Coming soon...

a FLOWER WATCH update...

I went to the Mental Gym again

Whew - another two minutes at the gym!
Here is the link for the "exercises" that I just did:

http://www.cbc.ca/testthenation/mentalgym/archive/week4/

What was my score, you ask..ok, I'll be honest. I scored 70% (1:25:913) and I completely zoned out on one of the questions (meaning, I didn't get an answer in on time). So I redid the test, and scored 80% (1:05:974). I put in all the same answers as the first time, and obviously didn't miss one this time. The unfortunate thing is, I believe that I scored 100% - I wouldn't change my answers...none of them.

I went to the mental gym today because I just finished reading some information on cognitive issues and MS, and they do recommend some mental exercises. I actually consider this blog to be a mental exercise: one of the difficulties that I am experiencing lately is finding words. It happens most often in conversations, and I either can't find the right word to use, or I can't remember the name of someone or some place.

So if I spoke to you the other day, and I'm now telling Jason about our conversation it sounds something like this: "Umm...oh what's her name...crap...you know...*sigh*...{frustration is setting in}, come on Jason, you know who I mean...nevermind."

So please accept this apology in advance - I don't think that you're crap, and it isn't you that is frustrating me.

Sincerely,

Emily

P.S. In reality, it is difficult to accept this aspect of "My New Reality". I am afraid of how it will effect my ability to perform my job. I find conversations difficult, in particular on the phone, when the person on the other end can't see my difficulty. But...I need to find the humour in it, and I need to find the humour when it happens. I can do it.

Provincial Drug Funding

I'm going to "speak" about a topic that I know little about, and that I am only just beginning to understand.

As I understand it, each province has it's own personal healthcare funding (in Manitoba it is called Pharmacare, in Ontario it's called Trillium etc.). My MS drug therapy is given what is called "Exceptional Drug Status", and I only have to pay a deductible, and then Pharmacare covers the rest.

As one of the resources from the drug company, I am able to speak with fellow MS patients who are on the same therapy as me. During my first week, I spoke to a terrific woman in Nova Scotia - she was so open, and chatty - and she asked about the drug coverage here in Manitoba. She told me that she had been speaking to a man in Newfoundland, who upon his MS diagnosis, was recommended to quit his job, and go on welfare, as this would be the best and cheapest way to get the drug therapies.

Please read this link:
http://www.mssociety.ca/en/releases/nr_20070524.htm

I understand that healthcare is a provincial responsibility, but what I don't understand is how the province you live in has such an impact on your frontline treatment against a disease that is the same across the country.

Can drug therapies that cost over a certain amount of money, automatically be federally funded?

Glad to be a Manitoban (today, anyway),

Emily

Mental Workout - Are You Up For It?

This link is to the "CBC Test the Nation Mental Gym".

http://www.cbc.ca/testthenation/mentalgym/

I finally decided to flex my mental muscle a few days ago. I completed the "Current Week" test, which you should be able to do right from this link, just hit start...that is, if you're not a chicken.

Here are the scores in our house:

Emily 80 %
Jason 60 %

Neither of us bothered to write down our time.

As we complete the other four tests, we'll let you know...but hey, be sure to let us know how you did!

Now excuse me while I go and "ice" my brain for a bit.

{brain freeze}

Emily

Final Introductions

6 & 7

Teaching old cats new tricks

My cats have never enjoyed "cat treats". They react to the word "treat", but what they know as a "treat" is a fancy food - something that they eat from a bowl - and consume at warp speed.

Every once in awhile, I get the urge to test the "treat" boundaries with them. What pet owner doesn't want their pet to nuzzle a small nugget from the palm of their hand?

Well I know that my cats are too smart for nuzzling...but I thought for sure that they would do impressive tricks if inspired properly.

So I purchased a bag of Whiskas Temptations...the cat treat that has cats jumping 12 feet in the air for a taste, or charging through the drywall for a nibble.

Bag in hand, cats in sight, I shook the bag - just like the commercial. Nothing. I adjusted my hold on the bag, and shook it again, this time with more noise. Nothing. I called out, "Who wants a treat?" Two cats came prancing along...so I knelt down, treat nugget in palm...nothing. I dropped the treat on the floor, encouraging "TREAT!". Nothing. They walked away.

Maybe tomorrow I'll throw the treats at them.

Disgruntled,

Em

Intro's cont'd

3&4, and 5

Formal Introductions

I feel like I'm behind the 8 ball already on Flower Watch. Above, we see pots number 1 & 2, taken today...post dead-heading. I think that the high winds we have had lately did a bit of a number of these poor plants. Either that, or the original flower lady (to save her identity, I'll just call her Mom), put a curse on these blooms! She cares and loves, and then walks away...within days (10 days to be exact, as noted in the Kitchener situation), the blooms are blooey!

Well, I'm not giving up yet (unless someone with superior plant/flower knowledge has some advice).

{still searching}

Em

Flower Watch

I have 7 flower container arrangements in my yard. During her recent visit, my mom and I went flower shopping (I chose the colours, she chose the flowers). My mom then spent hours arranging my new "babies" in their containers. She used her "lady fingers", and dug around in the soil to find just the right home for each bundle of potential. She examined, dead-headed, watered, moved around some of the bundles again the next day, fertilized, arranged their leaves, admired, watered again, worried about the wind, topped up the soil...and then she went home.

I have been left with some care instructions - watering, fertilizing (every 2-3 weeks, 2 1/2 tbsp of fertilizer with #8 on the water bucket...YES(with a pump of my fist)!) and dead-heading.

So I have decided to post pictures of my flowers here on my blog, so that you (and my mom) can make sure that I'm doing a good job.

{still searching for a sign off}

Emily

My first post!

Welcome to my new venture (or is it an "adventure"?) I'm not completely sure what I intend to accomplish with this blog*, other than to simply have a place to put my thoughts about anything and everything! Ok - it won't be full of my thoughts, but as I understand this blogging thing, I can post photos, or links to articles and other bits that I find interesting.

*Mom, blogging is one of the latest Internet communication tools.

I am by no means promising daily posts*, nor am I promising that you will find what I have to say interesting.

*Gil/Dad, don't bother me when I haven't had a "bit" in a while!

Lucky for me, this site offers spell check...however, there isn't a grammar check from what I can tell...

I'm about ready to publish this post...

{future sign off to go here},

Em