I found happiness

I am so glad that it made you feel go. Are you allowed to make a little bit of money on the side while you are on SS disability. Maybe you can give some lessons to some people. Maybe kids starting out or working there way up. This way you could do it only when your body would allow you to do it and you would have extra money.

I am not sure what I could say for this thread but I have a man I am totally in love with ( My soul mate ) and hopefully things will move forward with us. (He has a lot of nerve pain due to back problems and it has taken over his life but he is working on trying to get his problems fixed.)

Sue

Hi old friend,
I feel happy right now because my house in New York had the closing on it on Thursday, July 31st. Now my future is secure. This was my mom and dads house, left to me. Through the sale of the house, my daddy is still taking care of me.

Hi, Dick.

A great thread! This morning I had enough energy to do some gardening. And it’s made everyone in our area happy as well: it was supposed to rain today, but since I did the gardening, it probably won’t rain.:D

And now for a well-earned rest: baseball bloopers for an hour and then rugby — South Africa v. New Zealand. A great way to spend a Saturday afternoon.

Deb
London

I love that you brought this up. This is something that I think about ,too. I, like you, have something that used to stoke my fire. I was a social worker in a medical setting for about 12 years and then I had a baby and that baby has cidp. I know a lot about insurances and things and love to give people suggestions on this site as I know about those things but I have been helped so much by all of you guys because I am new to cidp. Since I was a little girl I wanted to help people and then I grew up and became a social worker. So much for 7 years of college helping me with a little girl with cidp. I couldn’t begin to work right now as I have a child that needs my constant attention. It is hard not to give and I am envious that you were able to give you yourself for someone else. GOOD FOR YOU. Life is too short not to have moments like yours recently.

Great thread. We need this.
I worked (I use the term lightly) outside all day yesterday with my daughters and grand kids. I refuse to cancel our 33rd annual camp out at our house with old college friends and family.
So my adult children and grand kids have stepped up to the cause. They are helping get things ready so we can all still enjoy a week-end of good friends and great food.

As far as doing something for someone else that made us all feel good…
After 8 months of physical therapy I wrote a long thank-you and farewell to the PT department about the amazing work the girls did for me and other patients. They were then recognized at a staff meeting.

Keep the good thoughts coming…

Yesterday I called our public library to have a few books put aside. I used to be a Reference Librarian there back in 1988 (worked as a teacher before & after that.) The same women all work there as before & with local government aid cuts, they are swamped; I know that as they have been at City Council meetings begging for help. I told Carol that if the union would allow it, I could come in & help out at the main desk in an as-needed basis. If the union doesn’t allow it, there are indoor tennis courts here that also need volunteers to sit & answer the phone & schedule court times. But that would hurt a lot, to see everyone else playing tennis when I no longer can. I would just like to feel useful again!

Helping others always makes me happy and helps me still feel useful. I have wonderful friends all over the United States (hi roomie) and I feel blessed. At night when I say my prayers I usually finish up with a smile on my face because I try to recall everyone and think of something special about each of them. Sometimes it’s a funny thought, (like Liz’s face after our roller coaster ride), sometimes it’s a sweet thought, (like holding my new baby nephew) but regardless I always feel blessed.

the other day I took the day off of work and I told myself I deserved it and to not feel guilty. I usually never take the day off even when my ass is falling off. I still felt guilty but I also felt refreshed.

Several years back I encouraged my secretary (this was in another city) to take some college courses. I gave her an extra 30 minutes at lunch so she could complete her homework (she had small children at home). I also helped her with some of her courses. She eventually applied for a training program and I helped her get into it. (My absolute favorite part of being a manager is encouraging and seeing people realize their potential). Today I came home to a beautiful flower arrangement with a thank you note from her. She received another promotion and thanked me for the encouragement and assistance she feels I gave her a few years back. She’s received 4 promotions in the past several years and wanted to share her excitement about the newest one with me. It made me feel so good!!!!! And the flowers smell so good! The only thing I think would smell better would Dick S’s sourdough bread baking!!!!:p

[quote=Linda Martin]Several years back I encouraged my secretary (this was in another city) to take some college courses. I gave her an extra 30 minutes at lunch so she could complete her homework (she had small children at home). I also helped her with some of her courses. She eventually applied for a training program and I helped her get into it. (My absolute favorite part of being a manager is encouraging and seeing people realize their potential). Today I came home to a beautiful flower arrangement with a thank you note from her. She received another promotion and thanked me for the encouragement and assistance she feels I gave her a few years back. She’s received 4 promotions in the past several years and wanted to share her excitement about the newest one with me. It made me feel so good!!!!! And the flowers smell so good! The only thing I think would smell better would Dick S’s sourdough bread baking!!!!:p[/quote]

Kudos to you, Linda. I’m 65 years of age and I’ve worked for many businesses, large and small, in various positions, including management. Everything I know about management, I learned from IBM and from Amway, two companies that had the same philosophy. If you work hard to insure the success of those who work for you and if you credit those people with their being responsible for your accomplishments, your own success will happen without any further effort on your part.

Dick, I am glad to hear that you can use your skills and knowledge to help others. You have so much to offer everyone, if you ever make it up here I needs lots of help with my golf game.

Reading Linda’s post brought tears to my eyes. I have had like one boss like that in my life and she was few and far between. If only there were more like you. God bless you for having a great heart.

Rod/selahsmom – Thank you both for your kind words. Rod, you are absolutely correct in your statements! I don’t do our mission, the folks on my team are the ones performing mission work and they all have their individual talents and skills which, collectively, gets the job done! I view them as my true customer … it’s my job to make certain they have what they need to perform and to provide opportunities for advancement.

That said … Dick S, to answer your questions:

What have you done to make yourself happy?

I decided to finally get my home office together. I’m going tomorrow with a friend to pick up my new large corner desk! Lots of work space!! Since I am allowed to telework on an as needed basis as a reasonable accomodation for CIDP, I really want a work area that fosters creativity!

What has someone done for you to make you happy?

My special friend took me dancing tonight – he understands that I can’t stay for very long, but I did get to West Coast Swing, 2-step, polka and waltz! It was a treat! (when I finish this post I will get into my hot tub and enjoy the night air to reduce the backlash I’ll feel tomorrow!)

What have you done to make someone else happy?

Another friend is semi-retired and needs some work so I hired him to work around my house 3 days a week as my “handy man”. He’s going to start in my soon to be new home office area!!:p I really have enough around here to keep him busy for several months … and now that I’ve maxed my out of pocket medical expenses for the year, I finally have a little more disposable income! What wonderful timing for everyone!!!!

[QUOTE=Dick S]I baked 3 loaves of sourdough bread yesterday, I gave one to a scout who is working on his Eagle project (He always liked my sourdough bread), and another loaf to a young man who helped me get some yardwork done.

I ate the third loaf myself. yum..yum..[/QUOTE]

Yes, indeed yum-yum! 😀

I did send you an e-mail, Rick. If you would deign give out your recipe for the sourdough bread … and for the starter … oh my, would I ever be delighted!

Had starter that lasted a couple years. Even made sourdough on campsite. Recipe probably got eliminated in a move. Have never found my recipe for the starter.

I’m relatively recently officially diagnosed with CIDP … couple years. It’s not easy getting my family to realize that mom/mor-mor isn’t able to do everything she used to be able to do — at least not as easily nor as quickly.

But what the heck … I’ll bake sourdough and get even fatter … and love it! I do “play in the dirt” at my daughter’s house. And I do what is called Swedish Weave. Gotta’ keep on keeping on, y’know?

Rocky

It’s nice to no that there are still people in the world who WANT to make others happy.

[FONT=”Georgia”]Thank you, Dick!

I’ll be making some sourdough soon. I see where you aren’t such a “purist” as to avoid the yeast when starting it all. Phew!

Question … Just how robust does the punching down have to be?

Many thanks!![/FONT]

I have a good friend that has fallen on hard times. Her husband had an addiction to oxycontin and started stealing from his job, friends, and family to support his habit. He ended up getting arrested and has been in jail for almost a year now. She’s a single Mom and really struggling financially.

Her daughter is 3 yrs old. I have given her alot of my step daughters barbie stuff and barbie airplane, etc.

Yesterday I bought Connor a new desk/hutch for his room so we had to move stuff around and get rid of more. I gave her a little tykes picnic table, a kitchen thing, a cash register, bean bag and three barbie cars and a few other toys.

Her little girls eyes just light up and my friend is so very greatful !
It makes me feel good to help them.

Stacey

Stacy – I know your friend really appreciates the happiness you are bringing to her children by sharing from your children. YEAH!!!!! You are a kind and thoughtful person!

Dick S – this is a most positive thread, so like you, I want to see how we can keep this going so folks can still see the good things in their lives even if managing CIDP still has to be our main focus ….

So – an update. My new handyman (friend that needs some work) is doing an excellent job on those things I can’t do. Really is a win-win solution as he needs the work and I want the work done! He is really happy to be getting a little extra income while helping me. And my new home office looks GREAT! Much better than I had imagined … so now onward to my dining room! I told him I could keep him in work a couple of days/week until the end of this year. I figure I need to make my home as convenient as possible while I still can work and pay for it!

One of my employees is serving in Afganistan and we (my team and I) are making certain to send her care packages monthly. I got the sweetest email from her stating she loved the pedicure pkg we sent and she is grateful to know we care … and some other sweet things that made me feel good. She also included a picture of herself with her camel named “Thirsty” 😀 – must have a good sense of humor to be in her surroundings!

I always feel better about helping someone than doing for myself! However, I have to get used to accepting help so someone else can also feel good! So I accepted a wonderful gift from one of the other managers at work … she knew I was basically out of sick leave and donated 40 hours of her leave to me!!! That is a HUGE Blessing!!!!!!!

Every day, I have numerous things in which I can be thankful. Thank you, Dick S, for starting this thread and reminding us to name some of those thankful things!!! I hope and pray you are doing well ….

This month is birthday time for myself and two very close friends. Both of these friends have health issues also and so understand my challenges and I understand theirs … I want to do something that will make everyone feel good, so I am treating all of us to a spa day this coming Saturday! We will get massages from the local massage therapy school, then on for pedicures and Mimosas!!!

This illness is tough with daily challenges but I agree with Dick S – we need to keep this thread on the first page because no matter how tough, I still can find something that makes me grateful!!!!!!:rolleyes:

Dick S – I hope others will post again to this thread as this is one that needs to remain on the 1st page as an attitude adjustment/inspiration when we hit the rough times … it’s good to remember we can still make others happy and feel good in the process!:D

[B][SIZE=”2″][COLOR=”Sienna”][FONT=”Georgia”]I’m reminded of something the great Beverly Sills said … great great opera star … a child, deaf and slightly DD … and then a husband dying a lingering death. Someone asked how she could seem so happy. She said happiness is a fleeting thing; it comes and goes. What she strives for is to face life cheerfully … to practice cheerfulness.

She was right. Facing life with a cheerful attitude does wonders.[/FONT][/COLOR][/SIZE][/B]

[QUOTE=Dick S]Rocky,

Did you do the bread ??

I also got to give a little today. I cut my neibor’s grass. She is 80 couple, and although she is quite capable and has a son who lives close, I was cutting my grass and just stayed on the riding mower a little longer. It was worth it all when she came home and had a big smile on her face !!![/QUOTE]

[FONT=”Georgia”][SIZE=”2″][COLOR=”Sienna”][B]Your timing is superb, Dick!! 😀 I did the starter and was really questioning it … seemed so very thin and watery. Adding to it helped, but still wasn’t exactly the way I remembered my long held long used starter. Gave it a try anyway and despite your advice to “let it rise all day”, I did the usual double in size. Would’ve been up all night otherwise! 🙂

Three loaves. Rather like baguettes. I do think I’ll make just 2 loaves next time. Tastes good. A bit sweet. The longer the starter “works”, the more sour it’ll get.

I, of course, sliced off a few ( note that “few” … as in 2 [U]thick[/U] ) taste tests, y’know. With lots of butter, y’know. There goes the diet! 😮

Glad you were able to help your neighbor. I love to play in the dirt at my daughter’s house. I’m in an apartment now and miss my yard. So I maintain hers, which helps her as she’s single and working too many hours each week. However, I wish she had a riding mower. Even with the electric mower, it’s becoming difficult. But … if things have leveled off for me now, maybe it’ll work out after all. Fingers crossed.[/B][/COLOR][/SIZE][/FONT]

[QUOTE=Dick S]I love bread !![/QUOTE]
[B][SIZE=”2″]
[FONT=”Georgia”][COLOR=”Sienna”]And so do I 😀

I’ve just done a new starter using my Alaskan Sourdough Starter recipe. I knew it’d be around somewhere … just had to dig for it. Will follow your bread recipe, though, as it comes out nice and light … and [U]very[/U] tasty! 🙂

Was just over to my daughter’s … “playing in the dirt” … and, as usual, I knicked my shin somehow. Have no idea, of course. Feel nothing in that area. [/COLOR][/FONT][/SIZE][/B]