tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-67191989358012620402024-03-24T14:36:25.427-07:00Spoons & StitchesA random list of posts about fiber arts and living with fibromyalgia.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-57078171689225125312019-02-27T11:35:00.001-08:002019-02-27T11:35:23.443-08:00Mental Health CareBack when I began this experiment with hemp oil, I told you that I was hoping for some help with depression and mental health. Naturally, that kind of treatment takes time to show results. Any psychiatrist will tell you that mental health is a slow change and most prescription drugs show results only after six to eight weeks. Well, it's been about that finally!<br />
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The good news is that I am seeing results! I was an emotional wreck for most of last autumn (the instigating reasons aren't relevant here). I was working through a LOT of emotional baggage. With a number of unexpected challenges that hit me and my family in quick succession, my depression increased tremendously as my morale decreased. I needed something to help me do the necessary emotional work to get back on an even keel.<br />
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<a href="https://shop.myqsciences.com/jcpmoore/Products" target="_blank">Q Sciences broad spectrum hemp oil, Q Fuse</a>, is what I've been taking. In my previous posts I have told you how much it's helped with my energy, pain, and brain fog. Now I am comfortable saying that it has helped me to get back together emotionally and my depression is under control. It's no happy pill, mind you. I doesn't alter my mood in any way. I just have found that now my emotions are manageable and that has been helpful for me and my family. It couldn't have come too soon, either, since life has been an emotional roller coaster lately.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-29858683989962902182019-02-15T12:39:00.001-08:002019-02-15T12:39:53.466-08:00Condition Management Updates: Banishing FogGreetings everyone! Sorry I missed last week's update. It's been a crazy couple of weeks in my volunteer organizations.<br />
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<i>If you've been following my blog, you know that <a href="https://spoonsnstitches.blogspot.com/2019/01/pain-updates-and-next-steps-for-pain.html" target="_blank">this year I have chosen a goal of managing my fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, and orthostatic tachycardia syndrome myself as naturally as possible</a>. I have worked with doctors in the past for all three of these condition. However, the first two have not improved and in fact have been getting worse. I continue to work with my cardiologist on the last one.</i><br />
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So this week's update is a bit more of the same--things getting better when I remember to take the <a href="http://jcpmoore.myqsciences.com/" target="_blank">Q-Fuse full spectrum hemp oil</a>. I realized this week, though, that I haven't been including my brain fog progress. How's that for irony? Now if you have fibormyalgia, chances are you know the term "fibro fog" all too well. I ended up leaving my last paying job because my brain fog was so bad that I could not do the work. Caffeine can help for a short time, but I needed something better--and I found it in the hemp oil. When I take it twice a day as I have been doing, I am able to focus enough to make a plan and execute it. It's even helped with my ADD quite a bit. I'm able to focus on one project at a time, long enough to make progress. That's a huge change from my usual short, sporadic attention span.<br />
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Energy is the other great help with this hemp oil. I gave that one a serious test this week. As some of you know, I work as an on-call chaplain. This week I was called at 1:30 am and did not return to my bed until after 5:30 am. I suck at going to sleep quickly, so didn't manage to get back to sleep before the alarm went off at 7 am to get the kids up. I was committed to helping at the boys' school all day wit a two-hour break for lunch in the middle. I made sure to take my Q Fuse first thing and limited the caffeine to avoid starting a jittery chain reaction from too much caffeine. The amazing thing is that I had a great day! I was awake with a normal energy level and focus.<br />
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So, I'm beginning to think that this experiment is going very well and maybe ready to move to "proven" on the scientific scale. I'll keep using this <a href="http://jcpmoore.myqsciences.com/" target="_blank">hemp oil</a>.<br />
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Next step of the experiment now is finding a way to improve my sleep without drugs. More on that next time.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-27299150300783713192019-01-30T11:00:00.000-08:002019-01-30T11:00:01.252-08:00Pain Management Updates<i>So, if you've been following the saga, you know that this is part of my multi-year experiment to get my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue under control. I left work in 2016 due my complete disability to do my job. Symptoms that landed me in trouble: Extreme fatigue and exhaustion, brain fog and cognitive dysfunction, widespread pain, migraine, chronic knee pain, sleep disorder. I have tried a series of prescriptions from my doctors, including Cymbalta, amitriptyline, fluoxetine, gabapentin, cyclobenzaprine. None of these have worked for my pain, exhaustion, or sleep disorders. I have since decided to approach my health from a more natural viewpoint. </i><br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD6Gvn5mocKHt7G47ji9JrsTh4YWDNJOtrVBdLPZjz8llljae-dfAiy8CVBC9TqRCGL1TkmFjDGc7jb_wDz9yYpKOoHoPqrtweHL5IWsmQ7Nmg5cLMW2MIWsyefuiovpIaKVeQqTNBuk/s1600/7011206_732a7e70d8_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="375" data-original-width="500" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMD6Gvn5mocKHt7G47ji9JrsTh4YWDNJOtrVBdLPZjz8llljae-dfAiy8CVBC9TqRCGL1TkmFjDGc7jb_wDz9yYpKOoHoPqrtweHL5IWsmQ7Nmg5cLMW2MIWsyefuiovpIaKVeQqTNBuk/s320/7011206_732a7e70d8_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image copyright <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/aerosoul/" target="_blank">Rainer Vandalismus</a>. Used under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank">cc license</a>. </td></tr>
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I have tried <a href="https://spoonsnstitches.blogspot.com/2017/05/update-on-migraines-and-herbs.html" target="_blank">herbs for migraines</a> with considerable success. I have also tried <a href="https://spoonsnstitches.blogspot.com/2018/03/more-on-drug-resistant-migraines-and.html" target="_blank">bromelain and other natural remedies for chronic pain</a> with less success. Now I've decided to try hemp oil. This post continues the updates during my third week of this experiment.<br />
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This week I've continued to use the <a href="https://jcpmoore.myqsciences.com/" target="_blank">Q-Fuse full spectrum oil</a> by taking two half doses each day, one in the morning and one in the mid-afternoon. My research in hemp oil and CBD oil tells me that it should be helpful for chronic pain, headaches, fatigue, and depression, so that is my experiment.<br />
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During my first two weeks I've noticed a huge difference in my energy levels. To understand the phrase "huge difference," you first need to understand that my energy level is normally non-existent. I drag myself out of bed and force myself to that first cup of coffee so I can get moving enough to achieve anything. Most days I feel like I'm dragging a 50-pound chest out of bed with me. For the last two weeks I have been able to get myself moving with much less effort. My sleep isn't great, so I'm still tired in the morning, but I find that I can move pretty well after my dose of Q-fuse, coffee or not.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LwOZlaJBlZTDI6TDumZ-JY0Wdle8u1wWv6nV44y0b4jjbo0OL2WRrg321vbSpaPX1FHNAY4RbXtJ8-rxuK5Vv2g9uztXsSPsBAdAYs3sdHRH0zzLhaGaLXZ4ykTHuskv7JEs4mihcyw/s1600/3614005398_c96803bd64_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="500" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8LwOZlaJBlZTDI6TDumZ-JY0Wdle8u1wWv6nV44y0b4jjbo0OL2WRrg321vbSpaPX1FHNAY4RbXtJ8-rxuK5Vv2g9uztXsSPsBAdAYs3sdHRH0zzLhaGaLXZ4ykTHuskv7JEs4mihcyw/s320/3614005398_c96803bd64_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Image by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/iprozac/" target="_blank">iProzac</a> and used under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank">cc license</a>. </td></tr>
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<br />My second goal was to treat the chronic pain. This has been a partial success so far. The pain in my knees has been less, though still bothers me some. I've been able to go without my cane for three weeks now and that's been great. The cane is one distraction I don't need when I'm serving as a chaplain at a crisis scene.<br />
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The final goal of this experiment is treating depression. So far, no noticeable progress on that front. Most treatments of this kind take a minimum of 4-8 weeks to see results, so I will keep using it and hope that starts to show soon.<br />
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When I first started this experiment, I was afraid that I would see psychosomatic results--placebo effects, if you will. What I have noticed is that when I take the oil on-schedule, I feel much better. When I miss a dose or forget it, it becomes evident when I realize that I feel like I'm dragging. Every time I've felt completely exhausted in the last week it's been after I missed a dose or two of the oil and I felt better after I took it.<br />
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Another anecdote involves moving a refrigerator. Last weekend my husband decided it was time to rid ourselves of the extra refrigerator that was left by the last tenants of our house. His sister is in need of a new one after her house was flooded by Hurricane Florence last fall. So my husband, our friend, and myself got together and loaded a refrigerator onto a truck to transport it to the coast. The weekend before that, we moved a solid oak chest of drawers, a dresser, and two heavy chairs fro my mom's house to ours. After both incidents, I was reasonably sore but not in massive pain. Most importantly--no flare after either one!<br />
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I'm excited to keep this experiment going and see where it goes next!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-77937243532372934682019-01-23T11:00:00.000-08:002019-01-23T11:00:01.083-08:00Trying Something New--Updates This is my weekly update on the new therapy for my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. I decided in December that it was time to try something new, so I am working with a hemp-based, zero THC therapy to address my pain and energy loss.<br />
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This is my second week taking the therapy as two half doses taken in the morning and afternoon.<br />
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<b>Monday</b>: Took 2 half doses, both before lunch. During the morning I did my usual thing--sit around playing games on my tablet until after lunch. After lunch I left the house and visited someone in the hospital. While it's a big hospital with lots of walking, I did not feel fatigued during or after the visit. There's no need for us to go into all the yelling I did trying to figure out where to park. 😇😆 The only noteworthy thing is how draining that kind of stress usually is for me physically.<br />
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I spent the rest of my afternoon getting paperwork done and had a meeting that went until 8pm. At the end of the meeting I was still awake and not dragging, which was a good thing. Just after we broke up, I got called out to a crisis call. (I serve as an <a href="http://www.echap.org/" target="_blank">Emergency Chaplain in Durham County</a> and this was my on-call shift.) I spent the next two hours supporting first responders and comforting a family that lost a son. I got home around 10:30pm. What amazed me is that while I was tired, it was a <i>normal</i> level of fatigue. I haven't felt that normal in 18 years.<br />
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<b>Tuesday</b>: I was fatigued and got up late due to getting to sleep late after my call. As usual, I grabbed my hemp oil (half dose) and a cup of coffee and played a few games. I made lunch for me and my husband and then watched a couple episodes of Hell's Kitchen. After lunch, I felt energized enough to go for a walk. I decided to try a new route and drop by the grocery on the way home. It was 2.25 mile walk (including the store). I did a few sets of wall push-ups later as well. I took a second half dose around 3pm. That night I was able to make dinner and dessert and still wasn't completely exhausted.<br />
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<b>Wednesday</b>: I got up early on Wednesday and did a few hours of volunteer work. We lugged and set up equipment, did an hour presentation, then went home. Took my second dose around 3pm. I made dessert in the afternoon so we could have it after dinner, which I also made. I am feeling sore, mostly from yesterday's push-ups, and tired. However, I feel better than usual.<br />
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<b>Thursday</b>: I forgot my afternoon half dose today and I felt it. I didn't even realize until after dinner that I was back to dragging so badly (let's face it--that was the norm for so long it's easy to overlook). I didn't want to take it late, so I skipped it.<br />
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<b>Friday</b>: Took both my half-doses and felt physically good. My emotions were way low for personal reasons, though. My depression was definitely getting the best of me most of the day. I do not take anything else for that.<br />
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<b>Saturday</b>: Took both my half-doses and was able to go with my husband on two 90-minute drives and move furniture. I missed the afternoon dose (we weren't home yet and I forgot to bring it with me), but it wasn't too bad. My morning dose was late anyway, so it seemed to even out. By the time I was dragging it was bed time anyway.<br />
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<b>Sunday</b>: Depression was back on Sunday, though not as severely. I skipped church because I just didn't feel like sitting alone again. But the rest of the day was pretty good. Got groceries delivered and dinner cooked. I also made a menu for the rest of the week so I can keep making dinner without having to keep going to the store constantly. That night I took my family outside to see the Super Wolf Blood Moon. I usually skip events like that b/c it's so late, but we enjoyed it and it wasn't hard on me despite the cold.<br />
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All in all, I'm feeling optimistic about this therapy. I was afraid the first few days were just psychosomatic and my own optimism. However, this week has me feeling encouraged that this isn't false hope. I felt some soreness after workouts and some events of widespread pain, but both were much lower on the pain scale than usual. <br />
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I'm going to keep going with the half-doses twice a day and see how things go. I'm hopeful that this will help with my depression as well as the physical health, but that will take 5-8 weeks I think before an answer will be clear.<br />
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<i>For those of you who have asked, <a href="http://jcpmoore.myqsciences.com/" target="_blank">the therapy I'm using is called Q-Fuse</a> and I will be glad to share any specific information you are interested in. My goal with the blog has been information, not selling, which is why I haven't mentioned it much. </i>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-943656455935462532019-01-15T11:00:00.000-08:002019-01-15T15:21:09.895-08:00Trying New Fibromyalgia Remedies: Hemp<i>So, if you've been following the saga, you know that this is part of my multi-year experiment to get my fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue under control. I left work in 2016 due my complete disability to do my job. Symptoms that landed me in trouble: Extreme fatigue and exhaustion, brain fog and cognitive dysfunction, widespread pain, migraine, chronic knee pain, sleep disorder. I have tried a series of prescriptions from my doctors, including Cymbalta, amitriptyline, fluoxetine, gabapentin, cyclobenzaprine. None of these have worked for my pain, exhaustion, or sleep disorders. I have since decided to approach my health from a more natural viewpoint. </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRf4FtdhxgO_3Wu4ODZ9xG54-XVTI5rs7QhJWORggikyFVZekbFdASSxJ_NdLDO12qKjBUuw5yUG0Y8bCjb7PuWZBpYWvAraym9SMn3wrq6Cdt2WD8oCyhYk3CM9KrgCPR8xzS5IuHnUU/s1600/3621689077_990cc7d359_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="426" data-original-width="640" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRf4FtdhxgO_3Wu4ODZ9xG54-XVTI5rs7QhJWORggikyFVZekbFdASSxJ_NdLDO12qKjBUuw5yUG0Y8bCjb7PuWZBpYWvAraym9SMn3wrq6Cdt2WD8oCyhYk3CM9KrgCPR8xzS5IuHnUU/s320/3621689077_990cc7d359_z.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i style="font-size: medium;"><a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/criticalcapture/3621689077/in/photolist-6w36Z8-oG21VC-5DgkN-6sA3cE-5WoKsz-BWbS-4kCXBy-aD4jD8-6dZiwt-bCVQWG-BW9y-aQ4Lt4-3iFkmW-GvbNB-oWtnHw-aD8aeS-7sF2oc-75aaZk-aJkLtt-8mr8h7-7hNyyW-59rKme-v6dnv-49mqmp-dbWDqu-BW9w-24RYC5-bdsk1-SFEAAK-2zofZz-24RMNC-BM32Bs-5swqz3-HC8Js-5ss4dF-KFEMu-24Mnhn-ccYGEf-5swqGY-31c9Ar-24M1vg-qphNQQ-5swqC1-pQ7NDN-5jAjq9-72WAKw-ByP2s-6jx3oS-HC8DW-6hgaJG" target="_blank">Photo </a>by <a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/criticalcapture/" target="_blank">Chris H</a>, used according to <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/" target="_blank">license</a>.</i></td></tr>
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I have tried <a href="https://spoonsnstitches.blogspot.com/2017/05/update-on-migraines-and-herbs.html" target="_blank">herbs for migraines</a> with considerable success. I have also tried <a href="https://spoonsnstitches.blogspot.com/2018/03/more-on-drug-resistant-migraines-and.html" target="_blank">bromelain and other natural remedies for chronic pain</a>. Now I've decided to try hemp oil.<br />
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Hemp oil is all the rage right now for treating many autoimmune diseases, particularly the invisibile illnesses, such as fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, lupus and other diseases that get very little research or have no routine successful treatment. I have read claims that hemp oil can treat chronic pain, fatigue, depression, and other ailments.<br />
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All of this sounds good, but I wanted to do my own research. I've had autoimmune diseases for 20 years, so I don't follow fads for treatment. HighlandPharms discusses how hemp oil, also called CBD (cannabinoid) oil, <a href="https://highlandpharms.com/cbd-oil-for-depression/" target="_blank">can treat depression</a>.<br />
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I have read that it can take 4-8 weeks to see a real change in the body when trying hemp therapies, much like most other medical treatments. I will be keeping a diary to track the changes and report back here regularly. My first hemp therapy product arrived on Saturday and I started with a half dose in the morning and a half dose in the afternoon. This particular one is supposed to last 12 hours, so that's my justification for that. I also don't want to jump in too fast with something new. I'll work my way up to a full dose over a week or longer.<br />
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So far, the most noticeable change is a major cognitive improvement. I have had very little brain fog since Saturday. I have tried taking one dose in the morning vs taking 1/2 in the morning and 1/2 in the late afternoon. When I took just the one dose, I felt heavy in the evening. That's really the best word for it. Weighed down. Spoonies probably understand that! When I took two half doses, though, I felt pretty consistently okay. I'll keep you updated as the treatment experiment progresses.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-66121737622934384462019-01-09T06:00:00.000-08:002019-01-11T14:41:40.405-08:00Pain Updates and Next Steps for Pain ManagementHello Spoonies!<br />
It's time once again to run the updates on the <a href="https://spoonsnstitches.blogspot.com/2018/03/more-on-drug-resistant-migraines-and.html" target="_blank">most recent pain management experiments</a> and decide what's happening next.<br />
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Since last time, I have continued to use regular feverfew and magnesium to prevent migraines. The good news is that my migraines have actually <i>decreased</i> down to no more than one per month! This is my long-term therapy now and I intend to continue it indefinitely.<br />
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Since the last post I have also invested in high-quality running shoes that adjust for my wide gait. These have definitely helped my knees, however the chronic knee pain has continued. To add to the fun, my family moved this year into a two-story house. The multiple trips up and down the stairs each day have not been kind to my knees. Since the bromelain experiment did not pan out, I have tried a few other things.<br />
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The first thing I tried was topical analgesic creams. First was the Voltaren gel (prescription) that my doctor prescribed. While this is okay, it does not help very much. I polled a few other users of this particular therapy as well and the general consensus seems to be that this stuff just isn't worth the dough. If you have had other results, I would love to hear about it in the comments.<br />
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I have previously used <a href="https://www.doterra.com/US/en/p/deep-blue-rub" target="_blank">Deep Blue from doTerra</a>. While it is expensive and has a very distinct odor of peppermint, it does seem to work most of the time. The relief tends to last about a half day, so I use this when I know I'm going to be doing a lot of walking for a few hours. I do find it a more effective than such OTC options as Icy Hot. For longer-lasting relief, I use <a href="https://www.verywellhealth.com/what-is-tiger-balm-2552293" target="_blank">Tiger Balm</a>. Be careful with this one! Less is definitely more with Tiger Balm. It sometimes takes a few minutes to feel this one when you apply it. Sometimes I forget this and apply too much and then the heat effect of the cream can be extremely distracting. I did this about two weeks ago. I applied it just before bed because my pain was BAD. We're talking 8.5 on the "10=I'm going to kill someone" scale. I didn't feel the heat right away, so I kept applying. As I lay in bed that night it felt like the balm was boring a cold and hot tunnel through my knees! One thing I love about TB, though, is the compact size. Since you don't need much, the container is tiny. This makes it real easy to carry around in a purse in case you need quick relief or think you might.<br />
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The most recent cream I have tried is a hemp-based body lotion called <i><a href="https://www.ulta.com/triple-moisture-herbal-body-creme?productId=xlsImpprod5780166" target="_blank">Hempz</a></i>. This one does not actually make any claims about pain relief, but is aimed at moisturizing--it was really a gift from my mother that I decided to start using. This, however, did get me thinking about how hemp and cannabis might help. I started by polling others who suffer from fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. Those who have used medical hemp products have claimed considerable relief and improved functionality about 90% of the time. I find this very encouraging!<br />
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Before I go further let me say--I do not live in a state that has legalized medical marijuana, so that is not what I'm talking about here. My research has aimed at products that are legal to use in any state and are not considered marijuana or psychotropic in any way. After much research, I have ordered a broad-spectrum oil for regular treatment that I am hoping will offer some relief. To judge this better, I am beginning a pain journal now before I begin the treatment. I will endeavor to update on a weekly basis as things begin.<br />
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One question to all my readers: Do you have a favorite "pain journal" app that you use? I am looking for one that's easy to use that records pain location, pain severity, related symptoms (like dizziness), and medications. That last is the toughest part to find for me so far. If you have a favorite, please share below!<br />
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One of these days I am going to have to investigate why I seem to mostly try new things for my pain in the beginning of the year. I'm guessing it is because the main time I feel energized is right after my winter nap. See you 'round the journal, Spoonies!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-21487497786347375842018-03-06T09:00:00.000-08:002018-03-08T13:56:50.915-08:00More on drug-resistant migraines and chronic painSo this time last year I posted about using various <a href="http://spoonsnstitches.blogspot.com/2017/04/fighting-migraines.html" target="_blank">herbs and foods to prevent migraines</a>. As a quick recap, I turned to herbs because my migraines do not respond well to any of the traditional migraine treatments. I have tried the triptans, such as Imitrex and the like, and they do not consistently help. The side-effects from Maxalt were overwhelming and Relpax is just too expensive. <a href="https://nccih.nih.gov/health/feverfew" target="_blank">Feverfew </a>was quite helpful in cutting down on my migraines and I mentioned this to my neurology specialist at my next appointment.<br />
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What he told me was that it was a great way to start, but that he would actually recommend <a href="https://nccih.nih.gov/health/butterbur" target="_blank">Butterbur</a> for even better prevention. I did some research and it sounds quite promising! In fact, the National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health (NCCIH) has found that it helps with migraine prevention and hay fever treatment! Unfortunately, all of my sources also state that those who are sensitive to ragweed are not good candidates to use it, so that counts me out. If any of you try it and find it helpful, I would love to hear about it in the comments.<br />
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I have stuck with using the feverfew for prevention and treatment of migraines and it has worked fairly well. I added magnesium as well for prevention and together they have cut my migraine days down to 2-3 per month. If you find that magnesium doesn't help you, have your doctor check your vitamin D levels. There is evidenced that magnesium only helps in this way if your vitamin D levels are up to snuff.<br />
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The other thing I tried last year was <a href="http://spoonsnstitches.blogspot.com/2017/05/update-on-migraines-and-herbs.html" target="_blank">bromelain for chronic knee pain</a>. This was a quite enjoyable experiment as bromelain is found in pineapple, which is one of my favorite foods. I tried eating pineapple with three meals per day and drink pineapple-containing teas from Teavana (I am such a tea junkie!). While the experiment was enjoyable, it was less than successful for my chronic knee pain. I felt much less of my usual wide-spread fibromyalgia pain, but the knee pain remained. My latest experiment to help the knee pain is wearing actual running shoes that are designed for my weird gait. We'll see how that goes.<br />
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I hope this helps some of you out there. If you've tried some of these therapies or others and found them useful, please post in the comments!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-22221435402736929802017-05-30T08:00:00.000-07:002017-05-30T08:00:41.485-07:00Update on Migraines and HerbsBack in April <a href="http://spoonsnstitches.blogspot.com/2017/04/fighting-migraines.html" target="_blank">I posted about trying a new therapy for my migraines</a>. Most preventative medications that are prescribed do not work for me or I cannot take them due to my low blood pressure. So in April I started taking a daily dose of feverfew as a preventative. Since that time I have gone from three day long migraines on a weekly basis to only two shorter migraines. One of those I was able to identify a new trigger--the chicken hot dogs we had for dinner. I haven't eaten hot dogs in over a year and it made sense due to the nitrite/nitrate issue involved. The other blindsided me. All in all, I've decided that this therapy is working pretty well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQorWEWMxWqHuG6z07aagu8PVcq7VXZQNjGrpDM5H2DXlH-9RE2a4Z-pZrEwvPxgBrOGzlmLK-ZRXszULFESf9RhH1iXRVBCO79O0htSt5jJb1f2nYH3iK38ZxeowT-sExPMuAKndW7E/s1600/pineapple-freedownload.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="315" data-original-width="160" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBQorWEWMxWqHuG6z07aagu8PVcq7VXZQNjGrpDM5H2DXlH-9RE2a4Z-pZrEwvPxgBrOGzlmLK-ZRXszULFESf9RhH1iXRVBCO79O0htSt5jJb1f2nYH3iK38ZxeowT-sExPMuAKndW7E/s200/pineapple-freedownload.jpg" width="101" /></a>Now I'm researching ways to easy the physical pain. My most common issue is bad knee pain. I am started physical therapy this week, but in the meantime I'd like to lower the inflammation. After a few hours of research this weekend, I've decided to try pineapple for it's <a href="https://draxe.com/6-unbelievable-health-benefits-bromelain/" target="_blank">bromelain content</a>. It's an enjoyable therapy as I love pineapple and it's easy to handle. I get one of my favorite snacks from <a href="https://naturebox.com/products/detail/big-island-pineapple?bvinjecteddata=%7B%22authenticationemail%22%3A%22jtigerheart%40gmail.com%22%7D" target="_blank">The Nature Box, their Big Island Pineapple</a>. It's dried pineapple and nothing more. No added sugar, nada. One ring with each meal is an easy solution. I also ordered several pineapple-containing teas from <a href="http://www.teavana.com/" target="_blank">Teavana</a>. I intend to enjoy one each day in, either hot or iced. I just started this past Sunday, so I'll try to keep updates coming on how it goes.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-79940812602457184472017-04-17T08:00:00.000-07:002017-04-17T08:00:21.797-07:00Fighting MigrainesAfter a year and a half of having almost no migraines, they recently began to recur. I used to have migraines for months at a time. I would have 2-4 migraines per week, though some of those were probably the same one not really going away, and last for about three months. I would try a migraine medicine and it would work--for about three months. Then it would become ineffective--most likely from frequent usage. I will confess that I have grown accustomed to not having these migraines.<br />
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Unfortunately, with the onset of spring and pollen season, they have returned with a vengeance. I made an appointment with my new PCP and she recommended going back go those medicines. I went along with it, but with the frequency and severity of the migraines I am afraid that these medicines will be ineffective again. It took about three doses for it to help the first time. So instead of just taking these medicines, I've decided to return to my practice of herbal and essential oil remedies.<br />
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After much research, I've decided to try feverfew. Taking it with my medicine helped, so I am now trying a daily dose of feverfew as a preventative. After a week and a half, the only time I have experienced a headache was when I forgot my feverfew dose and none of those turned into migraines. I am feeling hopeful that this might be a good answer.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-15378051865576626832015-12-27T08:16:00.001-08:002015-12-27T08:16:52.851-08:00Learned something new about ME and FibroToday I realized something new about <a href="http://www.meassociation.org.uk/about/what-is-mecfs/" target="_blank">ME </a>and Fibromyalgia. That tight feeling that I get, like I can't stand the clothes I'm wearing or my skin is too tight, might be tied to the onset of rapid heart rate that I somtimes get. My new phone (Galaxy S5) has the ability to check my heart rate more easily than I used to do myself. This morning it went to 92 and then over 100 bpm. I was sitting still at the time with no stress at all. This isn't new--I've had it for over 11 years, though it hasn't been around much lately.<br />
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What <i>is </i>new is this rapid heart rate and that tight feeling at the same time. I never paid attention before to whether the two occurred together. I'm going to have to monitor that going forward. The good news is that I've had all the heart tests (stress, EKG, and some I can't spell) and all is normal--just fast.<br />
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I'm not sure what this can do to help things, but knowledge is supposed to be power-right?<br />
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Have a great day!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-6828512378529623012015-12-17T17:20:00.000-08:002015-12-17T17:20:34.167-08:00Those who have passedThis Christmas season I find myself thinking about my grandparents that have passed away. My step-grandfather, Jim, passed away last century. My maternal grandfather passed before I was born, so Jim was the only grandfather I knew in my mom's family. My maternal grandmother passed a few years ago. My paternal grandparents both passed this year. All of them were dear to me and made every visit feel like a special occasion for me.<br />
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I remember visiting Grandmommie (my mom's mom) and she always made these wonderful holiday meals that were very southern. Jim made the best pumpkin pies and also the BEST strawberry and rhubarb pies in the summer. We would beg him to make a pie when we visited! I still remember how he used to bend down and hug me every time I came, treating me like the most special girl. His hearing aid used to beep when he hugged me and he would tell me that it was an alert that a pretty girl was near. The house always smelled wonderful and they had a whole room dedicated to the Christmas tree. I suppose it was a living room. It had a baby grand piano, a beautiful sofa and chair, an old-timey music playing set up that could play vinyl records or the radio. And it always housed the Christmas tree in December. Even in summer we called it the Christmas room because that's about all we ever did in that room--open presents.<br />
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Grandma and Grandpa's house was entirely different, but just as welcoming. When I was little we went to Grandma's house every Sunday for "dinner." This was a big family meal every time. More serving dishes on the table than you could almost fit. Grandma made all kinds of chicken and roasts. She always had green beans. And she always had mashed potatoes. One sight you could count on always seeing was Grandpa mashing the potatoes in the mixing bowl. Grandma did the cooking, but Grandpa always mashed the potatoes while us kids ran all over the house whooping and hollering. Every meal was finished off with one of Grandma's cakes or pies. She had "the birthday cake" that was an amazing chocolate concoction with a perfect white icing. But my favorite came to be her Italian cream cake. It was almost as good as my mom's carrot cake.<br />
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As you can see, food is a bit of a central part of my holiday memories in my grandparents. There was much more to them, but food is always comforting. I'll try to include some more memories soon that aren't centered on food, but today I found myself thinking about Grandpa and potatoes, which inspired this memory.<br />
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How do you remember those who have left this life?Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-81842179190933995662015-07-21T07:49:00.000-07:002015-07-21T07:49:30.256-07:00Day 6: Windsor Castle, Bath, and StonehengeBy now you can tell that I am back from London and running way behind in posting about the trip. However, I still want to finish the write-ups. So today I'm going to write about our second bus trip out of town. We visited Windsor Castle, the Roman baths, and the well-known Stonehenge.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside view of one of the towers</td></tr>
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<h3>
Windsor Castle</h3>
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The town of Windsor was quite beautiful. The old-timey look of the buildings was beautiful. The castle was beautiful too, of course. There was quite the line to see Queen Mary's dollhouse, though I didn't join it. I'm sure it's fascinating, but doll houses just are not my thing. Pictures inside Windsor Castle are forbidden, so I have mostly pictures of the outside (naturally). The rooms were immense, including the ball rooms the king's and the queen's), as well as the sitting rooms, presence rooms, dining rooms and the rest. There was one room that held what must have been the crests of every family in Britain there were so many. And incredible display. Upon talking to some of the staff, these rooms are all set up exactly as they are used when the royal family is there. It was great to see a part of that lifestyle. </div>
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We also got to see the changing of the guard at Windsor. I was unable to get much in the way of pictures. A tourist there had her selfie stick in my face for much of it and I wasn't in the mood to run people down for better position. My favorite part of it was St. George's Chapel on the castle grounds. It was another beautiful cathedral and houses the tomb of the only Tudor monarch that was not buried at Westminster Abbey--Henry VIII. His tomb is located under the floor of the choir chancel. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">That green stuff is the "healing" water</td></tr>
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<h3>
Bath</h3>
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Our second stop was the town of Bath, location of the Roman baths that were found not too long ago. The legend says that the waters of the Roman baths held healing powers and people came from all over to find relief from their sicknesses and ailment. I'm not sure I'd trust that water myself, but then I wasn't around in the first millennium A.D. The staff warned us not to touch the water or try to drink it. No problem there! They did offer that there is a fountain later in the tour from which you can drink (it's been treated), but I declined. My classmate tried it and vindicated my choice, saying it was horrible. Having tried the waters of the supposed <a href="http://www.fountainofyouthflorida.com/" target="_blank">Fountain of Youth in St. Augustine</a>, Florida, USA, I figured that would be the case.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The balcony above the bath.</td></tr>
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Apparently the water is green largely due to the limestone that lines the pools and resides beneath the baths. These waters "bubble up" over time. There were tons of bath salts and bath items for sale at the gift shop and I had wanted to get some, but decided against it. It didn't seem like much of what was there came from the baths, so it seemed irrelevant. I'll stick to dead sea salts for now.<br />
Here is a pic of the balcony overlooking the bath. The statues are those of Roman heroes and gods. We had to leave Bath far too soon. Most of us agreed that we could have enjoyed much more time seeing the town.<br />
<h3>
Stonehenge</h3>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Part of the circle</td></tr>
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Our final stop for this day was <a href="http://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/stonehenge/" target="_blank">Stonehenge</a>. I have always wanted to see one of the stone circles and this one was incredible. The audio tour was quite informative, too. It informs that the circle is aligned such that on the solstices, the sun rises directly over a certain stone. We still have no idea what purpose the circles actually served, but it is possible that it was some kind calendar.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9f9fxbQJn5luTSOjTIpP9hG0mI137bTmAfkTYOuYDqFAoAmcryzPXT0k1vCB1NnP-JmO9_bFReyzmuHirXpJqEAgfgkYMkwEkFmo5b1Tv2TBtsDiPnqMaoKHuq7NLRLsxfrE5wDOghUc/s1600/Windsor_Bath_Stonehenge+036.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9f9fxbQJn5luTSOjTIpP9hG0mI137bTmAfkTYOuYDqFAoAmcryzPXT0k1vCB1NnP-JmO9_bFReyzmuHirXpJqEAgfgkYMkwEkFmo5b1Tv2TBtsDiPnqMaoKHuq7NLRLsxfrE5wDOghUc/s200/Windsor_Bath_Stonehenge+036.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A more distant look that shows one of the berms.</td></tr>
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In addition to the stones, the circle is surrounded by these "berms" as the tour calls them. Many bodies are buried in some of these berms. The way they are designed, like a <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/henge?s=t" target="_blank">henge</a>, is what gives the circle its name.<br />
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There are a number of other features of the area, but mostly it was just amazing to see such beautiful land, green and peaceful.</div>
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Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-20360301767960954352015-07-08T14:48:00.000-07:002015-07-08T14:48:27.550-07:00Day 5: Warwick Castle, Stratford upon Avon, and OxfordIt's taken me a few days to get to posting about this trip and my apologies to my few loyal readers for that. We were taking these all-day tours that started at 6am and ended at 10, so finding time to do much else wasn't happening. So let me try to catch you up.<br />
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<span style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgnmPcWcm5OnteSxgCcnohkM7d8bDUbgkbcYmBhnmFvzlQ0p0n04NEplxnJJ-RXRZn2y2uxpXruPgdK50ve4F_0YB9t0S4c56D-eRoHWTfBr5Pqy1GB_SdTergky953ct6gLGMCmSvdSBY/s200/Warwick_Stratford_Oxford+001.JPG" width="200" /></span><a href="https://www.warwick-castle.com/" target="_blank">Warwick Castle</a></h3>
Proper apparent pronunciation: Warrick Castle<br />
This is a medieval castle, architected by William the Conqueror circa 1068. It is located in the area of Warwickshire (shocking isn't it?). The castle has been added to, burned, rebuilt and otherwise altered in that time.<br />
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The bedrooms inside were interesting, though few. There are a number of drawing rooms, sitting rooms, receiving rooms, and other such rooms. In fact, Queen Anne's bed is supposed to be in here, too. What I honestly loved the most was the beautiful rose garden. This is only a small view of a few roses. The garden includes white and pink roses, among others, in a beautiful walking path.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcb_thVDDFyVijKLcfFT1TysoNfo-Zyw886c0_UZEPanp19oBGG_k3GgedwVagNcdilwcZ4X0PDEFSBfo-HJ_JfHPKGwJUOCv1W2R0b0ygUDtJVuoea7irjthG5WNG9flWTAbd2yIs75U/s1600/Warwick_Stratford_Oxford+003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcb_thVDDFyVijKLcfFT1TysoNfo-Zyw886c0_UZEPanp19oBGG_k3GgedwVagNcdilwcZ4X0PDEFSBfo-HJ_JfHPKGwJUOCv1W2R0b0ygUDtJVuoea7irjthG5WNG9flWTAbd2yIs75U/s200/Warwick_Stratford_Oxford+003.JPG" width="150" /></a><br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6eQCQ0d6DuQ1mLotQGBd-e4yESNnSAwENh9rJOuwNv9CDICZNE0-Mqm6bXMdf7Y6CP-sYOLjsnW5VMMdhiNopOuT4ZuPXWSDtGPJ7fxbDXAgegSP8bipxb847x4WnOOALD6xdnFLljU/s1600/Warwick_Stratford_Oxford+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhS6eQCQ0d6DuQ1mLotQGBd-e4yESNnSAwENh9rJOuwNv9CDICZNE0-Mqm6bXMdf7Y6CP-sYOLjsnW5VMMdhiNopOuT4ZuPXWSDtGPJ7fxbDXAgegSP8bipxb847x4WnOOALD6xdnFLljU/s200/Warwick_Stratford_Oxford+005.JPG" width="150" /></a>Lest you think that this castle has nothing cool, let me share a bit more. The chapel is beautiful, though not original. Apparently, at one time the regional bishop decided that castles were evil and/or inappropriate places to have chapels, so he had it destroyed. But the owners rebuilt it. It's an intimate little chapel, but quite beautiful.<br />
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In addition, there was a medieval re-enactment group outside that ran some games, archery, and other events. A bit like the SCA, though not quite such a grand scale. All in all, it was a fun little trip. I would love to go back and see more. We only get a short time at each location on these tours. Just one caveat for those adventurous to check it out: avoid the latte at the lunch cart.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChJae2iLT4dcqSS6Ura6VO7n0fCQt_WjwI_gRxy_q5KEhff9yPYccNh-3dtgZbsGg2Nb1ZkEXzxb-bC0Br_bdCmcoMZd4nrJ7tf7dc2BGbuUdTQ4qVR0q350EvNUYV_VgBi1k8-e0BJM/s1600/Warwick_Stratford_Oxford+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhChJae2iLT4dcqSS6Ura6VO7n0fCQt_WjwI_gRxy_q5KEhff9yPYccNh-3dtgZbsGg2Nb1ZkEXzxb-bC0Br_bdCmcoMZd4nrJ7tf7dc2BGbuUdTQ4qVR0q350EvNUYV_VgBi1k8-e0BJM/s320/Warwick_Stratford_Oxford+021.JPG" width="320" /></a><br />
<h3>
Stratford: The Birthplace of the Bard</h3>
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Our second stop was Stratford upon Avon, the birthplace of William Shakespeare. We got to see his house, including a window that many writers over the years have signed (with a diamond). Some actors took turns acting out short scenes outside. We also had an amazing lunch. Sadly, that's about all we had time for in this little town. </div>
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<h3>
Oxford</h3>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxOO8BYZjhh-_STkGF-stsnx6QDtdAgWO8cDidasEIL-YCcv2V2IJIh4RkXaidAshHCmKQtlx8zUE5KMXcg1F23LJQ_tGSGxfY7IRCuUv0oDs-4ImTJk6L5nqW8RjhwnHlTC1B52Jh54/s1600/Warwick_Stratford_Oxford+032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSxOO8BYZjhh-_STkGF-stsnx6QDtdAgWO8cDidasEIL-YCcv2V2IJIh4RkXaidAshHCmKQtlx8zUE5KMXcg1F23LJQ_tGSGxfY7IRCuUv0oDs-4ImTJk6L5nqW8RjhwnHlTC1B52Jh54/s200/Warwick_Stratford_Oxford+032.JPG" width="200" /></a>We started our tour of Oxford at Christ Church College. If you think the Research Triangle area of North Carolina has a lot of colleges, you haven't seen anything yet. This little town of Oxford (admittedly, bigger than Stratford but still not huge) has quite a few. You can stand on one campus and look across the street at another. Christ Church was quite beautiful, as is most of the town. Even more fun, some of the scenes of <i>Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone</i> were filmed here. If this staircase to the right looks slightly familiar, it's because this is where Professor McGonagal met the first year students in the movie. Up there you can see the dining hall that inspired the Hogwarts dining hall. Sadly, it's under construction so we were not able to see it. </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSdEXKrPByqGjULDqZ-HCasZeplFjj5MwanHVYPXWGM2BcskRORX2HKdzM4ONntAUFP7US8C-k-qEoUhH2PxhqqbCYSZvMBhhsaNS2MD0NSKQ2DEmVPQoMA9xiYfhxeHUPRyHi1lbZcs/s1600/Warwick_Stratford_Oxford+005.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikSdEXKrPByqGjULDqZ-HCasZeplFjj5MwanHVYPXWGM2BcskRORX2HKdzM4ONntAUFP7US8C-k-qEoUhH2PxhqqbCYSZvMBhhsaNS2MD0NSKQ2DEmVPQoMA9xiYfhxeHUPRyHi1lbZcs/s200/Warwick_Stratford_Oxford+005.JPG" width="150" /></a>The chapel at this college is also gorgeous. You'll note that I have a bit of an obsession with chapels, so well, deal with it. I love them and the architecture of chapels in England is just beautiful. I lit a candle for my grandfather here again. </div>
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After Christ Church we saw a few other colleges in passing. Then my group made a trek over to a little eatery called <i>The Eagle and Child</i>. This is the place where C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien used to hang out, share notes, and read each other's stuff. It was well worth the visit. The back door of the place has a sign on it that says "Narnia." We didn't open it, but who knows? Maybe you should. </div>
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With that we headed home--or back to <a href="http://www.spurgeons.ac.uk/" target="_blank">Spurgeon's College</a>, our home away from home. Long ride back, but again, not a bad one. At least if you can get past all the "to-ing and fro-ing" of the bus going back into London. </div>
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I'll try to catch up on blogs tomorrow. It looks like we might get the time, considering the <a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-33440369" target="_blank">tube strike</a> in London.<br /></div>
Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-1210058962141148622015-07-04T13:13:00.003-07:002015-07-04T13:13:58.120-07:00Day four: Palaces<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQs2nONXQa40FoeJFqTcaIfxI2titHVuSPaO-BN-2G6S5tvS7QPHuehxlXu-W-mXH5H5albdedkMPR_HYtkxUedrISEDpWtuM8SRWBV1cwaBrrF37d7_6ogMLciGkcnNRFmJsU-iomvc/s1600/Kensington+008.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZQs2nONXQa40FoeJFqTcaIfxI2titHVuSPaO-BN-2G6S5tvS7QPHuehxlXu-W-mXH5H5albdedkMPR_HYtkxUedrISEDpWtuM8SRWBV1cwaBrrF37d7_6ogMLciGkcnNRFmJsU-iomvc/s200/Kensington+008.JPG" width="200" /></a>Happy Fourth of July Independence Day to everyone! It's been quite strange over here. While my group hasn't done anything terribly outrageous, we did see some fun things today. We caught a group of Americans singing (in a beautiful a Capella harmony) the Star Spangled Banner right outside Buckingham Palace after the changing the guard. Gutsy and earned much applause.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZYOT7cnvPQrWvmgN8vxt4yuerYqOaMdE9YKUbRdRIilufS9w419Ct5KT3I4suxcMQgGIuwfQiBMhQkElsU8csCCIofDUhYNHfW7WPdWuTBaWpY6OX-sEAodAXbRvLN3wahgwEa0QER8/s1600/Kensington+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgQZYOT7cnvPQrWvmgN8vxt4yuerYqOaMdE9YKUbRdRIilufS9w419Ct5KT3I4suxcMQgGIuwfQiBMhQkElsU8csCCIofDUhYNHfW7WPdWuTBaWpY6OX-sEAodAXbRvLN3wahgwEa0QER8/s200/Kensington+006.JPG" width="200" /></a>The changing of the guard was fun to watch, though we missed the beginning due to a late start. We knew we were in the right place when we could hear the drumming, then the music, of the band (see them in red to the right). The ceremonial aspect of the pageantry is impossible to portray in pictures, but it was impressive. When the guards began to move you could see the entire crowd take off after them. Talk about a mob!<br />
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We followed at a distance and watched the guard march toward Buckingham Palace. All in all, this even took over an hour.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBPqNSJhyaGb1qLjEWltyEfAzLERN0irbl0qFrtKSSu5LKNzXhrYTTNvedJ-ExAjmWBWAgmB66dC4FRGJ37bzEGyB6Xd4AW8B2pLA2Nnu55n1fpGyjy3KMdf3jtwsCtQW31DO_RRP0pg/s1600/Kensington+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRBPqNSJhyaGb1qLjEWltyEfAzLERN0irbl0qFrtKSSu5LKNzXhrYTTNvedJ-ExAjmWBWAgmB66dC4FRGJ37bzEGyB6Xd4AW8B2pLA2Nnu55n1fpGyjy3KMdf3jtwsCtQW31DO_RRP0pg/s200/Kensington+014.JPG" width="150" /></a>After that, we decided to head toward Kensington Palace. My young classmate told us it was "within walking distance," once again emphasizing the gap between 20 and 40 and the mentality we have at these different ages. That said, I'm glad we walk through some of it. We walked by St George's Hospital and then through Hyde Park. I have never seen a park so huge in all my life! This park was beautifully kept and filled with families just enjoying the day. And swans. And mallards. Tons and TONS of swans, mallards, and pigeons. These birds are no joke, let me tell you. The swans are almost as tall as my eight year old son!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFoOX0n7UutJnc3WNMMIwyLiF1t3rV8gSEQ61YrjLkppWN2d2oMUrcUliwQoUcMoIWfigqLWGhGNe88nan6EXcWWinyoaQGRJiXzFbzswLDNStkKvxRQQv1ouvgAiSmOeyGEuz2SCiY8/s1600/Kensington+013.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgwFoOX0n7UutJnc3WNMMIwyLiF1t3rV8gSEQ61YrjLkppWN2d2oMUrcUliwQoUcMoIWfigqLWGhGNe88nan6EXcWWinyoaQGRJiXzFbzswLDNStkKvxRQQv1ouvgAiSmOeyGEuz2SCiY8/s200/Kensington+013.JPG" width="200" /></a>We saw the Princess Diana Memorial Fountain and her Memorial Walk. There's a legend that says that she used to sneak out of Kensington Palace occasionally through these little manholes in the park. After her death in 1997, these covers were changed to gold and turned into a memorial walk in her honor.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Queen Victoria Outside Kensington</td></tr>
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After a quick lunch at the shop in the park, we finally reached Kensington Castle. King George II and Queen Caroline lived here. Queen Victoria grew up here until Buckingham was built. Princess Diana lived here from the day she married Charles until she died. There are pictures of Diana and William & Kate everywhere.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuj6TtUCew7kxqahfWYFMzhmiTLazGZFgBLdLm5laVt3-HxQT6U_9AiLzDpGLQWLM7FFISrPQSt_GrbRPVnaR2hIb8QkmCF4TrhgxymvreAWN_1eKb_q3DZoGp9e0mqv4mRxPVNtT5wSw/s1600/Kensington+021.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuj6TtUCew7kxqahfWYFMzhmiTLazGZFgBLdLm5laVt3-HxQT6U_9AiLzDpGLQWLM7FFISrPQSt_GrbRPVnaR2hIb8QkmCF4TrhgxymvreAWN_1eKb_q3DZoGp9e0mqv4mRxPVNtT5wSw/s200/Kensington+021.JPG" width="150" /></a></div>
Scott, Courtney and I went through the first floor and then the top floor, which is the King 's personal apartments. Amazing! The first floor has a memorial wall to Diana that includes many various painted scenes of her--dressed to the nines, with the boys, alone and more. The kings apartments are quite impressive, too. You could hold a ball in just one of the rooms in his apartments, never mind the others--sitting room, privy room, Caroline's closet and more.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYTPIOktV22yIIMNvEXucJ33yJ8Az64yFd3gO-Or6LcTl3xjqPsKXEWwQLnun46W4Kw-WVe-7of64XAyaVUOEmv33Q9gyU8Cbu0MxynZPACG2PuulhEBnY3DyLEcjBd4Zu1gSeuIocDk/s1600/Kensington+024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhoYTPIOktV22yIIMNvEXucJ33yJ8Az64yFd3gO-Or6LcTl3xjqPsKXEWwQLnun46W4Kw-WVe-7of64XAyaVUOEmv33Q9gyU8Cbu0MxynZPACG2PuulhEBnY3DyLEcjBd4Zu1gSeuIocDk/s200/Kensington+024.JPG" width="150" /></a> Two of the rooms include examples of dresses and suits the royals wore. This one belonged to Princess Amelia, reminiscent of those very wide gowns that court women wore. They had a display that showed the hip holster the women had to wear to make their dresses sprawl like that. Never been so thankful to be common if you know what I mean.<br />
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All in all, it was a good day, if quite a bit longer than I intended. Tomorrow we go to Oxford for the day and need an early start, so Cheerio!Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-55456597870955570462015-07-03T17:17:00.001-07:002015-07-03T17:17:10.318-07:00Friday: Three Blind MiceToday our class went to see the Tower of London. I had hoped to get out to see the All Hallows Church at the Tower, but that didn't happen. My shins are screaming from all the walking we do here. :) The first thing we saw was the <a href="http://www.iwm.org.uk/visits/hms-belfast" target="_blank">HMS Belfast</a>, the only ship of its kind still in existence. It's quite impressive!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcEnbxGODdVKfXNYvZJduYcoZmTAKEfFbCE7_REapkQ_J5TGWCKKXCwGR1yj370HyHXPNI8EnShjKkOLryEMW6zniq12bYnaWqRgyspM0SNdIz6S0paOmELrLa4sqnE0Cj-RxdDiRTfE/s1600/TowerofLondon+006.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDcEnbxGODdVKfXNYvZJduYcoZmTAKEfFbCE7_REapkQ_J5TGWCKKXCwGR1yj370HyHXPNI8EnShjKkOLryEMW6zniq12bYnaWqRgyspM0SNdIz6S0paOmELrLa4sqnE0Cj-RxdDiRTfE/s200/TowerofLondon+006.JPG" width="200" /></a>From there, we crossed could see the Tower of London. The Tower was an incredible experience. We saw it from across the Thames River and could clearly see the Traitor's Gate, as it was seen by the incoming prisoners. the Traitor's Gate was originally called the Water Gate because it's on the river. Henry wanted to avoid transporting prisoners via the streets. He eventually had to add a portcullis and receiving area to protect this entrance from marauding ships.<br />
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Another impressive part of this area is the Tower Bridge. This bridge is quite busy and quite long. Here you can see two views of the bridge. The first is from upriver (by the HMS Belfast). The second is from inside the Tower grounds.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Tower Bridge</td></tr>
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After we entered the Tower, we joined one of the <a href="http://www.freetoursbyfoot.com/beefeaters-at-the-tower-of-london/" target="_blank">Beefeater</a> tours. These are the guys that do guided tours of the grounds, sharing the history and quite a bit of humor along the way. Our Beefeater was quite fun!<br />
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One of the first things I noticed was that the Tower of London is far more than a "tower." It started as the White Tower, the central tower. But Henry built an entire fortress around it. It's like its own mini-city. One thing he emphasized is that the royal prisoners here were treated very well. They brought their servants, sometimes their families. They sacrificed their freedom, but not their lifestyle.<br />
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I've included some pictures of the various buildings inside the fortress here. This can give you a small idea of how big it truly is. One of the tales that the Beefeater shares with us is that of the three protestant bishops that Mary I (Bloody Mary) imprisoned here. Bishops Ridley, Latimer, and Cranmer. Cranmer got to watch the other two burn at the stake. He actually recanted his Protestantism and became Roman Catholic again, thinking that would save his life. But no, he still got to burn. Legend says he burned his recantation with him.<br />
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The Beefeater also shared a nursery rhyme with us, along with its legendary meaning.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG19mfPtH_YdLpTIL7h9vTqPmBAntqSX-_ASjSgk03qBtqQb-Q58wibZTgI0Rj7H_dkWGYT4V6rkM5ll6L6DS7MW3eKpJqn5-tf6RqgsQRyvlj7fiUiP-hTpTEbLj09d0yMee_CJu429g/s1600/TowerofLondon+014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; display: inline !important; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG19mfPtH_YdLpTIL7h9vTqPmBAntqSX-_ASjSgk03qBtqQb-Q58wibZTgI0Rj7H_dkWGYT4V6rkM5ll6L6DS7MW3eKpJqn5-tf6RqgsQRyvlj7fiUiP-hTpTEbLj09d0yMee_CJu429g/s200/TowerofLondon+014.JPG" width="200" /></a><br />
Three Blind Mice<br />
This is how the Beefeater explained it to us:<br />
<br />
Three blind mice, three blind mice,<br />
(these are the three protestant bishops, <span style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Ridley, Latimer and Cranmer, </span>that were blinded by their faith)<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmFDcDWBEZGqXH7NenWAv7Ldzm1hkPM55tTTncV3QW4w-0LFcbGgmzhu3ZqlrRA6BwUSMUWB_V8jQnzxkYhuruBhe888NYrfGpJwUbOg8xpRhJswVCPwv7gqhmY2GYa8wBFLNXBj1yDg/s1600/TowerofLondon+010.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDmFDcDWBEZGqXH7NenWAv7Ldzm1hkPM55tTTncV3QW4w-0LFcbGgmzhu3ZqlrRA6BwUSMUWB_V8jQnzxkYhuruBhe888NYrfGpJwUbOg8xpRhJswVCPwv7gqhmY2GYa8wBFLNXBj1yDg/s200/TowerofLondon+010.JPG" width="200" /></a>See how they run, see how they run,<br />
(They were running around London drumming up support for Jane to overturn Mary)<br />
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They all ran after the farmer's wife<br />
(That's Mary, who was married to Philip the Farmer King of Spain)<br />
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Who cut off their tails with a carving knife<br />
(Well no she didn't, she had them burned at the stake but that doesn't rhyme)<br />
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Did you ever see such a sight in your life as three blind mice?<br />
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When we reached the chapel, he shared that it was built over the burial plot of so many unnamed prisoners. At one point it had to be rebuilt b/c the bodies all shifted over time and the ground was sinking. The bodies were then moved and walled up in the crypt instead. Kinda helps you see where the tales of ghosts come from in the Tower.<br />
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And that's most of the tour. We finished our day with a river cruise back to Westminster, lunch at London Bridge, and then back to the dorm. And now I'm off to bed. My legs are killing me! I will likely not blog tomorrow. It's a free day for us and I need to give me legs some recovery time.<br />
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Have a happy 4th USA! I'm still working on the best way to celebrate without getting our heads cut off.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-12424226734750621802015-07-02T13:50:00.002-07:002015-07-02T13:50:48.980-07:00London First Day of "Class"So today was our first full day of "class" here in London. I am studying Church History with classmates from <a href="http://www.liberty.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Liberty University</a> here in London. It's been great getting to know them all. out of 13 students, three of us are studying pastoral counseling, one or too more are studying chaplaincy. Others are fulfilling history requirements for various undergraduate degrees.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qhS61VFBgjIh00WwpUlGorCgi4gIhwTg_wMdyGZeWaBjeTPVe_Lw6PFFOJyaP-sH1_o85UeLilTDRrtluLUz1Nohyg7if441RZOIM_FYZdtdCTV-EkbHB9-IjYnVPJhM_Vj7aP1mIl4/s1600/2July2015+376.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6qhS61VFBgjIh00WwpUlGorCgi4gIhwTg_wMdyGZeWaBjeTPVe_Lw6PFFOJyaP-sH1_o85UeLilTDRrtluLUz1Nohyg7if441RZOIM_FYZdtdCTV-EkbHB9-IjYnVPJhM_Vj7aP1mIl4/s200/2July2015+376.JPG" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Outside of Westminster Abbey</td></tr>
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Today's trip was to <a href="http://www.westminster-abbey.org/" target="_blank">Westminster Abbey</a>. It was incredible! The Gothic architecture is breathtaking. We saw the high altar where the coronations take place. We also saw the coronation chair, which is kept in St George's chapel when not in use. Saw the tombs of so many monarchs, though I found the one for Elizabeth I the most breathtaking. Right next to St George's chapel is a remembrance in honor of <a href="http://www.westminster-abbey.org/our-history/people/franklin-delano-roosevelt" target="_blank">Franklin D Roosevelt</a>. This is quite close to to the memorial for Winston Churchill and the tomb of the unknown soldier.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz_bAsnkE-pylGWtdpC9ExZ-rCFPRXWCVbc5cHTwZ_HGdu574ZWeDpdxAzB8cmPJ9ktV4881RcdiC_UbMBfdLmXJiMANrKNs5zjESgtOaUw5Ii43I0n7vcal_0kqcfYphBmG1uszBuRA/s1600/2July2015+377.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="" border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlz_bAsnkE-pylGWtdpC9ExZ-rCFPRXWCVbc5cHTwZ_HGdu574ZWeDpdxAzB8cmPJ9ktV4881RcdiC_UbMBfdLmXJiMANrKNs5zjESgtOaUw5Ii43I0n7vcal_0kqcfYphBmG1uszBuRA/s200/2July2015+377.JPG" title="Outside of Westminster Abbey" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sorry, inside photography not allowed.<br /></td></tr>
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In the abbey I lit a candle for my grandmothers, may they rest in the arms of my Lord always. I also lite a candle for my grandfather, may he find the peace of God as his days last on this earth and forever. We also saw the cloisters--so beautiful! It was raining as we went to the cloisters and the rain just looked so heavenly and beautiful in this Benedictine garden. I spent a good bit of time in the abbey in prayer today. I know I could do more to emulate Christ in my life and I need to do it.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKG_yfSIb553lqNkaSVj4UuB5CLnu4bJ0QIZk6amXLoc2chAwHAjLhGEFXAIttiLPBrJhZ2lHzqPN0H68g35F4Mb84usLVbxzW7rhvtWHinFC_tbxInD5Ce9UI-_C3ftt2O3uWBuANsTM/s1600/2July2015+378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKG_yfSIb553lqNkaSVj4UuB5CLnu4bJ0QIZk6amXLoc2chAwHAjLhGEFXAIttiLPBrJhZ2lHzqPN0H68g35F4Mb84usLVbxzW7rhvtWHinFC_tbxInD5Ce9UI-_C3ftt2O3uWBuANsTM/s200/2July2015+378.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">View of Buckingham Palace from the bridge in St James Park</td></tr>
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After the abbey, we took a walking tour to Buckingham Palace via <a href="https://www.royalparks.org.uk/parks/st-jamess-park" target="_blank">St James Park</a>. The park is beautiful and it was very nice to relax through that walk. <a href="https://www.google.co.uk/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0CDkQFjAB&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.royal.gov.uk%2Ftheroyalresidences%2Fbuckinghampalace%2Fbuckinghampalace.aspx&ei=-6OVVaK-Boqx7QbrpbHoAg&usg=AFQjCNGDW43d-nmz5FIzLWOsgKshpySk0g&bvm=bv.96952980,d.ZGU" target="_blank">Buckingham Palace</a> was incredible, though not open for tours this month. There was some kind of security todo while we were there--not sure what, but didn't amount to much.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCewhojwKMLYx_urkyPxUeTLm26vtcdGm1RbSsy3rYWvbTJusFgUsSigHH6CrvemKzsUf-x1hcUgQe0TMCWx72CgQasftDRGx_4hVhDJbtktujk2fBQ9bBWE9iK66pn16AnhCJM_IaZI/s1600/2July2015+380.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinCewhojwKMLYx_urkyPxUeTLm26vtcdGm1RbSsy3rYWvbTJusFgUsSigHH6CrvemKzsUf-x1hcUgQe0TMCWx72CgQasftDRGx_4hVhDJbtktujk2fBQ9bBWE9iK66pn16AnhCJM_IaZI/s200/2July2015+380.JPG" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Buckingham Palace</td></tr>
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I was impressed the vividness of the colors and the architecture. Sadly, the Queen is not currently in residence. In view of yesterday's crazy heat, I think she's smart to be in the North right now. The crests on the gates are impressive too. There's just something about the black and gold color scheme that looks striking.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The gates to Buckingham Palace</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BkHTdKyl7mCmfYWXzOK18kNAqXR9cI7aVAPE9M5Nv_GqazDEunCElj6Og0yd8l6KCQPI19YUxqYjK45o93OtBsOZGMViX-9_Lz91Dfb5A_0LwK_TVkMrNEDa8cqH3miou5vRBUjnmoA/s1600/2July2015+384.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0BkHTdKyl7mCmfYWXzOK18kNAqXR9cI7aVAPE9M5Nv_GqazDEunCElj6Og0yd8l6KCQPI19YUxqYjK45o93OtBsOZGMViX-9_Lz91Dfb5A_0LwK_TVkMrNEDa8cqH3miou5vRBUjnmoA/s320/2July2015+384.JPG" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Me in front of the palace gates.</td></tr>
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After Buckingham Palace, we went to Trafalgar Square. Sorry, not pictures of that area. I was concentrating on not further aggravating my very sore feet. We went into the National Gallery then. I did get to view the artwork. It was fascinating to view it chronologically and watch the changes in technique, dimension, and style. From there we kinda scattered. Watched some very impressive street dancers. These guys were literally spinning on their heads, directly on the cobblestones! And doing lots of other great moves. They of course were hoping for donations. The front man at one point said if you gave them <b style="background-color: white; color: #252525; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">£</b>50-100 they would "come to your home and cook you dinner and wash your dishes." I almost took them up on that!<br />
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We went into "M&M World" after that. I couldn't find anything the kids would like, but it was a cute and HUGE shop. Then dinner and back to the college.<br />
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Tomorrow we are going to the Tower of London. Better not upset the people while we're there. :)<br />
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Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-49419906186714165462015-03-18T10:19:00.000-07:002015-03-18T10:19:10.728-07:00Accepting SelfIt's been a long time since I posted here. Not since my last birthday, in fact. Part of that reason is I've been in a flare with the Chronic Fatigue for almost a year. I rarely find energy to do the extra things that I want to do. Sometimes my brain just doesn't want to work.<br />
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Recently I was forced to take a good, long look at myself and my health. I realized that I missed almost a month of work for sickness last year. That doesn't include the days that I worked from home when I was sick. I finally looked at that number and thought, "A month? That can't be right." It's not normal, anyway. So I broke down and talked to my doctor. I took my articles, my list of questions and concerns and we had a good long talk. She wants to try some new therapies, though I am thinking it might be too late. But we're trying them b/c she's the medical professional, after all. One of those new therapies is working okay, but the other had to be discontinued due to side effects. We might try it again later, but not right now.<br />
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I have had to cut down on many of my activities. I quit my side business with Jamberry. I'm only taking one class at a time for school. I'm still exhausted, however. I started keeping a journal of my symptoms and energy levels daily. I am hoping that will help.<br />
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<a href="https://scontent-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/13597_10153226514445452_6344830441298549829_n.jpg?oh=e0b44b85822ced5f0b3a30d471535bb3&oe=55805006" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://scontent-atl.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xfa1/v/t1.0-9/13597_10153226514445452_6344830441298549829_n.jpg?oh=e0b44b85822ced5f0b3a30d471535bb3&oe=55805006" width="320" /></a>In the meantime, I have one new craft I took up right after my birthday. Sock knitting! WTH, right? I started this blog off talking about how much I hate socks 'cause they make no sense. I finally got too jealous of all the lovely knitters and crocheters out there with their beautiful, lovely home-made socks. So my grandparents gave me some money for my birthday and I bought a sock loom. I finished one pair. I started another, sort of Easter<br />
colors, and I'm hoping to finish them in time to wear for Easter.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-23158289515764377952014-09-19T07:46:00.000-07:002015-12-29T10:57:59.908-08:00Diagonal Stripe Stroller Blanket<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGl8qbNpK1P4csjSKK4rqO4OlASwEXKBs8EBHug48oy76coZ7VWeD7-qyo6SmsNNNjtE27DC5_X0YnP-ryIA_A2MR1XzLItn4v4sVyC65nha3DEIgcEGXB0WFeV8-aAQCxMKG80zbUnL0/s1600/15101290779_0208809404_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGl8qbNpK1P4csjSKK4rqO4OlASwEXKBs8EBHug48oy76coZ7VWeD7-qyo6SmsNNNjtE27DC5_X0YnP-ryIA_A2MR1XzLItn4v4sVyC65nha3DEIgcEGXB0WFeV8-aAQCxMKG80zbUnL0/s1600/15101290779_0208809404_k.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a>A friend of mine is having her first baby girl anytime now. She has picked out the beautiful name, painted the nursery, and is ready to be a mama! Her baby shower was a few weeks ago, so I can finally put out the pattern I used for her baby blanket. I got this idea from the beautiful hooded blankets that my mother made for my boys when they were due. My first confession is that this is not a hooded blanket nor is it nearly so intricate as my mother's work. I wanted to design something that would be reasonably quick, easy for beginning knitters, and could be made with the yarn I already had.<br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2CMMTUd8B-lPTuvrLRkH2w_IaBrWoOuKaJd_meGNgcSKXrd3l1dUuqyB_Bh_CoAE4KuxlUMBHZYlSY85QNn3lsms5cnIWsARuhlI1QnrtU3XRoS1kEzp7XAvQiwodKYPP2gEer1IgP4/s1600/15101491148_9b7ca1c557_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB2CMMTUd8B-lPTuvrLRkH2w_IaBrWoOuKaJd_meGNgcSKXrd3l1dUuqyB_Bh_CoAE4KuxlUMBHZYlSY85QNn3lsms5cnIWsARuhlI1QnrtU3XRoS1kEzp7XAvQiwodKYPP2gEer1IgP4/s1600/15101491148_9b7ca1c557_k.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a>I picked up some lovely ivory and peach yarns at the thrift store, so I wanted to use those for the blanket. I agonized over what to make for ages! Like, the entire summer until almost August! I finally decided on a wide stripe diagonal baby blanket. Due to my limitations in needles (can't find my circulars), I was limited to what I could do with the needles I had. So rather than a full-sized blanket, I decided to make a stroller blanket--perfect for those quick outings where a full-size blanket would be too big in the stroller or car seat.<br>
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You'll notice that this one is a wee bit lopsided with some extra ivory on one side. That's completely intentional! Well, okay, I ran out of ivory a few rows early. But I like the look anyway.<br>
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<b>Diagonal Stripe Stroller Blanket</b><br>
<b><br></b>
<b>Materials</b><br>
1 ball each of two colors worsted weight yarn<br>
Size 8 28" knitting needles, preferably circular<br>
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<b>Pattern </b><br>
<b><br></b>
Cast on 4 st with the main color.<br>
Row 1: K2, yo, k2. Turn. 5 stitches on needle.<br>
Row 2: K2, yo, k3. Turn. 6 stitches on needle.<br>
Row 3: K2, yo, knit across. Turn.<br>
Continue row three until you have 49 stitches on the needle.<br>
K2, yo, knit across to last stitch. Switch yarn colors and pull second color through during final stitch. Turn.<br>
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Continue row 3 with second color until you have 100 stitches on the needle.<br>
Knit across for next two rows.<br>
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Next, begin the decrease:<br>
K2, K2tog, yo, k2tog, knit across. Turn. 99 stitches on needle.<br>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54Sa4UYS_Pf0tT3B-YwGWhLqo3-GqHcHLcfKFcqbRqkFDdY0b07iKy1zuvICoZzQkRWsfhh10-gaS2fVRxO0U9-fsYU_fles0ElAjamdgADaXsKldJt5njmq2_4U-z10cHIAOBMFmXU0/s1600/15287667032_b0925770ed_k.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi54Sa4UYS_Pf0tT3B-YwGWhLqo3-GqHcHLcfKFcqbRqkFDdY0b07iKy1zuvICoZzQkRWsfhh10-gaS2fVRxO0U9-fsYU_fles0ElAjamdgADaXsKldJt5njmq2_4U-z10cHIAOBMFmXU0/s1600/15287667032_b0925770ed_k.jpg" height="240" width="320"></a>Continue until you have 51 stitches on the needle.<br>
K2, K2tog, yo K2tog, knit to last stitch. Switch yarn color back to main color and pull the new color through during the final stitch. Turn.<br>
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K2, K2tog, yo, K2tog, knit across. Turn. 49 stitches on needle.<br>
Continue until you have four stitches on the needle.<br>
<br>
Bind off and weave in ends.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-31196959543441310302014-09-13T10:32:00.002-07:002014-09-13T10:32:39.498-07:00Creative birthday cardWhat? Two blog posts in one day? Yes, it's a special day. That and I couldn't figure out any other way to show what I'm about to show you.<br />
<br />
My oldest son LOVES to draw. He's an artist at heart and he has been saying for years that he wants to be a cartoonist when he grows up. (I asked him why he wanted to wait that long.) So here is the card he made for me, which is actually more like a book.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28hiINwHm82OAou4EEKY-F5tnCaZf48q3tvab92f6MxRasVTZQPC2RuD-7eB4xpcCtWpCNaSmnlj_oHpVs85kIQZSp7hyphenhyphenz7k0PGoOFvBs_1L2zY4nNn7EnhuX5xwNgHkVu1f0J2dSFPs/s1600/10616125_10152764551000452_7286213655727604174_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg28hiINwHm82OAou4EEKY-F5tnCaZf48q3tvab92f6MxRasVTZQPC2RuD-7eB4xpcCtWpCNaSmnlj_oHpVs85kIQZSp7hyphenhyphenz7k0PGoOFvBs_1L2zY4nNn7EnhuX5xwNgHkVu1f0J2dSFPs/s1600/10616125_10152764551000452_7286213655727604174_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">If your kids are as much into Minecraft as mine are, then you probably recognize this as Steve from the game.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoyC9lCYGLAqcpVjRn3v-ydG-lGaaxOTXKwY1rj4ntnUronMW4CaAlFA8mO_wMRu0w0Xji0HnNLTq-BdlD4t8SDgCzZ7pwQ5nhvBgY5prnd9nMnTHLBp0ucHNACQICcPC73bjKr7KFsM/s1600/10400805_10152764551140452_7343472356443368430_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSoyC9lCYGLAqcpVjRn3v-ydG-lGaaxOTXKwY1rj4ntnUronMW4CaAlFA8mO_wMRu0w0Xji0HnNLTq-BdlD4t8SDgCzZ7pwQ5nhvBgY5prnd9nMnTHLBp0ucHNACQICcPC73bjKr7KFsM/s1600/10400805_10152764551140452_7343472356443368430_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">They like to play in creative mode, just discovered this week.<br />At least one of my men gave me diamonds for my birthday. :)</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPNP62wfD9oGrQnQyKDstIIDAMUQpEfcagl7X1mKLe6H1Cxi69H85eiifXYvKkWo3NIcpsgnF-eFz8JCkWOHfLwKB2HW7JS4lZhZMok9JAxdpn6g1OZtr1SuyV9IOYYuXnaGvCNFKJzc/s1600/10620757_10152764551400452_5963672122073873416_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZPNP62wfD9oGrQnQyKDstIIDAMUQpEfcagl7X1mKLe6H1Cxi69H85eiifXYvKkWo3NIcpsgnF-eFz8JCkWOHfLwKB2HW7JS4lZhZMok9JAxdpn6g1OZtr1SuyV9IOYYuXnaGvCNFKJzc/s1600/10620757_10152764551400452_5963672122073873416_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">But Minecraft hasn't completely dwarfed his love of Yoda or Origami. Particularly together.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluoHO4mHSPPjr1uWRtRdoyJ2azuVsymZkbpBPMcO511wgJX_856JDqZkz2g6HskaHs-ACGDDsnBk7AoHy4LmR-JpqXCPayy5PvqDZTd4pB4xngEZGZl2cQWV5o-j_3t_XOsM-aFygWyI/s1600/10599605_10152764551595452_5243646918291307021_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhluoHO4mHSPPjr1uWRtRdoyJ2azuVsymZkbpBPMcO511wgJX_856JDqZkz2g6HskaHs-ACGDDsnBk7AoHy4LmR-JpqXCPayy5PvqDZTd4pB4xngEZGZl2cQWV5o-j_3t_XOsM-aFygWyI/s1600/10599605_10152764551595452_5243646918291307021_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">And he likes giving out the real thing. Finger puppet!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D8Mbn-MZ62WnToi06VeCA52rzwpnxhDtSFbQ4tnArw2i_GWvWpHAKmEkJviqQPX9SotvIovE87RCdn28pb6xdncKcRX03FpvXZOND110cLkWuAcpT2llkkQe2oF2IRxl757HJ0fvD1w/s1600/10407881_10152764551700452_5442988684306442191_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9D8Mbn-MZ62WnToi06VeCA52rzwpnxhDtSFbQ4tnArw2i_GWvWpHAKmEkJviqQPX9SotvIovE87RCdn28pb6xdncKcRX03FpvXZOND110cLkWuAcpT2llkkQe2oF2IRxl757HJ0fvD1w/s1600/10407881_10152764551700452_5442988684306442191_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He's always been funny, but this made me truly laugh!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TsZBMDh66XJkfHtn2dee4bAYx9wrBUK6t0M1CU5cjLeH5JEARfoU1iSMIu8XG-hvuSDsFZq5txp9hSXwLk5ZmAzBMNkfMPPKQa7hIsGUbxTVHu_tgH6IFHumRC9M57nsGiUo8sZjuGI/s1600/10689722_10152764551840452_8222457042313988265_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2TsZBMDh66XJkfHtn2dee4bAYx9wrBUK6t0M1CU5cjLeH5JEARfoU1iSMIu8XG-hvuSDsFZq5txp9hSXwLk5ZmAzBMNkfMPPKQa7hIsGUbxTVHu_tgH6IFHumRC9M57nsGiUo8sZjuGI/s1600/10689722_10152764551840452_8222457042313988265_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">He asked me a few days ago which was my favorite of his comic book characters. He made a few for me. </td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOA99dCKsq8Ps-iFA_zz4Fa3mlOySHBUUHLQ9jhKw7LH-H5QIMh6_29UnD1p-LsSxMGYVc65Jhr9ZtrMcLCAhlksBgScbutMhFjqgHvjsdqM8zERkWI2ImPNKPqeRtJHHPcjJ9Q0vsTQo/s1600/10523990_10152764551910452_1401176066693972622_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOA99dCKsq8Ps-iFA_zz4Fa3mlOySHBUUHLQ9jhKw7LH-H5QIMh6_29UnD1p-LsSxMGYVc65Jhr9ZtrMcLCAhlksBgScbutMhFjqgHvjsdqM8zERkWI2ImPNKPqeRtJHHPcjJ9Q0vsTQo/s1600/10523990_10152764551910452_1401176066693972622_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Some are tougher than others, but they all arrived eventually. </td></tr>
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I hope you enjoyed reading that card as much as I enjoyed getting it. He spent so much time on this last night and it really means so much to me. I love my boys. They spoil me with such cute creativity.<br />
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<br />Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-81336804394718724232014-09-13T09:31:00.000-07:002014-09-13T09:31:13.257-07:00What is over the hill?<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQW4VYtoMzanWDjT7SEEV8Yt6WkyL378_w4yY8dxqaY_gcm7SFwqbbDboL3Iig0OEEXyOrRFjNUf4ihAbXP_vZpk6o2j93UoRNLKhGyaQ4QLeYZpZbJ_tZAfLiBeS3WT2mqljvDOV84U/s1600/697.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuQW4VYtoMzanWDjT7SEEV8Yt6WkyL378_w4yY8dxqaY_gcm7SFwqbbDboL3Iig0OEEXyOrRFjNUf4ihAbXP_vZpk6o2j93UoRNLKhGyaQ4QLeYZpZbJ_tZAfLiBeS3WT2mqljvDOV84U/s1600/697.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My dad. Not looking much different from 40.</td></tr>
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So today is my birthday. If you are my "friend" on Facebook then you probably already figured that out. Today I'm reminded of a picture that used to hang in our finished basement den in Summit, New Jersey when my folks and I lived there. It was a picture of my dad, in his U.S. Navy athletic shorts, sitting (leaning really) on a balance beam. Underneath he had a caption posted: "Forty isn't over the hill." I'm also reminded of a poem that my dad wrote (to his little brother I think) that used to be posted in my uncle's old bedroom at the grandparent's place. I can only recall the first line, but that has always stuck in my head with its own little melody, like a song. "Forty, that mystical imaginary borderline..." I think the reason that my dad comes to mind when I think of the age of forty is that it was a big deal to him. He had something prove at that age--that he was still in his prime at the age of forty. (My mother, by contrast, has never seemed to truly age or pay much attention to age.)<br />
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While I will confess that I already passed that milestone awhile back, this image came to my mind today. I still do not think of either of my parents as being "over the hill." So by extension I can't be either, right? What do we mean when we think of particular ages as being "over the hill?" What is this proverbial hill, anyway? The thought seems to be that life is a hill that we climb and climb, trying to prove something about ourselves. At various ages we ask ourselves, "Am I over the hill?" "Am I going downhill from here?" The idea seems to be that after you go over the hill, life is all downhill from there. In a good way or a bad way I think is up to you, though most folks seem to think it's a bad thing.<br />
<br />
So if you have reached the top of that hill and you are looking down at the rest of your life to come, do you see an easier life or a deteriorating life? Are things going to be worse from here due to aging? Or are you about to go on the ultimate downhill roller-coaster ride and have fun? I know which I prefer.<br />
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At this stage in my life I have just begun a new adventure. I've started graduate school and am learning so much! If there is anything in the world to which I could be addicted, it would be learning. You can ask my <a href="http://www.stc.org/" target="_blank">STC </a>colleagues, if there is a new technology out there, I like to go learn about it and then teach it to others. If I learn something new, I want to share it with everyone I know.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTw35nnzxRlM1tBNndpQBsFNal7VbhM4LNqS3emNiCfCWItEivdU-IfokxKbGGHVsBJh7njXqDivfiEL7VxLpXJRfQoUlCKJixQmZfkayv1R_22BKwvwKxmJmeYLJmW35YSVoXONfMeY/s1600/IMG_2256.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBTw35nnzxRlM1tBNndpQBsFNal7VbhM4LNqS3emNiCfCWItEivdU-IfokxKbGGHVsBJh7njXqDivfiEL7VxLpXJRfQoUlCKJixQmZfkayv1R_22BKwvwKxmJmeYLJmW35YSVoXONfMeY/s1600/IMG_2256.JPG" height="200" width="150" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">What's important when you conquer that hill? Someone to share it with! This is from my husband's recent grad school graduation.</td></tr>
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And one thing I know today: I am NOT over the proverbial hill. I have much climbing yet to do. Perhaps life is not just one big hill, but a series of small hills that lead to the ultimate mountain. I've gone over my share of bumps and hills throughout life. Hills can be something to trudge up and dread or something to conquer. I choose to conquer. In fact, we're climbing a hill right now that took us entirely by surprise. But with God's help we'll climb this hill, too, and reach the other side. Then it's roller-coaster time!<br />
Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-61198808775645900202014-07-07T05:01:00.000-07:002014-07-07T05:01:21.437-07:00Something worth waiting forToday I want to share with you a post I read from Women Living Well. If you've ever been so lonely you couldn't eat or too afraid to let someone in, this is worth a read.<br />
<a href="http://womenlivingwell.org/2014/07/what-women-want-memoir-giveaway/" target="_blank">Women Living Well</a>Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-56915783611898970582014-05-02T22:12:00.003-07:002014-05-02T22:12:52.943-07:00Origami Birthday Cards and "Cootie Catchers"I don't know about you, but I get bored with the same old birthday card every year. Today was my beloved husband's birthday and just a few days ago I was drawing a big blank for what to do. All I knew is that I did not want it boring. As usual, everything got in the way. My schedule was beyond full with elementary school meetings, church meetings, class assignments, cooking meals, and oh, yeah, my full time job.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://www.banane.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/cootie_blank_a_sm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://www.banane.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/cootie_blank_a_sm.jpg" height="200" width="174" /></a>As I got home from picking up the kids from school Thursday night, I told them to go inside and make Daddy a nice birthday card. Do you remember the little origami fortune tellers, sometimes called cootie catchers, that we folded back in childhood? I remember having hours of fun with those things. We folded them in Sunday school, Girl Scouts, and all the time at home.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGuJwtjxjRHRuhjgRtOoRQC8Wioc23AcgsZ8cvVpFBebvCbyIvvdwSe-e4VklI7dw_f3UDQH_71SRUQRdtldA5rlNTht7ITmbL3OYTlPsDi6aOOPyomnBmxe36n_9kToDSGqR7HiLuzQ/s1600/IMG_1940.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEifGuJwtjxjRHRuhjgRtOoRQC8Wioc23AcgsZ8cvVpFBebvCbyIvvdwSe-e4VklI7dw_f3UDQH_71SRUQRdtldA5rlNTht7ITmbL3OYTlPsDi6aOOPyomnBmxe36n_9kToDSGqR7HiLuzQ/s1600/IMG_1940.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Created by Ian Moore</td></tr>
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Right now, my sons are going through an origami phase, though theirs is more of a Star Wars origami, based on the series of books that started with <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_ss_c_0_23?url=search-alias%3Dstripbooks&field-keywords=strange%20case%20of%20origami%20yoda&sprefix=strange+case+of+origami%2Caps%2C229" target="_blank">The Strange Case of Origami Yoda</a></i>. For days I have had origami Yodas, Jabba the Puppets, and Fortune Wookies overtaking my house. The boys had spent the entire trip home from school folding Yodas and Wookies. I could see that there was no way they were going to stop, even to make Daddy a card or do their chores.<br />
<br />
You know what they say--if you can't beat 'em, use 'em. So as I was parking in the driveway it hit me--make origami birthday cards! The first image was to use a Fortune Wookie as a birthday card, placing multiple birthday messages inside where the message goes.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZ1AStxZfA2mMPl16b277cw4AuUdEyiY7q8TX8lqNpm9ZxDR7sv4SZA7uQTx2nT7QZxcFOUiIIZLPyt4HVeOS5AzIg6IyUg4VvzbT7oyyTwWqUDFMt2QO1xUiIjOFsdPR4B3GMhKPZUY/s1600/IMG_1886.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkZ1AStxZfA2mMPl16b277cw4AuUdEyiY7q8TX8lqNpm9ZxDR7sv4SZA7uQTx2nT7QZxcFOUiIIZLPyt4HVeOS5AzIg6IyUg4VvzbT7oyyTwWqUDFMt2QO1xUiIjOFsdPR4B3GMhKPZUY/s1600/IMG_1886.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Created by Ian Moore</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRu0uqJfD0NUr2QgEquOsOWaVB3fJB8OOUZsTvRT0kvfJZLgm1UtlJ17kIVr0MAqTjdkf3jO9ZP8vEftPj6BoVBUfZ-ysnRsFD3b1iSv3rG-93bFCdFGzRPVFhJs5TRzy3y_ocHzymdrE/s1600/IMG_1884.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRu0uqJfD0NUr2QgEquOsOWaVB3fJB8OOUZsTvRT0kvfJZLgm1UtlJ17kIVr0MAqTjdkf3jO9ZP8vEftPj6BoVBUfZ-ysnRsFD3b1iSv3rG-93bFCdFGzRPVFhJs5TRzy3y_ocHzymdrE/s1600/IMG_1884.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"> Created by Ian Moore</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioH2BKwhpn4GuP8dTKYHDAyUv2rgTnrQAM067dNRKPFnnuG2DfcE0_36qmpyKHuVziS5Tmy5-USmcEDjTRYuQLwJ8pKKW7f5jQjoDx7klo5tVO0uA5n4fLHf-RUcqhmsL9blzjvy7e5Z8/s1600/IMG_1888.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEioH2BKwhpn4GuP8dTKYHDAyUv2rgTnrQAM067dNRKPFnnuG2DfcE0_36qmpyKHuVziS5Tmy5-USmcEDjTRYuQLwJ8pKKW7f5jQjoDx7klo5tVO0uA5n4fLHf-RUcqhmsL9blzjvy7e5Z8/s1600/IMG_1888.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Created by Ian Moore</td></tr>
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My oldest son, Ian had a blast creating his. He actually made two different ones before he was satisfied that it was good enough for his daddy. He included messages like "World's Greatest Dad!" and "Cool card for a cool Dad." He loved it. My youngest son made a Jabba the Puppet and wrote "Happy Birthday" in the mouth of the figure. This was tons of fun and gave us a unique set of birthday "cards" for Daddy for his big day. He loved the cards and now he'll always remember this birthday. <div>
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In retrospect, I see this as a great idea for other things too--like birthday party goodie bags. You can put "thank you" notes in the message area. "Thanks for celebrating with me!" "The greatest gift is fun with you." Other stuff like that. There might even be potential for a game in all this. :)</div>
Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-11449222497324665062013-12-10T20:44:00.001-08:002013-12-11T06:52:02.599-08:00Peppermint Stripe Scarf<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaKZ9LE5_Ri61PBiO5EVD6Ld15GYUIlA5brlnhZVWS3kW7YJPdfWz7CgOHqpTzrMb_iJvBh42RcxU_6Un-zCytLhKi62VHHY62FWlfTM0SpcNRGQID1ThyRIv9gvYL9Y23IfOK15fbDo/s1600/1455045_10152139370955452_711313284_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoaKZ9LE5_Ri61PBiO5EVD6Ld15GYUIlA5brlnhZVWS3kW7YJPdfWz7CgOHqpTzrMb_iJvBh42RcxU_6Un-zCytLhKi62VHHY62FWlfTM0SpcNRGQID1ThyRIv9gvYL9Y23IfOK15fbDo/s1600/1455045_10152139370955452_711313284_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGn2eiG4peEdkI1NTmE-_o5SaOgxexJIFQlPgBzBjoc57yt8f4NdArnKl5HTqHM-Ufa_cng6BHduIC0gllv96dMJlJc_xjOe0HtSbmKqWSqtpQnXxQwTQR2gao5kypcikksOhLmEvhhZY/s1600/600334_10152139370530452_219303666_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGn2eiG4peEdkI1NTmE-_o5SaOgxexJIFQlPgBzBjoc57yt8f4NdArnKl5HTqHM-Ufa_cng6BHduIC0gllv96dMJlJc_xjOe0HtSbmKqWSqtpQnXxQwTQR2gao5kypcikksOhLmEvhhZY/s1600/600334_10152139370530452_219303666_n.jpg" height="240" style="cursor: move;" width="320" /></a></div>
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While I was walking through Michael's
Arts and Crafts a few weeks ago I saw a skein of Red Heart Shimmer
yarn. I had already been seeing visions of a peppermint swirl design
in a scarf or a hat. When I saw the Shimmer in red and white I knew I
had to make those little balls of shiny goodness into something fun
for Christmas!<br />
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As you can probably tell by the name of
this scarf, I had visions of peppermint sticks in mind. I tried a
number of ways to make the strips go diagonal, but after starting a
few different designs, I decided that vertical strips would be
better. I really love the way this came out, so I'm sharing it with
you.</div>
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Supplies:</h2>
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1 ball Red Heart Shimmer white</div>
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1 ball Red Heart Shimmer red</div>
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H size crochet hook</div>
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Piece of cardboard or similar item to
wrap your yarn to size the fringe</div>
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Yarn needle
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Scissors</div>
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Scarf Body</h2>
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Using the white yarn, ch 252. (I like
my scarves really long and this reached about to my knees. You can
make it any length you want, really.)</div>
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Row 1: Hdc in third ch from the hook.
Hdc across. Ch 2 and turn.</div>
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Row 2: Hdc across. Switch to red yarn.
Ch 2 and turn.</div>
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Row 3: Hdc across. Switch to white
yarn. Ch2 and turn.</div>
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Row 4: Hdc across. Ch 2 and turn.
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Row 5: Hdc across. Switch to red yarn.
Ch 2 and turn.
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Row 6-11: Repeat 3-5 twice ending with
the white yarn. Do not fasten off.</div>
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Ends and Edging</h2>
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Sc twice in the same stitch. Sc across
the end of the scarf.</div>
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ST across the chain edge of the scarf
until second to last ch st.
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Sc three times in last ch st.</div>
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Sc across the end of the scarf and
fasten off.</div>
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Weave in ends.</div>
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Fringe</h2>
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Wrap yarn around the cardboard piece
until you have enough for your fringe.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7v6utRMy0Yo2WTUTMclcyOrWi_KoAGM2qsKcddiMLmiBpiAamumX4BvBJM6EJNdnoLEFwyPW8ZdPCSjsTdHc_96GbUS36qFfhSxGmA9FOQNzzh4Z0GoJUXKQxxVF_E68H1efp6m6RaY/s1600/1457560_10152139370725452_1036891805_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgW7v6utRMy0Yo2WTUTMclcyOrWi_KoAGM2qsKcddiMLmiBpiAamumX4BvBJM6EJNdnoLEFwyPW8ZdPCSjsTdHc_96GbUS36qFfhSxGmA9FOQNzzh4Z0GoJUXKQxxVF_E68H1efp6m6RaY/s1600/1457560_10152139370725452_1036891805_n.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Slide off and cut in half. Use three
pieces of yarn for each fringe.
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Add a matching color piece of fringe at
the end of each row. That will give you two white fringes, then one
red, then two white, then one red, and so on. Continue until you have
both ends fringed.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7_1wL0bL2Mp00k_S3XgmL9B5LqSaEVaHN63lfsxXFtDBRfCdsP-cs2NCliHY9yIAaaM6xgnF_r-IQkj_Y3V_2PYdNAMPa73CzZHkci72h5TWJsbA6xWqTv1qkzvPC26cr1er-cUX7ww/s1600/1503828_10152139371175452_1947976607_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiN7_1wL0bL2Mp00k_S3XgmL9B5LqSaEVaHN63lfsxXFtDBRfCdsP-cs2NCliHY9yIAaaM6xgnF_r-IQkj_Y3V_2PYdNAMPa73CzZHkci72h5TWJsbA6xWqTv1qkzvPC26cr1er-cUX7ww/s1600/1503828_10152139371175452_1947976607_n.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Pattern and pictures all copyright by Jenna Moore, December 10, 2013. </div>
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Feel free to share this pattern, but only for personal use.</div>
Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-30654867168932837142013-11-21T08:45:00.000-08:002013-12-04T07:52:01.760-08:00Food Is Thy Medicine<h2>
Anti-Inflammatory Food</h2>
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If you read this blog more for the spoons than the stitches, then you probably know what chronic pain is like. Living with chronic pain is not easy, particularly the unexpected changes in your pain level. You might have a really good day or a really bad day-and no way to tell which is coming. Right? </div>
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I recently went to my nurse practitioner about my pain. I'd had two days of horrible, crying on the couch, pain. Just sitting still was painful enough to cause tears, never mind the idea of getting up and moving on that knee. This was two months AFTER my knee surgery, so it shouldn't have been that bad. I begged her for an answer, other than more narcotic pain medicine. She told me: change your diet.</div>
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Oh please! How many times have people told me that if I just lose weight I'll feel great again? Yeah right. I did it once and I still felt like crap. For reference, see my first knee surgery that came when I was at <i>normal weight</i>. No, no, she said. It's not about losing weight. I perked up-really? What's the point then? She told me that what we eat can actually cause increased inflammation. o_O I was skeptical, but I listened. It made sense. </div>
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After much research, I found many plans that conflicted with one another. Dr Weil's <a href="http://www.drweil.com/drw/u/PAG00361/anti-inflammatory-food-pyramid.html" target="_blank">anti-inflammatory pyramid</a>. Clean Cuisine's list of good and bad foods. And more. Some say eat tomatoes. Others say no tomatoes or other nightshades! Some of them even conflicted with themselves. I was about to give up when I found <a href="http://lyn-genet.com/" target="_blank">The Plan</a>. Others had hyped it to me on a forum and I figured it couldn't be worse than the CC plan of hemp seed, hemp milk, hemp, hemp, hemp "all hemp all the time". </div>
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Surprisingly, it made sense. The Plan states that the reason so much of the information is conflicting is that people are different. A lot of people do fine with tomatoes and peppers. Others don't. The Plan is a testing protocol to find out what works for <b>you</b>. I figured I'd give it a try. I've been on it for five days (this is six) and I'm already seeing a difference. My pain isn't all gone, but it's a LOT less. This book has given me ways to measure what is reactive for me and I can track the food and the reaction. Did I have more pain? Get exhausted? Then I know what to do with that food afterward. </div>
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I won't tell you that only The Plan works. I didn't actually try the others, though I used them for guidelines for two weeks before starting the Plan. I do recommend looking into this phenomenon if you have chronic pain, though. If you're interested in seeing how The Plan goes, you can track my progress at my food blog, <a href="http://quickchefs.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Starving Mama</a>.</div>
Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6719198935801262040.post-15634608495614117192013-11-13T07:10:00.001-08:002013-11-21T08:47:01.155-08:00What Makes a Perfect Mom?I recently read a blog by one of my favorite bloggers-Jen @ PIWTPITT. She talked about being the <a href="http://www.peopleiwanttopunchinthethroat.com/2013/11/i-am-worlds-okayest-mom.html" target="_blank">World's Okayest Mom</a>. That got me thinking-what makes the world's greatest mom? We hear about Super Moms, Soccer Moms, Perfect Moms, and all kinds of other titles. But what does a woman do to earn one of these titles?<br />
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While I was thinking about this, I saw visions of the mom who drives her kids everywhere, packs them perfectly healthy lunches every day, bakes cookies, volunteers on the kids' PTA or home schools her kids, plans play dates, and still has energy to clean the house (which is spotless) at the end of the day. I don't know about you, but I can never live up to that.<br />
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I will never win the "World's Greatest Mom" award from the world. No outside person would look at my struggle in motherhood and think I'm great. But there is something I realized not long ago-it's not the world that I need to approve of my mothering skills. (I almost called them "techniques," but that would imply a level of planning and consistency that I have not achieved.) What does matter is what my children think.<br />
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The first thing I think about, is what do my kids think of my mothering? Do they think I'm great because I never upset them? As much as I enjoy their approval, they should think I'm mean once in awhile. Otherwise, I'm not doing my job. I want to believe that my kids are the best ones ever, getting everything right the first time. We all want that. But the truth is that they make mistakes and bad choices and I have to call them on it. They are going to call me mean because I tell them they can't take their favorite comic book to school. They are going to hate it when I tell them to turn the lights out and go to sleep when they want to finish "just one more thing." So clearly, I can't reach for a perfect score from my kids.<br />
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But what my kids do like is time with me. It's not about throwing a $400 birthday party at a great amusement park. It's not about always getting McDonald's for dinner. Just ten minutes of playing Uno with them goes further than all of that. When I do that, I give them something to hold onto: my time. It costs me nothing but time to play a game or read a book with them. Sometimes my youngest (he's seven) and I just sit on the couch and each read our own books. He loves this time and will talk about it for days. And all I had to sacrifice was my idea of the perfect, compact schedule.<br />
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I don't know about you, but schedules are almost sacred with me. I plan exactly how I'm going to pick up the kids, when we'll get home, the steps needed to make dinner and more. It's not an easy sacrifice to give in to changing it, but I'm learning to be more flexible.<br />
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The other thing they notice is when I do something unexpected that makes things better for them. This week I had a PTA meeting to attend. The original plan was for them to stay home with Daddy while I attended the meeting-which wasn't optional. At the last minute, my husband got called out of town on his first-ever business trip. Since I have to attend the meeting, they are coming with me. I had about ten minutes to spare and no idea what the conditions at the meeting would be. I packed them a dinner of sunflower butter and jelly sandwiches. This is a school function and the last thing I need is someone to yell at me about peanut butter. Thank goodness I'm sensitive to the stuff myself and have alternatives around. I also packed a huge sketch pad, a pencil each, and a pack of crayons. I picked them up at the after school program and we went straight to the meeting. When we arrived, they were scared that they would be bored. That's when I told them that I had their sketch pad and stuff. The first thing that my oldest said was, "<b>You're the awesomest mom ever!</b>" And all I did was take a minute to pack a sketch pad.<br />
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That is so much easier than baking from scratch, planning play dates, or even getting a babysitter. And that's the only award I need.Jennahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08096166838224852282noreply@blogger.com0