My second cousin Eleanor,who is named after my grandmother, is a young 26 years old woman and obviously quite gorgeous. She takes after her mother Jenny. Jenny and I were quite close cousins growing up as our families used to go camping together. Eleanor has 2 siblings, Elijah and Alexis, 1 older, 1 younger. About a year ago she came down with a cough. As I have been told, Eleanor did go to the doctor, but nothing was found until just recently, and it was lymphoma! She has started chemotherapy and the family is praying for her complete recovery. Eleanor led a very healthy lifestyle, she’s never smoked, so as my dearest aunt Lucy so correctly stated “we never know what is next.” Please, once again, join me in sending Eleanor a get well wish of the biggest kind. And thanks to everyone who has done the same for my cousin-in-law Doreen. She is doing well, on the road to recovery and appreciates all of the good vibes coming her way!

The first few days of Beth’s recuperation were spent on the wonderful drug Codeine. Ask any arthritis sufferer and they can probably recite their favorite pain killers in alphabetical order and list their somewhat dangerous and in some cases amusing side effects. In Beth’s case while taking Codeine she became even cuter, jumbling her words and smiling while doing it. Car became couch, clock turned into TV and sentences were short. So endearing.

Mr. Wilson, sometimes known as Steve, or Hey You, is the King of All Things Cool. I always look forward to seeing what fun tools or toys he will have added to his collection. For Christmas Steve received a tower tool box, a multi-drawer stainless steel Kobalt. The glare from the steel box as I opened the garage door almost blinded me. I could have sworn I heard music from 2001 Space Odyssey playing. After I put on my shades we marveled together at all the drawer space, sub drawer space and the secret entrance way in the back to the eternal playground known as WilsonPlayland. Even cooler is how one could spend an entire day in the lower drawers building a complete computer system from all the parts stored there. Ah yes, all things are possible in Wilsonland.

Thursday in Wilsonland ended up being an “I’ll Arrive When I Darn Well Feel Like It” day with the local cable company. Turns out an Internet scheduled 8 to 10 appointment complete with a printed out confirmation sheet, followed by a phone call to confirm said appointment means squat. The King stayed home from work waiting for the cable company to arrive during the appointment time, and when they didn’t show he handled the 45 minutes on hold to find out why in true form by multi-tasking. He had lunch, engaged in a lively conversation with Patty and Beth, checked that everything was in order if and when they decided to show up and completed work on his computer. A 1:30 meeting finally pulled the King away, which was really no problem because apparently there is no such thing as any kind of a morning appointment. Right around 4:45pm the ball started rolling and like a stone on a hill going downhill it picked up speed. Right up until 7:00ish. Then nothing. 8:30 and you could hear our stomachs manically screaming “its dinner time”. Skip to 11:30pm, final score: 2 out of 4 TV’s working, not bad. Not good though. Friday plans include another visit from the cable company. Appointment time? Between 8 and 5.

My joints are a hurting…
My strength is reverting…
I’m really not slacking…
My arthritis’s attacking.

Wii Fit, then the gym…
Trying to get trim…
Working and resting…
Strive for the best thing.

So the insult was glaring…
The TV was blaring….
Too busy eh Pat?
You’re gonna get fat!

She hulla and hooped…
Till she was pooped…
Lunged and ran…
Yoga she slammed.

No, Wii will not beat…
Pat says…No Defeat!

Many people know very little about Fibromyalgia, and even fewer probably know that it has a long list of symptoms. I am among the many I am sure who have this horrid disease, to have a lot of those annoying symptoms. One of the most frustrating symptoms is being hypersensitive and startling easily (jumpiness). If you google Fibromyalgia you will find this symptom along with a few more that seem to go along with it, such as hypersensitive to light and sound. After years of doctor visits with many different specialists, being poked, prodded, and tested until my hair stood on it’s end all over my body and screamed “hell no more”, I have been told that I have probably had Fibromyalgia since I was very young, just never diagnosed earlier. Upon further digging on the net you might find that some sites claim that hypersensitivity can be linked to stress, trauma, post stress disorder and so on. I suppose also, if you knew my complete history, you might think the later would fit. Or at least add to it.

My most wonderful husband Jerry, can attest to this very annoying symptom, that of being hypersensitive. Over the years he has had to put up with me screaming out of fear just because we met in the hallway. Ear piercing loud screams if I didn’t hear the pitter pat of his feet on the carpet or tap tap on the wood floor before hand. Last night was no exception.

I’d like to add also that I believe in ghosts. Now that makes it interesting, doesn’t it? I think my most wonderful husband thinks I might be a bit crazy when I admit to that. Oh well. Can’t win them all. I’m not sure of my earliest encounter with a ghost, but I will share with you that when Jerry and I went out to sea to sprinkle Jimmy, our first son’s ashes, at sea, Jimmy spoke to me loud and clear. I came right home and wrote a poem about it. That very day. I’m telling you all this because it adds to the whole hypersensitivity issue. See what I mean? Want more?

About a month ago “someone” was flitting around the house while my most wonderful husband and I were watching TV. I never knew who it was, and I usually do know. At first I was scared, then I calmed down when I realized they weren’t out to harm me. And, my dear sweet deceased brother Richard came by for a visit a few weeks ago. But I digress. That will be for another day. Another blog.

So, as often happens, and as I have gotten older and can’t hear as well, Jerry can unintentionally “sneak up on me”. He’s tried many a tactics over the years. Sometimes he’ll say “boog-a-boo” as he enters a room, alerting me he’s nearby. Other times he’ll start talking before he actually is in the same room as me. He tries all sorts of things to make it be known he is nearby, probably so I won’t scream. Loud. Like I did last night!

I was entranced in writing a blog. Not this one. The night air was hot, so we had our big industrial fan blowing the cool night air in through the open patio screen door, making it hard to hear anyone, anywhere. Afterwards Jerry said I was looking sort of in the direction of the doorway, not that I was aware of doing that. Then without seeing him, I looked the other way. It was then that he said to himself “Oh boy, I am screwed.” I am not sure why at that point with that thought running through his head, he decided to lean in close to my left side and patiently stare at me. All the while I was unaware that he was even in the room. See where this is going? Ready? Wait….wait….

YUP! I screamed so loud and long that my voice hurt! And Jerry’s ear drums were pierced with the awful sound that echoed out the screen door into the night. Blood ran down the side of his whiskered face. (Ok, I am exagerating) Our neighbors probably thought I was being murdered. Maybe they thought about calling 911. It was that kind of scream. Long, loud and meaningfull. And embarrassing.

After an “episode” like that happens I am usually so embarrassed. At the time I am truly scared. My heart is racing as if I spent 30 minutes chasing Tom Cruise. I’m breaking out in a sweat like an old menopausal lady, and I have the look of true fear written in every wrinkle. Charming right? Oh well.

There is usually lots of apologies said, then some laughter, and hugging. My most wonderful husband is like that. Very understanding. Well, except about the ghost thing. But we don’t want to go there again. Do we?

ps The photo at the top of this blog is of Neil’s Mercantile in Standish, CA. My husband and I grew up about 1/2 mile from this now boarded up building. We used to wait for the school bus at the corner, not a lot of fun on a cold winter morning. I added this photo because it is said to be haunted. Cool. Google it. You’ll see. Or go here:

http://www.ghostweb.com/standish1.html