Friday, June 12, 2015

Day 14: Working My Fingers to the Bone... It Hurts

I've been doing yard work for about a week now and I'm taking the weekend off. Mike helped me with the weed trimming... finally. I got the yard cut again. Today he came early and we put dirt, a weed barrier, and cedar mulch around the front of the  house. Water backs up against the foundation when it rains and I have always had a concern about that. This is my attempt to prevent some of that by raising the areas directly against the house. Don't know if it will work but it can't hurt.

Besides, it  looks better and will make grass cutting a bit easier here since the mower can't really get close to the house. This is on the west facing part of the house. I want to continue it along the south side, that's the corner nearest you in the photo, and continue along the back (east side) of the house. I just think it will look better and maybe will help keep out mice. 

They've torn the house next door down this week. The large shovel you see is filling in the huge hole where the basement used to be. It has taken three days of shoveling dirt and they're still not done filling it in.  I had no idea it has such a large basement. It was as big as the house as far as I could tell. It must have been very dark down there as I never saw a single window. 

I felt bad for the owner. This was the house she grew up in and her mother, now deceased, left it several years ago to enter a nursing home. It has been empty, although filled with stuff until they knocked it down. She was a hoarder. Even after they removed truckloads of items, it was still stacked to the ceiling in places. 

It will seem strange to not see it there. I suspect they'll sell it and someone will eventually build on it. If I had the funds, I'd buy it but it takes all I can do to manage the property I have now. And it would raise my taxes anyway. It is a lovely tree filled lot. 


I've had a rather good week physically. There has been very little pain and it is one reason I've pushed so hard to get this outside work done. Mike and I stopped at noon today because by then the heat was just unbearable. I came in and showered and we went to lunch. When I got back home I hurt all over. I just piled up in the recliner with a Snuggy and Pandora set to Spa music for three hours. I had to take something for my sciatica and I actually think it eased the pain in my hands just a bit. Not sure about that but it seemed they were better. It is back medicine so maybe not. 

I couldn't go to sleep because I was in pain, but I did doze off and on. Around 5 p.m., I took two extra strength acetaminophen to take care of the rest of my pain. I'm feeling much better now, but I have taken something to help me sleep and will go to bed in about an hour. After I rested a bit, I did a bit of crochet while I watched a movie. Now, I think I'll go back to it and find something else to watch. 

Did I mention it is day 14 of the Facebook fast? I will admit that I've gone on a few times because people keep emailing me or I need to send a message to someone else. I don't like it. I haven't missed it and what is shocking is when I get on I realize how very much I don't like Facebook. I don't look forward to going back to it. I've downloaded a Chrome extension called Block Site and it allows me to block specific sites and I can block said site during specific hours. Yes, I can turn it off and I have twice. I'm being honest about my lapses but despite my sense of failure, I'm doing rather well. My Facebook hours are blocked from 8 a.m. to 7  p.m. at the moment. So, no getting on during working hours. I can change that, but I'm not going to at this point. 

I think this is a good extension. I can block one site or multiple sites. There is a password feature but if you forget your password, you're kind of stuck. So, with my lengthy list of passwords, I'm not taking that chance at this point. However, I think it is a great feature. I know it works because twice earlier this week I clicked on the FB link. I put a redirect command in the blocker and it takes me to my Gmail page. So, it worked. I'm a fairly faithful person and I'm good at keeping my commitments most of the time. I've fallen off the wagon a few times this week, but I'm not going to throw in the towel. 

I've had to tell Mike twice not to use my account to send messages because it is logging my productivity time also. My Rescue Time logs all my computer activity and my productivity is up 62%  since I went off Facebook. That doesn't count my offline activity. I was shocked at the difference. I went from 32% to 62% in two weeks.

I"m signing off for the night, I think. Hope you all have a great weekend. 


Thursday, June 11, 2015

Day 12: What We're Drinking In S. Indiana

Well, this is 12 days without Facebook. It hasn't been a total fast because I had to go on to check some emails and, of course, the addiction draws you but I spend less than 30 minutes each time, I think. I haven't missed it over much and, I've managed to get a lot of work done around here.

I've been busy doing yard work, cleaning house, moving furniture, and doing some minor repairs.  Yesterday, Mike and I rearranged the living room. I'm getting ready to move the computer desk out of the house and my nap sofa but several things must happen before that. 

Yesterday, I changed the water filter under the sink because the water had just reached the point where it was nasty. Please understand, we have a water filtration plant here that cleans and filters water out of the Ohio River for us to drink. For years, I drank it without a filter. About 15 years ago we got an under sink water filter and have used it ever since  in the kitchen, on the cold side only. We changed the filters every six months, roughly January & June. I got off track last year and so the filter has probably been on for closer to nine months. I decided to video the process and let you see just what Southern Indiana is drinking.  



Monday, June 8, 2015

Day 9: Down the Rabbit Hole

*Warning: If  don't like it or get offended when I just pour out my insides, skip this one. 

I'm having a difficult day today. Sarah left to go home with her dad for several weeks and the house is as quiet and empty as the tomb it is. I think too much when I'm alone. When there is nothing to draw me externally, I begin to look inward and truthfully, that's a dark place.

The weekend was rather a letdown. I had to do the yard work and I hurt myself so badly after weeding the flower bed on hands and knees, and then doing trimming I could hardly move all weekend. I hurt from my neck to my feet. My arms, back, neck, and even my stomach were sore. I was glad to see my son, but I was out working most of that time trying to get the weed trimming done before the weather turned or suffering in my chair. I still have not finished the trimming and it is raining today.

I went for a walk, thinking it would be good to get me out of the house and would lighten my mood. It did not. If walking in the rain can't make you feel better, it's pretty bad.  I can't say I have any real physical pain. It is maybe 2-3. The agonizing pain of the weekend, which was really strained muscles, is now nearly gone.

While I was working on some paperwork earlier, I wondered when exactly children begin to have no use for their parents. I raised two sons. I assumed they loved me. I adore them. Elder son does things for me and has always done so. If I'm sick he always shows up and calls. Not so much my younger son. Now he lives in another state so it would be impossible but he lived most of his life up the road a bit. He put up cabinets once.

So, as I stood staring at some stuff I'm clearing out it was with only a slight shock that I realized in 35 years I've never received a mother's day card, a birthday card, a get well card, or any kind of card from my children. Not one. Not ever. Neither of them.  When they were in elementary school, they may have made a couple. I don't think I have them. If I do they're in a folder somewhere.

Nor have I ever received gifts of any kind from my children. They've taken me to lunch a few times. I've bought more of our meals for every occasion. The only real gift I ever got and I know was bought with great thought and love is a beautiful collectible doll in a glass case. Mike got it for me when he was about 12 and I can still remember his face when I opened it and how much that doll meant to me. She is in my bedroom right now, carefully protected from harm in her glass case. I open it sometimes and touch her. She looks a bit like a bride. Jerry bought me a doll, a few years later "because she looked" like me. She's in the living room.

Once, when he was married to his previous wife, the younger son sent flowers. I think it was for my birthday. I showed them to my whole office. Elder son has taken me to lunch a few times ... when he had the money. Younger son has on occasion bought my lunch.

But I have no special mementos to point to and say, my son got me that. Except the doll. I have no file of beautiful cards to Mom. I have a file of cards from my aunt, my sister, Sarah, my ex-daughter-in-law, and maybe from my Dad and step mom.. whom I hardly know. I even have a file of letters from some people. There is a file of sympathy cards I received from people when Jerry died. You will find no cards from my sons when I die.

I also realized I never got flowers or cards from Jerry from probably the early 90's, if then, not even anniversary cards. There are none in my folder from him, but I vaguely recall getting one or two. When we first married I used to get flowers now and then. The last time he bought me flowers was around 1999. It was for my birthday and they were in a cute pumpkin planter. He'd take me to lunch on Mother's Day and my birthday so I suspect that substituted for cards and gifts. For the last 10 years of his life, I bought my own Christmas presents.

I remember being at work when people got flowers on Mother's Day and I'd leave the area because I didn't want someone to ask me, "What'd your family do for you? They did nothing.

I'm not sure why this all came to my mind today. Maybe because the emptiness of my home is a mockery of all that I thought I had once. To wake up one day and everyone is gone and you realize you really weren't special after all is a bit of a shock. How did I miss it? Was I so full of myself that I thought I was really important to these people?

I've never said anything to anyone. I just kept it quiet. I stayed silent. Honestly, I was usually embarrassed by it. It doesn't make me feel better, putting this here today, but I think I've hit bottom. It took me a long time to get here. The fall is pretty steep. My only rationalization is that there are various stages to grief and I suspect some of the realizations I've been having over the last year have something to do with it.

When you go through things after people die, you learn things. Some are things you knew but forgot. Other things are things you should have known but didn't. And still other things are things you wish you'd never found out. You find things that hurt, some that anger, and some that just confuse you. I've experienced all those.

It took a while to realize that not everything was perfect in my little world. I had a good husband most of the time. He was far from perfect. After he died, I made a lot of excuses from some things and just ignored others. Oh, he wasn't doing reprehensible things or illegal things. There were just things I don't know how I missed, some I should have seen and didn't, some I saw but simply chose to ignore. I have "good" sons. Meaning they never got into serious trouble. But when your children leave home and get older you actually discover the depth of character you've instilled in them. It is never what you think.

Most of us turn blind eyes to the faults of our loved ones. I'm no different. My nature is to forgive people any insult to me that they care to dish out, particularly those I love. But here I am today asking myself why should I?

I don't like writing this post because I don't like whiners. But for once in my life, I'm not staying silent. I'm not going to pretend there isn't a problem. I'm not going to make excuses for other people's bad behavior, attitudes, and actions. There are things that are just wrong, and ill-mannered, and selfish.

I can't change the past or the present. I can't fix what is already set in stone. Somehow I have to figure out how to make life mean something without the things or people I thought gave it meaning.

Maybe, as someone once told me, there is no meaning. We just move through our life like pinballs, racking up points here, losing some there but never really making an impact on anything. The sacrifices you make are pointless and go unnoticed everywhere but your own mind. Ultimately, we have no one but ourselves to live with and if we can't do that, we might as well just die.


Saturday, June 6, 2015

Day 8 of the Facebook Fast: Chores & Pains

I was up by 8 this morning and had some coffee and started the fountain on the patio just to hear the water. It is too bright and hot on the patio in the mornings, but I could stand and watch it for a bit.

Believe me when I say it was a pain. I hurt everywhere, particularly my gluteus maximus. I think kneeling over in the flower bed yesterday and climbing ladders and weed trimming did a number on me. My arms hurt. My neck hurt. My back hurt. My legs hurt. My butt hurt.

And they still hurt tonight.

By 9 a.m. I was in the yard using the weed trimmer to cut the rest of the weeds. I still have the railroad area and back of the house to do. My arms were hurting so I stopped. And my behind is not happy with me.

You'd think my glutes get a good workout, sitting all day but apparently that is not the case. Let me tell you, weeding your flower bed is the best workout your butt will ever get. It will give a huge pain in your neck, too.

At 1 p.m. today I attended the River City Writers' meeting. That is always fun because I get to see the other writers. Once that was done I came home and started on the mower.

Dave and Mike replaced the blades on the mower and I hope will be able to do the oil and filters tomorrow. I also need to do some more planting. There are other things I wanted to get done before Dave left, but I will have to just do them after he's gone. It was a good thing he was here to change those blades. Mike's leg is still a  problem and removing the deck, cleaning it, replacing the blades, and putting it back took both of them. I could not have helped Mike.

It is after 10 p.m. now and I'm still sore all over after a hot shower. I can hardly get up and down. It is amazing how much work you butt does when you try to get out of a chair, climb steps or get in and out of cars. It is awful.

Still, I feel better knowing those blades are fixed. I just wish we'd got more done. I know eventually I may be able to do the weed trimming without help but at the moment, it is really difficult. I've lost so much muscle mass and just have no strength. The work also causes severe joint pain after I do it. So, even if I get the strength, my joint problem persist. I'm not sure that the butt pain is also attributable to my walk on Thursday with Sarah. We walked 1.7 miles. Then, I worked on Friday morning pulling weeds. So, the combination is probably to blame.

I'm at Day 8 of the Facebook Fast. I hardly miss it these days. I miss talking to family and some of my friends. However, today, I got my report card from Rescue Time. My productive time so far this month is 62% higher than it was last month. Can you believe that? Sixty-two percent more productive in one week than I was in the whole month.

So, I'm letting myself feel good about this. If I don't hear from folks, well, I've been here before. When Jerry died, people stopped calling after a six weeks. There are people I haven't heard from in nearly 7 years. I'm not hunting them down. I found new friends. A

Thank you for sticking with me. 

Friday, June 5, 2015

Day 7: Face Who?

Weather: Warm & Sunny
Pain Level: 2 in the morning 5 in the afternoon
Mood: Not great

I started the morning hopeful I'd get some things done. My pain levels were low and that's an opportunity that I try to take advantage of when possible. I went to Lowe's at 9 a.m. to see about counter tops. I want to put a bar counter in the kitchen above some cabinets. I have to special order them and that is an expense I doubt I can afford. It was a thought.

I came back thinking I could get the weed trimming done. I got the front done and the flower bed weeded and the crepe myrtle trimmed up and with the help of a tall ladder, all the dead branches off. And that was when I crashed. No, I didn't fall off the ladder. It was noon. I didn't get 4 good  hours before I was wiped completely out, my neck hurt, my hands hurt, my right knee stopped working, and I felt as if I was going to pass out.

There was no one to take over so I had to leave the trimmer lying in the garage floor. I was too tired to care what  happened to it at that point. The mower is sitting in the middle of the floor too. I just don't care. I simply can't keep this up. Doing this yard work is just too much for me. By the time I get done, it is tall grass again and I have to start over.

I came in and around 3:30 I lay in the recliner and napped for about an hour, until people woke me up.

I was going try again before dark, but David said wait till tomorrow. I still have the whole railroad area to cut. It is virtually impossible to do that in less than two hours. After it is all cut, I'll do the yard.

And I have a meeting at 1.

Still the end of the day was pleasant. We had supper on the patio and I just sat there like a slug. David as Sarah had a good time together while I watched.





Wednesday, June 3, 2015

Day 5: Facebook Fast Turns to Feast

Mood: 
Weather: Cool & cloudy
Pain level: 2
Energy level: 6

A Pretty Lady

Here she is. Isn't she beautiful? I just love her. I had to move some stuff to put her in front of a mirror so you could get the whole effect in one shot. I am so trilled with this. It says on the bottom, Park Avenue Dreams. It is a Lenox figurine so I know it was originally pricey. I paid $6. I want to go back and get a couple of others but honestly, what am I going to do with them?

I'll have to pull out the one my mother bought me, and put them together. I keep that one in the china cabinet. It occurs to me I'm not enjoying it as I could. My new lady is standing on the table by the window in front of me.

Sarah Rambles

Sarah spent the night at her other grandparents. She had done that a couple of times now. I'm glad they're finally getting to enjoy her some. She had a great time the last few times she's been there. It gave me a bit of a break as well, although, you can't imagine how empty the house was and how much I missed her. She was my salvation after Jerry died and has remained my sanity. I pray for her all the time because the world is a horrible and cruel place and a light like Sarah should not be dimmed. One of her school friends said to me once, "I love Sarah. The teachers love Sarah. Everyone loves Sarah." There was not even a hint of envy in her voice.

Enough sappy stuff.

Tart Cherry Juice

I went to the Vitamin Shoppe yesterday and bought the Tart Cherry Juice. I've had several people tell me to go and get it because it helps reduce inflammation. The clerk said they sale a lot of it but you know, he's trying to sell a $25 bottle of juice. You take 2 tablespoons a day. I think I can get 30 days out of the bottle but it is still expensive. If it works, that will be every month but honestly, if I can get off some of this toxic meds, I'll forego bread. I started last night. I'll keep you posted on how it is working, if it works.

Note, if you are wondering what it taste like, it isn't cherries. It is wildly tart but not unbearably so. There is a mild underlying hint of cherry but it really has a rather odd taste. When I took it I was shocked that it tasted familiar and I spent the better part of an hour trying to figure it out. When I did I was on the phone telling my Aunt Phillis about it.

Anyone remember Black Draught? It taste like Black Draught!  I believe the Black Draught from my childhood had a black cherry flavor! And Black Draught was just a senna laxative. My aunt and I had a good laugh over this. When we were both children, Black Draught cured everything. I suspect it would have cured the plague (tongue in cheek). The irony of it all is that there is a common belief these days that cleansing the bowels is actually healthy. And that is all it was used for back then.


Writing Progress 

I'm well behind in my writing. Today I will have to finish up my checking account issue. For the most part I've figured it out but I must get all these things entered and pay the bills. I shouldn't spend until I get it all done.

Crochet Project

Since yesterday was totally non-productive in terms of real work. (The laundry is on the bed again and beds unmade.) I spent the evening watching some movies and doing a small crochet project. Felicia, my daughter-in-law, asked for coasters for her car. She wanted a wine color but they didn't have it at the store. I had this variegated thread left over from a previous project.

After several text, photos of the cup holders, and figuring out we had cars made by the same company, I whipped this up and put it in my cup holder. It fits. I've never considered putting one in the car holders but they do get rather messy down in the bottom and are rather hard to clean out. This will catch some stuff and soak up spills. They'll wash but I'm not sure how well the cotton will release stains. Sodas leave a rather nasty one but she's is a dental assistant so maybe she avoids too many sodas. I've never asked.

I will make the second one tonight and mail them to her. David will be here sometime tomorrow but she can't come with him. She'll get them probably by the time he leaves on Monday, actually  maybe even Saturday.

Multiply Memories

As you can see my Facebook fast has not starved me at all. I'm actually enjoying it because some of my old Multiply friends are commenting here and there and it almost feels like old times hearing from them. Now if y'all start blogging again so I can read yours and comment.  I don't think I've missed anything as much as Multiply. And you know, the company is totally bust now. I it flopped in one month. You can read the Multiply wiki here. I had no idea they had reached 2.7 million members before they sold it.

I was also astonished at how much the site encompassed, even though I was there from nearly the beginning until the end. It did it all. As I was reading, I also became aware that G+ is now doing nearly everything Multiply did except creating the personal website feature but actually, Blogger fills that niche for them. You can now even buy your domain. You can design your page pretty much anyway you want. There is unlimited photos hosting, YouTube movies, Blogger blog, and now the new Collections, which I think I'm going to like a lot. Someone said they were trying to mimic Pinterest but it isn't at all like Pinterest. It is more like a better way to organize your posts.

I still miss the interaction of Multiply but I think the problem is everyone sort of scattered and those who came to Blogger were confused as to how to proceed and just dropped out of site. I managed to keep contact with about 15 or 20 people and actually some of those I picked up after Multiply closed.

Well, enough reminiscing. I have several things to do. Dry my hair, finish the checking account balancing, clean up a bit. I pick Sarah up between 1 & 2. My friend Rae is coming over for at 3 for a couple of hours so her son and Sarah can play a bit. Then, I suspect our day will wind down. My, it goes so fast!



Tuesday, June 2, 2015

Day 4: Facebook Fading


I am sitting at this table with you and we're enjoying the sunshine, a gentle breeze, and good conversation. The flowers are lovely and I can smell the lemon and hear birds chirping.

O.K. so maybe I'm exaggerating but it is a nice place in my head. Actually, today, the weather is crappy again. What happened to spring, pray tell? I'm pretty tied of this. I think I'm going to have to go to the desert just to get some sunshine.

Weather: Cool, damp, cloudy
Pain levels: 3
Energy level: 4
Mood:



In reality half the day is gone and all I accomplished was getting Sarah over to her other grandparents. She wanted to go and since she is going to her Dad's for the summer, she needs to visit them. It will give me 24 hours of space to get a few things done. At least, that was the plan. All I really did was get up, feed her, get her some items packed and take her over. 

I did stop at the grocery to pick up some items. I also went to the thrift store looking for coasters. They didn't have any but I did pick up a suitcase for Sarah to use and a lovely figurine that I have no idea what I'll do with, but she was lovely and I wanted her. I suspect she was rather expensive when someone bought her originally. She cost me $8 at the thrift store but I suspect she cost well over $20 new. I'll post pictures when I unpack her. 

I had to work on the router a bit and now I'm going downtown to get the statement from the VA that will allow me to signup for some financial assistance for medical expenses at one of the hospitals. 

Later, I hope to do some writing on the short story. I've been organizing several group things and my own story is flagging. I doubt I'l be back on today. 

I'm not missing Facebook at all. That can't be a good sign.
 

Monday, June 1, 2015

Day 3: Approaching the Oasis

Today was an exciting day for Sarah. Her best friend from school came by this morning and visited for a couple of hours. Erin is a pretty girl with short dark hair and a big smile. When they saw each other they were ecstatic. I couldn't believe how happy. They were grinning and giggling. I was a bit envious. I don't ever remember having friends like that. I remember having friends, playmates, but I don't remember anyone ever being thrilled to see me. I think I'd have remembered that.

They played for a couple of  hours before she had to leave. It was so funny when Erin arrived. She had on this purple shirt with a dog on it. Sarah laughed and said, "I have that same shirt." In a bit she rooted her shirt out and went and put it on. They really were cute together and you could tell by the constant smiles on their faces that they were just so happy to be together.

After the company left, Sarah went to play with the little girl up the street, Harper. I sat down to do my bank account and pay bills... and nearly had a heart attack.

Mid-month is when I update my account and make sure everything is entered before I pay bills. I do the same at the first of the month. I remember doing it mid-month because I was extremely low on money and knew I was going to need to be very careful.

Imagine my feeling when I got into my checkbook program to find everything from the 5th of May was gone. All the entries I made weren't there. Not a trace. It appeared as if I hadn't done a thing since the first of the month. I knew it wasn't true because of the balance that was showing when I finished. Both the active file and the backup file were affected,which is very odd. I never figured out what happened. I only knew I had to fix it, fast.

First I had to do the May reconciliation. Then, I had to pull out every receipt for the whole month of May and review them to see if there were in the system.  After the 6th of the month none were there. So, I had to start entering them.

I have a system I've had in place for  years. Every dime I spend I get a receipt for and I put that in an envelope labeled for that month and year. Each month I start a new one. I keep these envelops in a file drawer and shred them about every 4 years. Yes, 12 months of envelopes x 4. But I can't tell you how many times in a year I've had to research a month for a receipt to prove something, to claim a warranty, to return an item that proved defective, or to prove I paid a bill. You have no idea how many times this has saved my bacon.

Today was a case in point. Had I not kept those receipts, I don't know how I would have rebuilt a month of the register. Yes, I could research my check register or the statement when I get it but the register was the problem and it is tedious reading over old bank statements. In this case, the statement won't come out until the 6ht. Then if you can even find what you're looking for the stores still want a receipt. If I can find when I bought it, I just go to that month and pull the receipt. My system paid off big time today.

I finished another coaster cozy in a couple of hours while Sarah was off playing. They look so nice in the living room. I'm very impressed and will be making more of these. I have two more of my hard coasters that need covers. I may take a look at some of the thrift stores to see if I can find some old ones to use to make as gifts. I use a lot of coasters. They're in every room in the house because I have wood furniture every where. And I don't mind people carrying a drink to the living room or cold water to their room at night. I just don't want it on the wood.

I was doing a lot of "business" stuff today which included calls, one related to medical bills. I found out that I may qualify for some help with my medical bills. That has been a slowly escalating debt. I either have to curtail my doctor's visits or lab work. The hospital is going to send me the paperwork to fill out. She thought I'd qualify based on my income. We'll see. I generally don't qualify for anything so I'm not getting too excited.

At some point Sarah came home, around 3 pm I think, with the friends and played outside until she decided to play in the "lake" at the bottom of the drive. I caught her with mud smeared on her face, hands, and a ball. She came in for a bath and change of  clothes and the other kids sent on their way.

I think she thought I was going to be roaring mad. It was rather amusing actually but I didn't laugh or even smile. I told her I was mostly annoyed because she could have played a couple of hours longer. She's been told before to stay out of that mud hole at the end of the drive. It is just filthy and with all the rain it just won't dry up. I asked her what she was thinking. She said, "I'm stupid." Of course I had to nix that idea, too. I told her, "No, you're a kid and you do dumb things sometimes." She didn't agree. Insisted she was stupid. But she smiled at me.

I went back to work while Sarah entertained herself. Around 6 p.m. I stopped . We decided it would be nice to just go and eat and relax with no phones. I left my cell phone in the car. We just sat in Dairy Queen and ate chicken and chatted.

When we came back we sat and watch Disney's Tarzan. I'd never seen it before but I really enjoyed it. She got tired and went to bed. I was going to work more on the data entry but I've had it. I'm headed for bed when I close this post.

Oh.. it is Day 3 without Facebook. Again, the first hour of the day is a bit difficult. A couple of times I found myself hovering over the icon on the task bar but I moved on to something else. I've had a about half a dozen comments on the blog and it was so nice to hear from them. I said people who wanted to hear from me or talk to me would find me. Jilly, in particular, has been absent for a while and it was great to hear from her. She's the busiest person I know but I do miss her blogs.

I'm still getting my land legs under me. I need a bit more organization and structure. I suspect it will take a bit. I'll have plenty of time when Sarah goes to her Dad's but I am sure going to miss her so much. She's become a good little companion at times.

What I have noticed almost immediately is that I'm actually doing stuff. Lots of stuff, without a lot of organization, but it is getting done in fits and starts. That's giving me fits. I have to reestablish some structure to my days.

Good night, my friends. I hope you have sweet dream and pleasant days.




Sunday, May 31, 2015

Day 2 Facebook Fast: Weather Woes Again


Weather: Cool, damp, cloudy.
Pain Levels: 4
Energy level: 5

I can't believe the weather. Yesterday started out nice only to end up shrouded in clouds and awash in rain. This morning we are still covered in gray clouds and it is just barely in the 60s. There isn't any rain for now. I will be glad when some of that global warming kicks in. It would be nice if June showed up.

I've got some minor pain but I'm really exhausted. I think it is more weather related pain. Still, it hurts and I get so tired.  I've been pushing myself to deal with the clutter and keep the house clean, mostly pulling things out to dispose of in some fashion. There are items in bags sitting around the den where I spend most of my time. I hate it. I want it all gone.

My thought is to have a yard sale and get a few dollars for the stuff but the longer it takes, the bigger the piles, and the less I want to deal with it. I have to move it all into the garage until the day I put it out for sale. Then, if the weather is bad, I have to move it all back in. Since one item is this sofa in my den, I really don't want to bother.

Facebook Fast

This is my second day without Facebook. I've had emails/comments from about three people. Which actually makes my decision that much easier. If the trend continues, I'll be able to totally delete my Facebook page. The people who want to stay in touch will.

I can't say I have missed it much either. I managed to clean out the linen closet yesterday and get a month's worth of sheets folded and put away. Why a month's worth? Because I wasted time for weeks sitting around on the computer. When I wasn't on the computer I was generally ill with the RA. Doing laundry with sore joints and muscles is no fun. Exhaustion contributes a lot to the problem.

Yesterday I spent less time online and was feeling pretty good. So, I folded towels and wash cloths and put them away. I sorted and folded all the sheets on the spare bed and put them in the closet (12 sets). About half of those were already in the closet but were untidy. Since I have sheets for a single bed, full sized bed, and a queen sized bed it is generally a nightmare trying to get the right set when the shelves are bulging with them, particularly the queen and full. Nearly every time I get a full size when I want a queen, and vise versa.

So, I did something I saw online somewhere. I folded and put flat & fitted sheet and 1 pillow case inside the matching pillowcase. This keeps them together and tidy on the shelf. Queen is on top, single in the middle, and full size on bottom. It looks great and I'm quite pleased with how well it worked.

I also pulled out a bunch of old mismatch sheets. I either don't have top sheet or I don't have the bottom. They're going to become crocheted rugs. I saw a video on using old sheets by cutting them in a long strip and making small rugs. They're just right for the bath or in front of the door. Do you know how easily they will wash?

Usually I buy white bedding because invariable, one sheet of a set will get worn or torn and you're stuck with an odd sheet. I used to buy decorator sets years ago. After ending up with several mismatched sets, I stopped buying those fancy ones.

The only odd stuff I'll keep is pillow cases. I have extra pillows and so I always need extra pillow cases. I have about six sets I think. They're also useful as totes sometimes. Yes, totes. You can shove clothes in them or other bedding to store. Protects the bedding and keeps everything together.

Yard Work

Sarah and I did a short session of cleaning up in the yard. Mike cut the grass too low... again, and left a bunch of clumps of grass. We loaded the John Deere cart and hauled it to the railroad siding and put it around a several trees. Since I usually have to cut the siding with the trimmer, it should help keep the growth down. It was a huge bunch of grass and made a thick mat to rot around the trees. I may start putting that on the siding all the time if it keeps the weeds down.

By bedtime last night I was wiped out. Far more exhausted than the amount of work I did by my reckoning. I went to bed earlier than usual.

I've been off the anti-inflammatory medicine, Lodine for nearly two weeks now. She told me to go off of it and see if it helped with my stomach problems and the reflux. It has helped and the ringing in my ears has stopped as well. That alone is a huge relief.

The draw back is more aches and pains. Being off the Lodine is probably why I'm having the overall body pain. Inflammation from RA affects all organs: skin, bones, muscles, joints. Even the heart and lungs. Constant inflammation is like having the flu...all the time.

I've been taking Doxepin again at night. It is helping me sleep, which helps with some of my pain. I'll do that until I feel the return of some of my equilibrium.

Did I just indicate I'm unbalanced?

Saturday, May 30, 2015

Day 1 Without Facebook

 I got up this morning with Pain. He is so supportive. I couldn't find a better man than Pain. He wakes me up and he stays with me all day, holding my hands, wrapping his arms around my shoulders, and neck, and even rubbing my feet now and then. I feel him running his hands up and down my spine even now.

To be fair, this morning he was a little inattentive. He hung around only about an hour and now, he just wants to  hold my hands. I told him I have things to do and he seems to have backed off a bit, but I see him over in the corner just waiting for an opportunity to pounce.

Yes, my Pain is faithful and I can count on him being there every moment of my day. We read together, crochet together, write together. He's really pushy when we do yard work. Jumps right in. There is nothing he won't do with me. I can't remember life without him.

I've had my coffee and actually worked on some laundry. I'm up later than usual. Sarah is still at her other grandparents and I slept in. I have done that for a couple of days. With Sarah off from school, it is easier to fall into that habit. 

Today is my first day staying away from Facebook. I elected to take June off and not log on, check messages, or post other than blog posts that go up. I don't have to go to Facebook to post those. I suspect no one will really notice. I get a few blog readers here and there. 

To be honest, my instinct was to sit down with my coffee and check my mail as usual. Then, I usually go onto FB and surf the stream and check the group page, maybe play a game. When I first got on FB, that was it. After Jerry died, things changed.

I read a lot of the articles. Much of them are news related, oddities, anything science. That sort of thing. The problem lies in after that. I get caught up in some of the memes, and although I only play one gave on FB, there are those quizzes, which are really just games. So, I end up with hours a day on Facebook and nothing to show for it. 

Since Jerry died, I don't really hear from anyone anymore outside of Evansville except my aunt and uncle. I might get a family call every few months from one person. But I have a very large family. So, I told myself it was so I could keep in touch with my family. When I began to loose so much time "staying in touch" I realized how stupid that is. 

Why would it be necessary to spend time on Facebook wading through hundreds of posts about nothing to hear from people who could just as easily pick up the phone and talk to you for five minutes? Or who could try and visit you once in a while? 

Why would any family think that posting about their trip to Wal-mart was "staying in touch"? Posting "I'm at McDonald's" is not sharing yourself with people who love you. Telling the world you're at Starbucks having a latte is not relating to anyone. It does pretty much tell us you're silly extravagant but its your money.

That's not friendship. That's not love. That's not a relationship. 

Someone posted an article by a  young woman who withdrew from Facebook. She explained how it was robbing her of a relationship with God. She was so young, newly  married. And she woke up. And she woke me up. I realized that I have no desire to live my life checking my phone to get the latest on FB. It is why I don't use that app. I'm not living in Facebook. 

Here I was sitting, doing nothing, waiting for a piece of someone's life to be "shared" with me. For hours, days, weeks, months, years. I was foregoing life. I didn't go anywhere. I stopped calling folks. I stopped reading much. I wasn't getting any writing done. I wasn't praying enough. I wasn't reading my Bible enough. Real life was slowing, coming to a screeching halt. For Facebook. No, thank you. 

I love my family. I  have some new family members I've gotten closer to because I could text to them and interact with them on Facebook. It is totally unsatisfying. I have some new nephews I so wish I could meet and hold and love. They look so adorable.

Facebook doesn't build family relationships. They do not know me. May never know me. Other than a photo on Facebook. There will be no real sadness if some of us dies. We don't know each other.  I miss being so far from family and never seeing or hearing from them. I had a great family. We used to plan get-togethers and arrange reunions. 

That is not who I am. That is not who I want to be. It is time to focus on real people rather than photos online.

It was hard for about 30 minutes this morning to not get my fix. I suspect I'll have moments when I want to see photos, read about someone's happiness, and "talk" to someone. But I used to do that every day of my life without Facebook. 

I truly love the connections I have there. I've met lots of new people who I wouldn't expect to be involved in their every moment under normal circumstances. I like reading some of the things that happen in their lives. I like sharing things with them. I like seeing the photos. If I could travel where they are I am certain we could have lunch together.

But at the end of the day, Facebook is just a newspaper. It is not relationships. A smiley face isn't human. There is something about a smiling human face that gives such comfort. There is something about real hugs that soothe the soul. There is something about hearing "I love you" rather than a heart symbol, that makes life much more bearable. 

Where is life? I have a group of great friends I get to see about twice a month. I have a couple of family members I see regularly. When we're together we have the best time laughing and talking and sometimes we go places together. I get to sit across the table and listen to the writers carry on and do you know that is just the best feeling. Listening to other people laugh is so amazingly relaxing. I watch Sarah running in the yard and it is unleashed joy and hearing her giggle is like wine. 

Will I go back to Facebook at the end of the month? Will I be so socially deprived that I have to log back into a false life? I hope not. 

I hope that there will be more read books, completely written stories, good times with my girl pals and writers' group and giggles with Sarah. NaNoWriMo is coming and I'll have time to plan better. The yard needs things done and Pain and I will be able to get out there a bit. I can start walking regularly and more. I can reestablish uninterrupted devotional time.

Life is waiting, but it won't wait forever. I hope that by the end of June, real life will have reasserted itself and filled the vacancies.



Thursday, May 28, 2015

Coaster Cozies

Last week I posted a video about the Coaster Cozies I'd made for some coaster that had become rather worn. These are simply coasters you get from Walmart with a thin piece of cork on one side and a picture on the other. You can see them in the holder behind the glass. I have seen so many crocheted coasters and kept telling myself that I should just make some and throw away those tatty ones. 

So I started to do just that. I was using my hard coasters as a size guide and when I got to the edge, I had an idea. Instead of stopping with a flat coaster, I continued to crochet but I began to decrease, causing the edge to roll under and form a kind of hat. On the yellow and blue I added chain edge to give it a ruffled look. I did the decrease from the back loop and the chain ruffle from the front loop. Once completed, I slipped it on the coaster and immediately decided to do all six of my coasters. 

I liked the ruffle on the colors but not on the brown. Silly, I know, but the brown seemed a bit un-frilly looking to me. 

I'm not sorry. I am going to do several in the dark blue for the living room because my curtains are dark blue. The yellow will probably go in the den where I read and work. And the brown variegated will be on night tables. Sarah and I both take a glass of water to our room at night.

Now, I'm going look for some tiles. I think I just stumbled on some nice Christmas presents. 


Monday, May 25, 2015

Never Forget

Regardless of what liberals would have you think, regardless of how the media portrays it, this nation paid a price to be born, to grow, and to remain a nation of free people. It took 200 years and untold lives to become a nation looked on with envy and hope by millions. 

These served with honor and integrity for something greater than themselves. 
Some of us will not forget. 


How sad that it has taken only a couple of decades and a few entitled ingrates and a prejudicial media to completely obliterate that view and make a mockery of the men and women that gave their lives for the protection of our nation and that allows them the freedom to whine, complain, and burn the cities. 


Friday, May 22, 2015

Exiting the Web

It is time, I think. I've been thinking about deactivating my Facebook page for the summer. I've been thinking about this for several weeks. I'm spending too much time online and not doing things that actually matter. It is a habit that needs breaking.

Here is the information on deactivation on Facebook and how it works. Anyone who visits your page...

  • won’t be able to see the information on your Timeline on Facebook and will not be able to search for you. Some information, like messages you sent, may still be visible to others.
  • We save the information in your account, just in case you want to come back to Facebook at some point. If you choose to reactivate your account, the information on your profile will be there when you come back.

I would still have email, the blog, and my g+ group page. I'm hardly on G+ more than an hour or two a week. It is much easier to scan the things that interest me because they're in set categories that I can pull up en mass, rather than an endless stream of nonsense mixed with people and things I actually want to see. I'll be deciding in the next day or so for certain and will warn you before I do it.

Of course, I could just opt to not use the page but I've done that before and it doesn't work as well as a deactivated page would. I've deactivated before, once for a long time. I didn't miss it. I only  opened it back up to start a writing group. That will have to move, of course.

For the moment, I've not decided on what course of action I will take but I will be doing something. Sarah leaves in a week and I plan on using my vacation effectively. I have a short story to finish. A writing group & group anthology to coordinate. I need to do some serious declutter and disposal of items.

Anyone on Facebook who is on my Gmail contact list will be able to reach me through that. If you are on my G+ page, you'll see me there. If you registered with the G+ River City Writers' group, you will be getting the updates to the G+ group. 

If any of that is not true and you want to remain in contact, you can contact me asap. If you want to be added as a G+ contact, you can do so on this page with the widget or you can email me. You can leave me a message in the comments. 

I will make a decision by next week. Otherwise, you won't be able to see me until I reactivate the FB account if I decide to do that. 

May Walk


Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Wasting Time, Making Stuff, Buying Shoes

I have a doctor's appointment at 12:30 p.m. with my RA doctor. Since I'm having very little pain this week I suspect it will be uneventful. My cold or whatever it was is finally showing signs of improvement. I'm coughing less and my congestion is much better. However, this may be subject to change if it is allergy related.

Earlier this week I started work on flipflops for Sarah. She had two new pair and I crocheted the thong part and yesterday added flowers. This probably cost me a total of $2 added to the cost of the $1 flip flops. Although, I did have to buy the yarn, I discount that because I'll use it for other projects. You could easily do it with leftover yarn from another skein you have in your stash. I messed up the flower for the other shoe and have to repair it. I bought two sets of barrettes at Family Dollar for $2 and took off the clips and hot glued them to the shoe. They are so cute.

I've also been making dishcloths. I have a stash of cotton and I want to get rid of it so I'm making myself something.

I am once again wasting time on Facebook. I've got things to do and I need to shut that down for a while. I am considering putting in on lock down... or maybe they call that inactive. I might lose some folks, but I'd get a lot more accomplished. Of course, that's a cop out of sorts. I mean, I'm a grown woman. I should be able to shut down a computer and get out of the chair, right?

You can get back to me on that.

I've worked on the short story quite a bit the last few days. I don't have nearly enough but hey, it is progressing. I have something happening. I need a reader to tell me it works. I feel like it doesn't but when I read it, it seems fine.

I bought a nice pair of shoes at a local secondhand store, St Vincent De Paul's, yesterday. I paid $5 for this pair of heels, "I love Comfort" brand. I think that is a Sears brand. And let me tell you, they are so comfortable! Those who know me well, know if I say that, it is true. They have never been worn. They had a whole slew of brand new shoes there.

I think I've mentioned somewhere that Mike is returning home this Friday. Sarah will be out of school on the 22nd and going to her Dad's on the 7th. I will have a few months of solitude and I hope to accomplish a lot of stuff. I'm concerned that I won't. I know, it hasn't happened yet. Why worry? That's just who I am.

The day is beautiful, but it was COLD this morning at 57. Sarah has been having breakfast on the front porch this past week and this morning she wanted to do it again. I explained the weather. She stepped out and stood there several minutes.. wearing her shorts and tank top. Once I told her she'd be a popsicle after she had cold milk, she elected to have it inside. Currently, it is 64F and if I wasn't going to the doctor, I'd be on the patio.

I think I may cut the yard when I get back. Or not. The track doesn't need it so it would be easy.

There is a mosquito buzzing around in here and I keep missing him.

That's all the news that is news for now. I hope you've enjoyed our little interlude. Maybe we can do it again soon.








Friday, May 8, 2015

TGIF

Image courtesy of samuiblue 
at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
I welcome Friday with joy, even though I don't have a "job" because tomorrow I don't have to get up at 6:30 a.m. That's always wonderful. It is a lovely day out there today and I wish I could sit and enjoy it. However, each time I've gone out I've come in ill because of the pollen count. This year is worse than any I've seen.

I'm still coughing up my lungs. I had lunch with the writer girls yesterday and that was fun. I didn't spend the whole meal hacking. I went to bed thinking I was better. This morning I'm rattling and coughing all over the place. I see my RA doc on Wednesday, but I don't expect she'll address this. She'll tell me to go to my regular doctor. My regular doctor is young and I'm not confident in her abilities to do anything. Each time I see her it becomes evident I need someone else.

Last night I finished one of the quiz books I'm working on. It was such a relief. It covers a book called God's Adventurer and is about Hudson Taylor, a missionary to China in the 1800's. The book is not well written, but I suspect it is geared to adolescents. I enjoyed the story and found myself respecting the man immensely. His faith in the unlimited supply of God was astounding and proven.

I have pulled the next book out of the stack. I don't know if they are any good. Two are actual novels: God's Smuggler and Up from Slavery. Those will probably be easier reading. The other three I have my doubts about. Reading them and then developing questions is tedious. So it takes longer. I could have read the Taylor book in a few hours, but it has taken days to create the questions and answers, then type and format the guide.

My yard needs cutting again and I dread a half day spent doing that. I have a couple of errands to run so I'll be in and out with those. There is also a short story to write.

I think I should probably get busy.

Saturday, May 2, 2015

Spills & Thrills

The week has whizzed by so fast I am not sure what day it is. I am sure I am exhausted. I had a bad fall when I was helping Becca move on Thursday. I fell down some steps and landed full length on the ground. Nothing broken but bruised my hip and shoulder on the right side and smacked my head, breaking my bear claw hair clip to smithereens.

Fortunately, we've had lots of rain and, as a result, the ground is quite a bit softer than the cement sidewalk I barely missed. I was coming out a door and held it for the person behind me. There are three concrete steps up to that door and when I turned, I overstepped the first step, stumbled around for a second trying to find a place to stand but everything seemed to have just rolled up and I went flying. I had a microwave plate in my hand and a Pyrex baking dish. Somehow the microwave plate lay on the sidewalk, unbroken. The baking dish lay at my feet, unbroken. I lay splayed on the ground groaning. Bruised but thank God, unbroken.

It took several minutes for me to get up. I think I had the wind knocked out of me for a second and I was very disoriented. My hip was bruised and shoulder and trying to get up took a minute. I had help but still it was difficult.

We continued on with the moving. I moved a bit slower. I was sitting in the car a bit later and realized that if I stopped moving long I might not get up for a while. So, I just kept going the rest of the day, coming home to sort things here. I mowed the grass yesterday. Today, I  hurt from my hips up to my neck and I'm pretty sure it is because of the fall.

I'm tired because I have been up since 7 a.m. and the steroid always gives me plenty of energy. I went for a walk on Wednesday at the cemetery. I enjoyed it and hoped to do it a few days this week but under the circumstances, I can't say my body had missed it.

I haven't done any writing at all. Things just sort of snowballed and I've been on the move, rarely on the computer. I logged onto Facebook today to check in and catch up but I'm done now.

I spent the whole day either sitting in the den or on the patio reading. It was a beautiful day and I couldn't find the energy to do anything else.

Now, I'm going to find my bed and see if I can get a comfortable position to rest in.


Thursday, April 30, 2015

Leaning Toward Friday

Courtesy Pixabay
I woke to a drizzle of rain but now the sun is fighting with the clouds for dominance. I hope the sun wins. I got Sarah off to school and am on my way out on an errand. Mike has to go to the eye glass place today and order glasses. He is now waiting on his hearing aid, glasses, and will call to schedule a dental appointment. I told him to get is all now because with his luck you never know when something will go wrong and while he has insurance is the time to do it.

I've been on the steroid again since Tuesday. Pain started dropping that evening. Today it is a 2. I know that as soon as the dose decreases it will probably go back up. So, until then I have to get stuff done. Thus the reason for shutting down FB for a week.

I'm on week three of the cold. My lungs can't seem to shed the fluid. It feels at times that I'm breathing through a wet cloth and there is a hissing sound. I can be thankful it isn't as bad as it was two weeks ago. Maybe the steroid will help. Who knows.

I've told everyone else if you need to contact me or have something to tell me, I'm checking email. I get email from this blog and those who know me have my direct address. Friends and family have my phone number.

Writing is on my agenda for the next few days... I hope. Yesterday I did some minor spot cleaning. The floors were horrid and there was stuff lying around. So a fast cleanup was in order. It did amazing things for my mood. I've changed the way I do the dishes. Decided to try something I saw on the web. I put dirty dishes in a bin on the counter. Then wash them as I clean the kitchen. So far, I like that better than them sitting in the sink, in dishwater for a day. Sometimes I get interrupted and forget them until hours later. I've run hot water on a sinkful, walked away for something, and gone to bed totally forgetting them. So, this way, they're sitting neatly in a pan, waiting. It is working better for me.

Must go now. My time has run out. Have a great day. I missed FB yesterday. Wanted to check it but found that I missed it less than I thought I would. And I found myself reading G+ but no more than usual. I read on a better quality of items G+, I take quizzes and post memes on FB. Not acceptable to me. So, I hope this alters my habits considerably.

Tuesday, April 28, 2015

Same Old Change.

I've spent the morning just reading stuff. My hands are still not doing well. I started Prednisone this morning. I simply can't handle the pain any longer. My neck is hurting too but I've been putting the patches on that and it has helped. One every 12 hours but I usually do 12 on and 12 off. I found that the medicine, once in my system gives me horrible brain fog. I'm pretty sure it is because it is my spine and the med is going straight to my brain. Not much filter between my skin and spine. My hands don't look swollen, but they hurt very bad. I'll email my doctor but I see her next month anyway and it won't matter.

I'm working on a charity project. I think I've mentioned this over on Writing My Life Away. Writing study guides for some YA novels for a Christian school. Are these publishable? I've been unable to work much on the short story and that has to change now. I've made a decision to pull the plug on most internet things. I have to check email because I get notified of various things that way. I don't have to check Facebook. Everyone had my email and my phone number so unless it is earth-shaking or life threatening, I don't need to read it online.

I think I'll pull it for the rest of the week at least. Until next Monday. Surely I can write all the stuff I need to write in five days! If the pain will abate some.

Mike is going to get a new hearing aid we think. He went yesterday and it all seemed fine but after they checked with insurance they aren't sure. Under the plan he has through the state, it has to be 5 yrs since he had one and it will not be one of the better hearing aids. It will be basically an amplifier. Of course, they'll repair it every year for free.... Really?

So... why wouldn't you provide a better quality rather than pay for repeated repairs on one? Because this is the government and that would mean we're giving quality health items to poor folks. The lady at the hearing aid store was really nice. If he got the nice aide, it was going to take 7 days. The cheaper aide? Four - six weeks. Why? Because the insurance folks have to review the case to see if this person actually gets a hearing aide. Yes. We have TWO hearing test, 5 yrs apart, and his hearing hasn't changed.

We used Beltone last time. This time we're going through a local business who's been around a while. Beltone told Mike he could get the old hearing aid repaired for $500. This store told me repairs were free through Medicaid.... hmmmmm.

Isn't it a great country?

The yard needs cutting. I still don't have flowers or garden done. It is too cold or too wet. Take your pick any day for the last month. Right now, it is 55 degrees in southern Indiana. It is the last week of April! Last two years it was mid-May before I could plant anything because of cold, wet, and pain.

The more things change, the more they stay the same. I'm outta here. The over timer just went off and breakfast is calling.

Sunday, April 19, 2015

The Rain Fairy Dance

Hidden away in the Fairy Archives are special treasures waiting to be discovered. I found such a treasure today. Enjoy it. If you get this post by email, please cleck on the blog link to see it. 



A Rainy Day in a Lonely House

"Time does not bring relief; you all have lied   
Who told me time would ease me of my pain! 
I miss him in the weeping of the rain; 
I want him at the shrinking of the tide;
The old snows melt from every mountain-side,   
And last year’s leaves are smoke in every lane;   
But last year’s bitter loving must remain
Heaped on my heart, and my old thoughts abide.   
There are a hundred places where I fear   
To go,—so with his memory they brim.   
And entering with relief some quiet place   
Where never fell his foot or shone his face   
I say, “There is no memory of him here!”   
And so stand stricken, so remembering him.
Edna St. Vincent Millay
"Time Does Not Bring Relief" from Collected Poems. Copyright 1931


"Out of sheer taciturnity the ceiling listens
to the fall of the ancient leafless rain,
to feathers, to whatever the night imprisoned;
so I wait for you like a lonely house
till you will see me again and live in me.
Till then my windows ache."
Pablo Neruda

Tuesday, March 31, 2015

The Bend in the Road

Courtesy MorgueFile.com
There are times when the road you travel takes a turn and you find yourself on a warm sunny day, in a friendly place, surrounded by good people and good things. Today was like that.

I woke up feeling better than I've felt in two years. No, really. The Z-pac must have kicked a bunch of stuff out because I didn't even have sniffles and the only pain I have is my hands and that is rather mild. Yeah, I'm stunned, too.

It was a beautiful morning, but after getting Sarah off to school, I elected to go back to bed and sleep for another hour. I was still sleepy. So I did. Now, normally I never go back to bed because frankly, it is painful. I am usually in pain when I wake up and once I have been up an hour, I've worked off some of the stiffness and the pain is better. But going back to bed would mean starting over. I'd never sleep and if I did, it would be a miserable sleep filled with pain. Today, I was able to lie dow, andd it was so heavenly to lie on my bed and not hurt.

I was up and dressed by 10 a.m. because I had a lunch date at 11 a.m. Tomorrow is the start of Camp NaNo 2015 and I and 5 friends met for lunch to celebrate and kick off the April Camp session. I have an amazing bunch of friends! Really, they're the most awesome people. We ate and talked for two hours and I suspect we could have gone on longer but I think the staff was looking at us a bit odd.

Once I got home it was around 1:30 p.m. and after I fed Mike I packed up the computer and his tax paperwork and headed for the patio. However, while I was working on that, an old friend from Multiply days came online and invited me to a live video chat. Well, with assorted technical difficulties with both Skype and Google Hangouts, we finally were able to talk for about an hour. It was awesome to visit with Nancy January and catch up. Turns out she isn't really that far from where my son lives in Arkansas... just in Oklahoma. I'm going out to visit David after school is out and it would be so cool to visit my friends while I'm there.

After talking to Nancy, I filed Mike's taxes. Now I just have to get mine done. Ugh. I really hate doing taxes but this year, I actually got paid to do some taxes so it isn't so bad when that happens.

This week, I'm hoping the whole week is as nice as today and maybe I can actually do outside work for a bit. I have a lot to do around the yard and flowers to plant. We'll have to see. But then there's Camp... and a short story Anthology to pull together (with help from other writers), and the school is having students make up the missed days via online classes so Sarah's Saturday's will be tied up some. And there is the novel edit I have to get back to now that I'm feeling better.

I've been reading a lot lately. I've finished two Richard Castle novels and one David Baldacci novel in the last two weeks. It was my first Baldacci and I really, really, really like the way he writes, a lot. In fact, it was a bit of a comfort. He does somethings I do that everyone says shouldn't be done.. so now I will be doing them anyway. I'm about to start a new book my friend/group member Rae Ford handed me at lunch today. Not sure if I'll like it but one thing the Kindle did for me is get me to read authors I probably wouldn't have read before. Those authors who offer them free really are gaining readers.

Now, I'm off to other things. Bed probably. I have a busy day tomorrow.

Monday, March 30, 2015

Overheard

Courtesy Pixabay @ Public Domain
Today I had to take Mike, my oldest son, in for his annual checkup. He can't drive himself because of the broken leg. He has no money or insurance and has to use a local clinic that helps low income and indigent folks get medical care. Remember that last bit: low income and indigent. The sign on the doors say it is for the homeless. My son isn't homeless but income wise he qualifies. He has no income.

As we stood at our window a  young woman with a small child stood at the one next to us. She was using the business phone through the service window. Her conversation with the party on the other end of the line went like this. I wasn't eavesdropping. She was talking very loud.

"I'm calling for the person who has this phone. Whoever has this phone, you better return it. I have a tracker on that phone and I am calling the police. I will prosecute you when I find you and I will find you cause I'm tracking you. Whoever you are you need to get my phone back to me now."

She hung up and gathered her handbag. As she walked away she was loudly grumbling. "You better return my phone. That's a $750 phone and I'm not about to lose it."

$750 phone.
$0 medical care.

Yes, I'm making several assumptions. However, once you've worked where I've worked, you realize this is not the exception, this is the rule.

Welcome to America.

Tuesday, March 3, 2015

When Play Doh Becomes Stone


One Bowl, One Pan

I intended to post this the day I made it but things got away from me. This recipe is for a chicken and rice casserole that my family has loved for years. I haven't made it since before Jerry died. I have hardly any family left to serve such meals so there's no point. With Mike here recovering from his broken leg, I have an opportunity to actually make some real meals. This says it will feed 4-6 but don't count it for more than 4 people, unless you have some extra sides. 

Chicken, Rice, & Vegetable Casserole

Prep time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 1.25 - 1.5 hr.
Oven temp: 375
Feeds approximately 4-6 people 


Ingredients:

  • 1 pkg of Onion soup mix
  • 1 cup of milk
  • 1 can of cream of mushroom soup
  • 1 cup uncooked regular rice
  • 10-12 oz of pea & carrots or mixed vegetables thawed
  • 1 can of mushrooms (optional)
  • 4-6 pieces of chicken (amount will vary based on size of pieces)

Items you need to prepare this dish:

  • 1 large mixing bowl
  • 1 13x9 in baking pan
  • Aluminum foil
  • measuring cups
  • mixing spoon

Optional but recommended Prep:

  1. Line your baking pan with foil. This just makes clean up easier. 
  2. Make a tent of foil that will cover the whole pan. I usually have to take two sheets, longer than my pan, fold them together legnthwise so they'll tent well all the way around.
Prepare as follows:

  1. In bowl, mix Onion soup mix, milk, and soup. Take out 1/4 cup of the mixture and set it aside. 
  2. Pour in rice and vegetables. Mix well. It may be a bit stiff but that's fine. 
  3. Pour into your baking pan and spread it evenly.
  4. Place chicken pieces on top of your rice mixture. As you can see, I got about 8 small thighs. You could probably use about 4 large breast or leg quarters instead.
  5. Pour the 1/4 cup of mixture you set aside over the chicken pieces. 
  6. Place foil tent over the pan and seal it up well around the edges. This is important to hold in the moisture to cook the rice. 
  7. Place in the oven and set your timer.


When the time is up, open the tent very carefully. Steam will boil out and you can get a nasty burn. I usually open one side, with great caution, and let it vent a second. I also take a spoon and get a small bite of rice out and see if it is done. If it isn't, reseal it and put it back in for a little longer. This is why sealing it tight is important. You have to keep the moisture in to cook the rice. Also, buy good rice. I've used rice that just simply didn't cook in this recipe.

No, I don't have a final shot of the finished product. It smelled delicious and we were so hungry by the time it was done, I forgot all about photos. You'll just have to try it. Believe me when I say it is delicious. I've fed a lot of folks with this meal. There was never enough rice to suit us.  


It has been so long since I made this I had forgotten how delicious it tasted! And yes, we had some leftovers. We had it for lunch the next day. After looking at the photos, I may make this again this week. My mouth is watering.