Busy, long day!

Today was decorating day for the Mardi Gras Ball and since I have a friend who is royalty this year, I was at the site by 9 this morning. She has 5 tables and we had to get all these tables decorated, which is monumental. Mardi Gras Ball tables have crap all over them..all sorts of trinkets at each seat. It's gawdy, but it looks pretty at night. The ball is tomorrow night. I don't really like this fru-fru part of Mardi Gras. I'm in it for the parades and casual parties.

More meds!

I hate taking medicine, but today I got yet another one added. My doc added Januvia to the metformin that I already take 4 of every day. He did give me some samples to try and if they help to rein in my blood sugar, then he will prescribe a med that is a combination of these two in one pill. I hope it works well because taking less pills would make me happy..

Just a thought: Why is gas still going up while a barrel of oil continues to drop?

Just another thought: I would bet money that the people who were covering every square inch of the national mall left their trash everywhere, but we won't hear about that!!

I love a good book!

Lately, I have been frustrated with my reading. First, I failed at finishing The Shack. It was just too "out there" and I lost interest about half way through. Still haven't finished. Maybe someday....

Next, I was intrigued with all the hoopla over the Twilight books, so I bought the first one. Read about 2/3rds of it, but just haven't picked it up to finish it. Once again, it was just too "out there" with the vampire thing.

Now, I am reading Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity. Now, this one I will probably finish. I like true books.

WooHoo!

Today I had my first eye exam in about 3 years only because my primary care physician's office made the appointment for me. As a diabetic, I am supposed to have one every year! I have 20/20 vision (because I had a CK procedure 3 years ago), there is no retina damage from diabetes and I have just the slightest beginnings of a cataract, which is very common. I'm happy with this report.

Cold week!

Where the hell is Al Gore when we need him? I'm guessing he's hiding under his desk in denial. Global warming is such a farce....totally fabricated by some morons who just believe whatever the left tells them. History shows that the Earth's temperature varies naturally. Right now, I'll bet it would be hard to find anyone in the US who isn't experiencing record breaking cold temps right now. Tomorrow, we get ours. I would be happy with some snow, but there is no moisture in the atmosphere. I went to the grocery store for Mom today, so she can just stay inside for the next few days.

Monday, I worked in Mom and Dad's yard all day mulching leaves. It was a beautiful day and down below all those leaves was pretty green grass. It will die now, but it was pretty.

Tonight I am going to help work on making palm trees for our Mardi Gras Ball, which is next Friday. I'm not one of the ones who gets a room at the hotel and drinks all night, but those who do have a great time. I may have a couple of drinks, but not enough for any impairment. Those days are soooooo over!

Let the good times roll!

Yesterday was our first parade that we rolled in, but we only took the small children's float. We unveil our big float in our local Minden parade and that's not until Feb. 7th. We left at 9 and got back home at 5, so it was a long day, but a fun day. When we got there and started hanging our beads in the float, it was really cold and unconfortable, but by the time we rolled at 1 the sun was out and the weather was perfect. We also discovered a well kept secret in Shreveport, a hole in the wall restaurant called Herby-K's. Best hamburger and REAL onion rings I have eaten in a very long time.

I hate shopping!

Who knew that buying a watch could be so difficult? I guess I am rather picky, but I have three watches and two of them died. I have an expensive Croton brand that I have had 20 years. It's my dressy watch and I haven't even taken it to see how much it would cost to fix it. Another is a Guess moderately expensive watch that I did take to see how much it would cost and it wasn't worth fixing. The cost would have been too much for a 20 year old watch. My other one is a $25 pink watch and it runs fine, but it just doesn't match much. I thought I could find a cheap watch that would fit loosely and had a big face with numbers easy to read! Didn't happen! I finally bought these two at the Fossil Outlet store.

The food gods smiled today!

Yesterday morning, before the monsoons, I went to Mom's and picked collard greens. Today she cooked them, fried cornbread, made sweet potatoes, and I cooked a pork tenderloin to add to the feast. That was soul food at its best. Tonight I found some Zummo's boudain, cooked and packaged back in my old stomping grounds in Texas, and it was awesome. North Louisiana knows nothing about boudain, so to me that was a treasure. Now I am topping it all off with Dreyers vanilla bean ice cream topped with chocolate syrup!

I deserved all that goodness because all the in between time was spent gathering income tax stuff. I had lots of charitable contributions and a really lot of out of pocket medical expenses. I sure hope they help!

It's Mardi Gras time!

Tonight opens the Mardi Gras season and what am I doing? NOTHING! I am just too lazy to go to 12th night which is the official opening....well, after the opening mass they had this morning. Twelfth Night is when all the royalty from all the krewes is introduced. It's Mardi Gras informal attire, which means our decorated tux jackets and blue jeans. It was 82 degrees here today, which just makes me mad! I like cold weather during Mardi Gras season plus it's freakin' January.....it's supposed to be COLD! This is our logo this year. I love it!

I'm so over it!

This is about the extent of my celebration. Many hangovers ago, I quit partying to bring in the new year. I'd rather bring it in sleeping!

My bulleted day!

• Short trip to Shreveport
• Filled tank  for less than $20  :)
• Took 93 more pounds of pecans to be cracked..total of 181 pounds this year
• Got car washed
• Got groceries while in Shreveport
• Had time to eat half my Heavenly Ham sandwich
• Went to get Dad to take him to doctor to remove his stitches
• Took him and Mom to see their daughter-in-law at the hospital
• Took them back home
• Came back to my home and ate the other half of my sandwich
• watched some TV
• Fed my Facebook addiction
• Ate PBJ sandwich (there's a pattern here)
• Now I'm about to crawl up in my bed and watch my DVR programs that I missed today!
• WHEW!

Update...

Sister-in-law is recovering, but is not a happy camper. She still has a tube through her nose going down into her stomach. She thought it would be removed today, but the surgeon says it is still pulling a lot of stuff through that tube. She still has had nothing to eat or drink since Thursday and she is getting hungry. They found a large pocket of infection which involved a tube, an ovary and the appendix. All of them were removed and the whole cavity washed out to get rid of infection. Obviously, this could not be done laporoscopically. She had too much company today and is now suffering from a really sore throat from trying to talk with that tube down her throat. I hope tomorrow is a better day for her. I have to take my dad to get his stitches out where he had his port removed tomorrow. His surgeon is the same as my sister-in-law's.

It's over!

Another Christmas is over. Frankly, I didn't expect my father to be alive at this one. Once again we were at Mom's for lunch with all the same people from last night. I would be glad to do it at my home, but I just don't have room. We are all stuffed and happy and glad it's over. Since my sister-in-law is having surgery tomorrow, I will be focused on her and my brother. She is the only one who knows how to make gluten free meals for him, but I have a pork loin marinating now to cook for him tomorrow. I know he can eat meat and he loves meat. I'll be at the hospital with him tomorrow until we know what they found.

Merry Christmas!

I am already on my second cup of coffee on this Christmas morning. The crossword puzzle, as is my daily first activity, is done, the kitchen is clean, the dishwasher is running and the scalloped potatoes are ready to go in the oven. We had a wonderful Christmas eve, which is when we do our gifting. As always, I am so grateful to still have my parents and that at Christmas they tend to help out my bank account considerably with a donation to my finances.  My brother was thrilled with his because it will pay for his new 4 wheeler which he will be getting as soon as his wife is well. Our friends that we always share Christmas eve with furnished 24 quails for dinner and while my family went to church services, I stayed at Mom's and cooked the quails. We always have Christmas eve at my brother's lake house, but yesterday the plans changed rather quickly. His wife is really sick. In fact, she is scheduled for surgery early tomorrow morning. Seems that she had been in pain for about 6 weeks and the geniuses have finally decided that there is an abscess somewhere in her abdomen...probably on an ovary. They won't really know until they look in there with a scope tomorrow. Anyway, she is on lortab just hoping to not be an emergency before tomorrow. Because of her illness, we moved dinner to Mom's house. I went down to her house yesterday morning and got everything cleaned up and ready so that she didn't have to do anything, but cook some beans. I cleaned everything up last night to prepare to go back there today for her chicken and dressing, which she has already made. It just has to be cooked. I'm trying to make it as easy for her as I can. She is just not able to do much, but she will die trying.

I'm jus' sayin'

Why must you bring your whole damn family with you to Wal-Mart and talk to rest of the hood on the phone while you are supposed to be shopping? Why? Why? Why?

 

Of course, my sanity could be questioned for going there today, but I love my mama and she needed some stuff! She has no clue how bad I hate going there any day, but most especially THIS day. Ok....it's done and I'm not going back! Merry Christmas! I'll get over it. but I'm traumatized!

No Scrooge here!

Our Mardi Gras krewe is called the Krewe des Ambassadeurs and as the name indicates, we try to be good ambassadors in our community. Our main project is the local homeless shelter, which right now houses two families that include 4 children. The email went out last night that the person from the krewe who makes this her project needed money. She is trying to get something for everyone there and provide a nice meal. I bought a nice spiral ham and took her a check. To me, this is what Christmas is all about...helping others. I would much rather buy for them than my family and friends, who don't need anything. I also think my family and friends would agree with me. We also have a youth ranch here for boys who don't have a home. Another of our krewe members was heading up the drive to buy some clothes and shoes for each of these kids. He needed $10,000. I don't know if he got it all. I donated enough to buy for one boy all the things they hoped to give them. When I went to give my check to the homeless shelter chairperson, the other chairperson was in there donating as well. This is a very giving community.

I'm an Anti-government gunslinger!

My Conservative Identity:

You are an Anti-government Gunslinger, also known as a libertarian conservative. You believe in smaller government, states’ rights, gun rights, and that, as Reagan once said, “The nine most terrifying words in the English language are, ‘I’m from the government and I’m here to help.’”

Take the quiz at http://www.fightliberals.com/Inside-the-Book/What-Breed-of-Conservative-Are-You.html

Yep..this pretty much nails it!

Tomorrow, tomorrow, tomorrow is only a day away!

The weather turned really cold here today and is not supposed to rise out of the 30's tomorrow, so I guess it will be a day of candy making. I need to make some more for gifts because I keep taking it to my dad and not putting it aside for gifts. There is even a possiblility of sleet.

 

 

Let the good times roll!

Aaron Neville show was awesome. It was just him and his brothers (band) just picking and grinning. His voice is so unique and he could really pay tribute to Jesus Christ's birth in his Christmas songs. He was not shy about his faith and ended his show with "Amazing Grace"....well, almost...the final, finale was "Goodnight, Sweetheart".

 

It took all the damn day for Dad to get his port out and apparently the muscles that help him urinate were slow to wake. He could not use the bathroom until this morning. I went to see about him this morning and he was fine....no hurting at all. He's going out to eat fish and see his waitress girlfriend tonight.

 

I'm off to another party tonight...the last one, I think, except all the family festivities next week...that's 3 more.

Dad update...

My sister-in-law took Dad to the surgeon who inserted his port for his chemo. Tomorrow he will go in the hospital for an outpatient procedure to remove it. That makes him happy. Because he is so thin and bony, the port sticks out and everything rubs it, which is why it is infected now. We haven't been to our favorite catfish restaurant in at least a month, so If he feels ok, tomorrow night will be the night for that. I can't go because I am just a social butterfly. Some of us are going to the Aaron Neville Christmas show tomorrow night and to dinner. Saturday I will be going to an open house Christmas party at another friend's house. My, my,my.....such a busy social calendar!!!:) Personally, I could keep my butt at home in the recliner and be perfectly happy!

Just because I like the graphic!

Merry Christmas to all!

I have spent the morning once again making candy for gifts to neighbors and friends. Yet another batch of pralines and fudge, but neither of them came out as good as they should have. Texture is not right on either of them. CRAP!

It's going to be a great Christmas!

Yesterday I took Dad to the oncologist after a couple of months rest. He had a chest x-ray and the doc couldn't find anything right now to be concerned about. There are still some slight shadows, but nothing like it was before treatment. His port is infected, so we are hoping to get it out on Thursday. I'm not sure the surgeon will remove it as long as the infection is there. Seems to me the chances of infection getting in the blood stream would be too great.

 

Mom, on the other hand, after going with us to Dad's oncologist in the morning had to go to her doctor because her foot was hurting so badly. She thought maybe it was gout, but the doc said it wasn't. She has an infection, which is really not good for a diabetic to have on her foot. I got meds for both of them and took the meds to them yesterday. Today, hers is much better, but his is not.

 

The temp has not risen above 35 today, so I have been hunkered down by the fireplace and making candy again. I had gumbo at a friend's house today, but after that, my butt was back home keeping warm!

Last poopie day!

Today was my last day to clean up pens and feed poopies. They are so cute, but I sure wouldn't want one. I'm just not a dog person. I stink when I get back from handling poopies and always must take a shower as soon as I get home. I also don't like washing out poopie pens. YUCKEEEEE! Bro will be home tomorrow! Yay!

I love it!

Click on it to enlarge and read the small print.

WTH!

I went in for my usual 3 month check up and blood work, which, as a diabetic, is necessary. I just happened to ask doc about a little spot on my wrist and he busted out with his "freeze it off" machine and zapped it....And while he was at it, he zapped one on the side of my face as well! I wasn't prepared for that. It hurt at the time, but now neither of them hurts, so I'm all good.

Every day, while my brother is on vacation, I am going to his house and feeding his 9 lab puppies at 4:30. Someone else feeds them at two other times during the day. They are so cute...little black puppies everywhere. I have to switch them to a clean pen and wash out the dirty pen for their next switch in the morning.

Today our lunch group ate at one of the lady's home. She made antipasta, which was perfect since we all eat too much food during the holidays. Of course, she also had pralines! Hey, it's Louisiana!

A Louisiana staple

Louisiana is famous for two things.....corrupt politics and good food. Here's my contribution to the good food.....pralines!

Wow! Just Wow!

 

It would have been so easy to skip the church musical tonight, but I am so glad I didn't. It was so awesome. A professional production could not have been any better. I came away with my heart filled with happiness wishing that everyone could feel the same way. In fact, the whole day has been that way. Today was the day that we take our only offering of the year for missions. We have a manger at the front of the church and everyone goes up and drops their envelope in the manger. Our goal this year for our church was $98,000. At the end of the service, a man came out and gave the preacher a note. They had counted the money and the total was $142,000. There will be more because not everyone who is going to contribute has given yet. Never did we expect such generosity in these bleak economic times. God is good!

Finally!

Finally, the morons citizens of New Orleans did something right. They voted out that criminal, William Jefferson, who is under indictment. They voted in a Republican Viet Namese immigrant. Here in North Louisiana, I gritted my teeth and voted for the Republican just because I didn't want to lose the seat to a Democrat. The candidate was not my choice. In fact, I don't like him, but I sucked it up and voted for him. I guess I can say my congressman lives on my street now. He does, but he lives in a huge mansion up on a hill on the same street as my little patio home. I have never met him!!! I guess he doesn't associate with the  "little people"! By the way, he won by 356 votes!

Never...never..never....

I have NEVER filled up on crab legs. It's just too much work, but last night I did! Boomtown Casino has awesome crablegs on their buffet on Friday nights and they are really good and big. The Krewe Christmas party was last night and I opted out and spent the day running errands in Shreveport. On my way home, I stopped in at the buffet and ate NOTHING but crablegs, one roll and some banana pudding. Excellent choice. Normally, I would eat some crabs and fill up on other stuff, but this time I filled up on crabs and warm drawn butter! YUM! 

I'm the favorite !

Last night I did my familial duty and went as a guest of my 92 year old aunt to her assisted living home's Christmas Candlelight Dinner. This is my third year in a row to attend this event, but I must say last night the food was good. The previous two years, it was so bad that I had to come home and eat. It made me feel even more sorry for those people who have to eat it every day. I very often cook up some fried white perch and take some to my aunt and in the summer, I take her fresh tomatoes and watermelon and whatever else is in season. She isn't much of an eater, but she does like my fried fish.
 

I'm ready!

Saturday is our open house for all the neighborhood homes. The house is all decorated, so today I focused on the outside before it rains again and turns cold again. I mowed all the leaves and used the leaf vacuum to get them out of the flower beds. Then it was to the attic to drag out a few outside decorations and see if I had any Christmas cards. I didn't. Sometimes after the season, I buy Christmas cards on sale for the next season. Apparently, last year I didn't do that. I wish I had because now I have to go to Shreveport and search for the perfect Christmas card. Mine always must have a snowman on them. I'm obsessed with snowmen.

Next, I went to Mom's and cleaned her kitchen while she was gone to a church function. Then I picked up more pecans and have them in my car to take them to get shelled. Maybe tomorrow I'll finish everything else before the party on Saturday. I have all the cheese and wine and crackers bought, so I'm set. Floors still must be cleaned and furniture must be dusted.

Yoga is over!

Tonight was our last night of yoga. It has been so much fun...mostly the trip over to Bossier Community College and the trip back. We have so many laughs. We will miss going to yoga every Tuesday night even though we have a liberal, whacked out, goofball of a yogi.  After all, that's what is expected from the "yoga types". I guess that's  making a broad generalization. But....really now....think about it!   Tonight in the middle of my class, my phone indicated very loudly that I had a text message. I got up and looked at it and it said, "We have a baby. 9lbs 15 ounces.".....After that, all I could think of was poor Angela.....that's one big boy!!!

BRRRR!

I sucked it up this morning and went to Mom's to pick up pecans. The wind is brutal and combined with the 40's temp, I found out I'm not as tough as I thought. Soooo....after a bucket full of pecans I went back inside and got Mom to take her to shop for a new recliner. She found one she likes that is easy for her to get out of and bought it. It's being delivered to her this afternoon. Mission accomplished. Now I'm off to take a nap before I have to go work on the Mardi Gras float in a cold building tonight.

Onward and upward!

Time to switch from Thanksgiving mode to Christmas mode. Saturday is our progressive neighborhood open house, so I am preparing my home for that. Here's the beginnings.

Happy Thanksgiving!

My table is set and ready for my guests. My brother is frying a turkey, my mother is making cornbread dressing, my sister-in-law is making sweet potato casserole and I am making fresh creamed corn, scalloped potatoes, fruit salad and cherry cheese pie. I have so many things to be thankful for, not the least of which is that my dad lived to spend another Thanksgiving with us.

Awesome day!

Holy Crap! I turned 66 today! That just doesn't even seem possible. I started the day off right.....in church! There were steaks for lunch at my brother's.....then tonight there was fun and frivolity at Ruby Tuesday, compliments of my new Minden friends. I love living in Minden!

Happy dance....

I used to be fairly astute at figuring out computer things and making them work, but lately I have just been eating dust. Yesterday I bought a new printer because mine was 5 years old and Office Depot had an excellent promotion going. If I brought in my old printer, I would get $40 off any printer over $100. That's not a bad deal. I got it all set up, including the fax (although I haven't tried it yet to see if it works) hooked to my desktop through USB. I thought I would have to call in someone to get my wireless laptop to recognize the new printer and print wirelessly to it. I went on Wiki and got some instructions and damn....it works. I was doing a happy dance!

A Mom scare!

As I was leaving the parking lot of the restaurant where we ate lunch today, my cell phone rang. It was my sister-in-law telling me my mom was bad off and I probably needed to see about her. While my brother had taken my dad fishing, Mom was home alone picking out pecans. She was so involved that she failed to eat and she had a major LOW blood sugar. When Dad got home, he called my brother and told him something was wrong with Mom. Brother went immediately and her blood sugar was 36. He started forcing sugary things in her to bring it back, but he couldn't get it up higher than 56, which is still too low. He is Captain of the volunteer fire department and he had a fire call. He called me to get down there and watch Mom. I did and when I got there, her sugar was up to 122 and she was OK. Low blood sugars are very dangerous and can cause one to pass out, which I guess she almost did. She would have gone into a coma if Dad hadn't gotten back when he did. When sugars go that low, the individual gets very muddled and can't think enough to figure out that they need to eat. She was very confused about what had happened, but she is OK now! One time my dad found her lying in the floor in the middle of the night. He called my brother and brother called an ambulance. The EMT's keep little tubes of cake icing for just such emergencies. That way they can force sugar into the mouth when the patient is fighting them while they are trying to make the patient eat. What can I say! Every day is a surprise!  I am thankful for every day!

Yum...

Three years ago we had a bumper crop of pecans, got them all cracked by machine, and Mom picked them all out and put them in the freezer. The supply is getting low, but this year we are getting some pecans. Yesterday I took 40 pounds and got them cracked, took them to Mom this morning, and now she is happily picking out pecans for all of us to enjoy. I didn't even tell her I spent $40 buying some recently that are already picked out.

Damn Yankees and Mexifornians!

Fairly accurate portrayal.....

What Your Home Says About You

You come across as very intellectual. People take your wisdom seriously. You have amazing hygiene, and it shows. You are sparkling clean! You are a very domestic person. You enjoy decorating, cooking, and making things homey. You are a very nurturing person. You find meaning in taking care of others. You feel settled in your life. You have enough time to focus on little details. You are a very self sufficient person. You can get along well without much help. Your friends see you as courageous, dynamic, and bright.

What Does Your Home Say About You?

I am THANKFUL

And it's not even Thanksgiving yet. Today I went to Mom and Dad's and worked in their yard picking up pecans and mowing under the pecan trees so we can find the pecans when they fall. Dad came out while I was working and told me he felt so much better..better than he has felt in a long time. It was so nice to hear because he never says he feels better. A cold front is supposed to come through today with big winds, so I wanted to pick up pecans and clear out under the trees because when the wind blows, lots more will fall. Dad came out to get me while I was outside and told me Mom had fallen and she couldn't get up. Again I am thankful because she has fallen many times and has never been really hurt. No broken bones....YET! He and I were able to get her up without having to call my brother. Having him feel better makes me feel better!

Very productive day...

In between cooking, cleaning, and washing today, I got a whole bunch of scrapbooking done...at least 8 pages. I never left the house and never took off my flannels and t-shirt. Now I am feeling much better about getting it finished in time to make it arrive by December 26th in South Carolina. It's going to happen!

God Bless ALL Veterans!