Posted on Jul 27, 2010 in Blog |

When we moved into this house 19 years ago, I was ecstatic to have an area between my bedroom and bath to put on make up.  I had my very own vanity area, with a countertop, a chair, and a niche.  I loved it.  I put up my favorite artwork on the two walls.  I used it every day. Then I got Lyme. This past Christmas, I asked Jeff to purchase a stackable washer and dryer for the upstairs. “Where are we going to put it?” he queried. “We can take out my vanity and put it right next to the bathroom,” I replied.  Jeff gave me a puzzled, almost incredulous look. “You mean, you are willing to give up your vanity area just to be able to do the laundry upstairs?” he asked. “Yep,” I replied. A few weeks later, I had a functioning stackable washer and dryer area that I try to use on a daily basis. When I got the Lyme diagnosis, my physician had a long talk with me about needing to reprioritize my life, learning to do without, learning to have some things to do that were non-negotiable.  I thought I knew what he meant.  Giving up my vanity for the washer and dryer wasn’t so bad. Though raised primarily in northern Virginia, I was raised in a southern tradition by southern parents.  Girls never went out without their hair nicely done and make up properly applied.  I wasn’t the best Southern girl, but going out in public without my makeup was rare, like 3 times a year. In June, I noticed it was taking me long and longer to get ready for work in the morning.  In my teen-age years, it would take an hour to primp and prepare, plus those 27 minute showers that Dad timed on us. Becoming a mother shrunk my prep time to under 20 minutes to shower, do the make up, dry the hair.  It made me wonder how I spent the other 40 minutes when I was younger.  I’m still not sure. In June, just getting out of bed took a good 20 minutes to loosen my...

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