This was suggested to me by a friend to fill out and I thought it was a good idea. Sometimes we need to take time out and remember the things that make us happy. Anyone who wants to is welcome to try filling this out. I bet you can come up with fifty simple pleasures!

1) The companionable silence between my partner and I while we do things in the same room.
2) The fact that she knows what I am thinking without me having to say it.
3) Spending time with my adult children
4) Seeing my children make a success of life
5) Writing
6) Getting acceptance letters from publishers
7) Royalty checks
8) Hearing from readers about my books
9) Chatting for hours with a good friend over coffee
10) Walking barefoot on the beach
11) Sitting by a lake, reading
12) Reading a good book
13) Eating chocolate
14) Messing around on facebook, twitter, xanga and any of a hundred networking sites.
15) Having a massage
16) My cat bumping her head against my legs when she's feeling smoochie
17) Green grass
18) Blue skies
19) The mountains I see outside my kitchen window
20) The smell of fresh baked bread
21) Cooking something for the first time and it turns out well
22) Seeing other people enjoy what I cook
23) Shopping
24) Browsing shop windows without buying
25) Watching a good movie with someone I love
26) Feeling clean
27) Cleaning my kitchen and the sense of accomplishment when it's done
28) Fruit Smoothies
29) Horses
30) Dogs
31) Walking through a rainforest
32) The smell of freshly mown grass
33) Watermelon on a hot day
34) Getting email from a friend
35) Getting a card from a friend on my birthday or at Christmas
36) Chatting online with my pals
37) The feeling of relief when my allergy meds kick in!
38) A no or low pain day
39) eating something healthy
40) Eating something not so healthy
41) Ice cream sundaes
42) Red Door Perfume
43) Loving women
44) Being true to myself
45) Watching mama birds with their chicks
46) Listening to chickens 'chat' to each other
47) Rain on the roof when I am in bed
48) Watching lightning (as long as I am safe indoors)
49) Watching my cat run around and act the fool when she's excited.
50) Being alive

I had an MRI scan of my full spine and musculo-skeletal system done today. I know, I thought that all the testing and stuff was over with too, but recently my GP referred me to a new rheumatologist, and he was either bored, or curious and decided he wanted to get images of my spine from brain stem to butt end.

MRI was probably about the only diagnostic test I hadn't submitted to yet. It had never been suggested before, and I'd never thought to ask for one. As tests go, they're expensive, I think and not something a doctor should just order on a whim, but this chap seemed to have a plausible reason for doing it.

I know what he's looking for, but I am not going to scare myself, or anyone else at this point, by going into details. Suffice to say, he is not looking for cancer. :)

So I was more curious than worried about this test and have done a little bit of reading and research about MRI and how it works. It is not an x-ray, although the resultant images look like x-rays it doesn't use any radiation at all. It uses electromagnetic pulses to build images of bones, organs or whatever else it is used to scan.

The one I had, they needed to inject me with a contrast agent, again, as far as I know this is not radioactive, unlike the x-ray contrast which was used when I had the CT scan three years ago.

The procedure is non invasive and the most offensive part of it -- or so I am told -- is the fact that the machine is noisy. Being the curious type, I asked why the machine makes so much noise and was told that it is because they pass an alternating current of electricity through something or other--helium I think, was mentioned-- (sorry if this is too technical *g*) and the different noises pertain to various currents.

So I was taken into the prep area where a canula was inserted into my arm...well, that is a little over simplified. It was an area where first a nurse tried three times to get a canula into my left arm, and then a doctor tried twice to get one into my right arm. He was successful on the second attempt.

Then I was taken into the MRI room were the big tubular machine waited for me. I got onto a table which was then raised up, a bunch of sensor pads were placed here and there and headphones were placed on my ears so I could listen to music--Susan Boyle-- while the scan was done.

The machine is not only noisy, it is also a Lady Gaga fan, I decided because quite a lot of the time that it was running, it kept saying loudly, in a monotone, robotic voice GAGA GAGA GAGA which soon had my silly brain singing "Bad Romance," in opposition to Susan Boyle.

It took about 40 minutes to complete all the scans, with a pause in the middle so that the contrast could be injected into my arm.

I was given the films to take with me, and have had a look and can now say that I have proof that I do have a spine, the next time someone says I am spineless!

So in a week or two, I will see the Rheumatologist for the results. I hope it gives a definitive answer so that I can get on with living my life and hopefully not have to run around getting any more tests done.

X-posted to kalitakasar, megleigh 

My energy and vibrations have been very low this last little while. I have not felt that I could be bothered doing anything much, not even posting to my blog. Hence the silence, broken only by pulses, or answers to featured questions. (Note for those getting this via other feeds, a pulse and a featured question are exclusively xanga.com so, if you're not following on xanga, you would have just had silence).

I have not been writing, either. Just sleeping, eating, reading and the occasional meditation session thrown in. I don't know that it has improved a whole lot, either, but at least I felt motivated to post a blog today.

Sandra and I spent Christmas Day at Sandra's mother's house. We didn't take a lot of pictures, no one thought of it until dessert when we decided it would be nice to get pictures of our joint effort Tiramisu which we made for dessert. It turned out okay. Maybe needed more coffee, but it tasted good. Below are the pictures. Tiramisu is traditionally made with Marscapone cheese, but we used a low fat creamed cottage cheese to try and make a lower calorie alternative.

I have included a very simple tiramisu recipe below (not the recipe we used), in case anyone wants to try it.

I am the least camera shy person of the three of us, so lucky me got to be the food model. lol!

Tiramisu is an Italian dessert. The name means "Lift me up" and it is made by layering sponge cake doused with strong black coffee with a sweet, cream cheese filling between the layers. This one doesn't have much coffee on the layers. Italians would use much more!

Easy Tiramisu

• 500g mascarpone cheese
• 2 tbs caster sugar
• 400mls freshly brewed strong coffee, cooled
• 2 tbs Tia Maria or Kahlua (optional)
• 1 250g pkt savoiardi biscuits (Italian Biscotti)
  
• 80g good-quality dark chocolate, grated

(recipe from http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/10412/easy+tiramisu )

I am currently reading a book called Dreamwalker:The Path of Sacred Power by Mary Summer Rain. It's interesting. It details the events in the author's life when she was learning Native American Spirituality from her Spiritual Director No Eyes and the things that she saw during that time during her "dream walks." I am wondering if I will be the first among my group of friends to read the entire book. One of them didn't get past the first chapter, another got about halfway through and had some disturbing visions of her own and stopped reading. Yet another only read about a quarter of the book and had to stop because it was making her feel uneasy. So far I am about four chapters in and haven't experienced anything unusual. Then again, I don't consider myself psychically sensitive at all, so I may not be feeling what my friends felt about it. The only sense I get about it is that this book has passed through many hands and that's just obvious by looking at it. It's pretty well thumbed.

We'll see.

On my waiting to be read list are the following:

Title Secrets of the Monarch: What the Dead Can Teach Us About Living a Better Life

By Allison DuBois

Release Date 9/9/2008

Title Sacred Contracts: Awakening Your Divine Potential

By Caroline Myss

Release Date 1/28/2003

Title Entering the Castle: An Inner Path to God and Your Soul

By Caroline Myss

Release Date 3/6/2007

Title Ancestral Magic

By Moondancer Drake

Release Date 3/19/2009

Title The Dark Side of the Light Chasers: Reclaiming Your Power, Creativity, Brilliance, and Dreams

By Debbie Ford

Release Date 6/1/1999

These books are all a bit New Age compared to my usual reading fare, but I am finding much in them that is of merit and use. There is that which is of God in all thoughts and philosophies and I don't like to limit myself based on narrow guidelines. I think it is interesting and fun to find out what's out there. Maybe soon, I will get back to my fiction reading (one of the books above is actually a novel), but for now I am enjoying this journey of discovery.

We had a long and tiring day today, starting out early in an attempt to get to the shopping center before the crowds to do some last minute shopping.

Unfortunately the crowds were on to us, and managed to get to the mall before we did. Drat! Still parking was a mite easier going this early and we found a spot relatively quickly. This time of year, I am almost grateful for my disabilities because at least I can get good parking if I get to the shops early...Does that make me bad?

Time was, when a doctor had something minor to talk with you about, he would have his receptionist call and advise you, or he would tell you on the phone, himself.



Nowadays they seem to prefer to call you in to the clinic to tell you something tiny... It's annoying and costs me a lot in fuel for my car, and time, just to be told "Oh the results were pretty good, your liver function was normal, your haemoglobin is up to 121, so that's good, but the iron stores are still a bit low, so I want you to keep going on the iron supplements for two more months."



Yeesh, Doc! You made me drive 7.6km just to tell me that?



Still, I am glad the liver is back to normal, that result had me a little worried, last time.



But seriously, he couldn't do this by phone? Of course not. Then he wouldn't get paid the $50 for my visit! *shakes head*

Preacher James Montgomery was preaching in Liverpool in 1822 when there was a sudden black out. Panic was about to ensue amongst his listeners until the pastor of the church where he was speaking called out a reassurance: "There is still light within!" The people calmed and Montgomery finished preaching his sermon in the dark.

"There is still light within!"

Such true words and just the reminder I needed last night. Facing a call back to my doctor in relation to blood test results, I was letting myself be swamped by feelings of anxiety, to the point of panic. Last time I had blood taken there was a problem with my liver function and my mind went round and round on this point, fretting over the possible outcome.

Then I read this story about James Montgomery and the words "There is still light within!" leaped out at me.

When all around me seems dark and hopeless; when everything seems to be getting worse instead of better; when it seems as though there is no light: "There is still light within."

I must try to remember that the source of my light and hope does not come from earthly knowledge, from medicine or from men. It is derived from that inner light which shines on despite the outer circumstances.

Let me ever draw my solace, my consolation, strength and hope from that inner source before I turn to eathly knowledge or outer assistance. Those things have their place and are useful, but always--ALWAYS--"There is still light within!"

So this morning when I got up, I had an urge to go and see a movie, so after a small amount of dithering on my part, I decided I'd go and see The Invention of Lying. This is a strange film, but quite interesting. Not sure I entirely agree with the world view and philosophy presented, but I got a few giggles. It is a good film to see if you don't take yourself, or your religious beliefs too seriously.

In other news, I had a call from my doctor's surgery asking me to come in and see my doctor about the results of the blood tests he took on Tuesday. This will either be because my iron is still too low, or because the liver function was abnormal again. This is getting to be annoying. Almost tempted to ask him not to do bloodwork anymore.

Why can't my body just behave and function as it is supposed to function?

Anyway, it is no use worrying about it until I see him and find out what it's about, so now I need to find ways to distract myself so I don't sit here and fret until I see him.

The shopping center (mall) where the movie cinema I went to is, was packed to the rafters with pushy, rude people who can't even say so much as 'excuse me' when they almost knock you over. Reminded me why I do my holiday shopping online.

Oh well, nothing much else to report, so I am gonna go play computer games or something.