Another missed opportunity!

 It was too cold this morning to get in the yard and start the process of preparing for spring, and I didn't get to do it after it warmed up either. I had to take Mom to the doctor for a regular appointment. She is doing fine, so I thought I could come home and get started. Dang Wal Mart was sold out of the Scott's red mulch, which is what I must have. I will have to go to Bossier tomorrow to Home Depot and get some while I have Dad's truck. For some reason, I just can't get the usual enthusiasm I usually have in the spring for such labor. Don't know what the problem is. I have to get out of this LAZY mode and get on with the business of creating my little piece of heaven that I can be proud of.

We are screwed!

A stay home kind of night!

First day of spring has snow predicted! WTH! Today was beautiful, so I took my nasty car to be washed. It is due in the body shop on Monday for some repairs and I wanted it to be clean for the guys. I have Dad's truck to use while it is in the shop, so next week will be a major work week hauling stuff for my yard. I need a truck always!!! Temp has dropped from 68 to 38 in the last couple of hours.

I am sick to death of the morons running this country into the ground and all the lemmings among my facebook friends who believe the lying idiots. I just don't even reply to the nonsense some of them post. And these are very smart people.....I don't understand how they can fall for all the lies. I just hope I get the chance to tell them....see....I told you so!!!!

Difficult day!

I spent 3 hours in Mom's carport cleaning out cabinets and doing more cloroxing. It was like going back in time because nearly everything in the cabinets was Dad's stuff.....shotgun shells, fishing gear, tools, paint, etc...all the "daddy stuff"! It is just the beginning. Mom is going through stuff in the house. We still have 3 shops and a barn on the property to go through. Mom told me yesterday that she wished daddy could see how white I got the outside chairs. I told her even if he were here, he couldn't see well enough to know they were clean. Maybe he can see now! Tonight we went to HIS restaurant to eat catfish! I know it will get easier, but all these things were hard today!

Vacay is OVER!

Thanks to my very dear friends, I spent a few wonderful days at their home in the mountains in Utah . My purpose was to just relax and recoup and that is exactly what I did. It came to an abrupt halt when I got to the hotel where my car was and found a dead battery. I utilized the Roadside Assistance part of my insurance and it was awesome. Within 15 minutes, someone was there from Auto Rescue to jump start my car. It was all my fault because I forgot to unplug an accessory in my car that drains the battery. I knew better, but just forgot.

After a detour through the Whole Foods store in Plano, I went straight home, then to my mom's where my brother was in the garden planting corn. I was able to help him finish up with that and spend some time with Mom.

Today I was back at her house bright and early ready to get to work in the garden. My brother and I planted another row of potatoes because none of the ones I planted before have come up. After digging around a bit, we found a few of them and some of them were rotting due to too much rain. I don't have much faith that any of the original 3 rows I planted will come up. I hope they do, but I doubt it! We planted 3 more rows of a different kind of corn today and I got a good start on cloroxing all under her carport and washing the house down. Unfortunately, I took my pressure washer there, but forgot the nozzles, so I couldn't use it. I'll go back tomorrow and work some more, but at some point I have to focus on my own yard and flowers. My home needs attention!!!!

Summer is almost here!

It must be near because the deer are moving around!

Leaving on a jet plane!

Several things have indicated to me that I need a vacation and two of them in the last 15 minutes! Cut my apple all up, took the lid completely off the salt shaker and poured salt on my apple! What the hell! I have lost my freakin' mind! A few minutes later, after washing the salt off my apple, I dropped the caramel apple dip in my lap! I am in desperate need of some DOWN time! Thankfully, that will be happening this week. I will fly away to Utah and chill out for a few days!

I got nothin'!

WooHoo! Finally!

Finally, a day filled with sunshine that was not too cold to get outside and work....so......

• Vacuumed and washed clothes at my house
• went to Mom's and washed, cleaned
• started cleaning out stuff at her house
• gave some of Dad's clothes to charity
• planted collards and cabbage
• got a mammogram
  

Feels good to move and get stuff accomplished! Mom and I talked with the funeral home rep about a monument for the cemetery. We will wait until Stewart can join us to make a decision and get moving on that.

I need answers!

How is it possible to lose a salt shaker that NEVER leaves the kitchen? Mine is freakin' GONE! I guess I have lost my mind along with the shaker! I have looked every possible place that I could have absentmindedly placed it. Alzheimers is raising its UGLY head, I guess!

Hello, Monday!.

Hello, Monday! I ended my weekend giving up on making my Wii console find my wireless network and calling in my professional guru. Since he lives on my street, he was here in a few minutes on a Sunday. Can't beat that! He brought his 4 year old son with him. Took the guru about 5 minutes to hook me up and his son wanted to play bowling ball on my Wii, so he did. Then my guy wouldn't even take any cash for his house call! Didn't mean for him to work for nothing on a Sunday. Usually that's time and a half, isn't it?

            Mom's doing great. My brother is going on another vacation next week, so I will be on Mom duty every day, but that's OK. I will be taking a little R & R the next week. Have not taken any time off to myself in two and one half years, so I am due a little escape. Lot's has happened in that time to make me have to stay home. My brother has been gone on 3 trips since Dad died, so I don't have any guilt!

Big ASS FAIL!

CRAP!

I spent a monumental amount of time tonight tring to make my Wii console hoo k up to the internet through my wireless router. FAIL! I guess I will have to call in my computer guru and hope he has some knowledge of Wii. It really doesn't require much knowledge of Wii because it tells every step to take, but I get stuck when I need a password to get to my router...don't have one that I know of and the general password (admin) that is supposed to work doesn't work. I hate when I can't get something to work!!!

One Big Ass Mistake, America!

Prayers answered!

My brother took Mom back to the foot surgeon today and the news was good. He took the pins out. She still has to wear the "boot" shoe for a while just for protection for her foot, but she can soak it now and start walking more. WooHoo! Things are finally looking up around here.

I am keeping my vow to exercise 6 out of 7 days. The Wii Fit is very motivational for me and never boring. There are soooo many different exercises. I haven't even begun to do all of them yet. Today, I tried one that I was sure I wouldn't be able to do, but I did.....how does it know I ran in place for 10 minutes????

It has been so dark, dreary and cold here today that I have been unmotivated to do anything constructive. Of course, constructive, to me, means something outside in the yard or in the garden...not in the house!! I am just an outdoor person!

Oh...and I got my lab results back and my triglycerides were 312! WTH! In June on my labs they were 149. Doc told me to double up on my Omega 3 supplement.  Well, OK!

Happy birthday, Mom!

It was a happy 85th birthday for my mom. She got to go to church for the first time since December and it made her very happy. We took her out to eat catfish last night and she was happy to be able to get out. We are looking into getting a golf cart for her to use around the home place. My brother and I both want her to be able to get out and see things that we do around the yard and garden. I hope we can make that happen for her.

Love it!

Dumb insurance agent!

Why wouldn't the insurance people know that my collision, not my comprehensive insurance would be used to fix my car? The adjuster said I have $200 deductible because my collision insurance would be used to fix my car because obviously another car was involved, so I am taking it to the lowest estimate place simply because he said he would buff out the keyed strip down my doors for nothing. The other place would charge me $100 to do that!

I was a master cleaner today and was even up early doing it. That is so not like me....getting up early and cleaning early! What's up with that!!!! I'm trying to decide if that cleaning can count as my physical activity today. I had to get finished before going to Wal-Mart (which is pure hell for me) to get some stuff for Mom and then to take her to the hair dresser for the first time in a month.

I hate when this happens!

As I was exiting the EZGo golf cart store yesterday, I noticed that my car had been hit in the back and busted up the trim and scratched the bumper. It didn't happen there, so I don't know when it happened. Of course, whoever did it left the scene without leaving a note on my car other than the damage! So today I got to get estimates and now I will have to be without my car for 3 days whenever I get it fixed. That will be OK because Mom's car and Dad's truck are sitting at her house unused right now. It's always something! I am just grateful it wasn't more than it is. I will probably get the money for the highest estimate, then take it to the lowest estimate place to get it fixed and make a couple of hundred bucks!

My brother and I planted 4 rows of potatoes today. He had the rows fixed and fertilized before I got there, but I planted the potatoes. We did some more work around Mom's house as well. He has been doing a lot of hard work. He did most of it while he was staying with her during the day while I was staying with her at night and coming home to sleep during the day. He was using power tools such as a chain saw....I don't do chain saws! He cut down trees and chopped fire wood like a MAN! I can't do that stuff! I'm too much of a wuss!

Ash Wednesday

I am not Catholic, but I like their lenten practice of sacrifice or helping others during the lenten season. Although, I think this does not qualify as helping others or sacrificing I have decided to do some form of physical exercise during these 40 days for 6 days out of each week. It might be Wii, gardening, walking, yard work, yoga..whatever, but I must MOVE!I feel sluggish, have gained weight during the winter, and, in general, just need to improve my own health. Tomorrow, I already know we are starting our garden by planting potatoes, so I have tomorrow covered. My brother has it plowed and I bought the potatoes today. I just have to cut all the eyes out to plant tomorrow. Looking forward to feeling better and, yes, fresh groceries this summer.

Ouch!

Finally did some looking after myself today and went to the doctor for the first time in 8 months. I am supposed to go every 3 months for blood work, but I find that to be a little obsessive...not gonna do it! He froze a bothersome place off my hand, which now hurts like hell!!

I have done a lot of toying around with the Wii today including Wii Fit, Fitness Coach, bowling, and boxing. I need to be working in the yard, but it is too freakin' cold and the wind is bitter!!!! I have to get better fit, so I can work in the yard and the garden without having to sit down every few minutes. My brother will be laughing at me!

No more couch potato!

When I went to my mom's today, my friend had left me a Wii/sports...the whole shootin' match! Couple that with the Wii Fitness Plus that I had already bought and I am a happy camper. I dreaded hooking the damn thing up because I figured I couldn't do it, but I did and it works! WooHoo!!! He failed to tell Mom how much I owed him, but I will pay whatever he wants. I am so happy to get it......AND.....I am so FREAKIN' out of shape!!!! The Wii Plus has the balance board that shows BMI, weight, balance, posture, etc! YIKES! Did I even want to know all that????

My house...MY snow...ME!

I finally got Mom home yesterday, but not before she missed all the beautiful snow cover. It melted quickly. My brother got home from his vacation before we got home from the hospital.

I had planned to go tailgate with my krewe today, but instead of getting up and getting going, I made the bed and lay back on top of it and went back to sleep. Guess that was God telling me that I need to rest. I did!

Oops!

Mom thought she was going home today after another transfusion, but she was just confused about what the doctor said. I wasn't there early this morning to hear what he said, so I just took her at her word and expected to take her home today. Tonight when he came by, I was there and he had no intentions of sending her home today. She gets confused a lot lately. It breaks my heart because she used to be the brains of the family. So very smart! He did say we could take her home tomorrow. I just hope I can get out of my driveway. It's fairly steep and uphill and it is supposed to snow all night and freeze. It has been snowing all day, but not all of it has stuck. I think it will tonight since the temp will be below freezing. Oh well, I have a volunteer already  to come get her home if I can't!

I may have found a Wii console. A friend came to visit Mom at the hospital yesterday and I told him my dilemma of having the software, but not the console. He said he had one in a box that he thought he might use in his business as a physical therapist, but he probably wouldn't. I asked him to sell it to me!!! I hope he will.

BooYa!

Mom update

Mom is much better and even her foot is better. Now her blood is a little too thick, but the danger has passed for her to stroke out or get bumped and bleed out. I left for a while today while my cousin was there with her and when I got back, she had on make up and lipstick and looked like Mom again..her beautiful self!!! Doc isn't pushing it, but he said if she is just antsy and wants to go home, he might let her go home and have home health check her blood every day and give her the shot she has been getting every day to regulate her blood thickness. It's easier on me if she is in the hospital because I live in the town with the hospital and my brother is on vacation. I don't have to worry about making sure she gets fed at the proper times for her blood sugar. If she goes home, I will practically have to stay there with her since my brother is gone. I am not going to voice my opinion though....it's her decision. If she thought about it being easier on me, she would not go home. I want her to do what she wants to do.



I think I might have to opt out of the Mardi Gras parade on Sunday. The high temp is not supposed to get out of the 40's and I haven't forgotten how freakin' cold I was after our local parade. The next one is much longer!!! The weather guessers are predicting snow on Thursday and Friday. Thank you, Al Gore!!!! I love snow!

WTH!

2010 so far has not been any better than 2009. Now Mom is in the hospital. Her blood is so thin that the hospital machines wouldn't measure it yesterday in the ER, but they sent her home. Her doctor was not happy about this and he had her home health nurse get labs today and get them to the hospital. When he got the results, he called me and told me to get her to the hospital in an ambulance. Do not touch her because she would bruise. She is now in the hospital getting  a blood transfusion ....well, at least the plasma. They said she was not even allowed to get off the bed to a potty chair. She never complained to my brother or me that she was hurting mostly all over, but she did tell the home health nurse that her leg hurt really bad. Now we find that she has bruises all over. Home health nurse knew something was up and called her doctor. The rest is history. She should be better by tomorrow because of the new plasma. On the  positive side, her foot is getting better finally. Her ortho doc came by her room and said as soon as this blood issue is settled, then she can begin walking some on her foot. Now he believes all the draining from her wound was a result of the blood being too thin. We have no idea how her coumadin got her blood so out of whack. It is checked every week and sent to her cardiologist's office. They adjust the coumadin as needed. Somebody screwed up somewhere.

Minden St. Jude auction was again a huge success, but I didn't win anything this year. I did, however, spend over $400 on chances to win items and all that money goes to St. Jude. I'm waiting now to hear the final total and who won the Denali. Stand by...........$881,885!!!!AWESOME!

Busy weekend!

Thursday was decorate for the ball day, but last night was the event itself and it was awesome! Our krewe does everything first class and I have never been to any other krewes' balls, but there is no way they could top ours.

As I was getting ready to start my day today, my brother called and said an ambulance was on the way to get Mom. The home health nurse was afraid she may have a blood clot. We spent most of the day seeing about her in the ER. Ultrasound did NOT find a clot, so she is back home and resting now.

Tragedy strikes again.

Tragedy
strikes again.
Heartbreak for New Orleans!

Below is presented why the economy of New Orleans will likely never completely recover, again....!!
 
It seems like every couple of days New Orleans loses one of its treasured entrepreneurs. These people are the hope for the city and we must call a halt to this unfortunate trend if
we ever expect to see a vibrant city again.

Entrepreneur?????

It took me a couple of minutes to get it, but imagine, NINE welfare
recipients collecting $1500 each.....that equals $13,500 a month !!! Now add
food stamps, free medical, free school lunches, on and on and on...Now that to
me is a real Entrepreneur.
Makes one proud to be a Democrat. What a freakin' travesty! Mr. Obama will only perpetuate this mentality with his socialist agenda if America does not wake up and vote these idiots out!!!!

Good show!

Last night my conservative friends and I went to Tinseltown to see the Beck/O'Reilly Bold Fresh show from Tampa. I must say those guys are pretty good together. Of course, the theater only had about 50 people in it, but the venue where the show was filmed had two sold out shows of 8,000 each. Could America be finally waking up???

Who knew!!!!

Ok...I am acutely aware that I did this backwards! Why can't I find a Wii console in any store? I bought the Wii fit, but now I can't find a game system anywhere. I thought everyone on the planet that wanted one already had one, but apparently not!

Sloth comes to mind!

What a sloth I have been today! I never opened the garage door and never went outside. The Sunday paper is still in the drive way. No church. No checking on Mom.....just NOTHING! I hate when that happens. One would think that if I was going to be such a loser, I would have at least watched the John Adams series that I bought from Amazon months ago. At least, I might have learned something. ....but NO! Not even that!!!

Mardi Gras

We had our local parade at 5 yesterday where we debuted our float for the season.  The parade lasted only one hour, but it was mighty cold. I was sooooo cold by the time the float parked and I got to my car that I was shaking all over inside and out! Floats pulled up in front of our parked cars to unload and prepare for their trips home, so I had to sit in my car with the heater on for about 45 minutes and I still was not warm. I came home and stood in front of the fire and drank hot chocolate and I was still shaking. It took a full hour for me to warm up after I got off that float. We were supposed to have a bon fire and hamburgers and hot dogs at the den after the parade. Didn't make it there. I just couldn't see getting out and getting cold again for that!!! My next parade is in two weeks. If it is that cold, I will not ride! I am officially an old wuss!

MIA this whole week???

I have no idea where I have been or what I have been doing, but I sure haven't updated here. It's Mardi Gras time, so work had to be completed on the float and, of course, we had to have a float loading party last night. Any excuse for a party!!

Mom is still having a rough time. She said her foot felt a little better today and today was the 3 week anniversary since her surgery. As a diabetic with bad feet anyway, I guess the healing has been affected by that.

Geaux Saints and BTW John Edwards is a dumbass scumbag! That's all!!!

Productive day!

After my brother told me he was going to take Mom to the doctor, I got busy in my yard on this beautiful, but windy, day! Wow! I did a lot starting at 9 this morning and I just came in at 2:30. Just realized I have not had one morsel of food today, but I'm not hungry after working so hard. I filled up my dad's truck with yard debris and got 20 hyacinths planted that I got for Christmas. Still haven't touched the backyard yet and I'm not going to today. This old body is tired!!!

Hello, Miami!

So much going on Super Bowl weekend. Minden St. Jude Auction and Krewe des Ambassadeurs Grand Bal'...CRAZY!

Geaux SAINTS!

Today's the day Louisiana gets to revel in something positive for a change...The New Orleans Saints! We need a win and a trip to the Super Bowl....what a trip that would be!

Today is also my first chance to get back to church in two weeks and I am passing it up. I know my teacher will not be there because he had knee replacement this week. He is an awesome teacher and no sub lives up to his knowledge and presentation. I am just going to hang at home until lunch, then go eat at my mom's. My sister-in-law is cooking her usual Sunday lunch.



We had a great first parade. The weather was very threatening, but held off until we finished rolling.

At last!

Finally, a night's rest in my bed has made a dramatic difference for me. My brother got to Mom's this morning to find that she had already made coffee and got the breakfast casserole out to warm up. He had to go to Hot Springs today, so I went this afternoon to check on her. She said she was doing great, but it does hurt to walk on her foot. I did some cleaning up around her house and planted a bunch of Texas sweet onions and left her there alone. She said she would be OK. I made sure she could reach something to eat although she can stand up and do a little bit of walking. Brother was expected back by 7:30 tonight.

Yesterday, I went to buy a new mattress and box springs for Mom. Tomorrow morning it will be delivered, so I am going there early to strip her bed and wash her sheets. I can't stay long because I have a parade tomorrow in Shreveport that I want to throw some beads in.There may be a margarita or ten consumed tomorrow and a burger or ten from Herby K's!

WooHoo....a bed!!!!

Tonight is the night I get to sleep in a bed....my bed....and not in a recliner at my mom's. I am sooooooo looking forward to it. Today I was able to attend a lunch for a friend's birthday and actually go to a krewe meeting tonight. It's Mardi Gras time!!! My Mardi Gras jacket has new appliques on it now and most of them are referring to my political leanings....CONSERVATIVE! Lots of elephants and flags and Texas stuff...inyourfaceconservative!!!! and idontevencare! It's 8 P.M. and I am going to BED!

Ouch!

Mom is improving each day, but it is a slow process. I watched my brother change her dressings yesterday and it looks very painful. I'm hoping tonight will be my last night to "sleep" in a recliner. I am so ready for a night in my bed. The thing I worry about is her trying to cook breakfast. She has done it for years and my brother always comes over and has breakfast with her. He has done that for years as well. I am making a breakfast casserole to take today, so, hopefully, she will remember that it can be just zapped in the microwave. Her mind isn't what it used to be. We have to make sure she takes her meds every day. She will say she took them, but when we check the container, the meds for the day are still there. In order to preserve my own health and sanity, I have to have a good night's rest!!!

Mom update!

Brother took Mom to the doc yesterday. Doc said her foot could look better, but it was OK...not infected. She has 6 to 8 weeks before the pins will come out, but she has permission to put some weight on it. She is still needy enough for me to stay at night. Last night I let her completely take care of herself getting ready for bed, but she had to have a pain pill afterwards because her foot hurts to walk on it any. She was very wobbly this morning and actually fell backwards against the bathroom door, so I got the wheelchair to get her to breakfast. I cook breakfast every morning for her and my brother before I leave to come home. My goal is to be able to sleep in MY bed Thursday night. I have a lunch to go to and a meeting on Thursday night and would love to come home and sleep in my bed. Friday, my brother is going to Hot Springs to pick up a truck bed he bought on Ebay, so I will need to stay with her during the day then.

Worthless!

Worthless pretty much describes me right now. Staying every night in a recliner has taken its toll on me. I am tired even though I come home every morning and take a nap for as long as I need...usually 2 to 3 hours. Mom is getting better, but she still is not allowed to place any weight on her foot. Hopefully, on Monday she will get a bit of a reprieve from that. If not, then I will still be staying the night with her until she can. Even when she can, she will be very unstable. She was unstable even before she had the surgery. I wake up around noon everyday and eat some soup or some crackers and lie back down until I have to go back to her house. My brother is there during the day, but he is mostly outside working in the yard...cutting down trees and cleaning up and burning stuff. He comes in every few minutes just to check on her. Mom hates that our lives are dominated by her precarious situation, so its taking a toll on her as well. We owe it to her and she would do it for either of us if she were still able. She never complained about taking care of daddy either! She is a SAINT!

Another new adventure!

We were told by several people that lortab causes brain confusion, so we switched Mom to darvocet yesterday. Her brain is less scrambled, but she talked all night long in her sleep. She took the machine off her face by 10 because it was bothering her. She couldn't get it to fit tight on her face and it sounded like  a hurricane. I don't blame her. I "slept" not so much in the recliner. It was comfortable, but she was constantly jabbering unintelligbly so I never knew if she needed something or was just jabbering. I slept a couple of hours hard when I got home, but I have to be back at her house by 4 so my brother can go to a funeral visitation. What can I say....every day is a new adventure!!!

I'm tired!

Not such a good night last night. Mom was sleeping in her recliner and I was lying on her bed listening to her breathing. It was very labored and erratic....and each breath brought a different noise. She has a CPAP machine, but hasn't been using it since she was sleeping in a chair. I moved the machine close to her and got the mask on her. She slept after that and I slept after I got used to listening to the noise of the machine. I had breakfast cooked and my brother was there this morning before she woke up. I think we will move her to her bed tonight...no idea where I will try to sleep. Her mind is very scrambled and she isn't making much sense! I can only hope it is residual anesthesia causing this. I hate to think this is what our future will be.