We are "stuck" here in Madison, Wisconsin at the Radison Hotel. Not a bad place to be stuck but we should have made it to Rochester, Minnesota/Mayo Clinic today. My appointment is at 7:15 Monday morning so we will just have to see how the roads are tomorrow. It looks like about noon tomorrow things just might clear up for a long enough period to make the 4 hour drive. I really want to get there for my appointment. I have a feeling they will have a lot of cancellations so they could possibly move me through their system a little faster! That's my hope...we'll see what reality is.

There is a blizzard warning tonight until 6 AM tomorrow morning. I don't think I have been in too many blizzard warnings in my lifetime.

I chose this motel because they have the sleep number beds. I had hoped that since I usually sleep in a recliner that maybe I could make it in one of those beds. I really think if it was a hospital bed I could make it all night but...it's not a hospital bed...just a flat bed. I take all the air out that is possible so there are no pressure points on my back and I can make it a whole....1/2 hour before I have to get up because of the pain. Shoot!! I had hoped that it would work. When we checked in last night I must have looked as bad as I felt because the desk clerk upgraded us to a suite and there is a couch in the front of it . I can sleep sitting up with my legs up on the coffee table on a pillow and lay my head back on a pillow...and I can get a couple of hours before I have to lay on the couch/walk around/lay on the bed...just anything to change my position. Chronic pain can be a real blast!

I realized something on the way up here that had not hit me until yesterday. I realized that I am very different and really don't fit real well with the norm of people. When we would go into the rest stops I just could see how differently I moved and felt than other people and that our house is a real haven for me. I have built my own little comfortable world ... but I think the best news is that I am happy in the world that I have built because of pain and physical problems. I love spending time with Wayne, with our children and grandchildren and our parents. Those are the people that make up my everyday life and that's all I need right now. I love scrapbooking and being creative through that.

Today I got a call from the scrapbook store. I had submitted some layouts to them to be on their design team. It really scares me to death to try this but it will be a little bit of a venture from "my safe world" to the outside world. I think I will really enjoy it. I know a lot of the people on the team I and really think I can make a few new friends with my common interest in scrapbooking. I hope it goes well.

Forgive any typos...I'm not checking this because I'm using the computer here at the motel so I don't want to be a computer "hog"!!

I'll try to find a computer and update what tomorrow brings. I appreciate the prayers behind us. We got into some terrible weather on the way here Friday night. We were traveling 15 mph for about 60 plus miles. I think it should have taken us an hour and instead it took us 5 hours. We were never so glad to see our hotel!! It was 11:00 when we got here and I was used to taking the medicine for the burning in my feet around 6:00 so my feet were burning something terrible. And, my back wasn't much better. I was worried that it wouldn't go away. It took about 2 hours but finally got to a bearable range of pain.

That's all for now.

Chow:)