What to do...what to do...

Finally, I'm back on line again! Hopefully, this time I will have no more trouble. It seems that the problem is in the phone line, at least that's what the folks say. I ended up staying on line for 2 hours with the Embarq people and I must say that the gentleman who helped me was most helpful. And, fortunately for me, he was a very patient man. Several times he had to define his technical words for me, yet he was so pleasant about my ignorance. Ever since then, the internet has been jumping up like a jack rabbit (I can't even get my hands on the keys before it's smiling at me and I like that).

I'm beginning to wonder if we will be going to our regular RV park next week. The managers require all sorts of proof of illnesses if you cancel or change your reservations. As many of you are aware, Don's sister-in-law passed away recently but the memorial service will not be held until March. We were planning to return for that. When I called the park they said they were not sure they could make the change at no charge for the days we would be leaving early. It seems that they don't make concessions for family members who die. Now what kind of proof can I get that there will be a memorial service on March 10? Don says he will not burden his brother for a copy of a death certificate. What a mess! Don says if we don't go there we will be heading out soon anyway. Better to lose $100 deposit than 12 days worth.

Disgusted

I am truly disgusted with this blogger. I can't seem to get the things running properly or to even come up within a reasonable amount of time. And, as you know this is a new computer! Perhaps when I get to Florida things will improve. I will then be transmitting using wireless.
I will try to write more later...

Birth Day is a Special Day

This morning I spent a few minutes talking to friends in sunny Florida. We are missing some of our time with them due to my health issues and loss of family members. We will soon be joining them if all goes well, however. I'm not sad to be late going down because we have a little granddaughter who will be celebrating her 4th birthday next weekend and we have missed all of her previous ones. (we figured she wouldn't care whether we were here or not when she was smaller). My daughter doesn't make as much of birthdays as many people do. Personally, I like to celebrate them, not just as another day but because it is a special day to be born into a special world to a special family with special members and special friends. I cherish all of my family and love to see them excited about their birthdays. Now, that doesn't mean I love to be sung to or made over, as my friend Jackie might jokingly do (I think that's what Kendra doesn't care for); I just want the family and friends present, to share the cake and ice cream, maybe a hot dog, and just enjoy the day. No matter what, that birth day is a special day for the birthday person.

Do I or Do I not?

Hello everyone! Are you ready for a weekend of rest and relaxation? When one is retired as I am, it really doesn't matter. I have heard that we may be in for a late weekend of snow/ice/sleet/rain so I'm looking forward to that. The newscasters were encouraging everyone to stock up on water, foods, and other staples needed just in case. I don't think we will make any special trips since, when we do that, it is not needed. We have plenty anyway, enough to take care of us and our daughter and her family should they choose to join us.

I have been playing with my new ipod shuffle this afternoon, trying to get some of my faves transferred so that I will be prepared for ou upcoming trip to the sunshine state. We plan to make our departure in about 10 days provided the weather allows us to leave. In the meantime, I do have to pack the RV. Since my cardiologist gave me the "go ahead", we will be going ahead unless other obstacles prevent it. Have you ever wanted to go on a trip but really were not looking forward to it? That's my feelings now. Do I or do I not? The answer is, I do and I don't. Sometimes, I wish the "I don't " would win out. There are friends I would like to see but I have family and friends here that I'm not anxious to leave. Don is about ready to take a trip somewhere but I think he really doesn't care if we do or don't go to the scheduled resort. Perhaps, next year, we will plan a different vacation. This place already has a deposit which I don't prefer to lose. At any rate, our vacation will be cut short this year by at least a week in March plus we are 2 weeks later leaving home. I know that I will enjoy my trip after arriving and will not be in a hurry to leave. It's always that way; rather stay home until you actually leave. Are you that way?

On the Bright Side

I know that I have been slack posting on my blog but I'm so disgusted with it. Seems that it takes just as long to get the blog up and going as it did on the old computer. I don't know what the problem is but I don't like it.

On the bright side, hasn't this been a beautiful day, especially this morning when the snow was falling so beautifully! I love it! I just wish we had more of it, perhaps Sunday there will be more of an accumulation. Another bright note for the day is that I received a good report from my cardiologist, not a glowing one but a good one. There will be no angiogram done yet; Doc thinks we should give this medication more time to do its work since symptoms have improved over the past 2 weeks. I do still have this weird heartbeat, however, that Doc says is not life-threatening and nothing to worry about right now... "right now"; hmm, what does this mean I wonder. Will I need to worry in 6 months when they plan to check me again or what? Anyway, I don't have to worry about it yet so I will try not to. This is something that showed up on the heart monitor and I can feel the strange palpitations, especially if lying on my left side. I do feel good though after meeting with my cardiologist in whom I have much respect and faith. The Lord has been mighty good to me! I love the bright side of things!

Happy Day in the South

What can I say today? Mainly, that I am so happy to be alive and feeling well! It's another beautiful day in the South. Things are moving slowly, the same as my speaking style (Southern that is). I spent part of the morning working out at Curves; I have decided that these workouts must be helping because I am certainly tired and a bit sore when I leave there. One of my friends and I were talking this morning about getting older and feeling more of that by the day. That's true. When I first joined Curves only 2 years ago, I could exercise for an hour with no problem; now, it takes the required 30 minutes and I am bushed! I hope to work myself back into better shape so that I can enjoy that half hour more. I have about given up on losing weight, however. Last week, I only ate fruit and cheese for lunch, very little breakfast with my coffee (sometimes an egg, sometimes Cheerios with Splenda), 2 carrots for snack, soup for dinner (with 7 crackers, a usual serving), a 50-calorie ice cream bar for evening snack, and I drank only water. Guess how much I lost in one whole week...not an ounce! Go figure that one. I even left off my diet drinks since I heard they may prevent the losing of weight. But, as I said earlier, I'm happy and feeling quite well today. I hope you are too.

It's "Officially Official"

I have been putting off blogging because I really didn't have anything to say; however, I want to keep my bloggees on board, so here goes. As you know I have been staying home all week due to the "creepy crud". Yesterday, the grandkids came over and spent much of the day. They were quite interesting. Four-year-old Livvy wanted to draw pictures. Then she would tell me what they were. For example, she would draw then say, "this is officially a cow" and later, "this is officially a horse." Everything yesterday was official. Now, I don't know where she heard this word but by using it, I think she was being more emphatic about what her pictures actually were. When Don asked her what the word meant, she just said, "I don't know; but, this is officially official!"

Later on, they wanted to build a campfire and roast marshmallows. So, their dad and Don actually built a fire, sat around in lawn chairs and roasted the marshmallows for them. I have never seen any children love the outdoors as much as or more than those 2. Their stay was truly a pick-me-up for me. You know, after awhile of staying home, I can develop a pretty bad case of "Cabin Fever". It felt extra special to be able to get out and attend church this morning. Our teacher did a great job of teaching about rededicating our lives to Christ, about our reasons for attending church, and personal pride. Hmm...these are things we all need to ponder. Then the pastor preached on prayer, prayer for our church and prayer for all members of God's family. He encouraged us to have a specific place to pray for others, specific prayers to pray and specific people for whom we would be praying. I believe if we do what the pastor suggests, we will find ourselves attending church for the right reasons; we will put our pride in the background; and, we will rededicate our lives to Christ.

Making a Difference

Another Friday has arrived and I feel as though I lost the week somehow. When one is sick, I suppose that makes all the days run together; however, ever since I retired, the days all run together. In a way, that's not good. Sometimes, I forget that certain things happen on certain days. For example, Choir practice on Wednesday (I had no intentions of going last night because of my cold, but I still forget it was Wednesday until much later). Another example, one of my dear friends and I always share our Friday mornings and early afternoons. Uhoh! Today was Friday! Have I even call her to let her know that I was still under the weather or to see if she, too, is still under the weather? The answer is no. That's not good. Well, should I blame this problem on the fact that I'm retired, that I'm getting older and don't remember (no, not ready to admit that yet!), that I've been under the weather, that time is actually going faster, etc.? The fact to remember is that time does move on, that it's moving at a very fast speed (especially when you're having fun), and that we should make the most of each and every minute of the day. How do we do that? That is what I'm still busy learning. Some days, I stop and question what I have actually done in my life that really makes a difference in this world? We all need someone else to tell us our positive assets and to give us the answer to this question. I hope that my life has had a positive effect on others and that I will continue to demonstrate an attitude of caring for others through giving of my time and God-giving abilities. How can you and I do this? We only have to look around us to see the needs of others, feel the pain of many. Tonight, I plan to attend the first kickoff meeting of our local Relay for Life. The least I can do is show my support for those fighting this horrible disease by working with the American Cancer Society. What is burdening your heart?

Do Chiropractors Help?

It's a nicer day in the neighborhood for me today because I can breathe better, speak better, and feel better in general. The antibiotic is doing its work; however, I still have some lingering cough and sore throat. I hope none of you catch this miserable crud since it is absolutely no fun at all. So, what am I working on today? I have been looking up addresses of fellow high school classmates, addressing envelopes, and getting ready to mail "Information Letter #1" concerning our upcoming 50th high school reunion. Next, I will be looking for good ideas on things to do at the reunion. We already have the place rented, the menu selected, the time and date. What we need now is an enticing program which will bring all the members back. In the past, we have been missing about 1/3, some with no response to our calls. Any suggestions? If you have had yours and can include some fun things to do, just let me know. I do have some ideas but always welcome and need more.

We had a visitor from one of Don's friends earlier this morning and I was so amazed to see the much-improved condition that he is is showing! The last time he came, he was walking with a cane (Should have been using 2 canes or a walker!); today, he was walking with no assistance at all! And I'm talking "walking tall"! He says he has decided to carry his ailing back to a chiropractor. I cannot believe the change in him! I've heard many negative things about that area of medicine and I don't know how you feel about them, but P.I. is a living, walking improvement after just 4 visits. I just hope that it will continue for him.

Stay away from the sniffles, everyone!

Learning all over

I have been fighting with this new computer all day trying to figure out how to do some things which I did another way on my old computer. Don't get me wrong, I do like the new one much better; it's faster, clearer, easier to read, etc.; however, I'm not any faster, no clearer than before on what to do, and I'm not too easy catching on to instructions when I read them. (I need my daughter, the genius, to help me but I think she gets tired of teaching this old dog new tricks). One reason perhaps is because of the headache that goes along with creepy crud that I have picked up somewhere. I talked with my good friend, Elsie, and she has the very same crud. In fact she says hers came to visit her on Friday. Mine arrived on Sunday so she may be sharing hers with me. Of course, the germ is in the air and we cannot run and hide from such things.

My sister just called and has offered to send me some of her homemade potato soup and some egg salad for dinner! Wow, I love her soup! And her sandwich will hit the spot. I don't know how people make it without family anyway. I cherish mine very much and we depend on each other in many ways; in death, sickness, and, in fun ways. I tried living away from family when Don was in service. In many cases that was difficult. For example, when my children were born, I had no mom, no sisters, no family there to help out. I did have a few friends with whom I worked but they were working and couldn't really do much. And, being in a foreign country, we had a maid who was quite good at cleaning, cooking, washing, etc. That was great but I missed the special touch of family. I hope you cherish yours as well.

Shuffle, Sing, and Move!

What a day this has been: cool, rainy, dark, and a bit foggy. That's okay with me, though; I happen to enjoy rainy days so long as I don't have to get out in the elements. Of course, I went to church this morning but that was before the rains began. I have also been loading a few songs on my new ipod shuffle. I had no intention of purchasing one of those but the price was right and I suppose I was in the right mood to spend a little extra. Right now, I'm typing and listening to Band of Oz playing Beach Fever! I have also been enjoying some of Sinatra's oldies prior to switching to Beach music (I'm a previous beach shagger from the 50's, one of the first to enjoy that music during the "Myrtle Beach Days". Now, I love to shuffle, sing and move!). I'm still learning though, and haven't even figured out how to replace the ipod on its mount to add some more songs.

I feel somewhat better today because several of my friends at church assured me that I was doing right about continuing my Plavix. Also, someone commented on my blog about the necessity of taking the drug. I really appreciate her response and hope that she is doing well since, she, too, has had stents like mine, not once but twice. Stay well, Friend.

Thanks Bill Gates!

It's finally here! My new computer, that is! Thanks, Bill Gates! Yep, I'm the proud owner of a MAC Pro laptop I think it's called. I know many folks don't like Mac's; however, I do prefer them because that was all I ever used when I was still working. For me, it's simpler and will do everything I need plus much, much more. Kendra was kind enough to go with me to pick out one for me and then to spend several hours at my house setting it up. She hasn't finished but has gotten far enough along to allow me to blog tonight. I actually have a screen large enough for me to see! I plan to take it with me on my trips and use the airport too. Soon, maybe I will learn to post some photos,etc. I'm not very literate; however, I do enjoy playing with this. I needed something to perk me up today since receiving stressful news from the cardiologist and the computer has helped me place my mind on something else besides my condition.

Don's brother and niece came by today for a short visit. We were quite happy to see the two of them. Jimmy seems to be doing fairly well, considering the fact that he recently lost his wife. For those of you who remembered him with a sympathy card, he expressed his deep appreciation for your thoughtfulness.

Plavix: Yes or No?

Tonight, my new cardiologist called and informed me that he wants me to go back on the drug, Plavix. I have heard negative, even frightening information about this drug. After reading about it on the internet, I am more concerned than ever about taking it. Lawyers have a battle going about it causing more harm than good. Doc's reason for my going back on the medication is that I have a drug-coated stent which has been found to create clots if plavix is not taken for a longer period of time. I took the drug for 7 months following the angioplasty; now, they are saying that is not long enough for the healing process to take place. Should I take the drug again is my dilemna. Perhaps I will talk to my family physcian first.

Freedom & Being Free

Lately, I have been hearing public complaints on TV about the government being given the right to check all of our mail prior to delivery. Even though it's not something I relish happening, I certainly understand the necessity of such actions. If that is what it takes to keep us safe in America, then so be it, I say. I don't recall this, but I have heard it said that such things actually happened during World War II. I don't doubt that it did from what I know about the times. At any rate, I don't mind that the government has the right. Why do I feel this way, you may ask. Simply stated, I wish that all Americans could be assured of their safety every day of our lives. Times have changed and more and more precautions have to be taken. Yes, that is taking away some of my freedoms; however, I have learned that I must give up some of my freedoms in order to be free. Don't you agree?

It's a Small World

This morning, I had an appointment with my new cardiologist (my other one left the area) so I was somewhat hesitant, not knowing what to expect. After waiting an hour beyond my appointment time, I met my new doctor. He asked me who performed my angioplasty and, when I told him the doctor's name (who performed the procedure in another town), I was shocked and pleased to learn that they are partners! (We are talking about 2 offices that are 40 miles away from where I go). Now I know that I can see both of these doctors if necessary--what a small world. Doc decided that I needed to wear a monitor for a couple of days, then have some more tests done. I'm impressed with his thoroughness.

With no news and nothing much happening, I have been negligent in my blogging. I hate to waste your time and mine when I don't have much to say. So, I will just say, goodnight. Be careful of the Rosie's and the Trump's; don't get caught in the middle.

Stay-at-Home Kind of Day

Today has been a stay-at-home, do-nothing kind of day. Well, I did have some chores to complete since my mom taught me never to work on New Year's Day. I did sleep in this morning because I stayed up so late last night watching my alma mater get beat in the Fiesta Bowl. I must admit that the game was well worth watching. Yes, I was very disappointed in my OU Sooners but those Broncos played a great game. I miss going to all the home OU games. That was a real highlight of our Saturdays: packing a picnic lunch and heading for the busy parking lots. Actually, Don and I always ended up in the library studying until near kickoff time (weren't we smart? heehee). Now, I'm taking a break from the Orange Bowl since, once again, my chosen team is losing.

Yesterday evening, I was so excited to get a phone call from my dear friend. We had not talked to each other in several months. I thought, hmm, what a great way to start the new year; talking to childhood friends. We need to work harder at keeping our friendships flourishing. Thanks for calling, Jackie.

For those of you who may be wondering if I have a new computer yet, the answer is no. I just can't seem to pull my pennies together and go shopping. I do have a new "cordless" mouse that is a great addition. I was so tired of fighting the cord from the old mouse. The port is on the left side of my computer; however, I'm right handed. Now, I think most people are right handed so I really don't understand why all the ports are on the left side; they could have placed some of them on the right side, couldn't they? Or, am I even dumber than I thought? (Don't even answer that). It's difficult enough for this "ignorant", "self-teaching" computer nut to even use this new stuff. Give my hands a break and place everything conveniently for this old(er) lady.

A Toast To You

HAPPY NEW YEAR! I hope that you brought the new year in with a bang, that you will find it to be the best year ever for you and yours. I like to see the year arrive while with special family and friends; this we have been doing since 1986. There are some who joined us in the past who no longer come by (I think they have grown older than the rest of us; I understand they just can't stay up long enough to see that ball fall. Some are now keeping grandchildren while the mamas and papas stay home). The rest of us still look forward to getting together and having some good, old-fashioned fellowship and fun. For the past 2 years, we have switched to sharing dinner together and everyone usually departs around 1:00 AM. In all the prior years, we always enjoyed the men preparing a full-course breakfast for us and everyone leaving for home around 2:00 or so. The problem some of them have now is that they want to get home earlier. I do enjoy the dinner; however, I do miss that breakfast time, even though it does take me longer to clean up and get to bed. (No problem, though, because I can sleep in the next morning, just as everyone else can do, too). None of us are alcohol drinkers but for the occasion, we share a bottle of champagne. You wouldn't believe the faces during those few minutes! No one is carried away with the taste of champagne (there would definitely never be an alcoholic in our crowd!).

This year, as usual, the guys ended up in the den watching the ballgames and talking while the ladies stayed in the kitchen and talked and laughed. I can understand how laughing is good for you. I felt so great after having such laughs! The ladies decided to play electronic guesstures and that was a lot of fun! The guys kept wondering what we doing but only one joined in our fun! We were just too active for them we think. If you have never played that game, you should try it with your friends. Every year, we have enjoyed some game such as Catch Phrase, etc., and we have some ladies who are especially talented at that, particularly my sister. Give her a hint and she usually comes up with the word.

Since most of you readers were not here last night, my toast to you is that you have a very happy, healthy year; that you keep all your old friends and add many new ones; that you make the time to enjoy your family and friends; that you try to have at least one good laugh every day, or at least a great big smile; that you make time for yourself; that you have all your needs met and many of your wants fulfilled, too; that you will enjoy a year of freedom and peace in this country; and, most of all, may God bless you real good!