Come Join the Fun on Apple Creek Cove!

Welcome to Apple Creek Cove!  We are up and going!  

I’ve wanted to do this for so long and I let perfectionism get in my way of doing it.  Well, guess what?  I have kicked perfectionism to the curb!  Perfectionism gets in the way of so many wonderful plans because a perfectionist would rather not do it at all than not do it perfectly.  Expecting yourself to be perfect will not only destroy plans, it will literally make you sick.

Apple Creek Cove came about almost a year ago in an effort to follow a New Year’s resolution to chronicle my transition from the working world to early retirement.  I want to share my efforts to find new ways to efficiently manage our household. I know what you’re thinking and you are wrong, wrong and wrong again! This is not another blog on cleaning house and doing laundry. The information you’ll find here will benefit everyone but it’s aimed at making the lives of a very special group of people easier – those of us who suffer from chronic pain.  According to the American Chronic Pain Association,   about 86 million people in the United States cope with some form of chronic pain.  If you cope with chronic pain or someone you love does, this blog is for you.

I suffer from Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Myofascial Pain Syndrome, Peripheral Neuropathy, Peripheral Lymphedema, Sjogren's Syndrome, Arthritis, four herniated discs, Carpel Tunnel Syndrome, short term memory loss, sleep apnea and depression.  Recently a doctor asked why I was depressed!  Apparently the look on my face made him quickly rethink his words.  He backtracked and said something like “with all that’s wrong with you, it’s not surprising you’re depressed.”

When I was younger (and healthier) I was described by some people as being a perfectionist to the point of almost being OCD.  (Can’t everyone find their husband’s black socks in the dark, blindfolded, with one hand tied behind your back?)   The Merriam-Webster dictionary defines perfectionism as disposition to regard anything short of perfection as unacceptable.  As I was researching perfectionism (can’t write a blog post that’s not as close to perfect as possible), I discovered that I am not a perfectionist!  I am actually a high achiever according to the Perfectionism Quiz on About.com.  According to the test results a high achiever strives toward perfection, but has a healthy understanding of what is and isn't possible, and is able to enjoy the journey without getting overly hung up on the results.  The only exception I have to the high achiever designation is a tendency to procrastinate.  Procrastination is what a perfectionist does because they worry that the project is not going to be perfect so they don’t start.  The fear of not doing it correctly is that real.  That’s exactly what I’ve done with this blog.  

I love research.  I mean LOVE research.  As a paralegal, nothing brought me more joy than going to the law library and researching case law.  I just don’t know when to stop!  My legal research professor told me on more than one occasion that I had to stop chasing rabbits!  And boy did I chase rabbits getting ready to write Apple Creek Cove.  I enjoyed the process of planning a full month of topics but told myself that I couldn’t launch with only a plan. I had to have a month’s worth of posts written and scheduled to post every morning.  Well guess what?  I don’t have that month’s worth of posts ready but we are going ahead with this!

Here on Apple Creek Cove a household staff is not in the budget so we have 3 options: (a) Nothing gets done until we qualify for an episode of Hoarders and/or have no clean clothes or dishes, (b) my precious husband works all day (while I sew and/or read all day) then comes home to cook, clean and do the laundry or (c) I find a way to do it. Option ‘c’ was the logical choice but it didn’t take long for me to realize that my standards and methods were going to have to change.  Realizing it and accepting it was not the same thing.  It surprised me how hard it was to accept that I couldn’t vacuum and mop every day. Several days in bed from over doing it drove that lesson home quickly.

 Our pain changes us physically but it doesn’t change who we are.  We have the same hopes and dreams; we still want a clean, comfortable and inviting home so friends and family can come visit.  What is different is how we accomplish our goals. Just like there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to clothing, it’s the same with homemaking. With an adjustment here and a new method there, we can define routines and techniques to work in our new world.  A world where we are a middle achiever!

Once again, I missed my deadline... :-(

I know there are a few of you who keep checking back to see if I've actually got this blog up and running.  I can't tell you how much I appreciate that. I'm hopeful that by this time next week it will happen.  I've had carpel tunnel for a long time but a cortisone shot to my wrist about 4 years ago made me forget all about it.  Apparently, it realized that I had forgotten all about it and had its feelings hurt.  About three weeks ago it came back with a vengeance.  It's worse this time than it ever was before (maybe the fibromyalgia makes it worse?) and I can't get in to see my hand doc until the end of the month.  I've stayed off the computer for what seems like forever (I think it's been about two weeks)  and it seems to be getting better.  Of course, "better" is a relative term. Instead of a hot poker in my wrist it's warm poker.  My wonderful hubby hasn't had to open jars, comb my hair, etc for two days!  LOL I'm hoping if I take it slow, I'll be able to get my content loaded.  Enjoy these wonderful cool days we're having.  This is my time of the year!

Summer was a Blast!

Jonathan

Anna Katherine

We've had a great summer here on Apple Creek Cove.  We had a great time with the grandchildren.  The oldest two and I spent some time at one of the local spray parks.  I wish these had been around when I was a kid or at least when their mom and Uncle Dave were kids.  All we had was a sprinkler attached to the garden hose and we loved it!  Of course, we had no idea there was anything nearly as cool as a spray park in the future.

Sarah ready for Cowboy Day

 

I know that everyone says they have the best grandchildren in the world but I really do!  I am blessed to have wonderful, kind and loving grandchildren.  They've never known me without Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Myofascial Pain, Peripheral Neuropathy and Peripheral edema. As soon as they were able to understand, my daughter started teaching them about my limitations.  At a very young age, they learned that MiMi's muscles hurt all the time and she can't walk very far. Now that they are older, Jonathan and Anna come up with activities that I can do with them that won't tire me out and that I don't have to walk much to do. Jonathan and I cook and Anna and I sew.  When they see me trying to do something, they step in and if it's in their ability, take care of it for me.  All I have to do is ask for something and off my little caregivers go!  If they notice how badly my feet and legs are swollen, I get my "orders" to sit down and prop them up!  Even Sarah who is four understands that MiMi can't do the things she'd like to do.  She'll snuggle up, rub my arm and tell me that she's sorry I don't feel good.  That's followed up with "I love you MiMi".  You don't find medicine like that in a bottle. I'm looking forward to her getting older because right now, I can't keep up with her and know better than to try.

Most times a visit with them turns into a fibro flare when I get home and I'll be in bed for several days afterward.  Is it worth it?  You betcha!  Will I do it again? In a heartbeat!  Fibromyalgia is such a crazy disease that I don't know what tomorrow may bring.  With Fibromyalgia, your can't expect the next hour to be good.  It can literally rear it's ugly head in a matter of minutes, taking you from a productive person to being in so much pain you are bedridden.  I know that the odds are pretty high that I will reach a point where I can barely leave the house.   That's why I try to live life to the fullest while I still can.  .  

We're Going LIve in 5.....4.... 3....2.... 1!!!!

Way back in November, 2010 I started this blog.  My goal has always been to write a blog that readers would find both helpful and entertaining.  We'll talk about grandchildren, sewing, cooking, couponing,  housecleaning tips for those of us in chronic pain that will also help those of you with a busy schedule to maintain a livable home and anything else that comes to mind.  Since my illnesses (Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, Chronic Myofascial pain, Peripheral Neuropathy and Peripheral Edema) are such a huge part of my life, we'll be talk about them occasionally.  These crazy illnesses of mine are mostly responsible for it taking me so long to get to this point.
 
I have always had a tendency to be a perfectionist and I didn't want to start the blog without a lot of post on a lot of topics waiting to be posted.  In theory, it's a good idea.  Especially since my fibro can keep me in bed for days on end.  In reality, it's not such a good idea for a perfectionist.  We tend to not want to publish anything unless it's absolutely fabulously correct and awe inspiring.  I have short term memory  and comprehension problems which means that sometimes I can't come up with the correct word or I'll leave a word out of a sentence.  I have to proof read multiple times.  So instead of publishing something that doesn't meet unrealistic standards, I just didn't post anything and essentially gave up.  In the "edit posts" folder there are 17 entries including this one.  Eight of them are in the draft stage.  I'm not going to let it bother me any longer.  I'm going to share with you what's going on in my life each day and hopefully, we'll learn from each other.  

The most important topic I'll be talking about is my faith in God.  He's an awesome God who was willing to send His son to earth to take on our human body and then die a painful death on the cross so that we can live forever with Him in heaven.  His grace has set us free!  My desire is live my live in a way that is pleasing to God.  I can think of no better way of becoming the woman God wants me to be than to follow the God inspired advice given to King Lemuel by his mother in Proverbs 31:10 - 3.  I wrote about becoming a Proverbs 31 woman last year and I'm even more committed to walking that path.  I will be posting about my daily Bible study ever day and I invite you to jump in with your thoughts on the scripture for the day.


I've got some tasks waiting to be done that aren't going to get done on their own so I better go do them. I'm going to try and post all week until the big "reveal" on September 2.  Ok, I hear you asking "why September 2".  Why not September 1 or even Monday?  I will be 55 years young on September 2 so I'm starting my life another year older and hopefully a year wiser.  There's nothing like a fresh start and that's what we are doing here.


I hope you come along for the fun!

Getting serious about blogging

I love blogging. It's provides a way to share, vent, learn and make money.  Yep, make money.  Is it going to pay the house note? Nope. (But I can dream, can't I?) With the economy in the shape it's in these days, ever little bit helps.  I can spend way too much time reading blogs without realizing it.   I start reading Blog A who will mention Blog B or has a button that takes me to Blog C.  Before I realize what I've done, I'm reading Blog Z and it's 3:00 AM!

Tonight was no different.  I was looking at couponing blogs and one of them had a button for a blog called Business 2 Blogger.  At first glace it looked really interesting and signing up was free and simple. One of the things I liked most about this is that they are up front and let you know right off that your aren't going to get rich using their service. 

Business 2 Blogger is run by three bloggers (2 moms and a dad) just like us so all decisions are made with the average blogger in mind. B2B is a work in process that changes every day. They've created opportunities for bloggers that haven't always been available and I'm sure that will continue.  B2B will promote your blog in emails, on Facebook, Twitter and on their blog.  I see this as an opportunity to learn how to get my blogs out in the blogging world.  I'm hoping that my association with B2B will help expand my readership and make me a better writer.

The folks at B2B are up front and honest.  This is from their site and the bold lettering is their emphasis.

• B2B won’t make you rich. It won’t pay your mortgage. Don’t look at B2B as a work-at-home income source. This is a place where you may find the occasional neat product to review and keep, or you may make a few bucks.
• You won’t get a Blogging job every time we send out an email. We work with a LOT of Bloggers, and although we get many offers, you will not always get the job you want. In the end, the Business makes the final decision who to contact.
• Business2Blogger is a Business, run by 3 Bloggers. We have big plans. Revenue is re-invested in ways that will help bring even more opportunities to you. But our service will always remain free for the Blogger to receive the offers, and there will always be an option available for Businesses to run a free campaign.
• Your privacy is important to us. You will never get more than one email with blogging opportunities per day from us, and we will NEVER sell your contact information. Any information you choose to give us is ONLY used to pair you with Blogging opportunities.

Business Campaigns are sent out once a day in the B2B Blogger email and average 2 to 3 opportunity emails per week. As the Business2Blogger exposure increases, so will the number of campaigns.  After reading this information, I think that it's worth a try.  The only cost is my time and  I see it as a situation where I have nothing to loose and everything to gain.  

If you have a blog that you would like to get people talking about and make a little money in the process, I encourage you to check out Business 2 Blogger  and tell them you read about it on Apple Creek Cove.     

Since it's "only" 2:45AM, I'm going to bed early tonight.  LOL                          

Finally, It's Day One!

I know what you are thinking. Why is she writing about these giveaways in reverse order?  I told you I knew.  Occasionally, when my mind is working semi correctly, I know what you are thinking.  J It’s not any kind of conspiracy theory or anything like that.  My brain doesn’t work well enough to come up with those.  It’s because I just found the giveaways today.  I gave up Facebook for Lent and now I’m playing catch up.  At least I found them while we still have a chance to enter and win. So there!

The ladies at To Sew with Love promised they would have a whole week filled with fab giveaways when they had 400 followers at Google Friend Connection. That happened yesterday.  I’m really glad that I found them and Love, Support and Promote Handmade on Facebook because I’ve already found several great shops on Etsy. 

The Day One prize comes from a wonderful little Etsy fabric shop called Fabric Fairytales.  I went to their shop just to glance and I got lost in all the wonderful, colorful fabrics they have.  I really want to win this one.  I’ve already “spent” the $15 gift certificate several times in my head!

This giveaway will run for a week. Giveaway will be closed on May 2 at 11:59 (TSWL time - Spain). A winner will be drawn and announced on May 3. The drawn winner would have 48 hrs to claim her prize. If prize is unclaimed after 48 hrs, a new winner will be drawn.

While you are there, be sure to check out the ongoing fab sponsored giveaway, too.  Pixie Kid Toys provide quality handmade children's toys that inspire imagination, encourage health eating habits and promote language development.  The lucky winner of this giveaway will receive one (1) $10 coupon code redeemable at their shop.  

Giveaways are so much fun!

To Sew With Love's Day 2 Giveaway

To Sew with Love has another great giveaway for Day 2!  Have you ever wanted to have a label for your sewing projects that gave it that special touch and put your name in the clothing just like Tommy Hilfiger?  Now you can have that!  Day 2's winner will receive a $10 gift certificate to Custom Couture Label Co.  So one of you can have your own personalized clothing label, hang tag or business card to personalize your own creations or start your own Etsy shop! How exciting!

This giveaway will be closed on May 3 at 11:59 (TSWL time - Spain). A winner will be drawn and announced on May 4. The drawn winner would have 48 hrs to claim her prize. If prize is unclaimed after 48 hrs, a new winner will be drawn.

If you Love, Support and Promote Handmade then check out this page on Facebook.  The ladies of TSWL have created this page for those of us who recognize that handmade is special, wonderful and awesome! If you have a blog which promotes handmade or If you have a shop (Etsy, Bigcartel, Artfire, etc.) and you sell handmade items, TSWL has made a place to promote your blog and/or shop here! If you are looking to purchase handmade items, this is a great place to find a wide range of shops to peruse.  Who knows what you might find!

It's Day 3 of the Giveaway Galore at TSWL!!

Over at To Sew With Love they are having a fantastic giveaway. Not only  are they having "a" giveaway, their having an entire week of giveaways! Why is she doing such a super cool giveaway you ask?  This whole week filled with fab giveaways is to thank her followers for hitting 400 at Google Friend Connect. How much fun is that???  Somehow I managed to miss entering for the Day 1 and Day 2 giveaways but I'm going to go back and do that when I finish sharing this great giveaway with you. 

Day 3's winner will recieve 2 e-patterns for free from  Dear My Kids shop. Are you as excited as I am?  I took a look at the shop and there are some great patterns to purchase!  They are so cute! The patterns are PDFs so you get them quickly and they are so reasonable!  There's not many places that you can get a great kids pattern for $5.99?  If you buy more than one pattern, they are only $5.00.

I urge you to go check it out because they really are fun and user friendly. (That's good for us who are getting back into sewing after a few years out of it.)

Hurry on over and get in the chase for the giveaway.. of course, you know that I am going to win!!!  Ok, the odds of me winning are slim to none because I never win anything but a girl can hope!

Project Quilting - How cool is that?

Y’all already know that I love giveaways and contests.   I love Project Runway and I’m so ready for the next season to start.  I’m kinda lost without my Project “fix” every week.  Kim over at  Kim's Crafty Apple has come up with a something to keep me going until Project Runway is back.  Called Project Quilting, it works similar to Project Runway. Kim’s mother-in-law, Diane, a talented quilter and teacher, will post a ‘challenge’ every-other Sunday at Noon. Project Runway contestants would love the time schedule that goes with Project Quilting.  Contestants have one week to complete the challenge and post a picture of their creation on a Flickr account set up for the competition.  The picture is accompanied by the story of how they decided to solve the challenge the way they did.  Readers of Kim’s blog choose the public vote winner and a group of quilting pros chooses the judge’s winner.  Both winners receive prizes. Don’t  quilt but still want a chance at a prize?  There’s a way for that to happen too.  In fact, Kim gives us a way to have 8 entries!  Be sure to check out Kim’s blog for details.