Tooth Trauma

I woke up this morning with a toothache of all things! Well, actually, I had it during the night but I didn't want to get up and do anything about it. I decided about mid-morning that I should call the dentist office. Fortunately, they were able to see me as soon as I could get there. It seems that I have bruised a tooth that has been crowned, probably because of 2 reasons: first, I think I have been clinching my teeth; and, second, the crown is probably the oldest one in my mouth and I was hitting it prior to touching the rest of my teeth. Perhaps this was caused by a shift in my mouth/teeth or maybe the crown itself has shifted. Doc ground it down a lot so that now I don't touch it first and it feels much better. I do have to return to him in 2 weeks after completing a round of antibiotics for more x-rays followed by a new crown for that tooth. I have a new dentist and I am very impressed with him. He is young, knowledgeable, and (excuse me, Guys) not bad on the eyes! It surely made my tooth trauma easier to take! (Just kidding)

Tonight, we went out to eat with some of our camping friends, one of whom is passing through from Pennsylvania. We enjoyed seeing them all after several months of separation.

A Day for Blessings

Hubby had his follow-up appointment with his surgeon this morning. He told us that he was pleased with the progress his shoulder was making; however, he also warned him to be careful for the next month with his use of that arm. In fact, he is to continue wearing the sling even as he sleeps for another month. Doc wants to make sure that no additional surgery will be needed. Twice on the same shoulder is more than enough!

We enjoyed our lunch meal together afterwards. Anyone who know Hubby, knows that he seldom wants to go anywhere, especially out to eat. I have been surprised that he wanted to venture out for lunch following his morning doctor visits. Then, tonight, he suggested going out again! Surprised? I certainly am but, as always, I am ready to go out among the crowds. Once again we enjoyed an evening together before returning home to be bored during the presidential candidates' debate. I must say that I will be so happy when all of this is over and God will have His man in charge. He knows what our country needs and we need to let Him lead us forward. We need to pray that everyone will let Him guide us as we will soon be stepping into the voting booth.

I'm thankful for the blessings we have received today; good health, a watering of our earth, good friends, plenty of nourishment, and so much more. This has just been a day filled with blessings; nothing spectacular, just a day for blessings.

They've Got Talent!

Schools turned out at noon today so the teachers could have workshops (as I mentioned in a previous blog). I went out and picked up the grands. On the way home, we passed the new McDonalds so I thought it would be a special treat to go through the drive-through and let them choose an ice cream flavor. The girl chose caramel and she said she really didn't like it, that it was sour; however, she ate all of it. The boy chose chocolate (as his grandmother would have done had she ordered ice cream; I ordered the iced mocha coffee instead). They were so careful eating their ice cream in the car: no messes! When we arrived home, they wanted to watch TV for a few minutes and something came on that talked about talents. Being the inquisitive grandmother who loves to see what they will come up with, I asked them what their talents are. At first, the boy said he didn't know, but after some thought, he said driving his little battery-operated F-150 truck (he is very good at that); he also said he was good at building things with the K-Nex (and he is). When the girl didn't respond (she was engrossed in the program), I specifically asked for her talent. Without blinking an eye, she said, "Whistling"! Now, I know that she can whistle and I also know that that talent drives her mom batty because the girl can go on and on and on with that whistling. Anyway, I got a good laugh out of that one.

I mentioned yesterday that it was Hubby's birthday. He received a couple of cards that have the sounds. The grands love those! One says you are not old until the ___ lady sings. When opened, there is a lady's voice singing a very high note which the girl loves to practice singing along. She would put the card to her ear and listen until she got the absolute same pitch. That is a talent that she forgot to mention. The boy, on the other hand, likes the card that sings "You were born long, long ago... long ago...long ago...long ago...long agooooooooooooo!" How entertaining they can be!! I will miss them tomorrow!

Different Personalities

Yesterday was the hubby's birthday, but it was celebrated just about like any other day since he doesn't care for celebrations. The last birthday party I had for him was his 65th birthday and I don't think he overly enjoyed that; yet, I wanted to have some family and friends over for the occasion. He did enjoy the company; it's just being recognized in that way is not something he enjoys. I suppose you could say that he's a bit shy and quite introverted. Our youngest daughter is the same actually, although she does try to cover it at times, sometimes with success and sometimes not. Our oldest daughter is much the opposite, a really extroverted person, the most of all our children. Our youngest son is also very outgoing, makes friends easily and influences people with that brilliant personality. Our older son is probably a bit introverted although I haven't been around him nearly enough during his adult years to see how he is around a crowd. Now, me? Well, my younger daughter thinks that I am the height of extroverted but I don't agree. I do love to be around friends and be in the middle of a group setting; however, I am shy around strangers and folks that I don't really know well. I guess, with age and practice, I have become quite effective.

Back to Hubby's birthday: I think the one thing that I gave him that he is enjoying most is a book by Nicholas Sparks, his latest book, "Night in Rodanthe". He has almost finished it already. The movie, starring Richard Gere premiers Friday I think. All of a sudden, I am very disappointed in Gere though. He appeared on Regis and Kelly show this morning and, as he was going off, he yelled, "Obama...Obama..." I don't think that was appropriate and I think many of his fans were disappointed. He didn't need to air his political views on a non-political show. I'm an independent/unaffiliated and that wouldn't encourage me to vote his way; instead, it leaves a bad taste when I see and hear the stars getting so involved in politics!

Traveling is Therapeutic

It's almost time for another birthday in our family. Hubby will be celebrating his big day this week. I think, for a gift, he would prefer a well arm and shoulder. His immobility is really getting to him and I can certainly understand that. I think he still does too much but that's his way. Friday, he goes back to his surgery for a follow-up visit. I'm anxious to hear what he thinks of his progress.

My friend at church who had the surgery is slowly improving but still needs our prayers. Her healing will take a long time. So many of my family and friends need prayer. I hope that you will lift them up in your prayers.

Hubby is itching to get to the beach for awhile. I think he really doesn't care if we hit the beach or the mountains; he is just ready to camp for awhile. If the doctor gives him the "go ahead", we will probably spend a week or so in the RV. It has just been parked too long now. We haven't been able to get away since mid-July and that's unusual. There's nothing more peaceful than time spent in the motorcoach; it's very therapeutic and we both can use a little of that. I think that would be the best birthday gift for Hubby!

Sad Saturday

For many sports fans, I'm sure their teams won; however, for me and my family, this was not a good day for the games. Our alma mater (for me, Hubby, son, daughter, granddaughter, grandson-in-law, great nephew, sister-in-law, nephew, and many friends), lost their first game of the season to an unranked team this year. This throws out all opportunities for them to get a BCS bowl bid because, being a university in a conference other than SEC, ACC, Big 12, Big 10, etc., only 3 teams in other conferences can make it and then, only if they have a perfect winning season. I ask, is this fair or right? In my opinion, not. Even if I were not a fan of Conference USA teams, most particularly the East Carolina Pirates, I would feel this way. Our team had to play some top notch teams and with this being such a rival game (to the opposing team, not to me), this was either team's game. Things like this happen all the time when you have such rivalry going on. I still have 3 alma mater teams playing today so I will continue to pull for them. I think that Penn State has already done their stuff for today. Come on Sooners and Tarheels!

At least we had a pleasant night last night when I was able to get my son on the phone for a lengthy conversation. I know he thought something was wrong since we always wait for him to call us. Actually, ever since we were married, Hubby wanted phone calls to be sparse, especially long distance ones. I remember when we lived out of the country, I only called home about once a month or less, I think less. This thinking has just carried over but I tell him we have the cell phone now and can call more often. Anyway, it was great talking with you, Son... I love you very very much!!!!!!!!!!

Do Not Pass GO

An update on my church friend: it seems that she is improving slowly and the doctors don't think they will have to go back in again. Her blood pressure has stabilized now and that's a good sign. Thank you for your prayers. Please continue to remember her and others dear to me who are going through tests for the next couple of weeks. We do need prayers.

Today, Hubby decided that he needed to get out awhile so we went out to dinner then decided to ride through some of the housing developments in the area. It is unbelievable the number of new homes in our area of the state. The surprising thing was that we only saw about 5 houses out of many that were for sale. The hour was 7:00 PM but some of the laborers were still busy working on the new houses. We had thought that building was slowing down, especially since so many people are losing their homes. And the size of these new homes is enormous! We did see a few new villas that were 1650 to 2300 square feet. Our first home was not that large although that is a very good size for a home. I think we are overdoing it with the sizes now; I know that we did with ours, especially now that our children are grown and gone. I just don't understand why we thought we had to build such a big house. Now I don't enjoy the size of the utility bills which have been escalating along with the bills at the grocery stores and the gas stations. In fact, everything is just getting out of hand. Have you noticed that the prices of food is increasing but the size of the packages are decreasing? I hope McCain and Palen (my pick) .can get a handle on these problems. Personally, I think those CEO's and other execs should be required to give back their millions instead of our having to pay for their greed. They need to treat them as if they were playing Monopoly when they are not allowed to pass go and not collect the $200! How much can we "little" people stand??

Checking Out Vehicles

Hubby needs something else to think about other than his health problems. Since he is so limited to what he can do, he has been looking into new small trucks. His has a straight gear shift and he says that he now needs automatic, not a 4x4 however. He just wants a straight little pickup with no frills. Unfortunately, he is learning that even the most simple trucks are not cheap. Mainly, he has been looking at the Chevy and the Ford small trucks. I'm going to suggest that he look at the Mazda, the Nissan, and of course, the Toyota. Actually, he is more interested in a good used truck, maybe an '07. It's probably difficult to locate an '08.

Hubby's hand has been giving him lots of problems now. He says it feels almost numb at times and often tingly.

We have a 50-year-old lady in our church who needs everyone's prayers. She had surgery yesterday and the doctors found malignancy. Tonight was very difficult for her as well. She has been bleeding internally and more surgery may be required unless the doctors can get the bleeding under control. The family and friends covet everyone's prayers for this fine lady.

Be Thankful for What We Have

What a great day this was to stay home, find a nice, soft throw blanket, curl up and take a nice nap! Did we do that? Nope. Well, not at first. We decided to go out to eat lunch, then after coming back home and seeing the rain slow down a bit (after drying out from the trip to lunch and getting caught in the heaviest downpour), we decided to drive the 40 miles to the rehab place where the spouse's brother is located. He seems to be about the same which is not good at all. He did talk more today, most of which made sense; however, sometimes it was very difficult to understand his words. I do feel so sorry for him lying there in that bed day after day after day after day. Do we actually know how blessed we are that we are not in such a situation? He is totally incapacitated, that is, except for his hands that he can barely move the fingers. Hubby had to lift his arm up to his face so that he could scratch his nose. Now that is so sad. So much of the time he lies there alone. His wife goes when she can but she has to drive herself much of the time and it's about a 20 minute drive for her; plus, she isn't all that well. What a sad sad situation. I thank God for my health, such as it is. Yes, Hubby is having several health problems right now but nothing like his brother is experiencing. I have friends who are suffering, but not like this. Let's remember to pray everyday and thank the good and gracious Lord for all of our many, many blessings.

Family & Friends: The Best of Blessings

Today, Hubby went back to the doctor to have the place on his chest checked out. We were not happy to hear that it was an aggressive form of cancer but he does think he got all of it and that it won't return. We feel blessed to hear that it is probably going to be fine now. Once again, he is more antibiotics but is still anxious to get the root canal done. He may have to wait an extra week to get that taken care of though. We're okay with the news because we feel that things will improve for us. After all, we have many family members and friends praying for him, the best of blessings.

We had our monthly Baptist Women's meeting tonight which was very nice. Our group of ladies are very close and really look after each other. I wish everyone could belong to a group that is as caring as ours. I think that our president has a lot to do with the cohesiveness of the group. A finer Christian lady I don't think can be found. I'm thankful for her leadership and her devotion to me and to each of our members.

Becoming Great Grandparents!!

I was surprised yesterday when I got on the blog only to find out that they had moved to another location. I wonder where they went!

Hubby is still recuperating from his second surgery on his shoulder but doing much better; however, now he has been having a toothache and will need a root canal. But first, he must take a week of pre-medications because of his surgery. Then, last week, he had a small growth removed from his chest which the doctor thinks that it isn't malignant (that's great news). The place is not doing too well, however, and it has been very red and weeping. That means that he's going back to the doctor tomorrow to have it checked out. When it rains, it pours, I've always heard. We have so much for which to be thankful though. He can walk, talk, has no heart problems and is quite strong. So, I have faith that he will be fine.

We received some exciting news Friday night. Our daughter called and told us that we will be great-grandparents in May. (She laughed at us for that; I just laughed back at her because now she will be a granny!) Our son-in-law is still in shock over the news that he will be a granddad. (He recently celebrated his 50th birthday). Our oldest granddaughter, the one who married last October, is the blessed one. I know that she and her hubby will make great parents because I have seen the way they love to be around my 2 young grandchildren. I'm happy for them. Mixed in with the bad stuff, one can always find the good stuff!

Learning Frugality

I'm sure that everyone is blogging about today being the 7th anniversary of the awful terrorist attack on our country. Memorial services were held in New York, PA, the Pentagon, and the White House. I think it's wonderful that our country stops its harsh debates and puts aside its differences long enough to remember those who lost their lives during that attack.

Some people now believe that we are out of the woods, so to speak. I am not of that belief. We cannot let down our guard to the terrorist. The polls are showing that people now put our economy ahead of all our other problems and terrorism ranked last. What?? I want to know what good a great economy is if we have no country at all! How can this be last in so many intelligent people's minds, I wonder. The threat is still present and we must continue to combat this for our country's security. Yes, these are hard times for many, many folks; if anyone doubts that, they can compare their grocery bills with last year, their energy and fuel bills with last year, and just a bill from some place like Wally World with one from the past. But, if most of us will look at our pay stubs, we have received a little raise even if it was taken away from us for higher insurance premiums, etc. Think of those in other lands who don't have what we do; yet, they are surviving (many of them with dignity and pride). Most of us worked hard to get where we are today and we had hoped to be able to save more for the future. A report today says that "baby boomers" and their offspring are worst off than ever. Why? the report says they have over-extended themselves: buying bigger homes, boats, etc., wanting more and more, better and better. I guess it's time we pulled back, tightened our belts, and suck it in. Do we really need all that we have? Why do these multi-rich people think they need more (I would be satisfied with just one mil; I don't need billions and neither do they). At the same time, I have worked for my level of income and prefer to make my own choices about how to use it, or not use it; I don't wish to live in a socialistic climate where those decisions are taken away and/or made for me. Whatever... I will step down from my soapbox and start practicing a lifestyle of frugality. My question is, have we waited too late? What's next?

We Rank!

That's right! Three of my 4 alma mater colleges rank (this means that it is "sweet"!) East Carolina University is ranked 14th in college football after winning over the ranked teams of Virginia Tech and West Virginia! Penn State University is ranked somewhere in the top 20 I'm sure; And, the University of Oklahoma is also ranked but not sure the number. Unfortunately, the University of North Carolina is not ranked this year, at least not in football. Knowing them, they will be ranked in basketball later. It makes you proud when your colleges do well and are recognized for their accomplishments. I especially proud of the medical school at ECU which is gaining national and international recognition.

While thinking about these positive feats, it makes me wonder why we can't be more positive toward individuals, everyday individuals who do something well. Why can't we just take a few seconds just to let them know we recognize a job well done. People who work for you; people in your church who spend time to prepare songs, sermons, etc. A word of praise can mean a lot to these people. Why do we often concentrate on the negatives, even search for these sometimes? I, too, am guilty of often not giving praise where praise is due.

The same goes for everyone, politicians included. So much negative is surrounding Sarah Palin now and I think that is a shame. I see her as an everyday person with whom I can relate. She makes me proud to be an American lady and if I ever had the opportunity to tell her, I would not hesitate to do so. Praise is good!

News for My Sunday

What news is there to write about tonight? I guess the biggest news is about Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac; however, that just makes me sick to even think about those head guys making 14 and 14.5 million dollars, yet, it will cost us, the taxpayers mega bucks to bail out those 2 finance companies. What should we do? I suggest that those 2 guys pay back the 28.5 million and that will make a big dent in the debt although it won't dissolve it. And, the guy with the credit union who is now out of prison and still owes 9 mil? Is that right? I don't think so.

I watched a bio of Sarah Palin tonight on FOX News that was very informative. I am still impressed with her credentials and experience. She will be interviewed soon by Charles Gibson on ABC and I'm anxious to see that also. I just hope that the media doesn't try to eat her alive as they so often do some politicians.

Enough on politics. What about those Carolina Panthers tonight! I was so impressed with our home team, especially in the last few seconds when they scored a TD after the clock had run down. Also, the NASCAR race had an exciting finish this afternoon when Jimmy Johnson outraced Tony Stewart. I am not a fan of either one but I am glad that I didn't have to watch Tony try to climb the fence (that just doesn't appeal to me at all!) I prefer to see Carl Edwards do his backward flips off his car window. I was happy that Kyle Busch didn't win. He is a good driver: gutsy, a real chance-taker. I just don't care for him at all. I really favor the guy from South Boston, VA, but he has fallen behind lately. Jr. is a favorite; however, I don't think he is as good a driver as his dad was or many of the other young guns driving today. Can you tell that I'm a real sports fan, especially for the ECU Pirates and the OU Sooners! (and they were both winners this weekend!)

Lovin' Those Pirates!

I was so thrilled to watch the East Carolina University Pirates beat the 8th ranked West Virginia Mountaineers this afternoon. How I would have loved to be at that game (my son and his wife did go, as usual. I understand that my granddaughter and her hubby sold their tickets, thinking the game would not be good and the weather would be miserable. The weather was great, I am told)! Hubby and I were both so exited to see them win their second big game this year (They beat Virginia Tech last Saturday). I know Coach Skip Holt's dad, Lou, is very proud of his son's accomplishment. My fear now is that some other college that can pay Skip more will grab him away. He was recently given a 6-year contract so I hope that will hold him. It would be so nice to see the coach get some real ties/love with a school/community and want to stay around a long time (like Bobby Bowden for example). Greenville is a growing place with much to offer the eastern part of NC. Their medical school is internationally famous and they will soon be getting a dental school, I'm told. I have attended many other well-known and well-respected universities )Penn State, Univ of NC, Univ of Oklahoma, and have graduated from one other. I must say that I value my education received at ECU as much as any and more than most. It is not as much of a party school as people like to make it out to be. Believe me, if one wants to have a party, you can find them anywhere. In fact, the party goers I witnessed at UNC made the ones I witnessed at ECU appear elementary! What can I say: I'm lovin' those Pirates!

Shoulder Movement Like McCain

I'm getting a bit tired of these late-night stay-awakes, but I believe the conventions are over now for 4 years. I had to stay awake and listen to McCain after listening to Palin's speech the night before. I thought he did a very impressive job and Palin was outstanding. I do wish that we could be assured that all of these promises can be kept because I do appreciate their platform. I think, together, they make a worthy team. My morals will require me to vote that way even though I am a registered unaffiliated; I cannot buy into the Obama/Biden packaga.

Enough about politics. Hubby went back to the surgeon this morning for his routine follow-up. Doc was pleased with his condition but warned him of over-doing/over-using his arm. He will be required to wear a sling for another 2 months, he was told. If there continues to be tearing, he would be in deep trouble. Doc told him that his use of that arm would be comparable to McCain's (I'm so impressed with that man and admire his stamina and maverick ways!); inability to move it above shoulder level. At any rate, it will take 2 years for it to heal completely. Hubby will be involved in physical therapy program for "Limited Protecol (sp)" Therapy.

I always go with Hubby on the doctor/therapist visits for a couple of reasons: first, he really needs me to drive him and listen to instructions; and, we usually go to the local cafeteria for lunch following the visit. If we have time in-between, we will shop in the mall for a short while. That's togetherness fun.

Sit Still and Enjoy

Yesterday, my 70-year-old good friend and her husband delighted us with a wonderful visit. Their visit was really uplifting to my hubby who has been getting cabin fever since his surgery. They even treated us to a great lunch at a local restaurant, in addition to presenting us with two delicious homemade pies! It's so nice to have great friends who are there for you, in sickness and in health. These are two lifelong friends whom I have cherished for many years. Thanks, friends!

Today, Hubby thinks he is able to get out and do his own thing. He's off to the Lowe's Improvement Store now; he cannot be still long, and wants to do his own thing. He really needs to sit still and enjoy life.

Did you watch the Republican Convention last night? I was very impressed with the speeches given by Fred Thompson and Joe Lieberman. I thought they really gave credit to the Presidential and Vice-presidential candidates. I'm now looking forward to hearing Palin's speech tonight as I know many people are. I hope the folks decide to leave her alone since she is not responsible for the actions of her daughter. At least, she's doing the right thing by having the child. I'm also impressed with Palin's willingness to have her youngest even knowing the circumstances. What is your stance?

Downhill Speed

This holiday weekend has been a bit different from years past. First, Hubby came home from the hospital Friday night to nurse his sick shoulder. Second, our daughter came in for the weekend to help out with her dad (always enjoy her time here, and the grands love to see her coming too). Third, my niece and her new hubby had a wonderful marriage celebration last night for many of her family and friends (My daughter stayed home with hubby while I attended the shingdig with my younger son and his bride). The food was delicious and the fellowship was very nice. They also had a combo there to entertain us. This event was a very nice culmination for the weekend.

Today is my older son's birthday (not old, just the older of 2). I won't be seeing him today since he is across the country; however, I enjoyed seeing him in July, along with his wife, and our other 3 children, their spouses, and some of our grandchildren. I hope that we can do that again next year. I trust my son is having a great day today and that he will have many, many more. Happy Birthday to a great son who is loved very, very much by his mom and dad!!

Our son-in-law (husband of our older daughter) celebrated a birthday a few weeks ago. I think his office fixed him up pretty good with their celebration of a 50-year-old! It's funny that this year is the family's year of birthdays ending with a zero: My great-niece turned 20; a niece turned 40; a son-in-law and another niece turned 50; a sister turned 60; a lifetime best friend whom I have always claimed as a sister, turned 70, another great lifelong friend will be turning 70 in December (right, J.C?); and, I must admit that I, too, will be turning 70 this winter! (We couldn't come up with anyone in the family who turns 30 this year). Wow! Where does the time go! They always say that, once you hit 50, the downhill ride really speeds up. Believe me, it does just that! Anyway, happy birthday to us all!