It's been a rough year here, which I say while feeling guilty because I know so many people and soldiers are struggling. But in this little part of my world, we've had a hard time dealing with life this last year. As many of you know, mom is nearly 89, I'm her primary caretaker and she had a stroke about two years ago that left her mentally incapacitated for the most part. She suffers from Aphasia now...the inability to recognize language properly. And yes, my brother is still with us and just had his 60th birthday. I don't say celebrated, because it wasn't much of one. His Haemochromatosis (hereditary blood disease, which killed my dad at age 57) is still taking it's toll on his body...causing brittle bones, diabetes and he now has not one, but three forms of cancer. If you haven't heard about my brother, you can read a fun story here: http://mouse-droppings.blogspot.com/2007/11/gotcha-last.html
And if that wasn't enough fun around here...I hit menopause the beginning of this year! Okay guys...no need to run screaming, I'm not gonna talk about all that woman stuff. Well, except to say that anyone who has dealt with this may have an idea of what I went through this last year...a living hell! "They" say that people with added stress, such as caretakers, go through more intense symptoms. And I guess being a type A personality...that meant more fun for me. I've never been one to even consider the word depression in my world. But bamm! That garbage hit me full force! Gotta love hormones!<sigh> I've been so screwed up this last year...I didn't know which way was up. Yes, we all joke about PMS and menopause...but let me tell you, it's no joke when you're considering downing a bottle of pills to just say the hell with it all. I got nearly that low twice over the last year. And when I think of those times now...I think...what the hell were you thinking! But you don't think...you just survive...after days and days of not sleeping. You begin thinking that keeping your cell phone in the fridge is logical!<sigh> You have ups, downs, really bad downs, confusion, hot flashes, big hot flashes, sleeplessness, guilt, you're often brain dead for any decent thought patterns...and those night sweats, sheesh...I might have well just slept in the pool!
But fear not...I'm seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and my brain seems to be returning from its long vacation! Yeah! I'm turning back into a geek. PARTY!<g> In fact, as I was beginning to feel myself emerge from this menopausal fog, I decided it was time to kick-start the process. I felt the need to do something more Dian Like...so I jumped out of a plane for the first time! And it surely won't be the last because it was way too cool to never do again. You can jump along with me in this photo diary of that day: http://mouse-droppings.blogspot.com/2008/08/throw-dian-from-plane.html
Now I haven't been totally brain dead this last year. After I started to feel the beginnings of lunacy last December...my daughter told me I needed a hobby to help keep me sane. So I started sewing again. Something I hadn't done in 30 years! I also taught myself to crochet. After making everyone in the family afghans and scarves...and quilts...I moved on to participate in Soldiers' Angels, as well as the Patriot Guard Riders. You know...those bikers that stand with flags at military welcomings and funerals.
Soldiers' Angels has teams of folks who follow their motto of may no soldier go unloved. Since May, I made ten patriotic quilts that I've shipped off to soldiers overseas. I've also crocheted flag lap blankets for the VA to help cover soldiers who need to get around in wheel chairs and I've made scarves for older vets who need to go to the VA hospitals often, but could use some extra warm gear for the winter. Greg and I also recently adopted a soldier. We'll call him Sgt. Kelly...since any further info would compromise his identity. We haven't heard back from him yet and this adoption was just approved. So I'll comment on him a little in the future. For now, I'm anxious to send him his own US flag afghan, which I'm just finishing.
If you'd like to get involved in Soldiers' Angels...a GREAT organization...go to http://www.soldiersangels.org and you'll find lots of great ways to help those far from home!
I also recently joined USWarDogs.org. You must check out this video to understand why these dogs are so deep in my heart: http://www.cbs58.com/index.php?aid=5789. If, in the future, this link no longer works, as it is to a news site, check YouTube.com for Homecoming for Military Dog. I'm sure it'll be posted there, soon. Here's one more, for those like me who can't get enough of these amazing animals: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21134540/vp/28474218#28469129
I also want to give a shout out to Jerrod Mason. He read my soldiers' stories and wrote to me, as other soldiers have done, and he told me about his buddy in Nam, Burke Morgan, whose remains were only recently identified and returned home. His US Air Force unit had a reunion recently and they all attended the funeral. His wife was unaccustomed to military funerals and was quite touched by the flyover. Jerrod is a member of one of my free technical support groups (see http://www.mousetrax.com/resources.html for more info and to join one). He also thanked me for being a Patriot Guard Rider as there were over 50 lining the funeral route and that blew him away!
I was particularly touched by his story, because I, too, recently had a soldier come home after 40+ years of being missing in Nam. My brother was killed in Nam in 11/66...a week before his 20th birthday, so I understand that pain. But this was my POW/MIA bracelet soldier. I'd posted his name on a bracelet exchange site and after years of wishing...someone who served with him emailed me...just days before his homecoming. So I rushed my bracelet to his unit in time for the service. You can read all about it and about my airman, here in my blog: http://mouse-droppings.blogspot.com/2008/10/vietnam-powmia-finally-comes-home.html
As you can see, I may have been losing my mind this last year thanks to that witch Mother Nature...but I haven't been doing nothing. I've been working as hard as my brain allowed me trying to help keep our soldiers and their canine units in the forefront. That fact won't change now. But I'm also getting my head back together and it appears Mother Nature is getting just as sick of me as I am of her.
So on with the geek stuff.
Although, wait...I also must tell you of a sad loss in the Microsoft/MVP community. At the end of summer, we lost one of our best PowerPoint MVPs and one of the funniest guys I've had the pleasure to know. Brian Reilly...someone some of you may know and best friend to Steve Rindsberg, who has PPT articles here in TechTrax, passed away. It was quite a shock to most all of us, although some of his close friends did know he was sick, just not how sick he had been. Turns out he died from Hemochromotosis...yes, the disease that killed my dad and is now taking my brother from us much earlier than is reasonable. If you're from European descent...get checked for the gene, as it stops iron from being absorbed in your blood and you won't know about it until about 50 years of accumulation, when your bones start to ache and it's nearly too late!
Okay...back to computer stuff.
The wonderful folks over at Ojolie.com have given us three free memberships to their beautiful ecards. It's good for one year of free ecard. I'll give one away in an open drawing to all...and two subscriptions will go to members only. So be sure to check out the article link for the drawing in this issue. Members, see the member's site for a button to enter. We'll pick the winners and announce them on the www.techtrax.us page on Feb 2, 2009.
Oh, and yes, we've purchased a domain. So those of you who may have links to our old http://www.mousetrax.com/techtrax, never fear. That link will remain alive. But our new, dedicated domain now is: www.techtrax.us. Feel free to link to us or share that link with others. For those of you who may be confused...understand that MouseTrax.com and TechTrax.us are both owned by Greg and I. MouseTrax.com is our technical site, along with some pet and flight pages. TechTrax is our online magazine, our ezine. Both are interchangeable and as a member you'll find yourself flipping between the two. You'll know where you are because TechTrax has a green color scheme...MouseTrax a gray one.
So I'll let you have at it. Know that this issue isn't one of my most stellar...but I was determined to get one out so TechTrax would be rolling again for 2009, and I didn't bother to hit Susan Daffron up for a cover yet, but may add that later.
And with that...I'll leave you to your learning. Thanks to all who showed such appreciation for our return and good wishes for those in my family who are sick. And if you are a caretaker of a sick family member...do take care of yourself. I've heard that a lot over the last year, but blew that off as not a problem. It can easily become a big one before you know it. So take it easy and remember to leave time for yourself so you don't burn out...as I did!
Peace!
 
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