Today was quite different from most days. A lady friend was coming for lunch….a weekly event for the two of us since our husbands passed away just a few months apart, some years ago. After Rocky and I married, we continued our lunch dates to share news of our families or news about town. It’s a regular “Mayberry” life we have here in Willow Springs.

Before she came I hurried out to the Vet with our last two stray kitties to receive their shots and for the female to be spayed. The younger cat, a male we named Chevy because he lived under cars at the Chevrolet Dealership, came back home because he was too young yet to be neutered. Another 3 weeks should be about right, according to the Vet.

The clock was getting around to the time I needed to start lunch so I decided to write my blog later, after I took my friend home. As they always say….. “a funny thing happened on the way to whatever”……as we drove back to her house to drop her off, the sun was at an angle to amplify the color of the trees about town. In fact, they were so beautiful I decided to take my friend for a little drive to enjoy the gorgeous colors. I was sorry I didn’t have my camera to snap some of the ones that were especially beautiful and after I had Opal safely home, I did just that.

I was a tree hugger for sure. Any place I saw one with the best color, I’d park the car quickly, jump out and snap. This exercise went on until I was satisfied with my efforts. Then, on a hunch, I decided to drive to the cemetery because I remembered how pretty the trees were last year. I had a field day taking pictures before I noticed a burial was in process. Then I noticed a Marine Honor Guard and figured it must be either a service man or a retired vet. I was standing at the graves of my brother and Bear who both served during wartime….I figure they were both standing at the gate to welcome him….another old vet who had finished his last tour of duty.

I came home and fed all the critters and settled in to fix supper for Rocky and Becky and me. Finally, I sat down to write my blog. My little head full of the nice day I’d had, I wrote blissfully along……….then when I went to post….disaster struck. I guess my day had been too great so Murphy decided to pay a call. For some weird reason my title wouldn’t bring up the blog and it wouldn’t post. When I tried to find the blog it was no where to be found and a blank kept coming up for my title.

Well……this is the way it is. To make a long story short…..August and September were real bummers for me. The two pages I wrote in detail go like this…..a mystery pain all over my body, very severe, couldn’t sleep much either month, and things went from bad to worse. I was low on energy and forcing myself to do simple household tasks. Yard work was torture. In the end, after all the drama and suspense, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia……a word I’d never heard of and didn’t know anything about. It knew a lot about me before I knew much about it. I didn’t like the familiarity it enjoyed with my body and I was stuck in something I couldn’t get rid of. It takes a lot of research to learn how to live peacefully with the demon who knows how to hurt you real good. I received good information and was on the road to recovering some of the ground I lost when a strange rash began spreading all over my body. It was as itchy as poison ivy, yet that wasn’t the culprit. My palms and the bottom of my feet cracked open and I was about as miserable as one person can be. I made another long visit back to the doctor who made an appointment for me with a good dermatologist.

I had no experience with a dermatologist but we became fast friends. She liked my money and I hoped for a cure. Ah yes……a marriage made in heaven. Well, our short affair will have to wait for tomorrow when I shall return……..

Until then,
Essentially Esther