Busy Days

What a day, what a week this has been!

Now, if I can remember it. 

I did a lot of things this week including finishing two rag quilts, throw size, putting them in the washer to fray them and ruining the pump.  

You think I would learn.  Sigh.

So, I have been doing no laundry most of the week, which came to a crisis this evening necessitating a visit to the laundromat so Jim has jeans and we both have underwear for the morrow.  

I thought we could make it but the weekend and holiday intervened and the new pump didn't come in today.  It will come in tomorrow.  

I celebrated getting those quilts done (before the pump died) by cleaning my sewing area and getting all my mending and altering done and starting to repair a quilt top I found in my grandma's quilting things after she died.  

Cute pincushion handmade and given to me by a dear friend. 

I've been weeding in my flower gardens and not knitting because my wrist has been hurting.  We have been restructuring our flower gardens to reduce the size. I haven't been able to keep up.  We got the first stage done yesterday. 

It's been raining about everyday.  Not very much, but enough to put a damper on any outside plans.  I made a plan for our family to meet at the farm to have a picnic on Memorial Day.  The weather report showed chances of rain and storms for every day through the weekend.  I remembered then that anytime I ever make plans for Memorial Day it rains, so I wasn't too sure if we would end up with a picnic at the farm or in my living room.   

When I was a kid we went to put flowers on the graves of my dad's family.  It turned into a mini family reunion/picnic in the town where my dad grew up.  It wasn't a tradition in my mom's family or in Jim's.  We go up to his folk's graves every few years when it's not raining.  The most successful time we had was when we decided in the morning, "Let's go pick some flowers and run up to Broken Bow." And we did.  It was cloudy that day, but it wasn't raining. 

So, I spent a lot of time getting ready for that picnic, cooking and packing because we were going to a place with no running water, no power, and 45 minutes from home.  

I forgot several things, including the hotdogs, a long handled turner, something to serve the burgers and brats, plastic ware, napkins and cups, relish, ranch dressing and heavy duty rags.

I did have plates, paper towels, water (for washing and drinking), and a son and a daughter that left later than we did and was able to bring the things I remembered, which was the table service.

We duct taped the dessert server to marshmallow skewer/roaster thingy so we could turn the burgers.

I looked up what to call the things you roast marshmallows on, and one site just calls it a stick, metal, wood whatever, a stick. 

We had perfect weather and and we had a really good time.  We kept watch on the weather, which meant someone walking to the top of the hill or standing on the cab of the pickup.  As it got later, we packed most everything up.  When the dark clouds started rolling in at sunset, we packed up the rest and drove home.  I'm going to do another blog post for that day because I have lots of photos I want to use.  

I thought I would put one on here from the day for everyone's entertainment. 

A Little Bit Squirrelly

It is still Tuesday, but I nearly forgot to blog.  

I had a busy weekend.  We attended funerals both Saturday and Sunday.  One was far enough away we spent a night at my folks in order to get there in time.  

I didn't know these people terribly well, but I knew the ones they were connected to.  

When Jim's father died, the family went out after the rest of the congregation filed past the casket.  I was moved by all those who came to stand by at that time.  

The funeral isn't for the dead, it's for the living.  

And I want to be there for them, whenever I can. 

So, then I was busy after we came home, unpacking, getting small projects done, working in the flower garden, potting the plants we bought on our trip and buying more when I didn't have enough.  

There was grocery shopping and knitting group today.  

And laundry.  And cooking.  And office work. 

I'm glad when I feel like working and get lots done.

I went to see what photos were lying in wait in my camera to use in this week's blog and I had this one of Barry and I taken especially because I have photos with the other boys (see last week's blog).

We like to watch the birds come to this new feeder that our son got Jim for his birthday.  However, the squirrels like it too.  I watched him scamper down a thin branch close to the feeder, lean over and hop on.  So, Jim cut off the branches.  Today I saw him climb down the wire that the feeder hangs on.  I have also seen the grackles chase this squirrel off the feeder and out of the tree. It doesn't deter this creature at all and the feeder is empty again. 

My daughter and her husband made an enormous batch of banana bread and we got some. 

Wasn't that nice?  And the package is so nicely decorated.  

I stole this photo from facebook.  I suppose it is really sharing since it is my daughter's photo and her kids.  When they are with me, I keep busy getting down toys and games for them, playing with them, feeding them, and all the other things that go with having small crazy people in the house, that I don't have time to take many photos. 

Library day. 

Quote of the Week:

"A parent's job is basically a daily struggle to help a crazy person stay alive."

Life Happens Everyday

May has been an extremely busy month and we are only half-way through.  We've had memorials, graduations, doctor's appointments, kids moving in and out, company, concerts, and birthdays. I'm also working on a knitting and a sewing project. And we had a garage sale. Besides, all this the people around here think they need to eat every day and have clean clothes so I still have to do all the rest of the usual life things.  

I decided there should be more photos of me out there so we have a few today.  

Zane, spring concert. 

Christian, birthday gifts from Auntie. 

Three years old. 

He still thinks he's my boy, and I love it.  

I just love this photo, who wouldn't? 

I think this boy had a pretty good haul. 

That C-boy of ours is a real sweetie at the moment.  Several of us chipped in for his big present, that kitchen set which he loves.  We have way too many dishes for our own kitchen set so I wrapped up some for Christian and handed him the gift when we got to their house.  

He took it and said, "This is for me?", just like he wasn't expecting presents.  

It melted my heart.  He was so happy and smiling and thankful for all his gifts.

There is another new thing going on in our house.  Jim has been suffering from plantar fasciitis for some months and the pain has become simply untenable.  So, we went to the doctor and besides the usual things like exercises, ice and painkillers (the first two aren't happening) and the unusual thing is the boot.  The idea behind the boot is to keep the foot straight so the muscle doesn't stretch and 

re-inflame.  In the few days he's had this boot it seems like it is making a difference, especially with the lack of sleep at night.  

However, his heel is some better and he is getting used to sleeping with the boot. 

Three and a Half Years

...and counting.

I went to Omaha today.  Not that it's such earth-shattering news since we go there about once a month.  This trip was to see my oncologist and (thankfully) get another examination and "come back in 6 months" report, because everything looks just fine.  I like this doctor.  He asks about a lot of other things that might be going on in my life and how I'm handling them, not just if I have any possible cancer recurrence symptoms.

This visit was different than all the other ones because the scope they use to look in my sinuses is now connected to a screen so the doctor is doing his work looking at the screen instead of through the scope.  I got a change to see what the inside of my sinuses looks like.  It looks like a great big hole.  I was interested in seeing what the condition of the skin looked like in there.  Since the radiation there it is rather unstable, slow healing skin.  

My doctor always has his PA or a resident examine me first.  I like this because they are always interested and bring up things I haven't thought about.  This one remarked that my mouth didn't open very wide.  I knew that of course, and it was brought home to me in a real way this month after my second mastoidectomy when the dental hygienist couldn't get the x-ray thingys in my mouth.  I could not open my mouth wide enough. The muscles have loosened up a little since then and it is better now.  When I went back again for the x-rays they got those things in with a lot of work.  My mouth didn't open wide enough to bite a banana before that last surgery, and after surgery it was worse.  I think it is going back to it's previous size, which still isn't very wide.  

Radiation damages muscles and creates scar tissue which makes those muscles tighter which is why my mouth doesn't open like it used to.  

There are so many things that change after having chemo and radiation.  They are really drastic treatments that can take away a lot of what you had before.  

The main thing it took from me is the cancer, and I can deal with the rest of it.  

I have a different body to deal with and some things are annoying and difficult, but I would still choose this over the alternative.  

Life is still full of many joys, not the least of which are three little boys.  

They love to feed the chickens.

Zane and tee-ball. 

It's Thursday Today

I'm sitting here in my favorite spot on the couch, blogging on Thursday and watching contractors tear part of the neighbors house apart.  

I have a good excuse for not blogging on Tuesday.  

I was in a rental crossover thingy driving to a memorial service 5 hours away with 3 grandkids and their mama.  

We would have taken this trip in my daughter's van except in the eleventh hour it decided it didn't want to go and we had to scramble for a new plan which resulted in the rental.

Those boys are really good travelers, only in the very last hour on the way home did they express their extreme tiredness of the trip.

I have more things to do this week than I can get done, literally.  Some things are just not going to get done and house-members and visitors are just going to have to adjust. 

I missed two days with this trip.  Lynette has moved home for two days to wash, sort and pack before she moves into her first apartment.  

I will want to see said apartment and perhaps take some photos.  

I have visitors coming this weekend (not for the whole weekend).

A garage sale is planned for next weekend.

A new month has started which means business bills need to be paid and accounts need to be balanced.

The basement is an absolute disaster with packing, sorting and garage sale mess (plus the normal mess that I was planning to take care of last winter) scattered around.

There is a denim quilt partly sewn that is lying on the floor in pieces.

Resting has to be done or I won't enjoy any of the rest of the week.

Meals have to be cooked, clothes need to be washed, all those little things that seem to roost on flat surfaces have to be put away.  

One guest room still needs to be put in order.

Today, then, I decide what are the most important things to do and what things will just have to wait.

As of right now, the rental is returned, the most important business stuff in taken care of.  The laundry is in.  Supper is leftovers.  

What is left to do is make a path through the basement and order the guest room.  

The rest of the things will get done as I have strength and time. 

Pictures for the week

 Early Mother's Day gift from my oldest daughter!

Barry picked out the lovely blue dish.

A glimpse into the neatest part of the basement with quilt and background of the play area.  

Blogging and resting are the same thing in my book.

Blogging on Wednesday (Instead of Tuesday)

 I forgot to blog on Tuesday.  

Of course, this blog is really being written for my convenience not readers so that shouldn't really matter.  I was supposed to be testing myself to see if I could hold to a schedule and since a couple weeks ago I blogged on Monday, and this week I'm blogging on Wednesday, that isn't working very well at the moment.  

All I remember about yesterday is that we were expecting an enormous storm that was going to blow us off the map, which thankfully didn't turn out to be as bad as it might have been and we just got rain.  2 inches overnight and another 0.40" today.  

I wasn't feeling very well that day either.  I think I knitted too much when I should have been up and doing.  

We've been doing some outside work.  Saturday, Jim and I cleaned up a little spot in back of the shop to finish his tree planting project.  I planted spinach and Jim planted another two rows of sweet corn.  It doesn't take very long the way he does it.  

I had the boys Friday for a bit and it was the most gorgeous day of the whole week.  I don't have very many photos.  Those boys keep me running so I don't have time to take any.  They played the whole time in our sand circle (where the pool used to be) while I pulled the weeds out of it.  We have a little sit-upon excavator toy and we didn't have any fights over it.  Luckily they all took turns with that, the sand, the rocks, the digger, and the 'heavy equipment', aka Tonka toys.  

Our apple trees are easy to climb and I wish I had a photo of Zane way up in the far apple tree.  Christian was so nearly into this one.

Barry was having so much fun just swinging.  Those are Barry's legs. 

And here comes Zane for his turn on this tree. 

I thought our new front step area would be a good place to take a photo of all this boys.  It is a good place and they were surprisingly compliant.  

I had the 'little boys' this morning since their mama had orientation for her Occupational Therapy Assistant program she starts in the fall.  Due to time constraints, and previous plans, I drove up to her place through the rain and after breakfast and a change of clothes, we drove back to Gramma's through the same rain and made a mess of the inside of the house instead of playing outside.  I can't remember one thing we did except get out the Fisher Price house, the Lincoln logs, the playmobil, the lego game, Blokus, and Outburst in-between drinking chocolate milk, roasting marshmallows in the fireplace and making pancakes for lunch.  I think Christian played with the house for a little bit and eventually they brought the doll strollers upstairs to push babies for two minutes, So, then we had to put all the un-played with toys away again when mama came.  

Thankfully, their disinterest in playing with the toys came before any of the boxes were dumped, so that wasn't a very big job.

It's supposed to rain some more this week.  

Time is too slow for those who wait, 

too swift for those who fear, 

too long for those who grieve, 

too short for those who rejoice, 

but for those who love...Time is ETERNITY

It's Wet Out There

I've just come from looking at another friend's blog.  She loves Mondays.  I do too.  It started back in the day when Monday was payday.  I could get my money in order for the week and it felt good.  Now, payday is later in the week, and Monday is usually my busiest day because I get all fired up to get lots of things done and often do them.  It seems like my plan is to work hard, especially with the business side of things earlier in the week, crash and burn, then rest on Thursday and Friday, with a rekindling on Saturday, another rest on Sunday and I'm back in the harness on Monday to start all over again. 

It rained here.  Saturday.  ALL DAY.

It's a good thing really.  We have been very dry.  The wind has been blowing every day.  One day we had 50 mph winds and the dust blowing off the construction sites created 'brown outs'.  I didn't hang out the sheets I washed because even if they would have stayed on the line, they would have been full of dust.  So, we were happy for the rain.  It was one of those nice soaking rains that really did some good.  I went out Saturday to do some errands and on my way stopped to get the mail and the rain blew some drops into my ear.  I didn't realize the wind would blow the rain in my open window so fiercely and my immediate thought was, "Oh, no, I'm not supposed to get water in my ear!"

I worried all day, thought my ear felt wet, imagined all sorts of scenarios: would I get an infection, a fungus, how soon should I go to the doctor?  At the end of the day, we puffed in some of my leftover fungicide powder that if not effective as a medicine should succeed in drying up any water.  

It seems to have worked.  

I think I need to protect that ear when I go out from rain and dust.  Not that we will likely see rain again for awhile.  We got 6+" over two days and that is about half of our annual rainfall.  

(Well, not really, but it seems like it.)

Sunday was Jim's birthday.  My folks came to visit and we had most of the family over for supper that night to eat and talk and distribute gifts.  

Zane and Barry colored pictures for cards for Papa, but Christian had a bad day and didn't make one.

We've been trying for a few weeks to burn this great big pile of trees and stuff.  The first time Jim tried to get a burn permit was the last time we had snow on the ground, but was refused because it was supposed to get windy, it didn't.

That rankled in his soul for the days after so he went right down today and got his desired permit.  Today is a good day because it rained (and rained, and rained some more), so it was too wet to be in danger of spreading and to wet to do any underground construction work.  

It was a bit hard to get it started.  Jim used some dry boards from the shop.

Fire starting on a foggy morning. 

Then the sun came out. 

The fire burns. 

The fire dies down and the clouds come up. 

I'm glad that eyesore is out of our line of vision.

And, I'm still waiting on news for implant surgery.

And in honor of tax day:

Learning New Things

One thing that happens weekly is a visit from Lorene and the two little boys, since Zane is in school.  Lorene left them with me for a hour while she was off and those boys must have had spring fever, since they were inside and outside and wanting to play one game for 5 minutes, and then another game for 5 minutes, then perhaps this toy would be the right thing....and on and on.  

I let them spray my plants with a little hand sprayer and that was the biggest mistake because then they went on to the windows and the kitchen floor, which is all well and good because they were all cleaner than when they started, but since they were willing enough to help wipe at first, that idea was much less appealing that running around spraying things.  I finally shoved them outside and they could spray anything out there except the windows.  

Before Lorene left Barry brought up my small stepladder from the basement,  (how he can manage that since it is taller than he is I don't know), with the intent of get the marshmallows I keep on the top shelf.  He can't get up there so I got the marshmallows and during this time the timer on the microwave rang to remind me I had clothes in the washer, but I forgot them because Christian grabbed the microwave door which didn't open and he was pulling it toward the edge of the counter! (He was on the stepladder.) Lorene jumped as only a mother can when her child is in danger and in the kerfluffle an egg full of glitter left over from Lynette's senior Spanish class crashed to the floor and we had glitter all over.  I was glad to be done with the thing floating around.  Poor Christian thought he was in trouble, but we were just all excited over the microwave incident.  

I'm sweeping up the mess while the boys finished their ice cream cones.  This was the first time they've ever eaten ice cream this way, so Lorene had to help them out by showing them how to take a bite and pretty soon they were all gone!

There is no much cuter than a little boy with a flower for his gramma.  One time while the kids were outside that morning, I was in the basement attending to the forgotten laundry when I saw Christian running full tilt to the house with something in his hand.  I went back upstairs so he could find and he held out his dandelion (with a long stem) for me.  I put it with the other flowers on my counter.  

I transplanted these dutch irises last year and I'm so pleased with the way they are thriving.  There were some of my favorite spring flowers when I was a kid and I took some roots of Mom's when I had a place of my own to plant them.

Yesterday I took a trip to Omaha again.  This time it wasn't because I had an infection.  This time it was because it actually looked like I would be able to have that BAHA evaluation done at last.  I was scheduled to have the evaluation done two months ago, but I had that horrible swelling mastoid infection and surgery instead.

The evaluation consisted of finding a foundation hearing level in my left ear by blocking sound in the right ear by putting noise in it.  In the first test I pushed a button when I could hear sounds; in the second test I was supposed to repeat words.  I couldn't hear half the words so I knew I wasn't doing well on that test.  

The next part of the test the audiologist put a headband type thing where the transmitter rests on the bone behind my ear and the other end just rest on the other side of my head.  Then I go through the same tests again, beeps and words and I did a much better job.  The audiologist said I improved from 50% to 88% using that headband which makes me a good candidate for the bone anchored hearing aid (BAHA).  As long as she kept the headband on my head could hear her speak plainly, but when she took it off, I was back to hearing the way I always do, like my head is covered in a pillow. 

The next step is to schedule surgery to have the titanium rod inserted into the bone.  But, first they have to talk to the insurance company.  

I'm reading this book.  I was interested because I was sure this massacre was mentioned in Janice Holt Giles book, "Six-Horse Hitch" a fictionalized novel the includes the Overland Trail, that ran a stage coach and freight lines.  It is basically a compilation of newspaper articles, personal stories from witnesses, stories that came from ancestors, investigations of the site and other historical articles  and insights that relate to the surrounding area and times.  

The next thing that is going to happen on this computer is that Windows 10 is going to install whether I want it to or not.  It's happening either because the mouse I use has a side button that clicks things sometimes that I don't want clicked or else I had 'automatic updates' clicked on my computer and windows is now automatically updating it and I can't stop it.  My computer guy thinks that latter is what is going on.  I will have 30 days to reverse it if I choose.  It will all depend on if my business accounting software will still work with Windows 10 installed.  

Arrgh.  

However, I don't see any little windows open and ready to pounce, so who knows?

Thoughts for the day:

"When your values are clear to you, making decisions comes easier." -- Roy Disney

"Although no one can go back and make a brand new start, anyone can start from now and make a brand new ending." -- Carl Bard

Knit-Knacks

Umm...

This week, I knitted.  

And crocheted.  

And knitted some more.

And hung clothes on the line, and started a new resolution, work in the flower garden at least 15 minutes a day.  I've done it twice.  

My flower gardening at this time of year usually consists of 15 minutes of actual labor and then pushing my garden cart full of garden trash to the far corner of our property, dumping in and pushing it back.  I got really puffed out this afternoon.  

I'm also should not try to blog in the evening since I'm too tired to think about anything entertaining.  

So, I stole my daughters' photos from facebook because they are about people I like.

Zane

Humidity turns into curls.

Barry 

Christian 

Zane looks way older than I think he should. 

Christian 

These boys, while full of beans at home know how to behave at a restaurant.  Their last visit, Lorene and Aaron were complimented by two older couples about the behavior of their kids.  

Jim is working on his dad's John Deere B.  

I celebrated my birthday again with this lovely friend of mine.  Not only did she feed me lunch, she gave me some really neat Pioneer Woman stuff. 

P.S.  Tuesday, April 5, 2016

Obviously I shouldn't blog in the evening since I can't even remember what day it is.  I blogged Monday, not Tuesday.  

Family Time

Earlier this week I was feeling a desire to blog about our trip to Iowa, Wisconsin and Minnesota, but I think a virus has taken residence in my body and all my desire has flown out the window.  

We did have a very nice time at the Gathering of the Green looking at the the displays and the parts and merchandise for sale. Jim attended several workshops that were about the kind of restoration he plans to do and I attended a craft workshop and a brain energy workshop and spent the rest of the time sitting in the ladies hospitality room knitting and talking to women in there, wandering around  buying things and taking pictures.  

We had a very nice time visiting Jim's sisters and seeing some people we haven't seen for a very long time.  It's rather a pain to have to worry about what I eat, to the extent that people ask what I can and can't eat.  I can really eat most anything except very dry and spicy foods.  Food that has acid doesn't work either.  It does make it easier when people do that for me, but I can eat most normal sort of food that people cook.  

This weekend we went to my folks because it has become a tradition for me to celebrate my birthday with them.  It isn't very often close to the day but we get together in March sometime to eat corned beef and cabbage, and strawberry pie for my birthday meal.  This year on my birthday I was in Minnesota and Dad was in San Diego, so we got together the next weekend.  

I love big old houses--Davenport Iowa.

View in Wisconsin. We've had way too many cloudy days in March. 

Birthday present from Jim.   

Second stop.

Stone wall in Wisconsin. 

I refuse to be cold. I think since I am over 50 I can indulge myself with comfort. 

For my coffee loving friends.  There is tea in there. 

52 years old, this day.  

Como Conservatory in St. Paul. 

The Sunken Garden 

Bonsai.

Whereas in the USA, displays are groups in threes, Japan prefers two, and a great difference in size. 

There is a zoo there, too.  This horrible thing is rather like a legless salamander.

And lavender. Ick.

We came home by way of Mankato.  The author of the 'Betsy-Tacy' books, lived in the yellow house.  Her books are highly fictionalized stories of her life, but the setting is the one she grew up in.  The white house is where 'Tacy' lived.  It was a real thrill to see that the geography of the place matched her description. 

March 24th.  Snow and tulips.  

Resolutions? What resolutions?