You know you're getting old when...

(1) You grunt and groan out of habit.

It seems I've taken up one of my father's habits -- I grunt and groan a lot. I've noticed this about myself and am trying to limit my daily quota of grunts and groans to two or three per hour, rather than two or three per minute. I'm told I even grunt and groan in my sleep.

Well, duh! I dream I'm in pain and I'm grunting and groaning, and I wake up, and darned if I'm not suffering the pain I just dreamed I was grunting about.

(2) You take showers and still don't feel clean.

I don't know why this is, but lately, I scrub and I scrub and I wash and I wash and I still feel like I need a shower -- in other words, I stink. So, what am I to do -- sit in the tub all day? I don't think so. Perfume and deodorant only makes it worse. Even putting sachets in my underwear drawer and in my closets doesn't help.

(3) You can't remember where you put your glasses and you're wearing them! That happens a lot to both me and Alan.

(4) You read a book and then can't remember what you read, or you read the same paragraph 16 times before you either finally give up on it or you decide to move on and maybe, just maybe you'll get the gist of what the author is saying. This happens a lot, also.

(5) You think you've forgotten something and you haven't -- it just that you forget things so often that you're certain that you must have forgotten something because it's become a habit -- forgetting that is.

That's just a few ways you know you're getting when...

mtf

Hello, again.

Have you all enjoyed my peaceful picture? Good.

We had a wonderful time in Huntington, WV with friends of ours who moved there from Cincinnati several years ago. Only one day, but we talked enough to last for at least six months.

I learned a lot from Robert -- he's a PhD pharmacist -- about how my meds are interacting with each other (or not) and how to keep myself on a more pain-free level. I just have to check with my doctor about the suggestions. Then we went to my sister's and had a wonderful time with her, as well.

Alan spent yesterday at the Mayberry RFD museum -- it's a four-story affair and he wore himself out, but he was certainly happy and enjoyed himself immensely.

Today, as we were leaving my sister's I fell UP the steps into the apartment where we were staying. I fell up the top step then fell down all three steps. I really hurt my knee badly AGAIN. Same knee. So, I'm warming it up, then cooling it down. Lots of bruises.

I need to practice going up and down steps again. Going up is a major difficulty for me, but it's because I don't have the strength and I think I can get that strength if I work at it. So, I'll be doing that daily for a while.

Well, folks, I'll check in later. Right now, I'm going to bed.

So...ttfn

Enjoy the view.

I'm leaving home for a few days. So, I'm posting a nice, relaxing picture that you all can look at while I'm gone. I'll report back when I get back. TTFN.

Saturday, September 20, 2008

Today was one of those days that you wish you could redo. I did nothing, but I did a lot.

I started a round of Prednezone several days ago, and after two days of non-stop energy, it caught up with me, and while I got a lot done today, I didn't get anything done -- at least not in my mind.

About the two days of non-stop energy. I noticed a couple of days ago that I was typing extraordinarily fast -- and then I realized it was because of the steroids -- they do give you a pop. But I hate the bad effects I have to go through to get to the good effect -- a pain-free week or two. At least hopefully, it will result in relative painless days to come.

Anyway, I did accomplish quite a bit (for me) today. I went to Hancocks and got some more wool for hats for the boys -- I finished the scarves, and now I'm making snow caps for the boys. (that's my grandsons). Well, the knee popped out while I was there (at Hancock's), and while it hurt, and I could hear it going pop, pop, pop, it didn't hurt as much as usual, but I decided to stiff leg walk to keep the popping to a minimum.

Then I trudged to UDF -- for those of you not from around here -- that's United Dairy Farmer's. And got a few groceries -- namely a new kind of ice cream -- Lemon Merange Pie. I'm eating it now. It actually has pieces of pie crust in it, and it's pretty good. Not as good as my friend's -- Anita -- lemon merange pie -- but pretty good. And my spell check isn't giving me a spelling for merange, so you're stuck with the way I've spelled it, which I know is wrong, but I can't remember how to spell it correctly.

I really don't' think there is any flavor of ice cream as good as vanilla and orange sherbert mixed together -- they call it dreamcycle and that's just what it tastes like.

Back to my day. So, I got the groceries. Got home, stuffed a load of wash in the washer, knitted six rows on a blanket I'm working on, and then got very sleepy. Somewhere in there I made Alan's lunch.

By the time I finally was able to get myself awake, it was dinner time, and since we didn't eat dinner last night because Alan wasn't feeling well, I just heated up what I had made last night -- roast pork with potatoes and carrots. It was okay, but tonight was my night to not feel like eating dinner. And while I did, in fact, eat some dinner, it tasted, blah.

Somewhere in that time frame I switched out the laundry from the washer to the dryer and put another load in the washer. So after dinner, I folded what was in the dryer and put what was in the washer into the dryer.

See? I'm trying to make it sound like I did a lot today, but I really didn't do much.

I heard from a friend of mine from college, and wrote back a long e-mail to her which took me about an hour to compose.

So that's my day. I'm getting ready to get back into bed again. I need to get this room cleared out before next week. It's really getting to me. I just hate when the piles pile up and I don't get them whittled down. I've got to give up something, either reading (no way), scrap booking (no, no way), or knitting (not in the near future), or getting junk mail (ain't gonna happen). So you see where I am with all this.

It's a dilemma that will be a dilemma until I leave this earth. It's a matter or priorities, I suppose.

mtf

Finally == there is light

Well, I went to Cyndi's and there was no electricity when I got there.

Fair Mare greeted me and kept close the entire time I was there. Ellie slept, even though Cyndi had told me she has a cold or something that is causing her to sniffle.

I had told Cyndi that when they got back from gym class I wouldn't need Tori, but Alan "lost" a contact lens this morning and I couldn't find it and he couldn't find it, and he thought that maybe Tori with her younger eyes would be able to find it if I brought her home with me after Cyndi's. Well, that worked out, and yes, Tori found the lens right away. She also took a shower while she was here. Hot water not being available at her house.

I also noticed something -- a little thing, really. When the electricity is off no matter how many times you flick the switch in a bathroom with no windows, you won't get any light into that room. I had used the lavatory shortly after I got to Cyndi's, but since I was alone, I didn't bother to shut the door, so the light from the hall was enough. Well, I used it again before I left her house, and since there were several children around I shut the door. It was dark, but there was just enough light coming through at the bottom of the door so I was able to do what I had to do without making a mess, if you get my drift.

When Tori and I were driving to my home from Cyndi's to find Alan's lens we noticed an out-of-state electric crew working on the next street over from their street and Tori was so excited. I told her because they were working on this street didn't mean her street was the next to be fixed, and to pray that they were next on the list. And when I took her back to her home the road to was blocked because -- ta da -- they were working on her street, right by the driveway to her house. We were so excited. Praise God!

And another blessing today -- the meat market was finally open and I was able to get some meat -- we've been eating eggs and/or tuna, and I'm tired to both. So, I got my weekly stash for the freezer.



One thing I must add: I have to say Cyndi's home was immaculate -- as clean as it could be without a vacuum cleaner for the carpet -- when I got there today. There was nothing out of place. And that with some minor in-home construction that they had started before the storm, no laundry getting done, and five children with toys, is saying a lot.

I guess there is just so much you can do without all the "things" we have come to depend on to keep our lives going, like TV, computers, telephones, etc. Good job, Cyndi. I was very proud of you, and I know you were in a bad situation, but God put something in you (a desire to make your home clean and wonderful for your family no matter what) and your house spoke peace to me even though you were living in the ravages of a bad storm. I do love you and as I told Tori today, when I first saw you in the hospital there was a special bond and love that I didn't feel with your sister or brother -- from the beginning you were special to me and always have been.

Now, Phil and Becky, don't get upset. I have loved you two dearly since I first laid eyes on each of you as well, but with Cyndi it was just different. Phil you were my first, so desired for so long and to finally have my first baby, WOW! Becky, you were the first Hahn girl in forever, and I had finally done something right, and God blessed me with you, and you have always been a blessing to me, and even though you lose your joy from time to time, you give me joy every time I see you or talk to you.

I love all you grown-up children, and am so thankful to our Father who gave me and your dad such special lives to bring up and train. What an awesome responsibility, and what an awesome result.

Still without electricity

My poor daughter, Cyndi and her family, is still without electricity. I'm supposed to go over tomorrow for my weekly visit and help-her-out day, and she has warned me to bring something to do because there's no TV (which I never use at her house anyway), and there's no radio (which I used once). I told her, I always bring something to do, I just don't always do it.

Last week I laid down on her "down" filled couch and promptly fell asleep. What a comfortable sofa. I want one!

It was only for a few minutes, the dog woke me. They have the nicest dog. "Fair Mare" -- is that how it's spelled -- he's named after a character in Lord of the Rings a series of movies I've never seen, nor have I read the books. Maybe some day I will, but I'm just not interested.

Anyway, Fair Mare waked me. Now Fair Mare doesn't like everyone who comes in their house. In fact most people are barked at and he ignores them after they come. Me? He seems to really like me. He comes when I call him. He loves to be petted. He loves to lick my legs (yuck), and he is generally a nice-tempered dog. He doesn't like Alan, though, and that really bothers Alan because he really, really loves dogs, all dogs. He wants a dog. I don't want another dog. But I digress.

So after the dog woke me -- I figure I got about 5 minutes based on the movement my watch's minute hand made from the time I laid down and the dog woke me -- I started working my logic puzzles.

I had taken a book to read, a logic puzzle book, a Sudoku book, knitting -- two projects --, and my shopping list to work on because my granddaughter and I were going shopping after the children returned from their weekly home-school gym class at the local sports center.

So tomorrow, I do this again, while Ellie sleeps. That's what I do, I sit and listen for Ellie and am there in case there's a problem with her while the rest of the family is gone. But when they get home I get to spend some precious time with three of my precious grandchildren.

I'm so glad God has given me grandchildren. My one regret -- the old body doesn't work well and I can't do the fun things I envisioned doing with them before they were born. But God knows my heart and I hope the children do as well. I do what I can with them, wishing I could do more.

I think that's because I don't think I did enough with my own children. I was not a TV mom. I think I was a mom like my own mother. Now, that's not so bad, is it!


ttfn

Yesterday's rant, today is forgotten

I'm over it, it think. Crazy, greedy people.

I went to the doc today. Nothing new. Still the same old, same old. I'll be a cripple the rest of my life. Oh, she told me I could get my stomach stapled -- I DON'T THINK SO! You see if I lose weight, I can get a new knee. And I was well on my way until fibromyalgia hit and I started taking meds for that -- which have really, really helped with that problem. But -- a side effect -- you gain weight.


Then I've got this kidney thing won't allow me to take any pain meds -- I forget what they're called -- narcotics are okay, but aspirin, Advil, Tylenol, etc., are not. Narcotics, make you gain weight.

So, it's a d&$#*ed if you do, and d&$#*ed if you don't situation. I really don't eat that much. Ask Alan. I eat dinner, that's it. I don't snack. I don't eat after dinner. I retain water. As I've mentioned before, I think, if I got a pin prick in my ankles, I start another flood similar to the one in Noah's day!

She (the doctor) said there are weight reduction pills that some people take, but I'm old, I have blood pressure problems -- it's either too high, or it's too low, never just right -- so I'm not a candidate for those things..

So, as I age, I have to realize that part of the aging process will be days when hurting is all that I will do, and I need to get over feeling sorry for myself and try to work through the pain and function with it, or just veg.

Vegging is good!

Speaking of vegging -- I finally after 35 years of living here in the Midwest -- found a farm stand that had Jersey tomatoes. I didn't think they even "made" them any more. So, I stocked up, and tonight I feasted on Jersey tomatoes and white corn, which was superb. What a dinner that was -- Yummy.

mtf

Storm aftermath -- this is a rant

You can read about the storm on Runnemede Remembered.

This is about how stupid people can be and are.

God made trees.

Trees grow.

Hurricanes are storms that 99 and 44/100 percent of the time occur in states that have a coast line.

Indiana and Ohio had a hurricane on Sunday. Winds in excess of 80 mph were recorded in most of the area. No rain, just wind -- lots and lots of wind. You can see some of the storm damage to our neighborhood on Runnemede Remembered.

Over 1,000,000 people were without electricity. 24 hours later over 400,000 are still without electricity.

My daughter HAD a tree in her yard. It fell down during the storm and fell on electric lines that knocked out the power for a swatch about 4 blocks wide and a mile long (if I got the story correct).

Several neighbors think she and her husband should pay them either their insurance deductible or some compensation for their losses (mostly food in fridges and freezers). No property was damaged. After all they let the tree grow so big and they should have known that someday it would topple.

How stupid are people? Do they think ALL trees should be cut down because there was a freak storm and trees fell on wires and knocked out the electricity for a couple of days? Or that the property owners upon which those trees used to reside should be responsible for outages?

Obviously, her neighbors aren't tree huggers. Where are they when you need them?

It was freak storm. Get over it!

That's my rant for the day!!!!!

ttfn

Friday/Saturday Sept. 12/13

It's a little after midnight, so it is really Saturday, but I'm still on Friday because I haven't been to bed yet. Is that clear (as mud)?

I'm honored to be one of the three people who this week had one of the best definitions for the Word Imperfect BLOG (http://wordimperfect.blogspot.com/) Each week a word is put up and the challenge is to make up a definition for it. Finally, after six or seven tries, I made a silly definition that right now is neck-in-neck with another person. So, if you are of a mind, click on the link (above) and vote for my definition. It really is the best of the three!

I slept most of the day, but it was one of those days when one sleeps a lot if one can because it was a dreary, rainy day. I'm glad it was a rainy day. We really are low in our rain water accumulation, and even with others around us having rain, for some reason -- and I've mentioned this before -- we seem to have a cone around us here in Cold Spring and the rain goes north or south of us, then picks up again and north and south join to move eastward. That happens time and time again. But today, I think we finally got some soaking rain. No storms, though. And the prognosticators say it's going to rain all day tomorrow (er, today) and Sunday and Monday. I'm not holding my breath.

I started my digital book on Ellie -- as a gift for her when she gets older and can appreciate her own book about herself. It's almost finished. It goes very fast using the Story Book program that Creative Memories has on-line. I've done this before. In fact, I did one of the old family pictures and sent a copy to one of my cousins as a gift a couple of years ago. Since then, though, CM has come out with much nicer backgrounds and nicer covers for the book. When it's all put together it looks like a coffee-table book. Very nice.

Knee problems still abound. I suppose on Monday the doctor will tell me AGAIN that there's nothing that can be done and I'll be just as immobile as I am currently.

It's weird, you know? Some days I am fine. No problems at all. Or minimal problems, and I can walk wherever I need to. But other days -- oy, vey! I can't even stand with the aid of the walker. And the popping noise -- well, that's another story. When the knee pops, I expect it to hurt, but it doesn't -- well, it does, when I pop it back in. But when it goes out it's fine.

Now, if I could just find a way to walk on it when it's popped out (when it doesn't hurt), I'd be -- well, I'd probably be dead and in heaven where there is no more pain!

ttfn

Late Wednesday September 10, 2008

Tomorrow morning, I will be in front of the TV. I remember 9/11/2001 very clearly. I was at work at Answers in Genesis, we had recently moved to N. Ky. Ken Ham, director of AiG called someone and told them to turn on the TV the WTC had been slammed into, not once, but twice. Then Alan called from home and told me to try to find a TV to find out what was going on. Of course, all the internet sites were overloaded, so no information was available from that source.

As we met for prayer, the two towers collapsed. The rest of the day we sat around in shock, and as news of the attack on the Pentagon and another aircraft being crashed in PA hit the news, we were praying more earnestly for our country, our loved ones, and those who had family who lost their lives.

Churches -- I would say all the churches in the Cincinnati area -- were open that evening for prayer.

So, tomorrow for a little while, I shall watch the TV remembrances of that terrible day.

I haven't written for a couple of days because after my scrapbook event, I could hardly move. In fact, for most of yesterday, I didn't. Today was little better. I pray that tomorrow will be okay because I'm helping Cyndi with her home-schooling efforts (by sitting while she takes the older children to N. KY area home schoolers gym class at the local sports center. Then, if I'm able, Tori is going to go to Kroger's with me and fill my basket as I ride around the store on one of those rider thingies and point to what I need. I'm still not walking well. The old knee keeps popping out, then in, and it hurts like --- well, you know.

Just getting old

mtf

Today is Monday, September 8, 2008

Well, today is the day. The day for this month of my community's scrapbooking evening. I am way behind in getting ready for it, but I shall be ready by 6 p.m. or die trying.

The weekend was a loss, total loss as far as getting anything done. That old sciatic nerve popped out again, and except for church, which was absolute torture (sitting, not listening) I was in bed for the last three days. My back is okay today, just have to fight the old knee thing. But I only have a few crates to drag into the clubhouse this month. It's time to bring out the fall and Christmas stuff so the ladies can get started on cards, if they want. That's where I'm behind.

I have the card stock, but I haven't made any kits this year, so for this month, at least, they will be on their own, with instruction only, if they want to make cards.

I'll drag the stuff with me when we go to Myrtle Beach later this month and make up kits while I'm sitting on the deck of the condo watching the hurricanes roll in. Seems like this is a bad year to decide to go to an east-coast beach, but I'm game. Then for the October meeting I'll have kits, which the less creative women prefer.

We've gone to resorts and lived through hurricanes several times. While mostly they are an adventure, this time I will go prepared with food, extra batteries and flashlights. Candles are permitted. I'll plan for several days of no electricity and eating out of cans -- cold beans -- yummy.

Anyway, I'm about to set up my scrapbook event and will probably report on how this body holds up. I usually end up down and out for a day after pushing and pulling all those crates, but until I'm totally incapacitated, I'll have the meetings for the ladies. We have so much fun.

mtf

Wedding album finished

The wedding was on Sunday. I printed the pictures on Monday and Tuesday, and I finished the book (30 pages) this afternoon. I will be mailing it to the bride and groom after my Monday night (September 8) scrapbook meeting. I want to show the ladies how easy it was to do this particular book, and it looks really, really nice. At least I think it does.

I have waiting on the table another batch of pictures, an album, and a group of background papers and embellishments to go with the topic of that particular book. I want to finish that by Friday.

Tomorrow, though, I'm heading over to Cyndi's to watch Ellie -- or rather sit and listen in case she wakes up during her nap -- while the other children have their "gym" afternoon for home-school. Then, we're coming back to my home to spend some time in the pool. I hope to give Tori some more knitting instruction as well. She's really been asking and asking everyday for help. I have to work with her within her own family parameters, so the time hasn't been there for her or for me. There's always been something to keep us from that next knitting session.

Regarding old age health issues: nothing new to report today. That's a good thing!

ttfn

Here it is, September 1

Well, I've been gone for a few days. Not really away from home, just gone.

First, Saturday morning, my daughter Cyndi called me and told me she's going to have a baby. She's three months pregnant. Yeah!!! I'm so glad. Another baby. Oh, boy!

And, Saturday was David's birthday, so that took up a part of my day, going to my son's house for the party. David is my son's oldest boy. David wanted to badly a light saber, which I got for him. When I got to the house he told me he was glad I was finally there so he would have his light saber. And I asked him, what if I didn't get him a light saber. He told me he was certain I had because I wrapped his present in Star Wars paper. Was that a dead give-away? No, not really. It was the only "boy" paper I had around the house! But I couldn't convince David that I didn't get him the light saber.

Well, he opened it and loved it for two seconds!!!! Which was okay with me. His mom had found a game boy of some sort at a garage sale with six games included for only $5. I guess you know which gift he played with most. Not to be disappointed, though, Matthew grabbed hold of the light saber and he was having a blast with the thing. After that party I was wiped out.

Then Sunday we drove to Huntington, WV (a 3-hour drive one way) for a friend's wedding. The "we" being me and Becky's whole family. Alan wasn't well enough, he felt, to make the trip. And after what we found out the wedding was like (it lasted for 1-1/2 hours and it was very, very hot in the church), it was good that he didn't go.

Quinn, Beck's husband, drove (thank God). It was so nice to not have to drive and I could just sit in the van and enjoy the ride, which I did. Well, the wedding was long, and it was hot. But the reception was great. The bride was absolutely beautiful, of course. Has anyone ever seen a bride that wasn't? There's just something about being a bride that makes that person beautiful, even if it's only for that one day. Then around 10 pm we left the reception (just as the dancing was starting -- bummer) and came home. We got home around 1:15 and then we had to report to Alan all that happened. We all talked until around 3 a.m.

The grandchildren fell asleep on the ride home and so they were awake at 7:30 a.m. I slept in until 8:30 -- not sleeping, just not getting out of bed -- and when I got up, I made eggs with cheese, one of Dan's favorites, bacon, cinnamon toast, and coffee. By noon we had all gotten up, dressed in bathing suits and were ready to head down to the pool.

It is now Labor Day. Pool Closing day. We got there just in time for the annual cake walk. Well, the children absolutely loved the cake walk. And Dan's idea is that for Christmas we have a candy walk. I'm to have different types of candy in bags, the children will use pennies to bid for a bag of candy, I'll draw a domino out of a bag to give them a number and whomever has his/her pennies on that number gets that bag of candy! Smart kid, Dan is.

mtf