A Christmas Wish

A wish for you, dear Readers, for this Christmas and New Year.  Borrowed from John Denver with thanks and hope for a wonderful holiday … from my heart to yours.

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The season is upon us now                                                

A time for gifts and giving.

And as the year draws to its close

I think about my living.

The Christmas time when I was young.

The magic and the wonder.

The colors dull and candles dim

And dark my standing under.

Oh little Angel shining Light

You’ve set my soul to dreaming.

You’ve given back my joy in life

And filled me with true meaning.

A Savior King was born that day.

A baby just like you were.

And as the Magi came with gifts

I come with my gift too.

That peace on earth fills up your time

And brotherhood surrounds you.

That you may know the warmth of love

And wrap it all around you.

It’s just a wish, a dream I’m told

From days when I was young.

Merry Christmas to all of you.

Merry Christmas, everyone.

You Better Not Cry

Like the song says, ” … you better not cry.”  In a perfect world, I would take my own advise.  Earlier this month I wrote about all sorts of great ways to stay sane during the holiday season.  I also said that there was no such thing as a perfect Christmas, a perfect family … blah, blah, blah.

And it makes sense.  On paper.

So, of course I was caught off guard when I had my Annual Christmas Meltdown the other day.  And it was a beauty.

Drama. Tears. Angst. Unrequited crap.

My Annual Christmas Meltdown

How does an otherwise relatively normal person lose their mind, freak out over all things related to the holidays and have the expectations of a four-year-old during the Christmas season?

You tell me.

At least this tantrum lasted a short time.  And I’m so over it now.

My inner four-year-old is still there, but I gave her some chocolate so hopefully she’ll shut up and behave.

Eating chocolate (in moderation) will take your mind off just about anything that is unpleasant or frustrating about the Christmas season.  Plus it’s a lot less expensive than therapy or SSRI’s.

The December Rush

I hate Christmas shopping. Don’t get me wrong. I honestly like the Christmas season and look forward to spending time with family and friends. However, being in a crowded store with maniac shoppers is enough to throw me into a crazy lupus flare. And yet, somehow I found myself in one of the big box stores the day after Thanksgiving, with my son, looking at flat screen televisions. And the stupid thing about that was knowing he wasn’t going to buy anything. However, the other nine million people in the store were going nuts with their credit cards. I hope their retail therapy experience made them happy, bless their hearts.

Yeah, let's all stand in line outside and wait for the store to open!

The December Rush is upon us.

Black Friday.

Cyber Monday.

Panic shopping at the last minute for gifts we weren’t going to buy but now feel we must.

Some of us (not me) are compelled to bake enough cookies to feed a small country.

Are you suffering from the symptoms of The December Rush? If so keep reading, because during this time of the year, I’m all about slapping some common sense into your head in BEFORE you get carried away.

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#1 Do you really want to stand in line to buy stuff? Of course you don’t! Standing in line only makes you more tired. Pay somebody 5 bucks to shop for you. It’s worth it. Better yet, shop on line.

#2 Does old Aunt Myrtle really need your homemade peanut brittle? Not if she wants to keep her teeth. Buy her something soft … like warm, fuzzy socks … from the drug store, where the checkout lines are short.

#3 Don’t be afraid to give people The Gift of Disappointment. It’s free and they will get over it.

#4 You know what else is free? Driving around and looking at Christmas lights. It’s fun and you’ll have the satisfaction of knowing that YOUR electric bill won’t be as high as the guy whose house looks like it’s on fire.

#5 Wash your hands. Sleep 8 hours a night. Drink plenty of water. It’s easy to get sick when you’re stressed out and heaven knows you don’t have time to be sick in December.

#6 Try to not get sucked into the vortex of buying a Lexus with a big bow on it. Or a puppy with a big bow on it. Who does that? Really?

#7 Wine is a good thing. Not to be confused with whine, which is terribly overrated.

#8 Sing Christmas songs. And if you can’t sing well, sing anyway. Singing lowers your blood pressure.

#9 Remember that you are not perfect, the world is not perfect, your family and friends are not perfect, and there is no such thing as a perfect Christmas.

10. If you think you’re going to lose your mind over the holiday pressure, go right ahead. Everybody is entitled to a meltdown now and then.

#11 December lasts only 31 days. Eventually spring will come, which is what I really look forward to enjoying.

The Up Side of Lupus

Having lupus doesn’t mean I’m out of options to live a full life … at least most of the time.   And there are plenty of things I don’t have to worry about.

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1.  Even though all my siblings and both  parents had some form of skin cancer, I most likely will not get it.  My skin is fair and I totally avoid the sun.

2.  I’ll never have a skiing accident because sun, glare, and cold keeps me off the slopes.  However, I’ll join you for a drink in the lodge any time.

3.  Don’t have to cut the grass in the summer because it’s too hot.  Then again, I live in a townhouse anyway and somebody else deals with the yard.

4.  I get to indulge in at least 8 hours of sleep a day.  Plus naps.  Honestly, if I couldn’t get this much sleep, I’d be a walking zombie.

5.  If I can’t remember something, I blame it on lupus fog.  It’s more interesting than just getting old and forgetful, don’t you think?

6.  Do I have to schlep tons of groceries from the store, to the car, to the garage into the house? Not if I’m not up for that.  Delivery when the weather is fugly is totally cool and worth every penny.

7.  Having an autoimmune disorder can work to your advantage during the holiday shopping season.  Given all the immune suppressing drugs I’m on, I’ve become a germ magnet.  No Target.  No malls.  No Home Depot.  Shopping on line is not only heavenly, it keeps me in the Christmas spirit.  No more parking lot fury over the idiot that took my spot!

8.  On those days or nights when I’m staying home because I’m too tired to go anywhere, I usually remember the consequences of pushing too much and not being able to walk the next day.  Given the choice, hanging around the house doesn’t seem so bad.

9.  Long sleeves!  At the risk of sounding ridiculous, long sleeves cover up not only middle age arms, but also bruises and vascular rashes.  And clothes with a UV rating of 50+ do a super job of protecting the skin!

10.  Last year I tinted my car windows.  I can drive anywhere without worrying about the sun.  Plus my car stays cooler in the summer and warmer in the winter.  If not for lupus I probably wouldn’t have my car pimped out so nicely.

11.  This may sound strange, but meeting other “lupies” on-line or in-person is good for the soul.  There is strength in numbers and knowing you’re not alone is always a comfort.

12.  I’m fortunate to have a local Lupus Foundation of America branch in the city where I live.  Any local chapter of the LFA can be a great resource for living well with lupus.

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Sure, having lupus is a drag.  But there’s an up side to everything.  You just have to look for it.

 

 

 

Autumn Blessings

Despite all the crazy and sometimes crappy things that happen, I am able to count my blessings.  The month of November is a perfect time to appreciate all things great and small.

So in no particular order, I’m thankful for  …

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crisp, clear blue skies and bright autumn colors

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cuddle breaks after raking the yard

a "spooky" Buzz Lightyear

wine making grapes

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apples for pie

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Queen Anne's Lace

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watching a waterfall

long naps

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gentle rain on the roof

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fresh veggies from the garden

What are you thankful for?

Halloween Butt

The stomach says "NO" but the mouth doesn't listen.

I’ve been eating candy.  A lot of it.  My butt is going to be bigger than Kim Kardashian’s.  Actually, I don’t know why I even bother eating it;  I may as well  slap it directly on my ass and thighs.

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It’s a Halloween curse.

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Every year, we buy a ridiculous amount of candy for the office.  I work for a doctor and our patients like holiday decorations … and candy.  So Halloween is a big deal that the patients look forward to.  At least that’s our general excuse for having enough sugar to put us all in a diabetic coma.

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Halloween candy is so different from regular candy.  It comes in “fun size” and “bite size.”   So we’re seduced into thinking that hey, enjoying a couple pieces of these little things won’t be a big deal.   But when I look at my wastebasket at the end of the day and it is full of little bits of shiny candy wrappings I have a heart attack.   Did I really eat that much?   WTF happened to my brain?  Did my mouth not listen to my stomach when it was screaming “NO MORE CANDY.  YOU WILL DEVELOP HALLOWEEN BUTT.” Apparently not.   The candy corn is still calling my name and my mouth is still drooling.

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The easiest thing to do is get rid of the Snickers, Paydays, Baby Ruths, etc.  Just use some self control and stop eating the &*#@ing candy.  But (or should I say butt) the damage has already been done, giving the phrase, “Go big or go home.” a whole new twist.

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Some years, I’ve not been home on Halloween.  Weight watching is easier when you’re not stuck with a bunch of leftover candy.   This year my son will be in town to trick or treat with his sister and brother.  That spells T.R.O.U.B.L.E.

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I might tag along with them.   Put some tape over my mouth, wear a sign saying Candy Makes Your Butt Big, and call THAT a costume.   At least I won’t have to tell any stupid jokes.