http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/24/21117142-shackled-and-pregnant-wis-case-challenges-fetal-protection-law?lite

I found this article interesting.  I went through a situation that was similar in some ways with my first pregnancy.  It wasn't about recreational drug use but about prescriptions I was taking for epilepsy.  I wouldn't take them.  I knew how toxic they were and I didn't have an extreme seizure disorder. I refused to subject my child to the effects of the drugs. Because of this I had a hard time finding a physician to treat me prenatally. I did finally find one __ a good one. Also an interesting story. :)  However
What this young woman has gone through raises some interesting and important questions.
It is true there are addicted babies being born all the time. It is a tragedy, to say the least, but is what the authorities did here the answer?  And in her case I would have to say no.
But that's my opinion...what's yours?

What the  government shutdown accomplished in Smalltown, USA

Front Royal, Va. is a small community an hour or outside of the Washington metro area.  Here we have a mostly rural lifestyle [a few stores but all in all just your small town].  This is where the entrance to Skyline Drive [Shenandoah Nat'l Park] is located and several access points to the Appalachian Trail. We also have the confluence of the north and south forks of the Shenandoah river, very popular with the canoeists.

 The county also houses the Smithsonian Conservation Center for the Smithsonian Institution. Here they raise many of the species for various zoos, most of whom are considered endangered.

During the government shutdown our county lost it's main celebration of the year, The Festival of Leaves. Most of the vendors/stores and services depend heavily upon this festival and the few weeks a year when the leaves change to finance their bottom line. The park was closed as was the Smithsonian. The Smithsonian depends on donations most of which are solicited during their own festival held in conjunction with that of the county. It all takes place during mid-October. There was no reason to celebrate this year.

The financial hit to the county was substantial...on a par with loss from a natural disaster but w/o the ability to petition for funds to compensate the losses incurred.  If I were an attorney I would consider suing the government. This will all have a major impact on the people and businesses here.

Previous Festival photo

And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

All of this loss will have repercussions at the national level as it impacts any of the national businesses who rely on shoppers from areas just like this one. All across the country small towns have suffered. Big towns and cities, too but I think the real damage has been done to the small communities which house homes and businesses that will not recover from all the government grandstanding.

The Smithsonian Conservation Center.

Then there are the International repercussions. But that's for another diatribe.

Today I am going to clear the dining table.  Why? Good question as it instantly attracts more stuff to fill the vacancy left behind by the old stuff.  It's nearly magnetic in it's ability to attract said stuff. And it's not just your usual assortment of stuff__it's also tools [from the constant renovating going on around here], animal supplies [which are supposed to be in cupboards but still end up on the table], food of many varieties [well, I guess food is actually close to it's home as it sits on the table. This is food in bags and other containers least you find yourselves wondering about half eaten pizza, etc. It's not quite frat house messy]. There's more. Much more. Where does all this stuff come from? I found keys the last time I did this and I have no idea what they go to... just a small ring of keys. I need to wash the table felt cover __ * looks at table. Grimaces *  I thought about posting a sign:

But I figure it would backfire and become even more magnetic, attracting even more stuff:

Besides, who'd see the sign buried under all the stuff  :/

However, no matter all the arguments I find myself using to try to weasel out of the task  * sigh *  it must be done.

Oh, and laundry.

Sometimes I wonder what it is I do around here  * looks around *.  I distinctly remember cleaning recently  * looks around some more * but from the looks of things it all needs doing again.  There oughta be a rule. Clean something and it stays that way. Yes. I like that rule. Let's implement that.

It has been an interesting few days.  I mean this in the 'May you have an interesting life' context.

I think I'll make this chronological instead of import.

Last week I went to see the orthopedist about my right shoulder.  The rheumatologist has been giving me cortisone injections in the bursa [ for bursitis] over the last few months but it wasn't improving and the last shot caused a great deal of pain. No more cortisone. Anyway, she was on vacation when I felt a Pop! in my shoulder and could no longer lift my right arm.  This is inconvenient. It's my dominant hand. Anyway, after having an MRI it was discovered that my entire rotator cuff is basically gone. The pop was the last remaining tissue holding it all together. To top that off it is unlikely that I will be eligible for shoulder replacement or any kind of reconstruction as the RA I have will just destroy the new joint.  So I am now listed as having a partially paralyzed right arm. This as opposed to completely paralyzed.  Lovely.

Over the w/e Sari, our tortoiseshell cat, died. I blame myself completely. She had been showing signs of illness  but I was so preoccupied with my own troubles that I waited too long to get her to the vet. In all honesty I didn't think it was that severe but when I brought her outside Fri. morning she just laid down in the sun and wouldn't eat her breakfast. When I went back a few minutes later she was gone. I mean she had wandered off. She never came back. Matt found her body in the tall grass at the edge of the yard yesterday evening. He buried her at the edge of the woods.  I am eaten with guilt. If I hadn't been so short sided and self-centered she may have made it through. I will never know.

Then one of Matt's friends started a whole melodrama and dragged Matt into it. Oh, not directly but by inference in dealings that had nothing at all to do with Matt and everything to do with this friend and his lack of any kind of judgement. Now things have become tense . Matt made a stand and told this person to stay away from him and the house. Never come and darken our door again kind of thing. It's sad as he and Matt have been friends since grade school.

Then last night my front tooth [a cap] fell off. Charming. Now I have to go looking for a dentist. I hate going to the dentist [who doesn't] but especially one I've never been to before as my old one has moved away. So I picked one out of the phone book. This one had the most positive reviews in the area so we'll see. Once again it's the RA. It's affecting all my systems including my teeth, hair, nails and skin not just the joints and connective tissue. If this dentist turns out to be any good he'll probably be seeing much more of me.  * sigh *  In the meantime I am gap-toothed. Oh, and partially paralyzed. And grumpy. And riddled with guilt. I may be approaching the 'old pirate' time of life. I could trade in my cane and use one of Matt's decorative swords instead. Tie on a bandanna and Whoosh! Madame Snarly on your starboard deck, Mateys.

So on a positive note ___ wait, I'll come up with something.  Oh, yes. The pellets for our heating system are here and loaded in the basement.  This is a very good thing as all the prognostications are for a cold, cold winter here. But then again it was supposed to be a bad hurricane season and so far [knock on wood] that hasn't happened.

I hope your last few days have gone better.  And here's to a beautiful and uneventful, at least in the negative way, Fall __ or maybe I should use the word Autumn.

Warning! Spirit woowoo is mentioned. Run if you are inclined or stick around because it is [mostly] innocuous.

This morning I went about my daily routine which includes jumping onto the computer while I jump onto the exercise bike. I got everything set up__ bike alongside bed with pillow as platform for mouse, wallmount screen turned just so, coffee on drafting table on other side of bike [small space, yes], keyboard within reach, everything set but no mouse. I had just had it 2 seconds before.

I looked everywhere. Places I hadn't even gone yesterday. I got on the floor and looked under the desk. I looked in the closet. I went into the kitchen and looked in the freezer. I haven't been in the freezer for at least 24 hrs. In short, I looked everywhere including the dog's bed. Well, I didn't check Matt's room but he'd already left for work before all of this started so what was the point in that?

I was approaching meltdown.

In case I haven't mentioned it, I've been having approaches to meltdown, immanent meltdown or just plain hysterical meltdowns rather often lately. They're not particularly fun and rather alarming for Matt. Mostly I think they're med related and I'm going to be asking for another change here when I can get an appointment but onward with the story.

In order to try and circumnavigate these little bouts I've increased my exercise routines, started meditating more and am really trying to be cognizant of behavior control before I start to fall apart because I can't do something the way I used to be able to.

I made it about halfway before I tore the bed apart.

Oh, not literally. But I pulled the blanket off and shook it, tossed it aside. Same thing with the top sheet. And again with the body pillow. Gave the evil eye to the two bed pillows and threw them in the pile on the floor.  And there before me was the naked bottom sheet with a keyboard and screen remote__and no mouse. At this point I figured I could do a few different things. All I had to do was pick one.

I decided to laugh. Not chuckle, laugh. Out loud. Really loud. Rollicking, rolling laughter. [Yes, I am aware that could be construed as hysterical behavior] I simply have gotten tired of crying__and railing__and ranting. So I laughed. Then I asked those you cannot see but who are always there [I refer to them as spirit guides] what it was they wanted? What was I supposed to learn from losing the mouse? What Message were they imparting? Because it had to be them. There couldn't possibly be any other explanation. None. I wouldn't, couldn't accept one anyway because I had looked for the *(&^&%^*&(*_) mouse in every conceivable place and some really inconceivable ones and it had simply disappeared.

And as I stood laughing I happened to look down at the foot of the newly made bed and right in front of me was the mouse. On top of the blanket just all bright and sparkly.

Very funny guys.

What was it they were trying to say? Well it didn't show up until I started to laugh so the message I got from the entire ordeal was

Lighten Up

Around here we have what we refer to as 'Dog Theatre'.  It is a compilation of all the beagle Bernhardt moves that can be mustered to achieve any or all things desired at any given time or place. Some of these skills are rather impressive__some, not so endearing. Like the head shaking she insists on doing constantly because she wants her wetfood treat that comes along with the meds for her minor ear infection." Oh, look My Most Concerned and Valuable Human! I am in such Pain and Discomfort!" I swear the dog is going to sever a vertebrae. This all magically stops once her objective has been met. Transparent much?

We had an altercation over it this morning as she started in on me before coffee. Not a good idea. I fell [I was at the top of the basement stairs at the time and precariously balanced trying to put the gate back up]. I did not fall down the stairs. I did break the gate. And I did fall on the bad shoulder that just got injected again yesterday. It was at this point that the actress decided maybe it was time to get off the stage for a  while. Good thinking.  She has about 10 more minutes before she gets what it is she wants. If I give it to her at her behest she will push the time limit that much earlier tomorrow. You think I'm kidding? If I let her, by this time next week she'd have me up at midnight feeding her. It's uncanny the time-clock that the animals possess. Who needs an actual timepiece?

On the cute end of the fourlegged stick around here, Mattie in her ongoing culinary perusal of taste sensations has decided that:
okra is for flinging around on the carpet until it sticks
only organic carrots are edible
broccoli is edible if coated in beef juice
cauliflower the same
and tomatoes are very mysterious unless made into pizza sauce wherein they are divine

and I believe she has decided that mushrooms and tofu aren't food at all.

Oh, and now I must worry that every time I hear her squeak about something in her crate at night it might be one of those monster spiders I found downstairs in the basement yesterday. Now that was something to get dramatic about.

In the old days beans was a term used to signify derision, on occasion. 'Oh, you're full of beans.' [I'll leave you to extrapolate] or 'Aw, beans!'. These days we have other words and we use beans for other things. Like food. Well, we used them as food back then, too, don't get me wrong, but now we have LOTS and LOTS of beans where as in the old days we only had a few kinds. Maybe it was because we were vaining their name, I don't know but we have so many different kinds of beans to choose from these days that it seems kind of disparaging to refer to the bean as humble.

Take for instance the original pinto, my personal fav. Now Mexican food would be bereft w/o it but then so would many other kinds of dishes, especially certain southern kinds served with cornbread.

Then there's the black bean. The navy bean [which is the interior of the green bean for those, like me, who didn’t know that] the adzuki, which I have yet to try, the lima, the kidney, garbanzo [yeah], pink, and the fava. [I believe there are more but you get the general idea].

Now, this last, the fava bean, was not on the list of the US Dry Bean Council. I arbitrarily added it. Why? Because it took me a while to find the da*n things in the stores around here. When I was a kid the fava bean, also known as broad beans or Italian beans, were everywhere including just about all backyard gardens. I don’t know when or why they fell out of favor but POOF!! Gone. So why am I so keen on finding these particular beans?

Because they are a food source of levodopa.

It is used to treat, among other things, Parkinson’s disease and related disease symptoms like tremors which I am now developing especially in my hands. Some days these are so bad I cannot do much of anything including use the computer. Many are finding that getting the L-dopa through food rather in a medicinal form is more effective for them__some not. I am willing to try it.  I did finally find the dry variety in the Latino food section at one of the local groceries. I think I’ll try a Mexican type of hummus recipe I found. Beans, lemon, cumin, garlic, parsley [it calls for cilantro] and cayenne. Sounds tasty, right?

Anyway, that’s me. Full of beans. Or soon to be.