SUGAR'S SWEET SPOT

JUST TOUCHING BASE

2010-09-20T10:09:00.008-05:00

Yep, it's really me! LOL! Been awhile, huh? Well, I'm NOT back, but wanted to come by & let all know that I'm still alive.
Don't know when, or even if, I'll be back to blogging.
My health is not good, & the Drs. can't find the problem. I still fear it's going to turn out to be cancer, probably liver & possibly metastasized other places also. I am in almost constant pain, very weak & tired. Spend 90% of my time in bed.
Drs visits & procedures, tests, lab work, & hosp visits are my life now.
I can only sit up for short periods, so not on puter much, do play a game i enjoy, every now & then. I'm on FB, but have removed all my friends from there except a few gamers, & I don't accept new friends. Just don't feel like chatting & posting about my life.
If things should change, & I miraculously get better, then I'll be back. But, at this point I don't see that happening.
Want to shout a big Ty to Nancy, she sent me several cute cards & handwritten notes, they kept me cheered, & brightened many dark days. Also, TY to Marlene for the BD card, & a TY to Linda in WA for her post card from her trip. Appreciate John for the couple emails he sent, & to a few of you that left comments here asking how I was.
The 'girls' are doing well, & as lovable as ever! Don't know what I'd do without them!
Nothing more to say at this time, need to get back to bed. May the good Lord bless ea of you & keep you in the palm of His hand. I hold you all in my thoughts & memories. If it be His will, we'll meet again on the blog, if not, we'll meet in Heaven.

HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY, & brief update…

2010-05-08T08:41:00.031-05:00

The above tag, I did a couple yrs. ago, in honor of my dear Mom.

Wanted to wish all of my friends, & blogging buddies, a very Happy Mother’s Day.
May ea. of you be blessed with a day of contentment this yr.

If you're a Mother, God bless you, for ‘ALL’ you do.
If you’re a Single Father, trying to be ‘both Mom & Dad’ to your children, you have a rough but rewarding job.
To all the Foster Mother’s, what a ‘Special Mom’ you are!
To the Moms that are not biological, but have adopted their child/children, You are indeed the ‘Real Mom’. Never doubt it for a minute!
For the Grandmothers, there is no other like you, you’re ‘Twice Blessed’ (& twice challenged).

To ALL: HAPPY MOTHER’S DAY!

A brief update on Son, the girls, & me.
No change really, everything is pretty much as I left it in last couple of posts.
Son & DIL are still together, but struggling. When I ask Son, he just shakes his head & says, "we'll see, only time will tell."

My health conts. on a slow, downward path.
Have appt. with Hematologist/Oncologist in 2 wks.
Losing weight good, slow, but good. Hoping it's not because of an underlying health issue. Very little exercise, eating plenty, healthy (most of time hehehe), smaller portions than before. Down almost 100 lbs now (since Aug.), all my clothes literally fell off me... so they've been sacked up & given to the Women's Shelter. Fortunately, had some of my older, smaller clothes. Waiting on Missie, to hurry & drop out of her current clothes, so she can send them to me! LOL
My puter is barely hanging in there with me, so I’m not on it as often.

Had a Deputy Sheriff at my door Fri. with a summons!!!
Seems a Credit Card Co. from 1997 is taking me to court! I had forgotten all about them, as the yrs. passed.
I had thought there was some type ‘time limit’ on things like this.
The actual CC Co. had wrote off my debt long ago, but sold it to a Collection Agency, then they sold it, etc. So, the one that has it now, means business!
Guess, I have no other choice, but to get an Attorney (spend every dime I have saved up for a future move), & file bankruptcy. :(
At least, that will get rid of all my debts, & take a little pressure off me. But, will ruin my chances (& hopes) of getting the little apt. I wanted, as all around here run checks, & if there's a recent bankruptcy, they won't accept you.
WHAT ELSE?

The girls are doing fine, no problems, other than with all the lovely weather we’ve been having Dazzle has decide she wants to escape & chase cats around the neighbor hood! She’s done that twice!
Fortunately GSon was home the 1st time & chased her down, Son here the 2nd, & just walked down the hill & hollered for her, she appeared on next block trying to catch a cat.
GRRR have her micro chipped & all kinds of tags on her collar, but someone could pick her up & not be honest, or she might get hit by a car, & all kinds of dangers for one to get into!
So, she has to stop squeezing out & digging under. Both Gsons tried to fix yd inescapable, but once a dog wants to go & run, it’s hard to keep them up. I sit in door & watch them when I let them have potty breaks, but seems she found a way, when I looked away for a few mins!
Monkee, is her same cute little bossy, hard headed self LOL! She knows she’s the Queen, & determined everyone else knows it too. ;)

Guess that’s all my news, hope to be back with you all, someday, on a regular basis. Till then, be blessed, my dear friends!

Want to express sympathy to our blogger friend Donna, who recently lost her dear little furr baby ‘Sadie’.

Also, please pray with me for a courageous blogger, an inspirational young woman ‘Jane’ …who seems to have almost reached that crossroads, we all must take someday. She has Cancer, & has bravely fought for a long time, her blog is full of her exploits.
They are now trying to just get her pain under control, so she can live her last days fairly comfortable.
She is still trying to fight, mostly for her family. May God give her comfort & peace. And if His will, may she have more time. May He grant the family, some degree of peace & acceptance, during all the anguish/grief in the days ahead.

And a prayer for blogger & friend, 'Lori', who is fighting a battle too, please check her out, & send a prayer for her to win her fight with this deadly disease!

MAY THEY ALL BE GIVEN STRENGTH.

Guido, had posted these recently on ‘Call 4 Support’. TY GUIDO!

UPDATES:
5/14 re bankruptcy: talked with attorney on ph, very nice man, said no need to file, no need to even show up for court. that judge will just issue a judgment for them on default. but, since i don't have the money, & have no assets, there's nothing they can do except ph calls & letters to try & get me to pay. as my total income is below a level that makes it exempt from them being able to deduct from it monthly. & being that they have no 'debtors prison', so i couldn't go to jail. i do not need to try & hire a lawyer & file bankruptcy, he said i really couldn't afford that anyway. that helps a little, but will still have that 'judgment stamped on me'. at least i don't have to try & come up with money to file, & go to court. ty to that warm, friendly, & kind man!
5/18 saw the hematologist oncologist, she said my spleen was prob enlarged due to the fat in my liver. she saw no signs of anything else. suggested i stay on my lowfat diet & try to lose some more weight, & that may take care of it. :) PRAISE THE LORD!
5/30 jane passed away in the early morning hrs, with her family at her side. martin does an update in her blog, please visit & offer condolences. be at peace now, our courageous warrior in green.

PLEASE READ…

2010-03-08T20:27:00.022-06:00

First, I want to say TY to Rita (not a blogger, but a SSP friend), who occ reads my blog. She saw the post where I talked about needing leg warmers. She’s a wonderful seamstress, & made me a beautiful, very warm, reversible pr! Also, made me a lap quilt, & even a quilted table runner as a 'house warming gift' in case I end up moving. {{ }}
Over the yrs, a few of my blogging buddies, have sent much needed gifts. I have thanked ea of you in the past, but want to just say TY again, for your kind heartfelt prezzies.

Am finding it difficult to concentrate on blogging, at this time. Or even to read/comment on blogs, most of the time.

Computer problems still present, can’t afford to have this one fixed again, or purchase a new one. Not right now. My Tag Journal is currently on hold, since my PSP is down & unable to make tags at present.
Also, continue to have some health concerns.
Besides all the regular problems I have (for those not familiar, please check one of my oldest posts here, titled Disabilities).
I've not went into details re these latest problems, but will give you a little insight now. As you recall, last yr, was thought to have liver cancer, but after a biopsy, the Dr decided it was ‘probably’ liver disease. He said if I wanted to live more than 2 yrs, I’d need to lose wt, & that should help shrink the cells in liver.
Have lost 65 lbs, with still a lot to go, but liver problems have not started showing any signs of improvement. This has him baffled.
Also, my spleen remains enlarged, & he has suggested I consult a Hematologist or Oncologist this Spring or Summer. I don’t even like the sound of that!
The Lymphedema is a question for me too, they say it’s because my lymph nodes are not filtering correctly, but they refuse to tell me why. All of this worries me, since I’m a cancer survivor, cancer always looms in the back of my mind.
Plus a new health problem sufficed last week, they discovered ‘something’ behind my right eye, not sure if it’s benign or malignant. Plan is to watch it closely & see what happens over next few mos.

Just received an email from Dtr in TX, seems her HIV Positive status, has now turned to Aides, please keep her in your prayers.
She is such a sweet girl, having endured so much in her lifetime, for more on her refer to one of my oldest posts re Dtr Who Disappeared For 18 Yrs.

Then, there’s the stress going on here in the household, not knowing from one day to the next what is happening re my Son/DIL, & our living arrangements (refer to last 2 posts if you’ve missed out on that). I fear their marriage will end, Son will find an apt for us, then tell me only 1 girl can come per their pet policy! I don’t know what I’ll do then, to make that decision is beyond me, I’ve never given up a furr baby. I don’t think I can, I love them both equally & they’ve become a part of me, they’re my true best friends, & part of my family. How do you give up a ‘child’? This may not happen, & I pray it doesn’t.

I did find a really nice retirement apt bldg here, for myself & girls, that has all kinds of amenities, will accept both furrs (large deposit), & they’re gov subsidized. The only place here that is, well, there is 1 other but it's totally unacceptable.
These are 520 sq feet apts. Some designed for disabled. Kitchen appliances furnished. Laundry on premises, computers in one area, library, trips, garden club (small garden plot on roof), crafts, all kinds of stuff & things to do. There's a bank, pharmacy, gro store, & several restaurants next door.
Of course, it’s in a tall big building, up an elevator, no balconies. There are draw backs, even with the sliding scale rent (30% of income), all the bills I'd encounter, I’d not have a dime left for anything!
Phone, cable, internet, vet care except yrly shots, & lots more, would be gone!!!
My groceries would be cut in half, at least, maybe more. Yes, I get food stamps, but only $45. per mo, not a lot you can buy on that. Thank the Lord, for my Medicare, & Medicaid, that takes care of most medical & prescriptions. There'd be no one there to care for the girls, when I have to go in hosp (which I do from time to time). The only place to walk girls, would be down a hall, down the elevator, down another hall, then out to sidewalk & walk down sidewalk (as they have no yard area), 4 times a day, more if one happens to be sick. With my inability to walk well, even with a walker (severe pain, knees tend to buckle at times, & balance difficulties), or in my wheel chair, this would be hard. Trying to bend down & poop scoop would be almost impossible.
Plus, the place has a looong waiting list, approx 2-4 yrs she said! Can't be sure, they're full, turnover is slow (usually when someone passes or goes into a nursing home), & there are 22 ahead of me on waiting list. And they do credit checks (as most apt places do these days), & my credit is shot!
And the hits just keep on coming! :’(

God holds us all in His hand, He will see us thru the trials & tribulations.
Health woes, financial problems, & all the other worries of life, can be overcome.
He'll be there with us during it all!
We must just always keep faith, & ask Him to give us strength.
Things don't always turn out as we want, but He knows the future & where to guide us, if we only let Him.

So, I’ve decided to take a break from blogging, going on hiatus, & hope to return in a better state of mind, with less stress, feeling better, & a computer that’s not causing me grief.

Till then, I bid you a short farewell, be back when I can get back. You have all touched me in someway, at sometime, over the past few yrs. Keeping each of you in my thoughts, my prayers, & always in my heart, till I can come back.
Hopefully this is NOT goodbye, just a brief ‘resting period’. Plan to see you all again in a few mos, please don't forget me. { }
The girls say to tell you to "keep your paws up, woof woof".

AND THE SAGA CONTS…

2010-02-21T17:41:00.004-06:00

TY so much, to all the lovely readers & bloggers that came by, & left a comment of support on my last post. I appreciate your kind words & your prayers.
And, TY to Guido for mentioning me on the Call 4 Support blog.

If you haven’t read the previous post, please read it first…as this is an update.

Wanted to let you know where things stand, at this moment in time.
Seems we’re playing the waiting game right now.

Son let me know that she called her parents last week, to tell them of her plans. They encouraged her to wait & try marriage counseling.
I thought that was a nice thing for them to do, she listens to them a great deal.

Son told me ‘they’ had decided to try a bit longer. He always says ‘they’, never ‘she’, he always wants her shown in a good light. But I usually can read between the lines.

If she wants to really work on this, then this marriage can be helped. But, if she’s only doing this to satisfy her parents, so that in a few wks or a couple mos she can tell them she tried…then it’s only putting off the inevitable. I hate for Son’s hopes to be gotten up, to only be shot down.
But then, I realize there’s always hope.

They were high school sweethearts, she was not quite 18, & he was 18, when they married.
Much too young, neither having dated others, or had any experience in life.
I always felt there might come a day when one or the other would want to be free.
But, after all this time, I had almost decided, just maybe, they were indeed meant to be together till death do them part.
I wish they could make it work, as my Son loves her so much, & 24 yrs is a long time to just throw away. I hope, but am cautious, that it’ll work.

So, the decision is in her hands, & God’s. Just waiting till she makes it final.
He’ll end up walking away with only his clothes & car, he’s that type guy, won’t take anything with him. I hate to see him lose everything he’s worked so hard to get, now in his 40’s it’ll be hard to recover. But it can be done.
Am praying for the best outcome.

I’ll keep you all informed. TY again for being there during this time.
Please cont to keep all in your prayers.

A SAD DAY

2010-02-15T16:09:00.008-06:00

My dear friends, this is a sad post for me to make. As, I know how much my Son is hurting, & how worried I am.

Son, came to my room on Valentine’s night, & said he needed to talk with me. I knew from the sound of his voice it wasn’t good. He sit down, looking at his hands for a minute then looking up with tears in his eyes, saying “We’re getting a divorce”. (After 24 yrs together) Then looked back at his hands, trying to gain his composure. He’s not a man that likes to lose control of his emotions, he was that way even as a child.

My first thought was, wonder if my being here had anything to do with this? But, then I quickly removed that thought, as I have kept out of their way, & they seldom even see me.

I sat, in shock, not speaking, for I knew if I said anything wrong, he’d break down. Then he continued “I’ll be looking for a small apt for you & me, & your girls of course. Will start this week, hope to find something I can afford & we can move within the next couple wks”.

He went on to tell me that he might not find anything here in Liberty, MO & might have to look in KC MO, or KC KS.

I did ask him, if this was a sudden decision, & he said it’d been building for months, as they both were under so much stress, financially, & with their jobs.

I knew his heart was breaking, so I tried to keep things light. I know that this will be a big change in his life, he’s so used to being with her or the kids all the time. They do everything together, & depend on ea other for so much. Also, I’m wondering how this will effect him financially, as she makes 3 times what he does, but he’ll still be responsible for a lot of things here at home. And he has always been on her insur, so I’ll need to talk to him about taking out his own (at his job), but later.

I’m also concerned about how this will effect me! If we move outside of Liberty, I’ll lose my 5 Drs, my transp via the little disabled/senior bus,
And if we move from MO to KS, I’ll lose my medicaid, which pays the 20% Medicare doesn’t pay on my Drs visits, hosp, & pays full amt for things Medicare refuses to pay, I’ll lose my food stamps, & much more.
Yes, KS has all that, & prob more, but I'll have to fill out papers again & wait till it's approved, will lose a few mos of coverage. I’m very worried about all that.

Then, there’s the problem I’m going to have, trying to take the girls out several times a day to potty. As, I lose my balance easily even with walker, & if my knee decides to buckle down I’ll go. And the ice & snow during the winter is going to be another big obstacle for me. Monk will go on her wee wee pad in the house, but Dazz won’t!

If you have any ideals on solving the above problems I’ll be facing, please let me know.

I don’t have a church, neighbors, or friends to help. I do think it’s best I try & stay with my Son for now, as he’s going to be quiet emotionally unstable, & will need someone chatting him up & trying to get his spirits up. I lost my younger Son to suicide in 2004, I wasn’t there for him, he lived out of state. I have often wondered if I had been there, if he’d had somewhere to go after his wife & he spilt, if the outcome would’ve been different.

When it comes close to time to move, I’ll be having the ph line disconnected, & transferred. That means I’ll be going off line for several wks, possibly months. As, even when we get moved, it’ll take me quiet awhile to get things in order there, & to get my many obstacles taken care of! But, I’ll make another post before I have to disconnect. I'll cont my wkly posts until then.

Living in an apt is not easy, as you never know when you’ll have to move again. I don’t do well with changes.

Please remember this family, my Son, & myself, in your prayers. As, I will be calling on God to help get us thru this, I’ll be placing my faith in Him, that He’ll give us all strength. For I know with Him all things are possible, that he doesn't let a door close without opening a window, we just have to find it.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

2010-02-13T21:04:00.003-06:00

Wanted to stop by & wish all my dear friends a blessed & happy Valentine's on Sunday.
Also, to say TY to Linda in WA, for the cute card & booklet she sent me. Was pleased to receive a Valentine. :)

Sorry, I've not been commenting much on your blogs, but I am keeping up with you in my reader.
If you follow my Tag Blog, then you already know why I'm not getting around much.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY one more time. ;)
Hugs to all! {{{{ }}}}

SUPER BOWL TIME...

2010-02-06T21:33:00.003-06:00

Well, it's here!
That once a year time, that many of you look forward to.

Watching the game on TV, having a Super Bowl party, or attending one!

I'm not a sports fan, so it's just another day to me. LOL
I do like the commercials, but not enough to sit through an afternoon of football. ;)

I'll be watching movies, & playing with my furrs.

Enjoy the day, whatever you have planned.

BRIEF UPDATE

2010-02-01T04:58:00.006-06:00

Here we are in Feb! I hope it goes by quickly, & March brings warmer temps. ;)

Ground Hog Day tomorrow…will he or won’t he???
Tomorrow is also my Dtrs BD, when she was small, I called her my little groundhog.
Her brothers would tease her, about seeing her shadow. LOL
She’ll be 40, but due to being mentally challenged, she’ll always be a 12 yo.

Just wanted to post a brief little note, to let you know I’m still alive & kickin!
Not very high, but kickin just the same. LOL

Got a cute little handcrafted card from Nancy, so sweet of her. TY Nancy.
She asked about the Wii, well I don’t care for it.
Sad to say, after I wanted it so badly, & Son/DIL got it for my Christmas gift.
I think it would be fun for many, but I just can’t get the hang of it.
And doing it alone is not enjoyable, at least not to me.
I’ll cont to just workout to my old orig Richards Simmons “Sweating To The Oldies”.
(while 'a movein' & 'a groovin' in my power chr LOL)
I do it for 15 mins, then with my free weights for 15 mins… 3 times a week.
That’s about all I can manage, LOL.

No weight loss this past week, but haven’t been trying. Got real lax on my eating.
Will buckle back down, starting today!

Sunday was my biwkly trip to Wally World, it totally wiped me out!
I was exhausted, & went to bed for remainder of day.
You see, Saturday I tried to do my weeks worth of household chores, in one day.
That was a mistake. It took too much out of me.
Then, I went to sleep around midnight, to awaken at 3:am.
Went ahead & got ready for Wally World, & did my laundry.
Gson #1 took me, & dropped me off, I shopped & browsed, was tired & hurting so bad.
Was glad when he showed up to take me home.
Got my gro put away, then collapsed onto the bed!
Now, today I need to put up my laundry, but that’s it for the rest of the day.
Plan to take it easy & relax. :)

Did call Dr last week re when I might get an appt, but she was booked all week & this week.
Then will be out of office for 2 wks!
I'm feeling better now anyway, so hope it was a 'one time' thing.
I never want to not be able to get my breath again!

The girls are doing fine, both seem happy & playful.
Glad Monkee quickly came round to liking Dazzle.
I thought she would, as Dazz has a very enduring personality. { }

Will be Valentines Day, before we know it, any plans?

Have a good week.
Huggies…

WKLY UPDATE, A LITTLE PEEK INTO MY LIFE

2010-01-24T10:55:00.026-06:00

We’ve had some lovely weather here, the past week or so. But, it’s changing! Looks like the cold winter temps are back! Of course, I knew the nicer weather we briefly had wouldn’t last, as we still have February, & part of March to go through, before the Spring temps will be here to stay.

Do you remember the leg warmers of yesteryear? I sure wish I had a pr or two, to help keep my legs warm.
I sleep in flannel pjs & sweat suits, but during the day I change into a flannel gown, or house dress, I just prefer them. Need something to keep my legs warm. When I go out, to Dr or Wally World, I usually opt for jeans & sweater, or dressy slacks & nice blouse. But, around here, it's being comfy that counts. :)

As you can see, my ole puter is still hanging on. Not sure how long, but hoping it last for quiet awhile, to give me a chance to try & save up for another.

Terrible about the recent devastation in Haiti, hoping you all were able to donate, at least a little, to help out our neighbors.
Saw where Leonardo Davinci gave a million, Maddonna $250, 000, then the Prez & wife gave $15, 000 surely the Obama's could’ve given more? Lots more celebrities, business tycoons, & organizations have donated, then several events have been held to help.
America always comes to help out, makes me proud to live here.
The entire world (or most of it) has offered help, in one way or another.
The sheer magnitude of this tragedy, is almost unbelievable.
I see where the floods in CA have claimed a few lives, & left many of those people there without homes.
Please remember all those in need, all over the world, in your prayers.

Heard Angelina & Brad, finally ‘officially’ called it quits, after 5 yrs & 6 kids. (per AOL news), wonder if it's true?
We have no ideal of the ‘real story’, just hope they both remain active in the childrens lives.

I sure miss all my old time blogger buddies, sad to know so many have stopped blogging or only update every few mos.
I see a lot of them on Face Book, but it’s not the same there. I orig started visiting FB wkly to just peek in on everyone, then got caught up & found myself there 7 days a wk, 1/2 doz (or more) times a day.
Just too much for me, I wasn’t spending the time I needed to with my furrs, my household chores, etc. So, wk before last, I cut it back down to just popping in there wkly & saying hi. I also, cut my friends list there down, I managed to thin it out to only around 45 of people that comment on my wall, & that I see making status posts frequently. The others I had to weed out, what was the use of having hundreds of people that never talk to you & you don’t talk to them? I may cut it down more, will prob end up with about 20 people total.

This coming weekend (31st), will be my Sunday morn at Wally World, so hoping for a nice day, & that I feel ok.
This past Saturday, Son & Gson #1, went to Angel Foods & picked up my order. As, I just didn’t feel like tackling those stairs & the incline of the drive way.
I was quite pleased with the stuff, it’s really a good value, sometimes, other times it's not. If you don’t participate, (& there’s one in your area) I’d suggest you give them a try. At least take a look, they offer different 'menus' every mo. I've used them, off & on, for a few yrs. For more info, just type in Angel Food Ministry in your search bar, then enter your zip code. There’s no income or eligibility requirements.

I’ve only managed to lose 3 lbs this month! But, then that’s better than gaining 3 lbs! ;)
I’ll stick it out, 57 lbs since Aug, hope to be near my goal by this fall. I'm eating well, no starvation diets for me. LOL
I’m not trying for a sz 2 or even a sz 12, as I’m tall & big boned. I look really good when I weigh 150-175, about a sz 16.
But just hoping to get down close to 200. It’d be nice to fit into a sz 20 again.That’ll work! ;)

My girls are both doing well, & looking forward toward Valentine’s day. Greedy little boogers! LOL
Dazzle is so smart, it boggles my mind, & she never leaves my side. She even dragged a pillow up under the computer (on a shelf) so she can stay near when I’m here, as Monkee lays between my feet. { }
Monkee chases Dazzle out of the house at potty time, barking & biting at her. Then looks so proud, like she got rid of her. When it's time for Dazz to come in, Monk stands guard at the door & barks for her to stay out!!! So funny, at first Dazzle was afraid, but now, she just breezes right past her. ;)

I’ve been experiencing some weird health concerns the past couple wks, & not too happy with that. Actually it goes back much further than 2 wks, but this past week really gave me a scare!
If you recall, I’ve been complaining of ‘coughing spells’ for the past 1-2 yrs. I’ve mentioned it (along with my swollen ankles) to my primary care Dr, on ea visit, but she always says “it’s probably an allergy, as your lungs sound clear.” And she doesn’t comment at all on my ankles!

The coughing spells come & go, every month or 2, lasting for a week or so. It's not like the Bronchitis that I have from time to time. This time I’ve been noticing what feels like a lg mucous plug in my throat, that I have to keep swallowing to keep from choking.
Then, last week, I was sitting in the kitchenette area, cooking dinner, & all of a sudden started coughing. Couldn’t stop, then it happened… I couldn’t get a breath!
I could breath out, but not in, when I tried to breath in, it would only go to my throat & something shut it off!!! I was really scared, as I was here all alone.
Then a couple mins laters, I was able to get a small breath, & then slowly started breathing normally again.
I was really thinking that was the end! Only a few times in my life I've been that frightened.

I have often wondered, how long would I lay dead down here, before someone found me? My mail is only brought down 1-2 times a week (usually Wed or Sun, when Gsons pick up trash).

Not sure if Life Line (pendant you wear around neck) has service in my area, & couldn't afford them anyway. No neighbors, or any affiliations to check on me.
I don’t have visitors, & Meals On Wheels do come by M-F, but some of those volunteers just leave if no one answers the door. They’re supposed to notify the office, & then the office calls your emerg # (Son) to have someone check in on you.
Son, if not too busy, will drop down to chat wkly, but can’t depend on that.
I worry about my girls being left several days without food/water, or getting out.
I tried a few times to talk with Son re this, that someone needed to just peek in the door EVERY day, & make sure I’m still alive. But, he only laughs, then when I try to get serious about it, he does too, saying “we’re too busy to be checking on you that often, if you’re really concerned, then you need to go into a nrsg home.” :’(

If I could convince one of them to just open my door & ask “are you ok?” daily, it’d make me feel more at ease.
They wouldn’t have to stay & talk, would take less than 1 minute!
After all, both Gsons go by my rm several times per day, as their bdrms are on the other side of mine. But, they say they “forget”, as Son has asked them to check on me before. I guess that's teens for you. Will try & talk with Son again, & see if he'll call me dly.

I probably need to go see the Dr, but I have before to no avail. And really don’t want to get out during Feb if I can avoid it! Plus, it'll take me a week or 2 , to get an appt with her. Then, I'm sure she'll just send me somewhere else, & that'll take anywhere from a couple wks to a couple mos to get an appt. Some Drs are really hard to see. I may give her a call this week, just to see when I could get in.

My scheduling of reg Drs appts start in March, already have several lined up.
After I go to see primary care Dr, & get her to schedule a few more for me, I may then transfer over to the care of another Dr there at the Clinic.
If you remember, when I was in the hosp last fall, I told you about one of her ‘partners’ who visited me, as he was on call for her. He saw one of my feet sticking out from under the covers & asked “do your ankles & feet always look like that?”. When I replied they did, he said I had Lymphedema, & needed to go to a specialized clinic where they treat it with massages & wraps, as my lymph nodes where not filtering properly.
I was impressed, as I’d tried for a long time to get primary Dr to diagnose it, but she just shrugged it off. So, if he’s taking new pts, I may transfer over to him after I see her, & get a few other appts scheduled.

Oh, I was able to get my stockings for the Lymphedema. One of the online places that declined my card, took it when I tried a few days later.

I had a day of beauty yesterday, taking time & effort to give myself a manicure, pedicure, & facial. Seems I don’t pay as much attention to myself anymore as I should.
Even if you’re not getting out & about, you should still take time to put a little pride in your appearance, even if only for yourself. Especially for yourself, we’re worth it!

Son has a BD this Wednesday, nothing planned, just working he said. Then their Anniversary is on the 31st.
DIL is back at work now, but on crutches. Son says she goes to PT twice wkly, & is not doing well with her progress. Conts to be in a lot of pain.

Guess that’s it for now, hope your week is warm, wherever you are. Still think we should sign a petition for Spring to come early, what ya think? ;)
See y'all first week of Feb.
Huggies...

JAN POST FROM THE GIRLS

2010-01-19T06:46:00.008-06:00

Hi guys! Just popping in for a brief entry.
Wanted to give my girls a chance to do their Jan post.
But, who gets to do the keyboard & who helps me to supervise?
Hmmm… well, Dazz has not had a chance to type before, so I’ll let her at it.
Monk is good at supervising, anyway! ;)
Here they are, my girls & your furr buddies:

hi everb odu my namme is dassel & thes is my fust timw tri n to spellllll.
”Ok, enough is enough, & this is too much! Dazz get your big fat butterball paws off the keyboard, & let someone with dainty little paws (like mine) & a knowledge of how to spell, over there. NOW DAZZ… GRRR, MOVE IT OR LOSE IT!”
Ahem, howdy furr friends & furr lovers!
From the Sweet Spot, it’s me... Miss Monkee.
Oh, yeah, also Dazzle.
Sorry for the rough start, but it wasn't my fault.
Nope, not me, no way, ahem. I won't mention who was at fault, "what's that Mama?". Oh, ok, she says to forget about it, & just continue typing (I'd like to forget about IT).

Trust everyone is having a nice week, this month has been rough here weather-wise, but much better this past week! Woo Hoo! Woof Woof!
The snow & ice are finally melting away, & the temps have been lovely (well, for January).

Guess you all know we have a new member to our family. Dazzle, joined us back it Dec, Mama made a big production of it.
Personally, I don’t see anything too special. She does have big feet, big ears, & big teeth, but that’s all I see she is, really.
Her legs are stout but very short, looks funny to me. I’m the same height as her & the same weight, but she’s twice as long as I am, & my what a long nose she has! She sticks it in all my secret spots! Grrr
At first, I didn’t like her very much, all she wanted to do was play.
But, she has calmed down somewhat, & I like her much better now. I even consent to playing with her a couple of times a day. But, it must be only when I’m ready, & on my terms! After all, I’m older & I’m the co-boss here (along with Mama being head boss).

Wishing for it to hurry & get Spring, so we can maybe go a few places, if J. will drive us. That’ll be nice.
Also, Mama said we need to visit the Vet, so Dazz can get micro chipped & a quick once over.
As, we’re both not really due for shots, etc till late summer or fall.
Also, gotta go to Pet Smart, & get new ID tags for both of us, & hope we get to go to the park, & the fast food drive thru, a few times this spring & summer. ;) Ruff!

Won’t be long till Valentine’s Day, we have a big gift on the table waiting for us, & I just know Mama will make some delicious cupcakes for that day! After all, I’M, ok ok Mama, WE'RE (is that better?) her valentines!
Do you plan anything special on Sweethearts Day?
Have a special dinner or outing planned for your honey & you, something for your furr too, I should hope?

We better go, as it’s still early here, & Mama says she wants to stretch back out for a little while, think I might join her,
Dazz what about you? She says it sounds good! Bow Wow!

See ya next time, till then remember to always keep them paws up y’all! WOOF!

THIS, THAT, & MORE

2010-01-11T14:39:00.015-06:00

Finally out of the single digits & sub zero temps, at least for awhile. Actually in the 20’s & 30’s this week!
WOO HOO, get out the suntan lotion, shorts, & tank tops! And, where are my flip flops? ;) Seriously, welcome higher temps, never thought I’d be so happy to see 20’s or 30’s. LOL

Last week, it was so bad, that Meals On Wheels, only delivered lunch 1 day. Wasn’t safe for them to be out.
Then the one day they came, they couldn’t hike down the sharp incline to my door. Always smart to keep some sandwich stuff, can items (ie soup, chili, tuna, etc), & a few froz dinners on hand for these times.

My PC is about ready to bite the dust. So, anytime you don’t see me on here for awhile, you’ll know I’m attending it’s funeral. :'(
It's running very slow, freezing at times, hard to download anything. Lots of boo boos. Norton doesn’t show any ‘bad stuff’ (virus, spyware, etc).
Of course, last year, about this time when it was repaired, it was never fixed right. So, guess I’m lucky it lasted this long.
Need to start trying to save for a new one, or maybe I could put one on layaway. Wonder if you can put electronics on layaway at Walmart?
Hope my external hard drive doesn’t quit on me, as I have all my PSP stuff, for making tags, on it.
My old one died on me, yr before last, at same time that computer went out.

Haven’t posted any new tags on my Tag Blog this year.
Just haven’t been in the mood, & you really need to be, to do ‘good’ work, other wise it’s only so so.
Have just been posting a few of my 2007-2009 tags wkly, over there. Maybe I’ll be inspired soon, & make something new. :)

I need to save stuff on a disc, but I don’t have any ideal how to do it. Can you save (copies) to a disc, & it remains here too? Or is it actually moved to the disc? Not even sure this computer will let me.
When the guy repaired it, he didn’t have the orig disc to put all that should be on it.
Much of the things I need are not here (like reset to earlier date, ability to download anything unless it is an attached file, & more).

My furrs are doing fine, they are so cute, & bring me a lot of joy.
I may let them make the next update, as it’s time for their Jan post anyway. ;)

Want to see if you have the answer to this.
I have difficulty ordering online at some stores. I can go to a place, place the order, put in my card number, then it says ‘card denied’!
Go to another place, order, & it goes through fine.
Why do some places take it, while others don’t? They all say they take Visa, MC, etc.
Any ideals? I type the # in correctly, & the security code, I double & triple check ALL the info, & it's correct.
Just can’t understand why, it works with some, & not all. I'll try again in a few days & see what happens. Big GRRR!

I desperately need to order a pr of anti-embolism stockings, to help with the Lymphedema in my lower legs & ankles, but can’t find the kind I need in the stores.
Some places online carry them, only a few places carry my size, & type I need. But, the few places I find that have them, it keeps saying my card is denied. GRRR
Since I can’t find them in the stores, was so glad when I found them online. Now, only to find out I can’t get them!
This has happened to me before on some things, like a Pet Med Store that I had tried to use, but went to another one & it went through with no problem.

Have been itching like crazy, on my chest, & mid back, for the past week.
Also have a notable rash on my chest. It’s like when you’re allergic to something.
But, I’ve not ate, or used anything new, so not sure what’s going on.
I use a lotion on my skin couple times a week, but it's the same one I've always used.
In the past, I’ve did this same exact thing, when I had taken a medicine I was allergic to.
But, nothing new lately!

Lost 2 more lbs (total 56 since Aug)! Long way to go.
Was at a standstill during all the holidays, but seem to be back on track now.

Well, enough of my boring life! Nothing interesting happening here.
But then, I guess no 'big news' is 'good news'. :)

See ya next time, stay warm & stay safe.
Huggies…

BRRR, A FEW EARLY MORN PICS

2010-01-07T08:40:00.013-06:00

Baby, it's cold outside! Depending on which weather man you listen to, anywhere from 0-7 right now, wind 20-30 mph, tomorrow they're calling for a HIGH OF 0!
Stopped snowing during night. Everywhere is white.
They can't treat the roads with salt in this temp, so all they can do is plow, but with these winds, just blows it back on... very dangerous to be out.
Tried to get Son to call in, but he said he can't. Needless to say schools are out, many businesses closed, etc.
Several have died, here & other places, during this 'deep freeze', also lots of other disasters from it.
Heard 1 man died from a heart attack trying to shovel his sidewalk. Another either had car trouble or slid off road or something, anyway he got out of his car... a car was coming toward him, so he jumped out of the way. Not realizing he was on a bridge, & jumped off to his death!
A Pet Smart Store had it's roof cave in, due to build up of snow on it.
One neighboring town has started fines for homeowners, who don't get out & shovel their sidewalks, ea time snow cover it. ($75. a pop)
Lots going on!
If our elect stays on & the water pipes don't burst I'll be ok.
Only family out & about is Son (who says he can't miss work), & my Gdtr (who's at her dorm), hope she stays in.

Views this morning, looking out my patio door...

#1 Looking towards the left. you can see street going down my hill, & cross street at bottom. Where I live (in basement apt is 3/4 way up hill), family is at top of hill on main level. Their deck is above me, you can see bottom of it & their stairs.

#2 Looking to the right.

#3 Dazzle, enjoys her morning potty break. This area has a 'roof' (top deck) over it, so snow isn't nearly as deep.
"Woo Hoo, Woof Woof, where's a rabbit for me to chase? I love it! Can I stay out here all day, please please, can I, huh?"

#4 Monkee barks "Well, don't look at me, sweater or no sweater, I'm not crazy. I'm staying right here in Mama's warm bed, so back off Jack!"

ARTIC BLAST COMING?

2010-01-05T06:48:00.019-06:00

What? I thought we’d been having a blast of Artic air since Christmas, shows how much I know. LOL

I haven’t seen the ground since Christmas eve, hehehe.
Even when someone shovels or the cars/crews travel over the roads & it gets slushy, another snow falls & covers it all back up. BRRR
Our temps haven’t been high enough to melt anything.
All I hear is bitter cold, bone chilling, frigid temps, etc.

Now they say Wed – Fri will have winds in access of 30 mi per hr, with temps below 0, making wind chills WAY below zero.

School was to start back today, but has been canceled.
Good, would hate to think of kids standing at bus stops in this weather.
Older 2 Gkids colleges, aren't due to start back till next week, anyway.

Since we live on an extremely steep hill, I worry for Son trying to get down it & back up, for back & forth to work.
He hates to call in & seldom does.
They do sand our hill since it’s known as one of the steepest in our little town, but it doesn’t help a lot.

When we went to Wally World Sunday morn (didn’t want to, but had to), we got down the hill ok (Son is a very good driver), but coming back up…we had big problems.
Had to try all 4 of the streets leading up, could only make it about 1/2 way, then had to reverse back down. Barely made it up on the last street. GRRR

DIL is supposed to go for a checkup today, re her recent (before Thanksgiving) foot surgery, but suspect that'll be rescheduled.
She still isn't able to put ANY weight on foot, using crutches or wheel chair.
She's fallen twice, once in her bathrm, & also in her bedrm.
Son says she's not handling it well, & having a lot of problems with the foot. He didn't go into details.
She's still working from home, but concerned about her job future, as 2 more people have been laid off, since she was last there in mid Nov. She's afraid when she does go back, they'll lay her off too.
Please keep her in your prayers.

Needless to say, in this weather, Meals On Wheels doesn’t run. Not safe for them to be out on the streets, sliding around.
Plus many of the volunteers are older & trying to walk in the snow & ice can be quite tricky!
So, on these days, I heat up some soup, chili, make a sand, or have a frozen dinner (heated up preferably, lol).

I hate to see the elect & water bills!
As, I’ve been letting my water faucets dribble, & having my elect heater on 24 hrs a day.
Usually I only use the heater 2 hrs in am & in pm, but not now!
Of course elec blankey stays on high ;).

Gave Son some extra $ for Nov, Dec, Jan, & Feb, to cover extra in my elect.
But, now will need to give him more, to cover the added elect & water for this mo, & possibly next mo too! BRRR
He doesn’t ask, but I feel giving them a monthly ‘rent’ stipend, & then a little for utilites is fair. And when excess is used (during winter mos), I try to kick in more.

So proud to have a safe, warm place to stay. It may not be the 'warmest', but sure beats the alternative!
Think of all those that don’t! God bless ea one!
Remember them, & the homeless pets, in your prayers.

No more 'blog drama', at least for now. Do know I hate reading about drama, figure you do too.
Did post a comment, in the comment section of last post, to let all know it was finished as far as I was concerned.

What a start for 2010! It just has to get better. { }
Wishing you warmth & hoping you stay safe.
Huggies…

GIVING AWARDS & A PUBLIC APOLOGY…

2010-01-03T06:26:00.013-06:00

Guess you noticed, I changed my header & colors for winter. ;)

Jeannette passed this award to me awhile back. I told her when the holidays were over, I’d try to make a post & do my part in passing it on.

Seems many of my old buddies are not posting anymore. When I went to check out my Reader, to find 5 bloggers, I found many that had not updated in over 2-3 mos. So, regretfully, I went ahead & stopped following those blogs, assuming they had stopped blogging, as their blogs stand dormant. :(

I’m left with only about 35 blogs to follow, very different than like it used to be.

So, instead of picking out 5 blogs to give this award to, as was the rule… I’m giving it to anyone who wants it, & is still regularly (at least wkly) blogging.

Here’s the award, snag it if you want it:

TY to Jeanette for giving it to me, have placed it on my side bar, with other awards I’ve been given by fellow bloggers.
Some of the awards are from J-Land, others I’ve been given since my arrival here in Bloggerville.
I added borders to many of them, & animated a few. I appreciate ea one, TY to those that gave them to me. { }

Here is also an award, that I want all the animal lovers to have, this one is for those of you that are exceptionally kind to animals (I made this award), snag if you want:

At this time, I want to apologize to a blogger (& any of her readers), I might have unintentionally upset, due to a comment I made. I'd never hurt or be rude to anyone on purpose. Believing strongly in the 'golden rule', & 'karma'.
I asked a couple of questions, & either I asked them wrong or she totally took them the wrong way (maybe both). :’(
I'm much too straight forward, & talk to people as if I've known them my entire life.
I should know you can't always do that. My Son is always telling me that!
Things often come across different, than what we meant for them to.
This has happened to me a couple of times in the past (at J-Land).
But there, those bloggers were insightful enough to realize that what I said, was different than how I meant it, & how they took it.
They emailed & asked me what I meant, & things were explained better.
This time however, I received a 'hand with the middle finger sticking up' with the words, “I hope you’re happy now”. I was shocked, I emailed her 3 times, apologizing & trying to explain, but she refused to accept my olive branch.
So, that friendship is over, but I wish her only good things.
Just a reminder to all my readers, it is hard to distinguish what a person means sometimes, from their comments or emails, without being able to see their gestures & facial expressions.
Give them a chance to explain!

Need to get ready to do my laundry, & head out early to Wally World. BRRR not looking forward to getting out in this weather, but when ya gotta, ya gotta. ;)

Also, you may notice, I’ve put comment moderation & verification on all my blogs, due to the increase in spam of late.
I noticed the same thing has happened to Guido with the same screenname sending the spam. I apologize for this little inconvenience.

Have a blessed day, & a good week.

(I will not mention the blog or person by name, that I referred to above, or go into details, as I don't feel that'd be appropriate.)

WHAT HAPPENED AT CHRISTMAS, UPCOMING NEW YEAR, & MUCH MORE…

2009-12-29T21:00:00.032-06:00

TY to Kath for the sweet card, the present you sent, still hasn’t arrived.
But, it was so nice of you to think of me at this time of year. {{{ }}}

Friends, & Readers… have your balls frozen off yet? (the pool table, of course. what were you thinking)
I asked that on FB, & Donna (Mosie), said hers must’ve, cause she couldn't find them! LOL
I told her mine were gone too, I’d look for them, but might freeze off something else in the snow drifts & ice.
BRRR! LOL!

Having some bad weather this week, & more snow & ice coming, tho it's still everywhere from last time.
BRRR it’s bitterly cold!!! Ranging from low 20's down to -0.
I’m so worried about pipes freezing, & bursting again this yr, it was a nightmare last yr! And the weather is worse this time around. :(

Hoping you all had a lovely Christmas, & plan to get the New Year off to a bright start!

My Christmas, was a bit unusual.
As during the night on Christmas eve, our power went out, & stayed out till Christmas night.
This meant we awakened to a freezing house, no heat, & no way to cook the Christmas dinner!
The temps were done in the teens, & snow & ice were all you could see when looking outside. BRRR!!!

But, we still gathered upstairs all bundled up, & opened our gifts.
I think everyone liked their gifts, except poor Grandson #1, as he was wanting an Xbox 360, his had broken during the summer.
But, Son had told him, if he hadn’t gotten a job by Christmas, there’d be no Xbox from Santa.
So, he was hoping, but it didn’t come. He was a bit sad, you could tell, altho, he didn’t say much.
Son made the statement. “I told you, you had to have a job.” To which he replied “I’ve been trying, I put in applications all around. You got (Grandson #2), all kinds of stuff, & all I got was clothes.”
Son replied, “He’s not 16 yet, you’re 18!”
Then DIL piped up, “Please, don’t, not today." I quietly said, "It’s Christmas.”
So, all was smooth from then on.

I feel for Gson #1, he’s the kind hearted one, that always helps me, visits me, & plays with my furrs.
I was afraid he’d have trouble finding work, DIL signed him up with an agency that helps physically/mentally challenged people to get jobs, a few mos ago.
They work with him 1 hr wkly, teaching him what to do, proper way to act, how to fill out applications, etc.
But, no luck so far.
Son says, he’s not doing very well at his 1st yr of college either. Poor kid.

DIL had fixed everyone a stocking, as she does every year.
Mine contained a magazine, some sugar free candies, a diet soda, & several small doggie items. ;)
Son & DIL got me the Wii I was wanting, it came with the ‘sports active’ game.
I think the boxing & tennis ones (there’s 3 more also) will be good for me. If I can learn how to use them. LOL
Gkids gave me the ‘personal trainer active’, & the ‘just dance’ games!!!
I can do some of those too, & make up a little exercise regime for myself.
Plan to do it for 30 mins, 3 mornings wkly. I'll have to do most from my power chair.

We had cold ham sands for our Christmas dinner, as that was about all of the orig Christmas food we could eat, without warming it up.
I stayed up there with them about 4 hrs, then went back down to be with my little furrs, & let them open their gifts. LOL
Each got a rawhide bone, t-shirt, & new sweater. Plus what was in stockings.

Christmas night, once elect came on… they warmed the food up (Gdtr & Gsons did, as DIL still unable to walk from her foot surgery in Nov).
Gdtr brought a plate to my room, with extra ham for the furrs to enjoy.
Then later, Gson #2 brought me some dessert.

On New Years eve, I’ll cuddle up with the furrs & watch the countdown on TV, fireworks will go off around us, but it will be too cold to venture out on my little deck & check them out.

On New Years day, I’ll have a sml bowl of my traditional black eyed peas, with a little 'fat back' in them, & a sml hunk of old fashioned cornbread on the side. (orig I'm from TX remember)
Crumbling a bit of it up into the peas, yum.
Usually have a side of collards, but don't have any this year.
I won’t bother with the 'penny in the peas' superstition, as it’ll only be me, & that’s for when there’s several people eating.

I didn't lose any weight during the holidays, but didn’t expect to.
Just happy I didn’t gain. I wasn’t really bad, but did eat a few things I shouldn’t have.
I’ve always said, I’m going to lose this weight, but sensibly.
Allowing myself to eat fairly normal, just healthier, & watching my portion control.
I don’t plan on depriving myself or starving myself! After all, we all know I love my food! ;) When I have a craving for something, I’ll try to find a healthy version of it, if not, I’ll still allow myself a few bites.
I have tried the ‘doing without’ in the past, & it just didn’t work for me.
I post every eve on FB what I’m having for dinner, so those of you on it, can follow me there.
As for breakfast & lunch, I’ve mentioned before... I seldom eat brkfst, just don’t care for it & usually don't get hungry till around 11:a.
My lunches are delivered M-F by Meals On Wheels, & I have whatever they bring (it’s a sml lunch).
I allow myself a couple of snacks a day: fruit, lowfat yogurt, a few crackers with lowfat peanut butter, or something similar.
Then on wkends I have a Healthy Choice for lunch.
My ‘ticker’ is on the side bar, updated every wkend with my wt loss for that week.
Up till now I’ve not gotten any exercise, due to my physical disabilities, but will try to do some from the Wii.
I wish the couple of meds I take that cause weight gain could be changed, but can’t.
I’ll make it, just taking some time, but quite proud of my loss so far (54 lbs), & looking for a great 2010! WOO HOO!

Quite disappointed that Social Security won’t be going up a few dollars, as it usually does on the first of the yr.
That makes it hard for those of us with no other type income, & dependent just on SS.
But at least, my many meds are all paid for ea month (I take a total of 12 RX’s monthly, a few being over $100. & 1 being over $200.), with only a copay of $.50 - $2.00 ea. thanks to my Medigap Insur.

Wanted to also mention, that Dazzle is so funny in the snow.
She reminds me of a bunny out there.
She’ll run as fast as she can, back & forth, around & around, then start hopping, I swear, hopping. She hops into the snow drifts, then hops/pops back out!
At first when I looked away, & looked back, I thought she’d gotten out somehow… then I saw 3 black things sticking out of a drift. Up she hopped, blowing ice crystals from her nostrils, it was her tail & ears I’d seen! ROFLOL!
I think she’d stay out till she was frozen if you let her, but I only let her go out for a few mins at a time.
Monkee, usually refuses to go, but stands by patio door looking out. A couple times she went out, but ran back in. :)
I keep a towel by the door, so I can dry them off as they come in.

My girls are characters, but I wouldn’t have them any other way.
Dazz, has taken to her new home well. She seems to love us, & love it here.
I can't believe how well she minds, & does her obedience commands.
She stays right with me, by my side, as I maneuver around, or laying on my feet when I'm at the pc. When I'm in bed, she likes to climb up on my legs & curl up.
She reminds me a lot of my beloved Sweet Pee.
Monk is slowly warming up to Dazzle. :)

Please keep the homeless people, families, & also the pets, in your thoughts & prayers.
Esp at this time of year, when the weather is bad in most places.
If at all possible, contact a shelter, soup kitchen, etc, & donate food, or give some time & volunteer at one. Blankets, coats, hats, gloves, & boots are always good items to donate.
Don't forget the pets, either. Some dogfood/catfood given to your local animal shelter, would be appreciated.
PS…there’s a button on my side bar, it stays there, that you can click on dly & help to feed hungry animals. It’s free to you! I try to remember to click it every day.

If you have no time & many don't, then please think about donating some money (even if it’s only a few dollars) to these places, they ALL need some help! You'd be surprised how far $10. or $20. will go there! Even $5. will help out. { }
Always remember, there but for the grace of God, goes you & I.

Need to remind you, that our Pet Memorial Blog is still there, for anyone needing it.
There were several beloved pets photos, & tributes placed there during 2009. Hope you go by & pay your respects.
I always have that link on my side bar.
If you find a blogger, who's lost a furry family member, please let them know of our Memorial.

HAVE A GRAND 2010! Wishing you & your home, love & happiness, above all else!
And please say a prayer, for our many service people, away from their homes this New Year, may they come home safely, & soon.

I leave you with 'Sugar's Words' for e v e r y year:
KEEP HOPE, ALWAYS BELIEVE, & HAVE FAITH.

Hoping the NY brings PEACE!!!!

If you need a New Yr tag for your post, be sure to check my Tag Blog, link on side bar.

MERRY CHRISTMAS POST

2009-12-24T12:56:00.009-06:00

I wish you love this Christmas Day
To all of my friends so far away.

I'll think of you and wish you well
And hope you'll hear the Christmas bells.

Be safe my friends and share your love
And praise our God from up above.

Be thankful for the things you've got
Just life itself is quite a lot.

I've loved you all throughout this year
As Christmas time will soon be here.

I only ask one wish from you;
Please tell someone you love them too.

MERRY CHRISTMAS to one & all!

Update: Post just ran, got an adorable card from Aileen, & a Christmas letter from Janis. TY both, so very much. Also, an Ecard from Julie. TY!

THE NAME IS IN!

2009-12-22T11:24:00.012-06:00

TY to Nelishia, & Joann, for the cute Christmas cards. { }

Also, TY to AJ (Arlene), for the beautiful card, & the fantastic Christmas pin (brooch). Says she's not on computer right now, due to having eye surgery. A prayer, that all is well, & she'll be back with us soon.

Most of you left comments, on last post, & did as I requested (voting on a name).
TY so much, I sent you a 'personalized big tag' via email to say TY.

If you voted for 1 name, & didn't get your tag, (not the siggie from a previous 'guessing' post) let me know. As I'm afraid I missed sending to a couple of you, but can't recall which two. Grrr Also, remember to remind me if you use animated or not, & what name you prefer on tags. Sorry, but most of you know how bad my memory is, a side effect of a couple of my meds, they tell me.

The tag was of Santa with kids, pups & a kitty, by tree, in frt of fireplace.

The name is : DAZZLE!

HERE’S WHAT’S NEW AT MY HOUSE…

2009-12-19T15:39:00.019-06:00

Received lovely Christmas cards from Robyn, Antonella, Linda in WA, Guido, & Linda Pooh.TY dear ones.

And an Ecard from Frances. { }
Want to let all know, that I sent an Ecard to everyone that sent me a snail mail card or ecard (if I had your email addy), as I can’t afford to mail out cards. But, only got confirmation that 2 went out??? So, hope you all got one, if not, I apologize, I did send them.

And a BIG TY to Linda in WA for the gift pkg she sent. It had little decorations for my table top tree, a book, a pk of yummy sugar free candy, a pocket calendar, some winter post its & a note pad! YAY! TY bunches Linda!

I had planned on posting this on Monday… but already saw that someone else had posted the announcement after receiving their siggy for having a correct guess. LOL

Last Thurs, I left a post asking you to guess what was new at my house. Did you guess? Did you get it right? Most of you guys are too smart for me! LOL
Those who got it right (remember you had to be specific & make only 1 guess), received a Christmas siggy in your email this wkend, if I had your addy. Remember I don’t save addies, so you have to yours on your profile, or left it in comment, or emailed it to me. You should have received your siggy over the wkend, it’s animated… so if you can’t use animation, email & let me know, I'll make you a different one without. But one I sent is to be used ONLY if animated please.
I may have mixed up addies on a couple. If I sent you the wrong one, or you didn't get your siggy, please email & let me know... be sure you include name you want on it too.

PLEASE NOTE… Egtara, Jeannette L, Antonella, & Astaryth you had the correct answer, but I don’t have your email addies. If you want your siggy, please email me & let me know! (remember I make Hannukah siggies too, if you specify... and tell me if you’d prefer an unanimated siggy). I did make contact with Antonella, but she was going out of town for Christmas.

What is new, & just in time for Christmas? It’s a new furr baby (doggie)!!!!

Yep, we have a new addition to our little family. The lady who had her, had recently gotten her from a shelter, to find her Gson is allergic. Also, she had to leave her in her kennel for 8 hrs a day, & didn’t feel that was appropriate for one with such a high energy level. So, she was hoping to find her a good home, or back to the shelter she’d have to go, & it was a kill shelter.
So, even tho I’d planned to wait till Spring or Summer… I felt this was one I had to save!

She delivered her from W. KC. Little one came with her kennel, blanket, sweater, collar & leash, a huge bag of toys (which I placed in closet leaving only a couple of hers & couple of Monk’s out), chew bones, big bag of treats, & a large tub of puppy chow! Has been spayed, had her shots, Frontline applied 1st of ea mo, & was vet checked just 4 mos ago!!! I will be taking her to my Vet for a checkup after New Years.

She’s a Wire Haired Terrier mix (so her vet papers say, but she looks more like a West Highland mix, or perhaps a ScottishTerrier mix to me), I’ll ask my Vet. Gdtr & Gson #1, say they think Wire Haired Terrier as her hr is rather wiry. She’s 1 1/2 yo, same weight & height as Monkee, only she’s longer with a larger head, actually it’s very slender but with her large erect ears & bushy chops/beard it looks big, she also tend to have big feet & teeth for her small stature. Mostly black, but does have a scattering of wht/tan hair on inside of legs, a few on outer legs, under tail, under chin, eyebrows, & a few on her chops (sideburns). Makes her look like an older dog at first glance. LOL

Such a playful & loving little doll. She wants to only play & love on you!!! Still has a LOT of puppy in her, is housebroken (as long as you take her out every few hrs & at bedtime, as she doesn’t ask), knows commands come, sit, down, heel, no, & does them well if you have a firm voice when giving the command. She sleeps in her kennel during night, which I have positioned where she can see our bed. Just call her name & point in her kennel, & in she goes for the night. Very smart, minds well, loves to hop in my lap & ride in my power chr! Likes all other cats, dogs, & people. Rides in a car or on a Harley (LOL I can see us on one). A wonderful addition to ANY family!

She came thru the door & jumped into my arms & heart, then tried to jump into Monkee’s paws & heart, but Monk growled a soft “back off me kiddo” at her.

They are both jealous of me, Monk gets mad & storms off… and the new kid wants all the attention & runs in between Monkee & me, ea time I try to talk or love on Monk. The green eyed monster is alive at my house!!!!

Now, to Monkee & her.
Hmmm, Monk was just getting used to be an only child & starting to warm up to it. Then in comes this youngster that is jumping all over her & me… stealing her toys & her spot on the bed (but willing to share her stuff). Monk has always been the baby, with Angel & Sweets much older & more docile, then comes along a wild child, a little sister who has taken over the place!
I think Monkee was expecting a quieter older big Sis. So, Monk is experiencing ‘only child syndrome’, she has taken to the big chair in the corner & stays there glaring at us. Watching, as toys are flying everywhere, as the new baby loves shaking them & throwing them across the room & likes to play fetch… racing to retrieve toy & bring back.
Monk’s not eating well, & just being miserable, plus she hurt her back leg & is limping a little.

She wants to get along with Miss Monk, taking toys to her & laying them in front of Monk, offering them to her. But Monkee just stares at her, she’ll then push the toy up to Monk, using her nose. Monkee will growl at her… & poor baby will quietly back away.

Since, our new family member sleeps in her own bed at night, Monkee looks forward to nights, then she comes & joins me in bed & gives dirty looks toward the little kennel. I hope this passes, as this little girl will make a perfect partner for us both.

The only down sides are: 1. Monk not adjusting, but hopefully will soon. 2. Suspect she’ll whine, scratch at door & floor when left alone, & may chew on furniture, house shoes, etc (still a yr of pup left in her)… will have to resort to her kennel when going to store or Dr. 3. She may bark when I’m gone, hope not, as Son & DIL won’t like that! 4. She likes to ‘mouth’ you when playing, as pups do to ea other, so I plan to get her out of that asap. 5. Gsons will not like having to start picking up yd wkly again, & when I go to hosp they will have to let her in & out several times a day (or else) & will have to feed dly & stay while they eat (she gobbles it all up)… as Monkee uses a wee pad & you could put food down in advance as she only nibbled off & on.

I’m hoping you will accept her into your blogs & hearts, as you did my other dear furr babies. Everyone please leave a comment, & welcome DAIZY (short for Daisy Duke), this is name she came with, am thinking of changing it to DAZZLE (as she has a dazzling personality), Daizy just doesn't seem to fit a black dog. What do you think DAIZY, or DAZZLE?…

TAKE A GUESS!

2009-12-17T05:50:00.014-06:00

Guess what’s new at my house… can you guess?

Please take a try, only one guess per friend.

Can YOU get it right? ;)

Will post answer Mon, so be sure to check back for a surprise.

(those of you that leave a comment with the right answer (must be specific), i'll send a special Christmas (or Hannukah if you prefer) siggy (if i have your email addy. not like the one i have above, as someone else made that for me.)

MONKEE’S POST FOR DEC.

2009-12-14T15:10:00.007-06:00

Hey, furrs & furr lovers… it’s me, Miss Monk. Here to bark at you for a few mins. Ok?

First want to woof a TY to Miss Lisa in CA, she sent Mama & me the cutest Christmas card. It has a great looking fat cat on the front, all wrapped up in lights. hehehe, Just like a cat to do something like that… you’d not see a dog tangled up in lights. (no offense kitty friends) ;)

Mama said to also ruff a TY to Cindy for the adorable glittery Christmas card she sent her. So, ruff TY, to Cindy from my Mama.

Want to wish ALL my furr loving friends a very Merry Christmas. And please treat your furr with a special treat this Christmas, watch the human food as some is bad for our digestion system & some down right poisonous to us. Don’t forget to have a wrapped gift under the tree for him/her too!!! If you don’t have a special furr, then you can just send it to me! LOL (oh, Mama said not to bark that at you, sorry, grrr) Have a jolly Christmas to my furr friends too, ruff ruff!

I had a lovely birthday, got to do all the things Mama had planned for me (see previous BD post). I love the big teddy that I got, however Mama only lets me have it for a few mins, a couple times a day. Something strangely compelling about it, makes me want to ‘ride’ it continuously. I just can’t stop, my tongue hangs out & I get so tired. Hmmm? Good thing I’ve been ‘fixed’ since I was 6 mos old, or Mama would get bad ideals about me. LOL Actually Mama says when a female dog or neutered male attempts 'riding', it has nothing to do with sexual behavior, but is their way of trying to show their alpha (dominant) side. So, guess I just want to be the boss!

Weather is sooo cold out, glad I only have to look out the patio door, then go to my wee wee pad & potty. ;) But, if you take your baby out to potty or for a walk… please remember to put a sweater on short haired pets. And if the roads where you live are treated for snow/ice, then wash their paws when you come back in. The salt/chemicals can really hurt their paws!

Some of you have outside pets. If so, provide a well built shelter for them, with good warm bedding inside it. Be sure door way is turned where the winds can’t blow inside, & provide plastic bowls (not metal, as their tongues will stick) for them to eat/drink out of. Provide fresh water a couple times a day, if frozen. Where possible, bring them in (house or garage) at night.
Always bang on your car hood before starting the car every morning, as cats & other small animals, climb up in their seeking warmth from the motor & fall asleep.
Keep any antifreeze drippings cleaned up. Very poisonous & has a sweet delicious taste to many.
If you have more tips, please pass them on in comments for others to see. :)

Thought you might want to know, I’m finally doing much better with my depression, having lost Angel & Sweet Pee this past Summer. Trying hard to adjust to just Mama & me. I’m being more attentive to her. I let her brush me now, & even pet me ‘most of the time’. Have started curling up or stretching out next to her, instead of on foot of bed or the big chair. Also, trying to mind a little better, but it’s still hard for me… after all my Dad was a Pug, & we all know Pugs are known for being independent, stubborn, hardheaded, & set in their own ways. Woof! But, some of my Mom, a Pomeranian, is finally creeping thru.
I’d love a little furr companion for Christmas (are you listening Santa?), & have been told we might adopt one this next summer. ‘Might’ being the key word here! Have to wait & see on that one, time has to be right for both of us. Mama said possibly earlier, if the right opportunity presents itself. { }

Better go for now, my paws are getting tired. But, do have a “Dog-Gone Purrfect” Christmas.
Keep your paws up… WOOF WOOF!

Below are my fav cookies, Mama always makes a batch for Christmas (& I help), try baking a bunch for your doggie, or give to a friend who has dogs for a gift! :)

Peanut Butter & Oats Glazed Goodies
1 cup water
1 cup quick-cooking oats
1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter
1/2 cup cornmeal
1 tbsp. sugar
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup milk
1/3 cup peanut butter
3 cups whole wheat flour
Boil water in a saucepan. Add oats and butter. Let oats soak for ten minutes. Stir in the cornmeal, sugar, salt, milk, peanut butter, and egg. Mix thoroughly. Add the flour, one cup at a time (you may not need the entire amount) until a stiff dough forms. Knead dough on floured surface until smooth, about 3 minutes. Roll to 1/2" thickness. Place on a greased cookie sheet.
Glaze:
1 large egg
2 tbsp. milk
Mix well. Brush glaze on dough with a pastry brush. Bake in a pre-heated 325 degree oven for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown. Cool completely.

MERRY CHRISTMAS VS HAPPY HOLIDAYS…

2009-12-11T17:16:00.018-06:00

First want to say TY to Lisa in CA, & to online friend Sybil, for the lovely Christmas cards. Each one is a treasure!

Next let me say this post will come as a surprise to many of my readers, knowing that I’m a born again Christian & ordained minister (even the majority of ministers disagree with me, but then I’ve never been one to follow the pack).
Those who’ve been with me for a looong time, will expect this from me. ;)
After this post, let me know if I surprised you, & go ahead & express your opinion, or even rant if you like, in my comments, I can take it. I’m sensitive re some things, but my beliefs & my faith or not two of those things. I stand strong in these areas.

Ok, here I go… seems in the past few yrs, every yr from the day after Thanksgiving till the day after Christmas, you hear people everywhere complaining about the greeting having changed in recent yrs, from Merry Christmas to Happy Holidays. From most store ads, to greeters in stores, to strangers passing you… many have changed to the newer saying.

But, I’ve never felt mad or even sad about it, for I recognize it for what it is. A sign of the times.
Not meaning that in these times, we’ve forgotten the true meaning of Christmas, but that stores are simply trying to recognize everyone’s religious preferences, & people do not want to hurt anyone’s feelings by not including all faiths in their greetings.

True, Christians are still the major majority in our country, but we have to remember that America is made up of all kinds of people, growing larger, & more diverse all the time.

When seeing the ads, I know it’s the stores way of trying to include us all. And people want to be friendly & cheerful, but since we do not wear signs that tell of our preference, they do not know which greeting to offer.

I simply, smile when someone says “Happy Holidays”, & reply with “Have a Merry Christmas”. They usually smile back & say “Merry Christmas to you too”. Some simply smile & say nothing, I assume these are people who are not of my religious beliefs, which is ok, they have their own.

All have a right to their own, just as I have a right to mine. A freedom of choice is one of the things our men/women have fought & died for!!!

I am a Christian, & proud of it… & in being a Christian, I try to keep my heart & mind open that there are many people making up our world, & they have different beliefs, faiths, & religions.

So, I say, go ahead & wish me, whatever you want… for I know what day Christmas is, it’s the day we celebrate the birth of our Savior & Lord, who gave His all to pay for our sins.
To you I say “MERRY CHRISTMAS”! And I’ll cont to say it, till the day I go home to be with my Heavenly Father. ‘Tis the reason for the season!

To me, the wish 'Happy Holidays' refers to the season (in general) from Thanksgiving to New Years, but not the specific holiday.

Please do not use the X, many feel it takes the Christ out of Christmas!!! I see it done all the time. The X has been used for many yrs, as it seems to be of Greek origin (see below, sent by John G.), but since we're not speaking or writing the old Greek religious writings... I, like most modern Christian Americans, say we should not use it, as it's a quick abbreviation showing no respect.

Xmas has been used for hundreds of years in religious writing, where the X represents a Greek chi, the first letter of , "Christ." In this use it is parallel to other forms like Xtian, "Christian." But people unaware of the Greek origin of this X often mistakenly interpret Xmas as an informal shortening pronounced (ksms). Many therefore frown upon the term Xmas because it seems to them a commercial convenience that omits Christ from Christmas.

After saying all this, there are other instances where the gov, & other agencies, have deleted the word God from things… I do not agree with that!
I do not like that we no longer have prayers in schools, for I feel, as we respect others beliefs, they should respect ours. We should be able to mutually agree on things. Unfortunately this is not to be on most issues, with people taking sides.
Too bad we can’t work thing out where everyone can have their own beliefs included. :(

I know I sound like I’m saying one thing re Christmas, then another re other things.
I just have trouble in writing my words down & getting them across.
Even when I was behind the pulpit, my sermon always came from my heart & soul, letting the Spirit guide me. Altho I had notes, my message was not written out in advance. { }

Now go ahead & chew me out, LOL, it’s ok. ;)
Have a wonderful wkend.

NOTE FROM ME

2009-12-08T09:43:00.008-06:00

Cold & more cold! BRRR The ground is covered in white, & they say this afternoon the heavy stuff starts, & conts all night. Then blowing snow tomorrow, with winds around 25 mph. Low next couple nights is expected to be in single digits, & wind chill tomorrow below 0. Did I say BRRR? BRRRRRRR!!!! But, they keep changing the forecast, so who knows... we may miss all of it!

Was going to beauty shop & get my hair cut this afternoon, maybe a few highlights too, but I’ve cancelled that. Hoping all is ok for me to go to Wally World, Sun. As that’s my shopping day.

I went to GI Dr last week for my post gall bladder surgery follow-up, he said everything looked right on schedule. But, I won’t be “completely” healed, for up to 6 mos. Have been released from his service, & will go back to primary Dr for any further appts.

Also, those of you following my weight loss…be sure you check my “ticker” on side bar. It shows how much weight I’ve lost, & how much more I have to lose. I update it every wkend. Altho, it’s slow…it’s steady, & I’m eating healthy & never hungry. Quiet proud of the amount I’ve lost so far, hope to be at my goal by next Christmas. :)

Well, I pulled a boo boo! Had changed bed linens last night, & put on warm flannel sheets. Then after shower, slipped into my fav flannel jammies, jumped into bed & cuddled up for a good nights sleep. A couple hrs later, awakened with a dry mouth, so reached onto night stand, got my ORANGE soda to take a sip of. I was drowsy & forgot it was a full glass, spilled the entire glass onto me & bed. Jumped up & stripped the bed, & myself. Now, have to do a load of laundry to prevent the stain from sitting! GRRR

TY for your recent emails, & e-cards re my surgery.

Need to say TY to Missie, & Jeannette too, for their charming Christmas cards. Appreciate it.

Remember to check my Tag Blog, for Christmas tags, as I’m busy posting several per week over there (link is on side bar).

Have a great rest of week. Huggies…

TY FROM MISS MONK

2009-12-07T17:06:00.003-06:00

“BOW WOW, RUFF, & WOOF WOOF”

(TY from her, in doggie language. LOL)

PEARL HARBOR DAY DEC 7TH

2009-12-06T20:51:00.003-06:00

Poor is the Nation that has no heroes.

But SHAMEFUL is the Nation that has heroes,

and lets them be FORGOTTEN!

PEARL HARBOR REMEMBRANCE DAY Dec 7th, DON’T FORGET!

BIRTHDAY TIME 4 A SPECIAL LIL FURR

2009-12-04T03:22:00.008-06:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MISS MONKEE!

Today my funny little girl, turns 6! A big girl for sure, LOL, but don’t tell her, she still thinks she’s 1. ;)

She’ll probably sleep late this morn (late riser she is), then plan a full morning of her fav games, a long BD massage, followed by a good brushing & pedicure. Will sing HB to her as we fix her BD muffin together. Followed by lighting the candle & helping her blow it out (hopefully before she swallows it).

This afternoon, when Gson #1 gets home from school, he’s promised to take us to Mickey D’s, for her BD meal of a cheeseburger. It's so cold out (15f right now, expecting a blizzard on Tues), he’ll warm up car, then I’ll bundle up, Monk will don her sweater & scarf, & off we’ll go.

On way home, will stop at park, so she can go for a short romp & play with Gson. When we get home, she’ll open her BD gifts (a new soft teddy as big as she is, & a collar), & cuddle next to Mama for a night of TV watching. :)

Will be a usual BD day, except without our beloved Angel & Sweet Pee.

So, please join me in wishing her a Happy Birthday, good health, & a long happy life. I’ll read her you’re comments before bedtime tonight. { }

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MONK! I LOVE YOU!

Woof Woof, Keep them Paws up!

ADVENT BEGINS, TY’S, & A NOTE

2009-11-29T03:35:00.013-06:00

Hoping those of you that celebrated Thanksgiving, had a wonderful one, with good food, family, & friends. Those who didn’t celebrate it, trust you had a lovely week anyway. ;)

I added my Christmas header, & changed blog colors for the rest of the season. Added a little Christmas music too, a variety; traditional, country, rock, & a couple funny ones. Plus, 2 of my favs... Silent Night & Mary Did You Know.

Want to say TY to Jeannette L, for sending my 1st Christmas card of the season. It has a pic of her beautiful cats, Nina & Katinka, on the front. Big hug friend, appreciate the thought, hoping you’re enjoying your trip to Australia!

And a huge TY to our good blogging buddy, Linda in WA, for a cute Thanksgiving card. She never forgets to send a card for all occasions. So, kind & thoughtful, a heartfelt thanks, Linda.

Today, is Advent Sunday. A time of year, Christians all over the world, begin to count down, to the long ago birth of Jesus. And to look forward to the 2nd coming.

Advent starts on the Sunday closest to Nov 30th, & ends on Dec 24th (Christmas Eve).

Many traditions surround this time. They differ, depending upon religion, & area of the world that you live in. As there are slightly different views, but they’re basically the same.

Tues, will be going for my post gallbladder-surgery followup appt, & see how much weight I’ve ‘officially’ lost. Don't forget you can always check my 'ticker' on side bar, it's updated every wkend (know I gained a few lbs over the holiday, but that was to be expected). ;)

Having a special little girls BD on Fri (bow wow), plan to make an entry re that. Come celebrate with us.

Check Tag Blog for more Advent Tags, link on sidebar.

FROM ME TO ALL OF YOU...

2009-11-26T08:16:00.001-06:00

Want to take this chance to wish ALL my online friends & readers, a HAPPY THANKSGIVING.
Please keep in mind, that ThanksGiving is 2 words...'Thanks' for giving thanks for all we are thankful for, & 'Giving' for giving to those less fortunate.
Please, give, your time, a little money, or some food, to a Food Pantry this holiday!
And don't forget your local animal shelter, donate a bag of kibble, or a few dollars, they need a nice holiday too.
For those that live in countries that don’t celebrate Turkey Day, wishing you a great upcoming weekend!

LAST POST OF TRIPS

2009-11-25T08:17:00.005-06:00

This is the last post on my 4 entries about my visits to Africa, Honduras, & Philippines. Please be sure you read last post, BEFORE you read this. And for the 2 African trips, scroll down to the 4th entry & start there:

The nearest town was San Pedro Sula, we only got to go once...as it was not safe. So we went, stayed only a short time...got what we needed and came back to the village. At that time, there was only a few outside markets in the town. But we were able to stock up on our needed items.
It was beautiful, even then, palm trees and pines abounded. Bananas & other fruits grew wildly. The sun shone from a rich blue sky, and glittered onto the sandy beaches and beautiful sea. You could see the fishermen out in their boats setting out for a days fishing.
Leaving was bitter sweet, there was so much more that still needed to be done. But we had accomplished a lot. We had opened these people up to the Word of God, we had helped with their lives. We had done what God had called us to do, it was time to go home.

**********

So happy to be home with my family!!! Praise God! We stayed a few weeks with my parents, then got an apt & moved out. My husband lost his job and was starting to become verbally abusive towards my son & me. I thought it was the stress of being out of work. (you will need to read my blog archives for info of his abuse)
Another Missionary Group was leaving in 3 mos, families were encouraged to go, after talking with my husband, we decided to go! He would help with carpentry, etc that would be needed. Even though he was not a Missionary, was not a Christian, he did attend Church regularly, & SEEMED to be a good man.
So our group headed to The Philippines, we went to a tiny village outside Manila. 3 families and 3 single men.The plane trip was bumpy, it took us awhile to get there. We finally got our luggage after much arguing, grabbing & snatching. Then found our driver, it took us 2 hrs down an narrow dirt road in an old beat up jeep. An old man with a cart & mule met us...we traveled another hour like this, not first class transportation, but God was with us, we sang & prayed most of the way.
We finally saw the village! People ran out to greet us. Surprised that many of the younger people could speak English, this was a pleasant surprise, made our work much easier. We were showed our accommodations, left to unpack and get a little rest. This was nicer conditions that the last trip I was on, each family had a hut, and the single men shared a hut.
The people seemed to welcome us, and were glad we had came.
When we had rested & stepped out of our huts, we found baskets filled with fruit, and sweet breads at our door, along with jugs of fresh goat milk & cheese. Such a warm and thoughtful welcome. These people had clean water & food, not from a supermarket like back home, they raised their food.
We were here to help build a Church, find a Pastor and preach about the Almighty. We spent many hours just talking with them, visiting in their homes, walking with them, and helping them in their everyday chores. As they fed the chickens & livestock, worked in the rice paddies, & fields...we were there. They grew corn, sweet potatoes, & sugar cane. All the while we were spreading the word of God as we helped them with their daily chores. As we assisted to harness up the Carabao (water or swamp buffalo) to pull the plow, we talked about how Jesus loved us.
They were friendly and warm, they treated us with such respect! The Filipinos are a wonderful people.They loved my son and the other children that had came with us. Children were a big part of their life. They would play little games with them & sing songs. So nice to see people who loved children as much as they did.
My son fit in perfectly! He enjoyed his time there, the people, & their children. He made friends fast, and was running and playing with the others as though he belonged there. Children can blend into most circumstances it seems.
On the days we could, we worked on building the Church, since it rained a lot, we had only certain days we could work on it. But we got it done! Our Worship Services were outstanding, the whole village would pack into the little Church. You could feel the Lord's presence, the entire Church was filled with the Holy Spirit.
Manila was the capitol, that's the town we went into several times to pick up supplies & just look around. Many open air markets, as in most countries. Lots of things being sold, people calling to you to buy their wares. LOL There was several different languages spoken there, depending on the village you were at. Also many varied customs practiced.
Lots of beautiful Palm trees & Bamboo, many flowering plants everywhere. A beautiful land, even though 50% of it's people lived in poverty.
We saw many crocs, monkeys, & snakes, seemed they were all over. LOL
The average temp must've been around 85, it was very humid. Lots of rain during our entire visit. We were told that earthquakes & typhoons hit frequently, but none while we were there, Praise God!
This was a beautiful country, even back then. By the end of our stay...
We had helped to build a Church, they had a new Pastor and Asst Pastor for the Church, also! Even located a new teacher for their little one room school. Several families had accepted Christ into their lives. Glory be to God!Our job was done. :) It was time to leave...thanking God that we were able to come & enjoy these loving people & their hospitality. Thankful that we were able to assist them in some small way.

It was harder than I thought it would be to sit down & sort through my mind, trying to recall what I could from each trip. Plus it seemed all my memories had 'melted' together, so I have tried my best, to put the memories with the right countries. LOL
Hope you have enjoyed my walk down memory lane, keep in mind this was many years ago...I tried to recall what I could, these are the main things that have stayed in my memory all these years, even with all the meds I have to take. I am not a writer, this has come from my heart without trying to use fancy words...so if you find it to be like a simple 'down home' country girl, sitting next to you, telling you about her past, well, that's what it is.

Be blessed,

HONDURAS & PHILIPPINES TRIPS

2009-11-25T08:15:00.002-06:00

PREVIOUS 2 POSTS WERE ON AFRICA, READ THEM, IF YOU CARE TO.

These have all been posted before, but many did not get to read them, so posting again on this blog. I do not want to lose these memories as age creeps up on me, so I have them here to visit when I want.

In 1971, I had been married to my 2nd husband almost a year, there was a Missionary group leaving from our Church to go to Honduras.
I was asked to go, I prayed & prayed about this, talked with my husband & decided to go. He did not want to go, as he felt his job would not let him off for 6 mos, plus the fact that although he attended Church with me, he was not a Christian.
He supported my decision to go, & planned for my son, who was about 3, & himself to stay with my Mom & Step Dad while I was gone. This was good, for I knew my Mother would look after my son well & I would need not worry.
So, there was 10 of us going, 7 men & 3 women...to a 'slum area' a short ways from San Pedro Sula. The plane trip was long, then we arrived but we found it hard to get through customs, many of our things were confiscated.
The trip itself to the village was tiring and stressful, we had to go by horses most of the way (2 per horse), up & down mountainous terrain, through grasslands & swamps, being watchful the whole time due to bandits in the area. At one point I remember having to pull over behind big bushes & tall grasses to muffle our horses, praying while a band of bandits passed us by.
When we arrived, I was not prepared for what met me, it was almost unbearable. A foul stench met my nostrils from the open sewage everywhere. Little children, filthy with raggedy clothes, barefoot, open sores on their tiny bodies.
We were greeted by warm smiles, but suspicious eyes, & shown to 2 small houses that had holes in the roofs & the ground for floors. These were to be our homes for the next 6 mos.The men took one and the women the other. We were given old straw mats to sleep on.
Our first job was to try & patch the roofs as best we could to keep out the rain...as this was the rainy season.The children needed to be bathed and their sores treated, after that we talked with the mothers about cleanliness.
There was among our group a man that spoke fluent Spanish, so that was a big help!
We contacted a group, much like the Peace Corp, and worked with them in arranging immediate emergency food, clothing, more med supplies, etc, for these people. They came in a couple of vehicles, & a jeep with armed escorts, to bring supplies. How they drove down that grown over narrow dirt road I have no ideal, used to it here I guess.
They had well water, but we taught them the need to boil the water before using.
The village usually had food, mostly from their farming, some fishing, poultry, & the many fruits that were everywhere. But it was stolen on a regular basis from bandits in the hills, leaving them with nothing but fruit for several weeks to months at a time. We showed them how to keep the most part of it hidden, and have only a small amount out at any one time. We dug a cellar under one of the houses & they could keep a lot of the food there.
We took turns preaching and teaching! Having Services 4 evenings a week in the old Church on the outskirts of the village. We also did some renovation to the Church giving it a new life!
Since there was a civil war brewing, we had to always be careful and on guard. There were bandits living in the hills that would on occasions raid the villages, taking their food, & sometimes raping the young girls. We were told that several people had been killed when trying to stand in their way. While we were there 2 raids took place, but no one was hurt seriously. They took what little food was available, pushed us all around a little to show how tough they were, then left.
Once, I got pushed to the ground, ended up with a skinned knee & elbow, a few bruises...and one of our men was punched in the face & stomach. All because we blocked a man from dragging an 11 yo girl into the bushes.They had guns & knives, so as to save your life, it was better to not interfere, except when you HAD to. We were surprised that the man just shoved the girl back to us, muttered something and left. Going to another village I guess.
Although they had a Church , it was in bad shape, needing work, and the people did not come to worship as they should. We changed that! We got them involved in fixing it up, something they could be proud of. We talked with and helped educate their Pastor. He was a good man, but had almost lost his faith, we prayed with him, and for him. He re-dedicated his life to God, and to his people! There were regular services, teachings about Jesus, songs, music, many people gave their souls to Christ! It was a time to be happy, to know God had not forsaken them!
The people were of White/Indian ancestry, they were very poor, and most lived in houses made of adobe. The temp was around 80 most of the time we were there. A pleasantly warm season but with a lot of rain. Life there was tough, no amenities. Almost primitive. There was no running water, but they did have the community well.
People simply squatted and defecated where ever they felt the need to go. You would see a woman squatting by her front door, or a child in tiny dirt road (path) that went through the little village. Then the rain made it all one big sewage dump! We taught them how to go into the woods behind their homes, take a stick and dig a shallow hole, then cover it up (we thought of a litter box back home). We had wanted to build a communal outhouse, but they didn't like that ideal. They bathed & washed their clothes at an inland river nearby.
We encouraged them to bathe more often, & taught them about the need to keep clean and wear clean clothing. Dress was simple, some wore traditional clothing while others chose to dress more like us. Each family had their own cooking station, kind of like a fire place in our homes. Then there was a large cooking pit that was used for cooking community meals, i.e. weddings, etc. There was no medical help here, other than an old lady who helped birth babies. For serious illness or injury they'd have to go into town.
I recall several days when you could hear gunshots in the distance, they said it was the bandits raiding nearby villages. It was an accepted way of life.

CONT ON NEXT POST…

AFRICA PART 2

2009-11-25T08:12:00.002-06:00

CONT FROM PREVIOUS POST, PLEASE READ IT FIRST...

The temperature averaged around 90, seemed to rain most of our time there, was told it was their rainy season. The land was a contrast to itself, in places barren with a red sand/clay, other places rich green trees & brush. Some areas flat, others had mountains.
Nigeria is a country twice the size of California, and many of the people live in extreme poverty there. Different languages are spoken by different tribes, so it's not all one language & one united group of people. The capitol there now is Abuja, this is where we traveled monthly to do our 'shopping'.
There were many outdoor markets, that had food, jewelry, clothes, pottery, all kinds of wares. It was fun & exciting! The buildings of the city were out dated according to our standards. No sky scrapers there LOL, none had over 3 floors, all looked old & in need of paint.
The people were all friendly & curious of us, they would wave at us and smile as we walked by. The children would come up talking to us, but we couldn't understand them. We saw many different kinds of animals, bugs, spiders, & snakes on our stay. But not close up...they stayed to a distance. Except the bugs, spiders, & snakes, LOL we saw plenty of them close up...too close up. One of our group was bitten by a snake, 3 were bitten by spiders, but were told they were not poisonous, Thank God. There were lots of flying insects too, we used a cream that we applied all over to try and keep them away as much as possible. Also had nets that were hung over our cots, we would pull them around us at night to try & keep most of the creepy things out!
It was a lot different than you see in the movies, in most aspects, yet quite similar in others.
I begin being sick every morning, guess what...I was pregnant!!! :) We were sooo happy. The whole village cheered. They gave us a big party. Lots of singing, dancing, & food (of course)! We had such a lovely time...we were up most of the night celebrating & praising God! We slept in the next morning for a couple of hrs later than when we normally got up.
Then it was back to work as usual. Still lots to be done.
Another of the local girls was getting married, & wanted it to be in the Church, that made us happy & proud! Not a typical Church Wedding, that's for sure, but spiritual & with deep meaning to all of us there. We had tears of joy that filled our eyes. It was a beautiful ceremony, performed by the Chief, & by one of our Missionaries. They stood side by side...the old ways & the new!
A tribal traditional celebration followed, it was magnificent. The dancing, drums, songs in their native tongue. Of course the dress was in awesome bright prints!
A beautiful memory among many beautiful ones.
Tino had became ill, he had Malaria they said. He was very weak, & had chills, sweats, & fevers. Although the Dr in town had given him some shots & pills, he did not seem to get any better. He was unable to function as much as he wanted...but still insisted on attending each Service to praise the Lord. Was mostly confined to his cot, the Dr said he should go to a hospital. He refused saying, we only had a few more weeks here and he was staying.
The children brought him flowers and he would try & smile, make little jokes, & sing songs with them. It was sad to see him so weak, but I was proud to see him so determined to serve the Lord.
We had managed to find a teacher, and also a Pastor for the Church. A very nice man that was one of the few Christians we met when we first came here. He loved God dearly and was learning the Scriptures well...he would make a good Spiritual leader for his people. And the Chief approved him, which was important.
Our trip had been successful, we had accomplished all we had set out to do. Another group would be coming in another year to assist further, & continue to spread the word of God.
Now it was time to go home, to get medical attention for Tino, who was not looking good. He had lost weight & could walk only with help.
We said our farewells, knowing that God was here with these friendly, generous, and loving people...and though we had to leave, He would stay!
We retuned home, and Tino was admitted to the hospital. He was in a bad way. Everything that could be done was being done, but things didn't look good. I lived at the hospital, sleeping on a cot next to his bed some nights, others in the waiting room. I ate out of a vending machine mostly, sometimes from the cafeteria. A few times a nice nurse would sneak me a tray from the cart, someone who had been dismissed or who had passed away but a tray had mistakenly been sent.
Tino was concerned for me, his greatest wish was that I be healthy & have a healthy baby, that we have a happy life. He knew that he'd not recover, he told me he could hear Angels calling to him, that it was near his time to join them in Heaven. Of course, the hospital staff said the fever was causing him to hallucinate, but I knew better. When he spoke of Angels beckoning to him, his eyes were filled with such a peace & calm. Hallucinating? No, he knew exactly what was going on around him & to him. He was a man of God, and was granted the ability to hear them calling, days before he actually went to be with them, to give him time to tell his family & me the things he wanted to say to us.
We had been home almost 3 weeks when he went to be with God.
I was alone with his baby inside me, I do so wish he could have lived to see his son born. But it was not to be. My faith gave me the strength I needed to continue on.

**********

Many years later, in 1988, I was asked to accompany a young Missionary/Medical group, 4 men & 2 women, to a different village but near the same region. I was only too happy to go.
We would have a 3 rm house for us to stay in...our goal would be to help the village Pastor teach the Word of God, and to help spread the word about the prevention of Aids. The area itself had changed a lot since my visit 21 yrs earlier, time marches on. Progress had been made in many areas, but still far behind what we were used to.
This village already had a Church, a God loving Pastor, and there were several Christian families living there, anxious for us to visit.
Aids was here, had taken many lives, left many children orphaned, & many more living with Aids. Our group helped to set up an Orphanage by adding several more rooms onto a house where the couple and grandparents living there had agreed to act as surrogate parents for these children.
The children would break your heart, they tugged at my heart strings that's for sure. I had the opportunity to cuddle them, play with them, & help care for them. I wanted to bring them all back home with me!!! Some of the older children would gather round wanting me to tell them stories of America and the children there, I did. {{{}}} Almost every afternoon, they would come running to find me...begging for a story. Smaller children & I would draw pictures in the red sand, using broken tree branches...and laugh at each others drawings.
Funny, the things that stick in your mind all these years later.
The men helped to update another house to be used as a Medical Center, we arranged for a Nurse from the town to come out once a week to see to their needs, once we were gone. She was to be trained in caring for those with Aids.
We had spread the word about how to prevent Aids, taught them the best we could re using condoms, on the 'casualties' of casual sex, on how bodily fluids was the ways to catch & spread this dreadful disease. We instructed in detail on caring for someone who had Aids & was bleeding...what to do and how to do it. The word of God had been shared and enjoyed by all. His spirit was here, we knew most of the families now had a fair understanding of the Bible. Continued teaching would be up to the Pastor, & the Missionaries coming later.
Our time ended and we left, but Africa will always be a small part of my soul.
I can only hope than in some small way I helped to touch at least one life during my visits, I know my life was touched & greatly enriched, my meeting & getting to know these wonderful people. May God Bless!

My next 2 post will be of my trips to Honduras & The Philippines…

AFRICA PART 1

2009-11-25T08:08:00.002-06:00

Many of my J-Land friends will recognize the next 4 posts, from my trips to Africa, Honduras, & Philippines. For those that never got the chance to read, or those new to my blog, I'm copying & pasting the entries here. I wanted to keep them, mostly for myself, as I didn't want to lose these memories:

The year was 1967, I was 17 yo, just married to my childhood sweetheart. We had planned to marry the next year after my 18th BD...but when we learned of the Missionary Group leaving for Africa...we decided to go ahead & marry, spending our 'honeymoon' there.
My husband Tino, was 2 yrs my senior, we had known each other most of our lives. His family attended the same Church as my family, Tino and I went to school together. We had started dating when I was 16 & he was 18. We had talked about marriage and the future, always knowing that God would be the focus of our lives together.
Both of us were born again Christians, having a firm relationship with our Lord.
There was a group of 10 of us arriving in Nigeria, we were so tired. The plane trip was much longer than I had imagined it would be, then there were soldiers with guns at the airport. We had to go through customs, which took awhile, it took forever it seemed to get our luggage!
There was someone from the Church Ministry to meet us, thank God, but it took us another 3 hrs or so to get to the tiny remote village we were headed to.
We went the back roads as much as possible, to avoid the many checkpoints.
The narrow red dirt roads had massive cracks that had filled with rain water.
When arriving, I first saw tiny houses with thatched roofs, old, only 1 or 2 rms per house. Many people in a family living in each dwelling. Most dressed in their native dress but some wore clothing much like ours that they had bought in town.
Chickens ran around the village, goats were kept in a large pen, there were also several oxen or maybe they were cows...not sure...but do know the women milked them every day.
It was about what I expected, yet not. It was very remote with no comforts of home!
They cooked outside over a communal pit, there was a roof over it to keep the rain out. The bathrm facilities was also a communal area set aside for that purpose, a short distance to the rear of the village.
Laundry was done by beating clothes on rocks at a river some distance away...were the women walked to twice weekly to wash clothes & bring back water for bathing, cooking, etc. Older children would accompany the women, and bathe themselves there & then help to carry the clothes & water back to the village.
Very few people spoke English, and those that did...had a hard time understanding us, their English was broken with heavy dialect, so we could only grasp a word here & there.
There was no house for us, but the Church Ministry had provided us with 2 huge tents, which we set up. There were cots inside for us to sleep on. The 2 married couples & an older lady took one tent while the 5 single men shared the other. It was also arranged that the 2 married couples would each get 2 hrs alone in the tent two nights a week for "marital relations". LOL
Kerosene lamps and flash lights were the lights we used at night, plus torches & the light from the big fire out front where we cooked, etc.
The village welcomed us by presenting us with 2 live chickens and a huge basket of fruit, the best I had ever tasted, so sweet & juicy. They were proud to offer it & we were grateful for such a lovely gift. We prepared the chickens & had them for dinner that first night along with the fruit and some greens a little girl & brought us. These people were farmers and lived off the land. Having an abundance at times, & next to nothing at others.
It had been a looong day, it took us so long to actually get here, then we worked the remainder of the day getting our living arrangements set up. We were so tired.
But it was beautiful, Tino and I sit hand & hand outside the tent on an old log...total darkness, blackness everywhere. The moon & stars were so close we could reach up and touch them. God was good! Praise God! We were in love, we were in the place God wanted us to be. We were happy.
We slept soundly that night...the day had taken a toll upon us. Little did we know, that most of the days here we would be tired beyond belief, after back breaking work & then spritual work that followed.
The next morning we awoke and started planning our next 6 mos. The plan was to build a small Church which would also serve as a school. To find a Pastor and a Teacher for these people. To figure out a way for them to have water by running pipes from the river to an above ground water tank in the village, which we would also build. It would be made to catch water during the rainy season & hopefully hold enough to see them throughout the year. The pipes would only be used as a backup in case they should run out.
Plus, our main goal was to spread the word of Jesus. So we planned services 3 times per week...& we each took turns preaching while a man from the village that was the "best" with English, translated for us.
Almost every night we had songs & dances.
We started working, first on building a water storage tank, next would be to run the pipes.
We had all the materials, they had been delivered before we arrived.
Then we'd build a small one room Church/School House. Until then we'd hold our Services in the middle of the village under a open sided 'room' with a roof. (it was the same area used for cooking)
The work was hard, from sun up till sun down, six days a week. It was hot & sweaty work, clothing would be wet with perspiration, our muscles cramped, but we kept going. Two members of our group passed out from over exhaustion, but after a rest & rehydrating themselves they were ready to go again.
Much of the work was hampered because of the rain downpours. On days when it drizzled, we'd work...but some days it was too heavy for us to be able to do what we needed to.
Those days we spent in prayer, or visiting with the families & talking with them about God.
The work was long & hard, but rewarding. The villagers worked right along beside us, we were fast becoming friends.
The Worship services were so fulfilling! Can still remember all the glorious shouts, dancing, & chants given to praise our Lord!
During the services, we had a few people that were healed, one that had a mangled leg from an accident years earlier & had limited use of that leg, he used a stick to get around. He regained full use of that leg, threw the stick to the ground & danced all over the Worship area to prove it!
Another was a toddler that was born deaf, during a service began to hear...she was verbally called (with her back to us), & turned with the weirdest look on her little face, having never heard a voice before! PRAISE GOD!!!
Many people accepted Christ as their Savior, we even had entire families come forward and fall on their knees with us, arms outstretched towards Heaven, wanting Jesus to come into their lives & live in their hearts & souls. It was awesome!!!
An elderly man whose entire family, (wife, 6 daughters, & 3 sons) all found God...came to us one evening. He had made each of us a Prayer Box. The boxes were blessed by their Chief, then we all prayed over them, they were to be Prayer Boxes in which we would write requests for prayers & place in the box...then pray over the box filled with the names of those that were in need. I still have mine today and use it constantly, with love & pride!
During our stay an elder in the village died, it was one of the most beautiful funerals I have ever seen.
Everyone was decked out in their finest traditional dress, jewelry, & head wraps. The singing & music was magnificent...they had a huge feast & many chants & tributes were paid to the man, it lasted for two days. More like a wake, I guess you could call it. But what a wake!!!
He was laid to rest quietly the third morning with the entire village mourning him as he left.
The next week a lovely young woman I had become fast friends with, was getting married.
The ceremony was unlike any I had ever witnessed, so many bright & vibrant colors. The whole village was there, happy for the new couple to begin their life as one.
It was a 'traditional' wedding, performed at night in the open...a big fire raged in the backdrop. Tears streamed down my face as I saw her happiness & recalled my own wedding just a few short months before. She was radiant in her colorful dress & head wrap. So beautiful, her face beamed through the 'makeup' I had helped apply only hrs before.
Depending on which area you were in, the funerals/weddings were done differently, some villages had somber affairs & dressed accordingly.
I had learned that the paints & dyes they use for their facial paints, tattoos, clothing, etc...are extracted from plants, flowers, & berries.

CONT ON NEXT POST…

PART 2 OF HOSP VISIT & COMING HOME…

2009-11-22T12:35:00.014-06:00

First, sending a TY to John from Brain In Pain, for the book I got Fri. Smooches friend! Also, to Gerry at Dtrs Of The Shadow Men, for the 2 books, that I received Sat pm. Appreciate it!

CONTINUED FROM LAST POST…

Be sure you read previous post, made Thurs 11/19, before reading this one…

Son went home then, & I spent the afternoon watching TV, & taking a couple short naps. The day Nurse was buzzing around me, like a bee to honey the remainder of the day. I hated to be so direct, & that Son had words with her, but sometimes you have to.

Night shift came, was happy to see them, the night RN brought my lozenges down, but I no longer needed them, as my throat was better. She said Day RN had never ordered them, but she saw the order & got them from pharmacy.

I had a good night, & next morning the On Call Dr for my Surgeon, came & told me my last bp was 115/66, so he was sending me home. I was to see Dr in 2 wks & to follow post op orders I already had. They removed my IV, & I took a nice long shower.

I called Son & let him know, so he came to pick me up about 11:30. Guess who wheeled me to car for dismissal, LOL, yep, it was that little Day RN.

My follow up appt with Surgeon is Dec 1st, anxious to see him, would like to ask if my liver looked abnormal in any way, sz, etc. Also, if he got a view of the spleen. Am not too happy with the 4 incisions, as the larger one started bleeding some my 2nd day home, & 2 of the others have hardened areas around them & feel “pooched out”, as if something is behind there pressing against skin & trying to break through. I’m not familiar with this type surgery procedure, & have only had a similar one, once before, all went smoothly then. (only had 3 incisions then, 2 totally disappeared, & other one grew scar tissue, but all felt soft & smooth)

I need to get an appt with Primary Dr for a follow up & discuss her scheduling me for a Lymphodema Clinic, also to get results of some lab.

Other than the few little bumps along the way, my hosp stay had been quiet nice. :)

On way home, Son told me they had a plumber out this wkend, installing a new shower for them, he’d ran into several problems, but thought he had it under control. Son said he’d hoped to have it done, & the dry wall guy would have my closet ceiling fixed before I got home. But, he was fixing my closet this morning… & he should be finished with it later today, plus he was to fix the area on the wall from last yr. :)

I told him, I wouldn’t be hanging my clothes up for a week or so, anyway. So, there was no rush. He said, he could send Gsons down later to hang everything up, I told him TY, but I wanted to go through the items, as I would be giving some of to charity. That I was just happy to have it fixed, & would hang it up when I feel better.

When we went in, DIL, both Gsons, & Gdtr, were all in living rm, boys watching TV & the 2 ladies were doing some knitting. NOT ONE spoke to me, altho Gson #1 did give me a little wave. Son, growled at DIL & Gdtr, to move the things on the floor out of the way so I could get in, as he had his arm around me. They both smarted something back at him. Ignoring them, he asked if I’d like to sit down up there for awhile, but I said no I needed to go to my rm & lay down, besides at least 1 of my Gkids had greeted me. Son tossed them all a look, when I said that. So Gdtr smiled & said Monkee had been missing me, she’d barked a few times, DIL chimed in with, yeah & she even howled too, sounded so funny. I said, yes, I had told the boys & Son that she prob would, as she’d be lonely. Gson #1 said, he'd stopped by & played with her every time he went up & down stairs & ea time he went in to change her wee wee pad (his rm is on other side of mine). I knew he'd be in & out a few times, as he's the only one that has a kind & gentle heart.

Then Son escorted me on down. The worker was finished, & my closet & wall were fixed! Will need to do a complete dusting, along with touch up painting, when I feel better. LOL And to think I had everything spic & span when I left. ;)

Once I got down to my room, (Son hasn’t been back) Monkee was thrilled to see me. She went totally bonkers!!! Sweet lil rascal. { } She loved me & I loved her back, we played & cuddled for almost an hr.

GSon #2 came down later to deliver me a few Tacos for dinner, his Dad had sent them, so I could rest my first night back. I had 2, & Monk ate 1. ;)

Altho, her food had been down (1 1/2 c), she had barely touched any while I was gone, I was afraid of that, as she likes me to sit with her while she eats, usually eating about a 1/2 c kibble & a few bites of my food dly. But, while I was gone (Fri am – Sun noon), she’d ate less than 1/4 c of the kibble. :’( But, Sun pm she ate a handful of it, then a couple treats, with the taco for dinner, & a bedtime snack of yogurt with me. By Mon she was back to her usual eating again.

Sun night, I went on Face Book a few mins, & let all there know I was back & ok, have managed to post a few lines dly there. Haven’t been able to read but a couple of blogs due to not sitting up long. But, hope to get back into it, in a few days.

On Tues morning, I awakened to find a blanket of white outside my door. Seems we had our first snow of the season, but it melted away by night. Hate to say it, but I look for a bad winter this time.

DIL had her foot surgery Thurs 19th, she was only gone about 4 hrs, but will not be able to go back to office for 8 wks, at least she’ll be working from home in a couple wks. She has crutches & a folding wheel chair to use, she wouldn't be putting any weight on that foot, so I really don’t see why she isn’t able to go to work after a weeks rest. But, they may know something I don’t. I emailed Son, to tell her I hoped her recovery went well, & had said a prayer for her. He said they had only given her 1 bottle of pain pills, Vicodin (no refills), & she was almost out, as she was taking 2 every 4 hrs around the clock. I told him, if she needs them to come get a bottle of mine, I have Vicodin ES. As, I have refills, plus I seldom use a pain pill. I have the 30 they sent home with me, then I already have a couple of bottles of them here for my knees & back (only using 2 when I have to be up for a long period).On day of my surgery, I was groggy from anesthesia so didn’t need any, then never asked for 1 after that. Night Nurse referred to me as a ‘tough old bird’. LOL that I am!

I understand DIL’s family (all of them), will be here a couple days before Thanksgiving (as always), & stay till the following Sunday. Altho, Son invited me up for a Holiday dinner, I will prob just opt for a plate to be sent down. I don’t think I’m up to crawling up the steps, then sitting up for an hr or 2, & trying to make conversation. I’d rather be with my partner Monk, relaxing, nibbling on our meal, & watching TV. I don't really know any of her family, except in passing. Hoping to get an invite for dinner on Christmas, as it'll just be Son & immediate family. I should be feeling a lot better by then.

I'll also be fixing a holiday meal this year (for Monkee & me), something simple, to have to snack on for the Thanksgiving weekend. Will fix a chicken roaster hen (in slow cooker then baste & brown in toaster oven), stuffing & gravy, spiced mashed sweet potatoes, grn peas, & fruit salad. With 2 no sugar apple pie turnovers, & 4 reduced sugar choc muffins. Hard to cook much, as I don’t have a stove or oven, cook everything on my slow cooker, toaster oven, & micro wave. Will be fixing just enough for meals Fri, Sat, & Sun. ;)

So, that’s it for now, oh I thought I’d gained a few lbs while in hosp, as they had me on a reg diet, & I ate like a pig LOL. But, upon coming home, found I had lost a few lbs. Then weighed today & have lost a bit more. Go to the Dr next week, will post my ‘official loss’ at that time. My goal is to lose 1-3 lbs a week, as that seems to be a healthy amt for me. But, I take a couple meds that make you gain weight, also have thyroid problems, my metabolism is almost at a standstill, & get very little exercise due to physical limitations. So, it’s hard. But, I’ll get there! Hoping to see a BIG difference by this time next yr. ;)

Want to take this chance to wish ALL my online friends & readers, a HAPPY THANKSGIVING. Please keep in mind, that ThanksGiving is 2 words...Thanks for giving thanks for all we are thankful for, & Giving for giving to those less fortunate. Please, give, your time, a little money, or some food, to a Food Pantry this holiday! And for those that live in countries that don’t celebrate Turkey Day, wishing you a great upcoming week! See ya next week with my usual wkly update.

If you need tags, check my Tag Blog, link on side bar. Also, my FB badge is on side bar.

PART 1 OF MY HOSP VISIT & SURGERY…

2009-11-19T09:23:00.017-06:00

Hey guys! I’m here! This post is rather long, as I’m still not able to sit up but for short periods, so have been adding a little to it ea day. Saving as a draft, till I got it ready. Wanted to try & give you a full account.

So, I’ve broken it into 2 posts, for you…will post Part 2, in a few days, (prob Sun or Mon)! Be sure & come back. ;)

TY to dear Jeannette, who posted on Call For Support, to let all know I was going to the hospital. I appreciate those that dropped by, & left well wishes for me. And, big thanks to Linda in WA, for the precious ‘teddy bear’ get well card, I received this week.

Want to congratulate Lori (private blog), & her family, as they have welcomed a new baby into their home this week. Just in time for Thanksgiving, they indeed have something to be thankful for.

Hope to get back to visiting your blogs soon, as I've only made it to a couple. But, I do have ea of you in my thoughts, & prayers.

Here we go...

As you know, I went for my pre-testing last Thurs, it took most of the afternoon. The nurse who accompanied me around, was wonderful. She was so helpful & friendly. Everything went smoothly. I was given all the usual hosp admission tests (labs, ekg, xray, etc), then my pre op scrub for my shower that night & early the following morning.

When I got home, I fixed Monk’s kibble & water, enough for 3 days, & had a fresh wee wee pad to put down the next day. Put fresh flannel linens on my bed (Gson #1 helped, then took trash out for me, per his Dad’s request), had already did my other chores earlier in week. Then fixed a light hosp bag, as I was hoping to only be away 1 day. Sit the bag, along with my walker, & shoes, in hall…for one of the Gsons to take upstairs for me tonight. Gson #1 had taken me the the gro store previously, as Son had said I needed to get a few things as I wouldn’t feel up to going when I got home, so I was stocked with foods for a week or 2 after. Then as eve came, I did my shower, Gson #1 came in & visited Monk & me, & I showed him again where everything was & what to do while I as away. Son, dropped in for a few mins, & tried to be funny & keep my spirits up. Then I went to bed & attempted to get some sleep.

The next day, I got up extra early, made sure patio door was locked, & sit down the kibble & water, & a clean wee wee pad. Played a bit with Monkee, then took my other shower, & dressed. Had to be waiting on Hosp Transportation to pick me up at 7:15, so I slowly crawled up stairs about 7:00.

Who should I see, but Son sitting in living rm. He should’ve already left for work. Then, he tells me, he wanted to surprise me & got the day off work. So, after he drops Gson #2, who doesn’t get his drivers license till Jan, at school, he’ll meet me at patient check in, that he plans on staying with me all day! Wow, even when I had my cancer surgery, I had to go it alone…so, I was surprised.

After getting there, I skipped the check in (did that yesterday), & was taken back to the waiting area to get ready for surgery. Shortly after, my Son found me, & we sat there about 20 mins, before we were escorted on back. He stayed outside while I changed into a gown, then he came in, & the nurse begin her duties…getting my bp, pulse, temp, etc. Then, it seems my potassium, done yesterday, was a little low, so it was redone.

Now, the fun starts. She asked me if I was easy to start an IV on, sure I said, never had any trouble, they get it first stick. Just had one a mo or 2 ago, for my colonoscopy, & then my liver biopsy. So, she begins to look, & can only see ‘tiny short veins’!!! She wrapped my hands & arms in warm wraps to try & get the veins to plump up, then she almost beat my poor hands to death, tapping on them, & wrapping that tourniquet tight. She, tried twice, but no luck. So, decided to call another nurse…she looked them over, & said she wouldn’t even try…as best to call the critical care nurse down to check them. Well, she came, & tried twice. Then said to call a Dr from anesthesia , & see what he could do. So, here he came. That man was sooo funny. He had my Son & me laughing most of the time. He tried once, then on his 2nd attempt, he got a teeny one in. He explained it’d be enough to get me to sleep, then they’d try & put a bigger one in. But, if they couldn’t they’d have to put in a central line. He talked about the possibilities of a collapsed lung, or other things & the outcomes. So, I had to sign a release for that. :( I was not feeling so chipper by now, & could tell by Son’s face, he was a bit concerned.

Then I was going down the hall, & don’t remember anything else, till I awakened in the recovery room later.

As I came out from under anesthesia, they begin to get me ready to go to my room.

Meanwhile, Son says the Dr had came to the surgical waiting area, & while all others had came in & sat beside family, or knelt in front, & told them all went well…my Dr & a nurse came in & asked Son to go with them. They took him to a private area (he said he was looking for kleenex boxes, expecting this to be bad news). But, he told him, all went well, explained what he had done, that they had not had to do a central line. But, he would feel better if I stayed over night. Son, agreed, then came to search me out.

I was in a very nice room, very large, with all the amenities! Wow, this was like a hosp rm should be. My Drs asst (a young Dr or Med Student), came in & told me I did well, that as soon as I felt like eating just let the nurse know, I’d be on a reg diet, & would be staying the night. I didn’t see my Dr prior to surgery, & he still hadn’t showed up. His asst explained he was in surgery all day, having one right after the other. Made me wonder, if he even did my surgery. When Son told me, later, what the Dr looked like that talked to him, I’m pretty sure it wasn’t my Dr. Hmmm?

The day RN came in & introduced herself, went over my meds with me, & I never saw her again. The CNA did my vital signs, my bp was low, she asked if I thought I would be able to eat dinner, of course I said sure, LOL! I checked the 4 incisions & they looked ok, I wanted to be extra careful with my IV, since it’d been a pain for them to get in, all seemed to be going smoothly.

Son came back, & visited with me for about an hour, then said he’d be back tomorrow. I was glad he’d been here today. { } I told him so. He replied that if things were different, what with work, & then his wife, he’d spend more time with me. But, that he was happy he’d been here this time.

Dinner came, & it was really good! Yumm! I was surprised that hosp food tasted this good. ;) They changed shifts (as they work 12 hrs ea here), & in came the night bunch. Now, this RN was what a nurse should be, of course she’d been a nurse for almost 40 yrs, & knew her ups & downs, ins & outs. Her CNA was good at her job too. After dinner, they got me up, & walked me out to the nurses sta & back. For my 9:00 meds, she brought me a little carton of ice cr too, then sit & talked with me awhile. Since my throat was hurting so bad (from the tube down my throat during surgery) & I was hoarse, at bedtime & during the night, ea time I was awakened for my vital signs by CNA, the RN would bring me a cup of steaming hot chocolate to help ease the discomfort.

My bps cont to be low ( I normally run around 140/84 even with my bp meds) but it was running 100-110/50-60, they were taking it every couple hrs, so I wasn’t too concerned. Just felt maybe it was due to the anesthesia & the trauma of surgery. But, by early morn it was 80/40. Hmmm, I didn’t like that! Neither did the Nurse, & she said she’d warn the oncoming shift to stay on top of it.

In came a Dr, who was On Call for my Primary Care Dr. He was quite nice, And he even told me why my ankles & feet are so swollen & hurt when touched (something primary Dr has never known, altho I’ve complained for over a yr 1/2). It’s Lymphedema, & they have special clinics where PT’s do a milking technique with wraps to help. I had never thought of that, as my lymph nodes weren’t removed with my cancer surgery 2 1/2 yrs ago? He told me to be sure & mention it to Primary Care on my next appt. I asked him to order up some lozenges for my throat, & he said he would. During, all this, I forget to mention my bp, & since he didn’t know what I usually run, he had no way of knowing. He works in same Clinic where she works, & I’m considering switching over to him.

Next came, On Call Dr for my Surgeon, young but seemed knowledgeable. I told him about my bp & my concerns. He said he was going to keep me another day.

Day shift was here now, & breakfast came…I figured I’d prob put on 10 lbs while here. LOL When day RN came in with am meds,I told her that I had already canceled my meals, as I'd thought I'd be going home, & asked if she'd please let them know I was staying another day. She told me the ph# for dietary, & told me to call & re-order, myself. As she was too busy. Ok, I did that.

Same crew as yesterday, a young (very young, I'd guess 22ish) RN & her CNA. Again, I only saw the RN at med times, other times only the CNA came in, & she didn’t come often.

When Son came, I told him about my my bp, & how it’d been 80/40 at one point. He went to the desk & came back saying, guess who the Charge Nurse is…it’s your day RN! And they were sitting at desk, surfing the Net! Said he told her about my bp being much lower than normal & 80/40 was way too low. She told him as long as I wasn’t dizzy or light headed, she wasn’t concerned, that my bp had never been that low, I hadn’t had one of 80/40!!! He & her had further words (he informed her he worked in Administration at a bigger Hosp near by, that they would not tolerate a nurse who couldn't budget her time more efficiently, to know what was happening with her patients, & for a Charge Nurse not to know, was unexcusable), & sure he told her a lot more, as he can let his disapproval be known, then he came back to my rm.

A few mins later, here she came, being friendly, & trying to be more professional. I stopped her real quick…told her I’d been a RN for over 25 yrs, so I knew a little about nursing (not on my record that I was a nurse, I prefer it that way, usually). Asked her how long she’d been a nurse, she stammered & said a little over a yr. I told her exactly what ea of my readings had been, as I had the CNA’s write them down & initial them at ea reading, showing them to her. She never tried to contradict me again, but apologized, & said she’d been so busy that perhaps she’d missed that on my chart, but had depended on the CNA to tell her (trying to pass the buck). I let her know, that with all the newer equip, computers, etc compared to when we used to do it all by hand, & still made time for our pts...she should be ashamed of her nursing skills. I informed her she should've done an evaluation of me (listening to heart & lungs, checking surgery sites, etc) when I first came on her floor, & making rounds of pts rms at freq intervals was advisable. That I hoped in the future she'd listen to her pts, & be more observant, not totally dependent on a staff member. Hoping this would be a 'wake up call' for her, before someone dies in her care. Also, informed her that she could expect a BAD evaluation from me. She promised she’d keep a better watch…(not sure if I'll really go through with it, as I hope she learned her lesson, & everyone deserves a 2nd chance. may just give night shift a glowing eval & not mention days at all. not sure yet).

Will post rest of my adventure, arrival home, & this week…next time! Be sure & come back & see what happens.

HAPPY VETERANS DAY WORLD

2009-11-11T08:37:00.008-06:00

TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE FOUGHT FOR PEACE & FREEDOM AROUND THE WORLD... WE HUMBLY OFFER THANKS, FROM A GRATEFUL NATION!

TO THOSE THAT GAVE THE UTIMATE SACRIFICE... WE OFFER A PRAYER FOR THEM, & THEIR FAMILIES. THEY GAVE, SO THAT WE MIGHT BE FREE.

TO THOSE STILL FIGHTING... KNOW WE ARE PROUD OF YOU, & PRAY YOU COME HOME SAFE & SOON.

TO THOSE THAT WILL, UNFORTUNATELY, HAVE TO FIGHT SOME DAY... WE WILL STAND BEHIND YOU WITH SUPPORT, PRIDE, & PRAYERS.

TO OUR 4 LEGGED SUPPORT ANIMALS... WE OFFER A PRAYER OF GRATITUDE, FOR ALL THE SOLDIERS YOU HELPED, & CONTINUE TO HELP, FOR YOU HAVE SAVED MANY.

T H A N K YOU TO ALL OF THEM THE WORLD OVER!

WHAT’S GOING ON HERE...

2009-11-07T19:53:00.014-06:00

Evening y’all, wanted to pop in & let you know the latest news.

First, am trying Live Writer, not used to it yet, since I’m an old dog that’s too old for new tricks, may take me awhile to get the hang of it. Any tips would be appreciated. I’m having to rush over to my blog, go into edit mode & add my siggy tag from Photobucket.

Many thanks to Tabby, who sent me the link for Live Writer, then was kind enough to get me the font I needed to make it work. I was missing one from my Windows' orig fonts & it wouldn’t work without it. TY sweetie. Big hug & TY to my dear friend John, for sending me the book on Depression. Also, a TY to Guido, for posting my 2 new blog links on Call 4 Support. My readers are the best!!! { }

My sweet furr, Monkee did the post last week. As she likes to get a monthly “bark” at her furr friends, & those who are furr lovers. ;)

Still have my poor clothes stacked on my chair, as they haven’t fixed the leak in closet yet!!! GRRR! Monk says “Ruff Ruff” at them, as she likes to lay in that chair. :(

Strange, they say they don’t have the money to get it fixed right now... however they bought a 42“ TV, a new recliner, & 2 wing back chrs. Guess the store was giving them away, huh? Actually, they got the car & furniture on time, & the TV with a credit card. They do NOT know how to live on a budget, for a family, over run with debt, living paycheck to paycheck, & the possibility of her being laid off at any time... I feel this is ridiculous!

And then this wkend I find they’ve bought another car! Yeah, I guess Son did need a better one, but they already have DIL’s car (think it’s a 2008), then Son was driving a 95, Gdtr drives a 96, Gson #1 has a 95, now they got one more, reliable with a lot less miles for Son, so he got a 2006. He’ll let Gson #2 have his old one (he won't start driving till Jan). It’s a shame, sooo many cars & they’re too busy to take me anywhere. Lots of times a car is just sitting out there, but do you think they’ll offer to let me use it? No way, Jose! I’ve been driving 45 yrs & never had a wreck not even got a ticket. Not many people can say that!!! A few yrs back, Son had offered for me to use one, & DIL had a fit. :(

I went for my Neuro biyearly checkup. He’s changing my appts from every 6 mos to every 4 mos, because of my liver lab results. He wanted to lower a couple of my TN meds, but knows he can’t…as I’ve been in remission for 2 yrs now & changing those meds would likely throw be into a full flare.

Got the Mammo results & pap results, both are negative! PTL!

Saw a Surgeon last week, very nice man, I like him. He’s arranged for my surgery to be done on Fri 13th! I said “What? I hope that’s a good day”, to which he replied Fri 13th had always been his very best day! ;) He’s planning on doing it as a day surgery, but said for me to be prepared to stay an extra day or 2, due to my medical history. It’ll depend on how well I do after surgery.

He’s going to do the band aid type surgery, with 4 incisions. 1 above navel, & 3 up above that, & sltly to the right. I told him it was too bad he couldn’t do that one below my belly button instead of above. Then he could remove the old scar tissue from the Cancer surgery 2 yrs ago. He laughed & said he could do that, or at least try, he’d have to wait till he got me on table to see what he would be able to do. But, that he’d try. :) Yeah, boy... look out for me in a itsy bitsy, teeny weeny, yellow polka dot bikini, LOL! Oh, have lost 3 more lbs, not much, but then I think slow & steady is the best approach, plus I’m eating healthy, but not going hungry. :D

His staff was laughing at my accent, the nurse said I sound like a “country bumpkin”. That’s ok, I’m proud to be country, & proud that people can hear me talk, & know where I’m from. When I met the Dr, after a few words, he made a big smile, & said “a TX girl, aren’t you”. I get that sort of reaction all the time. Occ they think I'm from Carolina, but usually it's TX. hehehe

Will put Monkee 3 days of kibble, & water down...just in case. Then all Gsons have to do, is pickup her 'wee wee pad' once a day & put a fresh one down.

I have a nasty ole UTI, too. So, I started antibiotics for that, hope I can get it cleared up before surgery Fri.

DIL is having surgery on one of her feet. So, she’ll be out of commission for a few wks. Not sure if her entire family is coming for Thanksgiving as they usually do, or just her Mom & Dad.

Haven’t had many come by & sign up on my new blog, & only a few at my Tag Blog. But, maybe a few more will drift over at some point. Always have said, I’d rather have a few that were going to read my posts, than a whole lot that just deleted my updates. And as for the Tag Blog, I know not many use tags anymore, that’s why I made it separate.

Will not be posting again (except a Vets Day Tribute), till I get back & feel better. However will try to post a couple of lines on FB to let you know when I come home. Those looking for me there, just search for Sugar Sweets.

Don't forget to check yesterdays posting (Monk's Fav Link), it's one of the cutest videos I've seen. ROFLO!

Say a little prayer for me, or go by & light a candle (candle link is on my sidebar).

Be good to yourselves & ea other.

Huggies…

MONK'S FAV LINK...

2009-11-07T17:38:00.002-06:00

Monkee says "check THIS out".
The longer you watch it...the better it gets...ROFLOL!

THIS SAYS IT ALL!

2009-11-06T07:12:00.006-06:00

MONKEE’S NOV. POST

2009-11-04T15:24:00.008-06:00

Time for Monk to make herself known…LOL. I now turn the keyboard over to the capable paws of my little sidekick...

"Bow Wow, fellow furrs & furr lovers. It’s me, Miss Monkee. Wanted to let you all know, that we are officially at our new blog home. We’re missing ‘The Sugar Shack’, but will get used to it here, soon.

We are trying to use Live Writer, Mama says TY to Tabby for helping out. Not sure if we like it yet, but maybe just have to get used to it? Everyone else seems to likes it.

It’ll be Turkey Day before long, I hope to get a nice slice of turkey or even ham would be ok, I’m not Kosher. ;) Want to remind everyone to watch what foods you give your furrs, & what you might have sitting where they can get into…as lots of stuff is bad for us. And, please keep an eye on company, if your furr is not used to being around people, you might want to put them in a safe room(furrs not company lol) till the festivities are over. Then let them come in, & have a little holiday celebration with you. { }

Mama’s DIL, is having foot surgery on the 19th, so she’ll be home for 8 wks. But, after the first 2 wks, her work will allow her to work from home, so that’s good.

Mama went to see her Neuro Dr yesterday, no news there. But, she just got a call today, that the Surgeon will see her tomorrow to consult about removing her GB. She wanted me to tell you. I guess she’ll let you know what he says.

I had better go for this time, just wanted to say hi, give a big slurp, & wish you & your furrs a Happy Thanksgiving. Keep them paws up y’all, WOOF WOOF!"

HOW DO YOU LIKE MY NEW HOME?

2009-10-31T21:46:00.021-05:00

Been busy setting up my 2 new blogs, they're works in progress. LOL Hoping all works out with them! The font has been working ok here, till this post, then I had trouble with it. Had to post using largest sz, for you to be able to even read it. GRRR So, I don't know what's going to happen!!! Be sure to scroll down & read 1st post here, it's my 'welcome entry'. The other few posts, are old ones.

Not really much to report this past week. But, I guess no news is good news, huh?

Hoping everyone had a fun & safe Halloween/Harvest. And hoping the U.S. remembered to set their clocks back. ;)

We had no trick or treaters here, kinda sad, I love to see the little ones in their cute costumes. But, most here take their kids up to the town square, where it's a safe place for them to be.

Monkee & I went to Pet Smart Sat, to get her a new name tag, Gson #1 took us. She wore her Halloween bandana, bright orange nail polish, & enjoyed getting out. They gave her a treat too.

Then Sun morning, is my bi-monthly shopping trip to Wally World. Son will drive me, & drop me off, then pick me up later. Hope I get a cart & the battery doesn't die this time. LOL

When I went to see Dr R on 10/27th, found I had lost another 4 lbs. A total of 32 lbs in the past 3 1/2 mos. Woo Hoo! Dancing a little jig, my power chr is twirling in circles just thinking of it! LOL Those of you that follow me on Face Book, already know, as I post a few sentences there daily. She also said visual exam looked normal, will know more when my pap results come back. Got my Mammo results, nothing noted! Praising the Lord here, please shout "Hallelujah", with me. {}

I still haven't gotten an appt with a Surgeon, to get my Gall Bladder out. The pain attacks are happening more often, still not 'bad', but I don't relish it getting any worse. It takes so long to get an appt with a specialist, may have to end up going to the ER & getting who ever I can.

I go to see Dr M Tues, for my bi-yearly check up there. My TN is still in remission, but I still have to check in with him on a reg basis.

The closet leak still hasn't been fixed! So, all my clothes remain draped across my big chair, & my shoes are piled in the corner. :(

All for now, back next week with more of an update. Have a good week & be blessed.

(Good grief, this font is small, even with the 'largest' setting! Sorry, get your magnifying glass friends! LOL You may need one for some of my posts but I'm not letting my pc or blogspot beat me, not yet anyway. Also, you can highlight post then use ctrl/+ to enlarge print to readable sz for you, TY Mosie 'Donna' for that tip.)

Huggies...

MY YOUNGER SON & SUICIDE...

2009-10-30T14:54:00.013-05:00

My younger son was the kind of person, when he walked in a room, all noticed. All who met him liked him. He had SUCH a personality, was so much fun! He was kind & generous to a fault, a wonderful man. Loved God & family more than anything! He was 32 yo when he left this world in Sept 2004.

My gsons mother was the "true love" of my sons life. They were young & engaged, then she got pregnant & because of something with her parents they broke up...she moved away. He was always so hurt by not being there when his son was born or as he was growing up.
She came back & let us see him when he was only a few mos, then she was gone again. Later yrs she moved back.
By then my son had married a woman 10 yrs his senior, with a teen son, she'd make his life hell. He did get to see his son from time to time, but they were not close.

He had a dtr with his wife & this little girl was the light in his life. That's one reason it's been so difficult for me to believe he killed himself, he was a Christian & he loved his dtr more than life itself. They did everything together, were seldom apart. It was him that fed her , bathed her, dressed her, did her hair, everything a mother should have done.

But I know he was taking huge amts of pain pills due to the botched back surgery he'd had a couple yrs previously, & could hardly get around, plus he was miserable within his marriage.

Then that particular day, I had talked with him on the phone about 4pm, his wife came home while we were talking & started a huge "fight" with him, he was in sooo much pain. Lord only knows how many pain pills he had taken, so he finally decided to walk out, I thought he was leaving for a 'cooling off period', as he'd done many times before. He said bye to me, & hung up.

As he started to leave, she I heard her screaming at him he would never see his dtr again, she'd make sure of that! So, I guess, not thinking clearly, he got a gun, walked into the front yard, & shot himself in the head.

As he lay dying in the driveway, she called me on the phone screaming "he's killed himself, he shot himself in the head...I never thought he'd do that".
Anyway, after my son passed, the wife & I have only spoken a few times, the gdtr only phoned me a couple times & no cards or email. She's 10 now. So, I'm leaving that in God's hands...someday I know I'll get to see my gdtr again, when she's older & ready! Did talk with my gson a few times (he's 13 now).
However since mid 2005, less than a yr after the tragedy with my son, both mothers severed contact with me. They've moved with no forwarding & had phones disconnected. So, I can only leave it in God's hands...someday I believe I'll see them again. Maybe when they're ready.

MY DTR WHO DISAPPEARED FOR 18 YRS, HIV...

2009-10-30T14:48:00.009-05:00

My dtr has HIV/HEP C. She's doing fine, so far, so good. She's keeping her TCell count up, & keeping her weight up.

I worry about her eating & getting enough rest. She doesn't eat healthy foods & may just open a can of pork n beans & call it dinner! Sometimes she only gets a few hrs sleep, & I know she needs more rest. But she seems to be doing well. She's so happy since her wedding this last yr!

My dtr was born with minimal brain dysfunction & had an IQ of 75, meaning she'd be like a 12 yo as an adult. I was overprotective of her as a child...but as she reached her preteens I was working 2 jobs & not as attentive as I should have been.

I worked from 2pm-8am, when I was at home the kids were at school, & on wkends I was trying to run errands & catch up on 3 kids, along with preaching at Tent Revivals on Fri & Sat nights... church most of Sunday, just too much!

She ran away at 15, with a boy she met at school. (he & his father got her into drugs & the life that went with it)

I found out then that my husband had been sexually abusing her for 2 yrs!!!! He was always an extremely abusive husband to me & indifferent to the kids except to yell at them, but I had no ideal this was going on. Because of my religious beliefs I had stayed with him & tried to work on our marriage, but when I found this out I left & divorced him!

Tried to have him put in jail, but the laws back then where different, & they needed her to face him, & accuse, & she couldn't.

Anyway, she had ran away, I searched for yrs, but it wasn't till 18 yrs later...my younger son was driving down the road & saw her...she was walking to catch a bus.

She's back now, but has had such a tragic life...there's been rapes, drug usage, having 3 babies & them being taken from her & adopted out, her suicide attempts, all her added mental problems, that she was left for dead in a ditch when she was 21, homeless many times. I could go on & on...I cry to think of all she's been through.

She's still the most gentle, giving, & trusting person I know.

UPDATE: March 2010, her HIV status has now changed to AIDES. Please pray for her.

ABOUT MY ABUSIVE 2ND MARRIAGE, & LOSS OF A BABY...

2009-10-30T14:44:00.004-05:00

I had a lovely first husband, a God fearing man...we married in our teens, after knowing ea other from School & Church for several yrs.

Our honeymoon was spent on a Ministry to Africa for 6 mos. He became ill while we were there (Malaria) & I became pregnant...shortly after we came home he went to be with his Lord. Our son was born a few mos later.

I was a widow @ 18 with a new baby. I busied myself as a new Mom & started classes to become ordained, while staying with my Mother & Step Dad.

2 yrs later I met another seemingly nice man at Church, we married after knowing ea other for 4 mos. He was kind, gentle, loving, & a good step father to my son, but he was extremely jealous.
I was called on a Ministry to Honduras, he decided to stay home with my son...(actually for his mistress but I didn't know that at the time)...they stayed with my Mother & Step Father during my 6 mos absence. When I returned all was still well, but I noticed he was becoming more controlling.

There was another Mission coming up to The Philippines...we went together as a family. He was getting rougher with me & starting to yell at my son. When we returned, we were blessed with 2 toddlers (an AA son & Japenese/French dtr).

He was very cruel acting towards the children...yelling & hard spankings, we would get into violent arguments about almost anything & everything...he became physical with me.

Over the next few yrs, he had multiple affairs, I was beaten many times, suffered broken bones, black eyes, was choked, shot at with a shot gun, stabbed in the arm, & even had a baby girl beaten out of me when I was almost 7 mos pregnant. He kicked me repeatedly in the stomach...we had no phone, I lay on the floor in labor, till my older son (who was about 10 or so) came downstairs hrs later & ran next door to call the ambulance.

My precious little girl was stillborn only seconds after arriving at the Emergency Room, they never even gave her to me to hold...they wrapped paper towels around her & put her in a trash can & set it on the floor!!!!!! All I got to see was a beautiful lil face with lots of thick black hair. I named her Mercy Angelic, never even got to have a funeral for her. The hosp took her.

It was after losing my baby girl I decided to go to Nursing School, so I'd have a profession to fall back on. I already had the basics, just needed the nursing part.

Then a few yrs later when I found out he had been sexually abusing my dtr...I finally walked out!
People have asked me, why did you stay with a man so hard on you & your kids? I wish I hadn't, but at the time...I had no money, did not know about Welfare & State Aid or Shelters for Women, the only thing I knew was preaching & that did not bring in enough money to support a family. My Mom & her husband were having their own problems so I knew I couldn't go to them. Plus I wanted so badly to save my marriage, I prayed so hard for God to change him, I had taken vows & wanted to keep them!

But after getting my Nursing license I knew I could make it, scary as it would be...then when I discovered his sexual abuse to my dtr, I finally said NO MORE!

If there is any woman reading this, involved in an abusive relationship...please learn from me...don't wait, get out. Go to a Shelter, if you have relatives, or friends...go there, do something! Financially you can make it, get help from AFDC.

Do not stay with an abusive man...God wants us to be happy, he wants us to honor our vows...but not at the expensive of living in an abusive situation! Do not think you can change the man or the situation, if it hasn't happened by now, doubtful it will. Take it to God in prayer, then pack what you can & get the hell out!

So, that's it! Have never met any one since that I wanted to be involved with. For many yrs I thought I would never care for a man again. But in later yrs I've grown to wish I had a good man, some one to grow old with, a companion to the end.

But, it looks like that is not in God's plan for me. I even tried Match.com a couple yrs back, & with all those 1,000's of men...they all said they wanted someone younger & much thinner! A few were interested...but only for a night of sex!!! As if! Well, I canceled my subscription there!

Enough on that subject!

ABOUT MY DISABILITES... ETC...

2009-10-30T14:31:00.019-05:00

Some of my disabilities are linked to my weight but others are not. If I could lose 100-200 lbs, it'd help with several of my ailments.

I have DJD (OA) affecting my back, hips, left arm & shoulder, Knees, & starting in my right arm...it's worse in my knees, they're swollen 3 times the sz they should be, disfigured, with bone rubbing against bone, the cartilage is gone, sounds like bubble wrap...I'm not a candidate for surgery at this time. I use a walker or motorized wheel chair, to get around.

I also had polio as a young child, leaving me with severe tremors in my right arm/hand, making it hard to write or use pc...have to place left hand over right to keep it from shaking while using the mouse, & type with my left hand! I'm right handed, wouldn't ya know! (Takes me a long time to get an entry out!) Also circulatory problems with my hands, & Carpel Tunnel in my right wrist. Bad eyesight (REALLY BAD).

Psoriasis. Insomnia. Herniated disc in my lower back causing lots of pain unable to stand or sit for very long at a time, caused from a fall in '86. A birth defect of lower spine. Hypertension. High Cholesterol. Morbid obesity (more than 100 lbs. over weight). Depression. Plantar fascitis both heels. Neuropathy top of both feet & ankles. Thyroid removed due to tumors.

I have an "unhealed" ORIF of my left elbow, that happened in '92, they inserted pins but it never healed right, so I have to wear a brace on that arm most of the time to prevent further injury. An old rotator cuff tear & other muscles, tendons, & etc injuries preventing me from lifting my left arm more than shoulder high.

And Migraines.

And I have a rare disorder/disease called Trigeminal Neuralgia, they don't know why I have it, how I got it, but there's no cure. Had it about 12 yrs now. I do have bouts of remission...which I am sooo thankful for. This disorder is said to be the most painful disorder/disease to affect mankind! And Lord knows I believe it!

It affects the right side of my face, feels like a hot iron being pressed on my face, electric shocks to my upper lip & corner mouth, stabbing with an ice pick type pain in my lower & upper gums & inner ear, along with a slight electric current in my eye. Anything can trigger an attack, wind blowing against my face, the jolt of any movement, trying to eat or even drink, just anything. Unable to talk during these times, have learned to use a modified sign language & carry a pen /paper. When I'm having a full blown attack the way I eat is to pour a little crushed Jalepenos & juice in my mouth to help deaden the nerve endings a bit, & eat one time a day. Stuffing down as much soft foods as I can eat, knowing it'll be another day before I can eat again. You'd think I'd lose weight, LOL. Have had most of my teeth pulled as a result of being unable to brush them & having gum disease. I'm so glad of the times I'm in remission! These attacks can last for a few hrs, days, weeks, or mos at a time. The longest I've had, lasted 3 mos of pure unbearable debilitating pain. The pain is so bad that I have been known to claw & dig into my flesh, pull my hair out, hit myself hard with my fists, scream, freeze unable to move, even pass out. But mostly, I just moan loudly & ball my fists up, while tears are streaming down my face. During an attack the right side of my face turns red & droops slightly, the whites of my eyes turn red & my eyes swell almost shut. Sometimes a migraine will accompany the attack. I take several meds to help control it & they give me Morphine for the attacks, but it doesn't help. It's hard to find anything to help with nerve pain. There are a few procedures, but they have very bad side effects & usually don't last too long. I had the #1 procedure done a few yrs back, but I was one of the 25% it didn't work on! And it's really hard to find a good Neurologist...most know of this disorder, but have never had a patient with it, & want to treat me like a guinea pig. This disorder is reported to have more suicides (from inability to take the pain) than any other in the world.

UPDATES:

Then, in MARCH 2007 I was diagnosed with ST2 uterine cancer, on 3/29/07 I had a radical hysterectomy. Will cont to fight, & with an angel at my side, I'll win!

FALL 2009 I came down with Fatty Liver Disease, to which they tell me is headed towards Nonalcoholic Cirrhosis. I must lose weight to combat this nasty disease, it'll shrink the fat pockets in my liver & give me a better chance. The Dr wants me to have a gastric bypass or lapband. But, due to several reasons, I'll try & lose this on my own.
Winter 2009 Have lost about 40 lbs in past 4 mos! Not a huge amt, but steady. If I can cont, I should be much healthier by Fall of next year!!!
March 2010 have lost a total of 65 lbs, still a long way to go.

Feb 2010 no longer able to write at all, must sign with an X & have a witness.

Summer 2007 Lymphedema started both ankles & feet, diagnosed in 2009. Conts 2010. 20011 Lipoedema in both ankles & knees, also right thigh, Dr states small amounts in hips & stomach too.

MARCH 2010 something discovered behind my right eye, they're not sure what yet. Could be benign or malignant.

Jan 2011 have now discovered "tumors" in my stomach???

Well, I think that's about it, I may have left something out, but think I touched the major boo boos in my life.

Please know I do not feel sorry for myself or hate that all this has happened to me, I just take life as it's given to me. Grateful to God for every minute! There's many people out there far worse off than me & my prayers go out to them.

WELCOME TO MY NEW "BLOG"...

2009-10-30T14:24:00.014-05:00

Font seems to be working ok, 'seems to be', we'll see.

Welcome to all my old friends, who've decided to follow me (& Monk) to our new home...& to new friends, who've just arrived.

Yep, my 'journal' is now a 'blog'. LOL

I hope to cont to make wkly updates on my life.

Furrs & furr lovers, watch for Monkee's monthly posts, too. As she howls at the thought of being left out. hehehe

And FB friends, cont to follow my dly scribbles there. ;)

So, happy you've joined us. The first four posts will be old ones, to let everyone know more about me, I tried to update them slty, to make them more current.

And remember, I also have a tag blog, so visit me there too...link on sidebar.

Let me know if you experience any problems while here.

Hope you click on the 'follow me' taggie on the side bar. Here we go, off to the races, LOL.