It was Christmas in July for 12 pregnant girls!

Part if the tables set yo and diaper cakes in front of out Prayer Table

Some of the 15 diaper cakes (130 diapers!)

The set up with Santa and MORE diaper cakes.  

The "Mommy Bags" that are JUST for the mommy - not baby!!

Welcome table

Little corsages from baby washcloths.  Didn't turn out like I planned - the blasted florist tape didn't hold - and my hands couldn't tie 12 ribbons

Another area church provided crib bedding sets

Special baby shower punch.  And it was GOOD!

The group who works with these girls remarked that this was the best shower they ever had since they began in 2008.  We gave them something way above and beyond their wildest hopes.  We all felt great.  There were 12 of our women working today.

In total, there were 39 people in attendance, 12 were the girls.  They ranged from 14 to 19.  It is sad, but at least they are getting help from this organization.  I still lament babies having babies.  One girl will be starting high school this year, and someone remarked how immature she is.  She had her mother sign her in, take care of her trash, etc.  I don't know how she is going to take care of a baby.  Grandmother is young too - she is 35.   

I guess I think age brings better knowledge and ability, but I know that's not always true.  I "rushed to judgement" in several cases.  One girl brought the dad, her mom, and little sister.  It really made me worry because I thought we were told it was only the girls, but this group was really something.  I got to know them best.  Daddy is 18, the mom 15.  Both are really mature all things considered.  He was very protective.  Future grandma is a great lady.  She did lament that SHE was s single mom - lost her job in May, but with the baby coming she didn't know if she could return to work.  Her younger child is 9 and quite a character.  I wish this family all the best in the world.

It was quite an afternoon!!

*&*()&%^*(&%(%

I have a virus - no, I mean this computer has a virus.  I have tried to be so careful about protecting my machines.  I usually go to overkill (no pun intended here) to keep viruses and their buddies out.  But since the protection programs are becoming so proprietary, there were issues with the new versions, so I dropped one of them.

I first noticed that I was getting pop-ups galore when I went on-line.  My first
''polly-anna" thought was the server had changed their policies.  I use two different ones, but I still wanted to believe the world had changed - not MY computer - the one I diligently protect.


So last night I loaded my previously used firewall/virus program.  It immediately told me my computer was infected.  It spend quite a while "disinfecting" it.  It required immediate re-start.  So I did.  


Every time I tried to go on line after that - I was dumped.  I figured I was in big trouble.  And I couldn't start this procedure at a reasonable time!  No, I wait until 11 pm.  I. AM. SO. BRIGHT. SOMETIMES.  


The last time I started the computer I decided I better get smart and restart in safe mode.  That allowed me to go to a previous point (whatever the heck it is called - I am old remember - 67 today.).  That got rid of all the "new" stuff, and put me back where the computer worked.

This morning, I have downloaded a free program that my son's computer guru friend swears by to get rid of crap.  It has been running.  We will see.  Most of the pop-ups are gone.  So far I have avoided the computer hospital.  With any luck ...


Peace

Back again

Hopefully next month, I will be living in the modern world with internet capabilities.  I was hoping that the satellite internet people could get to us this last visit, but alas it was not to be.  So we are scheduled for August 31.  I just hope they can find us in the wilderness.  I do have my doubts if my experience with ordering are the telling factor.

The trip was good.  Daughter was there with the family.  All was really smooth with the exception of the five year old.  That kid can whine!

This morning I awoke to a dream.  Most dreams that wake me are not good ones, but this one was.  I was dreaming that I was teaching school again.  Now that usually makes me wake not happy, but this was different.  In this dream, all my success stories were there. It made me feel so good knowing that I had influenced these kiddos in a positive way.  At the end, I wasn't sure that there was anything good coming from my teaching. 

Our Women's Group will be hosting a baby shower for another group on Saturday.  This is for young pregnant girls/mothers.  When we first said we would do this, they said 25 girls.  Our church members brought 2000 diapers to make diaper cakes for these girls.  Then there were to be 15 girls.  So we worked five hours making three layer "cakes" of 160 diapers each.  Then one of our members saw a Facebook page advertising for pregnant girls.  I am worried.

I do know that our members will overwhelm this shindig.  And there will be enough food to feed an army.  The person in charge of this from our group has worked this out - somehow while I was gone.  I need to call her ASAP to see what was going on.

Peace. 

Still Thankful

Last year, we in Texas were moaning and groaning because it seemed it would never rain again.  For a while, we really thought that was going to be the case.

What a difference a year makes.  Since Saturday, here at my house we have had at least a half of an inch a day.  This is bringing a lot of mosquitoes too.  That part I am not thankful for.  God must have a strange sense of humor to have created those little buggers - perhaps He didn't - perhaps the Lucifer caused them to mutate from something else.  But I digress.

Since last night to the present time (because it is still raining) my gauge registers 2 inches since 10 pm last night.  The news said our area has gotten 11 inches.  After last year, I will not lament this.  My friend probably is/will.  Her house just flooded again.  I am so sorry to hear that.  It isn't surprising.  Our ground is saturated, and this heavy rain will lead to that.  She lives in an area that is still prone to flooding.

My area was in a flood area.  Subsidence and building upstream from us caused our area to be prone to flooding.  We were close - the houses behind us (including the rental we bought) flooded.  We had water over our curb into the front yard.  My neighbor had her car out in the street and it flooded out.  We were lucky with that one - at least my house and my close neighbors. 

The county has done a lot of work.  G called me after he got to the park-n-ride. He said the bayou that causes our flooding was at the bridge.  Usually this would mean that we are in big trouble.  It seems to be running off well.  We really don't even have water in the street. 

Will I complain.  Absolutely not.  It is so nice to have the rain (sorry Kathy - I know you could use about 5 inches less today), but in addition to giving plants water, it has the temps lower.  The farmers are probably not happy especially if they need to be in the fields to harvest or plant. 

Hopefully the weather is moderating wherever you are.

Peace.

Sorry

I guess I shouldn't have vented so in my last posts.  I am not sure this is the place for it; I just had to vent.  Going to the kids (who saw the entire thing) isn't the thing to do, so I could compose words here somewhat better.  I appreciate the kind words - and especially the prayers.  I need them.

My attitude is still poor.  I really want to tell him to go to the SSB while I stay here, but I know that won't fly.  I would like to just be alone for a while though.

It is happening a little bit.  Yesterday, he had his colonoscopy, so things were rather quiet yesterday.  Today he had jury duty and got chosen as an alternate.  That means I have time to myself.  This will be good.

I have been working on the alter linens for the last couple of days.  Our "assistant" pastor asked me about them on Sunday.  Don't know why - it's only been at least a month since I said I would do them.  I had cut some out, and then realized that I didn't take the hem into account - been sewing much Grandma?  Apparently not.  That was a really stupid mistake.

Sunday night Lady Bug told me she wouldn't be in "camp" next week - she was between the ones they are attending.  She would be available to help me.  I wish I could have her that week, but it is SSB week.  Monkey Boy wanted to spend Saturday with me again.  I told him it was fine - I hoped he would enjoy the day at Women's group!  He quickly withdrew that question.

I was going to buy some new shoes today with DIL.  But we are getting blessed rains.  Like everything - when it doesn't rain - it doesn't rain forever.  When it rains - it floods.  I will not complain.  I will just sit here in the house - and have my arthritis hurt big time.  But it is still glorious rain that has lowered our temps considerably.  That is so good.

The shoes are a big deal because my first class feet require expensive shoes.  Now  were I independently wealthy, it wouldn't be a big deal.  I would have been buying those designer shoes all along.  No - I just wear a cloddy looking Finn.  They are certainly not pretty, but they feel so good.  They also start at about $150.  I know that isn't much, but I was always the Pay-Less queen.  Perhaps that's why I need the Finns now!

Peace.

This and that

I am sorry I was off the deep end about my surgeon.  I realize I had only seen him perhaps 12 times - including hospital visits, but he really was a great guy.  There are far too few doctors like him around, and that is really sad.

Sunday was pretty much a disaster.  I was ready to either just walk out or kill G.  He has decided that he is going to blame me for things that go wrong.  I don't like that - at all.  We put Simone in the bedroom while the kids were here.  William doesn't like her, and I don't like him being mean to her.  He is usually pretty sneaky about it.  All she wants is to be with the "puppies" and enjoy them.  I don't want him around her.

Anyway - she managed to bully herself past G.  He came blustering into the den yelling about MY dog and it was MY fault she could get out.  Well - with all the family watching - I lost it.  I told him that was right.  Everything that happens in this world is my fault - in fact the sun going down is my fault.  I am that powerful.

Well - he sulked off.  Nice.  Things were really strained after that.  I forgot to use paper plates for dinner.  He came back from the closet with the paper, and pointed at the cake and then at the plates.  At that point I could have stuffed those plates, er, down his throat (or someplace else).  I, like a fool, apologized.  See - my fault again.

So after dinner,  I told him if he would just finish unloading the dishwasher, I would load.  Son and family were leaving, so I went out to tell them good by.  Daughter was going to stay a little longer, but SIL said it was time to go, and I could tell that another temper tantrum was taking place since G shoved the left over bread into a baggie and slammed the cabinet door.  I repeated that I told him I would load.

After everyone was gone - he said that a pottery plate ($$$) under the aluminum pot got broken.  Well = ok.  He WANTED to make me feel it was my fault for putting the pot in the sink after I emptied it into a serving bowl (there wasn't any place for a hot pot).  BUT had he listened to me and left the room it would have never happened.

What really happened was that he had loaded most of the dishes - except for this one.  He then was going to scrub the pot, and in his ire used a lot of force which broke the dish.

I was then really ready to just leave.  Just get in the car and leave and not come back.  I really have had enough of this.  Hopefully he decided to be on the straight and narrow, because I haven't put that idea completely out of  my mind.

Sorry to burden you with this.  Just had to vent.

Peace

The bad and the good

Yesterday, I was enjoying myself sewing little purses and coin purses "in the hoop" on the embroidery machine when the phone rang.  I knew Doodle was at the ortho's office to determine hair line fracture or not.  I thought, as it was true that is was, Daughter.

Yes they were there, and it was a madhouse.  So she called upstairs to where one ortho guy and mine officed.  They said they were sure the one where she was would be a madhouse because theirs was too.  Dr F (my knee surgeon) had a heart attack a couple of weeks ago and died.

This news still brings the tears to my eyes, and yesterday it brought loud sobs while I was talking to Daughter.  Dr F was one of the best people, let alone doctors I have ever met.  My first visit to him was wracked with so much fear.  I had heard such horror stories about the pain of joint replacement.

After looking at my knees, he said we had to do the left one ASAP because it was so unstable\\.  He was afraid it would crumble and break at any time, and then I would have a real problem.  I remember how reassuring he was.  I clearly remember the words "we can't control the pain you are in now - we CAN control the pain post surgery."  And he did.

He always took time to fully explain what was going on, what was going to happen, why and/or any other question we might have.  We also talked about his hawks that he looked after in the area of the hospital.

After reading the tributes to him at the funeral web site, this is how he was with his patients.  He CARED.  He spent time.  Explaining.  Teaching.  Curing.  Talking.  With one, they talked about music.  

He also helped people who didn't have cures from other doctors.  On that first visit, we talked with a man who fell into a pond on his farm in another state.  He contracted MRSA - that skin eating bacteria.   He was about to lose his leg and his life.  He returned to Texas and Dr F.  His leg was saved.

In reading those tributes, I discovered Dt F didn't only do knees and hips.  He did shoulders.  Oh, how I wish I had known this.  I wouldn't be suffering as I am.

I think of my future.  I will not see him for my yearly follow up.  Something that I, like his other patients, looked forward to.  We enjoyed going to see him.  That isn't something most people feel about their doctors.

I am so very, very sad at his passing.  The tears still want to flow.  I know he was "only" my surgeon, but I know he looked on us as more than "only" his patients.
 _____________________________________________________________________________

The good is that birthday boy has had a good day with us.  He needed this time today - with us - alone.  Usually the girls push him our of the way and take over.  It must be hell to be the middle between two sisters - especially like his outgoing sisters.  The eldest usually brags that she is my favorite, and I love her more.  I have spend a lot more time with her - she is older, is able to do my hobbies, and has always been easier.  But today is Monkey Boy's day!  Tomorrow I will post a picture or two!

Peace

Let the festivities begin

Ah, July.  The month with the onslaught of birthdays for our family! 

Today is Monkey Boy's eighth birthday.  His mom always looks around and buys lots and lots of things before Christmas and birthdays, and she lets me shop her "store" when it is time.  I will do that again this year, but for something small.  I have decided that he is old enough (and has come around to thinking I am
an ok person - and he will even say he loves me without being prompted) that I will take him to lunch and out to choose his birthday present.

Tomorrow, Son turns 36.  Wow - where did those years go.  I was just so glad he wasn't born on the 4th, but he would have parlayed that into his Country band somehow.  His cousin was due the same week.  Son couldn't wait, and  nephew was in no hurry, so he came on the 23rd.  That would have been something to have two babies in the family that would have been 7-4-1976.

Doodle Bug comes in on the 20th.  We will find out today if her early present is a real cast.  She is handling the splint well, but I am not sure about 6 more weeks in a real cast.  The other kids already can't get in the pool since she can't.  Like the stereotypical baby of the family, she objects - loudly.

Then on the 26th I turn (gasp) 67.  This is a new thing for me - to admit my age.  But for a while there, I wasn't sure I would see this age.  So now I might as well be proud of it.  When I was teaching, the last thing you wanted was to be seen as old.  The kiddos didn't take too well to that.

So July is hot as a firecracker (but not our hottest month) and we help the local economy too!

Stay cool, and have a good weekend.

Peace

Our first hotel of the trip

This is taken from the door.

This is taken from in front of the dresser below.  The bath is in the door with the mirror

 

 

 

This is from the bed area in the first picture

Boy do these pictures make that room look good!  It was HUGE, but oh so strange.  It is really sad because this hotel, like its surroundings reminded me of a grand old lady. Once beautiful and gracious, now quite seedy.  The park across the street (through the triple windows) was probably beautiful.  This being Hot Springs had lots of bath houses in the area.  But we didn't do much looking around.  The heat wave had hit here even in mid June.  Plus, it just wasn't a neighborhood conducive to wandering - at least for me.

The closet isn't included in the pictures, but it is between the mirrored door and that chair in the above picture.  You can see the remains of plumbing - like for a sink. All in all the closet was strange.

The room was clean.  It was BIG, but the a/c left a lot to be desired.  The thermostat on the wall in the door to the outside alcove didn't seem to work.  I'll bet that this was a great room at one time for a family.  I have never stayed in a room as large as this one.

To be honest - I was glad we were only to be here one night.  This hotel was built in 1905 I believe. 

I will post pictures of the second old hotel in the next couple of days.

Peace

For today - answers

As to the Lipitor.  I simply told the doc that I couldn't tolerate the leg cramps.  Some of them were really deep in my upper thigh.  I couldn't work them out sometimes for several minutes.  He said this happens in about 10% of people taking the drug.  He then asked how long I had been off of it, and I told him at least 2 months.  My numbers still hadn't climbed too far, so he gave me something (I'll look at the script later if it seems important) that is a powder to put in my morning liquids.  It doesn't enter the blood stream and acts like a magnet to the cholesterol and even some of the sugars to pass them out of the body.  We'll see.  But if it means being off the Lipitor and getting plaque, then it better hurry and build up.  There are other threats out there to my life!

I was watching "The View" for a few minutes - until I got so tired of Paula Dean and realized it was a re-run.  On there, Dr Oz pointed out to avoid white foods.  I agree with him.  I looked at my labs from the cardio doc (the only ones I was privy to) and saw that the potassium was at the limit for normal.  With that in mind - I will be a bit more careful, but white foods - no!  G wanted me to ask the cardio doc about that, but we talked about so many other more important things that I didn't get it in.

JuJu - yes I heard that Adele is pregnant!

Our friend/neighbor/cousin's death in reality is a good thing.  One of the last things he told G when they talked on the phone was that brain cancer wasn't any fun.  When we had seen him the month before, he was just a skeleton.  Of course, he also had suffered a ruptured colon which almost killed him, and he was with a colostomy bag.  I know the quality of his life was terrible.  I don't think he was really happy about being alive, and they did everything possible to prepare for the eventuality of his death.  They had Thanksgiving, Christmas, and birthdays in June knowing the end was near.  I know there is peace for all now.  I think the preparations were so complete that the funeral taking place the next day was just part of the plan.  I personally hated it because we couldn't have made it under the best of circumstances.

Hopefully our upstairs a/c is finally fixed.  Perhaps we should have just replaced the $500 board for the fan.  After replacing the heater (yeah, that makes sense in July!) and the a/c coil - there has been nothing but trouble.  If I didn't trust the company as I do, I would say they wanted to replace the entire system, which I wanted to suggest in the first place.  But we are able to stay nice and cool down here since they are separate systems.

To those of you without power (if there is anyone), I really understand what you are going through.  I really hope you are restored soon.  It is such a terrible time.  The news reports did say one thing that you have that is more than we in Swampland have - cellars.  Not a great help to be sure, but they are cooler!  Praying for you to have power restored soon.

In the other parts where the heat is so bad, I know what you are going through.  I am praying for a break for you too!  This is killer heat.  Be careful.

Peace.

Bits of this and that

Our friend/neighbor/cousin that lives close to the SSB succumbed to his brain cancer yesterday morning.  I really had wanted to attend his funeral.  After all, we did have so many things in common - his wife had gotten sick at the same time I discovered my cancer, and he did have cancer.  His was different however.  It was fast growing, and killed him so quickly.  We had planned to see him the next time we were at the SSB, the last time he was getting treated by hospice and we were going to be leaving the next day.  Sad.

I had my follow-up with the nephrologist.  He said my potassium was high, so he gave me a diet that would limit my ingestion of potassium.  It is something that I simply cannot really adhere to because the very first part flies in the face of what I consider healthy.  With pre-diabetes, I try to avoid white foods.  This diet says to eat white bread and white rice as opposed to wheat bread and brown rice.  Guess I am going to have a problem there.

Today I went to the cardio doc.  I told him that I had quit Lipitor on my own because I couldn't stand the muscle cramps in my legs at night.  I thought he was going to tell me that was just tough and get back on it.  I figure I will be 67 (ouch!) in a few weeks.  My heart is in good condition.  What is going to get me first?  Cancer recurring or a massive stroke or heart attack.  Let's face it, there simply aren't too many more dances in my future!

Doodle Bug had to go back to the clinic yesterday.  It is still not clear if there is a fracture or not.  I found out this was in the elbow.  So she is in a splint for a few days then heading to a bone doc.  We will see what happens now.  She flipped out at first about the splint, but she is doing ok with it now.  It is pink.  It is ok.

Tomorrow I will try to post some pictures of the trip.  I especially want to post that first hotel in Hot Springs, Arkansas.  It was horrid!  The pictures don't seem to do it the way it really was.  It was just so bad.  I still shudder when I think of it.  I hope I never have to stay in 100 year old hotels!

Peace.

Slow start

It has been a slow start to get back into the scheme of things.  I finally got my laundry done.  I don't know what that says about me - either I have way too many clothes or something.  But I really do hate laundry.

We had new windows put in the other day.  All the ones across the front are done, but the one we are having put in the back had to be re-ordered.  Its frame was broken.  It is a huge window - replacing two fairly large windows.  It will be less expensive to put a picture window there.  That's ok -we don't open the windows anyway.  They could have all been picture windows.

Today we had the upstairs' heater replaced.  The unit wasn't working properly before we left, and I made the appointment before we got home.  It was a circuit board that was out, and it was going to be over $500.  The heater was wonky to begin with, and there was the thought of the a/c coil being damaged, so that was done today.

Watch us bleed money!

Daughter has had her share of things recently, but she really has brought them on herself.  Yesterday she went with LB to a swim meet.  She had little DB with her.  Then Monkey Boy had another base ball tournament.  She brought DB with her.  DB wanted to go home last night, but Daughter convinced her to stay longer.  To cut to the chase - Monkey hit her with a bat.  They thought her arm was broken.  She went back this morning.  I am still waiting on that one.  She should have just brought the baby home - she was tired.  This wouldn't have happened.

If you can read between the lines there, you can see that I really believe they have gone completely overboard with all this sports stuff.  It is the weekend - from early Saturday (often Friday  nights) to late Sunday night.  Too. Much.

Yes - I am not into sports.  When my kids were little we didn't do this.  SIL's father was like this.  SIL claimed he would  never be this way , but actions speak louder than words.

Enough of my vile.  I am really sorry so many of you are sweltering.  I know how bad it can be.  For a change, we had rain, and our temperatures are about normal for a change.

I know it will be over for you all soon - and we will be hit hard again.  Ah, such is life.

Peace.