HAPPY BIRTHDAY DYLAN

My lil Dylan is a year old today.  Such a beautiful happy child for having so many health problems.  He has grown into a rough and tough curly haired toddler who loves to give kisses to his Nana over the phone.  I've missed out on so much of Dylan's life. Of his 52 years on this earth I have only seen him for 2 of those.  He was an infant and he cried all the time.  We didn't know then that he had a severe allergy to milk products....all milk products even breast milk.  It is as bad as a peanut allergy anything made with or around lactose products can get Dylan violently sick.  But through that all he has grown into a gorgeous and tough child.

 I miss him so very much so this blog is for him.  Dylan you come from amazing "stock".  Both your great Nana's and great PopPops ancestors came over to America in the 1600s to help carve out this country you live in today.  They were called pioneers in every sense of the word. One set, Nana's side, settled in what is called Schuylkill County but it was Berks county then in the state of Pennsylvania.  Pennsylvania is your roots Dylan it is the most gorgeous state in the nation.  The Wildermuth's and The Metzgers fought in the French and Indian War, The American Revolution, The Civil  War and Uncle Harry fought in WWII. Well actually Uncle Harry was so tiny that he was sent to Texas to train other men to drive and handle tanks.  His size allowed the other man inside the tank with him.  Now don't laugh it was a very important job and he was an amazing man.  Your Uncle Tristan is a veteran of the Iraq War as well as the War in Afghanistan.  Your Great PopPop who your middle name is for worked for a company called Brown Instrument during WWII designing submarines.  Brown Instrument is now known as a company called Honeywell.  I have two pictures of Great PopPop working at his desk in Philadelphia during the war. Your Papa was a Navy Seal, the best of the best. He was in Vietnam, and many other wars some we don't even know about.  I pray you never follow in your ancestor's footsteps in that respect. I pray someday peace actually comes to this world and you never have to worry about fighting in a war. When you are older I will take you and your sister to Pennsylvania hopefully to visit your roots.  Your great PopPops ancestor Reeder King went west to Cambria county Pennsylvania and had the first shipping barge along the Susquehanna.  It was his mother that was scalped by the Indians up near Williamsport. So see my lil Dylan you have a very interesting background and that is just a few of the family names.  Through your Great Great Grandmother Lovell you are cousins with an astronaut.  I'm sure someday when you are grown, long after I'm gone the thought of going to the moon won't be anything new but when I was growing up it was amazing to live through it.  There is so much ahead of you my lil Dylan.  I hope I live to be 110 so I can see it all with you.

I love you lil Guido

Nana

APRIL FOOLS DAY

If I didn't know better I'd think my body was playing an April Fools joke on me but I do actually feel better.  What a glorious day it is.  We went for a ride, did some picking, broke Matilda into riding in the car, broke me into dealing with Matilda not staying in the car. I learned some really cool history about a neighboring area near Mouth of Wilson, VA.  Talking to older people will do everyone  a world of good.  I had the most wonderful conversation with a couple who had to over 70 but where still working hard running a country "what not" store.  I wish I could have dug around in there more but Matilda wasn't cooperative.  The New River (which is the second oldest river in the world next to the Nile) runs in front of this store.  Down the road there is this big big rusty metal thingy that looks like some kind of crane. We were wondering what it was.  The lady who ran the store told me back in the 1920s they made their own electricity there and it was sold to the locals who wanted electricity in their homes.  There is a little damn there on the river which I suppose had a great deal to do with churning out the electricity.  She told me a lot of other stories that I could have listened to all day.  Another "old timer" said that we probably will get one more snow which is hard to believe since it is 78 degrees today. He said it is what they call a dogwood winter and that he wouldn't be surprised to see another snow storm once all the trees blossom out.  I hope not because that will mean no apples on my one lone apple tree. Also, as you know I am so OVER Winter.

That's All For Now Folks!

Pulling Back

There are days with the CFS, fibro and Lupus that my body just totally revolts.  No, I don't mean my body is revolting - it plain attacks me.  The pain and other symptoms get so bad that if feels like I am made of cement and it is an effort to move.  The problem with the "cement" is it is on fire and the muscles feel worse than when a normal person comes down with the flu.  On those days I have to pull back.  I don't mean to be anti social it is just I don't have the energy to be a social human being.  I even have to let my husband know I'm not mad at him I'm sick.  Like most people he doesn't understand it  but he is adapting pretty good and he tries.  When I'm like that though I snap at people so it is best for me just to cover up with a blanket, crawl into the lazyboy and channel surf.  I'll tell you on those days, like yesterday, I am so bad I don't even like Judge Judy and I adore her. lol  What is strange is that as fast as it comes on it can leave that fast too.  Even though I know I shouldn't today I was outside puttering around. Which is why hubby is probably upset with me.  I haven't attempted to go down to the pond and the water isn't running and I don't give a shit to be honest.   So for now, I think I'll recognize I was in the sun too  much today because my muscles are burning again.  I should smack myself up the side of the head but it won't help....see I never learn completely.

Sunday Rain

It has been awhile since I posted. I hate to post when I'm in a "blue" mood.  Who wants to hear about someone feeling cranky or down.  I'm sitting here listening to Matilda squeak her "lamby pie".  We finally figured out that she is probably part Jack Russell and part Border Collie....some brainiac labeled them a "Border Jack" but she is still a lovable Mutt to me.  I should have called her POGO because of the way she jumps straight up in the air.  Even though we have had cold damp weather with some "wind snow" I really think Spring is here.  I love when I can open the windows and get the wind (we do not get breezes up here in the mountains) from Grandfather Mountain come sweeping across the valley.  It has put me in a mood to do some fixing up around here.  I have a couple jobs that need painting which if it is a spray can I don't mind doing at all.  However, I have an unfinished white trim to do in T's old room and we are talking about changing the color in the living room.  I wonder if I can tie a paintbrush to Matilda's tail and put her to work???  Just a thought, the way she jumps she can reach the ceiling area.  I can't wait for March to be over. March has always been my unlucky month except for when I got pregnant with my daughter that was the exception.  April is around the corner and I can't wait.