Easter was only a week ago?

It seems so much longer to me.

Still feeling a bit discombobulated. Still not being able to really focus. Still wondering when this plague will leave our lives.

Worry for my family members, especially those in New Jersey. Missing my kids and grand kids and not yet being able to hold my newest--6 weeks old already, great grand boy. Missing hugs and conversations.

 Knowing full well, in the deepest part of my soul that, as in other hard times, God will carry us through. He always has, He always will. Continually praying He will sweep this plague from our country.

Grateful to Him for all that I have and trying to find blessings in each lonely day. Whether it be the sun shining, Robins hopping across the lawn, a beautiful Daffodil standing tall again after shaking off its covering of snow or clean clothes taken out of the dryer and hung up again in my closet. A fresh bloom on my African Violet plant or my sweet Buddy cat, laying on Momma's nightgown, taking a nap.

It's the little things that really count. E-mail photos sent from a granddaughter. Phone calls from my sister. A daughter bringing me food to carry me through.

Della

Harrison, already walking around furniture

at 8 months

Life is still very good and it will be even better...one day...soon I pray.

Aren't we all so weary of all of this?
It's starting to make me really sad.
=================

Our Governor has closed down everything she doesn't deem essential.  Our lawn mowing guy can't come and pick up sticks, rake up leaves or mow the lawns.  The garden centers at the Walmart and other stores are roped off because buying seeds and getting annual flowers to plants, is not essential.  We are mandated to stay home and can only go out for groceries or prescriptions.

I decided yesterday I needed a drive in my car so I went up to the gas station, filled the car up with gas and went inside and bought a bag of chips and a candy bar.  No one in there except the cashier hidden behind a giant plastic shield.  I felt like such a rebel.

Our Governor had also banned all doctors from using HydroxyChloroquine.  This week, since our numbers have gone up, she is begging for supplies of the medicine.

In my County we have 206 positive cases and 3 deaths.  One was a 20 year old.  Of course, those numbers will go up.

I have a sinking feeling that The Virus will be around until a vaccine comes out for it.  We were hoping that with hot weather coming, it would kill The Virus, but now "they" are saying that nothing can kill it.  So even when the stores open again and businesses and restaurants open, there is still going to be chances of contracting it.

Even me, a natural stay-at-home person is getting tired of it.  I went out for a walk today.  I can feel my legs getting weaker from all the non-exercise.  My weekly trip around the store and up and down the aisles, used to be my exercise.

I don't know.  I don't think any of the experts know either.  It's not like any of us have gone through anything like this, so we know what to do.  Even the Polio epidemic in the mid-fifties wasn't this bad, and we did a bit of social distancing back then.

Life as we have known it, will never be the same after this.

Everyone is so cranky!

I had to make a run up to Walmart this past Wednesday.  I had a prescription to pick up and had been putting it off for a week.  I only had one pill left for that day, so I got there at 8:55, and was the only one in line, when the pharmacy opened at 9:00am.  I couldn't wait to get outside and let the breeze blow the bad buggies off me.  It felt like a scary "adventure".

When I got home, I wrote about my adventure on Face Book, like I often do and put a humorous tone to my story.

Man!  I got blasted by two friends who criticized me for going out that not only could I spread the virus to others or catch it myself and I was making too light of this pandemic.

Late yesterday afternoon, I found out through Dar that our lawn mowing guy can't come and rake leaves or pick up sticks.  His business is not deemed essential.  I was pondering on FB about that.  Wondering why when he would be outside and me inside and never the twain to meet and at least, I could send him a check that would help him feed his two little kids.

Another friend ripped into me.  Sort of accusing me, "Do you think your lawn work is essential?  Really?"

Gosh.  I don't think that's what I posted.  I was just wondering why it would matter if he worked when he would be outside and me in.

So, after crying a bit from the criticism and scolding I got, I decided to stay off posting anything on FB.

GEEZ!!  Last week my sister told me I was over-reacting and now this women accuse me of making light of a serious situation.

I can't win!
======================
So now "they" are saying we all should wear face masks.  Even though they don't do any good, if you have The Virus it will keep you from contaminating others---it keeps your sneezes and coughs inside the mask.  If  you don't have The Virus, wearing a mask won't keep the bad buggies out.

We have ladies around here sewing masks.  Bless their hearts, but no hospitals will take them.  They have to be made from a double layer of tightly woven pure cotton and they have to be able to be adjusted tightly around the nose part, down low on the chin, or they do absolutely no good.  The poor sewing ladies are trying to help and so far, they are being turned away from care centers.

My sister has some masks left over from when they lived in New York State and went through the SARS scare.  She said she would get one to me.  It appears to be a sturdier than the home made ones.  I might wear one if I have to go get groceries, but....I don't know.  If you keep adjusting the mask, you end up touching your face more and that might contaminate you worse than if you just went without.
=================
I didn't need one yesterday--outside trying to rake my front lawn from the piles of leaves the lawn guy left last fall when he got sick with Lyme Disease.  I have little blue Star Flowers that come up all over my front yard and I wanted to uncover them.

I only got 3/4 of one side of the lawn done.  Finally I figured that I didn't want to take a chance on an AFib attack and have to go to a germ ridden ER, so I sat in my canvas lawn chair, in the sun, and watched the neighbors walk up and down the street, with their canes and walkers.  Dar had her Dad out, pushing him around the block in his wheel chair.

At least I got to see other humans and call "Hi, how ya doing?"  back and forth.
===================
My youngest daughter Jennifer, had to go to ER on Wednesday night as she was having a hard time breathing.  She has asthma and is still recovering from an 18 month stint with Lyme Disease.

They gave her a COVID-19 test, with results coming back in 5 days.  Took an X-ray and EKG, both good and sent her back home to quarantine herself in one room.  She has been working from home and has not traveled anywhere, so I don't know where she may have picked up The Virus, if that's what she has.

That is the real scary thing about this, for me.  People can have it and show no symptoms, but still be contaminating others.  That's why I have stayed away from my grandchildren.  Not that I might give it to them, but they were working and in college until the 3rd week of March, so they could have it, and because they are younger, feel no bad symptoms, but give it to me and then...I'd be dead.

I know darn well, if I had to be hospitalized and it came down to who was going to get a ventilator--a 50 year old or me an 80 year old, I would just be rolled down to the Hospice unit.

I think President Trump was trying to be upbeat and make people feel more positive about this whole "isolation" when he spoke of being "open" by Easter Sunday.  Most of us knew that wasn't going to happen and of course, the Doctors Fauci and Brix knew that wasn't going to happen.  This whole crisis is just getting underway to my way of thinking.

So we have another month of "Stay Home. Stay safe.  Save lives".

I'm afraid some people I know are going to be worn thin emotionally.  Poor Dar.  Cooped up in her house with her 96 year old Dad,  She is used to going somewhere almost every day.

I think to myself, this is the way I've lived for the last 8 years.  There is something to be said for being a semi-hermit.  Each day feels pretty normal to me...except knowing that the Pestilence is just outside the door and right around the corner.

===================

I did have a lovely weekend however.  I got e-mails from both my Grand Girls with photos of their babies.  I got an e-mail from Jennifer!  They are in New Jersey and her husband's office is just 12 miles from New York City.  Her daughter, Elise, my youngest Granddaughter sent me a lovely thank you e-mail for her birthday card and money.  Elise was 16, so I took a 10,5 and 1, laid them on a towel and sprayed them with Lysol and let them dry.  When I got her card made, I cut out a strip of paper like the ones that come around a stack of money and wrote, "Clean Cash.  This money has been disinfected."  She got a kick out of that.

I called my sister and we talked until both our phones were needing a charge.  We understand each other so well and each have a---I don't want to say dark humor--maybe a gray humor.  We were laughing hysterically until we both started coughing and then kidded, "Oh no!  We've got the bad buggies!"  Her birthday was yesterday.  68!  I never thought I'd live long enough to see her get that old.

One of my nearby Face Book friends had posted that she couldn't find any flour on the store shelves and she was baking home made bread and cookies and rolls to keep from going insane.  I was kidding when I commented, "I have a 5# bag of Gold Medal flour.  I will barter for 2 jugs of Diet Pepsi and......she took me up on it and brought the Pepsi over this afternoon.  She was so happy to get the flour I thought she was going to cry.  Plus, she gave me half a loaf of home made bread.  Yummy.

Yesterday Karen e-mailed me that she needed to make a shopping run and for me to send her my list---which I did.  She came by at 10:30 and brought my groceries in and put them just inside the front door.  I was teary and wanted to hug her so much, so---she said, "Mom you and I have both been quarantined for 10 days.  You aren't sick and I'm not either," and she grabbed me in a big hug--we made sure our faces were turned the other way.  No kisses, but lots of I love you's.

It was very special of her because we shop at different stores, but she went to the store where I normally shop so she could put in my "number" and got  $3.00 off my amount.

Dar came over and brought me the largest container of Clorox wipes I have ever seen.  They will last me the rest of my natural life.  I wiped down my counter tops, my phones, keyboard, my purse, wallet, car keys and the bottom of my shoes.

The groceries that Karen dropped off this morning--I wiped down the Pepsi jugs and put them away, put the items that needed refrigeration in the freezer--that ought kill any bad buggies and the rest will sit in their sacks for 72 hours before I put them away.  

I'm not a real germaphobe, but every time I watch the News, I get scared and think I should be more careful.

I have managed to find my two favorite Pastors that I normally watch on TV on Sunday morning, on a live stream on my computer.  It seems difficult for them to preach to an empty church.

Now, every time the cuckoo clock sings, I say, "Dear God, please help us", and now, while I wash my hands, I say the "Lord's Prayer".  I try to remain cognizant of the fact that God is the only one who can keep us safe in times like this.

=========================
This baby looks like no one on either side of the family!  Only 3 weeks old.

Laying on the quilt I made for him.

He looks so little

Gotta have him in a Spartan onesie.

He has this blonde hair that if they don't

keep it wet down, springs up in little spikes

all over his head!

He was baptized on St. Benedicts Day because

his first name is Benedikt--and then 6 more names.

Look at that hair and those bright blue eyes

peeking out.

Harrison and Della

Harrison is 7 1/2 months old and already

pulling himself up to stand by furniture.

His big sister adores him!

Until next Sunday--Stay Home.  Stay Safe,.  and wash your hands and don't touch your face!!!

Everything just feels so strange now.
Just a week ago I was having lunch with friends--all 80 years old or over--sitting close enough to touch shoulders, all hugging and kissing went we left.

Then all heck broke loose.

We have 800 cases of The Virus in our state--6 deaths.  Detroit area and the large cities having the most cases, of course.  The rest of us are generally spread out and the towns we live near aren't all that large, but still..................

You have no idea if the person you just passed in the store aisle is a carrier.  I'm sure they wouldn't be out shopping if they were ill because This Virus makes you really sick feeling.

Now the main grocery stores are opening early on certain days for the "most vulnerable" to shop.  7:00-8:00am are the hours.  Why does the world think that all old people are early risers?  I get up at 9:00 every morning.  What am I supposed to do?

Well, I have two prescriptions that I have to pick up tomorrow at Walmart.  Also I am out of cat food and bread.  The pharmacy doesn't open until 9:00am.  So...I set my alarm for 7:00 and hopefully, I will be awake and alert enough to drive on up at 8:30--get what I need and be at the pharmacy when they open.

Cat food and bread are not all the things I am out of.  I bought a good supply of groceries last month the day my SS hit my checking about--March 3rd, so I am just about out of everything--which means, the 3rd of April I will have to make another trip for groceries.

Now, even though I am 80, I have a strong immune system and no real bad underlying health risks.  High blood pressure, which is controlled and pretty low most of the time.  That's it!  But--I could still die if I caught This Virus.  

I will wear my gloves to handle anything and everything.  If I get any cash back, when I get home, I will lay it out on a towel and spray it with Lysol, both front and back, and let it dry.  Paper money is the dirtiest thing in this world!  I will bring in the groceries--still wearing my gloves. I will empty out the bag of cat food and throw the bag away.  Then I will throw my gloves into the washer and wash my hands.  I will wash off every can of cat food with hot water and detergent.  I will wash my hands again.

Since I live alone I don't worry about my own germs, but whenever I bring anything into this house--I will clean it off good and wash my hands.

I have been in this house since the 14th.  It doesn't bother me at all.  My car sits in the driveway for days on end in my normal life, so this quarantine doesn't bother me.  Dar, is going nuts!!!  She is used to going somewhere every day, but now she is worried she might bring a bad buggie home to her 98 year old Dad.

I don't mind, but sometimes just knowing I can't go out, makes me want to go out more.  I still have a bit of rebel that has always been there.  Tell me NOT to do something and I just might.

I still hear of women baby sitting their grandchildren.  Visiting their kids.  No way that is happening here!  The grandchildren are just the age of the carriers.  Even young children are getting it now.  So...I haven't seen my newest great grandbabe yet.  My grandson is getting married June 6th--who knows.  His fiance's shower is end of April.  I may have to miss both as I think this self quarantine is going to last longer than 15 days.

I think the President and his Task Force have done a good job, but who could ever be prepared enough for something like this.  It would have been nice if China had notified the world earlier, but with their closed government...they probably thought they had  a crisis they could contain.

Just think.  One man in Wuhan province decided he wanted to fry up a couple of bats for supper.  One man--a couple bats and here we are with a world pandemic.  Unreal.  

I always thought it would be a terrorist walking through Times Square releasing drops of Anthrax or opening a vial of Smallpox.  I never thought it could be a bat!

So, onward and upward we go.  I pray daily, often times a day, for God to intervene.   

But--it still kind of scares me.    

We're in for quite a ride, aren't we?

The stores around here have empty shelves.  This must be what it is like to prepare for a Hurricane.  But why the hoarding of toilet paper?

I understand the psychology behind "panic buying", but toilet paper?  Six packages of 12 rolls of toilet paper?  If you caught the virus and had to quarantine in your home for 14 days, would you need that much toilet paper?

When I stopped up at Walmart the other day to pick up a prescription, I got 3 Giant Hershey Chocolate bars with Almonds and a box of Little Debbies.  If I have to be quarantined, I'm going to enjoy myself.

Well--it is kind of scary to me.  I am at that age that if I got it, I'd probably die, however I have no underlying health issues.  Still in all, although I'd love to see my new great grandson, I wouldn't contaminate him, but all those 20-35 year old grand kids, of mine who would be there too, could be carriers and well...I'd hate for them to feel guilty because they killed off their Gramma.  LOL

=============

As you can imagine, my week and weekend have not been a bit of fun.  They canceled the B1G Ten tournament and then the NCAA Tournament, which nearly gave me a stroke, because I had my whole weekend planned around those games. 

I figured, well, heck...I'll watch the golf tournament and no sooner got that idea when they canceled that AND postponed the Master's Golf tournament?

What else is there to watch on a weekend?  The News programs?  Egad!  All they do is make me more anxious.

Today I watched 2 live streaming church services from my favorite preachers and 1 from my home church--that I haven't attended for 4 years.  My pastor has grown a beard, for some reason.  He's about to retire.

Well, those services lessened my anxiety.  There is nothing we can control about this Plague.  Worrying sure isn't going to help, just make us feel more scared.  I cross stitched and tried to find something to watch--HGTV--reruns.  American Pickers--reruns.  I couldn't find a decent movie and too lazy to pull out one of my won DVD's.

Today is the 50th anniversary of my Mother's death.  Beware the Ides of March.  She was only 53. I had written a tribute to her on Face Book and of course that brought back a lot of memories, good memories, but still--I was with her when she died--it was a hard death and, 50 years later, I can still see all of it as plain as day.  So, I've been a bit misty today.

=================

This next week I had all my yearly doc appointment and lab tests scheduled, but canceled them.  I don't think it would be smart to go into a germy hospital, just to get routine tests that can wait until end of April or May.

"They" are telling us old people to stay home.  That's not a problem for me.  My car sits out front for days and days, without me using it.  But of course, now that I've been told I shouldn't go anywhere, I am itching to do just that!!!

========================

I wish people would quit with the political knit-picking.  As if that does any good.  Why can't we all come together like we did after 9/11?

Wash your hands and cover your sneezes and no need to get tested unless you have symptoms.  Fever, dry cough, shortness of breath.

Stay calm and carry on.

Onward and Upward.

Yesterday morning, I got a call from Karen.
"He's here, Mom.  You oughta see him.  A full head of blonde hair!  and he has your cleft in his chin!"

Born in the hospital where Maddie is a nurse.  She had Catholic  mid-wives deliver the baby.  He was born 9 months and 6 days after his Momma and Daddy's wedding.

All those years of ballet training must have made strong pelvic and stomach muscles because...6 hours labor, no drugs and Karen said, "she said once, 'oh--that kind of hurts.' "

One of the Mid-wives stated, "Madeleine, you were made to have babies."

Karen said it was like a birth in the olden days.

When he was born, they cut and tied the cord and put him up on Maddie's chest, skin-to-skin, and left him there for two hours.

No checking him out in an isolete, cleaning him up or putting drops into his eyes.

Just Momma, Daddy and baby.

They didn't even weigh or measure him until two hours later.

Grandma and Grandpa.  Look at my Karen.  Isn't she beautiful?  59 years old and looks like a young woman.

Then the whole family showed up.

Most of my grands and my 3 greats. 

Born only 7 months apart, he and other great grandson 

Harrison will no doubt be the best of pals.

Then in the evening, Daddy's showed up.  I don't have a photo, but there was about 10 of them.

8#  6oz.  21" tall

First blonde born in either family.

Of course, his great gramma was blonde, HAH!

His Daddy's family are pure, beautiful German's and devout (traditional) Catholics..the women always wear a head covering in church and the services are done in Latin.

There are 7 children in the family, all boys.  Each has 7 names--Saints names or Catholic names.  It is their family tradition.

So let me introduce:

Benedikt Leonel Lourdes Aquinas Anton Dominic Athanasius

I have no idea what we are supposed to call him!  Maybe Ben?

My second grand child Susanna, Mark & Karen's second child, has been a runner most of her life.

She was on the Cross Country team in High School and got an athletic scholarship to Grand Valley State University, a college over on the Western side of our State, where she also ran Cross Country.

Now to my way of thinking, why anyone would want to put their body through that kind of stress and pain--running miles and miles, is beyond me.  I was more of a sprinter.  I could run really fast for a short distance.  She is just the opposite.  It takes her a few miles to get warmed up and then she is off like a Greyhound.

She got hired by New Balance shoes out in Portland, Oregon, as their Marketing Director.  She went to many States, setting up the New Balance display and running in the 10K races.  She's also been to England and France to do the same thing.

About five years ago she was telling me that she wanted someday to run the Marathon for the Olympic Trials.  That was her goal, knowing full well she wouldn't win, but just wanted to run and finish.

Well a Marathon is a lot different than a 10K.  She did run a half Marathon in Chicago and then last year, ran in the Boston Marathon and finished.  26.2 miles.

Can you imagine?  What would you think about while running?  Over two hours.  Wouldn't you get bored and just want to quit?  Wouldn't your back, legs and feet start hurting?

By running in the Boston Marathon and finishing with a decent time, she was qualified to run in the Olympic Marathon trials.

New Balance was planning their early spring conference and going to Boston, as usual.  She asked if they could have the conference in Atlanta, so she could run the Marathon.

..and so she did. 

Mom and Dad were at the start line, halfway point and the finish line.

Because of an injury three weeks ago, her time wasn't all that great, but she did have 31 women left behind her.

All that really matters, she accomplished her goal!

Pondering on the Coronavirus. Bad stuff! I'm glad I don't live in a big city like New York or Boston--where to get anywhere you gotta ride a bus, train or subway. Packed in with people you have no idea if they are healthy or carrying the Virus.

How about Detroit? No cases yet, but very easily could be. Innocently going to a concert at Ford Field or where ever and catching this deadly disease.

No--I'm not a germaphobe, but I do try and stay away from crowds this time of year and sanitize my hands the minute I get out of the store and back in my car. Then after I carry the bags in, wash my hands.

Hey--I grew up in the era of Polio when they had no idea what caused it and so perhaps I am more cautious?

This Coronavirus is one tick on the clock away from being a world wide pandemic.

====================

We have had 5 days of pure sunshine.  A very mild winter, but now it appears, winter is coming back for a major slam.  I am seeing reports of 7.1" here and one model shows 9-10" here.

Well, I had to go to the store to get more cat food--per usual and was out of water and milk and Diet Pepsi, so I'm ready for whatever Mother Nature brings our way.

============

I am working on a nice long genealogy and have another smaller one waiting and got a call this morning to do one for a friend.  Her family is from Hungary so it's going to be tough to find many ancestor's.  The Russians had control of a lot of those countries and the Commie's burn a lot of records, so somethings are near impossible to find.  But I told her I'd give it my best.

Genealogies bring in a little extra money--the better to afford to buy cat food.  Maybe one of these days I'll get enough tucked away so I can buy a new pair of blue jeans.  Mine are wearing out.  LOL

===================

March is just around the corner and March and September are when I have my various doctor's appointments.  I called this morning to make one for the 16th and the 18th, then will see my primary guy for my Medicare Wellness check-up on the 26, with blood work done a couple of days before.

=============

My granddaughter Maddie is due on March 4th.  I am so nervous!  She is a nurse and has to work double shifts sometimes and plans on working right up to when she goes into labor.  She will be so tired, how can she ever push a baby out?

I just don't know about this modern day society.  Woman wanted to be equal and all that and have put themselves in positions where they work harder than men.  And men don't have to abuse their bodies by having babies and then recovering and going back to work while they are still nursing those babies.

Well, maybe all the exercise she gets from walking the hospital aisles will give her an easier labor?

Dentist the other day.  Just a cleaning and check-up by the Dentist and of course, she found two teeny cavities, so I have to go back and I don't really like the dentist's chair!

It seems that all my teeth hurt.  Pulling away from the gums, deep pockets at the gum line.  I am now using a special toothpaste, but it's probably too late to help.

Question--do you remember back in the day when we pronounced gums, "gooms"?

==================

I was planning on going to the Old School Gal Pals lunch, but we got heavy snow that morning, so it was canceled.  I'm glad because it was at a restaurant that is a bit further than I like to drive, and my sister wasn't home, so no visit with her to use as an excuse to go.  I'll try and make it next month.

====================

This CBD balm/lotion/cream, whatever it is really works great!  I can't believe it.  I think the CBD pain patches work best, but they can get expensive.  They are only suppose to bring relief for 24 hours, but the last one I used on my back...I left it on 3 days and after I took it off...my back hasn't hurt since!  3-4 weeks ago?  I keep waiting for the pain to come back because there is no way that little patch could help pain that I have had for 5-6 years!!!

=================

I paid the rest of the month's bills today and have $1.33 left in my checking account.  Keeping a lot balance like that, keeps hackers away.  HAH!

I am working on a nice genealogy, with one waiting in the wings.  You know I get obsessed with this research and working up the pages AND it sure helps bring in a little bit to help my finances.

Personally, I think I am better than that guy on TV show "Finding Your Roots"; Henry Louis Gates who does genealogies for important people.  I usually find more ancestor's than he does and he has a whole staff that travel to Europe, or scan records in Libraries and people pay him thousands.  He does give them a huge, in colored pedigree chart, which is something I cannot do.  Oh...I do pedigree charts, but they aren't in color and 4'x6'! LOL

===================

Not much to do the rest of this week.

There is a good mini-series on the History Channel about George Washington.  In real life, he wasn't anything like what we studied in school.  He lied all the time.  Had a temper and at times, was none too bright.  Which shows to go ya, politics hasn't changed much in the last 250 years.

=====================

See ya later--Jude

Saturday was Madeleine's baby shower at Karen's.
The snow was quite heavy, but I managed to get there okay.
My oldest grand daughter Helene, had done most of the work--even though she works has a 3 year old and a nursing infant.  Karen and her husband were in Aruba the whole week before the shower.

It was nice.  Lots of people so we didn't play time consuming games.  It took the kids two hours just to open the gifts!

No excuses for not posting.

I'm working on an involved genealogy and by the time I get done with all that searching, scanning, printing, writing--my mind is rather tired to come in here and try to be clever.  LOL

I have also been watching the Impeachment trial.  Especially last week when it was in the Senate.  I felt I could be an unbiased observer and listened closely to both sides and this morning to their closing arguments.  I have made up my mind and...glad it is coming to a close as it pre-empted my Soap every day!  You know I wasn't happy about that.  Then I'd have to figure out a time in the evening when I could get my Soap on Demand to watch it.

I was sitting here Saturday and I heard my front door open and in walked my youngest, Jennifer.  I nearly fell out of my chair.

She has been in town for over a week and I prayed every night that God would nudge her heart for a visit.

She quit the law firm where she has worked for 15 years and joined another one that deals in Non-Profits, that is her specialty and also some kind of financial something that I couldn't understand.  I did hear her say she met the 94 year old man who "invented" the Visa Corporation, she showed me a photo.  I hope I acted properly impressed.  Maybe she can get me a 0% Visa charge card.  HAH!  

Their new home is finished...she even showed me photos and while she is here, her husband was moving out of their rental home and into their new one before the end of the month.

I did feel a bit uneasy.  She still has traits of my step-mother.  She does like to gossip and told me negative stories about when Pammie lived with them and how her brother is angry at the world and even some negativity about Karen.

I listened, but made no comments.  When it comes to my kids, I am not going to comment on any gossip from any one of them against the other and I felt like if I did say something, Jen just might take it back to them.

I kept steering her back to tell me about her kids and how her oldest is doing in college and her daughter being watched by college volleyball coaches, even though she is only a Sophomore.  How Alex, the 12 year old was put into a Gifted program, but decided not to go because then he would miss school time with his friends and how the youngest, 8 year old Evan is such a nice boy.  All her kids are nice, polite, and respectful.

Or, I'd get her to talk about the friends she has met, the church they go to, her mother-in-law who I really like, Eric's job...those kinds of things.

We had a nice 2 hour visit and I was so glad she felt that she could just drop in without feeling she had to call first.  

Sunday she went up to The Farm to visit with my sister and my nephew who is near Jen's age, then she went to her brother Mark's to watch the Super Bowl with Mark, his fiance and Pammie.

Jennifer stays at Karen's when she is in Michigan and her new law office is only a 20 minute drive from there.  The other one was down near Detroit...lots of traffic and a time consuming commute.

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I watched the Super Bowl yesterday.  I had heard who was going to perform the half-time program and figured it would be nasty and I didn't want my eyes to see that and have it imprinted on my mind, so I didn't watch it.  I enjoyed the game though and even though I rarely watch professional football, the team I was rooting for won.

I am starting to get notices of increases in rent, health insurance and car and house insurance.  The increases took way more out of my budget than was my Social Security increase this year.  I've decided not to be scared or worry about it.  Last year was terribly difficult financially for me, but I made it and was never late with a payment.  I figure I can do it again, so...."I laugh in the face of fear", knowing God will supply all that I need.  

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We have had such a mild winter here.  Only two snowstorms that needed snow to be shoveled.  We had a couple of inches of snow over the weekend.  Jen even asked if I wanted her to clear off my driveway and I told her, "No thanks.  It is going to be 52 tomorrow and it will melt all the snow." which it has.    54Sunday and 52today.  We are expecting measurable snow on Thursday, but I have no where to go until Saturday, so, I'm not concerned.

Saturday is Maddie's baby shower.  I've had her baby stamped cross stitch quilt done for months.  I just need to wash and iron it.  It will be a nice day to honor her and her hubs.

That's it.  As usual my life is not much to "write home about".  Simple.  Quiet. Slow.  Uncomplicated.  Mostly stress free.  

I love it!!!!!!!!!!

Oh My Gosh!

I have never had someone come in and clean my house and I was kind of intimidated when the cleaning lady came Monday to scrub the kitchen floor.

None of my corners on that floor are square.  Crumbs, cat hair and anything the vacuum couldn't reach have lodged themselves in the corners--especially by the stove and dishwasher.

She got down on her hands and knees and went to work.  Starting back by the bathroom in the washer/dryer area, and worked her way into the kitchen.  She's 72 years old!  Delightful.  She talks constantly as she works and is so funny.

While she was scrubbing the floor, she also cleaned the table and chair legs--the bottom cupboard doors, the front of the fridge, stove and dishwasher.She told me she would charge me $10, I told her I would pay her $20 and ended up giving her $25.00 for the extra she did.

How nice it is to walk barefoot across that floor.  To look down and see "square" corners again.  It looks as good as the day I moved in.

After she was gone, I vacuumed the living room and the house was done--cleaned for another few months.

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I decided it would be a good idea to change the filter in my large humidifier.  It sits by the back door and I had moved it into the bathroom to get it out of her way.

I took it all apart and put the parts in the shower.  Then I eased the bottom pan up to the shower to dump the water.  My back hurt, my hands were a bit shaky and I ended up dumping most of the water--about 2 gallons, onto the bathroom floor.

Not a problem if I had tile in there, but that floor is carpeted.

What a mess!!

I grabbed every bath towel I own and laid them down and walked on them, trying to sop up the water.  Then I put the towels through the spin cycle in the washer, dried them and back on the carpet to sop up more water.

I did that 4 times!  Then I closed the bathroom door so when the furnace came on, the heat would concentrate in that room.

I sure hope the floor doesn't rot underneath.  It feels pretty dry today.

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I grew up in the '50's, was in high school in the mid to late '50's.  At that time, we were lectured and cautioned on NOT smoking Marijuana.  Smoking one Marijuana cigarette could kill you or destroy your mind so you'd go crazy and have to be put in a mental institution.  If you were caught with it, you would go to jail for life.

Well, I can tell you...all us kids were scared to death of it.  I remember in the mid 70's when I found out my two oldest kids had used it, I was in a panic.  I was threatening to send Mark to military school and Pammie to the girls reform school in the western part of our state.

Marijuana is now legal in our state, but I am still scared of using it.  Hey--I'm just as afraid of drinking alcohol!

This last year I have heard that Hemp Oil or CBD oil has none of the THC products found in Marijuana and it really helps with pain.  Still kind of scared, but suffering with this back pain, that has finally localized to one spot, I stopped in at the Vape shop yesterday and talked to the kids about it.

They had CBD oil that you can put a few drops under your tongue, EYUCK.  They have the oil that you can use in your Vape device--didn't want to try that and then they have patches with CBD oil that you put over the area where the pain is located.

So, I bought two patches.  They are supposed to work for 24 hours.  When I got home, I slapped one over the pain area and waited.  Honestly, I have to tell you...I was shaking and scared of what might happen.

Would I suddenly start acting weird?  Would I get the "munchies"?  Would it make me sick?

Well...no.  In two hours most of the pain was gone.  It didn't even hurt when I pushed on that area.

When I woke up this morning, patch still in place, I could bend over to get the cat dishes and feed them.  I could walk without pain.  I do have mild achiness all across my back, like normal, but the spot where it was most severe...there is no pain.

Does this mean I am going to turn into a junkie?  At $8.00 a patch, that's unlikely.  Now, I am on the look out for the CBD oil in lotion form in a bottle, that I can rub all across my lower back.

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Don't tell my kids their mother is using a by-product of the Marijuana plant.  I can imagine the ribbing I'd have to take!

The Prednisone did help my back.  It got the pain back to a tolerant level---of course it will never be pain free as I have been told, "There is nothing we can do."

I have found that I can still clean surfaces--dust and scrub counters and all the cursed knick-knacks I have on those surfaces.  I just can't lift anything.  

I had a very blessed day yesterday.  I had called Dar and asked if her house cleaning lady ever did "one-time" jobs.  I don't need someone coming in twice a month, like Dar has.  So, she said she'd check and she and the cleaning lady came over yesterday morning.  Come to find out. the cleaning lady is Monica who lives just up the street...I have known her for years.

I just need my kitchen and utility area floor mopped.  I can vacuum, if I am careful and rest, but for some reason, the scrubbing back and forth action kills my back.

She looked it all over and said yes she'd be over Saturday morning to do it.  She said she likes to get down on her hands and knees, so that she can get into all the corners.  Sounded good to me!

When I asked the price, she said, "I'll charge you ten dollars."

My jaw quite literally dropped.  I was speechless for a moment and then said, "Oh no you won't!  You'll take at least twenty!"

I had expected it would cost 20-25 dollars and that is what I had set aside from the money my son gave me for Christmas.

She said she would even move the 3 wooden carts and chest of drawers I used for storage.  I will make sure to get all the surface knick-knacks off them for her.

I just can't believe this!

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Then I decided I had to get to the store.  Their "10 for 10, 11th one free" sale was on.  I drove on in to Brighton and found a parking spot right up by the door.  I managed pretty well with the cart.  If I have the cart to lean on, it doesn't hurt my back too much.

Of course, I had 11 2ltr. jugs of Diet Pepsi and a gallon of milk and a jug of kitty litter.  I wondered how I would carry it all in the house, but just as I backed into my drive, the neighbor kid came home from school and I yelled across the street and he came over and carried in the Pepsi, milk and litter for me.

His Grandma Marilyn is the one whose husband died last spring.  Then in late summer, she fell and tore up her knee.  She was in rehab for 6 weeks.  She and I had talked earlier in the day and I told her I probably should have been using my walker this past week, but it was out in the shed and I didn't have the motivation to walk way out there and get it.

Shortly after her grandson carried in my stuff, her son was at the door asking me if he could get the walker out of the shed for me.  I told him that I didn't really need it anymore and then I remembered something.

I had brought two coolers in from the shed to use to carry the frozen spaghetti sauce in for my Christmas gift for the boys.  Those two heavy coolers were still sitting in my kitchen, so I asked him if he would take them out and put them in the shed, which he did.

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I sat in my recliner last night and such a calm and peaceful feeling came over me.  

I don't ask for help and sometimes it is hard for me to accept, but I was in so much pain that I suppose I was in a weak feeling mood.  Besides, when I thought more about it, I could see God's hand in all of those blessings yesterday.  I just smiled and thanked Him.

I was minding my own business, cleaning up the house--I guess because it feels like Spring outside.

Got the den/computer room all done, washed curtains, dusted, vacuumed.  This is the dustiest room in the house because it houses the cat's litter box and I don't care what any commercial tells you, there is NO such thing as dustless kitty litter!

So yesterday I cleaned the bedroom and the bathroom.

I have a bite guard that I wear at night to keep from biting my tongue and cheeks.  I had lost it and figured it was under the head of the bed on the dusty floor.  So, I decided to pull the bed out--the Queen size bed with box springs, an 18" mattress and a 4" heavy memory foam mattress.

Wrenched my back.  Hurt, but not too bad so I kept on going.  Couldn't find the bite guard, so pushed the bed back in place.  A few minutes later, I found the bite guard under the bedside table.

Then I sprayed down and scrubbed the big shower I have and made many trips back and forth from there to kitchen to wash all my colored and cut glass pretties that I have on my bedroom dresser and shelves in the bathroom.  I got down on the floor to be able to give the toilet a good all over scrubbing.  My back twitched a bit when I pulled myself up.  I had dusted and vacuumed the bedroom, only had the bathroom to finish up.

I sat down in my recliner to rest a bit and 45 minutes later, I couldn't get out of my chair.  My left leg felt numb, with no strength and a razor  (felt like ) ripped across my back.

I reached back and could feel the swelling around that herniated disc on my left side. 

I reached in the drawer of my chair side table and pulled out my TENS device and slapped the pads on my back and set the stimulater impulse up on 50!

I managed to get up, go to the bathroom and then fix myself a sandwich and stayed in my chair until bedtime.

I slept well. When I woke up and tried to get out of bed, I had the same reaction.  Left leg numb and no strength and hard back pain.  I managed to walk to the bathroom and then kitchen bent over double, but when I did bend over to put the cat food bowls down on the floor and went to stand up, such a sharp pain at trying to stand up that I actually screamed. It was like my back had frozen and wouldn't move. Then I started sweating and tears were coming out of my eyes.

I got into my computer chair that has really good support.  The pain was horrific...worse than it has ever been.  I was kind of scared.  Wondering if I should go to the ER.  I got on FB, to take my mind off and posted about what was going on...hoping to get some encouragement and ask for prayers.

At 9:00 I tried to call the pain doctor to see if he would give me a refill on the Prednisone Step-Down pack I had before.  His office was closed until Tuesday.

Then I called my primary care doc, knowing since he didn't write the original scrip, he might not write one for me now.  He was out until 1:30.

Meanwhile, daughter Karen had called yesterday to tell me she was coming out after her morning classes.  I called her phone and left a message asking her if she could stop on her way here and get me some cat food and Diet Pepsi.  She arrived at noon with my stuff.  She couldn't stay as she had to get down to her daughter's to take care of the kiddies.

I got a call at 1:45 from my primary care doc that he HAD called in a script for me.  I called the Pharmacy and they said it would be ready in half an hour.

So--how was I going to get to my car and inside the store?  My left leg was no longer numb, but the back pain was still horrible.  I managed, by walking bent over, to get down the porch steps and into my car.  Got up to Walmart and there just happened to be ONE space open right by the Pharmacy door.  I thanked God and crawled out of my car, got a cart that was sitting next to my car and used it to lean on to get into the store.  The script was not a Step-Down pack, but just regular Prednisone 10mg, 5 pills, take one a day.  I assume it will work just as well or maybe even better than the Step-Down pack that I take teeny-tiny pills 5 times a day, then 4 a day, then etc.

My car is kind of low to the ground, so trying to get my 5'10" frame up and out of the car has been a problem for many years, today it was near impossible.    I turned in the seat so I could get both feet on the ground and then reached up to the top of the door to help lift me up and give me leverage.  Of course, that made the door want to close on my lower legs.  What a comedy of errors.

I tried again--this time taking a deep breath and sort of yelling as I pushed myself up onto my feet.  I hope no neighbors were watching!

Got up the porch steps, one step at a time, holding firmly onto the hand rail and got in the house and headed for my computer chair again.  My, by now, warm Diet Pepsi was sitting on my desk and I had my prescription bottle in my hand and whipped the top off to swallow one of the pills.

The Prednisone will take down the inflammation and swelling, which is causing all the pain and I should be okay after a weekend of resting.

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Yes--my kitchen looks like the Wreck of the Hesperes and was on my agenda to clean today--not happening.  My living room will be pretty easy to clean--that's not happening either.  All my pretty colored and cut glass is shiny clean...sitting on my kitchen counter ready to be put back in it's proper place--that's not happening either as it involves too much walking back and forth.

It's my fault.  I did it to myself trying to move the heavy bed.  I should and do know better.  So...now I have to pay the Piper, whomever he is.  My script only cost .67 cents so that Piper was easily paid.

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It's nearly 5:00 and my main objective is to get to my recliner, put my feet up and hope that I can get up once in a while to go potty, make a sandwich for supper and crochet and cross stitch for the rest of the day.

I sure hope there is something good to watch on TV tonight.