Daily Ponderings

Another summer-like day in October happened today, and that was alright with me! I am loving this weather, although I am very aware that it will end soon enough. I haven't yet switched over my wardrobe, and plastic hasn't been sealed up over the windows. I'm still hoping I can hold off on that for another couple weeks. We'll see! Today, I had a PH support group meeting. I've sort of lost count of how long I've run this support group, but I know it's well over 10 years. I enjoy having meetings, because I get to see my phriends! But, I REALLY enjoy the meetings where I have a speaker, which I've had for almost all the meetings this year. It's very hard to come up with new topics after having a support group for so long, especially when not too many new people show up, or come once and then never again. I have repeated a few topics, but there are still a few that I haven't had at all. So, I need to prepare for next year's meetings soon so I ca...

Wasn't it just September 1st?? The month that brings the last few weeks of the dog days of Summer, and then ushers us into the crispness of Fall?? I swear, this year September just flew by with a blink of an eye, and today it's October!! I'm always sad when Fall starts, even though it seems everyone around me is giddy with excitement. Fall means colder days are ahead, and I'll be pretty much spending my days from now until late spring in long underwear since my circulation is not that great!! lol I'm trying to have a better attitude about the long Winter days coming ahead, especially since I don't think we'll be as lucky as the past couple years with "warmer" days that allowed me to get out a lot more than usual during the cold season. I keep hearing and reading rumors that we'll get a bitter winter with more snow, but of course, that remains to be seen. Getting out a lot the last couple winters helped me some with anxiety that didn...

This past weekend flew by so quickly! It's hard to believe it's already Monday again. So, I'll sum up the weekend (which means, I will elaborate on everything lol). Friday was spent with my Dad at the Cleveland Clinic for my annual check up. We left a little after 6am since my first appointment was at 10 and it takes about 3 hours to get there. But, I'd been up since 4:45 for whatever reason, so I was rather tired! When we got to the Clinic, I had my first appointment, which was an echo. The technician who did mine was so thrilled because he never gets congenital heart defects, and he said I was the most exciting case he was going to have all day (granted, it was 10am, I sure hope I wasn't the only interesting case lol). After that was over, I got some blood work done, and then my Dad and I had time to eat some late breakfast/early brunch before my next appointment. The Clinic has different cafes in many of their buildings for people to get something, and the one ...

Actually, yes, it is still technically Summer even though it's September! I think people get to this month and automatically thing that it's Fall because most kids go back to school, the weather starts getting cooler, and the leaves start changing. Pumpkin-everything becomes available, and people long for Halloween. Oh my, just stop!! I am never ready for this change!! Today's weather, and the weather for the rest of the week, makes it sure feel like it's still Summer! Where was this weather for most of the ACTUAL Summer?? I spent a lot of time on my front porch this morning and afternoon because it was warm and beautiful out! It made me happy! Sadly, I got rid of my two pots of flowers since they were pretty much done growing. But I still have my chair on my porch in the hopes that I can still use it for a little bit longer before I have to store it. I had originally planned to do a lot more than I did today, but I am trying to live by a thought of "Because Yo...

I AM trying to blog more. At least, I keep telling myself that, and then I don't end up writing something because by the end of the day, I'm too tired or I forgot what I wanted to say. I need to just jot things down. lol It's already the second weekend of September, and it's almost over. I have a love-hate relationship with the month, because it means summer is on it's way out and I have to wait FOREVER for it to come back (the HATE part), but it also means it's my birthday month (the LOVE part)! And then that is over, and before you know it, Christmas is here (HATE/LOVE at the same time lol)! I don't know what I'd like to do for my birthday this year. I just saw on my Facebook memories that two years ago, I went to a Paint Nite with a bunch of my friends and two of my sistores. That was a lot of fun! Last year, I had dinner with my family, which was nice. This coming weekend, which is my birthday weekend, is kind of busy. Friday I have to go to Clev...

In the last week or so, I began seeing Facebook posts from local friends of a field of sunflowers in an area about 20 minutes east of me. I have seen a field of sunflowers once before, several years ago while on a trip with my mom to her hometown of Horseheads, NY. Right before we arrived there, I spotted sunflowers galore from the highway, and it was just so awesome! So, when I started seeing the pictures of friends enjoying the beautiful flowers, I knew I wanted to go for a drive! I did so on Friday afternoon. It was bright and sunny, although a little cool for my liking, and the drive was pretty easy. I knew I had arrived at the location of the field when I saw tons of cars lined up on the side of the road, where usually people aren't allowed to park. And then I saw the sunflowers. I was already in awe before I pulled over, and very excited!! My mom didn't want to come out with me, so I got out of the car and carefully crossed the road to the sunflowers. I could tell the poo...

Today wasn't the greatest day for me in dealing with anxiety. It started with a phone call just after 8am that I didn't answer because I wasn't even really awake at that time. The phone number showed up as "Restricted," so I ignored it, and then listened to the sound my phone makes when someone leaves a voicemail. About half an hour later, since I couldn't go back to sleep, I listened to the message from the nurse at my gynecologist's office, telling me to please call back as soon as I could. Wonderful. I was trying not to worry about it as I called back 10 minutes later, but I had to leave my name since the nurse wasn't available at that moment. I continued to get ready for pulmonary rehab, but my mood just wasn't the greatest, and I could tell the anxiety was creeping up. Exercising helped a little, but trying to keep myself occupied when I got back home was hard. I eventually showered, and called the office back after drying my hair. The "p...

This afternoon I had to get some blood work done for two different doctors. One script was for my regular testing to make sure my liver still likes the PH medication I've been on for almost 14 years, and to make sure I'm not pregnant (don't really need to do it, I know I'm not lol), and the other script was to check hormones, thyroid and a few other things for a problem I've been having. I went after volunteering, and the place was nice and quiet, so I was out of there shortly after. Before I left the building, I decided to use the ladies' room. While I was washing my hands, I looked in the mirror and noticed all the gray hairs that were coming out of the top of my head. My normal reaction to seeing them is "Ugh, I really need to get my hair done!" But today, my instant reaction to seeing them was: "I should be thankful I have gray hairs, because it means that God's allowed me to age." It took me aback that THAT thought popped into my h...