Email notification...

Google Groups
Subscribe to mama's blog readers
Email:
Visit this group

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Monday and Tuesday all rolled into one

Have I told you about our sweet little guy CJ lately? He is such a doll! He's growing so fast and really beginning to show us his little personality. He coos and goos and smiles and giggles. I love when he goos back whenever his mama calls him a good boy. It's like he's agreeing...gooo gooo. :-)
 
My plans for this last week of summer with the grandkids is taking shape one minute at a time. Somehow I need to get with Casey for her to do a patio block. I was wanting to do them with some of the kids tomorrow but I don't see that in the plans. Thursday is out because it's supposed to rain. Hmmm. Got to workit in. Kennedy's last day here is Friday. Casey goes back to Florida on Monday. Wow. Time has flown!
 
I'm anxious to bake with Kennedy and hopefully Morgan tomorrow. The plan is for Morgan to spend the night as far as I know but I haven't talked to her Nan and Pap to see if it's okay with them. Don't know if Corry did or not. Kennedy will call her tomorrow and see what's up. My plan is to make chocolate yummy cake with them. It's what I'd like and Kennedy too. She said she was hoping for chocolate for her birthday this year.
 
We got all the reservations handled for the shows we're going to on our trip. We're doing Dixie Stampede, Comedy Barn, Hatfield and McCoy's and the Murder Mystery Theater. We'll also be doing Dollywood for two days but those tickets will be purchased there. That's where we get the best discount. I can't wait!! I LOVE SHOWS!!
 
Our cabin is paid for too. First and last payments have gone through. We'll get the directions and key code by next Wednesday. I'm excited. A jacuzzi AND a hot tub! A porch with two wood rockers AND a porch swing to look out over the mountain. A fireplace if it gets chilly. Sounds like heaven.
 
There are a few other places to see/do while we're in the Gatlinburg area. I've got Cooters on my list. I want to take a picture by the General Lee. And it'll be fun to check out the Dukes of Hazzard Museum. Fanny Farkles looks like a fun lunch stop. Not so much the amusement stuff but foot long corn dogs are right up our alley. I'd like to ride the sky lift if I'm not too fat and the space needle too. Might even eat up top at the Flying Saucer Italian Bistro. Their menu looks like they have reasonable normal foods like wings and pizza and calzones.
 
We do want to check out some of the local cuisine too and I'm thinking a trip to the Ole Smoky Moonshine Distillery would be fun. We don't drink, but it'd be fun to check the place out and bring home some little treats for those in the family who do.
 
One of the places on my DO DO DO list is the Incredible Christmas Place. I love all things Christmas. It's really a must. And we try to add an ornament to our tree each time we make a special trip that reminds us of the trip. I'm sure they'll have something very special there.
 
~~~~~
 
Our first stop yesterday was to the AAA office to order a trip tik for our vacation. We don't need the maps really, though they're good to have. What I really wanted was the books. I like to follow along in the trip tik and books as we're traveling reading what all there is to say about all the areas we pass through. A little education never hurts. I got in that habit when the kids were little trying to keep them always learning. Ya. I was kind of a bore as a mom probably. We also went on back road adventures following the trails of the historical signs. Aren't you glad you weren't our kid? lol
 
We got lunch yesterday at Bellacino's. Love their grinders. We got the Italian grinder and a small pizza to split. It was enough to be
both lunch and supper. Plus we texted grinder to 639227 and got a free quarter grinder for Papa's lunchbox.
 
We went in to check and see if we could schedule my van to have an oil change and check on a couple other minor little problems. They scheduled us for today.
 
While we were in that area, I made a trip into Hobby Lobby. There just aren't many places around these days to buy fabric. They had the fleece I was needing 30% off plus I found two hunks of it on their clearance shelves. I also got some marked down yarn and some ribbon to make special bows for 50% off. I love sales!
 
We went from that area over to Papa's podiatrist appointment. Not
good news. He has been having a lot of pain in the foot he had surgery on after crushing his heel. Turns out the screw has begun to push its way through the bone and is very close to popping through the skin. They are scheduling him for surgery after we're back from our trip. Good thing we found him an electric cart too! He wouldn't have been able to walk.
 
When we got done at the doctor, we made a trip to the Apria office. This change in medical coverage has really become a huge pain! They can't seem to get it all straight. Apria was the medical supply company the old insurance used too BUT ... They have to have new orders from the new doctors. sigh Nothing seems to be falling into place like it should.
 
From there we went to Ravenna to check on Papa's mom. She fell the other day and broke her upper arm. I HATE how the medical CRAP is handled these days!!! She didn't press her medical alert button. Another bad decision medically. She should not be on her own. BUT she cannot be qualified for help! WHAT THE HECK!
On the way home, I spoke with one of the kids on the phone. He had gotten a message that our next door neighbor had died in the morning. HOW?? Can't be! She's MUCH too young! There wasn't anyone I knew to ask so I did a little computer investigating when I got home and indeed she had. No details. It's really shocking. Life is not to be taken lightly! Make use of every minute! Make sure those you love know it! And DON'T be revengeful and DON'T hold grudges! I'm sure she didn't wake up knowing she was going to die that day. You don't know to make amends because... So...just keep your relationships running smoothly.
 
We needed a little something to soothe us. Ice Cream! Yep. We wove around until we got to Stricklands. I AM SO GLAD WE DID!!! The flavor of the day was grape! My favorite! Oh fer joy fer joy. A big cone and a quart to take home!
 
We were just getting ready to get off the highway at our exit when we got a call from Rusty. He had been working on his garage all day so we turned around and went over to see what all he'd done. I hadn't been able to do a lot of walking all day but I did manage to check out his work and go inside and see Emmi for a few minutes.
 
Next stop was home. My knee was such a wreck. Ice, raising it. Had to baby it all night long. I got up to pack Papa's lunch and grab some cantaloupe for dinner for myself. Then I sat my butt down and relaxed. I'm continuing with my knitting to get scarves made to sell up at the Browns games. My goal was November but I was asked to have some ready for mid October. Cool beans. Can do.
 
~~~~~
 
Today I had SO much on my list. Didn't do much of it. I'm still babying the knee. Most of the rest of the body has gotten tolerable. But that knee...
 
I did a lot of sitting in place activities. Not until after I went up to the attic to do a scrapbook page and purge a bag full. I'm going to keep trying to purge little by little by little. Sooner or later it will get done.
 
I got all the week's coupons cut. Haven't filed them yet but that's next. If they're cut, they'll get used.
 
Next, I flipped my chair over and started doing some work behind it. I had a couple bags of winter clothes for Miss Em that needed a home. The trunk behind my chair wasn't being used completely so I opted to put them there.
 
While I had the chair flipped, I went through some shoes I had in a storage hamper. I found out they do all still fit but they don't feel at all good on my feet. I'll probably take them on our trip anyhow.
 
After I dejunked the blue trunk, it was time for a potty break. I decided to go down instead of up. While I was down, I decided to do a quick check in the freezers. I found frozen pie shell and fruit. Sounds like a pie to me. I also have five apples needing used. Might end up doing apple rather than something from frozen fruit.
 
I cleared email and tamed the spam box. All seems fine now. It's a bummer to have a build up of 100 or more pieces of mail no matter what "box" they're in.
 
Molds are high today and I sure can tell! It's been sneeze city all day long. I hate when that happens. Molds also make me hurt. And it's not bad enough they're in the air outside, when I came up for my shower tonight I got totally miffed. The shower curtain and shower chair got covered in mold spots over night! grrrrr
 
I can't find my daughter's recipe for stuffed pepper soup but I did successfully find one online. I'm wanting to make that probably tomorrow. I'm in the mood and I've got leftover rice to use up. Sounds like a plan. On another trip down to the bathroom, I grabbed some ground meat to use in it.
 
My sister called last night AND tonight and wished me an early happy birthday. lol She cracks me up. I enjoy talking to her. We really don't need an excuse to talk the night away.
 
Our flowers have sure had a rough time with this heat. I had to do some transplanting and combining to come up with some decent looking pots. I want the yard cleaned up and decent in case the wake is next door. It would be terrible of us to have our yard looking depressing. Tomorrow Papa is supposed to finish the mowing. We should look decent enough then.
 
I did a quick frig clean today when I was doing the dishes. It needed it. I got a good inventory of what's there to be used. Still on that use-it-up mission of mine. :-) Also made a jug of orange juice.
 
Before settling in to knit this evening, I went outside and swept off all the "helicopters" from the deck. It was covered! And when I looked up into the tree, I saw we've got plenty more to fall.
I'm going to hang up for now. lol I want to see if I can find out the Mega numbers for Tuesday night and I also want to see if I can find out why about 30 cop cars blared down the street in front of Corry and Angel's late last night. Couldn't find anything earlier because it was too soon for them to post it.
 
Hugs to one and all...
 
~~Mama Sage
 
I was going to put a quote on here but realized the ones I wanted to add shouldn't be added right now. I'll find good ones for next time. ...I hope...

Monday, August 15, 2011

I'm so full of good intentions!

And I just never manage to get on here and blog! Man. I miss it! I want to blog and honestly I need to blog. Somehow when I blog away the details of my day it makes me feel more accomplished. Like this ol' wrecked body of mine really isn't completely worthless. It makes me feel more human and more connected. I think for personal therapy's sake I should blog. I should MAKE MYSELF come up here each night and weedle out the minutes to blog. I type fast. My thoughts are what comes out. Nothing too deep. lol It really shouldn't seem like a chore. It didn't used to. It's just one of those "habits" I broke and need to regain. All habits are not bad.
 
Today was kind of fun even though I was pretty wrecked. You see yesterday I fell down the steps. Let me back up a minute here.
 
~~~~~
 
Saturday -- It was a busy day that started earlier than we'd hoped. We hoped to get several hours of sleep in the morning. We didn't have Emmi so we didn't need to be up early. Kennedy and I had stayed up watching things on TV and Papa had worked.
 
Bright and early (for us) we started getting phone calls and texts. Nothing to make us mad or upset. In fact it was COOL finding out Kris and Darlene had gotten two very nice birds. Someone Kris knows rescues birds and they got two who needed homes. I couldn't believe that one is 3' tip of the head to foot! Wow! THESE are BIRDS! I can't wait to meet Zazu and Chico.
 
The other call was for us to pick up presents that got left in their hiding place in the closet on our way to our grandkids' birthday party. We were going to be celebrating Kennedy, Zach and Haydn's birthdays.
I was in charge of making the gift certificates for the gift Corry and Angel got the boys. Tickets to see the Browns in November. I got it all designed and wanted special paper to print it on. It was on the shelving unit on the stair landing to the attic. No biggie. That's my craft room, my hide away, my place of peace and relaxation.
 
I wanted to come down carefully because my knee had been acting up. (I have an orthopedic appt. on the 24th.) Sideways, one foot carefully followed by the other. And then BLAM! down I went. My bad leg point UP the steps and my butt came down hitting a step for each cheek all the way down. I knocked over a 5 gallon bottle of water at the bottom and thankfully it didn't spill. But oh how I hurt!!! Generally I bust out laughing when I get hurt thinking about how it probably looked. This time I sat there in pain wondering how many parts of me I broke.
 
Kennedy heard the thunder and came to see what I'd done. She wanted to run out for Grampa and I told her not to bother him. He was out recleaning the van. Oh THAT was another fiasco. That happened during the week. The back window of the van shattered. What a mess!
 
Anyhow. I sat at the computer and finished up the certificates. Next was a "card" to camouflage the certificate so the boys couldn't read through the envelope. Got them done too and realized being done meant I had to go down yet another flight of stairs. Zheeze! Living in a three story home is just so....so....eventful!
Got downstairs and got started on the fruit salad. The watermelon was disappointing. It sounded hollow like it should and it was horrible! Not ripe at all! But I used what I could of it. This salad had
  • watermelon
  • cantaloupe
  • kiwi
  • strawberries
  • blueberries
  • bananas
  • mango
  • pineapple
  • mandarin oranges
  • red grapes
  • green grapes
  • papaya
I think that's all. Pretty sure. It was good!
 
We loaded up and headed over to Kathy and Calvin's. They have a huge yard and a pool. Great place for gatherings. The kids had Kris' karaoke set up too so we were in for fun. Hamburger and hotdog picnic, cake, music...who could ask for more?
 
By the time we were ready to leave I could hardly move. I'd gone in to the bathroom and hardly made it back down the steps and outside. They got out Calvin's electric chair and I wheeled out to the van.
When we got home, I decided that the first trip up the steps would be my final for the day. Pain had set up in every inch of the body.
 
Kennedy ended up staying with Kris and Darlene. After she came to pick up clothes, up the stairs with ice bags and aspirin. Oh ya.
 
~~~~~
 
Today we had Emmi. I tried taking it easy. Did pretty good protecting myself from over doing it again.
We got a call around noon that Papa's mom had fallen. She fell on Saturday but didn't press her life alert button. From what I understand, she laid on the floor for several hours. Typical of an older person, she didn't understand how the button works. She figured why press it since the people who she'd talk to didn't have a key to get in and help her.
 
Kennedy's end of the season zoo picnic was today. And it rained. ~~sigh~~ Brandi went to meet her after she got off work and she brought her home to keep us from making another trip out. Made me happy because then I got to see Brandi today too!
 
After she gathered her things, we took Kennedy over to her other grandparents'. She's staying there a couple days before summer's over and she's back to her mom's starting school. The ride was okay but I did have ice on my knee. It's always what gets it the worst when I get hurt.
 
Once we dropped her off, we went to see what was up with Mom Sage. April had taken her to the ER. She has broken her upper arm and has to immobilize it. This is going to be a little tough on her. She's not used to not doing. She may move slow but she does move. She doesn't sit still for long periods of time.
 
This evening we had Em until 8:00 or so. She's so fun! She getting to the huggy lovey stage where for no reason at all she'll run up, give hugs and say I lub you. And she's got names for all her animals and gives them all love too. And then she tosses them. No Emmi. We don't throw. Trow? We don't throw. Trow?
 
After texting with my girlie this evening (Kennedy always texts when she can't seem to fall asleep.) I came on up to go to bed. But...I hurt. So falling to sleep will be a real trick. I took Excederin, all I have for pain. Not helping much. I have a sweet friend who offered a massage, but I don't want to get started with something I can't continue with. I'd want to head to the massage therapist Anne all the time and it's not covered on our medical.
 
I think I'll check back on some of my blog notes and see what still could be added here. My "recipes." lol I laugh every time you guys out there call them that. They're just food fixin ideas.
 
~~~~~
 
From Aug 4....
 
This was a fun day so far. BUT carpet cleaning is still in my future. I got so far as to LOOK at the machine and imagine myself taking the child safety lock off the cabinet where the cleaning solution is. Now. If I can get up the want-to before I go to bed tonight.... I will. It's necessary!!
 
I started out the day with my normal checking email and such as I bring my body to a sitting position and get my back ready to actually walk. If I don't just sit and relax on the bed a little while and instead jump and move, I'm done for the day. It's humid today so it's not been easy physically for me. The knee and other trouble spots always give me fits when it's humid. But...I make it.
 
I had several baskets of laundry in the office that needed to be put away. Did that before heading downstairs. Did a bit of towel sorting as I put them away. What I really need to sort is my clothes. I don't see that happening for a while. lol Too much work!
 
When I went downstairs, I got on the computer and printed out this month's R Store coupons. Well this two week's. They put up new ones every two weeks. There wasn't a lot I'd use, but I figured I'd find something. Missy had gone in the morning with a friend. Then Darlene called me and said she wanted to go too. I met
her, Kris and Casey down there and shared coupons.
 
It was a good trip even though I was dodging the golf traffic. Yep the Bridgestone Invitational Golf Tournament is held here in Akron. It really generates the traffic and it was all right in my path. No matter
which path I chose, it would either be the outright traffic or the parking areas.
 
I picked up half gallons of Welch's grape juice for 1.19, big jugs of OJ for 1.99, little debbie's for everyone's lunches for 2 / .99, Pepperidge farm fishy honey whole wheat sandwich thins for 1.19, marie callendar's pie shells for 1.19 I think (I make good crust but just don't have the want to right now), boxes of fiber one chocolate chip walnut muffins for 1.29 I think it was and huge bags of tortilla chip rounds for a buck a bag. Can't remember what else I found at the moment. OH big bags of already made, individually wrapped pork or chicken egg rolls for 4.99. Oh and sugar free cool whip for .89 and a big ol' thing of butter flavor popcorn salt for our popcorn machine when we set it up for .89.
 
Came home from there, unloaded, went down and put things that will be in the basement storage away, started a load of sheets so I can finish up all the laundry and sat to relax a minute. Right now I'm sitting in the dark! The timer on the light got messed with and it hasn't come on yet. Oh well. What do I need lights for?
Soon I'll be leaving to pick Kennedy up from her 12 hour day at the zoo. She did her regular day of volunteering plus an extra few hours for membership night. Missy, Rusty, Cait and the girls went to visit. She was hoping someone would come say hi. When I pick her up, I'll be picking up Missy and Melanie too and taking them back home.
 
Sometime this evening I need to fit in making Papa's lunch! lol Don't know what yet, but I'll make it come together somehow.
 
~~~~~
 
I didn't mention Corry and some of their kids came over to make Kennedy's birthday present. It was cool watching them working together to make her a drawing board she can carry back and forth from her mom's and our place.
 
~~~~~
 
Lunch Friday....
 
Salad...
Romaine
Sugar snap peas
Vine ripe tomatoes
Cucumber
Scallion
Green pepper
Carrots
Celery
Dried blueberries
Dried cranberries
Pine nuts
Herbed yogurt cheese
 
Wraps...
Herb wrap, cream cheese, turkey, muenster
Herb wrap, cream cheese, ham, Swiss
 
Peach cobbler home made muffins. I printed the recipe from the computer. If you want to hunt it up, I'm pretty sure it was from Southern Plate. They were extra yummy!!
 
~~~~~
Given the choice between the experience of pain and nothing,
I would choose pain.
~~William Faulkner
~~~~~