I hope everyone had a good Christmas. Ours was the Christmas that almost wasn't. If you remember, I was worried about Emily, Bryan, Amanda and Ryan being exposed to the stomach virus. Well, guess who came down with "something"...that's right ME! I don't know if it was the virus or not because I did not have the fever that goes with it, and I didn't vomit any, but something was going on Monday and Tuesday. So, no baking/candy making got done. Between us, Bill and I got the dining room rearranged the little it needed to accommodate the extra people, but that completely drained me. However, Christmas morning I woke up feeling much better and Christmas was on. By the time everyone got there I was pretty tired and felt bad again after eating. But, the grandkids were all happy with their gifts and seemed to have a good time.

We had McKenna Thursday and Friday. Bryan's department decided to work a few hours while the plant was shut down. She was pretty good but she's at the age where she can entertain herself most of the time. It was still tiring so we're playing catch-up on sleep. And, this morning, Emily ended up at the ER with vomiting and diarrhea! They aren't sure if it is the virus or not, and she really doesn't think so either. I sure hope not!

Bill has become a demon with the vacuum! If he sees 1 little piece of lint or paper on the carpet, out comes the sweeper! He put away all of the TV trays/folding chairs and swept everything up Thursday. That was good because it took 2 dishwasher loads to get all of the dishes done!

I have a little story to tell on him that my mother should appreciate. He was making coffee yesterday and I asked him if he got enough coffee out of the canister because I knew that it needed filling. He said he did, 1 1/2 scoops. I told him it took 2 heaping scoops and he gave me a look. I told him he was turning into my grandmother and before long he would just be drinking hot water! That's what she did. She started making her coffee weaker and weaker until she decided just to drink a cup of hot water in the morning! She decided she didn't need the caffeine, she just needed the warmth!

He had a headache Thursday night into Friday morning. He said he had it all night but he didn't want to wake me up for some Tylenol. I could tell by looking at him that he didn't feel well yesterday morning. I gave him some Tylenol and then, after he took his morning aspirin it finally went away. He said he also thought he had a fever earlier, but when I took his temp it was normal for him. He's had several headaches in the past 3 months and I wonder if it's due to his blood pressure. It isn't high by any means, but it is for him. His usually stays in the 110s/sixties and it's been more low 120s/seventies. That would be normal for most people so it's something for me to put on my list for Stephanie.

I finished reading through the Bible this morning. It was supposed to end Tuesday, but I just kept going this morning. It's the first time that I've read it completely through. I have a study of the women of the Bible that I've been wanting to do, so that's my next project.

I'm getting my haircut this morning so I'd better get a move on. Happy New Year and may you be blessed in the coming year!

This is just crazy! Two weeks ago we were socked in with ice and snow and extremely cold temperatures for early December. Today, the first day of winter we have extremely high temperatures, flooding rains and a tornado watch!

We've had a good week. We are totally finished with shopping/wrapping/shipping. Cards are all mailed and now all that's left to do is cook/bake/make candy and get ready to be invaded Christmas night. But, there's another nasty stomach bug going around. Emily and Bryan may have been exposed to it last night, or it could just have been a case of car sickness, and Amanda has not been feeling well, although that could be pregnancy related. Anyway, if anyone gets sick, they are being banned from the house! It's too close to going back to Florida!

I talked to Stephanie this week. We haven't seen her the last 2 times we've been to Mayo. She was talking about his yearly in May and didn't realize we would be there in a couple of weeks. Bill's due for a colonoscopy this year and he also needs to see a dermatologist again. We're having it all done at Mayo. Our local dermatologist has retired and we would have to go to Memphis for the colonoscopy, so we're just going to stay an extra couple of days and get it done then. Of course this isn't until May.

Bill has decided that he can't go shopping alone anymore. He didn't get into trouble, but being in the store, with a lot of people, he gets overwhelmed. I've known this for quite a while now, and I'm really glad he brought the subject up. We've pretty much decided that we aren't going to exchange gifts with each other anymore. We're blessed to be in the position financially that we can buy at any time. So, we've decided, at least right now, that if there is something we either one want, we will just get it.

I've been going through winter clothes this week and Bill was pleased when I came out of the bedroom and said that I didn't need any winter clothes! Remember, these clothes have been packed away for 2 years. When we came home last year I just pulled out some sweatshirts and that was that. Now I'm going through sweaters and some dress clothes. Since I'm not working anymore I've been wearing the few things I had with me in Florida to church. I've enjoyed pulling things out and thinking "Oh wow!" So, the washing machine and dryer are going to get an extra work-out!

Bill's been doing a little more around the house. He's not been more active in as far as exercising, but, he's fixed breakfast (granted it was just toast and cereal), emptied the dishwasher and put the dishes away (most of them where they go), and making coffee. He's also taken over sweeping and vacuuming. Since we only have small area rugs it's not a strain for him to push the vacuum and sweeping or swiffering the hardwoods doesn't take much effort.

We were blessed with another great-granddaughter this week. Miss Brynley Marie Leahr arrived on the 15th. Now I will really have to sit and figure out how many there are. We also saw a video of William counting the balls he put on the Christmas tree. He was stuck on 5 and 6, but for someone who's not quite 2 that wasn't bad!

It's getting quite dark again with a few rumbles of thunder. We've just been put under a flash flood warning, along with the other warnings and watches, and the dryer just buzzed.

I wish each of you reading this a Merry and Blessed Christmas!

Here's the extra post for this week. I also forgot to mention a milestone in the last one, so it's another reason to have the extra post.

First the milestone...we've been home for a year now, and it still feels good. We got home December 13 of last year.

Now for the word of the year. If you look back over the posts from December 2012 or January 2013, you will see that I was going to try something new this year. Instead of making resolutions, that I never keep, I was going to find a word to live by. The word I picked was FREEDOM. After living with so many appointments, doctors, etc. for the last couple of years, freedom sounded very appealing. Picking this word gave me the freedom to do what I wanted and not feel guilty if something didn't get done. So, if I wanted to sit and craft all day instead of cleaning house, it was OK to do that. At the same time, if I wanted to clean everything, that was OK too. And for the most part it worked. Of course there were still appointments and obligations that had to be kept, but if I wanted to stay home from church, that was OK too.

As I was looking over the list a couple of weeks ago, the word ORDER jumped out at me. I started thinking about that and, even though it's almost the opposite of the freedom I've had this year, order sounds very appealing to me this year. And, even though we lived by the appointments and obligations before, it was still chaotic at times. So, now I'm ready for the order.

For people who really know me, they know that I've always been a carefree housekeeper. Clutter didn't bother me and, if there were piles of things stacked everywhere, I usually knew what was in each pile and why it was kept. Now, that bothers me. So, I'm going to de-clutter my life, not just my house, but my life. But, I'm also going to remember my new-found freedom of this past year. Creating order is my goal, but, at the same time, if something doesn't get done, I'm not going to stress or feel guilty about it.

There you have it, my word for 2014 is ORDER. I'll let you know how it goes!

We survived our ice storm! School was out Monday and Tuesday and we kept McKenna. Brianna babysat for Emily's boss's grandson. We didn't leave the house at all Monday but was able to get the car cleaned off so we went out for lunch Tuesday, mainly to get out of the house. It was still pretty icy so we were very careful, especially of Bill. He kept telling me that he was going out to the apartment and it was getting to be quite an argument. I think he finally understood, after Ron and I both told him, that he couldn't risk falling and breaking a hip.

He and Bryan went shopping in Jonesboro Wednesday and he got his Christmas shopping done. Since I gave him a specific list of what I would like, and the number of gifts under the tree matches with the number of items on the list, I have a pretty good idea of what I'm getting. In years past I tried not to give him a list because he would always buy everything on the list. But now, that's about the only way he can shop. Bryan said he did really well with the crowds and they were home by early afternoon. While they were gone I wrapped gifts and took myself out to lunch. Bill doesn't like Mexican food so I went to Taco Bell.

Thursday night was Brianna's choir concert at the high school. It was really good and the jazz band played a couple of songs prior to the choir. There was also a good crowd which was good. I remember when Emily was in school and they had a combined choir/band concert. The parents of the choir members were very rude, in my opinion, because they left after the choir performed instead of staying to hear the band students. But, this year there are separate concerts.

Friday I went to Jonesboro to finish my shopping. Bill was determined that he was going to the apartment again to get the gifts he had stashed there. I asked our neighbor Joe to just peek out his window periodically to make sure Bill was laying on the parking pad. It was still pretty icy even though we had put down the ice melt. But that area gets very little sun. When I got home he had wrapped his gifts, but he told me he couldn't find one of them! Since I knew what it was we both went back to the apartment to look for it. We couldn't find it, but also couldn't imagine where he could have put it. We also looked in the garage and his car to no avail. But, as I was unplugging the tree lights getting ready to go to bed last night, I moved a package, and there was an extra one for me. The only thing we can think is he did wrap it along with the others and put it under the tree and then forgot he did it. That's one downfall of the stroke. Some days his memory is good and others it's cloudy.

It started raining/freezing rain/sleeting late yesterday afternoon and rained most of the night. We haven't left the house all day except to stand on the stoop and check the mail and put the flag up/bring it in. It was a gray gloomy day so a good day to get the laundry caught up. I also did some knitting and tonight will try to get the Christmas cards addressed.

I had said last week that I would elaborate on my word of the year, but this is already long enough so that will have to wait. I think I'll just throw an extra post in sometime this coming week about that.

All for this week. For all who are in the path of the snowstorm, stay safe and warm. I love snow and with I was at my mom's, but don't relish the drive. I've heard the roads are pretty bad, so will just stay home...for now!

It has been an interesting week for us! And all of it is just "normal" stuff! It had been forecast from the beginning of the week that we would have a significant ice storm/winter weather event. The advisories started early on and moved on to watches and warnings as the week progressed. The target day was for Thursday night into Friday. So, planning for us started as well.

Monday I was in the attic handing the boxes of Christmas decorations down to Bill. Our hallway is now lined with boxes. So far the only decorating finished is the tree (used the little top down pre-lit tree) and the "Jesus people" as McKenna calls the nativity set. I'll get around to the rest of it! We also had practice with the kids for the Christmas program. Had some trouble hooking up the laptop to the projector, but Bryan came to the rescue and got us set.

Tuesday my legs were so sore from up and down the attic ladder that it was quite painful to stand up. Once I was up it was OK, but going from sitting to standing was a little difficult. I got Bill's meds ordered and found out that 1 needed a new script. I hope it comes in by Wednesday since it's one of the anti-rejection meds.

Wednesday Ron and Bill took of for Lowes and I hit Walmart for groceries and Thursday Ron was over early making sure the generator was ready. It rained most of the day and when we went to bed it was starting to sleet some. We had "thunder sleet" which is pretty cool. It has also happened while snowing and it's kind of hard to believe at first. The air is so unstable that, even though the precipitation is wintery, there is enough instability that there is lightning and thunder!

When we got up yesterday morning it was just starting to really kick in with freezing rain and sleet. Luckily the schools played it safe and had pre-emptively cancelled classes. Some outlying areas lost power early and ours flickered early but stayed on.

Emily and Bryan lost power about 4 in the afternoon so packed up and headed to our house. They did have a kerosene heater so Bryan went back to the house to stay with the animals. They did not get it back on until about 2 this afternoon. Ryan and Amanda didn't lose power but their bathroom pipes froze. I tried to go out yesterday afternoon to make sure the cabinet doors were open in the apartment but the door was frozen shut. I knew that the heaters were on so hopefully it's OK.

Emily and I had both made big pots of soup yesterday so we had good dinners and lunches. I fixed a big breakfast for all of us and it was kind of an adventure day. It's very cold and I let my car run for 30 minutes and barely touched the ice build-up.

Church has been cancelled tomorrow. Since most of our congregation is over 70 we didn't want to risk any broken bones. As we don't have a pastor, or any deacons, it was left to the only trustee we have and he made the call about 3 this afternoon. I think God will understand, and we are not the only church to cancel.

So, our week has been interesting. I'm sure Stephanie would be concerned about Bill, but I have not let him leave the house. He wanted to go out and help Ron, but it was already getting slick and we both overruled him. We need some more firewood and he can stand at the back door and I will hand it to him.

I've been working on my word for next year and I'll write more about that next week. I hope all of you stay safe and warm, or safe and cool, wherever you may be.

Our week, along with the month of November, has gone really fast. And our weather is doing its usual Arkansas changes. Sunday was cold and windy, Monday we had sleet and freezing rain with a few snowflakes thrown in. Then it changed to just rain. Warmer Tuesday and Wednesday and then the temps bottomed out again. This is the first day it's gotten out of the 30s. And next week will be even worse. By Thursday it's supposed to be 65, and then rain changing to snow Friday into Saturday. No wonder I have a cold I can't shake!

Our Thanksgiving was very quiet. We had a traditional dinner with all the fixin's and still have a ton of leftovers. Instead of more turkey today, we went out for lunch and I have a meatloaf in the oven as I write this. We've spent a couple of very lazy days. I don't go shopping for Black Friday. I really don't understand why people would want to be in those crowds. There were fights at our local Wal-Mart as usual.

I did manage to get the living room ready for the Christmas tree. I had thought I would get it out of the attic today, but just getting things ready wore me out. As I said, this cold is trying to really get me down.

Bill did some walking on the treadmill this week, and helped with dinner and clean-up on Thanksgiving. He really messed up his pills again this week. He didn't take his Monday morning medicine and I didn't catch it until it was time for his night medicine. Then Tuesday, he took his night medicine instead of his after breakfast medicine. So, I gave him part of his Monday morning medicine before I went to bed. I went to bed before he did and when I got up and was getting his medicine ready for the day I saw that he had taken the Wednesday morning medicine Tuesday night! Of course, all of these meds are his anti-rejection meds. But, he didn't seem to have any ill effects from the missed/extra doses. We'll both just have to be more careful. I don't think he realizes the importance of these meds, especially since he was so sick after the transplant. He missed all of the training Mayo gives for the meds. I've tried to teach him about them and why they have to be taken the way they do, but he doesn't seem to be understanding it. I've thought about setting alarms on his phone to see if that would help him, but I have my doubts.

Our newest great-grandchild arrived Wednesday night at 8:24 pm. Her name is Delilah Faith and is a cutie! They are still in the hospital because she was a little jaundiced, but should be going home tomorrow.

All for this week. I hope everyone had a blessed Thanksgiving. And if you went shopping, as my daughter, daughter-in-law, and granddaughter did, I hope you were able to find what you were looking for. If it's cold where you are, stay warm, and if it's warm...enjoy it!

Nothing spectacular happened here this week. Got a little worried about family and friends in Illinois with all of the tornados. My sister said it was a little scary. All are fine as far as I know. One thing that struck me was that there were 40+ tornados in 12 states, and very few deaths. I think the last count I heard was 6, but I could be wrong. That shows that early warning systems are effective and people heeded the warnings and were watching the skies. Even though the property damage and loss is huge, it could have been so much worse!

Bill has still been pretty inactive. He did help some in the house this week and today he walked on the treadmill for about an hour. He's still not doing as much as he should, and I don't know of any way to get him to move. I was sneaky Monday night. Some friends invited us over for barbecue and they live a block away. So...we walked! Even though it was dark when we walked home, and had gotten pretty cool, it did us both good.

I have finally given in! I've been fighting getting the Christmas things out. I still haven't broken down and decorated yet but I've started some Christmas crafting and looking at different decorations. I bought Christmas cards this week, and everything I've ordered has either arrived or been shipped. I still refuse to watch any Christmas movies or listen to any Christmas music, but I did download the Christmas books to my Nook.

The skit for the kids is finished, along with a powerpoint. Ruth, the youth leader, and I met at the church this week to see what the decorations were like and walked through the skit a little. We're meeting with the youth Monday evening to start decorating and they will get the skit for the first time. Hopefully they'll agree to do it. They don't like talking in front of people so it's going to be tough.

I think we're ready for Thanksgiving. It's just going to be the 2 of us so just got a small turkey breast. We'll just spend a quiet day together. We got the chimney cleaned this week and it's gotten quite cold, so we can have a fire and watch the Macy's parade. We won't watch football, but there's bound to be something on we can watch.

All for this week. I hope everyone has a blessed Thanksgiving. There are so many blessings hiding in our lives that if we look hard enough we can find at least one. Of course there are the major ones, life, health, family, but look around to find the ones that aren't so obvious. Last year as we were walking on the pier at Flagler Beach with my sister we saw a bird with only 1 foot hopping along. We all said "poor bird", until we saw the one next to it with only 1 leg! Little blessings!

This has been a week! Monday we drove to Dyersburg, TN for lunch at Applebees. They were giving veterans free meals that day. It's about a 45 minute drive, but very pleasant, so we had a good outing.

Didn't do anything exciting the rest of the week. Bill did decide to use his treadmill a couple of days, which is a first in a long time. It got really cold on Tuesday and Wednesday, and I think there were reports of a few snowflakes Tuesday morning mixed in with rain. I didn't leave the house again until Friday! Kiyann had an accident at school and needed some clothes brought to her. Mom was at work, step-dad didn't hear the phone, so grandma ran to the store and picked her up some new clothes and then took them to the school. Got her changed and sent back to class and brought the clothes home to wash. Such excitement!

Today was the big day for Ryan and Amanda. They wanted something different and simple and they got it. The wedding was set for 4 this afternoon. At noon I got a text from Ryan that they couldn't reach the preacher. At 1 I got another text that the preacher had decided he couldn't marry them because the reason for their divorces was not adultery. They were told they could still use the church, but would have to find someone else to perform the ceremony. Amanda's brother is a licensed minister so he could do the ceremony, but they decided to just have it at their house. So, we packed up folding chairs and lawn chairs and off we went. Things were a little crowded, but we all fit. The ceremony started at 4:08 and they were pronounced man and wife at 4:10! They decided that they didn't want to say any special vows so it was very short and sweet. I just hope it is actually legal! We took Amanda's parents home when we left. Her dad has brain cancer and wanted to sleep in his own bed. They had spent the night with them last night.

I'm trying to write a short skit for the youth at church. I've been asked to sing with the youth for Christmas and every time I've listened to the song I've had pictures in my head. So, I talked to the volunteer youth leader this morning and she liked the idea. I've got to really get moving on it because we don't have much time!

We got our next appointment date. It's January 6th. I was hoping it would be a little later in the month instead of so close to the holiday. The only tricky thing will be the weather. We may be leaving earlier than necessary, or staying longer somewhere if the weather doesn't cooperate. We'll just have to play it by ear.

All for this week. This mother of the groom is tired!

This time change has been horrible for me! Usually I like this one, but not this year. As I read over last week's post, I saw at the end that I had mentioned setting an alarm now since we were sleeping later. Since the time change the latest I have slept is 6. For the first couple of days I was awake at 5:45, then 5:15, then 5. Finally yesterday and today it has been 6. And, I'm having to stay up later, just to get sleepy! It's reminding me of a Stephen King book where an elderly man keeps getting up earlier and earlier until he's not sleeping at all...and the things that creep through the town in the wee hours. If you haven't read Insomnia, it's a pretty good book.

Other than not sleeping, and Bill has also been getting up earlier, we didn't do much. We've had rain and wind and colder temps so we've pretty much stayed in. Bill did finally go to the apartment and use the treadmill yesterday afternoon. He and Ron bought a new battery for the generator and it's now ready to go.

We made a run to Ryan's Thursday evening and then to Mistie's to take her Kayden's school pictures he had left at Daddy's. I think Mistie was a little uncomfortable while we were there because her current in-laws were also there. But, she's still family, and we know how it is with new family members.

I've seen a lot of posts on Facebook since the first of November of being thankful. While I'm glad to see that people are thankful for many things, I wonder it they are thankful only in the days leading up to Thanksgiving, or are they thankful every day. That's one of the reasons I don't post daily thanks. I'm thankful for many things every day of the year, and try to remember to thank God daily for his blessings.

I'm also not liking the "Countdown to Christmas" that Hallmark channel is doing. Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas movies. But, I don't like them starting right after Halloween. Thanksgiving is becoming the forgotten holiday and it used to be the holiday that ushered in the Christmas season. So, I'm not watching any Christmas until the day after Thanksgiving (unless It's A Wonderful Life is on Thanksgiving night).

 

OK, those are my rants for the night. We have birthday/anniversary fellowship after worship service tomorrow. We usually have chicken, but my buddy Larry has told me we're having ham this week. I've made a chocolate cake to take. Hope everyone has a good week ahead.

Wow! I just realized when I logged in that there have been over 16,000 pageviews! For them to continue to grow, especially now that we're on the downhill side of this journey, is amazing!

Our week was OK, busy at times and boring at other times. Brianna came over after school on Monday and we did a little shopping. We were only supposed to get some specialty yarn for a scarf for her. She had wanted yellow but they don't make it in yellow so I wanted her to pick the color. She found the color and then talked me into a T-shirt and some leggings, plus a snack and drink. Then I had to get her sister something of course. What can I say, I'm an easy touch!

Tuesday and Wednesday were nothing special. The weather was very warm and windy. We were able to turn the heat off and open the door again. I was glad I hadn't switched the screen and glass.

Thursday, Halloween, was dark and rainy all day, but still very warm and windy. Kayden and Kiyann came by to show us their costumes. We only had about a dozen trick or treaters. This was also the first year in a long time that we actually bought some candy and turned the light on. But, we have some kids in the neighborhood now so thought we should do something. Just as the time frame ended we were put into a tornado watch, tornado warning, and severe thunderstorm warning, almost simultaneously. We got some rain and the wind picked up even more, but the brunt of the storm missed us. There was a tornado in a small town southwest of us. Most of the town has damaged and, according to news reports, there was a group of kids still out when the sirens went off. Luckily, a woman started gathering them into her storm cellar. No lives were lost and only 4 injuries were reported throughout the town, but there is a lot of property damage.

We picked Kayden and Kiyann up after school Friday. Their mom was going to a funeral in Tennessee and didn't know if she would be back in time. It's Ryan's week-end to have them so he and Amanda came to pick them up shortly after we got home and stayed for supper. We had a good time with the kids and they brought their dogs since they were treating the house for bugs.

Ryan and Amanda have finally set a wedding date...in 2 weeks! I hope they can pull it together! We are also getting a new grandbaby in July! This will be #25...or 26, I really do need to sit down and add them up!

Bill never did get "the flu" but his arm stayed very sore from his pneumonia shot for a week. My flu symptoms came back Sunday morning. It was a horrible breathing day until later in the afternoon. I finally started coughing and moving the junk around. Emily brought me a new inhaler Monday afternoon. I haven't had to use it yet and have felt much better. I think this has been a combination of flu shot, weather changes and just the normal "delta crud" that is prevalent in this area. I talked to some others who got the flu shot and they also got sick the same day.

I've started setting an alarm in the mornings. We've been sleeping a little later than we had been. I used to wake up when our neighbor started his truck at 6 to go to work, but now I'm not waking up until the 1st school bus comes at 6:45. I'm afraid we're going to sleep through Bill's meds time. The anti-rejection pills have to be taken on a pretty strict schedule. I'ts a good thing I set it because I slept until it went off this morning! And with the time change tonight I'll have to tweak the time some for a couple of days to ease into the change.

It doesn't seem like it should be November already. I'm actually starting to get into a holiday mood, and this is early for me! I could very easily put the Christmas tree up, and I never put it up before Thanksgiving, and usually wait until December to do it!

All for now. Thanks for checking in on us!

We've had a very good week. We were still both pretty tired Sunday so didn't go to church. But, it did us good to stay home and relax. We had Brianna Monday afternoon as she wasn't feeling well and I picked her up from school. It was nothing contagious or to worry about, just "girl stuff". When I told her I had been messing with my blog before I picked her up she couldn't believe that her grandma had a blog! Hey, I'm a "with it" grandma!

Tuesday Bill had his bloodwork done and we both got flu shots. Bill also got his pneumonia shot. Exactly 8 hours after getting the shot I was sick with coughing, sneezing, sore throat, headache and sinus drainage. Felt bad for exactly 24 hours so hopefully that's all the flu I will get. Bill didn't have any flu symptoms. His arm is still very sore from the pneumonia shot. He got that one in his left arm which of course is the weaker one.

The weather turned cold the middle of the week and I love it! It was 29 when I got up yesterday morning and the car was frosted over. But, the house was nice and cozy. After it warmed up a little we made a quick trip to Jonesboro to pick up Kayden's birthday present. Cotton picking has started now. There were lots of fields that had not been picked and those white fields are what I missed while we were in Florida.

Kim called in the afternoon and said that Bill's bloodwork came back fine so we can stay at the lower dose of Prograf. She also said that everything else looked good so he got enough liquid in him.

He went shopping with Ron today and they worked on the generator. The battery doesn't want to stay charged even with a trickle charger attached all the time. The got the posts cleaned and found a broken wire that was fixed and it should be OK now. Their little shopping trip gave me a few hours alone to do nothing! And that's pretty much what I did!

So, there you have the highlights of our week. It seems like we're getting very normal now and sometimes it's easy to forget all that we've been through. Normal is good!

What a long week! Bill's biopsy went well and again there is no rejection. The dr. lowered 1 of his anti-rejection drugs so he will have to have some bloodwork done this week. Our local lab can draw the blood, but they will have to send it to a bigger lab to run the test. He's also able to get his flu and pneumonia shots this year. So, Tuesday is another dr. visit. They also said that some of his other numbers were not as good because he still isn't drinking enough. So, we're back to the battle of pushing fluids. Stephanie knows that this has been a battle in the past.

We had a good visit in Clearwater with Bill's sister and husband. We stayed at a little resort at the beach and walked to the beach every day. Bill got a good workout. The weather was wonderful, in the mid-80's and no rain at all.

We let the GPS bring us home today instead of going the way we usually go. We stayed the night in Macon, GA and it took us up to Chattanooga and then across Tennessee. We usually head to Birmingham from Atlanta and then up to Memphis, or Jackson, TN, depending on my mood. This way wasn't bad and was supposed to be faster, but I don't think so. With meal and gas stops it took 9 1/2 hours. We are both pretty tired and it is COLD here at home! We turned the heat on to take the chill out of the house and of course Bill stays cold, although it was pretty cool in here. I'm not looking forward to the higher gas bills, but it's only money. We're going to call the chimney sweep in the next couple of weeks to get the chimney done. It hasn't been done since 2010 (although we were gone for 15 months) so I want it cleaned before we try to have a fire.

All for this week. I'm whupped and probably won't be able to stay awake much longer!

We have arrived in Florida for Bill's biopsy. This time the weather cooperated and we had no rain. The last few times we have driven through monsoons. Traffic was heavier in Alabama than usual, must have been a college football game in the area, but was much lighter in Florida than usual.

We had another week of frustrations. We had to change from DSL to fiber-optic internet. We were supposed to activate it on Monday, but the equipment wasn't due to be delivered until Tuesday. So, I changed the appointment to Thursday in the hopes the DSL wouldn't be turned off. Within an hour of re-scheduling the DSL was turned off. I was able to use my phone to get online, but I didn't like not using the computer! Just shows how dependent we can become on something! Bryan came over and got us activated. It went very smoothly and I probably could have done it. But, as I told him, if something had gone wrong, I would have had to call him anyway, so it was better to have him there at the start!

Bill had a good week. Spent time with Ron and Buddy. He's doing a little more around the house now. I've come home twice to find the vacuuming done and things picked up. Of course he has 2 main chores, making the bed and taking out the trash. The only time I remind him of the trash is to take the can to the curb on pick-up day.

He still has good days and bad days as far as memory goes and sometimes when he gets a certain thought in his head he worries over it for 2 or 3 days. But, at least he is thinking about things! On our trip yesterday we were passing a fireworks stand in Alabama and I asked him if he needed any fireworks. He calmly told me that they wouldn't want him in there. When I asked him why, he got a silly grin on his face and said "Baby, I'm hot"! Sometimes I just don't know about him!

All for tonight. We've gotten everything unpacked and drove to our favorite pizza place for dinner. We actually some home this time. We were both too tired to eat much. Of course we can always eat it tonight or tomorrow for lunch. We have a full fridge here so it will keep a few days. I'll update this again and let you know how the biopsy goes Monday. I don't know if I'll get it updated when we go to Clearwater. I don't know if the resort has internet or not. Just keep checking back. Goodnight all!

Another week has come and gone. Thankfully it was a pretty calm week. All of our hotel reservations are made now. I had to change one of them. We heard from Bill's sister and were told that there was still lots of road construction near the hotel I had booked. I had checked with the state's construction website and it said that the construction was complete. But, I took Don and Shirley's word for it and changed the reservation. We are now staying at the little resort we had stayed in when we took Brianna with us. She asked us if we were going to have room #7 again! That trip was 6 years ago, and she still remembers the room #!

We had lovely weather this week and got a heavy rain this evening. Supposed to rain more in the might and get some thundershowers and then turn much colder. The high today was mid 80s, tomorrow not supposed to get out of the 60s and into the low 50s at night! Fall has definitely arrived.

Allergies have been horrible again this week and today there were crop dusters all morning so defoliation has begun! I'm glad we're getting out of town!

My lunch with the girls from work was wonderful...3 hours at the restaurant! But, we tipped our waitress quite well and she didn't have to do any extra for us. We'll have to do it again before they get started again.

We were going to go shopping for some new polo shirts for Bill as they are easier for him to get on and off, but I went through his closet and dresser and found several that should fit. But, we are both going to need some new clothes before long. I just hate to go clothes shopping!

Today was a baby shower at the church for one of the young mothers. The girl's grandpa came and visited with Bill while we were at the shower. He and his wife have been good friends for several years...until they moved away. Bill was glad for the visit!

That's about it from here. The next update will be from Florida. Hope everyone has a good week!

After the turmoil of last week, this week has been pretty tame. Nothing broke or went wrong and no problems with family or medicines.

Our youth day kind of fizzled at church. The young lady who was going to lead the singing and sing a special with her mom was under the weather. So, the pastor led the song service and I ended up doing the special. The youth did sing in the choir and they sang Happy Birthday to the pastor as it was his birthday.

We've been plagued by a pack of feral dogs in the neighborhood. I think I've written about them before. It has gone from 1 to 4 to 6. They are pretty people shy right now, but our friend Ron has been attacked when he was walking Buddy. We are so glad we didn't run into them when we were Buddy sitting! But, they are now getting pretty bold and travelling in pairs, and they are hanging around the bus stop. We're usually up early enough to be watching, and I have a big stick by the front door in case they start bothering the kids. I remember getting bit by a stray dog as a child. Do you remember that, Mom? Luckily the dog was caught and didn't have rabies. All the dogcatcher here does is show up about 10 and sets a trap and then picks the trap back up at 3. She says it can't be left overnight because it could get stolen. Even when she's been told it could be chained to a fence, by the owner, she says a dog can't be kept in it all night (and she can't be called at night) because the dog would be bitten by mosquitoes. We've watched her and the cops sit and watch the dogs. One woman in the neighborhood has called our councilman and we've been told that the police chief is over animal control so I guess the next step is to call him. As Bill and I were walking yesterday evening, one of the dogs tried to approach us. That's when I was able to pick up the big stick. It's one of the newer dogs to the pack so it may not have been aggressive, but I wasn't taking any chances!

Our weather has been lovely, into the low 60s at night and low to mid 80s in the day. It seems like, since fall officially arrived, the weather changed immediately! We've been trying to walk in the evenings before it gets dark since it has been so pleasant.

We did make a quick trip to Jonesboro to pick up my other ring. I'm very pleased with the stone. It looks almost identical to the one that was in it! I noticed on the drive over that the cotton has opened. I couldn't tell if it was going to be a good crop or not since they are just not starting to defoliate. I've been able to tell the last couple of days, by my body. Today was especially bad. I woke up with a sore throat, headache and sinuses pouring, so I know it's harvest time. I'll be lucky to have a voice tomorrow!

Bill's "symptoms" have all disappeared, except for a cough that comes and goes. I think it's being back in this area too for him, but I'm going to mention it to Stephanie when we see her. He and I have had several conversations about his inactivity lately and how Mayo is not going to be happy, so he's trying to do more and move a little faster. He's also going to start wearing pullover shirts instead of button downs. I've noticed that he's not using his left arm at all when dressing and he says it hurts when he tries to use it. That is all from not using it and I think he finally understood it today. So we're going to try the polo shirts. I did catch him using his hand exerciser this week when he thought I was out of the room!

That's about it. I'm going to meet a couple of girls from the office for lunch Tuesday after their class. I think they're still hoping I'll go back to work as they've activated me in the system again and they are trying to take some tests in my name for certification. But, that's still not going to happen.

I've made all of our hotel reservations but one for our next trip. To get the hospital rate at the hotel I have to call them directly and I didn't want to do it during prime check in time. So, it can wait another couple of days.

All for this time...I've written a book. Hope everyone has a good week!

We have had a trying week this week. Sunday was the 2nd anniversary of the LVAD implant. I don't know if that matters to anyone but me anymore, but there it is.

Monday the Thunderbird overheated while we were going to breakfast. First time in a long time Bill wanted to go out for breakfast. We managed to park it and let it cool down and then were able to drive home with no problems. Called the dealer and they said to bring it in Tuesday morning. So, Tuesday morning we took it down and dropped it off...and then went out for breakfast since we weren't able to the day before. That afternoon I was trying to print the recipe I wanted to cook for dinner and the printer wouldn't work. I kept getting a message that it was offline and nothing I tried fixed it. So, I just downloaded it to my phone and read the recipe from there.

Wednesday Bill and Ron went to Memphis to pick up a windshield and then we picked up the car that afternoon.  I practiced some music while they were gone and then heard a noise in the computer room and the printer started spitting out some of the pages I had wanted to print on Tuesday! Must have had some gremlins! As we were getting ready to go to bed, the ceiling fan in the bedroom quit. The motor was running, but the blades weren't turning. Bill didn't mind it so much since he stays so cold all the time, but I stay hot at night (darn night sweats!) so I was afraid the room would be too warm, even with the air conditioning running. But, it wasn't bad.

Thursday we bought a new ceiling fan. Haven't gotten it put up yet. Ryan was going to do it last night but after working all day, and having some business to take care of afterwards, we told him he didn't have to do it. We are managing to get along without it.

It rained all day yesterday and boy did we need it! It didn't storm, just a nice steady rain. I did meet the school bus and took the girls home as it was raining hard at that time.

Today I met the youth of the church to practice for youth day tomorrow. They are taking over the service as far as the music goes. It's going to be interesting to say the least.

Bill hasn't felt really well most of the week. I think his work last Saturday wore him out more than he thought it would. He was very stiff for most of the week and had a headache every day. He also had a drippy nose and a cough. Last night he had a low grade fever. All of these could be signs of rejection. They are also all of the symptions of the virus going around. He's been better today and seemed to sleep better last night...but I didn't. He actually told me this morning to quit worrying about him! I just told him that's my job! He hasn't had any fever today so I don't think I'll need to call Stephanie Monday but we'll have to see.

So, as you can see, we haven't had an easy week, but it could have been worse!

Another week has passed. I always thought "old people" were exaggerating when they said time goes faster the older you get, but I'm finding out they were right!

I woke up with the cold/flu crud that has been going around on Sunday morning. I managed to get dressed for church and then stayed home. I barely moved for 2 days, but by Tuesday felt much better. When I showered Tuesday morning the steam loosened everything in my chest and I coughed up some nasty stuff. But felt instantly better.

Bill went to Jonesboro with Ron Tuesday to buy some tools which gave us both some apart time.

The rest of the week was rather dull and boring, with just normal things going on.

Today I went shopping in Jonesboro with Emily and Brianna and one of her friends. Bill stayed home by himself and detailed his car. I managed to NOT call him to remind him to eat and take his meds. He DID remember to eat lunch and take his medicine, so there's hope for us yet! We're both tired now and ready for bed, but we both had a good day.

We did find out this week that we are having ANOTHER great grandchild, due in January! And, it seems like we are the first in the family to know about this one. The circumstances are not all that great, but I hope everyone will make the best of the situation and not condemn for mistakes made. And, that's enough on that subject!

Our weather has felt like fall all day today and was in the low 50's this morning. It's supposed to be about the same tomorrow. Maybe I can start thinking about fall and winter now, changing out clothes and such. It's very hard to do when it's in the 90's!

All for this week. Hope everyone has a good week ahead!

We had an absolutely wonderful time at the Tennessee River this week. Our room was on the 3rd floor and had a wonderful view of the river. We watched several boats heading in and out of the locks. Unfortunately, since 9/11 visitors can't go down to the locks to actually watch them go through. We went to bed early and slept in some. I set an alarm so that we would be sure to get up in time for meds.

We also walked the trail. It's not quite a mile around and we only walked it once around but it was a lovely walk. We could both tell within a couple of hours that we hadn't been walking much. It's a good thing we had taken care of Buddy last week-end or we wouldn't have been able to move!

Friday was Grandparents Day at McKenna's school so we went to that and then checked her out early. She was good...until her mom came home! Isn't that how it always goes with kids?! After we ate supper we picked up Kayden and Kiyann and took them to Ryan's. He was waiting for his landlord to come and check out their hot water heater. When we left at 9 he still hadn't been there. They went to the local fair this afternoon and are now at the Demolition Derby.

Monday marks a milestone for us. It's the 6th anniversary of Bill's last heart attack which is the one that set us on this journey. How far he's come! I clearly remember Dr. Shala telling me that "He's alive" after I got to Memphis and then being escorted to the conference room and meeting the chaplain, the nurse asking if there was anyone she could call for me, Em, Bryan, Ryan and Mistie coming, and then the news "He's a little better, we haven't had to shock him for about 20 minutes". I thought that was the worst day of my life...until May 3, 2013. But, as I've said before, thanks to lots of prayers from people all over the world, the skill of the drs. and Bill's will to live, he's come through it all.

After being so busy last week, this week was pretty tame. We actually slept in some Monday, after 7! Of course I woke up in a panic thinking Bill was late with his meds.

We didn't do much at all. I crocheted a poncho and hat for Kiyann and got my hair cut. Bill took a couple of walks and of course visited with Ron and Buddy.

Ron and his wife are away for the week-end so we are kind of Buddy sitting. We went over this morning and took him for a long walk and then brought him to the house for a little while. We'll probably get him for a little this afternoon too. Ron has called 3 times to check on him!

We went to Jonesboro this morning after taking Buddy back home. My ring came back so we had to pick it up. Went to a couple of other stores but didn't spend more than $5! We're such avid shoppers!

We're going to the Tennessee River Tuesday for a couple of days for our anniversary. We will be married 23 years. The last 3 years have truly been a gift from God and we treasure each day. All of the rooms in the lodge we're staying in face the water and I'm planning on sitting on the balcony and just watching the water. There are also some walking trails that we've never used because Bill has never been strong enough, so we're going to try them out. The weather is supposed to be cooler next week, only in the upper 80's instead of the upper 90's.

It has gotten more humid here this week and the allergy/sinus mess has hit lots of people. There is also a virus going around, more cold/flu than anything, so we're watching where we go and who we are around.

All for this week. Enjoy your holiday week-end!

It's a good thing Bill and I are pretty easy going and can adapt to changing situations. This has been a crazy week. Bill did make another pill mix-up that could have had major repercussions, but I think everything is smoothed out. He took his morning anti-rejection pills before he went to bed one night instead of his bedtime meds and I didn't catch it until morning when his container for the week was empty. So, he got the anti-rejection meds about 2 hours apart and then had to go 12 hours without another dose. But, those level out pretty good once they are back on schedule. I keep his morning anti-rejection meds in a separate container because he has to take them before eating. The others are in with his other meds because he takes them an hour after eating in the evening. As long as they are taken 12 hours apart the level will stay where it's supposed to. Since it's been a week now and he's not showing any ill effects, he should be ok.

Sunday morning I saw that my opal ring that I wear all the time and broken. The opal broke in half and I didn't notice it and when I touched the other half it disintegrated. So, Tuesday morning we decided to go to Jonesboro to get my new ring sized and I took that one to have a new opal put in. When we walked out to the car I noticed that someone had been in the car in the night. All of the paperwork was strewn everywhere, the screen from the DVD player was open, and all of the pockets had been emptied. Nothing was taken because we don't keep anything valuable in there except for my $600 sunglasses (prescription). We also had the wireless headsets for the DVD system in there but I keep those in a storage area under the floorboard. We didn't call the police because I had left it unlocked and nothing was taken. While on the way home from Jonesboro, a friend in the neighborhood called and told me they had been broken into, back porch and shop. So, there was quite a bit of activity going on. The police did recover the items taken while a man was loading them onto a trailer. Whether he was involved or just taking advantage of finding some stuff is unknown. We suspect who it might be, but I've made sure the car is locked. Since it's parked right in front of the front door, we're going to have the lights outside changed to motion sensor lights. I also noticed the next day that there were scratches on the back of the DVD screen so they did try to pry it off but all they would have gotten was the screen. It runs through the satellite radio system.

For you that know we've been going through some trials with my son, this was a week of breakthroughs. He spent the 1st part of the week in the town where his dad lives looking for a job. And, praise God, he starts working Friday! He's going back to the plant he was working in before. He also had an interview with another plant, but didn't know when that one would start and since he hadn't worked for awhile he thought it best to take this one back. He started looking for a place to live in that area and found a small house available. Bill and I and his dad and step-mom discussed it and decided to split the cost of his expenses until he got some money coming in. He was planning on moving the first part of the week but when he told his landlord he was moving, the man told him he had to be out by 8:30 yesterday morning! This is against all landlord/tenant laws in Arkansas. He also had the electric meter pulled yesterday morning. Ryan had not rented the other house yet, but his dad came over and we started loading his stuff, thinking that if necessary they would just take everything to his house. But, as things work, we took the first load over, the owner of the house was able to meet us, the lease was signed, the money changed hands, and he agreed to let the utilities stay in his name through the week-end.

I guess being retired and not needing to make plans through the day is what we need. At least we were all able to jump right in, and my daughter and her husband loaded their truck and trailer after they got off work to help bring the last of the things. Bill felt that he was pretty useless since he couldn't really help with any of the heavy work, but Gene (my ex-husband) and Bryan, Emily's husband didn't lift either. They left it all to Ryan and Amanda's brother Brian.We did all go out to eat, except for Gene's wife Julie and the grandson they are raising. Alec was sick so Julie stayed home with him. Gene and Bill and I were all sitting at the same table and I said that it was really weird to be having dinner with both of my husbands! But at least we all get along! Ryan has been very thankful for all the help. We're all just hoping that he was finally "seen the light" and will really work to get his life back together.

Hopefully this week will be a little calmer. It's hard to believe that August is almost over. We will be married 23 years on September 3rd. As of yet we don't have any plans. We're both kind of thinking we may make a trip to Illinois again, but who knows!

After feeling so bad last week, I've felt better this week than I have for a long time. Sunday was a day of just trying to breathe. We made it to church Sunday morning, but I didn't make it that night.

The weather finally broke late Monday afternoon with a pretty good thunderstorm (that I got caught in on the interstate) and Tuesday was a fantastic day! Had lots of energy and manage to get some things done around here. We also got the front entryway painted and caulked.

Bill also had a good week. He's starting to take the initiative with his medications. He did have a couple of mishaps with it. He took his evening meds too soon one evening (I'm going to have to mark out the suggested times) and somehow yesterday he took his bedtime med after lunch instead of his lunch medicine. Those 2 meds are not critical ones so it wasn't a big deal. He tried to take his evening ones too early again tonight, but, my all-seeing eyes caught him from across the room and from behind the couch! But, it is a step in the right direction in being more self-sufficient!

School starts Monday, although it has no real bearing on us. But, I'm sure we'll hear from the grandkids after the first day. Brianna is a Freshman, McKenna is in 4th, Kayden is in 3rd and Kiyann is a big 1st grader now. They have grown so fast!

We've also learned that we will have a new great-granddaughter in December, due Christmas Day. I think that will be #7. I'm going to have to sit down and really figure this out before long!

We will be going to visit with Bill's sister and husband after his biopsy in October. We're both getting a little itchy to go somewhere just to relax but can't decide where to go. We also want to take another train trip. We had such a good trip to New England before we went to Mayo and would like to do something like that again, but don't know which direction to go!

All for this week. Hope everyone stays happy and healthy.

I love early morning summer thundershowers! We've had a couple of mornings this week with low rumbles of thunder and soft rain. Nothing violent or severe just nice rain, although it was heavy at times today. We have been just below the flooding areas in Missouri so it could have been us overwhelmed.

Had a so-so week, at least for me. Bill had a good week and even had to be self-sufficient for a bit. As I was getting dressed Monday I leaned over to get clothes out of the dresser and pulled something in my lower back. As long as I stayed moving it was tolerable, but once I stopped it took a bit to get going again. But, I managed to get all of the laundry done. Emily and her family brought me a birthday cake Monday evening and I got over 80 birthday wishes on Facebook, calls and cards.

Thursday morning I woke up with either the latest stomach virus going around, or my sinuses were draining so much during the night that I was nauseous from that. Either way, I felt really bad and spent most of the day in bed. Bill cooked his own dinner that night, although I supervised a little bit. He's been a good cook, but hasn't done any since the transplant. His little steak looked much better than my soda crackers, but the trade off wouldn't have been worth it. Felt better yesterday and feel pretty good today. I dodged raindrops to get a few groceries and cleaned up the kitchen. That's about it for work!

Bill has had no health issues this week. When I get any kind of stomach problem I always have to really watch to make sure he doesn't get it. But, so far so good. He hasn't been real active this week and it's getting to the point he's going to be in trouble with muscles. But, nothing I say seems to get through to him!

So, a pretty normal week for us. We're having a carry-in after church tomorrow to celebrate the month's birthdays/anniversaries and I still haven't made my dessert. It won't take long to put together but I'll do it tonight instead of waiting until tomorrow morning. We were supposed to vote on a pastor last Sunday night but at the last minute he withdrew his name from consideration. It was one that I really liked, but I understand his concerns. I don't know who will have our message tomorrow.

That's all the news from here for this week. It's about time to get dinner in the oven and get that dessert made so I can watch the Cubs game tonight! Can't miss that!

We've had a very busy week! Bryan got the hot water heater finished Sunday afternoon after church. The sink in the bathroom was not draining properly so Monday we had quite a go-round with Ron. I wanted him to take the vanity top off and start over but he managed to get it working right without doing that. And now, the bathroom is finished! The curtains and wine rack I ordered for it came in Monday and I found a print at Wal-Mart and it all looks very nice if I do say so myself. Ron was disappointed that we weren't going to immediately start another project, but he took all of his "stuff" home. I went on about that enough last week so won't go into it again.

Tuesday we had to talk to our insurance agent. We are not really pleased with the outcome, but we had no other choice. Our homeowners insurance has been with Southern Farm Bureau for several years and our car insurance with another company. We had received a letter from the homeowners telling us that they were not doing business in this area any longer and our policy would not be renewed. Well, our agent sent us a note last week and said that there was a change in policy and Farm Bureau would not offer insurance unless they got ALL of the insurance. After doing a lot of checking we could not get the homeowners with comparable coverage for anywhere near what we are paying. So, our car insurance went up $200/year, but the homeowners now went down about $100/year. Part of the increase could be Bill's age, as his life insurance went up quite a bit because age.

We had Kayden and Kiyann for a couple of hours again this week while their mom went to a meeting for work. Kayden and Pa took a long ride in the car and Kiyann and I iced a cake I had made before they got here. When they ate a piece they both said it was the best cake ever!

I did learn something this week and am proud of myself. I learned how to change a light socket! The light over my stove is just a lamp socket that had a push button. I know it sounds strange, but that's how it was when we bought the house and my electrician husband did not get around to changing it before he got sick. Anyway, it had started shocking me periodically when I would turn it on/off, the last time bringing tears. So, we bought a turn switch to replace it. Bill talked me through it, because he couldn't get under the vent hood close enough to work with it (could be why he hadn't changed it before) and we managed to get it done. So far it's working and hasn't shorted anything out!

We went to Jonesboro yesterday. It's time to get my diamond ring inspected and Bill wanted to find something for my birthday. He had looked while he and Ron were out for breakfast but Ron kept steering him away from what he wanted to look at. He was checking jewelry and Ron kept trying to get him to look at the "cheap" stuff. When Bill is buying gifts, he doesn't look much at price, he looks at what he likes. So, we headed to the mall. While my rings were being cleaned I found a birthstone set I liked. You don't see Peridot much anywhere anymore. It's a lovely ring, necklace and earring set. She told Bill the price, he said we'll take it, and after a sale discount plus a military discount, I have some new jewelry. I'll have to take the ring back to have it sized. I was going to wear it on my middle finger, but it was not comfortable there, so I'll have it sized to my ring finger.

Today has been a lazy day. It was rainy this morning and cloudy most of the day. Bill did take a walk this afternoon, but I don't know why I even bothered to get dressed! I have not left the house and barely left my chair. I've cross-stitched and knitted some but, other that cooking meals and cleaning up the kitchen, I haven't done anything else.

We got our itinerary for the next biopsy in the mail today. It's been scheduled for Oct. 14th. We're going to see about visiting with Don and Shirley after the biopsy for a few days. Still need to get with them to see if they have any plans, but that's what Bill wants to do.

All for this week. Bill's cutting into what's left of the cake. Enjoy the rest of your week-end!

We made it home from Florida on Wednesday after all. The weather was fine until 50 miles from home and then heavy rain, combined with road construction. We were really glad to be home and extremely tired! The bathroom was only 3/4 done, and still isn't done. I was told that 5 days is NOT enough time to redo everything! I don't see it myself, but, it is what it is!

Thursday was spent buying some groceries and getting resettled in, as much as can be. I'm tired of everything being upset in the house. Things are everywhere except where they belong. I want my house back! I know our handyman wants to go straight to another room but that's not going to happen. I told Bill the other night that the last 2 1/2 years have been very stressful for me and I don't want the added stress of constant turmoil and upheaval for the remodeling. I don't care if it takes another 3 years doing 1 room a year! He also doesn't understand how the last 2 years have affected me. He did admit that he "slept" through a lot of it. Yes, it was all about him, and now that he is better and able to fend more for himself, it's going to be some about me and what I need. Didn't mean to go off on a tangent, but, boy I feel better!

We had Kayden and Kiyann Friday. Mistie and Joe were both working and her babysitter quit. These kids are no trouble and we enjoyed having them. We've never spent as much time with them as we have Brianna and McKenna because they lived farther away and Ryan worked odd hours so we weren't sure when to visit or call. Anyway, we had a great time although they ate us out of house and home! After they left I started to get ready for McKenna's birthday party and discovered we had no hot water. I had done laundry and cleaned up the kitchen, but there still should have been hot water. I checked the water heater and it was not heating at all. So, we turned the gas off and headed to the party. We only stayed about an hour. It was at the bowling alley and there was a lot of turmoil with the kids running around. Lots of confusion confuses Bill more now.

Today we were off to Lowe's to buy a new hot water heater and they told us they didn't install gas heaters. So, we didn't buy it but went to another store in town where we had bought the old one-15 years ago. They didn't have any in stock, and they said they didn't install them either. They did install the old one, so I was very confused. I talked to Emily late this afternoon and she said Bryan could install it, so off to Lowe's we went. As we were waiting for them to get the heater from the top rack, I read a sign that said "Have Lowe's Install Your Gas Water Heater"! And on the box there was a picture of the Lowe's logo and "Lowe's Installation Guaranteed"! Anyway, we got it here and while the old one was draining it was off to Pizza Hut to get dinner for everyone. Got the old one out and the new one in, with some help from Joe next door, but Bryan can't get one line sealed. So, since it was getting late, we told him it would be OK to wait until tomorrow, that we could heat water to clean up with for church. Joe said we could shower at his house in the morning and Emily said she and the girls had to be at their early church service if we wanted to go to their house to shower. But, we'll be OK. I just have to remember to not use the hot water tap in the kitchen or there will be a mess in the pantry!

So, our homecoming has been eventful to say the least. Maybe by the middle of the week the bathroom will be finished and I can get my house back!

Hope all of you have had a good week-end so far. Until next week...be blessed.

Sorry for no post yesterday but I didn't get to stay for this biopsy. Dr. Hosenpud did it and he doesn't use the echo, he uses x-rays. So, I couldn't stay in the room. But, everything went well and we were finished in 2 hours.

We headed home this morning and had a great day for driving...until we got 15 miles from our hotel. Then the heavens opened. While I was taking the luggage cart back down to the lobby (we are on the 3rd floor), Tina called and gave Bill the results of the biopsy. He was again at status 0 which is no rejection at all. His Prograf (anti-rejection med) level is on the lower side of acceptable, and his blood count was a little low, but there are no changes to the meds. We go back in 3 months.

We've had some excitement here already this afternoon and evening. There have been severe thunderstorm warnings, a storm watch and we've lost power. Remember, we are on the 3rd floor, but at least if we have to use the stairs it's easier going down than up! Maybe it won't happen again. The weather report tomorrow has severe weather all along our route. We've already decided that if it gets bad we will just stop somewhere and wait it out. I have all of our medications with us, so it won't matter if we don't get home tomorrow.

We were able to visit with our friends Faith and Abner and had great time. They are really good company. We also heard about our friend Michael. He still has not gotten his heart, but he and Margaret finally got married. There is now a problem with his LVAD drive line. Depending on what the problem is it can either push him to the top of the list or get him taken off altogether. So, we're hoping he'll get bumped. He has a rarer blood type so his wait has been longer.

All for tonight. I'll let you know when we get home.

We've made it to Jacksonville! We took an alternate route yesterday. The traffic is Memphis has been horrible and there is major construction just before the city, so we went north to Dyersburg and then down to Corinth MS and over into Alabama north of Birmingham. We had to leave an hour earlier than usual and we got to our hotel at the same time we normally would have, so I don't know if the extra hour of driving was worth it to miss some traffic. We forgot to bring Bill a jacket (after all it is late July and we were in south Alabama) so stopped at Walmart before we ate dinner. All we could find was a quilted flannel shirt, but it was only $5 and it was cold in the restaurant! I have also decided that the drivers in Alabama have got to be the worst drivers in the world! And, if any of you reading this are from Alabama, sorry, but it's true!

Today's drive was supposed to be a little easier but it started raining as soon as we crossed into Florida. Before we made it to Tallahassee we had to pull to the side of the road it was raining so hard. I could see a dark shape in front of me but couldn't tell how far. So, it was better to sit for 15 minutes than keep going. We stopped again at a rest stop just up the road, but that was mainly for a potty break. Now it's my fault it rained so hard. It had been raining, but not bad, and I needed to stop. So I said God, please make it quit raining so we can stop at a rest area. The rain slowed up and a sign for a rest area appeared, but this rest area is way off the highway, so I told Bill I didn't want to stop at that one. As soon as we passed by...that's when the rains really came down! So, I had to apologize to God for not taking what He offered the first time! We got wet at the rest area when we did stop, but it wasn't the deluge it had been.

We are planning on seeing our friends Faith and Abner tomorrow afternoon. We didn't get to see them the last trip.

This has been a sad week for us. A dear friend lost his wife this week. He's going to be totally lost without her. They didn't have any children and his nephew doesn't live close. He had taken care of her for a couple of years now, so don't know what he's going to do. Then last night another friend lost his battle with cancer. He was a young man and had fought hard for about 5 years.

McKenna got home from camp yesterday and after a shower and some food (Emily said she was starving) she fell asleep about 7:15 last night! She sent me a text this morning that she was still hungry!

We're going to head out to our favorite pizza place here for some supper and then hit the grocery store for some breakfast items. We're staying in an Extended Stay with kitchenette again so we don't have to eat every meal out. The breakfast they offer in the lobby leaves a lot to be desired, so we'll pick up something for here.

I will update this again after the biopsy and then again when we get the results. Hope everyone is enjoying the week-end.

Early post this week, and I know most of you still keeping up with us won't see it until the normal time. But, with getting ready to travel, and a little bit of news already this week, I just figured I would go ahead and get it done.

We are leaving Friday for Bill's biopsy on Monday. The reservations have been made, laundry is done so the suitcases can be packed. I'm going to do that today so that I don't mess up my manicure tomorrow!

Bill is now wanting to try to use his computer again. When we were doing the 1st phase of the remodel, Bill kept track of everything on the computer. He kept spreadsheets on everything done, including tracking Ron's hours and pay. I printed out a form for Ron to use to track his hours while we are gone and now, Bill wants to enter them into the computer. So, I found the spreadsheet and pulled it up and we got the info entered. Bill was very frustrated because he can't remember how to do any of that. We had to get him a new keyboard and he was able to get it connected and running by himself last night! That's a major breakthrough. We were looking at the spreadsheet and for some reason the formulas for the cells that figure amounts are not there. Now, when I took spreadsheets in college I barely passed the course, (and failed the final...guess I shouldn't have walked out in the middle of it). Somewhere, probably packed into a box somewhere we have an Office for Dummies book that would probably help. So, I'll probably look for it today. But, at least he's wanting to start sitting at the computer. We'll get him a new email address set up before long if he keeps it up.

I know it's been frustrating for him to look at things and know that he used to do or use it. He's seen some electrical drawings and other things that he had written for work and doesn't have a clue to what they mean. I don't know if that will ever come back completely if at all. He's now talking about seeing Dr. Salguerio the psychiatrist he had seen for depression. They had told him that it wouldn't be a problem working him back in. We're going to wait until we get back from Florida and see how he's doing then.

So, that's the news for now. I'll update this again Saturday after we get settled at our hotel in Florida. Enjoy your week!

Phase 2 has begun...no, it's not any new medical procedure, it's our re-modeling project. We've had to rethink some things and I don' know if I'm going to like it, but, there's no way around it. Since Bill can't be around paint fumes and drywall dust this phase is going to have be done more while we're not here, and I hope that Ron, our painter, will pay attention to his instructions and do what we, or should I say, I want. We're starting with the main bathroom and we've also scaled back the project. We were going to have a walk-in tub, or just a shower installed instead of a bathtub and we've changed our minds on that. Part of it is because of Bill's circumstances. The main part is me...I don't have the desire to re-do it all. So, paint, new flooring, new toilet and vanity and hardware and we're done. Ron has this week to get as much prep work done as possible and then the 5 days that we are gone. We bought everything yesterday and the big pieces will be delivered tomorrow morning. He got all the wallpaper off the walls yesterday, and already we're finding that it's going to be a long week. Things were just put anywhere when he got started, instead of asking if I had something to put things in. So, this morning Bill can't find his shave cream, I couldn't find the cup dispenser to take my medicine (I did find the medicine) and who knows what else we'll have to search for! OK, done venting!

Nothing spectacular happened this week. It's been rather dull. This week will be different, packing, making reservations, getting ready to leave Friday. I did get a haircut and it feels wonderful! Haven't gone this short in a long time! I'm going to get a little pampering this week and get a manicure and pedicure before we go. Aahh...the little things that make us happy!

All for this week...have a great Sunday!

Update for the 1st week in July

I tried to update this last night and Blogger ate it. It kept telling me I was leaving something blank. It's also told me the same thing this morning. I've put a title on this one as you can see. I hope I don't have to title all of them!

Our week was interesting. Tuesday I took Ryan, his girlfriend Amanda, and his kids Kayden and Kiyann, to Jonesboro. Some of you know that he has had a drinking problem and lost his drivers license for 2 years. Anyway, he has fulfilled all of the requirements of the suspension. He had to return his interlock device to the shop that installed it and then take that receipt to Driver Control. After doing all of that, he was able to reinstate his license so he's now legal again. It's a good thing we got it done, he hit a sobriety checkpoint on the 4th!

Our holiday was also eventful. Bill and Ron went to Ron's family cemetery to take care of some trees he had planted. Bill went along to babysit Buddy Dog in case there were other people there and he couldn't just run. They were the only ones there and Buddy hit the jackpot on his roaming...a tiny little puppy! She's probably about 4-5 weeks old. There were no other dogs in the area so they brought her home. After some milk and a flea bath, we started trying to find her a home. She's now at home with Ryan and they've named her Monkey. She's a Rotweiler mix of some kind, but she's so small that I'm not sure.

Friday was a normal day, laundry in the morning and waiting for Bill's meds to be delivered. Just as we were having lunch Emily called and said that McKenna's glasses had broken and wanted to know if we would meet her at Walmart. Her doctor was closed and we were hoping Walmart would put the lenses in a new frame. Just as we were getting ready to pull out, my brother and his wife pulled up! This was a total surprise. I knew they were on vacation this week and they had been to St. Louis and Eureka Springs Arkansas and decided that since they pretty much had to cross the state to get home, they would come by here. So, we all piled into my car and headed to Walmart. Luckily they had a frame that would fit her lense so the child can see again. Larry treated everyone to pizza and then came back to the house for a short visit before hitting the road again.

The weather has been much cooler this week and Bill's been walking around the block. It takes him about 30 minutes, unless he sees someone to talk to! That's a shorter time that he's supposed to walk, but at least he's doing it without me nagging him to walk!

I've made both of us calendars since it seems like we neither one can remember things anymore. His is basically birthdays and anniversaries. Mine has all of the appointments and med information. Maybe that will help us, not that I'm forgetting to give/order/fill meds.

All for now. I've got cinnamon rolls in the oven and they should be just about done. I noticed that this will be post #430 and we're closing in on 15,000 pageviews. It still amazes me that so many are still following our journey, including people I don't know. But, it has meant something to them to keep reading! Happy Sunday!

We've had an excellent week with granddaughter McKenna! Her big sister and summer babysitter Brianna was involved with the TRIO program through our local college every day, including 3 days in St. Louis. So, Kenna spent the week with us, although she only spent 1 night.

I actually didn't see a lot of her during the day. She and Pa took off every day but yesterday for rides in the car, or visiting Ron and Buddy Dog. But, it gave me some wonderful alone time, and Pa got to feel useful. Kenna did rat him out for speeding! She also called me and told me they would be home a little late because they were at the Shell station eating ice cream in a town about 20 minutes from us!

It stormed early yesterday morning and she ended up in bed with us! It was too wet to do anything "fun" and I didn't feel well (I've inherited my mother's digestive problems) but we did go to Walmart and get her a toy.

She was very helpful when it came to Bill's meds and taking his vital signs. She had his medicine ready as soon as he swallowed the last bite of food and made sure that we "played doctor" every day. We started referring to her as Nurse Ratchet! And Bill thought I was strict when it came to his meds!

Our weather was terribly hot mid-week. Thursday afternoon the temp in my car read 104. This was not the inside temp but the air temp. After the storms yesterday it has been some cooler and supposed to be cooler yet this evening into the first of the week.

It doesn't seem like June should be over yet. In a little less than 3 weeks we head back to Florida for another biopsy. We've toyed with the idea of stopping in GA to see Bill's 3 boys and their families on the way back, but we have to be back by the end of the week because we have 2 granddaughters having birthdays that week-end. So I think we're going to make a quick turn-around.

All for this week. We have no plans for the holiday. May head to the church parking lot to watch the fireworks if they still shoot them at the sportsplex. And then again, we may just watch them on TV from Boston. That's always good. Have a safe and happy 4th!

Another decent week! We got some things accomplished and even spent some time apart. But, there was also some sadness again. One of my favorite bookkeeping clients passed away Sunday night. He was recently diagnosed with lung cancer and went really fast.

Father's Day Bill heard from 6 of the 7 kids. We went to church and I played the piano while Nita played the organ. We're going to do this for a few weeks. It felt good to be back at the piano but who knows how long that will last. We didn't have evening service so after we went out to eat, we just lazed around the rest of the day.

Bill and Ron spent most of the week together, doing what I have no idea. But, Ron is such a good friend to Bill. Bill told me that he's like me when it comes to making sure that he doesn't fall. They did have to work on Bill's car one day. It hadn't been driven for a while and the battery was dead. They cleaned the cables and jumped it and then took it to the car wash. It's done fine since.

I went to Jonesboro and bought a small table for behind the couch. Since both ends recline, it had to be small enough to fit behind the center section. Found the perfect one at Hobby Lobby and they were having a fantastic sale. Regular price was $130...only paid $44! While I was gone Bill got a haircut and then called me when he was back at home to let me know he was there.

I got all the glassware washed up that Bill had brought in from the apartment. It's now back on the hutch in the dining room. Got all the drawers in the hutch cleaned out. Found some stuff in there from 1998! The trash guys got a workout this week! Bill worked in the apartment rearranging his stuff.

We've both had the "I don't want to" today. We didn't want to do anything productive at all, whether it was cleaning something out, or being crafty, or shopping...we just didn't want to do anything except sit. But I guess it's OK to have days like that.

Our neighbors across the street had a security light put up at their house this week. I think we could play a ballgame in the back it's so bright now. Maybe the thieves will think twice before hitting the backyards again.

We're going to have McKenna this week. Brianna is going on a trip with the college. They have some classes here for 3 days and then 2 days in St. Louis with all expenses paid. She's excited about going. Kenna was excited about coming here, but now she wants to go to some friends from church. That's not going to happen. We'll find something for her to do. Hopefully she won't tire Bill out too much.

I've been trying to work on a letter to his donor's family. That's a very hard letter to write. Thank you just doesn't do it. There are restrictions on this letter, too. We can't give any personal information except first names, and no address. We can send pictures. So, I'm working on this.

All for this week. Again, it was just a regular week.

We've had a much better week than last. We've both felt well, although allergies are still plaguing me. Bill and Ron hung out together most days working on "projects" which gave me some alone time. I could use more, but don't see that happening any time soon. Although, Bill is now showing some signs of  "independence" again in some aspects, but in others, not so much. He has moved more this week and is working more in the apartment on his mancave. He had moved a lot of stuff from the house out there (small things) when we were working on the house and he's brought them back in. That frees the shelf space for his stuff. Of course that means a little more work for me since the stuff all has to be washed before it can be put back. But, it has to be done sometime.

Yesterday was "Momma's" wake and the funeral was this morning. Some of the girls from the office met here and we all went together last night. We let the men off the hook for this one. We didn't go to the funeral though. And, after the wake a couple of the girls came back here and visited for awhile. Actually we weren't really visiting, we were gossiping! Got the scoop on a former employee and just dissected some other topics. It was nice to just sit and talk.

Took a ride through the country this morning. Had to run to Ryan's and I noticed the crops. The corn is shoulder high in some fields, waist high in others. The cotton is finally above ground and some farmers are starting to cut wheat. I dread when those fields are done because it's the practice here to burn the field off after the harvest so it can be replanted almost immediately with something else. The crop dusters have also been flying this morning and afternoon so between the two, breathing becomes more difficult. But, looking at the fields, I was reminded that amidst the sorrow of the deaths we've had, life goes on. Neighbors are mowing lawns, dusting and vacuuming takes place, meals are cooked. And for those little things, we are grateful.

As Bill is becoming more independent, I'm finding that it's still difficult to let go. But, I've got to let him do things for himself. I did discover that he won't remember to take his medicine if I don't remind him, and I don't think he would really eat if I didn't ask him what he wanted. It would be very nice if he did remember to do these things on his own. Then maybe I could sleep in until after 7 and not worry about if he took his medicine.

And so it goes...

This has not been a good week for us. No, Bill has not had any major issues. It has just been a very emotionally draining week.

Early Monday morning, my best friend's father passed away suddenly. He would have been 90 next month, and while it was not totally unexpected, it was still a shock. Then, on Tuesday, the mother of my other friend, who I had requested prayer for last week, passed away just before midnight. We managed to get through the visitation and funeral of Phillis's dad, but just barely. There was a full regular Army Honor Guard and that part of the service was hard on both of us. I don't know when the other funeral is to be held, and I haven't seen Berta yet. I've talked to her and she is holding on. She has a large family and her kids are all here by now, so she's not alone.

We did have a bright spot. Bryan came over Monday and tried to find where the water was coming in. He tried everything he could think of, where it looked like it could be, but no water. Ron came over on Tuesday morning and started cleaning the gutters for us and still no water. It also rained some and no water. So, we think that the gutters were too clogged and it was raining so hard that they overflowed at the flashing. We'll just have to keep an eye on them for awhile. But, at least we have clean gutters all around the house now.

Today we took my car to Jackson Tn. to have the 30,0000 mile maintenance done. When I told them how rough it was driving with the new tires, they re-balanced them and now it drives beautifully. The technician said there were too many weights in them, and in the wrong places. Now, since we bought them at a tire specialty store, you would think that they would know how to balance tires. Anyway, I should get better gas mileage and it rides like it did when we first bought it.

Bill got his first Hepatitis A and B shots this week. Gets the 2nd shot of 1 next month and for a couple of months after that. The 2nd shot of the other one is in 6 months.

I've had a terrible time breathing this week. Sunday was a full-blown allergy attack where it took all of my effort to just breathe. I didn't make it to church. Felt better most of the week except for a headache, but today I'm hurting some when I breathe. I've used my inhaler and it hasn't helped a whole lot. It feels like the Pleurisy is back. The only thing they can give for that is Prednisone and I'm allergic to that. So, I guess I'm just going to have to suffer with it.

We had a security light installed yesterday. There's only a small monthly charge and it's just like a street light, maintained by the power company. It's in the back and lights the entire backyard and part of our neighbor's yard. That house is empty and for rent and it was broken into and all of the copper stripped from the air conditioner. Since we had someone prowling around while we were in Illinois, we figured we'd better do something else. We also had to get a locking mailbox since our neighbor Joe caught some kids going through the box. We may have to get sleep masks to keep the light out, but I don't think anyone will be nosing around the backyard in the middle of the night anymore.

All for this week. Hopefully yours was better than ours was. At least this next week should be better, except for "Momma's" funeral.

This week seems like it was very strange. Maybe because of the holiday. And when I said that LIFE happened in the last post, this week we could substitute other letters!

We grilled some steaks on Monday with corn on the cob, baked beans and salad and then had leftovers in a salad on Tuesday. This was the first that Bill had done any grilling since we went to
Florida. We didn't grill there because it was a communal grill and we just didn't want to take a chance with it. Of course the charcoal I bought would not stay lit so it took forever for the steaks to cook. We also bought a new washer and dryer.

Ryan and Bryan got the old washer and dryer Tuesday morning and the new ones were delivered that afternoon. We also got Bill's meds from Fed-Ex instead of them coming on Wednesday.

Since the meds came early, we decided to go to Tunica on Wednesday. For those of you who don't know "what" that means...it's Tunica, Mississippi to the casinos. We had been in Oklahoma for a little while and Bill did pretty well. He didn't do as well this time. He was very overwhelmed by all of the noise and people. He also couldn't remember how to play the games. This was something that we had both enjoyed in the past, and I wasn't able to enjoy myself because of keeping track of him and what he was doing. They have also changed the machines so much now. There are too many paylines and to win anything you have to bet a lot more than before. We can both remember the first time we went. We each had $50 and stayed all day and into the evening. On the way home we both commented that it wouldn't bother us to not go again.

Thursday was the last day of school and McKenna wanted to walk. But, when she didn't arrive at the church within 15 minutes I got a little worried. I drove to the school and the bus for her field trip had not arrived yet. She was one tired little girl when she finally did get home. It started storming that evening and rained really hard all through the night.

When I got up yesterday morning there was water all over the laundry room/computer room floor. I was not real happy, not that I had to clean up the water, but we've had that roof repaired 3 times since we put the roof on! Of course no roofing company would come out in the rain, so we just cleaned it up. The good thing is that I got to really try out the new washer and dryer!

It also started raining today, and I started watching that room to see just where the water was coming from. To my surprise, it's not the roof. Some how the water is getting in behind the siding and coming down the wall and then out into the room. I put down lots of towels and then marked the wall with painters' tape to get an idea of where to look when the weather lets up enough to get out. This is very discouraging since we just had the siding installed 3 years ago. I also had a sneaky suspicion that Home Depot is not going to be very cooperative at fixing it. There were lots of problems when it was installed to begin with and they probably don't want to hear from us again! But, if you're going to do a job, do it right!

On top of all of this, a good friend called and said that her mother had cancer throughout most of her body and they were just keeping her comfortable now. This was totally unexpected. She did say that "Mama" is handling it well and is a peace with it. Another friend developed an infection in his colon and has spent the entire week in the hospital in Memphis. Still another had a pacemaker/defibrillator implanted this week. So, last week the mundane aspects of life happened. This week it was the bigger, badder things. But, another month has passed. Another month of life for Bill and we will be thankful for that blessing. We are also looking for the blessings in the problems and illnesses. So far they are staying hidden from me. Maybe before long they will show themselves.

All for now.

Good Sunday morning! It looks to be a lovely day here. It's a little cool right now but the sun is shining and no clouds in the sky.

We've had a good week after our trip. We went shopping for a new washer and dryer. Haven't purchased it yet, but I think I've decided which one I want. Need to get the old set moved out before the new gets delivered. The old ones are going to Ryan's. We also got some replacement parts for the grill and a few other things for the patio. I'm hoping we can spend some time out there this summer and enjoy it. We're planning on grilling some steaks for Memorial Day, just the 2 of us I think.

The only thing that has really happened this week is LIFE, the little every day things. There have been no major problems or developments. I did take McKenna to the eye doctor early Thursday morning to get her glasses fixed. She talked the entire drive there and back. I love the conversations we have. You never know what she's going to come up with, such as needing to go back to Florida to the beach, but this time with a beach chair since she has a new bikini!

I hope everyone has a great holiday week-end. Please remember the reason for the holiday, not just as the start of summer. I sometimes wonder if the origin of the holiday is taught anymore. As I was looking at my great-uncles grave, and listening to mom explain to Bill who he was, I realized that he was not 18 when he was killed in World War I, but 17. So young, yet wanted to fight for his country so badly that he lied about his age to enlist. So, let's take the day to remember our fallen ones, before our baseball games and bbqs. OK, off my soapbox! Until next week....

Sorry for no post Saturday. We were visiting my mother in Illinois. We had a great visit and I got to meet my great-nephew who is 8 months old. He's a happy fella, especially being around people he hadn't seen before, in addition to a niece and nephew and brother and sister.

The weather was perfect for the entire visit. Bill did really well for the entire trip, although he did get tired. We went to the family cemeteries to place flower for Memorial Day with Mom, and between her and Bill walking on bumpy, unsteady land and leaning over driving a screwdriver in the ground to dig a hole, I was a nervous wreck! I had visions of each of them overbalancing and falling on their heads, or twisting an ankle and falling and breaking a hip!

Our travel days were not too bad, some rain and wind, but lots of construction, especially in the bigger city areas. We had considered going home through the country to by-pass those areas, but the weather was supposed to be bad today so decided to stay in more populated areas. As we got off the interstate, I got a message that a tornado watch had been issued and almost immediately a severe thunderstorm warning. We were able to get the car unloaded before the storm reached us. It has thundered all evening now and there is supposed to be another wave of storms coming in.

We have family in the tornado areas of Oklahoma. The Shawnee tornado came within 1/2 mile of one daughter's house. They lost some trees, a fence and an out-building, but the last we heard the house was ok. Another daughter lives nearby and I don't think they have had any damage. She and her husband are in the National Guard and I know her husband was activated. Since Aimee works in supply, I'm sure she has been too. Please keep all of the victims in your prayers, not just the ones in Moore.

All for this update. We're probably going to bed early tonight, if the storms hold off! If not, it could be a very long night!