How to Manage Pain When Traveling

We are headed into the high season of traveling, and as a person who has struggled with chronic pain in the past, I know this struggle all too well. There was one year my hip was so cranky, I could not even think about driving across the country for our move from California to Georgia. Instead, I sold the van and bought a plane ticket. We do what we need to do to get by! So today I have an […]

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Top Back Pain Tip from the Arthritis Lady

  Last week Mom and I had to take an unexpected trip to Kansas. My aunt was in the hospital, in ICU. Mom and I were worried, so we trekked on out there. I’m the arthritis lady that has to take a special trip to the doctor’s office so I can make it through an airplane and car trip. I have to schedule walks down the airplane aisle to keep my legs from going crippled. Good news: My aunt DID […]

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Learning to Suffer Well, or at Least Find the Balance

Learning how to suffer well looks like the theme of my life lately.  Have you ever been through something hard that you knew could not be walked around? Life is a muddy puddle for me right now, but there’s no way around it. It must be walked through. Do you know what I mean? We all have our things that we go through. My chosen theme for 2016 was to fix my SI/hip/back/leg pain. That’s the goal. Instead, 2016 has […]

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My Chronic Pain Battle Part III: The Cat Came Back the Very Next Day

My Battle with Chronic Pain Part III: The Pain Returns It reminds me of that song: “The cat came back the very next day; it just couldn’t stay away.” Life was going well, and I was on cloud NINE, being finished with my very first year of home schooling! Wahoo! Summer! I made big plans. But why wouldn’t I? I was young and healthy. I should be able to handle a cross-country flight and a few short road trips. Right? […]

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My Chronic Pain Battle: Fake Sciatica, Tendonitis, Muscle Strain, Whatever

Note: Chronic pain blogs are mostly only interesting to other people with chronic pain. We eat this stuff up. Soooooo, friends, do not feel like you have to sit through this one.  Ha! Or feel free to scan and read only the one line paragraphs. I do that a lot too. My Chronic Pain Battle: Fake Sciatica, Tendonitis, Bursitis, Muscle Strain, Whatever it is! The first time I developed “sciatica”, whether it ever actually was sciatica or not, I have […]

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A Quiet House, Thankfulness, and Sweet Relief

My house is quiet! My house is quiet! Did I mention my house is quiet?? The oldest children are off on a play date. JD is taking his nap, and the house is quiet. Can you feel the excitement??  I’m so excited; I could dance around and make carpet angels……if I had more energy. However, I’m old, and I spent all of my energy on teaching them and making their lunch, so instead I’m going to throw a VIRTUAL party, sitting […]

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Making Transitions and Solving Sleep Problems

I’ve been talking a lot about my hermit problem, and I want you all to know that things are getting so much better around here. The boys are finally opening up a little more at tutoring. I had to practically drag them away from there today! Even John David doesn’t cry when I drop him off for the tutoring childcare! We have all met plenty of people that we truly like, and the fact is that I haven’t met one single […]

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The Basics of How to Use Essential Oils

Like many of you, essential oils are a brand new concept to me. They first began to show up in my Facebook news feed the last year or so. At first I thought, “What in the world are they talkin’ about?” But the friends mentioning the oils were all people I thought a lot of, so I was intrigued. Then the move happened. All of the main characters in the days of our lives changed completely, and we landed square […]

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Frumpy Momma: Why It’s Time to Start Taking Care of Myself Again

frumpy momma: time to start taking care of myself again

I can’t believe that’s me. This is not me. Oh, but it is…oh, but it is.

I don’t know about you, but life definitely goes in cycles for me. I have phases where I’m like, “I got this,” and I wear make-up everyday, exercise regularly, smile at people,

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