Hey! It’s GG! Have you missed me?

Truth is that each Thanksgiving reminds me to be grateful I am still alive but also makes me ponder Fawnskin.

If you missed the update last year, read Fawnskin Revisited for the story.

I figured one last post is in order.

Now despite rumors about being run outta town–the truth of the matter is that I left two years ago due to health hazards under the house I had rented.

You probably had no idea that I returned for a time last winter, staying into the spring. The main reason was to be closer to my doctors and to continue healing–which has taken some time.

Truth be told, recovery from toxic mold exposure can take 2-5 years. It is hard to believe that the 29th of November marks two years on this journey.

The upside is my progress has been steady. Plus, all the info I have gleaned means that I am in discussions about a book project that will hopefully be of help to others.

My healing began to progress at a faster rate upon my return to sea level this year perhaps due to the ocean air, higher oxygen content and good vibrations.

The quality of life is returning as body systems return to normal. The excess weight is dropping off and I am able to be more active once again.

At the moment I am staying in a charming town. Close by are a museum, library, aquarium and a lot of other amenities. Instead of hiking lakeside, up Grout Creek or in the woods, I now stroll seaside.

Last week’s excitement was riding a bike for the first time in eons. It wasn’t something I could do even six months ago.

Having first landed on the mountain back in 1987 and then settling into Fawnskin in the early 2000s, it seems strange to be starting over–but life is full of possibilities.

And so, I’ve closed my PO Box and made all the official changes necessary for the leap.

Farewell Fawnskin!

Happy Thanksgiving!

So, have you missed me?

Believe it or not, some Fawnskin Folks have and since I’ve been asked a number of times to post an update on my progress, I thought I’d oblige.

Now and again I visit Fawnskin off the radar.

A couple of neighbors made sure I have had a place to stay for medical appointments as well as for continued recovery because I am still in that process.

My adventures in healing have taken me to a number of places, some good and some not.

I’ve had people emerge to share vital healing information with me and have started work on a book about what I have learned so I can at least help others shortcut the process.

So far I have spent time in Joshua Tree, Lake Keowee (South Carolina), Carmel, and San Pedro but have popped back to Big Bear and Fawnskin now and again.

Nope not sure where I will land.

But it is hard to believe it was November 29, 2013 that I moved out of the Fawnskin house–a house that has at least eight types of mold.

During Thanksgiving last year I was packing to move.

In retrospect, that was something I should have arranged for others to do, or perhaps I should have just dumped everything. *Sigh* Hindsight is usually that way, isn’t it?

Sadly, it took years of testing to find out why I was so ill and unable to recover.

In case you forgot, or didn’t realize, it was the environmental allergy tests that revealed an underlying problem–and upon further investigation, mold was revealed as the culprit.

It is likely my troubles began after the flooding in Fawnskin back in January of 2005. At the time I was on book tour and relied on the property owner to do the right thing.

What a mistake.

Fast forward to this time last year, the first week I moved out of the house, my body dropped 10 pounds of edema.

That was my “ah-hah” moment, or rather the “oh sh**” moment, of realization that it was my home environment that was toxic.

I owe a debt of gratitude to a long-time resident of Fawnskin who had urged me to get out of the house after the alleged restoration. Within 3 days of that conversation with him I found more mold in the house and began packing.

Mold was probably why my bird died in 2007 and why I had a close brush with death in July of 2009.

Some of you remember that the quality of my life was awful–and all because of toxic mold exposure.

Now, the last year has been difficult to say the least but much better compared to how it was previous to the move.

365 days have been dedicated to working toward wellness and recovery.

The reality was moving was super hard on me and I am glad some of the neighbors stepped up to help.

In the end I had to get rid of most of my belongings and then it was over a month before I began to really begin to function. Imagine how I felt when I learned that I had to move again!

The next relocation was to the desert where it took six months to get rid of the mold that colonized in my body.

Certain types of mold live off your body cells, and it did some damage as well as inhibiting the functions of many of my body systems.

Overall I have been trending up and imagine how I felt when I learned in September 2014 that I had to do a cleanse to get mold remnants out of my gut.

Eesh.

At this time, I am still pending is a CT scan on my lungs to see what damage may be present and, if mold is there or not.

There is a big problem with misinformation when it comes to mold and many think that mold is an allergy when it is actually a bio-hazard–a serious toxin. As a result, not everyone is very understanding or compassionate and it takes a lot of digging to find information that is accurate.

So, the path to recovery has not been an easy process. However, I can say that I have been living the divinely orchestrated life over the past year, and despite some discouragements and bad spells, I am a lucky gal.

In fact a nurse just told me, “Do you realize how lucky you are to be alive and in recovery?”

Uh, yep.

BTW the more research I do on the book, the more I do realize it. It is not a pleasant experience to read all of the facts and learn of the hazards–so I have to take breaks from working on it.

At this time there is no telling how long it will take to recover, given the amount of time in the toxic environment, estimates vary.

But, as I mentioned, the good news is that I am mostly trending up, despite some healing setbacks now and again, things always get put back into perspective.

For instance, another Fawnskin pal said, “Wow, you are doing so much better. Last year at this time you could barely walk from your house to mine and back.”

Her observation came after a mile and a half hike. So I am making steady progress toward the 3-5 miles per day I used to be able to do each morning.

Since it is Thanksgiving, I can only give thanks and happily say that I am on the mend.

I am also hopeful that 2015 is going to bring some very great things.

So there is the much requested update, my wish is that you enjoy a great Thanksgiving and a Happy Holiday Season!

GG

Happy New Year from Fawnskin!

GG wanted to wish everyone the best of new beginnings.

And speaking of new beginnings, I have decided that I will no longer be updating you with news from Fawnskin.

At this time I am focusing on recovering my health after exposure to toxic mold in my former Fawnskin residence.

At this time I am not in Fawnskin very often and am not certain just what I will be doing in the near future.

You can bet I’ll be writing somewhere but just not here.

I think over eight and a half years of posting online updates is enough and am choosing to focus my energies elsewhere.

However, there are a lot of articles and history in the archives and you can glean some great tidbits from there.

Best of luck to all and here is hoping 2014 will be a fantastic year for everyone in Fawnskin and elsewhere.

GG wants to wish you all a Happy Christmas, or Merry Christmas, which ever you prefer.

During most holidays “Happy” is followed by the holiday but the phrase “Merry Christmas” is an exception.

“Merry” derived from the Old English myrige, originally meant merely “pleasant” rather than joyous or jolly (as in the phrase “merry month of May”).

According to Wikipedia, although Christmas has been celebrated since the 4th century AD, the first known usage of any Christmas time greeting, “Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” was in an informal letter (1699) then the phrase was included in a Christmas card (1843) as well as in the Charles Dickens’ classic, A Christmas Carol (1843).

“Happy Christmas” was used in the 19th century and is more common in the United Kingdom and other regions.

Whatever phrase you prefer, GG wishes you the best of holidays.

ChrisMoose Caroling

Join the fun and become a Christmas Caroler with Moose Lodge 2085 and Women of the Moose 359 on Tuesday, December 17, 2013 from 5:30pm until who knows when.

The Moose will provide chili, corn bread, salad and dessert to participants but appetizers and other additions are welcomed. Donations for food are also happily accepted.

Sweeten Things Up in Fawnskin

Sign up to help sweeten things up by heading on down to the Fawnskin Post Office.

As always you can feel free to bring down some goodies even if you don’t make it over to fill up the sign up sheet.

Treat Days

Fire up those ovens and bring down cookies and other tasty treats this Wednesday, December 18th and Thursday, December 19th from 8:30am until 4:00pm.

The truth is that locals love to snack while they pick up or drop off mail and packages.

Pie Day

Once again it time for the Fawnskin holiday pie day. This year it will be held on Friday, December 20, 2013 from 10:00am until 4:00pm

Pies, coffee, hot spiced cider, and hot cocoa will be provided along with music this year.

GG may make an appearance…so see you on pie day. It will be my first visit since moving on the 29th of November.

So GG is just getting back into the swing of things after the mold move.

It was a grueling task and thanks to those who stepped forward to help.

Once of the first things I’ve noticed is that when you get out of Fawnskin, it is much easier to get around and people tend to drop in or invite you to visit.

The views are to be had outside of the neighborhood since GG is in a “normal” neighbor and surrounded by dwellings.

In contrast to the party perch, I have to walk a little to see what is happening with both wildlife and weather.

But in my neighborhood here on the North Shore, I have six pals within walking distance.

And although it took a few days, I began ambling again a couple of days ago.

Although yesterday was a bit cold and I ended up in meetings instead.

Meanwhile, my chiropractor has been busy getting me sorted out, and although I found it hard to believe, several people have commented how different I look already.

Now some of that might be due to all the additional exercise I got.

Lugging boxes up the stairs and then tromping back down for the next load seemed to work wonders since my muscle tone is better and my pants are slipping off of me.

But the main thing that I’ve  noticed the inflammation so rampant of late has almost disappeared.

One of the things few talk about is that when mold,or other forces impact your immune system, is that things go haywire and, in my case, inflammation set in.

It showed up as edema in the lower extremities, and because my original doctor was remiss in investigating, at one point it went full body.

Anyway, I’ve been out of the moldy house about ten days now and have started on the supplement regime.

Mold in the body is treated a lot like yeast or fungus.

Sadly, not a lot of doctors are familiar with treatment since it comes under the environmental medicine specialty.

At the moment I am waiting on a book written by some people who healed from their mold exposure to see what else might be done.

The scary thing is that a lot of people who were helping in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina were impacted by mold–not just residents but the volunteers.

The upside is that they learned a lot and I hope to be able to add their findings to mine.

Anyway, I know you are wondering what is happening over in Fawnskin where things have continued without me.

Although I have to say that gossip was heard over at the Teddy Bear.

It was being spread by some Fawnskin Folks that left the North Shore for the day.

Heh, heh, heh…just remember that snoops report to GG from all over the valley!

Meanwhile, back in Fawnskin…

The Christmas Tree lighting went on despite the inclement weather.

I pondered attending and then decided it is best just to close the door and begin new adventures.

Food, frivolity and Santa were all part of the festivities.

Then, because Fawnskin Folks like to party, locals kicked up their heals over at the holiday potluck and gift exchange at the Old Miller Park School House.

But the big news of the week was a bit more personal.

Post Master Mike went missing which always creates a bit of a stir.

However, the reason was because he became a proud grandpa on Thursday, December 5th.

His new grand daughter Madilyn Rose Davis arrived in early December as anticipated.

PM Mike was a good grandpa and showed up for the event and to help out.

Congratulations to the entire family!

Fawnskin Christmas Tree Lighting

This Saturday, December 7th at 3:30pm will kick off the 15th Annual Christmas Tree Lighting activities in Fawnskin.

The Christmas Tree ornament activities begin at 3:30pm so get your kids (old and young) down to the fire station and make some decorations for the tree.

Santa and Mrs Claus will arrive at 4:30pm and the actual lighting will take place at 5:30pm.

Feel free to bring a dish to share but the NSIA and Fire Station 96 will be serving up hot dogs and other holiday treats as well as serving hot cider, cocoa, and coffee.

Art Harriman and “surprise” guests will provide entertainment and all Fawnskin Folks are invited to join in the frivolity.

Fawnskin NSIA Potluck December

The annual Fawnskin Christmas Potluck & Gift Exchange will take place on Monday, December 9th with a social at 5:30 pm and dinner at 6:00 pm at Old Miller Park Schoolhouse located at 1178 Chickasaw (at Mohawk) in Fawnskin.

If you would like to participate in the gift exchange, bring a new, wrapped gift valued at a maximum of $10.

Bring a dish and bring a friend to join the in holiday festivities.

Update on GG

GG is still attempting to recover from the move from the party perch over to the North Shore.

The one thing I have determined is that moving is not for sissies.

Also, living in a one story building with few stairs is a good thing after 50.

In the aftermath, I remain knackered and look forward to seeing my chiropractor and alternative practitioner later today.

Not only was dumping 50% of my belongings a good thing, but also purging old files and memorabilia was interesting too.

The walk through memory lane was both painful and cathartic.

Believe it or not, I have more work to do but not until I rest up a bit.

DOVES was the recipient of a parking pad full of belongings but on the second round the pick-up crew failed to take the microwave, paper shredder and other items.

It never fails to amaze me at how selective many agencies have become, two solid wood bureaus got tossed at the dump along with some other items–which was a shame.

As for the mold recovery, at the moment it looks like 90 days or more to clear my body to help me heal.

Anyway, for the moment, the Fawnskin Flyer will appear once a week, at least that is the plan until the end of the year.

GG wants to wish you a Happy Thanksgiving.

I had the most amazing idea come across my desk, a thanksgiving wreath where you write what you are thankful for on each part of the wreath.

Do you have a tradition you want to share? If so, leave a comment.

CC Photo licensed by Sharon Mollerus

GG loves Thanksgiving but this one is likely to be remembered simply because I am moving.

A lot of people have not ever seen wild turkeys and it was a joy to spend some time with my nephews a few years ago while seeing their excitement when wildlife entered the property.

We would rush to the window and spend time watching the turkeys forage through their “yard” and I just loved that this was a source of enjoyment for all of us.

My brother and his father-in-law went out hunting and then cooked up the turkey on the grill.

Wild turkey is not like the domesticated kind…but back to my lamenting…

The unexpected move has been a challenge since I am mostly doing everything myself.

My doctor’s were super supportive and I get into some of the recovery from the mold once I get out of here.

One of them insisted I write a book on the journey and said she would be the medical advisor on the project.

How is that for pressure? LOL

Anyway, I am not the youngster I once was but am happy that I am able.

However, it makes me wonder about it since I am hauling things up my vast number of stairs to the top.

Sadly, there are not a lot of youngsters around town or I’d have a pizza party and get them to help me move boxes, wood, etc.

Neighbor Jill told me that she was surprised I am still functioning.

My retort? The one thing my family is known for is strength of will.

In the meantime, to overcome the sadness and overwhelm, I am relying on my neighbors for coffee chats, hugs and company to keep me sane during this difficult transition.

In the meantime, I slug along.

The perks have been that a few neighbors helped move the furniture but there is a lot left.

Neighbor Linda showed up to help and I put her to work shredding papers as I continue to sort through the vast storage files from the olden days before digital and cloud storage were options.

It did wonders for me just having someone to help and chat with. Lots got done as a result and I hope she comes back again.

When it comes to papers, the walk through memory is not always pleasant but I hope to release those memories and re-emerge like the Phoenix from the ashes.

And yes, besides recycling a lot, some of the old stuff has been going up in flames.

In the meantime, the song Dori the fish sings is playing in my head but instead of chanting, “just keep swimming, swimming, swimming…” my mantra is “just keep packing, packing, packing….”

I already mentioned the Moose Lodge 2085 Fawnskin community turkey dinner and other holiday happenings.

Hope to see you there but it really depends on how much progress I make.

By the way, if you are so inclined to drop by to help, I’d be thankful!

…just keep packing, packing, packing.

Photo Credits: Seemann & Mennsatic

GG is having a rest day (sort of, as much as I can in the midst of a move).

The moving marathon means my life consists of packing boxing, moving boxes and deciding what to get rid of.

Hence, not a lot of news for you today.

Eleven years in one location has resulted in a large accumulation of stuff.

In some cases, the decision of what to clear was made for me since, if mold reconstruction is not done correctly, it spreads mold spores throughout the area and since the room was not properly sealed during the work, it is likely why I’ve found more mold in different places but I ultimately suspect it is in the flooring.

Since the walls were not wiped down after work was done here, it is a discouraging mess. As a precaution, I am having to dump a lot of items and it is not fun.

But, when I arrived to Fawnskin, I came with only a few items so it isn’t something foreign to me and I wonder if I have cleared out enough.

Anyway, it has been a mad push to try and get the bigger items moved out prior to the snow storm which is expected to dump at least 4 to 8 inches of snow if Ben is right.

I had hoped that the storms would delay until Thanksgiving but no such luck, and I hear the rain pelting the window as I write.

The weather may keep me in which might be a good thing since I am recovering from yesterday’s events of working to beat the storm–and am sore.

The chiropractor just shook his head while he did his best to help me.

Special thanks to the neighborhood angels: Hatch, Rick, Mike and neighbor Jerry came to my rescue with trucks and manpower to get the big items out of here, up top and into my temporary location.

Neighbor Steve graciously invited me to move in when he heard about my dilemma a couple of days ago. I already had made plans, but the kindness and gesture is greatly appreciated.

Tomorrow I have more doctor appointments and next week I have another specifically to learn what I have to do in order to get a handle on my recovery treatment.

The sad thing is that I started exhibiting classic symptoms way back after the flooding in Fawnskin (2005-2006).

Unfortunately, my first doctor simply argued with me, insisting nothing was wrong; if he had spent more time listening, researching and testing, it could have mad a big difference in my quality of life over the past few years.

The best thing I did was to get another doctor. The good news is that I amy be able to get back to a full life again once I am out of this house.

There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to mold and due to the drier conditions around here, many people don’t think there is a problem.

However, in the past week I’ve learned of more issues around the valley.

In the meantime, I am continuing to pack in earnest.

I am holding a fiverr sale, meaning (with the exception of a few items) most everything can be taken away for five bucks.

You can preview here or watch for the announcement over on Facebook.