It's amazing to me that we only received one phone call while we were away. Of course, that was from some collection agency wanting their "fair share" of the over $1,000,000 in past and present bills we owe to various medicos. Actually, we don't owe that much, it only seems that way. But Alan's bills, if we had to pay them, and if we didn't have some insurance -- I have to say that our insurance is good, but still there is that gap that leaves us gasping for breath after each visit to either the doctor or the hospital -- would add up to more than that over the past almost 10 years. Cancer is an expensive disease, and if the Lord is gracious and you don't succumb to it, the after-care costs are enormous.
Anyway, I started out with phone calls. Well, today is Sunday, and as usual, Debbie called and we chatted for about a half hour about our after Christmas get togethers and New Year's events. I'm glad she sort of had a respite from work this past week. She certainly sounded more chipper than she has recently. I know how tired she gets. I remember how awfully tired I would be when I came home from work, only to have to be full-time wife, mother, housekeeper, nurse, maid, etc. after that. It seems I never got the rest I wanted unless we were on vacation, and even then, most vacations I had I worked.
Computers are wonderful, but when the laptop became something that was standard office equipment, and the Internet and e-mail was SOE as well, the true vacation went out the window. I remember even the few years before all the techo stuff was part of our everyday lives, when I worked as a paralegal, I would take a week off, leave home with a ton of books to research for upcoming briefs that needed to be prepared, always being no further from the office than a phone call. How stupid was that?
Oh, for the days (which I can NOW enjoy) when I could just rest and not do anything if I was of a mind to. Maybe that's why I had a stroke when I was 58 and that was the end of my full-time commitment to any company or firm. Oh, I worked off and on for a few years after that, but mostly, off.
My husband still thinks I do too much. I feel like I don't do enough. Who am I trying to kid? I don't do enough, no matter what Alan thinks. I do as much as I can with this frail/feeble/pain-wracked body, but the mind thinks I can do more, and I always plan on more things to do than I'm able to follow through with. That's frustrating.
Just today -- all I wanted to do was get some items from the van because the pantry was bare and I knew there were a few remnants left in the van from our trip. Not happening. I went down, painfully walked across the garage floor, opened the hatch on the van and the box I needed was backed against the rear seat, out of reach of my hands and the grabby thing we keep in the car wasn't moving that box for any love or money. And there was no way I was going to be able to crawl up into the back of the van to get that box. So what was I going to do for lunch and dinner? Well, lunch was for Alan only. I had three slices of american cheese left in the refrigerator and I made him TWO grilled cheese sandwiches. He knew not to complain!
I had a lemon, cut in 1/8s. That was enough. My daily dose of vitamin C. I got a couple of crab cakes out of the freezer, heated them in the oven, and they tasted awful. Figuring they might make me sick, I threw the remaining pieces away. So now, I'm waiting for my hasty spaghetti sauce to finish simmering and then I'll plate up some spaghetti for dinner.
Shopping day isn't until Tuesday. I'm going to have to feed Alan eggs until then.
mtf
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Saturday, January 3, 2009
It's good to be home
While I really enjoy being away from time to time, this past week was very hectic, but I think I survived pretty well. If you readers want a more up-to-date analysis of the week go to http://www.runnemederemembered.blogspot.com.
I really held up until New Year's Eve. Then I crashed, and New Year's day, I pretty much stayed on the sofa. Was that just yesterday? No, it was Thursday. Well, Friday wasn't much better. Today, though, I seem to be in pretty fine shape. I drove all the way home with only one dose of Advil, which I'm not supposed to take, but it takes the edge off the pain and it doesn't make me drowsy.
So, I'm home. I have 133 e-mails to read and about 1/2 to respond to. Yikes! I have to send out a broadcast e-mail to my ladies about scrapbooking on Monday night. I have to unpack. Wash a weeks load of wash. And yes, I'm still breathing.
The car will get unpacked as I unpack each box that's in the car and put the stuff away. Two of the boxes, the children's costumes and the games/prizes I'll leave as is and put them in the attic for another day, probably Mother's day. I don't know, maybe I'll have a valentine's party for the grands, if I'm still in Kentucky and not in Florida (a dream I have for 2009 -- Florida and a cruise in Feb/Mar).
So, that all for now. mtf
I really held up until New Year's Eve. Then I crashed, and New Year's day, I pretty much stayed on the sofa. Was that just yesterday? No, it was Thursday. Well, Friday wasn't much better. Today, though, I seem to be in pretty fine shape. I drove all the way home with only one dose of Advil, which I'm not supposed to take, but it takes the edge off the pain and it doesn't make me drowsy.
So, I'm home. I have 133 e-mails to read and about 1/2 to respond to. Yikes! I have to send out a broadcast e-mail to my ladies about scrapbooking on Monday night. I have to unpack. Wash a weeks load of wash. And yes, I'm still breathing.
The car will get unpacked as I unpack each box that's in the car and put the stuff away. Two of the boxes, the children's costumes and the games/prizes I'll leave as is and put them in the attic for another day, probably Mother's day. I don't know, maybe I'll have a valentine's party for the grands, if I'm still in Kentucky and not in Florida (a dream I have for 2009 -- Florida and a cruise in Feb/Mar).
So, that all for now. mtf
Thursday, December 25, 2008
It's Christmas
Yes, well, it's Christmas in Chicago, but Christmas left our neighborhood a half hour ago. However, I'm still on Christmas time.
I slept a lot today, mainly because I had taken so many pain pills that I was knocked out a lot of the day. Otherwise it wasn't too bad a day.
I got five loads of laundry done. Not a spectacular achievement, but for me the folding is. I still haven't put the clothes away, though. They're in the basket waiting to be put where they belong! Quite a pile, by the way.
This is how lazy I have become. I dress in the laundry room. I undress in the laundry room and put the dirty clothing in the washing machine. When the machine is full, I wash a load. If I want to do whites, which I do about twice a month, I hold out the underwear until I get a load of whites, then I do the whites.
I know, that's not the way my mother taught me. She always did whites at least twice a week. Since I only launder once a week at most, I think twice a month is plenty to pull out the white clothing. You have to know that I wash and rinse with cold water and unless I have something new to put in the laundry which is brown or red or black, I mix up all the clothing. If it's something new, I wash it separately so that all that excess dye gets rinsed out.
And I did prepare a spectacular duck la'orange dinner. It was really, really good. I couldn't finish the amount I had given myself to eat, but I almost did. I really only had a few slices of the breast meat and the wing. The rest of my half of duck I put into the soup pot. Alan made fast work of his half, but left me some for the pot.
I cut it with kitchen shears -- which I have never used before -- and I cut it into quarters, with the back the fifth piece. So Alan ate his wing quarter entirely, then went back for his leg quarter, but only twisted off the leg, so I could put the rest into the soup pot. It was certainly easier to cut the bones with the shears than with a knife or cleaver.
I think duck soup (the food, not the movie) is the best soup that I make. I make an awesome vegetable beef soup, but my duck soup is better than that. I'm looking forward to eating it tomorrow, and if there are left overs the following day. Yummmmmm.
I watched several Christmas movies and saw a couple I had never seen before. I thought I had seen them all, but apparently there are a few that I haven't seen. So, since they're showing seasonal movies longer this year, I'll have to check very closely the listings to make certain I catch all of them.
And to all a good night!
I slept a lot today, mainly because I had taken so many pain pills that I was knocked out a lot of the day. Otherwise it wasn't too bad a day.
I got five loads of laundry done. Not a spectacular achievement, but for me the folding is. I still haven't put the clothes away, though. They're in the basket waiting to be put where they belong! Quite a pile, by the way.
This is how lazy I have become. I dress in the laundry room. I undress in the laundry room and put the dirty clothing in the washing machine. When the machine is full, I wash a load. If I want to do whites, which I do about twice a month, I hold out the underwear until I get a load of whites, then I do the whites.
I know, that's not the way my mother taught me. She always did whites at least twice a week. Since I only launder once a week at most, I think twice a month is plenty to pull out the white clothing. You have to know that I wash and rinse with cold water and unless I have something new to put in the laundry which is brown or red or black, I mix up all the clothing. If it's something new, I wash it separately so that all that excess dye gets rinsed out.
And I did prepare a spectacular duck la'orange dinner. It was really, really good. I couldn't finish the amount I had given myself to eat, but I almost did. I really only had a few slices of the breast meat and the wing. The rest of my half of duck I put into the soup pot. Alan made fast work of his half, but left me some for the pot.
I cut it with kitchen shears -- which I have never used before -- and I cut it into quarters, with the back the fifth piece. So Alan ate his wing quarter entirely, then went back for his leg quarter, but only twisted off the leg, so I could put the rest into the soup pot. It was certainly easier to cut the bones with the shears than with a knife or cleaver.
I think duck soup (the food, not the movie) is the best soup that I make. I make an awesome vegetable beef soup, but my duck soup is better than that. I'm looking forward to eating it tomorrow, and if there are left overs the following day. Yummmmmm.
I watched several Christmas movies and saw a couple I had never seen before. I thought I had seen them all, but apparently there are a few that I haven't seen. So, since they're showing seasonal movies longer this year, I'll have to check very closely the listings to make certain I catch all of them.
And to all a good night!
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Addendum to busy, busy, busy
I had four near misses today while we were out on errands. People are in such a hurry today. The parking lot at Kroger's was the most treacherous. I don't like parking lots.
I go very slow backing out of a parking place because most times I'm wedged between two SUVs and can't see a thing on either side so I "peek" out and slowly back up. Today, there were two ladies unloading a car behind mine on the other side of the driving lane, and were talking and walking around into the middle of the driving lane as I was backing up. I saw them in my mirror, so I only backed up about 1/3 of the way into the driving lane, then pulled back up, and turned my wheels tightly, and backed up 1/3 again. It took me three back-ups to finally get out of the parking place because the ladies were there. Then there were three cars waiting for my parking place. I didn't see who finally got the space, but I'll bet it was that SUV waiting for a space!
I also had a really near miss at an intersection. I went through on a yellow light, and I was going straight so I had the right-of-way. But the guy coming the other way in an SUV (they know they can kill cars, those drivers) was turning left and he turned in front of me. The light turned red and I was in the intersection. The person on my left on the main road I was crossing was on the phone and didn't see me in the telephone until....
Well, let's say he had 2 inches before my bag would have blown up! Then there was Walgreen's parking lot. I usually do okay in there, but today, there was a car going the wrong way, not following the arrows, and again, a near miss.
Tonight I burned the chicken, so I called it blackened chicken. Alan loved it, I hated it. I couldn't believe he wanted more. He doesn't like chicken. I guess I found the key -- just burn it and then let it get dried out. He'll love it.
Not only did I burn the chicken, I burned my hand and my arm.
Not my best day ever.
ttfn
I go very slow backing out of a parking place because most times I'm wedged between two SUVs and can't see a thing on either side so I "peek" out and slowly back up. Today, there were two ladies unloading a car behind mine on the other side of the driving lane, and were talking and walking around into the middle of the driving lane as I was backing up. I saw them in my mirror, so I only backed up about 1/3 of the way into the driving lane, then pulled back up, and turned my wheels tightly, and backed up 1/3 again. It took me three back-ups to finally get out of the parking place because the ladies were there. Then there were three cars waiting for my parking place. I didn't see who finally got the space, but I'll bet it was that SUV waiting for a space!
I also had a really near miss at an intersection. I went through on a yellow light, and I was going straight so I had the right-of-way. But the guy coming the other way in an SUV (they know they can kill cars, those drivers) was turning left and he turned in front of me. The light turned red and I was in the intersection. The person on my left on the main road I was crossing was on the phone and didn't see me in the telephone until....
Well, let's say he had 2 inches before my bag would have blown up! Then there was Walgreen's parking lot. I usually do okay in there, but today, there was a car going the wrong way, not following the arrows, and again, a near miss.
Tonight I burned the chicken, so I called it blackened chicken. Alan loved it, I hated it. I couldn't believe he wanted more. He doesn't like chicken. I guess I found the key -- just burn it and then let it get dried out. He'll love it.
Not only did I burn the chicken, I burned my hand and my arm.
Not my best day ever.
ttfn
Busy, busy, busy
That's what I've been, b..., b...., b.... And I still have a pile of gifts to wrap! But I made a small dent in the pile, and there is now room to get a vacuum into my office. After the Christmas things are all dispersed, then all I'll have to do is have a sale of the excess scrapbooking samples and my office will once again look like it did shortly after we moved in -- cute, homey, cozy. I'll be so glad to be rid of all the mess.
We had a wonderful time at Cyndi's last night. I was feeling so good in the a.m., then I fizzled by around 2 p.m., but was able to go on again by the time we had to be at her home, which looked beautiful, I might add.
Today is another good day. Alan and I went out and ran several errands -- bank, hair cut for him, Kroger's (he went in, I didn't), Walgreens (I went in, he didn't), etc. And now we're back home and getting ready for a nap.
When you're a baby you take a nap, then you get too "big" to take a nap, then you get old, and "nap time" is one of the joys of your life. Is that what is meant by "the circle of life?"
ttfn
We had a wonderful time at Cyndi's last night. I was feeling so good in the a.m., then I fizzled by around 2 p.m., but was able to go on again by the time we had to be at her home, which looked beautiful, I might add.
Today is another good day. Alan and I went out and ran several errands -- bank, hair cut for him, Kroger's (he went in, I didn't), Walgreens (I went in, he didn't), etc. And now we're back home and getting ready for a nap.
When you're a baby you take a nap, then you get too "big" to take a nap, then you get old, and "nap time" is one of the joys of your life. Is that what is meant by "the circle of life?"
ttfn
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Argh!
Okay, I want to know how they know that I'm cooking dinner and am not real close to a telephone?
It happens almost every night. No matter what time I fix dinner, whether it's between 5 and 6, or 6 and 7, or 7 and 8. It seems I no sooner get started on the cooking part, you know the part where you can't leave the stove because you have to turn the meat, or stir the rice, or lower the boiling potatoes, or something like that? And, ring, ring, ring, off goes the telephone with someone calling to tell me to vote for somebody, or would I please give to this charity or that. And, yes, we're on the list of "don't call me."
Well, tonight, was no exception and it went downhill from there. And because I was having a bad walking day, Alan bore the brunt of my angst. Poor thing. I feel so sorry for him. First, he has to eat whatever I prepare, which is almost always something I like, and rarely something he likes (like ham). Then he really has no input as to what sides he can order, he gets what he gets. And I rarely do dessert, which he loves.
Well, tonight it was the clicker thing again. I mean it's so annoying when he wants to see what's going to be "on tonight" during the last five minutes if NCIS, you know the part when they wrap up the show and let you know "who done it?" So that was irritant number three or four, I had lost count by then. And then when I got up to put the dishes into the kitchen, he wanted me to walk back and get him the clicker before I headed into the bedroom and back into bed. Well, I blew up. And he didn't understand why. And I couldn't explain it.
All I could say to him was I don't know why I blew up, it's just that I hurt really bad and you wanted me to walk those extra steps to get you the clicker. What I didn't say was, he could have gotten up and gotten the clicker just as well as asked me to get it.
Then, as I was turning my body and going out of sight (that's a play on Santa's actions in The Night before Christmas) I said to him that I needed to give him a shot and I would do that after CSI, at which point he told me I also HAD to put drops in his eyes and rub the rub on his chest. Whereupon I retored, I don't HAVE to do those things if I choose not to. You can do them yourself. And he could and has had to when I've been away. But he really couldn't give himself a shot.
So after the blow up, which I'm still fuming over -- and not because of Alan, but because of those stupid phone calls which started the whole thing -- I went into the bedroom and laid down to watch CSI (Because I thought it was the last one with Grissom) and low and behold I fell asleep before CSI started and woked up around 1/2 hour ago.
Will I sleep tonight? Probably not! But I didn't get up until 2 p.m. today, and after only five hours of being awake I was zonked out. It must be my hybernation season. I go through those seasons.
And, one more thing (to my dear diary), I am so very glad that it is almost December 21, because on December 22 that means that the days will be getting longer (daylight hours) and I will be a much nicer person. I know that because daylight makes me happy, and it seems these nonsensical political/seasonal give to me calls only happen after dark.
ttfn
It happens almost every night. No matter what time I fix dinner, whether it's between 5 and 6, or 6 and 7, or 7 and 8. It seems I no sooner get started on the cooking part, you know the part where you can't leave the stove because you have to turn the meat, or stir the rice, or lower the boiling potatoes, or something like that? And, ring, ring, ring, off goes the telephone with someone calling to tell me to vote for somebody, or would I please give to this charity or that. And, yes, we're on the list of "don't call me."
Well, tonight, was no exception and it went downhill from there. And because I was having a bad walking day, Alan bore the brunt of my angst. Poor thing. I feel so sorry for him. First, he has to eat whatever I prepare, which is almost always something I like, and rarely something he likes (like ham). Then he really has no input as to what sides he can order, he gets what he gets. And I rarely do dessert, which he loves.
Well, tonight it was the clicker thing again. I mean it's so annoying when he wants to see what's going to be "on tonight" during the last five minutes if NCIS, you know the part when they wrap up the show and let you know "who done it?" So that was irritant number three or four, I had lost count by then. And then when I got up to put the dishes into the kitchen, he wanted me to walk back and get him the clicker before I headed into the bedroom and back into bed. Well, I blew up. And he didn't understand why. And I couldn't explain it.
All I could say to him was I don't know why I blew up, it's just that I hurt really bad and you wanted me to walk those extra steps to get you the clicker. What I didn't say was, he could have gotten up and gotten the clicker just as well as asked me to get it.
Then, as I was turning my body and going out of sight (that's a play on Santa's actions in The Night before Christmas) I said to him that I needed to give him a shot and I would do that after CSI, at which point he told me I also HAD to put drops in his eyes and rub the rub on his chest. Whereupon I retored, I don't HAVE to do those things if I choose not to. You can do them yourself. And he could and has had to when I've been away. But he really couldn't give himself a shot.
So after the blow up, which I'm still fuming over -- and not because of Alan, but because of those stupid phone calls which started the whole thing -- I went into the bedroom and laid down to watch CSI (Because I thought it was the last one with Grissom) and low and behold I fell asleep before CSI started and woked up around 1/2 hour ago.
Will I sleep tonight? Probably not! But I didn't get up until 2 p.m. today, and after only five hours of being awake I was zonked out. It must be my hybernation season. I go through those seasons.
And, one more thing (to my dear diary), I am so very glad that it is almost December 21, because on December 22 that means that the days will be getting longer (daylight hours) and I will be a much nicer person. I know that because daylight makes me happy, and it seems these nonsensical political/seasonal give to me calls only happen after dark.
ttfn
Wednesday, December 17, 2008
Four wonderful days
NOTE: AFTER I WROTE THIS EPISODE, I published the pictures of my home on the Runnemede Remembered website (link at the side). I've included one of those pictures here.
Well, the Lord gave me four wonderful, relatively pain-free days. Praise Him!
Even with the fall down the steps, I was able to walk without aid and pain. However, this morning I was wakened in pain again. Another flare up? We'll see. I've drugged up and I'll know shortly if that works. I hate drugging up, because I don't see well, I'm in a fog, and the only benefit is that the pain is reduced.
We went to a church small-group Christmas party last night. I did nothing but carry in a vegetable tray that my personal shopper picked up for me to bring to the gathering as my contribution to the food table. I also had a tray of cookies to take with me, but I forgot them! Duh!
My neck is very stiff today and that could be from the fall. After a bout with dizziness yesterday, which laying down seemed to clear up, I have had no ill effects from the tumble.
My little elf -- decorator -- finished what I started on the stairs and my "vision" is really pretty. I'll have to take a picture and post is. In fact, I'll have to take several pictures and post them because my home looks really, really nice this year, even without a big tree. The small ones are just enough, and while I would like to have a tall tree, we just don't have a place to store it when Christmas is over. So, I'm content with such things as I have.
I thank God for the days of relief he gave me and pray that today will pass quickly and relief will come back.
One more thing: If you haven't read the book: Multiple Blessings by Kate Gosslin (of Jon and Kate plus 8 fame), get a copy and read it. What a wonderful book. Best I've read in ages. And it tells how God got them through the ordeal of birthing 6 healthy children (all at one time) and how their reliance on our Savior for their daily lives through that and since then has been what has upheld them in the past 5 years. It's a great book. For you non-readers, or moms who think they don't have time, this is a quick read -- it took me three hours, start to finish.
ttfn
Well, the Lord gave me four wonderful, relatively pain-free days. Praise Him!
Even with the fall down the steps, I was able to walk without aid and pain. However, this morning I was wakened in pain again. Another flare up? We'll see. I've drugged up and I'll know shortly if that works. I hate drugging up, because I don't see well, I'm in a fog, and the only benefit is that the pain is reduced.
We went to a church small-group Christmas party last night. I did nothing but carry in a vegetable tray that my personal shopper picked up for me to bring to the gathering as my contribution to the food table. I also had a tray of cookies to take with me, but I forgot them! Duh!
My neck is very stiff today and that could be from the fall. After a bout with dizziness yesterday, which laying down seemed to clear up, I have had no ill effects from the tumble.
My little elf -- decorator -- finished what I started on the stairs and my "vision" is really pretty. I'll have to take a picture and post is. In fact, I'll have to take several pictures and post them because my home looks really, really nice this year, even without a big tree. The small ones are just enough, and while I would like to have a tall tree, we just don't have a place to store it when Christmas is over. So, I'm content with such things as I have.
I thank God for the days of relief he gave me and pray that today will pass quickly and relief will come back.
One more thing: If you haven't read the book: Multiple Blessings by Kate Gosslin (of Jon and Kate plus 8 fame), get a copy and read it. What a wonderful book. Best I've read in ages. And it tells how God got them through the ordeal of birthing 6 healthy children (all at one time) and how their reliance on our Savior for their daily lives through that and since then has been what has upheld them in the past 5 years. It's a great book. For you non-readers, or moms who think they don't have time, this is a quick read -- it took me three hours, start to finish.
ttfn
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