"Pretend" Spring Day

What a really lovely last two days I have had!

Yesterday I met up with my Old School Gal Pals, at our hometown high school, to join other Senior Citizens for lunch in the cafeteria.  $3.00 for a lunch of salad, steamed veggies, pasta and two different sauces, and a nice dessert.  

Many people came up to me with warm hugs.  I didn't recognize three of them!  I am still tall, with short, light colored hair, so EVERYONE recognizes me.  My body-type looks haven't changed much in 50+ years.

However, I moved away from Byron 28 years ago.  Some of those people were teenagers at the time.  They still remember Mrs. Miller.  Some were in their 40's (like me) 28 years ago and, well....let's just say they have changed a whole lot!!

But, I am not afraid to tell them that I don't remember and then they tell me their name and we drop right back into the acquaintance of friendship that we had back then.
------------------
After lunch, I headed west out of town to visit my sister on The Farm.  I stopped off to see my Pammie, on the way.  She works from 4:00 to 10:30 pm and I knew when I left Susie's, Pam would be on her way to work.  I needed a hug and kiss from her.

Then on to Susie's and she and I yakked a bit and then played two games of "Road Trip" a board game.  She beat me twice.  I gotta get her back playing Scrabble where I usually, narrowly edge her out!

I am so glad it is staying light longer because I didn't start for home until 5:00!  This time of year, I usually have to leave at 4:00 to make it home before dark.
=================
60 degrees and sunny today.  Windy so it wasn't real warm, but warm enough to go without a coat.  Back in the 30's again next week.  Spring is teasing us.

This morning, up to the food bank I went for my shopping appointment.  They had fresh heads of lettuce, and strawberries!!  Got some canned chicken to make a chicken salad, and some canned beef to use for beef sandwiches.  Also got a frozen steak.  Hope I can cook it so it won't be tough.

Pearl walked l down here at 5:00!!!  Walked!  With the help of her walker, but she did walk!

We had a really nice chat and lots of laughs.  She had an itch in the middle of her back, so I got my wooden back scratcher and used that on her.  Then I sat down and I started itching.  We figured she had a flea that had jumped from her to me.  LOL

We are having extreme winds tonight with gusts to 60 mph.  The wind is just howling out there and when one gust came in, I heard loud crashes on my porch.  My garbage pail had rolled across the porch and the lid is gone!

I called John and when he walks Maizey in the morning, he will keep an eye out for it.

Mid-Week Monotony

Last night, John was going to bring me a prescription strength Ibuprofen, but he forgot!  So I lathered my sore trapezius with horse liniment, and went to bed.  This morning the edge to the pain was gone, but any lifting with my left arm, or turning my head to the left, produced a sharp pain in my shoulder blade.

We had snow during the night and I looked out at noon and there was Merle, cleaning off my car and shoveling the drive.  What a pal!!  I had dreaded having to do that before I left.

I watched my Soap and found out, it has been renewed for another year!  50 years on the air and going strong.  Then it was off to the Chiropractor's.

He used what I called the Woody Woodpecker tool-- it taps as it moves around--up to the base of my skull, down my neck, across my trapezius, shoulder and down to my shoulder blade.  Then he put it a bit stronger on the spot on my deltoid that always hurts the worse!  He had me stand and pulled my left shoulder down, while gently pushing my neck to the right.

Then I was off to another part of the office, where four chairs are set up for the muscle stimulator, as they call it, which is nothing more than larger pads, but like my TENS device I use at home.  Much better in his office because it is hard for me to reach the correct spots. The other ladies and I chatted--I was on the machine for 10 minutes.  Then up and out and home.

I feel much better tonight and go back next Monday afternoon.

I paid most of my bills and put them in the mail box and just need to get my garbage out tonight.  The garbage men have been coming at 2:00 for the last two years, but last week, decided to go back to the schedule they used to have.  Pick-up at 7:00am. Needless to say, last week I missed them. ARGGH! So have a really full and heavy cart to take out tonight.  Apparently, John did not walk Maizey this way around, so they didn't stop in, so he wasn't here to take the heavy cart out to the street.  Yes, I could have called him.  No, I won't.  IF he happens to stop in, that's quite another matter.  Then he would without me asking. :-)

Tomorrow is the Old School Gal Pals lunch, a visit to my sister and home by 5:00.  Friday is a trip to the food bank at 11:15am.

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

I have been testing a knitted shawl pattern for Chris.  The shawl went together really well--it is lacy and beautiful.  When I came to the edging, knitted with a butterfly pattern, I kept having trouble.  The "holey" stitches weren't lining up correctly.  I ripped that part back, put it back on the needles, 7 times.  Still couldn't get it.  I assumed it was my fault.  The thread was very thin, the needles very small.

Monday, I decided to get some worsted weight yarn and use larger needles and cast on the required stitches and work it for the 8 pattern rows so I could see what I was doing wrong. I counted stitches.  I put stitch markers at the end of each pattern and still the pattern was not coming out like it should.

So I e-mailed Chris, with photos I had taken of the patterns and she has come to the conclusion that she may have figured incorrectly.  She is going to cast on with a heavier yarn and test that edging out herself this weekend.

Meanwhile, I am crocheting the afghan throw I am working on to put onto her Ravelry page.

We'll get the shawl pattern figured out because..........we are perfectionists and NOTHING will defeat us!!!

Pain In The Neck!

Dar came over kind of late last night--well, after dark anyway.  I know I missed Jeopardy because she was here.

Her son has a job and she has found an alternative school for her grandson to finish up and get his GED and for the 14 year old girl to get placed.  The grand daughter as consented to go!!!  But she doesn't go to sleep until 3 or 4:00 am and doesn't get up until around 1:00 pm, so how she is going to manage school is beyond me.

Dar was griping that she was going to have to take the dog to get trimmed, washed and it's nails cut.  It sheds and she is having a hissy fit.  Also, her son, has his wife's ashes in a beautiful urn and he carries them into the living room when he is in there and the bathroom and his bedroom.  He even puts them on the supper table between him and the kids.

Dar told him he couldn't do that anymore.  He wants to get pendant necklaces for the kids and put some of their Mother's ashes in each one.  Dar is having a fit about that too.  "That will mean their Mother is still controlling them!" she said.

I think what really surprised me and made me snap at her, she told her son and both kids that it is time for them to "get over it and move on."

"Get over what?"  I asked.

"Their Mother's death!  It is ridiculous how my son and those kids still talk about her all the time.  It's like she is still in their lives!"

"How long has she been gone?"

"Six weeks!  And they still go on and on."

"MY LORD, DARLENE!"

"What?"

"Six weeks?  That's nothing!  They are just now starting to realize the truth.  They probably, at times, think she is coming back!  They are still in a fog.  They've moved twice in that time.  It's a wonder they can think clearly enough to do anything!"

"Well how long is it going to take them?  I can't stand to look at their blank faces much longer!"

"It is going to take them nine months to a year before they quit thinking about her every day.  Then, the second year is going to be even harder because that's when reality sets in."

"Oh...that's ridiculous!"

"Haven't you ever had someone close to you die?"

"My Mother.  But we weren't speaking at the time and she was way out in Arizona and I didn't go to her funeral."

"You just wait until your Father dies!  Then you'll see how it feels.  You'll grieve him for months and months and years!  You need to be more understanding to your son and those kids.  You are being cruel to them!"

"Well, I just want them to get on their feet and get out of my house!"

"I'm sure they do too."
======================
I woke up this morning with the most terrific ache/pain in my left trapezius muscle.  I couldn't turn my neck to the left at all.  I couldn't lift anything with my left hand/arm.  The pain went from the base of my skull, into my neck where the bad disks are, across that muscle and down into my shoulder, shoulder blade and arm.

I have an appointment with my Chiropractor tomorrow at 2:30pm!!

I think it was a result of carrying 5 gallon jugs of water for the humidifier, out of my trunk, up the steps and into the house and a couple other bags of heavy stuff.  John scolded me and told me I should have called him to do it.

Or it could be Dar caused the pain in my neck.  I was upset when she left and had a hard time getting to sleep.  Probably slept all tensed up all night.

Good Grief!  She is a demanding, bossy, critical, nasty woman!!  

Not a compassionate bone in her body!  

I just want to slap her!!!

Yesterday-When I was Young

I remember making little Valentine's cards to take to school and put in the other kids boxes, just made for that purpose.  I can't ever remember leaving any kid out of getting a card from me.  Even the kids I didn't particularly like got a card.  The kid might wear ragged, dirty clothes and smell bad, but they all got a card.  We didn't want anyone to feel left out and sad.

When I had birthday parties, and as an only child, I had many; we always invited ALL the girls in my class.  Even the one that smelled bad, because at 8 years old, she still wet her pants.  Even the one whose nose was always running and she never wipes it.  Even the one that most of us didn't like because she acted like such a brat.  We didn't want anyone to feel left out and sad.

Of course, back then, it was easier than now.  Small class sizes with only about 15 girls to invite.  As I got older and had a birthday celebration, where my Mother took us out to the lake to swim or to a movie, THEN I got to invite just my very closest friends.

I loved Valentine's Day when I was young.  Yes--we all had our boxes with the slit cut in the top to receive our cards, but, every year there would be a special card in that box.  From a boy who liked me and I liked him.  A "real" two page card!  I made a special two-page one for him too.  4th,5th,6th grade--I remember them all.  Kenny and Myron and Albert--all dead now.  

Valentine's Day was a real holiday.  Named for Saint Valentine, who helped a lot of people.  Unlike the October Sweetest Day that was created by Hallmark Card Company, a few decades ago.

Fred made a big deal about both days.  A beautiful card, Roses, candy and dinner out on Valentine's Day.  A card and a beautiful Lily plant (to replant in my garden later) and dinner out on Sweetest Day.

Now that he is no longer here, I just feel a huge Bah Humbug on both days.  

I used to hate February.  It felt like the longest month of the year.  All gray and dead and depressing.  11 years ago on the 27th of February, Fred and I had our first date.  After that, I loved February.  I was not depressed.  Of course, it may be the Natural Sunlight lamp/bulb that shines on me whenever I sit in my recliner that helps now--but I always gave Freddie the credit.
===================
So--enough of all that.

I spent the entire weekend in my wee, comfy house.  I am very lucky that this unit (as most of them are nowadays) has 4 inch thick walls that are packed with insulation, plus the space between ceiling and roof, and under the floors, covered with heavy black plastic, my house is very warm.  Plus, I have double-paned windows with the gas in between the panes.  Nice and tight in their frames.  There is not one draft in this manufactured house.  The temperature stays at a nice 73 degrees, until I got to bed at night, at which time, my thermostat drops to a cool 68 degrees.

Today, I HAD to travel up to the Wal-Mart as I was out of water for the humidifier, milk, wet cat food, chips, cheese, crackers and bologna.  

It was good to get out in the cold and to get some exercise by walking around the Big Store.    I don't plan on going out again until Thursday, when I travel up to my hometown for Lunch with the Old School Gal Pals.  We are eating with the Senior Citizens at the hometown school cafeteria that day.  Five bucks for a pretty good lunch.  Then of course, afterwards, out to The Farm to visit with my sister.

Sunshine

We have had beautiful sunshine all weekend.

They say it is very cold outside.

I wouldn't know.  I haven't gone outside.

It is 73 degrees with a lovely 26% humidity inside.

That's all that matters to me.

See ya tomorrow.

Great Day

Spent a lot of time looking for The Farms.  Someone had posted the link on FaceBook.  All the aerial photos were taken in 1969.  These are posted in order of the age they were settled.  All within a 1/2 mile of each other.

The Ancestor's--1857

On the other side of that woods, at the top, is the farm where I raised my children.

My sister lives here now

My Grandparents Poultry farm and Hatchery--1920

See the woods on the right.

On the other side is where Susan lives.

Turn left onto that road and 1/2 mile is Mark's farm.

This is where me, my hubs and kids moved to in 1967

Where my daughter Pam lives now 

My parents farm--1938

Where I was born and grew up

See that road in the distance?

Turn right on that road and Susan's farm is 1/4 mile away.

Where my son Mark now lives

See all the open fields around these farms?  It is still like that.  The nearest neighbor's to south and east and west, are all family members.

NOW--do you know why I'd like to move back "home"?  Quiet.  Space.  My roots.
<Dear Lord--I miss it so much>
================================
I am continuing the cleaning/rearranging/moving stuff.  My living room is piled with boxes and stuff and looks like I am either just moving in, or organizing to move out.

Of course, with everything in my house in an upheaval, I had company.  My sister and Chuck and last night, Karen stopped in and John came over.

Karen's father-in-law (now retired) makes beautiful crosses, some plain, some with a heart in the middle, some with the Holy Spirit dove in the middle.  She gave me one for Christmas and when John saw it, and I told him the story, he wanted to order 7 of them.  I told Karen, she told her FIL and when Karen's hubs Mark went up north to visit his Dad last weekend, he brought them back.  

This is what mine looks like.

 The cross is made from a special wood from the Purple Heart tree that grows in Brazil.  Some come with a white cross and the center figure is done in the Purple Heart wood.

Karen brought over an assortment.  Some with walnut cross, some white, some Purple Heart.  John took an assortment of 7--he is giving them to his daughter/DIL/friends for Easter.  He is also taking one over to an older lady he knows who is bedridden at home, under hospice care.

So, Karen got the impression that John is "such a gentle and kind man", which he is and John got to meet Karen that he later declared to be, "such a lovely, sweet and gentle woman," which she is.
==============

Okay--I do not like this!!  When people walk in my front door, with the slanted entertainment center gone, they can see all the way back into my bedroom!!!












See that yardstick on the floor between the carpet and the kitchen chair?  What if--I put something like a room divider there?  Something like this:

6' tall, 35" wide

Still open, but with things on the shelves to stop the "eye" from seeing all the way down the hall.

OR--is it going to be too busy?
=========
I think I am just going to have to wait until I get the new media/fireplace center and see.

This wall would be the purrfect place for the fireplace.

However, there is no cable outlet on that interior wall and--a few years ago, I moved the couch over where my chair is now and it is so long, it stuck out past my east window and looked dorky.

Basically, I am stuck with the TV where it is AND all other furniture where it is.
=============
Yesterday, I went up to the Wal-Mart.  The last time I was there, I had such a dizzy spell I thought I was going down on my face, so....I was kind of worried.

I picked up a prescription refill, then down to the cat aisle where I had to get food and a big jug of litter, then turn to walk way to the back aisle to get light bulbs, over to bit to get a storage box and then, allllllllllllllllllllllll the way back to the other side of the store for 4 gallons of refill water for the humidifier.  Then, alllllllllllllll the way up to the front of the store to check out.  Then allllllllllll the way to my car to pack up the car and unload when I got home.

I did it all with not one problem.  In fact, I felt great for all the exercise!!!
=====================================
We are getting a Canadian Clipper or a Polar Vortex coming in today and tomorrow.  Below zero temperatures during the night.  Not much snow--that is all going south east of us up into New England--again.

Have a good weekend.  I will be inside my snug, warm wee house, moving stuff and cleaning and---watching Basketball games and---knitting and crocheting!  :-)

YOWZA!!!

I can't believe how well I feel!!!  This is amazing!  I have felt so out of it for so many months.  The brain fog I had.  The dizziness/light-headed.  It seemed this came on slowly and I am so used to feeling not entirely well, and just putting it off as an age related thing.  I got used to it and just tried to cope.

You never know how bad something is until it's gone.  My mind and thinking and memory are so clear now.  I get out of my chair and walk all over and don't get dizzy.  Out of habit. I get up and walk to the kitchen table and stop, because that is where the dizzies used to hit me.  Then I realize, there is no dizzy feeling.  I can get up and walk all the way into the bathroom and no dizzies.

It was such an effort to do any thing.  Not just a physical effort, but a mental one too.  I am positive it also had something to do with the terrible depression I have been in for the last four months.  I felt like a Zombie all           the           time!!

"They" (medical people) have told me for the last three years that the dizziness was caused because my BP dropped when I stood, but I knew it was more than that.  I have no dizziness when I get out of bed in the morning, or when I am driving my car, or outside working.  So--I had to figure it out for myself.  Not one medical person has ever suggested that I take my meds at night.

Quite by accident (or was it a God Whisper?) I heard somewhere the Mayo Clinic suggested people take their BP med at bedtime because most heart attacks/strokes occur in the morning.  That sent me searching.  I Googled every med I take to see WHEN I was supposed to take it.  No where did it say to take it in the morning.  The only thing stated was, "take at the same time every day."

<although cholesterol med must be taken at bedtime and blood thinner should be taken right after supper>

Then quite by accident (or was it a God send?), my friend WHO NEVER CALLS ME, called the other day asking if I had an address for a fellow classmate.  She is a retired nurse.  I told her about my dizzies and she said she had experienced the same thing so she takes her BP meds at bedtime! "I just couldn't stand the brain fog they gave me during the day," she said.

 OH. MY.  GOSH!

So I decided to try taking them at night and watching my BP to see if it was high in the morning and late afternoon.

Nope!  It was the same as it had been when I took the meds in the morning.  After 4 days of taking the meds at night, I started feeling such a marked difference in "my head", I really couldn't quite believe it!

Have you ever taken a strong pain med, or a new med that made your head feel like it wasn't quite connected to your body, your head was swimming, or so full you could barely function?  That is the way I have felt since last summer.  I could not concentrate!  I thought perhaps I had a TIA and it was affecting my thought processes and even my speech.  Even the 24/7 Tinnitus doesn't seem as loud.

I tell you---IT'S A MIRACLE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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

So--today I tore into this house!!  So many things I have put off and it will probably take me a few days to get caught up, I was on a tear!

I had it all cleaned out, ready to move it to my bedroom.  Providentially, my sister and BIL just happened to stop in.  How do you like that for another Godsend?

I'm so glad because even with the sliders underneath, it took Chuck and me both to move it all the way back there and get it set in place.  He pushed, I guided and Susie vacuumed where it had sat.

My biggest fear has been getting my TV/cable box/DVD player hooked back up correctly.  Of course, my BIL Chuck is a genius and a heavy furniture mover helper.  :-)

I now look at my TV straight on--I kind of like it at that level, just don't like the old trunk it's sitting on, but...this will spur me on to save more money for that media center/fireplace!

Now, the next few days, I can move stuff from the computer room closet back to my bedroom and have every single skein of yarn and every needle and hook I own, all in one place.

And the "washed" painted pale green of the cupboard goes with my bedroom furniture.