Mom woke up and she was completely calm and reasonable. She asked what was going on and I told her she was out of surgery and every thing was OK. She said OH, and asked if I was OK, then she promptly went back to sleep. She woke up again a while later and again, was completely calm and lucid. I asked if she hurt and she said No. I have class in the morning at 8:00, so I came home. She'll probably wake up at midnight and be awake all night. I couldn't stay up there at that time anyway and go to class at 8:00, I'd be a zombie!

I'm glad she didn't wake up mean again. Sometimes it can be a little un-nerving (sp) when someone we love is acting so out of character. It's great that she's going to be just fine. The PT will help her get better faster.

Good news, always like the less invasive stuff.

I had a crazy day ... Pulled into the parking garage at work, got out, left my keys in the ignition. Motor running, lights on, door unlocked, for about an hour before a girl who knew it was my truck called to check in me. At least I did t lock the door!!!! I'm in total overload.

Ended with a very nice dinner, at olive garden, with my daughter. Life is good.

I'm glad your life is good, Sandy, but I think you need some rest, lol!

Gayle, sorry to hear about your mom. I hope she recovers easily.

I'm getting things ready to leave for Seattle. I've been dragging out some warmer clothes, because it's actually cool there:D When I told Mike I was taking the laptop with me, he didn't like that idea too much so we went today and got an iPad 2. I have it all synched, so I'm taking it on the plane with me so I don't have to carry my MacBook. It will be so much easier to read my Kindle books on an iPad than on my phone!

I'll be staying longer than I really wanted to, but with the days I picked to travel, my round trip ticket was just $248!! I love Southwest Airlines:p

Gayle, I'm glad to hear that your Mother's surgery went well and that she's back to her sweet self!!! I imagine that she didn't even know that she was grumpy!

Betsi, have a great time with your son and daughter-in-law!!! It sounds like fun to go and travel a little......even if it is to your son's house. I imagine that there's a lot to do in Seattle!!

Dean's a lot better today!!! Dae Lynn and I each had to change clothes three times yesterday!!! Yuck!!! About 3 o'clock yesterday his little tummy started keeping drinks down. We had several little kids from the church that were sick yesterday so I think that one of the nursery workers must have been sick and exposed them......or possibly another kid.

Sandy, you need to go somewhere and relax. You are definitely stressed and need to de-stress. Is there a family memeber's house you can go to for the weekend and just do nothing but have a good time? If so you need to go!!!! Life has been too hard on you lately and you need to take your mind off of things and just have a good time!!!

I forgot to mention that my granddaughter, Kiley, ran a regional cross country race on Saturday and placed 10th!!! So she gets to go to State on Saturday. Glen and I are making plans to go and watch her!!! Anyway I think that Glen's going......with his leg.....hmmmm......we'll see. I may just take a chair and sit him in the shade!!! He's finally going to the doctor to have it checked out this afternoon. Anyway......we're so excited about Kiley!!! She's only a freshman but she's out running all of the other Fredonia team!!! This may not be the last time that we'll be at state!!!!

Betsi, have a great time.

Diana, I'm so glad Dean is better. Wow! Kiley sounds like she's quite a runner, that's really exciting!

Sandy, I did that once too, but it wasn't because I was stressed out like you, it was just because I was silly!!!! You do need to de-stress!

Mom is doing better today. Due to class and Gary having two doctors appts, I didn't get up here till about 2:00PM. She called me about 1:00 and told me if I didn't get up there she was going to whip me!!!!! She's getting a little feisty. The physical therapists came to work with her and she did really well. They recommended her for the rehab program here at the hospital. That is great news because I won't have to transport her to another facility on Friday. They still have to qualify her through Medicare for this program, so there is a chance she will have to go somewhere else, but hopefully not. They don't recommend everyone for the rehab program here at the hospital, so we are lucky they think she has the potential to do the program here.

Now for the bad news, Gary is not feeling well at all. He is having major trouble breathing today. Coincidentally, we had a routine appt with his heart doctor this morning. His lungs sounded so bad she called his pulmonary doctor and we went straight from the heart doctor's office to the pulmonary office. It really helps to have a doctor call another doctor!!!! Gary had to start on steroids to help him breathe better. I sure hope they help!

You're being double barreled aren't you. Sure hope Gary gets some relief soon. Don't forget to take care of yourself.

Gayle, glad your mom is better! I hate that about Gary. It's scary to be sent by one doctor to another doctor. It always makes me nervous to leave Mike at home when I go to Seattle, but it's hunting season:rolleyes:

Diana, I'm glad Dean feels better. It's so hard to have such a sick little one! What did you find out about Glen's ankle?

Gary feels much better this evening and his oxygen levels are much better too. WHEW! He looked like warmed over sh!t this morning - but he looks sooooo much better this evening. :)

Whew!! It scared me to hear that Gary wasn't doing well! I'm so glad that he's doing better!!!

You are being hit with a double whammy!! Your Mom AND your husband!!! However it sounds like your husband's better and your Mom's pt will work out great for you as well!!!

Today I have Karlie home sick!!! She's not as bad as Dean though. She had an upset stomach before Dae Lynn left for work and has just complained that her stomach hurts since then. She's not eating so hopefully she won't have trouble with throwing up. You couldn't explain to Dean that he should only take small sips of stuff......so he's drink and get sick......drink and get sick. She's well enough to still pick on Dean and tattle!!! It will be a long day!!!!!

Glen went to the doctor yesterday and they x-rayed his foot. He has a broken heel and a small bone is also broken on the bottom of his leg. The doctor is suppose to let us know if we'll have to cast it tomorrow. He was going to consult with someone else about it. Glen would prefer to not have a cast so I'm not sure if he'll get one or not. You never know with him until he actually does it!!!

I feel for you Diana with both of them home and one sick. That can't be fun. Hope you're making her carry a bucket around with her just in case.

Poor Glenn...tell him to man up and where the cast if he needs it....lolol. Maybe he'll only have to wear one of them boot things. That wouldn't be so bad. At least he could take it off to bathe.

This morning I got my flu shot at the school for $15. Most around here are charging $25. Hopefully there will be no reactions. I still have trouble with my arm from a few years ago.

There is less than two weeks (Nov. 5th) till we have the estate auction of Mom's things. I'm dreading this so bad. It was bad enough taking the car back...just one more thing to prove she's gone and now the auction. I still cry at least once everyday. I miss her.

Jerry gets a pacemaker on Nov. 3. I hope everything goes well. He still smokes and coughs so bad that he sometimes can't breath. It scares me.

I really haven't done anything exciting or fun....lol. Just normal things around the house and then time on the computer. I have been using my crockpot a little bit more. I think of what I want to fix and then go to CrockPotGirls and find a recipe for it. Maybe I'll start cooking more...maybe, there's still the mess to clean up....any volunteers? LOL

Nov. 5th is Feyn's birthday!!! We're planning on going hiking at a lake on the next day!! I hope the whole family goes!!

An auction sounds like fun!!! Of course, it will be a lot of work for you!! Don't pay attention to what things go for because what you think will bring a lot won't and things that you think won't go for much do......so it evens out in the end!!! I know that you'll be glad when this is all over!!!

I'm glad that you're cooking!!! The crockpot is sooo easy!!! Make sure you spay it before you use it and that will help it come clean! There's a new product out where you line pans with it.......I don't know if it would work in a crockpot or not......it might not be wide enough but you might want to check it out.

I hope that all goes well with Jerry's pacemaker. My FIL had one and got along so well with it but he did have to go in several times for a "tune up"!!!! After that he would feel so much better!!

Here's a picture of our "runner".......Kiley!!! We're so proud of her going to State!!!

1. Kiley is on the far left side.

2. Here she is with her Grandma!!! OMG....she IS taller than me!!!!

Long day, went by to see mom at 7:30 this morning and then at 8:00 tonight after class. She's doing OK, tired of the hospital, of course. She is not going to get to stay at the rehab at the hospital. I'm not sure if Medicare didn't approve it or if they decided she wasn't able to do the higher level of rehab. It really doesn't matter. She'll actually be closer to us in the facility that we will use. We will just have to transport her over there tomorrow or Monday - not sure when she will be released. I'm just looking forward to getting her settled into a rehab center so she can start getting some strength back.

I'm sure the hospital is doing what is best for your Mom. Hugs to both of you!!!

Karlie is better now......but Dae Lynn was sick in the night. She seems better but every once in a while complains that she's feeling worse. She's planning on going to Wal-mart this afternoon but we'll see how she's feeling.

Glen and I went to the hospital this morning and got Glen's cast put on. Glen's not happy about it but it sounds like it was the right thing to do in talking to the doctor. He's not suppose to put any weight on it for 3 weeks....Ha!!! He's already trying to figure out how he's going to drive his standard pickup!!!

We had another hayrack ride last night with our Alley kids. They were just wild......and my patience got very thin with them!!! Tonight is our youth group from church and I don't look forward to them either!!! We end up with trash all over and they don't care about anything.......not like the Chi Alpha group. This will be our last one.......I think!! Don't get me wrong......I love having the kids out but I do like them to be respectful and act responsible around the fire and to others. Everyone wants to play in the fire.

I'm sure you're ready for you Mom to start getting her rehab started. The hard part is making them want to do it when we're not around...lol. Mom always had the excuse she was just too tired. She had never liked any kind of exercises. We made her at least do a few of all the exercises so she never got away with that excuse..lol. Hope your Mom gains her strength back soon.

I was hoping Glenn would be able to wear the boot thingy. I've heard they are a bit more comfortable than a cast. Hope he heals quickly Diana. Is he just about done with harvest?

Maybe after the hayride you could have all the children gather and then pick up their mess. That's not right for them to accept the fun and be so disrespectful. Is there some kind of fencing or something like a exercise pens for dogs that you could put around the fire to keep them away from it?

YAY! They called back today and said mom COULD do the hospital rehab. HUH? Oh well, it's a great unit. We got her moved down there this afternoon and I think the care is going to be fabulous! Two of my former students were RNs there, one was her evening nurse and the other admitted her. Anytime we needed something, someone was there immediately. The floor where mom was transferred from was not so good. Sometimes you had to wait quite a while for someone to answer the call light. I'm really happy that she got to stay at the hospital rehab, everyone says it is very very good.

I'm glad your mom got to stay in a better place Gayle!

Last night we took Layla to the SPCA for their Howl-oween party :) She won best costume!!! She was a fairy princess on wheels :D Her prize had a bunch of big rawhides and bigger toys, so I think my parents' dog will be getting most of it :) Scott and I checked out the adoptable dogs, and they were all bigger dogs. There were two that stole my heart. All these other dogs were jumping and barking and there were two mastiff mixes in two seperate kennels, that just sat there and stared up at us with big sad eyes :( I wish I could have brought them home but they are just too big, or at least WILL be too big when they're fully grown. They were beautiful dogs though, and I hope someone adopts them soon!

Scott went to a Halloween party and slept on his friend's couch last night, while I came home with Layla. He's on his way home now. It's been quiet around here with just me and Layla :) She's curled up snoring on the couch right now and I'm doing laundry and paperwork for my new job!

Gayle I'm so glad things are working out for your Mom and that she gets to use the hospital rehab, especially since you're so confident in them.

This morning Rick and I went to Menard's in Lafayette and purchased a new front door and a new screen door. The one we have has been on the house since we built it in '76. I never did like the door and some cold air was beginning to come in so we just bought new. I'm so excited and anxious to get it put up.....hopefully before winter, but knowing my husband.....who knows.

Ricky had to work so he didn't get to go with us. We waited until he got home and then went out to eat. I got the catfish curls and jalepeno/creme cheese poppers and it was so good. Also drank 2 1/2 really cold BudLights too. I ate way more than I should have and I'm stuffed.

Now it's time for bed but wanted to check in here first.

HEY JUDY.......are you getting that snow I've been hearing about in New York?

Hi Everyone, I'm wondering about Judy too! I hope she is doing well.

Janet, we need a new storm door. We have a pretty front door on our new house, but there isn't a screen or storm door so we can't draw a breeze through the house. We found one that we want, but just haven't had time to get it yet.

I ran errands and worked inside and outside of my house today. WHEW! I am so far behind on everything. The house is just a mess - I've been so busy all I've done is sleep here. LOL! I did laundry, cleaned the kitchen and picked up other rooms, but still have a couple to go. I had to get some fertilizer on the yard - this is about the last week to do it, so I got some and put it on with my John Deere :D. Then I had to water and I am STILL watering. Due to the drought, we are only supposed to water before 10:00AM and after 7:00PM on Wednesdays and Saturdays. I put the fertilizer on this morning and so I've been watering like mad this evening trying to get everything wet down.

I ran up to see Mom, but only stayed for an hour. I just had too much to do. The nurses said she did good with rehab today. She is still having a really hard time, but I guess it will improve!

This morning I had a lot of small odds and ends to do and got them all accomplished. For the first time...Ricky had to open and close the store by himself today as the only manager there. He did have two employees but my little (lolol) boy was in charge. I'm so proud of him.

Rick stayed in the garage most of the day...so I did my odds and ends and then started with laundry...got it all done too.

As a bus driver we have to have an annual safety meeting. This year, instead of having a big meeting, all Indiana bus drivers watched the 5 videos and took the 5 tests online. I did a couple of the tests yesterday, but finished up the last 3 today. I passed all three thank God.

I really like the big meetings and seeing all the different bus drivers from our county, plus a few other counties too. This was nice too, in the privacy of my own home....with dogs barking!

Tomorrow Rick and Ricky work so I will have the day to myself. It's fall break and we get Monday off. I will be doing some running though, have to have my brothers sign some papers the lawyer gave me and turn them in, go to the bank, stop by Mom's for mail and then pick up some prescriptions. Guess I'll be a little busier than I thought.

Janet, sounds like you will have a busy "day off". But it is good to have a day off to get things done!

Gary and I ran errands today until almost 2:00PM - we didn't get started till 10:00 because someone :roll eyes: "slept in" (and that would NOT be me). Then I put together a stew for the crock pot and laid on the couch for a little bit before going out to eat and then over to see mom.

The nurses said she did 100% better with transferring today so that is good news. She looked pretty chipper!

Gayle, glad your mom's progressing.
Janet, You'll need a day off after your day off.
Lindsey, Layla is so lucky.

Friday, I got my new pickup truck, left it at my house and drove the Tahoe to Jeff's. I babysat Katey while they took Abby and Sarah to a school carnival and a Halloween party. Katey's at that cute babbling age, so it was so much fun. Love her smile.

They drove me home today and stayed only about an hour before taking off back home. They're taking over the payments on the Tahoe. I like it alot but it's just too big and I need a truck now. I plan to stop tomorrow and get some landscaping stones and trees to plant.

It was a fun weekend and I'm not too tired, but another day off would be great.

Did we just pass a weekend??? We were sooo busy!!! We had hayrack rides on Thursday and Friday. I think that we have one more this weekend then we're done.

Glen and I got up early on Saturday and drove to Lawrence to watch Kiley run for State. There were soooo many people!!! Kiley ended up in 45th place out of 97!!! We thought that was pretty good!! She had looked over the route the day before and she said that it was a hard route.....lots of hills!! She's just a freshman so I'm sure that we'll be going again before she gets out of high school!!

Then Glen and I went to Target.....well, I should say that I went and Glen sat in the car!! I guess that while I was inside Glen had an incident with a man that was parked in front of us. I had pulled in and parked 1/2 inch from his vehicle and he let Glen know that I had hit his car!! Glen let him know that we HADN'T hit his vehicle but he backed up.....and checked.....and found a small mark!!! Glen said that if you believe that then we need to call the police and see what they think!!! I guess he had his wife and small daughter with him and he could tell that she was embarassed. Anyway he ended up leaving.

Yesterday after church we took some friends out to eat! Then I came home and worked on Karlie's costume for Halloween. We had found a little lion costume for Dean and I already had a Dorothy costume.....but it was way too big so I had to do some alterations......and pinning!!! Reuger got to be Toto!!! The church had a Trunk or Treat where we played games and passed out candy to the kids. I dressed up like a Queen!! It was fun.....I had found a costume dress at our thrift store so I finally got to use it!!!

Today is finally a NORMAL day!!!! Amy is sick though. So far Glen and I have missed it!!

So far today I called my brother Jerry and he and I went and ate breakfast together. Then we went to Mom's house and he put the water pump on the camper so it would be set before the auction this weekend.

I had to have him sign some papers for some stock Mom had so I called Brad and he joined us at Mom's to sign his papers. Of course he came....he's getting money. I went to the bank, took the papers to the lawyer and then went to Wal Mart. Needed to get my prescriptions and some more glucosomine. While there, I found 3 long sleeve tops that I liked and each were under $10. Also had to buy a new mouse for my laptop since my other one died.

Rick texted me and said he got transfered from the collision body shop to the used car shop. He's not happy. It's because he's older and can't work quite as fast as all the young pups they have working there. He'll probably end up with a pay cut which is gonna hurt us pretty good. Even though I no longer want our marriage, I still feel bad for him. He had to put up with some crap from his younger co-workers, basically making fun of him. Not sure of all the details of the transfer until he gets home this evening. He was hoping he could retire from there, but he may have to try and find something else. Jobs just aren't out there, especially at our age.

Have today off for Fall Break. Did get a lot accomplished, so the rest of the day is gonna be easy.

Weird work day. Having lots of attendance problems with my girls. Their managers come to me complaining, so I've got to figure out how to correct it again. I've run out of options.

Stopped at chuys and left to get quick hugs from Laura, Chrissy and delaney when I saw that they were in the area.

I'm excited that Jeff is coming this weekend to try and finish my house repairs. Then, I can start the yard. Woohoo

Sorry about your problems at work, Sandy. I hope that things get better. It will be exciting to get all of your home repairs done so you can move on to other things.

Janet, It sounds like you're coming along on getting all of your Mom's things settled. I know that you'll be glad when it's all done.

Sorry about Rick's job. You would have thought that they would have talked to him before moving him into a different area. Bummer.

Gayle, I'm so glad that your Mom was able to stay where she was at and I know that it's reassuring to know that you have friends that will be watching over her. It sounds like she's doing really well with physical therapy.

Very tired this evening. Gary had a routine appt with his kidney doctor. His kidneys are not doing so well. We thnk it is because his heart doctor changed his heart meds last month. So, we changed them back today and I hope that helps. The kidney doctor used the "D" word - dialysis. Gary is not there yet, but inching closer. I hope the med change will reverse that "inching closer" trend.

Mom continues to do well. I found out today that when she is ready to be discharged from rehab, the nurse from her assisted living facility will come to rehab and do an evaluation to see if she is ready to come back to her apartment. She will need some help, for sure, and the assisted living facility provides help, but she must be able to do some things on her own. I sure hope she is well enough to go back to her apartment and does not have to go to a skilled nursing facility for an interim stay. I'm sure she'll be fine in 5 more weeks when she can bear her full weight on the leg. Until then though, I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

We had a flat today on the pickup. It was sitting in our driveway, thankfully. We have roadside assistance (for when we pull the travel trailer) and it covers our vehicles too, so we just called them to come change it for us. Our driveway is sloped somewhat and it was going to be a little tricky getting it jacked up. We figured that we pay for the service, we might as well use it.

Gayle, I pray Gary's kidneys improve with the med change. I wouldn't want anyone to go through kidney problems...it's not always easy.

It's great your Mom is improving so well. She must be a strong woman like her daughter.. :) As long as she continues to do her therapy she'll probably be able to out run me...lol

Rick isn't really liking the new position at work. He's working on nothing but trade-in vehicles, not his favorite thing to do. I wish he could find something else, but he has done vehicle body work since he was 18 so not sure what else he could find.

Had the dogs outside in their area yesterday and kept hearing them barking. I would yell out to be quiet, but it didn't do any good. So I quietly took a peak outside to see what they could be barking at and it was the kitty. She was pacing in front of them since they were behind a fence...lol....so funny. She knew they couldn't get her so she just pranced around teasing them...lol.

My brother Jerry is having the pacemaker put in today. I'm so nervous I'm half sick. His wife and two daughters and son-in-law are with him and will call as soon as they know something. I saw him yesterday, hugged him and told him how much I love him. Jerry just isn't in the best of health and it scares me so bad. They told him he would be staying overnight.

Cleaned out my garage a bit yesterday and loaded up some things to take to the auction. Things I just wanted to get rid of and couldn't think of a better way to do it. Not really anything to donate, but like they say "one man's junk is another man's treasure".

The guy I have doing the auction is a wonderful auctionneer. I've known him for a long long time and use to date his brother John. I know he'll do a great job. His wife Beth has been in at the house separating some things and putting like things together. Hopefully it will be a good sale, but we're not looking to make much, especially since they charge 25%. Oh well, there is a lot to get rid of and this is the best way to do it I guess.

I've been sick. I woke up yesterday aching and hurting all over plus running a fever. Dae Lynn took Dean over to Tammy's and she watched him so I didn't have to worry about him. I ended up sleeping most of the day. The flu's been going through the family and I'm the last to get it so we're done!! Today I still ache and have a headache but am a lot better but I'm still taking it easy.

Glen was watching Dean this morning while I took a bath and he had a phone call.......well, Glen can only do one thing at a time so he didn't pay any attention to Dean. He got a whole box of Chex and dumped it ALL on the floor of the living room!!! Ornery little guy!!!!

Janet, I'm sure that you're so busy this week with the auction and all. I hope it all goes well and you have great weather!!!

Gayle, it sounds like your Mom is doing well. I know that she has the best of care with you watching over her......and the same with Gary!! I know that you and the doctor are keeping a close eye on Gary's kidneys and other problems. You're a good wife and daughter!!!

Today I went to Mom's to see if I could help do a thing and most was already done, so I came back home. Had to go to a bus driver meeting today so they could tell us they fired the transportation director and a bus driver. They both are married with kids that attend our school and they were having an affair. The TD has been married 20 years and has two teen daughters and the driver has been married about the same with 5 kids ranging from 2 - 17 years of age. They had been the gossip for quite some time. So now the drama is over....I'm so glad they are gone.

Tomorrow is the auction.....hope it goes well.

I have missed a few days, and I have to catch up!

I went to the doctor yesterday, and he said I am doing fine. He took out the stitches, and now I just have to wait for whatever swelling there is to go down. My upper eyelid on one eye is really annoying, because of the way the stitches were. It is annoying, and intefering with my vision a bit. He said it will go back to normal, and I sure hope it's soon. I still have to take it easy, which I am not used to, but I think it's only for a couple of more weeks.

Then since I was in Schenectady, I went to a nice mall there. I cannot get used to the shopping here! Macy's was beautiful, clean and pretty, and the staff so helpful, but the store is so small! I am a city girl, and am used to big stores that are well stocked with everything you could want. I wanted to try on a coat they have advertised, and which is on sale. They didn't have it, and don't even have a petite department. I was going to order online which is much cheaper, so I just ordered it and hope for the best. I can return it if it doesn't fit. Annoying!!!

Gayle, I am sure you will keep Gary off dialysis! I'm also sure you will make sure your Mom gets the care she needs. You need a vacation in Hawaii, just laying on a lounge chair! You are the best wife and daughter!

Sandy, how nice that the house is moving along so nicely! How is it living there? I bet it's comfy and cozy. Good luck with getting the staff under control! It reminds me of teaching, keeping the kids under control, and avoiding the administrators!

Janet, I am praying for your brother. He will be fine. They do these procedures so easily now. I know you love him, and that will help him recover. I am sorry about Rick's job. I hope he didn't have to take a pay cut. As long as he is working, it is good though. I hope he gets used to it soon!

Diana, I hope you feel better! The flu is awful! Just stay in bed and take it easy. Maybe you can catch a good movie or something on TV while you're at it, if you feel well enough.

Judy, it's good to hear that you're doing well. I can't wait to see pictures of you!!

Janet, Enjoy today!! You'll have a lot of people you know show up at the auction so enjoy seeing your friends!!! You're in my thoughts!!!

I'm feeling better but not completely. I have a headache. I need to go and take some ibuphrophen but I like to wait a while after I take my other meds. Hopefully it will help.

I had made plans with all of the kids to go hiking tomorrow a couple of weeks ago but it's really cooled off and it's suppose to be rainy so I've got to figure out what to do. Glen's broken his foot since then so he wouldn't be able to go and he's the one who really loves that kind of thing. I may just fix something to eat and have everyone over after church. We can play pool, ping pong, or air hockey in the basement. We'll see what happens.

Today is my son's 37th birthday!! It's so hard to believe that he's almost 40!!! I don't feel a lot older than that myself!!! I do have to say that I have a wonderful son!!! I so wish that all of you could meet him!! I'm so proud of him!!! He turned out pretty good considering he was born to 17 year old kids!!!!

The auction went very well, everything sold and for a good price. It was horrible watching things go to people that I didn't care for, especially a couple that are friends of Jerry's. It was just a hard day period and I would rather have not been there. I don't think I've stopped crying for much length of time. My Mom's things, her treasures are gone and the house is empty. I have to go clean now, but will wait a few days. I have a few errands that need to be done first.

Today, I swept the floors and did laundry. That's about it.

Oh Janet, that must have been very hard, I can't imagine. My mom had to get rid of all her things when she moved down here with me, so I won't have to go through that. I can't remember, what are you all going to do with her house? You'll feel better after some time passes, you know your mom wouldn't have wanted you to be so sad.

Gary and I went to the deer lease this weekend and I am POOPED! He shot a deer so now he's got to get it all cut up over the next few days. We'll keep the tenderloin and some backstrap for chicken fried steak and then have the rest made into summer sausage. There's a guy in town that makes the BEST venison summer sausage. We haven't had any in quite a while so I am ready.

But I am really really tired. These weekends at the lease just really take a lot of work. It won't be quite so bad the next time - it's just that we have had so much to do to get things out there organized. I really love being out there, but i don't like all the getting ready to go, and cleaning up after we get home.

It sounds like your day was very hard, Janet. It may take you a while to get back to yourself, but have faith. I know you do, and I will keep you in my prayers.

Go Gary! I am so glad he got a deer, Gayle. How many weekends are you planning to go to the lease?

I did nothing today. I was going to go see Jessie and the kids, but they had plans. I'll go over tomorrow after school for a cdouple of hours. I hardly had them sleep over since August! They went on vacation, and then things just keep coming up. I hope to get them in a couple of weeks. I miss them!

I have to admit that I have been enjoying doing nothing for the past couple of weeks since the surgery. I am bored at times, but I feel like I needed this peace and quiet. It's like I'm soaking up energy, and getting rid of stress.

Judy, I like to do nothing sometimes too! We won't go back to the deer lease till the Friday after Thanksgiving. I'm not sure how many times we'll go. The season is over about the middle of January and we might go every two- three weeks.

How far away is it? We are in the beginning of deer hunting season. Bows are allowed; no guns yet.

When guns are allowed, you can see tons of married men, off for a weekend of beer and butt watching with the guys,, dressed from head to foot in brand new camos, who pick up a deer carcass on their way home for about $600.00.

Gayle, you do so much for Gary!!! You just amaze me!! Do you ever have time for yourself??? It's no wonder you're tired!!!! Taking care of your Mom and Gary!!! Wish I lived closer I'd run over and help you get things cleaned up and put away........you could watch Dean for me while I did it!!!!! LOL

But....Yay.....Gary got a deer!!!! I love deer sausage and jerky!!!! That's exciting!!! I bet he was so happy!!!!

Janet, I'm so sorry that the sale was hard. Hugs. At least you know that you kept what you wanted and you got the best price you could out of the rest. Don't even think about where the stuff was going.

I know that when I finally got my Dad's apartment cleaned out it was hard to close the door that final time and I cried. It was just so final. It still brings tears to think about. I think that was the hardest thing I did.....was close that door.

Regular Monday work day for me. Met Laura and her girls at chilis for supper. They want me to read the hunger games books, so there'll be no housework going on around here. I sure wish I had finished painting BEFORE I moved in!

I'm excited. I just booked Christmas in Branson. I invited the kids and they might go, but I plan to go without them, if I must.

Yep, that pretty much sounds like where our deer lease is located. With all that Gary has spent throughout the years on the deer hunting clothes, binoculars, guns, deer blinds, lease, etc etc., we could have bought a deer hunting ranch, I'm quite sure. Our lease is about 110 miles from where we live - not too far in Texas terms. We ate lunch Sunday at the little town nearby and if the men in the restaurant weren't dressed in church clothes, they were in camo! LOL!!!

Saturday was the first day of gun season - it's been bow season for the past month. The husband on the lease with us killed a deer a couple of weeks ago with his bow.