April 24....Good day to be alive on planet earth

Hi !!!
Health is good but I learned to not let my Fentenyl pain patch prescription run out. I realized just how well it keeps the pain at bay so I can live a fuller life. Especially after Yoga on Friday I was a mess. but the my sweet husband came home after a ten day work trip and rubbed it all away. How happy I am when he comes home from projects. He and Dad are at the lake getting the cottage open and the boat in the water. The water is up maybe a foot or more which is great news. So this weekend we will be at the lake and here planting more seedlings. Last chemo two weeks and counting.

"The Annual Butterfly Walk" for the greater Detroit area is raising funds for Lupus research at University of Michigan Hospital. I am on the planning committee. The event will be Saturday August 19th. If you want to walk with us or donate please let me know and I will send you the form. Even $5.00 helps !!!! angela@lupusadvocacy.org. Wheelchairs and golf carts available. We need water bottles to be donated if you would like to help in that way?

Happy belated Earth Day !!! I have celebrated with my sweet Douglas and our gardens love us for it. Seedling are almost ready to be planted in the rich soil and the birds are flying by the dozens, ducks back to nest and more new ones coming in. I saw a doe the other day and our Chipmunk. The cat population is at five. They are so cute and wild. I feel like St Francis here feeding the animals and planting more plants. The Arbor Day Foundation is still accepting new members for $10 you will receive 10 trees to plant or donate. Go to their web site and help the earth and grow the value of your property for Arbor Day, 27th of April.

Five Things You can Do Now For The Earth...
1) Recycle, Re-use and Renovate. Even buy from consignment shops and take your old clothes there to sell as well. Almost anything can be recycled into a new life form or donated for a cause.
2) Compost all vegetable scraps, egg shells, news paper(no colored ink) and even shredded paper and coffee grounds. Learn more on various web sites for gardening and at your library, any book by Bob Flowerdew or Mel Bartholomew will guide you on the path of composting.
3) Plant more bird, butterfly and bat loving plants and trees(perennials) and set about small bird feeders and bird baths, along with bird houses, bat houses and even butterfly homes. They eat bugs to decrease the use of pesticides(hopefully you would never use them anyway) and
they help the plants grow and provide a natural habitat in which everyone will benefit.
4) Use only compact fluorescent light bulbs..Saves money and energy. Use Smart Strips power plugs or unplug unused appliances especially at night....TV, stereo, micro etc can be unplugged while at work and sleep. Get free energy kit from Duke Power http://www.dukepower.com/. They also offer free energy audits(ask your power company to do this).
5) Use cotton bags for your grocery shopping and to hold vegetables. Never use grocery bags unless you can recycle for other uses. Cotton bags can be purchased at http://www.createjoynow.com/, Oprah.com, http://www.earthbags.com/ and any health food store....They even make ones just for six bottle of wine......Now that is enough to make you want to go shopping !!!!! Oh and try to buy organic and support local farmers and purveyors. Cuts back on fuel use and supports local economy.
Even the large discount chains carry inexpensive organic options even in cleaning supplies which is very important.

http://www.shaklee.com/
http://www.greendimes.com/
http://www.americanforrest.org/
http://www.earth911.com/
http://www.globalwarming.com/
http://www.gaiam.com/
http://www.oprah.com/
www.discoverychannel.com/planetearth

On A Sad Note: I wanted to write something last week for all those who were involved in the horrible event at Va. Tech. The memories are etched in my mind and heart, yet the faces of grace are what stands out.I remember and respect the survivors and the family of victims who so bravely handled the situation and will go on spreading the message of healing to others, just like the Father and Brother of the girl, Rachel, who died at Columbine. They now teach at schools across the country on how to avoid these things in the first place and help those in need find and seek help before their mental illness or hatred gets them to that terrible point of not return. I hold in my heart these bright young kids and the brave teachers who sacrificed their lives. I hope the rest of the country, world and the media can take the good and the graceful to focus their energy on the positive, preventative and on forgiveness. Then we can start to heal the nation of this growing hopelessness and helplessness our youth face every day and see it mirrored on TV, in music and on Internet(monitor the i-pods, Internet & TV for your sake and your kids). I also hope one day very soon we bring our young men and woman home from war so they can go on with productive lives and give peace a chance. At least stop the blood baths.......My heart still breaks.........and yet I see hope.

By the way Hang Gliding season is here..........It is truly tempting because I only have about 8 more tandem lessons and I can fly myself ???? Tandem of course. ( I know I have bone fractures and bone loss..and I might be a tad crazy but I must live) I will not have to do any lifting or landing. One of the instructors is an emergency surgeon at U of M....They have ways for us "with special needs" to do it safely and is safer than driving or even walking down a flight of stairs. Plus I remember why I love to be alive on planet earth!!!! when I am flying on a current and looking down at the land below......the rich hews of color and bright blue skies. Wow !!! What a good day to be alive and how blessed we are.
We shall see.........Maybe I will just swim and do light yoga for now? I hope my Dr. isn't looking.

Make yourself and others a wonderful day !!!!!!
Love
Angela