Hi Amy About the best thing I know for brain fog times is to ...laugh. I am quite sure that, once upon a time in your past life, you used to be a very together person. It's a bit shocking to find yourself standing in a supermarket (as I have) not only wondering which store I'm in, but even which town, and why am I there anyway???! If fibro and lupus are new to you brain fog can seem highly scary. Well, it is, in the early days. After a while you can see it coming on and take precautions, such a leaving yourself notes. Or going through a routine to calm your mind. Autogenic relaxation works well for me. I was put on that by the occupational therapist at the hospital, so it's pretty mainstream. And remember - those folk at the rare plants place will just be so glad that people are still buying! Even if you're as daft as a loon (and you're not) your money is still good. If you think a white lie would help, for now, you can always blame the chaos on a mythical friend who's a serious ditherer, forever changing her mind, if you have to call them again!!! Or simply confess you're under serious stress at the moment, would they please be patient. Most people are either decent or indifferent rather than outright hostile. If the chemo is knocking you about so you can't bear the thought of food - ask your doctor for a referral to a dietitian ASAP. You might need to go on to smoothies so you can get nutrients in quickly. And, if magnesium/potassium comes up as a supplement - look for magnesium malate. It's a bit kinder to your digestive system. Also, if you like them, avocadoes can be helpful. Good vitamin E and very digestible. Meantime, there are six shrubs coming, along with spring. Hope the warmer weather brings you quiet times in the garden, pain relief and peace of mind. (It doesn't stay this bad. Truly. The more you find out about the way you are the better you can 'use your spoons'.) BTW - you might want to check out this blog, if you haven't already: www.butyoudontlooksick.com/ She has lupus - and explains about the 'spoon theory'. You're not alone at all. :-))

Gina--That was the first thing I thought of, too! I'm going to email her links to a couple online "concentration" games. I'm not sure how much it will help, but it sure can't hurt. Talley Sue--Your description of looking at a scene is almost exactly what my friend has to do. It is a combination of observing and memorizing. The only pattern is that the six or so objects are chosen from the same group of about a dozen. But they are in a different place each time and arranged in a different way. And there's not enough to put them into groups or clusters. I never knew that about typing--how interesting! No wonder I can't type more than about 50 wpm; I'm still doing it letter by letter. Seeking--I learned about spatial organization in college (I'm a writer/editor) as one way of organizing a description. That's exactly what my friend has to do--remember how the objects are placed within the space. But unlike writing, in which you have time to organize your thoughts, she needs to do it in a matter of about ten minutes. I know from working with her on documents that it takes her a long time to organize her thoughts, so having to do it in a few minutes is causing her some trouble. Flyleft--Here's an analogy: You are the boss of a cook. You walk into the kitchen (for about 10 minutes) and have to remember where each piece of equipment is, what it is used for, and where it's positioned in the room. Then you have to instruct the cook what to do on each piece of equipment and the sequence in which to use each piece. The speed and ability to use each piece of equipment are timed, and points are deducted if the cook does something wrong (the cook does exactly what you tell him to do, in the order you tell him). So not only do you need to know where the equipment is and what it's for, you have to tell someone else to use it properly. (A similar analogy would be a doctor doing triage in a room full of accident victims.) Chiefneil--Are you saying you can teach an old dog new tricks? ;-) I didn't know that visualizing an activity will cause the same brain function as actually doing the activity. I think that's the key. I suggested that she "practice" by making a 3D model that she can work with at home. I tried to come up with a "story" situation like you describe, but she didn't seem to understand what I was getting at, and I think it confused her further. But I hadn't thought about involving other senses. I'll have to give that some more thought. Thanks everyone for your responses and suggestions. I have a feeling that the best method will be practice, practice, practice.

The 2nd one I posted is Edessa Tribal Medallion at Rugs USA. The last one that hu1967910 also liked is Rancherio Striated Diamond Trellis. I think those were my two favorites of the ones I imaged. I like the caramel leather chairs in the foreground (to answer Nancy's question) as I appreciate the warmth they bring to the palette. I was definitely keeping them in mind when I was searching for rugs.

I personally like the paint around the windows and I would not care for tile all the way around ... think it would be too busy and I have a beautiful backyard to look at and would prefer that to be the focal point. This backsplash certainly makes a statement in my mind