I wrote this on Facebook on Friday, Aug. 23, 2013
I don't often post, just add comments to all you here. But today I must.
THIS IS IT!
TODAY I HAVE SUCCESSFULLY REACHED THE 3/4 CENTURY MARK!!
YES, I WILL ADMIT, I AM NOW 75 YEARS OLD.!!!
I don't think, or feel any bit different than I did at 65, or 50, or even 40. Pretty much all the same views, opinions, attitudes, joys, delights in Nature, and most especially, people. My family is who I am! I am celebrating having spent 75 years with all these things!
I'll only admit that because there were plenty of times that goal was in question. But I am living proof, you don't die from having Arthritis, you gotta keep on living with it. This is Psoriatic Arthritis and Rheumatoid Arthritis, and yes, we can de velope complications that can affect the heart and lungs, kidneys and vascular system.
Public education about these auto-immune diseases is so important. Had I known 45 years ago that the pains I had needed attention, I might be in better shape, physically.
Now I am making that my goal, by posting all the info I caqn here, for others to read and hopefully understand and recognize the difficulties that many face every day, even if they don't look like there is anything going on.
So today, I am celebrating and marking this occasion with my family, began yesterday with lunch with a dear friend and dinner with Doug and Cindy and sons, Jared and Kevin and also with Tim and Heather. Today I will spend the day with Tim and Heather. I think I will be well celbrated at the end of this one!
Indeed I was. I spent the entire day with my oldest son, Tim and his wife Heather (the newly weds of 18 months ago) and her mother, Freda.
First helped Freda by unloading her china cabinet so they could move it to the adjoining dining room. Finished that job, went to lunch, then to Home Depot so Freda could get a gallon of paint, I found knobs for my closet doors so I could get rid of the boring white ones, then we went to the Marina, had the boat removed from it's 3rd story rack--neat to watch how they do that so easily!
Now, here's where my part gets a little tricky...as I navigate with a 4-wheeled walker, it's a bit of a challange to get to the boat, down there in the water, while I'm up there on the edge of the parking lot. Heather went ahead and held the front of the walker to keep it, and me, from going a bit too fast down a rather steep, rubber matted ramp. Got down to the dock, which is not much wider than my walker, therefore I must stay on the straight and narrow, literally.
Then we step into the boat, tied to the posts, and Tim holding it steady while I find the most secure place to put a foot. Got that, then reach over to the back of the captain's seat and swing the other foot in, and by golly, I land in a seat, on the boat! ( I have done this before 
Got everybody else in and slowly left the dock, then the channel and out into the Bay of Lake Erie.
Toured all around the bay, went under the bridge of US Rt. 6, got to see the epitome of wealth in so many villas and other awesome homes on the Chausee, on the Lake side of the Bay.
Spent about 5 hours or so on the boat, some of it in dock for awhile while we waited for some little girls to arive for a ride.
But, alas, it was nearly sunset, about 8pm, and Freda had to drive me back home to Bellevue, about 20 miles away. So, we did all that boat-boarding backwards, to leave. There was one of those really long, skinny boats, I think called a cigarette boat, just in front, who was backing into the dock, and one of the guys riding on the back of it waved at me and I said, "Nice boat", then we proceeded up the rubber-clad ramp. Cigarette boat guy appears beside me, puts his arm around me and says, "well did you have a happy birthday?"..I was surprised, never met the man before, but said, "oh yes, sure did"..and then...he kissed me! I then assured him he had definetly topped it all off! He was loaded..smelled like Kentucky Bourbon!!
LOL. Wow!
So, that's the end of my 75th year of life. Today I am working on the beginnings of the 76th .
Loret <3
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Been resting, but writing, well, talking into a computer, as the hands have decided not to play ball.
Methotrexate.
A first Christmas on my own 
RHEUMATIOD DISEASE......
NEAR DISASTER STRIKES! COULD HAVE BEEN MUCH WORSE!
