New Year’s Eve 2019

Tomorrow 2020 begins 

A Decade in Focus 

The Future To be Determined

We are Grateful 

Our new life in Virginia is a blessing of the decade.

Still stunned reminiscing about the long journey to get here.

We got out of Vermont in the nick of time,

Before the taxes and other expenses did us in.

We adopted Meela who is an aggressive little cat.

She tough, beautiful, and lovable.

That’s all I have to say for now.

Stay tuned for my new decade of blogging.

I write for You as well as Me,

Travelers through the Universe 

Pausing to share a moment in a Time.

12.31.2019

Meg

We spent yesterday on the porch. It neared 70 degrees f.

Cognitive function

What is advanced MS? https://t.co/u3WknV08zm #MS #MultipleSclerosis

— Mary Gerdt (@marygerdt) December 29, 2019

Another great posting by the Mouse 🐁 Doctor 👨‍⚕️...



My comment:

Good thinking, Doctor. As an old nurse assessor, I had to assess patients for Vermont Medicaid long term program care eligibility. We often saw the person at their home. Cognitive deficits were the hardest to assess. We sometimes heard from families. The patient wasn’t bathing or uncharacteristically disorganized, left a pot on the stove and forgot things, got lost. Sometimes subtle signs. It was detective work. One man seemed fine. In reality, his candy dish had cat food in it, and he snacked on it. These were mostly Dementia patients. But sometimes a person just couldn’t hold it all together. They were often aware. They often didn’t want us to know or couldn’t put into words they needed help. A teacher was so organized she nearly was denied. It’s sometimes more Focal. For me, the travel, daily grind and heavy decision making exhausted me. Holding it together. Fatigue multiplied the falling apart, the tethered thinking. I think assessment only at clinic visits misses so many signs. Even before home visits, cognitively impaired patients often got up early, covering any signs of falling apart, Pulled it together. Nobody wants to fail any test. Sometimes you can hold it together for a two hour visit. Then they often collapsed after I left, their cognitive reserve spent. This was the hardest type of patient to assess. I really think that a series of computer testing could capture more information. Even a game that required different areas of thinking. Then, over time, you would get more complete information. There are inherent difficulties in trying to measure cognitive function while you’re watching them. They may perform well, then go home and fall apart. If you knew the finer points of their cognitive function, disability qualifications might be easier for the patient and the assessor. I kept a journal of sick days, feelings on those days, how all my energy was spent at my job and nothing left when I got home from work. Fatigue has an impact on cognitive ability as well. It’s all so invisible on the outside.

Adios Imus

Thread by @marygerdt: For many years in Vermont, @WhereMyImusAt was my go to morning radio program.I wrote a poem after his Brother Fred died traveloguefortheuniv… https://t.co/kEuePQctck

— Mary Gerdt (@marygerdt) December 28, 2019

#Caturday

Meela and her Christmas present from Aunt Janet ❤️🎁🎄

Friday Night Musik

This week, an old favorite YouTube link...Old and in the Way.

Tgiff 

Looking Forward

Fred got me a most amazing gift for Christmas 🎄 Now I just need to begin writing ✍🏼 in it, my Journal I named The Book of Mary. I’m in Awe 📚

Merry Christmas 🎁🎄 2019

Merry Christmas friends! 😎🎄🎁❤️🙏🏼🔔🖖🏼 pic.twitter.com/a51xMUPbPr

— Mary Gerdt (@marygerdt) December 24, 2019

Christmas Eve

Rerun of an old favorite 🎄🎁

Candy Canes or Just red and White Stripes

Candy Canes?
Search the news for Charlotte Central School Vermont and candy cane like stripes done by a 4th grader and her dad. I did the following piece in time to need an inspiration for our darkest season.
Merry Christmas or holiday of your traditions.

Yes Virginia
By Mary E. Gerdt 2008
On the unfortunate opposition to red and white stripes on Charlotte Central School pillars
Allegedly a symbol of something someone found offensive.
Yes Virginia
There are atheists
And ACLU lawyers
And people who will try to destroy
Your dreams
Yes Virginia
There are those who say they hate you
Or what you believe in
And how is that so different
After all.
Yes Virginia
You can pray for people who don’t believe in what you do
Because
They probably need it
At the end of the day when no one else would pray for them
Yes Virginia
People will say what you do represents religious or other beliefs
And it might make you sad or cry
Do they mean to hurt you?
I don’t know
Yes Virginia
When you do the nice thing
And someone says, “who cares” or “Why” or “You can’t”
Just tell them you are who you are
And they are who they are
And this is a free country so that really works both ways
In fact always.
Yes Virginia
Your youthful optimism and blind love only a fourth grader could muster
Is fragile and might be squished like a bug
Or you may hold on to it if you try very hard and believe twice as hard
That people might change or start to believe
Or at least feel comfortable enough to accept that you have a right believe enough to try to brighten someone’s day
Unsuspecting that behind the pillars stood one man who said Bah Humbug
Who tried to negate your good deed
That brought so many joy and a smile.
Yes Virginia
That is the miracle of the season no matter what you call it, no matter what your beliefs, there is no question that the days get shorter and shorter
until the light returns to shine on us all
Believers and non believers alike.
Yes Virginia
Don’t let that sinking feeling persist in the pit of your stomach
when you thought
You created trouble or
got in trouble for trying to brighten someone’s day.
You are the shining light we all seek
Believe it or not.

Christmas with #Meela

Meela, our new cat since July 4th continues to test our devotion and our flexibility. We started to put up our metal tree but Meela started right off to destroy it. 

So Fred went out and got a little tree that we can plant outside when holidays are over. Meela won out. 

Anise cookies

Anise Cookies

Mom’recipe 

Gadolinium...a Selection of Articles

Been saving these up. https://t.co/GBUd3bdrY7+ #Gadolinium

— Mary Gerdt (@marygerdt) December 20, 2019

Friday Night Musik

#TBT

Vermont summer memories 

Swallows and Blackberries 

Zentangle Christmas Variation 🎄 Coloring Book

Zentangle Variations Coloring Book

OPINION: Decriminalize Marijuana

I woke up in pain 
.. Again 
meg 


OPINION: Decriminalize Marijuana: The criminalization of marijuana is needlessly punitive and has lasting consequences on the lives of offenders.

Zentangle Variation

New Rules for Legislators

@realDonaldTrump No matter Who you vote for in #Congress
Lawmakers should live like the rest of Americans. @POTUS You left off the part about Vacation and Leave time. Otherwise I would vote for your #CongressionalReformAct plan. 👍🏼😎 RT if You agree! pic.twitter.com/7FbyU3yJiL

— Mary Gerdt (@marygerdt) December 11, 2019

Friday Night Musik

Found this little gem on YouTube. Excellent! Tgiff!

Rerun #TBT

Shard Villa

Gadolinium It never seems to go away

Science and #Gadolinium
Show me the facts
I’ll bet my life
It’s not Exact
Maybe
You will Retain
A Little Gad
In Your Brain
Or Fingers
15/10 Pain
I Repeat to my Doctors
Again
And
Again
They look at me smiling
Can’t see what’s wrong
Manufacturers said
“It’s Safe”
Their song pic.twitter.com/ahWV7LoQYg

— Mary Gerdt (@marygerdt) December 10, 2019

Winter Memories

#Gadolinium

This subject always on my mind..  

Updates...

Podcast link:

curious about the safety of gadolinium contrast agents? Join me in just under 5 minutes for the premiere of another episode of my podcast on this very important topic. I will be in the live chat. https://t.co/QbA21nj0Vy

— Andrew Scarborough (@ascarbs) December 8, 2019

 And more...

Thread by @GadoliniumToxic: "TY for the awareness on 's potential harms to the aquatic environment and the very legitimate concern of Gd with our water systems. Please consider researching experts for potential when obtaining any statements or opinio […]" https://t.co/gTS54yAjz3

— Mary Gerdt (@marygerdt) December 8, 2019

Music Link

A Favorite 

Link from YouTube 

Mom’s Recipes

It is an old Mother’s Day Gift our elementary school class did. You might recognize the mimeograph print 😎

We got some rye flour and going to try to make the bread.

Mom’s scribble on the cover. She was always doing that ❤️ Missing her.

Friday Night Musik

A special YouTube Link 

Thankful ❤️🙏🏼

Gadolinium

"All recommendations concerning the safety of gadolinium-based contrast agents, particularly in patients with acute or chronic renal insufficiency, are based in opinion; not prospective, experimental evidence." @Wagner_Nephro #MRI #Gadolinium #RSNA19https://t.co/hQ6tRWHlmN

— Gadolinium Toxic (@GadoliniumToxic) December 2, 2019

#Gadolinium What, Me Worry?

⚡️ “Gadolinium: Patient Spotlight” by @GadoliniumToxic https://t.co/w3QtUa5zxS

— Mary Gerdt (@marygerdt) December 2, 2019

 Symptoms as varied as colors in a Rainbow 🌈 

Making me wonder about gadolinium 

Is it contaminated by other toxic metals?

Can it be pure?

Zelda

#Meela Monday

Daily Bread

My blog is my Daily Bread
My Devotion
Feeding my Head
Memories of Moments
Gone
But not Forgotten
They sit here,
Waiting for me to Reminisce.
Our 35th Wedding Anniversary
Seems like such a long time
Where did it all go?
Then a tweet like this one pops up in my Twitter Stream...
And I know it’s just the One.
Like Fred is Just the One
For Me ❤️

.@JettRebel & @GlennisGrace besloten tot een spontane jamsessie: Aretha Franklins 'Chain of Fools'. Ook een keer een uitzending bijwonen? -> https://t.co/2PT28zo3TL #DWDD pic.twitter.com/C5C2QKYbUA

— DeWereldDraaitDoor (@dwdd) November 28, 2019