BIG PHARMACY IS GIVING PHARMACY A BAD NAME

There's a lot of press right now about the inflated prices on Epi-pens.

And I just have to put in a few words of my own.

I know certain people have gotten wealthy beyond anyone's wildest dreams by taking advantage of sick, needy people by manipulating prices on medicines and prescriptions.


But I know how one, at least, research pharmaceutical company worked.

It began with an idea - say, focusing on finding a cure for brain cancer.

It was quite a few  people pooling their resources - begging for loans - mortgaging their homes sometimes.

And they begin with nothing.... other than that idea.

They work - build labs, find funding, sell stock, hire researcher - and hope.

And hope.

And hope.

And SOMETIMES this translates into something that WORKS - which can then go into clinical trials.

And hope it gets approved.


And hope.






And MAYBE, just MAYBE, then, you can begin to MAKE the medicine, and charge for it, and begin to actually MAKE SOME MONEY.

Don't make everyone the bad guy here.

PINK RAINFALL

We have incredible sunsets here in Arizona.

I suppose we have wonderful sunrises too, but they come too early in the day for me to appreciate.

But the cloud formations - the sun just sliding behind the mountains - the rays pouring up....

It's lovely.

Someday I may actually get a REAL camera and learn how to photograph more than pointing my iPhone towards the site.

BEAUTY IS IN THE EYE....

I don't live in the Arizona desert, I live in what they call "high-chaparral" country. We get too much rain during our two monsoon seasons 12 inches is the average) - although we are pretty parched the rest of the year.




So when it rains, this landscape turns green and lush and plants aggressively take over EVERYwhere.





So to me, these are simply lovely.




And beautiful.



Our INSANE amount of birds. who take advantage of even our CACTUSES to protect their babies. 






And we have the coolest moonrises in the world.

COUNTING MY BLESSINGS - ONE, TWO, THREE....

I'm sitting here feeling pretty good.

And I began wondering WHY.

I normally have a nagging sense of doubt, worry, and/or fear hanging around.

And right now, I don't because:

... my oldest daughter and family are safely back in the United States after being in the Middle East and Europe for a month.

... my son passed his final test and begins working tomorrow.

... my brother's dialysis has been knocked down from three times a week to two, and I have the transportation to it adjusted and okayed.

.... my husband's boss, who was supposed to leave for Afghanistan next month, isn't going - he's sort of the only one my hubby feels support from.

.... I got out early and got the fly masks and spray on the horses.

... I don't have a Gospel Doctrine lesson to prepare, just a nursery email and Facebook update to do.

... I feel rested.

It feels nice.