Yesterday, I celebrated my birthday.  I am past the point of telling you how old I am, let’s just say that I am thirty something.

It was probably one of the best birthdays in a long time.  I don’t know why, but it was really great.  And it wasn’t because of the presents, it was just people sharing a little bit of their time with me to wish me a happy birthday.  I got quite a few phone calls from friends and siblings to wish me a happy birthday.  I got cards and packages in the mail.  I got quite a few emails and ecards that were really special.  My husband took me out to dinner and we had such a great time.  We went to LoneStar.  I haven’t been there for such a long time–being on a homeschool budget can get pretty tight.  When I was teaching full time at public school we went there quite a bit.  Anyway, it was delicious.  Oh the steak!  So tender and juicy and flavorful.  We also had the onion thingy with dip.  (I guess it is a battered, deep fried cut up onion.)  Yum.  It wasn’t so much the dinner as it was being with my wonderful husband.

I did get many wonderful gifts.  My mom and dad sent stuff from Bath and Body works, one of my favorites.  I got this lovely bedtime lotion that has chamomile and lavender in it–it smells so good.  I got these cool socks that are infused with aloe to put on at bedtime–my feel always get so cold.  And of course perfume and a soft little stuffed lamb.  (I know, I am thirty something, but I still love stuffed animals.)

My dad and mom in-law sent a cute little doll that she made.  It has a cabbage patch head and she made the rest herself.  The body, the clothes and everything.  She is so cute!

I got some money from my sweet Aunt.  And an itunes gift certificate from my brother.

My husband and children went all out.  I got three candles–I absolutely love candles.  I am a smell-inspired person.  I got two CD’s–one by Jim Brickman and the other was a ‘Peanuts’ CD with holiday music on it.  I got a vegetable peeler and some of those baking cups that you can wash–they are kind of rubbery and flexible and the muffins won’t burn and make a mess–I can’t remember what they are.  But the kids thought I needed them, since I do make muffins quite a bit.  I hate those stupid paper baking cups!  I got a brand-new set of stainless steel cookware.  I know some of you are wondering about that, but I asked for it.  Cooking is one of my passions.  I love to cook, so now I have brand new, beautiful cookware to do it in.  I got a cute little stuffed animal.  And a bag of M and M’s all to myself.  My kids were a little irritated that I didn’t open all my gifts up yesterday morning.  I waited.  I like to extend the suspense.

Everyone was so thoughtful.  I appreciate all the gifts and thoughts of love.  Thank you!

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It seems like I have always had them.  Even when I was younger, I would complain of having a headache.  It wasn’t until after my daughter Beth was born that I experienced a migraine.  People think that migraines are just really bad headaches, or that you are exaggerating how bad it hurts.  The first time I got one, I didn’t know what was wrong.  I was throwing up and I had the worst pain I have ever experienced.  I describe it as feeling like someone is stabbing a burning hot knife in your skull, over your eye, over and over again.  My husband took me to the emergency room.  It was horrible.  Since then, I have had them.  It was getting to a point where this last year, that I was having five or six every month.  The doctor had given me medication for them, and it usually works, but sometimes it doesn’t and I end up going to the doctor or Patient First to get a shot so I can function.    One day, I woke up feeling really sick and thought I had the flu.  I threw up all day–every time I got out of bed.  I couldn’t keep anything down and I didn’t have a fever and finally after being in the bathroom countless times, my husband convinced me to go to Patient First.  So on the way there, he says, “Do you think you could have a migraine?”  It didn’t occur to me, since I actually got sick before I got a headache, and I’m like, “Duh!  It must be a really bad headache.”  The doctor there gave me a shot of migraine medicine and within 15 minutes I was totally fine.  I finally went back to the doctor this spring and she gave me another drug that I take nightly.  It is supposed to be for migraine prevention.  The only problem is it makes me sleepy–and extremely tired.  I take it at bedtime, usually about 7:30 or 8:00 and go to bed at about 10 or so.  In the morning, it is really hard to wake up.  I have been on the medication for a couple of months, and it is a very low dosage, but still, I am so tired.  It has kept the headaches away, for which I am very thankful, but I kind of wish I had another solution–not to sound like a whiner.  I have tried a lot of different drugs.  The one thing that works most of the time is Imitrex, but it is so dang expensive, that I had to try some prevention.  Someone told me that if you drink black coffee alternating with grapefruit juice, it will cure a migraine.  Tried it.  Someone else suggested that I take vitamin B.  I tried it.  I have kept a diary of my foods, and possible triggers.  I did find out that red wine is a trigger for me.  Not like I drink very often, but one time we went to this retirement party and they were celebrating with a glass of red wine at dinner, and I had one.  I was completely out of commission the entire weekend.  My first thought was, “How can I have a hangover, I had one glass of wine!”  As the day progressed, it became very clear that it wasn’t a hangover.  I have tried the little patches you are supposed to put on your forehead.  I have tried the headache balm you are supposed to put on your forehead.  I have tried Excedrin Migraine.  I have tried Vicodin – doctor prescribed.  I want a new drug, one that won’t make me sick, one that won’t make me crash my car or make me feel 3 feet thick. (Yes, I’m a Huey Lewis fan.)  I am just thankful that at least this is working, but I want a solution that works all the way around.  Hopefully, at my next appointment, I can find one.  I’ll keep you posted.

As a child growing up, I remember making every living creature I found into a pet. I had a frog that I found when we had gone to the lake. I kept him on our porch in a cardboard box with sand, grass, and a water bowl. He must have lived at least two weeks. We fed him lettuce and other tasty things. I also kept a minnow that my parents had gotten for bait. I think I named him Swimmy. We kept him in an ice cream bucket on the porch and fed him all sorts of weird stuff. I remember trying to get more air into the water by blowing bubbles with a straw. Yeah, he died anyway.

We also had cats. My first cat was named “Goody” and she would actually fetch balls and drop them at your feet to play catch. I loved that cat. She was so tolerant. Then, the next cat we got, I named, “Goody” also because I missed the first cat.  He would later be renamed “Bad Goody,” after trying to pounce on my sister and marking his territory all over our house.  Then we got “Puff.”  She lived the longest and she was a good cat.

One thing I never got into, however, were dogs.  Can I just be honest here?  I cannot stand dogs.  They are really cute to look at, but I totally don’t get it.  They smell, they slobber, they sniff, and they jump.  And it seems like people are really into their dogs.  As a cat lover, I understand that not everyone likes cats or can tolerate them, so I put them away in another room so they won’t annoy anyone, if I know the person doesn’t like them.  I have met some dog lovers that will allow their dog to jump, sniff, and slobber all over me, and then say, “Oh, Spot is really friendly.  He loves people.”  Yeah, well, I don’t want to hurt your feelings, but I don’t like dogs, in fact, I found out that I am allergic to them–not to cats, mind you, but to dogs.  The thing I hate the most is when they sniff you.  Why do they always sniff your crotch?  EW!  I just don’t know what to say about that.  I always feel really conspicuous, especially when it is that time of the month.  And have you ever watched a dog lick someone’s face?  Gag me.  I think I would pass out.  All I can say is that I really think they are cute to look at, but not as my own.

We have two cats.  Slippers and Millie.  They are complete opposites.  Slippers is a lover and Millie is just plain stupid, but in an endearing way.  Slippers loves people and Millie hates them most of the time.  But I don’t force them on anyone.  If we have cat people coming over, we keep them out, but if it is someone we don’t know, we put them away.  But I think cats are all we will ever own, and that is just fine with me.