Done and Done!

Today's high temperature was:   74 degrees

Today's humidity was:  66%

Sunny, cloudy, with a nice breeze.

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I didn't get up very early this morning--guess I was still pooped out from Tuesday and the bush massacre!  I walked down to Pearl's and took Tiger (cat) a little mouse to play with and 3 DVD's for her and Merle to watch.  I asked her, 'Isn't is suppose to rain today?"

She said, "Nope.  Maybe later...during the night."

It was predicted to rain again, but by 2:00 and not a drop, I decided to get out and cut the remaining two Privet bushes.  It only took me an hour to get them both done.

I came in to rest and was cleaning the mold out of my window tracks when I saw Pearl--carrying two old plastic tablecloths, I yelled,  "What are you up too?"

"I brought these down--I am doing to load them up and take them home to put in Merle's truck."

"Why don't you wait for Merle to bring the truck down?"

"He's taking a nap and rain is coming."

"I thought you told me it wasn't going to rain."

"Changed my mind."

I went outside to help her.  I got my big empty garbage can to put the larger branches in.

"You can't be doing this, Pearl." I said as I started raking the stuff onto the plastic cloths.

"I feel really good today.  That medicine your doctor gave me seems to be helping a lot."

So we bent and we scooped.

Tami opened up her kitchen window and said, "Oh...look at the ladies working so hard."

Pearl was bending over and she said under her breath, "Quit looking and get your sorry ass out here and help."

Just about cracked me up, but we kept busy-- and we filled up both plastic tablecloths and the big can and I took one of the cloths, and the can and she came behind with the other cloth.  We had to stop twice, in that less then 50 foot walk back to her house, but we finally got them back to her place and in behind the truck.

She put her arm around me, leaned on me and rested her head on my shoulder and I put my arm around here and rested my head on top of hers and then we heard laughter and looked up---there was Merle watching us out the window.  He came out and loaded it all in the back of his truck and will dispose of it.

Merle said, "Why didn't you wait for me to take the truck up there?"

Pearl said, "You were taking a nap and it is going to rain so---WE ARE WOMEN--WE CAN DO IT!"

So glad to have it done.  What a Sweetheart she is!!!  AND, a half hour later, the clouds opened up and we got a gully washer!!!

That is a Maple tree growing up out of that bush--

and a Rose of Sharon bush growing there too.

They look a little ragged, but by next spring, they will be full and fine

and

I won't have to cut them back again until I am 80 years old!!!

from this to this

Now I have to trim my Forsythia and my Weigela bush and I should be all set for fall.

I no more got back into my chair to rest my back and the phone rang--it was Dar.  She was at work, but sounded all panicky.

"You have to get on-line and research about electronic cigarettes and order one for me!"

"Ah--wait----what?"

"I just found out I have COPD and I have to quit smoking.  I need one of those electronic cigarettes to smoke.  Like the kind you used to have!"

"They don't make the kind I used to use anymore.  They have gone to a different, more expensive one.  I don't know anything about them."

"Well--just get on the computer and research it for me and order me one that you think will work.  I will pay you for it later."

"Dar--I can't do that"

"Why not?"

"This is something you have to do.  You have to research them and figure out which one you want and buy it yourself.  It's not something I can do because I might make the wrong choice."

"Oh--I just don't know how to do that!"

"I will send you the link.  When you get home, go to your e-mail, click on the link and take it from there."

"But--I don't want to put it on my charge card."

"Well--I am not going to put it on MY charge card.  Have them take the money out of your debit card."

"What if someone hacks into my account--they could take all my money."

   So it's okay if someone hacks into MY account, but not hers?

"Try the patches instead."

"I can't.  I'm allergic to them."

"Try the gum or the lozenges."

"I can't.  They give me sores in my mouth."

"Get some Chantix from your doctor."

"I can't.  The last time I tried that I got suicidal!"

"I guess you are just going to have to cold turkey it then."

"What?  I can't do that!"

"What do you mean...you can't?"

"I just can't."

"Of course you can.  It will take two weeks of cravings and then they will get less and less and then you won't have any at all. With the other patches, gum, whatever--you still have to wean yourself off the nicotine--eventually."

"I've been smoking since I was twelve!!  That's almost sixty years!  I can't quit!"

"Well then---don't!  It won't make the COPD go away if you quit--not now, not once you have it, but it will slow the progression down.  I will send you the link, so you can research what you want to do.  You can then make up your mind."

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I said "no"!  Amazing!!!

The phone rang around seven o'clock this evening--it was Dar.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Oh, sure.  I'm great!"  horse laugh

"When did you find out you have COPD?"

"Oh--I don't know for sure.  The last time I was in the ER, they did an x-ray and I got the report and it said I had a nodule and the beginnings of COPD."

"Oh--you know--remember--when I was in that same ER last December and they also told me I had a nodule in my left lung and when I got it checked out---there was none.  Remember?"

"Yeah.  I have an appointment next Tuesday to get a CAT Scan of my lungs."

"Well--don't worry until you get the results of that."

"Oh--I'm not worried."

"You aren't?  You seemed kind of in a panic when you called me at four o-clock...from work."

"Hey--did you notice?  I drove home in that heavy thunder storm?"

"Yes.  I noticed.  Good job."

"Yeah...now I just have to learn to drive on the expressway again."

     Okay--I guess her crisis is over?

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Tonight, I watched the DVD of Bambi.  GEEZ!!! What a horrible movie for little kids to watch.  I first saw it when I was four and was so terrified that I got to crying (really loud) and my grandma had to take me outside!  Then, a year later Mother and Grandma took me to see "Lassie Come Home" and I got to crying and sobbing about the poor doggie when Lassie was trying to get home and her paws were all cut and bleeding from the rocks she was climbing over.  

The nursery rhymes and fairy tales we were brought up on? Terrible scary stories.  "My Friend Flicka"--my grandma read me that book when I was six and in bed with the measles.  I had nightmares and I didn't even LIKE horses.

And who can forget this:

No wonder a lot of us grew up traumatized and scared of everything!!!

My Mother always sang Brahms Lullaby to me.

Lullaby and goodnight, with roses bedight

With lilies o'er spread is baby's wee bed

Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed

Lay thee down now and rest, may thy slumber be blessed

I loved it, but for the life of me, I could never figure out what "roses bedight" meant!

I sang this one to my kids:

Bye, baby Bunting,

Daddy’s gone a-hunting,

To get a little rabbit skin

To wrap his baby Bunting in

I must ask them someday if they were traumatized by that lullaby!!!  GEEZ!!

My grandma always sang, "You Are My Sunshine" to me.  I think that was the best song ever!!

You are my Sunshine,

My only sunshine.

You make me happy,

When skies are grey.

You'll never know dear,

How much I love you.

Please don't take 

My sunshine away.

She never sang the other stupid, sad verses--she just kept repeating the chorus over and over.