2008 is nearly over...

You Remember 80% of 2008

You were paying attention during 2008. And you remember what happened really well. You'll be able to talk about 2008 for years to come... Even when most people have forgotten what went down.

How Much Do You Remember 2008?

In the meadow we will build a snowman....

You Are a Snowman

Friendly and fun, you enjoy bringing holiday cheer to everyone you know!

What Christmas Ornament Are You?

Oh Christmas tree...

I put up my Christmas tree tonite. Isn't it purty? It took me a while, since I had to rearrange furniture to clear out a spot for it. And then, after I had already put the lights on the tree, when I went to turn them on, of course only half of the strand worked. Grrr. Luckily, it was just a missing bulb, and I took one off another strand to put on the other one (which is my favorite since it has two-colored bulbs). I feel so festive now ;)

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

I have a nice, straight toe again

Went to the doctor today, and he took the pin out of my toe. I was worried that it was going to hurt, but I didn't feel anything more than a tug, and then it was out. I have to keep wearing the post-op shoe for a while longer until my foot can tolerate actual shoes. Until then, it is slippers and that post-op shoe for me. It is very stiff and feels tight, but the pain isn't too bad :)

Just to gross you out, here is a pic of my foot that I took today:

























The red stuff on the side of my foot is not blood. It is just some kind of liquid they use to keep the area where the stitches were protected. And yes, that is the word "yes" on my foot. I guess the doctor wrote it there so they would know which foot was being operated on - lol.

The bunion is gone....no more bump :) And tomorrow I can FINALLY take an actual shower and/or bath, without having to hang my right leg out of the tub! LOL. I tell you, my foot looked so nasty, with all the dry skin. I am so dying for that shower already!

Oh Christmas cards, oh Christmas cards...

Been busy making Christmas cards (and even busier making a mess out of my kitchen - hehe). Thought I would share some of my latest cards with you :)

I just LOVE those Sizzix machines!!! lol

Be a Santa to a senior

Click on the ornament to find out how :)

It ain't easy being green

I got the stitches out of my foot today - woo hoo. It wasn't nearly as bad as I thought it would be.I get to go back to work tomorrow, and I am actually looking forward to it.

In 2 weeks I go back to the podiatrist and have x-rays taken, and if all is well, then the pin can come out too :)

I took a pic of my foot without the bandage, but it is a tad nasty looking, so I won't post that - you can thank me later - hehe

I am updating my blog template....

So my page may be funky for a few days til I finish. Just a word of warning ;)

I love the Fall

Your Autumn Test Results

You are a dynamic, vibrant person. You aren't afraid to pursue your passions. When you are happiest, you are calm. You appreciate tradition and family. You enjoy feeling cozy. You prefer change to come slowly. You need a long transition period when your life changes. You find love to be the most comforting thing in the world. You feel at peace when you're with your loved ones. Your ideal day is spontaneous and surprising. You like to play things by ear, and you always end up doing something interesting. You are very impatient. You spend more time waiting for something than actually enjoying it.

The Autumn Test

Mmmmuffins!

You Are a Blueberry Muffin

You are a nurturing, domestic, homey person. Of all the types, you are the most likely to make your own muffins at home. You don't like to rock the boat, and you're most content when you're making everyone else happy. You are very loyal. You'll defend your family and friends, even if you secretly disapprove of what they're doing. You tend to be a bit shy and withdrawn. You don't make friends quickly or easily. But once you do make a good friend, the chances are high that you'll be friends for life.

What Kind of Muffin Are You?

My kitchen table...

has been turned into a card-making station - lol.

Christmas Ornaments

I made my Christmas ornments last nite and they came out so cute! Check em out.



I made these with clear glass ornaments, filling them with synthetic snow, snowflake sequins, some blue beads, bells, and other misc. things that would fit in that tiny hole - lol. I made a lil pom-pom snowman with pipecleaner arms and hat and tiny black bead eyes and buttons to put inside of the ornament, using a needle and thread to attach it to the metal ornament "lid," using a glue gun to both secure the thread and to create a seal on the ornament to prevent any of the fake snow from leaking out and making a mess. I put other things in other ornaments, too, such as mini stockings (with my friends' names on them), mini ornament snowmen, candy canes and holiday light bulbs.


Here are some more pics:


I love the holidays! Now to make Christmas cards.

I have a purty, pink foot now - lol

The doctor changed the bandages on my foot and put a new, smaller bandage on. Isn't it purty?

He said it is looking good. I saw it for the first time since the surgery, and it looked awful to me - lol. There is a row of stitches going up the side of my foot now and it looked red and a little bloody. Plus, there is a pin sticking out of my little toe, holding it straight in place. The x-rays showed that the toe is now straight (it was crooked before), so that is a good thing.

I get the stitches taken out on November 11th, but the pin doesn't come out for a few weeks yet. I can go back to work after the stitches are out, as long as I am sitting down 90% of the time, cuz if I do too much walking, it will cause swelling and a lot of pain. I ended up taking a Vicodin today cuz, well, I HAD to go to Michael's and then to Sam's Club (I love their soft pretzels). Don't worry....my mom drove - lol. But that was too much walking and now my foot is throbbing :(

I am working on Christmas ornaments. I will have some pictures soon :) I upzipped all my computer files too, since I can do that sitting down - hehe. I HATE having to sit around. Those 2 days after surgery where I was not allowed to do any walking but to the bathroom were hell! Sitting down gets old really fast, I tell you! Now that I CAN walk around a bit, it hurts too much to do it for too long, but at least I can clean and stuff (even if I can't take a shower yet - argh - don't worry - I have been keeping clean - LOL!)

Is it just me....

or does Carrot Top look like Annie on steroids?

A clear head is a good thing to have

Well, it's day 2 of no brain buzzing, so that is a very good sign. Hopefully, the worst is behind me. A clear head is a good thing to have!!! I didn't realize how much I took it for granted til now.

I should be back to my old self in no time, so watch out - hehe

My journey the hell: Living thru Cymbalta withdrawal

I was prescribed Cymbalta to help with pain and sleeplessness, which were caused by fibromyalgia. After helping neither the pain or the sleeplessness, I decided to quit taking the drug. I never, not in a million years, would have thought it would be this hard.

I have never smoked or done any drugs, so I don't know what withdrawal from those things is like, but if it is anything like this, then I can totally understand how people have such a difficult time quitting.

Let me tell you something: My life before Cymbalta was just fine. I never thought of hurting myself. I never had such a short temper or had such frequent mood swings. Ever since starting taking Cymbalta, my life has not been the same. I wasn't aware of these withdrawal effects. My doctor never mentioned them. I had read over all the potential side effects when I was first prescribed it, and it all seemed reasonable. Nothing about the potential withdrawal effects tho. I guess they "forgot" about those.

I have been "tapering off" Cymbalta for nearly 2 months now, taking 1 pill every other day, then every other other day, and so on and so forth. I have now been completely off the drug for over 2 weeks, and every day is a struggle to stay sane.

I shift moods from extreme anger to extreme sadness at a drop of a hat. I have hot spells and break out into cold sweats. I have horrible nightmares that make me not want to sleep. My brain feels like it is always "buzzing." I am dizzy all of the time. My head feels like it is stuck in a pinball machine, bouncing from side to side. I can't concentrate or remember things. I am easily distracted and confused. I get these strange "brain zaps." I get stressed out very easily. My head hurts all of the time. Sometimes, I feel like I would be better off dead. I can't take much more of this head buzzing thing. It is so nerve racking! I feel like a freakin' zombie sometimes.

I never had these problems before Cymbalta. Instead of helping my problems, it has CREATED new problems for me.

For now, I am just going to continue doing what I am doing: living one day at a time. Hoping to one day have my life back. And always hoping that tomorrow will be a better, brain-zapless day.

All bandaged up, all purty like

Here is my foot in the recovery stage. I am not allowed to take off the bandages or to get them wet (so no showers - lol). I have my first post op visit on the 4th. So far, it hasn't been too bad. It is sore and hurts to walk on it, but the pain hasn't been too overwhelming - whew.

i am a couch potato

I am back from my surgery, and it went fine. I don't have a whole lot of pain (probably thanks to the vicodin - lol) and not a whole lot of swelling either. I have to be a couch potato for a few days - no walking except to and from the bathroom, and no removing the bandages. I am glad it is over, cuz I was a basket case stressing over it. Now I feel like I was worrying for nothing - lol.

New toy ;)

I am enjoying the Sidekick so much, that I went out and bought the Big Kick. It can cut mat board, fabric, craft metal and more. I am so making all of my Christmas cards this year - hehe.