# A new leaf



## Guest (Jul 23, 2000)

Hi Everyone, how was your week?I had a miserable week but I'm much better now, and I had a revelation of sorts. I have been working on starting an On-line store (I'm always looking for new ways to support this crew of mine) but the pictures we were taking were not clear enough to upload onto our site, so against my better judgement we bought a good digital camera. So we spent some time playing with it, to see what it could do. Well you know what the problem with a good camera is? It takes very accurate pictures. I look like hell. I actually look as bad as I feel. So I'm making changes in my life. When I gave up chocolate a few weeks ago, it was amazaing because I had always said, I would rather give up sex & cigarettes before chocolate, but I did it. Now its time to give up other bad habits, start exercising, start looking after myself, and hubby agrees, so we are going to make changes together. I want my life back, and I want some control over my body again. Wish me luck. I'll need it. I have a lot of pain in my right leg, it started in my foot and over the past week it has slowly crept up my entire leg. Probably because of the way I have been walking on it to baby my foot. Any suggestions on how to improve it? It maked exercise difficult at best. Hope everyone had a great weekend!Lori Ann


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## Guest (Jul 23, 2000)

Oh, Lori Ann, you are toooo funny! I have to admit, I don't like looking at pics of myself either. Congrats on the chocolate! That is hard, huh? I do like my chocolate, especially my hershey kisses at christmas and valentines. I have a chocoholic friend in Canada. She's real bad off.....That is just great that you gave it up!!!! You are much braver than I!Sorry about your leg and foot. Hope it gets better. Lynne


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2000)

Great news, Lori Ann! (About the upcoming "new you", not the pain in your leg.)







I admire your self-discipline tremendously and I wish you success with all these endeavors. Please be sure to let us take a peek at the on-line store when you get it all set up.I had my houseful of company yesterday and a good time was had by all. However, it did take more of a toll on me than I anticipated. Still, it was good to see everybody.Am somewhat alarmed that I'm starting to itch again. It is not widespread but there, nevertheless. Latest spot is on the back of my upper leg, just "south" of my butt cheek. I finished the Prednisone Thurday night. I had 10 mg more to take for Friday but decided to quit it a day early. Hope that wasn't a mistake! I don't think that little bit would have mattered. I suppose it could be that I'm having some withdrawal symptoms from the Pred. Allergies seem worse though. Nose is a stuffed up and dry...I just feel dried out all over. This morning I got up and my throat felt constricted and burning, as if I had esophogeal reflux. Although, it is not heartburn. Also doing a lot of sighing and feel as if I can't get a deep breath. Muscle tension and a general anxiety.For the past several days, it seems that I have more distension in my abdomen and it feels hard to the touch.My daughter stayed with us for two days and two night this weekend and she said this morning when she got up that her sinuses have been filling up since she got here and last night, all night long, she felt a lump in her throat, like phlegm and it wouldn't go up or down. She said that in Kansas, she does not have this problem.So...what if I happen to be living in a toxic dump here? That's real damned encouraging. I can't leave. I just hope all this is not going to affect my ability to go forward with this cataract surgery Tuesday.Hope everybody has a great week coming up.calida


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2000)

Hi Lori Ann,I too have an online gift basket business that I started back in March in hopes to increase my part-time income. It's alot of work but it keeps my mind off the pain.I too bought a digital camera and you really have to play with it before you get the hang of it.Let me know if you need any help with anything on your online store-tell about it..it is exciting. I enjoy making gift baskets because it's always different--you can put anything in a basket..Hope your leg feels better.Sea


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## weener (Aug 15, 2000)

Hi Lori Ann:Glad to hear that you are finally feeling better after a bummer of a week. It's been a good days/bad days week for me. I helped my sis move last Sunday (14 hours it took). I was totally exhausted from it. That night I started getting pain in my legs and feet (like I've never experienced before). I guess I used muscles that I haven't used in a long time. By morning I started to feel better. I took a long warm bath that night and it seemed to help a lot. Congratulations on your new adventure. I hope it is a success. Also good luck with your lifestyle changes. It's great that your husband supports these changes.


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## Guest (Jul 24, 2000)

Hi Lori Ann, I think making positive changes in ones life also makes us feel a little more in control also, which helps with the mental side of things. I have not cut out chocolate, but have cut way down on ALL FOODS! I could never cut anything all the way out, it just makes me crave it more!







It has helped me feel a little better. Good luck with the new business, and hope the pain subsides with your foot. You might want to check out the site that Calida mentions for Yoga. It has some great stretches. DeeDee


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

Hi everyone, Thanks for the encouragement! Both in my business & personal life. I moved my home office into my bedroom so I could work in peace. Its very crowded but it is a lot quieter. But I forgot to adjust my new setup to suit my height etc and now my neck and shoulders are killing me. I have a neck brace I'm suppose to use when I'm working on the computer and going on long trips but I hate the thing. I have spent more time in the tub this weekend than I have for the last month, but it does help. It helped my leg too.I thought about a gift basket business years ago Sea, but never thought about doing it online, at that time though, there weren't very many people on line. Do you do well at it? Or rather to you make any profit? I have my store partially set up at Ruby Lane- its called Nova Treasures, it only has collectibles right now. But I'm working on a full store to set up on Fortune City. Ruby lane has so many limits as to what I can sell and they set a minimum price, so some things are over priced in my opinion. When I set up on Fortune City I can sell crafts etc, I want to be able to sell handmade Nova Scotian quilts. As well, we have some incredible Mic Mac native crafts in the area. There is so much unique, traditional crafts in our area, unfortunately I can't put any of that stuff on my Ruby Lane site.I also thought about adding a sub shop selling used baby furniture etc.You are very right about the camera, it was an expense I didn't want right now, especially since I have no idea if I will even make enough to cover the cost of it, and even though we played with it all weekend we still can't get the colors just right. It isn't going to be up and running as soon as I had hoped. So want I wanted to ask you in paticular, was it worth it? Also, do you ship baskets only in the US, do you ship anything across the border, how complicated is it? Thats my biggest concern, I'm thinking about selling only in Canada if shipping across the border is too complicated. How do you accept payment, cheque, MO and/or credit card? I am finding it nearly impossible to find a Canadian Merchant account company, and the one who would take on a Canadian account wanted $600 just for the software,(and i would have to travel to the US to open a bank account)My safety consulting business is picking up again, (which is unusual in the summer) and I have even less time to work on the site, I have too many irons in the fire, if the online store works out I think I'm going to give up the consulting business but right now it pays the mortgage so I will have to stick with it.As for the chocolate, well I thought it would be the hardest thing for me to ever give up. Even before I started to school, my dad would bring me chocolate everyday on his way home from work, when I was older I was a latch key kid, and my dad felt bad that there was no one around to get my breakfast so he always slipped me a bit of money and said "get something" (it was always chocolate) When I moved away from home, Dad learned to make chocolate cake and boiled icing and every Saturday we would have cake and coffee. Even when he was dying, when people would ask did he want anything, he would ask for chocolate bars and then he would hide them so we could share later. When he died I think I ate 10 times the chocolate as I had before, just for a small measure of that comfort. Nothing in my life has ever held as much sentimental value for me as chocolate has. But when I got an ulcer and reflux, I had to make a choice. I realized the comfort is in the memories, not the chocolate, but I must admit, I can't smell a chocolate wrapper without my eyes misting over.I know I need to give up tea, but thats a comfort thing too,it comes from a long line of Scots & Engish history. A baby is born, make tea, a divorce, make tea, any kind of illness or heart break, make tea, even a death ALWAYS gets a pot of tea. If you were driving on a Cape Breton road and your car broke down, you could always go to any house on the island were you would get a friendly welcome and the tea is always on the stove. We love company as much as tea. Refusal to drink it is almost an insult here.I drink anywhere from 10 to 15 cups a day, I tried to give it up for decafe tea & coffee but that stuff tastes BAD, and herbal tea just isn't the same, it lacks that warm, homey, fix everything feeling that tea has. Wierd aren't we? So I'm going to cut down, but that is one thing I couldn't give up completely, no one would ever visit me again!The Doc gave me a special diet to follow and I have cheated every single day since, that has to stop too, I was offered ice cream yesterday and turned it down so thats a start. Kevin and I are going to exercise everyday, even if its just a bit, neither one of us is over weight (but the word spongy comes to mind) so we are half way there. A couple of years ago we bought some exercise equipment, and wore ourselves out watching it collect dust so we dropped it off at the good will store, I think I will drop in there and see if its still collecting dust. Well, the kids are at the door, work is calling me and there is a mound of laundy here that would make the May Tag man quake in his boots, so I better get to it. Thanks everyone, and thanks for the link Calida.Lori Ann


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Hey, Lori Ann!!! Glad to hear you're "up and running" again after the "move". I was down for 3 days, too. My monitor went out on me, but Lance took it to work with him this morning and brought it back tonight on his way home, and you guessed it----couldn't find anything wrong!!! Gee I love those days!!! If it happens again then it's probably my video card---whatever that is! I'm so illiterate about these things. I'm so proud of you and Kevin!!! You just may find that with time you will feel better and have more stamina. But, remember, it takes time. And please---stretch first before exercising. Even on days when you don't exercise, still do your stretches. I should talk. I don't always do them either. It's hit and miss with me, but I know I have to start doing them every day again. I hope your on-line business takes shape---I think it's neat. You will have to let us all know how to find it on the web. That goes for you, too, SEA. How do I find your basket shop? Well, I'm going to check the chatroom again and see if anyone is there yet. Take care and keep us posted. I'm sure Lori Ann that you are being much too hard on yourself when you talk about the bad pictures of yourself!!!! Not!!


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## Guest (Jul 25, 2000)

Hi Everyone,Lori Ann the online business world is just starting to pick up--alot of people are scared to give their credit card info. over the internet. I belong to Cape Cod Shops which hosts my site. The site address is www.capecodcreativegifts.com. I have alot of traffic coming to my site--it is very holiday dependant. At this point I enjoy that pace and look forward to my first holiday season. I accept credit card payments and did have to purchase a merchant account in order to accept credit orders. There is alot of start-up expenses and it will be at least a year before I see any profit. It keeps me busy enough without being crazy as I have 2 other jobs.Well any other questions just let me know. Take Care.Sea


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## weener (Aug 15, 2000)

Hi Lori Ann:I read your post about the chocolate and started tearing up. It's funny how we can all relate. It's like you said, not so much the food, but the memories involved with the food. The traditions that have passed on from generation to generation. The time that was spent with that special someone. My mother-in-law taught me how to make perogies (2000 in one day), how to do preserves. We would laugh throughout the day and she could outwork me any day. I remember one time we were making Pizelles (they are an italian cookie made in something like a waffle iron). Well we got into the wine before we started and half way through making it, both fell asleep at the kitchen table. All of a sudden we both woke up and the pizelles were burnt. We told that story for years. She always helped me do preserves (I was the helper) and she had all the knowledge. When she passed away I didn't have the courage to do the preserves by myself. Then one day I decided to start small and did beets. They turned out great and I think it was my Little Preserve Angel watching over me. I've since gone on to do a lot of preserves. I also can relate to the tea issue. My best friend's family is from the east coast (New Brunswick)and she says everyone in her family drinks tea. The #1 rule when she came to visit me was I had to have the kettle on and ready to go when she got here. I wasn't much of a tea person, but actually I do enjoy a good cup every now and then. Some people know how to make a good cup of tea. I haven't been able to figure it out yet. Any suggestions. Anyways, good luck again with your new endeavours.


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2000)

Well, I kind of got away from the exercise thing because of the funeral etc, but I got back at it. I forgot the advice about stretching, boy do I regret that. I didn't do a lot but I hurt all over, I took a severe muscle spasm in my back almost the minute I stopped,I yelled so loud it scared the heck out of Kevin. But I am not detered. I'm going to exercise again tonight. I hurt so much anyway, at least I have a reason. I finally got an appointment with my Doctor for next week, I waited long enough and he is only a GP, its a good thing he isn't a specialist, we would have a manned mission to Mars before I got that appointment. Its going to take some nerve but its way past time I asked some hard questions about my future expectations and tried some new meds. The Elivil is destroying my stomach and it no longer gives me the relief it us to.Sea, do you plan to ship internationally and if so what is involved with regard to exporting and taxes?Weener, lessons in making tea were mandatory in my school. First you start with cold fresh water,(we have a little natural spring running off a mountain here where my mom gets her water for tea, but thats too much for me, I cheat and get it from the tap)) while its heating up you rinse a glass or steel (4 to 6 cup) pot with hot water to warm it up, put 1 tea bag in for each 2 cups of tea you want to make (orange pekoe-Red Rose is best), pour in boiling water,cover with a tea cozy and steep for about 8 minutes, then stir and remove the bags, serve. My gradmother would be upset with me for saying to use a tea bag, she believes they make "whimpy" tea and only uses tea leaves, but I think most people under 60 would think it way too strong. I like mine fresh and hot, no sugar, with a sprinkle of coffee mate (no dairy for me) but when I'm inclined to cheat I prefer a drop of canned milk. Actually I like it cold too, I guess when you have a lot of small kids and a busy life you learn to appreciate cold tea, or you never get to drink it. Hope this helps.Lori AnnLori Ann


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2000)

Hi Lori Ann,I hope your hanging in there with all the stress looming in the air. I wanted to answer your question about the Guafenisen--I haven't yet tried it--I want to wait until the humid weather is gone. I am also trying to ween off the Elavil, been on it for 3 years now only 10mg at night. I am down to 5 mg. I can still sleep ok but I am more sore in the am.So I guess my answere is no I won't be shipping any out..my drug coverage only will cover so many in 30 days so I have to be careful with the dosage. I will let you know when I decide to try it. I am going to see a specialist in Boston who is well known for his research with FM. I want him to weed out fact from fiction as it seems more and more people have a sure cure for FM now esp. on the internet. I realize the md's are no expert on FM but he is well known so I want to get his input before I delve into anything new.Well please take care of yourself these days and I hope things will settle down for you all soon.Sea


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## Guest (Aug 2, 2000)

Lori Ann,It is good to see you back on the board and getting back into your exercising, etc.Here is wishing that as time passes, the memories grow more precious and the pain subsides. I hope for the very best possible outcome for your cousin, Mike. It sounds as if he has a very long way to go. I keep him in my thoughts.Affectionately,calida


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## Guest (Aug 7, 2000)

Hi, just thought I would add an update, I have been sticking to the exercise faithfully, no matter how I feel, no matter how late.Yesterday I made up my mind to get some yardwork done that I have been putting off this summer, I spent all day with hammer, nails, screws & such, I hurt something aweful last night but it was better today, back to just the usual soreness.Sarah is still on my mind a lot and it still hurts, but its easier. Mike has not made any improvement, but he isn't any worse, the stress caused his sister to have a premie baby and they were worried neither would make it but both mother & baby are doing better. What an aweful 2 weeks for their parents.I won't be in to chat as Rose is getting closer to her time and I'm afraid to tie up the phone line for too long. I'll certainly keep in touch and let all of you know what my grandchild is. Take care everyone, I'll be back later in the week.Lori Ann


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## Feisty (Aug 14, 2000)

Hi, Lori Ann! I have been thinking of you and your family so much. I know I haven't been on the board much, but I do check every few days and read the posts anyway. Thanks for the updates on your cousin, Mike. It's going to be a long slow recovery for him, but sometimes, that's the best way to do it! I'm sure he's hurting in his heart as much as you all are and it can't be easy for him with not being able to voice his feelings. How is Rose doing? She must be almost ready to pop, huh?! Give her my best and I wish her a fast and safe delivery. Please let us know when she gives birth. It's so exciting----being a Grandmother. It's a special and precious gift. And I know you will be beaming!!! Take care. Karen


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