Up-date and June 1st Birthdays

Up-date: DH is getting around a bit now. Went to physical therapy today. The surgery went as well as could be expected. Next time (and it does sound like there is a fair possibility) they will have to do a knee replacement. They did what they could do with the miniscus mess and took off some arthritis damage. He's not sleeping well, even on the good drugs ...

June 1st is a big Birthday day for me. The littlest one of Grandma's Darlin's is a year old today! She is a true ray of sunshine - get a load of those smiles!

Not sure when I'll be back, I do read your blogs. I have my plate pretty full right now. Will see my pulmonologist on Monday. Time to do something about the insurance. Squash died, Tim dying, Mint is running rampant. Extra with DH's garden right now. He's got tomatoes set and the beginnings of pepper blossoms. So many Morning Glories need to be pulled. (Somehow I knew it would be me doing the pulling ...) Ugh! 

Take care, folks! 

Where did it go?

Hey! It rained for a bit this morning! Promises for more tonight, but often the weatherman is full of ...empty promises. It's a shade cooler and I appreciate that.

Tomorrow is my youngest son's 27th birthday, sigh. He's in California now, hopefully enjoying better weather than we. I started looking at the old pictures and became a little misty. Why did the time have to fly by so quickly?

Just 7 hours old, looks like Daddy.

With his 'Best Friend' - Rough.

Helping decorate his birthday cake.

 He's grown into a fine man now, but to me - he'll always be my little boy.

I See Dead People ...

I have been going through the few photographs I have, in an attempt to make a family representation for those coming behind me. I have 23 actual photographs, thanks to my cousins Janet and Suzie. Many of the pictures I have are shots of photographs that I took on a trip to Minnesota about 7, maybe 8 years ago. I took the shots in a hurry, as there were so many of them and so little time to do it. In my hurry, they didn't all turn out as well as I hoped. The photographs were at another cousin's home.

I've tried to take pictures of the actual, physical photographs that I have. (Like the one of my mom and dad in the lower left hand of the collage.) About the only way I can get a better shot (if at all) is to buy a copy stand for my camera. After pricing them, I have decided a slightly imperfect copy will have to do. After all, the shots that I took of my cousin's aren't all that bad.

While putting the collage together, I realized that in the upper left picture, only 5 of the youngsters are still alive - I guess. On the right hand side, in the middle, I believe the youngest of the little boys are still around - I would hope, but maybe not. As a child, I knew most of these people. My children really don't have a clue who they are. Oh, I'm sure they can point out a few, but they never really met very many, and my youngest none at all.

Am I wasting my time trying to save these for them? 

Burned Food and Bang Up Job

I don't know how you are, but when I don't feel well, I want comfort food. My mouth was craving a tender beef roast, smothered in lovely gravy with browned carrots, potatoes and onions on the side. Doesn't that just scream, "Eat Me?"

First of all, I took this beautiful hunk of beef (that should feed six) and began to brown it before putting it into the crock pot. After searching my entire kitchen and coming up empty - I called DH asking where the bleep my crock pot was. He had no clue. I would have to make it in my new, stainless dutch oven. I should have quit there. I looked for the vegetables - DH had purchased a total of six, flimsy, anemic looking carrots. There was also a small bag of four - yes - 4 - smaller than medium sized potatoes. (The kind with eyes that have to be dug out) The large onion was almost soft, just on the verge of being ready to rot. DH's ears should have been burning from all the unkind thoughts I was having. My thoughts of leftover veggies to add to the left over meat to make a lovely roast beef hash had left the building. I eyed the contents of the pot, gauged how much water it should need then turned it on low.

45 minutes later, I had a stinking, burned pot - it had gone dry! It shouldn't have. I bought that particular pan because it was supposed to be like the old waterless cookwear. I managed to salvage the little vegetables. The roast, however, was still bleeding (NOT juices) and I had to finish cooking it. I figured I could finish off the cooking. I stupidly cleaned the pan and started over. Wrong. I burned it yet again. My lovely roast had shrunk to half the size and it stuck to the pan. It was actually nice and tender - what was left after the burned part stuck to the pan. The onion slices were the only thing perfectly cooked.

I shouldn't be allowed in the kitchen anymore, period.

I was all set to give DH a 'talking to' when he came home, about the whereabouts of my crock pot and the small amount of veggies he had purchased. I couldn't do it. He limped into the house, pants torn and wincing when the dogs went to tell him 'Hello.' Seems he stumbled whilst trying to avoid metal debris on the stairs that shouldn't have been there. He landed at the bottom of the stairs. His left knee is swollen and sore. His right shin is skinned  and there is a dandy little chunk of flesh missing. I really couldn't say anything, except that I was sorry about the supper.

One never knows what goes on in others lives, you know?

Transitional weather...

There really is nothing for me to blog about. The weather is going up and down as I am sure yours is as well. We missed the freeze by half the state.

I haven't heard how my grandson is doing. I can only hope he's better. Often, Grandma is out of sight, out of mind. I can't get my mail, let alone drive my car, so...

My shoulder is still a problem. I gave up my other blog and try to stay off my computer - it does help. I think I will pass on the NaNoWriMo this year. Not worth the pain.

I tried to stay up for the blood moon, at 2:00, I noticed spatters on my window and thought to just lie down for a little while and woke up at 8:30. So... I missed it, even if it wasn't rainy. I have no idea if it cleared or not. I've seen some of your shots - very lovely.

DH is working in Kentucky this week, no idea when he will leave for the next job. Jack and Jill are mourning, of course, after having Daddy home 24/7 for almost 4 months, they can't imagine where he's gone.

I hope you are all well and enjoying your weekend.

Paying the price...

It got cold last night. Our low was almost kissing freezing. We haven't turned the heat on as yet, so I am a bit chilled.

I've been on the computer too much, my right shoulder hurts - I think from holding my arm at wrong angle to click my mouse. Nothing is more fun than old age when a front comes through.

My grandson had an accident in his two seat sports car. How he loved that little Miata (I have no idea how that is spelled) it was one of those coffins on wheels. He's pretty broken up. My son called to tell me that he had wrecked but I shouldn't worry that he was fine, and then he proceeded to tell me about broken pelvis, arm, jaw, etc. The boy has got to be in a world of hurt.

I would suppose I shouldn't whine about about arthritis or bursitis. 

All for now, I hope life is being good for you.

Life's ups and downs

Yesterday - The golden rays began a day of anxiety and terror. The doctor had seen a bright spot on my x-ray the week before and I had to have a mammogram. I took a friend along who had gone through the whole thing and she did her best to calm me. I was sure that I would be having months of misery and treatments after the doctor made out the order for the mammogram.

The technician looked at the first plate then left to call my doctor. Something was wrong. I couldn't see anything. She came back and continued taking the pictures. My friend and I looked at them, we saw nothing unusual. The technician left the room again. When she returned, she had my report. I was fine, there wasn't anything in my breast!

Both of us were relieved. We went out to eat and laughed.

This morning - My newly acquired gray kitty lay dead on the road. I thought it was Tacky, at first. I went out to gather her up and then I saw her running for me from across the pasture. Grief and joy in a heartbeat, then grief for the gray again.

Yep - life is just a series of ups and downs and I would like to stay up longer than one day at a time...

Letter From Home 112112

Dear Family, Friends and Foes,

I hope this finds you all as well as possible and enjoying this week. Some of us are having Thanksgiving others not. DH will be grilling tomorrow. He bought us porterhouse steaks and a German chocolate cake. There's other stuff too, but these are the most important as far as I'm concerned.

This was an important week for me. I finished my NaNoWriMo w/50737 words. Congratulations to all the Wrimers that have or will complete their task! It was an eight ticket ride. My computer seems to be having more and more problems so I validated the word count before I lost the important things. (Like the cookies to get where I want to go) I'm hoping Santa will bring me a new laptop for Christmas, this one has been on about 12 hours a day – everyday - for nearly three years. The CD no longer writes. The card reader does not work…

DH is laid off, it is his second week home and he finally decided to do something. He is painting the porch rails. He wanted copper – like the roof. It isn't. It's orange - like the pumpkin. I suggested he cut out a couple of "T"s for Tennessee as if he were a supporter of the team. At least people wouldn't think he was a complete idiot. He will never live this one down, that's for sure. LOL! Tacky also has some orange on her, but she's working on it. Yuk!

I talked to my cousin today, thinking she would be gone to her daughter's tomorrow. Her daughter is sick, so dinner has been called off and so has their annual black Friday shopping event. She was quite disappointed. If anyone has elderly neighbors – please - take them a plate or invite them over. I cannot imagine sitting alone without a computer on a holiday.

There is not much more happening around here, taking it easy. I'll be busy on the phone tomorrow trying to digest that huge steak. Y'all have a good one!