Wishy - Washy.....

I know, I know - I am so wishy washy. I was just talking about how much I was hoping we would get rain because we need it so much and now I'm so over it. Today especially - it was dark, wet, drizzling, heavy and should have felt cold but didn't. Yuck. Maybe it is making me feel bad because I've already been depressed for way too much longer than is healthy. I love this picture though - the bright red of the bench offers a little hope for it becoming brighter. I just checkd the weather and it is supposed to be sunny tomorrow so hopefully we got enough rain for awhile. The meeting tonight was great. This young man is giving his first talk on the front school and he is going to be 9 in a few months. When he walked off the stage - he had the biggest grin on his face which made all of us smile. Keith did a video for his Mom because she was home sick with Strep Throat. I really hate she wasn't able to be there. Page called me this morning (it was already afternoon there). She said she got so sleepy she had to leave the meeting for a few minutes. Poor baby - she has been going non-stop for so long now. I hope her time here will be much easier. Even though she will be working during the week, maybe coming home at night will be a break from hotel rooms. Looking forward to being with all the kids next weekend. Both Miya and BigD are snoring so I think I should join them. Nite

39th Monday of 2010 - only 13 more to go......

Even though this is one of my favorite times of the year - the relief (barely so far)from unrelenting heat, the subtle change in colors of the leaves, the crispness in the morning and evening air which are all good. On the flip side - the days growing shorter, the realization that another year is quickly passing by with only 13 Mondays left and this year marking the loss of some special people in my life. I stayed home yesterday and today with my tummy again - just not quite sure what is going on but today I decided to pamper it and see how that goes. I had some yummy potato, onion and butter soup with fried cornbread patties earlier and tonight I had chicken and broccoli with a little steamed riced. My tummy is still tender to the touch but isn't as bad as it has been off and on for over two weeks now. We got some much needed rain starting last night and lasting off and on throughout the day. It finally feels like Autumn is really here to stay. Big D is going fishing with his friends Wednesday evening for a long weekend and I so hope he catches tons of fish. Poor baby - his last trip was a big disappointment to him. Roseanne and her family got home from their wonderful vacation at the beach and everyone had a great time.My dear friend Rie and her sweet hubby and family went camping up at the lake this past week since the boys are in year round school and the weather was supposed to be so nice. I snatched these pictures from FB - it's where I get tons of my pictures of friends these days. So much easier than trying to send and receive them via email. These are two sweet little boys and full of energy - almost as much energy as her hubby. I tell her all the time she is raising 3 boys. I haven't seen her since she has been back but hope to tomorrow - tummy willing. Gerl and I went to a dear friend's wedding anniversary party Saturday afternoon and it was lovely. They have a very large family with many children and grandchildren and the food was delicious. There were only a few people there other than family so we felt pretty special, especially when she insisted on us being in pictures with them. I guess the highlight of the party for me was when one of her brothers kept asking everyone who the "white chick" was. I think I was a little flattered to be called "chick" at this age and told him to stop his flirting which made him even worse. He was sweet. After we left there, we drove by our dear friend's house who has been very ill. A lot of her very large family were with her and it was good to see her awake and surrounded by children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Her grandson, Keith, who is one of my favorite people in the world has been keeping me up to date on how things are progressing. After we left there, we picked Big D up from his friends house where they were having a fish-fry. He did all the cooking except for some potatoes, pinto beans and a chocolate-eclair cake. He fixed big plates of everything for Gerl and SheilaB to have and they told me later how wonderful it was. Ruth is still in town with her brother - he seems to be ....hmmm... what is the word - maintaining? He is still in the hospital and they are talking about another chemo treatment but we aren't sure yet. I know she is exhausted and feels like her world has become pretty surreal with her family being so far away. Eileen and her hubby are going to finally get back down to their place at EI and even though it is supposed to rain some there this week - as Eileen always says - I would rather be in the rain at EI than in the sunshine at home. Think I'll finish my fresh banana, blueberry, mango smoothie with greek yogurt and go to bed. Maybe it will rain hard to help me sleep. Not sure if Page has access to computers to see my blog while she is in Europe but if so - good-night Page - love you - miss you.

Odds and Ends.....

I've collected an assortment of pictures from things that have gone on recently that I will call Odds and Ends. I love nature - everything about nature (not that crazy about the mosquitoes, bugs, spiders and sometimes bees that like to bite/sting me, Page and Page2). I remember as a young girl sitting in the big front yard of our old house that was full of clover flowers and the four leaf clovers my sister Ruth could find so easily. I would sit there for hours looking at each and every clover trying to find one and she would walk up to tell me something, reach down and pluck one from right under my nose!!! ARGGHHHH!!! It used to drive me crazy. Now it turns out my Ann has the same "talent"? Not sure if talent is the word but it would be nice to have that fine tuned sense of observation wouldn't it? We would sit there for hours making clover flower necklaces. When you look at them - they aren't very impressive but they were pretty to us and we enjoyed making them. Let's see - sitting in soft thick grass making flower necklaces - wow - sounds good to me - how about you? Of course those bare feet always managed to find one fat bumble bee that would leave his wicked sticker in my foot which would swell so big I could not walk - but the flip side of that was I would miss my turn at mowing the grass if it came around that time. We had a HUGE yard so that would be the good part. I always ask about sharing pictures from someone else and am so happy when they don't seem to mind. As a rule, insects aren't my bag but some of them are so interesting you have to keep a picture of them. This one is so strange - until you look at the side view you almost think it is made of wood or plastic but sure enough - it is real. We have seen some really strange insects around our Lantana bushes at the KH recently - look like a cross between a large butterfly and wasp? And then you have insects such as beautiful caterpillars which become even more gorgeous butterflies and one of my all time favorites as my dear girls know - ALL dragonflies. I have always been mesmerized by these delicate insects with their helicopter bodies and delicate wings. They blend in so well with their surroundings that most of the time you can't see them until they are flying away. That brings me to the gifts given to me by my dear Ann and Lin. Of course most of you have already seen the pillow that I have been coveting for so long. When I stopped in, Ann gave it to me letting me know it was clean and had barely escaped the strong nails of their new family member - Dixie Lou - a gorgeous Golden Lab who is getting so tall and gangly but believes with all her heart that she is still a lap dog. The other gift she gave me is this delightful bottle (we both love bottles) with the dragonfly wrapped around it's neck - my dear Lin made the red dragonfly with the very long red tail. Aren't they too sweet? And then there was the pleasure of seeing Biscuit again. She is so cute - her hair was in a partial little ponytail on top and she was trying to talk up a storm until her Mom wanted her to - of course. Sadly - I get most of my pictures by "snatching" them from somewhere else but hey! I love pictures and I'll take them anyway I can get them. I just found tonight that Page didn't take her camera with her to Europe but she said her friends would send her copies. When she called today around 5pm (11pm her time), she sounded good. She has had some good days, sleeping better than usual and looking forward to what is to come. I'm so happy she loves her job. Of course I'm counting the days until I can see her in a few weeks. I just found out Kurt, Leah and Page2 will be here with us over that weekend.I love this picture of Page and Kimmy from the wedding on Sunday. Leah said the funniest thing that happened was during rehearsal. A horse-drawn carriage was to deliver Kimmy and Page at the start of a path through the garden. During rehearsal as they started walking down the path and some bees flew toward them and they both screamed and were running off the path - so during the wedding everyone was really hoping for no bees. When Page received the gift I had delivered to her home she called to thank me. I told her I wanted to know just one thing - "did she feel beautiful?". She hesitated and quietly said - Yes but also nervous." That is my sweet Page2. Then BigD wanted to know if I was talking to the "pothole" and she heard him and asked to speak to Granddaddy. The "pothole" is an inside joke - so funny.We have been taking notice of the changes we are seeing around us while in the ministry this week. I have no idea what kind of bird these feathers are from but noticed a big cat in the yard and decided not to speculate.The leaves have been changing slowly here for awhile now which is strange when they aren't changing that much further North. I can't help but wonder if the extreme heat we are still experiencing is contributing to it?Last night Ruth came by and ate some Pizza with us and we went up to the hospital to be with her brother for awhile. Can you believe it? She got the first spot just like I did! WOW - had to take a picture. We were amazed by her brother - he was drinking water!! Today when I spoke with her he was down in X-ray having the swallow test. They have been getting some good news as far as finances go so that has been a huge relief for Ruth. I know her family is really missing her but she is doing what is necessary for now. I wish I could do more to help her. Had a good day in service with Eileen and two other sisters today. Then she followed me to drop my car off to be inspected and serviced and we grabbed a bite to eat at Charlies Bar and Grille where her daughter used to work and I realized my niece Ann had performed in when she had her band!The Reuben and homemade potato chips we split were wonderful after which we found a shady spot and had our BS. I have definitely meandered long enough and I'm sure most people have stopped reading this boring entry. I have enjoyed some of my favorite wine (the price did drop again finally) and am waiting for BigD to come home.It is almost time to give Miya her second dose of medication for today. As you can see from the picture - she is still "barbering" her hind legs and behind - a symptom of her heart condition. I so hope she will get over this. I am giving her the meds alone for now since she scratched BigD so bad the last time he helped but I've told him he HAS to learn how to do it on his own if I'm to ever get to the beach again.

Busy Sunday......

Slept in this morning which was nice since I was to bed late - kind of like now. Had a need to record the day for some reason - nothing fantabulous (like my new word?) but just a need to put it down. After we gave Miya her medicine, I studied my WT for the meeting (it was exactly what I needed). BigD ran an errand including going over to Ruth's Mom's house to drive and check out their car. He made a nice breakfast and I ate a much smaller one than usual (my attempt to be healthier). I was on my way to the KH for the meeting when I got a text message from Ruth telling me she couldn't keep the hair appointment I had made for her this afternoon. I called and cancelled the appointment and drove out to the hospital - her brother had another crisis. He is so sick. Ruth said she slept well last night but I can tell she is really tired. They put a patch on him for pain and he got a little more comfortable. Ruth was hungry and wanted to sit down in a restaurant to eat. Since I have been wanting to try this place we decided to go there and were delightfully surprised. I got a to-go menu so BigD and I can do take-out sometimes. I hope it will be successful - very nice atmosphere and the wait staff are gorgeous! :-) We went back to the hospital and her brother was still in pain so they gave him more pain meds and he was asleep before we could let his bed down a little. We sat in another waiting room and visited for awhile after which I left. The person who has been coming during the night couldn't come tonight so she wanted to make sure she spoke with the night nurses before she came home. I had to smile when I came out to my car. When I drove in I couldn't believe my eyes - I have NEVER parked this close to the entrance of this hospital. The man walking toward the car thought I was taking his picture and then laughed when I told him why I was taking the picture.Okay- that was strange. The guy just kept chatting me up and I'm like man - grow up! Probably just left his sick wife's bed - jerk! I drove out to get gas at my new favorite station and wouldn't you know they had gone up 20 cents a gallon!! Man!! I stopped by back Ann's when I saw her car home and met Dixie Lou - their new dog! Mae called while I was there saying she had been trying to reach her daughter because she really wanted to visit a mutual friend so I went up to the farm and picked her up, brought her across town to visit which was really great because a large portion of the group who went to WV were there too and we got to hear all about their trip and experiences! I took Mae back home, drove home, took a shower, gave Miya her meds for the night and ate leftover BBQ chicken, mashed taters and slaw and had this for dessert! YUM - not the real thing but next best thing. I chatted with Ruth's daughter-in-law on FB and looked at tons of pictures of her and the baby as well as some other friend's pictures. I'm going to miss Roseanne this week but I'm so happy she is at the beach with her entire family and they are all well. I can't wait to see the pictures from the wedding Kurt, Leah and Page2 were in today - hope they had fun. Page got back from Canada but will be leaving for Europe tomorrow for almost 2 whole weeks! Then she will be here for several days during the first week of October - can't wait!! So it is already Monday and I'm not asleep yet - wonder what this day will hold?

West Virginia......

A group from our congregation went to West Virginia this past week to work in very seldom worked territory. I was supposed to go but since I wasn't sure about my sister, I had to back out before they finalized the accommodations and travel plans. We didn't have anyone go last year so I was really looking forward to it. I have missed the friends that are there and can't wait to hear their experiences. The one time I went out of state was to Tennessee and it was great. This time is going to be quite different since there is no host congregation. The area to be covered is large and I'm thinking remote? Will find out more when they get back.I received this phone picture from Keith after he arrived up there. I'm so happy he was able to go even though his company had gone through some changes. I know he made it more special for everyone there - especially his Mom and Dad.I got this phone picture from him yesterday I think and decided that now he is just being mean. Don't they look like they are working hard? NOT!!! Hopefully next year--barring any unforeseen occurrences.

Monument, Headstone, Tombstone, Gravestone.......

A monument is a type of structure either explicitly created to commemorate a person or important event or which has become important to a social group as a part of their remembrance of past events.The funeral home called to let me know when to go down to the country to meet the guys who were going to place my sister's stone at the head of her grave. They call them monuments now but BigD and I were talking about how we used to call them tombstones or gravestones. I guess it's splitting hairs because they all mean the same thing....a grave marker.....

We got there a few minutes before the crew arrived and walked around a bit. It was interesting to watch what they have to do. I noticed Daddy's foot stone had been pulled up and was turned around and when the lead guy noticed it, he began working on putting it back and making sure it was lined up with Mama's foot stone. I made sure I called the funeral home when I got home to let them know how considerate their crew was in performing their job.
I was impressed by their attention to every detail in making sure everything was lined up. They moved some of the dirt that was a little high from Barbara's grave over to Mama and Daddy's so theirs would be more level too.
Mama and Daddy's foot stone...Daddy's has been chipped for awhile now I think.
They dug a hole and put the bottom part in and then went back to get the top part.The pieces are very, very heavy but we were still surprised by how long it took to get the two pieces exactly right before they put the putty type material that gets really hard when it dries around the bottom.I got some really good shots of it up close and the lead guy got the best one that I sent in an email to Barbara's family. They were pleased with how it looks. It was so odd that I received the death certificates my brother-in-law had ordered for me and my sisters to have the day before we went down to have her monument erected.Barbara's grandson wrote something for her and read it at her Memorial. In it he mentioned how much she loved butterflies and how there were so many flying around the yard the day she died and he wanted us to always think of her when we saw one. Just as they stood back to look at the finished stone this single butterfly (you can barely see it but it is one of the orange and black ones) flew by me several times, landed right behind me, flew around again and then back into the woods where it came from. I took a few more pictures of the nature around us - different mosses and lichens as well as my old enemy - poison ivy (or oak).
It was when they were finished and I was taking closer pictures that it hit me pretty hard that my oldest sister is gone - we aren't going to have hour long phone conversations anymore. I wanted to grab those moments back - just one more conversation - but I have to accept that they are gone - just like that little butterfly......I really appreciated BigD going down with me. We rode home the long way and took some little side jaunts around the lake. I love water - it is one of the things that soothes my spirit.....

Hearts...........

Well I know much more about the heart than I ever thought I would need to know. We finally got Miya to the hospital to have her tests to determine how bad the heart murmur is. She was one unhappy little girl this morning. How dare we take her food bowl away at midnight! She put up a fuss until I put her in her carrier for the ride over after which she got pretty quiet. Poor baby - she knew she was going somewhere serious. BigD did a great job on the coffee this morning and it really hit the spot. Our appointment was at 9:30 so I programmed my GPS and headed out. I was well armed with her medical records, the parking ticket they sent me, things to read, water and some little chores that needed to be taken care of. It was pretty easy to find and we didn't have to wait too long. This is the 4th year student who came in first and asked tons of questions, did an exam and prepared me for how long everything would take. The doctor came in with the 4th year student and did an even more thorough examination while asking me even more questions and told me what procedures he knew they would do and some he might want to do after he started. Don't they look like teenagers? I was very impressed with both of them - including how wonderful they were with my little Princess. I asked lots of questions too and tried to sound like I knew what I was talking about. I then left , hooked my GPS back up and drove across town to a car wash I found on-line. My Ava has been screaming for a good cleaning and she finally got one. I hated having to park her under that tree again knowing how quickly she can be "soiled". I was getting a little hungry so I stopped on the way back at a quaint little restaurant at the corner of Peace and Glenwood. Mellow Mushroom took over a cool little place and made it their own. I sat outside under the porch in a comfortable chair and worked on my RV book while eating a BLT w/Avocado, sprouts and cheese on crusty french bread and a cool Key Lime Pie with great sweet tea. It was perfect. Then I headed back to the hospital and sat in the car for awhile working crossword puzzles. I got so sleepy I pushed the seat back and tried to catnap but just couldn't get comfortable with people walking by the car. The doctor had called to see if they could do one more test and I agreed so they told me to let the desk know they would be through at 2:30. Closer to 3 - they took me back in and gave me the news. She has Hypertrophic Obstructive Cardiomyopathy. I looked at the results of the echocardiogram on the computer and pictures of the heart. Bottom line - the walls of her left ventricle are thickening and getting hard, causing a problem with her mitral valve, mild mitral regurgitation,and mild left arterial enlargement. They did a heartworm test and will let me know the results when they get them. She has to take medication 2x a day. They first brought me pills and I explained how that would be impossible. They prepared it in liquid form (cost 3x as much but hopefully she will be okay with it). They can't fix Miya's heart but hopefully the medication will slow things down. After waiting for the new medication we made our way over to Krispy Kreme while I talked with Bentley telling him what I knew. Then I talked with Kurt which made him sad on so many levels. It brought back some bad memories of our dear Max. I sent him and Bentley the results the doctor emailed me so I'm sure they will help me understand better what we are dealing with. The funeral home called me again to confirm that I would be at the grave site for my sister's headstone being placed tomorrow. It turns out it will be earlier than they had thought. I got home to an envelope from my brother-in-law with the death certificates for my sister he ordered for all of us girls. I spoke with Ruth about her brother and things are moving along over there. I also wanted to ask her about us going to the Farmer's Market Saturday morning - hopefully it will be a nice break for both of us. I sent her (and the kids) a link with pictures of the market. The pictures on that site are great! I need to tell her we are going to get a cupcake and coffee from Daisy Cakes! Yum....