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.