More about cherries

Earlier this week I went to a largish produce store not far from where we used to live over on the east side of Cincinnati. I went specifically to that store because they carry items that you would normally find in a specialty store. I mean they carry the normal produce items at really good prices (compared to Krogers or even Meijers), but they have anything Italian I would want to find, and anything oriental I would need. They don't carry much Mexican items, though.

Specifically, I went to the store to get peanut oil because I read that peanut oil rubbed into the arthritic joints is a help to reduce pain and increase the lubricant in the joint so it doesn't hurt so much, or at all. And I also wanted to get some cherries, which I know are not in season, but I thought they might have them. They didn't. No cherries, not even dried cherries, and they do carry a large selection of dried fruits. And, they didn't have peanut oil either.

So, when my friend and I went to Krogers this week we found both peanut oil and dried cherries and canned cherries.

Are the cherries helping? I think so. I've cut back on pain meds to only taking them in the morning. Of course when I get up in the morning it is really hard to get moving, more so that normal, but by the time I rub in that peanut oil and take those cherries and get my normal meds taken, I'm ready to go. The walker is no longer my constant companion.

I'm still afraid to walk to the pool, but I am able to walk up the stairs at our house, something I have decided I need to do at least once a day. So, I ride down in the elevator, and climb up the stairs. I don't go down the stairs because I've been ordered to stay away from them because I tend to fall a lot, so to avoid any accidents, I'm climbing up. I guess I could fall backwards, but so far all my falls have been forward.

I tripped into the elevator the other day, but I found out that my knees were able to support my weight -- a first for 10 years -- and I was able to crawl to a place where I could grab onto something to get myself off the floor. I was also rejoice that I have all those extra pounds -- padding is good when you fall down.

At this rate, the rate at which the peanut oil and the cherries seem to be help with the arthritis pain, I will definitely be able to go to Italy next year.

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I suddently realized something

Last night, Alan came dashing into the bedroom, heading toward the bathroom, and said, "I need your help." I asked, "In what way?" He said, "I cut myself really bad."

Okay. I let that process into my brain. I saw him holding his hand and then he was running water into the sink holding his hand. I thought we were out of band aids and I was looking for something to wrap around this horrible cut. I asked him how long the cut was and he told me it was about two inches long on his finger.

I grabbed a paper towel and wrapped his finger and squeezed it, at which time he told me it hurt and to stop squeezing. I was trying to stop the bleeding on this two-inch cut on his finger. One small squeeze and the bleeding stopped and I was able to take some time to find the band aids.

Okay, so the cut was only about 1/2 inch and after I stopped the bleeding (and he told me he'd probably need stitches), I couldn't even find the cut about which to wind the band aid.

I mean, I've had paper cuts that were worse than that cut. I do have to allow that it did bleed a bit in the sink while he was running water over it. But after I wrapped it with a paper towel and gave it a squeeze, it was really hard to find because it closed right up. And there was no way he needed stitches.

I think he over reacted, but he does tend to bleed a bit when he gets a cut. Too bad they can't get him to bleed that much when they do a blood draw, which is part and parcel of his life. In fact, we have to head over to the lab today to get another one. Poor guy.

I guess until you've been poked and prodded as much as he has, as his wife, I really should sympathize more when he gets a small 1/2 inch cut on his finger.

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Cherries

Well, the cherries seem to be helping me with arthritis pain. At least I'm crediting the cherries with the less-pain-in-the-knees days I've been having.

However, I have been feeling kinda punk at times. All of a sudden I feel like I've been drained of all blood. I don't ache or hurt anywhere I just feel drained and have to sit down.

Yesterday I was supposed to pick up my grandchildren (Rosie and David) for a swim, but just couldn't. And I was supposed to go to Macy's to take advantage of their back-to-school savings sale and get some clothing for Phil's children. Just couldn't do it.

I'm heading out early this morning, though, to Macy's, to do that shopping. I hope I get there before the rush. I don't like to shop in crowds.

Seems I fell asleep (again) last night with the TV on and the light on. Hmmm. I woke up momentarily and told Alan I was awake, and he then informed me that I had been sleeping and he had turned off the TV. I'm glad he did that because I know if I had waked up and found the TV on,. I would have had trouble getting back to sleep. As it was, I zonked out right away again. I'm thinking I fell asleep around 8:30 p.m. I got up at 5:30 a.m. and went right to my computer to catch up on e-mails, etc.

My friend, a bridesmaid of mine, Dawn Anderson went to be with the Lord yesterday. I saw her and spent a bit of time with her when I went home to Runnemede. Obviously, not enough time. If I had know that in three months she would be gone from this earth, I would have taken more time with her. As it was I was flitting from person to person.

I regret that on that trip I didn't take more time with many of the people that I grew up with. I feel bad that I was "flitting", but I wanted to see everyone and at least say "Hello" to each and every person who was at the service and then at the dinner.

So, I'm getting myself ready to go to Macy's. I just hope my knees hold up. I've been neglecting my walker for about a week now and so I'm prepared for this trip.

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Yikes!

I didn't realize that school was starting next week. I am supposed to get some clothing for my son's children (he's still out of work) and I thought I had more time. Fortunately, Macy's is having a 70 percent off clearance sale this Friday and Saturday. I've been to this sale before, and I got a bag of clothes for my grandchildren for under $25. My savings on this bag, according to Macy's was $295. So, I hope I can do as well this time.

All four of Phil's children are going back to school, so all four need some new clothes. They've grown a bit over the summer and their old clothing is, well, it's old.

I have to agree with my niece, Lori, who posted a really funny commentary on why a child needs new clothes for the first day of school.

I always had a new outfit for the first day of school. Of course, I only have two or three things to wear, and one Sunday outfit, two pairs of shoes, one for school (no sneakers back then), and one for church (I always opted for patent leather Mary Janes for church). I also always had my feet x-rayed to see if the shoes fit properly. Mom always got them a size bigger then stuffed cotton in the toes so they would fit.

I recently heard on Modern Marvels on the History Channel that those x-ray machines we used for our feet are thought to be the cause of all kinds of cancer. Who knew? They didn't way what kind(s) of cancer we are going to get from those x-rays, and I've never heard of foot cancer. Maybe it was just another scare tactic, you know, like that flu we all were supposed to get last year if we didn't get a flu shot -- H1N1? I didn't get a flu shot and I didn't get the flu, nor did Alan. I eat a lot of lemons. They seem to ward off throat/nose things. I did get bronchitis, but not the flu.

Ah, well. Alan wants to go on another cruise since cruising prices are so low right now. We could even get a suite for less than we paid for a balcony room last time. And Norwegian is offering cruises with the gratuities paid. No tipping fees, which run $70 per person for the week. Not a whole lot, when you think about what they tip the various maids/stewards, etc. I always tip extra to those who help us with our mobility problems. And they really deserve the tips.

So, I'm searching for a cruise, maybe we'll go after our trip to Virginia in October. You know, a week at a condo at a ski resort that doesn't have any snow in October, but the lift still works, and then head out to Charleston or up to Baltimore for a cruise to somewhere. The prices can't be beat right now. And this is Alan's idea not mine.

I swore that I would never take him anywhere ever again, because our last cruise was so miserable for him. I did great, but he didn't. And now that he's doing so well, I'm sort of shy of pushing his wellness to the limit. I like him in this almost active mode he's been in all summer.

We're also considering getting a membership at the sports center down the hill. The price for seniors is really good, and his pool exercising does help.

Tomorrow, I'll be picking up a couple of my grandchildren to bring them over to go swimming. I hope they have a good time.l

Until the next time, ttfn.

We're having a heat wave

Boy is it hot! I don't recall a summer this warm in the 37 years we've lived in this part of the country. And I don't recall a summer this humid. Hazy, Hot, and Humid are not three things we often suffer through around here.

I suppose the summer we went out west and enjoyed a humidity-less 110 degrees in Arizona and Wyoming was similar here in N. KY, but we weren't here, so I don't know.

I got into the car yesterday. It was 97 degrees outside. The inside temp of the car was awful, and so I didn't touch anything until the A/C had cooled off the steering wheel and the window buttons. Then I opened up the windows and waited for the A/C to get to it's 70 degrees of coolness.

I'm so grateful that the home A/C is working and that we got it fixed several weeks ago. I just can't believe that we have had so many over 90-degree days, and so many over 100 degree days this year.

Yesterday, when I got back in the car after going to the deli and bakery, the outside temperature was already at 101, and that was at noon. I don't know how hot it actually got yesterday because I just stayed indoors.

Now, about Cyndi. I talked to her this a.m. and she has put off some of the tests they wanted to put her through for a while. She said she was "tested out" and would go back at it after she got the children settled at Calvary Christian, got all her school supplies purchased, clothes gathered, etc. She's looking forward to having only two children at home this year. No home schooling this year.

I was going to go down to the pool at 9 a.m., but the temp was already in the 80s and breathing was not fun. I do have a problem breathing when the humidity is so high.

Both Alan and I are getting our hair clipped this afternoon, then we're heading out to Walmart so Alan can get the ammo he needs for his gun-permit-carrying class on Saturday. I'm not sure I want this to happen, but he's determined. I don't think he'll do well on the target practice since his eyes are so poor. He may not pass to get the carry permit. I haven't mentioned this to him.

His eyes are getting progressively worse. He's now reading three words at a time on his Kindle. The biggest print they have is what he uses. And he can't read anything on the TV, let alone see it. I think we need to get back to the eye doctor before his three months' time is up. I did mention that to Alan, but he wasn't real receptive to my nudge.

Well, I'll quit bragging, complaining, talking, etc., for today. I'm off to get my hair cut and then sit in the heat and wait for Alan to get his ammo at Walmart's. Yuck!

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David

Well, my time with David is over for at least a week. What a good child. It hasn't always been that way. During his terrible threes, I decided to just leave him with his mom and dad until he grew up a little. Now he is eight, almost nine, and we had such a good time together.

I didn't take any pictures because most of our time was spent at the pool, and pools and cameras don't really go together too well. His other occupations were a computer game -- he got to level 78 -- and reading. He is so very smart, like his daddy, and he was devouring the books he got at the library on Tuesday.

Alan and I taught David to swim and float and doggie paddle and breast stroke and cannon-ball. So, David did his swimming thing, and as he was doing that, all I could see was my son, Phil, and remember him as a child about David's age. In fact, I almost called David "Pip" a few times.

David never said "no" to me, and he was helpful the whole time he was here. He made brownies and took care of his own clothing, very neatly (amazingly so). He wanted to eat at the table all the time (well trained, I supposed), but I allowed him to eat in the library while he was watching TV, which was mostly just for breakfast.

The poor kid -- last night I put him to bed around 8:30. He was going to read until around 10:00, and I was going to let him stay up until 11:00, if he wanted to finish the book he was reading. But he turned his light off around 9:00 p.m. and was putting out z's by 9:05. He didn't get up until around 9:00 this morning. He was really, really tired. I guess spending six hours in a pool, and swimming or cannon-balling the whole time, is strenuous.

I was also in the pool, but I was mostly treading water, which is easy for me because with my weight I'm pretty buoyant. I hurt my knee again in the pool so I could hardly walk again last night. And this, after three weeks of feeling so very, very good with limited pain in my joints and nerve endings. But today the knee is feeling a little better, so if I stay off it, I should be able to clear up the problem in a few days.

Next week I plan to have David back to "practice" his swimming and I'll invite Rosie to join him.

The word of the week is "awesome". The word used by my grandson for every event we had planned, and those we didn't have planned. Even my pork chops (which he ate very little of) were "awesome".

OK. 'Nuf said.

ttfn