Friday, August 31, 2012

August is Just About Behind Us!

Well, here we are on the last day of August.  I got up way before Woody this morning...like around 3:30am...not good!  When I realized that I wouldn't get back to sleep, I got up and came into the sewing room and started doing some things on the laptop and discovered more things that disappeared when it was worked on several months ago.  The one folder that had disappeared was luckily on our backup...at least to what was there when I last backed up.  It was a big folder of lots of things for my sewing...info, ideas, etc. Then I got to looking at some of the things in the folder that had disappeared and realized that when the laptop was worked on and had to have everything taken off and then reloaded that all the fonts that I had downloaded prior to the problem were gone (hadn't thought about them till this morning when the documents that I had used the font on just had gibberish on the page.  Not a big deal, but still rather frustrating.  For a while I spent some time looking on the internet for some of the fonts that I had downloaded over the years...but shortly stopped that...I'll just gather as needed!  I use the fonts with my sewing software to be able to machine embroider words, monograms, etc.  And, when Abigail did her sewing notebook she chose one of those fonts to print her pages.  But those pages are already printed and in her notebook so not a big deal...just an irritation!  Now wonder when and what I'll find missing next! After Woody got up, I went downstairs and had breakfast.  Woody headed out really early and got busy on the yard.  He finished raking up leaves, sticks, acorns, and other debris from our front yard.  And, then later mowed.  I came upstairs to read and rest a bit and did close my eyes for a little while.  When I woke up I finished today's crossword puzzle on the iPad...Woody had completed a hard copy of the puzzle hours before.  After the mail arrived, I had a package to inspire me to get busy.  I had ordered some attachments for our new vacuum.  Woody headed off to do our weekly grocery shopping and I got underway trying out the new attachments.  And, kept at it till he got home from the store. (So some other spots in the house are a little cleaner!)  Then I put away the groceries.  And, then the afternoon got away from me.  I got really tired so decided to come upstairs and rest for a while and then head down to fix something for our supper...well...I just woke up a little while ago.  Woody said that I missed supper!  I guess I was just trying to make up for the sleep that I lost in the middle of the night!  Woody still doesn't think that he has passed his kidney stone, but he said that being as active as he has been today helps and that he hasn't much pain at all today.  I wonder what September has in store for us...it is looming just hours away!

Thursday, August 30, 2012

August's Last Thursday

Woody got up early and walked six miles.  He has also worked some in the yard.  And, he made his cooked dressing slaw using cabbages that he grew.  This is the first time that he has grown cabbages.  He had one that was medium sized and the rest were rather small.  His description of the small ones: large brussel sprouts!  The cabbage was very tender and made good slaw.  We had some for supper.  As far as an update on his kidney stone...still there and the last that I asked he wasn't having any pain.  I guess that having two previous fairly active days took my energy away and today I did as close to nothing as I could.  I did finish listening to The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin and then started listening to Vanity Fair.  I did a little work in the sewing room.  I was putting some things away as I'm planning to get back to sewing and want things to be a little neater. Library orders got a little bit of my attention. I did  put away a load of wash and ironed the few pieces that needed to be ironed.  That's about it for this day.

Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Chasing Rabbits

Woody got up early because he didn't have the best of nights. (I shouldn't have mentioned in the blog last night that he had had such a good day yesterday pain-wise!).  Today he said that his pain comes and goes. He worked in the yard for a while today.  He headed off on his walk a bit later than usual as he wanted to go to the weekly farmer's market.  He came home with two really nice eggplants.  We ate one of them for supper.  I made Eggplant Parmesan. Not a lot of ingredients, but what is in it just works flavor-wise!  I spent a good part of the morning doing church library work here at the house.  I started preparing the next book order and also worked on filling memorial requests.  Then after lunch I headed off to the library and that is where the rabbit chasing started.  Donna and I both looked at each other after we had worked more than two hours and said that we didn't know what we had done, but we knew that we had been busy!  One job just led to another.  That's just how it is with library work. As soon as I got home from church, I started in on supper.  I was very ready to sit when it was time to eat. Here's hoping that Woody has a better night tonight and that soon this kidney stone will be history.

Tuesday, August 28, 2012

Classic Cleaning Day!

Woody got up early and went on a seven mile walk.  He has also done some yard work and some cooking.  I've got him trained well...haven't I!?!  He steamed broccoli and cauliflower.  Using the cauliflower he made one of our favorite cauliflower recipes: Italian-style Cauliflower. You cook garlic in olive oil and then add a flavored vinegar of your choice and then toss that with the cauliflower...really makes a tasty dish.  When I got up I started in on where I stopped last night with vacuuming the downstairs. I vacuumed the dining room first and then really attacked the living room.  And, that is where tonight's blog title comes from...I pulled off all the volumes of the Great Books of the Western World and vacuumed them and the shelves they sit on...so 60+ volumes of what could be considered classics got a good cleaning today.  That only is the tip of the iceberg around here for vacuuming off bookshelves...but at least a start!  I then continued around the living room vacuuming the furniture, etc. and finally the floor.  It's pretty clean in there now (except for the K'nex end of the living room and that area can wait for another time!).  I'm pretty worn out from my cleaning activity...but at least there is something to show for my efforts!  And, all the rooms downstairs have now been vacuumed...my goal for the day was to finish with the basic floor cleaning downstairs.  I still have a bit of furniture moving and vacuuming to do in the family room...but that can wait till tomorrow or another day!  At least all major pathways have been vacuumed. Woody has walked to the prayer room at church this evening.  He said that his kidney stone discomfort has been close to nil today...that's good (I think (hope)!).  

Monday, August 27, 2012

August's Last Monday

Woody got up early...mainly due to the fact that he didn't have the best night rest...just snatches of sleep...part of the night in the recliner and part of the night in our bed.  He did go for a four-mile walk early this morning.  He also ran a couple of errands today.  He did do a small amount of mowing.  He headed off to church a little while ago for church visitation.  He doesn't think that he has passed the kidney stone yet, but as he walked out the door a little while ago he said that "at the moment" he was okay. I have had a fairly low-key day.  I have done quite a bit of reading and a little cleaning (good balance...more of what I like to do than what I am not all that fond of doing!). My sinus problems seem to be much better...mainly left with a sinus headache...much better than some of the other sinus pains that I had last week.

Sunday, August 26, 2012

August's Last Sunday

Guess it really is getting time for pumpkins...stills seems a bit early...but we'll take them when they're ready!  Woody and I both went to the early service and then taught our respective Sunday School classes.  We came home...me to scrounge up some lunch and Woody to wait to go back to the church for his lunch.  There was a lunch for the parents of our youth and the youth Sunday School workers after the second service.  So Woody went back after the second service was over to have pizza and share Sunday School plans for the coming year with the parents.  We both seem to be feeling better.  I judge that Woody is by the fact that he made it to morning and evening services and Sunday School plus lunch at church today.  He did sleep in the recliner downstairs last night as he had discomfort lying flat in the bed.  I slept in the upstairs recliner due to my head hurting when I lie down!  Quite a pair...aren't we!?!

Now I hang my head, as I forgot something very important yesterday due to all our aches and pains.  I didn't look at the calendar...and now that we are retired I just don't keep up with the exact date as I once did.  I had thought about this very important day many times during the month...just not on the day!  So tonight I say a BIG (belated) HAPPY BIRTHDAY to our oldest granddaughter, Erin.  She turned 19 yesterday.  Oh, my how times does fly!  When we talked this afternoon I asked her what she thought about this being her last teen year.  She thought maybe she would call 20, "Twenteen!"

Saturday, August 25, 2012

Misery Loves Company????



Woody got up and walked seven miles.  By the time that he got home he realized that he didn't feel just right. He said that it took him a while to realize what exactly the feeling that he had was turning out to be...ANOTHER kidney stone!  Well, he had about two hours of severe pain and since then has not had pain.  He's not sure just exactly where the stone is, but at this time it isn't causing him a problem...that he knows of!  I think that my sinus problems are getting better...by that I mean that the pain has migrated to a different spot.  For quite a while today I couldn't bite down on one side due to pain in a couple of teeth...but that pain seems to be moving on and becoming more a feeling of pressure in the left side of my face around my teeth, nose eye, forehead.  But definitely the pain is lessening!  So today we are a good pair.  Woody has been drinking lemon juice mixed in water as a home remedy for dissolving kidney stones!  He also has been keeping on the move as something that he read said to not just lie around.  So once the pain left him, he has worked on mowing the lawn.  At one point he came in and said that he had mowed around the pumpkin plants and that I could take some photos if I'd like.  So I went out and took a few.  The top photo shows how the pumpkin vine is just about taking over our backyard.  Then the photo on the left shows one of the baby pumpkins...you can tell the size of it by comparing it to the leaves.  The photo on the right shows one of fairly good size.  I would guess that we have at least ten at various stages of growth and color change.  These pumpkin vines are volunteers that grew from pumpkin seeds that got thrown into the compost pile.  It's a pretty good crop for no effort on our part...just part of God's plan for our backyard gardens this year!  The neighbor grandchildren are looking forward to coming to Goosey's and Grammy's pumpkin patch to choose their pumpkin this year!  I did get up and get started on the all-day task of making my mother's Boston Baked Bean recipe.  They came out of the oven just in time for supper (and went into the oven mid-morning).  The beans soaked all night.  Then I boiled them on top of the stove for 1 1/2 hours and then stirred in onions, molasses, brown sugar and other seasonings and then popped them into a slow oven and baked them for 6 hours.  Yummy!  Definitely worth the long cooking time. While they cooked Woody watched a library DVD and also the Little League National Championship...way to go TN Little Leaguers from Goodletsville!  I came upstairs with my timer set for the times that I needed to stir the beans and watched some photography teaching videos on the iPad and also worked on tomorrow's Sunday School lesson. And, as I end this I am hoping that our shared misery is about over!

Friday, August 24, 2012

Friday

Woody got up early and walked seven miles.  Later in the morning he and Esther did our weekly grocery shopping.  While they were shopping, Elijah came over here to play for a while.  He and I sat up the Fisher Price farm and played.  When he tired of that, we headed to the kitchen for a snack (a favorite thing for him to have while here).  He was concerned when he found out that we didn't have any milk.  I assured him that I was sure that Goosey (Woody) knew that we needed milk and would buy some today.  While he snacked on crackers and peanut butter, I got busy and did a bit of cleaning in the refrigerator before Woody got home with the groceries.  Woody watched a couple of library DVD movies this afternoon.  Graham brought a game over and he and I played several rounds.  Then after all that I was ready for a rest.  I'm still not feeling the greatest, but do think that I am better.  I will think that the pain has left and then suddenly a wave of pain is back.  I'm ready to feel good!  I have some sewing plans, but with my head feeling like it does don't feel like sewing.  I did catch up with the USA Today crossword puzzles today and have read a little bit and dozed a time or two.  I think that it is in the plans for me to make my mother's Boston Baked Bean recipe tomorrow so guess I need to head downstairs and get the beans ready to soak over night.

Thursday, August 23, 2012

Just Hangin' In There!

It seems lately that if it isn't one thing then it is another with me...at the moment I am having sinus problems...quite painful.  I did have school with Elijah, Esther and Joy and read with Abigail.  After Joy read, we came into the sewing room and sewed the legs back on her stuffed monkey and also fixed his hand!  More monkey sewing...seems to be a theme this week! Then this afternoon I have just been reclining in my favorite spot...or so it seems lately...the recliner in our bedroom!  Joy and Esther came over wanting to earn some money after they finished with their school work at home.  Woody had the perfect job for them to do just that...he needed someone to hold up his tomato vines so he could mow under them.  They also engaged Abigail in this money earning endeavor and it was done in short order and they each earned a coin to put in their banks.  Joy and Esther came back over after lunch and hung around hoping that Woody would come up with more jobs for them to earn coins!  They did do a few more things...one big job being sweeping our front sidewalk.  We seem to have a squirrel who loves perching high above in one of our oak trees and he eats acorns there...dropping all the acorn shells on our walkway right in front of our front steps.  It looked, before it was swept, like one of those restaurants where people eat peanuts and drop the shells on the floor.  Woody got up early as usual and walked.  This time he walked seven miles. He has read, done that little bit of mowing, made tuna salad, and read some more. He is now downstairs watching a library DVD.  I did manage to work several crossword puzzles and play some games of solitaire and read a bit in my latest book and doze a bit this afternoon.  I'm just the life of the party at the moment (not)! The recliner is once again calling my name!

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Here's Looking at Wednesday

Woody got up early and walked his four-mile route. We had a pretty normal day of school...not sure what normal is for school...yet!  Elijah came over first, then Esther, then Joy and then Graham.  We had a full morning of going over their lessons.  Then I ate a quick lunch and headed to the church library and worked there for three hours.  Again, we got quite a bit accomplished.  I came home and began fading.  I have had quite a time convincing myself to get up out of the recliner to come blog!  Woody is watching a library DVD.  I did manage to finish a book between short snoozes after getting home from church. I'm not worth much this evening!

Tuesday, August 21, 2012

It's A Beautiful Day In The Neighborhood...

...and, a beautiful day all over the town.  I took tonight's photo today before I got into the car after I got my haircut.  This is Lake Tullahoma.  We have had such pleasant temperatures and also much lower humidity today...really nice.  Once again I will say that there is a feeling of Fall in the air!

I woke up really early and couldn't get back to sleep.  So I ended up doing a couple of sewing jobs that Graham and Abigail had asked me to do. I fixed a little t-shirt for one of Abigail's stuffed monkeys and replaced the feet on a pair of pajamas for Graham...interesting sewing projects! I heard Woody get up and head out for a twelve-mile walk. I had closed the sewing room door to not disturb him and he didn't want to disturb me in case I had gone back to sleep in the sewing room...so I just heard the front door close as he headed out on his walk.  A little earlier this evening, Woody walked to the prayer room at church...and has yet to return.  I had school with Abigail, Graham, and Joy this morning.  Then after lunch Goosey (Woody) had school with Elijah and Esther!  (I wish that I could have been a fly on the wall!) I had a long-standing hair cut appointment for the time they were to have school so Goosey volunteered to have school with them.  Later this afternoon Kathy and most of the crew came over while she ran off copies for some of their school work.

Monday, August 20, 2012

Anything But Restful!

I've hardly had a time to sit today...a very busy day.  I quickly vacuumed the school room this morning to get it ready for the start of the school week.  Then I found out that school was going to be a bit delayed.  So continued my vacuuming downstairs.  Woody headed off on a walk.  He walked to the Post Office and back.  By the time that he got back school was underway.  Woody helped out by listening to Joy and Abigail read.  I had Elijah, Esther, Joy and Abigail for varying lengths of time.  The younger children worked with the Montessori equipment.  The older children worked on some worksheets from their homeschooling curriculum and also read to me.  That all happened before lunch.  Then we had lunch and I did manage to sit down for a little while.  I talked to my sister...finding out about her first day working at a preschool.  She had a bit of a harrowing experience when a child fell (Cheryl thinks that the child passed out due to it being so hot in AZ at this time.).  Anyway, Cheryl got broken in right away as to how quickly things can happen to little preschoolers even when you are standing right next to them! It brings back a few memories of my 27 years at Montessori!  Woody has done some yard work today.  I walked out to look at the pumpkins that we have growing in our compost pile (volunteers!).  There are quite a few...I think that we counted eight, but some may be hiding in the massive vine.  I walked around the end of the vine and was trying to get a better look at one of the pumpkins when Woody hollered "SNAKE!"  I guess I passed right by it just moments before.  After I talked with my sister I headed downstairs to make our supper.  It seemed to take me forever.  But the end results seemed to be worth the effort!  I made Sweet 'n Sour Pork.  It really was quite good!  I just got finished putting dishes in the dishwasher and food away and left the rest of the mess (dishes that can't go in the dishwasher) for Woody.  Now maybe I can go sit down and relax! Tonight's photo is a picture of one of the blooms on our very large eggplant plant.

Sunday, August 19, 2012

Day of Rest

Woody got up early but chose not to walk today...a true day of rest for him.  We both went to the early service and then to our Sunday School classes.  Woody taught his class.  We came home and I fixed lunch and then loaded the dish washer.  We both watched a tennis match for a while.  Then I headed upstairs to rest in the recliner and then that was about the end to my afternoon as I fell asleep pretty quickly!  I did talk to my sister shortly after I woke up.  I have had no energy to do anything after getting home from church.  Woody just got home a little while ago from the evening church service.  We have both read (me very little) and watched a bit of TV (again, me very little).  Yesterday evening after I blogged, I worked some more on copying the blog entries to word documents.  There are more than I thought at first, but I am coming along with that task...had to go back and do some major renumbering, but am back on track now!

Saturday, August 18, 2012

Saturday Goals

Woody got up early and walked seven miles.  Then later in the morning he walked to the library and on the way back home he stopped at the fruit and vegetable market.  He has also mowed some today.  My goal of the day was to get back to the cleaning that I had started before I hurt my foot. So today I decided to start with something that was pretty easy...the stair case.  That meant vacuuming the stairs, using the dusting attachment on the woodwork and then taking all the samplers down and giving them a good dusting.  The major job was getting the samplers back up and hanging straight once again.  I used the laser level to attempt to get them straight.  They will be straight till the next sonic boom!  We haven't had a sonic boom in a while...straightening the samplers is an invitation for one of those planes to fly over and shake the whole house! (The samplers represent a time in my life when I was doing a LOT of needlework...now I rarely pick up a needle unless it is to hem something or sew on a button, etc...maybe one of these days I'll get back to my needlework once again..there's plenty of it around here to do!)  I have done a lot of reading and resting while accomplishing my task of the day, though I have managed to get through the day without a nap.  I have also managed to wash a load of clothes and get them in the drier...now to get them out and put away!  I seem to be moving back a little closer to normal.  Woody has watched a library DVD and I also heard a baseball game on the TV at some point this afternoon and he has worked his daily crossword puzzle and I'm sure he has read some too.  

Friday, August 17, 2012

Delightful Friday

Woody got up early and went for his usual morning walk.  He walked four miles.  Later in the morning he did our weekly grocery shopping.  I got up and headed in to the laptop as I knew that I needed to get caught up with backing up the blogs in Word documents.  I hadn't done it in a while and last night the blog site was acting really funny...even telling me that it didn't recognize a blog with address wdorrell.blogspot.  That message was a little concerning as I don't want to lose all the blogs that I have posted...since I use the posts as a diary/memory jogger!  After I did that for a while...it starts getting mesmerizing and either puts me to sleep after a while or I start making mistakes in the numbering!  So I got a month or two done and then I quit and started getting ready for my afternoon plans.  Three friends and I had made plans several weeks ago to have lunch together.  Three of us were heading to the fourth friend's house.  We met at the church and then rode to her house together.  She lives on Normandy Lake in Manchester.  And, it was a delightful day to head there.  We all commented that we could tell that Fall is in the air.  We ate lunch in her sunroom and watched the birds have their lunch.  The goldfinches were in abundance.  And, of course, I had my camera so I managed to get several photos of those delightfully colored birds.  We had a great time together...as we always do! We always leave each other saying that we need to get together more often, but not always easy with each of us having busy schedules.  It seems that it is harder for us all to get together now as retirees than when we worked and had children at home!  Such are the times!  I came home and copied a few more blog entries and then got so sleepy that I went into our bedroom and plopped in the recliner...and, in no time I was sound asleep.  I thought that I wouldn't have a nap today since I got back home after my usual "nap time," but guess a nap is written into my afternoons these days no matter what the time!

Thursday, August 16, 2012

Thursday

Busy day.  Woody got up early and walked.  Later in the day he ran an errand.  I had school with Elijah, Esther and Joy this morning.  This afternoon I napped...again, when I only meant to sit down and rest and read!  This evening I ventured out for the first time since I hurt my foot and ran an errand.  The first time that I had seen the inside of a store in a long time (I don't think that I have been missing much!).

Wednesday, August 15, 2012

Mid-week, Mid-month!

It seems just like yesterday that it was the middle of July.  I really do think that I am getting really old since time seems to be zooming by! Woody got up early and went for a seven mile walk.  I had school first with Elijah and spent a little longer with him since Esther was at a dentist appointment.  After he finished with school with me, he went downstairs to see Goosey (Woody).  Goosey had a job for someone who was really strong and Elijah decided to "try out" for the job!  It was using our special chopper/dicer on celery for the tuna fish salad that Woody was making.  Next I had Joy come over and we discovered the joys of math!  She was working on number places and also on money (counting and writing down amounts using a decimal point).  After she finished with her lesson, Abigail came over and we worked on her English.  Today she was learning about "telling sentences" and learning about starting the sentence with a capital letter and ending the sentence with the proper punctuation.  She also read a chapter to me in the book that she started reading to me yesterday. Then it was time for lunch and then a quick change of hats from teacher to librarian!  After lunch I headed to the church to work in the library for a couple of hours.  We are starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel in getting our patron list up to date.  Life is never dull in the library...never lack for a job that needs to be done!  Woody did a smidgen of yard work today and has spent the rest of his time indoors reading, puzzle solving, Bible study, etc. After getting home from the library, I took a short nap and then read for a while.

Tuesday, August 14, 2012

Aiming Toward "Normal!"

I'm trying to get back to "normal"...whatever "normal" is!  I have had school with all five little scholars and even cooked our supper. My foot is ever so much better.  Today for the first time I find myself walking normally and not favoring the hurt foot.  I still have my foot secured with my shoe laced up tightly.  I did have a short rest this afternoon.  I sat down to read and I don't think that I even picked up the book before I was asleep!  The iPad woke me up with a beeping sound...it was telling me that two planes had collided on the runway at the Nashville airport (no injuries reported).  I guess that my short snooze proved a power nap as after being so rudely awakened I did read for a while.  Then I got an inspiration about something to cook for tonight.  So I have made an adaption of a baked ziti recipe.  It just came out of the oven and we haven't tasted it yet...but if looks can be the judge...then it should be good!  While I cooked, I listened to The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin on my iPad.  Woody walked to the prayer room earlier and we will eat after he gets home.  He also walked to the pharmacy after lunch to pick up some prescriptions for the two of us.  Finally my insurance has kicked in and today bore a little of the brunt of the cost of my prescriptions. Plus one of my prescriptions has gone generic and that helped too.  Woody also did a bit of mowing today...and of course has read, worked a crossword puzzle, etc.

Monday, August 13, 2012

Stormy Monday!

We have had a couple of storms roll through today and have gotten quite a bit of rain.  I went out to sit on the front porch a little while ago and it is quite pleasant...in the 70's at 6pm!  Nice!  Woody got up early and walked his four-mile route.  Later in the morning he ran an errand.  He pretty much stayed in and enjoyed a rainy day.  I did the same.  I have read (read two books and well into the third since Woody checked them out on Saturday).  This afternoon I attacked a stack of recipes that we had copied from one cookbook or another or downloaded from the Internet.  I have managed to get all the loose recipes into a notebook and the notebook put away in the cabinet on our recipe book.  A good job done!  I thought that I might put my "best foot" forward today and do a bit of cooking...but wasn't in the mood by the time I finished messing with all those recipes!  So we had Woody's leftover chunky tomato and sausage sauce on pasta tonight.

Sunday, August 12, 2012

Twelve Years Ago Today!

Last night I went back two years and tonight I add ten more years to that and go back twelve!  Twelve years ago today we gained a daughter-in-love!  Happy 12th Anniversary, Kathy and Nathan!

Woody got up early and walked.  He went to early church service and then taught his Sunday School class.  I stayed at home again not wanting to undo any of the healing that my foot has done.  I have read, typed recipes and worked on a list of  websites and passwords that I have gone to over the years...making a new list...eliminating a lot of the sites.  So once again I have stayed off my foot most of the day.  Woody came home from church and made Chunky Tomato and Sausage pasta sauce that he served over linguine.  Very good!  He returned from the evening church service just a little while ago.

Saturday, August 11, 2012

Two Years Ago Today




Two years ago today we were bidding farewell to NIH after Woody's three + week hospital (July 18 to August 11, 2010) stay AND Woody looked like the above photo!  I'm so glad that we are can look back on that long hospitalization and see such positive results two years later!  It definitely makes all that he went through worth it!

Woody got up early this morning and walked six miles.  A bit later in the morning he made his weekly trip to the library.  He has also done some mowing on our lawn today, too.  A bit different day than two years ago when we spent 12 hours either on the road or in the sky on our way back to TN!  I spent part of the morning looking back over past blogs from that three-week time in Bethesda.  I'm so glad to have the blogs to be able to look back on and refresh my memory as to just exactly what happened...if we didn't have those, I think that it would all be just sort of a blur!  I am still taking it easy...pretty much stay in one place once I settle!  I have read, typed some recipes onto my iPad, played solitaire, talked to my sister on the phone, etc. I have done nothing that made me exert much effort.  Trying to not take any chances with my foot since it seems to be on the mend.

Friday, August 10, 2012

Friday

Woody has accomplished a lot today.  He got up early and walked seven miles.  He did our weekly grocery shopping. He cut up a LARGE tree limb that came down in yesterday's thunderstorm and he carried the pieces to the brush pile that will be picked up at a later time by the city.  This afternoon he walked to get his hair cut.  And, at a later time in the afternoon he ran a couple of errands in the car. He is now watching a DVD.  I have done pretty close to nothing.  I continue to take it easy due to my foot...which seems much better...my being careful seems to be paying off.  The rest of my body knows that I am trying to not use that foot...and the rest of me is aching!  Today I have been very tired.  I have been attempting to finish a book and every time that I pick up the book to read I seem to doze off!  I have managed to work a little on some crossword puzzles and caught up with checking out some things on my iPad.  But mostly I have done nothing today...and have felt like doing less than that!!!!!

Thursday, August 9, 2012

Date Night!

I'm a bit late blogging tonight as it is "date night" for the neighbor children's parents!  This is a special date night for Nathan and Kathy as they will celebrate their 12th anniversary on Sunday.  Goosey (Woody) and I have been treated to magic, gymnastic and other daring acts this evening.  After those acts, there was a bowling tournament and then lots of  bedtime stories!  They are in bed now and I left Goosey to hold down the fort till Nathan and Kathy get home.  I came home to blog and put my foot up!  It has been another busy day.  Woody walked early this morning...a good thing as we had thunderstorms settle in between 9 and 10am that stayed around a while.  I was having school with Elijah when they first started rumbling. Then there was a bit of a break that gave Esther an opportunity to head over for her school time.  It got VERY windy for a short time...Esther's eyes got rather big when she saw the tree branches swaying outside the school room window. The storms left and Esther and Elijah went home.  Joy came over to work on one of her lessons and another round of storms came through. The plants are happy to be getting regular drinks of water these days. Nathan and Kathy and the rest of the children came over before Joy left.  They came over to have a family time looking at a scrapbook I made many years ago about our family trip to Yellowstone and points beyond.  There is such a trip in their future and they are beginning to make plans and shared the Yellowstone destination with the children today.  Kathy and I took Abigail to the shoe store today to get her some new tennis shoes...we had taken Graham a couple of days ago. After that trip I took a short power nap to get ready for kidsitting duty this evening.  Woody has cleaned up the kitchen, made our vegetarian burrito recipe, read, done crossword puzzles and other rainy day activities today.

Wednesday, August 8, 2012

Busy Wednesday!

I finally got a good night's sleep...too good!  I ended up sleeping in and it was the first day that I was to have school with Elijah and Esther!  Oops!  But we did get it in and had very good sessions with both of them.  This is Esther's kindergarten year.  She was really ready to get back into Grammy's school time as was Elijah.  It's fun to see how they have matured over the summer.  Fun times ahead...now if Grammy will just wake up in time!  Then after lunch I went to the library and we worked for three hours.  And, now I am done in...ready to take my shoe off and put my foot up for a while.  Woody has gone to the last of the special church services...and I can't ask him about his activities of the day.  I figure that he walked...but don't know the specifics!  We haven't crossed each other's paths too often today...and when we did I didn't think to ask him.

Tuesday, August 7, 2012

One Bandit Caught!

I happened to look out the back door today and who should I see but this critter!  I didn't expect to be able to get his picture as I had to go upstairs to get my camera and change the lens.  I went out the front just in case he had continued on toward the front yard.  I stood for a moment and sure enough I spotted him.  But he was headed back toward the back again.  So I headed in through the house and out the back door...and he just stood there looking at me and I at him!  This is the second raccoon I have seen in the backyard...the first one was quite a bit larger than this one.

I have probably done more than I should today...but my foot is feeling some better so I attempted a few more things today.  I ended up mopping the kitchen floor twice!  I noticed last night when I came downstairs that the floor was sticky...no one will own up to it...but I know that it wasn't me and the children were away so...maybe it was the raccoon! Anyway, this morning I had Graham bring over the steam mop that we share between our two houses.  I mopped the floor and not long after Elijah dropped a peach slice on it!  You know how it is with a freshly mopped floor...it's a magnet for something to get spilled on it!  Nathan was over here and he wiped up the place where the peach met the floor.  Then this afternoon I walked downstairs and once again stuck to the floor.  This time Woody does know that he dripped/spilled watermelon juice on the floor!!!!!!!!!!!  He had attempted to wipe it up, but.............so I had Woody go get the mop back from the neighbors and I mopped the floor again. Enough with the mopping!  Graham and Joy entertained Woody for a while this morning...they played pirate and went hunting the treasure that has been hidden since sometime this past winter.  Well, today was the day that Graham and Joy found where "x" marked the spot...finally!  Woody went for a walk after lunch. I think that he went his four-mile route...but not sure and he went to the prayer room and then to another special church service this evening so I can't ask him.

Monday, August 6, 2012

Monday...all day!

I am sure that Woody got up early and walked...but I was sound asleep and didn't him arise and leave!  I can't ask him how far he walked because he is at a special service at church.  I didn't get to sleep easily last night...one reason that I was close to finishing a good book!  I did finish it, but not until after I woke up this morning.  Sometime in the wee hours of the morning, I remember Woody shutting off my light and I still had my finger in my place in the book!  I have been going through books quite quickly since my favorite spot is the recliner in our bedroom. I have already started another book. Today I have my foot in a shoe that can be laced up tightly.  That is what our doctor recommended many years ago when I had a stress fracture (early 1980's).  So I am following his direction of that time and it seems to have worked pretty well today.  I have been up and around a good part of the afternoon and early evening.  I have been working on getting our office/school room ready for the start of a new school year.  I have moved all the Montessori equipment around so I could use the vacuum to dust off the table top...just shifted and then dusted a small area and then shifted something else and dusted/vacuumed that area along with the equipment.  I had Woody bring in a folding chair and I was able to sit for a good part of this job. I will admit that I am tired and the room still isn't ready...but much closer and much cleaner! I'm waiting to hear from Kathy as to whether we are starting in the morning or not...at one time we were, but I'm not sure if that is still the case!  Hopefully we will be able to walk in the room if it does start! I went downstairs a little while ago and there is evidence that Woody made some more pickle relish today.

Sunday, August 5, 2012

Ahhhhh Memories!

Since this year pretty much all I have is memories of past Olympics,  I decided to look at the pictures that I took when Woody and I went to the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.  This was predigital camera so last night I decided to see what would happen if I scanned some of them onto my computer.  I then played around with my photo software and cropped them, etc.  The bottom row are photos of Dan O'Brien warming up in preparation of throwing the discus and a couple of him throwing it.  The one in the bottom right corner is him just standing around with hands on his hips!  We were there on August 1 and that was the last day of the decathlon.  He was in first place while we watched him and he never left that place.  That night when we were watching volleyball he won the decathlon event and you should have heard the roar as the volleyball crowd cheered!  The photo that has athletes walking (2nd from left)has Jackie Joiner-Kersey (blue and white jacket) leaving the stadium after she qualified for the long jump. It was a rainy day at the start, but did clear up.  It was a full morning of track and field events, then we went to Centennial Park, and then volleyball in the evening.  I'm very happy that I can say that I have attended Olympic events in person as well as on TV!  I continue to miss being able to view the Olympics on TV this year.  I have kept up with various articles in the news and seen some still photos and have kept up with the medal count.

Woody got up early and walked eight miles.  He went to early service and then Sunday School.  I stayed home nursing my foot...beginning to think that I do have a stress fracture...so limiting the amount of walking I do.  I have read, worked crossword puzzles on my iPad, played some solitaire on my iPad, slept, read some more, etc.!  Woody had a deacon's meeting this afternoon.  And, he just got home from the evening service. (Clicking on the collage will let you see the images larger.)

Saturday, August 4, 2012

A Real Handful Now!

Esther-Noel Rose Dorrell turned five yesterday and today we had her presents and cake and ice cream.  A fun time was had by all...or so it seemed!  It's always a party next door...or at least they are always ready for a party!  The top photo on the left is Goosey (Woody) and Esther discussing whether she needed spanks for her birthday...Goosey said FIVE...her daddy said SIX (one to grow on)...and Esther said "NO spanks!"  The photo of Elijah sort of in the middle shows the present he brought in near the end of the party...a dead cicada!  The photo on the bottom right shows the "life of the party!"  How Goosey could doze off with all that was going on around him is beyond me...it really was at the end of the party (for him for sure)!  He really was awake for most of it...he saw presents opened and enjoyed cake and ice cream!  I guess he got up too early to walk his five miles today! He also took Esther to the library this morning so she could check out books with her very own library card that she got yesterday because she is five...legal age for library cards in Tullahoma! (Collage is clickable so it can be seen larger.)

Friday, August 3, 2012

Special Friday

Today is a very special day for a little girl who lives next door!  Esther turned five today!  She had her waffles and ice cream breakfast and pizza for lunch (her choices) with her family and four of her cousins.  We will party some more tomorrow with cake and ice cream and PRESENTS!!!!! Esther for some time has told me that I couldn't come for cake and ice cream unless I brought her a present!  I have been a bit evasive as to whether we had a present for her or not...guess she will find out tomorrow!  And, we will find out if we get cake and ice cream!

Woody got up this morning and headed out on a five-mile walk.  Later in the morning he went to the grocery store and ran a couple of errands.  I have, again, taken it easy and have stayed off my foot for most of the day...though I have walked around a bit more today than yesterday.  In a little while I plan to unwrap it and see how it feels.  I have worked on recipes today.  Woody got me a couple of notebooks that I plan to divide up some of the recipes.  The ones that I have typed into the iPad app, I will put in one and ones that we plan to try in another.  This will get some of the mess out of our large "Tried-and-True Recipe" notebook.  The ones that I am working on now have been loose in the front and back pockets of that notebook and were getting a bit unruly to go through when we wanted to find a specific recipe that we knew we had in those pockets...somewhere!  I'm not throwing out the ones that I have put into the iPad app since Woody still prefers the recipes on paper.  Anyway...it has been something that I can do and not move around a tremendous amount.  My foot (wrapped) "seems" to feel much better...I'm just hoping that it will feel pretty good unwrapped.  If not the wrap will go right back on!

I'll end this by saying a BIG  HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Esther-Noel Rose!  Goosey and I  look forward to partying down tomorrow!

Thursday, August 2, 2012

Enough is Enough!

Woody got up early and went for a six-mile walk.  I had a really rough night which meant that Woody did too as he was trying to help me get more comfortable.  I don't know what or how I did whatever I have done to my foot...but my left foot is causing me quite a bit of pain.  I'm hoping that it isn't a stress fracture.  I finally got to sleep in the wee hours of the morning in the recliner with my foot wrapped and raised on pillows.  I have been fairly careful today...pretty much just stayed put in the recliner...with a book and my iPad close by to keep me occupied.  Things that I wanted/planned to do today kept going through my mind at the start of the day, but as the day went by I became resigned to doing pretty much nothing.  I think that I have only gone downstairs twice the whole day.  Woody has been waiting on me.  He has brought all my meals upstairs prepared with his own hands.  I'm glad at times like these that he knows his way around the kitchen!  For supper, he made us the yummiest Zucchini-Mushroom sauce that he served over linguine!  Very good!  Elijah came over after lunch and stayed a while and ended up napping over here.  There was a very bad thunderstorm last night that did a lot of damage on the other side of Tullahoma.  Lots of downed trees and limbs and power outages.  I'm not sure that all power has been restored yet.  We got some rain here and  saw lightning and heard thunder...but this time our side of town was spared from damage...as far as I have heard. Well, time to go prop my foot back up.  This just hasn't been the best week for me...just haven't felt well most of the week...due to one thing or another...enough is enough!  But for the moment I don't think that I will be winning any races...guess I'll leave those races to the Olympians!

Wednesday, August 1, 2012

Wednesday


Another night when the blog won't let me do anything but center the lines that I'm typing...I don't like it this way!  I've spent enough time trying to figure out how to make it align left!  This has been pretty much a same ol', same ol' Wednesday.  I did sleep better last night so that helped.  Woody didn't walk early this morning...guess that is something that isn't same ol', same ol'!  Two of us worked in the church library this afternoon for quite a few hours.  We are trying to update the records in our library computers...what a mess!  Don't ask about all the mess and confusion that we got ourselves into!  At least it was good for a couple of laughs! I think that these two squirrels had been in messing around in our records!