Hope Springs Eternal

 What a crazy weekend.  Saturday was good.  Meri was over and got her taxes done with Robb.  Which was a good morning because it came out better than she/we had expected.  Yay Meri!!!

Then I worked on the cast for Reedus's leg.  I hunted for 20 minutes for a tiny drill bit and after finally finding it, the hole was way too small.  Oh, so the first bit I had was better?!  okey doke.

Hinges were put on and the latches.  Too bad I didn't get a picture of it.  It's at Meri's as of this morning.  She'll get it finished up and I'll help as I can with the logistics.  She'll line it and make it fit him.  At least I HOPE it fits his leg! It's swollen pretty badly from him chewing on it...  Poor thing.

I did some sewing on Leon's birthday present.  I'm making him a zip up hoodie with a fantastically soft red/black double sided fleecy fabric I found at JoAnns.  SOOO soft!!!!  The unhemmed edges shed like the dickens, so I've got black satin for bindings.  We'll see how that goes.  I've got 1 week to get it done.

On Sunday, Robb felt ill.  Every time he stood up he felt so dizzy that he'd almost fall over.  We've got a doctor appt this morning to find out what's up. He's suspecting an inner ear infection, but we'll find out...  But our Pastor's last church service ever was on Sunday.  He's retiring...  So Robb was loathe to miss it, but he did.  AND our organist was out of town, so that means we have to resort to the hymn music on ye old Windows XP (probably not... but I'M not in IT...) and Robb is one of the few church people who know how to run it.  Well, Meri knew how.  

Thankfully Meri showed up just in time or I'd have to do an awkward double click between each hymn verse...  AND I couldn't find the right music for the first hymn at ALL, so Pastor's grand-daughter played her trumpet with everyone singing for 3 of the 5 verses of that hymn and then we all sang acapella for the other 2 verses.  It worked and actually sounded really special!

Looking back now, I COULD have just given the job over to Meri but how am I going to learn it? We need to train more people for instances such as this anyway...

Since my job got shifted from recording the service to manning the computer, I got another church friend to run the camera.  He and his wife were very helpful and did a great job.  

And there was cake afterwards and after all the fuss, our pastor left his key to the church and went off to enjoy his retirement dinner with his family that all came for the day.  

Whew... We're in uncharted territory now...  He's been here 23 years...  A vacancy pastor comes next week until we get a permanent one.  We're in the works for that now.  I'm glad I'm not on that committee!

Oh and look!!!!  My tiny garden is sprouting!!!  From the looks of it, the broccoli and flowers are going gang busters!  My main focus was on the tomato plants, but they'll come up eventually.  I hope.  Hoping to get some solid tomato plants for Meri to plant in her garden this spring.

Spring IS going to come...  I just KNOW it!

I mean... at -13 degrees this morning, there is NOWHERE to go up UP!

SEW Here we are

This COVID19 issue is getting out of hand...   

For the record, I've been praying everyday for it to not hit any loved ones.  

God knows who they are!

I was in Sam's Club on Sunday and picked up my usual pack of their toilet paper.  We were down to 3 rolls in the house... to 4 bathrooms.  I managed to get one pack, thankfully but felt like I looked like a dooms dayer...  

Then I was back in Sam's Club yesterday and the shelves with TP, paper towels, disinfectants, etc were all empty...

My mom used to write TP on the shopping lists instead of toilet paper.  It embarrassed her that other people might know that we used it. :)

If we're not allowed (can you believe my wording??) to leave our house in the foreseeable future, I guess we're set for a little more than month, toilet paper-wise... 

Food wise??  We might need to dig into my pasta hoard...

Thank goodness it's spring break after today!!  A week off where we can't go anywhere. :\

Sounds like the bagpipe band St Patrick's day run might very well be cancelled this year.  If it does, oh well.  We'll make green eggs and ham at home and just relax.  I've got three days of vacay next week!!!

Was thinking about taking the kid to the zoo one of those days, but may be rethinking it.  

Or might have it rethunk for us...

Places are closing right and left for fear of getting sued that someone might contract the flu there.

We have our annual St. Patrick's Day meal planned for my bestie and her hubs next week also but since the nursing home is on lock down right now, that might be postponed as well.  yuck.  Her husband can't even visit her!

I might just go make faces outside her room window and chitchat with her on the phone.  But not sure how she'll like that...  She'd rather be out and about or us in THERE visiting.  bummer.

AND in the meanwhile while we wait to see what's cancelled next, I'm contemplating on making somewhat large squares of fabric and what would be the most comfortable for a toilet paper replacement.  We have a bidet in one of the bathrooms and I do have a washing machine... 

and a relatively large fabric stash...

If the middle ages could handle plagues and invaders on a regular basis, I guess we can too.

I know people are dying from this and I feel bad for them!  I'm washing my hands constantly and looking for ways to touch my face.. I mean NOT touch my face!

But it is true that people die from the flu and various other issues every year.

What a shame people are freaking out.

ON a slightly different tack...  there are some of the younger set who have trained for this their entire lives...  A flu apocalypse?  They're set.  I may never read the Stand or watch the Walking Dead again.

Actually once was enough.

Semblances of Normality

A break from the California stories to get caught up on life in general.

Last week was Valentine's Day!!!  My sweetheart sent me roses..  Aren't they beautiful?

They're still blooming and lovely. I'm pretty lucky...

Leon needed a box for his Valentine's Day party at school, so he called Dibbies on my flower box.  Mine came in the mail.  Pretty convenient for Leon!  He initially said that he didn't want to decorate it, but changed his mind after I cut out the opening.

His party was a lot of chaos and fun.  He got a bunch of candy to get loaded up for the weekend with.

On Saturday, Robb, Meri and I headed for my hometown to see Mom and Dad.  Mom gets carted around in a wheelchair now, much to her disgust, but it's saving her some energy.

She doesn't leave her room much anymore, but we were able to take her down for coffee and visit in the activity room.  Meri did her hair while we talked and I remembered that Mom always loved for us girls to do her hair for her in years past.  She secretly hoped that one of us would be a hair dresser.

Much like my secret hope that one of my kids would end up as a chiropractor...

Oh well.

I loved my pics with Dad too!  He's going through a lot right now.  

Our time with Mom is getting shorter and sooner than anyone is comfortable with.

Any siblings available have been getting on FB messenger facetime app with Mom and Dad every day for the past week.  I don't know why we didn't think of it earlier.  It's been great and Mom can see everyone.  What an awesome invention!

She asked, "Now who is paying for this call?"

Um.. no one.  It's free!

20 years ago, this was all so futuristic!

We got home late afternoon on Saturday.  On Sunday, after church, Robb and I went to pick up Leon and we treated him for lunch at a Burger King with a play land.  His kind of joint!

Then he played in the snow in our yard for much of the afternoon.  

Only coming inside to switch out frozen gloves.  

A neighbor kid invited him over to play in the snow too and they had a great time until they had a fight.  It's all fun and games until it's suddenly not.  Boys...

 These are the same boys who played in the neighbor across the streets yard after getting off the bus last Wednesday...  I won't tell the neighbors who messed up their side walk and pristine yard...

I'm pretty sure they don't read me.

Leon wanted ice cream for dessert and so after googling for a bit, we found a recipe to make snow ice cream with ingredients that we had.  It turned out really good and he enjoyed it for about three bites.  Robb and I finished his off while we DUOed with Maddy and Matthew.

This is the snow that we accumulated over the weekend.  YUCK!  It's SO deep and our driveway isn't even to the pavement yet.  The snowblower wouldn't go that close as it's packed down really good.  We're supposed to get more this weekend.

If nothing else, Leon is LOVING it.

Anyway, that's what I've been up to since getting back to the frozen tundra that is my home.

The Things We Do

On Sunday after church, was my time to finish the project for Meri. She had asked me a while back to make a door for a bedroom in their apartment. It used to be Ryan's room when he lived there. But he never asked for help for a door so he got a curtain and a shower rod to protect his room. 

But now that he was out of the apartment and Meri and company couldn't afford higher rent, she found another roommate. And this roommate was promised a door. 

It is the most awkward doorway imaginable. 

I suppose it's supposed to be a den or a TV room or something like that. But in this case it needs to be a bedroom. I went to Menards, got an idea for it from a guy there and bought the roller bar for across the top. It was to be a barn door style but on the cheap. 

Meri wasn't too keen on the idea, but is only there for another 6 months before her lease runs out and we just want something that will work for that amount of time. We went to Lowe's and found a cheap, cheap door for $20. And some paneling for under $8 a piece. We needed three. After stocking up on Gorilla Glue I got to work. 

The biggest craft project ever. 

Unfortunately I put it together in her garage rather than her downstairs living room. So Meri, Robb and I had to maneuver this big heavy door down the stairs last Tuesday. And then we were all pooped to do anything further. 

Plus I didn't have enough nerve at the time to put some screw holes in the wall until I researched it a little more. The stud finder wasn't finding any nails above the door and later I came to find out that there is one big piece of wood behind the section above the door. The stud finder couldn't find it because there were no nails screwed into that big section. 

I spent two hours after church on Sunday putting it together and Meri helped me lift the door into place. Because of the way I designed it, it hangs a little wonky. Meri was upset at first, but then thought who cares? It'll be the new girl's job to figure it out if she wants it any better. I do have an idea on how to fix the wonky-ness of it by putting a wheel under the far left end of the door to lift it up an inch and take the weight off of the two rollers at the top. But Meri said don't bother and I'm not going to.

Leon was home sick yesterday.  A bad cold that I couldn't see a teacher appreciating in her classroom.  Enough germs flying around in the first grade already without his uncovered coughs!  He colored mostly and drew pictures.  As I worked, I could hear him talking to himself.  He plays well by himself!  AND without electronics!  That was our condition if he stayed home.  No electronics until his dad gets home and then it's on him.

 As I mentioned yesterday Robb went to Wisconsin to see Maddy and Matthew and to bring our van back. But also with the van, he was to bring back a couch that they didn't have room for any more. It was a couch that Meri had wanted in the first place and Meri still wanted it. 

So last night after Robb and I had a date at a Mexican restaurant, Meri texted and said she was home so we went over and took the couch into her front door and down those stairs. It wasn't so much that it was heavy but it was really, really, awkward. And it was only the three of us, a few tempers flared. That's one for each of us. Her friend Alicia, that was going to help, showed up just as we were finishing. Her timing was impeccable. I don't think I could have done better. Mainly because I had the couch with me. We all relaxed in her lower living room well we caught our breath.  Except for Alicia, because she was fine.

 Today is a new day and I have an empty minivan, or at least I will when I take this load of trash down to the resource recovery plant. I see so much potential for my van! And I see space in my garage again! Yay!

 Oh and I finished the puzzle before Leon got up this morning except for three pieces and I let him figure out how to position those. I want to pull it all apart put it back in the box but Leon wants me to glue it together and hang on a wall somewhere. I don't know that I'm that attached to this castle picture to do that, but I might just to please him. 

Isn't it amazing what one is willing to do for our grandchildren and children.

Sick of Pianos, for now

It's been a long day already... Leon came into our room last night complaining that his head hurt and he was really hot, then cold.  He was burning up with a temp!

Got some Motrin in him as well as scrounged up some water and a barf buddy bucket.  Things settled down for him and he eventually fell asleep again.  It took a while for me.

So needless to say, he stayed home from school today.  Ryan was here to stay with him but I needed to bring them to his house this afternoon while I ran errands over lunch.  I expected Leon to take a nap as he was in a tearful mood when he got out of the car.    But I got back here a little bit ago and he's wide awake watching a show with his dad.  

Sigh...

So I've dug into their internet access and am working from their dining room table. 

 I'll make the boy nap on our way home.

Here is Meri's piano that she paid for with her OWN money! 

They store dirty socks on it.

When Meri saw it for the first time, the previous owner (we'll call her Sally), asked Meri to play something and try it out.  SURE! Meri sat down and regaled us with the theme song from The Office.  

Sally practically swooned and gushed at it's beauty, asking which classical piece that was...

I noticed then that she did not own a tv...  at least not in that room.

This piano had a note written inside saying that a princess of some foreign country had played it.  Don't know which one, but that had sealed the deal for Meri and she chose this one over a slightly cheaper one miles further away.

I've just looked it over and the lighting in this room is so bad, I couldn't see the note anywhere on it.

Oh well.  It's probably on the bottom and I'm not going to lift it.

Sally, Meri and myself got it loaded onto Meri's old pickup and I drove it here, only tipping it over once on the way, not counting the teetering when I went over some train tracks.  Meri was not very merry. 

I should have used the straps and bungees...

That thing is MUCH HEAVIER than it looks...  And Meri and I were the only ones available to unload it and place it into the house.  Yikes!  We backed the pickup up right to the porch to do it and an inch or a half per minute, we finally got it inside.

Whew!

Meri declared that this piano is a piece of junk, when the side panel broke off. (my fault.. it went back on!) and that she hates this piano and will never play it!

Eh - Your money...

Are we done here?

Because I'm not moving it from this spot.

I really don't care, but she'll get over it and will end up loving it except when she moves out.

Get PRACTICING Chicky!  You've got two big performances this winter!

Ear Popping Productions

That could be the name of a movie producing company!  Ear Popping Productions! 

Anywho...

Ryan, Leon and I attended Meri's, for real, you gotta pay for a seat, performance in Beauty and the Beast yesterday.  Again, it was great!  Leon liked Cogsworth, but of course loves Meri, after I told him he better tell her that!  He can be rambunctious.

We sat with a high school friend of Ryan's and her two kids that Leon adores.  

And I DID get a few more good pics last night with my camera but as luck would have it, it's in the van which Robb drove today.  darn.  So is my headset...  I stole a pic off someone's FB photos... ;)

JUST before the intermission, my cell phone started rumbling.  It was work.  And as quick as it started rumbling, it stopped.  My phone had just lost all it's charge and turned itself off.  uggg..  I stuck around until the intermission and then headed to my car where my laptop and charger were.  

On the way out, I got stopped by a back stage manager who said that Meri was having some issues.  I figured with her costume, but the gal wasn't saying anything further, other than Meri REALLY needed me.  Found out that Meri's ear had ruptured or something and had been bleeding out of her ear through part of the first act!  It had stopped thankfully, but  it was suggested that we get to the ER as soon as the show was over.  Another hour left...

Because the SHOW must go on!!!

Oh and she couldn't hear out of that ear...

uggg...  I went out to the car and did my work work.  I'd taken the afternoon off and work emergencies had cropped up.  When that was done, I called Robb to get his advise.  It sounded like an ear infection and we could treat it with home remedies until this morning.  Yeah, good plan.  But I did try to get her into a local doctor's office before they closed at 5, but no one wanted to see her yesterday or they just wanted to go home.  sigh...

When she found out no emergency room for the evening, she was relieved, but still anxious.  BUT she had some things to finish up for the Senior gifts and had to stick around the school.  So Ryan bought her some supper and I ran it back into the school for her.  Then headed home with the boys.  They had a fun evening of dragging couches in front of the computer and watching a movie and eating whatever they wanted.

So I leave in a few minutes to take her to a doctor.  Her director encouraged her and the Beast to both take today off from school.  They're both ill in one way or another and need to be healthy by tomorrow.  Whew!

If I HAVE to stand in for her, I'm pretty sure I could do it...  I'll talk to Robb and see if he could do the Beast part.  

It'll mostly be improv...

But EPP, here we come!!!

THOSE eyes...

My blah is lifting a little.  Meri took the air conditioned car last night when going out to eat with a friend and forgot to leave keys to her car...  So I made her pick up some meds to help me get out of my blah and feel a little better.  It's my job to embarrass my children and I think I'm doing a satisfactory job of it.  She was later than we thought she should be getting back, so she made up for it by bringing me some treats and a Diet Coke!  She's nothing if not apologetic.

So I dug into the Riesens last night a little and saved the pop for this morning.  

I do NOT need caffeine at 9pm...

But chocolate is good ANYTIME!

Give me a Riesen and I'll forgive you...

But anyway...  Due to my blah yesterday, there are 3 loads of laundry that need folding and probably more dishes hidden somewhere.  I'm feeling more energetic, so I'll track them down.  Our forks and bowl count is down.

silly kids.

I did sew a little bit last night and completed a sweater for Meri or myself.  Big, roomy, comfy. I don't dare try it on right now though or I'll melt.  This isn't the weather to try that baby on...

Gotta run.  Leon has asked, ever so politely, for chicken nuggets for breakfast.

two year old picture, but his eyes haven't really changed...

And who am I to say NO to those eyes???

Guam Misconceptions

Well, I'm not blowing my nose like crazy anymore.  Just merely occasionally insanely.  Just SUDDENLY I need a tissue and if I don't have it, I'll probably have to change my shirt...  I'm hoping the "kind of" sudafed kicks in today and helps a little.  Yesterday it did NOTHING for me.

Leon has no school today and Meri has an early out.  I'm going to take Meri to a doctor appointment and have someone check out her foot.  She's been complaining of a hurt foot ever since a mountain climbing incident last summer.  

I know it sounds like I'm lying.  Like "she hurt her foot parasailing in Guam."  Robb likes to use that line for any ailment.  It just sounds better than saying "I tripped on a shoe that was left out."

But she really did hurt her foot on a mountain hike with Maddy in Colorado.  Meri was upset that they couldn't reach the peak but Maddy insisted they head back down before Meri's foot swelled up to the size of an oversized football.  I'm so glad they did!  

So now it's aggravating her again.

I took yesterday afternoon off and lay in bed watching the rest of Westworld.  Yikes.  Again, NOTHING like the tv movie of the 70s.  And I was a bit shocked how it ended.  *blows nose*  

"These violent delights have violent ends."

Now I want to find a copy of the old movie for the next time I'm sick.

I did manage to put in the lining of Meri's Sweetheart dress last night and trim off the hem to where I can actually put the hem in easily.  But that was as far as I got.  Tomorrow night is my night to finish it up!  Woohoo!  

Sorry - I'm pretty boring today.  I even bore myself.  

I'll leave you with a photo of my girls and grandkid trying to give me a heart attack on a mild climb back in July.

I was parasailing when I took the photo...  and in Guam.

Breaking Bones

I suppose I should have broken yesterdays post into about three.  Not much going on here.

We baked a turkey yesterday afternoon that was supposed to be for the Mother's Day that wasn't.  Just before dinner, Robb decided to hide out upstairs as he had now caught my flu.  No supper for him. 

And Meri had to be at work/homework meeting until later.  So I cut up the turkey for myself and my MIL and froze a ton of turkey broth to be used on some future date.

Put the turkey carcass into the crock pot with some water and am awaiting the next batch of turkey broth...

The Wish bone is drying nicely on the window sill.

I live a boring life when the boy isn't around...

Robb is still under the weather this morning.  He was so good to me when I was sick this weekend, so I've been trying to repay him by getting him whatever he needs.  However I think I need to pitch the fan that had been in the garage.  It was probably out there for a reason... like, it doesn't work.  I found him another one.  Brought him up his laptop and my sewing desk is now his work desk.  He's going to work from home if he feels up to it.

Meri has the end of the year vocal concert where everyone cries tonight.  Looking forward to that and the camera is primed, charged and ready!  Not sure who is going to be able to go yet...

I heard that some of our visitors from our B&B portion of the week may have come down with symptoms too.  yuck.

I think I know what MY wish will be.

And then the crash...

Last night, Robb was reading some books to Leon and he called me out of my sewing nook.  "Tell Grandma, Leon!"  Leon says, "Holp! Repressed!" LOL!  That kid will know more jokes that he won't understand than my aunt, by the time he's 5...

 

Thanksgiving weekend part 2

Saturday afternoon...

After my nephew, his wife, 2 children and another nephew left, we relaxed for just a little bit, but after an hour or so I couldn't take it anymore!  It was THE Saturday after Thanksgiving!!!  I finally had the power to wield the Christmas tree with abandonment and freedom!!!  I cranked the Christmas tunes.  Lightly as not to awaken Leon who was still napping.

 

After hauling in about 10 boxes of ornaments, lights, bells and whistles, Robb & I pulled down the two super huge boxes that hold the parts. I didn't want to haul in the tree boxes, so we carried it in in parts.  I plopped in part E of the tree and on top of that I plopped on part C.  Oops.  But you know what??!!  You couldn't tell!!!  

So our tree is exactly 2 feet, 4 inches shorter than last year!  And you can't tell!  And I didn't have to lug out a ladder!  And I didn't almost break my neck!!  

When Leon got up, he wanted to be nekkid, but I was planning on taking pictures while they decorated, so that had to be remedied.  

The girls had fun decorating with him while I checked out lights, did the mantle and nativity on the piano.  

I snuggled with Leon and left the mess for Sunday.

Sunday morning...

I had a miserable night.  No matter WHICH way I turned, I could not get comfortable and my head hurt really bad.  When I got out of bed to get ready for church, I felt almost dizzy.  I went downstairs and fell onto the couch.  Robb asked if I felt ok.  All of the sudden I got a sign that it was NOT going to be a good day and I ran to the bathroom and barfed.  Not good.  

Especially since all I'd eaten so far was a half glass of water...

Robb got the kids ready and Maddy and Meri took over my Sunday school class for the day.  I went back to bed and slept until noon.  Watched another episode of a Netflix series I've been watching and then suddenly felt weepy.  I could hear the kids and Robb joking around downstairs and I felt like I was missing out...  I went downstairs, blubbered about for a little bit before settling on the couch and watched Maddy pack up her things to head back to campus. sigh...    

A blubbery, sick, 40 something year old is not a pretty sight!  But Maddy still snuggled up to me on the couch every now and then between her doing a bit of her laundry and we had some good talks and laughs.  

I hope the kids don't catch whatever it was that I had.

As soon as she drove off I went back upstairs and watched a another couple episodes and then napped a couple hours.  All I had to eat that day was some 7-Up and crackers...

Monday I felt much better, but still only running about half steam.  I managed to put the house into a KIND of semblance of order, but it still looked like a tornado had run through it.  Tree bits everywhere.  Today I'm much better and even got a load of laundry in!  *People were looking for things...*  Also got a couple more empty boxes relegated back out to the garage.  

It killed me to just lie in bed...  But I could not drag myself out of it.  

I guess I needed a Mommie's Day Off.

Watching me nap...

I'm feeling better today.  The DDP is not hurting my throat this morning and the headache has diminished for the moment...  I took yesterday afternoon off from work and napped for an hour.  Woke up with still a crazy headache, so napped for another hour.  That did the trick!  Started feeling nauseous during the Advent service last night, so didn't shake any hands...  Meri was still feeling icky, so she stayed home.

At our doctor appt yesterday, Meri  got diagnosed with Ery - something something something (long name that ended with) Sinusitis and got 3 different types of meds to kick it.  I was diagnosed with Strep.  BORING!!!  Contagious but boring...  Just got one kind of meds for that.  Couldn't even be exciting like the Impetigo, that I had in college...  We both napped the afternoon away and then watched Netflix.  

She and I started watching The Truman Show movie with Jim Carrey.  She'd never even heard of it!  That surprised me, so we watched a little bit and she's hooked.  Great movie!  But it kind of makes you paranoid thinking that someone else is watching you live your life without you knowing...  

Eh, I'll leave that laundry sit anyway.  

Gotta go.  Lots to get caught up on after missing a few hours of work yesterday.  Have a great Thursday!! 

and it's ALMOST the weekend!!! Woohoo!!!

A Pox On Your House!

We've been getting all of "the daughter"'s immunization records together.  Just got them scanned in and emailed to the college yesterday... again...  Can't believe they don't want Measles or Chicken Pox to run rampant through a dorm!  

They must not like the "Connect the dots" game.

Anyway, after I'd sent the first set of records in and got a call from them about her Varicella (Chicken Pox) shot, we discovered that the records didn't list it at all.  Her brother had gotten Chicken Pox the night of the day of his surgery and that was the same day we found out we were expecting Maddy.  It was a very big day!  And from that experience, we knew we didn't want Maddy to get it!  So we'd made sure she had the shot when she was old enough.  

Did you know that if you have that shot at 1 year of age, it may or may not stick?  Yeah.. They had to stick her again with it last week because the college required it and then may have to get another booster at Christmastime.

But anyway!  on her chart, it just showed that she was immune to it, indicating that she'd had it.  She hadn't...  Or I'd have a scrapbook page showing her in all her pox-y glory.  

I do that...

See?

So I called the doctor's office where we went back then.  We'd changed a few times... Long story, love our P.A.!  They dug back in her written forms and found that whomever had given her shots didn't enter them correctly in the computer and so they didn't show.  AHA!  I KNEW I wasn't crazy!!  Well, not clinically...

They corrected that and a few others she'd gotten and sent us the new forms.  In the process they noticed that she's still missing a polio shot from her round at Kindergarten time!  

Yikes!  

Sorry Mabs!  It's not required for college, but you may need to go get stuck again!

Mind The Gap

Six scheduled meetings yesterday and 3 unscheduled...  You wonder how I got anything done!! 

Well... I didn't get MUCH done...

And I LOVE that today is Friday.  We don't have enough cheese for our regular pizza night tonight, so I'm thinking maybe a Bavarian Pork Loin in the crock pot for supper.  It's got to get used somehow!  With enough left for a pork/carrot stir fry tomorrow night.  Hmmm..  Ymmmm...

The last puppy went to his new home last night with a new owner who was crying for joy, still.  And all that is left of that chapter of our lives is the mess in the garage.  I'm actually looking forward to cleaning the garage tomorrow!  I know... How mundane...  But in my life, it will be like starting fresh.  And yeah... they've talked me into another puppy batch next spring.

Mark my words!  Things WILL be handled differently!!

Only 2 meetings today, I think...  Checking my VueMinder...  Wow, that thing is a lifesaver!  If I didn't have it popping up a reminder 15 minutes before a meeting with the option of a 10 minute snooze, I don't know HOW I'd make it to any of my meetings!  And no.  That's no commercial and I don't get paid for telling you about it.  I just really like it!

Leon is finally getting over his cold... again!...  This past week he has been the clingiest that he has ever been.  Oh and the clingy-ness is to me.  I'm like the fuzzy piece of a Velcro closure.  Can't do the dishes without the child on my hip, because if I put him down for anything, he's grabbing my knees and all like, "You've GOT to pick me up!!! The floor is hot lava!!!"  or if I attempt to put him in his high-chair, his knees miraculously come up to his chin and you can't get him into that chair for anything.

BUT did I tell you about last Sunday morning?  He came to bed with us around 5:30am or so.  He slept on my belly so sweetly.  Woke up just a smidgen and looked around.  Moved over to Robb's belly and fell asleep a little.  Robb felt pretty special that this little clingy monster was choosing him finally!  Leon woke up a little, threw up on Robb's stomach and came back to curl up and go back to sleep on my belly again...

Yeah, I stayed home with him that morning.  We spent part of the time sitting on the couch watching the rain together.  I love it when they're lethargic!

He's past that now and totally filling in the gap of my life that the puppies once possessed.  You know... the time where I was wondering what I could be doing if I didn't have puppies to feed and clean up after! 

I'm not a doctor.

But...I play one at home!

While the internet can be a wonderful source of information, it can definitely lead you astray sometimes.  On Friday I did a lot of Googling and found that Ryan had anything from Lime Disease to Lupus to Fibromyalgia.  None of them real good things...

Ryan from 5 years ago.  

 

So anyway...  I called him Friday morning and either he wanted to get me off the phone or he wasn't lying when he said that his arm was killing him and he couldn't hold the phone anymore...  We went to see him that night and he had ice wraps around both his legs.  He was still pretty miserable.  He could move his arms better though so that was an improvement!  Tiffany teased him that he was faking so he could just hang out at the hospital and not help her get some cleaning done.

On Saturday morning before my ASG meeting, I stopped in to see him.  Ryan was still asleep and groggily said hi and that he loved me in response to my sentences. 

Briefest hospital visit EVER.  I delivered a card and a couple other items he had asked for and left.  Good thing I hadn't used the valet service.  Oh and he didn't even remember that I was there.

Got a call from him during my meeting that he was going to get to go home by noon!  YAY!  *kind of* 

Was he really that better already?  *And was I going to be helping him use the bathroom the rest of the day??*

When I got there he was up and moving around like he was just leaving a hotel and not a hospital.  I waited for him to go through the instructions with the nurse, then helped him gather up his things.  He wanted to walk to the parking ramp and not have me pull the car up...  *REALLY?!* 

We stopped at the pharmacy on the way home for some pain medication.  He acts as if nothing is wrong, however he seems to tire out easily.  No real pain to speak of anymore.

I know what you're asking... What in the blue blazes was that then!?

Ryan wasn't real technical but he tried to explain it to me.  This was called Muscular Aplasia.  Body builders can get this if they do a super duper high powered workout without proper hydration. 

Ryan's no body builder...  The doctors have no idea what triggered this.

His muscles had all pulled apart and couldn't snap back into place.  Weird.  Enzymes were coming out of the muscles and rebuilding themselves.  He thinks he's becoming bionic now... 

Don't think so.

I thought they were treating him with antibiotics, but it was actually fluids and pain medication.

So anyway, he's actually back to work today!  The doctor said it was ok.  What a crazy miracle huh? 

He might just be pushing himself because his job takes him to the zoo tomorrow with his clients and he didn't want to miss out...

Thank you all for your kind words and prayers!  I am looking at this as a miracle from God.  One day your son is in horrible pain and you think he has a horrible disease and then the next he's skipping to the car...

When it rains..

As I told my FB friends last night....   We had a scare yesterday.

For the last 3 days, my (almost) 21 year old has been sick.  He and his wife and (almost) 4 month old live with us.  (in case you're new!)  He had two days off from work anyway, so he spent them laying around complaining about how lumpy the bed was and how miserable he was. 

He went to the doctor on Tuesday against my advice and was told it was probably Strep.  He's never done well with Strep.  They put him on some meds.

Wednesday he was feeling a little better but still slept a.lot... On the couch mostly because the bed *was broken* or something.  We, apparently, have inferior furniture in our house...  Everything on him ached and was sore.  His wife looked into new mattresses online.

Thursday he got up and went to work.  He seemed to be feeling somewhat better so we thought he was over the worst.

wrong.

Thursday around 3pm, I saw him walk past my office window VERY slowly.  Almost zombie-like.  Tiffany came out a few minutes later and seemed anxious for me to come in and help her help Ryan to couch.  He could barely walk.  I am SO surprised that he didn't wreck the car and kill himself on his way home from work. 

Progressively throughout his day at work, his fingers and hands had stopped functioning but he stuck it out.  Then anytime he moved, it felt as if shards of glass were shooting through his arms and legs.  But he stuck it out.  What stick-to-itiveness!  But he's a man with a family and you have to do what you have to do! 

We try to drill that in.

My son as a little boy.  Wasn't he a cutie?  Was that really 20 years ago?

He's growing up!

Anyway, his boss found him barely able to move and sent him home for the day at 1.  It took him 2 hours to make it home.  30 minutes of that was just getting in the car and figuring out a way to make the key turn on with no dexterity.  The big long ropey key chain that he uses was used heavily, as were his teeth.  He had left his cell at home and hurt too much to go back into work to call.  So he stuck it out and drove home anyway...  God was answering prayers I hadn't even uttered yet!

I love our doctor!  She's 10 miles away in a small town and was able to fit him in yet that afternoon.  I drove him over.  It took both Tiffany and myself to get him up off the couch due to his pain and into the car though, so I called Robb to come help me at the doctor's office.  They gave me a wheelchair to take him in. 

After the initial exam, Doctor Mary was concerned enough to tell us that he needed to go to the emergency room immediately.  It might be meningitis.  Oh dear...  My 2 year old niece was in the hospital for almost a month with that several years ago...  I knew it was dangerous.  and contagious... 

And here I'd just kissed my son on his forehead.  *great*

She insisted that an ambulance come get him so he would be automatic first in line when they got there and not have to sit in the waiting room for 3 hours.

Robb went with him and I went home to calm his frantic young wife and feed the kids.  We were advised not to come to the hospital because if it WAS contagious, we need to protect the baby. Understood, but not understood...  Do you know what I mean?  dang. 

About 8pm we found that meningitis had been ruled out.  WHEW!  My 2nd round of prayers answered.

But the doctors were baffled as to what it might be.  SHOOT!  My 3rd round of prayers sent and continuing.

So this morning, Robb took Tiffany to see him while I babysat at the house.  Got Leon back to sleep and got some housework done until they came back.  I plan to see him at lunch.

I could use some help with prayers.

Faster Than My Random Bullet

* Tiffany's grandmother is showing some good signs as of yesterday!!! God loves to answer prayer! I really thought we were going to lose her this weekend, it was that bad. I think Tiffany is going to the hospital again to see her today. not sure. It's an hour away.

* Maddy's chamber choir sang at Worlds of Fun in Kansas City this weekend. She drove down Friday with her sister and two cousins and had a cousins weekend at her aunts house. Taking an hour or so off from the festivities to sing with her group.

* This was just before the storm hit all over Missouri and Southwest Iowa. My prayers are with the families in Creston and Thurman, Iowa as well as those in Oklahoma. Tornadoes hit those places hard.

I took this photo from FB. A friend of a friend took this pic of the clouds in Norfolk, Nebraska just before a huge hail storm where they got 14 inches of hail... Scary!

* Thursday night, I put the invisible zipper into Mad's prom dress. Just basted it in and then had her try it on for fitting. She twirled and ran to both full length mirrors to check it out. Just after announcing that she felt like a princess, the zipper popped. You'd think I'd learned from last years dress... So while she showered and thought I was fuming in my office about it, I actually made a quick run to JoAnns and got a sturdy zipper. Got back to the dishes being done... I need to fume more often...

* Got the sturdy zipper put into Maddy's dress on Sunday afternoon. It was kind of tricky juggling that and a baby... I was babysitting at the same time... and he was cranky!


* I can't wait until this fussy stage passes. According to Robb, because my memory of Meri's fussiness as a baby is totally gone... Meri was fussy from birth until some months old and then suddenly it was like a light switch went off and then she was fine. He doesn't remember how old she was when the switch flipped, but I hope for Leon's sake, it's soon. Oh and of course for his parents sake! He will be 8 weeks old this week!

* Saturday I attended and gave up my secretarial duties for our circuits mission rally group! I've been secretary for 2 years now and did not get voted out for my failure to get the minutes turned in on time, although that would have been a good reason to get rid of me... My term limit was up and someone else gets my book! It's been fun, but it's also good to have one less responsibility, you know??

* The speaker was the chairman for CAMM, Central African Medical Mission. It was SO interesting! I love hearing what our missionaries and nurses are doing all over the world. Check out their website! www.camm.us Her daughter spent four years as a nurse in the program.

* I spent Saturday night at the ISU style show! I'll post a bunch more pics tomorrow. * So... thousands of people in the audience and at intermission, the announcer said that no one should go into the lobby because of the strong winds and storm going on right now. Outside of the actual auditorium, this building has huge glass walls all the way around it! So we stretched our legs at our seats and I felt like a traveler on the Poseidon adventure ship or Titanic... We were all trapped as the thunder rolled around the building. From what I heard, it was very bad outside.

* Since Maddy and Meri were in K.C. instead of with me, I had to eat the cost of two student tickets. I was able to sell one adult ticket to a friend of my ASG group.

* I finally took at a look at my online diary, you..., and found where Ellie's pregnancy most likely started. Counted up 9 weeks and guess what??! She should be giving birth in about a week and a half. No WONDER she's been growling at Duke lately and trying to pick fights with him. I would too if I was that close to birth and the only place I thought I was going to give birth was under the desk in the living room! Meri and I need to get her little nest fixed up in the garage THIS week! So pretty soon, little Golden Retriever puppies will be milling around, pooping... Let me know if you want one! Meri upped the price this year just a bit.

* Anyway... back to the grind today! Should be an interesting week with lots of projects to complete at work and at home. I haven't been visiting much lately and I'm sorry! Last week was way crazy! Wish me luck that I'm able to keep my sanity this week!

Don't It Make My Brown Belt Black?

Well... It was an interesting weekend... If that's what you want to call it....

On Friday, immediately upon finishing work for the day, we headed for Kansas City. I started knitting on a new scarf for Maddy's TAG project on the drive, got it done before we left to head back home. That makes 4 now. Well, 3.92. I still have to figure out how to complete the one that's sitting on the knitting machine. Three have been hand knitted.

We caught this cold last week and it has been a good one. If by good, I mean, "nasty", "kleenex driven", "horribly bad", "green things flying over Germany", "nose raked over the coals", then yes... This has been a doozy good cold!

On top of this cold, we've caught something else. First my grandson was crabby all last week, then his daddy caught it, then everyone else caught it and now me. You'd think I was good at baseball or something. nope. Hopefully it will clear up soon. It's not good when you catch something nasty from a baby and I don't mean spit up on my shirt... Because I'm REALLY good at catching that!

Anyway... back to Kansas City. My niece was testing for her first degree Black Belt on Saturday afternoon. It was MUCH more intense than one of my testings in my Taekwondo association. At this one, everyone testing for their black belt had to pass an endurance test in front of the audience. It did not matter if you had a stroke while doing it... Because I know for a fact that I would have died.

Actually I felt like dying just watching, but it may have been all the cold meds and kleenex I was on.

My niece did awesome and got her black belt at the same testing. Oh... I braided her hair that morning. I guess you can't see it in this picture, but her braid hangs down to her behind braided... Yeah... And she's never even HEARD of Crystal Gayle... I asked...

Afterwards we headed back to my SIL's house and got ready for the celebratory party for dinner. Then I took a nap before it started.

Robb wasn't feeling good that night either, but we had to get home. Neither his mom or Meri were going to drive us home, so he had to. I was miserable and I think he was worse. But he is a brave trooper and just drove.

It reminded me of his and my trip to Gatlinburg, Tennesee with my sister and her family. Robb caught the flu from their adorable little boy who just wanted a sip of Robb's Coke.... And I got to drive us both the entire 12 hours home with him sicker than a dog in the passenger seat and a dining room table shoved up against our backs in the car.

This trip home was a close 2nd. I tried to sleep, but it didn't happen. I believe I left the back seat of his car still full of tissues...

I had to miss teaching Sunday School yesterday and sent Maddy to be my sub for the preschool class. She did a good job, but will probably now get her tubes tied. She had lots of funny stories to share with me when she got home.

Anyway... I'm back to work today and with any luck and enough Ibuprofen, I'll make it through the day.

May the wind be always at your back and a box of kleenex always within your reach...

In Sickness & In Health

I've been feeling a bit sickly the last couple days so I didn't post yesterday.

It might be because of the queasiness in my stomach.

It might be because of the massive headache that takes my mind off of what it should be on.

It might be because I need to see a chiropractor soon.

It might be because I've got a lot on my mind.

It might be because I'm not sure what sewing project to start next.

But whatever it is, I hope it lets up soon...

I do ask you however to say a prayer for my son's fiance, whose grandfather just passed away early this morning. Her heart is broken.

Thanks.