Saturday Jan 28th

I'm back in Md. where there is no snow or ice. But the day I left Madison gave me a little thrill of a real winter wonderland. Beautiful because I didn't have to drive, shovel or even walk in boots !!  
Now I"m back at home wondering why the garbage disposal just exploded into the sink (gunk, water, and God knows what) and the dishwasher leaked gallons of water on the floor. I'm dizzy and nauseous and headachy and stomachachy and took a minor backwards stumble (no reason - just happened)  Of course NONE of that PD BS happened in Madison..........Welcome home.

It's Sunday am and all is quiet on the midwestern front. Here are some verses to share ...........

Jaime has become Monkey the cat
She meows and purrs and pounces
And licks and kicks and snuggles

Lola is a big girl now
She eats (gums) bits of challah and everything mushy
She drinks from a bottle 
How many ounces???

Grandma tries to organize books and toys
It is a passion (compulsion) at my house
But I don't live here and so I have to stop and
Just smell the roses (or poopie diapers ) maybe
Wipe drippy noses

I usually don't have PD in Wisconsin (so far no problem)
Michelle and Jeremy remain super (overly) (lovingly) wary
They don't want me in the backyard moving rocks and picking up sticks
It's too scary for them to think I'd maybe slip and fall
What's a little snow and ice ?
I promised to behave
I promise to be nice 

Where is the sun ? It's been mild but foggy
No complaints about the weather though
It would be pretty to see some  snow
Hey ! Gotta go ! 

Thursday Jan 19

Good Morning from Madison 

I wrote this blog on the almost empty (17 people !!!) plane yesterday with wine and pretzels in hand.

_______________________________

I'm flying solo on Delta to Madison

Fleeing the city before it is 

turned into a horrific DUMP

by an "illegitimate" pseudo prez named Trump

I am sorry I'll miss the Womens March

PD and crowds don't mix

My heart and brain will attend

Please DONT rain !!! (ok rain, you come on Friday)

On Friday I will go to school with Jaime

NO internet NO tv just celebrating Shabbat

Pretending I am not scared......

I'll play in PreK, read books, eat challah

Pray for everyones safety 

Send the messages to God, Jehovah and Allah !!

In Madison I will blog and send pics 

I will relax and chill

Never try to climb an icy hill

Remembering how we lived through 

Nixon, Reagan and Bush without our 

bodies and souls turning to mush

I'll return home refreshed and renewed 

Back to exercise and yoga 

Feeding squirrels and birds

Ignoring political turds ( jerks liars whores)

Thats all for now....I will write more

WHO knows what is in store ?????

_____________________________________________

It is official. I AM my mother. I am not talking about PD.....I am referring to the fact that yesterday I went to CVS and bought white shoe polish for my kinda ratty looking New Balance sneakers. (do they still say sneakers? I mean walking shoes)
My inclination was just to get a new pair ( 2 days free shipping Amazon) but then like an inspirational flash I had a memory of my mom playing tennis in pristine WHITE Keds canvas tennis shoes......no scuffs, no dirt

 I had trouble squeezing , dabbing and maneuvering the applicator evenly around the velcro straps and NB logo. Wonder if Amazon sells white Keds ??!!!

Happy New Year from the Galin Girls......me and my sister Janice (or is it 'Janice and I')...our mother was a grammar goddess ) so I guess it matters......
NO NO NO!!! If you're wondering if Janice has PD and the answer is NO NO NO !!!

Often our 1st am phone call is 
did you sleep?
what hurts?
any doctor apts?

Answers vary on any given day. When we are done with updating daily medical conditions then we move to whether to tell our grown children how to parent, live their lives, where to live, jobs, marriage 
We usually decide not to intervene (keep it only between us) and then the days plans. Exciting events to come !!!! Costco, thrift shop, CVS, exercise, laundry.....can't wait !!!

WHY ???  doesn't Janice have PD? Because the "Being in Charge of  Distributing Genelogical Medical Conditions" made the choice to have us share some problems (bad backs thanks Dad) but then separated many others between the Galin sisters........psorasis, IBS
skin, thin hair, freckles YET  made sure we both had osteoporosis, interest in word puzzles, Jeopardy, Democrats , big narrow hard to find shoes for FEET, love of cats, common sense.

My mother Lola was thrilled  to have 2 girls. She had 3 brothers and although she had close girl cousins it wasn't the same as a sister. She felt that Janice and I would always be there for each other and so far she's been absolutely right on !!!!

So I hope Janice and I can spend New Years Eve together for many years to come as we have done for many years.
Love to Janice my sister 

This t shirt says it all !!!!! PD does, for the most part , suck BIG
You've heard it all here.....falling, tripping, stumbling, OCD, shaking, freezing gait, anxieties, choking, pain (from various PD injuries), movement in general, you know my usual complaining  PD schtick .

But as the year 2016 comes to a close I still feel that I'd rather have PD than "something"else. I find humor (in books, blogs...other than my blog) about PD. I can use PD as an excuse for whole varieties of activities  I may NOT FEEL like doing......(you never know!!!???? if its true or false) like parties, errands, movies, eating out. I can be at any time sluggish, hyperactive, moody, joyful, mean or kind obsessive.

So I will be looking forward to 2017 so I can 
1. continue to drive (get outta my way),  
2. go to exercise and yoga with PD friends in group  
3. pretend to try and lose weight,
4. use medical marijuana,
5. drink white wine, 
6. go to estate sales,
7. watch Jeopardy, move furniture & eat M&Ms.
8. visit with Jaime, Lola, Oscar and all other VIP grandkids and their families
9. buy T-shirts , watch birds, battle squirrels, move rocks
10. appreciate all the attention and support from family, friends, and strangers who hold doors open, etc.

Okay enough.
Have a safe and happy Chanukah, Xmas, Kwanzaa, New Year 
Diane 

This is also picture of me at 66, but this time looking more like my kinda tired and raggy self. I would like to pretend that I 1) don't have PD and 2) I am not aging a bit faster than I imagined. But thank God there are mirrors and selfies that don't lie !!!

I am noticing subtle ( and not so subtle) physical and mental challenges and changes . I play a game (solitaire version) that I try to categorize my ailments by asking is "IT"  PD? or AGING? or me? Heres a list ......play along.......

*walking funny and unbalanced steps
*having trouble getting in and out of the car
*getting up from a sitting position
*sitting down not falling into a chair
*finding mysterious and unknown black and blues on arms and legs
*thinking that obsessive rock moving is normal (like rock climbers   
always a new peak to scale)
*not so nimble fingers typing and texting
*buttoning
*BIG worries on everything WEATHER related (driving, walking)
*visual perception when driving
*MEMORY....what was I thinking ? where was I going? 
AND...............................................aches and pains and soreness and stiffness and fatigue  and bad dreams and getting up at 2am to pee and a lot of 'what was I saying?"

I love estate sales. I used to go with my mother and you didn't have to buy anything to find it interesting. Now you go on line and look at pictures to see if there is anything you KINDA want. When I saw this monkey on line I knew I had to have it. Being very worried that it would be sold before I got there I went the 20 miles (so it seemed) and guess what !!! I got it !!! It is now living happily with other vintage simian friends.

Whatever

Diane