But she's still a child of God

We have changed churches. We are Charter Members of this church. This church is active in their out-reach. Everyone knows your name. That's why we changed - along with the fact Daughter did this several months before us after we all visited.

This church goes to the home for the mentally challenged to spend time with them - painting fingernails and the like. These kids are brought into "town" for church. I think it is really neat! I especially liked the young man who punctuated things with his "ieeeee." Such a sound of joy.

This morning G and I were greeters and ushers. That was a surprise since neither of us volunteered! But that's ok. We want to serve. The only reason I brought that up is because we sat close to the door.

Oh I forgot to tell you - we are housed in a strip mall. We don't have the money to build a place, so we are housed where we can afford. We were meeting in an elementary school for a while, but they put an end to it. I don't really know why.

Anyway back to my story. We were sitting in the back row - last two seats. Someone was coming in after the beginning hymn. I think that is the attendant's way of doing things. The girl (woman?) who was obviously a downs syndrome - and possible more - pushed her way past G, and then me. The attendant and a young man obviously more effected came in. The woman sat next to me.

We were asked to stand, and she was closer and closer to me. I had on my new bright yellow top - and holding a cup of coffee. I usually can manage to spill whatever I am consuming on myself, but it looked like I was going to get a little help. I told G, and wisely we put the cup in the little kitchen area. I was worried that she was going to sit in my chair however.

The pastor hadn't gone to the front yet, and I saw him tell G something. I really thought it concerned ushering or something, but it was a reminder or heads up that they were from the home.

After service, he said something again. I truthfully replied that I was blessed that they were in attendance. And I really was.

He is risen. He is risen indeed, Hallelujah.

I guess ...

One thing that must come with having cancer is when it will come again and in what place it is going to come back or originate. You see that's the wonderful thing about that disease - it can metastasize from the original or it could be a completely new one.

I have been feeling really good that here I am at 4 1/2 years of being "cancer free" or at least it seems that way. Every 6 months I go to the oncologist and get that magic number from my blood test that measures something that indicates cancer might be present.

I went to the dentist for a cleaning on Tuesday. I am to take antibiotics before any dental work so that I don't get an infection in any of my replacement parts. I hate to take them. Within 30 minutes I feel like my upper GI is on fire. It is so painful, and I keep experimenting with how is the best method.

Well, I forgot on Tuesday. Had I been smart, I would have lied, and said that I sure did. The dentist's office have them there. And instead of just two pills, I got four - with the same side effects that were made worse by having my head tilted toward the floor.

We went to lunch with Son's family. Bar B Que. Great. I took my bottle of indigestion pills with me. I was suffering big time.

Now so what do these two stories have in common. My bouts with indigestion. And now my upper GI still feels funny. I have wondered for a while if there might be esophageal cancer in there. Now if I were a brave person, I would get to the GI doc. I know I should, but then everything goes away. I know that weight can cause reflux. Well - that I've got. I am supposed to make an appointment in July for a colonoscopy. I will tell the doc how I am feeling then.

I really think I am being silly. But such is the life of a cancer patient - even survivor. Every twinge makes you believe that it's back. Thanks for listening. That helps.

Peace be with you.

Habit

I have forgotten how long it takes to quit an activity that has become a habit. When it comes to the bad habits I have - it seems like I can never lose that thing. Try as I will, I fall back into that activity. Thank Goodness I never developed the smoking habit. I know how hard that one is to break. I only know of a few folks who have been totally successful.

Blogging each day had become a habit. I found myself always thinking of topics. It wasn't too unlike when I would talk to my dad on the phone every Saturday at 5. That was another habit, and all during the week I would try to remember something that had occurred that week to "tell Daddy." It's been a few years now, and I still find myself thinking about remembering something to "tell Daddy when I talk to him."

Now the blog IS on my mind a lot. I am always running topics by that might be developed into something interesting. I know, I know - I am still looking for those "interesting" topics! But I keep trying. Usually when I come in to write, they vanish like the money in my pocket!

It is interesting that in just ten days without an internet connection, I have lost my habit.

I really believe one reason is that I can't remember anything. When I think I would certainly remember something, I don't. Days of the month mean nothing anymore. Hours of the day can slip by before I know it. I am happy as a pig wallowing here in the non-existent time zone. I am happily ignorant. I do keep my day runner close by though. So far I haven't missed an appointment.

I will set my mind to being more aware. I miss being here. So until I once again have to depend on my "hot spot" cell phone, I'll be here.

Peace be with you.

Here I am

Oh, gotta get the spider webs out of the corners and dust these baseboards! What a mess after ten or eleven days. Gotta get things cleaned up.

I spend a bit of time rummaging about in my blog log. Lots of neat things there, but I am so far behind. I am going to have to take a systematic approach to catching up instead of the old tried and true shotgun method. I will get caught up with you all though!

My connection was iffy at best. I could read my in-box, but I could not answer or send any emails. I could read one or perhaps two blogs, but that was about it. That is more than I have been able to do before. I had one bar most days. That wasn't much strength. But it certainly could pick up the gmail accounts - that aren't anything personal, and forget coming here to blogger. No way.

It was mostly hot and dry. We had a couple of fronts that gave us one night that wasn't pleasant. We had thunder, lightning (hard to have thunder without it!), and quite a lot of hail. The winds blew almost constantly. I measured one gust at 25, but I really think they went higher.

We were lucky to have a little rain out of that system. The rest of west Texas is dry, dry, dry. Thousands of acres have burned. It is scary being away because there is nothing we can do to help stop the wildfires. We have done all we can. I told G I think this might be the year our place will burn. I know we couldn't help anything if we were there, but still..

I did get to meet up with my best friend in middle school. We had a great time, and it went too fast. I am going to try to get them up to the house. I have been thinking all the ways we could do this. I will get it done!

We had a pigeon appear. You could tell it belonged to someone. It was fairly tame and was tagged. I wish I could know whose bird it is. There was nothing we could do to help the bird. It was really happy eating our corn gluten we put down to try to stop the grass burrs from sprouting. Then it went to the bird seed we had out. There is no water. I am sure the poor thing will die there. I just hate this!

We put our hummngbird food out. Those little things consumed two cups a day! The usual suspects were out - in droves. The black throated ones were back. This year, for the first year that I could tell, we had a ruby throated bird. I was so thrilled!

The worst thing happened mid week. Shadow was intent on an area in the kitchen. G thought it was one of his little play mice, so he went to investigate. Nope - that sucker was real - and alive. We finally killed it, but I am so upset. I thought we had found all the holes they can get in. So when we went to the store, I bought more things to trap/kill them. I put fresh batteries in the one that electrocutes them since it has seemed to be the only one we have that works!

I have babbled enough. There are so many things yet to do, I really have to run. It was fun to be away. Did some neat things, but good to be home as well.

Peace be with you.

Last day

Well - this is the last day I will have a good contact with the outside world.

Something about that statement is good, something isn't.

Anyway, see you again after the 20th! Be good.

I am so excited

I am going to meet my best friend in Jr High to high school sophomore in high school this weekend. She found me in one of the school things and emailed me. She is the fourth to do so. But she is the only one who is going to get together with me.

I am just so excited, and at the same time nervous. Let's face it - I am not the same girl physically that I was then. I just know she will be thinking "how did she let herself go like this."

Well, blame it on me being addicted to food. I was vindicated on the news yesterday - as if I didn't know it. I really have felt that addiction. But that's for another time, and I am just running down a new rabbit hole to start on that topic.

She is going to be close to the SSB this weekend, so we are going to meet in town. I would love to have her come to the house, but I warned her about the roads (and lack of same). She elected to pass on the roads. I think I would have loved them to stay the night, but reality is staring at me around the corner. What if we no longer have things in common.

We do have children - she has one, I have two. She has grandchildren - 2, I have 5. I think we will have something in common.

She is the one that didn't make what is now called the Pep Squad. At my high school, they would allow a few sophomores to be in it. I made it - she didn't. That spring, her parents bought a house in another school district. I think they were waiting to see if D made it. Since she didn't, they moved to another part of town.

We kept up a little, and then G and I moved to Swampland. That was the end of a lot of my friendships. But I will see one this weekend! I am so thrilled!

News update

The animal that I was telling you about who crushed his three month old baby's with his heal was (obviously) found guilty. I was sort of hoping he would be getting life without parole so that he would have a lifetime to reflect all the children he had molested and that little baby that he killed. The jury gave him death - but that automatically means an appeal.

The woman who left seven children to go to T*aget with a pan of grease on a stove with the heat on was brought back from Nigeria. No charges had been filed when she split, so there is no punishment for that part, but the charges are piling up. She now has four counts of murder there. Her bail is huge - I don't remember the amount.

So we will be hearing about Jessica Ta Ta more in the future. I have no idea when her trial will begin. I am sure it won't be here! They couldn't possibly find a jury that hasn't heard about the case. At least I hope there aren't 13 people who have lived in a cave for that long!

So that's the real news from here!

Peace be with you.

I accept the razzing

Before I accept all the razzing, wow, this is my 925th post! That's a lot.

Now down to business. I have no idea why I was bundling up for temperatures that would top out, and this makes it worse, in the high 60's and lower 70's. I used to beg for that kind of weather. My normal "knock around" clothes are exactly as Judy put it - a tee and shorts. What happened, I don't know.

I am even opening myself for more ribbing. I turned on the heat. And I pushed the thermostat to 72. I don't usually do that kind of thing. Usually G is the only one around here with a long sleeved shirt and trousers. So go ahead - laugh at this silly Texan who cratered under this last front. I deserve it.

I am really finally a firm believer in the six degrees of separation. There have several surprises of how close to me some people are. When G and I met, it was his high school physics teacher who had married the girl who would become my Matron of Honor. That relationship got even closer - my aunt, who was 18 years older than my mother and I never met, had married into the guy's family. Intricate I know - it does make sense the way it was written. But I my head still swirls with the closeness.

Today I was talking to Son. He told me the youngest child of my best friend (I guess - haven't heard from her in months) lives close to him. So, let's see how many of them are out there. A guy that was in Daughter's graduating class and we used to go to church with the family for one - he is up the street. Across the major street is (and here we go again) my Matron of Honor's son lives there. Now this newest one.

I would think living in the fourth largest city, things would dilute a bit. But out here in the northwest part of the city and into the county, it is like a small town. And things still make me wonder.

Peace be with you.

Calm

I have gotten myself over my snit. It's just that I really strongly dislike jokes that are at the expense of someone else. That covers a great deal of the area doesn't it.

Things around here are calm. My body is trying to accept yet another change in timing. I am used to the hustle bustle of packing up and heading to the SSB. Silly how one can get so adjusted to that type of schedule, but I have. Instead of every two weeks, or twice per month, we are going only once, but stay for 7-10 days.

My body isn't regulated there either! Come Sunday, I begin feeling like I have to start the laundry and mop the floors. Since neither of those is on my "Top Ten List," I don't relish that feeling. It is good though when I realize I have at least a couple of days, but that laundry building up tries to get its little jab in!

All the children are wonderfully well. That is saying something for five kiddos. That rarely happens, and it is really joyful when it happens. The youngest two are really getting their personalities. Little Bit seems to be a very happy baby - she smiles so readily which is her usual practically since birth. I have seen her pitch an absolute fit though. That's my grandchildren - all of them are so even tempered (NOT).

I have been working on the cutest blocks made from cocktail napkins. There is a letter with something that begins with that letter machine embroidered onto the center. The "pattern" called for a ribbon to hold the six pieces together. Whoever made those first must not know the babies those blocks are intended for. I stitched them together, and then put the ribbon.

I don't know if my spacial brain is on vacation or what, but I cannot get a single ribbon to go through the little spaces around the edge of those napkins. I don't think a single ribbon could possibly be used, so I do what I can. for the demo ones, I am using a fabric glue. My previous partner said you could build the Eiffel Tower with the stuff, and I concur.

So today is a slow day. We were going to the plant nursery, but the weather is a little miserable to be out in it. I know, I am hiding indoors because it is high 60's and cloudy. I'll admit it - I am a coward. But then, that's why I live here. Besides that, all the joints in my body that have even a bit of arthritis is screaming today.

I do wish Spring would come to you living in the places where snow is still on the ground and the temperatures are so low. I do not envy you one little bit.

Peace be with you.

Surprise - it's me on Saturday!

I know I don't usually post on Saturday, but it's such a nice day I need to stop to let my lunch digest a bit before continuing my chores. When I was working, I had to do all my chores on Saturday. I've been retired 10 years, and I still do them on Saturday. Such a creature of habit - or is it my absolute hatred for chores? I'm putting my money on the second. There are always a chance I'll get a good invitation and I am off.

I just had to post this amazing thing happening. I was so worried about G retiring. So far, knock on wood or whatever brings luck to make this statement true and last forever, everything is going well. G has a terrible temper, and not much impulse control. He has been really pleasant to be around. This is the best yet.

Right now he is tackling our garage. Now our garage is/was an absolute mess. He wants to blame it all on me, but it is not my mess. I have confessed to being a bit of a horder. I know, because it has happened over and over, as soon as I decide something isn't needed - the very next day I really could use it instead of perking the economy. When you teach science and craft - well either you know what I am saying, or you don't.

But this garage - now that is another matter. I may have put some things in there - in relatively safe places that I wanted. As they are coming out now, they are garbage. When the kids would move out and back home and out and back home (phew!), some of their stuff would stay here "until they can come get it - we just don't have room for it right now." It had remained.

When we would get something out like my craft show tables, drink coolers, etc, and G returned them, he would just throw whatever in the middle. When he found that B didn't need this shelf that had been for advertising something, G proudly put smack in the middle of the floor. He has been having everything else join those shelves. Now I am not saying that I don't like that display unit. It does hold stuff. It's just it would be much better on the side of the garage.

When he would begin this pre-retirement, I would always have something else for us to do. I put myself in the bedroom - it's a mess too with the dog kennel "right in the middle." It also has my stationary recumbent bike. It had to be shoveled out. When I started with all my surgeries, things didn't get put away properly. My fault - no one else's (for the most part).

Today is going well. If he finds the things that are mine, and so far there have been three baskets for plants that have gone to the other side - he puts them on a table that I marked to get rid of and asks me if I want them. His mood is pretty much ok. Who knew?

So obviously we are having another nice (hot) day. It would be nicer if it were raining since we need it so bad, but it is pretty with all the plants enjoying the weather before the high 90's and low 100's begin with 99% humidly. So all in all it's good.

I hope pleasant weather comes into your neck of the woods soon. It has been a bear for part of the U.S. so far.

Peace be with you.

What?

I watch a lot of tv. I always have, and I suppose I always will. That may not be true because I find myself with it turned off - especially if I am trying to concentrate on something.

I was watching a commercial with an especially cute young thing going through magic changes of attire. She really is a cutie. Some girls can't handle something like this, or perhaps it is just a really good casting call with an especially good director.

Anyway, I was thinking while watching her that I wish I could wear clothes like that. I just wouldn't feel comfortable in those short skirts and shorts period. It hit me then that I am 65! Now just when did this happen?

You seldom saw that particular statistic about me here. I try to never give it out. I want to be my mental age (no laughing over there in the corner!). I consider myself to be in my late thirties and wonder why the heck it is so hard to get around. Other thirty somethings don't have swollen joints in their hands.

And hands! Just when did those suckers get all wrinkly? There is a lot of loose skin to match those enlarged joints. My fingers are not as agile as they were. And it seems like the changes have taken place overnight - literally OVERNIGHT.

Has this happened to you? Do you still think like a thirty year (or younger - sometimes I think I am still 18) ?

Seriously - in many moments I expect to look in a mirror and see my younger self. I think of the age of 65. How did I get here so fast? I still look at the older people and not relate to them.

G's Aunt Weetzie (that is her real nickname - it fits her - I love her so) went to look at Assisted Living places. She was well into her seventies. She told me she didn't want to live "with those old folks. She has my same disease. We are simply not the age as it works out from our birth certificates!

So, here I sit and wonder how this all happened. Don't get me wrong, I am glad I am still able to think about this. I have jumped a lot of hurtles to get here. Hopefully I will still be jumping them next January when my five year survival comes around. Now it's time to get back to wondering.

Peace be with you.

A little serious thinking

I really don't know where all the these thoughts are coming from - the news I guess. There have been a lot of really depressing news, at least for me.

Saturday night I was sitting at the SSB with my cell phone showing I had a bar a and the computer was reading no internet access. Well this is something I really don't understand. I did have a connection on Wednesday with the same bar thingy showing, but I was connected to the rest of the world. Up there, it seems as though I am allowed one day of connections.

I was fuming and venting when G brought things into focus for me. He said "there were people sitting around this spot 150 years ago playing dominoes by lantern light." That set me thinking about his ancestors doing just that. They probably weren't in our exact spot. Their cabin was and still is on SIL's property. All those thousands of acres were a good day's ride from the main settlement.

And here I sat with towers beaming signals to little palm sized computers that we call a cell phone, satellites beaming hundreds of channels to fill our hours in front of the tv. And the tv - well, G and I decided a few months ago that our old eyes couldn't see the 27" color tv sitting in its cabinet so we went for the 42" flat screen. We are in a climate controlled house with a real floor - not the dirt one, although I really have the feeling the cabin had a wood floor from the get go. We have a solid roof overhead, and everything tight to keep the gales that are almost ever present at bay.

Yes, we have come so far. Then I returned to the news on tv. It was covering the Japanese earthquake and tsunami. As I looked at the destruction, I was stricken at the mass destruction. They were interviewing an American teacher who managed to survive it all, but lost many people. There are no words for this. The nuclear plants possibly leaking radiation. It is just so much to try to take in.

And yet, here around the world, we sit with our snug houses, warm (or cool) houses, tv and computer service (maybe if I hold my mouth just so and the connections happen to meet). All these pleasures we take for granted. I'll bet they did too.

Peace be with you

Speachless

That's really how I feel at this moment. I had been kicking around a few ideas to bore you with today, but I happened across a trial I had been following in the Houston Chronicle for a few weeks now, and followed it after the event.

I was logging onto my Yahoo account when one of the news headlines, with the Chronicle by line, was first on the list. It was more about this case I had been following.

The case is about a young father repeatedly stomped on his three month old son's head. This happened last summer I, believe. His trial was going on in Galveston (where he was living) where the incident happened. He ran to Philadelphia after he committed this crime. He confessed there, both on paper and in video. Pretty much open and closed case - and it was. I think the trial started last week, and the jury found him guilty in an hour. Today was to be the penalty part of the case. He could get life without parole or death since this was labeled a Capitol Murder Case.

The thing I just read over the internet (because it wasn't in the morning paper) gave a lot more information about the man. I will give some of the background information because it helps fill out the crime. He and his girl friend were befriended by another person. They were living in a trailer in Galveston. The friend had an 8 year old daughter. This insidious thing tried to molest that girl. He managed to begin to pull down her pants, but somehow it didn't happen.

He was scared and was going out for a drive, I suppose to get himself back together. His girlfriend apparently was worried he would leave for parts unknown, so she made him take the baby. He drove out to a dune where he started yelling. That caused the infant to begin crying. Until this morning, I thought he wanted to shut the baby up, and tried choking him to death. He wanted that baby dead - he said as much. I thought he then took the baby out and (probably threw) put him on the ground and stomped on his head until he felt it give. To me that was bad enough. It turns my stomach to even relate that much.

This morning it comes out that he sexually molested that baby before killing him. I cannot describe how sickened I was. I read a little further and it said he had molested a cousin when he was 8. Now here comes the "defense." I will bet you know it already. He had been molested as a child, so... As if this makes a difference really, the account went on to say his mother smoked incessantly, had numerous cups of coffee, and I can't remember the rest of the things she did. All these things probably had to do with the surgery he had to have as an infant himself. I don't think it listed the surgery.

I am so sick and tired of hearing that excuse for molesting and KILLING a child. It happens to others when they are at the hands of their parents, but they don't become this kind of animal. I hope and pray the jury doesn't put him to death. It is not for the reason you think. Here in Texas we have executed innocent men, and this one definitely isn't innocent. No, I want him to be locked up for good (and cost us far, far more than he is worth). I want him to suffer each and every day with each and every breath.

Well. Now on to some other business at hand. We are getting ready to spend a week at the SSB. It is still a crap shoot whether or not I will have service. If I do, I will check in. If not see you in a week and probably a day.

Peace be with you.

I am such a coward

I knew as soon as the subject of the Stock Show was mentioned this morning when Daughter called. I steeled myself for the question. And sure enough - here it came. It went something like this:

Her:"we have to work at the show tonight. I would have the kids go to L**'s house, but I don't want to set upset her girl's sleeping schedule. T** (the usual sitter) has swim practice in the morning, so I don't want to keep her out too late since she has to get up at 5 to get there (a fact I know for sure because they practice at the school where I taught - those poor kids were coming out of the building like drowned rats when I was going to work). I hate to ask ...

Me:"it's ok, I'll do it. "

What was in my mind:

"why don't you tell your dear hubbie that we can't do this thing that goes on for two or more weeks when we have small children that I cannot get a regular sitter during the week that we have to work?!?!?"

Needless to say, but guess where I will be tonight from 5:30 to 11:30.

Peace be with you.

Taxing situations

As you know - it is Income Tax time in the land. Everyone is gathering up paperwork from the previous year. They are possibly finding out they have lost some important documents as well as some non so important. That is where I stand right now!

In previous years, this was a dark and stormy time around these parts. The main tax man was in a terrible moon beginning about February. Every living soul in this house would find some place else to be when dad entered the "tax preparation place."

Recently the time has been less stressful for the most part. The part that is stressful is when I have to find things like my medical, and other miscellanea about this house and the rental. That's when I am wanting to become invisible and wishing that I really had been more careful in filing my stuff.

The biggest loss this year was information about the insulation that was put in here and the rent house. Important? Oh yes! There is the energy tax credit on this house, and the expense on the other house.

I have torn files apart looking for all my things. As far as medical, my doctors are not giving statements when I go. Even if I paid for service at the time, I used to get a nice page stating what was done to me, and what I paid. Now I get a small cash register tape. I can't find those as soon as I get home! The pages with the medication is better, but I don't open those in the study - by the files.

I have torn this house apart looking for the nice little folder I had with the insulation stuff. I searched all the checkbooks looking for that information. Was't there. So today, I put my price far, far away and called the company. They were so sweet. They will be sending me a copy of the papers tomorrow. My life was saved.

So the taxes are ready. My flub from last year didn't cause too big a stir - I just forgot to put a rather large sum into my IRA. That will cost some this year to file an updated form and pay the penalty, but it has been a rather easy time this year. Hope you got a huge amount back!

Peace be with you.

Sometimes ...

Sometimes I do worry about myself. As I said the other day, I really think I have chemo, menopause, anesthesia, and Alzheimer's brain. Since my father died of Alzheimer's, I worry each and every time I cannot remember anything. But then I add the 30mg of hydrocodone I take during the day, the three Lyrica (I think a total of 150mg), and then throw in the muscle relaxers. Try that to remember things. But it also makes me a lot more careful when driving. I already had the one accident because the ditsy blonde stopped in the intersection - but that's a different story.

My memory and alertness came to mind when I went to the drug pushers today. A little old lady (she is much older than I so that will apply) came in to the waiting room. She told the one at the window she needed a new prescription.

With all the fake pain clinics around - you know the ones that give mega doses to anyone who is able to walk in and swear that they are in pain - this clinic does not just give out prescriptions. I wondered why she could get her prescriptions filled at Walgreen's. She sat down to begin her elaboration to anyone who would listen. I feigned complete interest in my book. I wasn't distracted by anything! Certainly by this lady. Come to find out she is on a morphine pump, oral morphine and something else. And the drove herself. Apparently she gave the pharmacist the three scripts. They said she didn't give them one of her morphine. I don't know which one.

I am concerned about the amount of drugs in my body! Holy morphine, I can only imagine. The Mexican man sitting on her other side was trying so hard to be good to this lady, and he got trapped! Her Rolator (walker with seat) was all wrong for her. He looked at it trying to fix it. He was so sweet. But then he had the opportunity to hear all about her morphine; all about that Walgreens; all about the Rolator.

One of her statements stopped me cold. She can open the Rolator without difficulty, she just can't put it back in her car. That got me to thinking about all of us legal druggies. We are turned out in the traffic all day long on clinic days. I'm glad John Q. Public doesn't know about us. I know I am "under the influence" and I am more wary. I keep my eyes on the road, and I am aware of what's around me. I don't think this little lady is able to be aware of what's around her. Her age appeared to be easily mid-80's. That is a time when the family (are you listening kids - mine I mean) needs to take a cold, hard look at her abilities.

So, that was my morning. I sat in the waiting room for an hour and 45 minutes. I saw someone in the back. I think he was a physician. He asked me if I had numbness in my feet or legs, and that was it. They even brought my next appointment card to me. I went to pick up my drugs, and the little guy that was there for months is gone. I guess they could see what a mess he had going. The time in the examining room and the prescription area probably wasn't longer than 15 minutes. Makes you wonder doesn't it.

Peace be with you.

Where did it go?

I had a great topic for this morning's post. When I got in here and opened the computer, I lost that idea. Does that happen to you? I am getting a bit worried. I forget too many things. For good example is my wedding ring. I know that when I put it there (obviously not where it should go) I thought to myself that it was in a strange place I wouldn't remember. Ah, I know myself too well. That ring is sitting right there in the place I knew I wouldn't remember.

I have trouble with names also. If I meet someone and they tell me their name, odds are that I won't remember it two minutes later. I seem to remember names after three or four meetings. I lay that on the fact that I would have to remember 150 names in two days. As least that's my excuse.

All too often, I can't remember what we had for dinner last night - but that's because it must have been some of the slop that I throw together and serve in a thirty minute time period. Rachel Ray has nothing on me. I have been cooking that way for 50+ years.

I once feared my memory loss. That was until our ex-pastor was talking to me. I was his organist for at least ten years. I would ask him about something that occurred when we were doing a wedding or service together. He told me that he has the same problems caused by too much anesthesia. He has had far more than I. In fact neither he nor his cardio doc can remember how many stents he has had put in. I have been under for five surgeries. I have had conscious sedations twice. There just might be something to his claim.

I can add to the claim though. Throw in raising two kids, well he had three, so throw that one out. I have been through menopause (top that one L), and chemo (trumped you there L). I really believe adding those things with a dash of simply just ageing (after all I now get my $67 a month - because I was a teacher with a retirement plan that used to not add into taking SS away). Yep - I have four things that add up to me being a walking zombie!

I still don't remember my topic. It will come to me when I cannot possible write it down. But we will see!

Peace be with you.

I don't know why I'm here

I really don't know why I am here! I just completed my readings of the blogs I follow, and I guess I was so inspired by you folks that I just had to say something. But what?

This reminds me of being with someone I don't know well or just flat don't know. We have no real bonds, that person and I, and the silence is deafening. Someone should start a conversation as it is embarrassing to sit there and nothing comes out.

Being me, my brain goes dead. There is nothing there. I struggle to find a topic better than the weather, but the weather is all we have in common. The harder I try, the worse it gets - at least to my mind.

Time - of time! It has stopped already! It feels we have been sitting, she and I, for days. The silence is deafening. My brain is dead. Absolutely dead. I try to jump start it, but all it sends to my brain is "it sure is hot today." That is a statement that is so true in Texas almost any day of the year. Trite - on my God!

So for having nothing so say, I was able to push out several paragraphs. But you, my blogging friends, and I have a lot in common. So I can find words to communicate with you. Perhaps the words are not much better than a commentary on the weather.

Tomorrow I will, again, try to find a topic out of my exciting life to share the experience with you.

Peace be with you.

How things change

When I was an inservice teacher, having several things going on in a single day was not daunting at all. I could teach all day, and still be able to do two or three things when I got off. It was just the way things were. No problem.

Since retirement, I have become such a homebody! I just don't get out, and my house has become a secure cave for me. No one in - no one out - including me. So my house should be a show place - right? Well that's wrong. Being a procrastinator in the highest levels of that "disease". I have always has the procrastination gene. It even went to my daughter which is one of the smaller reasons she doesn't quit since she doesn't have to work. She sees me and knows she would fit right into my mold! The apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Off the subject again. Yesterday I had sewing club (10:30-12:30) and then a 1:00 appointment with the dentist to get my real I got to the dentist at 12:30. He is five minutes from the house. I thought about dropping my machine at the house and then go back to the dentist, but I didn't because I was afraid I wouldn't get back in time.

So, here I am at the dentist filling out my health history since the last one was a long 3 months old! I will bet just my health histories are two inches thick. I thought the woman (more like a girl) at the desk was a bit surly, but didn't worry about it. EVERYONE else at the office are bright and cheerful. I figured she wouldn't be there the next time I do in, which is now two months away.

I sat in the office. I didn't have my book and the TV was showing some type of a informercial about dental services. After writing "no change" on the top of my health form, I began my search for reading material. It was all male related. I found the paper, and since I didn't have time to read "my" sections as G calls it., I thought this would be just great moment to read it. That took all of five minutes.

I am still sitting there - no others in the waiting room, Staff coming and going for lunch. I am getting cobwebs now. I am desperate to get something to read to spend my time. Time still passes. Then I heard someone mentions my name. Another voice pops up and says I am "out there." Another voice quips "You mean she is in the waiting room?" And the scurrying begins and brings me into the working area.

As I go in, the person who takes the money and sets the new appointment says to me "oh, I just called your house and left a message - just disregard it." Well, alrighty then, and I head onto my room to await my crown. (that sounds really regal!) The rest of that is just the usual fitting.

When I got home, I played the message. It was: "GrandmaK, this is *(*^&* at the dental office calling to help you make another appointment for the one you missed with Dr Pull em out" I had a good laugh over that. I may have hastened Miss Why are you here to make me work's dismissal from that office. Dr Dentist doesn't put up with that sh*t.

So to get back to my original statement, as all good writers are supposed to do, I was really tired when I got in bed last night, I was so tired I started making up phrases to go in the book I was reading. That's when I know it is time to stop reading - I make up things that are not written in the book. The other way I know to stop is when I drop the book. Those things came about when I was on the first page where I left off. To sum up - I just can't do things like I used to!

Peace be with you.

Shouldn't be here

OK - here's the scene as I know it right now. The house is put on the market priced far above its real value. A buyer comes in and buys it ( and that results in the rest of the houses in the area to have their values for taxes rise!). He appears to be an older gentleman, and the gossip around the area says he paid cash. The house was paid for in cash - no mortgage. Gossip says he lives in the north (Michigan ?), but his father lives in the neighborhood and he wants to have a place to stay when he is here.

That's all well and good, but he wasn't here but a bit after buying the house. He moved a young Mexican lady along with her two children (one about 12 at the time and the other 4) into the house. She is the one there most of the time - except when she returns to Mexico. Some question about the relationship there. Someone said she was the housekeeper. Hmmm.

That was four years ago. Come to the present. The lady has had ICE problems, as well as child services called. When she returns to Mexico, the children often don't accompany her. Last year they were celebrating someone's birthday. Some of the neighbor kiddos were in attendance. OK - swim party, fun. Yes, until it was time to begin to prepare the meal. The menu called for cabrito. A good Mexican specialty food. It is a barbequed kid - no, a baby goat. Did they buy it at a carneceria? Perhaps, but it was alive when is was brought home. The kids - uh, children - at the party got to witness the goat being hauled up on the basket ball goal to have its neck slid. Yeah, that went over really well with the visitors.

Most recently, there were a lot of people over one evening. The lady had a brand new SUV - a gift for passing her citizenship. The people there were removing the padding from the seats, and replacing it with unknown (to others) substances. They then went to Mexico. That fancy SUV hasn't been seen since.

Now it is thought they have seven new people living in that house. Children have been enrolled in school. Who knows what this is all about.

So where is this house? In a barrio? In a low income area? Nope - ladies and gentlemen, it is the house catty-corner to me. It is next door to a woman with two small daughters.

Hopefully we can find something to do about them. If the house was being used as was said when it was bought - no problem. They take wonderful care of the yard and exterior. If it was the 3-4 people there. If, if, if. But it's not any of that. The police have watched that house I have been told. Guess it will make a good crime drama, but I just hope we aren't home with the bullets start flying or the cartel makes an appearance.

Peace be with us all!

It may come about

First an update on the horrible fire here. It was apparently a pot with oil in it was left on the electric (makes a difference??) stove, and thus the terrible smoke for the amount of fire. The woman does appear to have fled the states. They have a tape showing her at Target at the time of the fire. The death count still stands at 4 with three in various conditions in different hospitals. Luckily two children were not in day care that day.

Now on to today's stuff. Yesterday I went to every woman's favorite physician's appointment. Yes, I went to my ObGen. I love him so much the exam just flies by. Or perhaps I am so old nothing bothers me more, I don't know which truth is strongest. Anyway, after the results of not having gone in 10 + years (the breast cancer) I make that appointment every year - and make sure I love it - I'm alive to be there!

Just after my appointment last year, some woman in my extended family told me he had bladder cancer. That was such a blow, so when I saw him yesterday I asked about it. He had been diagnosed before my last appointment which was January 2010. To bring the story to where we are, he is participating in a study. He has two more chemos which appear not to be as devastating as the chemo for other cancers. And right now - he is clear of any cancer. Hallelujah!

But I did have a question for him beyond our cancer connection. I was pretty sure I knew the answer since he referred me to this surgeon for the breast cancer. I have mulled the gastric sleeve for a year now. I mean seriously this time. I talked to the surgeon last year, and I have all the forms that have to be completed before insurance would approve this. I guess they want to weed out those who really don't need it for whatever reason. So I took step one with my PCP.

Anyway, my darliing OB did say that my surgeon would be someone I would have anyone use. My PCP sounded like he didn't really like the surgeon. He said to really look around. That's funny because the surgeon didn't want my knees done by my orthopedic guy. And he was great.

So yes, I am seriously looking for this surgery. It appears I just can't do this on my own, and the OB said I should come through it well because of my past history (starting 4+ years ago with the mastectomy). I am embarrassed to admit that , one, I am that overweight, and two, I seem to not be able to lose it without major surgery. I have to do something. I thought the metformin would do it, but the good effects are going to stop.

Enough crying on your shoulder. And I just heard a news break - the day care owner's family are also "on the move" whatever that really means. I guess I will learn in a few minutes.

Peace be with you.

Clouds and clouds of sorrow

The entire community of this large city is under the shadow of great grief. On Friday, we lost four little souls for no good reason. They were dropped at their individual home daycare just as any other morning.

Then their phones began to ring. Their baby was either dead or struggling to hang on to life, fighting terrible smoke inhalation and/or severe burns. The local stations cut into programming with breaking news.

The scene on our screens was close to organized chaos. A corner house was surrounded by huge firetrucks. There was a ladder on the roof and a hole in the roof that originally was chopped open to ventilate the smoke because there was smoke. Heavy, black smoke. There had been a fire, but it was mostly smoke in that house.

Before the TV crews showed up on the scene, there were firefighters running toward ambulances parked half a block or more away because there was no space closer. They were running with the limp bodies of dear babies toward the ambulance. Other firefighters were doing CPR on those little bodies.

This is a daycare that claimed to be open 24/6, or at least that was what was written on the side of the van. And the van. It had bags of groceries still in it. The owner/director was standing outside the door screaming for help because "the babies are dying." You see, she had left those babies along while she went to the grocery store.

It is known that she was only keeping children 18 months to 3 years. It is known she has been doing this for a year. When she applied for a license, she had two marks against her. One was a fire extinguisher and the other a CO monitor. Nothing has been said about those things. Were they there? But against the rules for running this daycare was the fact she had maybe 9 babies that day instead of 7. Would that have made any difference? Who knows. But the child she shouldn't have been keeping is either dead or fighting for its life too.

Now she has fled the country. She is in Nigeria. What will happen? That is not known now. I guess it's up to the Nigerian government. If she comes back, there are charges already set, and I believe there will be new charges. Four parents have lost a baby. About two more have another baby fighting for its life. The remainder of the parents just had a single child there. The ones that live will probably have health problems for the rest of their life.

Just when, as a parent, you entrust your child to a person you trusted.

Peace be with us all.

g

Time to put away fears

Last month when G really did retire, I was terribly filled with anxiety. I could see each day as a growing battle when he would get his briefs in a bundle. Sometimes he is irritable just to be so. That really hasn't happened yet. The truth of the matter is that we have been busy, but even so. A little of that characteristic showed up when we went to lunch after church, but it seems to have gone away.

The most amazing result of his being retired is that our yards haven't looked to good in a long time. Now the wasted banana plants and canna lilies that clutter the yard looking like boiled spinach minus the chlorophyll are going to be cleaned up and carted away by out usual yard people. After that, between G's work and their cleaning of the tropical stuff that turns to overcooked spinach, the yard will soon begin coming back from the week long deep freeze. I know - don't hate me, we just usually don't have a winter here! So we will be looking for green in those flacid, dead stems that are abounding here abouts.

I am pretty sure G isn't going to rush out to buy a lawn mower and tell the yard people to leave. I don't think he wants to go that far, but he has done a lot of puttering about the yard. That is really not what I expected from him. The only casualty so far was a little green succulent that I was trying to get to grow lushly and fall over the side of the pot. It was doing pretty well - until... I didn't make a big deal of it, and so an argument about that was avoided.

The big time consumer for me has been doctor's appointments. A huge cluster like this comes about every six months. It has been time for the cardio doc, and the oncologist is coming up in a few weeks. We both went to the skin doc for the body scan looking for melanoma (my mom died of that), and I have had dental work that isn't complete yet. And so it goes. I think it comes with age. So far we are not hitting the time of funerals for our contemporaries.

So - things around here are running like a well oiled clock - even the cuckoo hasn't sounded yet. G's retirement hasn't been a bad thing at all.

Peace be with you.

What a day!

Several years ago, my primary doctor had the nerve to actually pull the plug on his practice. I cannot tell you how that upset me. He had been our doctor for a mere 30+ years. Why how dare him. Just because it was abundantly clear that his arthritis had gotten so bad that I know going from room to room was shear agony for him. Boy, can I understand that.

Anyway, I went to the ones who bought his practice for a flu shot. That office was a madhouse. In addition, we were charged a $25 office visit, and then whoever did his insurance had the gall to bill the insurance another $25. They will be able to retire on their ill gotten gains.

Someone suggested that I find someone who I might want to use as a personal physician. Daughter and SIL see this one, so I went. It was rather embarrassing to tell everyone who wanted to know why I was visiting the doctor that I just wanted to meet him, and let him see what normal is for me (whatever that is). Anyway, he seemed to understand, and all was well.

So when the cardio doc told me he wanted the PCP to follow my progress on the metformin, I knew I would be seeing Dr.A. So I made the appointment for today. He is really a great guy. My appointment was 9:30. I got out at 11:20. That's because he is so easy to talk to. I am looking forward to having more sessions with him. It's been a long time since I was able to connect with a doctor. I had forgotten how good this feels. I feel my health care is in good hands.

After that - G., Daughter, SIL and I had pedicures. It was his first. I think he did enjoy it. I wasn't sure. He is so funny about his feet! But I think he thought it was alright. Daughter and I were teasing the guys about getting color on their nails. It was a fun time, and I lost about another 50 pounds of dead skin off my feet - again. I shouldn't have a weight problem anymore. I just need more pedis!

I hate to brag because so many of you are still freezing, but we are having great weather. The weekend is looking really good too. This is something that is unusual for this time of year. All the trail rides are coming in for the beginning of the rodeo. Yes, this is our going back in time! But the "Go Western" days are fun. The rodeo isn't the big draw - the shows that come to entertain draw the crowds. Son will be there for the next two days (he was there last night too) with his band. There are BBQ cook-offs, and his band plays at one of the business's tents. It is good money for him and good exposure. He usually is able to book several weddings from this.

Peace be with you.

Back again

We have again returned from our week at the SSB. And as usual, I didn't have a signal for any reading nor posting. That's the real bummer of the whole thing.

Since our return on Tuesday, things have been in super high gear. Yesterday I was to keep the three older grandchildren while their parents worked their shift on the rodeo committee. I will keep my mouth shut about my thoughts of the serving on the committee. That should explain that.

I was to be with the kiddos from 5:15 until an unknown time. The two older ones are a true joy. That wasn't always true. My grandson and I haven't always meshed, but as his age gentles him some - we really enjoy each other. The "baby" is one to drive you to distraction. She is in the terrible threes. Of course she was in the terrible twos before that. I hope the fours become fantastic.

She and I have a rather bumpy relationship anyway. After she was born, her mom stayed home with her longest of either of the two before her. Since is was so much easier to just breast feed, she didn't know what a bottle was. That made for some long days for us two. She would get to eat about 9 am, and then not again until 3 or 4 pm. She really was good natured about it, and I would try to get a little dribbled into her little mouth with a sippy cup. But even her mom will say that she is hell on wheels.

She is a darling. Petite and smart. The other two are good sized kiddos. They always were at the maximum of the growth charts, but this wee one is, as I say, a petite little thing -- who can wear you out in a matter of minutes.

Before I left for the SSB, I had some good news and bad news as far as health is concerned. After skirting the issue for years, my cardio doc seems to believe I am pre-diabetic. Not so good. So he prescribed metformin (I'll just bet I didn't get that spelling). So what am I seeing about the diagnosis. Well, I understand the medication helps with weight loss. I think it is - at least I am a lot more careful.

Oh and before I forget. The new boxer has taken to her new family like you wouldn't believe. She is especially bonded to my daughter. She is showing herself to be quite the watch dog already. This makes me very, very happy.

Any so I will fade into the night.

Peace be with you.

Crazy Boxer Lady

I was sitting around here not doing much when the telephone rang. I looked at the Caller ID, and it was my vet's office. Now, you have to understand they ALL know Simone and me - very well. One of the office folks told me that Dr J had found a Boxer, and they thought they would call me and ...

I pondered the situation for a bit, then told them I would be up there to see the dog, all the while wondering just how I would present this new little dog coming in behind me to live here. So I told them I would be up in a bit.

In an effort to deflect some of the fall-out of this situation, I called daughter to come with me. All along I really thought I would adopt the dog. My concerns were how G would react, and more how Simone would react.

The staff brought the dog up. She is a beautiful little fawn colored girl with a beautiful mask. We both fell in love with her. The crazy thing here is that Daughter ran into her Senior English teacher. They talked some, and Ms F remarked about what a good body structure she has - she conforms to Boxer bone structure.

The dog was abandoned near Dr J's parents. She picked her up, treated her for heart worms, spayed her and was nursing her back to health. She is just skin and bones.

So - grandchildren are happy with her, SIL, who was out of town at one of the food trade shows, likes her. They have gotten a crate down for her since in her excitement has her urinating inside!

It looks like this is a good match. All thanks to Simone making me the "Crazy Boxer Lady" who came to their mind to call first!

Peace be with you

Spring?

Dare I say that word? It seems we will be stepping out of this freezer in a bit. Thanks for the sample, but I am not sure I want to buy this winter weather. I guess we aren't as tough as we thought. We have been pretty much dropped to our knees.

I don't think I really want to see what it left of our citrus crop. It has had a blanket and "heating pad" consisting of a string of Christmas tree lights. I really don't think the mini lights give off enough heat to keep the freezing temperatures away from those tropicals.

Our yard looks like wilted lettuce. The banana trees and the cannas are especially bad. The philodendrons that were five feet tall in the front are just frozen and littering the ground. Last year we only had three days that would qualify to compare to this winter, and we had only three days. This year we had five. I guess next year it will be seven!

I don't think I am going to replace things. The fern that I have in one of the front beds consists of brown stems sticking up. This fern got so thick three years ago that it stopped weeds from growing in that bed. They were wonderful. Last year, they froze to the ground. Just before this freeze, I noticed that they were almost back to being 85% full. Well ... you know the rest.

Two days ago, after the rolling black outs, the power to the neighborhood went out. (Yea for the generator) The guy from the utilities company was trying to make a simple repair. Well Murphy's Law got him. The entire thing went down for quite a while. The lights came back on for those of us on this part of the street, but the four houses to our east the power never came back on.

It wasn't too bad for a while, but darkness was coming. The head contractor was talking to G - who was out only to get the mail - told him what had happened. It was a major thing that was just waiting to happen. The lady from the corner pulled into out driveway. She asked how long the electricity would stay out. He told her an hour - told G more like two. Well it was more like six more.

So that's the latest from The Little City Outside Swampland proper. We see higher temperatures coming this weekend, and then perhaps spring. In four months, we may look back on this and wish for a little of it to have hung around. For me, I will just look at all the wilted lettuce that were once my plants!

Here and there

I would first like to thank those of you who live north of Texas for sending us an ample sample of your winter. It has been freezing here for three more days, and I, for one, don't like it! You can take the sample back just anytime you want.

Second here on my list is retirement. I don't know who came and took away the old G, but you can keep him. I like this version a lot better. He has been more than helpful, and his mood is always good.

Knock on wood or whatever else brings luck. This is seeming to be working out.

I went to the pain docs the other day. I am still having back pain that they believe is muscular right now. Actually, the muscle relaxers they prescribed last month and have continued work for the most part. It is hard for your back to be hurting when you fall asleep as soon as you sit still for 10 minutes. This is terrible.

This morning I wanted to go to the sewing club. So I got up around 8. I stumbled in to get my cereal. I sat down to watch Martha Stewart (I need that motivation to kill my ego even more, like when she talks about how she cleans this and that then turns out a seven course dinner for 50). Martha was on and then it was time for The View, and I was fast asleep where I sat. I came in here to finish up reading you guys and check my mail. That was at 4. It is now six. I have been asleep that long sitting in this chair.

G was kidding me (I think) he was worried about me driving anywhere. He was afraid I was going to fall asleep while driving. I don't think that is going to happen, but to fall asleep in this office chair is a bit scary.

Peace and good sleeping be with you.

Happy Post Super Bowl Day

I never had a big emotional tie to the Super Bowl. I'm not a football, nor any professional sport fan. The Super Bowl is a good way to interact with some folks, and from what I gather, they aren't big Super Bowl fans either. I find the conversation goes around and through the plays, but when the commercials come, they are watched with a close analytical eye comparing the merits of each one as they arise. So last night was no different in that respect.

For the last several years, we were at the SSB for Super Bowl. Being the new kids on the block, and the only ones who stayed through on Sunday, we opted for our own Super Bowl Party for several years. In the closest years, we haven't and were blasphemous enough to watch other things on TV. I'm surprised the football gods hadn't clawed our eyeballs out - or some such penalty. (Ooo, good one there Granny - what a play on word? A penalty for TV watching instead of football! High five)

Getting back to the subject at hand - after years of not watching the game, we ventured forth to daughter's house. They were having their new bests friends over along with NBF's boss (??). I like the NBF, and really like her boss. I met them the week before at a house party to sell, um, well, um adult toys. One of the other women was laid (don't say it) off, and she was looking at a way of bringing in more money.

DIL used to do these, and she made about $700 per party. Not bad. Well NS really is trying to get started and needs people to tell people who tell more people and so on. Well, it was a good group of women, and NR is really good at things like this. I don't think anything makes her blush and stammer!

All in all, it was good. The kidlets entertained each other. The only thing I had against them it that they ate ALL the banana pudding. Little rats. Conversation flowed well, and with the exception of the male part of NBF shouting really loud when the half scores had a 1 and a 0 because that were his numbers, the evening was really nice - even without the banana pudding.

Peace be with you

A big let down

It all happened again. The weather people here, once again, got into a frenzy about the great weather event that threatens our very beings - only so have it fizzle leaving with egg on their faces.

So to bolster these sooth-sayers, the stations to broadcast pictures solidly through all the network's programming. And why - because we had a light mist all night, and therefore all bridges and overpasses are slick as, well you can fill that one in.

They had said we would be getting the effects of that low pressure area that was moving from the Pacific coast around noon. What happened then - schools began closing. Now with the information they were given, that was a good call. The evening drive home would be really dangerous. We would be having rain mixed with snow and sleet. Nope.

So rush hours went smooth because about half of the commuters had already left work to pick up their kids. Back to tv. They were still on this old thing of the low still out over New Mexico, but when it came to us - wow, we would be covered with sleet and snow.

Come bedtime. Weather soothsayers said the low pressure was still coming this way. The projected time of midnight would have the low over us, and well, Galveston wasn't going to have three inches of snow after all. But the mainland, well it's not in the projected map area, but we still may have two inches.

In reality, the NASA weather bureau was by far the closest. You could look at the map of what they thought was going to happen in the future, and it was split around us. Do these nuts think we poor citizens are too stupid to read that map? Don't tell me we are going to have 2-3 inches of snow more like about midnight (they were assuming the great unwashed viewers would be in bed, and their forecast still sounded good.)

So comes the morning. Yes we had a bit of ice due to the bit of rain. Yes, driving was a hazard. Bridges and overpasses were covered by a thin coat of ice - most of them closed with some officer sitting there babysitting those ramps.

The television stations had been hyping this storm for a week. Their response was to go live showing the feeds from the road condition cameras around the city, and sending the poor little lambs that are put out in the middle of the mayhem. This time is wasn't much accounting for showing the dumb a**es who went around the blockage of the roads and either crashed, or remained in their card waiting for help.

It was a good thing for most of the school districts to shut down. There goes one of the holidays later in the year. It was a good idea to tell folks to stay home. I will give them that. I won't allow the soothsayers that kept trying to make it snow.

These are the same people who spend all their energies trying to move a hurricane into our area. When you can clearly see the thing will remain in the Atlantic, they show this "zone of uncertainty"to move that storm into the gulf and right up the ship channel to decimate us all. then break away to the poor schlep who is standing out there in front of the camera having tried to find a story that will just knock your socks off. Oh, how they would love to find some story having a brave rescue of a boy and his dog - gotta get the child angle and the animal lovers caught up in the drama. But alas it never happened.

So we are condemned to watch hours and hours of "storm coverage" or escape it all and visit with you guys. Gee thanks to the climate change - we may have the blizzards and all and you in the northers states will have to take the hurricanes - that's a fair exchange!

Peace be with you.

I'm freezing

I know this doesn't elicit sympathy with most of you. But I am so cold. I am lucky the warmest place in the house is the bedroom. Since we had the entire system replaced, I would have expected more warming throughout the whole house. It is strange. As I walk through the house, there are warm spots and very cold spots. If it weren't so cold outside, I would swear we live in a haunted house and that explains the cold spots.

Now I will have to launch a "we need new windows" campaign with G. When it is normal around here, the window situation isn't an issue. These are the 35 year old windows that were put in the house. They leak like crazy - of course no one has caulked then in forever.

Our generator had a real workout yesterday with the rolling blackouts. Strange, we got it for hurricane season. It proved its worth yesterday.

And on the rolling blackouts - the news talking heads told us what caused them. Are you ready for this? They were because at least two generation plants that didn't winterize some water pipes - so the water lines froze and broke. Hello?? Don't they watch news programs.

In further news about the blackouts, the generation plants tried to explain why no one knew this was going to happen because email addresses were no longer correct. Apparently there had been retirements ... You know, I didn't realize the phone systems no longer work!

More blackouts are a possibility today if we Texans use too much electricity. I don't see that happening.

Peace and warmth be with you.

Not as bullet proof as I thought

It has come to my attention that I am getting old, and the weather we are having illustrates that fact so well. This is the kind of weather I used to think I would love. Growing up in the southern parts of Texas - be they Gulf Coast or outside the Hill Country, I longed for weather like this. We are right at freezing now, and we may be out of it by Saturday, but we will be pretty assured of snow (and sleet).

The only weather I really knew was summer time temperature usually with highs in the high 90's and lows in the mid 80's. There were times we would get the extreme heat from the deserts to the west from that southwest wind that would be channeled. Then the high could get to 100, 101. Our winters were generally mid 20's to high 60's. It was pretty much a close range in temperatures.

This long spell is something that doesn't usually happen, and now that I am old - I don't like it one bit. I don't have clothing for this weather. My summer and winter attire for lounging about the house is a ratty old t-shirt and a pair of shorts. It fits my needs all year around. I am not prepared for this.

To add to the general misery we Texans are feeling right now, we are being subjected to rolling blackouts. Say what? That's a summer time thing. When it's over 100. Not now. Not with it this cold. But it is happening all over the state. Here in the southern part of the state, it isn't that big a deal. We just don our winter garb - long pants and a long sleeved shirts. As far as my fellow Texans go, my heart goes out to North Texas. They are already covered with ice, and the temperatures are really low. I can only imagine how miserable it is to be sitting in the dark with these cold temperature.

Now for the rest of you folks in the northern parts of the states, my heart and soul goes to you. I simply cannot imagine how terrible this winter must be for you. This year it seems that you have suffered through terrible extremes in the weather. Seems like you got blistering heat last summer, and now you are a frozen wonderland.

At least you are smart - you have basements. I guess we could have basements, but we would call them our in-door pool. Now that would make for some interesting times with electrical wires down there. I do envy you a basement. There can be so many things a basement is good for. But I digress.

It has come to my attention that I am getting old. Now I don't know when this old stuff slipped up on me. I still think of myself as, say 16. Other than forgetting names, where my keys are, and most lately my wedding ring, I think I'm, as we like to say down here, six feet tall and bullet proof. Not so much anymore. When I am talking about something, just as sure as not, I will forget the word I need. For the life of me, I cannot remember names. I forget where I put things - like my ring. When I put that thing where ever I did, I thought at the time I will forget this place. So did I move it? You can guess that answer.

We have a light at the end of the tunnel I think. It is supposed to be warm by the weekend, which would be an especially good thing for those in Dallas and the surrounding areas so the fans can safely get to the Super Bowl. This should be the winding down of our winter. We will have a few more freezes where it does get to 30, but we are almost done with it. I wish I could bundle a package of warm air to send to you all. As Jude put it - you all are tough! (And I am old)

Peace be with you.

Another day

Strange day. The large house is worth all the cleaning (who am I kidding) and extra utilities. We can be together yet apart. Retirement isn't half bad. Now you know I already knew that it wasn't bad - in fact it is rather heavenly. I am of the opinion that retirement should come when we are young so we can enjoy it fully. All these aches and pains are a limiting factor. But today was another good day. No voices raised.

Now the weather is another thing. Hey - who blew down the protective fence we had up about the middle of the state to keep this winter crap away. The weather nitwits are saying we could have snow or at least a winter mix come Friday. We are just not cut out for this.

I know for a fact with just the temperatures not getting far above freezing is going to cause all sorts of havoc around here. Sprinkler systems are a really popular thing to have here. After all, we look more like a tropical setting than a tundra. Anyway, tomorrow there will be thousands of pictures uploaded to the news stations with beautiful ice sculptures make by broken pipes in the sprinkler system.

It hits us with the tropical bodies of water out back (pools). While they won't freeze over for skating -at least I really hope not - all their little pipes and such that move the water to make it clean need to be protected. You see, if we were to remove all the water from the pool, it would pop out of the ground.

Our freezes last year didn't stop us (yes me too) from going out and buying more of the tropical plants that look so beautiful pool side. Gives you a little vacation right in the backyard you see. Well those babies are usually in excess of five feet. I have started a nice collection of citrus. Right now they are huddled close to the house on the south side adorned with Christmas tree lights and a blankie to keep them warm.

So the village is peaceful, but cold. There are no hot words making the rounds in here, and the icy blasts continue. I really need to find that fence that is letting the cold reach this far! We've had quite enough. I really don't know how you all take this every year. I admire you.

Peace (and warmth) be with you.