Rain Rain Go Away...

Rain rain go away... maybe go hang out over Texas and the dried out parts of the country for a while. It's done nothing but RAIN lately; I think my garden is going to drown. I have a rain gauge (a tube with a ruler on the side on a decorative stake) and we got 5 inches over night a couple of days ago. And it isn't done! Forecasters say we have another day or so then we'll dry out for a little bit. I've watered my tomato plants maybe twice since I planted them. (They don't like a lot of water.) I have a bunch of other plants this year, too. We put in summer squash, cucumber, basil, pepper, and several plants each of collards and swiss chard. The cucumber is going crazy! It's vining all over the garden fencing and has several buds, but no fruit yet. The squash was doing well and we had a lovely blossom but the bugs got it. I read up on how to kill the pests but the info said they have a short season, so since the plant seems to be holding its own I'm letting well enough alone; the bugs will have their fill then I'll get the rest.

On the home front, The Eldest and I are getting over colds. Colds trigger really nasty, scary coughing fits for me so I went to the doctor about it, wondering if the coughing was triggering asthma attacks. He gave me some breathing tests and said I don't have asthma anymore!! That was welcome news. I was diagnosed back in 2007, the year I was losing weight, so I am guessing getting the weight off improved the asthma. The doc said that's a plausible assumption, so keeping the weight off has gained even more importance. It's a hard, hard battle, though. I'm getting some help on that front, thank goodness! DH has a new insurance company through his job and they called me about different wellness services they offer, including phone sessions with a nutritionist! I jumped on that and it's been great. The woman who is counseling me is a sweetheart and she's been very helpful. I've lost about 4 pounds now, largely due to the cold, but I'll take it. (Colds tend to suppress my appetite.) I'll take that as a jump start and work to keep it going. The insurance company sent me a very nice packet that includes a pedometer, tape measure, "portion plate", and a work book.

DH is hanging in there. He didn't catch the cold (thank goodness) but he's dealing with his thyroid issues now. The lab work came back and it turns out he had two kinds of thyroid cancer, so now he has to have a radiation treatment to make sure none of that tissue got anywhere else in his body. He's dreading it, but we'll get through it. The kids have to be out of the house for a few days so we're sending the little ones up to his parent's and The Eldest is going to stay with a friend. We're even sending the dogs to the kennel for a few days, just to be on the safe side. I'm staying here in case he needs me, but we can't hug or touch or sleep in the same room. :( He has to follow a special diet for a couple of weeks leading up to the treatment; I'll have to spend some time looking over the recipes and making up shopping lists. I glanced at the cookbook and there's a nice variety of recipes, so it shouldn't be a big deal.

Today is a "home day" and I need it! It helps keep my fibro under control if I can spend a few days each week at home without going anywhere near my car. I still go outside for walks and gardening, of course. Those walks are pretty important; I missed a few days in a row due to the absolute miseries from this darn cold and my legs ached so much it was difficult to sleep. (Added to the difficulties sleeping from the cold itself; not a good combination.) That balance of just enough exercise is so crucial to managing fibromyalgia; that would make it my top bit of advice to anyone newly diagnosed. Figure out how much you can exercise without it being too much, and DO THAT!! It is the best medicine out there.