The Healing Garden

Hi to friends unknown!

I am going to write a little bit about "The Healing Garden."  Hopefully, this venture, which is the result of Tammy's brainstorming (*As I AM) will turn out to be a way for many of us to become friends and feel closer.  Perhaps we can reach out to some of you who need a friend.  If just one person is helped, it will be a great thing!

I am Merry, I am 62, but I think I act and think younger than I am. I have a good sense of humor, sometimes I am silly, sometimes I am sad.  I guess I am just plain emotinal.  But I would like to describe myself as passionate. I am usually energetic,  enthusiastic, loyal, generous, (sometimes to a fault,) and I love my friends as much as I love anything in life other than my family. 

I love dogs, but understand that other people love other animals and I "get" that connection.  I think they make our lives so much better.  We are never alone, when we have a dog (or a cat, etc.)  We have had 2 collies, 4 Bichon (number 4 still being alive, his name is TeddyBear, and he is 8 yr. old. We also have a Maltese named Kaycee Kay, who is 6 1/2. 

I am married to my childhood sweetheart, Dave and have been for 44 years. We have a 43 year old son, Tim, who lives just three hours away.  He just got engaged (for the first time) and will be married sometime by the end of this year. This is a time of celebration and excitement for our family!  It is Tim's first marriage, and Patti's second.  She is the first girl he ever brought home, to meet "Mom."

I want to welcome you to my Journal and to my world. It is a crazy world sometimes.  If you need someone to talk to about pain or other problems, I could be your "person."  I love to write letters and I am a good letter writer.  I find words and excellent way for us to express ourselves.  If we can connect with someone, just one person who we feel truly understands us, we have found a real treasure.  I know this because I have a friend like this.  I met her through reading her AOL Journal. I am not giving away anymore than that, but she is the best thing that ever happened to me. (If you are reading this, (my best friend) you will know I am talking of YOU!)  If it hadn't been for the Internet, we would not know each other. We are as close as sisters.  I also have many good online pals, some new, and some I have had for 12 years,    But I want to tell you that if you want to talk and I listen, and I answer, it will be a good thing for both of us.  If I don't think I can be of help to you, I will tell you that too, and I will try to steer you in the right direction.

I use to be a fitness freak.  I ran 40-50 miles a week. I did aerobics daily.  I swam 2 miles a day.  I have spent a lot of my time keeping the outside of my body looking good. But the inside is not so good anymore.  This is a little bit about me.
 Merry: Degenerative Disk Disease, Nerve Damage, Scoliosis (back & neck), Raynauds Syndrome, Friberg's Disease, Arthritis, Sciatica, Chronic Anxiety, Insomnia

I spent years going to college after my son left home.  I think I've taken a little bit of everything. About the time I got myself all educated, I became a chronic pain patient.  I am not on disability for technical reasons, but I am disabled.  I cannot work.  Of all the things I am passionate about, school is definitely one of them.  I have several degrees and I am a Certified Medical Assistant. 

In 1994, I moved my Mom from Florida back to Iowa so I could be of more help to her.  She had her own little apartment just 1/2 mile from me.  She was happy there.  She was 80 years old.  She became very ill within the next two years, so it's a good thing she was close enough for me to be able to help her. She spent the last 2 + years of her life in a Care Faciitiy on with Emphasema, on Oxygen, blind, I think she died of a form of some kind of internal cancer.  She did not want further tests, so she was under Hospice care.  I loved my Mom and I still miss her.  I am so glad I was able to help her.

So, now you that you know a little about me, how about telling me a little about you?  I'm here if you need and or want me.  Let me hear from you!

Merry

Flowers & Crackpot Friends

FLOWERS AND CRACKPOT FRIENDS

 An elderly Chinese woman had two large pots, each hung on the ends of a  pole which she carried across her neck.

 One of the pots had a crack in it while the other pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water. At the end of the long walk  from the stream to the house, the cracked pot arrived only half full.
 

For a full two years this went on daily, with the woman bringing home  only one and a half pots of water.
 

Of course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments. But the  poor cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and miserable 
that  it could only do half of what it had been made to do. After 2 years of  what it perceived to be bitter failure, it spoke to the woman one day  by
 the stream.

 "I am ashamed of myself, because this crack in my side causes water to leak out all the way back to your house."

 The old woman smiled, "Did you notice that there are flowers on your side of the path, but not on the other pot's side?" "That's because I have always known about your flaw, so I planted flower seeds on your  side of the path, and every day while we walk back, you water them."

 "For two years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to  decorate the table.   Without you being just the way you are, there would not be this beauty  to grace the house."

 Each of us has our own unique flaw. But it's the cracks and flaws we  each have that make our lives together so very interesting and  rewarding. You've just got to take each person for what they are and  look for the good in them.

 SO, to all of my crackpot friends, have a great day and remember to  smell the flowers on your side of thepath!

* Have a great day my friends!

Merry

Licorice & Carbs

Good morning!

 

Are you chocolate people?  I don't like chocolate at all.  In fact, I hate chocolate.  I love licorice.  Red or black, oh it's my passion, and my weakness.

 

I got this licorice thing from my Dad, He always ate it, said it "soouthed" and "calmed him down."  If Daddy said that I thought then it is true, and have followed the licorice path off and on my whole life.  I try not to buy it, not to keep it in the house, because I don't want the calories.

 

I will be writting my email on and of during the day today!.  I ate a bunch of black licorice last night. I  had been so good about not eating it, (because it causes me to get the trots the next day & ALSO although it's low fat, it's full of extra carbs that my small framed body does not need!) BUT what happened is Dave had this little bag of Nibs that was hard, so he was going to throw it AWAY!  Well, I couldn't have that!  So, I said, "NO, Wait, give it to ME!"  And I put it in my computer desk. But the devil made me go get it after Dave went to bed last night!  The licorice tasted so good, I ate a little, then a bit more, then more and more.  I didn't stop until it was all gone!  Oh the Lord is making sure I pay for doing that!  BAD MERRY, Bad Merry!  Well, I'll write more later but Bad Merry has to run to the bathroom again now.

Love,

Merry

PS  The world can have their chocolate.  I don't want it.  But pass the licorice, will you please?  Or maybe...you better just throw it out the window, or put it down the garbage disposal!

This weekend

Now I am up to date again, finally!  This is Monday, June 26.

 

Hi,

 

I am so happy!  I have found a new home.  I have become part of the AS I AM family~!  I have been warmly welcomed and my heart is full of warm and good feelings.  I look forward to sharing with you all and hearing from new people (I hope). I also want to be there for some of you who may need a friend, too!  I also belong to Positive Pals, but I have been there for a while.  I will share my lows, my highs, but I will also listen to yours!  I may share my pain with you too, as I have chronic pain problems, but don't worry, I can also listen to your pain, no matter what it is.  

 

How was your weekend?  What did you do?

We got out a lot this weekend.  To eat, shop at the mall on Saturday, get groceries, and then yesterday we went out again for brunch and they had one of those purple shirt / red hat deals where we were.  They were selling clothes, etc.  I am not QUITE at that stage of life (or if I am I haven't yet acknowled it) but it was fun to see all the older ladies dressed up out, and having so much fun.   Then we went to (are you ready for this?  It's soooo exciting, LOL) we went to Menards (like Home Depot) to buy a NEW TOILET SEAT.  Now, you just can't have much more fun than that, can you.  Then we came home watched a DVD. It was a good weekend.

 

Merry

 

Bit of SAD news

Bit of sad news

Updating again.

Our son Tim just called and said Patti's grandmother, who had just gone to the nursing home like last week, has passed away.  Patti is devastated, she didn't even have time to accept Granny being at the nursing home.  Tim was pretty blue, too.

 

She fell at the nursing home, and by the time they got her via ambulance to ER, the doctors said she was bad.  Shortly, after, Tim and Patti arrived and were waiting to go in and see her, but the doctor came out and said she was gone.  She has Alzheimers, and some physical problems, but she did still know Patti.  The doctors think she had a stroke.

 

I feel so sad for Patti, and Tim, but especially Patti, at times her Grandmother raised her.

 

What a blow this must be for them after the good news and glow we all had over the engagement just yesterday.

Even more good news

I am undating even more here!

 

Tim said that they want to have children!  Imagine!  I am like in shock.  I didn't know that such a good thing like this  still could /would really happen.  I totally feel like my life has changed for the better, and now I will  have a daughter in law in the future.  I have a lot of love to give!   They did not want to live together without a commitment of marriage. Oh dear, God, thank you for making my son the man he is and for making sure he found the right girl. It was worth waiting 42 yr. for this!  Whoops, sorry it is actually 43 now!

 

I love ya, Hey, I love the world now!

Merry

PS And do you know this girl works, cares for her  family (mom, aunt, grandmother, etc, cares for Tim, works full time, cleans her own place, Tim's place, even does dishes by hand!  Wow.  I did not know they made girls like that anymore.  Aren't I silly?
Are you glad that I am silly?

I am so excited and nervous, but it's a happy nervous.

 

MAJOR GOOD NEWS

I am just updating a bit here.

Our 43 year old Tim called me last Wednesday.   He proposed to Patti last night and she said yes!  He doesn't know how soon they will be married, but doesn't think it will be too long.  He said I was the first person he told!

 

I ask if they would elope?  No way he said.  I asked if it would be real small (as Patti has been married before for 8 yr.).  He said, he th ought it would be sort of small, but at this point did not know for sure.

 

She will probably give up her apt. soon, unless  they decide to sell Tim's house.  Tim's house is super tiny, and Patti wouldn't mind living there for a while but she wants them to have a place that they both pick out for their new life together and I totally understand that.

 

Oh my God, is being the groom's parents hard?  Can I do this?  I just bawl thinking about it, I get so emotional.  Even Tim started to cry when he was telling me!  (That touched my heart.)  I don't know how I'll get through planning a wedding!  I don't know how to do a wedding!!  How the hell does a person do that?.  Holy cow!  I am like excited and scared at the same time.  

 

Tim proposed to her at his house, he even got down on his knees to do it. Isn't that sweet?  Patti loves the ring!

 

 

Merry

PS I am glad that Tim is more sentimental like me, rather than like Dave about things like this!  I love that he is romantic!   Dave is many wonderful things but romance is not one of them.  LOL