Well, I think Spring is kind of here. It has been raining so much, that you can barely squeeze in time to cut the grass. The two times that there wasn't any rain this week, all of the lawn mowers in the neighborhood were going crazy. I thought it was supposed to be April showers brings May flowers. 

My daughter came home from college this week for the summer. As usual, she got sick at the end of the semester. My poor kids have no immune system. I wonder if it is genetic since my immune system is evidently screwed up, which caused me to have MS.

Now, I feel very lucky. I have MS, but it could be a lot worse. I try to always keep that thought in mind. I think the neurologist even said that to me when she formally diagnosed me as I lay in the bed after a spinal tap. I am on one of the newest approved medications that slows the progression and disability of MS, and I am probably doing better than I have since my diagnosis in 2000. It is a difficult disease to adapt to because of the multitude of symptoms and the anxiety that surrounds the unknown about the course of the disease. I think the first 6 months after I was diagnosed, my every waking breath was consumed with MS. You start to get used to things, like numb, tingling or burning feet. Every time something new crops up, you blame it on MS and you start to freak out all over again. 

Fatigue is my biggest enemy. I also have fibromyalgia, so I have a double whammy in the fatigue department. Some days I can sleep most of the day. Then I get tired of doing that and force my butt to get up. Some days I can be fairly productive and other days can be a disaster.

I do find it difficult to focus---a little bit of ADD. I rarely cook meals anymore because I find myself wandering around the kitchen trying to think about what I am doing and what I should do next. Sometimes it can take a 1/2 hour to cook an egg. I get so lost in what I am supposed to be doing. 

I know it sounds like I am whining, but truly I am grateful for many things: good doctors, available medications (there was no med for MS prior to 1993), a loving and supportive family and a great workplace who keeps encouraging me and giving me the will to go on many days.

Not a great day

Today was the day from you know where. Everything that could have gone wrong did. The weather was cold and rainy. I couldn't catch the one dog to bring him to the groomers. Got all of our tax forms from the accountant. Happy that we (the parents) are getting a refund, but the one kid owes a bunch, and of course, Mom and Dad will have to pay for that too... and the list goes on. So much for whining. The good news is that the sun is going to shine tomorrow and it is going to act like Spring!

Didn't get to college

Unfortunately, I didn't get to my daughter's college during the week as I wasn't doing too well. I was afraid to drive that far. However, she came home this weekend. I always love when she is home. It's always a let down when she has to go back to school. The weekends go too fast.

Time with my girl

Going to Philadelphia today to spend a few days with my daughter at her college. Returning to college life should be interesting. The school is having a ribbon cutting ceremony for their new building. She is a fibers student in the Art School. She is my best friend.

Starting over

Well, here it is a year later and things are very different in my scrapbook life. IRW closed its doors the second week of March 2009. It was quite a shock to all. So I am still regrouping. What are my plans now? I am not going to join another company, the same thing happened a year ago with TLC. I will still do some crops to sell some of my remaining inventory. I will be trying to sell some of the items on craigslist and the like. Since I still like creating, I will do scrapbooks for others and make small keepsake items to take to craft shows. I also still have a lot of my own projects started, i.e. my life from a baby through college, redoing our wedding album which fell apart, old black & white photos of my parents from childhood to marriage. So... I definitely have enough to keep me going.