Well, I've had this lovely little song running on a never ending loop in my head the last few day.  You know the one from "The Sound of Music" that goes-raindrops on roses and whiskers on kittens, bright copper kettles and warm woolen mittens, these are a few of my favorite things...anyway I got to thinking about a few of my favorite things (as a person who works in education I hate that word-things). I thought as one of the members of this site who has been diagnosed with RA a little longer than some of you that I should write about some of the items I have found useful in my everyday life, so here are my top five...

#5-I love the fact that Baby Boomers are getting older.  I barely fall into the Boomers generation so I can't really claim any part of the credit.  Anyway, the reason I love that they are getting older (of course, I'm not getting older) is because of all the large handles  manufacturers are putting on kinds of tools for the garden, for the kitchen for almost any kind of chore.  And it's not just the expensive stuff especially made for disabled or sold just in medical supply stores but the stuff in the local Wally World.  Yahoo!!  The only thing I have not been able to find was a paintbrush.  Maybe the manufacturers know something I don't? (Like I would overdo it with a comfortable brush, which I did anyway)

#4-I have the most awesome bike!  I have issues with my foosies that make walking for exercise nearly impossible.  I have issues with wrists and shoulders that keep me from riding a regular bike.  My bike has what they call pedal forward technology which allows me to put my feet flat on the ground without getting off my seat.  It has a nice seat for someone with a large um...seat, with a backrest.  My only advice is if you start riding and not ridden, like since you were old enough to drive, don't ride with a significant other who has put 5,000 miles on a bicycle in the last 3 years.  It WILL mess with your mind, you'll start thinking about ways to sabotage their bikes(like tying a 300 pould gorilla to their handlebars).  If you look at my profile you can see a picture of me with my awesome bike taken right after my first 25 mile ride a couple of years ago.  By the way, I took up riding after diagnosis when my feet got too bad to walk.

#3-my DVD player and a stack of comedy movies.  This is for the days when I just don't feel good.  I like a movie that makes me laugh-it can be anything from Abbott & Costello to Runaway Bride.  One of my favs lately has been a DVD of the TV show "Dirty Jobs" that my son actually gave his dad last Christmas.  I will pop in a DVD and just chill for a little while but I want to be able to smile when it's over.  I know have figured out after 15 years with this crazy disease that what I don't get done today will either get done by another family member or will still be there for me to do when I do feel good enough.