ReBirth

Dijon and I took the camper out for a trial run last weekend.  We visited Fontainebleau State Park, a favorite camping spot in years past.  Unfortunately, the park suffered serious damage when Hurricane Katrina hit five years ago.  We had not visited since then, and were anxious to see how everything looked now.  Much of the facilities have been rebuilt, and were lovely, but we were so worried about the natural surroundings.

The pups loved the view of Lake Ponchatrain off the new pier!

(You know I had to put the pups in the post!)

Fontainebleau is built on the site of an old sugar mill.  The park has some of the most amazing live oak trees you will ever hope to see....this is actually the "carriageway" between two rows of oaks that led from the sugar mill down to the lake.  I just love all the Spanish moss hanging from the trees!

You can still see the old stacks of the sugar mill.  We were absolutely thrilled that they survived the hurricane and flooding. 

This live oak tree was always our favorite, and I nearly cried when I saw it still alive and full of green leaves.  I would have been devastated if it had not survived.  We have so many pictures of our kids climbing on this tree over the years.  Do you see that blue figure at the bottom of the picture?  That's Dijon....just to give you an idea of how big this tree is, Dijon is 6'2" tall!!  And I didn't even get all of it in the picture!

 Just gorgeous......

This tree, and many others, did not survive the brackish water flooding from Lake Ponchatrain.  If you look closely, you can see how live oak trees twist as they grow.  Dijon tells me it is nearly impossible to split those trees for firewood!

 Finally.....

A picture that reminds me today of the light of this world, my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, who rose from the grave, so that I might have a rebirth and eternal life.  For that, I offer thanks and praise. 

 See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~

Something New and Fun....

has come to live at our house!  Dijon grew up in a family that LOVED to go camping....I had never been camping before I met him!  But he introduced me to it, and I too fell in love with escaping to a calmer, quieter way of life, even if only for a short time.  Our kids have grown up camping, and have many fond memories of weekends and vacations in our old, small camper with the bunk beds.

Well, the air-conditioner in that older camper finally conked out for good, and Dijon decided it was time for us to enjoy a new-to-us camper.  Here she is....

 I am loving the amount of space in this camper!  We both really like the two swivel rockers and the huge window in the rear.

The couch and dinette are in the slide-out, which is a new treat for us...gives us lots of room.

Nice little kitchen, with extra room around the sink....

And my most favorite thing of all....the BIG bed that stays down all the time....no folding it up and down every day.  With my fibro, it had gotten to the point where that had become pretty painful.

Everyone in Dijon's family has a camper....his parents, his brother, and his sister.  We all try to go camping together several times a year.  It has been a wonderful family tradition for many years, and all our kids have loved growing up spending such great quality time with their grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins. 

We've already taken her out on a short trip, to one of our favorite state parks.  We used to take the kids there all the time when they were little, and have fabulous memories of camping there with them.   Dijon and I got lots of fresh air and good sleep, and I am happy to report that Keegan slept the entire weekend.  I think the great outdoors keeps him quiet!   I'll post some pics of the gorgeous oak trees there next time!!

Camping is one of "our things" that recharges our batteries....what are yours?

See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~

Calculating.....

Wow, I haven't been here in a week....

wanna know where I've been, and what I've been up to?   

I'll give you a hint.......

Messy, huh?  (It's not really my desk, but a pretty good idea of what mine looks like!)  Still don't know what I've been doing?  Ok, another hint.....well, really, a dead give-away....

ARRRGGGHHHH!!

NOT my favorite thing to do, for sure.....and I am still not quite finished.  Thank goodness for the extra couple of days this year.   LOL

Dijon and I already emptied this little guy,

and his friend, Mr. Jar, to pay our share of the tax bill....

We'll actually get a tiny bit back, so that's great news.....now if I can just get it all organized and filed.  Remember the post on fibro fog?  Yea.....

See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~

Keegan Roars

I've said before that I often seem to be able to keep Keegan content and dozing for long periods of time.  But I can never let myself be lulled into thinking that he won't awaken with a vengeance.  I mentioned last week that a trip to the doctor was in the works....I went, symptoms were discussed, blood work was done.  The lab work all looked great (except my cholesterol was a bit high....boo!)  For those new to the fibromyalgia game, normal test results are all too common.

Fibromyalgia can result in a myriad of symptoms....my two biggest complaints are the fatigue and the shoulder/back pain.  Picture an old time scale....you know the kind, where you put the weights on one side and the object you're weighing on the other.   If I take my muscle relaxers for the pain, the fatigue becomes worse, but if I limit the meds, the fatigue is better and the pain is worse.  So there is always a trade-off between pain and fatigue for me.  

Insomnia is another HUGE issue for me.  Keegan is nocturnal, evidently, and prefers to play at night.  I have trouble going to sleep, and once I finally do, staying asleep.  It isn't uncommon for me to wake up several times a night.  Studies have shown that folks with fibromyalgia don't enter that deep, restorative sleep that we need for our bodies to repair daily damage and fully recharge our batteries, and this leads to our pain and fatigue.

So now, the doc has added a sleep aid to my nightly med mix.  I've been on this new regimen four nights now....and I have slept soooo much better!  I'm hoping that will help break some of this pain cycle, and give me more energy during the day.  We'll see.  One thing I've learned about fibromyalgia, what works today may not work tomorrow.  Our bodies are not machines that respond the same way day to day.  We have to adjust constantly.  Keegan pulls out new tricks all the time....I have to counterattack!  Right this very minute, he is ahead in the game.....hopefully, not for long :)

See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~

A Mini Photo Shoot :)

So, Dijon bought me this amazing new Canon camera, that will do all kinds of fantabulous things.....if only I can learn which button to push or what setting to program at which particular time!  That would involve not only reading the instruction booklet, but also understanding all the terms of photography, which I do NOT, as of yet....BUT I am determined to learn!!  LOL

To that end, I have decided from time to time to just take the camera out and play a bit.  We continue to have beautiful weather around home, so I ventured outside with the furbabies this week.  I caught Macy playing in the backyard, and captured a few shots of her.

 I also weeded and mulched two more flower beds (still four left to do!), and Mr. Bentley loved the feel of the new pine straw.  He proceeded to just park himself there, under the Japanese magnolia tree, and pose while I snapped away.  I kid you not, this pup sat still as a statue for 15 minutes straight....It was unbelievable!

Doesn't his fur look like he parted it on the side in this last picture?  I think he may have real potential as a model!  LOL

One day, I'll know all the ins and outs of my camera....for now though, I'm still having fun, and in spite of my ignorance, I'm loving the pictures!   Hope you enjoy them too :)

See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~

Sally's Garden :)

My garden and flower beds are pretty simple....we have a large lot for our neighborhood, and Keegan doesn't really enjoy gardening too much, so I tend to stick to easy-care plants.  I use a lot of perennials, and in our milder winters, many plants return year to year.  And many of them sprout babies that I can move to new areas....free plants are always a plus :)

This tiny bed greets visitors (and us) as we enter the driveway.  The tree to the right is a tiny crepe myrtle...(you can't see much of him).   Dijon built this wheelbarrow for me years ago...in the fall, it is filled with pumpkins, and at Christmas, with greenery and ornaments.  The plants are daylillies which will bloom later with yellow flowers.   Every year, my father-in-law brings me a new rock from Colorado, where they vacation for the summer.  They are scattered through my flower beds.  And of course, there is my LSU flag....GEAUX TIGERS!!

Dijon built this rustic garden cart for me....it sits behind my little concrete rabbit family at one end of our porch.  Its surrounded by ruella, aztec grass, and amaryllis.

I adore our patio and backyard....we've worked hard to make it feel like a park!

The azaleas are blooming right now....they're one of my favorites, and bring back great memories of my childhood summers spent at my grandparents' house.

More azaleas in the back yard...

But I was MOST excited today to see THIS!!! 

What, you may ask, could possibly be the importance of this tiny bit of greenery?  Its the first bud on my pecan tree, and that means that the danger of frost is OVER!!  So now it is safe for me to plant any tender annuals I might choose (which are few, but I do a few pots each year!)

I LOVE this time of year in the South....the weather is amazing, and being outside recharges my batteries.  And that is a good thing....Keegan has been requiring extra energy lately, so much so that a trip to the doctor is on the calendar for next week.  It may be time to tweak things a bit to keep Keegan in his place....remember, he's not in charge!

See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~

Just Sitting on the Porch

Please forgive me for staying away an entire week....the flare lasted a few days, then eased.  The weather here is beautiful right now....this is one of our favorite times of the year down south.  So Dijon and I decided to do a bit of work outside, and we have been super busy with that!  Here's our refuge in this crazy world....

I just love my house....it is Acadian style (very common down here) with a huge front porch....complete with swing, rocking chairs, ceiling fans, and Boston ferns.  Right now, with the cool temperatures and low humidity, we are out there every chance we get.

BTW, does anyone know what the big shovel thing is??  We picked it up at an antique shop years ago, and have no idea what is was used for.  But I love it and it stays on the porch year round :)

Yes, that is Dijon's red truck in the background....can't function around here without a truck :)

We absolutely love love love our cypress swing....Dijon added some massive springs to the chains, so the swing "gives" a bit when you sit.....it a fabulous to sit and drink iced tea on a nice day and watch the world go by.  I have wind chimes hanging on the porch that play a nice tune for me too :)  

Our two daughters got married within 8 months, so we sort of neglected our house for a bit....I'm taking this year to rework our house and yard.  There'll be decluttering, reorganizing, and fixing up!

This house just feeds my soul.....I'll show you more of it next time!

See ya soon,

~~~~~Sally~~~~~