Currently

I am

Reading... another Harlequin Intrigue. I'm finding these books to be halfway decent reading...not your average fluffy, Harlequin romances. That's a good thing since I seem to have picked up several of them at one of the used book sales this summer.

Listening... to Oliver purring next to my ear and the hum of the A/C.

Watching... I just turned the television off, but I had been watching House Hunters International. I used to watch those shows all the time, but haven't tuned in for ages.

Loving... the soothing feel of the heating pad on my knee. Heat seems to give me more relief than ice.

Thinking... about what needs packed for the man I take care of. He is going to be moving to a nursing home while he goes through chemo, surgery, and whatever else is down the line. The hope is to bring him home again afterward. As things stand, he should go Monday to do the paperwork, move sometime later next week, and start chemo on the 29th.

Feeling... relieved. I made it through another week with that difficult one-on-one. To keep him out of trouble we don't stay at work. I meet his van and put him in the one I'm driving without him ever getting into the building. We come back about 5-10 minutes before the vans start picking consumers up. It works beautifully and he was so good for me this week, but it does make for long days. I'm glad it's over.

Celebrating... that my daughter went to church last Sunday, loved it, and plans to go this Sunday with her husband and kids along. If my knee will allow it I plan to go, too.

Enjoying... the cooler nights. It makes for much better sleep.

Weather... is too hot. It was around 85 degrees today. Sorry, but once we get to September I want nice cool fall days. At least the nights are dipping down to the 50's or even the 40's.

Grateful... my client will start chemo soon; everything went well with the one-on-one this week; my shots will start soon.

Giggling...  

Ten Things Tuesday

I haven't done this one for a long time, so why not?

1. Everyone at work and at home (me included) was incredibly sleepy today. The weather?

2. I talked to the company that supplies the Euflexa (sp?) for the shots in my knee. Everything was approved so they will get it to my provider's central office. It will then go to the office my orthopedist works out of and they will call me when they get it to set up the appointments. Maybe next week.

3. Still processing in the aftermath of Charlie Kirk's assassination. It saddens me that anyone can rejoice in the death of another human being. I am thrilled, however, to be a witness to the awakening taking place and the drawing of young people to church. My daughter is among them.

4. The blind man I help care for may be starting chemo this week with the hope of shrinking the tumor to the point it can be surgically removed. He will have to stay in a nursing home throughout his chemo. He is one who will certainly need to have someone available 24 hours a day and my employer can't provide that...also, those of us who are part of his care team are not trained nurses or even nurses aides and we don't really want to be responsible for his health during chemo. I will not have to take care of him if he is in a care facility. I will somehow have to make up an hour and a half each week, however, to maintain my full-time status.

5. I am out every day this week with the young man who is a coworker's one-on-one. My coworker is lounging on the beach all week and I get to take over for him. So far, everything is going well and the one-on-one is doing great.

6. I bought a couple more skeletons today. My daughter and grandchildren are going to help me turn the yard into a fun Halloween display. I don't do the scary stuff. I'm thinking of going tropical with my skeleton crew and having a "Hulaween" celebration going on.

7. Christmas stuff is coming out in the stores already. I bought a Grinch blow mold. I happened to see him and if I didn't get him now, he'd be gone.

8. Tim turns 65 in December. We are trying to navigate the "wonders" of medicare. It's crazy to me that he has to make a decision about that before his birthday, even if he's not planning to retire (he's not), or be penalized for the rest of his life. 

9. My knee/leg really hurts today.

10. I got one bag each of Werther's caramel apple, maple cream, and pumpkin spice chewy caramels. That should get me through the season.

Currently

The weather... calm and clear. The overnight temperature will dip to near 40 degrees. We're getting a lovely taste of fall weather with warm days and cool nights. Love it!

I'm reading... a Harlequin Intrigue book, Dropping the Hammer by Joanna Wayne.

I'm watching... Northern Exposure on Prime. I never really got into it back in the 90s. I'm enjoying it now.

I'm listening... to Tim sniffling. Fall allergies are hitting everyone hard this year.

I'm loving... that the grandchildren seem to want to be here with us a lot lately. We're looking forward to them sleeping over this coming Saturday.

I'm thinking... about what the orthopedic doctor had to say yesterday. Basically, I need a new knee. She gave me the choice, however, of contacting the orthopedic surgeon or trying the euflexa (sp?) shots. I've opted to try the shots first. That will at least give me time to talk with HR at work and see how I could manage taking off for the surgery if I need to.

I'm feeling... content, happy, creative. We are moving into the months that make me feel the most alive.

I'm celebrating... making progress with decluttering the house. It has admittedly gotten away from me with my leg hurting so much.

I'm enjoying... the switch to heartier fall meals. I made a batch of stuffed peppers in the crock pot today. Yum!

I'm grateful... for all the help our daughter's been giving me on the bad pain days.

I'm giggling...

Currently....Life

It's been a good day in spite of the fact that my leg has been especially painful. I still managed to go to work and I managed to drive my one-on-one to a social group for those with special needs at the Laurel Highlands YMCA. My guy is autistic and not fond of change, groups, following a program, etc., but he did great! It was a first for me, too...a drum circle.

The grandchildren went back to school today. They had a good day. I hope they have a good year and thrive. The bus was late bringing them home, as they so often are the first few days of every new school year, so my granddaughter and I just made it to our appointment for mani-pedis. I had owed her a trip to the nail salon since her birthday at the end of July when she told me she wanted us to get our nails done together. She is now sporting sparkly purple nails on her fingers and toes and is tickled pink. We capped off the evening with her favorite tacos.

Now, to get to Currently.

The weather... has taken turn toward autumn. Today's high temperature was 74. Tonight we will drop to the low 50's and tomorrow the temperature will only reach 69 or 70. Tomorrow night we will hit the 40's! The temperature is supposed to stay under 80 all week. I love it!

I'm reading... another book pulled from the pile I've brought home from used book sales. It's called A Highlander Walked Into a Bar.

I'm watching... nothing of any consequence. I finished the last few episodes of Warehouse 13 yesterday and haven't found anything that catches my attention yet. Right now Finding Bigfoot is blathering on from Animal Planet.

I'm listening... to the sound of the fall peepers and the drone of the cicadas. With the AC off I can actually hear them.

I'm loving... all the fresh, yummy produce grown locally that's available now.

I'm thinking... about the blind man I help take care of. I think I shared last week that he's been diagnosed with throat cancer. Tomorrow he goes for a PET scan to see if it has spread elsewhere and Friday he will finally see an oncologist. I am afraid after talking to the man who is in charge of his services that one day in the not so distant future his care will be out of our hands and he will have to go to an assisted living facility or even a nursing home. That makes me sad, but is also a relief. I'm already called on to do more than I probably should be doing...like his meds. I worry about him, but do not want to be pressed to handle medical stuff through his treatment.

I'm feeling... tired. The pain in my leg wakes me up nightly.

I'm celebrating... a successful day of selling our crafted items this past Saturday. It didn't reach the level of sales we did during the opening day of the baseball/softball season, but it was respectable and we did fairly constant business while those around us did not.

I'm enjoying... the cooler temperatures.

I'm grateful... to my coworkers who are protective of me because of my leg and help me out as much as they can.

I'm giggling...

Sunday Stealing: Rise and Shine!

Welcome to Sunday Stealing. Here we will steal all types of questions from every corner of the blogosphere. Our promise to you is that we will work hard to find the most interesting and intelligent questions. Cheers to all of us thieves!

This week we once again turn to husband-and-wife bloggers, Jeff and Charli, who are getting our week started with a meme inspired by one they stole from Jennine.

Morning Meme

1) What do you typically have for breakfast? An asiago cheese bagel with butter and pizzeria seasoning or a muffin. I'd like to have an egg or two, but I don't usually have time.

2) What was your favorite breakfast cereal when you were a kid? Captain Crunch with Crunch Berries.... though to be honest, once the milk was added I didn't really like the little yellow squares. They got soggy and slimey right away. Now that I'm all grown up they have the nerve to make a version called Oops! All Berries. In the number two spot was Freakies, another weird yellow cereal that got all slimey, but I loved the Freak characters.

3) Orange juice, tomato juice or cranberry juice? I find cranberry juice too bitter unless you add some other fruit to it. Plain tomato juice is not for me, though I will drink a V8 now and then. That leaves OJ as the clear winner. I don't drink it often, preferring something with caffeine (diet Coke) these days.

4) What time is your alarm clock set for? 5:15 or as I call it... the butt crack of dawn or ugh o'clock.

5) Do you have any tips for preventing stress and making the morning go more smoothly?  Not really, I am usually making a mad dash by the time I have to leave for work.

Currently & the Happiness Challenge

I'm feeling relaxed and ready for Monday after having a 3-day birthday weekend. We didn't do anything super exciting on Friday, my actual birthday. We'd wanted to go to the big flea market in Rodgers, OH, but between my bum leg and the temperatures reaching the low 90's...we decided to skip it. Instead we spent the day together, doing this and that, having lunch with my mom (who has the same birthday) and stepdad, swimming with the grandchildren, and going out for dinner with our daughter's family.

Tim worked both Saturday and Sunday so it was no big deal that I went grocery shopping for the blind man I take care of and prepped a few meals for him on Saturday morning. It took a while as I really have to put some thought into it these days. He was already on a low salt, low sugar diet due to heart problems and diabetes. This past week he was diagnosed with throat cancer and for now has to be on a diet of soft and chopped foods.

Saturday afternoon I watched our grandchildren and took them swimming. Our son-in-law's grandmother passed away that morning and the kids were close to her so they needed to get away from the sadness and do something fun. It gave the rest of the family a break, too.

Today I picked up a grocery order at Walmart, did some laundry, watched TV, and my daughter and I spent the afternoon making things for this coming Saturday's craft show. I also signed us up for another in October and one in November.

Anyway, on to Currently!

The weather... is a humid 74 degrees.

I'm reading... I just finished Wrapped Up in Christmas Hope and haven't decided what to read next.

I'm watching... I've been binging Warehouse 13. I'm nearly done. Only a few more episodes to go.

I'm listening... to a lot more country music again.

I'm thinking... about what to teach this Wednesday at work and about getting everything ready for Saturday's craft show (actually, we'll be selling our stuff at the opening day of the midget football season).

I'm celebrating... now that my birthday is over, nothing for a while.

I'm grateful... that everything went smoothly with that troublesome client I have to be a one-on-one with when my co-worker goes away. That's encouraging since he's going away for another whole week in September.

I'm happy today because my leg hasn't been too bad and life is just good. I'm blessed and I know it.

I'm giggling... 

Saturday 9: Shout (1985)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.

This month we're going to recall Summer Songs. These will all be records that topped the charts during August.

1) Number 1 on the charts in August 40 years ago, the lyrics to "Shout" encourage us to "let it all out." When is the last time you raised your voice?  My leg was hurting so much Thursday evening that I'm sure I raised my voice a few times when I tried to stand up.

2) This week's featured artists, Tears for Fears, were a duo -- Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith -- who met as teenagers in Bath, the largest city in Somerset, England. Bath has been named one of The Great Spa Towns of Europe. Popular spa treatments include massages, facials, body scrubs and wraps, mineral baths, manicures and pedicures. If you could treat yourself to a spa treatment today, which would you choose?  I'm in need of a manicure, but the mineral bath (if it's warm) would likely win out due to my stupid leg.

3) When they first met, one of the things Roland and Curt bonded over was that they were both raised by single mothers. Who was your best friend during your teen years? What did you two bond over?  Dana was my best friend all through our teens. We bonded over our love of sports and a shared goofiness. 

4) Curt's wife, Frances Pennington, has had a long career in marketing, beginning in the record business and transitioning to fashion. Which industry do you think you'd enjoy more -- music or fashion?  I'm not sure I'd enjoy either, but there's a better chance it would be music than fashion. At my age I'm more about comfort than fashion.

5) Roland married his childhood sweetheart, Caroline Johnston. They were together for 35 years, until her death. Do you know whatever became of your childhood sweetheart?  I never really had a childhood sweetheart. I had a few crushes, but that was it until my teens.

Let's look at the summer of 1985.

6) That summer, Chicago teenager Balu Natarajan won the National Spelling Bee. Are you a good speller?  Most of the time.

7) Tinker Bell took her first nightly flight at Walt Disney World in Florida. Do you recall which Disney movie introduced us to Tinker Bell?  Peter Pan

8) Derek Hough was a baby in the summer of 1985. In 2007 he became a regular on Dancing with the Stars, acclaimed for his ballroom dancing. Are you good on the dance floor?  I was back in the 80s. At the moment I'm lucky I can walk, let alone dance.

9) In 1985, Michael J. Fox became the first actor to have the #1 movie at the box office and the #1 TV show in the ratings. The movie was Back to the Future and the TV show was Family Ties. Have you seen the movie? Were you a fan of the show?  I've seen the movie and I did like the show back in the day. I recently watched an episode of it and didn't think it stood the test of time.