It's That Time Of The Year

And what time is that? Vacation time!


I know, you'd think that after being away from the phones for close to two monthes the last thing in the world I'd be doing is taking a vacation. And under normal circumstances that would be the case. Thing is, those darn heart attacks so utterly changed my life that going on vacation seems totally reasonable to me.


I may have mentioned this to you already, but I learned a lot, a whole lot, from the ordeal. I learned that life isn't all about working. Yes, we have to work in order to provide a house and food and clothing for ourselves. But we don't have to work to excess. (Or at least I hope you don't.) For years I worked the phones seven days a week, eighteen hours a day. Sure, I occasionally took a day off here and there, once or twice I even a whole week off. But mostly I worked.


I've always been the kind of person that works a lot of hours. When I tended bar I worked six day weeks, thirteen hour days. It seemed normal to me to bust my butt like that. Working long hours enabled me to purchase a home, new vehicles, nice furniture and clothes, etc.


Since the heart attacks, well, I've decided to take life easier. I'm going to stop and smell the flowers.


So that's why I am out of touch until Tuesday, July 13th at 9AM EST.


Where am I? Basking in the radiant sunshine on a beautiful beach somewhere in the state of Michigan. I am eating fresh fruit and broiled fish. And I am having the time of my life!


Until the 13th be good and be careful, take care and stay strong


hugs, Tawny
tawny_ford@webtv.net

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Sent on a phone using T9space.com

It's Been Awhile

I've missed talking with you the last few days.


I haven't been feeling good. Not sick, just not 'right'. I've been tired. Dragging ass tired. The kind of tired where you just can't do anything. Even watching tv or reading a book was too much.


I think it's the high heat and humidity. Coupled with those darn precription meds I take. The meds pretty much keep me from feeling hot. But just because I'm not feeling the heat, that doesnt mean I'm not overheating. I stay in frot of a fan and I try to remember to drink plenty of water but I guess I wasn't diligent enough.


Today seems better. I've already got one hour of pedalling in and I've worked out on the weight machine.


I look forward to speaking with you.


Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.

hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300

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Sent on a phone using T9space.com

Good For Me, Good For You

I've always tried to eat healthily and since my recent medical troubles I'm trying even harder. Fast food and pizza are no longer my friends, and fried anything is my enemy. Even ice cream, with all of it's fat, is on my try to stay away from list.


The other day when I was at Costco I purchased a tub of Sunshine Energy Bars. I've never been a big fan of bars. Generally speaking, they're kind of pricey and pretty tasteless (at least the ones I've sampled). But when I saw how loaded up these were with all sorts of good for you ingredients, well, I caved.


Talk about having the kitchen sink in them! Oats, dried fruit (cranberries, raisins, apples, apricots), nuts (cashews, walnuts, almonds), sesame seeds, flax seeds, coconut, etc.


Okay, they're kind of dry. You need a glass of something wet to easily get them down. Or at least I do. And they're not as sweet as I'd like. I like things for-real-sweet. But I solved that by mixing together a bit of powdered sugar and a few drops of orange juice and then drizzling the glaze over the bar.


Since I'm really trying to make each morsel of food that passes my lips count nutritionally, these bars are working for me for breakfast and also as a snack. And they help keep me 'regular' (smile).


Perhaps you would like them, too.


Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.


Hugs, Tawny
248-615-1300

Get Thee To A Costco!

Here in town, well, in downtown Farmington, there are a good many elderly and disabled people out and about. I think it's because the neighborhood around the downtown area is still inhabited, for the most part, by the men and women who purchased their homes in the 1950's during the boomer years of child bearing. While the neighborhoods have turned over some, it's still predominately populated by folks in their late 70's on up. Also, there is a high rise of sorts that rents only to the elderly and the infirm and disabled.


On nice weather days you see lots of these folks out walking. While a goodly number of them are able to walk unassisted, there is an equally good number of them using canes, those motorized 'carts' and---I don't know the name for it--a sort of push walker that also has a seat on it.


That push walker thingie, whenever I see folks using it they're always hunched up over it. No one stands straight as they walkwith it. And it's always a lame shade of dark blue, and flimsy looking.


I was at Costco yesterday after the doctor visit and, lo and behold!, there was a large endcap over in the drugstore section of the store filled with these walker thingies. I think it must be a sooper dooper version because they weren't flimsy looking, they were black, they could support folks up to 300 pounds, and the handlebars rased up high enough for people over 6 feet to use without having to stoop!


And they were right around $95! I don't know what those flimsy looking ones sell for, but this was the Cadillac Escalade version and I think worth the price.


So if you could use one of those, or have a family member, friend or loved one who could--get thee to a Costco!


hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com




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I Was An Add-In

Doesn't that title just shout National Enquirer (smile)?


But that's what I was this morning at the cardiologists office, an add-in, because I didn't have an appointment and they had to add me in/work me in to the patient flow. I only had to wait about 40 minutes and I didn't think that was bad.


I have never been one to go to the doctor, nor to take prescription meds. So I figured when I had a reaction (swollen feet and ankles) to that Diliazen they had me on, and they abruptly removed me from it, well, I thought that would mean I was on one less prescription. Nope. They replaced it with Lisinopril. Oh well.


On the bright side, the doctor who did the heart catheter on me when I was in the hospital, turns out he works in my cardiologists office and I saw him today. I told him I didn't think I'd ever see him again. And that had grieved me because he's very nice and kind.


Another bright note is that the drugstore only charged me eight dollars and some change for the new prescription. Okay, it was a generic so that cut the price down, but still. I have a copay with my health insurance and that's great but sometimes the prescriptions are still pricey. One of them runs me $60. I'm hoping they'll replace it with a less costly drug. Sooner rather than later.


I'm feeling really good today. That old drug used to make me so tired and draggy. It feels good to feel good again. I'm going to try and never take feeling good for granted ever again.


Be good and be careful, take care, stay strong.

hugs, Tawny
www.tawnyford.com

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Sent on a phone using T9space.com