Category Archives: Health concerns

Tranquil Tuesday

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Happy Tuesday, y’all! I hope your week is going well so far and continues to get better with each day😊! In the United States, the week began with a bang, as yesterday was the last day to complete taxes, which is never a fun time. Most of us wonder where all our tax dollars go because most roads remain terrible to drive on, and we surely do not get any benefits from healthcare. Yesterday was also the start of another trial for the former president and leading presidential candidate, Donald Trump. This trial is a criminal trial and makes it terrible he is the leading candidate for the president of the United States. I often wonder what would happen to many others who faced criminal charges in the United States. How many people can continue running to be the president when facing criminal charges? Many other countries would have to watch US news and laugh at the hypocrisy, and it would be more laughable if it were not our reality.

I read an article yesterday that I knew was a mistake because it was about COVID-19 and Multiple Sclerosis. The article indicated hospitalizations and deaths due to COVID-19 in those with Multiple Sclerosis are increasing. Of course, this was an upsetting and terrifying article to read because I have worried about my failing immune system and COVID-19 since it started back in 2020. Thankfully, I have been able to avoid getting COVID, but I think that is because I rarely leave the house, and when I do, I am extra cautious. People have criticized me for being so cautious, and those who have criticized me have all had COVID-19. I was so desperate to start working again that I almost considered broadening my job search to an office setting, but that was against my best judgment. When looking for another job, I will continue to only look for remote work because I think it is safer.

Tuesday is one step closer to Friday, so it is something to be thankful for. No matter what happens during the week, we must find ways to stay focused and calm because if we allow anything to trouble our minds, we prevent ourselves from having a happy life. It is not always easy to avoid stress or upsetting issues, but we can focus on simple things that make us feel happier and free. I hope the quote I am sharing today will help you focus on the beautiful things in the world and find happiness in the simpler things. Why get lost in the challenging and awful things going on in the world when we can keep our lives simple? We can decide to live a typical and simple life, but for some, it feels boring, but they are the most stress-free lives possible! For anyone who wants drama, all they must do is turn on the news or any other shows that are on in the evenings.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope everything is going well for you this week and you are staying as safe as possible. I would advise you to not read articles you know in advance will upset you because the result will be you are upset by what you read. I know this to be true and would not want you to go through the same upsetting feelings as I felt yesterday. I want to know your thoughts about this post because I know you will have some excellent insights. I will respond to all comments as quickly as I possibly can, so please feel free to tell me what you think. Please never forget I am always sending y’all LOTS of love❤️, comfort, support, and MANY🌈 positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Sunday Thoughts

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What does Sunday mean? The weekend is about over, and we must face the week another long week. Early yesterday morning, I received a text from my mother’s husband to let me know my mother was in the hospital. Talk about a terrible way to start the weekend because it is in my nature to stress about everything, and my mind automatically goes to the worst-case scenario. One of the worst parts of this is that I am over 1,100 miles away, and there is nothing I can do except overthink what is happening and what could happen. The logical part of my mind knows her being in the hospital is the place to place to be to keep her safe and get her well, but there is the illogical part of my mind that runs in overdrive.

I have always known looking things up on Google can be a blessing and a curse, but most of the time it is the latter. You can find great information on Google, but you can also play hell knowing what to believe and worry about and what to take lightly. Lord knows, when I looked up information about one of my lab results and our older cat’s test results, it was enough to make the sanest person lose their mind. I know the reason why my mother is in the hospital, and even though some of this does not make sense, I can only hope she will heal quickly and be able to go home soon. At this point, I do know she is going to be in the hospital for at least one more day or until her oxygen levels remain normal without the oxygen tank.

I know things could have gone a lot worse than they did for my mother, but please keep her in your thoughts and prayers as she gets better from pneumonia. She and her husband have had a hell of a stressful weekend, but I am thankful he has been there for her. While I am over 1,100 miles away from them, I am trying to keep my mind occupied and not overwhelm myself with stress. I might have been driving our oldest cat crazy because I bought a new brush for him, as being brushed is something he hates more than anything else. In my defense, he has long hair, and if he would learn to cooperate and let me brush him, he would not have so many knots.

Thank you for stopping by my site today. I hope your weekend has been great and you are prepared for tomorrow when the new week begins. I know I mentioned I had a few posts that were not completed, and I planned to finish them over the weekend, but I was unable to do so. Hopefully, I will have them completed early next week, but I cannot make any promises. I look forward to reading your comments and will respond as quickly as I can. Please never forget I am always sending y’all LOTS of love ♥, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes.

Always, Alyssa

Mass and Continued Shortages

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I know I should not be surprised because I went through a similar issue last month with one of my medications, but there has been a greater impact on me this month. Even though I should anticipate situations like this after years of experience, I am still disappointed with the lack of capable pharmaceutical services in the United States. Considering I think these types of organizations are the most greedy and full of corruption, it amazes me that they continue to fail to produce, and ship supplies to the pharmacies. I will never understand the reasons why the United States appears to be unable to do things the right way and keep the medications people need in stock because other countries, such as Canada, can do this with ease. Even though the medication I am unable to get until at least Monday is not life-altering or life-ending, it could cause others some problems.

I started working on a post about these issues the United States experiences regarding numerous medication shortages last month and decided against it because it was causing me too much anger and stress. These issues also increased my level of disappointment and faith in the care people are receiving or not receiving. It is terrible how many medications the United States claims they have a shortage of and the number of people who will have to suffer due to no one doing anything about it. It is astonishing how little it seems our leaders care about the well-being of American citizens. There are so many medications that are included with the shortages, and some people are in dire need of these medications and cannot survive long without them.

What can we do about these issues? Is voting enough? Do our votes for legislation matter, or is everything predetermined, and we do not have a  say? Would writing letters to Congress do anything? Would writing letters to the pharmaceutical companies help? I do not know the answers to any of the questions I have asked, and I am unsure if anyone can answer them with facts or if we all want to believe that those in power care. I might sound cynical, but I do not believe there is much any of us, as ordinary citizens can do, and I do not believe anyone who is in power cares about anything more than their bank accounts. The only thing that I can say with 100% certainty is that things need to change, and they need to change immediately!

To avoid allowing situations that upset me to not cause additional stress and frustrations, I must write about them. Writing is the only way I know to release stress and frustration civilly and healthily. This has always been an outlet for me, and I am interested in knowing your thoughts on the issues I have mentioned in this post. I also want to thank you for taking the time to visit my site today and I hope you are having an enjoyable, and relaxing weekend. I will be responding to comments as quickly as I can! Please never forget I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Medical Stresses

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The past several weeks have been filled with stress worrying about getting the medication I need for Multiple Sclerosis. I am not sure anymore which one is worse going without the medication, or the stress I have been under because of the medication. I know both could be bad, but the only one that could be detrimental to my health is stress. Plus, stress is terrible for everyone, but even more so for those with Multiple Sclerosis because stress and MS are not friends!  It is not like this is a medication for fun, it is necessary for my health.

With the Gilenya, I am not able to go without it for no more than 7 days, or I would be forced to start the long process again. Of course, since this medication has been helpful with keeping the MS at bay and semi-under control, I do not want to be without it for any length of time. This has been something that I have been on top of for weeks, and cannot understand why the doctor, who is supposed to care about her patients, has not been caring at all. Instead of doing what was needed, my doctor delayed this process for way too long.

I think it might be time to find a new doctor, one that cares about her patients! Doctors take a hypocritical oath. This oath requires a physician to swear upon a number of healing gods that he will uphold a number of professional ethical standards. I think my doctor might need a refresher on what this means because she seems to have forgotten! I do not think I am asking too much, I just want the medication that has been a lifesaver for me. All this does is make me miss my former doctor because he cared and would have already taken care of this.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you had a nice week, and you have a wonderful and safe weekend. For those of you who must deal with doctors, remember how important it is to stay on top of them to ensure your medical needs are met. It is awful how much we must advocate for ourselves when our doctors fail us. I look forward to reading your comments and I will respond as quickly as possible. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Let It Go Friday

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I have always known that weather conditions, extreme temperatures, and stress can create issues with how Multiple Sclerosis behaves. If I am being honest, Multiple Sclerosis tends to misbehave frequently and have crazy toddler-like temper tantrums. I am not sure which issue causes more issues but do know that combination causes massive and miserable pain. I do not enjoy complaining about the pain and know that tears do not fix a thing, but yesterday my pain was at a high that makes me wonder how I managed to make it through my workday.

Of course, it has been rainy a lot lately with some wild storms. The power did go out while I was working yesterday, but only for about fifteen minutes. There was a part of me that hoped it did not come back on so fast because of how awful I was feeling. My poor cats hate when it storms because they seem to think the thunder is going to kill them and they all hide under the bed. I swear I often think where I am living is trying to be like Seattle where it rains most days☹.

What can you do when you are in so much pain and nothing helps? Right, there is nothing that you can do. I have heard so many times that stress is the silent killer, and I could not agree more with this. Stress can cause additional pain, headaches, loss of appetite, sleep disturbances, and invade your mind. Unfortunately, I have always worried about those I care about and worry about what they may be going through in life. The world is such a mess right now. We already went through years of COVID fears and now we need to worry about Monkeypox. I mean, when is it ever going to end? Right, no one knows, so all we can do is follow the experts’ advice.

We have finally made it to the end of this week and my goodness has it been a long week! The weekend is going to begin soon, and we need to let go of all the never emotions the week has caused. The weekends are so short, so we do not need to carry the negativity from the long week into the weekend! Friday is the perfect day to just let go and I hope the quote I am sharing with you today will help you do so. I hope your week went well and you did not have to endure any unnecessary stress and hardships.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope the quote I shared helps you to learn to let go of negativity and enjoy your weekend. I know I have asked y’all before to stay safe and do what is necessary with vaccines, but it is looking like Monkeypox can be extremely dangerous. I am looking forward to reading your comments and I promise to respond as quickly as I can. I will be playing catch up this weekend with comments as I do not have anything else planned. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

Sunday thoughts

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Full disclosure and I am sorry in advance. I know I am mentioned the following statement multiple times over the years, but it still stands to be true, and I feel is worth repeating. Although life can be complicated and exhausting at times, life is short. No matter what we go through or how overwhelmed we feel, we should never give up and must do what brings us the most joy. We do not need to explain ourselves to anyone because this is our life. Other people may not agree with how we live our life or any of the decisions we make, but no one needs to understand why we made certain decisions. As long as we are not causing harm to anyone else, it should not matter how we are living our lives. 

Over the past several years and the first days of knowing what COVID was, and the damning effects it inflicted, many have been stressed and scared. These feelings are normal because COVID has killed so many. I am sure everyone has heard another strain that is more contagious making its way through the world. The new strain BA.5 has caused illness in people that have been vaccinated and boosted, which has been upsetting. However, we all must keep our vaccinations current because, without them, the chances of survival decrease significantly. It does seem as though anytime we think we have seen the last of COVID, something new appears.

I do understand that many people were hesitant about the COVID vaccine when we were first introduced to it, and many refused to get the vaccine because it was so new. We are all entitled to our opinions, but if we look at how many unvaccinated people have died when they got COVID to the number of vaccinated people that had a breakthrough infection and survived, it seems like an easy and logical decision. Scientists have stated that those who get the newest strain of COVID that are vaccinated have experienced less severe symptoms and heal faster than those who are unvaccinated. Recently, a friend of mine got sick with COVID. She has an underlying condition and was double vaccinated and had the booster, she has made a full recovery but might not have if she was not vaccinated. I think the decision to be vaccinated or not is a gamble with our lives and I am not a gambler!

Another issue everyone around the world is experiencing is the unbearable heat! Yesterday I had to go out to do a few things, which I normally do not have to do. The heat was so awful that walking from my front door to the truck caused more dizziness and irritation. Do you wonder why the heat is so out of control? Is there any doubt that global warming is real? The healthiest people in the world cannot tolerate this heat, so for anyone who battles with health issues, it can feel like their life is being sucked out of them. Extreme temperatures have always caused me additional problems with my Multiple Sclerosis, but the extreme heat is making things 100 times more intense. I told my husband yesterday that I am not leaving the house during the day anymore until at least November. I did look ahead at what the weather was going to be like next week and it looks as though more miserable days with heat are coming!

What are some of the most important things in your life? Do you think anyone should have to explain why they love who they love? Does it seem like there is too much hatred filling this world? I am unable to understand hate and I do not think I ever will understand it because, in my opinion, we are all human and deserve to be treated fairly and with compassion. We will never know what someone else is going through in life unless we try. Sometimes a person will have an unpleasant attitude because they are struggling with something in their life, but it is possible they just need someone to understand and offer them love. Do you ever think that being kind to another person might have a HUGE impact on their life and make a difference? I do without a doubt!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you are having a good weekend and staying safe. I am looking forward to reading your comments and hope that you have enjoyed this post. I will respond to all comments as quickly as I can. It is a little sad the weekend is becoming to an end soon and we will be getting ready for another long week, but if we view each week as an opportunity, it might make it a little easier😊! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

World of Hurt

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I think we can all agree the past several years dealing with COVID fears has not been easy. The COVID pandemic put our lives on hiatus. All the things we wanted to do and took for granted were halted. It was not easy to be stuck at home all the time and only see the same four walls, day in and day out. While COVID has not vanished from existence, many have taken the necessary precautions by getting the vaccine. I still have hope that life can start becoming closer to the normal we once knew, but I do understand things do not always work out the way we want them to.

The truth is, we are only offered one chance at this life, so we should not waste any time on anger and hate. Instead, we should always continue growing, changing, learning, and striving to improve. Each day we encounter numerous challenges and struggles, which even though it is not easy to see in the moment, make us stronger and more courageous. No matter how difficult the challenges we face seem, if we can think of them as opportunities, they might get easier.

We have been dealing with stress and loneliness due to COVID for so long, that I can hardly remember what life used to be like. I cannot remember what we used to do on weekends or vacations. The only way I can view weekends now is time I do not have to work. It seems like for years we have had nothing to look forward to or be excited about.

Although I know cases and deaths from COVID have decreased, there are still lingering fears in my mind that I cannot erase. Besides COVID, other terrible things are occurring too often. I understand the United States will not take away the people’s right to guns, but something needs to change. We should not have to fear going to a grocery store, hospital, mall, movie theater, out to dinner, or children going to school. Gun control may help save lives or at least lessen the chance of an unstable person being able to purchase a gun. Assault rifles and semi-automatic guns are not meant to be in the hands of ordinary people and should only be used during war times. Schools, stores, restaurants, and hospitals are not acts of war.

Mental health has been a serious issue for decades, but it does not seem like anyone is trying to make changes. Those that suffer in silence and alone need to feel comfortable asking for help, without fear of ridicule, judgment, and not having the ability to afford help. There are too many people battling addictions, which can lead to depression and possibly death. Why should people be forced to suffer without any viable help? The United States is one of the wealthiest countries in the world, but the citizens cannot afford help, healthcare, or medications. That just does not seem right to me!

Unfortunately, we continue to live in a world of fears. We should all try to understand others and help when we can. Of course, we need to try putting our needs first because if we are not well, we will not be able to help anyone else. Putting our needs first is not selfish, which I do tend to have a hard time understanding because has always been in my nature to put other’s needs ahead of my own. This is something I am working on and know I will succeed with someday.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you found what I have shared today meaningful. I am looking forward to reading your comments and will respond as quickly as I can. I hope you are enjoying your weekend and remaining safe. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

A Never-Ending Journey

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As I continue to look for another work from home job, that is the right job and not a crapshoot it becomes more and more frustrating. Considering a few things, I know about myself are working later hours and cold calling people do not work for me and my personality. I do not want to have to be overly picky, but I also do not want to start a job and must resign a few days later. Thankfully, my husband is 150% on my side and does not want me to accept something I hate just to have a job. He continues to tell me that I deserve more and I do not have to accept the first thing that comes along.

The reason working later hours is a problem is because I tend to feel better the first part of the day and the pain, and neuropathy gets worse as the day goes on. Working after 3:00 or 4:00 is manageable, but normally after 5:00 or 6:00 I feel terrible and cannot function as well. How do you explain something like that to a future employer? I cannot think of a way another person would understand, so I am trying to find something that is a work from home and first shift. I do not mind working weekends because we do not do anything anyway, but the hours are not negotiable for me.

I do not know about you, but I detest sales calls. I do not appreciate being called and asked if I am interested in purchasing something because if it was something I wanted, I would be the one calling the company. And, I do not have a desire to call people trying to sell them life insurance. It is not in my nature to call people trying to force them to buy something and when they ask questions force me to not be 100% honest. If I were going to be paid to be a liar, I would have become an attorney or a politician. Of course, not all attorneys lie but most are not completely forthright.

The reason I am looking for a work-from-home job is not that I am demanding or difficult, but with COVID and my immune system, it is not for a want to work from home as much as a need to work from home. Somehow, I have gone through these past two years of COVID and not gotten sick with COVID. The way I view COVID, and safety are a little unusual and maybe I take it to an extreme, but I must view it as if I get COVID, it is basically the end for me, and I may not survive. Do people with MS and on the medication, and get COVID and survive, sure, but I am not a gambling kind of person.

There are enough problems in this world, and I want to feel good about what I am being paid to do. Most people do not want to work and only do so to have an income to support their families. I do want to work because I enjoy having a schedule and something to do during the day. I love and enjoy staying busy, which I know is not necessarily normal, but I never claimed to be normal and prefer to just be me!

Not accepting the first job or jobs that were offered has not been an easy decision for me to make. There is a part of me that feels guilty for not working, but I am trying and will not stop until I have a job that is a good fit. I know there is one out there, but good things take time and I need to learn to be more patient. Patience has never been my strongest quality, but at this point, I do not have a choice but to learn!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I appreciate your continued support and love reading your comments. I will be responding to all comments as quickly as I can. I hope you are having a great and safe week so far and you are looking forward to the upcoming weekend! Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

How to overcome Omicron stresses

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No matter what state or country you are living in, we have all been living through the fears of COVID. This has been causing stress and worry for two excruciatingly long years. The isolation, social distancing (which I like), Zoom meetings, concerns about the safety of the vaccines and which one to take, and the wellness of ourselves and our loved ones have been exhausting.

We have already endured several COVID variants before the latest one, Omicron. Obviously, Omicron has come along with various new issues of stress and even more uncertainty. Omicron has created additional levels of fatigue, hopelessness, depression, frustration, and annoyance.

Everyone around the world has watched the previous COVID surges on the news. Sadly, the Omicron variant has ingrained thoughts thought we will never regain a normal life again. The feelings of hope one moment, only to feel hopeless another can cause stress hormones to consume our bodies. This mostly leads to mental, physical, and emotional exhaustion.

Making it past the current surge and any others we may face in the future means protecting your physical and emotional health. The following steps I am going to share with you are a few ways to weather the storm.

Keep everything in perspective

Even though every day feels like Groundhog Day and things we were looking forward to are canceled or postponed due to an increase in infection rates, progress continues to be made daily. Omicron is extremely contagious, but those that are fully vaccinated have caused fewer hospitalizations and deaths than the previous variants. Also, those that are vaccinated and get COVID get much more mild symptoms.

Never stop looking forward

It can be frustrating and disappointing when something we are looking forward to is canceled or postponed, but the one thing the pandemic has taught us all is to be flexible. The truth is, we have all learned that moments of joy make eliminating Omicron crucial, and we are willing to do what it takes. Understanding an attitude of flexibility is critical and helps when we continue scheduling times to celebrate. Being flexible and at peace with acceptance are a necessity until we are past the COVID surges.

Think in smaller steps

It is easy to get caught up in our negative thoughts, such as things are never going to change, everything is so difficult, or I am so overwhelmed. It might be better to focus on the smaller concerns we are having. Once we are feeling more confident with our coping abilities, we can work on the bigger concerns we are experiencing. Maybe instead of trying to plan a get-together with the number of people we once did, try inviting one of two people to an outdoor activity. Most of us are used to Zoom meetings, so maybe connect with your friends in a group Zoom or Facebook call. This allows you to stay connected without the fears of COVID.

Remember self-care

A nice warm bubble bath can help to escape feelings of being anxious and overwhelmed. Taking time for yourself to rest and relax is crucial during these stressful times. You can take 30-45 minutes a day to get lost in one of your favorite books. This would be much-needed time away from hearing anything about the virus. Too much talk and thinking about the virus can create an overwhelming amount of stress and cause other health issues. 

I know things with COVID have been weighing on many minds and it is good to not focus too much on it and let it consume our lives. However, I did feel the information in this post was important and something we all needed to read. I hope everyone is being careful and follow the advice we all heard from the experts. This is NOT a political thing, it is a matter of life and death. I think we have already lost way too many people and it needs to stop. Unfortunately, we all know at least one person that has been sick with COVID and many have lost someone they care about. We need to stand together to put an END to COVID!

Thank you for visiting my site today. I hope you had a nice, relaxing, and safe weekend and you are ready to tackle the week ahead of us. I hope you enjoyed what I have shared with you today and that it was helpful. I do look forward to reading your comments and will respond as quickly as I can. Please never remember that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa

End of Long Week

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Happy Friday y’all! I do not know about you, but this has been a very long week. Work has been extremely busy, which I do prefer because it makes the days go much faster, but it has been pure chaos. One of my biggest problems is I second guess myself far too much. It seems like 99.9% of the time my first thought on the way something should go is correct. There was a specific situation yesterday that I thought I incorrectly added something and asked one of my co-workers for advice. Unfortunately, when I made a simple comment that I thought they were mistaken because certain fees are supposed to be added into the file this person did not take kindly to my comment. Turns out I was correct and need to learn to go with my first instinct on most things. 

Due to the week being so long and busy, I have not been able to do any posts or write at all, which I do not like. Writing has always been something that helps me when I am struggling with any aspect of life, so not being able to write has caused many feelings to fester up inside. There has been a lot building up in my mind, which is never a good thing, and I am not the type to not speak my mind. I have always been an open book and what you see is what you get, so holding feelings in is not who I am. The truth is, I am my own biggest critic and am always way too hard on myself.

I have been working on a post about one thing that has been bothering me but have not been able to complete it yet. I think y’all know how much COVID has caused me to stress and much frustration because I have and will continue doing what is necessary, but so many others are still refusing to do so. This does not make sense to me, and I am afraid it never will. I could understand people refusing to get the vaccine if it was expensive, like everything else with healthcare in the United States but it is FREE. I completely understanding people not wanting to wear a mask because they are very uncomfortable, but they stop the spread of a deadly virus and save lives.

Many of us have a weakened immune system due to underlying health conditions, so staying healthy and safe can be challenging. This is the post I have been working on for several days but still have not finished it. There are ways to give our immune system a boost and the ways are not too difficult. I am hoping for my post about this to be published by tomorrow or at least by the end of the weekend, so please stay tuned.

Thank you for visiting my site today. I always appreciate your time and look forward to reading your comments, which I will respond to as quickly as I can! I hope you have had a good week and you are looking forward to a relaxing and safe weekend! I am sure you will not be surprised, but I do not have plans for the upcoming weekend, which I like! The workweeks are so long and full of things we must do, and it is nice to enjoy the weekend no matter how short it is with nothing we have to do. Please never forget that I am always sending y’all LOTS of love, comfort, support, and MANY positive vibes!

Always, Alyssa