What Did You Do Today?

[Lindsey]

I haven't checked this thread for awhile... PARIS? OCTOPUS? BASKETBALL ON DONKEYS??? You guys have gone nuts without me checking in :p

I have been keeping busy I guess. We went to Scott's year-end party (basically their Christmas party, but in January) on Saturday. The CEO of his company was there. He has never been there before! He did a looooong speech about the direction of the company and how he was just in Santiago and Sydney and all these other fabulous places around the world.

Anyways, it was an open bar :D and many drinks later, we were laughing and talking with Scott's coworkers at our table. We were having a great time! All of a sudden Scott's boss is behind him and Scott turns around to talk, and then I notice the CEO is there talking to him!!! So I turned around in my chair and he crouched down to talk to us and somehow we got talking about travel. Scott said we had just been talking (because we actually had) about taking a year and working somewhere else in the world. The CEO thought that was a great idea and was so happy we loved to travel. Scott said we just went to Europe and he actually proposed on the Isle of Capri. His boss kind of looked blankly, so Scott said it's in Italy, near Sorrento. The CEO said yes, he has spent some time there, and after everywhere he's been, he thinks it's the most beautiful place in the world. We agreed. Then he just kept talking about someone who ruled over the Tiber area from the Isle of Capri, and that is why his oldest son is named Tiberius. He was conceieved there in Capri. We were like "Ohhhh..." soooooo awkward lol! We recovered somehow though and I think we made a good impression. Eventually, the CEO left to mingle more, and we turned around in our seats and the other 6 people at the table were staring with their jaws on the floor lol! It was good though, I hope he remembers Scott.

Two weeks ago, on the weekend, Scott said to me, "Let's go for a drive to visit my grandma for the afternoon" so we got in the car and drove 2 hours, visited for 2 hours, and drove 2 more hours home. It was such a spur of the moment decision. Yesterday morning, Scott got a call at work from his dad, and his grandmother had passed away. We are both so happy we made that trip that day. It was so random. We hadn't seen her since last summer. We will be travelling again this Thursday for her funeral. Scott's sister and her family will likely be staying at our house for two nights on their way down and their way back to Edmonton.

[Janet]

What a great experience with the CEO and hopefully he'll remember Scott. Maybe Scott should send him a note letting him know how great it was meeting him and discussing travel. Doesn't hurt to 'butter ther bread' so to speak.. :)

Please give Scott my deepest condolences on the loss of his grandmother. So good to know he was able to visit with her one last time.

[Tiramisu]

Lindsey, glad y'all got to see Scott's grandmother, you'll be in my thoughts.

Betsi, are they using the shocker thing? Always my favorite.

Diana, I never remember which is calamari and which is squid, but I don't really care for any of it. I would love a greenhouse, but I'm too afraid of snakes and spiders.

Judy, hope you enjoyed the kiddos.

Janet, Has your whirlwind settled down a little?

Gayle, stay dry this evening. It's raining hard here.

I had a really good day yesterday, but the rain has brought my sniffles and cough back ... Probably allergies on top of the crud. Carol and I are getting on better. I think she realized that I won't roll over and take all her dodo. I'm still not progressing on my house like I thought I would, but it's good. I have an appointment on Monday with the colonoscopy doctor. Then, I go back next Friday for anger chest X-ray. They haven't got my bloodwork yet and I know I'm anemic because I'm bruising really badly. I took good care of myself and don't understand why I'm falling apart. It's codeine time ... Good night.

[Janet]

Sandy things are slowing down a bit finally. We should be closing on the house in Florida sometime next month if all goes well. Then we will just have to wait until April 11th and the entire estate should be ready to close.

I'm feeling better. Still having a bit of pain in my left shoulder and neck area, but the Lortab seems to help some. Will be off the Prednisone in a few days and also the muscle relaxant. The only thing I still have a problem with is the tingling in my arm...wow. I'm planning on calling the Dr either Thursday or Friday. His office is closed on Wednesdays.

Even though I was having so much trouble with the laptop and worried I wouldn't get my pictures of mom from my iPad back to my computer...it's all worked out. I have them on CD now and will
be getting them printed out at Wal Mart...the quality is a little better than my printer.

I feel I'm getting my happy back. I'm not quite as down, of course I'm still missing my mom and wanting to talk with her, but doing better. I owe most of it to all of you and my friends that live nearby for putting up with my depression, the loss of my mom and for me just being a real downer. I love you all so much!

[Lindsey]

Thanks Janet and Sandy. I think we all knew it was coming, and I think even she knew it was coming. She has been so lonely since her husband passed away a couple of years ago. She didn't know what to do with herself. Last weekend, she kept asking "Who will take this when I'm gone?" about her pictures, puzzles, books, etc. It was like she wanted to make sure that was all planned out. When we left, she gave Scott the biggest hug she has given him in years, and he was so happy! Scott said this morning "She had a good run" and now she is with her husband again.

[judy]

How amazing that Scott knew to go see his Grandmother. My condolences on her passing to both of you.

Sandy, I think yoiu need to come up here for a couple of weeks. It is very quiet, and you would be forced to relax and gain your strength back!

It is great that you are getting happy again, Janet. You have been through a dark tunnel, but, as you know, there is always light at the end. It seems that you have come through and are back in the light!

I haven't heard from Jessie in 2 days, and am beginning to worry! The machine keeps picking up. I know she has just been too busy, but we touch base every day, at the most every other day. We ran into nthe supermarket on Sunday, and she forgot what she needed to buy, which bothered her. It bothered me a lot too, but I didn't tell her that. I think she is just too stressed, too busy, and needs to slow down. MS is so stress related. Her immune system is compromised as it is, and stress causes the symptoms to get worse.

[DianaB]

Sandy, Calamari IS squid!! I don't know if they have another name for octopus.

Sorry for all of the tests you have coming up. I hope they all go well.

Lindsey, talking to the CEO could be good for Scott!! Hopefully he'll remember the connection and remember his name.

I'm so sorry to hear about Scott's grandmother. Thank goodness you both went to visit her and have good memories of that visit!!

Janet, I'm glad that you're feeling better except for the tingling. I do think that going to have it checked out is a good idea!!

And.....thank goodness you were able to keep your pictures!! I REALLY need to get mine put on a cd too before I have computer problems.

Judy, I'm sure you're worried about Jessie, especially with her MS. I hope you're able to get in touch with her soon. Tell her that all of us on 4WT want her to slow down and take care of herself!!!

It ended up that we didn't go to the donkey basketball!!! Glen was finally in the tractor working so I didn't make him stop and go. He spent so much time fixing the greenhouse that he really needs to get some farm work done.

I'm so ready for snow!! I'm worried about not having any moisture and the dryness moving into the next year. So many are suffering with drought and I don't want it to be here as well. I know that God will take care of us though.

[judy]

I'll mail you a bottle of snow!

I spoke to Jessie, and she is tired. Actually, I spoke to Steve because Jessie was sleeping. He andd I had a long talk, and even though he is not working, I jusr love him.

[Janet]

For the most part, sounds like things are going good those here at 4WT, I'm so glad. We all still have a few little obstacles, but we have each other to get through them.

Today I did some odds and ends around the house and did some more work on getting my computer back to the way it was. I had lost my Word program, but did some searching and was able to get it reinstalled. Yay...it's coming together nicely.

The bus ride home was a little on the slick side. It started to spit a little rain/sleet on my way to pick up the kids and by the time we left school, it was snowing hard with ice underneath. Had to really watch the intersections. Made it home fine though, I'd much rather drive my bus on these bad roads than my van.

I'm hoping the roads are better tomorrow so I can go to town and pick up some paint. Need to get it to Mom's and also put a For Rent sign in the yard. This weekend I'm hoping to get it all painted, Rick said he would help. It really shouldn't take too long.

[DianaB]

Judy, I'd love to have some snow!!! Sadly I would like more than you can ship!!!

Janet, you're going to have your Mom's house looking so cute that it's going to be hard to rent it out!!! I hope that just the right person rents it from you!!!

[gja1000]

I'm hoping the roads are better tomorrow so I can go to town and pick up some paint. Need to get it to Mom's and also put a For Rent sign in the yard. This weekend I'm hoping to get it all painted, Rick said he would help. It really shouldn't take too long.

JANET!!! Painting is NOT going to be good for your neck!!! Yes, this is Ms. Naggy Nurse here.

[Janet]

I know, I'm worried about it too, but we've got to get it painted. I do have a call into the Dr and just waiting on him to call me back this morning. Pain is slight, it's just the horrible tingling. I will take it easy and try to use my right arm, but we've got to get it rented pretty soon. Really it should only take a day to get the whole house painted.

[judy]

You are the stubborn one, aren't you, Janet? You really need to list6en to Gayle, I think. You have been suffering with pain for quite a while. Surely you can wait a week to rent out the house!

I am going to get my hair done, then I haven't decided what. JC Penney is having huge sales! They are getting rid of merchandise because they are getting in less expensive stuff. They have a new owner? manager? buyer? One of those, anyway. I would like to go to Oneonta and see what's on sale. I cannot afford to shop though!!! Doesn't mean I won't.

[Janet]

Guess I'm going to wait to paint. The Dr. just called and said he is scheduling an MRI and will get back with me with a time. So until I find out the results...I'll wait.

And yes Judy....I can be very stubborn....at times...LOL

[DianaB]

I think that it's a good idea to wait too. You sure don't want to aggravate your shoulder any more than is necessary.

Judy, Janet just takes after her Mom in the stubborness area!! Remember all of the times Janet was so fustrated with her? :sidesplit:

I hope you find some great things on sale!! I would like to get out and do something but really don't need anything. I'm just ready to go and do something fun and different for a change!! For us to go and do much shopping it's a 100 mile trip to a large city or 30 miles to a much smaller city with little shopping so I guess I'm staying home until I can come up with a really good excuse to head for the larger city!!! Wish I lived close by.....I'd go with ya'!!!

Actually tomorrow we're going bowling for Kera's birthday and I may head to Wal-mart while I'm there. Even a trip to Wal-mart sounds like fun!!!

[Janet]

Diana.....if you want to do something different.....come here!!!! I really miss you! Spring break is in March for our school!

[Tiramisu]

Great day ... my BOSS LADY is giving me more responsibility and seeing that it's working much better for her. Still would like to transfer Sunday out of my group, but I think they've let her get away with too much. Her newest stunt is to use her work email system to invite several people (not me) to a passion party (sex toys). Bad apple in my basket!

Can't work outside and don't want to paint, so I'm going to bed!

[Janet]

Well let's see now....going on the 30th to the dr about my peeing....and then going for an MRI on the 31st.

[Blueyes]

Good deal Janet! I'm glad you are taking care of yourself!!

Sandy, I can't believe she mixes anything from work with her *passion parties* She MUST be stupid!!

[gja1000]

Well let's see now....going on the 30th to the dr about my peeing....and then going for an MRI on the 31st.

Good, now don't do anything foolish between now and then!

[gja1000]

Great day ... my BOSS LADY is giving me more responsibility and seeing that it's working much better for her. Still would like to transfer Sunday out of my group, but I think they've let her get away with too much. Her newest stunt is to use her work email system to invite several people (not me) to a passion party (sex toys). Bad apple in my basket!

Can't work outside and don't want to paint, so I'm going to bed!


Going to bed is GOOD Sandy, you are still recovering, even though you might think you are fine. I'm glad things are going better at work, seems like you and your boss and worked things out a bit.

[gja1000]

Judy, I read where J.C. Penny's is going to change their operations and lower their prices by 40%, which means, I'm sure, they are going to sell cheaper merchandise. The article I read said they will have a weekly special, but will not have the massive sales like they have been doing. I hope so since I have thought their prices were too high, except when they had at least 40% off sales.

[Janet]

In also heard no more prices at $3.99, 18.99 Etc. It will be $4.00 or $19.00 did I hear that right?

[gja1000]

In also heard no more prices at $3.99, 18.99 Etc. It will be $4.00 or $19.00 did I hear that right?

Yep. That's what I heard too

[DianaB]

Karlie came home from school today. She was pale when she got home and complained about a stomach ache but she seems to be fine now. We did have a bug here with Glen being sick so I'm not sure if she's sick or not.

Tonight we're going skating for Kera's birthday and I'm planning on going to Wal-mart as well. Tomorrow is my birthday (Kera's too) and I invited Jaci to go to some flea markets with me!! I'm not sure where but we'll find something good........if she can go!!! She's been busy helping Nate with field work........so I played my "but it's my birthday" card!!! So hopefully she'll get to go!!! I'm so ready to get out and away from the house.......and the kids!!!

[Lindsey]

Diana, happy early birthday in case I'm not on tomorrow!!! I hope you have a wonderful day and I hope you get to go to flea markets! Sounds like fun!

Janet, I'm glad you're waiting to paint! I hope you get your MRI soon.

I have not slept well in days! Layla is having issues lately with getting water at night. I am not sure if she just doesn't want to get up and bother Kash or what (he is really alpha especially at bedtime and if he even sits and stares at her, she will leave her bed and go sleep in the corner on Scott's clothes). Anyways, at least once or twice a night she will cry and cry and cry. Scott sleeps through it, so I get up and try to push her along to the water dish. Sometimes she will go, sometimes she will refuse. Then I have to bring the dish right in front of her and she will have a huge drink of water. Then everything's fine and she'll go back to sleep. Last night she did it twice, so I got out of bed twice. I have tried to sleep through it but after a half hour I can't take the crying!

On top of Layla, we also had Scott's neice at our house last night and the night before. She turns one next week. She cries between 2:30 and 3:30 in the morning. Last night it was for the whole hour. Her parents picked her up and put her in their bed both nights, but she kept crying. It's a strange place so I understand, but it's tough when we have to get up and work the next day. One of these days our basement will be finished and we can put babies and their parents in the bedroom down there! I am just not ready for crying babies yet.

This weekend we are so busy! We have a free consultation on Saturday at the place where we are renting wedding decor. We are going to figure out linens for the tables and probably chair covers and things like that. Scott's cousin and his wife might come out that night to bring his grandmother's glider rocking chair (Scott's mom wants us to have it for babies someday!).

On Sunday we are having our snowy engagement pictures! I was worried when it was so warm this week that the snow would all melt, but there is still some left. I am worried if we leave it too long, we'll miss our chance. This just hasn't been a good winter for snow! It's so weird because we ALWAYS have snow. I'm sure this year will be going down in history for how warm it's been and how many records we've broken already!

[gja1000]

I went to the doctor with Gary this morning, his lung doc. He has been having so much trouble with his asthma this winter. The doc started him on a medicine that he hates to take. It's an inhaled steroid, it doesn't have any systematic effects like prednisone or anything like that. But, you have to rinse your mouth after you inhale it and he doesn't like that :roll eyes: - yes, that is ME rolling my eyes. I'll have to keep after him (read NAG) to get him to take it on a regular basis.

Over lunch we had a meet and greet with our graduate students and that is always fun. Then I got away about 3:00, which is always nice on Friday to get away early.

When I got home Gary wasn't here, and I knew he was going to go to a movie, but he said he was going to the 1:00 showing, so when he wasn't home by 6:30 I was getting worried. He finally made it home and he had gone to TWO movies! LOL! He's such a geek.

[Blueyes]

Mike and I do that sometimes. We walk out of the theater, buy more tickets and go right back in, lol! It's fun:p I sure hope Gary feels better soon. I know this crazy weather doesn't help.

[gja1000]

Betsi, unfortunately it's the cedar at the deer lease that seems to be causing the problem. He had problems breathing every single time we went out there. He is not going to renew this lease and try to find something a little south where there are fewer cedar trees.

[DianaB]

Well, Jaci and I are heading to Wichita to go to flea markets!! She chose Wichita because she broke her wedding ring and it's guaranteed so we're taking it in to get repaired.

It will be a fun day!! No kids!!!! And Jaci's a hoot!!! Looking forward to laughing with her!!!

[Blueyes]

I hope you are having a fun day with Jaci! Happy Birthday Diana!!!

[Lindsey]

Happy birthday Diana!!!!

[DianaB]

Thanks Betsi and Lindsey!! We had a lot of fun!!!

[Janet]

Hi all! I have been in so much pain that I haven't been able to do much. I can't wait for the MRI on Tuesday, not sure how much more I can take. The Lortabs or anything else is not taking care of the pain or the tingling. Sometimes it makes me feel like I'm losing my mind. Yesterday I spent most of the day in bed sleeping so I wouldn't notice the pain. It will get better.....it better get better!

Whenever I wasn't asleep, I was working on getting my All-in-One printer to work. When my computer crashed I forgot all about making sure my printer worked. The attorney in Florida called and wanted me to send a copy of the title down via email and I thought 'no problem'. Except....my scanner part wasn't working. I finally have everything working now and sent the information off to Florida. Not fun when I'm not feeling good anyway. Sure wish I had more of the Prednisone to take...after the first few doses I thought it was a wonder drug until the doses kept going lower and lower. Just another hurdle and it too shall pass.

Today, I'm not planning on doing anything except getting some laundry done and soaking in a nice hot bath.

Since I wasn't on yesterday I have a lot of reading to catch up on.

[Lindsey]

Oh Janet I hope it starts feeling better soon! Hopefully they will find something out quickly with the MRI.

Today we did our engagement photoshoot! We met our photographer down by the river in the city. We did a few locations down there and he made us feel really comfortable so that was nice. It was soooooooooo cold though! I thought my fingers would fall off because of course I couldn't wear mittens and show off my ring :rolleyes: I really enjoyed it though! It was lots of fun to do happy looks and serious looks lol. Scott and I both had lots of fun with it. He doesn't smile on cue very well so I had to dance around behind the photographer to make him laugh lol!

[gja1000]

Janet, I'm so sorry. I hope they find out what is wrong. I also hope it is something that might be helped with injections. I hope they don't think it needs surgery. But if they do, neck surgery is pretty successful. Gary goes for his neck injection today. I hope it works as well as the last one 10 months ago.

[DianaB]

Janet, I don't like to hear that you're in pain again. I am praying that the doctor is able to figure out what the problem is without surgery. A big hug!! :hug:

Lindsey, your photo shoot sounds like it was fun!! I hope that you're able to post the pictures where we can see them!!

I know at Jaci's wedding they took pictures before the wedding (separately) and Jaci really hammed it up and the photographer got some really great pictures of Jaci acting silly!! That's her personality and I loved it!!

Just Dean and I again today!! The weather is suppose to be in the upper 60's!! So I think that we'll be outside later. Glen keeps saying that I need to be in the greenhouse.......but there's really nothing right now to do until it gets closer to spring. I have it cleaned, sealed, and ready!! Right now I just need to get supplies to have on hand when I'm ready to start planting.

I also have to get the house cleaned up because we're having a young marrieds and singles party here at the house on Friday night and I need to get things done ahead of time. On Friday afternoon I have to be in Bartlesville to go to court with my neice. She's going through a really dirty custody case and I want to be there to see what's going on. So I have a busy week ahead of me!!!

[Tiramisu]

Linds, when will we see a peek of the pictures?

Janet, update, please ... hope you're better!

As soon as I'm released from the doc for the pneumonia, I'll have an upper and lower GI. The gastro doc didn't like that I've been on prevacid for 12 years and thinks he'll find esphogeal corrosion. And, somewhere in there they want to look again for why I'm anemia. Can't get them to believe that it runs in my family and that we're ok as long as we eat right and take our iron. Mine is done now and I'm bruising really badly because I've been sick. Really

Over the beautiful weekend, I planted 2 blueberries, 2 blackberries, 1 grape, and 2 live oaks. I decided on the vinyl (peel and stick) planks for my dining/living room. I did my home paperwork and am almost done turbo taxing. Almost every week, I've been shoveling some of the burn pile I inherited into my trash can, so I'm down to about 4 more cans full. Oh, I drove to my old side of town and had lunch with my daughter and her family. Christian and Delaney are almost as tall as me and quite the young ladies.

Life is so good!

[Lindsey]

The pictures should be all touched up and ready in 4 weeks. He just did 3 weddings and is still working on those for now :) I'm excited to see how they turn out!

Sounds like you are all keeping busy. Sandy, I wish I could plant already! I can't wait to see how the vinyl planking turns out. We've thought about it for our basement.

Diana, your party sounds like fun! You always have something going on. It makes me feel lazy reading about the fun things you do all the time lol!

[DianaB]

Ha!! Ha!! Ha!! I make YOU sound LAZY!!!! That's so funny!!! Out of all of us I'm probably the most inactive one here!!! We do try to keep up with things at church though!! That's about the only thing that I do much of!!! I just have to get the house cleaned up and with Dae Lynn and the kids that's quite a project!! It's surprising how hard the extra people are on the house and furniture.

Again.....just another day of me and Dean!!! Karlie has had a loose tooth for forever........she's afraid of blood and pain.....so she has refused to wiggle it but the new tooth is behind it and already in so she's been in a lot of trouble for not getting it out. Anyway.....last night it was really, really loose and this morning it FINALLY came out!!! This is her second tooth and it amazes her that it really doesn't hurt!! You should have heard her bawling and squalling over it before though!!! Dae Lynn had a hard time pulling her own teeth so she's had problems with even wiggling Karlie's!! So funny!!! Anyway.....we're done with THAT drama!!!

[judy]

Tooth Fairy time for Karlie!

Janet,how did the MRI go? I am so sorry you are in pain! I hope the doctor figures it out and gets you feeling better right now!!!

I had terrible pain in my neck a few years ago. I even bought a cervical collar because there was just no position that my neck didn't hurt like crazy. It was a pinched nerve. I finally found a wonderful chiropractor who got rid of the pain in about a week, and then kept my neck pain free at a once/month visit. You just never know where you will find help! At this point, my neck has been fine for at least 2 years!

Sandy, you are like the Energizer Bunny! With all of these things going on in your body, you just keep going and going and going! Good for you!

I went to my writing workshop this morning, and then got my nails done this afternoon. It is just beautiful outside! I have a busy week, and it sounds like the weather is going to be great.

[Janet]

I had the MRI done this afternoon. Thought I was going to die of the pain lying in that tube, it hurt so bad. The Dr. called me later and told me that there were some bulging discs and something about slid forward. It involves C3, C4, C5 and C6 and also said something about one touching a nerve. Doc said he's not wanting to rush any kind of surgery, but wants me to see a surgeon on Tuesday at 2:30. Turns out he is the same Dr that did Rick's back surgery. He's very nice. I'm anxious to learn exactly what is going on and what I'll need to do. I swear I can't take this much longer. The pain is in my lower left neck, into my shoulder and then pulsates (sp) into my arm with lots of tingling. Driving me crazy at times.

I usually cry on the way home in the bus, but I can't afford not to. So, until I find out what the plans are I have to drive. I just take plenty of non-drowsy pain pills to help, it just doesn't help much.

Tomorrow I have 3 different couples/people coming to see Mom's house. I already have someone picked out that I would love to have live there, but I want to check out the others too. I have to be careful who I let in there.

Other than that....when I'm home...I usually drug myself to sleep...lol. No pain when I'm sleeping.

[gja1000]

Janet, I'm glad you have some answers. I wouldn't rush into surgery either. They may want to try the injections first to see if they will reduce the swelling so that the nerve is not pinched. The injection uses steroids and since they helped you when you took them by mouth, there is a good chance when they are injected right into the C3,4,5, and 6, that it will really help (don't worry, it's only one injection, but it will travel to all those areas). If you do have to have surgery, I know several people who have had great success with neck surgery.

[Blueyes]

Janet, I'm anxious to see what the surgeon says about you. I'm sorry you are in so much pain:o

Gayle, how did Gary's injection go? It must have been the couple of days for medical tests. Mike had an upper GI done today. Everything looked ok, but the doc changed his meds a bit.

Mike is having surgery Thursday. Remember I told you he was having hormonal problems? Well, he has a mass on his left breast that needs to be removed and biopsied. It is day surgery, but it makes me nervous for him to be off his blood thinners for 5 days. My husband never has anything "normal" with his health:rolleyes:

[gja1000]

Oh Betsi, I'm so sorry Mike has to have surgery, but i hope everything is OK. I know exactly what you mean about worrying about our guys. Gary has to go off blood thinners for this injection, so I understand what you mean about worrying about that.

It will take a couple days for him to get relief from the injection, but he said it was already better today, just 24 hours post injection.

Let us know about Mikes biopsy. You are right, this is medical test week! Gary also has an appt. with his cardiologist tomorrow, but it is just routine.

[DianaB]

Betsi, I'm so sorry that Mike has to have surgery. What a scare!! Keep us posted.

Janet, It's good to finally know what your problem is but it's not the kind of news you want to hear. I hope that you're able to get some relief from the pain and tingling. Hugs....GF!!!

[2tiredmom]

Betsi, I will keep you and your husband in my prayers too. You also Janet.
My husband Gary is going to need back surgery too. He has had 4 shots in the last year. But he wants to put it off till after our sons wedding. Which is in May.
Plus during the slower time at work. He has only been there working for 5 months. SO hope it does not put his job in jeopordy. You are all in my prayers.
I give Thanks that you are all so special. Thank You.

[judy]

So many health issues!

Betsi, I am so sorry Mike has to have surgery.
Janet, I agree with Gayle about the injections before having surgery. Can you ask your doctor to get you the injection before your consultation with the surgeon? Why should youi have to be in such pain until everyone decides what to do? He means well, but that is a week away, and then you have to set up an appointment for the injection. That is too long to wait for relief!

Linda, your poor hubby is also waiting for back surgery!

Gary sounds like he is behaving Gayle! Thank goodness for that! It just never ends!

I am praying for all!

I went to the gym for the first time today. I have a trainer, and she is really good! I was so tired afterwards though, that I came home and took a nap! I want to go 3 times/week. I can only afford the trainer once/week for 30 minutes, but that is fine. I hope I remember what to do. She put me on some machines, I used weights in 3 different ways, and then crunches on a pilates ball. She said I have to be very careful with any kind of crunches because of my neck. I liked that because a lot of people just tell you to be careful. She said there is no way to do any kind of crunches without straining the neck.

I enjoyed the exercise, and MUST force myself to get there 3x/week.

There is also a community center nearby that is offering all kinds of great activities. My friend took over runniing it, and everyone is happy with it. I haven't gotten myself over there yet. I need a boot hanging on the wall so that I can make it kick me to get out of the house!!!

[Janet]

We are on 2-hour delay this morning due to dense fog. Since I've been in so much pain driving the bus I have a sub this morning. I may ride with him, but the reaching while drivinng is jus a bit too much. I may ride with him since he's never driven my route before and hopefully it won't be as painful riding as it is driving.

My appt is at 2:30 this afternoon and I'm anxious to find out exatly what my dr was talking about all this C3, C4 etc. stuff and I hope something can be done immediately. I'm really getting tired of all this pain. I'll be sure and let you all know as soon as I find out.

[DianaB]

Janet, C3 and C4 are locations on your neck.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Gray_111_-_Vertebral_column-coloured.png

I'm praying that you get good news at the doctor's office and some relief from your pain. Sorry to hear that it's so bad that you don't feel like driving.

We sure do have a lot of aches and pains on here lately. Either us or our husbands. Prayers for all of us and our families to stay healthy.

We have the party tomorrow so I'm busy trying to get things cleaned up.......that's what my goal has been all week!! I'm going to be gone tomorrow so I'm trying to get as much done as I can today.

The weather has been so beautiful but I haven't hardly been outside because of trying to get things done. And wouldn't you know.....it's going to rain tomorrow and afterwards!!! I don't mind as long as it gets cold. We've hardly been cold and if it doesn't we'll have bugs like crazy next summer!!! I'm so ready for snow!!!

I got some plant starting trays and heat pads ordered so I can start seeds in the greenhouse soon!! I'm excited!!! This nice weather makes me want to start but it's way too early!!

I have a niece that's going through a nasty custody case with her almost ex-husband. Her grandmother has called DHS on her and they came and searched her house and checked the kids!!! AND she's paying lawyer fees for her ex-husband!!!! I'm so furious over all of this!! My niece is a wonderful mother!! Her first child is half black and her grandmother tried to get her to give him up for adoption!!! She's back with his Dad and the grandmother is upset!! It's a mess......but I do know that my niece is a good mother. Having kids has certainly made a change in her life......for the better. Anyway.....I want to go down and see for myself what's going on!! I swear that some producer could make money off of the drama that goes on in our lives.......OK......maybe not mine but definitely my brother's family!!!!

[Blueyes]

Diana, I hope you have a good party and it doesn't rain! I hate that your niece is having so much trouble.

Gayle, Mike has regular bone density tests because his Lovenox causes bone loss. So far, so good!

Mike's surgery went fine today. Now we just have to wait until at least Monday for the biopsy report. Gonna be a long weekend!

[DianaB]

I would be on pins and needles too. I'm praying for good results.

Janet's not having a good day. The news from the doctor was hard to take and not what she wanted to hear. Keep her in your prayers.

[Blueyes]

I saw Janet's post on FB. No wonder she's been in so much pain! She is certainly in my prayers. When you get bad news and you are feeling so much pain, it just makes it a million times worse.

[gja1000]

Betsi, I'm glad Mike's surgery went well. I know it will be a long wait till Monday!

I'm glad Janet found out what was wrong, even though the news was not the best. I'm hoping the Prednisone and rest will do the trick!

[Janet]

Thanks everyone for the prayers. Diana is right, it was an awful day. When I arrived at the Drs. office I had to fill out more paperwork...same old information, but very painful to sit and try to write.

I was called to a room and then to another to have a couple xrays taken. I was standing for these xrays and just cried. It hurt so bad to have my arm hang down like that. I was only in the patient room a few minutes when the Dr. came in. His name is Dr. Brkaric and very nice. The same Dr. that did Rick's back surgery.

I wish I could show you the xray, but the best way to visually explain it is if my spinal column was a pencil and there were two notches out(pinched)...one right below the other. If I can figure a way to get the xray on here I will, but it will have to be tomorrow or later.

If you click on this link http://www.indianaspinecenter.com/education.html and then click on Surgical Procedures and then Anterior Cervical Discectomy & Fusion it will show how the surgery would be done IF it has to be done. If you then cick on non-surgical procedures and then click on Cervical Epidural Steroid Injection it will show how the injection would be done. He said the injection may not work the first time but can be repeated two more times at two week intervals.

Tomorrow I also have to start taking 6 MethyIPREDNISolone for each two days and then take 5 for two days....etc until down to 0. I also have to make the appt for the injections and then start PT 4 times a week for 2 weeks. I can't drive the bus till my next appointment which is in 3 weeks.

What a mess huh? As long as this pain will go away...I'll do anything.


I sure pray the rest of you and your husbands stay healthy. Maybe we should all pull our money together and build our own nursing home for 4WT ladies and their families. We could all take care of each other... :)

[gja1000]

Janet, this is exactly what Gary has, but his is not nearly as bad as yours, at least I don't think so. He can't have an MRI due to his pacemaker so we don't really know, but I don't think his pain is as bad as yours. I'm hoping that you can get relief with the shots. And if it isn't complete relief, maybe you can get enough relief to make it to summer before you have to have surgery. But we won't think about that now! I know you'll do what the doctor says, I just know it! :)

[gja1000]

Gary has to go see his electrophysiology (pacemaker) doctor tomorrow. We saw his cardiologist Wed. and she thinks his pacemaker needs to be adjusted. She called the pacemaker doc while we were in her office (thats one good thing about docs having cell ohones). It's a fancy pacemaker with an internal defibrillator and so he has to go to the electrophysiology lab to get it adjusted. They must have thought it needs to be done quickly because I called today and they told us to come in tomorrow. I was going to Houston tomorrow, but I guess I'll wait and go on Sat. if Gary is OK. Abi has a v-ball tourney Sat. and I really want to see her play.

[Blueyes]

Dear mercy, what a week! Janet, Mike has had epidural injections and they always help him. I hope the pred pack gives you some quick relief.

Glad the doc caught that Gary needs his ticker adjusted and they are doing it quickly. It's kinda scary when they get you in the next day, huh? I hope you still get to go see the kids. I'm trying not to think about the possibility of NOT getting to see mine for a long time... But first things first!

[gja1000]

I don't know how you do it Betsi, (wait so long to see your kids) but I guess you just have to. I'm so sorry.

Yes, it is a little scary when they whisk Gary right in the doc's office.

Hey you northern gals, read about the Texas version of the groundhog. http://kriv.m0bl.net/w/main/story/53085913/

[gja1000]

Another Texas spin on the groundhog's prediction.

http://austin.ynn.com/content/mobile_news/282798/bee-cave-bob-predicts-an-early-spring

[judy]

Scary things! I am praying for Mike, Betsi, that his biopsy is benign. Praying for Gary that his pacemaker adjustment is a one time thing, and that he gets a nice space of feeling well.

Janet, I am praying for you that the shots work. I know several people who go for the shots, and they do work well. Let's just be positive, and go for that goal! I'm also praying that the prednisone helps the pain quickly go away.

Jessie is supposed to come over today. She has a backpile of medical pills to get reimbursed for, and I am very good at organizing that kind of thing. Mackenzie sang at the talent show last night. She was terrific! The mike was a bit too low for her, and she kept brusing her hair out of her face. Now that she sings so well, the technical things show up to me, I guess. I am so proud of her. She texted a boy that she likes him yesterday! He kept asking her and asking her who she likes, so she finally told him. If he comes up to her nose, I would be surprised! He is a nice boy.

[judy]

Oh...and I am ready to spit! The dental insurance company wants MORE information! I can see why people give up. I feel like forgetting about it. They just get under your nerves, and after a while, you just want them out of your life!

[gja1000]

Oh...and I am ready to spit! The dental insurance company wants MORE information! I can see why people give up. I feel like forgetting about it. They just get under your nerves, and after a while, you just want them out of your life!

I think they are hoping you will give up. At least that is what I think they do in these cases. If you give up, they win.

[gja1000]

They are checking Gary's pacemaker right now. It stores every heartbeat since it was implanted in 2004. He had some chest pain yesterday at 5:15 PM and his pulse was irregular , so they are checking that time period to see what his heart was doing at that time. He felt fine Wed. when he saw his cardiologist, but he didn't feel good yesterday or today. You know, it's always something. :o he also had an episode last night about 1:00 AM, he felt like he couldn't breathe. Hope they find the perfect answer today!

[Blueyes]

Most medical technology is amazing! Let us know what they find. I hope they figure out the secret ingredient;) Mike is feeling pretty good today. Not much pain at all:)

[Janet]

Wow....everyone has something going on don't we?

Betsi, I'm glad Mike's surgery went well. Sucks that it will Monday before the results are in.

Gayle...you and Betsi have to be two of the strongest women I know. How you both take care of your husbands medical needs is so inspiring. I hope they can get the information from the pacemaker to let Gary start feeling good again.

Judy.....I think you should get a wagon filled with paperwork a rollaway bed and tell the dentist people you're not leaving till they settle the crap they've put you through. Can you tell them you're file a legal claim or will that not even scare them?

I haven't even gotten dressed today..lol. Haven't done much but nap on and off. Not much I want to do anyway...so napping is good. I really should have ran the paperwork for the PT to town and the Dr. recommendation that I not drive the bus to school, but I will do all that on Monday morning. Trying to give the meds and rest a chance to work.

[gja1000]

Janet, I hope you get some much needed rest in the next few weeks - BUT - NO PAINTING OR HOUSE CLEANING. Please rest your neck/arm!!!

Sigh. They decided not to adjust Gary's pacemaker - which is OK - but I missed going to see my kids today to stay here for the appointment. Yes, I could drive down now, but I am so tired (was up a couple of times with Gary in the night- he couldn't breathe) so I'm just going to go tomorrow. They started him back on a medication they had stopped back in October (thinking it might be aggravating his asthma - it wasn't though), and so his heart was acting much better today after only 3 doses, so they decided not to tinker with the pacemaker. I think he will feel bette overall back on this medication, so that is good!

I'm trying to get caught up on some work projects today, but I'm going home SOON to take a NAP! :D

[Blueyes]

Glad Gary is feeling a bit better. It's such a balancing act with the medicine:rolleyes:

Janet, Mike had a major heart attack 2 months before he was 40. He's now 58, and I'm amazed he's doing as well as he is. He is diabetic, has 11 cardiac stents, and had so many different things wrong with him you wouldn't even believe it! I think Gayle and I handle Mike and Gary much the same...with lots of laughter, positive attitudes, big smiles, and quiet tears.

[Janet]

I think it's just wonderful that you both are able and want to be able to take care of your husbands.

[gja1000]

Yep, Betsi hit the nail on the head. I am at an advantage because of all my medical training, but sometimes, Gary will tell you it is a curse (for him) because I know what is happening, or what should happen, and he doesn't get to get by with much. Lol!

It is hard sometimes, but then it just becomes part of your everyday life. You can't make it the focus of your life, or you would go crazy. Living with chronic illness is always a balancing act, like Betsi said, and then when there are many illnesses at once, it can get really hectic. You just do the best you can. Gary asked me the other day if I had known he would have all these health problems before I married him, would i have married him. I said, "heck yes, I trained all my life to take care of you" :D

[Tiramisu]

Gosh, hugs to us all! My problems seem less serious now. Love you all.

I had a second chest X-ray and go on the 15th for a CT scan. I didn't get to talk to my NP to hear her reasoning, so I'm being positive and not worrying about it. (BS). Gasto doc wants me to have upper and lower GIs when I get cleared from the pneumonia/lungs. Then, we'll deal with my degenerated neck vertebrae, because I've suffered with my neck and shoulder pain too long.

Actually enjoying my new boss more and being "bossier" with my girls. They've tightened up a good bit and do respect me, just can't let my guard down for a minute. I took the 6 of us out to pappas seafood for lunch today because I was craving crab cakes (on my company card).

Too wet to work in the yard tomorrow, so I hope to go to the trader village indoor flea market tomorrow. The home and garden show is next weekend and I hope to go to it. I'm trying to get out more instead of tooting around the house.

I'm under a flood warning so I'm pulling the covers up and saying nite nite.

[Blueyes]

You sure did train for it Gayle, lol! I wish I didn't know anything about any of it. Almost any time we come in contact with a new doctor or nurses, they always ask me if I am a nurse. I know a lot about cardiac, strokes (my parents) alzheimers (Mike's mom) diabetes, and I pray I never have to learn about cancer :/

[Janet]

Sandy I pray they don't find anything seriously wrong. You keep us informed. Hope they can get your pain under control too.

I wish I was there to go with you to the flea market and the H & G show.

[DianaB]

Ended up in Tulsa for my niece's court date and spent all day there. I missed the party that we had here at the house. I guess we had over 40 people show up and they had a good time. By the time I got home there were only about 12 people left and most of them were my family!!

Today Glen and I are headed to Joplin to pick up his scuba stuff. He ordered it before Christmas and there was a mix up and his stuff was sold to another customer so they had to reorder it. Anyway it will be another day away from the kids and spent with Glen!! So I'll talk to ya' when I get back or tomorrow!! Hugs to all of you!!!

[judy]

My mom had chronic rheumatic fever and emphysema, diabetes, etc., etc. My dad took such good care of her. He really made sure that I was not involved in her health care. What a great Dad! There were lots of emotional effects, but I grew up. It does become your whole life. When my Dad remarried after my mom died, he was so thrilled that his second wife was so healthy!

Janet, you do sound better. I hope the prednisone is working. That pain knocks you off your heels!

I am waiting for the kids to come to sleep over. They haven't been here in a while, what with this illness and that. I could go out for a couple of hours, but I probably won't. They wear me out, so I think I will just relax, put away the laundry, and empty the dishwasher. I should wash the floor too.

Max was up a lot last night, barking at something on the deck. I bet it was a squirrel. I have been feeding the birds, and there is bird seed all over ther front of the deck. If the squirrels start coming, down come the birdfeeders! I wonder if squirrels are even around in winter????

[gja1000]

I'm in north Houston at Abi's volleyball tournament. There are 8 courts in one large warehouse type bldg. With 8 game going simultaneously, and the echo in here, the noise is deafening. They lost their first game but have been winning since then.

[Blueyes]

Eight games at once:eek: Must be a happening place! I hope she wins!

Sandy, I hope you get straightened out soon and all your tests come out ok.

Mike and I are going out to dinner with my brother Jim and sil Teresa. We always have a good time together, and I love them so much:)

[Janet]

Today Rick and I went to Mom's house to do a few odds and ends. Don't worry, I mostly watched and really kind of enjoyed it... :) Found a leak where the washer was, my brother did a great job (said sarcastically) when he took it out. Rick was able to fix it just fine only to cause another leak. This time we have to call a plumber, so Rick will call them so he can explain it better, I'll just meet them at the house so they can fix it.

We met with the couple (have a 9 month old girl) who we have picked to rent the house to ask a few more questions. The are very nice and we really like them. We will meet this week to sign the lease agreement and give them the keys. They are going to do the painting for me since I can't and we are taking money off the deposit. When I checked them out...everyone had great things to say about them. So I am pleased and confident that they will pay the rent and take care of the house.

I then met my friend Diane and her mother for lunch at Arni's. It's a pizza place, but has other great food too. They even had some warm pecan pie...my favorite and it just so happened to be her mother's favorite too. Since she can't eat a whole lot, she ate half her big salad and then I ordered a piece of pie cut in half for she and I. It was such a nice visit. I then headed for home. Driving, even in the van is very painful so I was glad to get home.

Rick must be feeling bad for me...lol, because he has been getting stuff done around here that's needed done for years...such as new door bells. Ours hasn't worked in probably 15 years..lol. So we have the wireless kind now. The front rings like a regular ding dong bell and the back door rings like the doorbell on the Adams Family...remember when Lurch would answer the door? I know...I just thought it was good for a laugh....LOLOL Now if Rick doesn't quit playing with them I'm afraid he won't live much longer!!! I'm trying to find my ball bat!!!

I let the cat in for awhile...she likes being in. The dogs seem to get along fine with her, but she wants to play and they are not sure how to play with a cat...lol. She'll take a swipe at Joey in play and he doesn't like it.

Outside of the pain...it's been a productive (for Rick) and a very nice day.

[gja1000]

Well, I made it home - 5 hours on the road, 6 hours at the volleyball games. :eek: It was fun though and so much fun to see Emma and Abi. Emma and I got to visit and play a lot when Abi wasn't playing games (they played 2 games, then were off for awhile and played again, for a total of 6 games. They lost their first two games and just looked awful. Then they stormed back and won their next 4 games, playing really well. After the games, we went to eat Mexican food and then I headed home.

Here are some pictures from today.

1. That is a pic of Abigail (in the pink) with a friend on another team
1. Abi and Emma
3. Abi getting ready to serve

[Janet]

What great pictures Gayle....your granddaughters are really pretty and look like a lot of fun to be around. The have such beautiful smiles!

[judy]

Abi looks like you, Gayle! What beautiful girls! Sounds like fun.

My 3 are here now. Mackenzie is taking a long bath, Brandon is watching TV in here with me and Kass is playing something on the ipod.

Steve fixed a bunch of electrical problems when they brought the kids. I never know how long it will take for him to get to fixing stuff. He is really good t what he does, I have to say. And, I don't pay him anymore. I shouldn't have to anyway.

Kass is up to my nose already!

[gja1000]

I let the cat in for awhile...she likes being in. The dogs seem to get along fine with her, but she wants to play and they are not sure how to play with a cat...lol. She'll take a swipe at Joey in play and he doesn't like it.


LOL! I bet you never thought you would say, "I let the cat in". LOL! I bet she is a nice kitty. The dogs will eventually learn how to play with her!

[Janet]

I really don't think she likes being in for very long. She'll walk around, then go from chair to chair to couch and just stretch and then trys to swipe at the dogs to get them to play. Then she''s usually ready to go back out. I honestly never thought I'd care so much for a cat...I've always been a dog person. She really is a sweetheart.

[Tiramisu]

They're sweet.

[Lindsey]

Judy, my parents have such problems with squirrels in the bird feeders at the lake! My dad has a couple of bird feeders on posts, and he has put big ice cream container lids under the bird feeder so the squirrels can't climb up the pole and onto the feeder... when they get to that lid, there's nothing more they can do!

Yesterday was pretty busy! We took Layla to the vet in the morning because Scott noticed mucus in her urine. Good thing we did. She has a little bit of infection still, but beyond that, she has crystals like crazy in her urine! She has had none every other check, and now she has tons. The vet said we need to switch her food immediately, so we bought some from there. She said the risk for Layla getting a kidney or bladder stone is just too great. If she has to operate on her bladder, we couldn't express her with her bladder stitched up. She would have to use a catheter. It's just too problematic. So hopefully this food works!

Then we came home and worked on wedding stuff. In the afternoon, we headed into the city and I went to the spa to use up the gift certificate Scott gave me for my birthday two years ago (oops)!!! I chose a different package than usual, and I got a mud wrap which I've never had before! It was interesting... She slathered my body with mud from the Dead Sea, then wrapped me in plastic, then wrapped me in blankets, and let me lay there for half an hour. She warned that it would feel tingly and maybe a bit itchy. Well a few parts (my upper back, chest, and behind my left knee) started burning and then itching really bad, and I couldn't move! It was uncomfortable. Finally, I could get up and go into the hydrotherapy tub. I started wiping off the mud, and noticed that those spots were still burning. My chest was becoming red and rash-like where it was burning. I wonder if it was an allergy? Anyways, then I got a relaxation massage and a manicure. I have a bit of money left on my card, but I'll probably use it to buy some spa products for my bridesmaids.

After that, Scott picked me up and we went out for Chinese food. Then we went to the book store to use up the gift certificate he gave me for Christmas :) I read Wicked a few years ago and loved it, so I bought the next 3 books after it. I'm excited to read them!

Then we went to visit my grandma for an hour, and she was excited to see us. We don't see her every day now that we're not taking Layla, and she misses us. So it was nice to see her and she was so happy we stopped by!

Finally, we headed to a comedy show. We are renting all of our wedding stuff from one place, and the husband of the owner is a comedian. They wrote on their facebook page a couple of weeks ago that he was headlining at the comedy club, and if any of their brides bought tickets, they'd give the bride and her fiance complimentary first drinks and a plate of nachos! The comedian was filming his next DVD so he wanted a full house. Well we took advantage of that! We walked in and found out we were sitting at a two-person private table right beside the stage!!! I hope we didn't get on camera, stuffing our faces with nachos lol!!! It was really funny though, and it was Scott's first time going to the comedy club (I used to go quite often before we were together) so hopefully he'll want to take me on more dates there :)

Today, I have to work. I brought my laptop home to get some stuff done before Monday. It's okay though, I'm trying to bank up enough time to be able to take an extra week off this year. It would help a lot for our honeymoon!

[gja1000]

Abi looks like you, Gayle!

Judy, yes Abi does look like me - but if you could see her dad, she has his eyes, so that makes her look a lot like him too. They both have these gorgeous eyes, his are blue and hers are gray green (depending on what she is wearing). Me, I just have nondescript brown eyes :rolleyes:.

[gja1000]

Here's some pics that show Abi's eyes, which look just like her dad's and are what make her look so much like him, rather than me

[gja1000]

I enjoyed the super bowl and I'm glad the Giants won. I'm not much of a Patriots fan. I enjoyed watching the commercials although I didn't think they were as good as some in the past. I also enjoyed Madonna. Yeah, the sets were cheesy, but she looked like she was really having fun and enjoying entertaining the audience. I liked that.

[DianaB]

Gayle, I'm so glad that you made it to the v-ball game. I know how much you enjoy watching them. I love v-ball too!! Wish I was there with ya'!! I'm not very quiet when I watch either!!! I get very involved!! The girls are growing......especially little Emma!!! Thanks for the pictures!!

I'm pleased to hear that Gary's alright. I'm sure you were worried when they got you in the next day to check his pacemaker. My FIL had one and had to go in ofen to get "tuned up"!! He usually felt better afterwards.

Betsi, My fingers are crossed for good news tomorrow on Mike. I know that you're worried.

The two of you, Gayle and Betsi, amaze me at what you go through with your husbands. There should be a special award for women (and men) who go above and beyond what they have to deal with!! Both of you are soooo special!!!

Janet, It sounds like you found some good people and have checked thme out thoroughly. You came up with a good plan to get the house painted without having to do it yourself!! I hope they are as good as your expectations of them are!! How special that they are a young family. I can picture your Mom smiling at the thought of her little house being filled with children's voices and activities!!!

[judy]

Abi is so beautiful, Gayle! You are so right about her big gorgeous eyes! How old is she now?

[judy]

I should go to the gym today! Other than that, I have nothing planned. It is sunny and cold out....a good day to get out.

As soon as the kids left yesterday, I missed them. They are getting older, and are pretty easy to have over. Brandon was on my computer all day, which I don't like, but it was too cold to go outside for a walk or something.

[Blueyes]

GOOD NEWS! Mike is cancer free!! Thank you Jesus!! I was so worried about him. I truly believe a cancer diagnosis would have been a death sentence for him with all his other issues. Now we can make plans to go see the kids :)

[Lindsey]

Oh Betsi!!!! Wonderful news!!! I am so happy for you both!!!!!!

[Janet]

Thank the good Lord for blessing Mike and keeping him cancer free. I'm so happy for the both of you and it's wonderful you both can continue with your plans to visit your kids. God is so good.

Yesterday my son was sweet enough to drive me around getting some errands done. I needed to take paperwork to the school for proof of needing off, also took copies to my regular Dr. to make sure he got them, and then to the hospital for my phyical therapy which starts on Wednesday.
We also stopped by the bank window to make a deposit and to Mom's to drop off some more painting supplies.

After we got home I rec'd a call that the plumber could come to look at a small leak we found. They didn't think they could make it until Tuesday or Wednesday but called so I had to drive back to town (Ricky wasn't here). I can drive, but if I drive for too long, maybe it's the positioning of my arm/neck, but it ends up hurting really bad.

Anyway, the plumber came and was able to get everything fixed in spite of the old pipe fixtures. He was finished right at 5:00 so on the way home I had to stop at the funeral home. A friend/neighbors' mother had passed and her viewing was that evening. I just didn't think I could stand the drive all the way home and then back to town again with Rick. I hadn't taken any pain pills with me and I was at the house with the plumber from 1:45 until 5:00. Then to top that off, I had to stand for darn near an hour at the funeral home in line.

I slept very well last night, feel so rested. Today I'm meeting the new renters in town at 10:00 so they can sign the lease agreement, give them the keys and they are ready to start taping so they can begin painting. They have the cutest little 9 month old baby girl that I would love to bring home. So sweet. They said she is usually shy around others and were shocked how she took to me. It shouldn't take me too long in town and then I will be coming home to rest like I'm suppose to be doing and taking my muscle relaxants. I don't like to take them if I'm going to be driving.

Hope you all have a wonderful day.

[judy]

Thank God Betsi! Take a deep breath now and plan your visit! I don't know how you do it. I am sending you lots of love so you can shake off the stress from the biopsy.

Janet, the new tenants sound wonderful! Do you have any idea of what "taking it easy" means? Nope! Mail those papers in, skip the viewing, and have the new tenants come to your house!

By the way, I found this on fb. I don't know if it will help your neck and shoulder, but everbody should take it into account. It's about shoulder pain from using your iPad on your lap.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125091055.htm

I was supposed to go to my writers workshop this morning, but didn't finish writing the piece I wanted to bring. I stayed home and am going to finish it. I think I might set aside some time every morning to write. I don't like "writing on the run."

[judy]

Linds, how is Layla's infection? I hope the new food works. I had a male cat with calcifications, and I kept him going for years on Science Diet.

How is she doing with her water at night and Kash? Maybe you can keep her separate at night from Kash, or give her water close to her.

[DianaB]

Gayle, your granddaughter does have beautiful eyes.......nice and open with lush eye lashes!!! Jaci has eyes like that except not quite as wide open. She doesn't have to wear mascara because her lashes are so thick. Abi is a very beautiful girl and you have reason to be proud of her!!!

Betsi, I am so thrilled to hear that Mike is cancer-free!!! I know that you are so relieved to hear the news and excited to go ahead and plan your trip to France!!! What a wonderful answer to prayer!!!! Give Mike a BIG hug from me!!!

Judy, your writing class sounds interesting. Do you just write something or do you have assignments? I just found out that a woman at our church is writing a book. I think that's so interesting!! I guess that she's been working on it for some time but hadn't said anything. I hope I'll get a copy once it's published!!

Dae Lynn has started potty training Dean because he's been interested.......and he does go when you put him on the toilet. She gives him a couple of Skittles as a reward. She hasn't been pushing him too hard because he's not quite two yet and that seems a little early.......Anyway......this morning I was changing his diaper and asked him if he wanted to go potty and he said yes and ran in and went so I gave hime a couple of Skittles........In a little bit......like AFTER the Skittles were gone he came back for more and I told him that they were for when he went potty. He started saying "Potty" so I took his diaper off again and in he ran to the bathroom........and sure enough.....he went!!!! And got two more Skittles!!!! I had to laugh at him figuring this out!!! He's so cute......and too smart for his own good!!!!

[Janet]

By the way, I found this on fb. I don't know if it will help your neck and shoulder, but everbody should take it into account. It's about shoulder pain from using your iPad on your lap.

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases...0125091055.htm


Well crap....I'm screwed!!!

I usually have it tilted on my lap or hold it in my hand, tilted and with my head leaning forward abit. With my laptop I can lean back in the recliner and feel very comfortable with no straining or pain. Guess I'll have to put the iPad down for a little while....huh? or just for a quickie!

[Tiramisu]

Thank God, good news for mike/Besti.

[Lindsey]

Linds, how is Layla's infection? I hope the new food works. I had a male cat with calcifications, and I kept him going for years on Science Diet.

How is she doing with her water at night and Kash? Maybe you can keep her separate at night from Kash, or give her water close to her.

Well, nothing can be easy with Layla. As soon as we think things are going well and we can handle things, it gets worse. I will write about this a little more after I eat some pizza.

[gja1000]

Betsi, I'm so thrilled to hear such good news about Mike!!! I know how relieved you are. We've been told twice that Gary had lung cancer, but of course, both times it was true.

Janet, Judy is right, take life easier, at least for the time being!

Judy, I admire your drive for writing. I hate to write and I know how difficult it can be.

Diana, it sounds like Dean really has figured things out. And he likes skittles, for sure!

Lindsey, it sounds like Layla is still having problems, I hope they are solved quickly.

Long busy day, busier day tomorrow and the rest of the week doesn't look much better. I'm looking forward to the weekend!

[Lindsey]

Layla is drinking more with her new food, which the vet warned would probably happen. Now she is drinking so much her bladder is overflowing while we're at work :( The vet is calling back soon to let us know how much it will cost to board her there every day. It is getting really hard. She is costing us as much as putting a kid through college :(

[Blueyes]

Poor Layla, she has had to endure so much. She's a tough girl:)

Thanks everybody for all your prayers and well wishes! Mike and I are so relieved it's unreal!
I haven't done much today.. Physical therapy, laundry, bank. The usual!

[gja1000]

Lindsey, I can't remember for sure but I think I remember that Layla is at risk for bladder stones. If so, there are other ways to acidify her urine without changing her food. I'll have to ask my friend about it. She has a dog with the same problem and she took him to my country vet who is famous for home remedies. The only thing I can remember is to offer him cranberry juice. There were about 3 other things she could use to acidify his urine. She didn't want to buy the expensive food and my vet told her she didn't have to. Maybe it would work for Layla and you wouldn't have to use the special food and so she wouldn't drink so much water. I'll find out tomorrow.

[Lindsey]

Thanks Gayle. I thought the vet said the ph of her urine was TOO acidic :confused:

[gja1000]

Well, maybe I have it backwards, but my friend's dog has already had bladder stones. Is that what Layla is at risk for, developing bladder stones? If so, then whatever the vet told my friend was to prevent bladder stones. I'll find out tomorrow

[judy]

Oh my! What would it cost to board her at the vet ever day? Are there any dog sitters around who could go in and express her once during the day? My cousin took care of dogs for about 3 years.

[judy]

I am going to the gym today. I was going to go on Monday, but I want to learn the machines a little better before I go on my own.

I'm back on the Medifast diet, and am not losing as quickly as the first time. My body is probably used to this amount of calories. I hope the exercise jumps up my metabolism.

[Lindsey]

Well, maybe I have it backwards, but my friend's dog has already had bladder stones. Is that what Layla is at risk for, developing bladder stones? If so, then whatever the vet told my friend was to prevent bladder stones. I'll find out tomorrow

Thanks Gayle. Yes, she is at risk for developing bladder stones.

Oh my! What would it cost to board her at the vet ever day? Are there any dog sitters around who could go in and express her once during the day? My cousin took care of dogs for about 3 years.

The vet never called back :( Hopefully we can get ahold of her today.

I got in touch with a few pet sitters from the city, and they want to charge $40 PER DAY just for driving 20 minutes out of the city. Then the charge for taking care of Layla on top of that. We can't afford that. There are no pet sitters in our town.

I just sent a message to a 19 year old girl who is new in town and advertising she's looking for babysitting jobs for extra cash. Maybe she's an animal lover. It's a long shot but worth a try.

[DianaB]

Poor Layla. I feel so sorry for her and I know that her care is a huge worry for you!! I hope that you're able to find a solution that works for both of you soon!! Give Layla hugs and kisses from me!!!

Good luck on your diet and workout, Judy!!!

[gja1000]

Lindsey, I would ask your vet about Layla's condition. My friends chi has already had surgery for bladder stones and it looks like he is developing them again. She was told by her vet he'd have to eat this expensive food, and she really didnt have the money for that, so my vet (a different vet) told her to give him cranberry juice, cranberry fruit pills or vitamin C pills or there is also vitamin C granules. I need to ask her again how much per day - I can't find the email that says how much. Your vet may not agree with this approach, but it might be worth a try if she doesn't have to eat special food and drink more water.

[Tiramisu]

Good work day, still no motivation at home. Got my new eye glasses today so I'm not squinting to see. Jeff and Emily are dropping the girls off Friday night and going deep water fishing out of Galveston with some friends. I'll be tea partying for sure. Katey is 7 months old, crawling and pulling up, not to be left alone for 1 second. She'll be walking within the month and is the first one of Jeff's girls to be playpenned. Em was getting nothing else done and was slighting Abby and Sarah.

My name got put in the hat for a vp admin job and I'm not sure I want it. I like being busy and not bored. But, as with most things ... It's more money. I'm not stressing about it. I'm not even stressing about the chest ct scan. My neck is better as long as I'm taking the muscle relaxers.

Life is good.

[DianaB]

Sounds like things are going well, Sandy. Have fun with the girls.....even if all you get done is chasing them around!!! I can understand that one!!

Today is my favorite day of the WHOLE year.......We went to the dentist!!! Now I have a whole year before I have to go back!! Yay!!! Actually today the dentist's assistant did all of the work and she is so much gentle than the doctor is. I told her to sign up to work with me again next year!!!

Feyn was here for a little while this morning......I always love when he's here!! Dean thinks that he's great!! It's so cute!!

[Janet]

Sandy I'm so glad you don't have to squint anymore....squinting always gives me a headache if I do it for too long. I know you'll have fun with the kiddies, but I bet you'll sleep like a baby when they go home...lol.

Would it be boring with the new position? I always like the more money idea... :). I'm glad you're not going to stress over it. You'll know what you want to do in due time. Sending good thoughts your way!

[Janet]

This morning I got my hair cut. I felt so bad because I was suppose to get it cut yesterday, but forgot and I was a PT. When I got home there was a message on my machine so they had an opening for this morning.

The people paid for the house and had the closing today so I went through and called all the insurance people and had it all cancelled. They will have everything put in their names now. Made me sad calling all the different places and explaining again, that mom had passed. The business part is almost over. I can't believe the phone calls took so much time. Still have found a homeowners policy for Florida yet, but a lady down there offered to help me. I'm so grateful for all the help.

Also had to have the house here (insurance) added to our other rental policy....I forgot. Oh well...it's done now so everything is safe and secure. Just been a busy day. Don't worry ladies, I did quite a bit from my comfy recliner...I'm not taking any chances of over doing it...I promise.

Tomorrow I go for PT again. I haven't been in much pain at all today...I'm so surprised and relieved. Only had a tingle in my arm a couple of times today so that is good too. It tingled when I gave Ricky a haircut. I just did a trim so I wouldn't have my arm up too high and it only took about 10 minutes....I swear. This evening I'm hoping to go out and get something to eat. Don't have much here at the moment and I don't feel like cooking if we did have.

We are suppose to be getting some snow (up to 3 inches) and frigid temps starting after rush hour in the morning. I so wish spring would hurry!!!!

[Tiramisu]

Janet, glad you're getting some relief. Diana, I lovable with you on the dental stuff.

I just can't seem to get a break lately. I spent most of the day in the ER with kidney stones. It woke me up about 4 this morning and got gradually worse. By 10 I went to the cvs minute clinic and she sent me straight to the ER. They zapped me with morphine, so after all the labs and imaging, they found a place and let me sleep for 4 hours until I could drive home. There's one big stone that's lodged so I need to go to my doc to figure what to do. This is not fun.

[Blueyes]

Oh Sandy! No wonder you don't have any motivation. I think you have been sick for so long you are just used to feeling bad:o You need to take a week off, get in bed and stay there young lady! :getwell:

[gja1000]

Oh no Sandy! You poor thing. Betsi is right, you need some rest and recuperation. Hopefully they can break up the kidney stone. I know it is very painful - I've never had one but have seen people in terrible pain and I don't want that to happen to you.

Please take care of yourself, you've had too many things going on and too many illnesses lately. You need to de-stress, relax and heal.

[Lindsey]

Lindsey, I would ask your vet about Layla's condition. My friends chi has already had surgery for bladder stones and it looks like he is developing them again. She was told by her vet he'd have to eat this expensive food, and she really didnt have the money for that, so my vet (a different vet) told her to give him cranberry juice, cranberry fruit pills or vitamin C pills or there is also vitamin C granules. I need to ask her again how much per day - I can't find the email that says how much. Your vet may not agree with this approach, but it might be worth a try if she doesn't have to eat special food and drink more water.

Thanks Gayle. I guess it depends on what kind of crystals they are, from some research I did yesterday. There are two types and they have totally different treatments. One needs you to make the urine more alkaline and one needs you to make it more acidic. I'm confused because the vet did not specify the type of crystals, and the food Layla is eating specifies it gets rid of both! :confused:

I just emailed Layla's old vet from the university and hopefully she gets back to me. She knows more about nutrition than the vet here, I think. Actually the vet here did call Scott briefly yesterday (finally) and talked about getting xrays and Scott wondered why. She said she thought we were having troubles expressing Layla and that she was peeing blood. Scott said no not at all! She's peeing too much pee, all the time! But besides that, she thought Layla was peeing blood and she took TWO DAYS to call us back???!!!! So we are hoping the other vet can refer us somewhere or look into it herself for a second opinion.

I am working from home today, which is nice. The doggies are all curled up asleep, and I'm drinking tea with my laptop at the dining room table. I've decided when we finish the basement, I want a real office with a real office desk so I can lay out plans and really get more work done. Scott drove in today by himself, and had to park in my parking spot at my office and walk 15 minutes to his office. It's -30 degrees Celsius. I kind of feel sorry for him, but I have to get into that cold car every day and go pick him up (by then it's a little warmer!), so it's about time he gets cold for once!

This weekend we should be meeting with that girl about looking after Layla. She just hasn't emailed me back yet. Tomorrow we are also heading into the city to volunteer for 4 hours at an adoption day for the dog rescue we got Kash and Lucy from :) I hope it goes well! And on Sunday night we are having a playdate with Kash and Lucy's old foster mom and her little dog (and maybe some more fosters!). Can you tell I'm a dog person?

[Janet]

Today...I went to physical therapy. I liked the first guy better, but he's on vacation now so I have a new guy. He's okay, just not as chipper as the first guy. Still not having much pain at all, only now and then and not bad. I was told to do normal things around the house as usual, just no heavy lifting, quick jerking of my head and neck. Something about needing to keep the muscles in motion "because motion is healing".


Spent the rest of the day at home, not doing much, until Rick got off work and then met him at Mom's house to repair the front door knob. I thought I had it fixed, but it's stripped so tomorrow Rick is going to install a new one. The renters are done painting and when I saw how nice it looked, I just about cried. I wish Mom could see how pretty the walls look, she'd be so happy. The young lady decided she would rather pick out some different curtains which is just fine, but told her I could go ahead and take them to get them out of her way. She said she wished I would let her wash them for me and said she'd really be pleased if I let her. So...I'll let her. They are so nice and I really feel happy to have them there.

[judy]

Sandy, how do you feel? You poor thing!

Betsi, when are you going to see the kids?

Gayle, it sounds quiet at your house this week! Thank God!

Linds, don't adopt another dog!! I hope your old vet gets back to you. This doesn't sound like such a major problem, if it can be handled nutritionally. Sweet little Layla! Give her a big kiss from me!

Janet, moving around does not mean emptying the garage, cleaning out the attic, or who knows what you have on you to do list!!! Just saying! How lovely that such sweet people are living in Mom's house. I just know that she is happy about it!

I'm going to the gym today. I reallly do not want to go out because it's 14 degrees! I am going to force myself to go though.

I ordered belly bands for Max. I hate to do it, but his marking is getting me angry.

Should I just put it on him, and let him get used to it, or slowly let him get used to it with treats, etc.?

[Lindsey]

Lol I was so close to adopting another dog yesterday! The dog assigned to us, Mackenzie, is a shepherd cross who came from a reserve up north. She was pregnant and had been shot, but not killed. The humane society took her, and then the rescue took her from them. She had her babies, which went to another rescue, and she has been looking for a home. She limps on her front leg because there is still a bullet lodged in her shoulder :( People just make me so sick. She is still waiting to find out whether she will have surgery to remove the bullet and fuse the bone together.

She was just such a sweetheart. She immediately took to us like we were her new people. She walked so well on leash and when we were sitting down she'd always try to lay on my lap and look up at me with her big brown eyes. Everyone was amazed at how much she loved us immediately! Anyways, one older couple filled out an adoption application for her and another shepherd cross, and another famly seemed interested later in the day and Scott gave them a card for more information on adopting. I really hope she finds her forever home soon! She is just too sweet to not have a loving family.

My parents got back from Cuba so we visited with them for a little while, and then we took Kash and Lucy and Layla to Kash and Lucy's foster mom's house for a playdate, since we were already in the city! :) She and her boyfriend were in awe in how much Lucy has changed! There was one bad moment though, as soon as we came in. I guess it was just the excitement level, but Kash got in a barking match which turned into a scuffle with one of her dogs (they were best friends when Kash lived there!) and Scott grabbed Kash and pulled his face towards him, and Kash lunged at Scott's face and next thing we know, Scott's nose is dripping blood. Kash snapped at his nose and there was a big cut down one side and a little gash in the other side. Scott said he also got some teeth under his lip. It was just so not like Kash at all. We put the other dog in a bedroom and Kash calmed right down and he seemed so ashamed to even go near Scott. I don't know where that came from because he is so laid back and loving.

We also won tickets to a comedy show last night, because we put our names in a draw while we were there last weekend! We invited Scott's cousin and his wife to come with us, and it was a lot of fun.

[Janet]

Judy: Janet, moving around does not mean emptying the garage, cleaning out the attic, or who knows what you have on you to do list!!! Just saying! How lovely that such sweet people are living in Mom's house. I just know that she is happy about it!

I won't...believe me. I've just done laundry, some light dusting, keeping the kitchen counters/table clean. I won't even run the sweeper as I've heard that is one of the worst things someone can do with an injury...not sure if it's true, but not taking any chances. I sure love ya Judy!!

[Blueyes]

Today I bought plane tickets for PARIS!!! WooHoo!! We are going in April for 2 weeks. Everybody is out of school for Spring Break! I don't care if we do one single thing.. I just want to see my babies! Now if I can manage to only pack a 50 lb suitcase, I'll be doing great, lol!

[Janet]

How wonderful for you Betsi!!! I know how excited you are and I bet the kids are just as excited!

[Lindsey]

That is awesome Betsi!!!

[DianaB]

How exciting, Betsi!! You're going to need a MUCH larger suitcase if I'm to hitch a ride!!!! LOL

Lindsey, your help at the dog kennel sounds like it was interesting. I'd have trouble getting attached to the dogs as well!! I hope that Layla gets to feeling better. I worry about her.

Sandy, how are you feeling today? It sure sounds like you had a tough weekend. I hope your stone has passed easily. Hugs!!!

Janet, I'm so glad to hear about your new renters!! They sound like really nice people and will take good care of things!! How sweet that she wanted to wash the curtains before she gave them back.

I'm glad that your pt seems to be working and your pain is getting better!!

Judy, I would just put the belly bands on Max and see how he does. If he acts bothered by them then I would just put them on for awhile but making it a longer time each time. It shouldn't take too long for him to get used to them. Make sure you put half of a women's pad inside then you don't have to change the bands every time he marks. Sometimes I even use a third of a pad.

We got SNOW!!! Ok.....it's not much but I'll take it!!! It's so nice and white outside!!! It snowed during the night so we didn't get to watch it but that's alright.....I guess!! I sure hope that this isn't all that we have for the year!!!

Amy called Dae Lynn last night because she found a mobile home on Craigslist for $3,500 so Dae Lynn called about it and we're going to go and look at it tonight. Damon is getting out of jail soon and I'm really not too sure how welcome he'll be at the house from Glen. This will be a really inexpensive way for Dae Lynn and Damon to be out on their own and eventually own their own place. We have places where they can set the home.....the down-fall is that the home isn't very big.....14' X 60'. We lived in one that size when Feyn and Amy were little. We did it but we were cramped.......and we had an old house beside us to store things in......but it wasn't in any shape to be lived in. It will cost to have it move here and have it set up but they should be able to have it paid off in a couple of years. Sigh......I hate to see Dae Lynn and the kids move out......but not sure what's going to happen if and when Damon moves in.

[Lindsey]

I hope that the trailer works out for them Diana. Even if it is small and cramped, it's still a place of their own. And if they can own it in a couple of years, it beats throwing money away on rent.

I think I am getting the flu. It it has gone through my whole department at work except me and one other guy so far. Last week a couple of people came in and weren't feeling well. This morning I am very tired and my body feels like rubber. I just started feeling a little nauseous after being at work for about an hour. Then I was getting another part added on to my desk and one of the guys working on it wore REALLY strong cologne. My stomach was churning and I had to run to the washroom, just in case. I didn't throw up but I was so hot and sweaty and I had to sit on the floor for a little while before getting myself back together. Now that he's gone I'm feeling a bit better, but it still hits me every once in awhile. I think I may be staying home tomorrow. Smells normally don't bother me that much so I think there's something going on. Oh and I'm NOT pregnant lol!

[DianaB]

Ha!! Ha!! Ha!! You knew what I was going to ask!!! It sounds like perfect pregnancy symptoms!!

I hope you're not coming down with the flu. That's not fun. So far I've managed to avoid it but it's sure going around here too. Take care of yourself.

[Tiramisu]

Oh, a baby ... I love babies! Ha

Great weekend with Jeff and his family. They didn't want to leave me and I didn't want them to go. Didnt do anything outside because the ground is good and wet, so we had quality inside time. Jeff and Emily went on a date, so I took the 3 little girls to the mall to meet Laura, Christian, and Andrew. I wanted to get Chrissy a few outfits for her Europe trip and we ate lunch. Then, Andrew started having a seizure, so we got him in the car and they took off home. I took the babies to Toys R Us and we came home.

Today started out like a regular work day ... Carol texting me at 6 to see how I felt and if I was going to work today. I left work at 12:45 for the chest CT scan and came on home. I need to get groceries, but didn't want to be out in the rain. My cough is coming back, so I'm really anxious to find out what's going on with my lungs.

The kidney stones haven't bothered me again and I have a doc appt this Thursday to get some results on my ailments. Not much sleeping until I get some results ... good or bad!

Love ya'll

[gja1000]

Betsi, I'm so glad that you got the tickets and have a date to see your kiddos! I know you will enjoy yourself so much! But, will you please to go the Louvre and see the Mona Lisa and Monet's paintings for me, pretty please. I want to visit the Louvre so much, but probably never will.

Lindsey, so sorry you are feeling badly. Hopefully it will be short lived!

Diana, I know you love having snow. We had a few flakes on Sunday too, but only for about 5 minutes! LOL! I hope the trailer works out for you. Gary and I lived in a trailer for a while also when we were first married. It's cramped, but not bad.

Janet, your renters sound so wonderful. We have very good renters in our house too. They want to buy our house and we will sell it to them if they are ever able to get enough credit to buy it. I don't think that will happen though, the wife now has breast cancer and I think this is a reoccurrence, so that is not good. It is very sad.

Judy, we use belly bands for our boys when we travel. They don't like them, they act like they have been beaten when we put them on. LOL! Our boys both mark, even though they have a doggie door and can go in and out at will, day or night - they still tinkle in places in the house. But I have tile or wood and it doesn't hurt either so I am resigned to just wiping it up.

Sandy, I'm glad you had the CT scan. I know you are worried about what might be the matter. At least you've had the test and it won't be much longer and you will find out what is going on or that nothing is going on. I'm glad the kidney stone hasn't bothered you any more.

[Janet]

Sandy, along with you, I'll be glad when you get all your results to know what you're dealing with so you can get better. I don't want you feeling bad.

My boys are so use to belly bands because the wear them all the time. I just tell them we need to change the belly bands and they'll turn around so I can change them...lol

[Blueyes]

Happy Valentine's Day everyone! I'm on my way to Shreveport to shop a bit and have lunch with my Valentine. I hope you all have a sweet day:smlove2::1luvu:

[Lindsey]

Happy V-day! I am feeling much better today. Scott made me some chicken noodle soup and I napped on the couch last night before going to bed. I am feeling much better today!

I don't think we have any plans for today. We might order some KFC for supper tonight so I don't have to cook. Scott brought home flowers on Friday for me so I think that counts as his Valentine's Day gift!

[gja1000]

I had brunch with my mom and my valentine ;) this morning after my valentine went to the doctor. Brunch was nice. The restaurant gave us a chocolate truffle for dessert. My valentine got me two little bird figurines, a blue bird and a cardinal. They are so adorable!

Lindsey, I may pick up some fried chicken on my way home tonight. NOT a dinner we eat very often, but I wont have time (or energy to cook tonight) and it IS valentine's day after all!!!

[DianaB]

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you!!! Glen, Dean, and I ate Mexican at a local restaurant this afternoon. Tonight I'm going to the girls' basketball game because Karley (one of the twins) is being crowned Sports Royalty. I'm not sure how it works anymore but I'm excited for her!!! Plus getting to watch her play is always fun....even if I don't understand all of the rules......Gayle, I need you here tonight!!! So that takes care of our Valentine's plans!!! I guess I'll just have to cook another night!!!

Glen and Dae Lynn drove over last night to look at the mobile home and it was in really rough shape. The floor was weak and the walls weren't good. He said that it had been treated very poorly in the past so it's not anything that we're interested in. I guess the ad said that it was in "good" shape!!! Ugh!!!

Sandy, I hope you hear good news on all of your tests. I'm sure your health is a big worry for you!! Hugs!!

[Janet]

It's too bad the ad for the mobile home was exagerated. Don't know why people just can't be truthful. Hopefully something will come along so they can have their own place to live. I get the impression Glenn really doesn't want him to move in with you guys, so I hope a place is found before he is released.



Today I had to go to town to the County Clerks office to get a copy of our marriage license. Seems, even though he's been on my insurance policy for 10 years, they want proof we are married now. Duh!!! Such a hassle. They needed a copy of the license and a bill or something that comes with both our names, address and a date showing within 60 days of when it's suppose to be rec'd be the insurance co. I also had to send a copy of Ricky's birth certificate and a form that had to be downloaded from the insurance site. Then I went directly to the post office and mailed it along with a couple other envelopes.

Also had to go to the bank. The attorney in Florida sent the check for the sale of Mom's place and another for a prorated bill so I needed to get them in the bank. Don't like having that kind of money in the house...makes me nervous...lol.

I also sat and went through all of Mom's files to make sure things were in order so when the time comes to settle everything in April, all the "i"s" are dotted and "T's" are crossed. Nothing too strenuous.

[Blueyes]

Good job of taking care of yourself, Janet. I'm glad something is working and you feel a little better. Cool that you get a massage at PT, lol! I mostly do bending and weight lifting to strengthen my thighs. I have 2 1/2 weeks left, then I go back to the doctor. I think I still may have to have surgery when we get back from France.

Mike gave me a Valentine card this morning, then we went to Shreveport for lunch. He had looked for a special place for us to go online, and found a great, quiet place called Wine Country Bistro. He wouldn't tell me where we were going:rolleyes: The food was delicious, but we didn't have any wine, lol!

Gayle, I promise I will go to the Louvre for you:D Michael says that there is a museum (I forgot the name) across from the Louvre that houses more of the famous paintings. I want to go there, too. He also said the top floor of the Louvre was Napoleon's apartment. I can't believe I actually get to go! I keep telling myself that I don't have to do everything at once because as long as my babies are there, I WILL be going back!!

[Janet]

Betsi you know we're going to live vicariously through you for your trip right? Hope you can take lots and lots of pictures. I know I'll never make it there. You have got to be sooooo excited.

Today is physical therapy, tomorrow is the injection Dr. Not sure if I'll get an injection or not, just have to wait and see what the Dr. thinks after his evaluation. Took my last of the prednisone yesterday.

[gja1000]

Janet, I'm glad you will see the injection doctor tomorrow. If he agrees that injections may help you, I think it needs to start right away, since you've finished the prednisone.

They usually don't do the injection the same day as it is normally done in an outpatient surgery site and needs to be scheduled. Also, if you take any aspirin or advil or other drugs that increase bleeding, they usually take you off those for 4-7 days prior to the injection so that there will be less chance of any bleeding at the site.

I am running around like a crazy women right now. I think I forgot to tell you all that Gary and I are going to Kansas City this weekend, Friday-Monday. Diana, you won't be in KC this weekend, will ya? LOL! Gary's sister who lives up there is the director of a casino charity event Saturday night. Gary's 2 sisters from Oklahoma City are going up to help her. They called us about a month ago to ask if we wanted to go and not tell his sister who lives there, that Gary is coming, so he could surprise her. Of course he wanted to go, so of course I have to go too. I love his sisters and am looking forward to going, but it's hard being gone from school - I'm pretty busy right now. And packing for a 5 day trip with Gary and his drugstore and medical supply house is a real chore. I think I have everything under control, but who really knows. We are leaving tomorrow afternoon about 5:00 when I get out of class. We'll drive to Oklahoma City (6 hours) and then ride to KC on Friday with his sisters. We'll come back to OK City on Monday and I don't know if I'll feel like driving on home to Austin or not - we'll see. If not, we'll drive home Tuesday morning. One other variable in this mix is that we are having a dog sitter come stay with the boys (she stayed with them in Sept when we went to Colorado), so that means my house and especially her room, has to be perfectly neat and clean when we leave. I don't ever leave my house a mess when we leave for a trip, but neither do I have to make sure everything is perfectly tidy and clean before we leave. :rolleyes:

[DianaB]

How are you going to KC? Do you take I-35 from OKC to KC? If so then I could meet you in Wichita sometime for......like supper.......My Tahoe has to go into the shop on Friday morning but I could probably borrow Dae Lynn's car. Or I could drive up to KC on Saturday or something. I'll have to make sure that I don't have anything else going on then. Let me know what's going on!! Either way it's about the same drive for me. KC's a little bit further but not much!! Sounds like fun!!!!

[gja1000]

I don't know how we are going to KC from OKC?? :o We will be with Gary's sister so I'm not sure they would want to stop along the way. The charity event is Saturday, and we are supposed to decorate for it and get things ready during the day Sat. I'm sorry to say I don't have a clue what time or where we will be on Saturday :(. I'm so clueless!!! I may find out on Friday and I could let you know, but since my whereabouts are so sketchy, it might be hard to plan anything definite. I would love to see you but I'm not sure how to make it work.

[Lindsey]

Oh I hope you guys can meet in person and share pictures with us!!!

I made Scott buy a lottery ticket today.

Two weeks ago, we went to a comedy show. I have been to many, MANY of those comedy shows at the same comedy club. I have filled out every comment card and have never won. That was Scott's first show, he filled out a comment card, and won 4 free tickets to the show we went to last weekend.

I have been a "VIP" member of a local radio station for oh about 7 years. I enter contests constantly. Last week I decided I should sent a request to Scott so we'd have double the chance of winning. He entered two contests that day, and today he got a call that he won. So on Friday, we are going to the pre-grand opening of a new pub downtown - it's invite-only. The actual grand opening is at 8 pm, but the radio station is hosting a pre-party from 5-8. Two of the big names from our CFL football team will be there, so my friends are super jealous that I get to meet them! We also get free appetizers and two free drinks each.

Soooo yeah Scott bought a lottery ticket on our way home today lol. Fingers crossed! :D

[DianaB]

Good Luck, Lindsey!!!

Gayle, when you get an idea of what's going on you can call me and we'll see what we can work out. If I can find someone to teach my Sunday School class on Sunday then I can drive up on Sunday. I'll pm you my phone number just in case you don't have it. Hopefully we'll get something worked out!!!

[gja1000]

Well we made it to Ok City, but we are not going on to Kansas City. Gary's asthma is just too bad for us to go on to KC. We are worried about being so far from home if he gets in trouble. We are going to spend the weekend in OKC to visit Gary's sons and grandsons, if he does OK today, if not, we'll just head back home. I'm sorry we won't get to meet this weekend ,Diana. We'll be back to KC I'm sure, and we'll make better and earlier plans.

[DianaB]

I was thinking that with all you had going on that this might be better if we waited until next time. So sorry to hear that Gary's not doing well with his breathing. We'll definitely make plans for another time!!!

Karlie had a kindergarten program last night. They sang songs and did little dances!! It was so cute!! Dae Lynn stood at the side to take videos so Karlie saw me and I saw her wave to me!! You can always see their face light up when they've spotted the person who is there to watch them. I always felt that for that reason it was important to always be at the kids' programs or what ever they had going on!!

Of course.....Karlie had to do things that none of the other kids were doing!! At one point she completely ducked behind the people in front of her......and later she stood on some bar that made her a head taller than those that were on her row. Everyone else stood pretty good!!! I will say that she did sing out well......while the others mumbled around.....and she re-sang the songs to us on the way home!!! Cute!!

Glen's headed to a foot doctor this morning. His heel still causes him problems and he has problems walking. I think that he's just being impatient but he wants to know for sure. He did have problems with his heel once and the doctor made a pad to go in his shoes so maybe that's flared up again with his broken heel. I hope he gets some relief because I get tired of him complaining!! Then he has an eye appointment later today......this is definitely Glen's health check day!! I think that soon he's going to schedule an appointment for a hearing aid. He needs one so badly.

Well, the Tahoe's in the shop!! We had new tires put on recently and they must have broken a tire monitor because we've had a message showing up.....Glen's tried to reset it but it won't reset......also something with my 4-wheel drive is wrong and we're getting a message on that as well. Glen talke to the repairman and it may just be the buttons for the 4-wheel drive which he said will be fairly easy to fix. So....I'm without a vehicle.....unless I really have to have something then I'll borrow Amy or Dae Lynn's cars. I hope it's back by Monday!!!

We've been potty training Dean. Not real seriously but he's really caught on and goes almost everytime you take him.....then he gets a small piece of candy for going. This morning I was at the other end of the house when I heard the toilet flush!!! Then Dean came running in......Naked.......saying "Poppy....Poppy.....Tandy.....Tandy!!" That's the first time that he's taken himself!!! He's turned into a candy monster lately so I'd guess the candy bribery is working!!! He'll be two on March 5!!!

[gja1000]

Diana, I know we can get together another time. We are having a good time with Garys kids. His breathing is OK but not good. We are going to stay tonight but probably go home tomorrow.

[Blueyes]

Gayle, sorry Gary is feeling bad! The weather is so crummy..warm and humid one day and rainy and cool the next. It's hard when you really want to go do something but you have to come home because you just don't feel like it. *sigh*

Mike had a colonoscopy today and all was well:) Now he needs a cardiac check up, and we'll have all his bases covered before we leave for Paris. He is supposed to get a knee replacement when we get back. I am going next Friday for an upper and lower GI. Mike's doc reminded me today that I should have had one at 50...I'm 54. I hate the first of the year trying to reach our deductible on doc visits and meds. Mike's medicine is sooo expensive, but I'm thankful for the crummy insurance that we do have:rolleyes:

[DianaB]

Dae Lynn has gone in to visit Damon at the jail so I have the kids. Being on the computer while watching the kids just doesn't jive so I'm going to have to get off. The kids have been in the office while Glen's been in there and so he's growling and I need to run interference!!! I hate mornings like this!!!

Oh....I got my Tahoe back last night!! Yay!! It still says that the tire monitor needs to be fixed so it will probably need to go back.

Amy's family came over last night and Jaci and Nate and we all ate pizza and played with the Wii. The dance things are really kinda' fun!! Then Jaci, Nate, Glen, and I played Spades. Nate loves to play cards and is always bugging Jaci to call us to play!! We love playing too! Anyway, Glen and I were partners last night and we lost.....TWICE!!! Not too good but it was a lot of fun and laughing!!! They are such a fun couple to be around!!!

[Janet]

Sorry your morning hasn't been exactly the greatest Diana. How long is Dae Lynn gone for when she goes to visit Damon? Hopefully not too long and you can salvage the rest of your Saturday.

I'm so glad your family gets along so well and enjoy being together. You make it sound so wonderful!

[judy]

I hope Gary is feeling better, Gayle. Betsi...Paris!!! It is so beautiful, and you get to see the children. I can't believe poor Mike needs a knee replacement on tip of everything else!

Diana, you are so busy with the kids! How about a quick video of Dean? He sounds so adorable!! I'm glad you got your car back.

Janet, how are you feeling? How are the treatments working? Has the doctor said anything new? I am praying.

I have been running around. The weather has been so warm that I can get out, which is not normal up here in the winter. I was talking to somebody and we both were laughing because all of the chores we stored up for winter are not getting done! I am not cleaning out closets when I am not snowed in in February! I am getting things done, but slowly. Truth is, if I never do them, life will go on! I just hate clutter.

I love the gym; should go today! I think I am going to Jessie's to visit, and then have a new pottery workshop tonight. I may skip Jessie's and do some glazing of some pieces I already finished. I can bring them to put in the kiln. I am also learning to make wire wrapped jewelry. It is so easy! I don't know if I a going to really get involved in this though. Unless I can sell them, how many earrings do I need? It costs money for the beads and the wire. I also have to write something for Tuesday, for my writing workshop. You would think I was an artist! I enjoy doing all of these things, but have no plans to make a living from any of it.

I am on 2 dating sites, and have gotten a lot of emails, flirts, winks, and so on. Jessie took some really nice pix of me. Nobody has peaked my interest yet, but I think this may take some time until Mr. Right comes along.

Brandon (my 10 year old grandson) is being a real pain in the neck, although we are not sure what, if anything is wrong with him. Jessie is going nuts from him! He has internal hives, and had one epiode where his throat began to close up. They have an epipen now. He has terrible stomach aches all of the time recently, won't go to school, and won't sleep without Jessie. She is ready to pull her hair out! She has taken him for all kinds of tests. She is really good about that. Until she knows if there is anything wrong physically, she is afraid to really put her foot down and put an end to this behavior. She has made arrangements with his teacher for him to go to school only in the mornings, when the academics are done. I hope he goes and stays all day soon. We will just have to wait for all of the test results to come back.

[Janet]

You are one busy lady Judy!!! My goodness you're making me tired and I haven't done a thing all day...lol. When you get some jewelry made I would sure love to see some. I've got more than I know what to do with since I have all of Mom's besides mine, but I love looking at jewelry.

That was nice that Jessie took some good pictures for the dating sites. I know how you would like to share things with a partner so I do hope someone wonderful comes along.

It sounds like Brandon feels just horrible. The Drs don't have any idea what's going on yet? That poor guy, he's probably being a pain in the neck because he feels so bad. I hope they get him feeling better quickly.

Really haven't done anything today except a couple loads of laundry. Mostly sat in the recliner trying to sync my iPad to computer. I have my pictures all in nice folders on the computer, but they came on the iPad in a mess. Sometimes I wonder if it's even worth it.

[DianaB]

Judy, you are so busy with stuff that sounds so fun!!

Poor Brandon.....I hope they find out what is causing his problems. My granddaughter, Kera, had been having trouble with her stomach and the dr. thought that it was an ulcer......well, a c/t scan was done the other day and they found out that her problem can be solved by using a stool softner!!! Amy said that she has been feeling sooo much better!! I hope that Brandon's problem is that easy to fix!!

Good luck on your dating sites!!! It sounds like an interesting way to meet men but a little scary too. Please be careful!!

Dae Lynn didn't have to go to work today so she's been home and taking care of sick kids. Karlie's been sick all weekend with a fever. She perked up last night and we thought that she was over it but it came back and now Dean's got it too. Poor little guy.....he just lays around sleeping. He'll perk up after he's had some Tylenol but not for long. Dae Lynn called the dr.'s office and found out that this is lasting 5 to 6 days!! That tells me what I'm going to be doing this week!!

[judy]

Oh my! Not a good week for you, Diana!

I am busy! I really have been very lazy since I retired in 2007. I don't know what happened, but I like going out, being active, and meeting new people lately. Well, whatever the reason, I sure am both surprised and having fun!

The online dating thing is nice, but you are right Diana. It can be a bit scary. I have had a couple of people contact me who sounded a little off to me. Some of my deal breakers are if they are legally separated, not divorced yet, live too far away to meet in person (I'm not sitting here chatting with a stranger about who knows what!), if they have never been married, look rough and tough, and, if I don't think they are at all cute.

[DianaB]

Sounds like some pretty good guidelines, Judy. You can't be too careful. There are so many crackpots out there!!

Well, Karlie is better but she can't go to school for 24 hours after running a fever so she's home and driving me crazy!!! Dean's still not well but is much better than yesterday. With Karlie being more active Dean's following suit so he's not just laying around today.....but is driving Grandma crazy too!! I'm glad that they're better. Yesterday they were both so sick and Dean finally got sick to his stomach but at least it wasn't something that we dealt a lot with. I just hope that this doesn't spread to adults too!! I don't care to have it!!

......Had to take a break because Dean came and crawled up on my lap. His temp is up to 102.7 so I gave him some Tylenol. Poor little guy!! And Karlie just took her temp and hers is back up to 100. I may have her again tomorrow. Guess I better get off of here because I have a little guy that needs held!!

[Janet]

It's horrible when little ones are sick. I'm glad that you can be there for them and give them the comfort they need. Hope they start feeling better soon and that no one else comes down with it.

[Blueyes]

I had a pretty busy day. We are getting a new metal roof put on, so my day started with lots of noise, lol! Our roof was in terrible shape. I've been waiting for a good hailstorm to damage it so the insurance would pay for part of it, but noooo!!! Then I had to call Direct TV to move my dish, and they said they can't come until the 28th:eek: The roofers have to take it down tomorrow. I'm sorry, but if Mike has to go without TV for a week, this is not going to be a happy place:rolleyes:

I also took Kirby to be groomed, little Layni to the vet, then physical therapy for me. Tomorrow I'm keeping my great niece, Landrie for a while. That will be fun!

[Janet]

So far today I've gone to physical therapy, spoke on the phone with a friend and then printed out the installation instructions for a stove. The oven at my mom's quit working and it was going to cost a fortune to fix it so we used the rental house money and bought one like Mom had (just a newer model since she bought hers in '98) for $314. It's only a 20 inch but Mom wanted more cabinets and less stove...lol The stove top still works so it should be in on the 28th and Rick will install it.

Not planning on doing much else today. I go tomorrow to the spine Dr again. I'm so sick of all this. If the injection on March 2nd doesn't help I'm not sure what I'll do.

[DianaB]

Betsi, you sounds soooo busy!!! I hope you get your TV up and going soon!! I can't imagine how grouchy Mike would be without it!! Have fun with your great neice!!

Janet, I hope your therapy works for you!! How nice that you were able to find a nice replacement stove.

Well.......today I have Dae Lynn AND the kids home sick!!! The kids are still running fevers and Dae Lynn is home with a sore throat........and grumpiness!!!! Dean is whiney.....which he does for mostly Dae Lynn's benefit!! I'll be glad when all of this is over!!! I guess the schools are being hit really hard right now with sickness.

I was going to go shopping today to get away but I really have things to do so I decided to stay home instead. I bought some tomato seeds a few days ago and I think that I may try to start some. It seems a little early to me but Glen said to go ahead and try it.

Last night I went to Karley and Kiley's last basketball game that they'll play much in. I enjoyed it.....still wish that I understood the game more!! It was nice to get out of the house for awhile.

We have the Alley tonight and I'll need to be there in case a lot of the helpers are sick. I have a feeling that the attendance will be down in the kids as well. I think that if Dae Lynn's home again tomorrow that I may go shopping then. If I go then I won't have to worry about being home by a certain time. I sooooo need some time away from home!!! Maybe I should call Marva........

[gja1000]

Hi Guys, sorry I've been MIA. It's been such a hectic week after our weekend in OK. I've been so busy at work and Gary is having a terrible time at night with his asthma, so neither of us is getting much sleep. I'm so tired, I just want to cry like a little kid. I think he's a bit better this evening, so maybe he's turned the corner. I don't know how many more all nighters I can pull.

[2tiredmom]

Oh My Goodness. You all are so busy with so many things. Betsy hope all goes well with the TV. Janet I hope you are feeling better soon. Diana I hope your home front gets to feeling better and you get that shopping trip. Gina I hope you can get rested.
I did my normal routine, Get up go to work come home do some work around the house and work on my genealogy (sp) I have gone all the way back to Wales in the 1500's on my fathers side and to Ireland 1600's on my mothers side. So i guess I have some blarney in me. LOL. Going to Wisconsin this weekend with my youngest daughter to visit with my hubby. His company is putting us up in a hotel and we have passes to go to Chula Vista indoor waterpark at the Dells. Hoping the weather is good for the drive there and back.

[gja1000]

YAY! we tried some avoidance strategies of things that might be aggravating gary's asthma, AND, he started back on Prednisone. VOILA, he slept all night and is breathing much better this morning!!! YAY!

I'm getting my hair cut after work, which is two weeks overdue, so I look pretty shaggy. I have class today but have a guest speaker for half the class so it should be pretty easy. I'm looking forward to a better day.

[Janet]

So glad you and Gary were able to sleep better last night. I hope you both feel more rested.

With our hair cut short, you can sure tell when we are overdue can't you. I try to schedule mine before I leave the salon and usually schedule every 4 - 5 weeks. Depends on the time of year and if I got it cut on a new moon, sometimes I forget to check.

[judy]

Glad that Gary is feeling better Gayle.

Have a good time, Linda.

Diana, I hope the kids are feeling better.

Janet, how is your neck?

I went into town with my friends today. I am getting a rental car in the morning.
I will, hopefully, not need it past Monday!

The kids are sleeping over tomorrow night. Mackenzie doesn't want to come. She has play rehearsals and some essays to write. This is why you must enjoy children and or grandchildren every second you are with them. They grow up, and do not want to hang out with Grandma so much anymore! She is a sweetie though, and this is the natural way of things.

[Janet]

My neck is doing okay I think. Went to the spine Dr today and he said I could try driving the bus, but if it hurt, I was to call him and he would get me off work immediately. I'd only have to drive 4 days (starting Monday), but next Friday I'll be off for the injection and also the week after.

You know Judy, I'm beginning to really dislike the natural way of things. I'm having a really hard time with Ricky planning to move out soon. I don't let on to him, but this is gonna be a hard one.

[Blueyes]

Your kids and grandkids do outgrow you. But then you get to have a relationship with the adult that they become, and that's neat too!

I have listened to banging on my roof and a power saw cutting metal for 2 days, and I am about ready to scream, lol! So tonight I am doing the prep for my colonoscopy tomorrow. My day just gets better and better:rolleyes:

[gja1000]

Lord Betsi, what a day. I really feel for you on both counts, the noise and the prep. I was a real whiny baby during my prep, I hope yours goes better.

[Blueyes]

I got all of the liquid down... and it's working:p

[gja1000]

Oh my! :eek: don't forget the vaseline! :D

[DianaB]

I'll have to catch up on the posts later. I'm still dealing with sick kids.....mostly Dean. He wants held ALL the time.....and Karlie is bored so I'm about to lose my mind this morning!!!! I'm meeting a friend for lunch and I can't tell you how ready I am to go!!! Amy's going to come over and watch the kids for awhile for me!! Yay!!! I can't tell you how thin my patience is getting today!! I've had them ALL week!!!

I called Jaci and we MAY go to some flea markets tomorrow. I may just go ahead and go even if she can't go with me. I'm going to get away from the kids!! I need to!!

[gja1000]

The kids are here this weekend. Five year old Emma was looking at my wedding pics and she asked me who it was. When I told her it was me and her Papaw, she said, "you were MUCH younger then". LOL!

[Lindsey]

What a week! Tuesday I went to work and felt awful. I knew I was getting sick. My cousin and I are the only people I know who get what we call "skinhurt" when we're getting sick lol. It feels like my skin just gets hyper-sensitive and anything touching or rubbing - especially on my back - feels very uncomfortable and almost painful. The closest I can describe is like when you have hair that grows one way, say on your arms or whatever, and you push it the other way and it just feels uncomfortable... that feeling x 10.

Anyways, I got home and tried to go straight to bed, but after sleeping about 5 minutes, Scott woke me up and said we need to take Layla to the vet - she's peeing blood. Our vet thought it was a ruptured bladder and although it didn't look that way from x-ray, we should come back in a few hours after making her drink lots of water to see if urine is leaking. Riiiight.... instead, we drove her to emergency at the small animal hospital at the college in the city. I cried the whole way. Turns out, it's her mis-managed bladder infection gone bad. It's now in her kidneys as well. It is being properly treated now and we should be okay after 6-8 weeks of antibiotics.

The next morning, I had a terribly painful throat. I decided to drive in with Scott, pick up my laptop at the office, and work from home for the day. Then Wednesday night, I woke up at 3 am and it hurt so bad I couldn't swallow at all, and it was painful to even breathe through my mouth. I went to the doctor and he swabbed for strep throat, and said it would take 24-48 hours for results. If it is, I can go back for antibiotics, and if it's not, it's just a virus and I should use lozenges and take Tylenol. I worked from home again and let them know I would also work from home Friday. Thursday night - same thing, I woke up at 3 am. I gargled salt water and it took an hour for my throat to feel well enough to try to sleep again. What do you know, I also woke up at 3 am Friday night! But managed to fall asleep again despite the pain. Now it's 5 am and it was too painful. I just got up and gargled salt water and now I'm making tea with honey.

It is just not letting up! It feels sooooooooo much better during the day. I wonder if it's just because I naturally swallow more and it doesn't get so dried out? I used a humidifier in the bedroom and it hasn't made one bit of difference. The pain is just almost unbearable. I am leaning towards this being a virus, but I am kind of hoping I get a call saying it's strep throat so at least I know what will get rid of it.

[judy]

Bad week for some of you! Linds, I hope you feel better! How is Layla doing? Did her original vet ever get back to you?

Betsi, how was that colonoscopy? Fun, huh? I hope you got the come back in 5 years report!

Diana....run...don't even pack! Don't go back until you feel really relaxed!

Janet, Ricky is still going to move out? You haven't mentioned it. It is very difficult, but he will come visit you, and might even bring you his laundry! If you cook up a week's worth of meals for him, you are sure see him at least once a week.

[Janet]

Ricky is still planning on moving, but don't think he's in a big hurry. He's in the process of changing jobs, doing the mechanical work he's been wanting to do instead of sales at a parts store. He'll make about $5 more on the hour and have all kinds of benefits and a 401K. He hasn't told his boss yet, but will as soon as they let him know he's hired at the new place Pep Boys. Ricky told them he would like to give Advance two weeks notice. They've already sent him for the drug test so he will definitely pass that.

It had been three weeks since my floors have been swept, wanted to take it easy because of my neck, and of course, no one volunteered so today, I took my time and dusted and swept. I took a Lortab before I started and one when I got done. Then I took a nice hot shower and feel pretty good. Have a little ache, but nothing serious.

Tomorrow I'm going to be driving the bus. I'm really excited to see the kids, but there will be a few who won't be glad to see me...lol. I'm going to drive for four days and then on Friday I'll be getting my injection at the hospital as an outpatient. Then I will be off for another week, if I'm better, I can go back, if not, then he wants me off another week. Hopefully it will be only one week.

[gja1000]

Hi all! WHEW! What a busy couple of weeks. I hope things will calm down a bit this week - actually they won't but it will be a different kind of "busy".

Gary is doing much better on Prednisone - he thinks its a miracle drug and asked why he can't take it all the time. OH MY! He just doesn't understand the devastating side effects of long term steroids. But I'm worried that he is going to be on them more than off them for the foreseeable future. Sigh.

The kids were here this weekend and we had a great time. We went out to eat, shopping, and just general visiting. It was a lot of fun - I miss them so much, but WHEW! I'm tired! LOL!

Monday/Tuesday/Wednesday are pretty quiet - not too much going on at work. Gary has an eye appointment tomorrow and I have to take mom to see her orthopedic surgeon on Wednesday. I think he will release her from her broken leg repair - at least I hope so. She seems to be doing pretty good.

I am going to San Antonio to a nursing education conference Thursday to Saturday noon. It is only 90 miles away, so if something happens and Gary needs me, I can be home in a little over an hour. It's a big conference and I'll see several people from around the country that I only see at conferences, so I'm looking forward to it.

[Lindsey]

Layla is doing okay. Her urine seems to have cleared up a lot. We're just trying to take it one day at a time. I think we need to take her in for another culture on Tuesday.

I woke up this morning with one very sore and watery eye covered in gunk. It was pretty veiny when I woke up so I just wore my glasses all day. Tonight, it's completely red and hasn't stopped oozing gunk all day. Pink eye again?? At this point I just want to throw my hands in the air and give up. Back to the doctor in the morning I guess. I can't miss the whole day of work tomorrow... I stayed home 3 days last week and worked at home all weekend, and I'm kind of out of work now. I need to go get more!

My throat is not better at all... if anything, it's worse. It is so swollen it hurts to even talk.The back of my tongue is swollen as well.

When it rains, it pours!

[judy]

Time for a visit to the doctor!!!

[Lindsey]

PINK EYE!!! For Scott and I both. I stayed awake all night, and he woke up in the middle of the night with itchy red eyes. We got some antibiotic drops today, and we're staying home until tomorrow.

As for my throat, the doctor said it's a virus for sure and there's nothing I can do but let it run its course. It was the reason I stayed awake all night. It hurts so bad, it feels like someone shoved a sword down my throat. Trying to swallow almost brings me to tears!!! Oh well... hopefully this is the worst of it and it will start going away soon.

[DianaB]

Oh, Lindsey, I hope you feel better soon. There's so much sickness going around here. The kids are finally better and Karlie went back to school today after missing ALL of last week. Dean's better but, oh so whiney, and has an awful runny nose. I guess that the school's been hit hard with students and teachers......they're saying that the influenza is going around.....Yuck!

Poor Layla.....she's really having a hard time right now. Give her some extra love from me.

Gayle, I'm glad to hear that Gary's better. I worry when I hear that he's not well.

Betsi, I think that you should find somewhere to go so you don't have to hear all the roof repair all day long. It would drive me crazy!

Janet, it sounds like you're doing better. Yay! I hope the shot helps even more!

I did go shopping on Saturday but it was with Dae Lynn. She hired Kera to come and watch the kids and we both went to some flea markets and Wal-mart. It was so nice to get away from the kids!!

Dae Lynn was worried about having Dean at church yesterday and having him around the other kids so after I taught Sunday School.....then Dae Lynn had to teach Children's church so she brought Dean and I took him back home. I had someone pull up to the house but I couldn't see who it was or even if they stopped......then later I saw them drive away. I asked Glen about it because he's always giving someone permission to come and pick up something but he didn't know who it was either. It has us both worried because we're always at church on Sundays. It may be time to start locking the house up.

Tonight we're going swimming!! Yay!! There's an indoor public pool at a neighboring town and Amy is taking some kids from church and we're going to go. Glen was there the other day and said that the water is really warm so I'm looking forward to going. I'm so ready for swimming weather!!

[gja1000]

Lindsey, I'm so sorry your throat hurts so bad. I can understand because that happened to me once. My throat hurt so bad I couldn't drink enough and I got a horrible urinary track infection and ended up in the hospital on IV's and antibiotics. So, please take care of yourself. I'm so sorry about the pink eye, I just can't believe that you have it again and now Scott has it. I'm so sorry that Layla is having troubles too. I hope she is on the road to recovery.

Diana, I'm so glad you had some time away from the kids. I would be worried too, about the car in the driveway. Someone stole my friend's Yorkie in Oklahoma last week. They live in the country too and someone took her while they were gone.

I was really tired today but I came home from school early because Gary had an eye appt and I had to drive because they dilated his eyes. His eyes are a little worse this year but not too bad yet. He has macular degeneration and has developed some floaters, but the doc said things were OK.

[Lindsey]

Diana, I hope you had fun swimming!

Scott worries about our house and even if we're gone for an hour, the doors are all locked and the alarm is set. I'm not too worried because I grew up in a small town and I don't think there's much of a threat. There is a retirement home next door and stay-at-home moms and retirees surrounding us. I'm sure they'd notice if someone weird was trying to get in our house. But in your case, I think I'd start locking up too! With nobody to watch over your place, you never know who could show up.

Gayle, that would be heartbreaking for your friend. I hope she gets her yorkie back!!

I'm glad Gary's eyes aren't getting too much worse yet. I hate having my eyes dilated! I can't see a thing.

We had another dramatic night. I was trying to get some work done in the evening so I was on my laptop on the main floor, and Scott took Layla upstairs for a bath. I heard him call me frantically so I went upstairs, and he had decided to give Layla a trim but she kicked reflexively with her back leg and he cut her with scissors. He didn't know how bad it was but there was a LOT of blood. It wouldn't stop bleeding. I took over pushing a tissue on the wound and had him call the vet. She said she'd meet us at the clinic in 2 minutes. By the time we got there, Layla had bled through the wad of tissue and onto my jeans and hands. I am SO queasy with blood. I could hardly stand it.

Scott held Layla down while the vet cleaned her up and gave her some shots to freeze it. She started the stitches, and there was blood all over the counter, and Scott started getting woozy. I had to take over, and Scott ran outside and threw up :( I couldn't look back at the blood but even just knowing, I was sweating and starting to get woozy too. I thought I was going to pass out. Luckily, the computer systems were shut down so after Layla was bandaged up, we could just leave, and we can go back to pay tonight. The cold air felt SO good!

I didn't want to say much to Scott because I know he felt SO bad, but I did mention that from now on we should use clippers only. He was just trying to cut a big mat from the back of her leg.

Anyways, Layla got out of bath time yet again, but the other two haven't learned yet how to hurt themselves to avoid baths! So they got baths and I tried to get back to work (unsuccessful) so we watched tv and went to bed. Overnight, my eye infection finally spread to the other eye. I was being so careful! Oh well, I held it off for 2 days. I'm not sure how much my drops are helping but they don't seem to be as goopy, but still quite red. I came into work this morning and a woman here was surprised to hear I don't have strep, because she said usually strep and eye infections go hand in hand. But the doctor said my throat problems are just a virus.

[DianaB]

What a scare you had with Layla!! I'm sure that Scott felt so bad. It's a good thing that neither one of you are in nursing or doctoring with being woozy!

The swimming was wonderful! Glen and I got to swim very briefly all by ourselves.....so nice! Once the others were there the noise level went up and really echoed in the building. The water was just a tad bit cool for me but if I kept moving then I didn't notice it.....and I move a LOT in the water. I consider it exercise. I can't wait until it warms up so I can swim! I could drive over to this other town to swim but it's really not worth the price of gas to go 30 miles and back each time. After we swam Glen and I went to a new steak house and had a really good supper then we went to Walmart......there's always something that we need from Walmart even if we've just been. I picked up a few gifts for Dean and Karlie because they both have birthdays coming up and we met a new guy at church and his girlfriend just had a baby so we bought a baby gift. Then......I know that we shouldn't have......but we stopped at Braum's and got ice cream! They have a carb watch ice cream that is lower in carbs.....but that was definitely offset by the waffle cone and dipped chocolate that I had put on!! It was so good!!

I have to tell you what happened this morning......I laughed so hard!! There was a piece of cheese on the counter from last night. I decided to have the dogs do some of their tricks and give it to them. So I had Reuger dance, sit, and lay down.....then I had Jazzi sit (that's all she knows so far). At that point Dean walked up and saw what I was doing and saw Jazzi sit AND saw that I was giving them his cheese! He said "Sit" and immediately sat on the floor by the dogs!! I started laughing and gave him a piece of cheese!! Glen came in and I told him what had happened so he told Dean to "lay down" so Dean moved back to where his head was on the carpet intead of the hard floor and layed down!! We had such a laugh at him!! Too cute!

[Lindsey]

That is so funny Diana! Dean knows how to get treats too! Smart kid!! Lol

I know what you mean about Walmart, I never walk out with JUST what I went in for :D I always have a few extras.

I made it through almost a whole day at the office! I was told by lots of people to just go home but I stuck it out... If I went home I'd have to drive back in and get Scott. I guess I know I can work from home whenever I want but a part of me feels like I should still be in the office, or that people are thinking badly of me for staying home so much. I'm just not used to the flexibility yet!

Anyways, I left work 15 minutes early and we went to the college to get some different meds for Layla. The results of her culture were in, and almost all I could understand on the phone was that she needed new antibiotics. The vet there has a really really thick French accent so it was tough to understand! But when we saw her in person I got a little more out of it. Some of her bacteria wasn't TOTALLY sensitive to the antibiotic she was on... it was killing some, but not all. So now she's on 6 weeks of a new antibiotic, with another culture in one week. I feel like we're on the right track now and I trust this new vet 100%.

It's weird that we have nothing to do tonight. We got home late and now it's only 7:30 and I feel like I should be going to bed! Maybe I'll go watch tv and play some games on my tablet!

[DianaB]

I so hope that the new antibiotics work for Layla! Poor girl....she's been through so much. It sounds like the new vet is going to stay on top of things.

We had a bad storm last night. I was taking a bath so I really didn't get to see it on the internet. I had my Kindle in the tub with me because that's where I read......the electricity went off and my new cover has a light built in so I just flicked it on! Glen knew I was in the tub.....and was surprised that I had a light right away! The electricity was off about 30-45 minutes. I didn't know that anything more went on....but town's electricity was off all morning and Janet called to make sure we were alright! That's the first I had heard about the really bad storms that had hit. Even in town we had roofs blown off and a lot of damage. I would guess that it's wind damage not tornado. I hate it when storms turn deadly.

Since town didn't have electricity Dae Lynn and Karlie didn't have to go to school. And Glen left this morning for a snow skiing trip with the church youth. Jaci and Nate were going as well. They'll have a good time. Then tomorrow evening after Dae Lynn gets home from work I'm going to my Aunt Marva's......finally!! I'm so excited! We always have a good time!

I've started planting stuff in the greenhouse......some tomatoes and flowers.....and some lettuce, radishes, and spinach. I guess we'll see how it goes. This is really not what I had in mind for a greenhouse but I guess I'll give it a try. I really like messing with houseplants but it will be nice if I can start my own flowers for the yard. I spend so much money on buying them. I guess we'll see if I can do it. The storms really worry us because the greenhouse is made of glass......one hail storm and it could be trashed. Glen's thinking about what he can do to protect it.....so we'll see what he comes up with.

[Blueyes]

I'm glad to hear ya'll are ok, Diana! I wondered about you when I heard about all the storms this morning. Dean is sooo funny! He cracks me up:D

My GI tests came out fine. I'm glad I don't have to do that for 5 more years! The roof is finished, and we got new insulation in the attic. I sure hated to spend all that money on a roof...I could have had a new swimming pool:p Now I need to paint the shutters. They are black now, but I think I'll do them a dark sage green.

[Janet]

Nothing really going on here. I did go to PT yesterday. I always hurt so bad after those sessions. Anyway he gave me more exercises to do.

Tomorrow....I go get the injection. Hope it doesn't hurt too bad, but it can't hurt as bad as my neck and shoulder area. Ricky has the day off so he'll take me since they don't want me driving home.

Yesterday it was 69 degrees and so nice, but the wind would knock you down. This morning it was 37, still have wind, but not near as bad as yesterday. Well, I feel a nap coming on, so I must give in to it. :)

[DianaB]

We must have had a small tornado south of here about 4 miles. A friend of mine posted pictures on FB of her son's house and talked about a line of damage. Her son and wife were in the house ready to head to the basement when it hit. The windows were blown out and the house was damaged but the inside was alright. So scary!

I'm getting ready to pack so I can leave when Dae Lynn comes home from work to head to my Aunt Marva's. Dae Lynn doesn't have to work tomorrow so I don't have to be here to watch the kids and my Aunt doesn't work on Fridays so I can head down early!! Her birthday is on the 12th so we'll have to do something to celebrate that. I think that she'll be 62! Hard to believe that's how old she is because she is so young to me!! I wish that all of you could meet her then you'd understand why she is so special! I'm not sure how much I'll be able to get on the computer but I'll be back home sometime on Sunday. Hugs to all of you!!!

[2tiredmom]

Diana, Enjoy your time with your Aunt. We never know how much longer we have.
Can't wait to hear stories.

[gja1000]

I'm enjoying my conference in Sa Antonio. I've visited with some friends I rarely see. It is tiring to sit all day, but I have got some good information. I'll be glad to go home tommow.

[judy]

What a tornado! Thank goodness you are all safe!

We finally had snow! It is goimg to melt soon though, because it is so warm out now. I had to bring my car in because I needed a new clutch. I don't remember if I posted about it, but I drove right into a ditch a couple of weeks ago. I took a bad turn too fast. What else is there to say? Having a clutch and AWD, I figured I could rock the car out......the owner of the farm nearby towed me out finally, and it burnt out my clutch!!! I have to admit though, that I have been smelling that transmission smell before that, so that may have just been the icing on the cake.

Cost me $1100!!! And, I have to bring it in next week because the "check engine" light is on, and the cruise control light is blinking. He said to drive it and see if it goes off. It's not!!! I am really broke now, but I got a nice check from my union for reimbursement for some medical costs. All retirees get this....don't ask me why we pay it and then get it back, but it is nice toi put a check in the bank!

I have had a bad cold all week, and have been feeling lousy. I think it's going away. I haven't been to the gym all week because I didn't feel up to exercising.

The kids are coming over. The girls are sleepimng here. I'm nervous to have Brandon since he has allergy episodes almost nightly.

[Janet]

Wow Judy, going into a ditch could have been a lot worse, like rolling your car. So glad you are okay. Cars are so expensive to have repaired. I'm lucky that both Rick and Ricky know how to fix most anything on a car or truck. It really helps keep the cost down.

Well, since I'm not really suppose to do anything for a day or two, I guess I'll be on the computer and paying bills...nothing too strenuous. He wants me to stay off work for a week, I really thought it would only be a couple of days. I guess since I bounce around in a bus he wanted me off longer.

This afternoon Rick is heading down to the east side of Indianapolis to attend his neice's wedding. I'm not going since the Dr. told me to not do anything but rest for a couple days and take this medicine to help the injection do it's job. So...I won't have to deal with some of his whacked out family. There really isn't many left, just his step-brother going and his step-sister who's daughter is the one getting married. His sister, the one I can't' stand is going to be there coming from New Jersey. She's going to stay a couple days since she owns a business in Indy so she can write it all off on taxes.

The wedding starts at 4:30, but it will take almost two hours to get to the location. It's a community center instead of a church.

Ricky is working today till 8:30 this evening so I'm going to have a long evening alone. I don't think Rick is staying for the reception, just the wedding since it will take so long to get there and back.

I think I'm going to enjoy the peace and quiet...:) Although I wish a friend could be here just to talk.

[judy]

Wish I was there with you!

[Janet]

Me too Judy.

[gja1000]

Janet, I'm glad to hear that you are feeling a little better. I sure hope that feeling lasts and lasts and lasts!!!

Judy, I didn't know about your accident - BOO! I guess you are going to have to slow down. LOL! Sorry the repair is so expensive - I just hate car repairs. Gary didn't ever know how to fix much on a car and now he can't so we have to rely on mechanics. Luckily we've used the same one for the last 25 years, so at least we trust him.

I made it home from my conference in San Antonio yesterday. It was a good conference and I learned lots of things I needed to know - but it will just make more work for me at school. Oh well, I guess that's the way it goes.

The weather is beautiful here, everything is in bloom and the early trees are leafing. This time of the year is so fresh and clean. I've been pulling some weeds in the yard - I don't use chemicals or anything other than organic, so that means you gotta pull your own weeds. It's OK cuz there aren't that many. I didn't have any last spring but i guess that's because there wasn't any rain! LOL! We've had consistent rain all winter (not enough to break the drought though), so now I have some weeks. Oh well, you gotta take the bad with the good.

[Janet]

Gayle, I hope you don't mind if I pick your brain a little bit. Does Gary have to take a medication with his injections? The medicine I have to take is called Gabapentin. I started off with 1 for 3 days and then 2 for three days and then 3 for supposedly a month. But, when I had my injection, he upped it to 3 in the morning and 3 in the evening. When I'm about to run out, he's going to give me something different, but didn't say what. I go see him again on Thursday for a check up after the injection.

So far I'm not feeling any pain at all. I do feel something kind of in the back of my arm pit, not sure if it's part of the nerve or what because I do feel a tingling every once in a great while. Dr did say it would/could take a few days or so. I really didn't think he'd keep me off a week from the bus. But he is, my guess is the bouncing around in the bus. I'll be able to ask him questions better on Thursday than I was on the day of the injection. He did give me something to relax me.

It's too cold to go do anything so I'm doing laundry....thrilling! I'm so envious that you can be out and picking weeds....lol. I wish it would hurry and get warm here. I got spoiled those couple of days when the temp got up to 69 degrees.

Doesn't look like we'll be able to do much this summer as far as entertainment. Gas is now at 3.99 here. Can't believe it. Sure wish we could be drilling for more of our own oil and not depend so much on others.

Ricky is still wanting to move. He just drives me insane, because he doesn't think ahead. The place he is moving to is a two story, but one bedroom. The one bedroom is upstairs with what I would call a foyer type area off to the side. That is suppose to be the room for Ricky. They are building a wall and putting in a door that will lock with a key. Ricky wants to take some things over before the wall is done because it might not fit in the door. WELL....not a good idea as far as I'm concerned. I ask "how will you get it out if things don't work out" and he says "I'll worry about that when the time comes". So I told him he wasn't taking anything from here until the wall and door were installed. He could take what would fit through the door. Which means....he will have a very hard time getting a box spring up the stairs and through the door.

My thinking is since his friend is living there....move his stuff into that room, he won't have to worry about getting it out. I still don't think he can afford it, even with the new job, because now he'll have to pay for more gas to work in Lafayette.

We aren't discouraging him, just want him to have his eyes wide open. He'll only be about 5 miles away so it's not like him moving to another town or state, but we want him to succeed. We won't be able to help him financially if things should falter for him.

Well, just heard the dryer buzzer so better go fold some clothes before they get all wrinkled.

[gja1000]

Hi Janet! The medication the doctor has you on is for nerve pain. You had a lot of tingling and shooting pain (if I remember correctly) so he is having you take that along with the injection. Gary's uncle had to take it when he had a disk issue in his back, but Gary has never taken it. Gary's pain is just constant, not shooting or tingling. I think it's a good idea for you to be on it, and I think it's a good idea to NOT be bouncing around in the bus.

Janet, I not only pulled weeds today, but I mowed the yard too (with the John Deere, LOL!). Our real grass isn't growing yet, but the (what I call) trash grass is, so the yard was looking shaggy. Believe it or not, I had never actually mowed with the John Deere. We had a lawn service last year (and will have it again this year too) before I got the John Deere, so I only used the it to haul things around in the little trailer. The lawn company hasn't started mowing yet, so I decided to see if I could actually mow the yard! LOL! It took me exactly 15 minutes to mow our 1/2 acre. Not bad. If I didn't have so much weed eating and places where the John Deere can't go, I could do the yard myself. Nah! I don't want to do that! LOL! :D

[DianaB]

I posted a big long post yesterday and ended up losing it before I got it posted.......fustrating!!! Anyway.....here goes again.....

I had a great time at Marva's. We really didn't have an agenda except for getting a little car that she had sold and to the buyer. We went to some flea markets and just shopped where we wanted to go. It was such a nice and relaxing time!! Marva has a birthday coming up so I bought some of the stuff she had picked out to buy for herself and bought dinner on Sunday.

We went to an ice cream store called Cherry Berry.....I thought that I could control myself......wrong!! I did have sugar-free ice cream.....but then added some other flavors.....and toppings!! It was sooo good!! If you like ice cream it is a definite go-to place!!!

We went to my cousin, Michelle's, home. She'd lived there for a few years but I'd never been there to see it. After they bought it they found out that it needed a lot of things repaired on it that hadn't been done correctly and they've been in the process of making repairs. The house was very beautiful and the rooms were sooo big! She fussed about having everything clean for me to see it but she doesn't realize that I have Dae Lynn AND two kids living with me and nothing stays clean anymore!!

We went to church on Sunday......it was so nice! They have such an awesome Praise and Worship band......I loved their music! The pastor....who is from Kansas and someone I knew....but not personally......preached a sermon that was so perfect for what I'm going through right now. Each time I've been there his sermon has seemed like it was just for me!

On the way home I stopped at my neice, Natasha's house to see the baby. She is such a little doll.....about 4 months old now. Natasha is my brother's daughter from his first marriage and she is going through a divorce and child custody. Since I was driving right through her town I wanted to stop for awhile.

Yesterday was Dean's birthday........Can you believe that he's TWO? The girls had planned a swimming party at the place we went the other day so we just turned it into a birthday party for Dean. We went to Big Cheese Pizza afterwards to eat and open gifts! I gave Dean several things and one was a stuffed Goofy. Dae Lynn bought a Mickey Mouse but is saving it for when Damon is out of jail so he can see Dean open his gifts.....Anyway, Dean kissed and hugged him.....and even tried to feed him his pizza!! You could tell that he loved it!! Too cute!!

I hope it's nice outside.....I have seeds to plant in the greenhouse! I'm so excited to finally be doing something out there. I have a few tomatos up and some radishes!! Fun!!

[Lindsey]

Oh my goodness! Mowing! Planting! And here we're having our first real blizzard of the winter! I can't even see across the street anymore. The highways were too bad to travel on so I'm working from home today. We had to cancel Layla's appointment for a urine culture. We'll take her in tomorrow if we can. We're supposed to get another 10 cms of snow today. I think it will be more than that!

[Janet]

Thank you Gayle for the information, I really appreciate your knowledge and your willingness to share. I love you very much! Today I'm really feeling great. Still once in a great while I'll feel a little numbness in my shoulder and down my arm, but only for a few seconds and NO pain.

Diana...how are you heating your greenhouse or is it warm enough? It is still too cold here also the temp today is suppose to get up to 60 degrees. It just so windy though.
Sounds like you had a great weekend, I'm so glad. You needed a break and you got to do the things you love doing.

We are thinking of planting a garden this year....course we thought of planting one last year and it didnt' get done. I would love to have a green house to start flowers to plant. They get expensive so having a greenhouse to get some started would be wonderful.

[DianaB]

I'm excited about starting things in the greenhouse but even the seeds are expensive. I bought some heating mats to start the seeds sooner.....and not have to heat the whole greenhouse. It gets plenty warm when the sun is out but at night is when it gets cold but the heat mats sit underneath the trays and keep them warm. It works pretty good and so far I have three mats. I'm thinking that I may get more but I'll probably wait until next year.

It's windy here too. If it's windy here at the house then it's really windy because we're protected by the trees. I've got something up on the roof that's whistling! I don't know what it is but Glen's going to have to check it out. He put something up there for a weather station and it may need a cap or something on it to keep it from whistling.

Oh....and the swimming last night was so nice! The water was a little cooler than last time but as long as I kept moving I was alright. There were a couple of other women there swimming and I guess they told Dae Lynn that we were a "rowdy" group! I don't know what they're used to but we were just swimming and playing around! You could tell that they were put out by us......oh well! You can't please everyone and it is a "public" pool!

[Lindsey]

I'm glad you enjoyed your swimming Diana! You're right, do what you want because it's a public area!

Janet, I love having a garden! But I suck at it lol! I am good when I buy flowers and put them in planters every year, but we do have perennials in our front yard and they get SO overgrown with weeds and we just don't have the time to keep up! This spring we are just going to kill everything and fill in the area with cedar chips. We might just buy a few little bushes or something to put out there, and hopefully the weeds won't be so bad! The vegetable gardens aren't so bad though. they don't tend to get quite as weedy for some reason! We will have to see this year how the new dogs do with the veggie gardens... Layla never touched them but I hope they don't start eating the onions or peas or anything lol!

I hurt my back again somehow yesterday. I keep getting the same pinched nerve, at least a couple of times a year. Yesterday it happened when I was putting my laptop in the car after work, I kind of twisted my body and felt something happen in my lower back. It has been painful ever since! It is really low on my back, kind of right between my hips.

I have a feeling I'll be dealing with this for the rest of my life :( It all started with one dumb night in college when I was on a pub crawl in the middle of winter and some guy kept saying he could bench-press me, and I told him he couldn't! Finally I let him try, and he dropped me on my back on the frozen pavement :mad: I hope they invent time machines soon so I can go back and not try that again lol.

[Janet]

Oh Lindsey, I sure hope your back doesn't cause you problems for long. Take it easy and don't lift anything.

[DianaB]

Janet, I don't know if I mentioned it or not but I'm so happy that you're feeling better!! Just take it easy and do what the doctor says so it doesn't flare up again.

Lindsey, I'm so sorry that your back is hurting. We get one better than another one is hurting. Start taking some ibuprophen so it can help the inflamation.

I have a hip that hurts. I don't say much about it because I think that it's arthritis. If it gets any worse I'll go to the doctor. I keep taking ibuprophen but so far it doesn't help much. Growing old is hard!!!! I do take something for arthritis....it's the gabapentin, like you're taking, Janet.

It is so windy here!! I think that it's going to blow in some rain....which is good as long as we don't get the bad storms.

I was on the computer earlier and Dean spilled almost a whole cup of coffee all over my chair and carpet. I get so tired of spills and things that are hard on the house. It sure didn't set my day off right.

We also had a hawk hit the window in the living room! It was a really loud sound and the fine white feathers flew everywhere!! He laid there for awhile then the next time I checked he was sitting up. He finally flew off but I don't think he was flying right......oh well, at least he's not by the house where Jazzi and Reuger will get him. We have birds hit the window all the time because of feeding them near the window but I don't think we've ever had one that big hit.

We have the Alley tonight. I like going once I get there but I'm never ready to go. Tonight I'm in the nursery again. I was there a couple of weeks ago. The kids are good but the Alley is so interesting that I hate missing the skits and games!! Last time I took a movie that I wanted to see so it helped the time to pass. I chased the kids around the room doing Kung Fu!!! We were laughing and having such a good time.......I may just do that again!!!

[Janet]

Diana, you did tell me you were happy I was feeling better. Thank you for that. I really am too. Once in a while still I feel something in my left shoulder and then a tingle down my arm, but it only lasts less than a minute. Still no pain. Thank you God!!! I go back to the dr that gave me the injection tomorrow at 10:00 AM.

The gabapentin you're taking, Gayle told me it was for nerve pain and then I looked it up and of course she was right. Maybe taking some Glucosomine might help with your hip. Quite some time ago, our wonderful Gayle suggested I take 2000 units of it a day for the pain in my knees. Two capsules equals 2000 so I take one in the morning and one in the afternoon. I haven't had knee pain since. I was taking the capsules together and it still somewhat ached but after splitting them up to morning and evening...no pain at all. Whatever you try, I hope it works. Pain just isn't any fun.

I know what you mean about spills and such. Only my problem is mostly the dogs. My furniture looks horrible, the loveseat has snags all over it because of Brenna digginng. The recliner has tears on the foot rest where the Ozzie chewed it. The couch in the other room has tears in a cushion because I had the puppies too close to it and the chewed it. Now it seems the dogs keep missing the pads on my carpet. I'm so tired of it and ready to get rid of all of them except for Joey.

When Ricky moves I know he is taking two, but that still leaves me with 3 Yorkies and Penny. Penny will always be here, but the others....we'll see what it's like after Ricky moves out. I may move them to the garage. I just know I'm tired of them being in the house tearing things up, missing the pads, eating poop and barking their fool heads off.

ROFLMBO..... so sorry...I sure got on a rampage didn't I? LOLOL Oh dear...get me started...lol.

[DianaB]

I know what you mean about the barking. I had a Jehovah's Witness that came to the door during Dean's nap and Jazzi went crazy......of course, she ended up waking Dean up. Sometimes when she won't settle down I go ahead and crate her and Reuger. They don't bark in the crate most of the time. Oh....and I wasn't too happy with the JW guy either!!! He comes by pretty regularly to chat with Glen!! This time he must have been pretty serious because he brought a pastor with him!!! I'd say that it's a waste of time for both of them!!! LOL

[Janet]

I know, the JW use to come by here quite alot. I wouldn't let them in and one day one of the dogs was smelling the brief case type bag he sat on the porch. Well he kicked my dog and said loudly but not quite a yell to "get away" and that was all it took for me to tell them what I really thought and to not ever come back. Haven't seen any of them sense.

[DianaB]

Good for you!! I would have done the same thing!! This gentleman is very nice and if you met him on the street would really like him. He thinks that he's going to "convert" Glen!! Ha! Ha! Ha!! We don't agree with the teachings of the JW so that's not going to happen!!

I have a funeral to go to this morning. A very dear friend of ours passed away on Saturday. He had diabetic complications and had some toes removed....then part of his leg....then they found out that he had lung cancer. He never woke up to know about the cancer. So sad because just a few weeks ago he was so healthy and running around. We were really good friends with some of his kids and were even named guardians of some of his grandchildren should anything happen to the parents. My Mom was best friends with him and his wife.....who passed away a few years ago. His granddaughters are very musical and I'm sure that they'll be singing in the funeral.....always a treat to hear the girls.

Damon was suppose to get out this morning but Dae Lynn just called and there is some kind of hold-up so who knows when he'll get out. The people at the jail are NOT organized and you have to make sure you get receipts for things or they'll say that you never paid them....and they steal things! Do you sense that maybe the wrong people are in jail??? Or maybe I should say that there should be more people IN jail!!! Damon and Dae Lynn are headed to Wichita for a couple of days alone.

This evening Kera, Karley, and Kiley, have a music program at the school. I really want to go so I guess that I'll have to just bite the bullet and take Dean and Karlie. I sure hope that they're good for me!! I always enjoy the school music programs......they remind me of when I was in school. I love music!!

We had rain, snow, then rain AND snow this morning!!! Quite the combination!! Not much snow but I enjoyed the few minutes that I had!! LOL

[Janet]

The big heavy wind blew in some rain this morning. Sometime around 5:30 or 6:00 this morning the rain was pounding so hard on the windows it woke me up. Thought the windows were going to break. When I went to town this morning it was 39. Suppose to have a nice warm-up coming so I'm excited about that. Spring is in a few days...so I hope the nicer temps stick around.

[gja1000]

Dang'it Janet, you blew the cold air all the way to Texas - it is FREEZING!!!!! It's cold and rainy and will be all weekend! The guys tried to fish today but didn't catch a thing. Also, we could NOT get our satellite dish to pick up the signal at the trailer and so we had to pay $130 for a service call. CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!!! Direct TV wouldn't come to service it because it is not at our residence. Of course it isn't - we don't use Direct TV at home, only in our travel trailer. We had to call an independent repair person to come out. So frustrating - but we did get it fixed. Well actually we had to get a new dish. Ours was sitting on the driveway after we got back from the deer lease in January, and it blew over and hit the concrete. We didn't think a think about it, but it bent the contour of the dish just enough so it wouldn't pick up the signal :mad: The new dish only cost $40, but it was $170 all together. :mad::mad::mad: The service person did set everything up and tuned the signal for us, so we are good to go now.

I'm on spring break for the next week. I'm going to the lake with Gary for a few days, but because Janet blew all the cold rainy weather down here, I'll only be able to sit in the trailer for the next couple of days. ;)

[Janet]

Sorry Gayle sure didn't mean too. The wind blew back cold temps here too. It's 33 degrees right now. Warmer temps are predicted for mid week.....so ready for spring, have I mentioned that before? ;)

[gja1000]

It's cold as can be here this morning - the temp is 39 but the wind is about 25 mph, so it feels REALLY cold, especially for this thin-blooded Texas gal.

[Janet]

It's cold, it's windy, but oh my goodness, the sunshine is just beautiful.

[Blueyes]

Lol, Gayle you know it will be back up to 80 in a couple of days:rolleyes: I do hate that it's nasty weather for Spring Break.

Mike and I went to dinner and then to an auction with Jim and Teresa, my brother and sil. We didn't get much, but we always have fun together.

My bad cold is finally getting better. It's really all of this blooming SPRINGness around here:p The doc also started me on Arthrotec, which is an anti inflammatory for arthritis. Hopefully it will help my achy self! I also started shots in my knees. I get one in each knee every week for 5 weeks. By the time I get to Paris, I intend to be in the best shape I can. I'm also walking every day. Those crazy France people WALK everywhere they go, so I'm gonna have to get with it:eek:

[Janet]

It was so pretty out today. The sun was shining so bright that I decided to get out and enjoy it. I cleaned out my garage, it was an absolute mess, but no....I didn't lift anything. Ricky was here and helped me. Now I have a little more room to get the van in. I decided to do that because the other day I was backing out of the garage and turning at the same time. Well, I hit the blade on the front of the lawnmower and put a long scrape on the bumper of my van. It's starting to look so bad and I know it will never get fixed.

It's starting to cloud up now, rain is suppose to be moving in after midnight, but it just may come a little early.

I have my bus back and ready to go for tomorrow. Finally....back to driving again.

[JJJ]

My laptop broke :(

Have to find one quick.

[DianaB]

Jessica, I hope that you're able to find one at a good price!!

We've got rain here too and cooler temps but it's suppose to warm up all of this week.

Last week was such a busy week!! Thursday evening I went to Kera, Karley, and Kiley's music program at school. Glen ended up staying home with Karlie and Dean so I could have a little break from the kids. Oh...and Thursday morning I went to a funeral for a dear friend.....but I think that I mentioned that. And Damon got out of jail so he and Dae Lynn went to Wichita.

Friday.....I had to get Karlie around for school and down to the bus. I was sure glad that I don't have to be responsible for doing that every morning! On Friday evening I went to the Edge (which is a converted movie theater that we use for our youth group) to help watch kids for a children's church kid movie. The kids were awful but I guess that's what you get when you feed them a candy bar and can of pop before the movie starts!!

Saturday, Glen and I took the kids to Wichita to be with Dae Lynn and Damon. I was so glad to turn them over!! Trying to get them ready and out the door was so fustrating!! Glen and I went to an antique mall, Catherine's clothing store, Menard's (which is like Lowe's but much larger), and Sam's Club. Glen also went to a couple of scuba shops!! I came home so tired and my knee and hip were hurting so bad. I did get some glucosimine and started taking it.

Time change......hate it!!! I was so tired this morning and NOT ready to get up!! Mornings are NOT my best time......especially when the time changes......unless it's fall!! LOL It was nice though because I only had 4 kids in Sunday School instead of the 9 or 10 that I usually have!!

I picked up a little and straighted some of the kitchen......Dae Lynn and Damon will be home soon. I'm not sure how things will go with Damon and Glen. I'm praying for peace.

[Janet]

You all know that Ricky is planning to move out. It will be alittle while yet, because they have to build a wall. Anyway, I got to go over and see the inside for the first time this evening.......I hate it. I don't see why he would lower his standards to move into this place with his friend. I don't think the place has been cleaned since Chris bought it. Don't think he even has a clue what
hangers are, clothes everywhere and every room.

Ricky won't be able to take his two dogs because the hyper lab mix that Chris has would trample them to death. Ricky's room will be big enough for a small bed if he can get one up the stairs and into his room and maybe his TV. I'm so disgusted that he would even think of wasting money on this place.

Guess I should have posted this in the Vent section huh? I just don't know why he would want to live like that.

[DianaB]

It's not so much as "where" he's moving to.......it's the fact that he "can" move out. He just wants to be grown up and making his own decisions. At least he'll still be close by. Maybe Ricky will have a good influence on Chris and he'll get things cleaned up a bit. Just consider it a good learning lesson for Ricky.

Dae Lynn and Damon got home last night. I'm not sure what went on before they got here but Karlie came running in the house crying and slammed the door to her room. Dae Lynn and Damon went into their room and talked for some time. So I went in to find out what was going on with Karlie and she got in trouble because Damon did something and she threatened to tell her Papa!! Hmmmm........makes me wonder what happened.

Damon had a court date in another town over some past child support owed for Karlie so he spent the night with his sister. Things seemed alright between him and Glen but I know that there will be some uncomfortable conversations in the future. Life will be different with him here......that's for sure!!

I need to work in the greenhouse this week. I bought some storage containers to keep my pots in and I need to wash them up before I can use them again. That's recommended so that diseases and fungus doesn't spread. Wow!! I have so much to learn!! It's suppose to really warm up this week so I'm going to try and get some more things planted. Such fun!!

[Lindsey]

Will Dae Lynn and Damon still be looking for a place of their own?

I have been SO BUSY! On the weekend, we started our wedding registry (so much fun!) shopped for some new glasses for me (didn't buy any but have some places to go back to!), and bought some supplies to make our own backdrop for the head table. We got all of our invitations and RSVP's printed, but not put together yet. I got all of the table numbers put together and ready to set up on the tables :) And Scott put together one panel of the backdrop and it looks awesome! It was a very wedding-filled weekend.

We also got a call on Friday I think, about Layla. The results are back from her culture and sensitivity, and her urinalysis. There is no bacteria, and no crystals. We are going to stay on this course of antibiotics to make sure it's gone completely, and then just have her checked more often to make sure there's no infection coming back. I am starting to think our local vet may have been wrong about the crystals. It's funny that they would just go away immediately when we switched to her prescription diet (that we had to buy from her) but now that we've switched back to her normal food, the other vets don't see any sort of crystals at all. Our local vet was absolutely sure there were tons of crystals that were a huge health hazard and we had to switch her food asap because her other food was causing it! It makes me wonder!

[gja1000]

It would make me wonder too , Lindsey. I do know that Science Diet gives lots of money to vet schools in the U.S. that is why you see LOTS ofmScience Diet for sale in vet offices. It's not a bad food, but there are better foods. So I'm thinking that the local vet may get a percentage of sales from the RX foods. Of course that is just my opinion, but I too, would be suscipious.

[gja1000]

Diana, I hope Dae Lynn and Damon are able to find a place of their own soon. I know you want to help them, but they need to make it on their own. You've done so much for them and I hope they can make it on their own soon.

Janet, Diana is right, Ricky just wants to be out on his own. Oh My Goodness, if you could have seen the dump I rented with a couple of girls one summer in college. It was awful, but we didn't have to go home for the summer and we were cool. It makes my stomach turn now, to think about that awful apartment. I didn't end up living there very long though cuz my stepdad had a heart attack and I needed to go home. I was secretly relieved to get out of that apartment! LOL!

[DIANE W]

Janet.... I can really see where you are coming from with Ricky, i understand he thinks he wants to be independant, but i think he will end up regretting it and coming home to Mum with his tail between his legs. I know we all see things differently, and maybe he and his friend dont see the living conditions as an issue at all.

I cant understand these kids wanting independance, when they have a perfectly good home already, they should be enjoying their youth and spending their money on enjoying life - plenty of time for responsibility when older. Maybe it is me that is wrong though, i hate the thought of my daughter leaving home, but we only spend half the week together, as we have a holiday home we use every weekend... so we all get our own space too.

Diana, I wish you lots of good wishes, with your family, I agree with the others, they are a family and need their own space, to live their own lives, and take responsibility for their family and each other now. Damon needs to grow up and be responsible for his family, I understand he has been through a tough time, but so have you all, i really hope he gets his life together and they can move on and be a happy family.

I hope my posts dont cause any offence.... i do have a bit of a mouth at times, but i feel i know some of you so well, and i hate that you are going through difficult times.

Just feel free to tell me to shut up......... i wont be offended - honest:D

[Janet]

Don't you ever feel you need to shut up...not with me anyway. I really can see both sides. I would love to keep him home and he wants to be independent. It's just that if he moves, I want him to be happy and I don't think it would last long. If he goes, I'd like to put the dogs in his room. Right now I have 4 crates and 1 x-pen in my family room...it's so annoying. Then if he moves back, then I'll have to move the dogs back to the family room again.

[DianaB]

I'd probably keep his room the same for awhile. Then if he wants to come back home he can. It will be good for him and help him learn independence and responsibility.

Diane.....we're good enough friends that you can say what you want without stepping on toes!! I enjoy hearing your opinion about things!

Dae Lynn and Damon have had a rough day. They haven't gotten along very well. It's hard since Damon's been gone for 10 months and now has to come back and fit into the family. Plus he's dealing with his own family problems.......his mother died before Christmas and now his Dad is planning on getting married soon and moving his new wife into the home he shared with Damon's Mom. The family has all known that he was having an affair before Margaret died and there are some hard feelings over this. Damon has a lot to deal with now that he's out of jail.

It will be nice when they move out but I don't think that will be any time soon. I'm sure that if they move out Dae Lynn's going to make sure that their marriage is better. She doesn't want to uproot the kids and be left with bills should Damon end up in jail again.

[gja1000]

Diana, the problem is that with an alcoholic, you can never ever be sure that "things are going to be better" especially in this situation where Damon really didn't get the help he needed with him alcohol problem. I see this as almost a no win situation. If Damon makes it through all this stress without drinking, it will be a miracle. The cards are stacked against him, unfortunately. I'm afraid he will end up back in jail for a long long time. He won't do well with all these stressful situations in his life.

[DianaB]

I know, Gayle. Sigh......To look at things realistically you're right and we all know it. Dae Lynn and I have talked about the fact that she'll probably be in the situation again of having a husband in jail. He's talked about getting help but when it comes time to actually do it he finds excuses or blames the other person for why he can't do it. I've recently learned the term "triangulation"........which is when there are three that are involved and blame is placed but there isn't any communication, or limited communication, between two of those involved. Damon has used this on us several times.

[DIANE W]

Don't you ever feel you need to shut up...not with me anyway. I really can see both sides. I would love to keep him home and he wants to be independent. It's just that if he moves, I want him to be happy and I don't think it would last long. If he goes, I'd like to put the dogs in his room. Right now I have 4 crates and 1 x-pen in my family room...it's so annoying. Then if he moves back, then I'll have to move the dogs back to the family room again.

Thank you Janet, its only when i read back i sometimes think i maybe said too much there???
I know what you mean Janet.... if he was moving to a nice place, that he could settle in and comfortably afford, then maybe it would feel different?
I agree maybe dont change the rooms around for a while yet... just to see that he does settle. I only have Harvey (my little Yorkie), and he is enough for me to keep up with, dont know how you manage your dogs, they must be hard work for you.
Never mind..... what will be will be, i think it is hard to allow our kids to make decisions that we feel are not right, or will make their life harder.

[DIANE W]

I'd probably keep his room the same for awhile. Then if he wants to come back home he can. It will be good for him and help him learn independence and responsibility.

Diane.....we're good enough friends that you can say what you want without stepping on toes!! I enjoy hearing your opinion about things!

Dae Lynn and Damon have had a rough day. They haven't gotten along very well. It's hard since Damon's been gone for 10 months and now has to come back and fit into the family. Plus he's dealing with his own family problems.......his mother died before Christmas and now his Dad is planning on getting married soon and moving his new wife into the home he shared with Damon's Mom. The family has all known that he was having an affair before Margaret died and there are some hard feelings over this. Damon has a lot to deal with now that he's out of jail.

It will be nice when they move out but I don't think that will be any time soon. I'm sure that if they move out Dae Lynn's going to make sure that their marriage is better. She doesn't want to uproot the kids and be left with bills should Damon end up in jail again.

It is so tough at times, I do feel for Dae Lynn, we all want the best in life for our kids, and it is hard when we have to watch them suffer, i am hoping everything works out, without too much stress for everyone.
Gayle is right, i think the first step is for him to accept he has a problem and be willing to get the help he needs for his sake and that of his family too - I really hope he can do it, or if not Dae Lynn has the strength to move on with her life, without him, I would hate for her to live allowing him chance after chance. He has the problem, nobody else.

[Janet]

You're all right. It wouldn't bother me so much if it was a nice place, but it's an absolute dump and Ricky will have a bedroom so small that he can only fit in a bed and his TV. No dresser, no nothing. His closet will be outside of his bedroom. He'll just have to see for himself, but it still bothers me. I only want the best for him and this sure isn't it.

Diana, I wish I had a magic wand to make Damon's dependency disappear. I hope it doesn't happen again, but like the others and you.....unless he gets the help, it's going to happen over and over. Dae Lynn is so sweet, I wish she didn't have to go through all this.

[Janet]

Today was so beautiful!! It was all sunshine and so warm. I came home from the bus route this afternoon and immediately started in cleaning out the dog area outside. Instead of using a rake so soon, I used the leaf blower and the rake for just getting it picked up. It looks so nice. Then I moved my operation to the front yard and blew out all the debris arount the shrubs. So many sticks to pick up but I'm leaving it to another day. It just wore me out. I need to get some exercise so I can have the stamina to do more.

[judy]

My 10 year od grandson, Brandon, has been in the hospital for about 2 weeks now. He has those terrible rashes, which progressed to terrible stomach pains. They have not found the cause yet, but the pain just got worse and worse. They have him on morphine which doesn't help for long enough.

He had his appendix out yesterday. It had a calcification in it, and would have had to come out at some time anyway. They are hoping this is the cause of the pain. Actually, the surgeon was not too hopeful, but you never know, she said.

They couldn't tell after the surgery because he was sleeping, and there is pain from the appendectomy. I haven't spoken to Jessie today, but I am praying that the pain is gone.

I have been with the girls every day after school, so have been really busy. Jessie has been at the hospital, and Steve is back and forth. The girls are not happy when it's just him with them. They need a woman's touch, and they miss their mama.

I have to go into the city today to get my dentist to write up some things so that I can finally collect from my insurance company.

I just wanted to say hi, let you know why I haven't been on here, and ask for prayers for Brandon.

I miss you all!

[DianaB]

Oh, Poor Brandon!!! I'll be praying! I hope that the surgery helps but I can't imagine that an appendix would cause a rash. Keep us posted.

It's been so nice here too. Yesterday I spent a lot of time in the greenhouse. The tomatoes that I planted earlier either got too cold or hot. It could have been either one......anyway I lost about half of what was up so I replanted them and planted some other stuff.

Tension has been building with Damon here with Glen. This morning after Damon left for awhile I got to hear all about it......It's the same thing over and over. It makes it difficult that I don't support Glen in his thinking. I'm not willing to be used but I am willing to give Damon another chance. I had a talk with Damon this morning, trying to smooth things over. He understands about how Glen feels but I know that he's hurt by it. However, that's part of what he has to deal with the trouble he got into.

Glen is not like he used to be. He used to be so optimistic and he's not anymore. Some of that I blame on his Mother because she was always so pessimestic. She left that wonderful (not) legacy for her family.....and it does cause problems. He's so grumpy and hard to get along with. Do men go through this with male menopause? That's the only explaination I can think of. I need a "Calgon, take me away" week!!!!!!

[Janet]

Judy...how horrible for Brandon to have to go through all this. Bless his heart...I just want to hug him. I will keep him in my prayers too, that he starts feeling better and that the Drs. can find out just what is going on.

I'm so envious of your greenhouse Diana...I am so anxious to get some flowers (at least) planted. Haven't planted any for a couple years and I'm so ready.

I don't envy what's going on at your place. I do hope Glenn can give Damon the benefit of the doubt and then if he screws up one more time...THEN he can say "no more". Has Damon been out trying to find any kind of job? He may need to humble himself and take whatever job he can find. Hugs to you!!

[Blueyes]

Judy, I'm so sorry Brandon is sick. I hope they can find out just what's wrong with him, and will be able to find a safe easy cure. The girls are so lucky to have you nearby, and I'm sure it puts Jessie's mind at ease knowing you are there with them.

Diana, I heard somebody on TV say that they were only as happy as their saddest child. This is true for me, and probably all of us. I pray that things work out for Dae Lynn and you all.

[gja1000]

Judy, I'm so sorry about Brandon. I'm thinking about an autoimmune problem. Since Jessie has MS and it is related to an autoimmune problem, and since Brandon has had allergic reactions (hives), I'm thinking something may be wrong with his immune system too. I sure hope they find out what is wrong, very soon!

Diana, I don't know how you do it - you are a saint. I know I would be like a much more grumpy Glen, if I were in your situation. I'm so sorry you are having to go through this. I agree with Janet, Damon needs to get a job, ANY job possible.

[2tiredmom]

Judy and Diana, My prayer are going up for both of your families.
Hope all gets better soon.
Today I took a 2 + mile walk after work with one of my best buds. We had
lots to talk about. As we were walking I got a call from the Nursing home about my
dad. I posted that elsewhere.
Then I came home mopped the Kitchen and bathroom floors. Now I am pooped.
Enjoy the weather everyone.

[gja1000]

Hi All! I've been reading everyday and posting a little bit. I've been out at the lake (only 30 miles from our home) with Gary all week and he has not been feeling well, to say the least. We had a doctor's appointment last Friday and he was feeling OK (for him). But by Friday night, he couldn't breath, so I came in and got his prednisone to start him back up - but that really didn't help much. Then I noticed his feet were swelling (a common heart failure symptom, but Gary never has it), so I suspected his heart was causing the breathing problems (fluid gets accumulated and backs up into the lungs). So by yesterday, he was really feeling badly so I called the doc and we got in today. He had so much fluid accumulation he was TEN POUNDS HEAVIER! They gave his Lasix (medicine to get rid of the water) in his vein. He takes this everyday by mouth, but it is much more powerful by the vein. They also gave him a medicine by mouth that makes the Lasix even more powerful. He was not able to lay down in the bed last night to sleep, but 4 hours after the IV Lasix (and much peeing) he was able to lay down and take a 2 hour nap. He feels much better, but is still very short of breath on exertion. Also, they drew blood work and the nurse called to say his kidney function is really bad - but it may get better after getting the fluid off, or it may be worse (hope not). He goes back in next Wednesday and they will do the blood work again.

I didn't intend to stay out at the lake all week, but I just have not been able to leave Gary. He loves this time fishing with his aunt and uncle so much, but I'm not sure he'll be able to do it for a month, as planned. I will have to go back to work next week, but I can go out in the evenings (I don't want to do that every evening, but will if I need to). I'm thinking though, that his aunt and uncle know how much he is struggling, so they may go ahead and go home next week, rather than staying another couple of weeks. Guess we'll see how it goes.

I've been keeping up with everyone and hope all gets better for those having troubles, and stays stable for all that are doing OK.

[2tiredmom]

Oh Gayle I am so sorry. I will keep you and Gary in my prayers too.
I hope he feels better soon and can enjoy the rest of the week at the lake.
I loved getting up this morning. Had the windows open and heard the birds chirpping.
I love spring. Just another day of work to be thankful for.

[gja1000]

The springtime is just glorious, isn't it. It has been wonderful during the day and cool enough in the evenings to have a campfire at the lake. We've been under a burn bad in Texas for so long, but we've had rain this winter and spring, so now we can have campfires. I got stuff to make s'mores, but we haven't made them yet. Hopefully tomorrow!

[gja1000]

Linda' thanks for the kind words about Gary. He's feeling much better this evening. I hope I can keep him going for a few more days of fishing. He made jug lines this evening for cat fishing. All he has to do is put them out and then check them later in the day. Hopefully they will catch some big cats. He loves to fish so much, it feeds his soul, so anything I can do to keep him going, is all worth it.

[Janet]

I sure have been enjoying these beautiful warm days. Forecast calls for high temps but rain almost every day for the next week.

I'm so glad to read that Gary is feeling better. You are such a good wife Gayle, but it has to be exhausting. When it's for someone you love, it doesn't matter though does it.

I've tried to get some things done like laundry, sweeping and dusting before the weekend gets here. On Saturdayi plan to shave the dogs down and bathe them. Ricky has to work and Rick will be at one of those cowboy shoot things so I won't beinterruptedand should get them done in no time.....I hope... lol.

[Blueyes]

Gayle, I sure hate to hear that. I know he wants to stay and fish, and you will do everything possible to make that happen for as long as you can, but it gets scary sometimes. Did I tell you that my 31 year old son Dustin has CHF? It's the result of all the health problems he's had in the last year. He's still on oxygen most of the time.

Mike has gone to an NRA banquet tonight. It's kind of nice to have a little alone time:p I've been trying to get the shutters painted to match our new roof. The roof is brown metal, our siding trim and garage door is tan and white, and our other shutters were black...and the brick is just ugly! I painted 1 shutter green and just stopped because it was so ugly. So now the shutters will be brown to match the roof. I painted 2 today, and they look so much better. Except that now I have black, brown and green shutters on the front of the house, lol. Guess I'll get busy tomorrow:rolleyes:

[gja1000]

Oh My Gosh NO, Betsi, you didn't tell me Dustin has CHF. It's a wicked condition and I am so sorry he has to deal with it. If I remember correctly his wife is a nurse, so that will help him keep on top of it. I'm so sorry that he is so young to be dealing with this, but at the same time with meds, diet and exercise, young people can often overcome it and lead a good life with minimal symptoms. It takes discipline though. Gary doesn't do all of what he could do to manage it, and yet, his heart function has improved in the past couple of years. Go figure. I hope Dustin takes care of himself and does what he can to over come it.

LOL at your house. I know exactly what you mean. I still have things that need to be done to this house and yard, and we've been here a YEAR! I wish we had a metal roof, maybe someday.

[judy]

Betsi, I am so sorry that Dustin has CHF! I will keep him in my prayers. The advances in medicine will, hopefully, make his life much easier in the future.

Gayle, how is Gary doing now? I hope he can have his fishing time!

Brandon is at home, finally! They found a canceroid tumor in his appendix through a CAT scan. The appendix was removed a couple of days ago, and his pain is gone!!! I read a little about canceroid tumors, and flushing of the skin is a symptom, so I am praying that the rashes are gone too. The tumor was sent for a biopsy, but the surgeon was not concerned that it metastiized. I want to see the results very soon because, as positive as I am trying to be, I am worried.

I have Kassidy's dance recital today, and then I am taking the weekend for myself! I haven't emptied my dishwasher in 3 days!

Jessie's Japanese Chin had an unexpected litter, and I am considerimg taking the little female. She is the cutest little sweet thing! Chins do shed though, and I am not sure how Annie would take to another little female puppy. I may try it for a week.

[gja1000]

I'm so glad that they found something that took away the pain. Yes, I would be concerned until the results come back too. That waiting is just awful. We have been told twice that Gary had lung cancer and had to wait for the biopsy results. It can be a long wait. It is so wonderful though, that the pain is gone and hopefully, the rashes too! It sounds like you need a looooong weekend (or maybe week) to yourself. I hope everything continues to go smoothly.

[Janet]

On Betsi, I'm sad to read that your son has CHF. He's so young! I hope he will follow Drs. orders and does everything he can to make his life easier and longer.

Gary doing better Gayle? I hope he is still enjoying his fishing.

Judy it's good to read that Brandon is home. I am praying so hard for him for good results. How frightening for all of you.

JChins are so darn cute. 3 dogs are a lot of work Judy, house training again. I just keep asking myself...what was I thinking getting 5. I must be nuts..lol

[gja1000]

Gary is better today. He peed out about 10 lbs of water so while he is breathing better, he's a bit wrung out. But of course he went fishing this afternoon. I don't think they will stay out long. They are going to set out some jug lines and fish a little for catfish, but I think they'll be in early. We are going to fix hobo dinners and s'mores over the campfire tonight.

[DianaB]

I'm glad to hear that Gary's feeling better. Ten pounds of water.....WOW!! You do such a good job of staying on top of his health!! I hope he can catch a whopper!!! Wouldn't that make his day?

Oh, Betsi, I'm so sorry to hear about your son. Doesn't it seem like all of our families are dealing with so much? I hope he takes good care of himself!!

Judy, Big Sigh.......finally, hopefully, they've found out what Brandon's problem is. Let us know what the results are.

I'm not going to go into detail about what's been going on here but let me put it this way........I'm so ready to leave!! It's not Damon.....it's Glen.

Oh.....and Glen's brother, Mark, is hiring Damon to go back to work for him. Dae Lynn and Damon are pleased about that. Personally, I wish that he would go to work in a normal workplace.......but then again, he might not be able to stay with a day to day job.

[Janet]

Well now....you need to get away huh...I know a dear friend of yours that will be on spring break the last week of March and I'm so positive she would love to see you!!

[DianaB]

I would love to come but I don't think that this is the time to do it. Thanks so much for the offer though. I do know that I'm welcome any time and I will take you up on it sometime.

Yesterday was better. I think that Glen had time to think over his attitude and was much better. They all went down to the garden and got it planted yesterday. I didn't go down......I stayed up here at the house and watched kids and had supper ready when they finished.

I bought one of those Shark steamers for floors and I tried it yesterday......I loved it!! The one I got will also come apart and is a hand held steamer as well. The floors felt so clean when I was done!! However.....today I am so sore!!

Today I have some time to myself.....Dae Lynn, Damon, and the kids went over to see Damon's Dad and pick up some things that Damon wants to keep. Damon's Dad is getting married soon (he was having an affair before Margaret passed away and they hadn't gotten along for years) and Damon wants to get what he wants before the "new" woman moves in. Their family is having some big problems over all of this and I can understand. Damon's had a lot to deal with since he's gotten out of jail.

I have a jewelry party to go to this afternoon. Love jewelry!!!