Nearly Normal

Purged

I've been on a purging streak the last couple of weeks - the pantry, the spice cabinet, the stairway bookshelves and the living room bookshelves.  It's been very cleansing.  Kitchen stuff and duplicate spices given away, a carton of books to go to the used bookstore and a large bag to go to the friends of the library.  Left in the house to tackle the bedroom bookshelf and the huge pile of books on the floor in front of it and my closet.  I've lost almost 30 pounds so I know there's stuff that will no longer fit YEAH.  

Then comes the big tackle outside.  The great wall of Mill Creek is covered in wild blackberries yummy to eat but not pleasing on my gardener eye.  In fact the entire area around the house is full of blackberries.  That's what comes of living in the forest.  Any time you rest the blackberries invade.  Little does Larry know that he's going to weed eat the hill so I can Round Up the lovely berries.

I'm able to do all this because I've spent the last four years on Dr. Sanity's couch reclaiming my life after the nasty depression.  Yes for talk therapy and psych drugs.

Late to the game

But what the hey?  I just discovered this.  Very witty.

Medicare part D and me

I'm on medicare and take multiple medications.  I am one of those people who fall into the dreaded "donut hole" in drug coverage.  It's a scary place to be and it happens fast.  You get there once your drug spending gets to $2930.  However it's not when YOUR drug expenses get that high, it's when you and your INSURANCE company's spending hit that target.  Medicare picks up again at $6,657.   Yes you have to spend $3737 to get back into what is referred to as catastrophic coverage. 

While you're in the donut hole, thanks to Obamacare, you only have to pay 50% of the retail price of a brand name drug.  In my case that means that I pay $785 for a 3 month supply of a single drug, $1006 for 4 prescriptions in addition I pay a monthly $99 premium.  I can't imagine what people do when they have multiple high expense drugs. 

Yes I want Obamacare fully implemented asap.

I can ...

oh wait I can't because we lost our power again.  Twice in one week because of downed trees.  So I can't

do the laundry, check that recipe on the computer, check that knitting pattern on the computer, cruise facebook, etc., etc. etc. on the computer

Fortuantely today the power was out in the daylight from 7:34 am, I was looking at the clock when it went out, until 7:55 pm just in time for Larry to watch the end of the Ohio State game in the Final Four.

And while I'm no big fan of PG&E or their policies I do appreciate the fact that my power was restored in hours not in days as has happened in the past.  Our record outage was 8 days.

Little house in the forest

Yes it was like the 1700's here last night.  We got 6.6 inches of rain yesterday which had a detremintal effect on a number of trees so it was lights out.

Larry was trapped on the town side of the downed trees until this morning.  Once I established that he and Colin were OK by driving down to the fallen trees and talking to the PG&E crew "Is there a guy in a white truck with a dog?"  "Yes"  I came home and settled in.  I had my propane lantern, my knitting, a glass of wine at my side and a cat in my lap.  I had a fire going, not to say it was roaring but it was going.   All in all quite cozy and safe.

Yoga for my ear?

Yep that's what she said.

I found out yesterday that I have another ruptured eardrum, second since January.  Boo hiss.  No pain and this time no antibiotics.  My regular doc was out of the office so I saw the new and cool Dr. Manfredi.  She recommended yoga to keep the muscles of my head and neck toned to keep my ear canals open.  I love it.

Striving

 

I can feel guilty about the past, apprehensive about the future, but only in the present can I act. The ability to be in the present moment is a major component of mental wellness.
Abraham Maslow

Where's Cathy?

I have a new blog dedicated to weight loss.   Probably boring if you're not into weight loss so I decided to chronicle my adventure apart from Nearly Normal.

Welcome

The Republicans have finally lost their collective minds...

Arizona - illegal to use birth control for birth control law

Romney - get rid of Planned Parenthood

Limbaugh - OMG

Satorum - another OMG

Gingrich - ego maniac

The fruits of our labor

Is sweet to see. 

I was a member of the now retired, we accomplished our goal, Advisory Council for the Sutter Santa Rosa Women' Health Center.  Yes it's a mouthful.  One of our many goals was to establish an Integrative Health program for women with breast cancer and ultimatly to all women with cancer.  The idea was to provide alternative therapy for women going through chemo and radiation.  Alternate therapy includes massage, Jin Shin Jyusto, art therapy, accupunture, etc.

I am so proud to say that yesterday I went to the 'new site' warming and was overwhelmed.  Like a planted seed our idea has bloomed full flower to it's own dedicated space with beautiful treatment rooms with soft colors, piped in music and custom art.  It's also expanded to serve women with all types of cancer and even cared for its first man this week.

Congratulations to the wonderful and dedicated staff, donors and Sutter for growing this program