For me, fibro presents me with daily pain issues, ranging from spasms to just down right pain. I do take meds daily to help out with the pain, but as with everything else in life, it works most of the time. I have also been diagnosed recently with chronic pain syndrome, which is self-explanatory, and arthritis of my right knee and left shoulder.
I see my family dr tomorrow, as I already have my 6 month dr appt scheduled, which after today, is  a very good thing.

I did like a bunch of your blog posts, I am working on more of those now, I hope to be all caught up by the end of the week or so. Please be patient with me!

Later,
Reba

As people mature throughout their lives, they develop more sophisticated coping skills and ways to comfort themselves. Some of these skills are helpful, some are not. A few helpful skills include distractions such as participating in fun activities, being with friends and taking up a hobby. These and other diversions can be great coping skills for distracting oneself from their uncomfortable feelings. Prayer, practicing mindfulness, and exercise can also help in dealing with stress and anxiety. Some of the unhealthy ways people seek to soothe themselves are by practicing eating disorders, addictions, compulsive behaviors, and other self destructive patterns.

Learning and practicing effective self soothing skills may be one of the most important aspects of an effective eating disorder treatment plan. Here are some suggestions to consider when developing personalized coping skills for a life of recovery and hope.

I. Mindfulness – Tune into the five senses and be in the moment. Feel the pressure of your body sitting on the chair, smell the scents in the room, listen to the birds outside, look at a beautiful picture on the wall, taste the vibrant flavors of a strawberry.

II. Distractions – Read good books, go to the movies, play sports, play board games, have some good ‘ole fun and leave the worrying for another day.

III. Bubble Baths – A candle lit bubble bath is one of the best comforts this life has to offer! Indulge! It is well deserved.

IV. Music – Play your favorite songs and CDs. Listen to the music closely. Experience the music. Observe how it feels.

V. Journal – Writing down thoughts and feelings is a cathartic opportunity to express churning emotions and think through situations. This also provides a window into new insights and revelations.

VI. Tea – Have a tea ceremony! Make a cup of tea or a hot chocolate. Put it in a favorite mug or adorable tea cup, heat the water in a kettle on the stove, breathe deeply and enjoy the process of making a cup of tea. Then, enjoy the treat.

VII. Exercise – Take a leisurely walk or a brisk run. This is an excellent way to use up some intense emotional energy or stress. Swimming, bicycling and yoga are also great forms of exercise that can impart a sense of well being and hence comfort. Only do this if you are physically healthy enough to tolerate the exertion.

VIII. Wear comfortable clothes – Put on the most cozy pair of sweats and fuzzy slippers, loose is good! Allow the body to feel the soft sensation of cotton or silk against the skin.

IX. Talk – Talk it out. Talk about the feelings, thoughts and observations with a trusted friend or therapist. It is comforting to feel understood, in and of itself. Additionally, the burdens may seem less draining when they are shared with another.

IX. Get into Nature – Spend some time gardening, observing the beauty of the trees that may line the street, seek out local parks and arboretums to enjoy the beauty of nature.

Learning to self soothe oneself can be difficult. Life is hectic, stressful and often frantic, and eating disorders are often developed, in part, to deal with these burdens. To help soothe and lessen these difficulties, implement this essential tool. It will be beneficial and rewarding when used as an integral part of an eating disorder recovery treatment plan.

Last reviewed: By Jacquelyn Ekern, MS, LPC on August 3, 2012

1. Take them at NIGHT. These things are strong and you’re going to feel them in your system pretty quickly. If possible, figure out the latest possible time that you’ll be awake every night, and take it then. I take mine at 10pm. These things are going to make you feel SICK, so if you can sleep through it, you’ll feel better in the morning.

2. Give yourself plenty of time to get up. This stuff made me really dizzy in the mornings and it took ages to get myself going. If you have the luxury of the first few days off work, embrace them. Stay in bed for the first hour after waking so your head can settle a bit.

3. Buy sea sickness bands. In the UK you can get them from Boots for £7.99 and it was literally the best £8 I’ve EVER spent. Wear long sleeve t-shirts and nobody will ever know. They make the sickness bearable without affecting your meds.

4. Eat ice lollies & drink milk. The dry mouth is really dire, and if you lose your appetite like I did, it’ll be hard to keep yourself hydrated. I’ve eaten a lot of ice lollies and drank a lot of 100% juice and milk. It stops the dry mouth and at least gets some energy into your system. Also, brush your teeth a lot. Dry mouth makes for pretty sour breath.

5. Don’t stop taking them. Everyone I’ve spoken to says that the worst thing you can do is stop taking them. The side effects DO pass and if you’re like me, you’ll do anything to feel better again. Be patient if you can.

6. Expect to feel anxious. I didn’t suffer with anxiety before I started on the tablets and now I’m adjusting to getting the chest flutters and the crazy breathing. Go outside, breathe through it and don’t be alarmed if your hands go numb. According to my therapist, our hands tingle because our breathing is off. I tried to recognise anxiety as a symptom, in the same way I’d think a runny nose meant I had a cold. Recognise it, and speak out about it. Tell your fella, tell your mum, tell your best friend – ‘ooooh no, my hands have gone again. I need to calm down’.

7. Surround yourself with the network that knows about your depression. If you start panicking in the middle of Asda, your skins goes clammy and the nausea kicks in, it’s much easier to deal with if you’re shopping with your sister. She can hold your trolley while you sit your ass down and stop sweating.

8. Try to laugh about it. Seriously, we’re taking meds that make us feel like shit, just to make us feel better. It’s easier to laugh about it with a close friend that sit in your bed and despair.

9. Remember I’m writing this on a good day. Some days you can bear it, some days you can’t. Accepting that is the biggest challenge I’m facing. Today you can get up, tomorrow you can’t. In the end, all you can do is try.

10. Read blogs. We’re not alone and it takes about 10 minutes of reading to realise that.

Good luck.

Em xx

2. Tick another item off to-do list

3. Experience another storming parental argument

4. Experience post argument tension atmosphere-you-could cut-like-a-knife type silence

5. Take meds, switch off emotions and crawl into bed.

Complete bell curve. Normal distribution. Wavy line thing. Grand old duke of york – up and a down and a bit in between.

We recommend you keep your seatbelt fastened loosely at all times in case of unexpected turbulence.

C’est la vie.

Obviously those pesky little pixies have Friday mornings off work, probably because they’re tired after magically tidying the house on Thursday evenings.

*grin*

(Day 563, NO DIALYSIS!!!)

All things considered Mae is doing OK, although taking all her normal meds (6) and the pain pill at the same time without any food is a concern I have voiced – being a retired RN, I knew full well what the response would be.  Same one that came up during the conversation with her family last night about getting some exercise.

Got a pretty good deal on a “ready-to-eat” bone in ham whenever it was I went on that shopping trip and today I plan on getting that bone out of there and start another split pea adventure with it.  Plus with the meat stripped and trimmed and sliced, makes it a lot easier to store.  Making a sandwich a lot simpler as well.  Ham and eggs are on the breakfast menu – difficult to not get that right – however the toast could be an issue.

Have been giving a lot of thought and prayer about selling this place and finding something with a minimum number of steps, a leveler lot and much smaller place to keep clean as it looks like I will be the one taking care of all of that for the foreseeable future. Tried that idea once late summer, but then the thought was to find a place as a bachelor with a couple dogs.  It was not well received then and may not be now; but then the status quo is not working either.  With the MS issue now in the picture no telling what the reaction will be.

Breakfast went very well, even got a “good” out of the deal. Ham bone is “cooking” and the rest of the day will be spent playing catchup with laundry and other assorted household chores.

Took a quick break and looked at a place for the second time – this time with a camera to prepare for a presentation that I know will not go well.  Dogs loved the place and were reluctant to get back in the DogMobile for the ride back home.

A new challenge went surprisingly well; a shower! With the help of a large trash bag some duct tape (just can’t live without the stuff) and one of those el cheapo outdoor plastic chairs – mission accomplished without getting a drop on the bandaged arm.  Guess that is the new norm – a splint and a large “Ace” bandage instead of the old plaster cast of yesteryear.  Has to be a lot lighter and allows for swelling I suppose.

A ham sandwich for a late lunch was turned down in favor of more pills and a nap to get ready for this evenings TV session.  My sandwich was great with mustard and onions on a square onion poppy roll. Now off to make the fish happy, now that the weather is a bit warmer and the water temp is up those guys are REALLY hungry. The first of many days’ worth of ham scraps as treats has the dogs wondering what the special occasion is since they did not need to do anything to “earn” them.

Cat’s out of the bag that I am looking for other property.  Was informed at the last pill taking session that the realtor lady called while I was already asleep, and asked what that is all about.  Just left it at I’m looking since neither of us were in shape to have a lengthy discussion in the middle of the night.

Might have gone a lot better had I answered with –  just arranging a hot date….

And this is what happens when I’m the only one in the office.  Ha!

Well, it’s not like I have much work to do.  I’ve done what needs to be done.  If something comes in, I do it.  Otherwise, I’m picking the lint off my sweater.

The position I’m interviewing for tomorrow has officially been posted.  The description is slightly intimidating.  It’s a lot of work, but I know that I can do it.  It’s everything the CEO and I already spoke about.  She already knows the quality of work I do.  She knows who I am.  I really do thrive with this type of work.  I feel as if it comes naturally to me.  I can see the whole picture and every step I need to take to get there.  I also know how to put in contingency plans just in case something unexpected happens.  I can do this.  I just need a kick ass cover letter and resume so it can stand alone, if need be.

As much as I want this job my other choice is just as good.  I get to go back to school.  New degree is something I love learning about.  At this fork in the road, both are exciting options.  Both will be challenging.  And I love a good challenge.

I just wish the anxiety would lessen a bit.  I had a panic attack last night.  That was beyond exhausting.  I fought it as much as I could.  I think that helped.  But it still knocked me down.  I think I need to discuss with my therapist the option of maybe going back on meds for the anxiety if it doesn’t decrease within the next couple of weeks.  I’m okay with taking meds for the anxiety.  I did it before and it worked wonders.  After several attempts and horrific side effects, I was able to find the right pill and dosage that worked for me.  Once it worked, it was beautiful.

I mentioned the possibility of meds to my husband this morning and he said he didn’t want me to be dependent on meds.  I understand that, but I also don’t see what the problem is if they help me to feel better.  There’s nothing wrong with taking medication if it helps.  When I pull a muscle or have a headache, I take a pain killer.  When I have more anxiety than I know what to do with, I take my anxiety killer.  Same thing.

And now that I’ve wasted even more time, it’s time to work on feeling prepared for tomorrow.

I can do this.

–ation.

So much time has passed since I last blogged. The boys are growing, healthy and strong. All are diagnosed with ADHD, and a two are also diagnosed with Sensory Integration Disorder. Sounds scary, but it isn’t so bad. No different than finding out you need medication for a medical problem you might have. So we talked to our pediatrician and child psychologist for the right dosages, and we are on a good and healthy path of learning and working well together. Turns out, many kids who come from orphanages experience ADHD like symptoms.  It is interesting that a good percentage of kids also experience Sensory Integration Disorder. The doctor explained it like this: sometime in life as an early newborn, when the brain is growing and firing, something happens to kids who may not get held or the care they need. The doctor said no one really knows why, however, it is seen frequently in preemies as well as orphans and infants who are left alone in their crib a majority of the time. When I was teaching 2nd grade in Chapel Hill, NC, I had 3 children in my class who were adopted from foreign countries. One from Guatemala, one from India and one from Russia. Two of these students were in foster homes before being adopted, so they got one on one care from their foster parents. One of these children was from a baby house, which contains between 8-15 babies per room in cribs in a more sterile like setting. All of these children had systems consistent with ADHD. They were inattentive, impulsive, and had some measure of learning difficulty with their processing speed and working memory. My own newly adopted boys, who were  1 1/2 and 2 1/2 at the time, also displayed symptoms of inattention and impulsivity in varying degrees. It was amazing to see the similar characteristics in all of these children as well as my oldest son who was 8. And if we had the chance again, we wouldn’t do anything differently. Our boys are unique, gifted and special. We are so thankful for them…and the other families I have talked to feel just as blessed. Each day, we get up, eat breakfast, take meds, go to school, and work on our social skills. Being kind…getting along…playing nicely with each other. Does this sound different than any other family you might know? Pretty normal. I love my family!

….Older Blogs Below…Scroll to the Bottom for our Adoption Experience in Russia,  and Life After Adoption!

THE CASON FAMILY ADVENTURE!

 

 

FRIDAY, APRIL 30, 2010

So How Are We Now?

 

We have been home 1 1/2 years, and boy, what a RIDE! Here are some pics of the boys now…

 

 

Visiting Bob Evan’s Farm in Ohio…

 

 

At Aunt Suki’s in Radnor, Ohio for Thanksgiving!

Around the Kitchen Table with Libbi and Laini!

 

Picking out our Christmas Tree on the way home!

This was north of Mount Airy, NC.

 

In Lakeland, FL with family! Darbie, Sam, Emi and Aunt Jax with the boys!

 

AT 6:11 PM POSTED BY MRS. CASON NO COMMENTS:

 

 

SATURDAY, OCTOBER 18, 2008

Yes…We’re Home!

 

We arrived home August 6th and are fine! BUSY, though. Thanks for all of your prayers and support! We are SO glad to be finally settled in with a normal routine. Noah has settled down quite a bit and readily gives hugs and kisses and is no longer apprehensive toward Nathan or myself. Zachary continues to do well, and Nathan is great! He is the coolest 2nd grader I know. Everything is just wonderful and we are having the time of our lives! (…but life SURE is different!)

 

AT 1:05 AM POSTED BY MRS. CASON 2 COMMENTS:

 

 

FRIDAY, AUGUST 1, 2008

In Moscow!

 

Yes…here is an addition to the blog after a long period of not writing. I think the lapse has something to do with two new babies in our family!!!

HOORAY! the 1o days were waived for Noahs court, much to everyone’s surprise. (I mean, literally… it never happens anymore unless a child needs surgery or something) The judge had told our case-worker the previous day that he would defintely not waive our waiting period. But when we got into court and told our story, he agreed. It was an amazing moment! Thanks for your prayers…can you tell they work? : ) So, we got Noah the next day, and he cried and cried. He is much more apprehensive and nervous as a whole…where Zachary is such a jolly little guy. But we are working with him. Zachary now wants “Mama” …but that is OK because all Noah wants is “Papa.” He absolutely howled when I tried to hold him or walk with him the first several days. Now, he will let me hold him for brief intervals but still wants Papa and you can tell he is just tolerating me when I have him. But he is happy to give me kisses anytime I ask, and he is a great little helper. He LOVES to bring things to us when we ask, or pick things up for us. He loves cars…and everytime we see them on the street he says, “beep, beep!” It’s cute. We are working with him slowly to adjust to Mama and Nathan. He is active and very rough and tumble…and he is FAST! We have to watch him every second…and we call him our bruiser!

Both boys have rickets and some kind of dermatitis. Noah’s rickets are worse, and he has some physical signs. He has a big belly and chest, and slightly bowed legs and weak ankles. He weighs about 29 lbs. and is 28 months old, and Zachary weighs about 22 lbs. and is 18 months old. They are 10 months apart. 

Right now we are again, waiting. Visa’s for the boys took some time, and now the airfare to get back home is both difficult to attain and astronomical. We weren’t expecting that. But we will fly home on Tuesday, August 5th and I go back to work 10 days later. For these next few days, we will go and see Red Square and try to soak up local culture. The market is right outside our hotel door, and Moscow is a modern and interesting city. We already ate at the Hard Rock Cafe, Moscow just for fun…and Nathan has become a souveneir junkie. He walks up to people and starts haggling with them over the price of something, and the language barrier does not phase him a bit. He works it all out. He wanders all over the place and then does not understand why we were worried about him. He is so independent and seems so old all of the sudden. : )

Lastly, it has been so interesting to see how generous a different culture is. As a people, Russians love to give gifts. Each time Nathan goes into a store in our hotel, he comes out with a small token of someone’s generosity. In the market, when I was holding Noah and he was screaming, many babuska’s were coming over to console him by giving him toys and chocolate eat. On the metro, young and old men will stand to give their seat to you if you have a child. It is expected. I even heard one young woman loudly chastise one man for not getting up…and then he jumped up quickly to give me his seat. I don’t think they even knew each other. She just gave him “what for.” It was so funny. : ) And in the restaurant yesterday, the owner came out to give us all candy bars…just because she was happy to see us and the children.

 

AT 6:40 AM POSTED BY MRS. CASON 1 COMMENT:

 

 

SUNDAY, JULY 20, 2008

Introducing…Nathan the Brat

 

Yes…brat! That is what we call Nathan. In Russian, “brat” means brother. So we all get a kick out of calling him “brat.” Zachary doesn’t say much, but he calls Nathan “La-La” …so we laugh and laugh when he does that. Court for Noah is tomorrow, and we are not allowed to bring the children this time. We are hoping our nice missionary friends will help by babysitting, but we are still trying to work that out. Zachary is a happy, loving and snuggly baby. He LOVES his papa. He cries when daddy leaves the room. He eats both baby food and small bites of whatever we are eating. He is used to having tea time so he likes to dip his crackers in his milk or juice, which is cute. In Russia, dads & moms are called mama and papa…so that is what we have been calling ourselves for Zachary and Noah. We met such nice church workers in Pskov. We ate with them, had tea with them, went to church with them and Donald even spoke one Sunday. They were so generous and caring, and even waived the fees for our apartment, so the entire stay in Pskov was graciously given to us by the United Methodist leaders there. They were also connected to Zachary’s orphanage, so they had a photo of him when he was even smaller. : ) We have been very blessed by wonderful people all over the world. : ) More to come later, but right now we need to get ready for court. Please pray for us that the 10 days waiting period will be waived and all will go well with us connecting with Noah. : )

 

AT 1:13 PM POSTED BY MRS. CASON 3 COMMENTS:

 

 

MONDAY, JULY 7, 2008

Saying Goodbye to Grandma

 

Hi Everyone,

Please keep my family in your prayers as my Grandmother, Clara Clarinda Cain, passed away last week. We loved our visits with her when we would go to Ohio for Thanksgiving, and her laugh was infectious. She got a kick out of Donald’s jokes and sarcasm, and I just loved to listen to her stories and look at her pictures. She led a rich life. Nathan enjoyed talking with her, and playing with her many little trinkets on the shelves. It will not be the same without her, and I feel so blessed that I saw her semi-regularly and that Nathan had the opportunity to see her each year. (almost) We have the best picture of her holding Nathan soon after his adoption when she and Aunt Vicki visited us in North Carolina. That is such a good memory.

Thanks for your prayers….and love to all,

Jennifer

 

AT 10:24 AM POSTED BY MRS. CASON 3 COMMENTS:

 

 

In Pskov!

 

On July 3rd, Zachary became a part of the Cason family! We were all so happy, and we will post a picture as soon as we can. Zachary has gotten more blond hair and looks a little older, but has outgrown his rash and pretty much looks the same. Nathan went to VBS and claims that a little Russian girl named Nastya has fallen in love with him. He says he is going to kiss her on the lips the next time he sees her…and so it begins! : ) We are going to eat dinner with the Pastor and her husband on Thursday, and Donald is going to preach on Sunday with an interpreter. Other than that, we get up, eat cereal, hang out in the apartment and when we want some excitement we walk to the small mall or take the bus to go and eat. We return to St. Pete on July 17th, and still no word about Noah’s court date. We hope to hear soon. Please join us in prayer that Noah’s 10 day wait period will be waived…but we will trust that God knows best and we will take whatever verdict that comes. We are so excited to read all the posts! We wish we could have been at the lake for the 4th and to visit with family at the reunion. Keep your comments coming! Nathan loves hearing from his Auntie and everyone! His 1st grade teacher even wrote to him! His head is healing fine, and I (yes…ME!) took out the stitches today. It was a piece of cake! : ) And his tooth is growing in so nicely! It helps so much to be connected across the globe. Internet access is not as readily available here as it was in St. Pete…but we are going to try to check it in a few days. Lastly…check out a free phone system online called Skype. If you have it on your computer, and we have it on ours…we can talk for free. Also, if we both have web-cams…we can see each other when we talk. The missionaries have it…so download it for free if you can…and when we talk you could actually see us. (even if you don’t have a web-cam set up)

Love to you all! The 4 C’s for now…

 

AT 10:12 AM POSTED BY MRS. CASON 2 COMMENTS:

 

 

SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

Cheese! Cheesy-cheese, cheeeese!

 

The title was for all of the Cason’s Crocs who remember Junie-B. : )
As you can see, Nathan had a visit from the Russian Tooth Fairy! He kept wiggling that tooth when finally, he twisted it out. And the other tooth was already poking through, so now we call it his “fang.” We were in Pizza Hut at the time of the special event. Funny thing, the Russian Tooth Fairy gave Nathan “lots more” money than the American Tooth Fairy gives. He got 100 rubles…(24 rubles = $1). We told him that that must be some special thing…due to lack of smaller bills or something, and not to expect that from the American Tooth Fairy. ; )

 

AT 11:24 AM POSTED BY MRS. CASON 4 COMMENTS:

 

 

THURSDAY, JUNE 26, 2008

Ouch! That Hurt!

 

So we went to IKEA today…which is a very cool store that we love in America. The missionaries here say that when they need to escape a little bit, they head to IKEA and the mega mall attached to it…because it is really nice and reminds them of home. We agreed. After IKEA…we shopped at the mall and bought Nathan new shoes, along with items for the babies. And then we ate dinner. We had a great time, and after dinner Nathan was playing with his new friend Peter on the playground at the food court when he fell onto a piece of protruding concrete. He came running over to us, crying. As I tried to calm him down, I asked him where it hurt. He was pretty hysterical. I asked him again, and he pointed to his head. As I parted his long hair to find the spot, I saw a lot of blood. This did not alarm us that much, because we knew that head injuries tend to bleed a lot. So when Donald and our friend Janet brought the napkins to me and I applied pressure…I took another peek. It wasn’t good. The scalp was split in an inch long cut that was gaping open, and it was pretty deep…definitely beyond the first few layers of skin. The center of the cut was even deeper. Two kind workers rushed to help, and told us of a first aid station near the ice skating rink. We went and the attendant was very nice and treated with basic first aid and cut the hair around the wound before bandaging his head. He told us to go to the hospital and motioned with his hands to say, “stitches”…which we already knew. So we took the IKEA shuttle back to the bus station, which took about 30 minutes. Then we got on the metro for another 15 minutes, and were on the main street where the Medem Medical Clinic was. This is where most Amercians go and some wealthy Russians go as well for medical care. It was SO nice, like a ritzy hotel. We walked in, were waited on immediately, and Nathan was patched up with 3 stitches in about 45 minutes. We then paid our 3, 950 ruble bill (about $167.00) and we were on our way within the hour. It was a great hospital experience. And our missionary friends were with us the entire time, which was a blessing. So now Nathan can not get his head wet, and they told us to clean his wound with Vodka every 2 days. !!! We bought alcohol swabs instead! In 10 days the stitches have to come out, but we will be in another region of Russia, so we may have to do that ourselves. (Yikes!) But, as for today, all’s well that ends well! Thanks for your love and prayers!

 

AT 3:17 PM POSTED BY MRS. CASON 2 COMMENTS:

 

 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 25, 2008

Waiting…and More Waiting!

 

We seem to be waiting and waiting. We have one more week before our court with Zachary. We have just been informed that we will have no hot water for the two weeks we will be in Pskov due to a periodic shut down in the various regions across Russia. So we will have to heat water for washing, but we are still thankful for the apartment. We visited Noah again at the orphanage…nice drive to the baby house… but we were in 3 hours of traffic coming home. We all get a little car sick here from all of the starting and stopping and heavy braking and fumes. We were SO happy to get back to our temporary home. Little Noah was nervous around us this time, crying and apprehensive. So we went for a walk and all was well again.Then Nathan pulled Noah on his lap and we all found out Noah was ticklish when the”Tickle Monster”found him. He has a cute little laugh! : ) We also noticed that we have another potential drummer in the family…as you can see by the photo. We had a really good visit. Our day ended with a wonderful dinner with the missionaries that live below us. They have been so kind and hospitable to us, and we have enjoyed getting to know them. We also had dinner tonight with another missionary family, so we have definitely had some good fellowship since arriving in Russia! : )

 

AT 4:27 PM POSTED BY MRS. CASON NO COMMENTS:

 

 

THURSDAY, JUNE 19, 2008

Mission Work and Russian Friends!

 

Below are various photos of our mission work at the church and some Russian playmates of Nathan’s. Yes, I realize in one photo I look like a babushka… (old lady with her head covered)… but is was COLD! And in the photos of the kids, these are Pastor Andre’s children. Pastor Andre and his wife Natasha were very wonderful to talk to and work with. And Anya loved playing with snails as you can see. Anya and Nathan became fast friends, as you can see when they were walking together to Catherine’s Summer Palace.

 

AT 2:03 PM POSTED BY MRS. CASON NO COMMENTS:

 

 

God at Work…

 

It is amazing how we have been provided for. Through so many church friends across the globe, we have been staying in St. Pete for about $24 per night instead of the quoted $220+++ we were advised to expect. So that has been wonderful, and has already saved us about $3000. But through another chance meeting while we have been here, now we have another amazing provision. I already told you of our mission work with our Methodist friends.

Well, we all went into town via the Metro a few nights ago, to eat and to visit a Church in Nevsky Prospect. (very famous, same church as in Red Square in Moscow) As we left the church, there was a market across the street. While strolling through the market, our friends saw their regional missionary across the way. Now, this is highly unusual because this man has no home in Europe. He lives in Georgia. But for 9 months out of the year, he travels by train to various towns across Eastern Europe to share the Good News. (kind of like Paul and his missionary journeys) So when our buddies from Minnesota spotted him, they were surprised and happy to introduce us to him. Now, after chatting a bit, Donald shared why we were in Russia. And quick as a flash, he put us in touch with a lady from a Methodist church in Pskov. (the next town we need to be in) This lady has a flat at the church in Pskov. And our missionary friend “thinks” that it might be available for the time we need to be in Pskov. So he gave us an e-mail address to contact her, and we did. And, she has offered the invitation for us to stay in her flat for $20 per night. : ) Amazing! And…Nathan can attend their Vacation Bible School while he is there. All through a chance meeting with some wonderful ‘Minnesotans’ and because of your prayers back home.

 

AT 1:36 PM POSTED BY MRS. CASON NO COMMENTS:

 

 

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 18, 2008

We Have Been Busy!

 

What we have been doing…

We have been so busy since arriving in St. Petersburg! The first few days we went with our agency and driver to see Noah in the baby house.That was tiring and fun, and we came back to the university and slept each day.

When our initial visits were completed, we were on our own as Russia had a holiday to celebrate their independence from the Soviet States and our agency was closed for the weekend. We stayed pretty close to home and relaxed. But by the weekend, a Methodist mission group had arrived to our floor of the dorm. They were going sightseeing the next day to the Hermitage and St. Issac’s Cathedral, so we asked if there was room for us to tag along…and we would pay our own way. They said sure! And…as if it were planned…there were 3 extra seats on their bus! We visited the Hermitage and saw the beautiful Winter Palace of the Romanov Royal Family. It was huge. (and very crowded!) We also saw a very old cathedral, the 4th largest of its kind in the world.
And in the meantime, we were making great new friends from Minnesota! The next day was church on our own…and we went to a Russian service on campus….which was nice! And for the next two days, we joined the mission work at a children’s school and a church… and worked like we did back in our youth ministry days! : ) We feel so blessed to have had the chance be a part of their group and serve others while in St. Pete! It has been wonderful!

Nathan has made so many new Russian buddies. It doesn’t matter that they can’t communicate. They just chatter to one another like they can understand everything. It is so cute! Today we worked at the church doing gardening, and the church ladies cooked us a delicious meal, which helped brace us for the rainy weather we experienced while waiting outside to tour the inside of Catherine’s Summer Palace.Again, such grandeur! God has been wonderful providing for us in so many ways.
There is a recording studio in the basement of our building. So the manager of that facility (Dennis) lets Nathan drum all he wants and listen to the bands practice. You might be able to see their studio at dawnmusicmusic.com ….I think. Our Methodist friends are leaving tomorrow, and we will miss them. I will post more pics soon!

(directly above is a church in the area near the baby house)

 

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TUESDAY, JUNE 17, 2008

Say Hello to Noah!

 

Noah Cade Cason

Noah is a sweet tempered little boy, and is as solid as a rock! He walks and moves well, and was a fun little guy to play with. His name means “peaceful, restful, quiet, long-lived”…which we like. His baby house was really nice, and peaceful…and we had a very restful experience getting to know him.

 

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Noah Likes the Camera!

 

Here are a few cute photos of Noah when he took off with Nathan’s camera. Nathan REALLY wanted it back…and was trying to think of a way, as you can see. It was funny.

Noah had on 12 month old clothing, however, that is too small. I think he will be fine in 18-24 month clothes. He has no visible skin issues aside from the mosquito bites, which are covered in green medicine. (like iodine)

 

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THURSDAY, JUNE 12, 2008

White Nights!

 

Yes, I thought I’d better publish two posts in one day, in case the next few days are busy. (I will try to get some pictures up and running soon!) We are experiencing White Nights here in Russia. At 12am it finallyt becomes twilight…not dark. It never really gets dark. The sun is shining brightly at 10:30pm. It is funny! But we have been so mixed up with the time change, we have had no problem getting to sleep. We were totally exhausted the first complete day we were here. And since I was riding in the back seat in a small car on a very pot-holed road, I made the mistake of taking a motion sickness pill. That, combined with the previous 48 hours of sleeplessness, was not a good combination. I could barely keep my eyes open. Everyone was laughting at me! : ) Nathan has been having a blast… and on the way over loved watching movies on the plane all night long. We had a 12 hour layover in Munich, Germany on the way over. We took a rail into the city of Munich… (Bavaria) …and saw some cool churches, markets, castles, architecture, and cafe’s during a city tour on a double decker bus. We had a great day in Germany! The only bummer was that a bottle of water cost us $8 and a can of coke was $4. Whew!

 

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THE HOME OF CATHERINE THE GREAT

The Summer Palace

 

 

CATHERINE’S INTERIOR

 
Doors to the Amber Room

 

 

FLOWERS AT THE ORPHANAGE

 

 

 

NOTES FROM NATHAN

MRS. CASON

CHAPEL HILL, NORTH CAROLINA, UNITED STATES

I am a…contemplative, funny, serious, fun-loving, family minded, entertainment loving, creative life-long student who believes in learning through all of the senses! One day my dream is to travel the world for 1/2 the year, and sit on the front porch of my Nashville farm (the one I hope to have one day!) and be creative for the other 1/2. Of course, I will have to be surrounded by a large family, lots of land and mustangs running free. That sounds like paradise to me!

VIEW MY COMPLETE PROFILE

 

 

 

 

Of course getting an appointment was not so easy. It took two months to get in! Apparently I majored in the WRONG subject in college. But the day finally came (yesterday) and I went and she asked questions and I answered. It turns out (after an hour and 15 minutes and $25) I’m not depressed at all. Yes I’m grieving the loss of the pregnancies. But it seems I actually suffer from high anxiety and, and OCD or CDO (as it should be). The OCD bit I knew about.

I’ve got this thing about checking locks and light switches. It does not help that my husband asks me after I’ve giggled the handle 10 times if I’m sure its locked. Because it then takes ten more shakes to be sure. Sigh.

Are you sure??? (wisegeek.com)

I do this when I go to bed at night too. Even though I know full well my husband will check before he goes to bed. But that’s me. I also have this thing about the doors being open. Yes, even with the screen door closed. I have this crazy fear that someone will get in OR that someone will get in and let my cats out. I don’t get it…hence the therapy. As she thinks the anxiety/OCD is the biggest issue I have. Ok we’ll start with that and see where we go right?

BUT as we talked I realized that this anxiety and OCD thing went back to high school! And I cannot for the life of me tell you why it started or actually pinpoint an event that kicked it all off. Yet here it is. All I can tell you is that’s when I noticed I started doing odd things like checking locks and light switches repeatedly. I also noticed I did odd things when left alone. I’d sleep downstairs (only when I lived with people). I guess my thought was I’d hear someone breaking in and then I’d freak out rather than having them surprise me. I know it makes no sense what so ever…but the anxiety leads to the OCD or vice versa and I end up caught in this loop.

So now I know, good right? Yes and no. Because now I know those feelings like I’m having a mini heart attack once a week (sometimes) are called panic attacks. NO I actually did not associate them with anything, but now I know I should. So when they happen at home I can simply ride them out in private. However, when they happen at work there is not a damn thing I can do about it. Well, maybe I excuse myself to the restroom to freak out in private.

At least I found someone who believes me and wants to help me. Can I be cured, um probably not. Can it be managed better I sure as hell hope so. Now who wants to sleep over this weekend while my husband is away…as you guessed it I’ll be sleeping on the couch with my phone nearby. Good times, good times.

Just a few other things that make my OCD act up:

Where do I step?? What if I step more on one with the left foot and not that many on the right? Seriously.(mmo-champion.com)

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?? (source: i.imgur.com)

I fix this EVERY TIME! (source izismile.com)

Finally things that I check/redo constantly:

Locks

Light switches

That my alarm clock is set

Depending on how I stepped of the last step I might have to redo it with the other foot

I’m sure there are others, but now that I’ve freaked anyone out who read this blog I should probably stop…

One last thing. My husband had an idea this was my bigger issue. He says I worry too much. NO KIDDING. But worry is another road to anxiety which we all know leads to (say it with me) OCD! So I’m in for a long haul, but at least he’s here to help me through it and to stop asking me if I’m sure the damn door is locked!

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I have always promised myself that as long as my ratio of functionality outweighs the not, I would never seek medication for the state of my brain. I live in abject fear of ever having to find a trustworthy doctor. Not to mention submitting to the lab rat phase; having a rainbow of pills to take and try and fail and try some more.  Truly scares the ever loving hell out of me.

o.o

I don’t feel I need to get better, I’m not sick. I do feel the need to stay aware, watchful of myself and healthy so as to avoid making my erratic chemistry even more so.

I know it can become necessary to seek better living through pharmaceuticals.  To those who endure the docs and cocktails I hope you realize how brave you are.

I just keep working my little mantras of function and pray to the oblivious universe that I never have to try and be that brave.

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