavors and bright floral notes

When I first went to Ralphs (Kroger) the only Be. Wine that they had was the 2011 Be. Flirty Pink Moscato wine so I bought it and brought it home and poured a glass.  I really didn’t like it.  Not everyone likes the same kind of wine but I didn’t want to give up on the wine so I got the idea of making a punch and searched for recipes and came up with the following:
Grapefruit in Moscato  (by Martha Stewart)
•    1 ruby red grapefruit, chilled
•    4 sugar cubes, preferably raw sugar such as turbinado or demerara, or a couple slight spoonfuls granulated or superfine sugar
•    1 bottle (750-ml) Moscato d’Asti

I knew that the Moscato d’Asti was sparkling so that got to me to think about trying my Martinelli’s Sparkling Prickly Passion Lemonade with the 2011 Be. Flirty Pink Moscato wine. I figured that the sweet berry flavors of the wine would blend well with the prickly passion fruit lemonade.  And I was right!  It was delicious.  The Martinelli’s is a lightly carbonated blend of filtered water, sugar, lemon, passion fruit, raspberry and prickly pear juices from concentrate. Contains 11% juice.

A new neighbor moved in behind our house and so I thought what a perfect time to give out a bottle of wine and $1.00 off coupon!  So I gave him his choice of three and he chose the Be. Bright Pinot Grigio.  He saw me on that weekend and said that he enjoyed it with a friend and was anxious to use the coupon to buy another bottle for another night with his friend! That sounded wonderful.  I was so happy I was able to share in that event.

I also went to a party and took Pinot and Chardonnay with me and everyone really loved and enjoyed those.  I now have three bottles in my house to enjoy with visiting friends or take to an event with me.  That is how I used the rest of the coupons.   I hope you have the opportunity to try one or more of these Be. Wines and will share with me how you enjoyed them.

Groupon Problems

When was the last time you saw a COUPONER promoting GROUPON?  I haven't in a long time and hopefully you haven't either.  In case you have be sure to tell them about this blog and the blogs mentioned here. What is Groupon?


Trouble is stirring about for those who have used GROUPON for their company.  Here are some of the stories:


GROUPON PROBLEMS-Esquire

The Trouble with Groupon-Slate

Back Alley Waffles...Groupon   (This article was updated to include comment from a spokesperson for Groupon.)

Groupon Exposes Customer Emails In Google Results...Again 

Groupon Baby Name Deal: Site Offers To Name Your Baby 'Clembough' For $1,000 

Christian Bale visits survivors in Aurora, CO

Christian Bale visited the victims (as HiMSELF, not representing Warner Bros.) of the shooting in Aurora, CO.  In the wake of the shooting, Bale released a statement saying, "Words cannot express the horror that I feel. I cannot begin to truly understand the pain and grief of the victims and their loved ones, but my heart goes out to them."

The photo album of the shooting victims can be found here.  Messages of sympathy for the victims can be found here.  
Story and photos found here.

Why does God allow the innocent to suffer?

 "Why does God allow the innocent to suffer?"

special note:  It is my wish to not write my words tonight about this horrible situation but rather give the words of someone else who wrote about the topic "Why does God allow the innocent to suffer" I don't have the answer to that question but I do know that many people ask it.  So tonight I post this topic.

The "state" of Penn State

What is the "state" of Penn State?

Last night I was contacted by the Dr. Drew staff to call and comment live on his show with the comment that I made to his question about PSU taking down the statue of Joe Paterno.   Unfortunately I did not get to my email in time for the live show to respond to the email and call the staff.  But I did reply to the show staff with this response:

Hi XXX,
I'm so sorry that I didn't check my email in time for tonight's program with Dr. Drew but I left a message on your machine explaining to you that I'm a former educator myself of Severely Emotionally Disturbed children (and am out of teaching right now on a physical disability) and I'd be happy to call in and comment with Dr. Drew about this situation. 

I'm a Pennsylvania transplant living here in Southern California (26 years now) and am married and have two grown adult sons.  I would love the opportunity to write/speak with someone influential to this situation at hand at Penn State and share my suggestions with him/her/them.

I think the key is education.  The statue and the football program are side issues. That's something physical that would only stir up riots within the school.  I think the  best thing to do about that statue (in my humble opinion) is to have the Joe Paterno family buy a gate/fence and enclose the statue and retire it to some part of the campus that is not highly visible.  This way he is not the focus of the football team/program.

Start now and require the professors to come back to campus earlier than usual and have a professional team come on campus and teach them about abuse (physical, mental, emotional and spiritual) and then test them at the end and require that all staff (including the professors) be trained in this and please don't call it "sensitivity training" because we are not just 'sensitive" to the matter, we are proactive!

Then when school starts, every freshman takes a required course for graduation in their freshman year (and every student in the university takes the course to graduate).  Immerse the school in education. 

Dr. Drew is a prime example of an educator.  He uses his show to educate the viewers and the people who come on the program.  Not everyone accepts the education but everyone is given the same free opportunity to receive it.  

I will stop here so you don't regret having asked me to comment...  :o)

Regards,
Carolyn


I tried calling the phone line today but got the voice mail and did not leave a message as tonight Dr. Drew is discussing Sex and Relationships and this is off-topic for the topics that he is covering.  I won't try again tomorrow.  They know how to contact me if they care to reach me and in the meantime I'm going to draft a more professional type letter to PSU (a number of offices) and will probably link that letter to this one when that happens.


UPDATED NEWS:
NCAA results
Big 10 results
PSU reaction to results
Sports Poll about your feelings

Michael Watkins wrote:

My hopes after today’s NCAA sanctions against Penn State.

To Penn State University:
Use these events to become the world’s biggest advocate for children. Raise money for children in need. Create safe and fun camps during the summer that allow children who can’t afford other camps an opportunity to experience a taste of college life and the benefits it brings. Donate unsold sports tickets to Big Brother/Sister. Make the location that held JoePa’s statue an entrance for children. Pull the football team buses up to that area. Allow the children to line “their entrance.” Have the team enter that gate, high fiving the children and making incredible memories for each one of them.

To my family and friends who are Penn State fans:
Stop the debate about Joe Paterno’s involvement, the fairness of the sanctions and where the blame should go. At this point, every discussion continues to delay moving forward. Accept that terrible things happened and bad choices were made. Move on and accept we’re not what we were. Continue to cheer the Nittany Lions on Saturdays. Don’t cancel your season tickets. Go and cheer them on, even when they’re far outmatched. Regardless of final scores, cheer a group of young men who are there despite millions of reasons to go elsewhere. Celebrate their sacrifice, cheer their courage and make them know you appreciate their effort. Leave the trash talk at home. Welcome opposing fans. Cheer both teams as they enter the field. Become a fan base that is known for being the most gracious in all of the land. If you can’t go to a game, give your tickets to a kid who may never get to go to a game otherwise. Don’t know one? Call Big Brother or Big Sister of Centre or Clinton Counties. They’ll get them in the hands of a kid who will remember the game forever.

To the players who will take the field the next four years:
Play with all your heart, giving 110% every down. Know that we’ll cheer for you, win or lose. You playing for Penn State, under these circumstances, makes us proud of you and appreciate you. Don’t trash talk or taunt. Let your effort and passion speak for itself. Hit your opponent and help them back up to knock them down again. Hand the ball to the refs. Make “success with honor” applicable again at Penn State.

To Coach O’Brien:
Show us passion and energy that we haven’t had in a coach in years. Teach honorably, win graciously, and lose humbly. Recruit kids the next four years that are great leaders. Worry less about wins and more about restoring Penn State to the respectable, outstanding university it was. Know we’ll cheer you, love you and support you…win or lose.

The worst day just passed. It’s time to become a blue and white sea of people who lift up kids, live with honor and support a bigger purpose than the scoreboard. WE ARE…PENN STATE!

What would you do?  What are your thoughts?