Posts Tagged ‘Thanksgiving’

A Particularly Uncomfortable Few Days

November 29, 2014

Boy, computers can bug the hell out of me!!!!!!!!  Yesterday we signed Eddie up for his prescriptions and they sent an email for an electronic signature.  We did it just now and nothing works to send it through.  However, it just occurred to me they are closed, their computers are too.  We’ll try again tomorrow.  And for some reason, the first time I started this post, the bugger would only let me write the title, not the post itself.   Now it’s working – technology 2, Me 0.  I WILL not let it defeat me!  I won’t even mention the printer.

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This is one of Candy’s photos, after the week I’ve had, it always brings a smile to see the rose.  Thank you Candy.

That isn’t the subject, I got sidetracked just before I started writing.  It isn’t painful, just aggravating.

And now to business.  A week ago Thursday I was here in the office and ended up with another splinter in my foot from the hard wood floor.  It is the only place it happens and this time I couldn’t pull it out.  I could feel the end but since it was on the bottom of my heel, I couldn’t see it or bend enough to see it.  Eddie tried getting it out, but he couldn’t either.  It wasn’t that uncomfortable, I have had other splinters that stayed in my foot and have not given me trouble.  By Saturday I could feel it, it seemed to be pushing itself farther into my heel.  I began to feel as if I had a twig in there.  By Monday it was so uncomfortable and I didn’t want to walk on it.  I was sitting here and Eddie said “You have that look.”  I asked what look.  He said the look of “I don’t like this”.  Spot on, he was so right.

Tuesday I was really limping – fortunately I had an appointment with my rheumatologist and my infusion.  When I saw Jennifer – the doc’s nurse – I found myself ready to cry.  I had been having a really bad time and I so appreciated Jennifer as she took the splinter out and cleaned all the junk in it – it had become infected.  It hurt like crazy when she took it out, but I was so relieved to have it gone and cleaned up.  As it was, I did  start crying a bit from relief.

They put a bandage on it and decided I wouldn’t get my infusion.  Fortunately I also had an appointment with Doc Pierce in the afternoon – could I have timed it any better?  He checked it out and gave me a prescription for antibiotics and orders to soak my foot in Epsom Salts.  I have another appointment with him on Tuesday, then an appointment on Thursday for the rheumatologist and I hope my infusion.  Not the most comfortable week, I spent a lot of time sleeping or napping to rest from all the pain and stress.

I am still soaking my foot and everything is so much more comfortable.  I hope it looks good to both docs next week.  As for me, it feels so good to walk comfortably again.  The antibiotics are for 8 days, 3 a day.  Tuesday night, Eddie was ready to cancel our dinner reservation for Thanksgiving  “because you can’t walk”.  I’m glad he didn’t because I was doing much better Thursday afternoon and we had a lovely dinner at Il Fornaio.  It was amazing how quiet it was on the viaduct and downtown, hardly any traffic.  We were half an hour early and they gave us a table right away.

We decided to do the traditional Thanksgiving dinner of 3 thick slices of white meat, yams, stuffing, mashed potatoes, haricot vert and cranberry sauce.  I couldn’t eat all of it, but I did enjoy it.  We decided to have pumpkin pie as well, though it was one thing too many.  But it was a great dinner all around.  We just relaxed all day, reading, working the computer and watching some tv.  It really felt good.  We were glad we were home before it started raining.

However, Friday we were out paddling around in the heavy rain, didn’t go too far a field and were glad to come home and be warm and dry.  This morning we woke up to snow – really coming down for a while.  I think we had an inch or so, the roads were bare and wet fairly quickly.  Good thing because the temperature has dropped and anything liquid is going to be ice.  We saw so many people who had left their car outside, full of snow not very well cleared off.  What a difference to keep our cars in the garage so we don’t have to scrape.

Today we went out for a bit, the wind was really cold and it is due to be colder tonight and the next few days.  It will be drier, clearer and colder – not much fun being outside in that weather.  Not much else to report, we haven’t been doing much these days of the holiday but we have enjoyed it.

That Was The Week That Was

November 23, 2014

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Fall at Vanderbilt University – nothing to do with my post but so lovely I wanted to share it.

It’s a week later and I am relieved to have the letter and its accompanying  attachments on their way to DSHS – all thanks to Dave Gagley.  It will be interesting to see  if there is an answer and if so, what it will be.  Fortunately they will be sending it to Dave, not me.  Now I am possibly making it out to be worse than it is, I don’t like messing with government in any form.

I feel I have taken off my training wheels for the radio show, I am feeling more confident being on air, the times when I am suddenly at a loss for words are fewer and I am able to  recover.  I am still working on my archives, the downloads don’t quite fit the mb quota of my site.  Definitely need to work out how to put it on iTunes as a podcast.  I am also working on guests, some people are a bit shy about being on the air, even if it is on the phone.  But I am not pushing because that doesn’t help make people comfortable.

I am beginning to think my fatigue has loosened up a bit – I sleep all night, have naps in the afternoon and still have trouble getting up in the morning.  I planned to do  several things this week, instead I was dragging and had naps.  Wednesday afternoon I went to the eye doctor for a check up – I’m doing well and there is only a slight change, I don’t need to buy new glasses.  However, when we came home, I was in bed like a shot because I was beat.  I also just saw snowflakes instead of lights and things were a bit blurry, seemed the smart thing to do since I couldn’t do anything else.

Friday was a really good day.  I was able to do things all day and didn’t feel the need for a nap.  I can’t say the same for Saturday, I work with each day as it comes.  I will say I am impatient to have energy again, it feels so long ago the last time I felt energetic.  It’s so much easier to do things with energy.  I am noticing I  tend to say “I’m tired” – doesn’t help the attitude, my goal is to be aware of what I say about it and make sure it is positive.  It’s a thought, and a thought can be changed.

We have been having rain again, I really noticed it on Thursday.  My legs and hips were stiff and sore, I knew something was going on, but not sure what.  We had a lot of clear, cold and sunny days, we are back to the 40’s and 50’s with rain.  Typical Seattle fall weather.  I will take this  rather than deal with snow, ice or any other cold stuff.  I remember a woman I worked with at Boeing who was from Buffalo.  she said when it snowed hard, her Mom would let her young sister outside because she couldn’t find her in the piles of snow.  I’ve seen pictures of this last snowfall there – a lot of people have prepared for it and are concerned about the snow on the roof.  When it starts raining, that snow will be even heavier.  We had a snowstorm here with quite a few inches, then it rained and roofs caved in.  They were showing on Lake Union the roofs of the boat houses collapsing from the weight.

This coming week is a medical one, Monday afternoon is the dentist – talking to him about being on the show as well as my teeth.  Tuesday is my rheumatologist and then my infusion.  It will be my last visit to her, she is retiring at the end of the year (she is younger than I am).   I will miss her, I’ve been going to her since I moved here 12 years ago.  For their long time patients, they called each of us to let us know this was happening.  also, there are 4 other rheumatologists now, so they looked to see which doctor would fit the patient.  I will see Dr. Shasteen in January, I haven’t met her before but a friend had her as a doctor and really liked her.  Nothing stays the same, certainly I haven’t stayed the same.  I think I also see my primary care doctor as well.  Have to check the calendar.

Eddie is taking Thursday off – we have reservations at Il Fornaio for Thanksgiving dinner at 3:30.  We haven’t done this before, so I’m looking forward to it – we enjoy their food and the people.  For years Eddie would get a turkey as a work bonus and there we would be, a big turkey and the 2 of us.  Some years we invited people over, or we were invited and we provided the turkey.  I think last year we found a ball of turkey at Whole Foods, just dark and white meat and not too big for two. It worked out quite well.

We have also taken care of Christmas shopping for my sisters plus our niece and her family in Toronto.  We had everything sent so we don’t have to carry it on the plane.  Let’s hope there isn’t an ice storm this year – it was really something last year.

Brrrrrrr!!!!!!!

December 10, 2013

Before anyone puts their knickers in a twist, I know there are parts of the country and around the world who are having worse and colder weather than Seattle.  The point is, I live in Seattle and it is my tush that is getting cold.  I’m sure 18 degrees at night and high 20’s during the day is a heat wave to some – for me is it bloody cold.  It is dry cold, so my nose is not only stuffy, it is dry and I can’t seem to blow my nose to clear it.

The bonus of this cold is that the sun is shining and it is beautifully clear – also why it is so cold.  We have had some gorgeous sunsets and I would love to put some of them here – it was too cold at that time of day and freeze my butt for pictures.  Yes, call me a wimp, but I prefer being warm and comfortable.  However, I do have some sunsets from other times I will post.

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It has been this cold since last Monday.  I will admit the mountains were gorgeous Monday morning, so clear and topped with more snow.  I’ve noticed I’ve been up early enough to see the sunrise on them, they look pink,  like strawberry ice cream.  Plus the sky has been just a lovely, though not quite as vivid as sunset.

Maybe if the wind wasn’t so cold, it wouldn’t be so uncomfortable.  When I am in the sun, it is more comfortable, but not with the wind.  There is something about winter sun that relaxes me and I go to sleep, especially riding in the car.  We have opened the shades during the day to let the sun in to warm the living room.  Once it goes down, so do the shades.  They really help keep the house warm.

However, I have spent the week going out and keeping as warm as possible.  I must admit, I was really tired and draggy on Monday after Thanksgiving – why is a mystery.  We had a quiet meal with a boneless turkey ball.  Plus eating it for several meals.  I came back from my adjustment with Dr. Cheryl and had a nap – felt a lot better after that.

Tuesday John came to do the trimming and pruning in the yard – boy was it cold for them.  I went to see Mom in the morning and had a good visit.  Well, visit isn’t quite how I would term it. I read more of the D. E. Stevenson book to her.  She was glad to see me and enjoyed the cookies I brought.

I came back for lunch then had a last-minute appointment with the dentist – I have had a sore on my tongue for two weeks and it has been so hard to eat and painful all the time.  Usually they are gone in a few days but this one kept hanging on and not getting better.  He took a picture of it and saw something there, he thinks I may have bitten it  in the night.  He suggested not wearing my night guard for a few days.  By George, it was a lot better in 2 or 3 days.

Would you believe the inside of my cheek is bothering me now?  I haven’t worn my night guard since I saw him – now when the assistant calls I can tell her the tongue is doing much better but now it is my cheek.

John and his crew were gone by the time I got back – yet I had passed his truck on the curve by the Shorewood sign.  We found out later he had run out of diesel and he had to have someone come and start it for him.  Actually, he said that 1/4 tank on a hill is like having no fuel whatsoever.  An expensive lesson for him.  Took him 3 hours before he could leave.

Wednesday was  Kent Breakfast Club, and I left right after because Patti was coming to give me the sample I asked about.  I was supposed to call when I came home from Mom, but I forgot and had to see the dentist.  I had a few minutes before she came, so I put some of the slices in the stream pattern in the small bed.  Eddie had not been happy to see the pile of slices on the porch – when I told him what I planned to do with them, he said he hadn’t planned on spreading slices.  I asked him what made him think he had to do it.

When he came home, he helped with the other two beds and it was done very quickly.  I think he likes the idea now.  It was cold doing it in the morning, but by afternoon is was a little better.  I also want to put a rock piece there too – like this:

6All I have to do is find fairly large rocks, glue them together and I am set.

Or maybe something a little more exotic:

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It would add a little interest if I did one of the last two.

Last night the weather man talked about possible snow – you guessed it, nothing happened overnight.  They get all excited and talk as if it is a foregone conclusion; I have learned to take it with a pound of salt.  I can remember a time when the weatherman said it would snow but not much – it dumped on us about 2 feet.

it’s still cold, but supposed to warm up in the 40’s and rain.  We had frost the first part of the week but then it was so cold and dry there was not frost anywhere.  My hair either sticks flat to my head or flies around all over the place.  Warmer temperatures and rain sound very good to me right now.

It’s Thanksgiving!

November 22, 2012

This day has sneaked up on me before I knew it – it is supposed to be next week.  Well, if the 1st comes on a Thursday then I shouldn’t be surprised.

First an update on the cake – it is lovely and tastes great, except for one small detail, it is in pieces now.  I got it safely out of the pan and peels off the parchment paper on the bottom of the cake, but in putting it on the plate it cracked and broke into several large pieces.  My bad.  What a disappointment because we wanted to surprise Vickie with something different.  I think we both felt deflated after that, especially since we worked together quite well making it.    I can’t bring her a cake in pieces.  I had wondered how it tasted but didn’t think it right to take a piece and have an empty space, so in the end I got my wish.  We tasted it but now it is ours to eat.  The one ingredient we had trouble getting was brandy – I’m sure we have a bottle downstairs in one of our boxes – somewhere.  We didn’t want to buy a large bottle for some unreal price, so we ended up going to the liquor store.  Eddie told the man what we wanted and he knew exactly – he came up with peach brandy that people use for cooking.  It was more reasonable.  Then we had all the ingredients.  We will probably buy her some flowers to go with the bottle of wine.

I had another bout with technology on Sunday, a new phone.  I wanted a simple phone with an answering machine – nothing simple any more.  This has an extra cordless phone so I can take it around the house and not have to run for the phone.  Too bad I forgot to take it to the kitchen while we were cooking – just another new habit to acquire.  I hooked it up, followed the instructions and had most of it working, except that when one calls in, it has a message it is restricted and you have to do certain things  for this one time only call.  Then it was just a busy signal.  I went through the menu and thought I had everything working – nope.  After two hours I was done for the day – I had no idea what the problems was or how to fix it.

Monday I had some time in the morning and  was still having trouble with it, so I plugged in the old phone I had been using and sudden;ly the little bugger worked.  I have no idea what happened and since everything is now finally working, I am going to leave well enough alone.  That leaves one more things on my list to have work – the fax part of my printer.  It isn’t happy with the phone line and it has me buffaloed. I will NOT let it stay that way, I  will find out what it takes to get it working as well.

We aren’t supposed to have rain until tonight – how nice to have a break from very heavy rain.  Monday was the worst, I was coming back from Kent and it rained so hard I couldn’t really see the road.  I was ready to pull off to the side and wait for it to end when it got better.  I was wondering how it would be on the freeway, turned out well and by the time I got to Burien, it was sunny.  I knew that wouldn’t last but I would enjoy it for as long as it lasted.  I was meeting my Caregiver Counselor for the last time – this is the 6th visit since January.  When I first saw her I was a wet, drippy mess at the end of my rope; Monday she was comparing how I am to then and is amazed I went from the bottom of the scale to the top, in some areas.  We laughed about the time she came to see me in rehab – I was on Percocet at the time and was not really with it.  I remember telling her that if I closed my eyes, it was as if I was on a little raft in a quiet pond and I was undulating backwards on the water, then at a certain point, I would go forward.  I didn’t spend too much time with my eyes closed because I wasn’t quite comfortable with it.  Guess I wasn’t sure what would happen.  I also decided I did not want that for the rest of my life – I got off Percocet as soon as I could.

I really appreciate Kathryn so much, she is a tell it like it is person but also very understanding because she has such a wide experience with dementia and all its ramifications.  She really helped me see that I was overdoing things, that I can’t make it better for Mom or for anyone else.  I have been a perfectionist my whole life, yet I didn’t think so.  I am harder on myself than anyone else and expect me to live up to the standards of perfect – it’s impossible!  I learning that good is good enough.  I do have to catch myself and be aware of when it is happening – so true of so many other old programs I have.  Sometimes I think I need a scorecard to keep track.  End of subject for now.

Life Happens While I am Planning

November 21, 2012

I planned to write a quick post yesterday – until I remembered I needed to check the drain at the bottom of the outside steps because water came in the day before.  I was checking it, getting the leaves out and found it was more than just leaves – it was stopped up with dirt – no wonder the water didn’t drain!  I called Mr. Rooter this time because they are 24 hours and it is the same price whatever the time of day.  I called about 4 int he afternoon and it was almost dark – not so good for working there because we don’t have any lights around the outside by the stairs.  I was told Don would be there in about 45 minutes or so – after an hour and a half I called to make sure everything was all right.  He finally arrived about 40 minutes later – he was stuck in terrible traffic.  He said it would cost $310, but since we are seniors, he had a coupon for $50 and he would give us 10% off.  So with tax it was about $278.  He was a really friendly guy and it didn’t take him that long, snaked through 3 feet of junk and now I don’t have to worry when we have hard rains the way it has been the past week or more.

This is one of the photos I wanted to put in the post yesterday – was in need of a chuckle, giggle and laugh – cats really make me laugh.   This is another one – I have found these through a site from Facebook.

Today I was up at Swedish Hospital in Edmonds by 7:45 and spent a good part of the day there for my friend Charlotte – her husband was having surgery to reverse his colostomy and she has been very worried about it.  He is almost 80 and there are so many risks to the surgery, she was glad both Joyce and I were there to keep her company.  Finally about 12:30 or so the surgeon came down to tell her the surgery went very well and he was very pleased with the results.  That was such a relief for her – I am glad I was there for her.  After that we went to the cafeteria and had lunch, then it was time for me to head home before the holiday traffic got too bad.

I just talked to Charlotte tonight to see how she is doing.  She had a nap for about an hour at home and saw Ron when he got to his room.  He is doing well and now she can finally have a good night’s sleep knowing everything went so well.  Also, after dinner Eddie and I made a cake from scratch to take to Vickie’s tomorrow – we are experimenting on her.  Smells good and looks good – I think it will be delicious.

I will admit to being a little hesitant to put this last one on – not everyone may think it funny – it just hit at the right time and I laughed out loud for a while at it.

I warned you!!!                Happy Thanksgiving to everyone, may it be filled with love, laughter and joy.


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