Welcome 2010!

Happy New Year!

I have been missing in action on this blog a few days, but I did get a visit from  these sweet things. We did see Avatar while they were here. They left early this morning and are already back in South Carolina. Today I finally went to see The Blind Side. Two movies in two days just has me wanting more and realizing that I have missed going to the movies and zoning out.

Ray Stevens - We The People - RayStevens.com

A child is born!

The baby that we were hoping would not come while he was at Christmas dinner at my brother's yesterday made his appearance this morning. Thank goodness he waited a few hours!

Today was a most lazy day until about 2 this afternoon when I started playing around with my new computer. Made my first movie with photos and music. It was fun to toy around with.

Tomorrow I plan to put everything Christmas in the attic for another year. I was a Scrooge this year and didn't have much out. It was just too cold in the attic to look for stuff, so I didn't!

Have been invited to a New Year's Day lunch, then the real partying starts with Mardi Gras. I don't expect to do much partying this year. I'll be afraid my daddy is "watching" me!!!:)

I survived!

Although there were a few bumps emotionally, I managed to get through my first Christmas ever without my dad. Today was much better than yesterday. We ate Christmas dinner at my brother's home with our same friends from  last night plus 3 extras.....an airman, his wife and little girl who are stationed at Barksdale Air Force Base with no family around. His wife just lost her mother in November, so it was a nice diversion for them as well. He is from Indiana and she is from Maine, so we were happy to have them. She is a few days from delivery of a boy, so we were glad today wasn't the day!!!

Failed milestone!

I wasn't able to hold it together yesterday. When I went to Mom's to take her to the candlelight service, she sat down and wrote my brother and me each a substantial check. They had already done this in August right after Dad was diagnosed with his brain tumor, so we were not expecting it again. She said Dad's favorite part of Christmas was being able to give us that much money and she wanted to do it just like he would have. Then last night at our friends' house, she gave it to us and told us it was from Dad. Then our friends gave us a picture frame with a picture of Dad in it from a previous Christmas. Well, actually we only got the frames, but they showed us on the computer the picture they had ordered to go in the frame. Instead of printing it themselves or having Wal Mart print it, they were having it printed somewhere else and it wasn't back yet. Hopefully, today won't be as hard.

Merry Christmas everyone!

One more party down last night. Tonight is church candlelight service and our usual get together with friends. We have always gone to my brother's lakehouse for our Christmas Eve gift exchange and meal, but tonight we are going to our friends' home so we won't feel the dramatic loss of Dad not being there.

Tomorrow we are switching things up as well. We always have Christmas dinner at Mom's and our friends join us there for Mom's chicken and dressing. This year, we are going to my brother's home and his wife is cooking duck dressing. Again, we hope to diffuse the pain of not having Dad with us. No matter how hard we try not to, we miss him terribly. I have tears just typing that!

Great Day!

When I went to check on Mom today, it was my plan to pick up the rest of the pecans. Stewart had already told her the crows ate them all, but I went to look for myself. Yes, there are hulls everywhere as evidence that the crows had a feast. Merry Christmas, crows!!!!

Then I moved on to another project, which was mulching leaves in the front yard. My brother had already cleaned the back yard before he went on vacation. It took me all morning, but it looked nice when I left. There are very few leaves left to fall, but they were flying when I left.

Home health sent a wheel chair to Mom's today because the wound care specialist told her to stay off her foot and she will need one after she has surgery on her foot. It will give us time to move things that are in the way and her time to get used to using it before her surgery.

I took my brother a box of Kansas City steaks , a honey baked ham from Heavenly Hams, and I made them a box of pralines. They don't need anything, but I wanted to do something for them. They are so good about taking care of Mom and checking on her several times a day. Of course, she is his mom, too, but lots of men wouldn't do as good as he does about looking after his mother.

Full day!

My sister-in-law brought mom to the doctor's office this morning and I met her there. She saw the physician's assistant and we already have surgery scheduled for January 8th. He wanted a wound care specialist to look at it and make sure all the infection was getting gone. He said they could not put pins through any infection because it would just push the infection into the bone. We sure don't want that. It took us ALL day to do those things. I have been home about 20 minutes...made a grilled cheese before I passed out from hunger. I have a lot of things I need to do, but I don't want to do a damn thing!!!

Holy Moly!

Because I am at the computer and too lazy to get up and turn off the TV, I am "listening" to a preacher on TV that sounds like he is dying and gasping for breath! Not sure how much more of it I can take!

It's been a busy weekend with work on the Mardi Gras float and trying to finish making candy and buying Christmas presents. Almost finished......CRAP....That preacher made me get up and turn him off! I would have to leave if I was in that service!

Tomorrow we take Mom to the Physician's Assistant and get an evaluation of her foot. It is still doing pretty well after the foot doctor got all that infection out of it, but she is trying to stay off of it like he told her. He even sent a home health nurse down to change the dressing on Saturday. I don't think she was expecting that.

I tried to take advantage of some warmer weather yesterday and clean up the frozen plants in the yard. Now I have them piled everywhere. I guess I will go get Dad's truck and haul them to a burning pile down at the home place. We need to run his truck, but we haven't been doing it.

100's gather to protest global warming!

Crappy doodle day!

Actually, it's just the weather that is crappy doodle! At 3 P.M. I thought it was 6 because it has been so dark all day. Today our lunch bunch had our last lunch together before Christmas, so everyone came bearing gifts...mostly edibles! Yep, that works for me.

 My brother had dropped Mom off at my house while I was gone to lunch so I could take her to the podiatrist. That man took the callous off and lots of puss drained from her toe. He didn't even deaden it. When my cousin did that a couple of weeks ago, he at least deadened it first. No wonder she doesn't like that foot doctor. I don't like him either and I never even met him. He could have not hurt her so bad.

Tonight we were supposed to go see "The Blind Side", but my friend crapped out on me. I was glad. All I want to do is sit by the fire and drink a warm cozy beverage!

Semi-productive day!

Checked on Mom today and made her an appointment with an orthopedic physician's assistant because we can't get in to the doctor until after the new year. The assistant can evaluate and determine what needs to be done and get the ball rolling. Something has to be done with her foot.Her cousin is an orthopedic surgeon, but he doesn't do feet. He referred her to a surgeon here in Minden. He doesn't want her to let a foot doctor cut on her. He said he would rather read up on what to do and do it himself than let a foot doctor do it. I guess he doesn't trust foot doctors!!

Also, had to call her insurance company because Dad's gap insurance was paid up for a year and she just paid it in April. They owe her a refund. It's kind of ironic that I am having to make all these phone calls since I hate, hate, hate to make phone calls.

Started making my usual pralines and fudge. Thank goodness I had one box already prepared and boxed because my neighbor came over bearing gifts and I was able to hand him one right back. Whew!

Mardi Gras preparations have begun. Worked on the float last night. I will not be riding in the Gemini parade this year. It's just too long and grueling. I was so exhausted last year and when we left the grounds where our cars were parked, we had to pass right by where a fireman had fallen from his truck. That fireman died this weekend. Such a tragedy!

Ummmmm....NO...not yet!

My neighbor invited me to a luncheon at the church for single adults. I told him that I would not know anybody there. He assured me I would. He was wrong. I didn't know anybody and on top of that I was the youngest one there and I didn't have a walker. WTH! I'm old, but not THAT old. Not only that, but there was a program planned for after lunch. I just was not interested in being there, so I left after lunch. Sorry, Mr. Neighbor, I'm just not ready for that yet!

Great night!

Being a former party animal, one would think that my Sunday School party would be boring to me. So not true. It was awesome! Such great people in my class. The name of the class is "We Care" and we truly do care about each other and others. One of our members just opened a brand new event facility in downtown Minden called Orleans on Main. He rents this building for $650 for events. It is beautiful and has tables with beautiful decorations and real table cloths. He hosted the party there for free and even catered the event himself. He is a top notch guy who really gives back to his community. We each brought a new toy and gave them to Toys for Tots.Two Marines were there to receive the gifts.
 Tomorrow night I will be going back to the same facility, but that will be our Mardi Gras krewe party....much different scenario! Also, tomorrow is our neighborhood brunch. OK....I guess I am still a party animal!!!

Mission #3 Accomplished!

Without even one roadblock, I got all my assignments done today which included calling the companies holding Dad's life insurance policies. They were all very cooperative and sorry for my loss. Now we have to start a file to keep all the stuff in that we will need upon our mom's death. It will save us lots of headaches at that time. We are having to place a value upon everything at the time of his death...land, vehicles, oil and gas revenues, timber...EVERYTHING. It's going to be really bad after Mom is gone because she in in a part of undivided acreage. YIKES! What a headache that will be to get that divided up between 9 grandchildren after Mom and her sister are gone. Her family could just never agree on the division. There is still $20,000 in my grandfather's checking account and he died in 1986. Mom just pays property taxes from it every year and it just sits there earning ZERO percent!!! Now....if I could just get motivated for Christmas. I thought the cold weather would help, but it hasn't  YET! I told Mom today that I was glad Dad didn't have to be cold this year. He hated cold weather and was always cold.

Step 2!

Step 1 was to find all the stuff the lawyer needed after Dad died. Today we went to the lawyer for the first visit. Wow! Lots of stuff to do. I have a list of 5 things to do as my homework! Tomorrow I will be calling the companies where Dad had life insurance policies. One of his IRA'a had a life insurance policy that came with it for $1000 if the owner dies from lung cancer or brain cancer. He died from both, but I have to get doctor records to prove it. Mom thought his will was at the lawyer's office, but they did not find it. She and my brother were going to the bank to look in the safety deposit box. I already tried, but since my name was not on the box, I was unable to look in it. Won't really matter if they don't find it because Louisiana law already provides the exact same things the will would say. Half to Mom with full usufruct until her death when it all passes to my brother and me.
UPDATE: The will was in the box at the bank!

Not at all disrespecful!

My great, great grandfather got his finger shot off while carrying this flag in the Civil War. He got gangrene in the finger and put his hands behind his back and pulled the finger off! OUCH!

Check it off!

• Changed sheets
• washed clothes
• worked crossword in paper
  
• made potato soup
• went to bank
• took soup to Mom
• cleaned her kitchen
• went to bank for her
• took stuff to Goodwill
  

All before 2:00

Then took a LONG nap!

My poor mom!

Her foot is bad again in spite of all the high powered antibiotics. Because it is her hammertoe that is causing the problem, we are pretty sure she is going to have to see a foot specialist and get some surgery on it. Our friend, who is a physical therapist, looked at it yesterday and he explained what is happening and he said it is going to continue to do that until part of the toe is removed. I hate for her to have to do that, but she sees a foot doctor every couple of months to get her nails cut. She doesn't particularly like him, but he is the only one who comes to the local hospital.

It's been a long time since I failed to send Christmas cards, but it is looking more and more like this may be the year. I simply cannot get in the mood to do it and I usually enjoy doing it every year. I sure do enjoy hearing from others at Christmas time. I think most of the people on my Christmas list know that I just lost my dad, so they will probably understand.

Woo Hoo! My brother will be back tonight. I have missed him this week.

New Mom update!

I could tell when I got to Mom's this morning that her foot was better. It was all over her face that she was not in such pain. We escaped going to the hospital this time , but she got another shot. Tomorrow we will get another shot and hope she continues to improve. Eventually, I think she will have to have some work done on that foot due to misshapen toes that are causing the problem. I got all the outside water hydrants winterized for the coming weather at her house.

I also got to have lunch with our lunch bunch today. Seems like a long time since I have been able to meet them for lunch and it was nice.

All my buds down in South Texas are expecting snow tomorrow. They even had snow last year in December while I, at 200 miles further north, have had none! What's up with that? I want snow. Of course, if my driveway iced up I would be stuck because it goes uphill!!!

Mom update!

Mom was no better today and in a great deal of pain. She took a darvocet just to be able to go to the doctor, but we went. He thought her foot might have looked a little better, but it surely didn't feel better. She got another high powered antibiotic shot and we will give it one more day to get better. X-ray did not show any bone involvement with infection and blood work was OK, so he was willing to give her one more day before admitting her and putting her on IV antibiotics. She is home resting, I hope.

I borrowed my brother's new carpet steam cleaning machine and got my carpet clean. I don't have very much carpet, but it is light in color and looks much better.

On a very positive note, that stuff doc prescribed for my cough worked miracles! I SLEPT! It is so freakin' cold that I am not motivated to go in the attic and get Christmas stuff, so Christmas cards may be late or non-existent. Merry Christmas and Andrea Bocelli ROCKS, by the way!

It's COLD!

I took Mom to the doc today and ended up with her at the hospital getting her foot x-rayed. Doc is afraid of infection getting in the bone and traveling to her heart or somewhere else. He's also afraid of a staph infection. He actually wanted to put her in the hospital on IV antibiotics, but we opted to get a shot today and tomorrow and finish the levoquin that our cousin gave her yesterday. If my brother wasn't on vacation, we probably would have gone on to the hospital, but he would feel like he needed to get back home if Mom was in the hospital. We didn't want him to cut his trip short. He needs the break. If her foot continues to be swollen and painful, then we will opt for the IV treatment. Of course, doc heard my atrocious cough while I was with Mom and he prescribed some industrial strength cough medicine. It seems to be helping so far...it's cherutussin AC with codiene. Maybe now I can stop coughing long enough to go in the attic and find some Christmas stuff and get with the program. A little snowfall on Friday might help me get started!!