You Might Be From Gooseneck If…

If you are here from Friday Follow, welcome to my place.  I’ll be sure to return your visit if you let me know that you were here…I am also having a  drawing for a cash give away on April 30–in celebration of my first blogiversary this month.  Just let me know if you’d like to be entered in the drawing–it’s for twenty dollars in cash…Enter as often as you like. 

Since today is Friday, I chose to do a “light-hearted” post.  I hope you enjoy it.

We live in the community of “Gooseneck”…That’s a funny name, huh?  I’ve lived here for 33 years, and I still don’t know why it’s called “Gooseneck”. 

We used to have our own country grocery store, many years ago, but it’s been closed for a long time.  The couple who built it and ran it together have both passed away.  Those were the days…he was the butcher, stock man, bagboy…while she was the cashier and bookkeeper.  In those days, people could actually  buy groceries on credit, and pay their bill when they got paid.  Imagine that!    

  We  still have our gas station– Gooseneck Gas and Tire.  We love that store!  It’s been passed down from father to son to grandson through the years.  It’s been here for as long as I can remember.  A few years ago, the station was renovated and  the owners actually began making and selling pizzas…Woah, the community was thrilled!!!   No more driving 7 miles to town to get food!  The owners even added some tables and chairs… Every day a small group of retired men from our community gathers at the station to visit and kill time..Biscuits and coffee in the morning, pizza for lunch… 

There are two other businesses in our community of Gooseneck.  One is Gooseneck Nurseries–which sells plants and flowers, the other is DC Durrence Farms.  The owner of DC Durrence Farms is our neighbor, and his land joins ours.  I’ll tell you more about him in a minute.

Now that you have a “feel” for the community that I live in…let’s take a “light-hearted” look at a few things around here…

You might be from Gooseneck if…your old hound dog sleeps upside down on the porch…and ours does.  He has a bad hip from being injured when he decided to wander up and play on the highway…a car hit him.  Most of the time, Ethan sleeps on his back–with his feet in the air.

Our old hound, Ethan...he sleeps like this a lot...

You might be from Gooseneck if….your closest neighbors are cows…Our neighbor raises Black Angus bulls and sells them.  He also raises chickens for the market, and grows produce.  At this particular time,  his strawberries are ready, yum yum!  Later he will have other kinds of berries, watermelons, corn, and tomatoes, among other things…Mooovelous!

our neighbors...the cows

You might be from Gooseneck if …you ride with your daddy– in your great-grandpa’s old 1991 pick-up truck– while your grandpa is driving down the dirt lane leading from the garden…and your grandma is following behind the truck with a digital camera…and your grandpa is watching her in the rear-view mirror…That’s just how we roll around here…

on the way home from the garden...

You might also be from Gooseneck if… you spend your weekends wading around in a nasty goldfish pond while your granddaughter looks at you like you have lost your mind…”You’re doing what, MiMi?”  Sure was glad I didn’t see a snake or a turtle in there…just a lot of nasty fish poop and algae…lots of algae.

now that's what I call fishing...

Thanks for stopping by and sharing a little “Gooseneck” humor…Laughter is good for the soul…Ya’ll come back ya’ hear?

To the hostesses of Friday Follow…One2Try, HeartsMakeFamilies, and Midday Escapades.  Thanks so much for hosting this hop, and giving us the chance to meet new bloggers.

Think Twice About Filling That Prescription…

Happy Friday, and welcome to Friday Follow AND My Friday Giveaway. I am doing dual duties this week, as I try to make more blogging friends. I love Friday Follow, and have met some great new friends. Please see the explanation of how to participate at the end of this post.

Before I begin my story, just know that I debated long and hard about writing it. It’s of a personal nature, and I like to keep some things private. Once it’s out in cyberspace, it’s there. However, I decided if my story can help just one poor soul from suffering my fate, then the story is worth telling.

My regular readers know that I suffer from a couple of chronic ailments.  One is a “rheumatoid arthritis” like disease, the other is a strange disease called fibromyalgia.  Both have been a part of my life for 16 years, and counting…

My rheumatologist is always on the “cutting edge” of new treatments for the diseases that he specializes in.  Thanks to his expertise, trial and error, and a lot of prayers,  he was able to find the correct medications to put my diseases in remission, for the most  part.  The down side of this scenario is having to try the different drugs to see what works to alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life.

About eight years ago–halfway through my journey with these diseases–a new drug called Effexor, came on the market.  I was doing fairly well at the time, but my rheumatologist thought I could be doing a bit better.  He suggested that I try this new drug.  He gave me some samples, told me to try it for a while and see how things went.

What happened was this… I began to feel  much better than I had been feeling!  I had more energy, I lost that “anxious feeling”,  and I was a happy, energetic person.  When I did have those bad days, I found that the pain didn’t bother me as much–I tolerated it better.  

I recently made the choice to stop taking Effexor–for good.  I’ve stopped taking it for brief periods of time before, but always go back on it because I’d end up feeling so crappy… I never got the connection until now… 

Times and circumstances have changed.  I no longer work, live a very low-key life style, and have no stressors. I was thinking–I’ll have one less prescription to pay for– one less drug going through my liver.  However, this time,  I got a little more than I bargained for in the process of getting off Effexor.

At my last appointment, I told Dr. M that I was planning to get off of the Effexor, and he said that it was fine.  He did say that I might experience more pain when I stopped taking it.  I asked what to do in case that happened, to which he replied “get back on it”.  That should’ve been a RED FLAG!

To say that I’ve experienced more pain since coming off would be an understatement!  Everything  has been hurting lately.  My head aches, my body is sore to the touch, my joints ache, I usually can’t  sleep at night.  Every noise still  seems to be magnified ten times.  My little granddaughter’s voice nearly sends me into orbit.  I’m as ill as a hornet–just ask my hubby, bless his heart…  I’m on an emotional roller coaster, and I want to get off!   My digestive system is messed up.  I could go on and on…I thought my arthritis and fibromyalgia were attacking me in full force, because a lot of the symptoms are the same–and I am sure some of this is the disease, but still…  After a few days, I decided to do some research, and…

 I googled withdrawal side effects of Effexor a list of over 75 different symptoms came up!  I nearly fell off my computer chair!  There are many articles about  how difficult it is to “get off” this drug.  There is even a website called “join-in-the-fun” (oh please…)which refers you to a book that someone has written as a guide on how to “get your life back” after discontinuing Effexor.  The site states that only one other drug is harder to discontinue than Effexor–that is Paxil–I can’t imagine!  I’ve been suffering withdrawl, and didn’t even realize what was happening!

Perhaps the most appalling thing that I found in my research was a petition with 22, 095 signatures demanding that the company that manufactures Effexor issue stronger warnings about the side effects of taking/discontinuing this drug.  That is twenty-two thousand, ninety-five people who have taken this drug, and had major side effects upon discontinuing use of this drug–myself included! 

It’s taken me two months to gradually wean off that medication.  I’ve been off of the medication for two weeks now, and although the smptoms are getting better, I am far from normal.  My prayer at this time is that I will ever be normal again.  I would NEVER tried Effexor had anyone warned me of these side effects of getting off of it.  Now I’d like to punch Dr. M for suggesting this drug in the first place…he and I are going to have a LONG talk in July!

 People beware, do your homework before filling that Effexor prescription…  and by the way, I never took the full recommended dosage of this medication– which was 150 mg per day…I found that I felt just great taking 112mg, so I never increased the dosage to the recommended amount.  I’ve since learned that some patients take as much as 400mg.  I can’t even begin to imagine the withdrawl torture from that amount…..

***Update…  After writing this post, I discovered a solution to the Effexor withdrawal symptoms.  I’ve written a post about it called “Life After Effexor”.   You can read about it at this link  http://www.edshunnybunny.wordpress.com/2010/06/16/life-after-effexor/

““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““““

Now that I have warned you of the pitfals of starting and discontinuing Effexor…Let’s get on with the cash giveaway!  I will be giving away $20.00 in cash on April 30.  To be eligible for the drawing, just leave me a comment telling me to enter your name or that you would like to win.  That’s it!  No limit to the amount of times that you can enter.  Come back tomorrow and enter again, Sunday, too if you like.  I don’t have a lot of entries, so your chances are good…

Thanks for stopping by and reading my blog.  I hope you’ll come again soon, ya’ hear?

  

 

Friday Follow is a blog hop hosted by One2try http://one2try.net, Hearts Make Families (http://www.heartsmakefamilies.com), and Midday Escapades (http://middayescapades.com) Check out any of these blogs for rules and link up information. The ideais to follow and be followed–make new friends!

Click here to see the entire Giveaway Blog Hop List….

Click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…of Friday Follow

Celebrating My Blogiversary…With A Giveaway For You

On April 6, I will celebrate my first “blogiversary”.  I’ve blogged for an entire year!  I blog six days a week, and I love it!  I don’t know of anything that I have tried that I enjoy any more than blogging!  

I originally began this blog as a collection of my life’s memories, but it has evolved into so much more than just that.  I’ve met so many nice people through blog hops and memes–people from all over the United States, and other countries as well!  Some of my blogging friends even live just a few miles away!  I never dreamed I’d be friends with so many people in so many places.

In honor of my “blogiversary” I will be having a “cash giveaway” during the month of April!  To be entered in the “cash giveaway” simply leave me a comment on any blog post,  and at the end of it,  tell me that you would like to win twenty dollars.  That’s it! 

The entering comments will be numbered, with #1 being the first comment received, and on April 30, at noon, EST a winner will be chosen via Random.org.  The winner will receive twenty dollars cash, and I will write about you on my blog!  Remember, every time that you comment about anything, just add “I would like to win twenty dollars”…no limit on the amount of entries…Between now and April 30…Wow!  Have fun, I love comments!

Click here to see the entire Giveaway Blog Hop List….

Friday Follow/Do You See The Glass As Half Empty Or Half Full?

How do you view this glass of water when you look at it?  Do you see a half empty glass, or do you see a glass that is half full?

For me, if I were drinking it, I would view it as half empty.  I’d begin to worry about running out of drink.  If I use the glass of water as an analogy of life, I view it as half full.  Interesting…

I choose to concentrate on the things that I DO have, rather than the things that I DON’T have in life.  I know there are people who are more blessed than I am, but I also know that there are just as many people in the world who are less blessed than I am.

My mother-in-law comes to mind when I think of a half empty glass.  After her husband died, she became a very negative person.  She always concentrates on the negatives….what she can’t do, instead of being grateful for what she can do.  I always try to remind her of how blessed she is.  After all, she is nearly 89 years old–and she is still able to live in her own house–and her health is very good for a woman of her age.  She prefers to complain about all of the things that she can no longer do…

I belong to the “I can no longer do” club, too, but I choose not to dwell on it.  I simply do what I can, and work around the rest.  No use crying over what used to be.  My thoughts are…it could always be worse!  My health is not as great as it once was, but it’s not as bad as it could be either!  

We’re not rich–not even close, but we are able to pay our bills, and have a few extras.  My car is 9 years old, but I still love it, and it gets me where I need to go.  Our house is not fancy, but it’s our house, we built it, and it’s just 3 years old…and virtually paid for.  We manage to have plenty to eat–and feed over twenty pets, too. 

So…to enter this weekend’s giveaway, just look at the picture of the glass and tell me what you see–half empty or half full glass.  That’s it.  You can always elaborate if you would like to.  You know I love comments! 

 

The giveaway this weekend is a “gardening giveaway”.  It consists of a pair of cotton gardening gloves, 3 packs of  various flower seeds, a cup insulator for your cold drink, and a bottle of  Sun-Ripened Raspberry Bath and Bodyworks antibacterial soap to wash up with after gardening.  Not a gardener?  It would make a nice gift for someone you know who is!  Have a great weekend, everyone, and thanks for stopping by!    Kathy

Below is the list for the Friday Blog Hop/Giveaway…Below that link/list is the Friday Follow list.

Click here to see the entire Giveaway Blog Hop List….

Friday Follow Blog Hop (March 26)
Hosted by Rita @ One 2 Try Tami @ Hearts Make Families and Lynn @ Midday Escapades . Join us every Friday as we celebrate followers! Link up your blog name and URL below to follow and be followed!

The list below is the Friday Follow List…

Click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…

Things That I Love About Spring…Weekend Giveaway

this tulip tree is over 35 years old

I believe that spring is just around the corner here.  The tulip trees have been blooming in all of their glory, the grass is greening up in places, and the robins and cardinals are fluttering about. 

I love spring!  I love being outside in springtime–before the mosquitoes hatch out.  I enjoy working in the yard, and planting a few new flowers.  I always paint the front and side porch of our house, as well as the steps.  It makes them look clean and fresh.  This year I am planning to paint my rocking chairs that sit on the front porch, too. 

I also love feeding and watching the wild birds–but that is hard due to my large population of cats.  We have a new fire pit, and we’ve enjoyed that on a couple of afternoons already.  Sitting around the fire makes me want to roast hotdogs!  Oh, that reminds me, I love cook outs, too!

 In honor of spring arriving via the calendar next week, I am giving away two of my favorite spring things.  Included in the giveaway is a wind chime and a pair of spring socks.  I love wind chimes–I have 3 of them hanging outside of my house( yes, it gets noisy when the wind blows) , and I am known for my “funky socks”.  I have socks for every occasion! 

To have a chance to win the spring giveaway, all you need to do is tell me what you love about spring or what you plan to do once spring arrives.  That’s it!  I just love your comments.  I’ll choose a comment via Random.org on Monday morning, and notify the winner.  Due to postage rates, prizes can only be mailed to the US or Canada.  Thanks for visiting…and good luck!

Click here to see the entire Giveaway Blog Hop List….

Click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…

Favorite Easter Memory…And A Giveaway, Too

contents of the gift bag...memo pad, dish towel, Easter cookie cutters

Last Friday I asked you to share your favorite Easter tradition, and I gave away an Easter themed kitchen set.  This weekend I will be giving away an assortment of Easter items tied up in a gift bag.  To be eligible to win this gift bag, just take a moment to share a favorite Easter memory.  I enjoy reading your comments so much, and I appreciate everyone who takes the time to leave one.  I’ll get things started by sharing one of  my favorite Easter memories… 

One of my favorite Easter memories is that of my first Easter sunrise service.  Believe it or not, I was a middle-aged mother when I attended my first sunrise service.  I remember how moving and impressive the simple service was.  The morning was cool and damp as we gathered outside the church facing the east.  Our church organist played a portable keyboard and we sang along.  As our pastor gave the message, the sun slowly began to rise in front of us.  It was a beautiful experience…and truly celebrated what Easter is all about. 

I’ll be taking comments all weekend.  The winner will be announced on Monday morning!  Good luck! 

 

Click here to see the entire Giveaway Blog Hop List….

Kathy’s Weekend Easter Kitchen Giveaway

It won’t be long and Easter will be here!  I love to decorate for the holidays.  I’m decorated for St. Patrick’s Day at the moment, but in about 2 weeks, I’ll decorate for Easter.  Would you like to have this Easter themed kitchen set for your kitchen?  If so, just leave a comment telling me about your favorite Easter tradition.  To get you started, I’ll even tell you mine…

Each year at Easter, my favorite tradition is coloring Easter eggs.  I’ve colored eggs for as long as I can remember.  I always buy two or three different kinds of egg decorating kits, and try them all out!  My egg decorating partners have changed through the years…from my mother, to my husband, to our children when they were growing up, to my grown daughter and daughter-in-law, to my grandchildren!  I’m getting excited just thinking about it!  Granddaughter, Madison, will be three and a half this year, so it should be lots of fun!

Just leave your comment, telling about your favorite Easter tradition.  I’ll be taking comments all weekend.  On Monday morning, Random.org will choose the lucky comment number, and I’ll announce the winner.  That’s it–how simple is that?  Good luck to everyone!      Kathy

Click here to see the entire Giveaway Blog Hop List….

Click here to enter your link and view the entire list of entered links…

Thoughts On St. Patrick’s Day…Friday Giveaway

the "year round tree" decorated for St. Patrick's Day

This week I put away the Valentine’s Day decorations, and brought out the St. Patrick’s Day ones.  Of all of the holidays that I decorate for, St. Patrick’s Day is my least favorite.  In fact, when I was growing up as a child, the only thing that I knew about St. Patrick’s Day was– if you didn’t wear green on that day–you were going to get pinched! 

In 1972, when Ed and I got married and moved to Savannah, Georgia–we learned a lot more about St. Patrick’s Day.  For instance, the city goes “all out” for St. Patrick’s Day–beginning with a breakfast complete with green grits!  The city colors their fountains green, and has one of the largest parades and celebrations found anywhere in the U. S. A.  Ed and I have never been to a St. Patrick’s Day Parade or any of the other festivities.  We don’t really care for the crowds or the partying atmosphere.

St. Patrick’s Day is special to me because it’s the day that Ed and I left Savannah, and moved back to our home town…way back in 1977.  On this March 17, we will have lived on this little piece of land for 33 years.  We chose to move on that day because it was a holiday for Ed.  So, while most of the rest of Savannah was celebrating in 1977–we were moving back home!

some of my St. Patrick's Day collectibles

When I worked in first grade, I enjoyed celebrating St. Patrick’s Day with the children.  We’d color rainbows with pots of gold at the end, or color and cut out little leprechauns to decorate our walls.  We usually had some kind of green cookie or cupcake for a snack–and sometimes we’d pretend that leprechauns came to visit the classroom while we were gone to lunch.  Once we returned from lunch and found little pots of gold covered chocolate coins on all the desks!  What fun! 

While St. Patrick’s Day is my least favorite holiday–or whatever you call it–I do collect and display decorations.  This year I added some outside decorations on my porch–just so my granddaughter who lives next door could enjoy seeing them.  I have two light-up shamrocks on the windows. Now I think my house looks sort of like an Irish Pub!

a few more things on display

My husband comes home from work, sees the boxes of decorations in the middle of the floor–and rolls his eyes!  He just doesn’t “get it”.  He doesn’t understand why I  take the time, and go to the trouble to put out decorations…I guess it’s just a woman’s thing–or maybe it’s just a “Kathy thing”.

What are your thoughts about St. Patrick’s Day?  Do you celebrate?  Do you decorate?  Do you know why it is celebrated?  What do you think about decorating?  Do you wear green on St. Patrick’s Day?  Just leave any kind of comment concerning St. Patrick’s Day,  and I will enter your name in the drawing for my St. Patrick’s Day Gift Bag.  The bag contains a pair of shamrock socks, 2 beaded shamrock necklaces, and a bottle of Bath and Body Works White Citrus(I like this scent) antibacterial hand soap–all tied up in a neat little bag with a  green bow!

The winning comment number will be chosen on Monday morning–courtesy of Random.org.  Have a great weekend everyone–and Good Luck!

Click here to see the entire Giveaway Blog Hop List….

People Watching…Weekend Giveaway

photo courtesy of freerangestock.com

 

While I was still working as a paraprofessional, the teacher that I worked for was taking classes to earn her six-year degree.  One of her assignments was to spend one Saturday “People Watching”.  At the time, I thought that was the most ridiculous thing I’d ever heard of!  Who in the world would want to spend their Saturday “People Watching”? 

Now that I am retired, I’ve found that I enjoy doing a bit of people watching myself.  What a difference it makes when you have lots of free time! 

I have discovered that people, in general, aren’t very nice anymore.  People are more rude than they used to be.  Everyone is in a hurry!  The other day I was in our little dollar store, and the machine that takes debit cards “went down”.  The line got backed up, and the people were becoming grumpy and ugly to the cashier.  It wasn’t his fault, but the people were taking it out on him because they were inconvenienced and had to wait.  When I checked out, the cashier actually thanked me for being kind and patient. 

Another day I was in a different store, and the bread man came in with his delivery for the day.  The cashier was very ugly to him and told him that she could not check him in until the other clerk returned from lunch.  In the meantime, a customer had gotten a loaf of bread from the pallet of bread that the delivery man had brought into the store.  The delivery man promptly told the cashier “well, that customer will have to give me back that loaf of bread then!”  I walked away after that–thinking Whew…all this over some bread…I don’t know if the poor customer had to give up their loaf of bread or not! 

Whatever happened to kind, courteous people?  Where have they all gone?  Doesn’t anybody have manners anymore?  How about the “Golden Rule’?  What is wrong with everybody? 

Next come  the people with “bratty” children.  You know the ones–the children are so loud and obnoxious that you can’t remember what you came into the store for?  The ones who destroy the store while their parents are oblivious…they spoil the shopping experience for everyone around them–except their parents! 

…And how about those drivers on the road these days?  I don’t trust any of them!  If they have their blinkers on, I wait until they actually turn before I go.  I never pull out in front of a car with its blinkers on.  You just can’t trust people, or tell what they are going to do. 

Don’t you just love the car that pulls out in front of you…only to make a turn a couple of blocks down the road?  How about the slow poke who loves to drive in the fast lane?  How about that impatient car that blows your doors off when it buzzes past you–while you are driving the speed limit?! 

 Oh, and let’s talk about eating establishments!  Oh the things you will see if you watch the buffet!  The teacher that I used to work for wouldn’t even eat off a buffet line–and I can understand why.  We used to watch the kids filing by the salad bar at school.  Oh my goodness…little hands were everywhere.  I’m sure it’s the same in restaurants as well.  

My pet peeve is people who let their children wander around– unsupervised.  My husband once saw a child put their finger inside of the spout of the tea dispenser!  Doesn’t that really make you want to drink the tea?  I can only imagine where that little finger has been… think about how often that probably happens in fast food restaurants!  Oh my, that really makes me not want to eat out…Enough of this, let’s get on with the giveaway! 

And now for the giveaway…. This week’s prize is a Bath and Body Works Wallflower.  I just love these things! 

Do you have any thoughts to add to my observations?  Have you seen a case of rudeness lately?  How about someone being  kind?  What kind of person are you?  What is your pet peeve?   Leave me your thoughts…In return I will enter your name in my drawing for a Bath and Body Works Wallflower– in either Sweet Pea or Fresh Linen–your choice!  Random.org will choose the comment number on Monday morning.  Have a great weekend…and good luck! 

Click here to see the entire Giveaway Blog Hop List….

My Most Memorable Valentine’s Day…

After an entire week,  I am almost out of love stories!  That being said, I will tell you the stories of my most memorable Valentine’s Day–and the Valentine’s Day that I’d like to forget!

My husband is not a man who likes to buy flowers.  He thinks they are a waste of money, and they really are…but I love them anyway.  Ed and I had been married for two years before I received my first bouquet of flowers from him–on Valentine’s Day.  

 At the time,  were both working at a hospital in Savannah–in the Radiology department.  I saw co-workers getting flowers all the time since I worked in the receptionist office.  I would always admire those beautiful bouquets when they were delivered–and wish that they were mine.  I sort of told Ed about my desires shortly before Valentine’s Day one year.

On Valentine’s Day of 1974, Ed finally sent me a bouquet of flowers! I’ll bet he grumbled as he ordered them, but  I was so thrilled.  They were absolutely beautiful!  I went home and took several pictures of them.  I remember there were tulips among the mixed flowers, and I love tulips (Ed didn’t know that).  I still treasure the memory of  having that first bouquet of flowers delivered to me at work.  Of course, I’ve received many bouquets of flowers from Ed since that day, but none as special to me as that first bouquet.

My other most memorable Valentine’s Day is one that I’d really like to forget!  Flash forward a few years… to those busy years of raising three children, and just trying to survive!  Remember those days???  I don’t know what in the world made me do it, but that year when Ed asked me what I’d like for Valentine’s Day, I replied “Just don’t worry about it– don’t get me anything.”  I don’t know what in the world made Ed do it– but he took me at my word and didn’t get me anything!  Oh my!  It was not a very good Valentine’s Day for either one of  us that year! 

A friend of ours still laughs about that Valentine’s Day–and about how Ed was out “looking for a gift” –the day after Valentine’s Day–” ’cause he was in the doghouse! “  Sure enough,  Ed came home the day after Valentine’s Day with this long, slinky, black lingerie–split all the way up the side!  I think I know what he had on his mind…but I don’t think he got it!!!  It took me a while to get over the disapointment of that Valentine’s Day!  Many years have passed since that Valentine’s Day…but Ed’s never neglected Valentine’s Day again…it was probably his most memorable Valentine’s Day, too! 

***If you are looking for Friday’s giveaway–here it is…just leave a comment to be entered to win it!  It’s 3 bottles of Bath and Body Works skin lotions and creams.  Perfect for dry, chapped winter skin!

Click here to enter your link in the blog hop and view the entire list of entered links…