Wanted; New BFF

This is a tribute to past best friends and my longing to have a new one.
A post about best friends has to begin with my sister. Although we are complete opposites in personality (she's more outgoing and adventurous than I am), we are close enough in age that we could've been twins. We had a lot of the same teachers and/or the same classes. We shared a bedroom for many years and had games we would play (when we were supposed to be sleeping) a lot which were based on giving and guessing clues about mutual friends and classmates. Another incident I remember from that time is the day that we got fed up with each other's habits and used tape to make a line on the floor to mark our own space. Today we live a thousand miles apart but keep in touch by email and the occasional phone call and rare visit. Neighborhood playmates I remember are Maggie, Cathy and Harolyn and of course my siblings.

The next bff I remember I'll call RRR. We were classmates in grade school. We shared classtime as well as lunch and recess. My most endearing memory from this time is a day we decided to trade lunches. I don't remember what his lunch was but mine was a braunschweiger sandwich. RRR told me it smelled like dead fish. After that I didn't eat braunschweiger again until recently.  Eventually our families both moved and lost touch. Until a few years ago when I found RRR's sister on classmates. She has my dream job-a  librarian, lives in Baltimore and we keep
in touch thru facebook. ... to be continued.

Saying a Belated Goodbye to 2012

Well, 121212 has come and gone and the world didn't end !!
The Mayans didn't really believethat the world was going to end. For them it was the end of one cycle and the beginning of a new one. Just like we send out the old year and ring in a new one. I didn't do this to well in 2012. My year ended with me catching  a cold about 2 weeks before Christmas.  That put a major wrench into the holidays.Usually I love all the decorating, card sending,singing, cooking and baking of the season, but in 2012 I did almost none of it.

Also, our best friend ended up in the hospital on December 23 for 9 days (she's home now and doing better).

The cold or whatever I had caused me to miss singing in our church choir for Christmas Eve. But my fellow choir members sounded beautiful from my seat in the congregation.

We did enjoy Christmas Buffet at River City Casino followed by a few hours spent with my brother Paul and family at their place.

Here we are at the middle of January and I've just finished putting Christmas things away- and then I noticed the stockings were still laying on the arm of t?he couch- I never did get around to hanging them!

January hasn't gotten off to such a great start either. Everyday I learn of someone who has died, gotten sick or had complications from a prior surgery.

Things have to get better eventually don't they ? I did have a nice day yesterday with my hubby. We both took a vacation day from work. The highlights of the day were me making him a favorite breakfastof Baked Eggs in Bacon Rings, my gift to him of tickets to hear favorite performers, Bela Fleck and Chick Corea and lunch at a favorite restaurant- Bixby's.

And so the year continues.

Until next time,

I continue to strive to Live, Think and Be pain-free.

JOY☆♡

How to Have a Pain-Free Christmas

Unplug the Christmas Machine by Jo Anderson
Skipping Christmas by John Grisham

Read one or both of the above titles for inspiration.

Then take a half hour or so to remember and forgive yourself for those holiday things you did in the past that you no longer can or want to do.
Make sure to stick as close as possible to your normal waking, sleeping, medicine taking, exercising and eating schedule.
Build in some extra rest time. Some ways I like to do this are:
Sit and look at the lit tree and admire and remember where we got each ornament.
Reread the (Biblical) Christmas story and other favorite stories or poems of the season.
Snuggle up with your hubby (or a pet) and watch your favorite Holiday specials. ( I am partial to How the Grinch Stole Christmas; my hubby is a big fan of Its A Wonderful Life).
Most of all Have a Merry Christmas
and until next time- Remember to Think, Live and Be pain-free.

Joy♡☆

Take Time to Give Thanks

Put aside your pain for a day. It's a proven fact that thinking happy thoughts or thinking about happy places does wonders for easing all kinds of pain and makes happier and healthier.
Here is my list:

1. Thanks to God who made me and cares for me.
2.Thanks for my family-immediate and extended.
3. Thanks for my church family.
4. Thanks for my family of co-workers.
5. Thanks for all my spondy friends who help me to realize that I do not suffer alone.
6.Thanks music which feeds my soul.
7. Thanks for water-rivers, lakes, oceans and drops.
8.Thanks for the written word which can inspire.
9. Thanks for dogs who excite me and warm my heart.
10. Thanks for trees and grass and flowers.
My list could go on and on....

What are you thankful for? What would you add to my list ?

Until next time,
Live, Think and Be Pain free.

An Almost Unbearable Day of Pain

<p>Today has been a bad pain day for me. Normally I can tolerate the pain without it bothering me too much. Every once in a while though it likes to remind me of all the broken bones that I've had over the years. It also reminds me that I have Ankylosing Spondylitis, an autoimmune and systemic form of arthritis. <br>
What do I do on these days? I really try not to dwell on the pain. We are busy at work right now so I have something else to focus on. I try to ignore the other people around me who are constantly moaning and groaning. I find ways to laugh-laughter releases endorphins-which sometimes eases pain. I don't usually like to broadcast it, but if someone asks I will tell them it's a bad pain day. My hope is always that tomorrow will be a better (less pain) day.
How do you ease pain?
Until next time,

Live,Think and Be Pain-free

Joy: )

The Famous Mayo Clinc

This week I am at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. I am here with my mother who is having a series of follow-up appointments here. What a great privilege it is to be able to visit one of the most famous medical places in the United State. What a huge complex of buildings, doctors and other personnel this is. We are staying at the Kahler Grand Hotel, which is just across the street. Some highlights of this trip have been:

1. a trip to the Patient Education Center, an assortment of almost any medical information that a patient or visitor would want or need.

2. Viewing all the beautiful art work as we walk from building to building and within the buildings.

3. The skyway and subway systems. All of the Mayo buildings and some of the hotels are connected by a series of above or underground tunnels. Many of these have restaurants or shops for you to peruse along the way.  We bought shoes, sundries and ate at several good restaurants. We even treated ourselves to a mother/daughter mani/pedi day !!

You can learn more about the Mayo Clinic by clicking on the link below:

Mayo Clinic Rochester
www.mayoclinic.org/rochester

The clinic has doctors , hospitals and treatments for almost every ailment one could have. They are on the cutting edge of research in many conditions.


Department of Pain Medicine

www.mayoclinic.org/pain-medicine-rst

My mother will have one more procedure here tomorrow morning-Thursday.

Until next time,

Live, Think and Be pain-free,

Joy:)

How to Define Pain

What is Pain ?

In her book The Pain Chronicles, Melanie Thernstrom(1) describes physical pain as," being in a different realm, a state of being unlike any other, a magic mountain removed from the familiar world as a dreamscape".

A quick journey to dictionary.com(2) provides seven different definitions for the word for the word  pain.

They are :

noun

1.

physical suffering or distress, as due to injury, illness, etc.

2.

a distressing sensation in a particular part of the body: aback pain.

3.

mental or emotional suffering or torment: I am sorry my newscauses you such pain.

4.

pains,

a.

laborious or careful efforts; assiduous care: Great pains have been taken to repair the engine perfectly.

b.

the suffering of childbirth.

5.

Informal . an annoying or troublesome person or thing.

verb (used with object)

6.

to cause physical pain to; hurt.

7.

to cause (someone) mental or emotional pain; distress: Your sarcasm pained me.

Pain has been with us since the very beginning. Many passages of the Bible(3) talk about pain.. Here are just a few of them:

Genesis 3.16:

To the woman he said,
‘I will greatly increase your pangs in childbearing;
   in pain you shall bring forth children,
yet your desire shall be for your husband,
   and he shall rule over you.’

Job 14.22:

They feel only the pain of their own bodies,
   and mourn only for themselves.’ 

Job 16.6:

‘If I speak, my pain is not assuaged,
   and if I forbear, how much of it leaves me?

Psalm 38.17:

For I am ready to fall,
   and my pain is ever with me.

Jeremiah 15.18:

Why is my pain unceasing,
   my wound incurable,
   refusing to be healed?
Truly, you are to me like a deceitful brook,
   like waters that fail. 

John 16.20:

Very truly, I tell you, you will weep and mourn, but the world will   rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy.

Revelation 21.4:

he will wipe every tear from their eyes.
Death will be no more;
mourning and crying and pain will be no more,
for the first things have passed away.’

Stay with me on this pursuit of a pain=free life and together we will explore different aspects of PAIN.

Until Next Time,

Live, Think and Be Pain-free,

Joy:)

References:

1. Melanie Thernstrom, The Pain Chronicles copyright 2010 by Melanie Thernstrom.

2. dictionary.com = WWW.dictionary.com

3. The Holy Bible, New Revised Stander Version"New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright 1989, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America.