The Nicest Christmas Card Came Today: by Diane Ogden

I haven't been at my blog desk for a long time.  Sometimes life sends us lemons and it also sometimes takes certain people, me, longer than others to figure out how to make lemonade out of them.  I must have lost my squeezer somewhere along the way this year.  I am still working on squeezing them one by one by  hand.  And with a degree of osteo arthritis, it is taking me longer than usual.  Obviously I do not have osteo of the brain.  And possibly it was a bad analogy.  Either way.....I am coming out of it.  Thank God and myself not to mention this card sure helped a bunches.
So today I received a beautiful hand made Christmas card from my son Daniel.  I wanted to share it with you.  He makes them by hand as he is incarcerated  http://tucsonprisonlife.com  
He makes them for the other inmates to send home and they pay him with stamps or food treats. 

This was lemonade via the U.S. Penitentiary via the U.S. Mail Service. 
Thanks Dan, I love you and I probably wasn't the easiest Mom or the best Mom either.  Forgiveness is free. We both learned that one. 

Valtrex by Diane Ogden

All I wanted was a prescript for overgrowth of nasal staph.  Made the doc appointment.  He didn't listen to me at all.  He explained cold sores and how they affect the nerves and tingle the nose and then erupt on the lips.  I knew that!  Then he told me how what another doctor gave me wouldn't work.  Jeezz they get a God Complex don't they?  So he tells me to be quiet and listen.   OMG what a chauvinist, spelling notsogood.  What a jerk doctor.  And he is a wide as he is tall, ya think maybe that might be his prob!  He walks in moaning and groaning because his joints hurt.  Ya think?  He is as wide as he is tall as I said.  I need a new doc.   So fine.  He finally gives in and I get the ointment refill AND the Valtrex I don't want.  Why would I put any chemical into my body for a cold sore.  jeez Louise.    So I go to Wal Mart (Hells Gates) as they have the $4 program and wouldn't you know, NOT COVERED.  Only the Valtrex chemicals are covered.  I reject them by saying no thank you anyway.   I get home and look up Valtrex for kicks! 

What are the possible side effects of VALTREX?


Kidney failure and nervous system problems are not common, but can be serious in some patients taking VALTREX. Nervous system problems include aggressive behavior, unsteady movement, shaky movements, confusion, speech problems, hallucinations (seeing or hearing things that are really not there), seizures, and coma. Kidney failure and nervous system problems have happened in patients who already have kidney disease and in elderly patients whose kidneys do not work well due to age. Always tell your healthcare provider if you have kidney problems before taking VALTREX. Call your doctor right away if you get a nervous system problem while you are taking VALTREX.



Common side effects of VALTREX in adults include headache, nausea, stomach pain, vomiting, and dizziness. Side effects in HIV-infected adults include headache, tiredness, and rash. These side effects usually are mild and do not cause patients to stop taking VALTREX. Other less common side effects in adults include painful periods in women, joint pain, depression, low blood cell counts, and changes in tests that measure how well the liver and kidneys work.