Happy News and Happy Mother's Day~

~Happy Mother's Day to my mother in heaven and all mothers~

Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after                                                                you have read the narratives~

***Special Note  I have not yet figured out how to add Eileen's link for the meme below~

                                                          I am joining in the fun with Eileen at:

   http://viewingnaturewitheileen.blogspot.com/saturdays-critters/

                                                                          Saturday's Critters

& 

Stewart for:

http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/

Wild Bird Wednesday

Above are our two Long Coat German Shepherds ready to do what they enjoy best, going bye-bye with us.  

Above is a lovely Bobwhite and below one of our nest boxes fully loaded with baby Chickadees~

A Yellow Shafted Flicker checking out nesting possibilities~

Below a quick bit of territorial dispute~

A Red-bellied Woodpecker not so much looking for a nest site, but finding insects in the rotting tree, which BTW fell the following week~

A Weeping Cherry Tree~

 Red-Winged Blackbird, sounding his morning call to his mate~

 I just about missed this little beauty.  A Pied-billed Grebe was the only one of it's kind in a nearby lake two weeks ago~

The official Bugler of the famous Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs made a trip to Louisville Collegiate School this past week to celebrate their 55th annual Kindergarten Derby and school program.  My twin grandson Kerrick was chosen to present flowers and special gifts to this years Kentucky Derby Festival Queen, while a few of his classmates gave flowers and gifts to the festivals crowned Princesses~

The newly crowned 2016 Kentucky Derby Festival Royal Court The Queen top left image and her Princesses~

Grand-twin Kerrick presenting a special gift and flowers to the queen ;)

I see a spot of blushing on his handsome face afterwards~

Grand-twin Cullen ran fast in his last track event at the St. Francis School in Goshen for his Louisville Collegiate team earlier in the week~

Before the races began Cullen gave me a little bit of dancing...he is always on the move~

I had the pleasure of spending some time with grand-daughter Maci this past week and took her to visit our neighbor and their two Beagles.  My friend Linda also let Maci pluck out a tune of her own design on the keyboard~

She also played outside and our dog Silveit was her best buddy~

A sweet White-tailed Deer surprised by my presence~

wink emoticonShe also thinks that my sudden Lupus adventure may have been triggered by Gabapentin/Neurontin that I had taken 4 years ago and went off of when we thought the side affects may have been causing my weird events for three years. Last December my Internist had put me on it for the side affects from my pinched nerve. When she told me, I mentioned that I had even looked up the possibility myself and there were quite a few cases where people felt that their sudden Lupus had been triggered by this same drug. She said she saw those same conversations, but also stated there is no real research yet that can substantiate that, but we are going to just see what happens and quite using it! I was also told that the reason my hands got blisters and have been peeling is that this 5 week tomorrow onslaught has been like a second degree burn. My heart wants to thank each of you individually, but that would be impossible. I appreciate so very much your kindness, love, encouragement and support during this really scary time for me. I have to also say again, after my daughter Brittany who is an RN saw my newest three page report, said "Good grief Mama, you are so healthy... you are a whole lot healthier than I have been for years." I hate that for her, but was happy at my age to get to repeat that. I feel tremendously blessed... Love and many thanks~So, I had my Dermatology appointment at 7:45 this morning. I remember a feeling of calm come over me as I entered her office. My daughter Ashleighhad spoken the most beautiful prayer earlier in the morning for me. The Dr. did not need to say too much to turn the calm into full blown JOY and PEACE. I do have Lupus on my skin, but I am NORMAL/NEGATIVE for any internal Lupus. Praises went up immediately and I promise I think that I danced from her office out to my car, but maybe I was just thinking that. wink emoticonShe also thinks that my sudden Lupus adventure may have been triggered by Gabapentin/Neurontin that I had taken 4 years ago and went off of when we thought the side affects may have been causing my weird events for three years. Last December my Internist had put me on it for the side affects from my pinched nerve. When she told me, I mentioned that I had even looked up the possibility myself and there were quite a few cases where people felt that their sudden Lupus had been triggered by this same drug. She said she saw those same conversations, but also stated there is no real research yet that can substantiate that, but we are going to just see what happens and quite using it! I was also told that the reason my hands got blisters and have been peeling is that this 5 week tomorrow onslaught has been like a second degree burn. My heart wants to thank each of you individually, but that would be impossible. I appreciate so very much your kindness, love, encouragement and support during this really scary time for me. I have to also say again, after my daughter Brittany who is an RN saw my newest three page report, said "Good grief Mama, you are so healthy... you are a whole lot healthier than I have been for years." I hate that for her, but was happy at my age to get to repeat that. I feel tremendously blessed... Love and many thanks~So, I had my Dermatology appointment at 7:45 this morning. I remember a feeling of calm come over me as I entered her office. My daughter Ashleighhad spoken the most beautiful prayer earlier in the morning for me. The Dr. did not need to say too much to turn the calm into full blown JOY and PEACE. I do have Lupus on my skin, but I am NORMAL/NEGATIVE for any internal Lupus. Praises went up immediately and I promise I think that I danced from her office out to my car, but maybe I was just thinking that. wink emotico

I had my special Dermatology appointment at 7:45 this past Monday morning and while I do have Lupus on my skin, I do not have it internally.  The physician also thinks that my sudden Lupus adventure may have been triggered by Gabapentin/Neurontin.  Last December my Internist had put me on it for the side affects from my pinched nerve in my neck.   I was also told that the reason my hands got blisters and have been peeling is that this 6 week this Tuesday ordeal has been like a second degree burn. My heart wants to thank each of you individually, but that would be impossible. I appreciate so very much your kindness, love, encouragement and support during this really scary time for me. I have to also say again, after my daughter Brittany who is an RN saw my newest six page report, said "Good grief Mama, you are so healthy... you are a whole lot healthier than I have been for years." I hate that for her, but was happy at my age to get to repeat that. I feel tremendously blessed... 

Love and many thanks~

The Wonderful Bald Eaglets and More~

For those who have been friends and followed me for the past 4 years, I have had at times some things with my health that just did not ever make sense.  For three years I had these very strange events/episodes.  It was thought it could be my heart, but heart was good even after having had surgery to place a monitor in my chest wall and a year later having it removed with no further findings.  Then they thought it was the kind of seizures that happen without the visual tremors.  I was put on anti-seizure medication for right at a month, but no, following an EKG, not seizures.  A year ago this past November out of what seemed like no where, I had a pinched cervical nerve which still is at this time and those events/episodes stopped right then...weird yes!  

I had wanted to wait until this week ending, but nothing will be any different then as it is now, unless my biopsy results from 2 weeks ago are wrong!  I have digested the news as best that I can for now anyway. I am so thankful that I have a loving and supportive family and wonderful group of friends. I am thankful that I also have a strong faith and that I have once the initial tone has been set and I am hit hard with some tears and then a good blow of the nose...I always get a stuffy nose if I do carry on too long and feeling sorry for myself, well it never got me anywhere, so why go there. 
The Dermatologist called Thursday early evening and told me what I had not wanted to learn hear, the biopsy that was taken from the rash that was on the backs of my hands for the past 4 weeks is indeed a Systemic Lupus (unspecified at that time) skin rash. Friday I had extensive blood work done and other tests  done to determine if any other organs are involved, or this may be where it is.  Results will be in mid week.  This is a little scary for me, but that is because it is brand new and I am trying to get my head around it. If it is full blown Lupus, then I will not be able to tolerate steroids and so I will have to work with my special team of wonderful doctors to manage it.  Good thing going for me, I am way past the 6 decades mark and so this should prove to be a mild to moderate, rather than severe from what a few people have indicated, we just have to wait and see.  I am thankful it is not Cancer, and I know that the experts are constantly making new strides with these diseases. I will be optimistic, and I will be OK...I pray that and I claim that~

Remember to double click on the first image, to view a larger slideshow presentation after                                                                you have read the narratives~

I will be linking up with Judith for:

www.lavendercottagegardening.com

Mosaic Monday

&

Stewart for:

   http://paying-ready-attention-gallery.blogspot.com.au/

Wild Bird Wednesday

My garden art is placed~

Time with my granddaughter Maci last week, such joy~

Redbud and Bradford Pear trees blooming~

Great Blue Heron paid a visit on my little country lane~

My new Lenten Rose~

 Pileated Woodpecker~

Pink/red Dogwoods~

Male Bald Eagle soared right past me last week at the Bald Eagle nest site, on his way to hunt up a meal for his mate and two Eaglets~

Red-bellied Woodpecker~

The Cooper's Hawk hunts right along the pathways of where the Red-Shouldered Hawks have their nest~

Redbud trees~

The Red-Shouldered Hawks are still on the transformer and every day adding twigs to help make it safer~

The drive from home to the big city and back, took me past fields of Mustard Grass this past week~

Along these roads, often times wildlife are accidentally killed and the Turkey Vultures arrive to clean it all up~

Cave Hill Cemetery, a peaceful place, with botanical gardens and tons of wildlife...a visit made last week~