Shop till you drop

How tiring is shopping?! My brother gets married in June so I needed a new dress.
I went with mum she is 72 and is like superwoman well maybe not as much as she used to be but still is fitter than I am.  I thought I would go later than I would not have much time but that was a bad idea as it was too pressured and I did not get chance to stop for a break which I should have done.
I tried around 10 dresses on which is tiring in itself but the fact that none of them fit me right, one bright pink dress in Monsoon was sooooo beautiful but was tight round my ribs I figured after the wedding meal I would be bursting at the seams so decided against it plus the price tag was a bit high.  So will have to go back next week now as I dont' want to leave it till the last minute as I usually do plus we are planning the food so that will need sorted the week before.  Not long now it is exciting they get married in the US but the wedding reception is near us we have around 100 people coming it will be a great night

Help AFME via my Site

Please support Action for ME by buying from my site I am giving 50% from sales during May to them
Thanks for your help it is much appreciated for this worthy cause and please tell your friends

How my faith helps me cope

What keeps me going with my illness is my faith as a Jehovah's Witness and knowing it's only temporary and very soon God will bring a paradise earth and all humans will be free of suffering and sickness and be able to enjoy endless life in peace.  For more info go to http://www.watchtower.org/

Revelation 21 vs 1-5
1. And I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the former heaven and the former earth had passed away, and the sea is no more. 3 With that I heard a loud voice from the throne say: “Look! The tent of God is with mankind, and he will reside with them, and they will be his peoples. And God himself will be with them. 4 And he will wipe out every tear from their eyes, and death will be no more, neither will mourning nor outcry nor pain be anymore. The former things have passed away.”

(Isaiah 33:24) And no resident will say: “I am sick.” The people that are dwelling in [the land] will be those pardoned for their error.

(Isaiah 35:5-6) . . .At that time the eyes of the blind ones will be opened, and the very ears of the deaf ones will be unstopped. At that time the lame one will climb up just as a stag does, and the tongue of the speechless one will cry out in gladness. . . .

ME Awareness

I want to raise awareness of ME as it's ME Awareness month.
Many people have no clue what it's like to have ME.
I wrote this poem in 1997 but sadly it still applies and it's now 2010
Such is 'life' with ME
More of my poems here


The Difficult Road of M.E.


M.E is an illness,
That defies all belief,
Searching for a cause
And just a little relief.
Putting on a cheery face,
Trying to show you cope,
When you're dying inside,
Desperate for hope.
You don't want to depress,
Your friends so dear,
Yet you yearn for a caress
And shed many a tear.
You think "How long?"
It seems out of sight,
You battle on frustrated,
This never-ending fight.
People say they're tired,
You cannot sympathize,
You think if they only knew,
The sadness in your eyes.
You feel nobody understands,
The burden you must bear,
If they do not question,
You feel they cannot care.
Trying to look beyond,
Your present affliction,
Yet it drags you down,
Like an addiction.
You crave sleep,
So relaxing and sound,
You go to bed exhausted
Yet cannot settle down.
You think you'll invite,
Some friends for a meal,
But just the thought,
Makes it seem an ordeal.
You live with the guilt,
Of not earning any pay,
Your spouse says it's alright,
But it doesn't go away.
You cannot imagine,
In your wildest dreams,
Regaining your health,
So out of reach it seems.
Your muscles ache,
Like you have the flu,
You could go crazy,
With nothing to do.
Accepting your illness,
Is the key to the fight,
Yet you cannot look back
And forget your plight.
You must look ahead,
To the future, maybe near,
When you can live again,
How you wish it was here.
Although you may never,
Recover your former zest,
At least then you'd appreciate,
THE VALUE OF REST.
c. J.Andrews

Keeping Busy

Although Reverse therapy was not the answer for me I do realise how much keeping busy does help you cope with the illness and stops you focussing on it, just lately due to planning for a family wedding I have been focussed on invited people and making invites and therefore it's taken my mind off my health and how I feel and that has really made the difference.  So I think Reverse therapy is more like distraction therapy finding something to fill your life with which will stop you dwelling on the ME.  I am also preparing for a stall on Saturday which is now fills up this week.   Then I will have find something new next week to fill up the time making sure I do not get bored which lends itself to depression and dwelling on things....

Aloe Vera Juice

I was at a craft fair the other weekend and ther was a lady selling Forever Living Products and I got chatting and said I had not really tried ALOE VERA juice and yet I knew it was very good I said I knew a lady who sold it local to me so I got in touch and she got some me the next day and I started on it about a week ago now and I did notice I had a bit more energy so let's hope it helps.  I use the berry one as that contains cranberry which I hope might help with my urinary problems I get often and I don't ike drinking the cranberry juice you buy in the shops as it contains sugar or sugar substitutes which is not good for my candida.

Gluten Free Rhubarb and Cream Cheese Cake

Time to make some lovely orange and rhubarb crumble.
This juicy and pink but slightly sour vegetable is so wonderfully versatile.

You can use it in creamy deserts, dairy-free cakes, smoothies, with porridge or fish or even raw.

Like a stick of natural sherbet lemon, rhubarb is beautifully refreshing and adds such zest to a meal that a little culinary imagination will go a long long way.

Here’s another rhubarb suggestion: a delicious recipe for a very easy Gluten Free Rhubarb and Cream Cheese Cake

Fresh organic rhubarb

1 box of gluten free vanilla sponge cake mix

4 oz melted butter

2 eggs

8 oz mascarpone or full-fat cream cheese

5 stalks chopped rhubarb

3 tbs caster sugar

2 tbs water

icing sugar for dusting

(all ingredients are available from us at goodness direct)



1. Pre-heat oven to 180°C

2. Stir the butter, eggs and cake mix into a stiff paste. Press the mixture into the bottom of a spring-form cake tin.

3. Blend the icing sugar and cream cheese with a fork. Apply onto the top of the cake mix. Use a spatula spread out from the centre, making the sweet mixture a little thicker in the middle and thinner at the edges.

4. Place in oven a for 40 minutes or until the top is turning golden. Test that the cake does not wobble when you shake it. There should be a shallow dip in the centre of the top of the cake. Leave to cool.

5. When the cake has cooled you can add the rhubarb. Simmer the rhubarb, caster sugar and water together (for best results avoid using an aluminium pan) so that the rhubarb is soft and coming apart. Spoon the rhubarb into the shallow area on top of the cake and sprinkle with icing sugar.

6. Serve immediately.


Source: Goodness Direct