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!

Frosty comes alive!

My neighbors' across the street! Beautiful, tasteful decorations.....like
my house on steroids!








My lonely Frosty all by himself!

One More Time...

My belly is full of turkey, cornbread dressing, cranberry sauce, fruit salad, sweet potatoes, and my awesome mashed baked potatoes. I had to make something my gluten intolerant brother could eat and I must say they were delicious. I just reheated and ate them again. One might think that potatoes are just potatoes....not true....these red skinned potatoes and a diced onion were cooked in chicken stock. When they were done, they got mashed up with heavy cream, cream cheese, green onion tops and parsley. They were then put in the oven for 30 minutes. When that was done, I sprinkled real bacon crumbles and shredded cheddar cheese on top. By the time I got to my brother's, the cheese was melted and the potatoes were perfect. He liked them as well.


My precious mom had baked me an Italian Cream cake for my birthday and it is delicious. She knows that is my favorite kind of cake and I must say, she really came through with this one. Lately, her cooking has been not as good as usual, but not this time!!!

I GIVE THANKS!

My lucky day!

No, I didn't win the lottery, but maybe I SHOULD buy a ticket! I found the receipt from Lowe's where I bought the Happy Holidays sign that looks crappy. I'm thinking tomorrow I will take it down and take it back!!!

TAZ personified!

I have been wild like Taz today, but I got a lot done mostly because I had to stay home and wait for a couple of phone calls. The floors have all been cleaned and vacuumed, the phone calls have been received, the outside Christmas decorations are up (although I am not happy with one of them), and the scrapbook needs only two more pages to be completed and ready to ship. My big Happy Holidays sign is on the fence, but there aren't enough lights on it to be able to read it at night. Not sure what I will do about that, but I will probably take it down....maybe try to add more lights.....maybe not! Right now it just looks tacky!!!!

Big time screw up!!!

Update: The hotel called and they have my stuff. They are shipping it to me!I am very grateful!


I left a wool blazer and a Tommy Hilfiger shirt in a hotel closet yesterday. Of the many, many hotel stays I have had, that has never happened. I left something in a hotel airport shuttle one time and had to go back to Houston the next day to get it. I have a call into the hotel security. There is someone in charge of lost and found that is supposed to call me back. I hate when I have to wait for someone to call back. It screws up my day even more!!!

My new favorite stuff!

While I was in Lake Charles, I was gifted with some bath crystals saturated with moisturizers. The gift was from a place called Bath Junkie......and, by the way,.......I am ONE! This stuff is awesome. I have used it twice now and it completely negates having to get all greased up with lotion after a bath.

I returned home today and found that my angel trumpets didn't survive the freeze last night. I had them covered, but the tarp came loose on one side and exposed them to the weather. They had so many buds on them and they were going to be pretty soon, but they're gone now. Maybe next year!! They have already bloomed several times this summer. My azaleas (twice bloomers) have buds all over them and I have them covered tonight due to predicted 29 degrees. I'm afraid that isn't going to help and they probably won't bloom. It's OK. They bloomed in the spring. Maybe next year! I love the cold weather, but I love my flowers, too! Can't have both, I guess!!