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hey kimmie, great start for your list. love getting to know you better - even if you are a repubilcan. lol - i vote according to candidate and have made my hubby mad when it was a republican candidate i chose! please keep adding to your list!. kathy

fred, congrats on your four mark. i know you have been dealing with some tough physical issues and i hope this year is better for you. kathy

bonnie - thank you soooo much for the smile! i bet women could write books on hair color stories! i am so glad you got yours to a good shade and john likes it. i have alot of red in my hair undertones and i stay away from all golden shades. cheers! kathy

yes, today is moving day. in a few hours all our stuff will be gone and only the final house cleaning and last good-byes to be said. i have spent the last last 10 days saying good-bye to my friends and former co-workers. reflecting on my 4 plus years in florida it is here the stroke demon struck and here i have been blessed with getting to know some very good and interesting people making many new friends. tonight we will stay in a motel and tomorrow sign house papers and begin our road trip home. it has all happened so quickly! like life - we blink and suddenly the time is gone. please wish us good driving weather and remember us in your prayers for a safe journey. i will get back on line at andy's condo - until then....... :scooter: .kathy

donna, we can all talk the big "don't do it" but when push comes to shove most of us would do just what you did and let your nephew and girlfried stay. so no i told you so - you did a kindness and that says everything about you. i think your plan to have them gone before you go to the hospital is right on. make sure you get any keys as well - the last thing you need is any more stress! your power chair sounds like the coolest of the cool. sorry you didn't get blue but it sounds quite flashy! we will have to get you a racing helmet and some steeler stickers! i pray they can take care of your blockage and anything else during your cath procedure - you are right that you still have much to do here. keep practing with your chair and try to stay calm and unstressed as you wait. you and kristi are in my thoughts........i am sending you a huge hug! :hug: kathy

dorothy had the right idea when she clicked her heels to get home to kansas. :out_of_here: too bad i don't have any shoes with heels much less red ones!. we leave for the frozen north in 4 days! i am NOT looking forward to the days of driving (really riding) and so hope for decent weather. i bought a "calming" spray for my cat's carriers and pray it works. they are very naughty and noisey travelers. maybe i will take the sedative and let them howl! ( lol )the house has an echo with all our books packed up and i feel we have already started our new adventure. our son arrives on tuesday and we will begin the final tasks that need doing. what a great guy to spend his vacation time helping out the "old folks." :thumbup: i have made some super friends here in florida during my 4+ years and we have been getting together to say bye for the time being. they took me to a cute play in tampa on wednesday night and last night we all went to see some chinese acrobats. AMAZING! needless to say i am not great at public or evening events but i had the best time. i am so,so exhausted from everything but i figure i will recuperate. i will miss my friends here but i am looking forward to seeing my MA girlfriends. i rarely loose touch with people i care about - after all, what would a woman do without good girlfriends? :chat: kathy

bonnie, thank you again for putting your thoughts into words. i too was taught that the proper reply to most questions were i'm fine, it's fine, we are fine etc - no matter what we were feeling. one positive aspect of my stroke has been learning about my feelings and realizing they are okay.they are just part of who i am. this site is a haven for sharing our most positive hopes and feelings as well as our fears, anger and sadness. it is all safe and accepted here -what a gift - thanks kathy

bonnie, you expressed the many issues of post stroke recovery to a tee. i have come to believe we never accept what has happened totally. i think the losses are too great and although we strive to be the best we can post stroke there are moments of sadness and frustration. i have been thinking alot recently of the difference between our job and our vocation. our job is the necessary work to survive and does not need to be our life's calling. our vocation or purpose in life can be how we travel through the journey of life and treat others. the kindness and patience or, like you said ,the smile we show others. thanks for the great post. kathy

sue, you are such a wonderful writer - i often feel i am there with you as you describe feelings and paint pictures of your day. like you, i am pleased that the holidays are gone for the year - but i too wish some of the kindness and patience shown during the season would be a regular occurance in life. i am glad you have the grandchildren to look forward to next week-end. take care, kathy

hi donna (aka the president's mom) you really have raised a great girl there - i think you should give yourself a big pat on the back. the drop foot issue is so scarey - i am glad you did not injure yourself badly. i am always lurching around. as far as joey and the girlfriend - i would say NO! you need to focus on your health needs - remember the doc said no stress? sounds like you are getting stress already from the decision process. the whole thing sounds like trouble and i doubt setting boundries would work with this kid. so my opinion is to take care of yourself and kristi. kathy p.s. so glad you were able to out smart lili!

lorri, i was pleased to hear joey's feeding tube was removed - more progress! i admire the strength and courage that you are drawing on to meet each day and each challenge you are faced with. kathy

okay, the house is sold, inspected, appraised, found to be termite free, movers arranged and about 60 boxes packed.....so the move progresses. my big problem at the moment is where did i put my brain? :tired: i cannot keep track of anything - i wonder if i packed it with my shoes? i make a list at night of next day 'to do" things and loose the list over night! i cannot seem to really stay focused on anything. i am really tired, which increases my pain, yet i keep going until the whining, cry baby kathy comes out. :yucky: yuck! i need to step back and remember i need to pace myself! will i EVER learn this lesson? i promised myself to visit other chats and get to know more members in 2008 and have a few laughs --i think i am going to put that on hold until i get settled. the weather here has cooled off and it is quite pleasant.....a wonderful change from months of unrelenting heat and humidity. i have been asked many times this past week why anyone would move back to the frozen north in january. what a stellar question! for myself the move is part of responding to my husband's wish to move. i guess my real desire is once moved, my husband will be happier and begin to engage in life again. my concern is knowing wherever we go we take ourselves and i am not sure moving is the answer to his issues. i so wish he could come to terms with his anger regarding my stroke. it would help make life much better for both of us. in the meantime my furry family have their paws in a twist! my dog wants me to feed her kibble by hand and my independent cats are either under my feet or on my lap demanding the attention due them. life is good. so, with that thought only 14 days till blast off. :yikes: cheers!

hi sue, what a picture you painted of Ray! you know how we sometimes/(in spite of ourselves) laugh when something happens to someone else - and we KNOW it is not funny? i found myself smiling as you described the scene. bad me. i understand what you mean with the difference in a true friend versus work, community aquaintence etc. i believe some folks just are plain uncomfortable around the sick or people who are different. they like to think it will never happen to them and we remind them that everyone is vulnerable! my own parents have the motto of "out of sight,out of mind" with me. i have really been wanting to come to your chat and i have just been too strung out and tired, once we get moved i hope to become a more regular chatter in various chats. i learn so much and find real comfort on the site! so, please keep ray away from any sharp or pointy objects. and have a good week cheers! kathy

hi bonnie, wow, what a day. what i want to know is how come you sent the 4 pounds you lost over to me! lol seriously, congratulations on the weight loss. glad you got your ear fixed - owie!!! and your shoulder cortizoned. i truely hope you can tolerate the bone strengthening meds. ya know we have passed the longest day of the year so spring is on here way! :laughbounce: cheers!

stu, that was a good start - now i am waiting the other 95 :bouncing_off_wall: kathy

carol, totally great blog! i have never been on a cruise . you are a lucky girl - be sure and tell us the details. many of us were happy to say good-bye to 2007 - me included. i hope 2008 brings you a year full of wonderful days and realized resolutions! kathy

i am so sorry to hear of your miscarriage. be good to yourself and your body as you grieve your loss. you and greg will be in my thoughts. kathy

sue, great blog! glad you are back online. i so wish you a 2008 of beautiful mornings and days! cheers - kathy

lorrie, it was great to hear that joey is progressing so well and a target date has been set. i am sorry to learn of the accident of your friends. i know each of us searches for the answer to the questions you posed in your blog. i think the answer is there is no answer. whether it is through the daily living of life or because we have survived an encounter with a life changing event or disease we are given the opportunity to find and define our purpose. we also have choice in how we respond to life's challenges. joey and you are examples of strength and the desire of the human spirit to survive and grow despite circumstances. i wish you both continued progress and strength in 2008. kathy

congratulations on that GPA! :Clap-Hands: i hope you get the botox approval - it really worked for me and i hope it does for you. seems like you are on a super postitive roll and i hope 2008 continues in the same mode! kathy

so long to 2007 and howdy to the possibilities that 2008 will offer. looking back at the year i see how far i have come in accepting my stroke. yep, i have had a few melt downs but i am beginning to see my core self again. i have never, ever done anything the simple way and stroke is no different. of course i have always expected the maximum from myself - hey perfection - and i wanted to be the perfect stroke survivor. NO CAN DO! sometimes i am strong and sometimes i just feel sorry for myself. i read the pain management article in january's newsletter and i am so grateful to lin. it was a great essay. we do the best we can and give ourselves a break when we are less than perfect as many of you know my husband and i put our house on the market 3 weeks ago. it was barry's wish to move back to the frozen north - his anger at the stroke and the affect on his life has been tough for both of us. he felt returning to cape cod would help him in many ways. our kids and grandson are there as well as 28 years of friendships (we will not go into the issue of the move to florida - which he thought would be a great adventure ) i think i can be content most anywhere and i have been more than willing - if scared - to move back north. we did all the house things sellers do to prepare for the real-estate market. the sign went up and on new year's day we accepted a decent offer. :Clap-Hands: the inspection is saturday and baring any great problems we head for the north on 1/25/08. i am stunned the house sold so quickly given the market. i keep looking for quiet and routine in my life and have come to realize it is not in my stars. the frenzy around here is not to be described. at times i just wander in the land of boxes and stuff. my furry family of sasha(dog) bella and merlin(cats) look at me with dazed eyes. i gaze back with loving and dazed eyes. :juggle: my son is flying down to help with the driving i can't do anymore and he says it will be the coolest fun driving north together. i have to smile at his enthusiasm and agree! wheeeee......! :laughbounce: kathy

george, thank you so much for sharing your gratitude list. it is a wonderful way to begin the new year! kathy

well, it was a quiet christmas here in safety harbor but i really enjoyed reading about everyone's holiday hustle and bustle. it was great hearing about the snow some people were having, the joy donna and her daughter experienced as they celebrated with family, kimmie's happiness at having both of her sons and pets home to celebrate, bonnie's unceasing energy(bill's unceasing appetite), phyliss' mixed holiday review and on and on. so many people at strokenet - many i have yet to know have touched my life this past year. i found joy in a member's recovery progress, felt the tentative reaching out a newbie and wondered at the love and support of caregivers. i found chat to be the coolest thing and only wish i could remember who is who! the virtual christmas party was my holiday event and i loved the sense of creativity and humor the party goers brought to the bash. that said, i am glad to say good-bye to 2007. i have been in a funk lately and posted a few weeks ago regarding how crappy i felt and generally did a huge whine. the support i got from everyone was reassuring and i knew i was not alone. tonight,before i started to write this blog, i read the message board posts, other blogs and realized i needed to find my bootstraps and give them a big yank upwards! part of my recent depression is once i passed the two year stroke mark i began to realize this stroke thing is not going away! stroke is here to stay and i need to get a grip. i can list the issues that keep me down - fatigue, pain,lack of mobility, useless parts on my left side, BLAH, BLAH, BLAH! sometimes i have been so angry because i took such good care of myself pre-stroke - and other times i have been overwhelmed with sadness as i see my husband try to hide his anger at the situation. i can go around and around yet always return to the fact i had a stroke. so, for me 2008 is about acceptance and getting to know the new kathy. the key, for me, is to learn to take life as it comes - live in the moment and to laugh whenever i get the chance. of course i won't do it perfectly - i'm just human! i wish you all a blessed new year! kathy

sue, glad you had a good, if quiet, christmas day. the massage sounds devine! i hope that 2008 is good to you and ray. you are both in my thoughts - kathy

hi phyllis, loved reading your blog! so glad you had a good christmas. wishing you the best in 2008! kathy