tiredofdoctors

Debbie -- with all you have been through, all I can say is Hallelujah!! I am so happy for you my heart is light. You must feel as though a HUGE boulder has been lifted off your shoulders. Please do something for YOU to celebrate!!!! Love, Lynne

Hi all in Rachelville -- I'm still here in Brideville and probably will be until after Saturday. I miss you guys terribly . . . . I feel like my entire support has deflated since not being able to be "in the trenches" so to speak, with you. Got good news . . . Ash DOES want me to give her away at the alter!!! I am so excited about that . . . long, long story. Karen can fill you in . . . she's gotten the story when I was calm and when the only words she could hear were the ones that were in between the sobs!!

Going to have to get off the forum now . . . have to go to the orthopedic guy at 8:30 . . . . my tibia may actually BE cracked . . . . and I have ankles the size of an elephant's!! Good thing I go to the PT tomorrow . . . hoping the compression garments are in so they'll STAY down after treatment and for the wedding! Found a great pair of shoes . . . don't want to have "cankles" wearing them! Going to try to walk down the aisle in them . .. . have been practicing as much as I can. That's going to be an interesting time!!!

Please keep your fingers crossed that I'm not in a full-leg cast for the wedding . . . that would really bite. I already have (still) the huge bruises on my arm -- the little girl Ashley nannies for said, "Ashley -- your mommy has a tattoo on her ARM!!!" Ash had to tell her that, no, it was a big bruise!!! How embarrassing . . . she said it in front of the catering manager for the wedding! Ugh.

Toodles . . . . and hugs to you all!

Lynne

Goosh I just wrote a page and lost it.

. Since she was born she has cried and been irritable everyday. I was never able to soothe her. At six months when I introduced solids she stopped pooping.

Her poop is loose and sticky even though she is constipated and can't seem to get it out.

She has had developmental delays and at a year is not talking yet. Crawled at nine months. and doesn't seem to have the muscle's in her legs to start walking.

Please help!

Misty, Christina's mommy.

'

Some of your statements seem to be very "telling". I'm a physical therapist, and I have treated a lot of children who seem to be like your daughter. First, your inability to soothe her has NOTHING to do with you, and EVERYTHING to do with her nervous system. My guess would be that your daughter has sensory integration difficulties . . . particularly with developmental delays, etc. When a child has sensory integration (difficulty . . . ), their brains cannot make sense of the stimulus around them. They sometimes startle easily, they are irritable, and even touch makes them very agitated and cranky. These are the same kids that, as they get older, don't want their feet to touch the grass, don't want tags on their clothes, want only certain fabrics of clothing . . . because anything that is the least bit "rough" -- a tag that maybe hits a little, is magnified exponentially in their nervous system. A good book to read about this is "The Out of Sync Child".

The second thing is the pooping issue. The kids I treated we called the "non-pooper's club" . What usually

happened was that the child actually had a sacroiliac dysfunction which caused "outlet dysfunction constipation". In adults, we would call it anismus -- painful bowel movements, etc. If your daughter tries to get into different positions .. . usually these kids kind of "squirm" and try to get into a perfect position to have a BM. What they are doing is trying to lessen the strain that is on the S2 nerve root -- the one that "controls" the anal sphincter. When I had these kds in my clinic, I would first use interferential electrical stimulation, combined with heat on their back, at their low back & butt cheeks. It feels like a soft massage . . . one little boy asked, "Just five more minutes . . . would that be Okay??" He was three!! Because that type of stimulation relaxes the muscles, the kids would start passing gas like crazy! The moms would apologize like crazy, but I assured them that it was what we wanted . . . these were kids that usually DIDN'T pass gas. A lot of times, the ones that were verbal would say mid-treatment -- I have to POOPY -- NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!! And they would go, without the pain and the squirming to get into a biomechanically optimal position.

The third thing is that your daughter may be eligible for Project First Steps. She has already been diagnosed earlier with failure to thrive and you said that she has had developmental delays. Not talking at age one is NO BIG DEAL. My daughter, who is now an opera singer and majoring in Speech Language Pathology didn't speak until 20 months . . . and hasn't shut up since. Literally, she pointed to what she wanted, uttered an unenthusiastic "Unh" . . . and my son would say . . .Mommy she wants a cracker. I told him that SHE needed to say it, but his answer was "Why . . . I know what she wants." Good point, but still. My son, also, was a late talker. I was starting to get VERY concerned . . . but he was FINE. In fact, both are fairly intelligent, both are articulate . . . so as far as the verbal skills go, I wouldn't worry. If she cannot COMMUNICATE, on the other hand -- if she can't get a message across to you that she wants something . . . then I would have a little more concern.

You may want to ask your pediatrician for a referral to Project First Steps. Until the age of 3, one hour of therapies (maybe more if she needs different types of therapy) are free. It is a very valuable resource which tends to be (in my opinion) underused.

I realize that my response is biased with regard to therapeutic intervention, but I hope that I have maybe ben of some help. . . . .

Good luck to you. Worrying about your child is all-consuming. I've been there. You have my good thoughts coming your way, and if you don't mind, some prayers as well . . . .

Hugs to you,

Lynne

I have gotten so much GREAT advice and/or information from the people on this forum for the past year that I can't even BEGIN to say what is the best . . . . The people I have met, the friends I have made -- they have been a Godsend. I can honestly say that I don't know what I would have done without them . . . and don't know what I would do without them now.

I s'pose y'all aren't talkin 'bout when you see your grandbabies and you tell 'em "now come over here and gimme some suga??" Also -- y'all can't be southern unless you've had chicken-fried steak with milk gravy and sopped it up with skillet cornbread!!!!!!!!

All these southernisms are reminding me of my childhood!! My aunt had a boyfriend who lived out of town -- she made tapes to send to him all the time. She made a tape of me when I was in kindergarden . . . OH MY. I was the biggest HICK you have ever heard in your life! If you guys think I have an accent now (BY THE WAY -- LISA DOESN'T THINK I HAVE AN ACCENT -- JUST SO YOU KNOW . . . . ) you should have heard it back then . . . I don't know that there has been a child who could have had a more slow southern accent than me!! She made copies for my kids, and they are now using it as blackmail!! Holy spinach, it is embarrassing!!

This talk about southern food has to end, folks. I can't take it much more. I want home fried chicken -- the REAL kind -- and homemade potato rolls (I use to use my grandmother's recipe) -- and home-made sage dressing (again, my grandmother's recipe) -- and my mother's incredible apple pie -- complete with BEAUTIFUL lattice-work on the top. She makes the best, flakiest pie crust you have ever eaten in your LIFE. Seriously. I used to get my favorite meal -- fried chicken, green beans, corn, mashed potatoes, and on and on and on for my birthday each year. Now -- I have to change to a different menu. The green beans, corn and mashed potatoes just aren't the same without the fried chicken!

Although, my DH did bring home blueberries and cream again tonight . . . he is a sweetie!! He took Wed., Thurs., & Fri. off just to help me with wedding stuff . . . which is really good because I got a notice that the shoes I ordered will now not be here until August 7 -- two days AFTER the wedding . . . so guess what I'm doing tomorrow??? Good news is that my batteries are in for my wheelchair . . . so I'm going to be He** on wheels again!! Look out Loohavull!!!!

Goodnight residents of Rachelville . . . talk with you soon, my friends!

Have the guest book & the table placement was set with the catering manager yesterday.

Chelsea -- waiting to see what Ashley's decision is going to be . . . I talked with her pastor last week, told her WHY it was important to me to be in the front to give her away. I told her that I DIDN'T want to stand at the Unity candle while everyone was coming in . . . that, quite frankly, I am not CAPABLE of doing that -- I'd need something to prop me up! She said that she understood what I was saying, she understood WHY I felt the way I did, and that she heard the hurt in my voice. She also said that, ultimately, it is Ashley's decision. So, we'll see. I'm getting to the point that I have been biting my tongue so much / so hard that it should be bleeding! I am to the point that I just smile and say, "Oh my, how nice."!!!!!!!!!

Should be some decend fodder to report afterward, though!!!

"I'll be talking atcha of an evenin" . . . another Southern thing . . . you wake up "of a mornin' " , etc.

Celia, I'm so sorry that happened . . . . I agree, flush that stuff out of you. Don't kick yourself too much, though. It was a mistake, and things like that happen. Sounds like you're down on yourself, and sometimes mistakes just happen. Take care of you, Lynne

Cindy, I realize that you are reluctant to contact the media without "backing" from some type of organization. This is the first time I have read your thread . . . . my chest is tight, I can feel my jaw muscles clenching, and I don't know whether to scream or cry, quite frankly. Someone said this earlier, I think Carla . . . you HEAR of these things happening, but you don't actually hear it from the person to whom it happened. This is simply outrageous.

Please e-mail me at bodyworxinc@hotmail.com. I would like to discuss a couple of options with you, but would need your permission to proceed with them . . . .

Hugs and prayers to you,

Lynne

Will have to look in my pantry to give more brands . . . What I have come across, more often than not, is that the companies will take responsibility for their PRODUCT -- that they don't add anything that contains gluten. What they won't take responsibility for is checking from their suppliers if THEY have any gluten-containing ingredients in what they are purchasing from them. This is especially true in women's cosmetics, soaps (fragrance) things of that nature.

An example of that in food is, say, Company A makes soup. They list on the label "natural flavors". They purchase the natural flavors from Company B. Company B, for whatever reason, uses gluten-containing products, maybe to thicken the natural flavors into a paste that can be added to Company A's vats. Company A, that manufactures the soup doesn't put gluten into their product; however, they don't check with Company B, the supplier of the natural flavors to find out if their product contains gluten.

It seems to me that is the biggest "loophole" in the whole labelling system . . . and tends to decrease accountability.

Good morning, y'all . . . Gettin' ready for another day in Brideville . . . . the wedding (I think) is going to be so nice . . . but, doing this on a limited budget --means that I am making SO MUCH of the stuff. Today's menu: Card Box (have to pad with quilt batting --have material that was on Ashley's Madrigal Costume -- it's gorgeous -- can't think of the word/type -- but it's white with silver thread design -- then embellish), Have to do the ribbons & porcelain roses on 36 tapers (just found out YESTERDAY that the hall provides taper holders . . . ) and the flower girl's basket . . . need to put the "finishing touches" on it . . . found a beautiful sheer ribbon with tiny pale pink roses and sage leaves (dimensional) on it . . will put that on the handle (same color pink as are going to be in Ash's bouquet -- along with white), then will put sheer sage bows on the sides, with porcelain roses (tiny) in the center. THEN . . . need to do the tapers for the cake table . . . and the Unity Candles. Tomorrow's agenda: Lighted tulle to place around the cake table and on the bridal party table, and 18 Pew bows . . . . then, I think I'm finished until Friday. Friday morning is pick up the cakes, cupcakes (we're having a lot of children there -- so we have a white 48 cupcake tree -- it's pretty cool. We're having the cupcakes iced with sage green icing, and a single white rose with a slightly darker sage leaf) and the flowers. Need to beat the flower stems and stick in buckets of water, then make the boutonnieres and possibly corsages that morning/afternoon and the bouquets that evening. If ANYONE in Rachelville can think of something that I have POSSIBLY missed, PLEASE PLEASE let me know. I am so afraid that I'm going to have forgotten something, and then am going to be in a spinach-load of trouble.

More southern sayings: They were all over (him)(her) like flies on spinach . . . Don't know if this one is southern, though . . . as nervous as a long-tailed cat in a room full of rocking chairs . . . . and don't listen to him, he doesn't (pronounced dudn't) know spinach from shin-ola. (Also, the older folks don't say "ho" --- they give it the good old long version!!!) Some of the older folks get the "swoles" -- swollen feet, etc. during the heat, and when the Good Old Southern Baptists faint during church because the spirit has taken them, "they done fell out" . . . . .

Have a good day, Rachelvillians . .. would you be mine, could you be mine, won't you be my neighbor???

Toodles,

Lynne

Robbin -- it has gotten remarkably larger. Wonder if they knew about Rachelville and the altoids parade???

Haven't heard of the gommy mess, but my mother was the resident expert on cyclones . . . as in "your room looks like a cyclone hit it" . . . . living in Kentucky, I DON'T think she ever experienced one, but she sure knew what the aftermath looked like!!!!!

Karen -- don't know if you guys have this commercial up there yet or if you've seen it . . . these kids are AWESTRUCK . . . this GIGANTIC Oscar Meyer Weinermobile is backing out of the driveway!!!!! The first time I saw it was right after the float idea . . . . and I laughed so hard I about peed my pants!!!!!

Lisa -- doesn't matter where you were born, it matters where you spent most of your LIFE. You're southern. I'll gar-on-tee it!!! Have said the "sweatin'" thing for as long as I can remember . . . "white on rice" . . . say it just bout every other day . . . cow . . yep . . . also say "chaps my a**" . . . don't know if you say that one . . .

Speaking of Grits (not the girls raised in the south-type) -- have you ever had Garlic cheese grits??? Best thing you've ever had . . . guaranteed. And I'm not the typical "grits with every meal" southerner!!!

So sad . . . we have an orchard that is actually in southern Indiana, but it has the best food in the world . . . Fried chicken, mashed potatoes, corn, green beans (cooked the right way) home-made potato rolls, all served family-style and for dessert: homemade pies --especially with whatever fruit is in season . . . I told Dave that I really MISS that place!!! Don't know how many Perkinje cells would be destroyed if I went there just ONCE . . . . I'm already in a wheelchair . . . I mean, a few more dead cells couldn't be THAT bad!!!!!

Well, going back to Bridalville . . . goodnight all in Rachelville . . . talk to you tomorrow!!!

Hey Lisa . . . you premature posted . . . . I had already volunteered to help shuck . . . uh huh . . . see???? Getting a little "key happy" are we????

So glad about little Megan . . . prayers that she will be able to come home soon . . . healthy.

Can do other things, but will save the additional volunteering to disperse in increments . . . don't want to give up all my secrets too soon . . . .

That is fascinating . . . I didn't know that!! You could have a smorgasbord of color!!!!! Will definitely plant hydrangeas next year!!!

Stupid freesias . . . I am so hacked.

You won't believe this . . . the catapillars are GONE. My BIL is a genius . . . he knows so much about --well, everything! Was going to take a picture, because my DH said that his brother would know . . . went outside the next day -- gone. They've never been back. I did look at a butterfly book last night . . . saw something that looked like our catapillars, and they were BEAUTIFUL butterflies . . . the book said that this particular type looked for herbs prior to laying eggs and chrysallis formation -- I think that's right -- but I know the herbs part is right!! So, in August, we may have BEAUTIFUL butterflies -- lots of 'em!! That could be pretty exciting . . .

My DH brought home fresh cream and blueberries yesterday . . . my favorite!!! His surprise was the greatest!! I was sitting on the computer, and he said, "Are you hungry?" I said, "Actually, I'm REALLY hungry!!" Then he brought out all the ingredients and sat them down beside me!!!!! I was SO EXCITED!!

Keep me posted on all activities . . . Jen, want to know how the shirt is coming along!!

Hugs,

Lynne

Hallelujah to the corn!!! Have shucked WAY too much corn in my life . . . and it is DEFINITELY a southern thing!!! Will volunteer to help shuck . . . .

Susie -- little Destiny took a 3/4 lb. Girardelli dark chocolate bar off the coffee table one night . . . we couldn't find her . . . Brandon said, "WHERE did Destiny go???" We finally found her -- underneath a chair, with more than 2/3 of the chocolate bar GONE. (surprisingly, she removed the wrapper. I thought that was pretty talented.) Called the vet . . . that much chocolate would kill a 3 lb. dog . . . have to make her throw up. Have you ever had to do that? Not much fun. Give 4 tbs. hydrogen peroxide every 15 minutes until the first puke. Then keep going until it's clear. Finally put her on a towel in the wash basin in the laundry room. She had the "poor pitiful me" look on her face the whole time -- 4 hours -- and for the next week afterward. She walked around, pitifully, with her head down, moved slowly . . . the whole drama bit!!! Still, though, she's a choc-a-holic!!!

Can't remember who wanted the news on the BioZymes, but I'm calling tomorrow!!! Had to do "wedding stuff" today with Ash.

I used to make jewelry, too . . . have way too many beads and findings. Don't know whether to make jewelry or sell the stuff on E-bay . . . they're all sterling silver and gold-filled findings . . . and the stones are really high quality . . . will have to see how motivated I am. I'm just starting the "selling thing" on e-bay

Someone asked about music . . . I play piano . . . . my daughter says I sing well, but I don't think so. Compared to her, though, no one sings well . . . she's an opera singer! Her fiance is, too. They recorded this unbelievable song in Italian to play just prior to the processional for their wedding. It is unbelievable, if I do brag, myself!!

Farting dogs??? I am telling you what . . . I turned that dog around 3 different times last night so that his head would be at the top . . . and he STILL didn't stay. Maybe he IS celiac . . . I do know that it was much worse, though, the other night when we let him finish off one of our baked potatoes. It is so bad that, once we were all sitting on the couch. Lucky let one rip . . . it was so horrible that it made Destiny jump about 6 inches to the other side of the couch!! Then, she walked all the way to the OPPOSITE end of where he was!! I asked her if she was okay, she just looked shell-shocked!!!!! The good news, however, is that neither one of our dogs leave "presents" for us . . . they'd probably explode before doing that!

Dove chocolate covered almonds . . . they are to DIE for!! First got them a year ago Christmas . . . they used to be seasonal. Will have to find out if they are gluten-free, AND if they are available all the time . . . could be trouble!!!!!

Waiting to see if my new batteries are in for my wheels . . . I MISS my independence. This whole "somebody pushing you around in the chair" when you get tired is spinach!!!!!

Need to leave Rachelville and enter "get your butt in gear and get the rest of the stuff done for the Wedding ville." Talk to you guys soon . . . . . Hugs, Lynne

Oh my . . . . things have been quite busy in Rachelville since this morning!!!!

I don't know the joke behind the ice cream . . . but Dave brought home the ingredients for Blueberry Ice Cream (my favorite) and had that . . . if it's a I haven't caught, like the cops are men, then, well, BOHICA

Don't have much to say, except Nikki -- YOU should be put in charge of infiltrating the Altoids factory . . . are you sneaky??? Think you would have to be sneaky to slither in there!!!!!

Had a good day . . . spent it in the bookstore with my DH!!!! Found GREAT books in the $1.00 and $2.00 section!! There were a lot about how to stay positive with a chronic illness -- they were good ones, too. There were also two books (same title) about how to help your child with chronic pain . . . so if you guys have any children with difficulty, e-mail me (bodyworxinc@hotmail.com) and I'll buy it and send it to you.

Nothing much else to report -- hope you guys have a good night! If I'm plagued with insomnia again (mostly it is because the dog INSISTS on lying beside me (not little Destiny, the big one, Lucky) -- he puts his head at my knees, which makes his BUTT about 12 inches from my face. Doesn't matter how I move, he arranges himself so that he's in that position. Then, as he relaxes, he passes the most obnoxious, horrible gas I have ever smelled in my LIFE. Being 12 inches from my face, you can imagine the effect. So, after two or three of his little "stink bombs", I have to get up until his flatulence is gone!!!!! Have tried everything . . . meds from the vet, chlorophyll breath tablets, you name it . . . nothing works for this guy.) So, should his flatulence occur again tonight, I'll talke with you then!!!!!

Hugs to all in Rachelville,

Lynne

Susie -- Hey -- given that this thing could have gone to my brainstem if not caught in time, I know that I'm lucky to be alive. Seriously. Every day is a gift, and I am soooooo grateful for that. With that in mind, who COULDN'T keep their sense of humor, eh???? (had to say eh . . . Karen taught me it, and I'm using it whenever I can!!!) Love, Lynnie

With regared to the stings, we just used to put them all together -- baking soda, tobacco, meat tenderizer . . . ACTUALLY -- I just remembered -- Caladryl lotion or cream. It's Calamine combined with Benadryl. Made it feel MUCH better -- combined with ice packs -- real ice packs -- crushed ice in a plastic bag covered with a wet towel -- for 15 minutes on, then off for an hour. Continue that throughout the day (yeah, right -- with KIDS????) but try it as best you can . . . sometimes an ace wrap or the self-sticking rolled bandages help keep the ice pack on during the "TAKE IT OFF" period . . . .

Wet mud, a wet tobacco paste, or a meat tenderizer paste. With meat tenderizer, the papain enzyme tends to destroy the poison. Watch the one that turned purple . . . my son (for whatever reason) gets cellulitis with EVERY sting he gets . . . but the purple ones . . . INSTANT infection. (sorry to be a bummer). Hope they're feeling MUCH better. (Benadryl -- oral and topical -- helps, too) . . . hugs to all of you, Lynne

Cecile - - - I do the same thing (or did) - - - have your vitamin K levels checked, your B12 levels checked, don't know what else they checked that was down but I'll look . . . . turns out that I have a "form" of Von Willebrand's disease, which, from what I've read, is common with celiacs. Something about Vitamin K metabolism in the body and the ability to absorb (and THIS from a non-gastro celiac . . . ) Had to have factor VIII given to me during my thyroidectomy so that I wouldn't bleed out . . . I also "hypertrophic" (Keloid) scar . . . but Silicone gel sheeting -- and now its easy availability -- takes that away.

Karen --- just wanted to make sure everyone knew that the wheelchair thing was A-OK!!! Got your back, my friend -- always. You are one of the angels walking the earth. Even in Rachelville.

Rinne -- if you have leaky gut, have you tried BioEnzymes -- or something like that -- it is what one of the pro football teams uses for pain control . . . I'll contact the pharmacist from whom I purchase them and find out the exact name, AND if they're gluten-free.

Susie -- I'm so sorry you're feeling bad. I'm telling ya, those Hershey nuggets . . . there is some question about gluten, isnt' there, with Hershey's????? Watch yourself, my southun kin . . . Lynnie

Robbin -- Virginia -- my husband's aunt -- is now MY aunt (She is Aunt Helen -- my Aunt Helen, my mother's favorite, died before I was 2; oddly, I still remember her. At age 41, I FINALLY got my Aunt Helen back, and she's fantastic!!!). She lives in Virginia, and when we went there, it was the most beautiful place I believe I've seen so far. Her house has a room which is all windows . . . and looks out to the most beautiful mountains you've seen. Awe inspiring. So yes, you are DEFINITELY a southerner (esp. with ancestor Henry Clay) and Virginia is close enough . . . . next time we're there, I'll find out where you are, and we'll clink mint julep glasses!!!!! (rimmed with Altoids, because after the revelation that the Rachelville trophy is actually the Kentucky Derby trophy, all mint juleps in Rachelville have to be rimmed with Altoids.) Also . .. . Dave's family calls her "Aunt Hellion" -- she's a little on the "spicy" side!!!

Chelsea -- I agree, "Oh my, isn't that niiiiice" . . . . (since you finked me out about the joke, at least you and I can ENJOY it!!!!!). I gained all this weight prior to becoming gluten-free . . . maybe that was the problem . . . or the thyroid . . . . or the brain . . . . who knows!!! But even gluten-free, the pounds are coming off VERY slowly.

Hmmm.....I've been MUCH too serious for Rachelville . . . must find my silliness today . . . .

Happy Sunday to all . . . . . Love, Lynne (PS -- I can do other things . . . just going to admit them slowly -- I have "volunteer" syndrome . . . Also . . . . I can be a cop, although I'm a little overweight, but definitely voluptuous because of it! I don't need to 2 legs to kick someone's A**.)

Rachel -- I really am happy for you that you've gained weight. Struggling to lose weight, I'd be happy for someone who lost. With you struggling to GAIN weight, I really am happy for you. That must be difficult trying to keep weight on. That happened to me when I was weight lifting . . . my metabolism was so fast, that I had to eat 18/7 just to maintain my weight. It was a struggle. I'm happy for you, my scrapbooking hero!!!!!

Ya know . . . . as a "non-gastro" celiac, I'm very happy for you guys when you gain weight . . . . but it takes most of the sympathy/empathy I can muster to be happy for you rather than to be so envious I can't STAND IT. I have gained 100# since all this stuff started 3 years ago . . . 100 lbs. -- THAT IS A WHOLE PERSON. I was lean, in fantastic shape . . . and BOOM. Everything just went to He**.

So, I'm very happy for you that you gained weight . . . . I'm very happy for you that you gained weight . . . . I'm very happy for you that you gained weight . . . (saying this with very clenched teeth, but smiling . . . . )

Trying to stay happy in Rachelville . . . . .

I love you so much, my friend!!!!! I wonder if I could talk Churchill Downs into letting me display it with an Altoids tin in the Derby Museum . . . it truly IS a fine piece of craftsmanship with the modifications. Although . . . then they might get jealous, and tell CNN about Rachelville . . . better not let them know. Yes, that's definitely BEST!!!!

On a very serious note: To all Rachelville residents: Don't know if no one mentioned Karen's response to my "indebtedness" to Dave because we were skating dangerously close to the edge, or because of my "wheelchair" status. Please rest assured, I am SO over the wheelchair thing . . . Karen knows that as well. I have been in it for well over a year, and am to the point that I can joke about it and really mean it. That is why her post was so hysterically funny to me. It wasn't a jab -- if anyone was afraid of that. First, we all know that Karen isn't like that, and second -- it was Karen who sat on the telephone with me for over 45 minutes at 10:45 at night, while I was sobbing over the whole wedding issue with my daughter, and she was calming me down the whole time. THAT is a friend . . . . . So, please rest assured, any reference to my "chair" is O.K. -- even the references to the numerous falls I've taken -- that's O.K., too! Just wanted you to know that.

On a much more "up" note with regard to the same thing -- I have found four T-shirts which my dear NOT GAY husband wants me to purchase:

1) "Be nice to me. I'm not above rolling over your toes."

2) (Picture a handicapped parking sign) "I'm only in it for the parking."

3) (Picture a drawing of a butt) "If I look like this, please put me back in my chair."

4) And my personal favorite . . . In PINK, no less, with purple writing on the FRONT AND BACK: "I'm not drunk. I walk this way on purpose."

While they're not on level of the Rachelville T-shirt I'm designing (I know you're all waiting with baited breath for the "unveiling"), I still think they're fabulous!!!!!!

Karen, from here on in I will never think that a Mint Julep is complete without crushed Altoids on the rim instead of sugar . . . . .

ROFLMAO Okay, so we got it now!!!!! Thanks for 'splainin, Lisa!!!!!

As Straight as Burt Reynolds and his moustache!!!!!!! You are bust-a-gut funny!

I am going to have to limit the amount of time I spend on this thread . . . . my stomach hurts so badly from laughing these last two nights!!!!

Also, wish you hadn't forgotten what you were going to say . . . .or do I??????

Mine isn't mildly gay, Lisa's is . . . . . .

Hey --- I live in Kentucky --- Louisville, in fact, home of the Kentucky Derby --- and MINT JULEPS!!!!!!! I have a HUGE area of mint growing in my back yard . . . . know how to make the Julep Syrup . . . (can do it gluten-free), AND, Maker's Mark Bourbon . . . (Best in the world) . . . is Gluten Free . . . . oh yes, my friends, oh yes. Nothing beats sitting back at the end of a hot day sipping mint juleps . . . .