Another year has passed

Seems hard to believe that another year has passed. Tonight is New Year's Eve, tomorrow starts the new year, actually midnight tonight. Or is it midnight tomorrow, I don't know.

I was ill yesterday, another fibromyalgia flare-up -- bad one -- kept me abed all day and night. Today, I'm fine, or as fine as can be considering the pain I was in yesterday. At any rate, I'm out of bed.

Regarding Christmas decorations -- I am NOT putting them away yet. I got them up late, and so I'll keep them around for a couple more weeks. The weather pronosticators are saying we'll have ice and snow to night and all the drunks out there must be careful driving home after the parties of the night. Alan and I haven't been to a party for 10 years, and he was so sick with chemo reactions at that one, we just haven't been since. By the time the parties start, we're too tired to head out.

So, we stay home, eat a late dinner, say goodnight to each other around 10:30 and go to bed. How boring is that?

I remember parties, a few of them, but mostly I remember church gatherings on New Year's Eve. Each church is different. I don't know of any local churches that have a "Watch-night" service. I loved the service back home.

I guess Becky's church has a New Year's Eve service and gathering. I could go out there, NOT. I was supposed to go out yesterday, but didn't quite make it. I wonder if Mt. Calvary still has a festive NYE's service/eatery.

I loved the service -- it was exactly one hour and ended precisely at midnight at which time my father would walk down the center aisle of the church and go into the vestibule and grab the rope that rang the church bell and he would ring the bell for five minutes. Prayer started at around 11:45 p.m., and the bell-ringing signaled the end of the year, and prayer continued until the person praying at midnight was finished, then we went downstairs to the basement and ate.

It was a very late night for us children, and I'm sure we were up bright and early the next morning, but I recall mom giving us a plate of goodies then taking us home, and dad stayed at the church for a while after we left. I may have all this backwards, and I've been thinking about it for days. Did we eat before the service, or afterwards? I'm pretty sure it was afterwards, but it may have changed sometime because after midnight is just too late for old folks and the church people were getting older.

I do know, though, that we children, and my child-hood friends enjoyed the treats after the service.

I have more thoughts about "Watch-Night" services, but I'll save them for another day.

ttfn

Let there be light

If you are a regular ready of The Fat Lady Singeth then you know I have light issues. I'm so glad we're past December 21 and it is getting light earlier in the morning and staying light later at night. I feel like the cocoon is opening around me and I am breaking out of it.

I noticed that it was light later this evening and was so happy. While I enjoy winter weather, I really don't enjoy winter solstice and the darkness.

So, welcome the light that is widening around us day by day. And remember that Jesus is the LIGHT of the world. WIthout Him we would end up in eternal darkness. Thank you God for sending your Son, Jesus, to be the Light of the World.

ttfn

Family gathering

I did it! I had the whole family in my home for a party and I think it was a fun time for the children, which was the purpose. I know my oldest grandson was bored out of his gourd, but he's almost 16. He'll get over it. The youngest, 9 months old was crawing all over the place, keeping his brothers and sister hopping to make sure he didn't pick up something from the floor and put it in his mouth.

I spaced myself out the past two weeks, doing a little bit each day in order to prepare for the onslaught. The first to arrive, on Saturday, was my dauther Becky and her family. They spent the night (Saturday) and Becky was here to help me get the food set up. And there was a lot of food, believe me.

I got up on Sunday morning about 8 a.m., and Dan was waiting, quietly, for me to get up so he could have breakfast. He had to wait a little longer, because I have to get my meds before I do anything, and then I let them injest for about 1/2 hour before I get out of my chair.

Dan asked me several times if the half-hour was up yet, and I told him when I got up it would be time for me to make breakfast -- which was scrambled eggs with lots of cheese (the way Dan likes eggs), and tons of bacon, and toast for those who were of a mind to eat it, OJ, coffee.

After breakfast, I felt very sleepy, so I went back to bed and let Beck handle things until I got up around 1p.m. Then I went at it in earnest, NOT. Beck had everything under control, and I am go thankful she was here to do so much of the work for me. Grace helped by making the salami roll-ups. The men helped by stayin gout of the way!

The Hahns arrived first, then the Stampers. Then as orderly as possible I started the games for the children, then we exchanged gifts, all at once, not one at a time, as we usually do, because with so many small, antsy, children, we decided it was best to just get the gifts into the hands of each person and let them go at it. Gifts this year were sparse, and we decided to do an exchange of dollar-store OR food treats depending on what the giver wanted to get for the recipient who they had. Each person in the family had one person to buy for. Mom and dad didn't participate.

Next we ate, then when the sugar started to really connect (I think it's in the kids minds, though), I calmed them down real quick with "The Quiet Game." All the sugar rowdiness disappeared immediately. Amazing. And when the game was over, so was the supposed sugar high.

All the folks left around 8 p.m. and I was in bed by 9:30.

The best part of the day? WE HAD SNOW! Yes, it actually snowed, can you believe that. Not more than an inch, but what we did get left a nice coating of ice underneath.

The Christmas season is over for another year. I wonder what next year will bring.

ttfn.

Merry Christmas 2009

Well, it's almost over. Christmas 2009.

Alan and I went over to Phil's house for dinner and a few small gifts for the children. I'm glad we went, but I was not very nice, and I feel horrible for being so nasty.

I won't go into the details. Let's just say, I went into "mother mode" with my grandchildren, which isn't something I like to do, and try not to do. I want them to think of me as a nice, sweet, grandmother, not a mother who is on top of their behavior from the moment they see me.

Of course, I forgot my camera so I didn't even get pictures of how lovely the girls (Rachel and Rose) looked. David was in his own world with his new Star Wars lego kits. Matthew was Matthew, but a little subdued, I think because he was very tired. Dinner was wonderful. Amy made a ham dinner. I don't particularly like ham, but I have to admit that Amy does know how to cook a great ham. I made the green been casserole, and her children gobbled that up. Nice to see children that eat at least one veggie.

Now, it's me and Alan. Sitting in front of our respecitve computers, waiting to take our cold, winter's nap. Actually, it's not yet cold, but I could tell the difference from the time we left Phil's and Amy's and when we got home. The temperature seemed to have dropped about 10 degrees in that 1/2 hour it took us to get home.

To all, I pray you had a merry Christmas and you spent time recalling why we celebrate Christmas.

ttfn

Christmas Eve

It's Christmas Eve. It has been all this busy day. It started (for me) around 8:30 a.m. The usual stuff -- I took my meds and waited. Around 9 a.m. Alan got up and told me he wasgoing to take a shower, but he would wait until I finished taking mine. I already had. He was surprised because it was only 9 a.m. and I had already showered.

Well, I had a lot to do today. I had to bake pies, clean up the joint, and especially clean up the kitchen, a major job with all the baking I had been doing the past two days.

So, I made the four pies -- two cherry and two mince. Then I dipped pretzels in chocolate -- they're for the party on the 27th. Tomorrow morning I have to make green bean casserole for our dinner (at Phil's).

I also did two loads of laundry. I still haven't put the clothing away that I washed today.

So, it's now the evening of Christmas Eve. We went to church with friends of ours and I loved the service. It was just singing Christmas carols (not junk songs) and reading Scripture of Christ's birth. Then we had the Lord's Supper and the pastor just read from the Bible what the Lord said at his last supper. It was a very nice service. The church was beautifully decorated, not overly so, just subtley.

And now, Alan and I are home. He is watching a Focus on the Family video about Israel.

And I'm going to bed. It's time. Tomorrow is Christmas. I wish you all a merry one.

ttfn

What a weekend!

It all started on Friday afternoon. I picked up my granddaughter, Rose, at her home to take her to my home for the weekend.

After I picked her up we went to Dollar Tree and shopped til I dropped. She was buying presents for a few of her family members and her teachers. So cute. I also got her a couple of boxes of cards for her classmates.

Yeah, she's doing cards. I didn't get cards done this year. Oh, well.

Then we went to Bob Evans for dinner -- her choice.

We came home after dinner loaded down with our uneaten left overs and dessert, and unloaded the gifts and wrapping stuff that we purchased. She wrapped her gifts and put on tags -- at least I think she got the tags on. And while she was doing that, I was filling really neat containers I bought at the dollar store for the candy game I play with the children at our Christmas time together, which will be next Sunday.

I also got new containers for the money game (I collect loose change all year and then divvy it up for the grandchildren and then play a game while they chose their container of money. I used to collect it all in one jar then draw a name and that person got the whole kit and caboodle, but last year I decided it would be nice if all the children got a share of the loot. They seemed to like that idea better, so I'm doing it again this year.

And I revived the Christmas decoration draw for the grandchildren. So I had to bag them up as well.

After we got all our Christmas "wrapping" completed, we watched The Nativity and then I started to read The Secret Garden to Rose. She had said she tried the book, but couldn't get into it. I told her I understood that but if she had persevered she would have enjoyed the book. And, guess what? She was hooked after I got through the second chapter. I'll get to that later.

After I read a couple of chapters, we went to bed. She to sleep, me to doze. Then Saturday dawned and we had a puff of snow on the ground and car, but it was Rosie's day to have her hair done, and so we headed out to get that done. She looks so cute and grown-up with her new "do".

We came back to the home and she was playing with some of the toys and doll I have in the toy box. I think I dozed again. We baked peanut butter cookies later in the afternoon, had dinner, and then watched Ratatouille (did I spelled that right?), reading further into The Secret Garden during commercials. Since we were both tired, after the movie, I stopped reading, but left the book on the bed stand for her to pick up if she wanted. And we both went to bed.

We woke up on Sunday morning, and again, there was a puff of snow. I was up really early on Sunday, and was watching the weather channel when I first heard Rose moving around. After the weather, because she didn't come into the library, I called to her and she was in the living room, READING! Yes, she was hooked on the book, and was reading it before breakfast, which I had a difficult time getting her to eat, because she didn't want to put the book down.

We played a game (Scrabble slam, quite fun) for a while, and then it was time for her to leave. Bummer. I miss her. She's a fun little girl, and I love having her over.

After I took her home I came back and crashed. Slept a deep sleep. I know this because the phone rang twice and I didn't even hear it.

So, that's the weekend. It was wonderful. I will be glad to do it again and again. My Christmas weekend of Rose -- it's becoming a great tradition.

ttfn

Snow/melt; snow/melt; snow/melt

Snow/melt: That's been our weather pattern since that big storm went up the east coast. We only received a couple of inches from the back end of that storm. It melted by mid-day, Saturday. Then the next night (Saturday night), overnight, or in the dark of night, we had another inch or so of snow (meaning I had to clean off the car), but by mid-afternoon on Sunday, it was melted. Last night (Sunday night), same scenario. I woke up to another inch or so on the car. It's not melted yet, but I'm sure it will. It isn't sticking to the roads, sort of blowing off the roadbed onto the curb.

I realize the picture is really blurry, but you get the idea. Night-time snow. Daytime melt.

Just wanted you to know.

ttfn

Happy day -- Friday

I picked Rosie up after her school day was finished. We are having such a wonderful time together. We are laughing and talking and chatting.

We started by going to the Dollar store to get her "last minute" Christmas shopping finished. I bought paper and some other containers for the games I'm playing with the children at the Christmas party on the 27th. I found great containers for the candy game. Yeah! And great containers for the money game. Another, yeah!

Then we went to Bob Evans (her choice) for dinner. We ate like piggies, but enjoyed every single bite. We brought enough home for lunch. My refrigerator being stuffed to the gills because of all the things my shopper got for me yesterday, I had to store the left overs from Bob Evans out on the lanai. It's cold enough that they will be fine until we eat them tomorrow.

We came home and wrapped presents, put the candy in the special containers I found, and got the money (change I have collected all year long) into their respective containers for the money exchange game.

Then we watched The Nativity Story, and watched the weather during commercials.

My sister called me earlier today and it was already snowing in North Carolina where she lives. So far (it's almost midnight) we haven't had a flake, but it is sleeting, so if the temperature drops as the weather people are predicting, we'll get some snow, but nothing like what they're getting in Mt. Airy, NC, or Runnemede, NJ. We are just on the border of nothing and snow. If the wind would blow just about 10 miles more toward the west, and push the storm just that far, we'd get some snow. I guess I'm glad for my sister. She loves snow as much as I do, especially at this time of year.

After the movie was over, we went into the bedroom and I read the first two chapters of "The Secret Garden" to her. I'll read some more tomorrow.

Tomorrow -- we are supposed to get Rosie's hair cut, then we're going to Bath and Body. Then we're coming home to eat our left overs. Then we're baking cookies. Rosie is really excited about baking some cookies with me. I'm not-so-much, but that's because it physically hurts my body to bake (or cook), but I've got to get some cookies made for the party, so I'll do it with Rosie and that will make it more interesting and more fun.

So, ttfn. I'll be back.

Wednesday report

This is a very boring addition of my "diary." Read on at your own risk (of falling asleep).

Well, I'm up-to-date on my list of things to do before Christmas. Yeah! However, after all the walking I did earlier today (Wednesday, Dec. 16) I was so cramped up and in so much pain (I hate leg cramps) that I missed the Bible Study Christmas Party (as did Alan, who was having a very rough day). Oh, well. Next year?

Tomorrow (Thursday) we have a busy day -- cleaning from stem to stern (cleaning lady); food shopping (personal shopper); doctor's appointments (Alan and Judi). After the doc's appt. I'm sure we'll be spending an hour or so at Walgreen's. Alan is out of all his pain meds and with shingles, aspirin and/or Tylenol just isn't doing it for him. He was in so much pain he was actually sick to his stomach today.

I can relate to that, since the cramps in my legs, which my dear husband rubbed out for me, finally, made me ill as well.

You'd think we'd both be used to pain by now, wouldn't you? Well, we're not.

On a brighter note: I got a wider path made in my office. I got all the trash out and put away a lot of scrapbooking stuff. I don't figure I'll be doing any scrapbooking between now and New Year's Day.

The boxes of unaddressed Christmas cards are still staring me in the face, saying to me: Get this done, just write out the envelopes, put the cards into said envelopes, and go to the Post Office and get some 3-cent stamps. Yes, folks, I still have almost a full roll of 41-cent stamps! That tells you how often I actually use the old-fashioned way of sending mail.

But then, if it weren't for electronic mail and BLOGging, no one of my family or friends would know if I was still alive. I don't use the phone much either. I think that's because I worked for so many years and have a permanent tilt to my head from holding the phone between ear and shoulder for so many hours a day when I was working, and I just don't want to be on the phone if I can help it.

I do recall, though, when the telephone was my favorite way of communicating with friends and family. And now that phone rates (long distance) are so cheap, I don't even use the phone. I can recall when one phone call to my beloved when we were courting would cost $25, and now I get unlimited long-distance for $25 per month. Actually, that includes local, long-distance, voice messaging, call-waiting (which I refuse to use, I think it's rude to put someone on hold for an in-coming call), and whatever other perks I haven't figured out how to use yet. That's on our home phone, btw. My cell phone is a little more or less expensive, depending on the month. If we're traveling, it goes way up, if we're not traveling, it only costs $10 a month.

I used to pay $25 a month for 1,000 minutes, but I rarely use that many minutes on my cell phone, so we went down to the cheapest we could get -- a pay-as-you-use non-contract, plus $10 a month.

Now that we're all clear on my phones, I think I'll quit writing for a bit. I must clean the house before my cleaning lady gets here. I don't want her to think I'm a bad housekeeper. So, why? you ask do I have a cleaning lady. Well, there are just some things I can't do any more. She does those things for me. I still feel the need to clean the bathrooms every day, change the sheets at least once a week, do the laundry. I let her do the ironing, though.

What can I say? I've come to admit that I now have limitations, and while I don't like having to have someone do the things that I should be able to do, but I thank God that Alan and I are financially able to have someone help me (and him at times) out with the cleaning and shopping. How long that will last, only He knows.

I'm getting really excited about the party on the 27th here at the house. It's going to be crowded and noisy. I printed out some Christmas carol music so maybe I can get some of the grandchildren to sing for me.

And here's the final note for today: They are predicting snow for Saturday and Sunday. I hope it comes to fruition. Snow at Christmas is perfect!

ttfn

Some good news

Well, Phil, who has been out of work since July 1, 2009, passed a very important computer certification exam today. We are all hoping that with this new upgrade in his qualifications, he will be able to get a job quickly.

It was a difficult task for Phil. My son has always been able to read something and photographically remember it. In other words, he's really good at facts and languages. But as he told me several weeks ago, this has been the hardest thing he has every had to do. I don't understand all the ins and outs of the exam but I think the picture reproduction (graphics?) might have been what was so difficult for him to reproduce. He's definitely not artistic.

He took the test three times -- today being the third time -- and had such a difficult time passing it. (Or was it four times, I've lost count.) He studied avoracely for weeks before taking each test, certain he would pass. He had never failed a test in his life before this. I guess failure is something that build character.

Anyway, we're very happy that he passed the test.

I didn't get Tuesday's tasks accomplished. I was having trouble sleeping all night, last night. My heart was racing to beat the band. So, I decided it might not be a good idea for me to be driving around today and just rested. Since we are both going to the doctor on Thursday and I knew I couldn't get in sooner, I didn't go to any doctor. And I wasn't about to go to the ER because I'd (1) have to drive myself; or (2), call the lifesquad. I guess I could have called a neighbor? Didn't think of that until just now.

Anyway, I was able to finally sleep without any heart problems, and am well rested. I'm still sleepy, so I should be able to sleep tonight.

I really need to clean up my office -- the official house Christmas collection room -- which is just full of Christmas paraphernalia and unwrapped boxes and wrapping paper and ribbons, etc. It's a real mess. I have a small path from the door to my computer and that's it. I should add that to my chore list to get completed before the family descends on us.

Tomorrow I'll do both Tuesday and Wednesday's tasks (I hope).

ttfn

Monday

I find that almost a week has passed since my last comment. Not that nothing has gone on in my life, it most certainly has, and this week just beginning was supposed to be a light one, and then all of a sudden it has seem to implode.

I finally got all the family Christmas gifts put into enveloped, bagged, wrapped, etc. and put under the tree. And, after putting them under the tree sans (sorry Stacia for using that word) bows, because I couldn't find them, I DID find them today, so tomorrow, I'll get all the gifts from under the tree and put bows on them.

Also, I am definitely going out tomorrow. It will probably put me in bed for six days (just a random number, not a necessary truism), but I'm going to do it. I shall go to the bread store, Buskens, and Bath and Body Works. Then I'll head over to the bank and the post office. I'll get the stamps for cards I probably won't write out this year because time is just running out.

Wednesday is our Bible Study Christmas party, and I have to make something for the buffet, plus wrap a gift I purchased for my best friend, and hostess of the party. I hope to get some more cookies baked.

Thursday is going to be really busy. My shopper will shop for me, my cleaner will clean for me, and I will take me and Alan to the doctors to get our prescriptions renewed and get Alan checked out for shingles.

Friday I'm picking up Rosie after school, we're going Christmas shopping, then out to dinner, then we're going to wrap all the presents she buys. Then if there is time, we'll watch a Christmas movie.

Saturday, I'm taking Rosie to get her hair cut, then I'll crash, or bake some more.

Sunday, I'll rest. Nah!

Are you as tired as I am just thinking about all those things to do. I know most of my readers can do all that without even thinking twice about it, and probably complete all those tasks in a couple of hours, but I can't any more, so I have to pace myself.

I know there was something else I had to say, but it slipped my mind. If I think of it, I'll add it tomorrow, or not.

ttfn

A puff of snow

Yes, I said, "A puff of snow." That's what greeted me this morning as I woke up. It was beautiful and I thought, as I looked at the "puff" of whiteness billowing up and down and over and around the yard, "This has potential."

By the time I had taken a show, the "puff" was over and the potential died. Oh, well.

I did get to have lunch with Amy, my daughter (DIL, actually). She is so special and we had a really wonderful lunch at Red Lobster -- her favorite, and I have to admit, one of mine as well. We both ate too much, but hey, how often do we do that? I don't mean eat too much, I mean eat lunch together and eat too much! We had good conversation, putting aside the heaviness of our situations, and just enjoying the day.

I came home and crashed. I was feeling so wonderful when I left this morning to meet up with her, but by the time I had gone through Hallmark and then Walgreen's, I just wanted to cut off my legs, my hips, gouge out my back, and get rid of an elbow or two. Not much left after that, is there?

Rest has helped, but the life of always resting is not something that I enjoy.

So, I have two more items on my 71 item list finished. Only 69 more to go in 15 days. The law of averages is against me at the rate I'm going. Tomorrow I may do better, but I doubt it. I have at least four projects I MUST complete prior to 7 p.m. tomorrow night. That should up the averages a little bit, but still not enough.

As my other daughter, Becky, put it: You get done what you get done and be thankful for what God allows you to finish. Thank you, God for what I was able to accomplish today. Help me do more tomorrow.

ttfn

Update - Wednesday

After I quit early this a.m. I noticed that I felt really raunchy.  Seems I had a low fever which got larger as the wee hours of the morning progressed.  It's up to 101 right now and I hurt an awful lot.  No other symptoms -- no cough or sore throat, just the pain of fever and the fever.  I thought it was a fibromyalgia attack -- a really, really bad one.  Maybe it is, but I'm not having fun yet.

I had to reschedule Alan's doctor's appointment -- he wasn't disappointed.  Actually, it was his idea, I was all set to take him, but he put the kabash on it.  I don't think he wanted to hear what the doctor would tell him to do about his weakness problem (go to the hospital, let us poke and prod and try to find out what's wrong).  So I'm pumping him full of fluids today and see if that helps any.  I've noticed that he isn't drinking very much. 

He usually drinks four large plastic mugs of water a day, and the last few days he's barely drunk one. 

Regarding the word "drunk" used in the last sentence.  Ms. Magargee -- my high-school English teacher -- always said that "drunk" was something that happened when you "drank" too much alcohol, and was not, I repeat, not to be used as a verb at any time.  Well, too bad.  If I used the correct term people would think I was stupid or that I really made a mistake.  So the sentence used in the last paragraph remains with the word "drunk" used as a verb.

So, once again, I say, TTFN. 

Update - Tuesday

I know, I know, it's been a while since I've updated this BLOG.  Well, I've been hurting from fibromyalgia and the drug I take to keep the pain down hasn't been working for a few days. 

Yesterday, however, I was able to attend the community ladies' luncheon, and had a lovely time.  I hurt, but I scootered over there, took a chair by the door, and was waited on.  The wonderful Chain Gang ladies serve us this annual lunch and those of us who are mobility challenged, and that number gets bigger every year,  love it.  This year we only lost two of our ladies.  Only, you say?  Well, yes, but one of our ladies is probably not going to make it out of this year.  We are all getting older and more infirm.

Alan has a doctor's appointment with Dr. Cody tomorrow and I pray he (Dr. C) doesn't send him to the hospital.  Alan is in terrible shape.  Thus, I'm in terrible shape.  Also, we're trying to hold off his annual MRI until after his birthday, so that Medicare can take up the slack in what we normally have to pay which is around $5K. 

I have all but the front decorated for Christmas.  It was difficult, but I did it.  Still haven't unpacked from our trip, though.  The dirty clothes are all washed and put away, so that's a plus.  When we head home we always put all the dirties in one suitcase.  Makes doing laundry very easy. 

I have almost all the shopping finished and I will soon have everything wrapped (I hope).  If Alan has to be hospitalized, we are both going to fight it because the last visit was just a fact-finding mission which found no facts and cost us a bundle which is still unpaid, and that was two years ago.  In fact, I don't think our bills for Flagstaff are paid off yet, either. 

I don't want a public option or any other kind of government run health care, even though we have to pay quite a bit for our prescriptions.  We have paid into medicare and with our insurance coverage, medicare covers what the insurance doesn't. 

We are getting rain, rain, rain.  Cold rain.  Wind-driven, cold rain.  No snow.  We seem to be in a gully and while the area around us is getting snow, we aren't.  Oh, well.  God is in control of the weather and I shouldn't complain about it.  I would just love for it to snow, though.

Well, that's a ttfn since it's very late (or early depending on your point of view) and I need to get to sleep.

Thanksgiving -- this year

Now that the children have their own Thanksgivings, Alan and I have sought a new way to celebrate my favorite holiday.  Some years we have Thanksgiving with one of the children, usually my son and his wife, Amy, have been close and comfortable. 

But some years Alan and I travel on Thanksgiving week.  This year we went on a cruise.  And Thanksgiving just wasn't the same.

Oh, we had our "round the table" Thanksgiving discussion (what we're thankful for), and we ate turkey that was good, but it wasn't Aunt Annie's or mommie's turkey.  Bland, you know?  And missing was family.

The best part of growing up was Thanksgiving after church and the family either came to our home or we went to theirs and we sat may 10 to 12 people around the table to begin with and the crowd grew later in the day and by the night-time picking at the bird we were up to a hefty 30 people crowded in a very small home, but it was heaven on earth. 

The boat was filled with families this year celebrating the holiday, and they were enjoying a new custom for themselves.  Cruising, while I love it, will not be enjoyed by me at Thanksgiving ever again. 

It just wasn't home and it wasn't a celebration of Thanks.

ttfn

What a trip!

This was posted on Runnemede Remembered.

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I'm posting this on The Fat Lady Singeth as well. Covering all my bases here.



Alan and I just got back from a cruise to nowhere. That's what they call it when you basically wander around in the Atlantic ocean for days on end and enjoy the cruise ship as a resort, instead of getting suffled off the boat every day to try to see sights that you can't possibly see well in the time alloted.


I will get to my ONE TOUR this trip.


The trip was out of Baltimore. This was a first time to use this port and I have to say that for passengers with mobility problems this was the best ever. And our immobility this year was the worst ever. So that's saying a lot.


They were very attentive to our needs and got us to our cabin in good time. Dumb us. We showed up two hours too early, thinking we were on a Miami boarding schedule. Not at all. But that's okay. They were still very nice about our earliness (and we weren't the only ones) and weren't put off by it at all.


We had pre-ordered scooters so we would be able to get around the boat with little or no pain. Well, that worked well for three and a half days, then Alan did a back flip with his scooter -- the back wheels got caught on the ramp through one of the doors to the upper deck -- and he got the wind knocked out of him, bruised several ribs, and was in misery the remainder of the trip. Basically, he stayed in the room for the rest of the time, except for meals when after not liking the room service selection he decided he would join me for meals at the restaurants. Someday I'll write about those mis-adventures, but not today.


Anyway, on Thanksgiving day, we were in Nassau, Bahamas. Now, I've walked from the ship to Nassau several times, and each time it has been a wearying, hurtful process. But I want those free bracelets and other jewelry they hand out at the various jewelry stores there. I now have enough charm bracelets for all my girls, big and small! All free! And I have necklaces for stockings, etc. I'm so excited about that.


Anyway, this trip what normally took me 1 hour to get into town, took only 10 minutes on the scooter. It was so much fun and I could see so much more. Granted many of the shops didn't have ramps, so I couldn't go into them. Their loss, as I was in a spending mood, and I had saved my meager allowance for six months! I bought myself a present for Alan to give me for Christmas -- that's a tradition. I buy it, he pays for it, and wraps it up, and I enjoy it for as long as I live. Then one of my girls will enjoy it. See? Isn't that the way it's supposed to work?


Alan had been complaining and saying he was sure he had shingles, and I kept checking (this was after the back flip) to see if he did have shingles, and I saw nothing, so I decided he needed to get to an ER as soon as we landed. Well, lucky for him, shingles showed themselves for the nasty things they are and now he only has to endure a trip to the doctor's office to get some anti-biotics. He has the pain meds that they gave him on the boat, and the meds he's been taking since his last shingles attack.


You see, with a compromised immune system once you get shingles you never get rid of them entirely. You get rid of the rash, but the pain may lessen some, but it's still there. Sort of like fibromyalgia. And because his immune system is compromised, he can't have the vaccine that is available for singles.


So at the end of the trip -- and I have to say we had the best wait staff ever -- I packed us up, and boy did that hurt, because I had been having to lift Alan from a chair or bed, and I was so totally sore from doing that. I packed us up. Got us all set to get off the boat which was slicker than butter this time. What a difference from other cruises. They wheeled us right up to the taxi. The cab-driver took care of transferring out luggage to our car which was had parked at the hotel in which we stayed in Baltimore, and off we went.


Home again, home again, jiggety-jig!!!!




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Up all night.

Seems that lately that's been my modus operendi.  Did I spell that correctly?  Oh, well.  I worked really hard from 5 a.m. yesterday when I got up, and then crashed around 2 p.m.  I didn't wake up until midnight.  Of course, that meant, I was up all night.  I'll see how long I can go today. 

While I was up I did two loads of laundry.  And no, I didn't put them away yet.  I'm really bad at that.  And I read a book, a Christmas story called "Christmas Pearl" by Dorothea Benton Frank.  I will pass this book along to my neighbor who enjoys this author.  It was a cute story, and it will probably be made into a TV movie and shown on  Hallmark or Lifetime in a couple of years.

Okay, so I like Christmas books, new ones, old ones, most anything Christmas.  I'm looking forward, also to the upcoming TV movies on Hallmark and Lifetime and ABC Family -- the Christmas movies.  I know I've seen them many, many times before, but who cares.  I still love to watch them.  There are few that I don't like.

Let me just say:  Warm and fuzzy.

Well, I'm off to do the days work.

Oh, did I mention that this is now DAY FOUR of walking without a walker and with minimal pain in my knees.  I'm praying that the combo of meds that I'm currently taking is the one that works.  Fibro?  Well, that's a different kettle of fish, but I'll work on that as soon as I'm sure the knees stay functioning.

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A new day

Today was my bi-monthly doctor's appointment.  Nothing to worry about.  My kidney functions are up from 40 percent to 55 percent, my BP is 120/80 (perfect score on that one!), and my weight -- well we won't go there.

I spent a few minutes asking a lot of questions about fibromyalgia and why I sometimes feel no pain at all, and other times, I don't even want people to get within 10 feet of me. 

Like today -- all is well, even my knees are good enough to be walker-less.  I'm practicing using just a cane, trying to do away with the walker upon which I have grown very dependent.  I am doing quite well with the cane and maybe tomorrow I'll feel it because I'm using different muscles, but as of tonight, all is well.

The fibro attacks come and go randomly.  I plan things and pray that I can do what is planned.  I did find out today that if I take a muscle relaxer, I will feel better -- less flu-like symptoms.  Well, we'll see.  I still can't take anti-inflammatories which would really help, because of the kidneys.  The anti-inflammatories would help the arthritis as well.

And praise God that the back pain is still in the zero range (on a scale of 1-10).  The knee pain today was about 3, which is wonderful, and very, very low for me. 

Tonight I'm very tired and so even though it's only 8 p.m., and I'll miss Jon and Kate Plus 8, I'm going to bed.  I'm just too tired to even think.

So...ttfn.

What's up with this?

Yesterday I could barely move.  My hips hurt, my knees hurt, my back hurt.  Even with a walker I had difficulty.  Then today I woke up in no pain and nothing hurt.  Why?  It certainly wasn't because I took any pain killers.  Did everything just snap in place during the night?  Must have.  Believe me, I'm not complaining.  This has been a great day. 

• I polished the piano.
• I put ALL my laundry away.
• I cleaned the floor of the pantry (again).
• I washed dishes (in the dishwasher and from the sink)
• I concepted Christmas decorating all around the living room, dining room, kitchen areas.
• I reapplied the dog sofa cover (don't ask).
• I washed the kitchen counters. 
• I degreased the microwave vents.
• I made Alan lunch.
• And I knitted another inch for my neck scarf.

Now, I'm reading all the BLOGs I like to read every day, and I'm adding to my "diary".  I should get out and go to Staples and pick up what I need there while I can move, but I think I'll just stay in and stop doing anything for a while.

Oh yeah, I put a chicken in a pot of salted water, and after I pick the bones clean, I'll add dumplings to the pot, for chicken and dumplings for dinner tonight.  C&D with a nice salad.  Yum.

ttfn

Veterans' Day

Tomorrow is Veterans' Day.  Yes, it's still the 10th of November.  It's been a long day.  The first long day in a long time.   Most of my days are extremely short.

I want to thank all the men in my family (you know who you are) who have served admirably in one branch or another of the armed forces.

Tomorrow all vets will get a free meal at Appleby's, so ever though Alan doesn't particularly like that restaurant (I do), we're going there so he can get his free meal.  All we have to do is show him in his uniform in a picture.  Well, duh, who would recognize him now from 40 years ago?  I could show them a picture of anyone in uniform from 40 years ago, and say it was him and they would have to believe me.  Let's see, I have a picture of his brother in uniform, his nephews (three of them) in uniform -- new ones. 

But, I don't think that's going to work, so I have a back-up -- his discharge papers.  We have to show them every time we book a cruise so we can get the armed forces discount, which is really neat. 

I'm looking forward to the meal -- he wants to go around 1:00 p.m. instead of at dinner time.  I don't suppose they'll care that we're coming at that time instead of at dinner.  I'll bet it will be crowded even at that time.  I can't imagine how hard it's going to be to get a seat at dinner time.

I made sausage spaghetti sauce today and once again it was delish.  I think that's my best "gravy" for the "pasta" that I make.  The sausage gives it a special flavor that I particularly enjoy.
Poor Alan, he didn't tell me he wasn't feeling well and I piled his plate high because I know he likes sausage spaghetti.  Well, he left most of it on the plate saying he didn't want it.  I'm concerned because with all the non-eating he's been doing, he's gaining weight. 

Doctor's appointment for him soon, no buts about it.

Well, I'm off to bed now.  It's almost Veterans' Day and since it's a holiday I must get my Veterans' Day Eve bedrest.

ttfn

Today's bright spot

My dear sister called me.  It's Friday, and she called me!  She almost always calls me on Sunday, so a Friday phone call sort of freaked me out until I found out that she was just missing me.  Isn't that neat?  And she had a question about the piano.

That was today's (Friday's) bright spot.  I realize I'm writing this on Saturday at 3 a.m., but these thoughts are about Friday. 

I woked up in the middle of last night in terrible pain.  A really bad fibro attack.  It was too soon to take any meds, so I just layed still and wished sleep to come.  I woke up again around 8 a.m. and downed my meds which took effect shortly after that, at least I think they did.  I fell asleep and woke up again around noon, but hurt too bad to actually get out of bed, so I stayed in bed, and fell asleep again, and woke up around 5 p.m.  I made Alan some dinner, and then went back to bed.  I fell asleep again, and woke up around 11 p.m.  Now, I'm wide awake, and will probably not sleep all night.  At least the pain is much less.  It's still there, but much abated.

I keep thinking about our soon-to-be-taken trip and pray that I don't get any such attack while we're away.  It's not fun being out of commission when one is traveling.

My dear daughter's sister-in-law recently had a baby who is not doing well at all.  Feeding tubes, etc.  Her name is Savannah.  Isn't that a pretty name?  Pray for her.  Reminder to myself as well to pray for her.

Well, after a day of freezing, I'm not in the throes of a very, very hot flash.  Boy, I hate those things.  You'd think I'd be through with them.  But then I take to some of my 80 year old friends, and they still have them occasionally.  Part of life.  I just need to get over it.

I guess I'll shut down on this diary report for today.  I feel like I need to get back into bed.  Tired, I'm so tired.

Good night.

ttfn

DST

That's not a disease or anything, or maybe it is.  It's Daylight Savings TimeTime -- which is over, for a couple of months.  Even with the extra hour I didn't get any extra sleep.  My body clock sleeps when it wants to sleep and that's it.

I have a cousin who takes an afternoon nap and as she told me recently, it takes a good chunk out of the day, but being retired, it's so worth it.

I take a nap more often than not, as well, but I feel so guilty afterwards because I've given up that chunk of the day, and at night I'm worthless.  But then, I can't sleep at night if I take that nap.  At least that's the case most of the time

So, here we are...the clocks got changed.  Well, some of them.  In my house there are so many clocks.  My dad had a clock thing.  I think when we moved him out of his house we found 75 clocks, or was that flashlights?  I can't remember, but I do know it was a lot of clocks.

Have I gone there?  Do I have that fettish that my father had?  I have at least one clock in every room.  In my kitchen there are three -- count them -- three clocks ...the microwave, which is still set at the old time, the coffee pot, still on DST, and the stove, I didn't change that one either.

I have two clocks in my sister's room, one is changed, one isn't (three if you count the computer clock, but that's the only one I don't have to worry about because it changes automatically).  And then I hate to tell you how many watches I have. But I don't worry about them, I just change them out.  I keep several at DST and several at EST (Eastern standard).  Of course, there's the clock in the car, the one down in the garage.  Have it covered them all?  I'll get around to changing them all out sometime in mid-December, about a month before they have to be changed back.

Why don't we just leave them the same year round.  Farmers don't even use clocks.  And I find that I'm using them less and less because, well, I just get up when I want, do what I have to do, then go back to bed when I want.  If I don't have a specific appointment, I don't worry about time.

That's saying a lot for me because I used to be so tied to my watch.  Do I go without wearing a watch?  No way.  I have one embedded into my left wrist.  It's waterproof so I don't have to worry about it in the shower.  Just kidding, but I do have that annoying habit of checking it out from time to time.  Why?  I don't know. 

Maybe I'm just checking to see if the sun is doing what it's supposed to be doing.

ttfn

POST TTFN:  Have I mentioned lately that I hate the dark.  And it seems to be dark all the time now.  I get up in the dark -- it doesn't get light out here until almost 8 a.m., and then it gets dark around 6 p.m.  If I sleep away the afternoon, I'm giving up a lot of the light time.

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Bummer

Now it seems the automatic announcer that BLOGspot is supposed to have, isn't working on this BLOG either.  Well, you all will get an e-mail and I'll tell you to check it every day or two.  I seem to have a lot to say these days, since they're stay-inside days now.

The cool weather has arrived.  The trees are bare (almost).  And I think we're now officially into the season of Cincinnati Gray.  That's the time of year when we get weather patterns of six days of cloudy weather, sometimes with precipitation, and one day of sun.  I do NOT like this time of year.  The bright side being, however, that Christmas is coming and I can throw myself into the hustle and bustle of the holiday.  Parties, just a couple.  Decorations, galore.  Shopping, with my fingers. 

There you have it.  My schedule until January, then the gray really gets to me and I start thinking about heading south to visit family in Florida.  Not this year.  Alan says not, but by the time we have our sixth week of dreariness, he'll be ready to go. 

He really doesn't have to do anything except pack his bag.  I do all the rest.  Loading the car.  Making the hotel reservations, etc.  He just has to show up, basically.

He's in his annual "November Weakness" mode.  I have to make him walk.   So, we have a fight everyday until I get him up and moving.  I hate that.

Well, today is just beginning and I'll probably have more to say later.

ttfn

Add on:  October 30, 2009

I lay me down to read for a while, but soon drifted off into la-la land.  I heard the book I was reading go "thunk" onto the floor, woke up long enough to remove my glasses and rolled over.  I realized I was cold, so I tried to get the cover over me in a better position.  I drifted off again, dreaming I was cold.  Woke up about an hour later, still cold, but unwilling to rise from the cocoon in which I had placed myself, hoping I would either drift off again, or I would get warmer.  Then it came upon me with such swiftness I was kind of startled.  The heat -- not warming up, but heat, like sunburn, and I knew, OH NO NOT AGAIN.  Yes, another fibro attack.

It's 5 p.m.  I took the medicine quite a while ago and I'm still aching.  Phil is coming tonight to watch the Phillies' game (notice I didn't mention the other team) and he's bringing a couple of his children.  I love my grandchildren, but right now I'm not up for any of them, nor am I ready to receive my beloved son.  Oh well, God is awesome and He will help me through this day.   To God be the glory.

ttfn again.

I held Jack

Jack, my youngest grandchild (pictured here) is a little over seven months old.  Where did the time go?  I held him right after he was born for a few minutes. Then time just went by and I hadn't held him again until yesterday. 

He's such a sweet little boy, and he looks like his mama did when she was his age.  If I had any pictures of my third child at that age, I'd put them side by side for comparison.  Well, I do have one, teeny, tiny picture, but scanning it in is not an option.

Why is it few pictures are taken of the second, third, fourth, etc., child?  Well, I'm making sure my daughter has pictures of her youngest two to remember their younger years, just in case, she's too busy to get those pictures of them.  You see, I recall that it was the busy-ness of life that prevented me from getting pictures of my younger children, my girls. 

Why is holding Jack so important?  Well, I don't think I even held Ellie except in the hospital. I've been too crippled with arthritis, or maybe afraid of dropping her, to hold a baby.  But yesterday, I was feeling so very good that I thought, why not?  So, I asked to hold Jack.  And wonder of wonder, he didn't even cry. 

I have a bad effect on babies.  They cry when I look at them.  Yes, even my grandchildren.  But Jack just stared, stood up when I encouraged him to do that, and I babbled a few words to him.  Oh, I didn't hold him for long, but I DID HOLD HIM.  That's what's important. 

Jack is crawling and pulling himself up on furniture already.  He steps out when encouraged.  Poor Cyndi, I think Jack's going to be a early walker.  But as she said, she'd rather have him walking by Christmas, than crawling around and putting stuff in his mouth that he gets off the floor.  I can see her point.

I did notice that without the walker yesterday I was really wobbly.  I felt like I was drunk and was probably walking like it as well.  But I didn't hurt, so I left cane and walker in the car.  It was a very good day.

And yes, we're already talking about Christmas!

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Alive

Just thought I'd update this to let you all know that I'm still alive.  Not that I was near death, that I know of.  Actually, I've had two fairly good days, physically.  Weather-wise, one.

I tried and tried to update the link info on Runnemede Remembered to let you all know that it's been less than 4 months since I updated the remembrances, but to no avail.  So, I guess you all will just have to click on the link everyday to find out if I've updated it. 

The only thing I can figure out is that about four months ago I wrote in RR that I was THINKING about dropping the BLOG because I was out of material.  Now, that I wrote the words "dropping the BLOG" this one will probably not update the notification either.

Today is great.  I'm going over to Cyndi's later this afternoon to take her a birthday present -- a few days late, but it's really nice, at least I think it is.  And I'll take a few pictures of Jack and whoever else is around and will let me take pictures.  Tori is getting a little camera shy, I guess because of the braces.

Feeling good.  Made inroads into getting us on the boat in a few weeks, so I feel good.  Also found a piano tuner.  Yippee.  Now, I've got to get moving on lunch.  Yes, I know it's very late, and I've been up since 7 a.m., but when I get doing things on the computer time flies and I forget to do other things.

ttfn

Gardens

I can't believe it's been two whole weeks since I wrote in this BLOG.  I guess that explains the downturn in readership this past week :). 

The topic is gardens.  And I chose that topic because -- well, because I am loving my large garden -- the garden that the landscape committee has made available for the residents of my community.  Second, I just read a book by Francine Rivers, entitled "Loeta's Garden."    It is happy and sad and, yes, I cried a lot while I was reading this book.  First, because it so well describes the plight of a person with arthritis, but because it also made me aware of how unkind I've been throughout my life, so I shed tears of grief while asking God for forgiveness for how I treated my own mother and father, unintending to be unkind, but seeing my rush to do things and control things as being so very unkind to them in life and in death. 

How wonderful it is to have a forgiving father!

I do recommend the book, heartily.  But be prepared for some heart searching and lots of tears.

There is one part of the book that I want to remember for years to come, and since I read so many books, I thought I'd write it down.

Ms. Rivers says about gardens:  Man fell in the Garden.  You (meaning our Lord) taught in a garden.  You (the Lord, Jesus)prayed in a garden.  Your passion in a garden.  You were betrayed in a garden, You arose in a garden.  Then she adds: I love this garden, for wen I sit out here, I see the wonder of  Your creation.  I smeel the earth and flower-scented air, and it soothes me.  It reminds me taht Your hand is in it all.  I heard the voice of the Lord in the garden, calling to me.

I know that might not impress a lot of people, but it impresses me.  I always loved that my mother had a garden and she loved that garden, and I know I did as well.  I imagined here, for the many later years in her life when she was ill, that she would take one last walk in her garden and God would take her to be with him.  Sadly, that was not the case, she died in a drug-induced sleep, but I know where she is now.  And I still imagine her in her healthier days, walking in her garden, conversing with her Lord.

Walking in the garden in the morning when the dew was on her roses.  And I know she was listening for her Savior's voice as she walked among her plants.  I have a daughter who used to walk in our yard and do that same thing.  She'd walk and talk with the Lord and come in refreshed from those times of communion with Him, the Savior of her soul.  She, my daughter, still remembers those walks.  Her time will come again, when the hustle and bustle of child-rearing is over, and she can once again, go into her own garden and meet with her Master.

I have a sun-room.  That's where I go to commune with Him.  And from that room and I can view the garden where I live.  It is especially beautiful this year, more beautiful than I can ever remember the October garden being.

Thank you Lord for your creation.

ttfn

The fat lady hasn't been doing much singing

Well, with my sister being at my house, I wasn't singing much, but I was talking a lot.  I was talking so much that I got a sore throat.  But that's okay.  We had a wonderful, blessed time together, as we always do.

She came last Wednesday.  On Thursday we got reacquainted.  For those of you who see your sisters frequently, I know you can't relate.  And while Deb and I talk on the phone once a week, we still have to get "caught up" so to speak when we get together again.  So that's what we did on Thursday -- got caught up.

Now, my sister is someone who has to be "doing" all the time.  So, she cleaned and cleaned and washed dishes (I have a dishwasher) and would have done more if I hadn't practically sat on her to stop her.  I mean, she was supposed to be getting rest.  Her idea of rest is "doing" for others.  I, on the other hand, know the meaning of rest!!!!

Friday, we went out to Becky's and spent the day with her and her children -- and we stayed a lot longer than we had originally planned, but we were having so much fun with the kiddos, that we just didn't want to head back home.

Dan's missing from the picture.  When I took it, he was headless.  Why does that happen?  He looked fine on the screen, then when I downloaded the picture, his head was missing.  I hate when that happens.

On Saturday the sun came out around 10:00 a.m.  I was going to sleep in (I only slept until 10), but when I saw that it was sunny out, I wanted to see if the porch was warm enough for a little bit of coffee-time on the old veranda, so to speak.  The weather forecast was so bad that the church picnic was cancelled.  So you can imagine my glee and surprise when the sun was out in the morning.  And it stayed out for the rest of Deb's visit, which was great, because the leaves on the trees are so pretty right now.

As you can see, the trees are just wonderful this year.  On the other side of my house, however, the trees are bare -- that's the north side, as if that makes a difference.  Actually, the trees that have been denuded are the ones on the street between the buildings where the north wind blows down the street and through the alley regularly. 

So, we enjoyed God's beauty for the rest of her visit.  The porch was our abode for hours each day, until it got too cold to be out there. 

On Sunday, Deb got sick -- she started with a headache and she got worse as the day went on.  But on Monday, she was better, weak, but better.  I, on the other hand, had a terrible fibromyalgia flare-up.  One of the worse ones I ever had.  It lasted through most of today.  I'm fine now, though. 

She went back home today, or did I already say that?  And I slept most of the day.  Because of the pain from the fibromyalgia I was a little sleep deprived and so the sleep I got today was needed and appreciated.

So, for now that's the catch-up of where I've been and what I've been doing the past week.

ttfn

For today.

I was listening to some songs sung by an artist named Cynthia Clawson this morning, and one of the YouTube videos (the link is too long for me to link to it for you) contained this song.  The words are so timelyl and precious to me.  I hope they help you and uplift you as well.


O Love that will not let me go,

I rest my weary soul in thee;

I give thee back the life I owe,

That in thine ocean depths its flow

May richer, fuller be.



O light that followest all my way,

I yield my flickering torch to thee;

My heart restores its borrowed ray,

That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day

May brighter, fairer be.



O Joy that seekest me through pain,

I cannot close my heart to thee;

I trace the rainbow through the rain,

And feel the promise is not vain,

That morn shall tearless be.



O Cross that liftest up my head,

I dare not ask to fly from thee;

I lay in dust life’s glory dead,

And from the ground there blossoms red

Life that shall endless be.

ttfn

Rosie is Ten!

Our little Rosie is now 10 years old!  She was born just after Alan's first round of chemotherapy.  We didn't make it home for the birth, but were there two days later. 

Rosie has always been a cute, precocious child.  She's so very smart.  And she's tender.  She has turned out to be very sensitive to others who need help. 

She is a very talented actress.

I found out that she is wanting to wear dresses to school now.  But, she doesn't have many dresses.  So, I decided that I would get her some dresses.  I was hoping Macy's would have one of their really, really good sales so I could get her several.  My goal was to get her five new outfits, one for each day of the week. 

Well, I got five outfits, but the one in the picture, as you can see, is not something she can wear to school.

In fact, her sister, Rachel thought it was just something I bought for them to play with and to put in the dress-up bin.  Well, it's a very well-made dress, originally priced at $88.  I got it for -- wait for it -- $5.  Can you believe that?  I couldn't believe it either.  I saved $224 in all for the things I bought, about 7 times what I spent.  I was so glad to be able to get her some new clothes.  I mean brand new -- to her, as to most of the children in our family -- hand-me-downs are new.  But that's okay.  I mean kids go through their clothing so quickly they might get three or four wearings before they outgrow them.  So hand-me-downs are nearly new. 

Rachel was disbelieving when she was told that Me-mom had told Rosie she could take the dress home and wear it whenever she wanted to.  You can see how pretty the dress is.  And it was made oh so well.  I just loved it.  I didn't take pictures of all the things I bought her, but you can see THE DRESS.

Happy birthday, Rosie!

ttfn

Ho-hum

I just don't get it.  Why don't the people in Washington understand that if the Saudi's aren't going to trade oil for dollars any more (they want our gold), that we should start drilling our own oil.  We've certainly plenty of it under our own country, and off our own coasts, and we could drill for our own stuff and not share it with anyone.  Don't the doo-fusses in DC understand the concept of getting strangled and pushed out of the oil purchasing market?  How stupid are they?

Okay, I vented.

Now, I went to the back doctor today and he has released me because I'm no longer having back problems since I've been able to use the Lidocain patch, and that little patch has worked very well, thank you very much.  He will welcome me back if my back goes out really bad and the patches don't work.  He's really more concerned about the other side (my left side) because my hip is so worn out.  One of these days, it will break.  My bone density is good, though, so who knows.  God does. 

And, oh yes, God, I'm sure is somewhere in the DC area, and He is not a doo-fuss.  He knows that we have oil, he even knows where he put it!

I got some beautiful dresses for Rosie -- her birthday is next Monday and we're having a party on Saturday for her (changed from Sunday).  I saved $224 at Macy's on her dresses.  I got one dress that was originally $88.  Sale price?  $5.  It's a beautiful dress.  It looks like a bride's dress.  So pretty.  I couldn't even buy a play costume dress for that little bit of money.  It isn't, of course, something she can wear to school or church, unless she gets a white fur jacket to wear with it.  Maybe I'll try to find something she can use as a cover up so she can wear it to church for the Christmas program or something.

Yes, Christmas.  It's coming up fast.  And I decided I'm going back to Macy's and I'm going to get a bunch of those dresses and other clothes that are on sale and give them to the grand-girls for Christmas.  If I saved $224 today, think how much I'll save if I buy for 4 young ladies instead of just one.

Well, I'm getting the house all gussied up for my sister's arrival next week.  I hope my sofa comes by then.  The other sofa is being moved out on Thursday, and the love seat is going on Saturday.  But, the piano is coming in, so there will be some furniture here even if the new sofa doesn't come.

And, yes, I'm still loving my new bathroom floor.  It feels so different under my feet than the other floor felt. 

I guess that's it for this episode.  So, I'll say to  you all, ttfn.

Sunday's musings

I received a call from my little sister (figuratively and relatively) today.  She calls me almost every Sunday, and I so look forward to those calls.  If I don't hear from her by 8 p.m., I try to remind myself to call her, but I rarely do.  I'm not a good telephone caller.

But she called me today and, as usual, we were reminiscing about when we were children, and because today's weather, both here and there, is so typically October, late October, actually, even though it's really early October, we were enjoying the fall weather.  It's been really cool lately and I'm loving it.

I turned the heater on and I set it low.  It was too low for Alan so he bumped it up. Then it was too high for me, so I set it lower, but not as low as I had originally set it.  So, inside is comfy, outside is cool.  The sunporch is just right!  So, I've been spending time out there.

Yesterday a wasp attacked me when I opened one of the sliders to allow a little cool air into the 88-degree porch.  I franticly looked for my wasp spray.  It's never where I remember putting it the last time.  By the time I found the wasp spray, I couldn't find the stupid wasp. 

Then as I sat down to read, the buzzard dive bombed at me and I got up to get the spray which I had found.  Dumb of me to not keep it in my hand.  Well, I wasn't going to be out-smarted by a wasp, so that's exactly what I did.  I kept the bug spray in my pocket, ready for the next attack.  There wasn't one, but as I started to go in the house, I saw the wasp again, and in order to keep it from going into the house, I shut the screen door between the house and the porch.  That was the wrong thing to do because the wasp disappeared, and I'm thinking it must have gone in the house.

So now I have the bug spray in my walker basket, and I'm watching the windows and other areas where wasps like to fly and crawl, and hopefully I'll find it so I can kill it.  Do you think it knows that it's life is doomed if I see it again?

Back to sis's phone call:  We were talking about the Halloween parties that the church had when we were children -- or were they just costume parties.  My dear mother would dress herself up in something -- she went as a nurse one year.  She was a nursing student when she got pregnant with me, so she had the uniform and cap she used for that party.  One year she went as a bride.  She wore my great-grandmother's wedding gown (which I still have in my grandmother's trunk).  She went as a man. 

And we were talking about her burning a cork to make black stuff for our faces so we could go as hoboes.  And we went as ghosts -- she had saved a sheet that had seen better days and made four ghost costumes out of the sheets.  She made me a Snow White costume one year.  Do you remember that, Deb?  I remember her sewing the black vest and the skirt. 

Yeah, those were fun times.  I remember one year I wouldn't look anyone in the eyes, I kept my head down the whole time, and I won because without looking at my black eyes they couldn't tell who I was.  I hid my hands, as well.  My nail-bitten fingers would have been a dead give-away.  My friend Patty Wilson told me to hide my hands because that's how she recognized me.

Now, to today.  Alan and I have been fighting something for the past week.  He has a stomach problem one day and feels like crud and has a low-grade fever, then I have it the next day.  Yesterday, I had a higher fever, and felt just awful.  Never did throw up, in fact, I don't think I got out of the bed once between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m.  I slept a lot.  I miss the ending of a couple of old movies.  That happens a lot.  Who got kicked off Survivor this week?  I fell asleep!

But today I'm feeling good and getting a few things done around the house. I have my monthly Scrapbooking meeting tomorrow night, and I'm almost ready for that.  I mean the supplies are out and the card kits are ready.  I have to vacuum and clean the kitchen floor, and I'm all set.

So, I'm going to go back to reading another book -- this time it's a mystery and I just started it, and it grabbed me on the first page.  I love books that grab me right away.  I'm not patient and don't like to read several pages to get into the tale. 

So -- ttfn.

New floor

When we moved into our condo, 8 years ago -- was it that long ago? -- I was given the opportunity, because it was a "new build" to outfit the entire house with the flooring I wanted (NOT).  I was permitted to use the flooring in many styles and colors that the builder wanted me to use.  But, that's now where I'm going.  Not knowing what I wanted in the master bathroom, I decided I'd just go with what was in the sample condo.  It was linoleum, and it looked like white ceramic tile with a grayish grout.  Tile wasn't an option, which would have been my first choice, of course.

Well, I was used to cleaning my floors, especially around the toilet, with bleach.  After a few weeks I noticed that I couldn't get the urine stains removed from around the pot, only to find out from Martha Stewart, that using bleach on linoleum can cause the product to yellow, to a lovely shade of urine.  So, for the past 8 years I've been scrubbing, even with a toothbrush, with all kinds of cleansers to try to get those stains out, all to no effect.  Well, I finally got on Alan's case, and told him I wanted a new floor, because I couldn't stand the stains that looked like I never cleaned the balthroom, which I happen to do every single day. 

Yesterday, I got my new floor -- finally.  I chose very, very pale gray slate-like tile and then the grout is matched to my shower surround.  It looks so nice, and it's so clean, and I can use bleach on it without worrying about it staining.  I'm a happy camper again. 

I have to say that while I don't like the smell of Clorox in the bottle, I do like the clean smell of it after I've cleaned the floor. 

I'm walking better -- don't know why that is, but I am.  Maybe that homeopathic stuff I'm taking for arthritis is working. 

I read the newest Yada Yada book -- did I mention that? -- a couple of days ago.  And, of course, I loved it.  However, this latest book didn't have as much praying in it as the others, and I really like the prayer group transcripts that Ms. Jackson has had in her previous books.  This book only had one Yada Yada sisterhood meeting, and only two church meetings.  But I have to say it was exciting, and did have a fairly good ending.  At least this one didn't leave me hanging, so I can wait without an itch for her next book.

Well, I'm getting my place all spiffied up for my sister's visit, for which I can't wait.  I'm on pins and needles waiting for her to come.  Then, I'll get to work on setting us up for a happy cruise.

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Knees

What's with knees, anyway?  Take this weekend for instance.  Saturday -- knees were working great.  Alan and I even went out to dinner and I was able to walk with no pain, and no cane.  Sunday?  I was scheduled to go over to visit Cyndi, in order to take pictures of Jack at 6 months, and hopefully get a few of the other grandchildren as well, and my knees were barely holding me up even with a walker.  Today, Monday?  Fine again.  I'm walking all over the place and doing housework, and not suffering at all.

Wish I could get a handle on what makes me feel okay, and what causes the relapses.

I thought maybe it was the weather.  But the weather on Saturday was humid, with the possibility of thunderstorms.  And we did have a storm, but it was late that night, around 10 p.m.  And because the weather was so nice, Alan and I chose a nice table outside the restaurant at which to eat.

Sunday was partly cloudy, coolish, and basically a beautiful fall day.  Today, Monday, is even cooler, windy, and sunny.  Again, another typical fall day, if there is any such thing as a "typical" anything when it comes to weather in Cincinnati.

So, I hobble or walk depending on what my body feels like doing, I suppose.

See those two pictures up there?  One is of Jack, the youngest of my grandchildren, yesterday.  I mentioned I went over to Cyndi's to get Jack's pictures -- he six months old already.  And I was blessed to have Ellie be unafraid of me, and even call me mom-mom (close enough to memom) several times.  She even said "Goodbye."

I hope you like the pictures.  They're both so cute.  Jack looks like his oldest brother, Shandon, but he also resembles his mother when she was a baby.  Ellie is the spittin' image of her daddy.

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Have you missed me?

I have been remiss in updating my "journal" and giving you all the pleasure of knowing what I've been doing from day to day. 

Well, a blank page about says it all.  I have been so busy, I've been getting nothing done.  Like I've been trying to find flooring, and someone to install it, that doesn't cost a small fortunate and require that I get another mortgage just to cover the installation. 

I'm at a stage in my life, and so is my husband, that we are physically not able to lay flooring, either wood or ceramic.

My bathroom is in desperate need to a floor lift.  (that's a facelift for the floor of my bathroom).  When we moved in, I had really nice flooring put in the master bathroom.  Little did I know that if I cleaned it with bleach it would stain -- it would stain the color of day-old urine.  And so there's a wonderful blotch around my toilet where I poured the bleach to (1) get rid of the odor, and (2) clean up the dribbles and drips -- you ladies know what I mean -- and whammo!  My beautiful floor was damaged beyond repair.  The only thing that would fix it was a new floor.  That was 8 years ago.  Now, I'm getting a new floor that will be guaranteed NOT to discolor for my lifetime (it supposedly has a lifetime guarantee, which I'm sure means nothing, but it sounds good). 

And we decided to put flooring in the dining room because of drips and dribbles from the grandchildren and others, the carpet needs to be taken up and replaced.  I want hardwood floor in there, and so it's a nice flow, have that hardwood go into the kitchen.  Well, since we have cement board under our flooring (that's how the place was made) I can only have a certainly kind of wood flooring -- the expensive kind.  That's okay.  I can afford the flooring.  It's the installation that has me FLOORED.  (pun intended). 

So Alan and I are trying to decide whether we're just going to keep the spotted carpet, and call it a design, or whether we're going to bite the bullet and get a new floor. 

We have some other expenses right now, and having the floor cost $1k more than we thought might cause us to drop the project.  I'll let you all know, because I know you really want to know whether I get a new floor or not, right?

Health wise we've been okay, mostly.  Yesterday I had a fibromyalgia flare-up -- a really, really bad one.  No getting away from the pain at all.  I couldn't sit or lay down either.  It was a bad one.  But it's gone today, praise the Lord.  I just had two really bad nights, so I'm tired.

Alan is playing with his new laptop.  Yes, playing.  I think it's going to be his own personal game machine.  That's not why we got it, and I'll see if he uses it as his main computer, so he can sit in his recliner and ease the pain in his back by not sitting at his desk, which is extremely painful for him. 

It's Saturday afternoon.  The last of our beautiful weather, I'm afraid.  It has been one beautiful week, weather-wise.  Cool nights, warm, but not hot, days, and starting tomorrow we are to have rain, rain, rain.  We need it -- the rain, that is.  I notice that our unwatered grass is turning brown. 

The trees are getting more colorful everyday.  Soon there will be no leaves on the trees.   And yes, I've noticed how dark it gets so early at night. 

I do wish that congress would just do away with daylight savings time, since we change in November, then change back in early March.  Why have the change for just four months.  Remember when it changed in late September, then didn't change back until the last weekend in April?  Now, that's daylight savings time.  I don't even both changing the clocks during those few months.  I just always late -- or is it early?

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Baptism

Yesterday, Sunday, September 13, 2009, we went out to North Vernon, IN to see the baptism of my middle child's (Becky's) son, Dan, get baptized.

The pastor offered a wonderful sermon on what it means to be a Christian and what baptism means to a Christian.

Dan had to give "testimony" as to how he knew he was born again, and did a good job.  He forgot what he was going to say for a spell, but got back on track (nervous?) and told the congregation why he was being baptized.

I have never seen a child so excited about being baptized.  He's been jumping at the bit for weeks, and now he is baptized.  The picture shows him coming out of the water, in front of the pastor.

After the baptism ceremony his other grandparents and Alan and I went over to Becky's for a delicious dinner of lasagna, salad, and Dan's favorite, garlic bread.

Dan played one of his favorite games with his grandfather (Alan) while the girls and I spent an hour or so on her front porch.  I know you all know how much I love porches.

We came home and today I've been getting ready for my monthly scrapbooking crop at my home.  I can't wait for that.  I might even get some work done on my grandson, Jack's, book.  I certainly hope so.

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Another day, another dollar

I know that's an old expression.  I think it started back in WWII when the men were paid a dollar a day, and the expression became, at the end of the day, another day, another dollar.  I'm not sure if that's the origin, but it's one I heard many, many years ago.

And, frankly, in this economy, I feel like that.  The more taxes that are impose, the less I get to keep.  Yikes.

Today went so fast, AGAIN!  This morning I got up and did my usual -- take my pills, take a shower, sit and wait for the meds to kick in, and then I was off and running, rhetorically speaking.  I can't run.  I can barely walk, as we all know.  But I did get going.  I put potatoes and eggs on the stove because I was going to make potato salad to go with the fried chicken I was going to make for dinner.  Neither of which did I make for dinner.  I'm getting to that.

Then, I went into my office (or my sister's room) and cried, rhetorically speaking.  I dug in and got to work.  I moved my computer to a long table that is next to the bed, and is in front of a window, so I can look out on my world and see what's going on, if I've a mind to.  I moved that (the computer) along with the scanner, and my printer.  This was so that I could clear off my father's desk which I will use  solely for scrapbooking.  It's a large surface, and I hate having the scrapbook stuff out in the main part of the house.  It's just too scrappy (messy) and drives me nuts.  When I'm working on a project I have paper and doo-dads etc., all over the place, so if I confine the working to the office, I can always shut the door and I don't have to look at the stuff, not does anyone else. 

I promise, sis, I'll get it cleaned up for when you come visit me.

That took me quite a while.  I couldn't get the extension cord which had every electronic gizmo attached to it to work in the new plug into which I was putting them.   I finally had to get a new strip with eight outlets to use so that I could get everything to work off one plug. 

About the time I was getting ready to put some more crates away, I got really dizzy and sick to my stomach.  I laid down and Alan woke me at 8 p.m. and told me if I didn't get up, I wouldn't sleep tonight.  Correct-a-mundo.  However, I'm barely keeping awake to write this, so I'm going back to bed.  I think I'll be able to sleep, and I'll get up early in the a.m.

Tomorrow, Sunday, is a day for Daniel.  He is getting baptized, and we're heading out to see that event.  Daniel has been looking forward to this since he found out it was going to happen, a few weeks ago.  And, so have we.  I'll take pictures, if they're permitted.  And maybe I'll include one in my reporting of how blessed I know we are going to be by his statement of faith to his world, that being his church and family and friends. 

Gotta to lay down now.  Stomach is feeling really awful.

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Where does time go?

I just can't believe that four days ago I posted my last post to TFLS.  Where did the time go?  What did I do in that time period?  How much time did I waste?  How much time did I spend in bed sleeping?  How much time did I spend in a chair waiting for the pain to subside?  How much time did I waste playing an internet game?  

I haven't a clue since I, unlike my husband, do not take time each day to write down how much time I spend on various tasks.  I do know that I have cooked every evening a really good dinner.  I have finished all the laundry for the week, AND -- ta da -- put it away!  I know that I have cleaned the kitchen floor twice -- no cleaning person this week or last week or the week before.  I know I have spent time with my DIL and son.  I know I will be heading out to Indiana on Sunday to attend the baptism of my grandson, Dan. He's 11.  I know I'm ready for my scrapbook crop on Monday night, and I have been working on that for several days.  And I know that I have moved my computer, printer, and scanner to another place so that I can use my father's desk for scrapbooking.

But where has the time gone?  It seems I just got out of bed and then it's time to get back into bed and I have little to nothing to show for the day.  I still haven't visited my nearest daughter -- she only lives 1.2 miles away.  And therefore I haven't seen those grandchildren -- there are six of them -- since Father's day!  And everyday I say, "Today, I'm going over to Cyndi's."  And everyday passes and I didn't go visit Cyndi.  Sorry Cyndi.

Well, I've been pretty busy this a.m., and now my knees and legs are throbbing, even in a sitting position, so I guess it's time to lay flat and get them into good shape so I can do the various nothings that will take up so much of my time the rest of today.

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Revolving door

It seems like the past couple of weeks my front door has been a revolving door. Guests in and out on almost a daily basis. Guests as in family and non-family members. I have loved every minute of it. But I have hated the "next day" results.

Alan keeps telling me to leave the house dirty between the times when my home-cleaner comes to clean for me. I can't do that if I have guests or family coming. So I bend, almost kneel, stretch, and am on my feet for more time than my body cares to endure, and then I suffer because of it.

Yesterday is a case in point. I really did very little to prepare my house for our latest house guests. I cleaned the bathrooms and that was about it. The usually kitchen clean-up followed, of course. And I did have to vacuum. But I didn't really clean well, and I had told my friends that the place would be dirty and not to look. They didn't.

Today, is another day of toil and fun. The community Labor Day events will be thoroughly enjoyed, and tomorrow will be another day of post-toil/enjoyment discomfort. I know this sounds like gloom and doom, but I know what will happen.

Tomorrow evening our cottage prayer group starts up again after a one-month vacation break. I'm really looking forward to it. I miss it so much when we don't have it. My body will have recouped by tomorrow night, so I'll be good to go.

Wednesday is hair cuts (mine and Alan's) day, then we'll head out to do some food shopping. My personal shopper can't make it this week and I'm low on lots of stuff, so I'll head over to the produce market and stock up on what I'm missing, mainly bread, milk, and fresh veggies and fruits, that I can't get at the farmer's market. Speaking of which: I noticed that the peaches are finished, but apples and sweet potatoes are in "full bloom" so to speak. Tomatoes are getting smaller, but that's okay. I prefer the smaller tomatoes.

I will wait a couple of weeks before I buy apples. Last year I got a peck of delicious apples and they kept well in the fridge until I finished making pies for Thanksgiving. I also got a half-peck of Granny Smiths last year. I went over to Ohio to get the apples. They were so good. If this year's crop is as good as last year, Alan and I will enjoy our "apple a day" for the months leading up to Christmas.

I think I've rambled on enough for today. TTFN

Wednesday

Well, today was the day I was going to see a movie (Julie/Julia) but as I was getting ready to leave (I was in the process of shutting down my computer), Alan remembered that he had an appointment with the oncologist in one-half hour -- it's a 25 minute drive from our house to the doctor's office. I wasn't dressed yet. He wasn't dressed yet. We scrambled, if you can imagine two people who can barely move scrambling! We got to the office five minutes late.

All is well. He's clean for another 3 months. And was told that they don't do bone marrow transplants for multiple myeloma as the first course of action any more. They have a "drug" that they try first. Well, that would have been nice 10 years ago, and perhaps he wouldn't be in the state of health he's in now. The doctor did say the new drug does NOT compromise the immune system the way the transplants did. His immune system is badly compromised and he really gets more ill than a normal person if he gets a cold, or the stomach flu, or any other virus.

He still has the cold he got when we were in Indiana back in July, can you imagine having a cold for over six weeks? A cold is supposed to last, I've been told by a doctor friend of mine, nine days -- three days coming, three days hot and heavy, and three days leaving. I eat a lemon a day as my cold prevention method. Alan hasn't caught on to lemon usage yet. I don't think he ever will. Eating a lemon to him is like eating fish, which he hates. And yes I actually eat the lemon, like one would eat an orange. I slice it and eat the fleshy part. I really do like lemons.

We both need to get pneumonia shots -- next week. He was told to get a flu shot. I think I mentioned that I'm not going to get one. I'm not sure they are a good thing. I just don't trust the government telling me I need it and must get it because I'm old.

Also, I'm a bit depressed (not really) because I see my niece's BLOG and it's so cute. She has pictures separate from her writings, she has cutesy sayings in the margin, and even has a "cartoon" of sorts at the bottom of her family. Her broccoli sayings are a little off-the-wall, but that's okay. I'm so jealous of her talent as an artiste. I'm also jealous of my "holler" friend who also has a really snazzy looking BLOG page. How do they do that? I used "the cutest blog on the block" and thought I had a pretty nice looking page, but it doesn't compare to these two ladies' efforts.

I am such a BLOG-a-holic. I have about 10 BLOGs that I check out faithfully every day and then I sit and stare at my computer screen trying to think what I'm going to write about, if I'm going to write, and if I write, what can I say that will grab someone else's attention beside mine.

I have a difficult time keeping track of the three BLOGs. Runnemede Remembered is still my favorite, but I have to be careful on that BLOG that I don't overlap to The Fat Lady Singeth which has to do with my current life and family, whereas RR is supposed to be about life in that small NJ town.

I heard from one of the residents of the town, an old friend, and he said he was loving what I was writing -- that made me feel good, but you'd think with the town having over 5,000 residents, more people would write to me and say, "Hey, Jude, nice BLOG." Doesn't happen. Oh, well.

I'll write for myself and if anyone wants to read what I've scribbled, that's fine. If not? They're loss. My goal: Be name Blogspot's Blog of the Day. I'm not holding my breath!

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