~Life Lessons~

I got an email today and I sent it along to my friends, and it was

a really thought provoking email..It was 50 Life Lessons. By the

time I finished I did a lot of thinking and had to admit I agreed with

all 50 of them.. One of them, well quite a few of them were really

good..the one that is sticking with me is ' No matter how you feel,

get up, dress up and show up'... That's about how It is.. you HAVE

to do this every day...to me it says, do the very best you can, no

matter what and face it.. This list was right on target and most I

sent it to replied telling me it gave them room for thought too..

One of the other on the list, number 32, 'Your job wont take care of

you when your sick, your friends will....Stay In Touch' Isnt that the truth?

When you are at your worst, you will find out who your friends are..

Who are the ones that are loyal and will always be there? The one

friend I have that has been with me through everything for almost

25 years now, is Donnie. Hes stuck by me and helped me no matter

what..and I try to be just as loyal and trustworthy a friend to him. But

this is how its sposta be.. If you have even 1 good faithful friend to

go thru your life with you.. stay with you no matter what, Id say you

have the greatest thing there is... :-)

Before I lost my legs I had lots of friends.. but when I went into rehab

and then when I lost the one leg, I saw what friends that stayed with

me and still wanted contact. Only 2 , Donnie and his then wife Shirley.

I went to live with them when I left my ex back in June of 2000.. and

lived with them until I was put in rehab... They both took very good

care of me.. They were the only 2 friends that stayed in touch with

me.. I can understand why most left, I became a burden and not

easy to be around once I started going down hill and then once I

lost my leg, that made it even harder for me to belong.. I under

stood.. it wasn't easy and I felt bad, but as time goes on I realize

Im NOT easy. If someone takes me out.. I more or less become

their responsibilty and I have to trust them that they will look out

for me.. which is a lot for not only ME but whomever is with me..

Ive been asked a lot of times " Is there anything special I have to

know to be around someone in a chair, things to do etc?" Well,

I would say , no, that its just common sense.. And maybe even

courtesy.. Would you not open a door for me anyway whether or

not I was in a chair? I would HOPE so!.. No, its just a matter of

thinking ahead.. If I was in a car, we had parked at a restaurant,

would you not come around and open my door? Well it is the

same thing.. The only difference is that you would have to get

my wheel chair from out of the trunk or back seat, open it and

hold on so it doesn't move when I scoot over into it.. Its NOT

hard at all... If I use my transfer board its easy...

The only problem with using a board, is that if I don't lift up

high enough when I go to push that board under my SKINNY

butt, it can pinch the daylights otta you.. My other caregiver

was helping me out of her car and she pushed my board

under neath really hard before I had fully lifted UP..well I mean

that board pinched me and it REALLY hurt!.. We did laugh and

I made her promise she would be more careful next time !

I don't use my board to transfer inside here.. I just pull up next

to my bed, or sofa or potty as they are all the same exact height

as my chair.. I have 6 inch risers under my sofa. By them being

the same height and I have nothing in front of my chair, I can pull

right up to them and there is maybe only a few inches that I have

to lift and pull my self across.. Its really easier to get IN my chair

than out of it.. Backing into it , the hardest part is lifting UP when

you make that one pull backwards. To get out of my chair it takes

two moves..1 to get across, then a second to get to where I want

to be on what ever Im sitting on.. bed or what ever.. I keep my

board by the door, one of 3 of them that I have, handier to be

right there then Im less likely to forget it.. When I go in the COA

van I don't need it as I stay in my chair..

I had to call and cancel my Dr appt.. tomorrow. I called COA to make

sure, which I am glad I did NOW, or I would have been really mad

tomorrow sitting and waiting for a van that didn't show up! I guess

whomever I scheduled a ride with for got to write it in the book.. So

when I called to day they had no idea and all the drivers were booked

up for tomorrow so I had to call my Dr that only comes in ONCE a

week and NOW I cant get an appointment with him until JUNE 4th..

Is this good or what.. So I didn't say anything I was mad, but well..I

should have made DOUBLE sure I had a ride.. This sure happens

a lot with COA anymore.. Makes me mad.. Well its a toss up as

what makes me madder this ride crap or a Dr that is only in his

office 4 hours one day a week !... Oh well not a thing I can do..I

feel great so as long as that continues I refuse to worry about

anything.. :-)

I have some left over spaghetti that I plan to warm up, it was so

good yesterday I know its gonna be better today.. I had Penny

get some strawberries for me, I ate about 3 yesterday and are

they good.. I love raspberries too but they are SO expensive.

so its time for spaghetti and strawberries and of course my

GORGEOUS WEEBLE "nitey nite" I should say "G'day" since

I post earlier now.. Blue in Australia taught me that :-)

Y'all have a good one now, Y'hear? love ya and THANKS !! :-)

Always, Lois ****

Ps, Mary, I sent you a email and got it back..write to me with your

current working email addy OK? :-)

God Bless you, is my prayer today,

I'm so honored to call you "friend";

I pray the Lord will keep you safe,

Until I write again.....