Currently...

I'm feeling the need to check in and let you know what's up in my corner of the world. I am still not back in a regular way and remain undecided if I ever will.

The weather... is a warm 67 degrees at 9:00 p.m. We are under a storm watch and as I sit here I think I am seeing flashes of lightening off to the north of us. We are expecting rain off and on through the week with temperatures staying in the upper 60s and lower 70s before cooling back into the 50s for the weekend.

My health... is a real roller coaster ride these days. The knee that has been giving me trouble since November has gotten bad enough that I've had Tim put up a temporary railing for me to cling to getting down off the stoop going out the backdoor. Most of the time I am okay on flat surfaces as long as I wear my Brooks sneakers, but steps are a killer. I am thinking of asking at work if I may park in the "bosses" lot so I don't have to deal with them for now. 

As for what I'm doing about the knee, I saw an orthopedic doctor at the end of March. New x-rays taken at her office show BOTH of my knees have severe arthritis and are bone on bone. She can't understand why the left one isn't painful, too. She prescribed physical therapy. Unfortunately, this coming Thursday is the earliest I was able to get an appointment. I see her again on the 29th, I believe to decide what we will try first. She does not want to do surgery. So I have info to consider on sodium hyaluronate injections and also on platelet infused plasma injections. I don't know if she will begin injections that day or not. Both options are a bit of a process.

Just to make life more fun...this weekend I found myself having a cold or something. Yesterday I felt achy all over, my back hurt a lot, and my throat was sore. Today I feel a bit better. No all-over achiness and the throat is a good bit less sore, but the back still hurts and I've done a lot of napping. Hopefully, I will be nearly normal by tomorrow.

Reading... Get It Together: Troubling Tales from the Liberal Fringe by Jesse Watters of FOX News. It's a very interesting read. Amazon has this to say about it:  

In Get It Together, the number one New York Times bestselling author and Fox News primetime host takes on Wokeism in a way no one else has. Through a series of (sometimes very) personal interviews with some of the most radical activists in the country, Watters discovers that these activists may be overlooking the most important change they need to make—within themselves.

From activists working for climate change salvation, Black supremacy, and social justice to a professional cuddler and a transwoman who identifies as a wolf, Watters shows how many well-intentioned Americans have bought into causes invented and run by people who are illogical, emotional, and ill-informed.

Through their stories, Watters uncovers common threads—childhood traumas, broken relationships, and a lack of introspection. What if the people obsessed with the end of the world are just hurting from how this one has treated them? What if that, rather than ideological disagreements, is the deeper root of our country’s political divide?

Funny, fresh, and fascinating, Get It Together is sure to spark important conversations, and to inspire us to see one another not as political opponents, but as real and broken human beings.

Watching... Tim and I watched several episodes of Jack Ryan on Prime today.

Feeling... content and hopeful.

Thinking... that the cost of things has gotten ridiculous. My 79-year-old mother finally broke down and bought the new front door her house has needed for years. The original door was extra-wide and had side lights. Replacing it required a custom order and since she was doing that she ordered a custom color, too. Butter yellow. To get this door and have it installed cost $15,000! For a door. My husband assures me it is not a ridiculous price. It might be what doors cost these days, but jeez!

Grateful... I haven't had to work in the shredding department yet this year. My boss has made sure I can stay in ATF. In fact, she arranged for another client to be in ATF on Fridays just so I can stay there.

Celebrating... our son-in-law's birthday was this past Thursday. My stepdad's birthday is coming up on the 20th and the day after that is his and Mom's anniversary.

Enjoying... Tim being home a lot more than normal. Don't worry, he tells me work will be picking up again beginning in May.

Looking forward to... and end to pain (I hope).

Giggling at...

Sunday Stealing

I'm still taking a break from blogging (and enjoying it). I still haven't decided what I'm going to do in the end, but I'm cooped up today due to terrible pain in my leg when I walk on it and I'm a bit bored. The Sunday Stealing questions are interesting so....

Stolen from Swap Bot        

1. If you could witness any event from history, what would it be?  I'm not sure. Maybe Washington's inauguration or the Wright brothers' flight?

2. What do you think about conspiracy theories?  Some of them have proved to be correct.

3. Do you like cartoons? Do you have /had a favorite one?  I do like cartoons and my favorite will always be Scooby-Doo.

4. What did you most dislike in school times?  That's an easy one. Math.

5. What sounds are in your opinion relaxing? The sound of the sea? Traffic? Vacuum cleaner? Combine harvester on the field? Some kind of music? Birds singing?  I like the sound of rain or a thunderstorm. I guess I also like the white noise of a fan because we run a fan in the bedroom every night of the year.

6. What was the last thing you read?  Fudge Bites by Nancy Coco

7. What is one thing that has stumped you so hard you won't ever forget it?  If the universe began with the Big Bang and is supposedly infinite, but also constantly expanding until the day it collapses back in on itself....what exactly is it expanding into??  If the Big Bang happened when a super dense ball of matter exploded outward....where did the matter come from if that was the start of the universe?? This is why God and creation make perfect sense to me.

8. What are you interested in that most people aren’t?  I don't know. I studied to be a journalist so I tend to have a bit of interest in EVERYTHING. 

9. What’s something you really resent paying for?  I resent paying high taxes so the politicians can spend my money irresponsibly.

10. If you could choose a different time period and place to be born, when and where would it be?  I wouldn't change when or where I was born. I grew up in the USA of the 60's-early 80's. Arguably the best time ever to be a kid.

11. What's one question you would ask Superman?  Do you really think the glasses and name change fool anyone?

12. What's your favorite smell?  I have several favorites...Yankee Candle's MacIntosh scent, fresh Concord grapes, baking bread, the beach, babies, and puppies.  What's your least favorite smell?  Pick any smell from a nursing home.

13. How do you feel about cars becoming fully autonomous and having no steering wheel, breaks, or accelerators?  It sounds cool, but the technology has a long way to go before I'll trust my life to it.

14. What are your favorite books and authors?  My all-time favorite book is Little Women. My favorite authors are James Rollins (love his Sigma Force series) and Janet Evanovich (I've read all of her books).

15. Have you had a reading or palm reading done?  No.

Is This the End? Maybe.

A long time ago (it's been more than 20 years!) a young-ish wife and mother discovered the world of blogging. Blogging was in its infancy back then. It was exciting and new. It opened a whole new world of possibilities and friendships to that young woman. Blogging gave her a voice and a creative outlet and she loved it from the moment she first sat looking at that flashing cursor and wondered what to write.

The years that have followed have been filled with ups and downs. Friendships have formed. People have come and gone from the blogging world and from her life. Some people moved into the realm of Facebook friends or even "real life" friends. Her heart has celebrated great moments in the lives of her blogging friends, prayed and cried through their tragedies, and smiled through the everyday moments. At the same time, she has benefitted from the support, love, wisdom, and prayers of those same friends.

Something has changed. It's been brewing for a while now, but the thing that once gave her such joy, that she couldn't wait to get to each day...it stopped doing that. It became just one more thing on her to-do list and thus felt more like a chore. It became a burden. The blank page that once excited her with its possibilities began to depress her as she struggled to think of anything she felt like putting down in words. In other words, her blogging mojo packed its bags and left.

That's where I find myself tonight. The thought of leaving blogging for good leaves me feeling anxious after all these years so I am not saying a hard goodbye. I am taking a break and saying goodbye "for now." Will I be back? I can't say. The blog will stay up so I can find all of you and visit from time to time and many of you are Facebook friends so we won't lose touch.

Thank you for all the years of visits, support, laughs, advice, insight, and friendship and love. 

 

Currently

I am...

Reading... I Used to Be Fun by Melanie Summers.

Watching... Stupid Pet Tricks. I don't like Sarah Silverman, but, hey, cute animals.

Feeling... a lot of pain. The knee (actually the whole leg) is not doing well.

Thinking... about my upcoming appointment with the orthopedic doctor (March 25), hoping the leg doesn't get any worse before then and that they find what's wrong and it's a (relatively) easy fix. Like, no surgery or anything like that!

Grateful... I finally got everything completed to do some companion work with one of my regular consumers. It's only 5 hours per week so not too bad.

Celebrating... "St. Peaster Day" or something like that. Work has decided (after we decorated the whole multi-purpose room for St. Patrick's Day) that we are only going to have ONE party for St. Patrick's Day and Easter this year and it will be held on March 21. At home we'll be enjoying the traditional corned beef dinner on St. Patrick's Day.

Enjoying... unseasonably beautiful weather. The kiddos have been playing outside as much as possible and at work we ate lunch on the deck today and plan to again tomorrow.

Looking forward to... another auction with my mom this Saturday and a huge basket bash on Sunday.

Giggling at...

 

Currently

Reading... The Murderous Type by Sue Minix. It's the second book in the Bookstore Mystery series.

Watching... nothing worth mentioning.

Thinking... about staying off the laptop except for one day a week (maybe two). It's such a time waster. I get absorbed and next thing I know way too much time has passed. There are so many better ways to use my time.

Feeling... annoyed. We heard from our tax preparer tonight. Between me working full-time and the raises we've both gotten over the past year, our income jumped significantly and that threw us into a new tax bracket. We thought that with what we have taken out in taxes and what we put in our retirement funds we'd be okay. Nope. We owe. Thankfully, it isn't a huge amount, but in order to avoid paying next year Tim will have to put a lot more into his 401K. Makes you wonder when enough is enough.

Celebrating... nothing really, so I guess I'll go with our grandson getting his first real dirt bike this weekend.

Grateful... a trip to the tire center was quick, easy, and inexpensive. The left front tire on my vehicle has had a slow leak since last week. Tim never got around to dealing with it over the weekend so I had to spend my break today calling around to find a place that had time to take care of it after I got off work. The one I finally chose took my vehicle in as soon as I arrived, discovered a screw in the tire, removed it and patched the tire. I was done and back on the road in 30 minutes and it only cost $31!

Enjoying... Seagram's new "fruit splash" ginger ale. It's cherry flavored and so yummy.

Looking forward... to going to an auction this coming Saturday with my mom and Tim.

Giggling at...

Our granddaughter wearing one 
of the Maine Coons as a scarf.

 

And that's it this week. I'm tired and going to call it a night. Have a blessed week, friends!

Saturday 9: Shambala

Yay! This is my favorite Three Dog Night song, but I have to say I actually like Toby Keith's cover of it better. Either way, a great song. Feel free to join in the fun here.

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

1) This week's song refers to the mythical kingdom of Shambala. Can you think of another song that mentions to faraway, mythical land?  Xanadu is the only one I can think of.

2) "Shambala" is performed by Three Dog Night. The name is derived from an Aboriginal Australian legend. In the outback, hunters would sleep with a dog beside them. If it was very cold, they would sleep between two dogs. If it was freezing -- you guessed it -- it was a three dog night. Was it cold last night where you are?  Cold is sort of relative. For us it was not that cold, only in the low 40's. For some of you down south or out on the west coast that is probably cold.

3) The lead singer is the late Cory Wells. Early in his career he was a member of the house band at the famous Sunset Strip nightclub Whiskey-A-Go-Go. Cory was a bit of an anomaly at "The Whiskey" because of his sober lifestyle. When did you most recently enjoy an adult beverage?  Uh-mmm....New Year's Eve, I think.

4) Bandmate Danny Hutton auditioned to be a member of The Monkees TV show. He didn't get the part. While he was a talented singer-songwriter, NBC was looking for musicians who could also act. Have you ever fantasized about a career as a performer?  Maybe as a kid, but never seriously. I really don't enjoy getting up in front of people.

5) Brian Wilson of The Beach Boys was an early supporter of Three Dog Night's. What's your favorite Beach Boys song?  

6) In 1973, when this song was popular, one of the best-selling toys Curious George plush doll packaged with a Curious George book. Can you recall a favorite book from your childhood?  I was a voracious reader even as a kid, but a few standouts are Dr. Goat, The Big Tidy Up, We Were Tired of Living in a House, Anna Karina and the Box...and later I couldn't get enough of Margeurite Henry's horse books, The Black Stallion series, and all of the mystery series like Nancy Drew, The Hardy Boys, and Trixie Beldon.

7) The Exorcist was in theaters, terrifying audiences. It's still ranked among the scariest movies of all time. Have you seen it? Did it scare you?  Nope, haven't seen and never intend to see it.

8) Roller skates were a big seller in 1973. While most rinks had skates available for rent, committed skaters had their own pair. Are you better on roller skates or ice skates?  I stink at both, but slightly less so on roller skates.

9) Random question -- Here's $100. What will you spend it on?  Probably books or something for the grandchildren.

Thankful Thursday: There Is Always Something to Be Thankful About

It's been a rough week at work.

If you remember, I shared in my previous post about "Artimus," one of my clients. He collapsed in the hallway on Monday and quickly became unresponsive. CPR was begun and it continued for close to half an hour and was still being given when the EMT's loaded him up and took him to the hospital. He had shown no response at that point. We learned via a text from our boss that night that he was in ICU on a respirator.

I am thankful we have trained people on staff who were able to help "Artimus" almost right away.

I am thankful for the EMT's and firemen who responded to the 911 call.

Yesterday we learned that "Artimus" had had to be resuscitated again Tuesday evening. We also learned that a brain scan showed no activity. "Artimus's" only relative, a sister living in Texas, put a Do Not Resuscitate order in place after that.

Today we learned that "Artimus" passed away last night. He was an organ donor and they kept him on the respirator until his sister arrived to say goodbye and to remove the viable organs.

I am thankful the sister did not prolong his life.

I am thankful that "Artimus," who loved to give to others was able to keep giving even in his death.

I am thankful that by this morning his liver had already been transplanted into someone in Ohio.

We also found that those of us who were with "Artimus" in the moments leading up to Monday's collapse and in the moments following would have to speak to an investigator today. Nerves were frayed and it didn't help that one of the bosses was basically telling us what to say...which was a lie. Caseworkers continue to flood the place during lunch to observe. (From what I can gather, it's unclear whether "Artimus" aspirated and that caused a heart attack or if he had a heart attack and then aspirated.) 

I am thankful the investigator was very nice and told us up front he was not investigating us, but rather the company and employees who ran the group home "Artimus" lived in.

I am thankful I was able to tell the truth and still protect my employer and my coworker who was "Artimus's" staff that day.

The big boss told all the clients today about "Artimus's" passing and told us there will be no funeral because the sister is the only family there is. However, his sister asked if there could be a memorial service for him at work tomorrow, because he loved his job and his friends and staff there.

I am thankful his sister thought to do a memorial service. 

I am thankful those who probably knew "Artimus" best will have the chance to gather to remember and say goodbye.

I am glad tomorrow will be the end of a long, rough week.