Motivation Re-visited!

Since it is ONLY 91 degrees today, I got some motivation back and did some yard work. The petunias had about had it even though they were still blooming, so I pulled all them up. The caladiums have about had it ,too, so I cut off a bunch of them. The research has begun to see what I shall have in the flower beds in the fall. Pansies are just not showy enough for me. I also did a yard treatment with Miracle Gro...those liquid ones that fit on the hose...and also spread some lawn food with the spreader. If it doesn't kill it, it will be green and thick!!! I'm obsessed with my grass!

We took the plunge....

My brother and I made an executive decision to get someone to clean the house for Mom. She had someone for over 50 years.....the same person...., but, that person is now in a nursing home and Mom is just not able to keep up with a moderately big house (not by today's standards, but in its time). I tried doing it for her, but she gets in the kitchen and starts cooking when I am there and that just doesn't work well with cleaning. My dad is very generous with his money with his children, but not so much with anything else, so we anticipate some resistance from him. He doesn't think the house is dirty because he can't see well and he certainly makes no attempt to keep anything clean. He will take out the garbage and change the garbage bags, but that's about the extent of his cleaning. Mom wasn't even real receptive to the idea, but I think that's just because she doesn't want to deal with Dad. Now she thinks she has to clean things up better before the lady comes on Wednesday. I told her I would come help her do that. No one ever uses the dining room and the living room, so it gets dirty from lack of use. The hardwood floors need a good cleaning so I'm hoping this lady will do that. The only place the hardwood isn't covered up is the living room and dining room and they have become very dingy. We'll see how far our executive decision gets!!!We could get vetoed and not be as powerful as we think!

One thing after another!!!

My dad called me at 7:30 this morning and woke me up. He said Mom was not doing well since her fall last week. My brother and sister-in-law had been there for breakfast and they decided she needed to see her orthopedist. It is her knee that is causing her lots of pain. She has two knee replacements and when she falls, those stainless steel knees really bruise the inside of her knees. She called the doc, but he was not going to be in today. He is her cousin and and no one else will do. I called her later today and she said she thought it was better.

I had yet another lazy do nothing sort of day. It is just too hot to get motivated to do anything, so I just stayed home in the cool and cooked (quiche and a strawberry cake). Then, of course, I had to eat them. I offered to take some to my mom. but she declined. She just doesn't want me to use my gas.

Later today I did some scrapbooking and got several pages done. I don't like to leave the scrapbook stuff out, so I do as many as I can at a time so I can put everything back up. It's all put back in its place now until I get motivated again!!!

Nix Plan B

Nothing got done after my little episode with heat exhaustion. After my cold shower, I thought I felt fine, but,actually, all I did the rest of the day was sleep. That must have been somehow related to the getting too hot drama because that is highly unusual for me. I couldn't watch a TV program without going to sleep..... so, the edger and the cords are all still lying on the ground where I left them yesterday. Perhaps.......tonight!!!

On to Plan B....

I had planned to go back and work in Mom and Dad's yard, but before I did that I
needed to do the edging on my yard. I sweated a lot and drank a lot of water....plus, I sat down every few minutes in front of a fan in the garage. STILL.......I threw up! I think that is a sign of heat exhaustion, so I took a cold shower. I feel fine now, but I didn't finish the yard. I guess
I'll finish it tonight.

I'm Baaack!

Got home at about 3:30 Sunday afternoon. Spent Saturday night in Tuscaloosa, AL, so the drive home was easy. Had a great time in South Carolina with my little adopted family. The kids are just so much fun and had changed so much in the year since I last saw them.

The grass was so high when I got home that I got out just before dark and mowed the back and side yards. My neighbor kept it well watered, so it was thick and green. Today I have to go see about my Mom, who managed to do a face plant in the yard last Monday when both my brother and myself were out of town. She spent 20 minutes on the ground before Dad came looking for her. It was 8 P.M. and I am so grateful that he was not already in bed in his room in the far other end of the house. He had to call a friend to come get Mom up because he is just too frail to pick her up.

On the road again...

but this time it is a fun pleasure trip. Be back next Sunday.

Friends revisited!

My friend from Orange got here yesterday about 3 P.M. and just left a few minutes ago to go to Bossier for a couple of days with her aunt. We had a great visit. She hadn't been here long before we were rearranging furniture. She's good like that! Now I have optimal use of all my furniture. Before we changed things around, my love seat was not being used because it was not together with the other furniture. This will be better.
We took the tour of my new town, which is really a beautiful, quaint little town. I had dinner ready to cook before she arrived, baked a blueberry pound cake using fresh blueberries, and had the wine chilled. We had a nice dinner, then sat on the patio with our dessert and wine until after 11:00 just catching up.
Today we went down to visit my parents, who she had not seen in a long time. We picked tomatoes and came back to my home. What a lovely visit! She is a friend that I will always have.

I didn't win....AGAIN!

My favorite charity is St Jude. Each of the past 5 years I have bought a $100 ticket as a chance to win the St. Jude Dream Home in Bossier City, LA. Of course, the home is the big prize, but there are lots of lesser prizes that I could have won and I didn't. Oh well, it costs a million dollars a day to run St. Jude and the families of those children never have to pay one penny. They are furnished a place to stay, transportation to Memphis, food.....anything they might need, so I am always proud to be a small part of furnishing that service for troubled families. I can think of nothing worse than having a child sick enough to need St. Jude.

Another scary episode....

My brother and my dad were fishing today and doing well catching fish. After 1 1/2 hours my dad told my brother that he couldn't fish any more and needed to go to shore. My brother immediately started the boat and headed across the lake to the boathouse. He looked back at Dad and he was lying on the floor of the boat. My brother thought he was dead. Stewart called to him twice, "Daddy, daddy", but Daddy didn't answer. He came to when they got to shore, but he didn't remember anything except telling Stewart he was exhausted and couldn't fish anymore. He would not let Stewart call an ambulance because it's Friday. Stewart took him home and watched him for a little while, got him to drink some water and lie down. We think his blood pressure went too low, plus they were on the lake in the sun, and he hadn't drunk any of his water. He doesn't like to drink water because of his prostate problems, but I think he was dehydrated and just didn't know it. We are monitoring his blood pressure. I talked to him a few minutes ago and he feels OK. I told Mom that if he has to die, I hope it's on the lake, but Mom said that would not be good for Stewart......ooops...she's right! It scared him bad today when he thought our dad was dead in their boat!!!!

Mom time...

Today I took Mom to Shreveport for a periodontist appointment. Afterwards, we went to Chick-fil-A for a sandwich. On the way back to Minden, I remembered that her walking stick needed new tips on the feet, so I took care of that. While I was in that store, she noticed that her inspection sticker was about to expire, so I took care of that. Then we went to pick up her meds at Wal-Mart. This is the reason I moved to Minden. In all this time she never had to get out of the car except for her dental appointment!

Hot as HELL!

The temp on my computer says 104. I believe it is located at Barksdale AFB which is about 20 miles from me. The thermometer in my gargage (with the door open) says 100. The temp on my AC says 73. I'm staying inside!!!!!!! Well, at least until around 8 when I will get out and mow the front yard. Last night I got out after 8 and mowed the backyard. Then it will have to be watered. MWF are my watering days during the water restrictions, but it helps more to do it at night so it doesn't just evaporate.

I am such a SUCKER!!!

I got suckered into letting some young kids come in and show me a Kirby vacuum cleaner. Now I only have 2 rooms with carpet; all the other is ceramic tile, but they managed to worm their way in and show me how dirty my brand new carpet in my brand new house was. I must admit that he kept changing the little white filter and showing me what was in my carpet and it really was dirty. How can that be??? Unfortunately, the vacuum was $2000......do you hear me.....$2000. If I owned a hotel chain, I would sooooooo buy this vacuum, but not for my two little rooms of carpet. I could buy new carpet a couple of times for that amount!!!

From the depths of slothdom...

The last two days have been brutal. Right now at 8:30 P.M. it is 95 degrees. It just makes me not want to do anything, but vegetate in the recliner. Finally, late today I emerged into the heat and went to donate blood. I was turned down immediately after giving them my SSN. I'm sure the info is still there from 15 years ago when I last attempted to give blood and was denied because some hepatitis antibodies showed up. I had my doctor re-check and it came back negative, but that never got into the Blood Center's computers. They said I could call the blood center and find out why, but I declined. I just won't even attempt any more unless someone I know needs blood donated.

As I was nearly comatose in my recliner this morning, I saw a mouse come up on my patio. I sprang from that chair and armed myself with the broom and went to take on the mouse. He fled rapidly when I opened the door. I am afraid that mice could be a problem in the winter because there is a field behind my back fence. I keep it mowed behind my fence, but my neighbor doesn't, so I am sure they live in the tall weeds. I just don't like varmits of any kind that can move faster than me....and, duh,....that's all of them at this point in my life!!!

A great big ZERO>>>

If yesterday was filled with energy and activity, today was just the opposite. I went to Mom and Dad's for some tomatoes and ate lunch with them. Came home and piddled away another day. I did fry up some fresh white perch and cut up a watermelon from Dad's garden and take supper to my aunt at the assisted living facility. I felt bad for her yesterday when I took her some peaches because she didn't want whatever they had for supper there. It was going to be a long time until breakfast if one doesn't eat what's offered for dinner. I guess she ate peaches for dinner last night.

Very productive day!!!!

Every once in a while, I surprise myself with my abundant energy. Today was one of those days. I was up early and accomplished a lot and never ever took a little nap.
My accomplishments:

• washed 4 loads of clothes
• changed sheets
• mowed yard
• edged
• used the blower
• watered the yard
• trimmed the impatiens in the hanging baskets
• cooked lunch (fresh corn,chicken,tomato,cucumbers)
• went to a peach orchard to get peaches for my 90 year old aunt
• took them to her
• vacuumed
• cleaned the tile floors
• went to the bank

Full recovery?

I took all my dad's prescriptions that he came from the hospital with to him today. He was in the garden planting cucumbers for me because I love them so much. I already ate all the first ones we planted. I assumed he was much better since he was doing that. He is getting breathing treatments at home. This afternoon he and my brother went fishing and caught 44 white perch in 2 hours, so now he is healed!!! I knew fish were good for us, but I didn't know catching them was good for us!!!

On another subject, my brother and I are set up with signature cards so we can sign our parents' checks. I got one of their checkbooks so I can get stuff for them at Wal-Mart, which is near my home. Here is what troubles me.....I didn't even have to sign the check. They sent it through a machine and it is automatically electronically deducted. They ask for no ID. What if someone else gets one of their checks? They keep a lot of money in this checking account. Now I am scared to have their checks with me!!! How can this be safe? I don't get it. Technology has passed me way up and left me eating dust!!!

Dad is home...

I went over early this morning to the hospital. Two doctors had already said he could go home, but the other one had to sign off on it, too. We waited and waited and waited and waited....get the picture? As patient as I am, I was losing it this day. We did not get released until 1:30. That was a little more "dad time" than I needed. I felt myself turning into him.....highly impatient! That is the one trait I dislike most about his personality and I do not want to be that way.

Blurred days..

This week has been filled with my dad and his health. Monday my dad went to his GP here in town, who wanted to put him in the hospital. Due to the fact that he thinks the hospital here was instrumental and the death of his brother last year, he didn't go. He did begin some breathing treatments. Yesterday his breathing was very labored and he had some chest pain. My brother took him to the ER in Shreveport where his cardiologist is. I met them there and they sort of ruled out lungs due to clear chest x-ray. Today they did a lung function test that does indeed show a very diminished lung capacity. 1 liter when it should be 2.5 liters. The cardiologist is fairly certain it is not his heart, but lung disease, which, of course, is not nearly as treatable as the heart would have been. I will be going over early tomorrow to try to be there when the pulmonologist comes around and has seen the results of the lung function test. The hospital is about 40 minutes from me. Dad got really depressed when he found out it is most likely his lungs.

When my brother called yesterday to find out where I was and to let me know he was taking Dad to the ER, I was in Lowe's and had already purchased a trunk full of centipede sod. When I got home last night from the hospital, I took the sod out of the trunk. I was up at 4 A.M. unable to sleep so as soon as there was enough light I was in the yard preparing the ground and putting down 20 squares of sod. I had it all done and had been to the carwash to vacuum the dirt out of my trunk by 7A.M. No wonder I am so tired!!!!

Happy Birthday, America!

I am so proud to be an American!