About the Rambler…

My four pets - Cricket (calico cat); Maggie (german shepherd/mutt dog); Piper (tabby cat); and Jilly (red-eared slider turtle)

I am a disabled #InvisibleIllnessWarrior; I fight a number of debilitating, chronic conditions, which combined cause me never-ending severe pain and severe fatigue. (My primary conditions are Myalgic Encephalomyelitis [MEcfs] and fibromyalgia, along with a bunch of other diagnoses and mental health issues.)

I am also a wife, a friend, and a servant to my pet overlords (shown above: Cricket the camo kitty, Maggie the dog, Piper the snuggler cat, and Jilly the red-eared slider turtle).

A small, white-skinned child sits on a wooden floor. Her left hand is on a book, and a book is open on the floor beside her. She is wearing a yellow jumper and has short blond hair.

Even baby me loved books and words! (I was about 11 months old here.)

Before I “broke” in December 2014 and became a full-time Sick Person, I was very accomplished and busy – an artist, singer, photographer, writer, editor, bibliophile, marketer, college instructor, and volunteer.

Now, I find my worth in advocating for others and being active in the chronic illness community – speaking out and sharing the truth of living with chronic illness and pain. My blog is a scream of defiance against what has been stolen from me – my life! and everything I can no longer do – and what society thinks I should be – quiet and hidden, a “good cripple”. But I refuse. I will use my words and my voice to help others.

And while there is much I can no longer do, it costs me nothing but maybe a spoon to reach out to someone struggling and message a hello and send love. Or it costs 55 pennies to send a card. And it costs me nothing to share a tweet or post or crowdfunding campaign.

It costs me nothing to be kind.

At some point, I will update this bio … once I figure out what I want to say. It’s hard to know what to write about yourself!


Affiliate disclosure:

White female standing on a sidewalk outside a building. Windows on either side of her are reflecting cars in the parking lot. She is wearing a blue and yellow mask, glasses, a grey Boston Celtics sweatshirt, blue jeans, and multi-colored sneakers. She is holding the handles of a blue rollator. A brown backpack with pins and buttons sits in the seat.

Me with my trusty rollator, on the way to a doctor appointment. 2.25.2021

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases i.e. I’m an affiliate. This means if you click a link, and buy something, I supposedly get a wee percentage of the sale. Doesn’t cost you anything, and helps me support my art and taking medication habit. 🙂

Disclosure: I am also a (new!) affiliate of Bookshop.org, an online bookstore with a mission to financially support local, independent bookstores in the US, and I will earn a commission if you click through and make a purchase. (Sorry; they do not ship internationally as yet.)

Note: being an affiliate helps keep me this site ad-free!

In addition, I am an affiliate for my web hoster, Lyrical Host. If you switch your site (which was soooo easy, even for brain-fogged me!) to them, or decide to start one, just use the code “dsblog10” at checkout and get 10% off your first hosting plan payment! It’s a win for all of us!

Please note: No solicitation, please. I do not add links to my blog because I received a random email from someone I’ve never met. I am unable to accept unsolicited books or other items for review. I also do not update past posts, unless there is an error. If I post a link in this blog, it is because I am personally acquainted with the person/product/etc. in question.

Updated April 23, 2021