'Tis The Season....

This post found over at Sjoggie StAHMer is simply too good not to re-post here. (With Blogger Mamma's permission, of course). It's entitled "12 Days of Sjogren's".  *thunderous applause* Bravo! Bravo!!

I have been SO excited for Thanksgiving this year!!!  Not for the turkey, pies, or family time.  Though they were all fabulous!! I have been excited because I knew that as soon as Thanksgiving was over that I could reasonably start celebrating Christmas without seeming like a certifiable quack!

Guess what.....  I had a fantastic day with family and friends yesterday but Thanksgiving is OVER!

*Maniacal laughter ensues*

So in honor of my first day of celebrating Christmas I have written a song.  Most will be familiar with the tune of The 12 Days of Christmas.  Enjoy!

On the first day of Christmas my Sjogren's gave to me....
A stiff and arthritic knee.

On the second day of Christmas my Sjogren's gave to me....
Two cracking ankles 
And a stiff and arthritic knee.

On the third day of Christmas m Sjogren's gave to me....
A visit to my doctor's
Two cracking ankles 
And a stiff and arthritic knee.

On the fourth day of Christmas my Sjogren's gave to me....
Itchy dry eyes. 
A visit to my doctor's
Two cracking ankles 
And a stiff and arthritic knee.

On the fifth day of Christmas my Sjogren's gave to me...
 Insomnia!
Itchy dry eyes. 
A visit to my doctor's
Two cracking ankles 
And a stiff and arthritic knee.

On the sixth day of Christmas my Sjogren's gave to me.... 
Painful achy joints
 Insomnia!
Itchy dry eyes. 
A visit to my doctor's
Two cracking ankles 
And a stiff and arthritic knee.

On the seventh day of Christmas my Sjogren's gave to me....
A desert like mouth 
Painful achy joints
 Insomnia! 
Itchy dry eyes. 
A visit to my doctor's
Two cracking ankles 
And a stiff and arthritic knee.

On the eighth day of Christmas my Sjogren's gave to me....
Eight pills to pop. 
A desert like mouth. 
Painful achy joints.
 Insomnia!
Itchy dry eyes. 
A visit to my doctor's. 
Two cracking ankles. 
And a stiff and arthritic knee.

On the ninth day of Christmas my Sjogren's gave to me....
A mystery diagnosis.
Eight pills to pop. 
A desert like mouth. 
Painful achy joints.
 Insomnia!
Itchy dry eyes. 
A visit to my doctor's. 
Two cracking ankles. 
And a stiff and arthritic knee.

On the tenth day of Christmas my Sjogren's gave to me.... 
Ten swelling fingers.
A mystery diagnosis.
Eight pills to pop. 
A desert like mouth. 
Painful achy joints.
 Insomnia!
Itchy dry eyes. 
A visit to my doctor's. 
Two cracking ankles. 
And a stiff and arthritic knee.

On the eleventh day of Christmas my Sjogren's gave to me....
Blankets for my chills. 
Ten swelling fingers.
A mystery diagnosis.
Eight pills to pop. 
A desert like mouth. 
Painful achy joints.
 Insomnia!
Itchy dry eyes. 
A visit to my doctor's. 
Two cracking ankles. 
And a stiff and arthritic knee.

On the twelfth day of Christmas my Sjogren's gave to me.... 
Fellow Sjogren's Bloggers.
Blankets for my chills. 
Ten swelling fingers.
A mystery diagnosis.
Eight pills to pop. 
A desert like mouth. 
Painful achy joints.
 Insomnia!
Itchy dry eyes. 
A visit to my doctor's. 
Two cracking ankles. 
And a stiff and arthritic knee.

The Beautiful Faces of Autoimmune Disease

If  you haven't had a chance yet, head over to read Jodi McKee's Portrait Project. Here's how she describes her work:

I was diagnosed with Rheumatoid Arthritis in 2008 and started this portrait project of people who have RA and other autoimmune diseases as a way to cope with my illness and spread awareness about invisible illnesses.  My hope for this project is to show the world that there are a lot of younger people out there who are dealing with complicated and often painful chronic illnesses.  Also, I think it is so important for the newly diagnosed to be able to see all of these beautiful, happy faces and know that they are not alone. If you are interested in participating; please contact me.

Jodi is an accomplished professional photographer, and the Portrait Project reflects her considerable skills. Her portraits of young people dealing with autoimmune disease are beautiful, and her interviews which accompany each portrait inspiring.

I'd love to see some of Reasonably Well's young sjoggies featured in this project! I know you're out there.

Packed to the Rafters This Thanksgiving

Kermit and gang found here. 

Does anyone out there remember the 1987 Muppet television special entitled, "A Muppet Family Christmas"? My kids absolutely loved that show. We taped it on our way cool VCR and even all these years later, they still watch it every December. Multiple times.

If you haven't seen it, the plot goes something like this: Mamma Bear, Fozzie's mother, is happily packing for a vacation in sunny Malibu. She never gets there since her son and all his fuzzy Muppet buddies show up unexpectedly for Christmas. Her farmhouse is packed to overflowing with strange critters and creatures. She manages to find room for them all, although she exclaims,"Two of you will have to sleep hung on hangers on a hook on the wall!" (Minute 8:28 on this YouTube video).

So this holiday weekend is feeling remarkably similar to Mamma Bear's house over here. Our daughters brought home carloads of their friends for Thanksgiving, and I loved every minute. But we did have to get really creative with finding a place for everyone to sleep. At one point Daughter and I looked at each other and quoted Mamma Bear with a laugh.

We didn't have to build bunkbeds in the broom closet like Mama Bear did, or hang anyone from a hanger on a hook in the wall, but we came pretty darned close - we set up a bed in my closet for my son to bunk there. Remember that closet? The one that I read in at night and where I practiced my script for the webinar? Yep. That's the one. And it served nicely as an emergency bedroom, no kidding. Son used an empty spot in the shoe rack as a nightstand. Here's picture proof:

Crummy pic, I know. I used my hubby's cell phone which was charging next to the bathroom sink. Handy.

If you have never seen the Muppet Family Christmas, take time to watch it on YouTube. It's recorded in five parts. What a corny but great way to kick off the Christmas season!

Tryptophan Schrmiptrophan......

Turkey doesn't put ME to sleep. However, pie? Several slices of pie? World's greatest sedative. Zzzzzzzzzz.......

We'll talk tomorrow.

Another Day For Which To Give Thanks

Stringing Christmas lights.

Yep. Two turkeys for this hungry crowd.

Good food...

A sunny day...

A splendid godchild....

Some serious turkey carving.

Um. Yes, that is a turkey bone in Greg's hair. Don't ask.

Lulu wants some turkey.

Perfectly served can-berries!

P - I - E - S !!!!!

Daughter delivers this year's Turkey Trophy competition rules.

Silliness ensued.

This year's Trophy winner!

Ahh. Another Thanksgiving: Great family and friends....yummy food.....nothing better.

I'm Thankful For......

Wishing everyone a happy Thanksgiving!

Potential Autoimmune Link to COPD

It appears that yet another disease state may join our autoimmune disease family.

According to this article in Medical News Today, a study recently published online in American Thoracic Society's American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, concluded that one of the causative factors in the disease COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) could possibly be autoimmunity.

"We showed that between one third and one quarter of patients with clinically stable COPD present abnormal levels of circulating auto-antibodies in the blood," said Jaume Sauleda M.D., coordinator of respiratory medicine department, Hospital Universitari Son Dureta, Palma Mallorca, Spain. "Our findings provide further support for the hypothesis that the pathogenesis of COPD involves an auto-immune component." 

Study participants were screened for several autoimmune markers. Interestingly, one autoimmunity marker, AT (anti-tissue antibodies) was found among smokers:

Patients with AT tended to be younger and active smokers, and the level of these auto-antibodies was related to impairment of lung function. There were no other associations between auto-antibodies and other patient characteristics.

It appears that smoking still figures heavily into the development of this disease.

Sorry - no pictures accompany this post - can't get an image uploaded today.

That's GENERAL Turkey Julia, Soldier!

I may have mentioned a time or two or three that we're expecting a crowd for Thanksgiving dinner, which makes me deliriously happy. There's nothing that I love better than filling my house to the brim with friends and family during the holidays.

However, I have to be honest here. Stuffing the turkey AND my house also means that I get to adopt a commander-in-chief persona.......and I must admit that I look forward to this every year. I really, really, really look forward to bossing everyone around......Bwahahahaha. But it's also the only way that I can cook and serve a meal this size without ending up in bed for a month afterwards.

So with lists in hand and and guests willing and ready, I get to perch myself on a kitchen stool sipping coffee and direct the whole shebang. Girls? Peel the potatoes! John? Check the turkey temperature! You, there! Yes, You! Go downstairs to the basement refrigerator and bring up the pies.....and on and on and on. If anyone is slacking off, I bark,  Drop and give me fifty! (Actually I've never really said this. But I've always wanted to).

I even have a seating chart ready. Yes, we do indeed have assigned seats.

John says that if I were a manager in his company, I would be accused of micro-managing my staff. I say - who cares? And go set the table!

My dictatorial style isn't limited to Thanksgiving day itself, oh heavens no. I get to wield my mighty power for weeks beforehand. Check out this email sent out last week. Aside from changing the names to protect the innocent, I didn't change a thing:

Hello everyone! 

I just wanted to clarify our Thanksgiving dinner plans:

First: DINNER WILL BE SERVED AT APPROXIMATELY 1:30 PM.

This may be a different time that I had mentioned earlier to some of you, but this will give J. time to enjoy the festivities before she has to head back to Seattle later in the day. All guests are welcome at any time before the big event, however, keep in mind that guests arriving before said mealtime will be heavily recruited to accept additional kitchen responsibilities. (No, JT - taste testing does NOT constitute a kitchen responsibility.) 

Second - YOUR ASSIGNMENTS (should you choose to accept them....) We expect to be serving 25.

S: corn casserole, pumpkin roll, and oven space for a very large turkey.

N: cranberry or fruit salad, dinner rolls, and oven space for yams/sweet potatoes.

T: chocolate pecan pie, vegetable tray.

S. and L. : My darling godchild.

Seattle Contingent: Assorted beverages. Turkey Trophy.

Third:

Please remember that participation in the annual turkey trophy event is MANDATORY and this year's contest rules are determined by last year's winner Susan. Bring your best game faces, people. 

I can't wait for the party to begin! That is all. Carry on, troops. 

Turkey Commander-In-Chief Julia 

So if you're in my neighborhood on Thanksgiving day, drop by! But expect to work for your food......

In A Holiday Mood

It's hard for me today to think about all things scientific and clinical.

BECAUSE IT'S SNOWING! YIPPEE!

And Thanksgiving is right around the corner! And I'm thinking about turkey and stuffing and cranberry sauce. And pie........lots and lots of pies.

Ahhh. I love this time of year.

Height Matters

When it snows around here, it's forecast by elevation. For example: Yesterday's forecast called for snow at 2,000 feet, and rain in the lower elevations. Which it definitely did. We live at about 1,000 feet, and we got so much rain that I thought John should learn about building an ark.

Today, when the clouds cleared, I could see exactly where the 2,000 ft. snow level was. How cool is that.

Saturday Smile

Aww.....I love kittens.

Hey, John? Don't we need a kitten? Or two or three?

Honey? Honey?


see more Lolcats and funny pictures

We Go To WEGO!

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to "meet" the two awesome bloggers who will be participating with me in a webinar on Monday, November 22nd at 8PM EST. What a great experience to interact with these two talented women who spend a great deal of time and effort in raising awareness, educating, and helping others deal successfully with chronic illnesses. The topic is Continuing Health Activism With Chronic Pain. It is sponsored by WEGO health, and you can learn more about this webinar here. I hope that you'll join us!

Why should you participate in a discussion regarding health activism? For lots of reasons - the most important being that autoimmune diseases desperately need to share some of the public's attention. You can help raise awareness, educate others, and encourage valuable research so that someday a cure for these diseases can be found. Your efforts can be as large - or small - as you choose. It all makes a difference, whether you advocate by simply discussing your disease with your family and friends, if you become active in an existing forum, or even if you choose to start your own blog or website.

So what will happen during this webinar? Once you join us by following the link found on the WEGO site here, you will be able to see information on your computer screen, and will also be able to hear Kelly from RA Warrior, Amy from Unavitabella and MHSN Chat, and me responding to questions that you, the audience, submit. You can type your questions in real-time as the webinar progresses. Hopefully we will have time to address all of your awesome questions.

If you can't join us on Monday, I will post a link to a recording of this webinar as soon as it becomes available. I would also strongly encourage you to head over to RA Warrior and Unavitabella to learn more about their authors' experiences with chronic disease and take the opportunity to interact and network with others in their communities. We all can learn a great deal from each other.

I am really looking forward to this event!

Thank goodness I don't have to put on make-up........They tell me that it's an audio-only recording so I can wear my comfy yoga pants and pink bunny slippers if I want to. Dang. This had better be correct information! Maybe I should at least put on some mascara.

So we'll talk on Monday, November 22nd at 8PM EST? Yes?

Yes!

Sleepytime Strategy

Image found on Insomnia Relief Almanac

Sometimes, it's so hard for me to fall asleep. It seems that this happens when I am actually most tired, yet that little hamster wheel inside my brain just keeps spinning madly. Y'all know how that feels. It goes with the autoimmune territory, it seems.

So my latest strategy to stop the hamster wheel is to try to consciously think of something to displace those thoughts, which is what I tried to do last night. It went something along these lines:

Can't sleep....so tired.....OK. I know what to do here. I need to calm my brain by thinking of something soothing, relaxing. Something like.......hm. Imagining myself stretched out on my beach blankie on a warm sunny beach? Nah. I'd need sunscreen and a giant hat and eww..who wants to get into a swimmingsuit....not me. Um. What else....I refuse to count sheep. Ah! I'm getting a massage at a posh resort. But....gee, that would mean I'd have to take off all my clothes and what if they give me a skimpy towel to cover everything up? Yikes. Er, let's try something else......Well, now. How about thinking about soaking in a nice warm bubblebath? Which reminds me, I really need to scrub out that tub and then tackle the shower....this is SO not working. Aaarrrggghh. 


How about this: Imagine myself tucked into a snug bed with warm flannel sheets, my hubby next to me and schnauzers snuggled by my feet....well, whaddya know. 


That's exactly where I am right now. ZZZzzzzzz.......

Turkey Brain Fog

I headed out yesterday on to buy the makings for our upcoming Thanksgiving Day feast. I chose a specific grocery store that had a money saving promotion: if I bought a certain dollar amount of groceries, I could purchase a turkey for 25 cents/pound. Woo.

So I cruised through every aisle of the grocery store, shopping list in hand. Meeting the dollar amount for the turkey promotion wasn't an issue, believe me, as I filled my extra large shopping cart to the brim. We are planning on 25 guests this year, after all, and we all enjoy all the traditional menu items - turkey, stuffing, cranberry sauce, mashed potatoes, gravy.....and of course pumpkin pie. I was on a mission to procure everything that we could possibly need.

However. I probably should have chosen a different day to shop, since I had been rather busy earlier in the day. As I made my way through the store, I could feel my energy begin to wane. Drat. I could tell this by my increased fatigue, of course, but also by the appearance of that very strange frame of mind when I get tired - the manifestation of that unerringly accurate energy equation: TIRED = STUPID. Somewhere in the back of my foggy brain, warning bells began to ring......BETTER HEAD HOME NOW, JULIA.....but the warning was too late. I had already tossed aside my shopping list and began to hum tunelessly as I drifted off into tired but stupid and happy Julia-land.

La de da.....ooooooooo......I think we really need to serve Rice Krispy treats at some point during this meal.....(WHAT? WHAT? SO NOT on the menu, Julia!) Gosh. Where on earth did that strangely annoying thought come from? Plop, plop. Thud. Two packages of marshmallows and one giant cereal box were tossed into the cart.

Well, hey now! Frozen pizzas. Mmm. Love those thick crust kinds. And - on sale! I LOVE THIS STORE! Thud, thud, thud. I think three should be enough. Pizza goes with everything, doesn't it?

Doo de doo de doo.....I suppose I should do some cleaning before everyone gets here. And lookee here.......wow, those fluffy disposable duster thingies. And only a dollar apiece...I guess that's not so bad. How convenient - they come in a giant economy package which is actually the same price per duster as the smaller package! I'll get two...whap, whap.

Let's see now.....it seems as though I'm missing something here. I paused to dig around in my pockets for the shopping list. Now where did that thing go? Giggle. Ah, well. WE DON'T NEED NO STINKIN' SHOPPING LIST! Yum! Tortilla chips! And salsa! Good thinking, Julia. We were out of salsa.....

I heaved the overflowing grocery cart toward the checkout lane, and smugly noticed a harried-looking woman race back to the frozen foods, and reappear moments later lugging a giant frozen bird.

Sheesh. Some people are so forgetful.....hehe.

As I pulled Goldie into the garage, John eyed the dozens of tightly packed grocery bags. "Wow. Sure looks as though you got everything! Where's the turkey? I'll throw that into the freezer right away."

Turkey......Turkey.....Turkey. What's a turkey, again? Oh, righto - that big frozen poultry thing....Honey? Funny story! You'll never guess! Har har....the turkey!!

Honey? Feeling like heading down to the grocery store? I think I'll just toddle off to bed....la de da.....Oh, and unload all those groceries like a dear, will you?

What's that? Don't mumble, darling......Yes, I DID do a great job shopping today..

Image found on Wikimedia Commons.

Hair Today, Gone Tomorrow

You know, some questions are best left unanswered.

Case in point: as I was blowdrying my hair this morning, I thought yet again about the fact that my hair has been thinning noticeably over the past several years.

I wondered how much hair I have lost. And what my head looked liked from a tall person's or low-flying airplane pilot's perspective. So I had the brilliant idea to take Canon2 and just point it at my head. Here's the picture.

AAaaaaaaaccckkkkk!

I didn't realize........ Oh, my.

I decided I couldn't possibly be this bald, and took several more pictures, experimenting with various comb-overs, each looking worse than the last.

Egad.

So my normal mode of operation when faced with something distasteful about my body is to immediately find something on which to blame said distasteful thing. The handiest excuse was, of course, autoimmune disease. Which definitely CAN cause hair loss. But before I could smugly accuse Sjogren's syndrome for my expanding bald spot, I realized that there could be many other culprits - thyroid disorders, stress, and medications including plaquenil. According to Mayo Clinic, actually there's a zillion other possibilities. Here's just a few, but go to their site, here, and read all of them.

• Poor nutrition. Having inadequate protein or iron in your diet or poor nourishment in other ways can cause you to experience hair loss. Fad diets, crash diets and certain illnesses, such as eating disorders, can cause poor nutrition.
• Medications. Certain drugs used to treat gout, arthritis, depression, heart problems and high blood pressure may cause hair loss in some people. Taking birth control pills also may result in hair loss for some women.
• Disease. Diabetes and lupus can cause hair loss.
• Medical treatments. Undergoing chemotherapy or radiation therapy may cause you to develop alopecia. Under these conditions, healthy, growing (anagen) hairs can be affected. After your treatment ends, your hair typically begins to regrow.
• Hormonal changes. Hormonal changes and imbalances can cause temporary hair loss. This could be due to pregnancy, childbirth, discontinuation of birth control pills, the onset of menopause, or an overactive or underactive thyroid gland. The hair loss may be delayed by three months following a hormonal change, and it'll take another three months for new hair to grow back. During pregnancy, it's normal to have thicker, more luxuriant hair. It's also common to lose more hair than normal about three months after delivery. If a hormonal imbalance is associated with an overproduction of testosterone, there may be a thinning of hair over the crown of the scalp. Correcting hormonal imbalances may stop hair loss.
• Hair treatments. Chemicals used for dying, tinting, bleaching, straightening or permanent waves can cause hair to become damaged and break off if they are overused or used incorrectly. Overstyling and excessive brushing also can cause hair to fall out if the hair shaft becomes damaged.

Wake Me Up Tomorrow

Image found here. 

Ever have one of those days when you really, really need a couple of toothpicks to hold up your eyelids?

Today is one of those days. I'm tired.....sleepy tired. Not crash-and-burn tired, and not flare-type tired.

Just curl-up-in-flannel-jammies-with-the-schnauzers-at-my-feet tired.  Heading to bed. Wake me up on Tuesday. Or Wednesday.

I Think She's Going to be a Good Friend...

Canon2, I mean. My new camera.

How do I know this?

It all started when Terese sent me a text the other day, which is not unusual.

Actually she texts pretty often, which is kind of fun. Mostly we send each other picture messages of the food that we are eating. Or the frozen foofy adult beverages that we are drinking.

So this text in particular said, can you see my hood? so I went out onto my front porch looked up and down the street for her car. I texted back ??????? and she replied MOUNT HOOD!

Oh, right. Well, duh, Terese. You know that I can see the mountain from my house...

So she replied, take a picture!!

Which I did from one of my second story windows using Canon2 and a telephoto lens. And wow. The mountain looked impressive with a thick layer of new snow and lit by filtered light from a high layer of clouds and a setting sun. Good idea, Terese.

I have to say Canon2 did a great job. I think we're going to get along just fine.

Sjogren's Syndrome and Dreams

A Dream of a Girl Before Sunrise by Karl Briullov found on Wikimedia Commons

I don't know about y'all, but ever since I was diagnosed with Sjogren's syndrome, my dreams have been.....well......really strange. Vivid. Memorable. And in technicolor. Actually, they're usually pretty entertaining. On occasion my dreams seem somewhat sinister, but overall I'd say most mornings I wake up and marvel at all my dream shenanigans. I especially enjoy those dreams that find me flying under my own power in a clear blue sky. Fun.

I guess I've had strange dreams before Sjs of course, but not at least three or more nights per week.

Last night's sleep adventure was a doozy. I was working in a dialysis unit which was located in a school. I was running back and forth between the dialysis patients and the students and things just weren't going well. At all. I woke up frantic, certain that I had left some poor forgotten patient dialyzing away in a corner somewhere. While all my junior - high students were running amok. NOT one of my favorite dreams.

This morning, as I was perusing the posts on the Sjogren's World forum, I noticed a thread that discussed plaquenil (one of the commonly prescribed medications used in the treatment of autoimmune disease) and it's effect on dreams. Everyone imaginable chimed in and agreed that their dreams had definitely taken a turn for the zany after they began taking this medication. I Googled plaquenil and vivid dreams and brought up a zillion pages with links to similar discussions.

Gee. I hadn't thought of linking my weirdo dreams with plaquenil, but it seemed to make sense. The official FDA information for plaquenil mentions the possibility of nightmares as an adverse effect of the drug. Well, then, I thought. That explains it.

As I sipped my morning coffee and thought about this latest little information nugget, I took a skeptical look at my pile of medications for the day, and started wondering if any of the other drugs that I pop morning and night may have similar side effects. Sure enough:

I take klonopin nightly for restless leg syndrome, and vivid dreams and nightmares are listed in it's side effects. My morning dose of prednisone can cause sleep disturbances which may lead to altered dreams. So can the synthroid that I take daily because of my lazy thyroid gland.

Good grief in a bucket. If my dreams were consistently frightening nightmares that disrupted my sleep, I wouldn't have a clue which medication to blame. I'm lucky that my dreams are more often pleasantly adventuresome than problematic.

But then, one should also consider the fact that Sjogren's syndrome all by it's lovely little self can cause sleep disturbances and central nervous system issues, both of which could affect my sleep and thus dreams. You can read more about CNS and Sjogren's syndrome here.

Yikes.

Was the quality of your dreams changed by autoimmune disease?

AAArrrrrgggghhhh!

Something is seriously wrong here.

My posts aren't showing up correctly.

Hopefully we will return you to our regularly broadcast schedule soon.

May the blogging forces be with me.

A Flash Hallelujah

On our recent trip to Philadelphia, Terese and I weren't aware that we should have stopped  at Macy's to check out their amazing and historical pipe organ. This from the Friends of the Wanamaker Organ website:

Built by the Los Angeles Art Organ Company for the 1904 St. Louis World's Fair, the Wanamaker Organ was designed by renowned organ architect George Ashdown Audsley, author of The Art of Organ-Building. This heroic instrument had more than 10,000 pipes, and its construction was on such a lavish scale that costs soared to $105,000, bankrupting the builder.

In 1909, Philadelphia merchant-prince John Wanamaker bought the instrument for his new Philadelphia emporium. Thirteen freight cars were required to ship the entire organ from St. Louis, and installation took two years. The Grand Organ was first heard in the Store's seven-story atrium on June 22, 1911, at the exact moment when England's King George V was crowned at Westminster Abbey. Later that year, it was prominently featured when President William Howard Taft dedicated the Store.

Drat. This would have been absolutely wonderful to see and hear, since it is played twice daily six days a week. Well. Now we must take another trip back to Philly someday.

Today I found out that we missed out on another fabulous experience in Philadelphia, although it would have meant that we would have had to stay in town for another week. This from the Opera Company of Philadelphia's website:

On Saturday, October 30, 2010, the Opera Company of Philadelphia kicked off National Opera Week by partnering with Macy’s and John S. and James L. Knight Foundation to produce one of Knight Foundation’s “Random Acts of Culture” on a grand scale in Philadelphia.  

With the Opera Company of Philadelphia Chorus as a core, over 600 singers from area choirs, accompanied by the famed Wanamaker Organ – the world’s largest pipe organ – surprised shoppers at the Center City Philadelphia Macy’s with a spontaneous rendition of the Hallelujah chorus from Handel’s Messiah. 

Before Sjogren's dryness changed my vocal cords, I used to participate in a choir that included the Messiah every year as part of it's season of performances. I miss singing so much, which is not to say that I was really good. Ah, but being an active member of two choirs was such a rewarding hobby.

When Terese sent me this YouTube video of the Philadelphia "Random Acts of Culture" Messiah Hallelujah Chorus, I sang - er - croaked along with a few little tears rolling down my cheeks. How I wish that I could have been present in Macy's seven story atrium singing my heart out with my pre-Sjogren's voice.

After many years of performing the Messiah, I remember every word and every note.

A Prescription for Pie

Image found here. 

Well.

I'm happy to report that Daughter's surgery proceeded flawlessly, she had minimal pain and is happily playing video games with her sister while recuperating.

I'm happily recuperating, too.

I had no doubts that everything would be fine, really. But because I am a nurse, and because I did work for a few years in a recovery room, and because I have seen what happens when things go wrong in spite of very good surgeons and anesthesiologists and nurses.......well, let's just say that I am very pleased with today's results.

Which is not to say that I sat quietly in the waiting room during Daughter's recovery. I did need to ask very pointed questions regarding induction techniques and medications administered and post-op care. With tact and restraint, I might add. I think. But I asked those questions nonetheless. Once I received satisfactory answers and Daughter was ready to go, we poured her into a wheelchair and then into Goldie and headed back to her apartment.

Once she was tucked into her bed with ice packs applied and medications administered, Daughter peaceably drifted off to sleep, which left me prowling restlessly around the apartment needing to DO something.

Which of course, meant that I needed to bake a pie. And make a pot roast with gravy. And mashed potatoes, much to both my girls' amusement. They have both seen me in this mode before.

Why do I act this way, you ask? It's a question that I ask myself often. Why do I need to approach stressful situations with this two-pronged approach: First - do I need to apply first aid or medication or splints or ice packs to this situation? and Secondly - what kind of FOOD can I make or procure that would provide optimum sedative effects to all parties involved?

It's a knee-jerk response and totally beyond my control. If I wasn't able to make a pie or mash potatoes this afternoon, I sincerely think that I would have required serious psychiatric assistance.

Luckily for all of us, the pie and roast and gravy and mashed potatoes were ready just as Daughter's friends began to arrive around suppertime. They all came to wish her a speedy recovery and bring pudding. Every single one brought pudding. AND they were all delighted to join us for dinner, even though post-surgery Daughter was only allowed to eat mashed potatoes (and pudding).

I'm heading back home tomorrow knowing that both my girlies will be fine. And they have a refrigerator well-stocked with comfort food for the next few days.

Which makes me comfortable, too.

Natural Killer Cells and Our Brains

Image found here. 

While I'm holding daughter's hand and feeding her ice cream after her wisdom teeth surgery today, I'm sure that I won't have a lot of time to concoct - er - thoughtfully write - a profoundly wise post.

In the meantime, take a peek at this NPR story about NK white blood cells. You can refresh your memory about these specialized white blood cells and the adaptive immune system here and here. NK cells have a direct role in autoimmunity, which is why this story caught my attention.

However, autoimmune diseases are not the focus of the piece, which is entitled Humans' Big Brains Tied To Chimps' Immunity? Here's a little snippet, but go read it - or listen to the NPR program - in it's entirety.

It's a provocative — even astonishing — hypothesis: Could the same set of genes that explains why chimpanzees are protected from some diseases also explain why humans have big brains?

That's what researchers at Stanford University are suggesting.

The genes in question control a type of white blood cell known as natural killer cells, or NK cells.

I........I.......suddenly have a craving for bananas......

Heading North

I don't know why Goldie looks green in this picture. I told you I haven't figured out Canon2 yet....

Heading up north today to provide Mommy support as my daughter has her wisdom teeth removed. I know, I know.....she's in her '20s and perfectly capable of handling this, but dang it. I think I need to be there more than she needs for me to be there.

If that makes any sense at all.

My new camera has arrived, so Canon2 will get her first ride in Goldie! Yes, I've decided that this camera is a girl, unlike the original Canon. She's very sleek and made of black plastic. A bit smaller than Canon, but has some really fancy schmancy features. It will take me awhile to get her all figured out, but she's similar enough to her predecessor that it was easy to charge up the battery, throw in the card, and start snapping away.

Meet Canon2!

Would it be a bad thing to sneak in to get a photo of daughter during the procedure? Bwahahaha.

Today's Sunday Meditation

Courtesy of GraphJam:


see more Funny Graphs

Party at Julia's

Queen Isabella found here. I think I'd look great in pink, don't you? 

I am looking forward to feeding a mob of people for Thanksgiving dinner. That is, if 25 people constitute a mob.

When I relate this to some of my friends and have a goofy grin on my face while I say it, I'm accused of being daft. But it's true - I am daft - and I absolutely love packing my house to the rafters for the holidays. Any holiday. Sure, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years.......but any one will do. If I could, I'd have a Groundhog Day hoo-rah. We could exchange little groundhog gifts under the festively decorated groundhog tree. Early in the morning. After sticking our heads outside the front door to see if the sun was shining.

Ooo - or a Columbus Day celebration. We could all wear costumes. (I call dibs on Queen Isabella, by the way.) Hm. We'd have to seat the guests at one of three tables: the Pinta, the Nina, and the Santa Maria. I'd serve grog, give everyone toy spyglasses, and we could all take turns shouting, "Land HO!"

Now THAT would be a great party.

So......back to Thanksgiving. The only reason that I'm able to successfully host a four day weekend's worth of festivities is that John and my kids actually do all the work. I even make our guests bring food, do dishes, and re-arrange furniture. And actually, everyone seems to enjoy pitching in and helping as the turkey roasts and the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parade rolls by on the television. We all stop to watch the Radio City Hall Rockettes.

Rockettes found here. 

My daughters live in Seattle, and have several friends that have relocated there from other parts of the country. The girls call them their "holiday orphans" and invite them to join our family for holidays. I remember one Thanksgiving in particular when my daughter brought home several of her friends who were in culinary school. These guys were extremely handy folks to have around when it came time to carve the turkey. And thicken the gravy. And season the sweet potatoes. And serve up the mashed potatoes. And to cheerfully do just about anything else that was food related. I wonder if any of them are coming back this year........hm.......

This year, I have calculated that we will have thirteen people sleeping under our roof, with another twelve joining us for dinner. So far. But who cares? By the time the guest list surpasses twenty, what's another two or three or five guests? I just throw some extra potatoes on to boil and thin out the gravy a little. Somehow, regardless of how many people are seated around the table, we always have plenty of food.

I've given our overnight visitors warning that their sleeping accommodations may be a sleeping bag on an air mattress, but no one seems to mind. They all seem to come back every year.

Thank goodness.