Pentimento

Today Is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day

Today is Fibromyalgia Awareness Day, a day to take a moment and think of those who are suffering with the illness. I don't often talk about it on my blog, but it does affect my life 24/7 - 365. I'm sure I've had it all my life, but I didn't get diagnosed with it until 1994. I thought everyone had the same overall body pain as I did!

For more information about the symptoms of fibromyalgia please visit the National Fibromyalgia Association website in order to better understand this invisible condition.

Disabled With No Income

I was never able to work full time when I was younger. Now that I'm older and the fibro is a factor as I  age too, I'm even more disabled in ways you wouldn't imagine for a sixty two year old. Because I never worked I am not entitled to Social Security Disability, which is fine since I don't deserve it. In a few weeks I will be able to apply for Social Security through my husband's account. I feel very lucky to have that ability to supplement our income. We're not poverty stricken, but we're feeling the crunch just like everyone else.

Do you know someone with fibromyalgia? You can show your support by purchasing items from my CafePress Fibro Hurts shop, or donating to the FMA. The money I make in the shop goes towards donations to the FMA when I accrue a certain amount.

A Washington Native Remembers The Seattle World's Fair

Century 21 Anticipated

I was not quite twelve when the Seattle World's fair opened. Our excitement over it was infectious though. We dreamed of flying cars someday, and traveling to distant planets. Our promise lay just ahead in the 21st century. We were waiting for a man to go to the moon, and watched Sputnik fly overhead on a summer night. We knew it was Sputnik because it was the only thing in the sky at that altitude.

Millions of Century 21 pins were distributed to everyone in the state, and to almost all vistors who came to experience the fair. As you can see, I still have one. I also have some other mementos from that era, or pertaining to it.

My sister-in-law sent me a souvenier Seattle World's Fair ashtray one year. I had thought several times about selling it on Ebay, but here it is still in my collection. I found the book about the fair several years ago in a used book store. That tiny thing in the ashtray is the Century 21 pin (near the top of the space needle where it says World), but it didn't show up well so I tried to take a closer shot.

 

The Space Needle is still in place even through several earthquakes (1965 - 65M; 2001 - 6.8M) and many other small ones. It must be like a Weeble: it might wobble but it won't fall down!

The Science Center was such fun to visit because they always had really high tech exibits and people who would demonstrate them. The Food Court was a favorite place to hang out and get any kind of food you wanted...all in one place. We'd ride up in the Bubblator to see what was going on up on the second floor, walk around up there and ride down again just to be inside that see-through elevator.

One of my next stops would be the Wild Mouse ride. It was so scary because it was just like a small roller coaster, but when it got to a corner it would go out over the edge and you thought it was going to go right over the side. We watched how it operated while we were still on the ground so we knew that's what it did, but we still let out a squeal when it happened.

Next up was the monorail. I was convinced that thing was going to fall off the track too, and it went to fast you barely got on and sat down, caught your breath, and you were at your destination.

Did you go to the Seattle World's Fair too? What did you like best at the fair?

The Chickadees Are In Residence Again

Also seen this morning were the chickadees nesting in our birdhouse on the side of the utility shed. They have been successful parents in this birdhouse for many seasons now. Especially when Jim made the entrance just a tiny bit smaller so just those tiny birds could get in. You may have to click on the picture to see it larger. You can just make out the little bird tail... These chickadees love to sit in the bush in the neighbor's yard just to the back of the shed and they ferociously defend their nest if anyone gets too close. Their main challenge each year are the swallows. The swallows like to dive bomb that birdhouse and try to scare away the chickadees. Those twits need to find something else to do, like eat their weight in mosquitoes!

By the way, I know how ratty the shed is looking right now. It needs a good pressure wash and maybe some paint. So many spring chores to do, so little ambition.