A Small Update

My stepdad is still in the hospital. It's weird. They say he's there for observation. They also say that means he isn't really in the hospital. Can someone please explain that one to me? I mean...he's in their bed, eating their food, being taken care of by their staff...I don't get it. Neither does Mom. She's worried what Medicare will have to say about that.

Anyway, they've run more tests and he's been poked and prodded by an army of people. So far they say he has a small aneurysm in his left leg (the other that started all the problems was in his right leg) and a fractured vertebrae. Mom asked what could have caused the fracture and was told "old age." Bottom line is they are going to keep "observing" him because they have no idea why he is experiencing so much pain. They just keep giving him pain meds, which have him more than a little fuzzy around the edges.

Another update concerning the consumer at my workplace. He was suspended, but today all the members of his team met and decided the best choice was to withdraw him from the program. I can't lie, everyone is pretty relieved.

Now I'm off to try and catch up with some of you and also with American Idol. 

Thankful Thursday on Good Friday

I meant to post last night for Thankful Thursday, but when I finally cracked open the laptop it took all of about five minutes for me to fall asleep. I slept a couple of hours sitting here in my recliner before waking up just enough to stumble to bed. I hadn't realized I was that tired, but I guess the day took more out of me than I realized. Well, one event, anyway.

We had our Easter celebration at work yesterday. Normally it's a breakfast and then we're done and everyone goes back to work. This year it was a lunch because a long time employee chose to get married at work during the party. Because of all that, we didn't go back to work. It turned into a dance party. 

It was long because I had a female one-on-one who is very demanding and mentally exhausting. My coworker, Don, who I fill in for with his (also very demanding) one-on-one needed a few minutes away from his guy, who has been out of sorts and extremely demanding lately (something is going on with him, but we don't know what). He tried to walk out of the room several times, but his guy kept following him. Finally, it seemed like he was going to comply. He said "Okay" and turned to me and came like he was going to dance. Then he swung his hips into me as hard as he could. That sent me flying into a table (hit my side) and before I could get my balance the chairs slid apart and I knew I was going down. I managed to spin around so I landed on my behind rather than on my knees. 

The fallout is that my side is sore and my tail bone/butt/lower back is really hurting. Also, going forward no one but Don can watch that consumer because he was never good at listening to anyone but Don and now he isn't even listening to him. I am relieved as he is the one I have talked about taking out all day by myself when Don is not there. It's been okay in the past, but with whatever is going on with him I've been worried how he would be and I'd be out somewhere by myself with no one to help.

So that's where I am...stiff and sore, but nothing terribly wrong and a lot to do today.

One day late, here's my Thankful Thursday list. 

1. I'm thankful I am only stiff and sore today.

2. I'm thankful for all the coworkers and clients who gathered around me wanting to help, showed concern, and were glad I wasn't seriously hurt.

3. I'm thankful the rain is done for the day so I can go get the last of what I need for Easter.

4. I'm thankful tomorrow is going to be nice so we can still have the egg hunt with the grandchildren. With our daughter still getting over the flu she decided we should not get together for Easter dinner on Sunday. She doesn't want to expose my mom to the germs because of her age and the fact that my stepdad is still in the hospital.

5. I'm thankful Mom is going to come to our house. I'm still cooking the ham, but things will be more relaxed. We'll box up some food for our daughter's family.

6. I'm thankful our grandson started a new ADHD medication and is doing very well with it. It has helped a lot with his schooling. Our granddaughter has an appointment today to see about trying an ADHD medication. Getting her to sit still for class is impossible!

There's more I am thankful for, but I do need to get moving and take care of the last of my Easter shopping. Have a blessed and beautiful day on this Good Friday!

Looking Back & Looking Forward

I've been meaning to share a little about our holidays and a few photos, but circumstances have kept me from it. Now that we're hibernating due to cold weather, I've got plenty of time.

The season really got started for us when I took my mom and granddaughter to see The Nutcracker Ballet. I've always wanted to do that, but our daughter never wanted to (still didn't) and we don't get to see our oldest granddaughter. I'm so glad I decided to go this year. Our granddaughter was so excited and loved it all.

The big party at work for the consumers was a hit as always. I can't share too many photos due to privacy issues, but here are a few.

This is me and one of the consumers I'm closest to. She is only a few years younger than me and she's a real party girl!

Santa and Mrs. Claus are played by a member of the local Lion's Club and his wife. They are always great and this year Santa played along to play a joke on a consumer. This consumer had been joking, going on and on, to everyone that we'd been bad and wouldn't be getting anything but coal for Christmas. Then he said everyone should just stay home on party day because there wouldn't be presents...while also saying he'd open them all. I started telling him that HE was the one getting coal and all the staff and office staff got in on it. I found a little bag labeled "North Pole Coal" and put some candy coal in it. When it was his turn to go get his gift from Santa (they even made him the very last one) Santa told him he had a special gift for him and handed him the coal. He was sure surprised, but a good sport and laughed along with everyone.

Looking across the multipurpose room with everyone seated for dinner.

The Saturday before Christmas I ran into Santa and Mrs. Claus at the grocery store. They allowed me to take a picture and sent a message to our grandchildren to be good, because they were watching!

Christmas was less than ideal. Tim came home from work on the 23rd terribly sick. Looking back I'm sure he had Norovirus. It hit him hard and he completely missed out on Christmas. 

After opening gifts with Tim, I made dinner and took it over to our daughter's along with all the presents for everyone. I'm very thankful our son-in-law was able to come over and help me load it all up and then unload it at their home.

The kiddos had a wonderful Christmas and between home and all the grandparents got everything they asked for (and a few they didn't ask for as Colton let us know...spin toothbrushes did not excite him). We enjoyed our meal, playing games with the kids, and of course, watching the Steelers game.

Playing Guess Who with our granddaughter.

One of the few photos of our grandson that isn't a total blur. They are having some trouble adjusting his ADHD meds right now and he was especially hyper on Christmas.

At about 11:30 pm on Christmas Day the virus hit me. It wasn't fun, but it lasted less than 24 hours. My mom came down with it Thursday evening and had it for 3 days. Her husband came down with it Saturday and it hit him hardest of all. He is just now feeling back to normal.

Oliver took good care of me when I was sick.

He's been enjoying his Christmas present.

Tim is at that phase of a work project when he is working a ton of overtime to get everything done. He didn't even get home on New Year's Eve until 7:30 so we didn't do anything. He was asleep by 8:30 so Megan kept the kids at home and Mom and John were keeping to themselves because of the virus. New Year's Day we took down the tree and inside decorations and watched several movies.

I kicked this weekend off by getting my nails done after work. I got rid of the sparkly, red Christmas color and went with a pretty purple. I love the pampering of a manicure.

Tim took Saturday off as he had promised back at Christmas. It figured it was one of the coldest days we'd had so far. We went ahead and did some running around in spite of that.

We need a new storage shed in the worst way and have needed to go look for a long time. We finally did that (I think my nose has finally thawed out) and found one we can both agree on. Yay! 

We also looked at, found, and purchased a lift recliner. It's for me. I don't really need one, but every once in a while when the inflammation flares up at its worst, I need Tim to help me get up. I was worried it might happen some day when he isn't around. It also has heat and massage, which will be nice now. It's not due in until the end of February at this point.

We had a late lunch out and did our grocery shopping so we could stay home today. Tim still went out for a short while. He got more salt for the sidewalks, de-icing windshield washer fluid, and filled my gas tank. Other than that we've just relaxed and watched TV.

I've started a new Bible study. It's called Dear Food, I Love You, I Hate You, Don't Leave Me! It's by Julia Fikse. I bought it a while ago but never got started on it. It isn't a diet, but rather a program meant to help you put food in its proper place in your life...and put God first. I haven't gotten very far into it, but it seems good.

Lastly, I want to share my One Word for this year. It's Victorious. There are many places in scripture that speak of victory, but I'm holding to this one...

1 Corinthians 15:7 - But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

I can not do this. I have proven it time and time again. However, if I turn to Christ first, not relying on myself, He is faithful and will lead me to victory.

And now I'd better call it a night and get ready to head to bed early. We are under a winter storm warning tonight and all day tomorrow. We are expecting 6-10 inches of snow. If the morning is as ugly as they predict I'm going to have to leave very early for work.

Saying Goodbye to April

Hi, everyone!

First of all, let me say I'm sorry I didn't get around to visit everyone who commented on my Saturday 9 post. I only did it because I thought I'd have time...I'll get to that story. This weekend has just been crazy busy.

Saturday dawned gray and damp, but warm. I was out the door by 9:30 to make the hour-long drive to pick up the client I was taking to the Very Special Prom. We were the first to arrive by a few minutes even though the drive back was just as long since the prom venue is just half a mile from my house. We checked in and waited patiently for the doors to open, visiting with others. Guests entered the prom in the order they arrived because each special guest got introduced as they entered and walked the red carpet to applause from the "paparazzi."

The red carpet and some of the waiting "paparazzi."

Once inside the female guests found volunteer hairstylists and make-up artists waiting to work their magic.

My client looked beautiful already but enjoyed the pampering.

After getting the royal treatment guests were free to enjoy the food, visit with friends, dance to the music provided by our awesome DJ, Barnacle Benny, and have portraits taken in front of the green screen (sea life added by computer). The decorations were amazing. As Donna, the woman from my church in charge of them, said..."I've had this planned for four years so there was plenty of time to tweak it." This was to have been the 2020 prom, but we all know how that year went.

Here are some of the faces I know and love from work (it's okay...the photos will be up on Facebook and the video on YouTube soon from those in charge of the event).

All went well and I got my client home safe and sound and was home a little after 4:00 to enjoy going for pizza with Tim and our grandson.

At 6:00 I received a phone call from one of the organizers who was in a panic. A man who is a client (not of mine, but I know him) showed up without a caregiver (an absolute written-in-stone MUST) because he wanted to be with his girlfriend. He had paid someone to drive him there and drop him off. He lives in senior housing and is mostly independent so it's hard to get him to play by the rules. He is a nice enough guy and not dangerous or anything, but the organizers couldn't be responsible for him and they were afraid they wouldn't be able to get him to leave when the prom was over (did I mention there are always two proms, an early and a late one?). Since I knew him I agreed to go back to the prom and deal with him. It was tough to convince him to call for his ride but he finally did and he left right on time. Whew! 

Today I went to church where the theme was about everyone being fearfully and wonderfully made and they showed a quickly thrown together video from the prom (not the one that will make YouTube). There were also two separate missionaries speaking before Pastor's message about everyone having worth. Thank goodness we have a system in the nursery that allows us to listen in because I was taking my turn in there today and the twin girls who were there are firmly in the stage of wanting only their mom. They cried so hard and never stopped until they fell asleep. After that it was just a matter of my teenage assistant and I rocking them until Mom came back.

I got home from church in time to go with Tim to meet up with his sister and her husband for lunch at our favorite Mexican restaurant. It was good to see them. She is the sister that is my age and we haven't seen her face to face since her cancer diagnosis. We have been staying away lest we take any germs to her...with the kiddos here all the time you never know. She is doing very well and they have cut her chemo dose in half and she was feeling strong enough to take the chance. After dinner with them we did a bit of grocery shopping before coming home. We weren't home long before our daughter and the grands knocked on the door and stayed to visit us for a while.

So, yeah, it's been busy. I didn't even get laundry done or the kitchen cleaned up. I need a vacation to catch up on my chores!

That's all that's happening around here. I hope you all have a wonderful and blessed week.

And remember: 

Everyone is special so make someone feel special today!

An Update

Just a quick pop in to let you know...I have an interview for the other position at work on Monday, May 1. Keep it in prayer, please?

Mid-week Daybook

 Just for today...

Outside my window...day has given way to night. It was an overcast day and the skies remain cloudy so no moon or stars to see. A brisk wind has kicked up and at times there is rain...great, huge drops driven by the wind that strike the windows and roof like hail. The temperature has fallen from a high of 50 degrees to about 40 degrees. The overnight low temperature is predicted to be in the 20's. My sister-in-law living in Erie reports snow on the ground this evening.

I'm feeling...a bit sleepy at this point in the evening, but good, otherwise. 

I've given up the pricey diet plan. I lost weight the first few days, but then didn't lose any more...very discouraging when my coach was reporting that her brother, who began the same day I did, lost nearly 30 pounds in two weeks. I never lost the feeling of being hungry or the cravings for carbs. I never felt great and full of energy as I was told I would after 3-4 days of following the program. I did feel gassy and bloated. There was that whole scary episode where I passed out when I got up in the night.

After discussing it with my doctor, I decided to follow his advice and drop the plan. He felt that the 800-1100 calories/day allowed on the plan were not enough and he felt the only way anyone was losing 30 pounds in two weeks was that it was all fluid and basically a colon cleanse (makes sense since ALL the fuelings from the plan were chock full of fiber and probiotics).

Instead, I am eating 3 meals a day and concentrating on portion size and cutting way back on (not totally eliminating) carbs. After three days I'm feeling much better, the bloated feeling is gone, the cravings are under control, and I don't feel like I am starving. I've lost about 1.5 pounds.

I will continue to read the textbook that came with the program and glean what I can from it about changing my eating habits and lifestyle. I'll also continue to use the Lifebook, another large book that works through the mental and emotional aspects of weightloss and lifestyle.

I'm watching...Pawn Stars at the moment. I spent the weekend binging the first season of Three Pines on Amazon Prime. It's a unique detective/mystery show set in Canada. I really enjoyed it. I hope there is a season 2 in the works.

I'm thankful...for my job. Not only do I enjoy what I do, but it's so nice to work for people who appreciate me. I shared last week about my immediate supervisor. Today I can share that the person above him has noticed that I don't call off, I come in early, I do what they ask of me and often go beyond. She came to me today and said the CEO is taking a group of consumers out for lunch on Friday. When he does that a staff member has to drive the van and go along to help take care of those he takes. She asked if driving the van was something I'd be comfortable with. I said I would be so I am going on my first outing with the company. I'm excited because all the consumers going this time are high functioning and need little help or care so I get to have lunch and enjoy the time, too.

I'm enjoying...my latest read, The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson. It's based on the shelter communities that existed in the underground train tunnels after the blitz on London.

In the kitchen...not much is happening. I was under the weather all weekend with a combo of a cold and spring allergies. I did cook a small pork loin on Monday with cheesy mashed potatoes and Brussels sprouts, but last night we went out for dinner and tonight Megan brought pizza since I kept Leah so she and Colton could have some time alone together. Tomorrow night will probably be a grab whatever night as I have to be at the church to fill plastic eggs for Saturday's Easter egg hunt before Tim will even be home.

I'm looking forward to...going to lunch on Friday with the consumers, taking Colton and Leah to the egg hunt on Saturday (Megan has to work and Cody won't go without her), having Good Friday off, and our family Easter celebration next Saturday. 

Megan is working midnight shift the night before Easter, so I decided Saturday would be better for dinner. That way she can come home Easter morning, watch the kiddos find their baskets, then go to bed and Cody can take the kids to his parents' home for the afternoon. I'll be free to go to church Easter morning and then relax the rest of the day with Tim and enjoy leftovers.

A life lesson...perspective and attitude are everything.

Monday Catch-up

Sitting here this evening listening to some wicked wind roaring around the house. It sounds like a low flying plane or a train going by (though Tim's giving it some competition with his snores from the sofa). Hopefully, the Poplar tree in the backyard that is scheduled to come down in a month or so doesn't decide to drop any more big limbs. The one that came down in the fall went through the shed roof! Oh, it's also raining. 

The weekend was supposed to begin with babysitting the grandchildren right after work on Friday. When I didn't hear from anyone, a call to our daughter found that she'd forgotten about the appointment she and her husband had. Instead, I went to pick up fish dinners for Tim and I from the fish fry at a local fire department. 'Tis the Lenten season, after all, and that means yummy fish fries at many organizations. Everyone had the same idea, I guess, because I had to wait 45 minutes in the drive-up line. It was so worth it! Our dinners included large, delicious, crunchy fish sandwiches, savory pierogies with butter and onions, and the best onion rings.

Saturday was supposed to be a day at home catching up on chores...laundry in particular. Our daughter called first thing and asked me to ride with her and the kiddos to Monroeville to shop at Home Goods and At Home. I decided to go and we had a good time shopping and had lunch at TGIFriday's. I found a lot of little things I could use and came home with a huge laundry basket/hamper (they called it a lamper) full of goodies.

At home I got my purchases put away before Tim got home from work and we headed off to Red Lobster for dinner. We had been talking about going all month and Tim really wanted to get there before Lobsterfest ended. He got his fix...the Lobster Lover's Dream, lobster fettuccine, a rock lobster tail, and a Maine lobster tail. I wasn't excited about any of the lobster combos so stuck with a combination platter of shrimp scampi, scallops, and coconut shrimp.

Sunday morning I went to church and really enjoyed Pastor Kirt's teaching on how to live as a Christian in these times. I swung by Aldi's on the way home to pick up bacon because the grandchildren came over when I got home and Pappy made them their pancakes and bacon. It's become a Sunday tradition here, but I suggested making it later in the day rather than breakfast so I could enjoy it, too. It seemed to work out better for everyone. Yay!

After pancakes the kids and I made St. Patrick's Day spinners. They were something I had done with the consumers at work that I thought would be fun for the kids, too. They enjoyed it and had something to take home to Mommy.

We had planned to do some other things and those chores were still waiting for me, but some friends of ours we hadn't seen for quite a while stopped by and surprised us. They stayed and visited the rest of the afternoon and the kids didn't go home until 7:30 so chores went out the window again. Oh well, it's people and our time with them that matters most.

It was back to work today and afterward I did the grocery shopping. The wind and rain began while I was in the store. Yuck. I was sure glad to get home and get everything inside. Supper was a comfort meal of hot chicken sandwiches, mashed potatoes, and gravy. The rest of the evening has just been relaxing and watching some TV while playing on the computer. I'm enjoying it before tomorrow and my hard day at work...the one I'm on my feet all day. I can count on being in pain by the end of the day so tomorrow night will be about trying to manage it. I am thankful, though, that I still only have to deal with it one day a week.

Now I'm off to bed. I hope you're all having a good week!

Another One for the Books

Happy Boxing Day...or day after Christmas! Whew, what a busy time the last week or so has been. With my laptop on its last legs I've just never had the time to mess with it and post until now. I think I'm going to have to figure out how to log in to Blogger from my phone or there probably won't be any more posts until I get a new laptop or a tablet.

So, long story short, we had a great Christmas and I hope you did, too. It always goes by so quickly that it seems like a blur looking back.

Going back to last Monday, they announced the winning team in the pillar decorating contest at work. MY TEAM WON!!! The votes were overwhelmingly in favor of our Charlie Brown Christmas tree design. So, sometime after the holidays we will get to go for lunch with the big boss. My team is excited. I'm so glad it worked out for them.

Wednesday and Thursday were really not productive days at work. The consumers were too excited to focus and the staff was not much better. (wink) Thursday ended up being nothing but a party for us in the ATF facility. Cookies, cookies, and more cookies. I was a tiny bit miffed that all my coworkers brought gifts in and included me, because I'd asked a couple of them about gifts and they made it sound like it wasn't a thing and they weren't doing it...so I didn't take gifts in. I've since bought gifts and will take them in this week, but that will be awkward, too. Sigh.

Tim and I were both off Friday and though the weather was frightful with snow, high winds, and temperatures hovering at zero (no idea what it was with the windchill) we had to go out and finish up our shopping by getting a few gift certificates and the scope our son-in-law wanted for the gun he'd bought this past summer.

Friday evening Megan and Leah took us to a neighborhood restaurant to celebrate Tim's birthday earlier that week. It was the first time we could all go. Colton was in a mood and would have made it unpleasant so Cody stayed home with him. The restaurant just reopened under a new name and it was our first time there. The food was excellent, but we nearly froze sitting there. We were the only people there and we think, though they assured us they were open until 9:00, that they were trying to hurry us out so they could close early. They sat us by a drafty old window that the cold just poured in through and they shut off the gas fireplace!

Saturday we did just a bit more running in the morning then relaxed all afternoon at home before getting takeout Chinese and going to my mom and stepdad's for dinner. When we got home we did the final set up for Christmas and called it a day. Megan, Cody, and the kids had Christmas with Cody's family.

Sunday morning found me in the kitchen bright and early getting started on the side dishes. Mom made the ham this year. Everyone was here by noon to help get dinner on the table (we've always been early eaters then pick the rest of the day). We enjoyed ham, funeral potatoes, pierogies, corn spoonbread, baked beans, pickled eggs and beets, and deviled eggs. For snacking we had shrimp, cookies, veggies and dip, chips and pretzels with dip, and all kinds of candy.

Megan decided we would eat before we opened gifts...just to torture the kids, I think. Ha! Everyone was pleased with their gifts and we were all so richly blessed. I gave Tim a big electric griddle for those Sunday morning pancake breakfasts with the grandkids and the Samsung tablet he's been wanting. He gave me the KitchenAid mixer I've been wanting and a 12-guage shotgun, which I've also been wanting for home protection (I don't figure it will matter if my aim is off with a shotgun).

Daisy in her Christmas sweater watching gifts get opened and
wondering where hers are.

Me and Colton. Sure do love this silly boy.

A view of the carnage. We'd actually cleaned up a lot of it.

This girl is my mini-me and partner in crime.

Colton bringing a smile to Pappy John's face.

You'll shoot your eye out! Colton got an official Red Ryder BB gun.

This girl had us laughing till we cried. She wore
that hat (tag and all) all afternoon. Her footwear
alternated between the unicorn slippers and
her new snow boots.

Just a boy and his great-grandma's dog.

Today we concentrated on cleaning up and putting away from yesterday's fun and Colton and Leah spent the morning with us. We braved Walmart to get a few things and check out the after Christmas markdowns...not much left to choose from, but I got those work gifts and a few little things. Then we had lunch at Eat 'n' Park before taking them back home.

That was our Christmas. It was good and it was blessed and happy in spite of the shadow of loved ones long gone, the problems in our daughter's family, and the absence of our son and his family. I thank God for all of it!

Tell me, how was your Christmas?

A Cold, Blustery, and Busy Weekend

I really have to back up to Friday to tell you about the weekend, because Friday was the Christmas party for the consumers at work. I don't have any pictures to share, Hippa privacy laws and all that, but it was a wonderful day and everyone had a great time. Those with intellectual disabilities are real party animals!

We enjoyed a meal of Italian roast beef sandwiches, chicken tenders, parsley potatoes, pasta salad, and cake. Many of our consumers entertained us with their singing talent...everything from an incredible doo-wop version of White Christmas to the longest rendition of the 12 Days of Christmas I've ever heard. They talked, laughed, passed cards and gifts to friends and staff and then...we had a visit from Santa and Mrs. Claus who passed out gifts to each consumer. Then we did karaoke and a dance party until the vans came to take them home.

One thing that did not happen was the announcement of which team won the contest for the best decorated column in the dining room. That will finally be announced on Monday. Keep your fingers crossed for my team.

I didn't sleep well at all Friday night. Lots of cramps in my feet, shins, and calves. So, when Tim got up at 3:30 I did, too. I may have finally dozed a bit on the sofa, but not for long and I was dressed (in many layers because it was COLD and windy) and out the door to finally do the bulk of the Christmas shopping by 7:00 that morning. It was a marathon day and my feet were killing me, but I got all but a couple of things I needed and made it home in time to carry everything inside and drive our daughter to work. No small feat as it was CRAZY out there! So many people and nearly all of them in miserable, grouchy, me-first moods. I was kind of over people by the time I got home.

Saturday evening Tim and I opted to get Chinese take-out for dinner and enjoyed it on the sofa watching television.

Today we woke up slowly and to the first real snow of the winter, but we were still out the door by 10:30 to go to a couple of local stores where I might need Tim's extra muscle. 

One of the things I was searching for was cushions for the dining chairs. At Thanksgiving my stepdad complained the chairs were low and hard. It's more that his butt is 80 years old and used to his huge overstuffed recliner, but I want him to be comfortable while he's here. I've been looking online for a couple of weeks and the cushions I've found have been so expensive and/or will take weeks to arrive. Oh, I could get cheap, thin ones quickly enough, but I wanted nice thick ones that will be soft and give you a little boost. Anyway, I finally found 6 at Walmart, but I had to settle for 3 each of two coordinating colors to get the six I wanted. Not perfect, but they will do. Who would have thought chair cushions would be so hard to get?

We wrapped all the gifts this afternoon and I can't even tell you how much that has improved my Christmas spirit. We both hate the job and tend to procrastinate to the point we find ourselves doing it on Christmas Eve, which totally stinks, and yet every year... Anyway, it is such a relief to have it done a week ahead of time.

We had planned to take Colton and Leah out for a drive to look at Christmas lights once it got dark but Colton ended up going to Med Express to have his finger checked out. Another kid stepped on it at school Friday (accidently or not is unknown) and it didn't look great right from the start, but today it was all swollen and red. It's infected and our guy is now on yet another round of antibiotics for that. It was kind of later in the day when he went and then Cody took him and Leah shopping for their mommy's gift so we will just take them out another evening. We might have them tomorrow for a little even though it's Tim's birthday and we will definitely have them Thursday evening.

Happy Christmas week!

Saturday 9.....and a Few Other Things

Yikes, a whole week has passed since I last posted. These December days continue to be crazy busy and free time is in short supply. I'm also amazed at how fast the days are flying by. 

Work continues to be enjoyable. I got the official word today that until at least after the holidays I will be working in the adult training facility (ATF) every day but Tuesday, because a few college students that work during breaks from school are back. After that I may have to work in the shredding department 2 days a week.  I'm hoping they hire someone new and thus avoid that need. The woman they had hired after me went through all the training and then quit.

So, in the ATF it is ALL about Christmas right now. Those we work with can think of little else. Adding fuel to the fire is the facility-wide Christmas party next Friday. There will be a huge meal, music, and I'm told Santa himself will pay a visit and give out presents. In anticipation, we in ATF have been divided into teams of one staff member and several consumers (what we call those we work with). There are six teams, one for each of the columns in the dining hall. Each team had to decorate one column for Christmas. The administration will be judging them and the winning team gets to go for lunch with the big boss (though we are kind of hoping they will decide to have a pizza party for everyone). My team was the first to finish. Here are some shots I took going around our column. I hope you can tell it's supposed to represent the tree lot full of shiny aluminum Christmas trees from A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Other than work, it's, what else, my own Christmas preparations and family that are keeping me busy. There is all the usual decorating, shopping, wrapping, and baking to do and it's been decided that Christmas dinner will be here this year so there's that to plan, too. 

Adding to it all is that I am now keeping Colton and Leah several evenings a week while our daughter works. Her husband was supposed to keep them with me taking them now and then, but he is depressed and does nothing with them. Our daughter has been getting home from work at 9:30 to find the kids still up, fired up on all the junk food he's allowed them to eat, not bathed and the house trashed. Our s-i-l leaves for work as soon as she walks in the door. By the time she bathes them it's after 10:00 and it's probably 11:00 before they fall asleep. It's not working out with getting up in the mornings for school and our daughter was getting stressed beyond belief. His family is no help at all, either with the kids or with getting him to seek help. So, I have been taking the kids, giving them a real supper, spending some time with them, and getting them bathed before taking them home. At least that is done, but our daughter still comes home to find the kids not in bed. I am praying we can somehow get through to our s-i-l soon.

Tomorrow (Saturday as I'm doing this Friday evening) I will have the kids again so Mom and Dad can do some Christmas shopping. I'm planning to take them to the mall to see Santa and ride the train. 

Sunday is the Christmas program and dinner at church.

Now that you're caught up, here's the Saturday 9. Thanks Sam for the music and questions! Play along here.

Saturday 9: Just Because (1956)

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

1) In this week's song, Elvis complains that his girl has confused him with Santa Claus. This time of year, Santa is prominent. Did you more recently hear Santa referred to in a song, see him in a holiday decoration or ad, watch him in a film or TV show, or maybe even met him in person, ringing a bell or asking kids if they have been naughty or nice?  In a movie. We watch a movie at work every Friday afternoon and today I picked The Christmas Chronicles 2.

2) Finally Elvis just can't take it anymore and breaks up with her, just because. Is there anyone in your life who has a way of pressing your buttons and getting on your nerves?  I try not to allow it to get to me, but yes.

3) "Just Because" is one of the last songs Elvis recorded at Sun Studio in Memphis. TripAdvisor recommends a Sun Studio tour as one of the top things to do in Memphis. Have you ever been to Memphis? If yes, what did you do?  I've never been there.

4) Elvis left Sun for RCA, a much bigger record label. As part of the deal, RCA negotiated for the rights to all his unreleased Sun songs. "Just Because" is one of them, and it was included on Elvis' first RCA album. Have you gotten a good deal on anything lately?  My most recent "good deal" was the oak table and chairs and the sectional I bought at an auction.

5) In 1956, when "Just Because" was released, non-stick cookware was first introduced. Do you have any Teflon in your kitchen right now?  I don't know if it's officially Teflon, but I have a couple of non-stick frying pans.

6) Elvis thought peacocks were beautiful and commissioned stained glass peacock panels for his living room. Do you have any stained glass in your home?  Only if you count suncatchers.

7) He tried to keep peacocks at Graceland. One of the birds saw its reflection in Elvis' gold Cadillac and started pecking, ruining the car's expensive paint job. Elvis donated the peacocks to the Memphis Zoo. Have you ever had a bird as a pet?  Yes, we had several parakeets when the kids were growing up. I loved their chirping, but hated the mess they made.

8) Elvis decorated the long Graceland driveway for the holidays with blue lights. His father teased that with the airport nearby, pilots might confuse their driveway with a runway. What airport is nearest your home?  Palmer Regional Airport, named after Arnold Palmer, a native son of my town.

9) When Elvis was alive, he kept the holiday lights up until January 9, the day after his birthday. That tradition continues at Graceland today. Conventional etiquette tells us Christmas decorations should go up the day after Thanksgiving and come down before January 6 (the 12th day of Christmas). Do you think it's ever too early, or too late, for Christmas decorations?  I think everyone can do as they please. Personally mine go up sometime during the Thanksgiving break and come down over New Years. My mom always leaves hers up until Epiphany.

You Are Not Going to Believe This

Just when it seems like everything is starting to run fairly well...I have a new job, the pain in my feet and legs seems to be mostly under control with the meds from my doctor...life has decided to say, "HAH!"

I've been feeling a little run down the last couple of days, but nothing much. Today, as the day went on, the little bit of a tickle in my throat grew worse and I began to feel more run down. Tonight I decided to use one of my home covid tests.

Positive.

I made it 2.5 years without getting it.

Now the fun begins. I will have to be off work. I'm not sure for how long yet (one of the boss types will call me tomorrow). And the part I'm really sorry about is that because I worked last night, all of the residents in the memory care unit and all the workers will have to be tested. 

Please pray none of them gets it.

An Update

It's another rainy day here. One that makes me want to curl up with a book or nap, but I will be going to work soon. Say a prayer for me if you would. I am still battling the bug that Megan, Tim, and the kids have had. I haven't had the horrible congestion or body aches that they've had...just a general run-down feeling of blah. This is also the first time back at work since last Wednesday when I had such awful leg pain I went to see my doctor on Thursday.

I've followed my doctor's orders and stayed mostly off my feet, taken the prescription strength Naproxen he prescribed...and yes, the acute pain of Wednesday has gone, but tonight is the test. I feel pretty sure that it will return as soon as I'm on my feet and running once more.

I've decided to work tonight and see what happens. If the pain returns I've decided I will have to let the job go. Tim supports that decision. Megan still hopes that they will work with me if it comes to that and find something for me to do. Possibly, a job doing laundry as they don't have anyone...aids and housekeeping try to keep up with it...and they have been saying they need someone to do just that. I don't know if I would like that job. It is so hot and miserable in the laundry rooms and depending on the job description they came up with, I could be on my feet and running just as much to deliver laundry.

I spent some of yesterday browsing job ads online. I saw a couple that interested me and I applied for one. The local library system is looking for a part-time desk clerk. I would like that. A local hotel is looking for front desk help and a car dealership is looking for a greeter part-time. I guess we'll see what plays out.

Anyway, just pray for me tonight that if/when the pain starts I can manage it through my shift. 

Thankful Thursday

I am late getting to my Thankful Thursday post this week, but I am here and I am thankful for that! I do want to give a shout out and send some love to our usual host and blogging friend, Rebecca Jo @ Knit By God's Hand, who is going through a rather rough patch and has taken a break from blogging. Love you friend and I'm praying you get relief from your pain soon.

That done, Thankful Thursday continues on, hosted for the time being by Jen @ Overflowing With Thankfulness. I'm thankful for her and her willingness to keep us connected.

Sometimes it would be easy to get bogged down in the day-to-day realities of life and not see nor appreciate and be thankful for the good things that come our way...especially when not all good things are big things. They can get lost, buried under the big things that eat up our time and energies. Those big things are often beyond our control and seem to consume our every waking thought and all of our energy, but I believe with intentional practice it's possible to train our thoughts to look for the blessings, those little patches of light, even in our darkest times. And if we can do that, then it should come much easier at other times.

So, this week, for today...

I am thankful I am here. Not just in this life, but here on the laptop in the blog world to be able to share encouragement with you and get encouragement from your lists of thankfulness.

I am thankful my laptop is working. I know it is winding down it's life, grinding slower and slower, but to this point it continues to serve me...even if it takes a while. Just this morning it refused to load, but a restart and lengthy upload of updates has it chugging along once more.

I am thankful for my new job and my co-workers, most of whom, are genuinely nice and truly care about the residents in our care. The interactions with these dear souls lost in a world of Alzheimer's disease and dementia fill my heart. It is a privilege to care for them and do what I can to make their days better. I am thankful for each smile or hug I receive.

I am thankful I made it through my shift last night, my first 3-11, which will be my regular shift. And I am thankful there is a good bit of down time to get off my feet during the second half...otherwise I am afraid I would not have been able to make it. The foot/leg pain has been an 8-9 on a scale of 1-10. Nothing I have tried (orthotic inserts, orthotic shoes, creams, ibuprofen, patches, and prayer) seems to make a dent. I am only working three days a week so usually have a day between to give my legs a rest, but next weekend is looming. Working every other weekend is a requirement and that will be my first. Two days in a row.

I am thankful that I was able to get through to my doctor and get an appointment for this afternoon to address the pain and see if there is a way to manage it that will allow me to continue with the job.

I am thankful the results from Tim's CT-scan were good. The lymph nodes that were enlarged (I did not know this!) have gone back to normal size and the cysts on his kidney, stomach, and somewhere else have not grown (I also did not know about any of these except the one on his kidney).

I am thankful for our daughter who has really grown up in the last couple of years and is getting a handle on her fibromyalgia and anxiety. She is doing much better at handling her kids and life and now the job, where she is flourishing! She finds time to help us out with yard work and even checks in on me when we work the same nights.

I am thankful, as I continue to see reports of shortages of all kinds of things on the grocery shelves, that we continue to have access to plenty of good quality, healthy foods. I have adjusted my thinking and ways of doing some things to work around rising costs and the absence of some things.

I am thankful for technology that keeps me connected to distant family, friends...and makes possible all of my internet friendships with people I'd never know otherwise.

I am thankful, too, that the same technology gives me access to infinite creative ideas, recipes, and information.

I am thankful for my relationship with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. I don't know how anyone survives this world without the love, strength, peace, hope, joy, and guidance that come from knowing them and having them in my life. The Lord is my anchor in all of life's storms.

I am thankful for "normal" summer temperatures in the low to mid 80's this week.

I am thankful for this life and all it brings, the good and the bad. It all works to God's purposes even if I can't see it. I trust Him for I know He has plans for me, plans to prosper me and not harm me, plans to give me a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 19:11)

Work & The Weekend

I'm up before the (butt) crack of dawn this morning because I am working from 7:00-3:00 today. I don't know what happens beyond that. My supervisor said we'd take a look at things and decide where to go after that.

Things went pretty well on Friday when I was on the floor. The residents were calm and there were no big problems. I was mostly shadowing another aide, but did do a little bit of "hands on." I hope I do more of that today so I feel more confident about some things.

Oh, I have to tell you! Remember that awful boss I had at the other nursing home I worked at? The one that was the main reason I quit? I had heard she had been fired and had moved to Florida to retire. Nope. There is an independent agency that does the hospice care at the home. Guess who the first hospice aide that walked through the door on Friday was? Yep. Her. She was all over-the-top friendly and chatty and kept trying to sell me on working for the agency she is with. Uh...no thanks. I can't find it in myself to trust her.

The bad part of Friday was the pain. My toes, my ankles, and my knees were KILLING me by the end of the day. I've got a few things up my sleeve to try and see if it gets any better. Say a few prayers for me, would you? I need to keep this job. It would be nice if I'm not in pain the whole time.

Saturday was a quiet day. Tim worked and Megan didn't so she and Cody kept the kids and took them to a local park for a picnic. They had a blast and went for a bike ride around the neighborhood when they got home.

 

I used the time alone to catch up on household chores like cleaning and laundry. Sigh. Someone has to do it. I did find some time to read and play on the computer, too.

Sunday morning I went to church for the first time in nearly a month! I missed Father's Day because I was cooking for our celebration and it was after that the text messages began to roll in that Covid was spreading like crazy through the church members. I stayed away the next two Sundays on purpose. Since I got a text last week saying it seemed everyone was either over Covid or on the mend, I went back to day. Attendance was down, but that could be people avoiding Covid or just normal summer absences due to vacations and such. Anyway, it was really nice to be back and catch up with a few people.

I spent yesterday afternoon in the pool with the kiddos. They had a blast and so did I but, whew!, I am worn out. Colton wants to do nothing but have splash battles and Leah wants to do nothing but jump off the steps and have me catch her....and Pappy doesn't do the pool.

That's all that's going on around here...at least until I talk to my supervisor today and see if/what I'm working this week.

Have a blessed and happy week, everyone!