Walking for Those Who Can't

     Today my family and I walked in the Connecticut MS Walk.  This has become an annual family event for us.  Why do we support the MS Society?  Because my sister-in-law, Linda, has MS.  What is MS?  MS stands for Multiple Sclerosis, and it's a "chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves." (Taken from the National MS Society website.)  Linda was diagnosed when she was 19, and she is almost 44 today.  That's a long time to deal with this debilitating disease, and yet, she does just that every day with a smile.  I have known her for 22 years and I don't think I have ever heard her complain about having MS.

     We walked today for her, for her husband David (who has passed away after many years of MS as well), for his brother John who was recently diagnosed with it, for the so many friends & family members around the world who also deal with this crippling disease.  We walked for so many who can no longer do so.  Who is "we", you might ask?  In this case, it was myself, my husband, 3 of our four children (ages 18, 9, and 8), my brother-in-law Phil & his wife Randee (along with their greyhound, Bloo), and friends of theirs.  We were part of the thousands around Connecticut who took part in the walk, in various locations.  My mother-in-law, Barbara; sister-in-law, Linda; and Barbara's sister, Sally, all contribute as well, by working the registration tables for the particular walk site that we walk from (West Hartford, CT).

     Almost all of us chose to walk the 5 mile, longer route - my youngest daughter, M, chose to head back earlier, with Aunt Randee and Bloo, who wasn't quite up to walking 5 miles on a leash surrounded by all these other walkers and commotion.  Don't get me wrong, it sure would have been easier to walk the shorter route, especially as out of shape as I am, but that's not why we're there.  I can't speak for the other walkers, but towards the end of the five miles, as I can feel the blisters on my feet & my legs are screaming at me to stop, I keep telling myself that I can finish this - after all, how many of those people waiting for me at the finish line can no longer even walk one step?  So, while my feet will be sore for a day or two, and my legs ache right now, my discomfort is temporary, and I will be hustling around today, tomorrow, and for days to come. 

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Just wanted to share a quick little post to show you my home business.  I am an Independant Distributor for The Gourmet Cupboard.  Here is my listing on an online database (run by a friend), to give you a little more information - Direct Sales Database: Featured Consultant - Donna Roucoulet - Gourmet Cu...:  Donna Roucoulet,   packratmomto4@sbcglobal.net www.donnaroucoulet. thegourmetcupboard.biz www.facebook.com/ thecupboardisopen  ...

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Feeling Overwhelmed?

     Do you ever feel completely overwhelmed?  I do, fairly often I'd say.  I know I have a zillion things to get done, and just don't know where to begin.  I can't be the only person who feels this way, but I sure think that at times.  Maybe it's more "normal" than I imagine.

     Sometimes I consider that I might have some form of adult ADD, without the hyperactivity portion of course.  I am so easily distracted from a project, and I will procrastinate immensely if it's something I don't want to do.  I try to combat some of this by living from calendars so I don't forget something.  I have a fantastic one that I stumbled upon one day, called the Mom's Family Wall Calendar.  It has columns for each family member, so if your family is like mine, with people doing multiple activities, you can keep track of each person's events much easier.  I started using this calendar years ago, when I only had 2 children.  As our family grew, it came in even more handy to have.  For a while, my two youngest kids shared a column because there were 6 of us here, and only 5 spaces across.  Our oldest one has moved out on his own, so now we're back to having all the spaces full but not shared.

     Besides the wall calendar, where EVERYONE has to put their schedules on (if it's not on the calendar, it doesn't happen), I also carry my own planner in my purse.  Having a home business (I am an Independent Distributor for The Gourmet Cupboard), and 4 kids, it was a necessity to always have one with me.  Too many times I overbooked my time - helping at school, doctor/dentist appointments, home parties/vendor shows - so I made sure to get one to keep with me.  I started small, with a little one with tiny squares.  Didn't work for me at all.  Then I graduated to a book style one with a page for each day.  I loved that little chunky planner.  Unfortunately one year, I couldn't find another one like it, so I had to come up with another one that would work. 

     I have days (weeks, months, etc), like many others I assume, where I do multiple things in a day, so I quickly figured out that I HAD to have the full page for each day type.  However, those can get so big and bulky that they don't fit in a purse.  It took quite a while to find "the right one", and I finally settled on one with 3 days on a page (the weekend days share a slot).  Some days those spots can be full and overflowing into another day, but most of the time, it's the right space for us.  I have a daughter who works (she's 18 now) and will soon head off to college, plus two smaller kids who do activities like art classes, gymnastics, plus school events.  My husband hosts a trivia night every other week, plus does comedy wedding shows, and an occasional improv or teambuilder event, plus works a full time job.  Add in my home business events and caring for my mother who recently moved into a nursing home, and you can see why I need all the help I can get.  I actually spend time to "synchronize" our calendars.  I have this inner need to make sure everyone gets where they need to be, when they need to be there, and if I don't keep it all scheduled, it doesn't happen.

     So, am I the only batty one who needs to live from a calendar?  Does anyone else go shopping for the next one the minute they see school supplies in the store?  (Yes, I tend to have my next calendar by August, and spend time moving everything over as soon as I get it.)  Please tell me that I'm not alone here.  Then again, it wouldn't completely surprise me.  We all have our ways of coping, and this is one of mine.  Tell me about yours.