I'm crabby and moving slloooowwwwwly this week, thanks to the fibro/migraine double whammy. I'm trying to keep away from civilized folk, on account of I want to keep my friends.

Taking drugs and going back to bed...

Labels: can't blog, fibromyalgia, migraine

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  I've been toying with the idea of using reusable bags at the store. We used to do it all the time in college, but sometime between then and now I got old and tired and just started using the bags they give you.

Anyway, I thought it would be fun to make a bag. I didn't really use a pattern, but there's nothing here that hasn't been done before. I made a circle for the bottom, then some mesh, and then a band of single crochets leading to a strap. Because of my fibromyalgia, I'm not always able to carry a lot in my hands, so I made the strap long enough to go over my shoulder. Plus some! It's really stretchy.

Here's me and my bag, the bag is modeling several canned goods from my pantry:


For next time, I will make the strap shorter, and probably make the sides shorter as well. That was pretty darn heavy will all that stuff in it! I think having groceries spread out over more bags would be easier for me to manage...

I posted this bag over at the Craftster Forums, where a discussion started about how to make a hat starting from the same kind of circle I used to start the bag. When I got enough details, I decided I just had to try it out. And IT TOTALLY WORKED!

I'm up late feeling crummy, so I only had one victim model to work with as I sorted out this method. So, let's all hear a big round of applause for Tigger!

He's awfully patient, as you can tell.

Well, my work here is done. Goodnight!

Labels: crafting, crochet, fibromyalgia, pets

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  I wasn't sure I was going to be...but here I am. BTW-Christmas was pretty good, how was it for you? I still haven't mailed my out of town presents, I suck.

Anyhoo, the reason I wasn't sure I was going to be alive, was that for the first part of this week I was pretty sure I was dying. I wasn't sick, I just stopped caffeine cold turkey. I went from drinking 6-8+ cans of Diet Coke a day, to none. Caffeine is a big trigger for both migraines and fibromyalgia, and I decided it was time to get rid of it.

Caffeine withdrawal is awful! I had my last can on Friday, because I knew Davin would be home this week so I could have any withdrawal symptoms in peace. Man, it was bad. I pretty much slept and hurt(!) the first couple of days. Then I got hit with a migraine that wouldn't go away. I finally looked up the symptoms of caffeine withdrawal and found out that what I was going through was pretty routine:
Irritability
Restlessness
Muscle stiffness
Difficulty concentrating
Headaches, moderate to severe
Chills and/or hot spells

I also found some interesting information about caffeine withdrawal. There have been some pretty interesting studies lately, one of which led to the recommendation that caffeine withdrawal be classified in the next DSM as a psychiatric disorder!

Caffeine Withdrawal Is Real

Researchers are saying that caffeine withdrawal should now be classified as a psychiatric disorder.

A new study that analyzes some 170 years' worth of research concludes that caffeine withdrawal is very real - producing enough physical symptoms and a disruption in daily life to classify it as a psychiatric disorder. Researchers are suggesting that caffeine withdrawal should be included in the next edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), considered the bible of mental disorders.

I believe it!

I feel pretty much back to normal today, almost a week later. I've been drinking a ton of water (which I used to do, before I started drinking DC all day!) and I think I'm on my way.

Speaking of being on my way, I'd better get on my way towards the bathroom!

Labels: cold turkey, fibromyalgia, health, holiday, migraine

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  I saw this over at RennyBA's Terella, and it looked like a fun idea. You can find the original post that started it all, over at David Airey's blog.

Here's the plan, as summed up by RennyBA:

Step 1: Post a short article with you photograph(s).
Step 2: Include links to other people that have displayed a photo, or include their photos in your post, adding a reference. Include a link back to Airey's post.
Step 3: Tag as many others as you like in your post to spread the meme.
Step 4: E-mail Airey and he will list you on the original post. (This step is not required but unless you do this step, the whole point of the network is gone.)

So, here I go!

You guys have actually seen about a billion pictures of me already, I'm not shy! So, I thought I would find one that's different from all the others. In this one, I'm not flashing a big smile, or making a funny face. Well, it's sort of a funny face, I was trying to be serious but I couldn't really keep it together...



Gosh, I look like my dad there!

As you know, I'm a homeschooling mother of 4, and my family is coming up on our first year of belonging to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.

I've been married to my husband, Davin for 15 years now. We met in high school in 1985, when he was dating my locker partner. I didn't start dating him until 4 years later though, lest you think I stole him!

I have a host of health issues (PCOS, hypothyroid, fibromyalgia, chronic migraines) that I don't talk about very much on my blog. I don't talk about them much in person, either, as I find "denial" to be an excellent way to deal with this stuff, especially the chronic pain. So, most of the time I just try to ignore it when things are going wrong, unless I just can't, then I dip into my magic bag of pharmaceuticals and check out for a while. So, if I seem a little "woowoo" when you're talking to me, I may just be on drugs. ;-)

I started and now co-lead a homeschool support group here in Denver. This is the closest thing I have to a "job" right now. It's a lot of fun, and it's great to watch all of the kids in the group growing and learning! And *I* am learning so much, too! I am such a different person now than I was 5 years ago when this started, more patient, more resourceful, and more willing to butt out of people's business (I'm kind of nosey, did you know that?) Any amount of work I have put in to helping get and keep the group running has come back at least tenfold in opportunities for my kids and my family, and I'm so glad I've been involved with the homeschool community in this way.

I love to knit, crochet, and do all sorts of crafts. I think it's some sort of weird compulsion with me, it helps me to stay sane in all of this chaos! Sometimes, among the dishes, laundry, cooking and home education, it seems like the crafty stuff is the only time I get to actually FINISH something!

I actually need to go, we're leaving for a field trip in a few minutes and I need to make sure we're all dressed and decent. If you play along, let me know, and I'll spread you some linky love!

RennyBA's Terella
David Airey's blog

Labels: crafting, fibromyalgia, homeschooling, life, migraine

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  Today is a blah day. I'm having a ton of fibro symptoms, and I'm just getting really bored with this whole pain thing. I don't remember signing up for this, maybe I should have read the fine print more closely or something.

Today at our homeschool group's park day, a huge crowd of kids got together and dug an ENORMOUS hole in the sand. Anya then created a tunnel in the side of the pit that she could fit her head and shoulders into. I thought it was pretty cool, so I snagged a picture of it.



One of the things I love about homeschooling is stuff like this. The kids digging together were between the ages of 2 and 11, and the older kids were having as much fun as the littles. None of that "too tragically hip to have fun" stuff that I remember from being that age.

I've started doing some cross stitching again, because I don't have enough crafts around to keep me busy, I guess. I don't know who took this photo, but it's proof that I'm hard at work at least some of the time! (Editing to add: Davin says he took the photo. Thanks, Davin! I love you!)



Ignore the mess on the desk behind me, that was a one time thing and my house doesn't normally look like that. (Riiiiiight.)

How is your week coming along?

Labels: crafting, fibromyalgia, homeschooling, life

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