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.