Change In Plans

I got a text fairly early this morning from Melany asking to change her day to come garden to Friday instead of today. Erin has a new insulin pump and it is a smart pump that works with a smart phone...but said phone must be an Apple phone and Erin's isn't, but Melany's is. Melany needed to stay close to Erin with her (Melany's) phone so the app would work and do all the checking and automatic insulin giving and sending info to the doctor, etc. One of the things that Melany needed today was get Erin a new phone which she did accomplish. Then they spent a lot of time trying to get everything up and running and talking to what and whomever it needed it to talk to! They also put Erin on a less strong insulin and that wasn't holding her and her blood sugar levels had risen so Melany needed to stay close to try to get those regulated...the pump and Erin and phone have to get used to each other!!! Technology! But if this works is supposed to be much better for controling Erin's blood sugar levels. Her blood sugar numbers had come down some when I texted with Melany this afternoon. Hopefully it will work for her! I decided that after I got Woody his breakfast that I would go back to sleep for a while, which I did so got a little extra sleep today. Late morning and some this afternoon, I worked a little in the gardens. This evening I watered since we have new plants getting established and some plants still in pots that will stay in them till Friday when Melany comes. I also spent time on the Sunday School lesson this afternoon. I got a call from Marie later this afternoon and she has decided to start teaching again. She had taken a break after her husband died. We will be glad to have her back as our teacher! And, I will gladly hand her back the reins for the lessons! Woody has had a quiet day working puzzles, watching TV and maybe reading a little. I'm about to head out to dress his leg wound and after I unload the dishwasher and then reload it, I plan to head upstairs for the night. Even though I slept some more this morning, I am feeling really tired tonight...maybe all that fresh air that I'm not used to getting! We will be up with the birds in the morning to get ready to head off for another dialysis treatment for Woody. Pretty much the same ol', same ol' these days...won't complain! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Bidding goodbye to May!

A Recovery Day?!?

I felt the effects of a very busy yesterday and prior to that busy preparation time for yesterday. Guessing today when adrenalin stopped flowing! I did manage to get a few things done...one being getting ALL the dishes used yesterday put away. I had a fully loaded dishwasher last night and then had a lot of others to wash by hand. They got washed, but not put away. That was one of the first things that I did after returning from dropping Woody off for dialysis. I also managed to vacuum through the downstairs. Woody told me today that he is back to having his blood pressure drop at the end of dialysis so they have to give him a saline bolus. He was ready for his chair when he got home, but also ready to have lunch. Eating helps to perk him us some. I was glad that he wanted to eat early today, as I got a call from one of his home health nurses and she wanted to come for his weekly visit today. I had guessed right...this was an evaluation as to whether he was going to continue as a patient with home healh. This nurse is the one who does the evaluations. She said that she was going to recommend one more month and that probably after that they will stop coming. His bedsore has healed and the wound on the leg is one that will take a while,and as long as there is no infection, it will just be a wound that we will have to do long term care for. So we may be on our own in a month..."just" having dialysis, oncology, and other scheduled doctor apoointments. Wow! Will we know what to do without them dropping once a week!?! We'll accept less attention! She changed his dressing on his leg to one that doesn't have a pad that is meant to be extra absorbant. We see tomorrow if that works. She isn't sure that she sees what the other nurse and I see that it is starting to heal over...but she was here just the week before last so in that time it hasn't changed a tremendous amount. But I still see healing. You can see less of the bolt on his hardware than you could earlier. She did say that she did see a place that might indicate that the wound was closing some. We will continue to change the dressing daily and pray that it does the unusual and heals over! Time will tell! I phoned in a prescription refill for Woody and asked if TN Oncology had phoned in for a refill last week...they hadn't. The pharmacy faxed the office and I decided to wait to an hour before they closed to see if possibly they would have responded...and, they had! So I was able to pick up both prescriptions this evening. After I got back, I watered all the new plants...and some of the old ones! Then it was supper time...leftovers from yesterday! Supper is over. Woody headed over to his couch/bed a few minutes ago. So I guess I can say that our day is winding down. We need to get up snd going in the morning as Melany plans to be here around 8am to go back to work on our gardens. If I needed recovery from yesterday...she needed it even more...as hard as she and Wade and Nathan and his crew worked yesterday! But more new plants going in tomorrow in the garden around our front porch and mulching to be done, too. And, this time she is on her own! I did pull some weeds in that garden so she wouldn't have so many tomorrow. This garden is in fairly good shape...nothing like the one they tackled yesterday and on Mother's Day. That should help her some. I must say that it is really nice to have a clean car...thanks, Elijah, Isaac, and Joseph!!! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Memorial Day 2023

I've been saving these photos for Memorial Day. On a barn trip, we found this cemetary at the direction of a lady who became interested in our pictire taking of barns. She invited us to take photos of her barn and then after she drove away, she circled back to tell us about this cemetary and the fact that a Revolutonary War soldier is buried there. Therr is a flag attached to the fence sort of marking his grave site. I cropped down really close in the last photo and darkened the exposure so hopefully you can read the stone. It will help you see the writing bettrr if you click on the picture amd see it full screen. We have had a very nice Memorial Day celebration. Lots of work went on here. Nathan, Joy, Elijah, Isaac, and Joseph were unloading their yard work equipment when Melany, Wade, and Erin drove up and unloaded their vehicle. Lots of work happened. Bushes were trimmed, things were cut back, gardens were weeded, planted and mulched and our car even got washed by Elijah, Isaac, and Joseph. Very productive day and we ate well, too! We're now winding down. I'm very tired and I did next to nothing in comparison to all the others! Things look great. Melany is coming back on Wednesday to finish up the planting and mulching with probably a little weeding thrown in. The garden that runs part of the length of the driveway was the focus today and it is FINISHED! I'll try to put in a few photos here at the end to show a little of the day and thr end results. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

sorry put in wrong one to be able to read it...see if the top one is right!

Sunday Favorites

Continued Prep for Monday

Up and at um bright and early, again, this morning. Headed off for Woody's dialysis treatment around 6am...must have gotten him there on time as I was driving away from the center at 6:20 (time he is to be there). I headed home to get the beans, that had soaked all night, simmering. While they simmered, I got the other ingredients that go in the Boston Baked Beans recipe prepared and ready to mix with the beans when they were through simmering. Once they were all mixed, I popped them into a slow oven to cook for the next 6 or so hours. I left a little early to pick up Woody so I could stop at Lowe's and the Credit Union. I got some basil plants, a couple of tomato plants and some flat leaf parsley. I also got car washing supplies as I am hoping that the weather will cooperate so some boys can wash our car on Monday. As soon as I got Woody home and in his chair with a little snack, I headed out to plant the new plants. I also planted some garlic. I ddagged the hose around to give the new plants a drink. We did get rain yesterday and some overnight...so the other plants planted at Mother's day didn't need an extra drink today. Woody had a quiet day...must havr felt sleepy early as he moved to the couch much sooner than usual late this afternoon. I still need to dress his leg wound so will do that after I publish this. Besides the baked beans, I also made a marinated vegetable salad for Monday. I just put that in the refrigerator. Now I need to face the latest kitchen mess! Tomorrow I have the dessert to prepare and then my part of the cooking will be finished. I did sneak in a short nap this afternoon. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Seen Better Days!

Tonight's title refers to the barn, but I wonder if we don't all feel like we have seen better days at one moment or another! Our day didn't start quite as early as yesterday or as it will tomorrow...but we did have to head out a little after 9am. Woody had his every-three-weeks appointment at TN Oncology for labs, to see a nurse practitioner (doc on vacation), and have his Keytruda infusion. He was told that the thyroid medicine that he is now taking is doing what it needs to do. Keytruda can mess with the thyroid...there had been some indicator in his labs that made them need to prescribe thyroid med. While he was at his appointment, I headed across the street (sort of) to Kroger to get items needed for our Memorial Day meal. I didn't need much so it was a quick trip and I headed home to put things away. There was plenty of time to do that before I got the call to come pick him up. Woody's appointment takes just about two hours. It was time for lunch when I got him home. I got a text from his home health nurse shortly after that asking if she could come in about 45 minutes, which she did. This nurse had been away since the first of May so she was pleased in the changes she saw...especially with the wound on his leg. It is finally starting to heal and there is new heLthy tissue growth happening. The open area is getting smaller and it looks like the tissue is actually growing over the hardware (a bolt) that is in the center of the wound. Progress!! I thought that it was beginning to heal over, but was glad to have her agree with me. So positive news in the health area of Woody's life! Even he is realizing that he is getting stronger these days...it has become much easier for him to transfer from a chair/car to his wheelchair and from the wheelchair to the car/chair. He's definitely eating better. Weight gain is still slow, but the nurse thought that his arm and leg looked like they were gaining some muscle tone, again. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Happy 32nd Anniversary to Melany and Wade!

It was a busy Memorial Day Weekend for us 32 years ago! And, it was a very hot day...we are much cooler today than all those years ago. I talked to Melany a little while ago and wished them a happy anniversary. They are going out eat this evening. I got our pork roasted and pulled. So the main dish for Monday is ready. I went over the menu for Monday with Melany when we talked. So I think we are squared away. I'm hoping that I can run to the store tomorroe while Woody is having his Keytruda treatment and pick up thr few things that I need. I guess that means that I need to make out my grocery list this evening. Woody's dialysis went well this morning. It was perfect timing for the pulled pork roast...I put the roast in thr oven just before we left at 6am and it was ready to come out of the oven when we came back in thr house a round 10:45. I pulled it about a third at a time...with rests in between! It takes a while and standing for so long at one time just isn't in the books for me any more...lots of rests amd I can get the job done...eventually! I watered all our nee plantd this afternoon...it had been a few days since we have had any rain. It wad very pleasant outside...fairly low humidity. Woody has his TN Oncology appointment tomorrow which includes his Keytruda treatment. Sometime the home health nurse will come to the house. She was supposed to text me a time, but haven't heard from her yet. She does know a out the morning 2 hour appointment. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! e cautious!

Food Prep for Memorial Day Weekend…At Least a Start

I am getting a little head start on what I'm going to make for Memorial Day lunch. I was very happy that I didn't have to gather all the ingredients pictured above, as I still had enough of my dry rub for my oven roasted pulled pork recipe. I just rubbed the Boston Butt roast with it and covered it with plastic wrap and put it back in the fridge till it is time to put it in a slow oven to cook for hours...think I will do it tomorrow which includes pulling it, too. Melany, Wade and Erin plan to come on Monday to do more yard work. Nathan and some of his farm hands will be joining us too,if all goes as planned. We got up and were able to move a little slower than on dialysis days since we didn't have to leave till 9 for TN Oncology. We got there to find out that they had been trying to call us. His medicine hadn't arrived so they rescheduled him to Friday...so just a little trip out and about this morning. I did get my hair cut today. I'm really glad that wasn't the appointment rescheduled! I'm always glad when hair cut day rolls around! Besides his little jaunt out this morning, Woody has had a usual day of crossword puzzles, reading, and TV. I've worked some on Sunday's Sunday School lesson, put away some clothes, made breakfast, lunch, and supper, and it is now about time to dress Woody's leg wound. Then I will head upstairs to read, stitch, or study the Sunday School materials. To be coninued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Cooking Tuesday

We were up and at um early this morning...even got a little bit earlier start than some mornings. I was able to get Woody's breakfast, pack his dialysis bag (throw, clipboard with crossword puzzles, pencils, glasses, book, and other items he might need during the 4-hour dialysis treatment. I even had time to start putting items that I would need to make a cold pasta salad and a tuna casserole. That way I was ready to get underway with putting theae recipes together once I got home. I spent most of the four hours cooking and still had to finish up the casserole and pop it in the oven after I picked Woody up from dialysis. The casserole came out of the oven in time for lunch. The pasta salad hadn't had time to get cold enough for lunch time. We had that for supper. By the time lunch was over, there was a huge mess to clean up. Thank goodness for a dishwasher...that made much shorter work of conquering the mess. The dishwasher beeped a little while ago to announce that it was finished. I haven't had the energy to face outring things away yet. They can stay hidden behind the dishwasher door for a while longer! I finished another book while cooking...I was listening to an audio book. Nathan texted a while ago that Isaac had gotten an in-park home run...a real home run...no errors involved in allowing him to score! That's exciting for Isaac! Elijah has begun playing the Winchester Babe Ruth League. He had a good night last night, too. He was the first batter up for this season and he hit the first pitch, got a triple, and scored the first run of that game. Ball is coming to an end for Joseph and Isaac with Little League. Elijah finished his season playing on North Middle School team and turned right around and began the Babe Ruth season. We're hoping to get to some games this summer...when it is warmer and stays light longer. We have to travel a ways to get to Elijah's games. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

May Monday

Well, this site keeps changing...usually they let me see a preview of the photo that I choose...but no longer...hope that I chose the right one...should be a green barn...but did I post the view that I meant to? That is the question! We got home a little while ago from Monday night prayer meeting. We had a larger group than usual...two former members attended tonight. It was good to see them. Our group had been praying for them and they decided to join us tonight. Both are not well, so it was good they both felt well enough to join us! Today has been a low-key day...no placr we needed to be till this evenings meeting at church. I have done a couple of loads of wash...no cooking except for warming leftovers. Tomorrow I think I will have to cook, but nice to have the day off! Tomorrow is an early dialysis day, again. Those days keep rolling around! I stitched and read this afternoon...and napped a bit too. Woody did puzzles, read some, watched some TV...pretty much a usual day for him. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorites

A Zoom Day

Today, another dialysis day, started off very early. I oncd again did not sleep well...went to sleep early and then woke up several hours later feeling refreshed as if from a good nap...thus...couldn't get back to sleep. I did doze a little during the hour before the alarm went off. I got up and gave Woody his thyroid med that he has to take 30 minutes prior to eating breakfast. I then get his breakfast ready...so he can start eating as soon as that 30 minutes is over. I can usually time it pretty well. Once he has eaten, gotten dressed, brushed teeth and hair, it is usually time to head out the door. This morning we left a little after 6 and his nurse was ready for him as soon as we got there. He is supposed to be there by 6:20 and usually we are there pretty much on time give a minute or two of the 6:20 time. I get him in the witing room and if the door isn't open waiting for him then I knock on the door to the treatment room, bid Woody good bye and head back home. I was on my way home today and realiazed that I probably should go get gas while it wasn't raining...but didn't want to turn back since I was heading homeward. My intuiton was right...in the end I got it in he rain just before picking up Woody after his treatment. Today's timing worked out well so I could go to my Zoom Cottey book club meeting. I enjoyed the encounter even though I didn't read this book because it was fantasy.I couldn't believe all the indepth discussion that came out of that book! But still didn't make me want to read it! Thr rest of the day was quiet...a rainy afternoon...good for napoing. Once again I am typing blindly so will call it quits for tonight. We are settled in for the night. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

It's Someone's Birthday Today!

And, that birthday happens to belong to the child attempting to climb into the stocks at Plimouth Plantation! I think we have all aged! This photo happened to come up as a memory on my Facebook page this morning and I decided to copy it and use it tonight. Melany has on her tennis dress that I made her because her daddy was teaching her how to play tennis. Nathan is 5 in this picture and Melany is 7. Woody is 30 and I'm 29. The year is 1977. The reason I can tell you the year is that it is the year that Elvis died. We were visiting my Uncle Don and Aunt Lois and my cousin Sue. Sue was a very, very BIG fan of Elvis...had life-size poster of him in her upstairs hall. It wouldn't be very many more evenings after this photo was taken that we would be sitting at the dinner table at my Aunt and Uncle's and Uncle Don would just casually mention that Elvis had died that day. Oh, my! We were in "mourning" the rest of the trip after that announcement due to Sue...and it was a little eerie to see that poster every time we walked down that hallway! But it put a marker on what year it was...though, I will admit that I did double check with Alexa before I wrote down the year! We did have a really nice visit seeing Massachusetts' sights as well as visiting with pur family and extended family who lived in the area. Most are no longer with us...none from my mother's generation are still alive...so it is down to my generation, my kid's generation, their kid's generation and and their kid's... Aunt Lois was my mother's only sister and Sue was her only child. With Sue's death almost 30 years ago, I am now the oldest in my mother's immediate family. Oh, my...and my "baby" turned 51 in the wee hours of this morning. I think it is time to change the subject from age! Happy birthday to Nathan! We have had a very quiet day...neither of us left the house...well, I did go out...to get the mail, get an onion out of the garden and water the plants on the front porch. All the newly planted plants seem happy after the rain that we got yesterday. I got that ironing done and the items into my closet this afternoon...still weeding out. I now have a pile designsted "to get rid of." Woody has done his crosswords, caught up with the baseball Cardinals on his computer. One different thing we did today was change the voice of Alexa...Woody was having a hard time understanding the voice as we had it...so I found out how to change it and he chose the one he thought was most understandable...he chose a man's voice...now if the name just weren't Alexa...there are other things we could "name" it...but we are so used to Alexa that I'm not sure that is a good idea! I just asked "my Alexa" and she told me the other names she could be called...we'll see Woody wants o change! Oh, the things we end up doing these days! (insert eye roll!) Well, I guess it is time to do a leg dressing change. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! I appologize for the many errors...I have been attempting to correct them blindly as my keyboard covers the text when I am thping...and I realize that I wasn't in the places that I meant to be. I just can't face starting over! So I hope you can make out what I was trying to say!

Another Day About Over

It just seems like the days are marking them selves by the beginning of the day and the end...and meals...and what happens between those times is just sort of a blur. Woody had early dialysis again this morning...tomorrow is a day off for him. I did get a little errand running done before it was time to pick him up. At that point is wait till time for lunch. My major accomplishment was having the Sunday School lesson together and printed off...what is left to do is go over it and see if it makes sense on paper amd whether it needs info inserted in margins or if info is out of order...so probably a couple more times of reading it through...but I am always relieved when it is on paper. I had that done before I ran errands prior to picking Woody up. Woody worked on crossword puzzles, read some, watched some TV...a usual routine for him these days. We had a storm roll through this afternoon...so the new plamts got a drink not provided by a hose or watering can. It's now time to do a dressing change and finish up in the kitchen before I head upstairs for the night. I finished another book before I went to sleep last nignt. So I have read some on the one I started today. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautiousM

Wednesday

We had a pretty good day today. Went through a normal routine for a morning Woody doesn't have dialysis...which mainly means we can start a little later. I try to be downstairs between 7 and 7:30 so he can eat by 8am. Around 9am our substitute nurse called to see if she could come around 10am. I decided to rearrange the supplies that home health and I use. I had been thinking about doing it for a while and finally decided to do it because I hadn't found the scissors that the nurse placed somewhere last week and I hadn't found them since. Even with moving the supplies, I still didn't find them. I remember her laying them someplace last week and me saying to myself that I had better retrieve them when she left or I wouldn't find them the next time I needed them. I remembered by the next time I needed them...the next day at the latest...but that place has never come to mind and they are still at large! It was approaching lunch time when the nurse left so I worked some more on my grocery list and then got lunch. I headed out after lunch for the Credit Union and then Kroger. I got everything put away...but did take a break after I got all the cold and frozen things put away and rested for a while. After resting, I came down and put got the rest put away and then read a little more and then got supper. Supper is ove...now for the clean up. It was taco Wednesday so I have lots of little dishes to wash that had taco ingredients in them...shouldn't take too long. Soody did his dialy crossword puzzles and is now working on some in his daily calendar...he doesn't do them by date...just as the whim to do puzzles directs him...sometimes many...some times a few. He's checking every little while with Alexa to see how today's St. Louis Cardinals game is going. Her last answer to that question was to his liking...in other words, the Cardinals were leading at that moment. To be continued. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Blah Tuesday

It has been sort of a blah day for me...glad we are at this end of it. I didn't feel the greatest...but not sick...just no energy...so I didn't press myself to do much. I did work on next week's Sunday School lesson and read some in the book for next month's Cottey College Alumnae book club. It would not be a book that I would have chosen on my own, but I want to finish it to see what happens...so that means it isn't too bad! The selection for this month's club was a fantasy...not my cup of tea...when in the first paragraph of that book a child was levitating some blocks, I closed the book and said that it wasn't for me! The club meets via Zoom this Saturday to discuss the fantasy. I should be home from picking up Woody from dialysis so may join them to see what others have to say about it. I know someone in the group likes it as they recommended it! Not for me! I thought that I had meals covered for today and wouldn't have to cook except for Woody's breakfast, but he decided that it needed to be "Taco Tuesday!" (insert eye rolls!) But I fixed them for him and now he has those among his choices for the week for lunch and supper. I have done quite a bit of napping especially this afternoon. I figure that I needed to catch up on sleep so didn't fight being sleepy and took several naps in betwern chapters! I did do a little more on my closet as I still have some items to be put in it that weren't stored in the off season closet. I still need to do a little ironing of items put away after their last wash last season that need a touch up before being worn this season. I also weeded out some items that need to find file 13...those items had been around for many seasons...time to bid them farewell. We were out of the good bandages for Woody's leg wound...I do have ofhers that don't work as well. The nurse ordered some last week when she was here and I was glad to find them on the front porch when I went out to put something in the garbage. BUT...when I got into the package, they are not the ones that work so well that the other nurse ordered for us previously. So not sure what shape the bandage will be in by morning. A nurse comes tomorrow so hopefulky she can order the correct ones...hopefully the nurse who originally ordered the ones we like will come tomorrow. But wound care has been done for tonight to the best that the bandage would allow. Woody is all tucked in...I'm sure he's hoping for a good night's sleep! Dialysis went fine today except that he came home totally spent...a little rest after he got home and then lunch gave him some of his energy back and he commented on how much better he felt. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Monday…It Came Again!

We're home from Monday night prayer meeting and Woody has had supper. So I can get around to blogging! It has been a fairly quiet day...stayed home up until time for prayer meeting. Woody has done his daily crossword puzzles, read, watched TV, maybe even dozed a little. My new task for the day ws to attempt to change out the clothes in my closet from cold/cool weather to warm/hot weather. The main problem with doing this is that invariably when I do this task it ends up getting cold again and I have to go to the off season closet and get what I have put away out again. I hope that I have waited long enough that this won't happen this year. When it does happen then closet in my room ends up with both seasons in it. The closet is the master bedroom is very small. It has always been mine and Woody has the closet in what is now the sewing room...originally our guest room. The closet in Melany's room has become my off season closet. It works for us since there are only two of us...sharing 4 closets upstairs! Nathan's old closet is where I hang my extra yardages of fabric. But this house doesn't have those enviablwalk-in closets that can be so neatly organized! "My" closet only has a regular door...the other three have double folding doors...still not completely convenient as you have quite a bit of space that you have to reach into towards both ends...mine has a door space easy access and then some space that you a to reach in to get what you want. I try to have the things that I wear most in that small door-sized space and other things "jammed in towards both ends. I plan to move some of those things out and see if i need them taking up space or if I need to bid thrm good-bye. A task for another day. Closet is looking pretty good after today's efforts. I hqve read and done some resting of my eyes, too. It's been one of those sort of lazy days that did get a bit accomplished! We've had a bit of rain today, but not much...there may be more tomorrow. I was glad for our new plants to get this little bit, but I'm sure they could use quite a bit more. Nathan and Kathy stopped by today for my Mother's Day "visit." They were out of pocket yesterday. They brought me some of their farm produce...bacon, sausage, a goat cheese wedge, and mozzarella goat cheese...all produced on their farm. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite for Mother’s Day 2023

Early Celebration!

We hqve had quite the day celebrating Mother's Day with Melany, Wade, and Erin. They brought kunch AND spent a lot of time outside working on gardens. Today's efforts mainly went into the garden that runs along the driveway. We had pretty much neglected it for several years. They managed to clean up about half of it. Melany sent a picture to Mathan of what they did today and what is left to do. She told Nathan that the other half was his to clear up! I got flowers, flowers, flowers! Erin brought me a oretty cut flower bouquet...she and I arranged them in one of my vases. They also gave me hanging baskets and lots of flowers that they planted where they had cleared and also in front of the porch. I have been spoiled! We had a nice visit, though, I kmow, Wade and Melany must be worn out! I know I am worn out and I didn't do all the work they did! Besides clearing out the bed and planting, they also mulched the area they worked on, I need to go put finishing touches on the Sunday School lesson...if I can stay awake! Woody has suvived dialysis and the Mother's Day celebration, but he is worn out too. Doesn't take much to do either of us in theae days! To ve continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Spinning Wheels

No appointments today, but I managed to keep pretty busy...doing what I'm not sure, but haven't done much sitting! I decided today was a good day to cook to get us through the weekend and a bit behond. I have made two of Woody's requests...potato salad and...well...this wasn't exactly a request but it was accepted by Woody when I asked if he would object to me making it again...Hot Chicken Salad casserole. I did make a quick run to the grocery store down the street to get a few things to get us through till my next Kroger trip. The refrigerator once again offers a few choices when it comes to meals. Melany, Wade, and Erin plan to come tomorrow to attempt to do some yard work for my Mother's Day gift...not sure that the weather will cooperate with much yardwork...but maybe some! At least we will be able to visit a little. They are bringing lunch and then going to attempt to do a littlr work after lunch. Woody has had a quiet day with no place he had to go. He likes that kind of day. Tomorrow will be another up-with-the -birds day...but then two days off from dialysis. I guess it is time to attack the mess that I have made...again...in the kitchen and also change a wound dressing...then it will be time for me to sink into my recliner! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Not a Barn Trip…But Look What We Found!

I knew we would find a barn...or two...so took my camera. Marie and Carolyn didn't take their cameras...but did have their phones...but wished for their cameras! Marie called and asked if I wanted to ride along with her and Carolyn...but it wasn't an "official barn trip." They were going flower hunting...to a nursery to look for flowers. Then plans changed because a storm rolled in. But in the end, we did go...just in a different direction. The place we went wasn't open for business so struck out in the flower department. But right around the corner was a barn...and another down the road a little way. Tonight's photo is the first one we came to. Our Thursday started out early as I guess they will unless there is a change in schedule for some reason. I came home to work on the chicken pot pie...first put the crust together and patted the dough into two disks, weapped them in plastic wrap and put them in the refrigerator. i read a while back if you do this that it helps the gluton develop...and my crusts have turned out very well since i started doing this. After I got the crusts chilling, I started getting other ingredients ready. I use frozen vegetables except for the potatoes and onion. I was good and cooked the potatoes the suggested way to lower their potassium levels...peel them, cube them, bring them to a boil and then pourbwater off and then add new water to the pot and boil them for 10 minutes. This method is supposed to reduce the potassium by 50%. At least I made the effort!!! On the way to pick Woody up, I stopped to pick up some medicine. When I got back home, I finished the pot pie and got it in the oven. Lunch was a little later tgan usual and Woody was really hungry. I asked Woody if the pot pie tasted good to him and he told me anythingbwoukd taste good when he was as hungry as he was! (Insert eye roll!) After lunch, I popped my camera in my purse...just in case we saw a barn. About that time Nathan, Kathy, and a crew of 4 grandchildren arrived and made quick work of mowing the front yard. When they left, I thought our non-barn trip was off, but within minuted it was on again! We had a nice visit riding around and enjoyed the flowers along the roadside even if we didn't find any flowers to plant! I came home and sat and read for a little while before I got our supper. And, now the day is drawing to a close. And, tomorrow is a no dialysis day...we both enjoy those! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Wednesday

Today was a much better day...guess we got over the trip to Nashville...plus didn't have to go anywhere today. Woody has done quite a bit of reading this afternoon. I got him a couple of James Paterson books at the public library the other day. I have worked on the Sunday School lesson and done some reading, too. I had my first front porch visit this afternoon. Jo and I enjoyed the front porch on a very pretty Spring day. Woody's home health nurse called at 8am and said she would like to stop by at 8:30..so we got that medical visit behind us early today. Tomorrow is another early day...oh, boy! I still have plans to put together a pie crust so it can refrigerate it till I need it tomorrow...plan to make a chicken pot pie. Feeling lazy at the moment. I might put off the crust till in the morning. Just don't know if I have enough oomph to make a crust tonight...just lazy...at this point in the day. Woody hasn't headed to his bed/sofa yet tonight...must have not been quite as tiring day. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Congrats, Elijah!

At Elijah's game last night, we learned that Elijah is the overall offensive player of the year for North Middle School, Winchester, TN. Way to go, Elijah! I had a really good photo of Elijah in his uniform, it had been on the iPad. I thought that I had transferred it to the thumbdrive where I store my photos and had deleted it from the iPad...had been cleaning up my iPad...shouldn't have done that! I'm thinking that I may have gotten rid of photos that I shouldn't have! oh, well! Stole tonight's photo from Kathy's Facebook! Thanks, Kathy! Today Woody and I have both felt "good for nothing!" He got his dialysis acomplished and on e home just felt like sleeping and I was pretty much the same! I guess we were feeling the after effects of our trip yesterday? Who knows. I have done some work on my up coming Sunday School lesson and a load or two of wash...and a lot of dozing off and on. I'm not sure that Woody ever slept, but he moved over to the couch early in the afternoon and hasn't gone back to his chair. Maybe we will be more alert tomorrow!?! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Been a Long Day!

I'm still gathering my thoughts about our long day out and about! It was a typical Vanderbilt day...many hours on the road and then waiting time to see a doctor and then fairly short time actually seeing the doctor! Except for the nice visit with Melany this visit could have very easily been a telemed. He talked with Woody and Melany (she's been his patient for 25 years with her Crohn's) and filled in a medical student on Woody's history...then told Woody he wanted to have him come back for an endoscope to make sure that the bleeding arterial ulcer was ok and that there were no more problems in his stomach! So we have that appointment coming up mid July...that appointment we need to go to Vandy...this one we did not! About the length of time...We left the house at 10:15am and returned at 5:15pm...too long. The only stops were to pick Melany up, go into Vandy, drop Melany off, and a quick drive thru at Taco Bell for soft tacos for Woody and a coke for me with the last stop being home! The traffic wasn't bad going in...a little clogged due to lunch hour in the area near Vandy. Leaving Vanderbilt around three, the traffic had picked up and we had several slow downs on interstates back to Melany's. My leg of the drive home had a couple of slow downs but not too bad. We were both glad to get home! Then an hour later we headed to prayer meeting. We got home and Woody headed right to his sofa/bed...said he was sleepy...wonder why!?! Hopefully we will both sleep well after our day on the road so we will be ready to get up with the birds in the morning for another dialysis day. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorites

I've decided that on Sundays I will post a favorite of my photos...some will be previous posts and some might be new...some will have no updates...some will! Have a good second week in May! We've had a good day. I'll report after tomorrow's visit at Vanderbilt with Woody's GI doctor visit. I'll drive us to Melany's and she will take over the driving to and from Nashville and I'll take back over to get us home! At least that is the plan st this moment! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Abigail's Speedy!

We'll see how/if this little video clip shows up here on the blog. Abigail and I sat in the living room and I got to catch up with what she has been up to lately. She brought down her crochet and sped right along on this blanket she is making for a friend. She doesn't have to look! I was impressed! I don't crochet...well, I can make a chain, but without a crochet hook! She loves doing it! This morning Woody and I were up with the birds, again. I got him to dialysis right on time and headed back home. I had plans in the kitchen. First I made chocolate chip muffins for our house guest. This is her only morning that she gets to sleep in like teenagers like to do. I told her last night that I hoped we didn't disturb her with our early hour, but for her to sleep in as long as she liked. When she came down she said that she hadn't heard us. She did have soft music playing so that may have helped to muffle sounds. She said she slept well. She seemed happy that I had made her muffins. We talked in the kitchem till it was time for me to pick up Woody. I left and she gathered up her things and left before we got back home. My other cooking tasks of the day were stewing a chicken, deboning said chicken, and making chicken stock, and making a casserole. I did finish the load of clothes that I put in the washer last night...all out away. Still have another load, but I think that I will wait to do them another day. Woody has already headed to his bed/sofa for the evening. I have done wound care. I'm taking a break from kitchen cleanup...the dishwasher is about to do its second load for today and i still have quite a few to hand wash. In my downtimes, I have done some reading. I am reading a James Paterson book...enjoy his very much...along with enjoying his very short chapters...good breaks come quickly...that is if I can put the book down...depending on what exciting thing is happening at the end of a chapter! I am reading an e-book. I think I will try to get this one for Woody in real book form. Well, back to the kitchen...have to finish up my last kitchen cooking task for the day and finish cleaning up! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Tacos for Cinco de Mayo

I fixed tacos tonight for Cinco de Mayo. Tacos are one of Woody's additions to his menu of likes so it seemed appropriate. We have had an unusual day...nothing medical...nothing that we had to do...so we stayed home and enjoyed the day! We do have a guest coming for the night. Abigail is going to soend the night. Her family has an overnight guest who needs her room so she is going to bunk here. Woody has enjoyed his day of no going any place or no nurses coming here. He commentedon how unusual a day like this is! He did his puzzles and watched some TV...dividing his time between the couch and his recliner. I worked some more on Sunday's lesson. I keep thinking it is Saturday since I was trying to get the lesson finished and I did get it to the point that it is finished except for checking it over...and maybe adding a note here or threre on it. I did spend quite a while filling out online paperwork for Woody's Vanderbilt appointment with his GI doctor on Monday. I didn't think the questions would ever end! Woody has already called it a night. I have already gotten the kitchen cleaned up and the dishwasher going. Just started a load of my clothes...they'll be ready for the drier in the morning. I'm ready to read or stitch and hopefully sleep well since I pretty much kept from napping today. Tomorrow's another day! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

National Day of Prayer 2023

Tonight's blog title brings back memories of one of Woody's visits to The National Institutes of Health. He had surgery on this day...probably 10 years ago...or perhaps even longer ago. But I took a walk over to where they were having a National Day of Prayer gathering. I was pleased to take part in an observation of the day on US government grounds. I can find out exactly how long ago, but since I am blogging right now I don't have access to the page that would get me there. I've been blogging for almost 14-1/2 years. The first year plus some was about Vanderbilt treatments. So it could have been 13 years ago. We got up with the birds once again this morning. We left the house right at 6am. I wheeled him into the center and before I got out the outer door, his nurse was wheeling him into the treatment room. I was back to pick him up a little before 10:30 and he had just been wheeled out into the waiting room. As I was wheeling him up our ramp, my phone rang and it was the home health nurse saying that she was heading our way...just time enough for him to transfer into his recliner and take a deep breath! Well, it wasn't quite that quick, but wasn't long after we got situated. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen today both while he was at dialysis and then again some more this afternoon and evening. I made a cake, fixed strawberries for strawberry shortcake and then made a recipe of Woody's Roasted red pepper saice. He uses this sauce in place of carsup. I just finished making New England Clam Chowder. A recipe that I have been wanting to make for me...Woody can have some if he wants it. Time will tell on that! He is all settled in for the night. It's been a pretty busy day for him. I have tried not to nap today so I will feel like going to sleep when it is time! I worked some this afternoon on this week's Sunday School lesson. Imay work a little more on it this evening...or I may stitch...or read...several options! But first I must clean up the kit hen...again! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Appointments Accomplished

We managed to get away from the house a little before nine this morning for Woody's 9:15 appointment at TN Oncology. I got him signed in and situated in their waiting room and then headed toward the Credit Union and then to Kroger. It was a "small" grocery shopping spree...is there any such thing these days?!? I had time to put them away before I got the call to pick up Woody. This appointment almost always works out to be two hours. We were back home a little before noon. Just time enough to have some lunch before his telemed appointment with Dr. Allos, his infectious disease doctor. Before that came through, Nathan, Kathy, Esther, Elijah, Isaac, and Joseph showed up to work in the yard. They raked and mowed in our back yard. That gave them a workout! Thankful for willing hands from them! The telemed apointment went very smoothly...right on time, the doctor could see and hear Woody and Woody could see and hear the doctor. She asked a few questions and asked to see his leg wound. I managed without too much difficulty to get that into the picture so she could see. She was quite pleased with how it looks. She also said that his labs were the best she had about ever seen from him. I had his white blood count from today's labs so was able to tell her very current lab and that number was excellent showing that he isn't fighting infection at the moment. She was pleased and wants to follow-up in three months with another telemed. And, that was it...quick, quick...no travel time was really nice! We are thankful for telemed appointments when appropriate! One good thing that came out of Covid = telemed appts! We visited with our yard crew for a few minutes before they headed off for home. We found out that both Isaac and Joseph had two hits in their game last night. We found out a little more about Elijah's games and also about his upcoming Babe Ruth season. We're hoping with longer daylight times and warmer temps that maybe we will get a couple of games in, at least. Elijah also has tryouts for the Winchester High School team coming up in July. Busy ball times! Well, tomorrow is another early dialysis day...haven't recovered since yesterday's! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Just Another Tuesday

Another Tuesday has come and is about gone. Woody has taken on the task of cutting a pineapple. He asked me to get one and said that he would do the cutting. It's not an easy task, but he had it half done when I came up here to blog. He had his early dialysis again today. I came home and slept for a little while longer to see if that would get my day going better. I slept for a while amd then went back to cleaning the sewing room till it was time to pick him up. It is looking better in there...still a ways to go..! I read some and cross stitched a little this afternoon, but still felt the need for a nap so took another. Tomorrow Woody has a morning appointment at TN Oncology, but not super early. Hopefully it is early enough to have him back home for his telemed visit with his infectious disease doctor a little after 1pm. I hope that we can handle the telemed visit...hope the iPad cooperates with us! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

It's May!

Well, it's May...and, that means that 1/3 of the year has passed us by! How did that happen so quickly?!? We both went to prayer meeting tonight. Once we got home, I fixed Woody a bite to eat and then did wound dressing which brings me to a later time to blog. Not a lot has happened today. We had a quiet day at home until we went out this evening. I decided that I wanted to spend time in my sewing room for a change...decided that it could do with some straightening out, picking up, etc. The first thing I did was uncover a chair that had mending piled on it...so I made myself deal with what was in that chair first. And, the chair is now empty! Oh, one of the items on the chair didn't need mending, but did need to be ironed...so did that. I have picked up, thrown away and looked through some of my sewing notebooks. I think I will continue in that room tomorrow. I really do want to get back to my sewing. Woody did his cross word puzzles, watched some TV and just took it easy. He seemed a little stronger today when we went to prayer meeting. We'll be up with the birds in the morning to be ready to be on time for his early morning dialysis treatment. I woke up this morning around 4...hope that doesn't become a havit on the days we don't have to awaken that early! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!