Making Lists, Following Dreams while dealing with Reality

I have so many lists and dreams for my house. It isn't just money that stops me but the ability and energy to do them. Between my fibromyalgia and female surgery last fall I've been under the weather. I'm working like an turtle that needs to hibernate often. Aesop's Fable, "The Tortoise and the Hare" has always been one of my favorite stories growing up. I was always the slow kid so I think..ok I'll win in the end. Through out my life I've had many winning moments but now I have to deal with being slower than usual.

Source

I just started to work a few hours a week and I'm enjoying getting out of the house. I pick up a 12 year old boy and take him home and get him started on his homework. On days that he has evening plans, like Hebrew lessons, etc. I make him a snack/lite meal so he isn't cranky before his mom has a chance to feed him. While I'm there I keep him on task and play with their adorable dog, Kiko. The mom jokes that the dog thinks I'm there for him. If the dog wants to go out or play he growls at me till I do what I want. We play fetch inside with soft toys and fetch with a Frisbee outside. All of that is easy except when I've had a bad day. Most of the time I'm happy when I leave and I feel good because I have helped someone and I've made a bit of cash that is greatly needed.

Kiko is a Blue Merle Collie like this dog.  Like Lassie but with grey hair.

Now I'm trying to catch up with things and getting stuff done at home. I'm going to share my lists and let you know what I've done. I wish I was energetic and busy like other bloggers but I have to remember that I have to be "great" for me and not compare myself to others.

Fibrofog is a drag but I promise I don't pee in plants.

See this video to learn more about Fibromyalgia.

I have fibromyalgia and found this article/ video online and wanted to share it.  Karen Meyer has fibromyalgia and writes about it on her blog, "Chronic Babe.com"  For those who have a chronic illness, one that doesn't go away, it is a great support.  I know I often need moral support.  It's hard to have a invisible illness because everyone thinks you're faking or being weird, when in fact, I'm ill but can't always do everything I want.  So go ahead and check out her blog and you can come back and tell me what you think.  Have a great weekend!  Katharine

Poem about Fibromyalgia

Last night I learned about a new program that helps change words into shapes.  Subway art is a good example.  I imputed a poem about Fibromyalgia and created this "art" piece.  You can find this program at tagxedo.com.

I have a confession...

I have a confession...

I'm addicted to Facebook's online games.  Yoville and lately mostly Farmville with a bit of Spider Solitaire.  Do any of you have the same addiction?  When I'm stressed out and tired but unable to sleep I hop on the computer and see what is going on..online.  I play with people from all over the world.  In Yoville I can actually talk to people live and decorate my homes.

Happy New Years

  When I play  Farmville I mostly just grow plants, harvest, plow and grow them again.  On the Farm I raise animals and decorate with weird items that are mostly farm related.

Autumn in Farmville

Merry Christmas

  I love to change my Avatars.  Not the blue beings from the movie, "Avatar" but the mini me's (virtual you) that people create while playing online games.  My avatars are young, beautiful, healthy and can do anything.  They make tons of money, if I play the games right, and feel no limitations.  My avatar doesn't have pain and never feels sick.  You would be right in saying I'm living a fantasy life online. There are worse things to have addictions to, to me this is much better than an addiction to alcohol and drugs.

Made at blingee.com.

There is an evil side to Computer games and avatars though.  It becomes evil when you only live your life online and never outside your home.  This kind of world is great for people who are agoraphobic or are too sick to go out.  For someone like me I have times where I need to stay home, but I have to make sure I'm out in the real world too.  It's important to get out, meet friends face to face and get fresh air.  It's important to have a reason to take a shower and look decent.  I know to most of you that sounds elementary but I have days where I'm in so much pain and I feel and look lousy.  I've been loosing hair and it just looks awful.  There are days that I'm puffy and bloated.  Those are the days when it's great if I don't have to go out, but I need to force myself to do that.  It's too easy to become a hermit.

So now know what I like to do in my free time.  I'm not alone and the numbers are growing.  I just have to put it all into perspective and remember to breath fresh air and smell the roses, even if I'm having a bad hair day.

Have a Wonderful New Years

Tell the Truth Thursday- Are you a morning, afternoon, evening or night time person?

9/2 - Are you a morning, afternoon, evening or night time person? Has it changed over the years?  Join me and Redhead Writter for:



When I was a child my mom could tell the time by when I'd go to bed.  I went to bed by 8:30PM every night.  Now I start coming alive at that time.  This is especially true on super hot days.  Recently we had a heatwave with the highest being 111 degrees F.  It's been a mild summer with low to high 80's so it was a shock to our system.  I don't handle heat well because of my fibromyalgia.  My fibro affects my sleep patterns too!!  Often I'm all wired at night and can't sleep, so if I have nothing going on I sleep during the day.  On nights that I'm suppose to go to sleep early I end up tossing and turning.  No fun!  When its late night I'm wide awake which is why I blog at night.  Then I take a "nap" in the morning.

Eastern Screech Owl

Free Picture to Print for Your Kids

   

   

What do I miss the most about being young?

When I was younger I was very insecure and was always worried about what people think. I still worry sometimes but most of the time I think, it doesn't really matter because I am who I am. Like Seus said:

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter, and those who matter don't mind."

 I would love to say that it was all in my head but my dad and my dad’s sisters told me I was treated different than my siblings. I was always getting sick. I was slower. One thing that I did have was health, a thin body (they worried I was too thin) which is a laugh because now I can’t loose weight. This is why I don’t push food on my daughter. I’m trying to teach her how to tell when she isn’t hungry. So far her metabolism is good and she is thin but I remind her that I was thin and not to take it for granted.

Mom, age 47 and I, age 16 in 1978.

I was fairly healthy even though I got sick all the time. Compare to how I am now, I was very healthy. I didn’t have aches and pains, I could walk fast (but not run fast). I was agile even though I was clumsy and uncoordinated. Now I’m clumsy again because of my fibro.

Natalie, age 9 and I age 45.

I look at pictures of me now and think..what happened? The one thing that is better, and this is an important thing, I’m much happier and more secure. I was thin in high school but always insecure.

Katharine, age 22 in 1984 in Palos Verdes, California over looking the Pacific Ocean.

Now, 30 years later, I’m older & heavier but able to easily smile to people I barely knew. I wish I was that way when I was younger because I could have conquered the world. Now I try to conquer it in my mind. Lol

Samohi's 30th Reunion

I compliment Natalie but I make sure I compliment her on the things she can do and not just how she looks. She is beautiful and smart but she doesn’t think so. That saddens me because I say “look in the mirror” you are gorgeous. I’m always getting complimented on how beautiful she is, especially her eyes. She has the best features of her dad and I.

Natalie, age 12, Summer 2010

Now I understand the saying, youth is wasted on the young. We don’t appreciate anything when we are young, like we do when we are older.

31 Days to a Better Blog. Day 1- An Elevator Pitch

I started to work on this last week because I knew I was going to be busy this week.  When I started my elevator pitch it turned into the complete "about me" page in my blog.  I was really motivated after learning about elevator pitches.

The short version is this:

My blog started out as an extention of my e-BAY store "Kat's Purrfect Boutique".  I named my blog Kat's Almost Purrfect World because my life is far from perfect and I wanted to connect to my love of cats and my name
 Kat harine.  Anyways,  I realized that my blog would be more fun if it was about me, my daughter, my cats and my life.  I wanted to share what it's like to have fibromyalgia and why I started to sell Barbies and more online.

If you want to read more about me, click on my About Me page.