Tuesday Happenings!

Happenings:
   First thing this morning I watched Charli, from 6 a.m. until 12:30 p.m. She is not feeling very well, I don't know if it is allergies or a cold, either way she is coughing really bad. I didn't even have any meds I could give her for the cough. I felt really bad for her, and naturally she fell asleep about 30 minutes before Mommy got here. Now we're heading to Sam's.

Sam's Run:
   We needed a few things from Sam's so we thought we'd make a run today. We always buy our Iam's Dog food there, it is a big bag, last the 2 dogs a long time, and works out cheaper  than buying 3 of the medium bags at Walmart. We also had to stop by the Vets and get the dogs their heart worm and flea and tick medicine too. We got a few other things, but dog food was the main reason we went. We'll probably end up going back over before we take the Grand Daughters camping on June 10th. 

Jake:
   Before we let the dogs out of their crate, when we got back from Sam's we got Jake out of his cage. Jake is our Yellow Nape Amazon parrot. Jake needed his toenails trimmed, and his wings clipped, so after we got back from Sam's, we toweled him and took care of that. He wasn't too thrilled, but he survived and so did we! We didn't get bit either, and he was back talking within five minutes.  His toenails had gotten way too long. We still have to do wings and nails on Paco, (our Mollucan Cockatoo) later, but compared to Jake he is super easy!  Usually we can just hold Paco instead of toweling him. Jake will bite you if he can get the chance, and his beak is very pointy, leaves holes, and he always bites deep enough to draw blood. Knock on wood he has gotten pretty mellow, and hasn't bitten anyone for several years. I was pleasantly surprised he didn't nail one of us though.

 Poison Ivy Woes:
   If it weren't for my hands constantly itching and driving me crazy, my poison ivy wouldn't be too bad right now.   My hands are the worst. The whole side of my family is very allergic to it and always has a bad reaction when one of us gets it. My Mom and my Brothers, and myself always get it really bad when we're exposed to it. So wish me luck getting the itch to stop, I have a feeling I'm going to need it!

Beautiful Day:
   Today was a beautiful warm sunny day. It was nice to be out of the house. It is still very nice outside, and I hope it stays that way for a few days. This post is gonna be short today cos I'm off to soak my hands in an oatmeal bath, to see if that will help the itch any, because they're itching so bad I can't type anymore. So Ya'll take care and I'll be talkin' to ya soon. Until tomorrow then... 

Memorial Day

Memorial Day:
   Today is Memorial Day! We have a long line of men who served our country in our family! I am proud to say that each and everyone of them did so, including my husband, Mike who spent 20 years in the Air Force !!  I am also happy to say that each one of them made it back from their service in a war, with no injuries. There we're many who did not, they were injured very badly or many gave up their lives so that we could remain free. We are a free country because of those Brave Men and Women, who gave their lives for us. Whether you agree with war or not, that right was guaranteed for you by their service. If they had not done so this country would be under the rule of a Queen, or a Dictatorship. You wouldn't have the freedom to disagree with the idea or the concept of war. So give thanks and honor to our armed forces that you have the right to disagree with war.  It is inconceivable to me that anyone would refuse to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, or to rise and put their hand over your heart when the National Anthem is played etc... but it is their right, to do so because of the brave men and women who fought for that right for them!  Kind of an oxymoron if you ask me, don't you agree? There are many countries who's men and women have died  for them, and they still don't have that right to exercise their opinion in speech. They are told what to think and do! I am thankful that our country is not one of them! People would not have the freedom of speech if not for our brave servicemen and women. So as for my family, we honor them and I hope that all of you do too! We are PROUD of THEM and very GRATEFUL to THEM. THANK YOU TO ALL OF OUR ARMED FORCES!!!! You are all HERO'S of the GREATEST CALIBER!!!!!!   

Yesterday:
   Not much was accomplished yesterday by me. I did dishes, and made potato salad for today to have with our meal. I am grilling a steak for Mike and I, and making a nice salad, with lettuce and other vegetables in it this evening.  So we'll be having the potato salad or a baked potato, not sure if  I want to have potato salad with a nice steak. We'll have to see what kind of mood I am in when I get the steak on. May save the potato salad for hot dogs or burgers tomorrow.

Fiver:
   I did not do much yesterday, but Mike and Jamie washed the fiver. There are a few places that have those annoying black streaks that Mike wants to go back over, but the worst of it is done. Between them they got it done without too much trouble, or hurting their backs too bad. Once taking care of the black streaks is done, it will be my turn to wash the windows. Goody, goody! Haha! I hate washing any windows whether in the house or the fiver!

Poison Ivy:
   The poison ivy is bearable now, and is starting to dry up, thanks to the prednasone I have been taking. The itch is now at a minimum too, thanks to the Ivarest I have been using.  I hope it is all cleared up by the wedding next weekend, otherwise I will look really blotchy fo it.

Foot Blurb: 
   This is my next to the last foot blurb! I go to the doctor next Thursday, and I don't foresee   any complications. So I will hopefully be doing one last  blurb next week, and then I won't be mentioning it, after I report what he has to say! Aren't you glad? I know I am, lol! It feels like it has been a year that I have been talking about this instead of the end of March. For me the subject is exhausted, and I just want to forget about it, and I'm sure you have heard more than you ever wanted to know about it! LOL! So it will be quite a while before I mention having the other foot done, years maybe!!!!!! I am ready to get busy and start walking the dogs again!

Bouquet:
   I had to quit working on the bouquet because of the poison ivy blisters on my fingers. So now that they are dried up I should be able to finish it up by mid week. Nothing like waiting until the last minute, the wedding is on Friday. Lol!  So speaking of that, I better go get busy on it!   I'll be back to talk too ya soon, so see ya's next time...

Poison Ivy

Poison Ivy:
   Remember the song Poison Ivy by the Coasters? Poison ivy  lord will make you itch, you'll be scratchin' like a hound, you need an ocean of calamine lotion ect... so now that I've got that song stuck in your head, I am so over this! I feel like I'm about ready to scratch my skin off! Too bad we don't have a bath tub, cos I'd be takin' an oatmeal bath. Before you ask, yes we do bathe, (well we shower) because we only have a shower, and that's not going to do me much good. Lol! I really feel like screaming, I'm in misery! I wish I could wave a magic wand and destroy all the poison ivy, oak, sumac etc...wipe it off the face of the earth, make it extinct, eradicate it even! I'm sure you get the picture what I'd do if I could! Haha! My skin feels like it is crawling, it is itching so bad! 

Frigid Friday:
   Baby it's kinda cold outside in May, on Memorial weekend? Yep it is and by 5 a.m. it is supposed to be 42 degrees. It is a good thing I didn't take the electric blanket off the bed cos last night I had it on low.  I'll probably have it on again tonight too! In a week it will probably be so stinkin hot I'll feel like I'm gonna melt! Right now I'd just be happy with 70's. Can you see a trend here, I am just complaining about everything tonight! Poor you, I'm Sorry for the rant.

Charli:
   We had a good visit with little miss Charli today. She was here at about 5:45 this a.m. and she didn't  want to go back to sleep.  She was so tired when Mommy got here she just about couldn't hold her eyes open. Grandma wasn't too far behind her except as I said yesterday, I can't sleep during the day. So I am still going, but I too, am getting tired.

Fiver: 
   I worked on the bouquet today after Charli went home. I now have flowers scattered all over the living room of the fiver and the dining table. I am having trouble today getting in the groove to work on it though. Sometimes they will go right together, almost by themselves. Other times I take them apart several times and start over. This one I have taken apart once already. I finally got so frustrated this evening at 6:00 p.m. I had to just come in the house and quit for the day. Hopefully it will go better tomorrow, otherwise I may be bald when I pull my hair out. Lol! 

Short and Not So Sweet:
   I'm afraid this is going to be it for tonight, I am in a kinda sarcastic mood tonight and I need to get some rest, or I'll be grouchy tomorrow too!  That is why I said it is not so sweet, when I can't get something to go right and I get frustrated I'm not my usual optimistic self. So it is better if I wait until tomorrow. I want to start fresh in the morning so I can be ready to go. Hopefully I'll have a more successful day then! So ta ta for now. See ya's...

Brrrrr It's Getting Chilly!!!!!!!!

Thursday Evening:
   Well I knew they were forecasting for it to get rather chilly, they were right! I have a T-shirt, jeans, and socks on now, after having shorts, T-shirt and no shoes on. It is now down to 56 degrees, and while that is not freezing it ain't good! It is cloudy and windy with the winds at 15 mph. Tonight is is supposed to get down to 41 degrees. I hate this kind of weather!  I'm kinda glad that this weekend I'm not a camper of any kind, so I guess that makes me a fair weather camper. Lol! We have spent a few weeks in the fiver when it was cold and rainy, it wasn't too bad, but then again we didn't have the dogs then. It was just me and Mike, so we didn't have to go out when it was raining. I imagine I'll have to get a poncho so I can take the dogs out for a walk as long as it is just raining. I certainly won't be going out walking if it is storming!

Bouquet:
   I got a good start on Heather's keepsake bouquet today in the fiver. I am taking pics as I go, so I will post them when I am done. That is if I can remember how again! Every time I want to post a picture, it takes me forever to do it. I guess I don't do it often enough for it to sink into my thick head so I can remember the steps. It makes me so mad when I forget how to do something like that. I won't get to work on it much tomorrow, until afternoon, because I will have Charli from 5:45 a.m. until around 1:00 p.m. By then I just might need a nap! Haha! No, I really can't take a nap, cos I won't sleep at night if I do. I have never been able to sleep during the day except if I am sick. So I don't even try anymore.

Poison Ivy Update:
   I now have several places in my face that are blistered and some on the back of my neck, as well as the whole front of my neck. There is also the patch on the inside of my elbow joint, and the ones on my hands, and some on my knees. I am almost sure that it is from smoke from a  big bon fire we saw over the weekend now. That is the only way I can think that I got this much. I started taking my prednasone last night, so I hope that will start to help with the itch and the swelling. I thought if I take it before bed, that maybe I won't be get so hungry. Prednasone always makes me want to eat everything in sight, so it is certainly not good for a diet! So wish me luck I'm definitely going to need it! Meanwhile, this itching is driving me crazy !

Foot Blurb:
   My foot is doing quite well I think. It isn't swelling like it was and I don't have too much pain when walking on it unless I step on it wrong. I go back to the doctor on May 30th, and I expect him to lift most of my restrictions. One restriction he won't lift is wearing flip flops!  He says that is the worst thing for your feet ever invented!  I will miss them this summer! He told me wearing them between your big toe, and the next toe makes your big toe move toward the other toe, because it has to grip the whole sandal there to keep it on. So if you don't have a bunion it can cause one to form if you wear them all the time. Also they are bad for the arches in your foot, no support, in especially the thin flat ones. I'm going to ask him what I can wear besides tennis shoes, when it is hot outside. Tennis shoes get really hot, and make your feet all sweaty, so I don't want to wear them all summer long.

Earlier Start:
   I am going to have to get an earlier start on my posting! Here it is  after 9:00 p.m. and I am just finishing up. I'd much rather write it in the afternoon. Then it is done and off my mind for the rest of the evening. It is hard coming up with stuff to say if you wait until the last minute. I will end this post as I began it now, complaining about the weather! It Is Getting Chilly, it is now down to 52 degrees, can it really drop another 11 degrees tonight? I hope not, but it will probably be close! As for Ohio, it thinks it's fall instead of late Spring! I wish you warm gentle breezes where ever you are!
Until next time...

Wednesday May 22nd

Hello Wednesday:
   This morning was a mad rush to get the dogs up, and then they had to go back in their cage after only an hour! Mike had another appointment with the pain doctor for shots in the right side of his back today. Once again, the Doc had trouble where Mike's back is fused. That makes for a lot of pain.  We finally got out of the office and made it home about 11:30 a.m. As you can imagine, the dogs were more than ready to get out of their cage.  I guess it's really a huge crate. They finally settled down after I fed them. They always act like they have been in the crate for days instead of a couple of hours. I'll be glad when I can start walking them again, maybe they will settle down a little. I walked around the block pushing our Grand Daughter Charli last Monday. It wasn't real bad but my foot was hurting by the time I got back.  Of course, I only had Crocs on, and not my walking shoes. I hope it will be better with my walking shoes. 

Sunday Weeding:
   I am really paying for weeding on Sunday without my gloves!  I have a few spots of poison ivy on my left hand. Also, I think someone must have been burning wood with it on it. Did you know that the resin oil from it can be carried in the smoke? The worst case I ever had was when I went outside, and looked at a bon fire one time. I was covered with it, and I wasn't even at the bon fire. Friends of mine were there, and they got it too! It was two streets away from where I was standing. So if you get it please be careful around campfires. I ended having to go to the doctor and, get shots and be on a regimen of prednasone for 2 weeks. I hope it doesn't get that bad this time. It is on my neck, the bend of my elbow, and a couple of other places on my legs. My whole family gets it really easy, so I know what poison ivy and oak, look like, and I stay away from them. I sure didn't see any in my flower beds out front. Anyway, wish me luck I know I haven't had any for about five years, and it seems like I get a rip roaring case about every five years, always in late spring if I'm going to get it. If it was just on my hand I would say I got it weeding, but I did make sure I washed my hands as soon as I came in the house, before I touched anything. I hope it clears up before the next wedding in June, or I'll be a mess! Anyway, I am trying to resist scratching even though it itches like crazy!

Fiver:
   Tomorrow I am going to start on the keepsake bouquet in the fiver. Then when I get done I am going to clean, and straighten up the fiver.  A bouquet can take me anywhere from 3 hours to 2 days. It just depends how elaborate I get with it. This one may take the longer time because it is going to be a cascading bouquet, and they do take longer to  get the cascading effect right. Since we're not going anywhere for Memorial weekend, and it is supposed to be cool, but sunny we plan on washing the fiver and giving the Beast (truck) a bath too!  So I imagine anything I don't get done in the fiver, I can finish up then.

Charli:
   Sometimes I get to watch Miss Charli, so she might get into the time frame too. She is Mariah, and our youngest son, Gary's daughter. She is 2  1/2 years old. She is a little smartie pants too!  She can tell you all the alphabet and all the numbers on a clock and in a deck of cards, when you point to them. She knows all her colors, shapes, and animals in her books. Her favorite shape is an octagon.  Her name is Charlotte and her nickname is Charli .  So if I have her I won't be getting anything done, because I'll be playing with her! Playing and doing things with the Grand Daughters is one of my favorite things to do! Just found out that I will have her from 3 to 5 tomorrow, so I can work on my bouquet for awhile tomorrow. Now that worked out good!

Rain/ Memorial Weekend camping:
   We had a rain shower with just a bit of thunder, and it cooled things off a bit, we're down to 67 degrees now. I hope it does not get into the 40's like they have been predicting for this weekend. 
   I know we have spent many Memorial weekends camping, and wearing jeans, with sweaters, and jackets, and eating homemade soups.  They were good times spent sitting around a fire most of the day. If it rained, then we were usually in whatever Rv we had at the time. We have always had a hard shelled Rv's, never a tent or a pop up camper, no we're not Rv snobs. Lol! For one reason or another, we never used a tent or had a pop up. We looked at a lot of pop ups at Rv shows, then we ended up with a used 16' Shasta trailer, that we pulled with a station wagon. It would actually sleep 8, but it was very crowded with 5! It even had a little room with a toilet! It also had lots of storage, and a stove with oven, refrigerator,  a booth for eating, and a little furnace. The only thing it didn't have was hot water and a shower. I used to heat water in an electric 40 cup coffee pot,( like you would use for a large gathering) for dishes. That was actually roughing it for us! Lol! 
   Boy did it get really small when it rained, one Memorial weekend it rained the whole time we were there. Imagine, if you will, 3 small boys, ages  3, 5, and 7 and 2 adults sitting around in a 16' trailer, and all their toys. Can we say  CRAZY? OMG, you talk about going bonkers, we were! Then we got up on Memorial day, and couldn't get out of the camper, cos the awning was full of water, and the door wouldn't open but about a foot. It was one of those little awnings that slid into a little track, and then had poles and ropes with stakes in the ground. I'm surprised it didn't come out of the track on the side of the camper! Mike had to use the handle of the broom to push the awning up enough for him to get out so he could release one of the poles. We made a lot of mistakes that week end, but the biggest was GOING! Haha! Oh well, we can look back on it and laugh now though! The boys have fond memories of the camping trips we took, and all enjoy going camping now, so I think it was worth it.
  I have to say our accommodations have gotten much better, though they sleep fewer people, they have so much more space. Our 35' fifth wheel trailer has 3 slides so it is nice and roomy. Except, when we take the 3 oldest Grand Daughters in June it will seem just as small as that little Shasta Trailer we used to have. Having had boys, I never realized how much stuff 1 teenager and 2 preteen girls had to take with them! Lol!  After having them for 2 weeks last summer, we now know how much room they take up with their stuff. Haha!  It was mass chaos until we figured out where to put things, and they had to put everything back as soon as they were done with it. There were many times I went into the fiver and clothes were all over the place!  Then I had to call them in and make them put everything back in their little cabinet. So lets pray for clear skies and warm temps in June! 

   Well that is going to do it for me for this post, so safe travels, until next time...

Wedding was Beautiful, Sunday and Monday, and Today

Wedding:
   The wedding was so beautiful! Beautiful bride, beautiful flowers and beautiful reception. You could tell a lot of planning went into everything! I'm sure there were lots of last minute problems, but they made it look like it was effortless! I know the bride's Momma is exhausted! Lol! Weddings are very tiring! We got home abut 10:30 p.m. My foot even survived one dance! One wedding down and one more to go in June, and then a Graduation party the 8th of June.

Sunday:
   I was just wiped out on Sunday all I did was read all day! I have read 4, 200 plus page books the last 2 days on my Kindle. I was feeling pretty tired and lazy! Now I've got a stack of books from the library to start on! So I guess I'll put my Kindle aside and concentrate on those if I like the author. I have never read any of her books before so I will start with the first one and see how it goes. If I like her I'll read them all!

Clean Up:
   On Sunday I also cleaned and swept the front patio and cleaned up stuff in preparation for getting all my plants outside. I'm holding off until after this weekend, with this crazy weather we are having! I don't know if it has been changed or not but we're supposed to have lows in the 40's on Friday or Saturday night! Good Grief! I just can't believe that! So that is the reason for the delay in putting my plants outside. So after cleaning the patio I weeded the flower beds in the front by the patio. Then after doing all that I was tired, and I just read some more until bedtime.

Monday:
   Yesterday was spent reading, I didn't do anything but sit in my recliner and read. I didn't even fix any dinner we just sort of snacked. Talk about lazy.

Today:
   Today I finished  the 4th book, and then got busy and did the dishes and other stuff like that. Plus I still had to fill you guys in on the tantalizing life I had over the weekend! Haha!  I still need to give my plants a small drink of water before I put them outside on Monday. I have held off so long some of them look kinda bad, and wilted. I knew they'd be heavier after just being watered, and didn't want to have to carry all that weight. So they will only get a little bit of water, and then I'll water them really good after I get them outside. I also have another keepsake bouquet to get done, but that will be done by this weekend. I am itching to get started on that one, it has light pink, dark pink, a white hydrangeas, and roses and pearls in it. It is going to be so pretty. The silk flowers all look so pretty together, I just know it is going to go together so easy! I'll try to post pictures of it along the way!

   Well I think that is going to be all that I write today because I need to get my Avon order ready to go so I can get the stuff ordered.  Please say a prayer for all the people in Oklahoma that had that horrendous tornado go through there! Hope ya all have a good day, and I'll be back tomorrow. So until tomorrow, I'll see ya's...


   

Quote for the Day / Foggy Friday

Today's Quote:
   I think this is a good quote! It is uplifting and offers hope, and I'm all about that. I kinda lost my hope the other day, but I have it back now, and I plan on keeping it!  It's about not trying to live in the past, and reminds you to not be afraid to go forward with your life despite things that have happened to you. It is good for me to remember this! Sometimes it's hard to not get stuck on the things you experience in the now, or have experienced in the past. As of today, everything is in the past that happened yesterday, and the day before, and the day before etc...letting go of things that hurt you, anger you, and grudges you have held against other people, will free you to get on with your life. Besides, what good is a grudge against someone if they don't even know about it? The only one it continues to bother is you. Why give room in your heart to grudges and anger? All that does is take up places where love can grow. Me, I'd rather fill those places with love. It makes for a much happier me. Okay enough internalizing and wondering about life. I will quit wondering, (wasting time doing that) and just live it.

Foggy Friday:
   Boy was it foggy this morning! There was a 2 hour delay for school, and a terrible 15 car wreck on I 70 east bound near Springfield,Ohio.  I hope there were no serious injuries, but I know from the wreck we were in it doesn't take much to really hurt people.  You wouldn't know that it was even that foggy this morning by looking outside now. The sun is shining, and it is a perfect day with a temp of 79. Can't ask for more than that, not too hot, just right. Thinking about putting a few of my hardier hanging plants outside today.

Mike:
   On Wednesday Mike got 3 shots in his back for pain from his pain specialist. I guess the Doc had trouble with the third shot because he kept hitting the metal from his back being fused in 2 places and they were using an Xray machine or Ultrasound machine. OUCH I am thinking that was most unpleasant! I hope it helps, and next Wednesday, he will get 3 more on the other side.

Jamie:
   Our son, Jamie is also having problems with his back again, so he goes back to see his back surgeon on the 29th of this month. He has to have another MRI done before he goes, and then I guess we'll see what happens. Unfortunately he has his Dad's back problems, and he has already had his back fused in one place 2 years ago. He is only 38 yrs old, and too young for disability! He had just made it back up to working 40 hours again. He is numb from the left side of his neck down the left side of his body to his knee. Not Good!

Wedding:
   Tomorrow is the big day, Katie is getting married. She has grown up to be such a beautiful woman, and I am so proud to have been able to take care of her when she was little. I know her Mom won't be the only one with tears in her eyes tomorrow! I wish them lots of love and happiness.

Busy:
   Well it is time for this chick to get busy, and do something! It is just too nice to sit typing, even if I can't do much because of my foot there must be something I can do! Oh yeah, I can dust, hows that for excitement? Lol!  Well wait a minute, I think  I like the idea of working in the fiver better. Getting some things done in there would be more fun, even if it is still dusting.  At least I'll be in the RV, which is where I want to be, only sitting beside a lake instead of my driveway! Lol!  So I'll see ya's... soon