Tuesday, December 31, 2013

2013 year in review!



Just a quick look back at the old year before it’s old hat. It’s 3pm here in the Netherlands so we have a few more hours to go before this all here below is even more history than it already is.
Everyone is stealing this questionnaire as far back as I know from The Only Cin’s blog and stole it. She stole it, too, and if you want, steal mine! Okay! My turn! I am stealing this from leeswammes blog blog post! (Click on their names to read their answers!) Now YOU can steal mine! (This is fun!) Just leave a comment if you do as I'd LOVE to read it!
Just change the answers these questions to your own and post it on your blog. Let me know if you do, I’d love to know all about your 2013!
  1. What did you do in 2013 that you’ve never done before? I got 3 people to QUIT SMOKING by getting them to switch over to Electronic Cigarettes that have 'only' 4 ingredients in them - with ZERO carcinogens - as compared to OVER 4,000 chemicals IN ADDITION TO OVER 70+ carcinogenic ones in on-fire combustible tobacco cigarettes! All 3 have NOT had a tobacco cigarette since! (I will do a post about "my own journey" with this on January 12th, my 2 YEAR anniversary!) This IS near and dear to me as I was addicted to tobacco cigarettes for a LONG time.
  2. Did anyone close to you give birth? No. 
  3. Did you attend any funerals? Yes. Sadly, and unfortunately. We lost 3 DEAR people. To start with, 2 of the people were my father-in-laws. First was my husband's step-father, Tom, March Memorial - passed at the beginning of January, who was much more of a real father to my husband than his own biological father was, and he was a very, very, VERY special person who bent over backwards for other people even if he didn't know them from Adam! A man who took my son as his own very first grandson and showered him with LOVE! Grandpa Tom! Plus, amazingly, this man went out in style! All thanks to my brother-in-law and sister-in-law (Gordon's sister) who live in Oahu, Hawaii! They took him in, and for a good 6 months he was able to drive a scooter all around that island carrying his oxygen tank on the back, loving the string bikini's! Yes! He made sure we knew that! LOL!!! NO, he never smoked, but it was mesothelioma which took him WAY to early. We'll truly miss him. When August hit, we lost two people within 2 weeks. My husband's father, and my neighbor straight across the street, who was MORE family to myself than my own family is. Jim passed from an implanted defibrillator that had to have malfunctioned. It went off 16 times from the moment that his blind wife with Parkinson's disease called 911 and another 17 times in the ambulance in the ride to the hospital. It killed him. At that funeral I knew every person who had come as that is how well I knew their family. His wife's health seems to be giving out, too, as I kind of expected it would without her Jim. Such a loss, the two of them. All these passings, especially in August was the hardest on me and also brought back memories of my own mother's passing three years prior. This was too much for me to handle at the time and did send me into a depression until about mid-November. I would really imagine the loss of this many close and very dear people would bother any person out there. I did still read, but not as much as I normally do, and yes, writing reviews suffered, too. Sorry everyone - but, now, I AM feeling back to my old self again!!! :) I just guess I ALL of those losses so close were just too much for myself to handle emotionally ALL at the same time. As I just said, though, I am now feeling MUCH BETTER! My reviews are starting again, I'm back in the Hops, and looking forward to everything again!
  4. What date/s in 2013 will you remember and why? Well, the above, but other than that, no.
  5. Were there any illnesses or injuries in your family? Oh! This is a loaded question! I am totally and permanently disabled due to having a very rare neurological muscle disease which only affects 1 in 1 million people called Stiff Person Syndrome. This disease causes your muscles to go rigid/stiff, then they spasm out of control - painfully. You'll see a LOT of widgets/statements/buttons and other things about SPS and rare diseases in general in the LEFT SIDE COLUMN. I try to bring awareness to this disease, especially by talking about it HERE, posting the buttons I have, celebrating Rare Disease Day, and more. I battle with this disease all day/every day. There is NO magic pill I can take that wards Because of this disease, I am pretty much homebound, which kind of really stinks! I have to rely on a wheelchair, so that makes things a little difficult, especially since I can't even roll it or I will get muscle spasms. This is where doing this blog gives me something I LOVE TO DO!!! This blog makes me happy to share the books I read by writing and sharing the reviews I write with you! :) YOU make me happy when you come on by and leave comments! Thank YOU!  
  6. What was the best thing you bought? Books, of course!!! :)
  7. Where did most of your money go? To doctors! GEEZE!
  8. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year: I have no idea right now!
  9. This question is missing. My answer: Uhhhhh?
  10. What was your favorite TV programme? I LOVE evening TV. Favorites in order: Bones, Criminal Minds, Elementary, Person of Interest, Little People Big World, The Little Couple, and NO! NOT 19 Kids and Counting! I've grown VERY tired of that show. The religion in regards to the girls AND the guys' dating COURTSHIP!! How could I get that wrong??? UGH!!! What REALLY ticked me off is those girls CAN'T EVEN READ A ROMANCE NOVEL BECAUSE THEY'LL GIVE A LITTLE PIECE OF THEIR HEART AWAY??? WHAT????????????? I say, "Jim Bob, you are one SCREWED UP GUY!" (Really, how can ANYONE LIVE without reading ONE romance novel, at least, in their life as the eldest daughter's age being 23 or 24? And, how the HELL is that giving away a piece of your heart????? UGH!!!!!!! (This also RULES OUT READING AMISH BOOKS! YES! THE AMISH 'KISS' WHEN THEY DATE! The Duggars can't even KISS when they date and EVERY date IS CHAPERONED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What year is this again???)
  11. What was the best book you read this year? Absolutely CANNOT BE ONE! First, Hopeless by Colleen Hoover, Necessary Lies by Diane Chamberlain (and if you 'are' going to read that book, first read "The First Lie" by Diane Chamberlain. It's an ebook, and it really should have been included in the book, but then again is a GREAT teaser to get you to read the full length novel! AND, one more . .  The Fault in Our Stars by John Green - review is coming, so watch for it this week!
  12. What was your favorite movie this year? I did NOT go to the movies this year!! Can you believe that???!!!
  13. What did you do on your birthday? NO clue??? Birthday's are no big deal here. It's just the two of us now, so . . . 
  14. Did you travel anywhere this year? No. This disease makes it just about impossible to travel.
  15. What did you do for Christmas? Stayed home, hubby and I, then the kids both came over on the 26th! LOVED that!! We have a 'very' small family!
Now, let me know your answers! What did you do in 2013?

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2014!! 
I'm looking forward to ALL GREAT THINGS this year for you, myself and my family! See you next year!

4 comments:

  1. Replies
    1. Nicole,
      Thanks! Yes, #1 is my favorite, too! Come back on January 12th to read my journey, and I'll also have links to the best studies and what they found in electronic cigarettes vapor (nothing bad!). It was a great journey, and successful, too! Well, before I give too much away, I better stop now! LOL!
      Thanks for coming by and leaving a comment, especially!
      Happy 2014!
      Laurie

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  2. Indeed, amazing that you helped several people to stop smoking. And good for you, not smoking. It's especially bad for circulation when you're in a wheelchair, isn't it?

    Sorry about your losses, that's hard, so many loved ones in one year. This year must be better!

    Happy New Year, Laurie.

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    Replies
    1. Hi leeswammes!
      Thanks for coming on by!
      I tried to post this comment yesterday, but my computer must not have taken it. Sorry! It kept shutting down on me. I have a program in here that is doing that AND turning on TV commercials!!! Of ALL things!
      Yes, I am VERY happy I helped them stop smoking!! Yes, it was NOT good for me! You should see all my blood tests as they come back now! Wow! It even affected my cholesterol??!! It's amazing the difference between the two! Wow! Is all I can say! Well, you figure ALL the chemicals in '1' cigarette, and . . . it does it's BAD work!
      They even UNlinked the 2nd hand smoke claim to being literally a smoke screen - it does NOT cause cancer - may cause problems in other people who do suffer from breathing problems, but it does NOT cause 2nd hand smoke 'cancer'. It was published in Forbes magazine by a person who DOES currently work at the American Cancer Society! I have a link if you would like it. I need to dig for it, but I can find it.
      All they were trying to do back 30yrs ago was wipe out "THE LOOK" of smoking, deglamorizing it by putting us outside 'on the street corner', or so I liked to joke about! LOL!!! Unfortunately, they ARE trying to do this with #ecigs, too, which IS a shame because more smoker's COULD SEE THESE and switch over, thus saving their lives. That is how all 3 of the people I helped quit, to switch over! Shame, shame, shame. You would think in THIS CENTURY to find something that does NOT cause cancer would be embraced!!! Sadly, not. There WILL be a LOT of lawsuits after the first of the year, particularly New York city who BANNED THESE in public places. People NEED to see these so they can quit. Had "I" not seen these I don't know if I would have quit? I was not ready to!
      One of those people DID on Christmas Day, so far '1' did try '1' tobacco cigarette since switching over to electronic cigarettes, and they threw up from the tobacco cigarette! They said NEVER again! That is how powerful these DO work!
      As for the nicotine in these, it is now scientifically proven now that it is no more addictive than the caffeine in a cup of coffee - which I can attest to because I have dropped my nicotine level to almost zero now! There IS something else in cigarettes that keep us hooked, but since I am not a chemist, I don't know what it is.
      We have people I can ask, and I plan on doing that!! I'll post that on January 12th as long as I can get a reply back in time!
      Yes, August was HARD! Two people. January was hard, and a total of 3 people who we dearly loved, was SO hard.
      YES! This year WILL BE BETTER!!
      Happy New Year to you, too!
      Laurie

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