Meme from Blackbird

Two things for you today. First, since I cannot keep a good thing quiet, is the link to a fantastic recipe. It’s a chicken pot pie, and one of the best I’ve ever had.

Second is this meme – I stole it from Blackbird. Let me know if you do it – for some reason, I continue to enjoy doing these. I’d have thought the appeal would wane, but no!

This one is a one word challenge –

Cell phone? Red

Hair? Brown

Mother? Loving

Father? Musical

Favorite Food? Sweet

Dream last night? Wacky

Drink? Water

Dream/Goal? Music

Room you are in? Living

Hobby? Jewelry

Fear? Ferris

Where do you see yourself in 6 years? Mother

Something you are not? Athletic

Favorite Muffins? Cranberry

Wish list item? Shoes!

Where did you grow up? Ohio

What is the last thing you did? Iced

What are you wearing? Pajamas

Favorite TV Show? Office

Pets? None

Friends? Yes

Your life? Blessed

Your mood? Happy

Facebook? Yes

Favorite place to eat? Indian

Missing Someone? No

Your vehicle? Honda

What you aren’t wearing? Earrings

Favorite Store? Gap

Favorite Color? Blue

Last time you laughed? Minutes

Last time you cried? Sunday

Best friend? Spencer

Place you go to over and over? Library

Invisible Illness Meme

30 Things About My Invisible Illness You May Not Know

1. The illness I live with is: migraines and back pain

2. I was diagnosed with it in the year: 2000 and 2009, respectively

3. But I had symptoms since:1986 and 1995, respectively

4. The biggest adjustment I’ve had to make is: doing less – less of everything, and resting more.

5. Most people assume: that migraines are just a bad headache; I think most have never heard of someone having migraines or headaches everyday. (You’re too young to have chronic pain!)

6. The hardest part about mornings are: the pain before I eat and take my breakfast pills.

7. My favorite medical TV show is: House. Not for the medical part of it, but for the humor.

8. A gadget I couldn’t live without is: ice packs and heating pads.

9. The hardest part about nights are: staying asleep.

10. Each day I take __ pills & vitamins. (No comments, please):  18. Many of those are the same pills repeated.

11. Regarding alternative treatments: Ihave tried many and all have failed. I feel alarm bells going off when alternative practitioners ‘know’ they can help me. This hasn’t been the case at all so far.

12. If I had to choose between an invisible illness or visible I would choose: Invisible. I can choose who to tell and who not to, and I can try to look and act as normal as possible. In some ways it seems that visible illnesses are given more credence and are more widely understood. But at some point you have to realize that whatever people think about me or my pain, they can go fly a kite, because I know my body and have to live with it.

13. Regarding working and career: I feel like my life has taken a huge detour — I planned to be a piano teacher after college, and have so far been unable to realize those dreams. It is very difficult to play and would be even more difficult to teach and listen to children playing.

14. People would be surprised to know: I’m not always happy and cheerful. I didn’t choose this life, and I’m just trying to make it through the best I can. Friends and acquaintances are always saying ‘You seem so cheerful, so happy. You never seem down and I forget that you’re in pain.’ It’s just not true. And thankfully my family and closest friends know this. They know I’m not Superwoman, and I”m not trying to be.

15. The hardest thing to accept about my new reality has been: sitting out and waiting and resting. I want to be doing, be in the middle of the action, listening to loud music…you get the idea.

16. Something I never thought I could do with my illness that I did was: …this was the hardest question. I feel like I haven’t turned a major corner yet. But recently, with my back pain, I was pleasantly surprised with how well my driving vacation (to Oregon and CA) went.

17. The commercials about my illness: are annoying and make me wish more real information was being spread, instead of ads for medications. It also makes migraines seem much simpler to treat than it is for some of us.

18. Something I really miss doing since I was diagnosed is: playing the piano for as long as I wanted.

19. It was really hard to have to give up: listening to music as loud as I wanted to. Also, chocolate.

20. A new hobby I have taken up since my diagnosis is: crocheting, making jewelry, and blogging!

21. If I could have one day of feeling normal again I would: play the piano, have a fun dinner with friends, clean, go out dancing and/or to a symphony concert.

22. My illness has taught me: doctors don’t always have the answers, sometimes answers take time, everyone is struggling with different issues — we just don’t always know it.

23. Want to know a secret? One thing people say that gets under my skin is: What do you do? It’s something I just need to ignore, but meeting new people, I hate this part of the process…I have to tell them I’m not going to school, I’m not working, I have these headaches and etc….it just changes the tone of the conversation, and they feel bad for me. So not what  I”m after.

24. But I love it when people: hug me. Talk to me about their lives and their loves. Even though I have not a lot going on, I do have some things going on, and I love to talk about books or movies.

25. My favorite motto, scripture, quote that gets me through tough times is: Phil. 4:13, I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.

26. When someone is diagnosed I’d like to tell them: to treat yourself kindly, to watch out for rebound headaches, do research on your own and don’t just listen to what the doctors tell you, there is a lot of comfort to be found from online communities.

27. Something that has surprised me about living with an illness is:how quickly time seems to pass me by.

28. The nicest thing someone did for me when I wasn’t feeling well was: there have been many – times my mother or MIL scrubbed my tub, times family or friends from church brought me meals.

29. I’m involved with Invisible Illness Week because: too often it is assumed that if it can’t be seen it isn’t real, it’s made up or imagined.

30. The fact that you read this list makes me feel: hopeful for the future. I hope people will get a better idea of what it’s like to walk my path and maybe try to learn more about diseases they don’t know about when they encounter them.

Find out more about National Invisible Chronic Illness Awareness Week and the 5-day free virtual conference with 20 speakers Sept 14-18, 2009 at www.invisibleillness.com

A meme from my MIL

I have so little news these days – just trying to ride out the headaches. I did make my appointment for the headache clinic in Chicago – for March 5th. I’m going all in one day again. It seems like traveling is really hard on my migraines (not surprising), and so getting it all over with in one day is better than having two miserable days in a row.  

I’m in emails with my doctor (@ the headache clinic) to find out whether we’ll stay at this higher level of Tegretol and Baclofen. I had some blood tests recently – so we shall see!

It is also worth mentioning that the phlebotomist who took my blood got it in ONE STICK. This is like a miracle. It was pleasant. Onto the meme!

Four, Four, Four, Four…

A) Four places that I go to over and over

Smith’s (grocery store), church, the library, and Sam’s Club (my pharmacy!)

Let me know in the comments if you join in!   

I’ve been tagged!

hello friends – i’ve been tagged! for a meme i actually haven’t done before! great, right?

so here is the meme:

post your 4th picture from your 4th file. say a little about it. then tag 4 other people.

here is my picture:

this is a picture of spencer and i with one of spencer’s good friends  (whose name i won’t mention to respect her privacy). this picture also has the benefit of highlighting my farmer’s tan. yay!

i tag:

Mom on the Edge

The Muum

Richard & Gretchen

and Julie! I actually don’t know if julie reads here. we’ll find out!

meme meme meme meme

i have been tagged for another meme! my sister gretchen tagged me this time.  away we go!

3 Joys
1) my husband
2) my family – i am so lucky to have such a loving and supportive family
3) music

3 Fears
1) ferris wheels — i have this recurring dream of dying on one. weird, i know.
2) …..
3) ….really don’t think there’s anything else.

3 Goals
1) research and work with my doctors to improve my migraine situation — less pain or fewer headaches; i wouldn’t mind both!
2) and more immediately, to finish hanging our pictures — then we’d be totally MOVED IN!
3) also to schedule a few more doctor’s appointments…one of those things i’ve been putting off

3 Current Obsessions
1) Nature Valley Sweet & Salty Peanut granola bars. really more of a candy bar. so delicious.
2) Burt’s Bees minty chapstick
3) sparkly hot pink toenail polish

3 Random Surprising Facts (*possibly not that surprising)
1) i love to be on time.
2) my tomato plant has 2 orange tomatoes, and half a dozen little green ones. i can’t wait for a red one!
3) my favorite movie is Gone With the Wind. LOVE the costumes, love the southern accents, love the story.

I tag …. no one! not in a tagging mood tonight. but if you want to play along, let me know in the comments — i’ll come visit.

tagged!

one of the blogs i’ve started reading (somewhat) recently, LibAnn at Not Much More Than This, has tagged me! i like to be tagged. makes me feel like i’m not all alone out here in the blogging world.
Here goes….

Finish These Five

Rules

Each player answers the questions themselves. At the end of the post the player then tags 5 people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment letting them know that they’ve been tagged and asking them to read your blog. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answers.

The Five

Ten years ago… I was going into my senior year of high school (yes, really) and rarely had migraines. oh, how times have changed! I believe i was working full time over the summer at Toys’R'Us – my first job.

Five things on today’s “to do” list…

1. attend church.
2. appointment with bishop (like our pastor)
3. appointment with elder’s quorum presidency (can’t think of a good equivalent here)
4. maybe some unpacking?
5. choose a dessert to make tomorrow!

Snacks I enjoy… banana and peanut butter smoothie, ice cream, i LOVE chips and dip — so much so that i often have to *walk away* if they’re at a party…i can do some serious damage.

Things I would do if I was a millionaire… tithe 10% to my church, give a bunch to migraine research, invest a bunch, buy a house and land for my husband and i, probably in northern california, maybe a new car? and i’d buy my siblings and my husband’s siblings all houses as well.

Places I have lived… Ohio – Columbus, Athens, and Bryan; california (sacramento), utah – pgden, provo and SLC, pennsylvania.

I’m tagging…

Muum@ Muum’s Musings

Edge @ Mothering on the Edge

Gretchen @ Richard & Gretchen

Heather @ Magically Mama

Dorothy @ Inner Dorothy

tagged!

I’ve been tagged!

the book lady tagged me, and i do love a good meme, especially one i haven’t done.

Here are the guidelines:

1. Write your own six-word memoir.
2. Post it on your blog and include a visual illustration if you’d like.
3. Link to the person that tagged you in your post and to this original post if possible so we can track it as it travels across the blogosphere.
4. Tag five more blogs with links.
5. And don’t forget to leave a comment on the tagged blogs with an invitation to play. (This last step is optional.)

here is my memoir:

Loves music, family & laughing, hates migraines.

and now, for the tagging (mwa hahaha)

i will tag muum and edge (of course), and gretchen, heather, and deborah!

this was a fun and easy one! i hope lots of people will play along — tell me in comments if you have so i can come read your memoir, too!

photobucket meme

I fount this at Fireflies & Frogs — very fun meme.

THE RULES:

you need 2 internet windows open to do it
1. Go to www. photobucket. com (don’t sign in)
2. Type in your answer to the question in the “search” box
3. Use only the first page
4. Copy the html and paste for the answer.

THE QUESTIONS:

1. What is your first name?

2, What is your favorite candy?

3. What is your relationship status?

4. What is your favorite color?

5. Who is your celebrity crush?

i don’t really do celebrity crushes. if i had to choose someone, i’d choose beyonce — i think she’s beautiful. and talented.

6. What is your favorite band?

had to choose 2.

7. What is your favorite movie?

8. What is your favorite pastime?

9. What is your job?

i don’t have a job. i do get migraines like it’s my job.

10. What do you do for fun?

11. What kind of car do you drive?

12. What is your favorite TV show?

13. One word to describe yourself:

a movie meme

Ripped off from Blackbird.…

Bold the ones you’ve seen; italicize the ones you’ve seen part of.

1. The Godfather (1972)
2. The Shawshank Redemption (1994) beautiful movie.
3. The Godfather: Part II (1974)
4. The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966)
5. Pulp Fiction (1994) could not get into it.
6. Schindler’s List (1993)
7. One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest (1975)
8.The Empire Strikes Back (1980)
9. Casablanca (1942) can’t believe i haven’t seen this. i’m ashamed.
10. Seven Samurai (1954)
11. Star Wars (1977)
12. The Lord of the Rings: The Return of the King (2003) i love the LOTR
13. 12 Angry Men (1957)
14. Rear Window (1954)
15. Goodfellas (1990) i didn’t really get this movie.
16. Cidade de Deus (2002)
17. Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981)

36. Taxi Driver (1976)
37. American Beauty (1999) beautiful cinematography.
38. Léon (1994)
39. Vertigo (1958)
40. Amelie (2001) a beautiful film.
41. American History X (1998)
42. No Country for Old Men (2007)
43. The Departed (2006)
44. Paths of Glory (1957)
45. M (1931)
46. To Kill a Mockingbird (1962)
47. Chinatown (1974)
48. The Third Man (1949)
49. Leben der Anderen, Das (2006) The Lives of Others
50. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (2004) i remember thinking it was weird, but good. i liked it.
51. A Clockwork Orange (1971)
52. Alien (1979) no thank you.
53. The Treasure of the Sierra Madre (1948)
54. Laberinto del fauno, El (2006)
55. The Shining (1980) what could i possibly say about this movie? there is nothing.
56. Sen to Chihiro no kamikakushi (2001) Spirited Away
57. The Pianist (2002)
58. Double Indemnity (1944)
59. Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975)
60. Forrest Gump (1994)
61. Saving Private Ryan (1998)
62. The Bridge on the River Kwai (1957)
63. L.A. Confidential (1997)
64. Boot, Das (1981)
65. Requiem for a Dream (2000) cannot recommend this movie.
66. Reservoir Dogs (1992)
67. Untergang, Der (2004)
68. Aliens (1986) didn’t we already have this one? was there another alien movie on here?
69. The Maltese Falcon (1941)
70. Raging Bull (1980)
71. Metropolis (1927)
72. Rashômon (1950)
73. Terminator 2: Judgment Day (1991) i feel lucky to have not seen any of the terminator movies.
74. Modern Times (1936)
75. Hotel Rwanda (2004) painful, beautiful, and difficult to watch. one of those movies i’ll probably never watch again but am glad to have seen.
76. Singin’ in the Rain (1952) i actually love this movie. i think it’s hilarious and that the music is great.
77. Sin City (2005)
78. Rebecca (1940) ?? may or may not have seen this movie. can’t decide.
79. 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)
80. Sjunde inseglet, Det (1957)
81. All About Eve (1950)
82. Some Like It Hot (1959) so funny. i need to own this.
83. City Lights (1931)
84. Amadeus (1984) i’m a pianist, how could i NOT see this movie? it’s impossible, i tell you.
85. Vita è bella, La (1997)
86. On the Waterfront (1954)
87. The Great Escape (1963)
88. Touch of Evil (1958)
89. The Prestige (2006) i thought this was a fun movie. i think blackbird and i have completely opposite movie tastes. except we both hate horror movies.
90. The Elephant Man (1980)
91. Jaws (1975)
92. Full Metal Jacket (1987)
93. The Sting (1973)
94. Nuovo Paradiso (1988)
95. Once Upon a Time in America (1984)
96. The Manchurian Candidate (1962) crazy.
97. The Apartment (1960)
98. Braveheart (1995) a really intense movie. loved it.
99. Blade Runner (1982)
100. The Great Dictator (1940)
101. Strangers on a Train (1951)
102. Batman Begins (2005)
103. Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939)
104. Ladri di biciclette (1948) Bicycle Thieves
105. Salaire de la peur, Le (1953) Wages of Fear
106. High Noon (1952)
107. Ran (1985)
108. Star Wars: Episode VI – Return of the Jedi (1983)
109. The Big Sleep (1946)
110. The Wizard of Oz (1939)
111. Notorious (1946)
112. Back to the Future (1985)
113. Fargo (1996)
114. Oldboy (2003)
115. Unforgiven (1992) i actually watched this edited, and it was so chopped up it was hard to follow. sooo i kind of feel like i didn’t see the whole thing.
116. Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade
117. Donnie Darko (2001)
118. Ratatouille (2007)
119. Mononoke-hime (1997)
120. Cool Hand Luke (1967)

121. Kill Bill: Vol. 1 (2003) possibly the most violent movie i’ve ever seen.
122. Yojimbo (1961)
123. Per qualche dollaro in più (1965)
124. The Green Mile (1999) i thought this was a great movie.
125. Million Dollar Baby (2004) haven’t seen the end.
126. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007) my husband loves these movies. i like them pretty well — as action movies go.
127. Notti di Cabiria, Le (1957)
128. Gladiator (2000)
129. Battaglia di Algeri, La (1966) The Battle of Algiers.
130. Annie Hall (1977)
131. Die Hard (1988)
132. Into the Wild (2007)
133. Ben-Hur (1959) i remember watching this as a kid, especially the chariot race scene.
134. The Deer Hunter (1978)
135. The Sixth Sense (1999)
136. It Happened One Night (1934)
137. The General (1927)
138. Platoon (1986)
139. Kind Hearts and Coronets (1949)
140. Life of Brian (1979)
141. The Killing (1956)
142. Smultronstället (1957) Wild Strawberries
143. Amores perros (2000) Love’s a B’tch
144. Finding Nemo (2003)
145. Diaboliques, Les (1955)
146. The Incredibles (2004) Edna. and guest. hilarious. i love this movie.
147. V for Vendetta (2005)
148. The Wild Bunch (1969)
149. Heat (1995)
150. Children of Men (2006)
151. Brief Encounter (1945)
152. Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid (1969)
153. Juno (2007)
154. The Princess Bride (1987) classic. i love it. Sooooo quotable.
155. 8½ (1963)
156. The Graduate (1967)
157. Judgment at Nuremberg (1961)
158. Letters from Iwo Jima (2006)
159. The Night of the Hunter (1955)
160. The Big Lebowski (1998) i feel like everyone loves this movie. i just didn’t get it.
161. Crash (2004/I)
162. Dog Day Afternoon (1975)
163. Stand by Me (1986)
164. Gandhi (1982)
165. Shadow of a Doubt (1943)
166. The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938)
167. Snatch. (2000)
168. Harvey (1950)
169. Kill Bill: Vol. 2 (2004) ugh.
170. The African Queen (1951)
171. Witness for the Prosecution (1957)
172. The Thing (1982)
173. Trainspotting (1996)
174. Gone with the Wind (1939) i love this movie. and the book, for that matter.
175. The Grapes of Wrath (1940)
176. Wo hu cang long (2000) Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
177. Belle et la bête, La (1946)
178. The Gold Rush (1925)
179. Little Miss Sunshine (2006)
180. Groundhog Day (1993) in italian, too!
181. The Conversation (1974)
182. American Gangster (2007)
183. Scarface (1983)
184. Patton (1970)
185. Duck Soup (1933)
186. Toy Story (1995)
187. Nosferatu, eine Symphonie des Grauens (1922)
188. The Best Years of Our Lives (1946)
189. Twelve Monkeys (1995)
190. The Terminator (1984)
191. Cabinet des Dr. Caligari., Das (1920)
192. Sleuth (1972)
193. The Hustler (1961)
194. Umberto D. (1952)
195. The Day the Earth Stood Still (1951)
196. Stalker (1979)
197. Glory (1989) beautifully written score
198. Ed Wood (1994)
199. King Kong (1933)
200. Grindhouse (2007)
201. Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels (1998)
202. The Exorcist (1973)
203. The Lion King (1994)
204. Hotaru no haka (1988)
205. Bride of Frankenstein (1935)
206. Spartacus (1960)
207. All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)
208. The Ox-Bow Incident (1943)
209. The Lost Weekend (1945)
210. Stalag 17 (1953)
211. Magnolia (1999) i remember it was one of the strangest and most thought provoking movies i’d seen at the time.
212. The Lady Vanishes (1938)
213. Lola rennt (1998) Run Lola Run
214. In the Heat of the Night (1967)
215. The Philadelphia Story (1940)
216. Frankenstein (1931)
217. Out of the Past (1947)
218. Big Fish (2003)
219. Sunrise: A Song of Two Humans (1927)
220. Anatomy of a Murder (1959)
221. Casino (1995)
222. Rosemary’s Baby (1968)
223. Toy Story 2 (1999)
224. Mystic River (2003)
225. Du rififi chez les hommes (1955)
226. Bonnie and Clyde (1967)
227. 3:10 to Yuma (2007)
228. Hot Fuzz (2007)
229. A Christmas Story (1983)
230. Ikiru (1952)
231. Mou gaan dou (2002)
232. Manhattan (1979)
233. A Streetcar Named Desire (1951)
234. Young Frankenstein (1974) — one of my dad’s favorite movies, watching it always reminds me of him.
235. Dial M for Murder (1954)
236. The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance (1962)
237. Rope (1948)
238. Once (2006)
239. Roman Holiday (1953) on my list of audrey hepburn movies to own…
240. Quatre cents coups, Les (1959) The 400 Blows
241. The Searchers (1956)
242. In Cold Blood (1967)
243. Ying xiong (2002)
244. His Girl Friday (1940) ?? not sure.
245. Shaun of the Dead (2004)
246. Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl (2003)
247. Samouraï, Le (1967)
248. Strada, La (1954)
249. Harold and Maude (1971) weird movie.
250. Aguirre, der Zorn Gottes (1972) Aguire, The Wrath of God

a very interesting list. i wonder who made it. let me know if you do this at your place!

one word.

tagged myself at LibAnn’s.

You.
Can.
Only.
Type.
One.
Word.
For.
Each.
Question.

Not as easy as you might think.

1. Where is your cell phone? nearby.
2. Your significant other? work
3. Your hair? dirty
4. Worst bad habit? fingernails
5. Favorite food? ice-cream. (that’s not cheating, if i hyphenate, right?)
6. Your favorite thing? wedge
7. Your dream last night? baffling
8. Your favorite drink? water
9. Your dream/goal? painfree
10.The room you’re in? bedroom
11. Your ex? many
12. Your fear? alone
13. Where do you want to be in 6 years? mother
14. Where were you last night? home
15. What you’re not? funny.
16. Muffins? please
17. One of your wish list items? Narnia
18. Where you grew up? ohio
19. The last thing you did? text
20. What are you wearing? pajamas
21. Your TV? computer
22. Your pets? none
23. Your computer? laptop
24. Your life? strange
25. Your mood? optimistic.
26. Missing someone? family
27. Your car? green
28. Something you’re not wearing? makeup
29. Favorite Store? gap
30. Your summer? internship???
31. Love someone? Spencer
32. When is the last time you laughed? hours
33. Last time you cried? days
34. Who will/would re-post this? Edge.

Should we tag? nah, let’s not. if you’re interested in doing this — tell me in comments and i’d be happy to come read. :0)