Category: Uncategorized

I have been a member of the Virtual Front Pew since week 17 of Ordinary Time 2021. I go to mass in my living room every week now that I’m homebound and going out to church isn’t a thing for me anymore after Covid.

I really love that Fr. Mike is my spiritual guide and last week, he talked about Barbra Streisand’s Christmas albums. He was reminded of being a child and hearing his mom sing along with her on these albums in their house.

I thought I would give her Christmas albums a try. I listened to a couple songs from both albums, and it did NOT knock my socks off so I just went back to listening to Wham!.

I have a couple generic holiday playlists in my Apple Music. I put my four from 2023 on and then it just starts playing other Christmas music after my selections are over.

Well, I heard this song from one of Barbra Streisand’s Christmas albums today, and I must tell you that this one MOST DEFINITELY knocked my socks off!!!

I told my Mom that I had never heard this version of the song and I really dig it! I told her that Fr. Mike is listening to this song as well! His mom died last year.

I’ve seen this commercial so many times, and I think I have decided that the people wearing these socks are actually dancers!;:
https://youtu.be/xsG2kcJ4aG8?si=JFoJmDvVOj9V8XPG

Everytime I see it, it kind of takes my breath away because they all can control their feet! I haven’t been able to do that for so long…

I finally found out what commercial it was, and then I could share this commercial!!! Think this was the first one that I saw, but I couldn’t find it to share it on my blog. But I found it today, Yat!:

I am still tree-less. But I don’t think I mind it. I was just thinking about how close I am to 24 years of having MS and this is BEYOND stinky!!! I’m not even watching Love Actually but things are a little bit tougher now…

Well, I am still tree-less but I pillaged today and I was able to watch A Crown for Christmas the part where Ally and Theodora are decorating the tree. I got to see all the fun parts and I got to hear my cheesy song!!!:

I can go for some cheese right about now! I was making puzzles yesterday and now the Christmas puzzle options are here and I’m excited!:

Even without my tree up today, I am perfectly content, listening to my Apple Music Christmas music playlist and wearing my, ‘Abuela” chapstick. That’s the Ginger Spice one that reminds me of the candy that she had in a jar by her front door at Christmas time.

Rather than putting this into a ‘bag-o-chapstick, I am just going to get rid of it because I don’t like this flavor at all it because I thought it was Ginger Spice in the winter variety pack instead of the Salted Caramel that it was. Rather than putting into a baggie until next year, i’ve made the executive decision to throw it out.

This last ‘go time,’ I forwent my haircut for my Mom to get my chair serviced. We should have gotten the van the night before because my chair needed to be in Troy at 1:30 but we were able to do it! My Mom was not able to pick up the lasagna though.

I talked to Sean because he is ending the season with irrigation. He actually picked up the lasagna and brought it to the house. He put in the oven. and I was beaming as I was sitting in my manual chair, unable to move at all!

He actually put Amazon prime on my TV and then he started perusing the viewing options. He was excited about all the series that were available. He was looking for a movie for us to watch and he asked if I wanted See Doctor No from 1962. Sean Connery, James Bond.

I agreed, and I told him that I DID name him after Sean Connery, but I think it might have been Sean O’Reilly, who was in first grade when I was watching his class at lunch when I was in eighth grade. That’s a possibility! That kid was really cute!

We only saw about 20 minutes of it before my Mom got back and he already got with four different women! We didn’t finish watching the movie when my Mom got home but I think that is something I will watch later just because I want to see what it was all about.

Today was the second day of ‘go time’ for November. Yesterday, I did NOT leave the house, but my Mom took my chair to get serviced. The pelvis stabilizer is working now and so is the actuator. My wheelchair reclines all the way back smoothly without laboring!

Today was a difficult day to say the least!!! Everything got done, and I only have an appointment with my naturopath in December.

I have the first quarter of next year already scheduled and I know how to schedule April and May. I will do that in January and February. I cannot tell you how much I never thought my life would be like this!!! it’s getting harder now!!!

Today, I had my mammogram. Now that is something really necessary and also private but I must say that it is 2024 and I cannot believe they DO NOT have handicap accessible mammogram machines?!!!! That is so difficult!!! I had to learn that the hard way when I was 40.

Note to anyone who will be in a power chair in the future: take a manual chair with you to use while you are using the machine. I could not get a clear reading when I was 40 and my doctor told me that I should have another scan ‘sooner than later.’ So, I had two mammograms when I was 40! I am only 42 and I have just finished my fourth mammogram and I must tell you that I am STILL 4 for 4.

I have cried at all four mammograms!!! Today, I thought I was going to be in the clear because last year I cried a whole lot because it hurt a whole lot. But today, it wasn’t until we were in the waiting room and finished when I started to cry. I had the same tech from last year and it was smoother this time.

I have been thinking about this because I have recently gone through a change. I have been left-handed, my entire life and no one else in my immediate family is left-handed. I have made adjustments in dealing with a right handed world for my entire life!

I was telling my Mom that I can feel my brain changing because I have had MS for going on 24 years in a little over a month. I no longer can make those little adjustments or accommodations. I no longer can reach my left hand across my body to get my toothbrush from my Mom. She has to come around and hand it to me on my left side.

I wonder what else is going to change and how much but I am glad that it’s kind of slowly changing but changing nonetheless.

I just can’t believe that able-bodied people would be that obtuse because there are women power chair users who need mammograms so they need to make them easier to get!!! my Mom talked about someone designing it with an engineering mind and I told her that is NOT me!

Now, I am just going to Dr. Clark’s office and getting a haircut on December 18 and that’s it.

Tonight is the eve of ‘go time.’ I’ve already set my alarms and I’ve gone through the orders. I will place tomorrow morning before I get out of bed.

I was telling Sean today that it’s ‘go time’ but I’m not going anywhere. my Mom will pick up the van tomorrow morning and get a lasagna (I can still eat that) and then come back to my house to get the wheelchair.

My Mom is taking my wheelchair to get an actuator replacement, and a pelvis stabilizer, (that means a seatbelt). I was noticing that reclining back in my chair was taking a long time back in October and that’s when my Mom took it in and they saw that I need a new actuator. That’s the motor in the hydraulic or something.

I don’t know what it is but I know it’s going to cost me $129 bucks or something like that. I am just foregoing my haircut and wax for November.

I only have three more ‘go times’ for the year! I don’t have a doctor appointment in December, but I have January through April next year already scheduled and planned. My ENTIRE existence is on a schedule now. I don’t know how I feel about that but I don’t think it really matters because the appointments have to be scheduled.