Musings of an Unfinished Woman

New Year and New Blessings

It’s been nine weeks since I last posted and in nine more weeks it will be April...where does the time go? I’ve been thinking about that a lot. Am I living my life to the fullest? What have I accomplished in that time? Have I made any changes in my life or made a difference in someone else’s life?

2010 was an incredibly difficult year for me personally. I was unemployed for the entire year. Between Shanna and me, we had 72 medical appointments (chiropractor and doctor) as we both struggled with health issues. I wanted so much to be a different me and make some changes, but didn’t have the courage and strength (physical and mental) to make them. I struggled with some relationship issues and finding boundaries for friendships that were too one-sided and unhealthy. For the first time in years, I only scrapbooked 24 pages, which is so not like me. Getting Shanna graduated and employed was a challenge but she’s on a good path now and I’m finally feeling like I’m coming back into the light. If I’m honest, I would say I was depressed for most of the year. The one relationship that really thrived was with my husband as we discovered the joy of photography through Karen Russell’s class and started dating again. We celebrated 28 years together in November and if not for Russell, I’m not sure I would have made it through the year. So what did I learn and what am I doing different?

I need to be creative. I’ve been scrapping for almost 19 years and I totally lost all my creativity, last year. I stopped scrapping and writing. Russell and I share a craft room (he model railroads and I scrapbook, make cards, etc.) and we both realized how much we need to get back into our hobbies. I am taking Ali Edwards “Yesterday and Today” class through BPC and I my creative juices are flowing again. Russell and I spent this past weekend in the craft room and I did my first digital page and have tons of page ideas to start working on.

I stopped moving and kept eating and now am starting over with my “Move More, Eat Less” (in the words of Cathy Zielske). Unfortunately, I let the fibromyalgia take over my life so it’s a battle to find what will work (as far as physical exercise that won’t create flare-ups and more pain). For now, I’m walking several days a week again and am following the PT exercises I’m supposed to do. I didn’t want to rely on prescription medication but have to admit that it’s helping to control the symptoms and pain while I work to find ways to deal with this disease in a more organic and healthy way. I’m so very thankful for a wonderful doctor and fabulous healthcare.

We have gotten to know the Marshes, a military family we met. Mentoring and getting to know a young couple is always a blessing and we have had the added bonus of standing in as “surrogate” grandparents to their three daughters - twins, age 8 and the youngest, age 4. Having these three girls in our lives has been so fun (and exhausting!). What a privilege to be a part of this family’s life and to have little ones in our home again. The girls love all things pink and glittery - so different from our baby girl who is now 18 and is the “big sister” to these little girls. Cuddles and hugs, giggles and crayons, toys and Disney movies are once again a part of our life.

I need women in my life...to laugh with, to talk and share with and to keep me accountable. Three women in particular have made a huge difference in my life: Sue, who has come over several times for lunch and scrapping therapy. Granted, I haven’t gotten much scrapping done, but the therapy has been invaluable as I’ve been able to be completely authentic with her as we’ve both shared and commiserated. Cindy has made dinner dates a wonderful thing and she too has a listening heart and a generous giving spirit and I can feel her support and prayers. Surprisingly, the third woman is someone I’ve “known” for years but only from a distance. When I went back to Colorado for my aunt’s funeral in December, I stayed with Brigette, my cousin’s daughter. She lives in a tiny adorable little house and she welcomed me into her home. For four days and nights, she was my chauffer as we went to the memorial (it was my Mom’s sister and Brigette’s Grandma). I reconnected with relatives I hadn’t seen in years. Something wonderful happened during those four days...despite our differences, Brigette and I connected in a way that was magical. We talked for hours about life, love, hopes, dreams, disappointments and I came home renewed in spirit and ready to make some life changes.

I discovered the library again. When I was little, I went to the library three times a week from first grade until I graduated. The library was a magical world of books. Somehow, through the years, I forgot about the library and found Borders and Amazon. I’m a voracious reader and read at least two to three books a week...even going to used bookstores that can get expensive so a friend suggested I try the library. Wow...it’s changed. You can now reserve books online and then pick them up when they are ready. What a fabulous discovery this has been. I’m having a blast reading books on a variety of subjects and...they’re FREE!!

Being in love and loved is such an incredible (rare) blessing. I really believe I have the best husband in the entire world. Through all of last year, Russell was my knight in shining armor and we fell in love again (corny as that sounds). He loves me just the way I am, which makes me want to be a better me for him.

I had an interview today...out of 108 candidates, I am in the top five. Every week, I faithfully apply for jobs while I receive unemployment (thank you Lord). I know that God has just the right job out there for me and in the right time and place, it will happen. In the meantime, I am thankful for a new year and the opportunity to try again. My word for the year is THRIVE. I want to thrive in body, mind and spirit. The word Thrive means: to be well, grow strongly, flourish, and be successful. So here’s to 2011 and being more mindful of the everyday miracle of life...to find joy in the little things. I also hope to post more...

 

Trying to keep up

Life seems to be zooming faster than I can keep up. Can’t believe it’s been almost two months since I posted. In that time, my Mother-in-Law had vascular surgery and was in the hospital for three nights. Between Russell, Shanna and I, we have had 17 doctor appointments and one trip to the ER. Shanna has had some health issues as have I. In order to reach a diagnosis, I’ve had a total of 29 vials of blood in four separate lab appointments. We’ve cleaned out my in-laws basement and hauled three loads of stuff to the dump and another three loads to Goodwill. I have sorted through 20 years of my in-laws papers and photos, which took up 22 boxes in our basement. I have applied for 36 jobs and since my last post, Russell and I have taken more than 5,000 photos (once again, thankful for digital!), most of them taken while on vacation at Disney World. It’s been two months of highs and lows.

Some of the Highlights:

• Ten days away with my sweetheart in Orlando, staying at our Disney Vacation Club resort. This vacation was a blessing in that the condo was free (we are DVC members), we had free airline tickets so the cost was fairly minimal. Russell and I had a great time taking photos, eating good food, sleeping in.
• New medications for me that help with pain management.
• Shanna got a job at UPS. She’s working the sunrise shift at the airport and while it’s not a lot of hours, it’s a job!!! Yahoo! (See photo below...Shanna with her first paycheck).
• Russell’s back is healed. Thank you Lord for that.
• My unemployment was renewed for another six weeks.
• Shanna's new ultra-short, very cute, easy to care for haircut.
• So thankful for fabulous healthcare. I can’t say enough good things about my doctor and Kaiser.
• Have compiled all the info for 2010 taxes and am ready to plug in the numbers after the first of the year.
• Supportive friends and family to help Shanna with some health issues while Russell and I were gone.
• Helping my mother-in-law “unclutter” and get rid of so much stuff.
• Attending the Trailblazers “Fan Fest”, a fun night of seeing our team practice, listening to interviews, etc.

 
 

Some of the lows:

• A diagnosis of fibromyalgia. While I’m thankful to have a diagnosis, it’s a chronic disease that really has no cure, so I have to find a way to deal with it and still maintain.
• Too many sleepless nights while I learn how to manage my medication and learn to listen to my body and take it before I am almost insane with pain. Learning what my body is physically capable of doing without pushing myself too far.
• Nine unseasonably hot days at Disney World (90’s with unusually high humidity). I don’t do well in hot weather and after 2 days of the heat and walking for what seemed like miles, we were both hurting so bad we went to Plan B...which for me is just letting go and not having any expectations (hard to do for a Type A personality!). Thank God for Vicodan and a whirlpool tub in our room.
• It's been three years since we've gone to a popular vacation spot and we were so shocked at how many rude, screaming, out-of-control children there were and how many people were constantly on their phones...texting, twittering, talking, etc. We didn't carry our phones with us most of the time...we wanted to get away and knew that Shanna had a good support system here if anything happened. While we were there, Epcot was hosting the Wine and Food Festival (which means there were a lot of people drinking and combine that with the heat and you have loud, rude people!). The parks were crowded and everything seemed to be louder....loud people, loud music, and screaming children. 

 
Russell and I went on a photo date last Saturday and took some great photos of the fall landscapes. It's so windy here today that nearly all the leaves are stripped off the trees. Now that daylight savings time is gone, the days seem dark and gloomy. I've discovered how much I love the scent of apple cinnamon candles along with a beautiful bouquet of flowers from Costco (a wonderful, inexpensive treat for only $8.99!) to grace my table and mantle. We love the Christmas season and Shanna wants the Christmas stuff up NOW...so I think we'll get it up this weekend...we're already listening to Christmas music.

Happy Wednesday!

A New Day

Yesterday was one of those emotional weepy days that we women sometimes have. I had a doctor appointment with a rheumatologist, my first visit with this doctor. To be honest with you, I was looking forward to the appointment, hoping that I would get some answers about why I’ve been feeling so crappy. It was definitely not my best doctor appointment ever. I absolutely love my primary care doctor, my nephrologist and my gastroenterologist (who knew I would have so many ologist’s in my life!). She was critical of my current treatments with my regular doctors, kept asking if my left eye was “bulging” out, which is an indication of Graves Disease, etc. I love Kaiser and have received excellent care, so was a bit taken aback by her bedside manner. My veins aren’t that great so it took three tries before they could find a big enough vein to fill eight vials of blood. In the last three weeks, I’ve had more than 20 vials of blood work done!

 
By the time I left Kaiser, I was upset and didn’t feel I had any answers at all. Last year, Russell took me to a lovely park in an area of town I’m not familiar with...it is Peninsula Park and Rose Garden. It is one of Portland’s older parks and features original lantern-style streetlights, stone pillars, beautiful brick walkways and walls and a 100 year old fountain in the center of a rose garden. Not just any rose garden but a 2 acre garden with almost 9000 rose bushes. Since taking Karen Russell’s photography class, I have been taking my camera with me. Even though it was cloudy with a chance of rain, I decided to stop at the park and “smell the roses” with my camera. One of the unexpected things I have discovered through the weeks of Karen’s class is that photography has the power to take me to a place of peace and tranquility. I spent over an hour wandering through the gardens, taking photos, enjoying the sight and smell of so many beautiful flowers and I was able to relax and let go...for awhile at least.

When I got home, I made the mistake of reading the literature that the doctor had given me on “possible diagnoses”. I was feeling so bruised and upset and couldn’t talk to Russell since he was driving the truck with a supervisor. You know how one thing can just make everything seem worse than it is...that’s how my afternoon went. Finally pulled myself together and tried to scrapbook, but when Russell was able to call it was to tell me he would be late getting home, which put me over the edge again, so I was rude to him. We rarely fight so having been rude and snippy to the one person who loves me unconditionally made me feel like a shrew. I’m thankful to have such a wonderful husband, who loves me in spite of my faults.

One of the photos I took yesterday was a piece of graffiti written on a brick wall...it says: "Try 2 Stop Me" and so that's my motto for today. I am choosing to stay positive and happy. In the words of Anne Shirley “today is a new day with no mistakes in it”. I don’t like being negative and weepy...it’s so exhausting. Being happy and positive is much easier, so I threw away the literature from the doctor and will wait until test results come back to face whatever diagnosis there is.

 

So...happy Friday! A few more photos from my walk in the garden. Have a great weekend!

 

 

 

 

Is Something Good not Happening?

One of the blogs I read is that of Alan Clother, Executive Pastor at our church. He wrote a post several weeks ago that has stayed with me. He wrote: “Saturday night at church I was a little tired, and maybe, just maybe, life was not going exactly my way. I have a lot of trouble hiding how I'm feeling at times.” Someone asked him “Is something good not happening?" His response and mine is what a wonderful positive spin on "what's wrong?" I have written that question down on a post-it note next to my computer and also in my planner that I carry everywhere. Too often we allow the little upsets and annoyances of life to take over our thought process, which in turn makes us crabby, sad and emotionally spent. It can become a viscous cycle.

I interviewed for a job yesterday and the owners of the company are a Christian couple. In our conversation, she shared with me that she was diagnosed with breast cancer last December and is fighting for her life now. Having experienced numerous health issues in the last decade, I was touched that she would share that with me. It was a reminder of how precious life is. While driving home, I kept thinking about the phrase “is something good not happening”. In that same blog post, Alan wrote “How much of our time do we spend waiting for something good, versus celebrating what is good?” That’s a powerful question and one we each need to ask ourselves. We have so much to celebrate in our lives...each day that we wake up is a blessing. I am loved by God and am blessed to have a wonderful husband with whom I am madly in love, a healthy happy daughter who is on her way to a great future, family who loves me just the way I am. I have so much and while I do struggle with health issues, I am ALIVE, which means that something good IS happening! Another reminder to myself on a post-it note is: "Going strong: working my way to fabulous". It's a reminder to me to stay positive every day, even when my body is aching and so tired and my spirits are dropping.

We live in a beautifully landscaped condo complex and one of the perks is that we don’t have to do any yard work. Every Wednesday, rain or shine, a crew from Willamette Landscaping descends on the complex and six hours later, everything is mowed, edged, raked and weeded. I told a couple of them this morning how much I appreciate their hard work and how much we enjoy our beautiful landscaping. They looked a bit baffled that someone would tell them thank you, which made me wonder how often we take the time to tell someone they are doing a good job, or that they are making a difference in your life?

Speaking of good things...Shanna brought me flowers (see photo below) and a card for my birthday and yesterday we spent a couple hours at IKEA browsing and having dinner. It was a fun, harmonious time together. It was fun to see her choices for furniture, house wares, wall art, etc. There's something about a vase of flowers that just makes my heart happy...it's one of the wonderful gifts that God has created.

Celebrate what is good in your life. Psalms 136: “Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good. His love endures forever”.

End of week musings...

Caught this beautiful sunset while we were at my Dad's house the other night. I’m saying a prayer of thanks for air conditioning! I’m not a fan of hot weather (I burn really easily and get heat stroke and terrible headaches when I’m in the sun too long). When we were house hunting in 1993, we happened to stop at an open house in a lovely neighborhood that I said I never wanted to live in before (I thought the school district was crappy)…and of course, we fell in love with the house. One of the things we loved was the air conditioning, something we’d never had before. 17 years later, I wouldn’t dream of living without it. It’s as essential as heat in the wintertime. Yes, I’m cold half the time but I can bundle up or take a hot shower and get warm.

It’s finally cooled down after several weeks of hot weather and the mornings have been deliciously cool…great walking weather. My hubby is happy with the cooler weather too… I may have mentioned before that he’s a UPS driver. What most people don’t know is that UPS trucks are not air-conditioned (even in Arizona or those other hot, humid states), which means that on a 98 degree day, the back of his truck is HOT (usually up between 130-140 degrees. He got a second-degree burn on his arm from one of the shelves last week. One of the things I was really conscious of when we owned our scrapbook store was how hard those driers work and how hot they get in weather like this, so I always had a cold bottle of water for our driver, Mark, who still is a driver! Last week one of his regular delivery stops had a cold bottle of Gatorade for him…which made his day. It made me think about the “random acts of kindness” that we can each do to make a difference in someone’s life. I’ve been thinking a lot about how I can leave my mark on this world. The book “In a Heartbeat, Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving” has given me an awareness about of the countless opportunities we have to touch someone’s life in a positive way, whether it’s just a smile and a happy greeting, helping someone load their groceries in the car or buying the next person in line their beverage or meal. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture…someone gave Russell a cold Gatorade on a really hot day after he hauled 25 cases of paper up a flight of stairs to their office. He was so thrilled to get that cold drink and a thank you. I am challenging myself to look for opportunities to “cheerfully give”.

One of my favorite things about summer is the wonderful fruit. The grapes and strawberries have been especially delicious this year. Costco had yummy blackberries and raspberries yesterday when I went shopping. My aunt and uncle had a cherry orchard and it was such a treat to eat the cherries right off the tree. I remember my Mom spending a lot of time every summer picking fruit and making peach and strawberry freezer jam and canning fruits for the winter. At the time, I didn’t appreciate how much work went into preserving food. I don’t have a photo, but I have a picture in my mind of the shelves in our basement full of canned peaches, pears, etc.

After months of not feeling good, being so sore and achy all the time and other “symptoms”, my chiropractor (who is absolutely awesome and gives a great massage before every adjustment) told me that I needed to see a doctor. So after a huge round of lab tests (10 vials of blood, the most ever taken from me in a 24 hour period!), my doctor is referring me to a rheumatologist. In the meantime, I am taking a muscle relaxer and if needed, a pain medication to help me sleep and alleviate some of the pain. The process of elimination now begins…it’s seems clear from the lab tests so far that I have some type of auto-immune disease. My symptoms are similar to that of fibromyalgia, but they have to do more tests to figure what I don’t have in order to figure out what I do have. The good news…my kidney functions are better than they’ve been in over a year. Still not normal but the reality is that they won’t ever be “normal” again so I’ll take what I can get.

Have been taking early morning walks…sometimes I start out so slow I feel like a 100 year old turtle but after a few blocks, I can usually pick up the pace. Love walking in the mornings when everything is still covered with the morning dew and the neighborhoods are quiet except for the few early risers. Every morning I pass a house where an older gentleman always greets me with “Top of the morning to you miss”. Love it. I’m on the lookout for something to carry my cell phone and house key. I have some comfortable workout pants but they don’t have a pocket. I don’t listen to an IPod on my walk…the sounds of nature provide the background music I need to pray and reflect. I tried a small over the neck purse yesterday but that was just annoying so I’m searching for an armband accessory. Cathy Zielske has been on a quest for fitness this year and some of her accessories and workout clothes are (in her words) “Oh for cute” (Isn’t that a sweet expression). Anyway, I am not a fitness guru by any means but am working on staying active. Am going to try a new water aerobics class that is offered more often than the one I’ve been going to.

I am getting together with a couple of friends for a scrapping get-together on Saturday. Not sure if I’m going to scrapbook (it’s hard for me to scrap and talk at the same time!), so I may work on cards…maybe even Christmas cards, but I know for a fact that M&M’s and yummy snacks and food will be part of our day!

Why? Being Thankful

Another wonderful reminder of spring (don't you just love daffodils?!).

Why is it that when you CAN sleep in, you can't? Doesn't make sense...seems like our bodies would want that extra sleep, but no...after years of getting up at 5 am, my body seems adjusted to getting up at that time. Admittedly, I am a morning person and can get more done in the morning than later in the day.

Why is it that children, regardless of age, announce that tomorrow is their band concert (where was the parent notice?), and by the way, she has a collage that she needs to "whip up" by Wednesday. Hello, how long have you known about these two events? I thought that by this time in her schooling (senior year), she would be more on top of things...not so much. Spring break is next week and since I've been in school full-time, I'm looking forward to a week off...have nothing planned...sleeping in (ha ha), perhaps getting some scrapping done. Spring seems to be here and don't you just love daylight savings time? It was after 7:00 last night before it was dark...love that!!

It seems that there's always someone in our life who needs that extra prayer or a RAK...I'm working on being more conscious of that kind of thing. The Grandma of one of my dear ladies in my life group is in the hospital and not expected to make it. One of Shanna's good friends from school, who is a sophomore, was diagnosed with Hodgkin's Lymphoma and is starting chemo this week. Shanna hasn't really had to deal with this kind of situation. From what I hear, the doctors think they've caught it early enough and that the chemo will work...praying for peace and healing.

 
Gratitude…more aware of what you have than what you don’t. Recognizing the treasure in the simple…a child’s hug, a golden sunset, relishing in the comfort of the common.

Be thankful today for health...for life...for friendship...for the everyday things that we each take for granted. Life is so very precious. My prayers are with Felicia and with Cindy's Grandma.

Ups and Downs

Today has been one of those days…a little sunshine, some rain…actually it’s been more ups and downs today. I had a physical therapy appointment this morning for my knee…I have osteo-arthritis and for whatever reason, my knee pain has flared up, which means that I’m in pain. Kneeling down to take photos for a school project has exacerbated the problem so my physical therapist wants me to avoid stairs whenever possible, continue my knee exercises and…use a walking stick/cane to take the pressure off. I came out of the appointment numb and avoiding the thought of needing a “walking aid”. On my way home, I get a phone message from a recruiter who saw my resume on MonsterJob.com…it’s an “administrative-coordinator” position in a small office close to home so tomorrow, I have a phone interview. This is a huge, well-known company with a great history…the opportunity came out of nowhere. My unemployment is running out in three weeks, and while it may be renewed, I need to be pro-active, so on Monday, I created my resume and posted it online. I’m really praying that God will lead me to just the right job…being close to home is important to me and I want to be in a small office environment rather than in huge impersonal workplace. Honestly, I’m ready to go back to work…IF it’s the right time…otherwise, I will continue attending school. So, here I am, icing my knee and back, shopping online for a “walking stick”, in tears and thankful for good insurance, upset that at the age of 50, I need a walking assistance, thankful that my resume is already being viewed. I’m a jumble of emotions today…if I didn’t know otherwise, I would think it was hormonal…but it’s just life!

Changes with CKD...

It’s no surprise that I need to make some lifestyle changes…this last year...my Type A personality back in full force crazy busy

living and managing our lives…job, home, keeping up with a busy 16 year old…all while putting my physical, spiritual and mental health on the back burner. I haven’t felt good about myself for awhile…I’ve gained weight, have been depressed and am exhausted and stressed out. Several months ago I wrote about making a “Transformation”…and I did take some small steps in the right direction…but not enough and now…it’s like God has to knock me on the side of the head to get my attention…and He did…after my lab work last week, my primary care physician (thank you God for such an awesome doctor) referred me to a Nephrologist. What’s that you ask? I had never heard of that term either…but it’s a kidney doctor and I now have one…and it looks like we’ll become well acquainted…I had my first appointment with him this last Monday.

I have "Chronic Kidney Disease" (CKD) and am in stage 3 of 5. A perfect

GFR (some kind of kidney number) is 130, mine is 40. If my number gets below 30, then it will be time to look at treatment options for kidney failure. Having battled a major disease just five years ago, I’m afraid, discouraged, and so wondering why me. I’ve gone into research mode the last few days…trying to figure out exactly what CKD is and what I need to do to combat it. On Tuesday, Shanna and I had a hideous argument (kids seem to know when you’re at your most vulnerable), so after 24 hours of being angry and upset, I came home yesterday from work and hit bottom (or as Russell calls it, “the main line busted”) and had myself a good cry…you know the kind…huge loud sobbing, feeling like your heart is breaking as you pour your heart out to the Lord…healing but so exhausting. My wonderful sweetheart just held me while I cried my heart out…

My new Nephrologist is hopeful that with some major lifestyle changes (what a surprise!) and a couple new medications I can keep my numbers about where they are. This whole thing started after my Hep C treatment...one of the "rare side effects" of the treatment. I'm also in the rare category of having low potassium and sodium (usually people are too high). Feeling better today and moving from shock and grief to acceptance…and needing to move forward with my “lifestyle changes. I know I’m in God’s hands and believe that He will be with me through this battle too.

 

I've started two new medications, Kaiser will call to set-up a kidney CT scan and I have to attend a "Be Kind to Your Kidney" class. Depending on what the medication does and how my tests go in the next three months, he may do a kidney biopsy. Anyone who knows me knows that I love Diet Coke...he told me I could continue to drink Diet Coke in moderation but have to drink more water (there's a surprise!). I'm not a big meat eater, which is a positive for me since too much protein is hard on the kidneys. I had to go in for more lab work...it’s the third set of lab work I've done in a week...my arms look like someone has beat me up. My blood pressure was super high during my appointment, which isn't good, so I need to find ways to "reduce my stress"...aside from moving to the Oregon coast, not sure how I’m going to accomplish that.

Got home from work today and Shanna had cleaned house…a sweet and wonderful way to apologize for being such a poop…so I went for a lovely walk in the fog. I need to get outside more often and connect with nature, it was a wonderful, stress-relieving break...and made me realize how out of shape I’m in, another thing to work on as part of my new “lifestyle change”. I'm a little overwhelmed but feeling better about my prognosis. I am so very very thankful to have REALLY good insurance. Part of my weight problems are related to all this and some of the meds I'm taking...so my new doctor is setting me up with a Kaiser Dietitian to help me come up with a workable diet that will work for me (and hopefully will like) and will help me lose weight.

 

If anyone knows how to cook veggies in a steamer and make them taste good, I would love your recipes (also anything with fish or chicken). I ordered from Amazon a double steamer food/rice cooker and am looking forward to making great, hopefully tasty, healthy meals (with veggies) in this new wonder machine. I like the veggies they serve in restaurants that are flavored and crisp...I think part of my aversion to vegetables is that my Mom always cooked them until they either exploded or were rubber.

So tonight…I’m thankful for my wonderful husband, who is always gentle and understanding and who has really great insurance through his work; for great doctors; for friends who have reached out to encourage and comfort me, and for Amazon (which delivered my new vegetable/rice steam cooker) and their Prime shipping program (which costs $79 a year but has saved us TONS of money). It’s absolutely amazing what you can get through Amazon (vitamins, appliances, books, you name it) and with Amazon Prime, it all arrives in two days with no extra shipping charges and you can shop in the comfort of your own home (I know that just sounded like an infomercial, but really something that wonderful should be shared with friends!). Happy almost Friday!