Now, this is funny! I don't care what you say!

Love it!

Divine intervention!

We got yet another good report from Dad's oncologist today and we get two months before we have to go back. X-ray still has the place that was there last time, but it looks exactly the same and he thinks it's nothing to warrant further exploration. Dad was relieved as was I. I don't know how long we can continue to get these excellent reports because we were told from the beginning that this type of cancer was incurable, but treatable. He was just thrilled with the garden this morning because of the very beneficial rain it got last night. He said  it grew a lot. I didn't go look at it today because I didn't have on my garden attire and didn't want to muddy my shoes.

Update #2!

No fever today as of yet. If it hasn't raised its ugly head by now, it probably won't. Strange stuff to have fever high enough to cause chills one day and nothing the next! My energy is still non existent and lower back pains persist. I am pretty much worthless!

Update!

Something overtook my whole being...chills and fever came! Exactly the same thing as a few months ago when nothing showed up in any of the tests I had at the doc's office. He gave me an antibiotic then, so I am taking it again. Fever broke last night and I have none now, but as I recall, last time it came back with a vengeance every afternoon for a few days last time. When I say with a vengeance, I am serious. The fever goes high enough that I have to turn off all AC and fans and get under an electric blanket while shivering intensely.

Tomorrow I have to take Dad to the oncologist, so I have to be well. My brother has a big day filled with lots of stuff, so he will not be available to take Dad. I guess if we have to, we can change the appointment, but I don't want to because Dad doesn't feel well. So there, illness....GO AWAY! I'm too busy!

I guess I know now why I didn't hit a lick yesterday. After working in the garden Friday morning, stopping by a local pizzeria for some lunch, and going home to rest before going out to eat catfish....I was downed with stomach pains. They didn't go away, so I opted out of going to dinner and felt hungry and OK on Saturday....even went to McDonald's early and got their big breakfast....ate it all and went back to bed. No more stomach pains, but I still didn't feel very good. Today, got up, went to early church and Sunday School, then to the annual Tastes of Minden put on by the Chamber of Commerce. Back home for nap time, but the pains started again, but this time including lower back pain...as in kidneys! I took aspirins and found some antibiotics and started taking them. Still have some minor pain and discomfort. Guess that explains why I didn't move much yesterday....something is WRONG!

I got nuthin'!

I got everything in the garden tilled yesterday. Once again I didn't have to call my bro to start the tiller for me. I love tilling the soil and making the garden look so pretty.

Today I have not hit a lick. Slept most of the day and just had zero energy. The only thing I did was drive to the Wal Mart parking lot to buy a Lion's Club Charbroiled chicken dinner. It was too dry to eat, so I struck out on lunch, but donated to the Lion's Club.

My contribution to Earth Day!

Metal butterflies!!!!!!

Dumbness revealed....Atlas Shrugged!

When I went to a Tea Party protest last week, I saw several "Where is John Galt?" signs. I must admit I had no idea who John Galt was, but it didn't take me long to find out after I got home. He is a character in the Ayn Rand book, Atlas Shrugged. I have never read the book, probably due to its enormous size. While watching Tea Party coverage on TV, I saw several references to John Galt and Atlas Shrugged. Being the curious person that I am.... plus not wanting to look absolutely stupid, I researched the book and now have it in my stack of books to read. From what I can derive, it is all about the complete fall of Capitalism. Now I see the relevance because that's exactly where the USA is headed. We are on the road to destruction! I smell the wild blueberry muffins in the oven and my book is waiting. Muffins for dinner! YUM!

Too wet to plow....

It was too wet to plow at the garden today, but it wasn't too wet to mow. I got on the lawn mower and started mowing. My brother and sister-in-law usually do this on two mowers and get it done quickly. One person takes about 3 hours of solid mowing. When my brother drove down the road and saw me mowing, he came over on his mower and helped me finish. Now everything  there looks so pretty. I love a fresh mowed lawn. Mom and Dad went to some senior function at their church and weren't home when I left, but they will see that everything is all mowed and blown clean. Dad won't be able to see it, but Mom will. His eyesight won't even allow him to see that. It's sad!

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What a great day!

Nothing makes me happier than having a yard to keep all pretty with flowers. Today being the absolute perfect day for yard work, I started early in my yard planting my yearly caladiums. All 75 of them are in the ground now and I expect that they will really show off this summer. They always do. In fact, I am known as the yard with the caladiums in my hood. My friend, who owns a garden shop recommended Carolyn Wharton's for my yard because they tolerate the oppressive heat better than others. The last 2 years, I planted this variety and it did well, so I used it again this year.

I spent the entire morning in the yard just doing various chores and already twice this morning people have stopped by to compliment me on my beautiful yard. Yep, I love it! I just went and bought some more flowers, but I think that will be a job for tomorrow. I'm used up already this day!! I also have some metal, colorful butterflies ordered to put on my wooden fence.

Random nothingness!

I'm still here!  I guess I've been on an extended coffee break. Just didn't realize so many days had gone by without posting something. Can't use the "busy" excuse because that's not the case. A couple of days of rain kept me a bit on the lazy side.

One of my dearest friends from Texas was in the vicinity on Friday, so I went to her aunt's house and visited with her while she was here. Haven't seen her in a couple of years, so it was a nice visit.

The rains have been really beneficial for our garden. Potatoes are looking great, corn is up all over the place and we have managed to keep it tilled so the weeds and grass haven't taken over. I think we are going to have a good garden this year. I just love working in it and watching it grow. We still have several things to plant, such as okra, bell peppers, egg plants , sweet potatoes, and peas, but it is a little too early here to plant those.

Well, CRAP!

I am trying to be frugal and it is not working! Today it was computer crap. I called someone to come help me with some computer issues...mostly printer issues and $85 later, we have ordered 1G of new memory to speed this sucker up. That's an additional $47. I'm trying not to buy a new one even though this one is 6 years old. I have a new laptop, but I really like a desktop better.

As soon as he left, I was off to serve hot dogs at the TEA (Taxed Enough Already) party. We had a great turn out....probably 400 people in this small town! The signs were great, the best being D.C. = District of Corruption!

Productive day already!

My day started earlier than usual today for some unknown reason. I fired up the ipod and went for a walk, which got the productive juices flowing. After cooking a chicken in preparation for making chicken and dumplings, I went to Dad's to work in the garden. Miracles do happen. I started the tiller myself! No call to brother while hanging my head in shame because I was too weak to start the tiller. I got the garden all tilled and planted 3 more rows of sweet corn, beets, radishes, turnips, turnip greens, and sunflowers. Dad is happy and I have the rest of the week free to do whatever...well, not exactly....

Tomorrow I am involved in the local tax day tea party. My job is to serve hot dogs. I can do that!

He is Risen!

Not much planned for Easter. I will attend early service and Bible study before going to lunch at my brother's. That's the plan every Sunday. Since there are no kids in the family, Easter eggs are not invited. I am providing a ham and my sister-in-law will fix something to go with it. Weather gods are saying 100% rain, so that sucks for the Easter egg hunts and family get togethers. It just means nap time for me while watching the Master's golf tournament! Not a problem!

Good day...

There is very little left to be done to have my yard in pristine condition. Today I bought some new seed and sod dirt to fill in some gaps where I am impatient for the grass to fill in. I even threw some Bermuda grass seeds down on the new dirt. Bermuda seems to be the only grass that does well in this red clay soil. Most of my pots are filled with beautiful color. Now I am hoping my azaleas will bloom. I have a late blooming variety, but there is so much new growth that there doesn't seem to be many buds to open. I pruned them dramatically, but they have already doubled in size again. I don't want big bushes in front of my house. They must not touch the brick! I know....I know....I am a bit OCD! My variety is Conversation Piece and it is supposed to look like this, but it almost never does!

Now dinner is in the stove and I am kicked back watching the Master's. Happy to say that I have been there twice and it is one of my favorite places to go...absolutely beautiful.

Good Friday

The weather gods were angry tonight!

Whew! We dodged a weather bullet tonight. The weather people have been on nonstop since about 7 tonight. A tornado went through downtown Shreveport, through Barksdale AFB, and was headed directly toward my brother and my parents. Luckily, it went right between me and them. Not sure of damage yet because of darkness, but it was so hairy that Mom got in a closet. I guess I can go to bed now. As fire chief of the volunteer fire department in their little village, I'm sure my brother is out with his chain saw removing trees from roads. The TV just went back to regular programming, so I guess I can go to bed now. Whew!

Don't hate!

 

I will be having salad tonight that was in the ground this morning! Good Grub!

Field Trip

My friends and I took a field trip to here today. This place is owned by my best friend from high school and her husband. The plantation house is their residence! Cool! It is magnificent. After walking all over the grounds and looking at all the beautiful Louisiana Irises, we picnicked on her patio overlooking Caddo Lake. Stunning....but, of course, I forgot to take pictures!

Pointless randomness...

The weather gods went all crazy yesterday about the freeze we were going to have last night. It's important here in our little corner of the world because everyone has gardens planted and fresh new flowers planted...including ME! Of course, I moved everything in the garage that I could and covered the rest and......IT DIDN'T EVEN FREEZE!

Yesterday it was cold and very windy which was a clue to me to just keep busy inside. I did all the mundane, but necessary, stuff like washing and cleaning. Today, the weather was just perfect so I negated all the cleaning from yesterday by tracking in grass clippings all over the place today. I just cannot win......but, my yard looks pretty.

Tomorrow, my parents will have been married for 68 years. My mother is a saint. I could not have lived with my dad longer than the 17 years I did live with him!!!! After high school, I went to college and never moved back....not even in the summer!!!

Think about it!

'Nuf said!

Yep! We proved this!

Go fly a kite!

Well, I would go fly a kite if I had one because that's about all that can be done this afternoon. That's OK though because I got a lot of work done this morning at my parents' house. Had to replant some of the corn that didn't come up or where the planter just didn't drop seeds. As I was replanting, I saw a few kernels that were swelled and probably will come up, so I just replanted them along with some new ones. I would have gotten more done, except that I cannot start the damned tiller. It makes me so mad that I can't get stuff done without calling my brother to come start the damn thing. Today I refused to call him and just did something else! GRRRR!

Sad day....

Dad had an appointment with a new ophthamologist today hoping for some glimmer of hope, but he didn't get it. Mom was going to bring him here to my town for the appointment, but it was pouring rain, so my brother brought them to the doctor and I met them there, went to the appointment with them and then took them home. Dad is totally blind in one eye due to macular degeneration....the type that can not be helped. The other eye has some vision still, but it has the other type of macular degeneration. Glasses do not help, but this doc thinks he can prescribe some glasses that might help him read a little bit. I hope so. He is so pitiful.

When I went to lunch with the ladies, I saw my dad's urologist, who is also my cousin, and told him that Dad wanted to drop by and see him this morning, but I was on a schedule and didn't have time to take him there. The doc told me to call Dad and tell him to come on in this afternoon to see him. Dad did and feels somewhat better about his urology problems. I wonder if there is ever a man anywhere who does not have these age related prostate problems.

It was too wet to mow the yard today and the wind was brutal, so that was my signal to chill out and take a nap. I'm good at picking up those kind of signals....others...not so much!!

Slug trails on my sidewalk! I hate the slimy little pests...take that PETA! I pour salt on every one and watch them squirm!