Once in a Blue Moon!

Wow! What a day...a Hunter's Moon Day, A Blue Moon Day, Halloween, plus another day in the Covid 19 Pandemic...what more could we wish for?!? I should be publishing a picture of tonight's Hunter's/Blue moon...and, I can see when I peek out the window...but...it's position currently is interfered with by a street light. Maybe...when it is higher in the sky...not sure that our trees that still have most of their leaves will let me capture it either. Tonight's photo is one of the scenes that Marie and I captured on our apple/barn trip yesterday. I love to see how creative folk can get with their hay rolls! I thought, when looking through the camera view finder, that I was capturing a hay monster...but then when I pulled the camera away from my eye I realized that it was a giant spider! I often don't see the "whole" picture till I am looking at it later when I get it transferred to the computer and can see i large on the screen. I did realize that this was a spider while I was there but not till after I took several pictures of it. Today was my grocery shopping day...something that I do every other week since the pandemic began. We seem to be doing well going less often to the grocery store. I seem to still have food at the end of the two-week period. I guess it is time to do some more cooking. When I am sewing, I tend to do less cooking...but I am afraid that currently I will need to do both. I did do some more sewing last night after I blogged. What I am making now looks like a pair of trousers...waist band/elastic and hems in two legs is what is left. Pants are pretty easy...and, these I have put pockets in...when I am really in a hurry I tend to want to skip pockets...but for these I wanted pockets Today we have continued with our leftovers of what I have cooked this week...tomorrow I plan to start on the next cooking session. I have a couple of things that I am going to make that have a long cooking time so I will start them in the morning...well, I will start the beans soaking for our French Market Soup (one of Woody's requests)tonight and then get them simmering in the morning. With our strange Sunday morning schedule due to Covid...I can cook things like that throughout the morning and still "go to" church. I will get the soup simmering and keep an eye on it while we watch First Baptist, Tullahoma's service on my iPad in the family room. I will say that Covid has given us a gift in the way our church service is done...it lets us "attend" from home, which is what we need to do at this time to keep Woody away from as many germs as possible. Our church continues to do a drive-in church in our park across the street from the main building. It is well attended both there and online. We appreciate the efforts of our church staff in making it possible to attend while sheltering at home. And, both Woody and I feel like we have been to church when the service is over. It is a good start to our week. Woody has been watching football this afternoon while he has been having his dialysis treatment. We got it started a little later this afternoon due to my grocery shopping. But Woody reminded me that we were really starting on time due to the time change tonight...when I get finished with the blog tonight, I will begin doing the clock changing...turning them back an hour...then we will be on time!?! After I got Woody's dialysis started and got the groceries put away, I was pretty done in...but I did get rested after sitting in my recliner for a little while. I went back to sorting through magazines that I have stored in a storage tub. This time my Colonial Homes...the only regular magazine that I have saved over the years other than those that deal with cross stitch or sewing. I really struggle getting rid of them...they are just "me"...they show my interest in history and my interests in furnishings. At the moment I am looking through each of them and putting them in two piles...one has articles about places we have visited over the years or some other interest that I have...perhaps it is an article about colonial architecture or furnishings or a colonial craft that perhaps I have seen when visiting historical places. So far the piles are unequal...the one that has magazines with articles about where I haven't been is higher than the one where I have been. I plan to definitely keep the one stack...and then will read the articles in the others that interest me and I will decide if I will keep those or not...right now I am just thumbing through them...a slow but enjoyable process. I've been listening to old songs on my iPad while I have been doing this...first the Mamas and Papas...listening to "Woody's and my song,""Dream a Little Dream of Me." Then I switched to Johnny Mathis and was listening to some of the easy listening music that I enjoyed when I was in college...and, still do to this day. Well, I guess it is time to go down and get the beans to soaking so I can make French Market soup in the morning. I have another long cooking recipe that I plan to make, but only have one large burner on this stove and also only have one large stock pot...so bean soup first! I can make the other, Bragg's barbeque, another day...just because we can since we have no where to go. So off to soak beans and then back to sorting thorugh magazines. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious...on this Halloween, blue/hunter's moon night...don't forget to set your clocks back before you head to bed tohignt...that is UNLESS you are some of my Arizona readers, who are lucky and don't have to mess with their clocks...either the clocks in their houses or their bodily clocks...I know that my body will be confused for some time!

An Up and Down Day

Today I have done a lot of stepladder climbing. I have been changing what I store on the top shelf in the closet in what used to be Melany's room then our office and then an office/school room. I put away all the school things that are still over here...or at least I have started. I still have to decide what to do with all the art stuff. Some Joy and Esther still need to get...the rest...not sure. But the table is now pretty clear except for my stuff and a copier. I have something in mind to use the table for, but I will have to shift some of the storage tubs that are under it. I have been going through the cross stitch magazines that used to be stored on the top shelf in the closet. I'm still trying to decide whether to keep, throw, or see if someone might be interested...I have one person in mind. I will contact her once I have them all gone through and put in order. It has been fun looking through them. I still found things that I would like to stitch...that is IF I were still stitching...and then I think...MIGHT I stitch AGAIN one of these days? Of course if these totally disappeared and I decided that I wanted to go back to stitching I have plenty of cross stitch books and graphs to choose from...I am not "in want" when it comes to possible cross stitch projects! I started to sew this morning, but started at the wrong time...just as !oody came upstairs...he was later coming up to print off his puzzles today. So I left the sewing machine in the middle of a seam and never got back because I got busy moving things around. I just finished the first seam on my pants while I waited for the computer to come on. So I have begun sewing...just not getting the job done very quickly. But I guess these days there is really no rush for much of anything...just plodding along is a good pace for 2020! Woody is well underway with today's dialysis treatment and again things are going smoothly. He's watching Friday news programs. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

An Apple/Barn Trip

This morning I woke up waaaaaay too early...like 3am and never got back to sleep. I finally got up and decided that it was a good time to sew. I got going on my corduroy pants. I did the preliminary sewing steps of serging around the edges of the pattern pieces. Next I cleaned the sewing machine. By that time it was breakfast time and Woody was awake. I warmed up his pancakes and sausage and I made myself a cup of tea and had some toast. I did doze a little after that so got a little more sleep. My next endeavor was to make what we call "liquid gold," which if you have read the blog for long you know is a term for chicken stock/broth. I read once that having chicken stock in the refrigerator or freezer was like having liquid gold for recipes. I used the last of what I had in the freezer the other day when I made the tuna casserole so it was time to make some more. I freeze it in two-cup portions and it is ready for various recipes that call for it. And, this time I didn't have to stew a chicken as I had frozen the carcus of a chicken that roasted a while back and used that for the broth along with various veggies and fresh herbs. I got that simmering and just left for a lot of hours. About that time Marie called and asked if I wanted to go with her to Bain's Orchard to get some apples. It sounded like a fun outing and wouldn't have me away from home for a long time...not like some of our barn trips that last all morning and sometimes till dusk! I decided to take my camera just in case we passed a barn or two. Bain's had an amazing assortment of apples so I picked a variety both for eating and cooking. I also got a pie pumpkin for our Thanksgiving pie and some sweet potatoes for our Thanksgiving sweet potato casserole. Woody had mentioned that one of the things that he wanted to have next week was tuna stuffed tomatoes (something that was on his "no-no list" for the last 2-1/2 years. So when I saw the tomatoes I had to get those too! We each had an apple this afternoon. Woody had a Jonagold and I had a pink lady...very crispy and tasty! Marie took a different way back so we would pass some barns. The sky had the most beautiful cloud formations as the clouds were leaving our area from Zeta, which by the way mainly dropped rain on us...we didn't have much wind till late this morning and on into the afternoon and it is still quite breezy at the moment. We enjoyed our outing...that was the first outing like this that Marie and I have taken since before her knee surgery. It is good that she is doing well enough to be able to get out and about once again. After she was cleared to drive by the doctor and/or physical therapy, Marie's husband made her pass his driving test last week! Glad she passed! Now for a real barn trip before much longer! I got back just a little after we normally get Woody started on his dialysis. We started about an hour after we did yesterday...but yesterday we started early. He is well into the third cycle of tonight's four cycles. We had leftovers for supper and now the dishwasher is going and the by-hand dishes have been washed...so the kitchen is closed for the night! I think that I will wind a bobbin and thread the machine. I think that is where I will leave the sewing room for tonight. My back is bothering me so I think that it would be best if I wait till tomorrow when I am fresher before I actually start the sewing. But we will see...the night is still young and sitting and reading for a while may be all my back needs. Woody is reading and/or watching TV and patiently waiting for his dialysis to be finished for today...probably between 10 and 11 tonight. Then it will be lights out and hopefully we will both sleep and greet a new day in the morning. The temperatures dropped quite a bit from when I headed off on our apple/barn trip this morning and the middle of the afternoon...another cold front has moved through...guess it should start feeling like November...we have had a pretty mild October. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Wet Midweek

It's obvious that tonight's photo wasn't taken today...it has been a gray and very wet day. So I chose a fall picture from another year that looked very cheerful and sunny! I worked in my sunny kitchen this morning...turn on all the lights and it is like the sun is shining in! I made Woody high protein pancakes for his breakfast this morning. He has enough in the refrigerator for two more days. I like to make enough for another couple of days so he can then get his own breakfast without having to do much except heat it up in the microwave...that way he doesn't have to wait for me to get up or have to make it on his own. Just easier this way. I make them high protein by using some of the high protein additive that Fresenius Kidney Center gave us, some Greek yogurt and some flaxseed meal along and oatmeal and flour, etc...very hearty pancakes! Late morning we headed out in the rain for free taco day at Taco Bell. During the World Series there was a stolen base that gave the award to the country of free tacos and today was the day. I wonder how many of you knew that! I should have mentioned it last night. The first time that Woody had had a Taco Bell taco in years. He enjoyed it...though he said that there just wasn't enough of it! A little treat before getting connected to his dialysis cycler for the rest of the afternoon and most of the evening! We did get his dialysis going a little earlier today due to the possible storms tonight due to Zeta...possible high winds that might cause power outages. We decided to be safe rather than sorry. He is well into his treatment. He should be finished before 10 tonight. I had my weekly library "meeting" with Donna over the phone and today we actually did talk a little library and then moved on to catching up on family doings. After we talked, I spent the rest of the afternoon straightening and cleaning things in the sewing room...putting spools away and machine feet back in their proper place in their storage boxes, etc. I have, again, been reclaiming my sewing space and brought things back into my sewing room from the guest room where the children sewed. I put everything that belongs to them back in some plastic drawers that they brought over for us to use for their sewing things and brought all my things back to my sewing room. During projects things from my sewing room often traveled down the hall to their work area when they needed them and sometimes didn't get back to mine till I missed them when I was working in here (the laptop that I am typing on is in my sewing room). We would pin patterns, etc.using my pins when they were cutting out because my pincusion was there and then when they sewed the pins would land in their pin cushions...I left them pins but reclaimed some as my pincushion was bare! I cleaned my serger and will do the same for my sewing machine shortly. I have the serger ready to use on my corduroy pants that I am getting ready to make. So things are getting ready for the next sewing project...now to decide if I am going to make my corduroy pants before I construct the needlepoint stocking for Melany...haven't decided yet. I do have everything for the stocking ready to begin on that too. I am tired tonight so doubt that I will begin any sewing tonight. We will see what tomorrow brings in sewing endeavors. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Friend Time

Shortly after we got Woody's dialysis going this afternoon, I headed off to spend a little social distance visiting with two friends. I drove to Carolyn's house and then we headed off to Jo's. Carolyn and I had a gift for the bride and groom for the virtual wedding that I showed the invitation for a while back on the blog. The wedding is drawing closer and the groom and his bride-to-be are going to be in town this weekend. Carolyn and I had fun shopping for the gift virtually...she in her home and me in mine...both of us on our computers checking out the selections that the bride and groom had chosen. The way we do things is so different. I will say that Carolyn and I enjoyed shopping together in this way...though, we probably would both have chosen to go off looking together if the circumstances were different. But this worked. We delivered the gift today to the groom's mom and got to visit for a while...we wore our masks and visited out on Jo's deck...nice afternoon for a visit. We got caught up a bit and look forward to the next time that we can get together. We left with plans in our heads for the next time we might get together...after the wedding...so we can get all the details. I look forward to getting to attend the wedding on my iPad! My main task completed for the day was to cook a pork roast this morning. I found this recipe in one of the cookbooks that I enjoyed perusing some time back. This came from a Roasting cookbook that was in the group and I decided to keep it as I seem to roast meats these days using the convection settings on my oven. This roast is rubbed with olive oil and then with finely chopped fresh rosemary, ground fennel seed, and minced garlic. It is really flavorful and comes out so nice and tender and juicy. It is definitely a keeper recipe. I also roasted a couple of potatoes cut in wedges while I was cooking the roast. Woody likes the potatoes that way...he still doesn't eat a lot of potatoes now that he can once again...but he likes the this way. Woody is well into today's dialysis treatment. I'm going down to check on him and finish cleaning up the kitchen for the night as soon as I publish this. We are due some of the winds and rain from the current hurricane tomorrow. They mentioned on the news tonight that it could bring power outages...we think that we may start his dialysis an hour early tomorrow...we'll see! Power outages were never a major concern before...but would just as soon not have him in the middle of a treatment...would rather keep the power going during the 8-9 hours that it takes for his treatment! But we will adapt if we have to! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Busy Monday

I got up and started getting ready to head out to run errands. We needed to drop off some paperwork at Fresenius Kidney Care Clinic, I needed to buy some cording for the stocking that I constructing for Melany, then this was my monthly run to WalMart to pick up over-the-counter medications and get a few other things, lastly I stopped at our pharmacy to pick up a prescription for each of us. That done I headed home and Woody had already spooned up his lunch...leftover tuna casserole and green beans from Saturday's lunch. I started getting things set up for today's dialysis treatment. Kathy and Esther stopped by to see if Woody had any prayer requests for tonight's prayer meeting. Once he was connected and the dialysis treatment got underway, I headed upstairs to do a few things. In the end I spent a good part of the afternoon on the phone either talking or texting. I was expecting a call from an insurance person who said that she could get me better rates for the next year...sounded good until she started going through existing conditions and she found out that I have chronic kidney disease...that ended the call quickly and it is good to know that now when folk call to try to lure me to another plan that I can say what I say about Woody...you don't want me and or him. Simplifies things! I am wrapping a present now...almost forgot to get up and blog. Woody is well into his daily dialysis. Things are going smoothly. He had an omelet tonight and said that it tasted good...so something else to add to possible things that give him more protein. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Nice Visit But Very Different

We had a nice visit with Melany today, but it was very different to wear masks the whole time except when we were eating lunch. Woody stayed pretty isolated from us. He chose to eat at his TV tray and Melany and I ate in the dining room. We all thought that was for the best. Melany is a teacher so is exposed to all kinds of germs. Melany is not just a teacher in a classroom...she is an art teacher and she sees many classrooms of students in a day/week. So she ends being exposed to a lot more than a teacher who just has her one classroom of children. Melany brought a cute needlepoint Christmas stocking front that I will be completing into a stocking with a back and lining...so Santa can put some presents in it! Woody has watched a lot of football today. Now he is watching the World Series. He enjoys watching sports on the weekends during his dialysis treatments. Melany thought that his color was better than it was the last time she saw him...that's good. He is almost to the last part of the third cycle of today's treatment. He has just a couple of minutes left of the dwell time and next is the drain time. Then "all" he has left is one fill, one dwell, and one drain time left. Woody says that by the fourth cycle of a treatment it starts to get old! I know even to me that the first cycles seem to go more quickly than the last. I guess towards the end we are both ready for them to be over and ready to get him disconnected! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Didn't-Do-Much Day

Almost any time during the day that I look out at the birdhouses in the garden there are blue birds vying for one or another house. So the blue birds are quite active at the moment. Woody and I didn't get up and going as early as we sometimes do. He waited to go upstairs to print off his crossword puzzles till it was almost time to start h is dialysis. We started his dialysis treatment today just a little earlier than we have been. The reason is that they were predicting storms coming through sometime 9:30pm or after. We figured that it would be good to have his treatment all finished before the storm blows through...less chance of the electricity going out. If the electricity goes out during a treatment all is not lost as the information is saved in the machine and will start up again once we push a button after the electricity comes back on. I think that there is an 8 hour window. One day I did mistakenly unplug the machine when I was moving it, but no problem...the machine tells you that there has been an interruption and to push a certain button to get it back going again. Woody has read, done his crossword puzzles, and watched a bit of TV. This evening he has chosen to flop on the couch rather than the recliner. I think that he has dozed a bit this evening. This afternoon I decided that it was time to do a little baking with my sourdough starter. I made sourdough corn muffins. I came upstairs to blog leaving a mess of green beans that I had started trimming. I'm planning to make Pennsylvania Dutch Style Green Beans tomorrow. Melany is coming tomorrow to bring me a Christmas stocking she has needlepointed for me to finish. I thought that the corn muffins and green beans would go good with the Company Tuna Casserole. I have been lazy today...trying to figure out what I am going to tackle next in the school room now that I have gone through LOTS of correspondence from the late 60's. A job well done...one storage tub empty! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Really Voted Today

Well, we dropped out ballots in the mailbox at the Post Office on our way to Woody's doctor appointment...so I guess it is officially done...to the point that we have anything to do with it! We had to wait in the car a bit longer than usual today and also didn't get our usual parking spot. From what we could ascertain...the doctor got there late so all the appointments were backed up a bit. We were still home in an hour and a half after we left the house...so not all that bad. The doctor had arrived when we got there so at least things had started moving. As far as we could tell we got a good report. The main thing that they are concentrating on now is Woody's anemia. So I guess we will work on that. We talked to the nutritionist and the social worker today, too. I think that Woody's progress in comparison to how sick he was the last time we saw the doctor made them pleased. Looks like we will keep on keeping on...really the only thing to do! This afternoon I made one of our old stand-by favorites, Company Tuna Bake. It takes a while as I have to make homemade cream of mushroom soup instead of using canned as called for in the original recipe. It was good to have this for a change. It is a casserole that I can pack in quite a bit of protein without having to add any additives. Woody easily made the total protein that he is supposed to get in a day. I am getting to the end of all this correspondence that I have been going through. I haven't had much of a chance to do much with it today. I am going to go unload the dishwasher and then reload it with the cooking dishes that didn't fit in and then going to come upstairs whle I wait for Woody's treatment to finish. Last night he had the shortest treatment since the start..."just 8-1/2 hours. I think that the least time that it can take is 8 hours so at least we are leaning in that direction rather than lots of extra hours beyond the 8! He is feeling fairly well. Today's trip out didn't tire him as much as some have before. He did get another anemia shot...between that and last week's transfusion maybe he will feel even better. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Fall is really beginning to show its true colors! Oh, and, last night was the 53rd anniversary of the night Woody and I met at an all girls' college...now there's a story for another blog!

We Voted!

Our absentee ballots came in the mail this afteroon so we immediately voted and plan to take them to mail them at the Post Office tomorrow when we go out for Woody's appointment with Dr. O at the Fresenius Care Center in the morning. It has been a fairly quiet day around here. I got Woody connected for his dialysis treatment a little after 1pm and then I went upstairs to call Donna for our weekly "library" phone meeting. We got caught up on each other's doings. About as soon as I hung up from talking to Donna, Cheryl, my favorite sister (and, only sister) called and we talked for a while. So I had a phone conversation afternoon. I have worked on a notebook with information about protein...grams of protein in certain foods. I gathered the recipes that I had adapted so they would be higher in protein and got them written down in the notebook with their protein equilivants. I also gathered up the little slips of paper that I have been keeping track of his daily protein intake. He is supposed to have more than 70 grams of protein a day but not more than 85. Sometimes it is easy to hit in the middle of this goal and other days it isn't...at least we are trying. I don't know if we will see the dietician tomorrow or not, but figured that she would want to know how we are handling things. I am packing things like pancakes with high protein items...like Greek yogurt, some of the protein supplement that they have given us, eggs, and flaxseed meal and sometimes fruit like a banana. Today the Greek yogurt was banana flavor. Woody says that the pancakes are good. I figure under syrup that some of the ingredients are hidden! He also had a strawberry shake today...that is made with one of the individual renal high protein drinks (like Ensure) and then disguised it with lots of fresh strawberries and strawberry ice cream. Again, he said that it tasted pretty good...especially since I found a straw for him to drink it with...perhaps made it seem more like a real shake?!? Later in the afternoon I got back to going through correspondence and other things from my/our past. I've enjoyed going down memory lane...and it is getting rid of some things in the office/schoolroom (which is no longer a schoolroom). What I am going through now is going to free up a storage tub...so I can put something else in it. I am getting close to finished with this one task. I am attempting to find a place to put the school equipment so it is away and out of sight so I can use the long table for other things. We put that table in the office (used to be Melany's bedroom) when Nathan started going to Motlow so he would have a designated study space since his desk held his computer. After he finished with Motlow...maybe we left it while he was at TN Tech...not sure. But at a point I took it over to work on scrapbooks. Now I'm not sure what we will use it for, but I am sure that we will put it to good use. It is one of the long tables like churches use in their fellowship/banquet halls. I'm planning to get rid of or store the stuffed animals on the twin bed that is in there. I think that I will make some new decorative pillows to place up against the wall so it will once again look more like a day bed. Anyway, working away...s l o w l y...on getting things changed in there. This going through corespondence is rather time consuming...but fun at the same time...nothing going on around here so I may as well do just what I feel like doing! It will be good to see Woody's doctor tomorrow and hear how he thinks Woody is doing with his dialysis. There's one thing I know, Woody is very much better than he was a little over a month ago when we last saw him. Last time we had to depend on Nathan to get us there and now we will go under our own steam. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Remembered Tonight!

I guess I have been too wrapped up in the past and that is the reason that I totally forgot till late last night to write the blog! I continue to go through things that I have saved from the past...thoroughly enjoying them and then discarding lots of memories. I have a couple of small boxes that I am allowing myself to save a few memories as I go along...little reminders of days gone by. Today I slept in a lot later than I usually do. Woody had French toast to warm up along with sausage patties that I cooked yesterday and froze most, but left some with his French toast in the fridge...so I didn't need to get up for his breakfast. Yesterday I made up two pounds of ground pork into breakfast sausage patties...flash froze them and then bagged them up so we can get them out when needed for his breakfast. All cooking has taken on a new dimension...I am having to figure out how much protein is in each recipe and then have to divide the total protein in the whole recipe into how much protein there is in per serving. It is nice that he can eat a lot more variety these days, but it is also a pain and makes preparation a bit more of a pain than it used to be! I am planning to make a tuna casserole that we both really like and it had been off his diet for the last 2-1/2 years. I didn't really feel like making it and doing all the math today so I just opened the cans of tuna, drained them and flaked them into a refrigerator container and put the container in the refrigerator to make the casserole tomorrow. This way I could recycle the tuna cans and not have them hang around till next week...trash and recycle gets picked up in the morning. After that I got all the recycle gathered up and out to the curb...which included flattening cardboard boxes. And then all the wastebaskets in the house emptied into the kitchen trash and also got the bag of dialysis trash and got those out to the garbage can and pulled the garbage can to the curb. Before I got all that done, I did got everything set up to get Woody connected for his treatment. We were pretty much on schedule to connect him really close to 1pm...but got a phone call from the Fresenius delivery man and he said that he could deliver our order today rather than in the morning. I was game...so he was there very shortly. Today he "only" had to load his heavy-duty dolley up three times...small delivery...compared to the first one. Today it was mostly dialysis solution and three boxes of cassettes and one package of gauze squares! And, we are set for another month! The delivery set us back a bit in time so Woody's dialysis didn't get started till 1:30pm which was fine. I'm glad that I don't have to be up and ready for an early delivery in the morning. And, we were really getting low on gauze pads...just three left after today's set up. Woody is presently he's getting towards the end of his third cycle...so just one to go. So he should be finished by 10:30 or so. Today he called to check on some of the folk in his Deacon Family. So for him, he has also had a busy day! He of course has done crossword puzzles, read, and is now watching the World Series game. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Oops!!!!

Oops! I almost forgot to blog tonight. I got busy working on all my "going through things" and forgot about the time. Woody is in the final cycle of his dialysis for tonight. We started his dialysis even earlier yesterday and today because he said that he didn't have anything better to do! He will be finished sometime between 10 and 11pm. I got the phone call from the Fresenius supply deliver person this afternoon saying that they would be here with his supplies between 8 and noon on Wednesday. I moved over the boxes from the last shipment this evening...so the far walls are now clear of boxes and ready for the new delivery. I also called the supply order phone number this morning as I wanted to make sure that the order contained enough cassettes. It did...so we should be good for another month. I'm going down to check on Woody and finish up cleaning the kitchen. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Happy 17th Birthday, Abigail!

I stole tonight's photo from Kathy's Facebook page so I would have a picture from Abigail's birthday and also an up-to-date photo of Joy. We have fared well due to birthdays: pecan pie and brownie bites from Joy's and then a little while ago Abigail stopped by with one of her specialities: Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake. Yummy! Good cooks abound in their household. Woody even got in on this treat as we shared a very large slice! Today has been a busy day for me...grocery shopping day with a stop at the Credit Union. Then home to get all of the purchases away. I could only get the cold items put away before it was time to set up Woody's daily dialysis treatment. We need to set it up about an hour before we start his treatment so the solution has a chance to heat up. There is a heater on the top of the cycler machine that heats the solution to body temperature. The heating takes about 20 minutes. While it heated, I put the rest away. He is now into his second cycle of the four for this treatment. He has been watching football games, news, and reading during his treatment so far. I sat down for few minutes to eat a late lunch and then got back up to make our supper...chili...it has felt like chili weather today. Now when I make recipes I am counting protein in the ingredients and then have to divide the total amount by the number of servings to come up with how much protein per serving. What next!?! I'm tired today! But have to go finish up cleaning up the kitchen after I post this. I am going to add two photos of Abigail at the end of the blog tonight. One shows her finishing up her quilt (note the thickness of her braid! The tie at the top of her braid is from her mask.) and the other of her with her finished quilt. She did a great job and we both really love the colors of the fabrics in this collection. On a sad note I will add that our daughter's sister-in-law's father did pass away this morning from complications due to Covid. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Friday Rolled Around Again

And, on this Friday, Fall is definitely in the air...the temperatures are dropping and we have our first frost warning for the year. I covered up our herbs and took some of the pots that weren't too heavy into the garage to stay overnight. I stood out talking to our friends the Hastys this afternoon and the wind was a bit chilling. It was nice to visit for a few minutes. They brought by books to see if we were interested in them and it was good timing as Woody doesn't have any in reserve after he finishes the one he is reading now. And, he had only read two of the five or so that they brought. So once again he has a stack ready to choose from when he finishes his current read. At the moment I have backed off from doing so much reading since I continue to go through things in the school room that I had stored and am looking through/reading before they get tossed. So I am reading...just not books. The timing was right for them to stop by as this time I had a couple of boxes to pass back to them that they had loaned us for the grandchildren to use...a couple of building sets. Graham, especially, had enjoyed trying out a different sort of building set. But it was time to pass them back and take a couple more things out of the school room that I am attempting to reclaim. That is what got me into the sorting out that I am doing because I wanted more room in the closet to put some things and this storage tub, when it is empty, will give me a place to put some of the school things that are no longer being used. Woody continues to sail smoothly through his dialysis treatments. He did get a call this morning from Fresenius Kidney Care checking to make sure that he had gotten his blood transfusion. They wanted him to come in next week for blood work to make sure that his hemoglobin was building back up. I reminded them that we have an appointment next week to see Dr. O and asked if that day would work and they agreed that it would...at least no extra appointment/trip. Next week we also get our third supply delivery...oh, boy! I get one stack of boxes gone and they will almost immediately put a stack back. Today was the first day that we used a bag of solution from the last delivery...way I knew?...the expiration date changed. I have to check the expiration date on the bags of solution every time we do a treatment...so it was strange to read a new number! We have been doing it long enough that we have gone through all the lowest strength of solution that was in the first delivery. Woody is already into the third cycle of tonights four cycles. He definitely likes doing his dialysis treatments during the day and having them finished at a decent time to go to bed. He is sleeping much better. Nathan was going to come today and attempt to connect his dad for today's treatment, but he decided that it would be best to put that off for a couple of weeks. He and Kathy and the kids did a program at a church the other night that was inside with about 100 people and there was no social distancing or masks...so he figures he needs to make sure that he hasn't been exposed. The cases of Covid are climbing once again in Tennessee as in many places so we will continue to be extra careful. Melany texted me today that Wade's brother's father-in-law is in a bad way with Covid. It doesn't sound like they expect him to live. I wonder if and when this disease departs how many families will be left untouched in some way by it. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Thursday Doings

I don't think that there will be much of a blog tonight...I'm falling asleep at the keyboard! Woody is in the third part of his dialysis...he just a little while ago started the third dwelling time *1-1/2 hours). He's either watching news or presidential town meetings on two different stations! That will be a trick...back and forth and back and forth with the remote! Last night I put in a request for a book for Woody at the public library. They called around 9am telling me that they had it ready and that I could either come in (they are back open) or continue doig curbside pickup. I opted for curbside pickup. I dropped off the five books that he had finished and picked up a new one...Lincoln's Last Trial...about the last case Lincoln tried before becoming President. I had started reading it as an e-book, but ended up turning it back in when I got "hit" with a ton of other books that were ready to be read so I decided to wait on that one for a while, but thought that Woody might enjoy reading it. They had it in real-book form at our public library so got that copy for Woody. This evening I made an apple crisp...we are due for colder temperatures to come in over the next couple of days...sounded like apple crisp weather! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Teaching Wednesday

Instead of teaching the grandchildren, we taught our son today...about time! He came over today to get his introduction to how to do the set up of the dialysis cycler and getting Woody connected for dialysis. He just watched me do everything today and took pictures with his iPhone. Next time he will give it a try on his own with me there for guidance, if needed. I like this end of training better than being trained! Donna and I didn't have our church library phone conversation today since it was at the time that we were setting up. Instead we did a little messaging back and forth in the morning. I know that she and her husband voted today. Today was the first day to early vote. We sent in our request for absentee ballots...personally I think that it is a bit late, but Woody thought that there was still time. We'll see! I continue to go through things from a bin in the closet in the guest room...I have gone through a lot but still more to go through. I woke up waaaaay too early (3am) and never went back to sleep...so I have dozed a bit or came close to dozing several times today. I did make Woody some more high protein pancakes this morning. He seems to like them...I didn't eat any so there will be some for a couple more breakfasts. Woody's treatment is once again going along smoothly...so glad that we have gotten over the bump of 100's of alarms in a treatment...we like 0 alarms much better. It has been over a week since he had an alarm during any part of his treatment. He is already in his third cycle of tonight's. He may be done before ten tonight. Last night he was finished 9ish since we started early due to my haircut appointment. Nice that he was finished and free of the machine before it was time to go to bed! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

View from Our Window

This is the view that I see during the day when I am sitting in my recliner. So pretty and bright. Leaf color is still just starting around here. I'm looking forward to more colorful days. Today I continued to reclaim space. This time by reading through some old correspondence, cards, etc. I have been speed reading through the letters...enjoying the information inside. I will say that email is easier to get rid of than snail mail! I had a hair appointment after lunch and Woody decided that he wanted to be connected to his dialysis cycler machine before I left so that if I got delayed that I wouldn't need to hurry back. Since he started around 12:30pm, he should be finished even earlier tonight. And, so far things are going smoothly with tonight's dialysis. He did skip yesterday's which they told me at Fresenius that he could if he got back too late last night and he didn't get home till a little after 10pm last night...was at the hospital for over 12 hours for a blood transfusion. He got there between 9:30 and 10am and the transfusion didn't get underway till after 3pm! Each unit takes 2-1/2 hours and he got two units. He was definitely ready to be home when he got back last night. He did say this morning that perhaps he felt a little better than he had been...didn't get so tired just walking across the room, etc. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Happy 15th Birthday, Joy!

Our sweet Joy turned 15...but I don't have a birthday picture of her or any recent ones as I haven't gotten to see her today or very often lately...I sort of waited hoping that she would come over. I took her and Abigail's birthday cards next door yesterday afternoon and delivered them to Abigail(She was the only one home.). Abigail's 17th birthday is Saturday. Now I'm waiting to hear when Joy gets her driver's permit. Surely it isn't so...she should still be the size she is in the photo above! Tonight's photo of Joy is from the first birthday party that she and Abigail had here after they became "the neighbors." Joy turned two that October. Well, everything with dialysis was smooth sailing after I posted Saturday until...we got a call this morning from Fresenius Kidney Care asking if anyone from Fresenius had contacted us over the weekend. The answer to that was "no." I wasn't surprised as to what came next...Woody needed a blood transfusion since his hemoglobin level was too low...he was told to go to the local hospital as soon as possible to get two units of blood. The reason that I wasn't totally surprised is that when we saw the nurse last week he thought that TN Oncology had ordered a blood transfusion...which, again, the answer was "no." These blood transfusions take forever especially when he has to have two units. One time he went straight to the hospital after his appointment with TN Oncology and didn't return until 2am. Woody headed off around 10am and still isn't back. I did have forethought and called Fresenius and talked to one of Woody's nurses before they left for the day to find out what we do since this has us so far off schedule for his treatment. He said that they aren't supposed to tell us to skip a treatment, but if he gets home quite late that it would be better to skip and let him have his rest tonight and then just go back to doing it at 2pm tomorrow. Beginning to look like that will be the way it will go. I do have his machine all set up and ready to hook him up, but I guess it can wait till tomorrow, too! I vacuumed Woody's room since he was gone. And, I have spent most of the day getting rid of things...trying to reclaim the house as just ours. I've dedicated more than 50 years to our children and grandchildren...so most every room has things from/for one or another of them in it...those are slowly but surely being put away or thrown away. I got under the stairs on my knees today and went through the toy closet. Moved some things out to our trash and put some in a box for a yardsale or whatever our former neighbors want to do with them and the rest can stay there for a while longer...just can't quite give up all the Fisher Price toys! They have been well loved...some from as far back as Melany! After Woody left I swept the front sidewalk and steps to keep the acorns from getting under his walker. I was going to rake what I swept off and other debris out to the road, but I couldn't find any rakes...not leaning up on our chimney like they used to be. I also moved boxes of dialysis solution from one wall in the living room over to where it is more convenient to get to. We're about to start using boxes from the second delivery. We have to keep them separated as the solution is dated so have to use up the old first. I was glad to get rid of one of the stacks of boxes so I can see my corner "what-not shelf and enjoy the things that I have been given or bought that relate to AZ over the years. My AZ heritage corner! Of course, that area will be covered up again when the next delivery arrives next week! 9-1/2 hours and he still isn't home. I'll update tomorrow night...hopefully hs is home then! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Pandemic Invite

Today's mail brought the first of its kind to our household...a virtual wedding invitation! One of my bestest friend's son is getting married in November. The thing about this invitation is that due to the pandemic I will actually be able to attend...virtually. I'm excited to attend my very first ever virtual wedding. God's grace Eric and Erin in the days leading up to your wedding day. I just realized as I was transferring the pictures from my point-and-shoot camera to my laptop that I hadn't transferred any since the very beginning of the pandemic...the photos that came off started with the barn trip that we took back in March just prior to starting to shelter at home. I rarely leave photos on my camera, but because I had been using my iPad, I had left them on the camera because I can transfer them wirelessly. But now I am back to my laptop so have to connect and transfer them from camera to laptop...and momentarily I thought that I had forgotten how since it had been so long. But I managed to get them all onto the MyPassport external drive...over 500 photos! I really don't like working with my photos on the laptop as it no longer is very friendly with my photoshop software. I can work on about one picture and then the program shuts down...frustrating. So you won't see much processing these days when I post photos. I can do a little about exposure with the camera software so that will have to do. We had another good evening with dialysis...time was again shortened just a bit. Woody did get sick though toward the end of the treatment. He has been feeling so much better that it was a surprise...I think to both of us. We got it cleaned up the best we could last night and ran the washer...then this morning I got out my Little Green Machine and did some spot cleaning on his chair and on the floor next to the chair. Tonight's treatment is going right along. He is in the midst of the third cycle...so far each of the cycles have taken just a little over an hour and both times more fluid was taken out than was put in...which is good. Today I made a soup that Woody had requested: Spicy Vegetable Beef. One of the soups that had been off his list of foods because it both has tomatoes and potatoes in it. I think he was happy to have it again. The soup has shredded cabbage in it so I shredded the whole cabbage that I had and put in what was called for in the soup and then used the rest to make Connie's German Slaw...so Woody can finish up the Baked Beans! After I got Woody connected I vacuumed the dining room and the living room. I will have to vacuum the family room another time. I didn't want to do it while his dialysis is taking place. Woody has enjoyed watching football games during the first part of his dialysis...not sure what there is to watch this evening...or if he will read. We both like it much more now that we are finishing before going to sleep. Last night we were completely finished by around 11...and then we can both get a decent night's sleep...and get up and begin all over again. Today I played a memory game with Kathy...she sent photos of some of the girls' clothes that I had made and I had to remember which one I had made them for...not very hard for me...only one wasn't I totally positive about...and that only because I remembered that I had made jumpers for all three at the same time and I just had to remember which one went with which girl...but without seeing the other two. I guessed right...but did check in my "digital sewing photo records" to be sure. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Friday

I truthfully am not sure what I have done today...as I sit down to write this...my mind is a bit of a blank! I did have to call the place that I order Woody's dialysis supplies and make a change in the order that the nurse suggested that I make. So that is done...so to wait a week and a half for the next load to come. This change made a difference in the number of boxes that will be arriving...more. I imagine that the delivery man will not be able to bring them in one trip from truck to house now. We have had a fairly quiet day. I did cook a pork roast...part of Woody's protein that he is supposed to be eating. The dietician gave me the number of grams that he is supposed to eat in a day so now we can get that figured out. I believe that we can do it with food rather than supplements. We are almost to the low mark that we aren't supposed to go under...not quite. I'll see if we can up it a bit when I go down to check on him...some protein for a snack this evening. Things, once again, are going well with the dialysis. Last night it "only" took 9 hours and 39 minutes...shortest time yet. It seems like each night a little more time gets shaved off...we're not sure why. Today I have talked with my sister and two friends...so it has been a catching-up-with-folk day. I'm still just looking at the fabric that I got in the mail yesterday...getting inspired? I did finish my 100th book of the year last night...guess that is an accomplishment. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Should-Have-Been Trip

Tonight's photo I borrowed from the pictures that she sent me after she, Wade, and Erin made a trip to Cheekwood Botanical Gardens to see the Dale Chihuly exhibit. Melany and I had planned to go together as soon as she heard that there was going to be another exhibit. But I ended up taking the tour virtually via the photos she sent after their time there. I had seen some of his work when it was on exhibit before at the Frist Museum, but I had hoped to see more of these unusual blown glass "sculptures." But due to covid and Woody's dialysis, I decided that the trip probably wasn't in our best interest "health-wise" (heading off to Nashville where there is a lot more chance of getting exposed) and "time-wise" (the time that we have in the daytime hours is pretty short before needing to get Woody back on his dialysis machine). I really enjoyed Melany's photos. The one I'm sharing I really like as it is surrounded around the perimeter with pumpkins and mums. Last night's dialysis went very well once again...glad to sound like a broken record for that report! And, so far tonight things are going well too. We got started a bit later today as he had an appointment at Fresenius Kidney Center. It was just a monthly check-in with the nurse. This time we also spoke with the dietician. I needed some questions answered about amount of protein that Woody is supposed to get a day. I'm not too sure if I am excited to have to add that to our umpteen things that we need to keep track of! My fabric finally arrived this afternoon. I have it all washed and dried...now to find the time to make some things with what I bought. One is a bit larger print than I expected...trying to figure out if there is another pattern that would be better to make with it than the one that I planned when choosing the fabric. I'm pleased with all of it. I guess I will make my corduroy pants while making plans for all the new pieces. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Just Beginning

The Fall colors are just beginning. Yesterday afternoon, I looked up and saw the most beautiful oak branch just filled with glowing yellow leaves right outside our bedroom window...but when I looked out to see more...there weren't any...just that branch...a promise of what is to come. Tonight's picture was taken on this day five years ago and this is pretty much what it looks like around town. Sometimes at the tops of the trees you can see color...but not colorful all over any one tree...at least, that I have seen. Woody had another good dialysis treatment last night. His treatment was finished before midnight and I was upstairs and probably asleep by 12:15am at the latest. Tonight we seem to be on about the same schedule...maybe a little ahead of yesterday as we got started almost right at 2pm this afternoon. We have both been busy. Woody took back the task of making his breakfast and lunch both yesterday and today. Last night Woody had me take out some frozen fresh pumpkin to thaw so he could make pumpkin pudding for Nathan, Kathy and the 7 grandchildren. Nathan came over and got it and the cool whip and according to Abigail they all enjoyed it. I took inventory of the dialysis supplies last night and then called this morning to order more...oh, boy! I don't think that we will be getting too many this time...maybe it will only take one trip in for the delivery man. I'll know in two weeks when the supplies arrive. In a few days we will be finished with the boxes of solution from the original shipment. I have done lots of little jobs around the house today...cleaning here and there and then finishing up the Fall decorating that I began the other day. I got the front porch done yesterday and put out a few Fall pumpkins in the kitchen. Just a few minutes ago I put a grouping of pumpkins on the dining room table as a centerpiece and a few on the buffet. I decided that we needed a little Fall color in our lives...something cheerful! I even fed the birds today...filled all the bird feeders...even the one that takes me using the stepstool out in the front yard to reach the feeder...birds fed and no broken bones! At this point Woody is well into the third cycle of tonight's dialysis treatment. Tomorrow we make a visit back to Fresenius Dialysis Center...this month's check-in with the nurse. In two weeks we meet with the doctor, nurse and the rest of the "team." Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Major Change in Our Lives

Woody and I are just not much for change...not in anything...I believe in putting down roots and letting them grow deep! Woody worked for the same company his whole working career...the only change was moving to California for a two-year period where he worked for the same company...just different heads of the company (Air Force here and NASA in CA). As soon as it was appropriate, Woody let it be known that if an opening came up in TN that we wanted to return to Tullahoma...we didn't like the CA change in our lives. Since our return, (Nathan was one) we have owned two homes...we moved to this house when Woody's mother moved to TN after Woody's father died. His mom moved into our former home and we moved to our present location (Nathan in 6th grade). When Nathan approached me one time about the fact that probably we wouldnt live in this house forever, I let him know that my plan is to leave this house in a box! I love our house and have no intentions to move...unless absolutely necessary. I believe that it can be adapted to our needs as we grow older...after all, haven't we found places for ALL the dialysis supplies and managed to set up the family room for Woody's dialysis treatments!?! Fourteen years ago, Nathan, Kathy, Graham, Abigail, and Joy moved in next door...what a unique situation! It seemed ideal while the children were small and as their family grew. We helped them out and they helped us out. We have been through lots of things together. They were here for us when Woody went through all his treatments for Melanoma and beyond! We were there for them to help care for the children at various times and help with homeschooling. We have become an extended household...just under two roofs...sharing ovens, pantry items (shopping at one Dorrell or the other's "store"), borrowing household items, etc., etc. With the pandemic we have seen each other less often, but still cross paths most days...I, at least, see them out the window...or visit with them outside. But...all that is going to change. We have no inclination to ever move again, and they need change/adventure in their lives. I guess we are stay-in-one-place people...they are not. The Covid pandemic has kept them home more than they have ever been before. We haven't been needed to feed cats, take out garbage, check on things, pick up mail, etc. while they are were on their ministry trips, since there haven't been many ministry trips, though those are picking up once again. They no longer need us for child care. My help with their schooling got put on hold, or so I thought, just until we figured out the dialysis schedule and also due to Covid. But it looks like I can finally say that I am retired (15 years after I retired from Ray's Montessori after teaching there 27 years)! So...all of the above has been said to, in a round-about way, to say that they are packing up...probably as I type this, and are moving to a small farm outside of the Tullahoma city limits..."just" ten miles away...at the moment that ten miles may as well be 10,000 miles...and, really, I would rather they had told me they were leaving to go on the mission field...that...I could accept. I have told them that I can't deal emotionally with Woody's health situation and their move. I am allowing myself to be selfish in order to get through each day...I just have too much on my plate to even talk about their move with them. So discussion is off limits about "the move"...we will just carry on over here on our own as much as possible. Independence is the key word these days...I'm trying not to even text next door to request a light bulb change...we've got to learn to do those "little" things ourselves all over again. They told us that their move was definitely going to happen just as Woody and I were starting dialysis training, so all my concentration had to be on Woody and the training. I will admit to feeling abandoned...this is just not a time that we need to feel alone...and, no matter how often they say that they will be here for us...it will never be the same...that next door security is lost. So "the neighbors" will be no more...our unique relationship due to living next door will be no more...our relationship with our grandchildren will never be the same...the youngest two will lose their unique "next door" relationship with us...they won't remember heading over to Grammy's and Goosey's to play with the toys in the toy closet...or to have school...or to just sit on the front porch and bird watch. I am so emotionally torn/drained that I have to separate myself totally from even thinking about it or I won't be able to function...so...this will be my only mention of "the move." And, Woody is so quiet about it there is no telling what this is doing to him...he made a major offer to keep them from moving...but to no avail. They can go off and live their dream...(and, I always finish that statement with "while we stay here and live our nightmare.") Woody's comment last night sums it all up: "Obviously they don't have grandchildren." And, I add to that "perhaps one day they will understand when one of their children breaks their hearts." I will end this saying how much we will miss the joyful laughter of our grandchildren as they run through both our yards playing. I already miss the stepping stones that connected our households (I made them take them up as I didn't want to be connected to a stranger's house.) Woody and I will treasure in our hearts the 14 years we've had as neighbors...but once they move...Woody's and my life/heart will be missing major pieces...nine to be exact...plus two kitties. So...it's back to being a single household of two rather than unique joint households of eleven! In this instance change has been forced upon us...I guess, we will unwillingly have to accept it with heavy hearts. Be safe! Be well! Be Cautious!

Thinking Fall!

I decided to fall back to some old fall photos. Tonight's is appropriate because a friend brought me some gourds today. This is a part of a fence that we used to pass on our back road trips to Vanderbilt. It always intrigued me when we passed that way. The latter years that we passed by at this time of the year there were no gourds. Yesterday and today have been cooking marathons for me. I was restocking the refrigerator with things to eat that give us a choice. Tonight I made pizza with part of the kitchen makings. I made sauce and also made Italian sausage (shhhh! I made it with ground chicken and the herbs and spices that go in Italian sausage...someone couldn't tell!). Yesterday I made Woody's request for split pea soup and also my mother's recipe for baked beans (to go with German slaw...again for Woody). I also made breakfast sausage out of ground pork for Woody's breakfasts when he has French toast or pancakes. Seems like there is more that I made but at the moment I can't remember...after all it was yesterday! Woody's dialysis continues to go well. Yesterday we moved it up another hour and he was finished around 1am. I just stayed up till it was over. I actually cut out a pair of pants for me and got Abigail's quilt squared up. Staying up and going to bed after makes there seem to be more of a distinction between treatments...doesn't seem like the next one starts on the same day. Once again, the last I checked, Woody's treatment is going smoothly. He was on his second treatment cycle. I have been upstairs for a while as Abigail came over to learn how to bind a quilt. She is down in the guest room, where the sewing machine lives that the children sew on. She has two sides of the quilt done and is working on the last two...doing a good job. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Three Days In

Three days into October and it is definitely looking and feeling more like Fall. When I was out and about today, I noticed that the trees are starting to turn. I always look forward to the beautiful fall colors...sometimes we get them and then sometimes they just aren't as pretty as other years. I'm hoping for a beautiful Fall this year. It partially depends on how much rain we have had...lately not a lot but earlier in the summer we got quite a bit. We will see what that bodes for our Fall colors. The reason that I was out and about is that it had been two weeks since I had been to Kroger and it was time to restock. And, restock I did! I was happy that Isaac was out in the yard when I got home. I enlisted his muscles and he brought most of the bags in. I carried a few and he left the eggs and the potatoes for me to bring in at the end. He was a big help. It took quite a while at the store and then quite a bit of time to get everything put in its place once I got home. There is a semblence of order in the kitchen so I must have been mostly successful in finding spots for everything. Woody had been wanting a BLT...so I bought him some turkey bacon which doesn't have all the additives in it and bought low sodium. I think he enjoyed a taste that he had been missing for some time now since he couldn't have tomatoes when we were trying to eat in such a way to keep him off dialysis. We managed to keep him off for 2-1/2 years. So now he is enjoying some of the "no-nos" of that diet. I have a feeling as we go along in this dialysis process "no-nos" will surface again, but at the moment he is enjoying a little more freedom in his eating than he has for a long time. His treatments continue to take shorter times...last night again was under 10 hours. He finished around 2am. I went downstairs and disconnected him and did the post dialysis routine and then headed back upstairs and supposedly to sleep. Was upstairs shortly after 2:30am, but couldn't seem to fall back to sleep so worked on the Sunday School lesson/thoughts. Either Marie or I send out a weekly summary/food for thought about our weekly lessons since we can't meet in person. I am doing them at the moment since Marie is recovering from knee replacement surgery. I got the lesson completed and ready to send, then tried to go back to sleep again. Still couldn't so read for a while till I was ready to doze off. Again, I slept till closer till 8. Woody fixed his own oatmeal and when I got up he and I went over the grocery list. He still is a bit more of a picky eater than he used to be so I want to be sure that what I have planned appeals! I don't like to be left with most of what I have prepared. I like to share in the partaking! We have some yummy things planned for the upcoming two weeks...at least I hope he still thinks they sound yummy when it comes time for me to make them. Tonight's dialysis treatment is going well so far. He has completed the first cycle of four and is probably in his second dwell time...or at least close to it. I came up to blog so don't know exactly where he is. So far tonight...NO ALARMS! Very good. Each night there seem to be fewer and fewer alarms. Either the machine is getting used to the way Woody's body is handling this form of dialysis or Woody's body is getting used to the way the machine works! Either way it is good that things are going more smoothly. I can't believe it but this coming week it will be time to make another order for supplies and then two weeks later the order will arrive. We have used up about all the boxes of the least strong solution so I will be using some from the second shipment soon. I have started using one of the least strong solution and one of the middle strength as he has had some swelling in his ankles. The higher the strength of the solution the more immpurities and the more water is pulled out of his system. 2000 ml of solution is put into him each of the four cycles. Sometimes not all of the 2000ml is drained off...by the end of the four cycles most of the time all the solution is drained and then sometimes more than what was put in is drained off...that is called ultra filtration. The ultra filtration is what pulls off the extra fluid that builds up in his body. Sometimes it can pull off too much and sometimes not enough...it is sort of a balancing act...we don't want him to be dehydrated, but we don't want fluid to build up. I am in charge of keeping an eye on how his body is reacting to the solution strengths and change them up if needed. When he saw Dr. O last we felt he was dehydrated so we decided that we needed to use two bags of the lesser strength solution which we had been doing up until a couple of nights ago and I decided that he might need to have one bag of the middle strength and one of the lesser. I'm not too fond of having to make these decisions, but that it is a decision that falls on my shoulders. I think that things are going fairly well. This coming week, we go back to the Fresenius Kidney center and will take bags of the drain fluid from one night so they can evaluate how his dialysis is doing so far. I'm sure after evaluation we will be told to continue what we are doing or change things up a bit. Time will tell! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Two Views...Same Barn...

Tonight's photo shows how we approach barns on our barn trips...move slowly along in the car and take pictures at various angles...through gates, over stone walls and through the trees. Again, this is a barn trip from Marcch...just prior to "shelter at home." We have taken one more barn trip since then, but at the moment we have barn trips on hold since "our driver" for the barn trips had knee replacement surgery recently. But when she is healed and rehabbed we'll really be ready to hit the highways and biways of the surrounding counties! Woody, again, had a good dialysis treatment...less than 10 hours...I think the shortest time yet. I went downstairs around 2am and was back upstairs before 3am and slept a bit later today...till 8am. He said that he did get some sleep once he was free. I have had a messy cooking day. I made sourdough waffles for our breakfast. I was melting butter in the microwave and didnt put a cover over the bowl and "BIG EXPLOSION!" So had that mess to clean up after I finished cooking the waffles. One good thing...a nice clean microwave. The cover was at "Woody's microwave," our old one that got moved to the family room when we were remodeling the kitchen. Woody decided that he liked it there so we left it for him to make his oatmeal in and heat up things. I leave the cover on top of that microwave and didn't feel like walking out to the family room to get it...guess I should have taken those steps...lots easier than cleaning the whole inside of the microwave which is greasy with melted butter! Oh, well, live and learn! I also dried slices of the rest of a loaf of sourdough bread in the oven...a step toward our Thanksgiving dressing. The mess from that was when I cut up the slices little crumbs sort of flew everywhere...all over the counter and even on the floor. But that mess was easier to clean up than melted butter! I laugh that I did a step toward Thanksgiving dinner...I'm guessing that a family Thanksgiving won't take place due to Covid...so the dried bread cubes are probably for a Thanksgiving dinner for two. It doesn't look like Covid is leaving any too quickly...especially when we learned today that the President and First Lady now have it...this disease is no respector of persons. We will continue to be safe, hopefully well, and cautious! Abigail is over at the moment. She has found some time to work on quilting the quilt that she made during her home ec class with me a while back. She got it pieced but due to circumstances she hadn't gotten to do the quilting. Once she is finished with the quilting then I will bind it for her. This is a throw-size quilt...very colorful! Very pretty! I guess the cooler Fall temperatures have her in the mood of a finished quilt to curl up under! She came over in shorts! I told her no wonder she wanted to finish her quilt...that she needed it to warm up! Woody is well underway with tonight's dialysis treatment. If I have it figured right he should be in the midst of the first drain of four for tonight. Hoping that it goes as well tonight as it has been the last few nights. I think that perhaps his body has figured out what it is supposed to do with all this solution that is being pumped into it. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Wear your masks!!!!! We are finding out what happens to those who choose to not wear one most of the time when out and about!

Wow! It's October!

It doesn't seem possible that it is time to change calendar pages once again. And, just think after this calendar page turn there are only two more for this year...perhaps that is a good thing?!? Last night's dialysis exchange went much faster than ones of the days before. I told Woody when I went upstairs last night to go on and page me if it finished early like it looked like it would. He paged me a little after 2am and I was back upstairs and ready to fall back to sleep by 3am...not bad. He also said that he got some sleep after that. Tonight's first cycle went along at a good pace...and, there were actually no alarms. He is now well underway with his second cycle of four. He is dwelling at the moment...or I guess I should say the dialysis solution is dwelling. I'm not sure if he will sleep much tonight as he has done a lot of sleeping this afternoon and even this evening. Oh, well, as I said last night, we sleep when we can these days! I decided that with the next cold front that is approaching...supposed to get into the 40s tonight and not out of the 60s tomorrow...that I wanted potato soup, my accomplishment of the day. Oh, my other accomplishment was finishing my 99th book read this year...next one I finish will be 100. Looks like I am well on the way to doubling my usual goal of 52 books a year...so that will mean an average of 2 books a week if I read 5 more. I have a feeling that will happen since I have three months to accomplish it! After making my Absolutely Ultimate Potato Soup recipe, I was tired and took a short nap...had to set an alarm so I would be sure to wake up in time to get Woody's dialysis treatment set up and then get him connected and his next treatment started. Woody slept through my getting it all set up. He woke up at just the right time to have his vitals taken and get ready to be tied to his cycler machine for many an hour. I expect that he will wake me up again when his treatment is finished tonight since that seemed to work rather well. And, so far tonight everything is proceeding right along. The first cycle took less than 2-1/2 hours...good time...the drain time was just a little over 1/2 an hour...maybe a record...plus it drained almost all of the solution that was put in. Usually after each cycle not all has been drained out...getting it all out and then a little extra usually happens on into the cycles. But tonight there was just a little over 200ml left in. Hopefully the first cycle is representative of the next three! Time will tell! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!