I love my parents, that is why their names will be changed to protect the innocent

So, I really and truly do love my parents, but I gotta tell everyone about last weekend.
Mark was away for a trip overnight, and he didn't want to leave me alone.
So, I asked Mud and Fud to come down. Mud makes good food, remember.

it only took about the usual 5 min for the Mud and Fud routine to begin.
Fud: (load groan of pain, heard from a distance)
Mud: Fud, ARE YOU OKAY??
Fud: (silence)
Mud: Fudhead, ARE YOU OKAY?
Fud: YEAH, I'm alright
Mud : What was that noise?
Fud: ((sigh)
Mud: Fudhead, WHAT was that noise?
Fud: just my legs hurting
Mud ok, sit down
Fud (silence)
Mud: Are you sitting?
Fud: No, not yet
Mud: FUDHEAD, Go sit down, and you'll feel better
Fud (silence)
Mud ARE YOU sitting down yert?
Fud (silence)
Mud: Go sit down, and take some deep cleansing yoga breaths

Then she turns to me, and starts to explain how he is always doing this, and if he would only go sit down and breath deep cleansing breaths, or go do legs up a wall, he would feel infinitely better.
I won't copy and repeat the above conversation, but it happenned at least 5000 times in a 24 hour period.  Instead, I'll tell you about Fud and computers.

I was downstairs, in the kitchen, and Fud said "I don't thjink I am online"
I said, Are you on facebook?
Fud (pause) yeah
Me: then you HAVE to be online
Fud: (silence)
Fud: oh, ok, but I never put in a password
Me: That's because Mark did it for you last time, and your computer remembers things like that
Fud: I still dont think I am online
Me: ARE you ON Facebook?
Fud: (pause)  uh, yeahMe: Then you HAVE to be online, whether it is our network, or some neighbor who has an unprotected network.

Fud But I didn't put in a password
Me sigh, then maybe you r on a neuighbors network, but prolly, your computer remebers our password, bring your computern down here, and I can tell you which
Fud (silence)
me: Fud aree you bringing the computer dwon here
Fud (pause) No, it's ok
me: Ok
Fud: But I dont think I am online.
me:(sigh ) you are, if you werent, you couldn't be on facebook, really,
Fud: ok

you get the idea, but these conversations seemed to take place quite often, esp the one about the deep cleansing yoga breaths, and how he would feel better, if only...

Then, Fud wanted to know why he didn't have a calculator on his computer.
Me: You do, everyone has one. Bring your laptop here, I'll show you
Fud:: (silence)
Me: Do you see it? Bring your laptop down, and I'll add it to you quick launch bar, and you'll always be able to see it.
Fud: (silence)
Me: Fuddy, are you bringing me that computer?
Fud: (silence)
Me: Are you going to mmake me climb those stairs?

Fud comes down, without his computer..so I show him on MY laptop, how to find the calculator

Fud: Go back and do that again
Me: Ok, now look, go to your start button, see them go to programs
Fud Do that again
Me Ok, go to our start button, then go to programs
Fud: OK
Me: thern you find this file, accessories
Fud: Go back and show me how you did that again
Me: Ok, go to your start button, then go to programs, then accessories, see? Theres your calculator.
Yay, then you right click on it, and add it to your quick launch bar, see, you can right click on anything, anywhere, it wont hurt, it just gives you a list of options, see?
Fud: silence  then, Go back, and show me that again


I am out of time, I'll come back and finish the daga of mud and fud later

A brief epiphany about "working" with MS

I figured out this morning while trying to get some chores done..working with MS is like trying to work on a bipartisan political group.
You want your body to do one thing, and MS decides it doesn't want to, so, MS wins, and you don't
Sounds like the sort of compromises we get in our government these days.
The people would like healthcare for everyone, so would most democrats, BUT republicans don't think we should have it, so, we don't.
Isn't life grand?

On a totally different subject, check out the baby birdies we have nesting out back, they are maybe the size of a table spoon, and there are 6 of them tucked away in there. Life actually is grand.

MS stands for mostly sucky, but, you can still appreciate the good things.

Well, MS DOES in fact suck, as anyone who has anything to do with it knows, but I am sure that a bunch of you also realize  that having MS gives you a new perspective on life, and how you choose to live it.
I know that I would  not change much of my life(just the fucking MS parts.)
I have a great hubby.
I have fabulous, big hearted and  generous friends. (Helen, Linda, Natalia, Joyce, Rose, Jeuli, Kat, and too many others to name)
I live in a beautiful place
I can still work with glass, and pottery.
I have a great best friend in ragtime
I can still get myself around, with the help of my magic wheelie chair, and help from my aforementioned friends and hubby)
This planet, despite the efforts of a few fuckked up individuals, still holds beautiful places in it.
I am about to share a few pictures I took this week, of my property, garden, flowers, pets, and critters who share their valley with me, and you decide if it's beautiful.

now, I need to go re-size some images...excuse me for a mo..

A smaller world

One thing MS does with your life? It makes it smaller. I don't get out as much, I no longer work outside of my home studio, and I very carefully select where I spend my spare time and energy.

In another sense, I spend more time inspecting my surroundings, the valley I live in, and the plants and critters who share their planet with me. Here is a sample of some of my photos from yesterday. I hope you enjoy them as much ass I enjoyed taking them.
The full moon was gorgeous, and I will try to get a better photo of it next time around.

Just because I am awake.......

that doesn't mean my friends are. Just became reacquainted with that factoid, sorry rags. I am waiting for the full moon to rise above my tree line, so that I can shoot pictures ofit, which I will share with everyone tomorrow. We had a full work schedule in the studio today, with tamarack LOVING all the new samples I have sent. They bought the lot, and the purchase order for more is on the  way. They really liked the new pendants, too. happy day for all the folks in the studios here.
I have been spending alot of time with my new camera, as well, because the macro function is amazing, and the spring flowers are coming on strong. I will share picture tomorrow. No turtle to race yet, but they'll be back,,, can;t think of any good stories to relate at thr momentm so I am just rambling away.
 Hmmm, working with MS, what sucks the most.. I  guess it would be meeting new people who have that automatic pity thing going on, instead of the automatic amazement that my work should inspire in them. I mean. really folks, handicapped or not the amount of work, care and attention that go into my stained glass are pretty . intensse, so..that would be mt first gripe. Morer later

Victoriia's Bear Dance

This is window number 3, in a 7 window installation.  each panel was 44" long,and 20" tall. I was trying to post the entire set, but, hey, we r talking abooout me..

Tom Panebianco window for the DC home

I realized my last comment would lead anyone to expect some pics, so, let's try that again. this piece was 3'x3', and now hangs at the Cairo, in D.C., around the Dupont Circle. Lots of little squares, but, fun iin the long run. Especially for Helen....heh heh heh

More pics coming soon

so, how much is enough?.

well, the interesting answer to that question is, no matter  what you do, what you get done, and who you are, THAT is enough. YOU  are enough. You HAVE enough. You DO enough, and that's all there is to it.  Until recently, I was on a real low energy run, maybe me new acupuncture has helped to bring  my energy around, but, even when I had no energy, I   knew I was enough, but it isn't easy sometimes, esp if you are extremely active (or were extremely active)
I got up around 4am, saw Mark off on his trip, organized my lists for the day, went down, cleaned out the kiln, reloaded the kiln, went next door to the pottery shop, trimmed a big new bowl, and came back to write a blog post...but, argh!! I fell asleep.
Know what? Still ok. What's going to happen if you don't get it done today? For most things, not much, so, put the crucial, time sensitive stuff at the top of the list, and DON'T beatt your self up for what you don't get done, just transfer the stuff over, and keep hotting it, until you make your way to the end of the list, or the end of your day, whichever comes first. Woerking with MS sucks, yes, but, because of it, I am able to work from my home, and do the things I love. (except the bookkeeping, and I am working on that.
That's it for the morning, blog, cuz my folks are coming to help me get some stuff done today, hope everyone has a  glorious day, going to leave you withv some pics

Acupuncture

I am lucky, I have a dear friend, who is also a qualified, licensed acupuncturist. Tamme Marggraf works with the whole body, and recently we began a new treatment that is having amazing results in China, and other countries. We have been meeting in my home, 3 times a week. This new treatment has a very different placement of the needles, instead of being perpendicular, they are slanted, sort of similar to splinters, and they are all in the scalp.

 (these are pics  of some of ragtime's hangings, see 1000pointsofpeace.com, to read about our project, and the mission for peace as well as our goal to help women leave abusive situations)

The other difference is that they HURT, unlike most of the other treatments we have done,  these needles get manipulated while in my scalp, and they can burn like a mother. Hey, the way I figure it, if there is even a small chance of success, and I  start walking/standing better, I am in. I told Tamme that if   this works  as well as it could, I will build her a house out of stained glass, and it will be amazing.


                                                                          

ok, just a quick note on the rampaging turtle.. this gives you a good idea how much MS has done in your life, if you have this opportunity, to try to corner as turtle.Seriously, who cant catch a  freaking box turtle????