One more down...

Tonight my dad took all of us out for steaks at a new restaurant. Then we drove around my little town and looked at the Christmas lights. They are so beautiful all over town. Earlier today I met Mom and Dad at Wal-Mart and helped her get her groceries. While we were there, Dad told me they were giving us another significant amount of money after the first of the year. They have already maxed out what they can give us this year without our having to pay taxes on it. They have the mindset that there is nothing they need and there is no reason for their money to sit in a bank and wait for them to die for us to get it. They want to be able to see us enjoy some of the money. If more parents would be that way, then there would be less to have to deal with through the legal system when they are gone. Yeah.....I'm down with that!!!

Christmas Party..

I can't even remember the last time that I went to a party that was alcohol-free. This was my Sunday School Class's party. It was at an awesome house and fun. We did one of those pass the ornament games and I ended up with one ugly ornament. Even if I had a tree, this thing would not be on it. It is downright scary!!! And it is HUGE!!! WE are talking 12 inches long!

Email is fixed...

When I called customer service this morning, they had instructions recorded as to how to fix outgoing mail. All it took was a check mark in a box that I didn't have checked to fix it. I should have called Saturday!!!

Frosty is half dead....

My only Christmas decoration is failing. He has only been lit up about 3 weeks and a bunch of his bulbs are now not burning. I tried using the extra bulbs that came with him, but have been unable to get him all lit up. I finally went and bought a little string of white lights that I was just going to add to him, but when I got home I read on the box that they are inside lights. I can't find replacement bulbs for the originals. The directions say to replace only with 3.5 v bulbs. The only ones I can find are 2.5!

Email gremlins again....

I never had a problem with anything as long as the company was Cox, but since Suddenlink bought them out, the gremlins are out. I get more spam, I can't get my newsreader to work (even though they said it wouldn't be affected), and twice this week I have been unable to send emails. I can receive, but not send!! And of course, like every other company on the planet, tech help is in INDIA!!! Nothing annoys me more than trying to understand the foreigner on the other end. GRRRRR!!!

Fallen Soldier

My brother and his wife are at a funeral right now of a local fallen soldier....21 years old, brand new baby, which he got to see on leave just two weeks ago. I am so ready for this war to be over. I believe we did the right thing in the beginning, but this just needs to be over. I hope with Rumsfeld gone, it can come to an acceptable conclusion.There will never be peace in that part of the world. Let's just let them deal with it now!!!

Day's work done!!!

I went to Mom and Dad's this morning to work in their yard. Before I did that, I picked some collard greens for Mom to cook. I mulched most of the leaves before lunch, then my brother and sister-in-law came and ate collards with us. I sent Mom to go lie down and I finished up their yard. When I finish doing that, I am covered with dirt! I had to come home and take a shower before I can do anything else....in fact, I don't think I'll do anything else!!!! Just chill the rest of the day.

Oooops!

My ladies didn't have their regular lunch get together today. Now I have all this candy all over the kitchen. I took some of it to my 90 year old aunt tonight. Her assisted living facility has a candlelight dinner every Christmas and she gets to invite 3 people. I was one of her guests.

Twice in the last two days, I tried to drive down Main Street, but it was blocked off. Once again they are using it to film some scenes in a movie. This movie is Blonde Ambition with Jessica Simpson and Willie Nelson. Shreveport is becoming the Southern Hollywood, so all the little towns around get some of the action.

Incompetence!!!

I took my new outfit that I bought for the Mardi Gras Ball out of the plastic today and found the theft device still on it. Now I have to take it back and get them to take it off because my taking it off will put ink all over it!

Brain storm.....

Yes, I had one, so shut up...all of you! There is ONE thing that I can do really, really well.....unfortunately, it is make candy! Last night I decided that I should make candy and put it in little decorative tins for all the ladies that really took me in here... the ones that I go to lunch with on Thursdays. I made fudge this morning, then went to purchase the tins and finish my Christmas shopping in Shreveport. When I got back, I made pralines. Now these pralines are to die for. I usually have to make them a couple of times each Christmas (the only time I make them) before I perfect them. Tonight the first batch got dropped too early and didn't set up perfectly like they must be to give to others. Soooooo.....I made batch #2....PERFECTO! There is a secret to my success in making awesome candies. It is to toast the pecans with butter and salt before putting them in the candy!!! This is easily done in the microwave in about 5 minutes. Just move on over, Paula Deen! I bet she doesn't know this secret. She doesn't even pronounce pecans right...she calls them peeee-cans! WTH...the woman is from Georgia, the pecan capital of the world!!!

Slug infestation!

We had 3 inches of rain last night and the weather is warm (air-conditioner is back on). When I walked out to get the paper this morning, there were 100's and this is NOT an exaggeration of slugs on my sidewalk to the front door, on the front door, on the patio in the back, and all over the driveway. It was hard to walk up the driveway to the mailbox without stepping on one. There just doesn't seem to be an easy solution. The Bug-geta doesn't work; beer doesn't work. Salt does work, but I had to put it on everyone of the little suckers. They are hermaphroditic, so if even one is left, the problem remains. They don't have to mate to continue the species.

The Year Without a Santa Claus

I watched this movie tonight, as lame as it was, only because it was filmed here in the area this past summer. There were stories on TV every night during filming asking for extras to come to Natchitoches and bring their winter coats! It was 100 degrees and the actors were suffering and their makeup was falling off. The scenes look pretty silly. Natchitoches has a massive Christmas Festival, which is the reason the film company chose it as their location.They set it all up in July. Why would anyone try to film a Christmas film in Louisiana in mid summer???

Yet another Mission Accomplished!

Christmas cards are done! I started on 12-3-06 working on my cards. First, I ran out of cards, then ran out of stamps. I won't mail them until they are all finished. I do all this on the computer and write a personalized message in each card via computer. It is time intensive, but I enjoy doing it. It makes me have to stop and think about every person that is getting a card from me. I like that! I have awesome friends and all of them live nowhere near me! I also love getting Christmas cards. Today I got four and that made me smile. That's the whole purpose, isn't it!!

Mission Accomplished!

After spending the morning going to Mom's to pick her some turnip greens and to my brother's to see his deer he killed this morning, I was on a mission to find something to wear to the Mardi Gras Ball in January. I found exactly what I had in mind and the kicker is that it was DEEPLY DISCOUNTED! On top of that, I only had to go to ONE store! HELLO>>>>>that never happens to me! I still have to find a mask, but my outfit is black and gold, so finding a mask to match that in Louisiana, the home of Mardi Gras, shouldn't be a problem closer to Mardi Gras.

That made me so happy that I went by the casino and ate their buffet. I was careful to eat mostly protein, so I could have dessert. It worked! I took my meds before I left and the big bowl of bread pudding with some ice cream didn't do a number on my blood sugar! That made me happy, too!

WooHooo!!!...but NO, I didn't pay attention!

You paid attention during 86% of high school!

85-100% You must be an autodidact, because American high schools don't get scores that high! Good show, old chap!

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I had to look up "autodidact" !

Blood Sugar Issues....what in the world!!!

The last week I have been having higher than normal BG readings. Several mornings it was in the 140's and went to 160 after a cup of coffee with no carbs in it. I load my coffee up but it is all with sugar free stuff. Since I have been very aware of this issue lately, I have tried to be very careful. Today I went to lunch with the ladies and ALL I had to eat was some guacomole and chips and when I got home my BG was 221. There are zero carbs in guac, so that came strictly from the chips....and not that many of them!!That is just highly unusual. I have been on the same dosage of the same med since diagnosis 4 years ago and I do know this is a progressive disease, so I'm thinking it must be time to up the dosage, but I don't see my doc until after Christmas. I used to be able to eat anything at night and not have a BG reaction, but tonight I put it to the test. I ate 2 1/2 pieces of pizza and after one hour, it was 196. Right now, 2 1/2 hours later, it is still at 185. Something is just not right here. I even tried a new canister of test strips. I have been stuck way too much with that lancet!!!

My sunset a few nights ago!

I saw a red light shining on my bedroom windows and when I went outside to see what it was, this is what I saw!

Frustrating Day!!!

My email server has been down since after 9:30 last night. I have called a couple of times, but I'm not getting many answers. Seems there is trouble while they are trying to switch the servers from Cox to Suddenlink. One would think they would have everything ready before they lost the current servers!

I ran out of Christmas cards until I go buy some more, so I couldn't work on them today. Since I couldn't do that, I took the opportunity of a fairly warm day in between two cold fronts to put the pine straw out in the flower beds, plant some purple kale that I had since Saturday, and plant the rest of my bulbs in pots. I'm hoping for some beautiful pots in a few months. Basically, I have just been mostly lazy and cold today. I piled up on my bed and watched a Lifetime movie, which is something I rarely ever do. It was a great movie though, A Dad for Christmas. It made me cry, but it was a happy movie! I'm just a WUSS!!!!

Semi-shopping

I have to find something to wear to a Mardi Gras Ball, but I hate shopping for such items. I swung by Dillard's today to see what they had, but I didn't find anything I liked. I also managed to swing by a gas station, Home Depot, a nursery for some pine straw, and the grocery store without dropping a huge amount of money. I have been spending way too much and it has to stop.....unless, of course, I hit the jackpot at Christmas. Doubt that will happen this year. I just need to get a grip and stop spending needlessly.




When I looked at the WeatherBug on my computer this morning, it said 21 degrees. This temp is from Barksdale Air Force Base, which is 20 miles from me. Tonight is supposed to be even colder, but that's fine with me. I like to go out on the patio and just absorb it, then come in and get under my warming blanket! I know....I'm weird that way!!

My town is AWESOME!

I don't usually go out at night, but tonight I went to a banquet at the church. The Christmas decorations in this little town are "over the top" beautiful. There are so many of them put out by the city. The people follow suit and really decorate their houses and yards. It is just beautiful. I love this place.

My church is AWESOME!

My church collected a one time offering today for World Missions. It's the Lottie Moon Christmas offering. We have an enrollment of about 1800 and an average attendance of 5 to 600 people. They placed a manger at the front of the church and we all went up and put our offering in the manger. The goal was $80,000. Tonight at our missions banquet, the pastor announced that our offering this morning was $107,000!!!!

What!!!!

I didn't get much done today, but it took me all day to not get it done!! Went to get meds for Dad at Wal Mart and took them the soup I made yesterday. They were going to lunch with a Sunday School Class. I then took Mom's pecans to Shreveport and had them cracked for her. She will pick them out. There were only 24 pounds. Last year there were none, but the year before that there was a couple of hundred. She picked every last one of them out and we have really enjoyed them.

Each year I send a Christmas card that has a snowman somewhere on it. I have done that for years because I just like snow and snowmen. Usually, I buy some at the end of the season for the next year, but, apparently, I didn't do that last year. Now I am on a mission to find the perfect Christmas card for me. Today I failed!!


As I predicted, my brother and sister-in-law are on their way home and will arrive tonight!

Nevermind IE7

Well, I have already uninstalled it!!! It wouldn't open any links which came in an email or a newsgroup. Probably just something I didn't have set correctly, but I don't feel like Beta testing Microsoft's toys. Now my IE6 doesn't have everything like I had it before. CRAP!

I took the plunge...

and downloaded IE7 when prompted to do so during my Microsoft Automatic Update. I was skeptical, but so far everything seems to be doing fine. There are a few changes, but nothing dramatic. The font is different and darker on every page. It will take a little getting used to, but, hey, change is inevitable.

My BLESSED Day!

Today has been a restful slothful day. The few things I did accomplish did not require my leaving the comfort of my home or my flannel lounging clothes. I paid bills on line and cooked potato soup. I didn't take any to Mom and Dad's because I remembered that she had a luncheon to go to and her regular hair appointment. I do, of course, realize how fortunate I am that I can stay home and do nothing if that's what I want to do. I piled up on my bed with my Pooh blanket planning to watch Rebel Without A Cause, but promptly fell asleep.

Dad called a couple of times and told me the home health people had been there and they were going to be checking on her every day for awhile. That makes me feel better and it helps Dad's feelings as well. My brother is snowed in up in Branson. The things on their schedule for today were cancelled. He will probably come home tomorrow if they can get out.

Home Again....

I got Mom home by about 4 today. Doesn't appear that she had a heart attack. Her pulse is still in the 80's, which is too high for her very damaged heart. She only has about 60% use of her heart due to her major heart attack, so the cardiologist wants it to beat fewer times. Usually it is in the 50's. The hospital made an appointment for her in a couple of weeks to see her regular cardiologist, who is in Shreveport.

I am very tired from 2 days of hospital and ER life, so I have turned on my warming blanket and I am about to snuggle up with my Winnie the Pooh blanket and watch Survivor. The weather changed dramatically while I was at the hospital today. It was 75 when I went in and 42 when I came out with Mom. If I am a good daughter, I will make a pot of potato soup tomorrow and take it to them. We'll see how that turns out!!!

UPDATE: Well, CRAP! I fell asleep in the last 5 minutes of Survivor and don't know who got booted!!!

My personal whirlwind....

Mom called this morning and the Home Health nurse was at her house. Mom's pulse was way higher than usual so the nurse called her cardiologist who then instructed Mom to go to the ER for an EKG and blood tests. I went to get her and bring her back here to the ER. They are keeping her overnight in the hospital to run some more tests and keep an eye on her heart. For 2 of her heart attacks, the only symptoms she had was elevated heart rate. They don't believe she had a heart attack this time. After I got her settled in a room, I went and got Dad. He didn't come with us originally because he was coughing and has a cold, but he wanted to come see about her after they kept her in the hospital. My brother is in Branson still, but he has called several times and offered to come home, but I told him no. My mom's sister was also in the hospital on the same floor, but she went home today. She wouldn't leave until they let her go see Mom. I finally got a chance to go grab a burger and run by home at 3. My cousin took Dad back home, so I wouldn't have to do that.

Wal Mart Drama of the day...

My dad isn't doing well.....he can't breathe. He had a doctor appointment at 8:45 this morning and I waited and waited and waited for them to come by and give me a report.Finally, at 11, I went to Wal Mart and found their car in the parking lot so I went in looking for them. Dad was sitting down up front near the door, so I went looking for Mom. When I finally found her she had been walking around Wal-Mart long enough for her sugar to bottom out. She was going to walk out pushing her cart to the car without going through a check out. I had to grab a coke out of a cooler and get her to a seat to get her sugar back up. I got her checked out and sent them on home after I was sure she was OK to drive. Dad usually walks around Wal-Mart with her just in case she does have a low blood sugar, but today he couldn't walk. I guess God sent me to Wal Mart today!!! It is so sad for me to watch them go down so much. My brother left today to go to Branson for a week. He hated to leave with Dad in such bad shape, but I told him that I can handle things here.

Big work day....

Since summer has come back, I have been outside all day working in the yard. Last week my big order of bulbs came in, so I have spent the day planting bulbs....all Avalon Daffodils. I saved some to put in some pots, but I need some really pretty pots to put them in. I also cut down all my angel trumpets that froze last weekend. I am in the process of removing 9 huge pavers from a low spot in the back yard where I plan to put a birdbath next spring. The pavers were uneven, so I got paver sand to redo them with. Unfortunately, the 40 pound bag of sand isn't enough, so I didn't finish that project. I hate not finishing a project because I never know when the mood for heavy lifting might strike me again. That is HARD work!!

Praises to Lauberge du Lac hotel

I received the clothing items that I so absent mindedly left there on Monday. I highly recommend this hotel because it is beautiful and they do what they say they are going to do. These days that's a real surprise to me. I am very cynical and skeptical about businesses who say they will do something, so I am pleasantly surprised and happy!