Having To Dial It Back --- UGH

I'm a little frustrated today. I'm realizing I can't draw every day. (Imagine extreme sad face 😞) Due to the damage to my muscles and tendons I am finding I need to give the muscles in my arms at least a day off -- maybe more. 

Drawing relaxes me. When I can't do something or go someplace I can draw. It gives me joy and I find pleasure in just putting pencil to paper. But, I am finding after drawing for just a little while, my shoulder, bicep and elbow is not just fatigued but screaming at me to stop. 

Soooo I need to take at least a day to let my body recover from the task of sketching.  lol Sounds pretty extreme I know, I mean how taxing is drawing? Right? Apparently right now for me it's too taxing. 

So beginning this week I am putting myself on a strict schedule. I'll sketch one day and rest the next. We'll see if there is any improvement in my pain levels.  

So I've dusted off the couch, added plenty of pillows, and stocked up of Iced Tea. It looks like I will be catching up on my reading and netflix.

On another note here is another sneak peek.

Available on Etsy. http://etsy.me/2sohqfm

5 Star rating on Amazon

Thank you!! Thank you so much for the lovely review Pete, on Volume 1. I've been getting quite a few people contact me telling me of their struggles with chronic illness and how they find coloring helps them.  How their therapist recommended they draw or color and how that relaxes them. I'm beginning to see how many people struggle with chronic illness on a daily basis.  

Book 2 in my Coloring Therapy Series is available on Amazon now. amzn.to/2pOlq7Z

Do you find coloring or drawing helps you relax? 


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Here is the Amazon link for book 1: http://amzn.to/2jeGh26

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Getting Close. I'm so excited!

Getting Close!! Watch for Easy Mandala's Notebook Journal in the "Coloring Therapy Series" Volume 2, Available next week on Amazon. I'm just waiting for Amazon to do their "approval thing"  This is so exciting.  

"I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it
I'm about to lose control and I think I like it
I'm so excited, and I just can't hide it" 
      The Pointer Sisters 1982

I have been working on an Easy Mandala COLORING BOOK which will be a companion book to the Easy Mandala Notebook Journal.  I am very close to submitting it. Just have the cover to finish, but Photoshop is an extreme challenge for me and my brain fog has been pretty "Fogged In" lately.  I am super excited about this one. It's 8 x 10 instead of the travel size I've been doing on the journal notebooks.  

There is just so much going on in the office here at the TheBlueScreenBlogger headquarters.  

I have another Journal I'm thinking about after the Coloring Therapy series. I thinking about a chronic illness journal. For years I have kept one in a blank lined book to track of whatever I trying to manage. Pain, diet, supplements, sleep, my weight, exercise, medications, a place to journal. I find it helps me keep track of all the facets of chronic illness. 

I recently went back and read through it.  I had forgotten so many of the struggles, frustration, and challenges I have been dealing with these last 10 years. I was able to see where I was and how I was coping - or not coping as the case may be. The weight I've lost, and the diets I've tried and tried and tried. So many fails -- It's been a long 10 years.  lol 

Still researching but I found I needed to slow down on that.  It was consuming me and I felt I needed to slow the roll and take a step back. John has been researching and sharing what he's learning with me and I find that's enough for me right now.  I'm trying to focus on positive things instead of all the medical depressing stuff right now. So I'm spending my time being creative and working on the "Coloring Therapy Series" instead. Honestly, I would rather think about coloring books than depressing medical stuff, would't you? 

I hope Your are leaving messages all over BlueScreenBlogger posts.  I love to hear from you and when you comment it makes you a part of BlueScreenBlogger community.   

You can purchase my Coloring Notebook/Journal Volume 1 here:  http://amzn.to/2jeGh26

Check out my Facebook Fighting Through The Fog, and please join the group. https://www.facebook.com/groups/755116634637922/?ref=bookmarks

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Working on my next Journal/Notebook Easy Mandala's

Cover for Coloring Therapy Mandala Notebook

Working on the cover for my next Journal/Notebook in the series Coloring Therapy. Notebook 2 and 3 will be Mandala's. Book 2 will be easier Mandalas and book 3 will be harder Mandalas. The thinking is some days you just want to lay color on a page something not too challenging. Some days you are up to a challenge and want to concentrate and have the patience to do a detailed coloring. 

You can purchase my Coloring Notebook/Journal here:  http://amzn.to/2jeGh26

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https://www.facebook.com/groups/755116634637922/?ref=bookmarks





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One Bite At A Time

Today was another one of those good day/bad day’s that I seem to have way to often.  It was a day with a long to do list. In my “before Fibromyalgia,” (I seem to mark time “Before Fibro and After Fibro”) this To Do list would have been the appetizer for the main event. But now my life is “after,” and I need to first assess how I am doing today before I even make a list. John and I start each day with questions like  How fatigued am I? What’s my pain level? What’s the brain fog forecast? After we get a read of how I’m doing I can make up my To Do list and then see how it goes. 

First on the list today was finishing the laundry that I had started yesterday and pooped out before I was able to get the wet wash into the dryer.  I also had a few more loads to get done. We’d see how much I’d be able to finish on the laundery detail.  Have you noticed we just never seem to be caught up?

Next up was a HUGE one.  Working on taxes for my Etsy stores.  We have a tax appointment in a couple of weeks and I need to finish this project pronto.  I started on this in early January, because I knew I needed lots of time to be able to get this done on time.  I knew in my “before” days I would be able to work on it for one or two afternoons and it would be finished.  Now I'm in my“after” I know I can only work for an hour or two, and then I need to quit for the day.  So I need plenty of time to spread it out.  The Beatles Taxman lyrics have been running through my head today. Lol 

Getting ready for the taxman, yeah, the taxman

“If you drive a car, I'll tax the street,
If you try to sit, I'll tax your seat.
If you get too cold I'll tax the heat,
If you take a walk, I'll tax your feet.
Don't ask me what I want it for
If you don't want to pay some more
'Cause I'm the taxman, yeah, I'm the taxman”

The Beatles 1966 Revolver album

I was frustrated right from the start. I couldn’t focus – oh no - fog rolling in.  I sat down and thought I’d just pick up where I left off last time. I felt confident this would be easy peasy because I had my notes telling me where I had stopped last time.  They included detailed notes on where I had left off, and what I still needed to finish but the notes were not making any sense.  This is typical when fog is rolling in.

This logically should not have happened.  I was diffusing “Focus” blend - my heavy hitter.  When I know I’m going to be challenging my brain cells I diffuse and find it helps me think and wade though the fog. I had my hot drink of choice. I had cleared my desk of distractions. I had my list of what I hoped to accomplish in order of how they need to be checked off.

I was overwhelmed.  I got up and walked away. I went into the family room and chilled a bit. Came back into the office and I was able to figure out what I need to finish. My notes did make sense after all.  I worked all morning and was able to finish with the receipts after lunch. 

I knew my brain was done for the day so I thought I’d switch gears and work on something fun. The cover for my next coloring Mandala Notebook/Journal book.  The inside is complete, I just need the cover finished.  Last time I had worked on it I had gotten a lot done and I was looking forward to hopefully getting it finished.  Well that didn’t go so well. Nothing was working right on the computer. Everything just was not working even though I was following my notes EXACTLY.  I got out the “Photoshop for Dummies” book, I watched about one hundred and thirty YouTube videos, I called tech support (son-in-law Chris) nothing. Nothing was working today. Frustration level was going up, overwhelmed feelings going up so I closed down the computer and just admitted defeat again to this beast – Fibro.

John and I went for a short walk and he reminded me what I DID get done. Focus on that he said. Good advice! We listed all I was able to accomplish today. OK not as much as I would have liked, but still a good amount. I need to quit remembering what I used to be able to do! I am no longer able to multi task. (more on that in another post.) I can just do ONE job at a time.  But you know what? I can still do ONE job at a time!!!

After my walk I was sitting (recouping really) and thinking I need a better plan for days like this. The bookkeeping overwhelmed me right off. The fog rolled in. I was frustrated, overwhelmed, foggy and unable to focus.  So I asked myself "what can I do on a day like this to get the job done?" And then it came to me – uh huh moment. You know what I gonna say here don’t you… How do you eat an elephant? ….One BITE at a time. Is that angels singing? Yup I do believe it is, lol. And then I remembered I had gotten John a lovely carved elephant for Christmas a few years ago.  Yup I went and grabbed that baby and it’s gonna be my mascot.  It’s gonna be my visual reminder when I’m overwhelmed, when the job whatever it is (laundry? taking a shower?) seems to big for me to accomplish I just need to remember One BITE At a Time.

My new mascot 

Oh, and I did finish drying that load of wet clothes. However, it wasn’t until I was going to bed. I had thrown them into the dryer but forgot to turn it on. Huge sigh here. Yup I did exactly what my list said … Move clothes to dryer.  Next time I need my list to be a little more detailed and include TURN DRYER ON!  And so it goes in the life of a Fibro body. I'm Fighting Through The Fog.

Are your taxes one? Do they overwhelm you and if so what do you do to conquer it?

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I’ll probably pay for this tomorrow!

Easy Mandala Journal almost done =)

I had a very long but productive day in the office today.  Brain fog today was what I call “High Fog”. I’m not socked in, but it’s definitely foggy out.

Brain Fog is a symptom of Fibromyalgia.  It’s when you can’t think.  Everything is foggy. You know there’s a thought up there but it’s lost in the “fog”.  I will start a thought and loose it. I will start a project – one I’ve done many times and not know how to complete it. When I’m really “socked in” I can’t track with a conversation.  And the really frustrating part is the “fog weather” changes throughout the day. I may start out “clear skies” only to move into “high fog” and then wham fogged in.  The worst is when it blindsides me and I’m out in public and wham-O-bam-O. FOGGED IN. No

warning, just can’t figure out what the heck someone is saying to me. I mean I know they are speaking to me, I mean I can see their lips moving, and hear them. But, for the life of me it’s like on the old Charlie Brown TV programs,  remember when an adult is speaking and all you hear is wa wah, wa wah, wa wah – total gibberish? If I’m at a store I can’t figure out the money end of paying. The giving – how large of a bill do I hand them? Then the receiving of the change. Putting the change in my wallet, receiving the receipt, remembering to pick my bags of merchandise, say thank you to the teller, and exit the store. There’s too much to process at one time causing my brain to just freeze. I cannot negotiate stores by myself at all any more. I am usually able to handle making all the decisions of purchases but adding checking out to my already overloaded brain is guaranteed to be a HOT mess.  And then there’s the noise! That’s another post for another day.

I have found on days like today if I take a lot of breaks I can manage to get something done. So it’s been up and down from the computer – frustrating – yes, but I still am able to feel like I accomplished something at the end of the day.  I used to take that feeling – accomplishment - for granted in the old days.  Not any more. I’ve learned to appreciate getting something done and feeling good about it as a “gift” I used to just assume I was “entitled” to it. I had the attitude it’s just the way I roll.  I was a huge multi tasker and I was so proud of that fact. Look at me, I can hold a crying baby while talking on the phone, while cooking dinner, while throwing a load in the washing machine, while darning the hubs socks, you get the point. Pride, pride, goes before the fall. Humm. Well those day ground to a screeching halt. Fibromyalgia has taught me in a major way to adjust my thinking and perspective. That’s a good thing. We should all view our days as a gift.

But, yes there’s always a but, I will probably pay for the long day in the office this evening and for the next couple of days.  I’m already getting stiff – a sure sign I’ve done too much. Oh yes it’s a double whammy day.

One, I worked my brain too hard.

Two, I worked for too long. 

Both are a sure fire way to make me miserable tonight and probably for several days. But, yes that’s a third and final but. I find I tend to “go for it” when the brain weather is high fog.  I have so many bad days that I just want to make a dent in my ever growing to do list.  But, I’m happy to have accomplished as much as I have today.

Again, I got off topic. (Seems I do that a lot lately, lol) I started out writing about how much I got done in the office today. My second book in the series  “Coloring Therapy Vol. 2” -  Easy Mandala’s is well on its way.  Pages are all together and formatted. I just need a final proof. Now the really daunting job is to work on the cover and back page. This intimidates me big time. But it will have to wait for another High Fog day. 

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You can purchase my Coloring Therapy 1 Notebook/Journal here: http://amzn.to/2kcwnxF






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Announcing my new book series, "Coloring Therapy a Journal Notebook" Coming Soon!

Coloring Therapy Series, Journal Notebook

So Exciting! My new book series, Coloring Therapy 1, will be coming out soon on Amazon. 

I developed this series as I have been maneuvering my way through Chronic illness. 

This is the first book in the series and is a Journal/Notebook.  It measures 6 x 9 and is 160 pages. It features Coloring pages,lined pages for journaling/notes and black pages for doodling (with discrete drawing prompts), as an added bonus, there are inspirational quotes to inspire you and to reflect upon.  Use this journal/notebook to be creative and as a "jumping off place". Or you may find it useful for jotting down lists, personal reflection, a diary of relaxation therapy. 

I use mine to track my chronic illness - my diet, what I find is working for me, how I'm feeling, what I've done that's put me in a flare, the weather etc. I find I am more consistent in my journaling if it is in a fun journal. It's more enjoyable and not so much like "homework" when I can color a page after I journal. A reward to myself for journaling.  Let's be honest here, if I am having a "bad, horrible day" I probably won't want to spend the energy necessary to journal. But wait, I get to color at the end? hmn, let's reconsider, ok I'll journal. It is designed "Nurture You". 

I hope this spurs your creativity. Click on the cover in the bar on the right to buy the book on Amazon. Or You can purchase my Coloring Therapy 1 Notebook/Journal here: http://amzn.to/2kcwnxF

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We are a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees my advertising and linking to Amazom.com. The small percentage I may earn off your purchase costs you nothing extra.