"On the Road Again!"

"On the Road Again" will be our theme song, once again, dark and early in the morning.  I just asked Woody if he had walked this morning.  He said, "No, but I was thinking about it.  Does that count?"  Then he added, "I may still."  We went to the early church service and then we went to Sunday School.  I taught my class today.  Woody got a reprieve as the youth met together in a large group and didn't break up into their individual classes.  We came home after Sunday School was over and had lunch.  Then I started getting back into the groove of getting ready.  I first finished up getting clothes washed and dried.  While that was happening, I started getting out the clothes that I wanted to take (that were already clean and ready to pack).  Woody had all his things in on the guest bed ready to go into the suitcase.  I added the things that were in the drier to my stack of "to pack" items and put the rest away.  Then I decided that I had time to do a little sewing.  So I sewed for a while.  My top is complete except for the hems.  My sister called while I was still sewing and while I was talking to her I realized that I hadn't gotten a reservation for Tuesday night.  So I got busy and first called our preferred hotel in Bethesda...still no rooms at the NIH patient rate.  So then I called the hotel that we have been staying in Fairfax, VA and got a reservation there.  So we are set for rooms for three nights.  The fourth night we will just stop "somewhere" along the highway on the way home.  After I got the reservation and a little more done on my top, I started putting everything into the suitcase.  So now we are packed except for toiletry items and all the cords, chargers and some camera "stuff."  But I can definitely see the light at the end of the tunnel and "think" that I will be ready to roll out in the morning at dark and early...without leaving anything that is too important.

Woody did just walk out the door to take a walk.

And, the good Lord willin' I'll be blogging from Orange, VA tomorrow evening.  The blogs will be pictureless till I get back since I still haven't found out a way to post photos from the iPad onto the blog.  Tonight's photo was from our October 2011 trip to NIH.  I'm hoping to see some pretty leaves.  We're starting to see color here so I'm hoping for a bit more as we travel farther north and east!

On The Move!

Everyone had better watch out...Isaac is on the move.  He's getting pretty good at crawling!  The girls put a tea set down on the floor and I put Isaac down on the floor and he headed straight to the tea set...and it didn't take him very long to get there either.  He had fun checking out the cup and saucer and the lid to the creamer. So the sixth of our neighbor grands is now mobile!

Woody didn't go for a walk early this morning as it was raining.  He walked a bit later once it had stopped.  He walked to the library with a stop at the fruit and veggie market on the way home.  He bought some apples...a "good for you" snack for the trip.  I got up and headed downstairs to get some things done in the kitchen that had to be done before we leave on Monday.  I stewed a chicken and also chopped up four red peppers.  Once the chicken cooled I took the meat off the bones and cut the meat into bite-sized pieces and freezer bagged them and popped them in the freezer.  I also froze the red pepper pieces. Both will be very welcome when we start making soups as the weather cools down.  Then I started in on a quick go-through of the house with the vacuum.  I made it through the downstairs before it was time to head next door to baby/kid sit for a while.  Nathan, Kathy, Graham and Abigail headed off and Goosey (Woody) and I took care of Joy, Esther, Elijah and Isaac.  Joy had a list of things that we were to do...including snacks, a diaper change, a nap for Isaac, play time for the rest, coloring time (she and Esther made a book), and the list included a lunch menu.  We pretty much did everything on the list...so Joy was happy.  Not long after we got back to the house, I headed off to WalMart for my obligatory prior to a trip visit to WalMart.  At some point I also started doing the wash that I need to do prior to the trip and worked a little more on the Sunday School lesson for tomorrow.  Woody washed the car.  Yesterday he vacuumed out the car.  So we will be heading off in a very clean car.  The whole day has passed in a whirlwind...so much to do..so little time! .  This evening I fixed us a really nice dinner.  Woody decided to treat me to "Surf 'n' Turf" so he brought home steak and lobster tails when he went grocery shopping.  I spent a while watching a couple of videos as to how to cook lobster tails...how to cut the tail and release the meat from the tail...worked pretty well.  So we dined in fine stead this evening...not our usual fare...VERY yummy.  Now I am VERY full!  Clothes are drying as I type this.  The suitcase is out...guess I will have to pack tomorrow.  I'm not used to leaving on Monday...we usually leave on Tuesday.

Friday

Woody walked eight miles this morning and then walked to the library late in the afternoon.  He also did our weekly grocery shopping, but this time he also did our "trip snack shopping," too. I got up this morning and headed into the sewing room.  I actually spent the whole morning sewing.  AND, I actually finished something...a vest for me.  It had been ready to put together for some time, but I just hadn't found the time or inclination to finish it.  I am now working on getting a knit top cut out for myself, too...but my energy has about run out!  I got to feeling real achy this evening...and I just heard some thunder rumbles so now know that the aches are probably weather related.  I did harvest a lot of our parsley so I can dry it...don't want a frost to get it. I guess that I may go finish cutting out my top, but then am going to flop in the recliner and read for the rest of the evening.  Woody is downstairs taking it easy in front of the TV with a book open in front of him (and, he says that he doesn't multitask!).

A Couple Steps Closer

I got up this morning and once again started in attempting to make reservations at the Bethesda hotel for next Tuesday and Wednesday.  I was successful in getting the NIH rate for Wednesday at the Bethesda hotel.  And, already had a hotel reservation for Monday night in Orange, VA.  So now the only night that we are lacking a room that we want a reservation for is for Tuesday night.  We can easily go to the hotel in Fairfax, VA where we often stay when that is our first night's driving goal.  I still wish that we could stay closer to NIH...I may try again to see if there is a room available as we get nearer to the day...or I may just go on and book a reservation in Fairfax.  It's interesting that when I finally got a woman operator for the hotel 800 line, she had no problem finding the correct rate...just that one of the nights a room wasn't available for that rate (This time it "only" took three different operators on two different days to finally have one find the correct rate!). When our laptop had problems a while back, we lost some of our email contacts so this morning I had to figure out a way to contact our research nurse.  I finally replied to the secretary who had made Woody's appointment for this time and she emailed me the nurse's email.  So things are starting to fall into place for our trip. We will start out dark and early on Monday.  Drive to Orange, VA that day and then tour Montpelier on Tuesday.  When we are finished at Montpelier we will drive on to wherever we have a reservation for that night.  Then Wednesday morning we will head to NIH for Woody's labs and then his CT scan.  This time he is only scheduled for a CT.  So we "should" be finished before lunch.  Then we go back to NIH on Thursday to turn in vouchers, pick up any meds he needs, and see the research team in clinic.  After they are finished with us in the clinic, we will start heading back toward TN.  We'll stop somewhere along the way that night and then finish the drive to Tullahoma on Friday.

Woody walked seven miles this morning.  Later in the morning he made pumpkin pudding for the neighbors.  This time he had Elijah's help.  I had school with Elijah, Esther, Joy, and Abigail this morning.  Then this afternoon I worked on this week's Sunday School lesson.  This evening we are both relaxing.  I have been reading upstairs and Woody is downstairs with the TV on and is probably reading too.

One Pumpkin...Cooked!

I should have gotten a picture of Woody's chosen job of the day.  He decided to cook one of the pumpkins...one from Nathan and Kathy's garden that they gave us quite a while ago.  He cut it up...scooped all the yuck and seeds out...peeled the pieces...cooked the pieces...then pureed all the cooked pieces in the food processor!  What a job.  I conveniently made myself scarce...as in heading off to the church library!  That is one messy job!  But we now have more fresh pumpkin in the freezer...mmmmmmmmmmmmm...I foresee pumpkin pies and pumpkin pudding in our future!  I'll make the pies.  Woody will make the pumpkin pudding.  The pumpkin that he used today was a very light orange on the outside, but very bright orange on the inside.

Woody got up and headed out for an eight mile walk.  It was going to be a warmer day so he headed out for an early walk once again.  It did reach 85 today...typical Fall weather...quite cool one day and the next quite warm.  I had school with Elijah, Esther, Joy and Graham this morning.  Then after lunch I headed for our work afternoon in the church library.  We did more of the same, but finally got through all the cards for books that the computer says are checked out and also matched those up with who "supposedly" has them checked out.  We have printed out lists of books of those books and the patron who we think has them and I will type up a note with the list on it for the patrons to check at home to see if they have.  So FBC, Tullahoma library users beware...you may be getting a note or an email from me in the near future...that is when I find time...hard to find sometimes!

This morning I spent more than an hour on the phone trying to get the NIH patient rate for our favorite hotel in Bethesda, MD for next week or on the computer trying to get our other favorite place to stay that is in Fairfax, VA..  But so far I haven't made the right connection with the hotel telephone workers for the Bethesda hotel in whatever part of the world (though, I will say the two that I have spoken to so far   have been easy to communicate with...just that they can't find the correct rate...so I will continue to try).  The closer one waits to the day that the room is needed the more chance they are willing to give the room for the quoted NIH rate (They'd rather get that rate than not have the room filled!)...so I will persevere for a few more days!  Next week at this time, Woody's CT's and MRI's will be behind him and we will just be waiting till the next day to meet the docs in clinic and hear the results.

A Bit of Fall Color

The color of Fall is beginning to show in some of the tree tops.  The color that I saw as I went across town today to get my hair cut makes me hopeful of a colorful Fall for the trees.  Tonight shows a butterfly that I took a photo of last week as Graham was wanting to identify it and Goosey (Woody, our butterfly expert) wasn't home.  So I snapped a picture so Goosey could identify it when he got home.  A bit of color in our garden with some of the flowers that are still blooming.

This has been a busy day.  Woody, once again, waited a bit later than usual to take his walk to let it warm up a bit...though it didn't get quite as cold during the night as it had the last few nights.  I had school with a couple of the older children in the morning and then two of the younger ones in the afternoon.  I had to stop school a bit early this morning as my hair appointment was earlier than usual.  I headed off to get my hair cut and then went to the store to pick up a couple of things that I needed for a meal that our Sunday School class was providing for a member who had knee surgery last week.  I got home and made the brownies and then had school with Elijah and Esther.  I had picked up a casserole from another Sunday School member earlier in the day and popped that in the oven after the kids finished school and the brownies were out of the oven.  When the casserole came out of the oven I hopped in the car to meet another class member and we delivered the meal.  Woody left a few minutes before I left to walk to the prayer room at church.  I am now home and ready to prop my feet up after all the coming and going that I have done today!  Good night for another night of Dancing With the Stars!

Fall Baking Day

Can you smell it???!!!!  I got up and started in on the long process of making rye bread...a first for me.  I made two loaves and the one that we have cut into is pretty yummy.  We each had a slice while it was still warm and then we had Reuben Sandwiches for supper...very good!  This is the first time that I have made bread from a starter or as this one called it a "sponge."  And, it did look like a sponge by this morning (I started it on Saturday and you are to use it by the third day).  I hadn't planned to have school this morning since the children weren't supposed to be back till sometime today from their weekend gig in VA.  They ended up coming in last night, but I still didn't have school since I had the bread baking planned.  Elijah came over and I did work on sounds with him and then he played.  The rest just filtered in and out over the span of the day...playing.  The big news of the day is that Elijah can now open our front door by himself.  He is so excited...but...this caused concern this afternoon when Goosey didn't know that Elijah had left and then he came up missing without Goosey knowing that he had gone out the door by himself!  We will have to make some new rules for our boy who is "getting bigger like a dad" every day!

Woody didn't walk early this morning since it was so chilly out (low 40's).  So he walked later in the day...a nice feature of the Fall and being retired...walk whenever it suites you!  Woody also made Italian Cauliflower...so many good smells emanating from our kitchen! After the bread was out of the oven...early afternoon...Woody caught up with Graham and gave him and Grammy the job of planting some pansies that Woody bought for me over the weekend.  So Graham and I went out to the front gardens and planted nine pansy plants...me pointing out where to plant them and Graham digging the holes, sprinkling in plant food, putting in the new little plants, pushing the dirt back around them and then watering them well.  It was a nice time spent with Graham, except that I had been on my feet too long with the bread baking, etc. that my back was really hurting and I was really ready to head to my recliner upstairs.  I did that and, of course, fell asleep...instead of reading.  Woody has come behind me cleaning up the mess in the kitchen.  The last time I went through the dish drainer was piled pretty high!  And, now it is time for me to go down and relax in front of the TV...Dancing With the Stars is back once again!

First Fall Sunday

Woody got up early and walked six miles.  It was a pretty nippy morning.  It hadn't hit 50 when we left for church around 8am.  We went to the early service and then both taught our respective Sunday School classes.  We came home and had lunch and then pretty much took it easy the rest of the day.  Woody has just returned from the evening church service.

It's Fall, Ya'll!

The changing of God's seasons is upon us.  It is so good to feel the changes in the air and start to see the changes in the foliage...just tinges at this point...but a preview of what is to come.  I love Fall colors...changing of the leaves and the beautiful blue that the sky can be at this time of the year.

Woody got up and went on a seven mile walk.  Later he walked to the library (and back!).  He also did some errands in between walks.  I got up and started out in the kitchen and pretty much stayed there all morning and part of the afternoon. I started out making a sponge (starter) for making rye bread this coming week (planning on Monday).  This is a first for me to start bread out this way...hope that the final results are good! The sponge is sitting in a bowl on the counter all tightly covered with plastic wrap. After getting that ready, I got started making one of our favorites...Bragg's Barbecue (pulled pork).  This is one of those recipes that takes a lot of time...first it takes a lot of time getting the meat cut off the bone and into chunks.  Then it takes a long time to simmer and lots of time checking and skimming fat off.  But the end results are fantastic...and well worth the work.  I decided to do something that I had never done before...I made pork broth out of the pork bone.  I really hadn't heard of pork broth so I looked it up on the internet and found out that it is done...just not done a lot in the U.S.  So I decided to give it a try.  I added water, veggies and quite a few herbs from our garden and then let all simmer for a long time. I will freeze the broth and I'm sure that it will come in handy for some of the soups in our future (once it gets just a little cooler).

Part of the time that I was cooking I listened to some more of Vanity Fair...part of it I really enjoyed and then all of a sudden I had no idea, once again, as to what was going on...wonder if my mind wandered or...?
Woody has watched a library DVD or two.  Part of the time that things were simmering, I made a quick run through with the vacuum downstairs and did a little dusting.  I also vacuumed crumbs out of our silverware drawer...always wonder just exactly how those crumbs get in there since that drawer isn't left open!  I planned to make a quick run through upstairs with the vacuum, too, but just didn't have enough steam left to do that task...it can wait for another day!  I came upstairs after partaking of a barbecue sandwich and flopped in the recliner in our bedroom...planning to read some more about Dolley Madison...but my eyes shut pretty quickly and I napped instead.  After that brief nap, I did pick Dolley up again and read for a while.  I'm getting close to being finished with it.

Friday...so soon?

Well, another Friday has rolled around.  Woody walked eight miles this morning.  Then later in the morning he did our weekly grocery shopping.  He has also done some mowing.  He finished the book that we both have been reading about Dolley Madison.  I still have some reading to go in it.  It isn't a fast read...lots of history to absorb. I did a little weeding...wanting to get ready to plant some pansies. When I came in from outside,  I had a message from the public library saying they had the book that I had requested they hold for me.  I went to the library and got it and then left it opened in a chair on the front porch as it is so cigarette smoke laden...I brought it inside before it got dark...but it still pretty smokey smelling...not sure that I will be able to read it...not worth getting sick over!  But it is the next to the last in a series that I have been working on...

I spent a good part of the day working on Sunday's Sunday School lesson.  I had worked on it last night and went this morning to fill in some more info from another book and all the notes that I had taken last night were gone!  Not good!  I don't understand as I made an extra effort to constantly save last night as I was typing in notes.  I'm wondering if it is me or the app.  Anyway, I transferred what was there to my laptop and have worked from it as I used to do prior to having an iPad.  Technology is great as long as it works the way you want/need it to!

Kid sitting!

We're next door taking care of five grandchildren...thus no photo tonight as I'm blogging from my iPad.  We have had a busy day as usual.  Woody took two four-mile walks, mowed some, and most importantly...made me a pan of brownies!  I had school with Elijah, Esther, and Joy and read with Abigail.  I made us Caprese salads for supper and then came over here to "play" with the children...at the moment one is in bed, one is in the shower and there are three waiting for stories.

There is a chill in the air!

Isn't this spider web great!  I pulled into our driveway after working at the church library this afternoon and the sun was hitting it just right...had my little camera with me so managed to capture it.  When I came out just minutes later, the sun had already moved enough that it wasn't shining on it.

Woody got up early and walked four miles when it was in the mid 40's...brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr!  Then later in the morning he took another four mile walk.  This time he took Elijah on his walk and they picked persimmons.  I had school with Elijah, Esther, Joy, and Graham this morning and then this afternoon I worked several hours in the library.  Again, Donna and I scratched our heads as to just exactly what we accomplished in the library...but we really worked hard for several hours!  We are still unraveling the "who has what" and "will it come back" library mysteries.

Fall is in the Air!

Over the last 24 hours Tullahoma has gotten a little over three inches of rain.  Graham checked his self-made rain gauge this morning and said that we had gotten three inches and a little later I saw posted on a Tullahoma site that we had gotten a little over three inches so I guess Graham's rain gauge was fairly accurate!  It finally quite raining and the sun came out this afternoon...and there is a definite Fall feel to the air.  Rather chilly...or as Kathy says: "feels good!"  She and Esther went back and forth on their way over here after lunch...Esther said that it was chilly and Kathy said that it felt good.  I don't know who said it last to be the winner.  Well, Esther did say "chilly" another time after we got inside and her mother was heading back home...does that make her the winner?!?  Woody walked this evening to the church for his time in the prayer room.  He decided to wear a light weight sweatshirt as it was a bit breezy and "chilly!"  Nathan, Kathy, and five of the children are at a church service.  A little while ago Graham was dropped off here after his Lego League meeting.  We had school today.  Abigail, Graham, and Joy came before lunch and then Elijah and Esther had their time after lunch.  Abigail for part of her time found out how to fix a pair of shorts that needed new elastic and also a ripped seam fixed.  We almost got that done during her time, but had a little left to do so we finished after Esther's school time with me.  So it has been a full first day back at school!  Elijah and Esther spent some time with Goosey (Woody) after they had school with me.  Elijah, especially, is enjoying reacquainting himself with his favorite toys over here.

They're Baaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaack!

A little after 8 last night Nathan, Kathy and the children pulled into their RV into their driveway after being gone a little over three weeks.  The hopped over here to say "hi."  Elijah had gotten a book in the mail so he asked Goosey (Woody) to read it to him and the others joined him for the new story.  They were filled with all sorts of tales about their adventures that took them all the way to Yellowstone National Park.

This morning Woody got up and decided to take his umbrella with him on his walk.  It had rained prior to him heading out, but had stopped at the time that he left.  But he knew that there was a good possibility of more.  He did have to put the umbrella up before he got home from his four mile walk.  Due to it being such a rainy day we have stayed close to home.  Elijah came over this morning while the rest of his family unloaded their RV and did wash and other chores that need to be done after such a long trip.   The whole family came over after supper and each shared something about their trip.  They had quite the time...now to settle back into routine...that is till their next trip!  It's good to see them all and they each seem to be much taller than when they left!  When I told Elijah that I was sure that he was taller, he said, "Yes, I am almost getting to be a Daddy!"  I guess his goal is to get tall like his daddy!

Day of Rest

Woody got up early and walked six miles. Then we both spent several hours under the above roof/steeple this morning and then Woody is back there tonight.  After the early service, we both went to our Sunday School classes...Woody to teach his sixth grade boys and me to be taught in my class.  We came home and had lunch and then pretty much have taken it easy the rest of the day.

Four Years Ago Today!

It's so nice to watch the years add up between actual events and the present!  It was four years ago late this afternoon (September 15, 2008) that Woody had his bad bicycle accident. Tonight's photo is the reenactment that the neighbor grandchildren did on the first anniversary of his bicycle accident (Sept. 15, 2009).  This link takes you to a description of his bicycle accident and to my very first blog post back in January of 2009:
http://wdorrell.blogspot.com/2009/01/fork-in-road-which-way-should-we-turn.html

We have had a busy day...Woody walking (7 miles), going to the library and fruit/vegetable market, running some errands, mowing, reading, and some TV sports watching...me...cleaning (I finished up the cleaning that I had planned for this go-round plus vacuumed quickly through the whole house and did a little dusting and bathroom sprucing up), washing, cooking, and reading.

I commented to Woody that a lot has happened in the last four years...and he agreed! We're both very glad to be at this end of those four years!

Oops! Time Got Away From Me!

I just realized that I hadn't blogged this evening...must be slipping!  Really I was just so tired that after we ate supper, I flopped down in the recliner and watched Project Runway on my iPad and read...and just realized what time it is!  Woody walked ten miles this morning (seems to be his favorite mileage lately).  Then later in the day he did our weekly grocery shopping.  I continued to clean and about did myself in today.  I pulled things out of the back corner of the room (lots of interfacing, stabilizers, etc.) and organized them.  I carried it all into our room and put it all on the bed.  I should have taken a picture of the amount on the bed.  I'm impressed that I got it back into the size space that I did.  At least it isn't overflowing in front of the bookcase the way it was.  I thought that I was going to be able to say that what cleaning that was going to get done in the sewing room was done, but as I looked back into the room I realized that I hadn't cleaned off the top of the sewing cabinet...a real dust catcher.  I was too tired to bring the step ladder upstairs so Woody brought it up a little while ago.  I'm not sure that I have it in me tonight to climb up there and take things down and dust them and then get all the dust off the top...but I really wanted to be finished in here!  I realized that I was really hurting as the afternoon went on and then realized that I had forgotten to take my morning meds...guess I found out that they definitely help (of course knew it already)!  I made a quick and easy supper using the leftover marinara sauce that we had earlier in the week...poured the sauce over chicken thighs and then cooked them in a slow oven till the meat just about falls off the bone and then serve sauce and chicken over whole wheat rotini.  Pretty yummy and it was so easy since the sauce was already prepared.  Woody made Italian Cauliflower...another of our favorites. Woody and I are both reading the same book...a biographical novel about Dolley Madison.  I read it many years ago, but wanted to read it again before we go to Montpelier.  Woody has his bookmark in his place and I have my bookmark in mine!  I will admit to taking possession of the book since last evening when I finished the book that I had been reading.  The book that I finished is part of a series and my name is on the waiting list for the next one...so biding my time till the library calls to say that it is ready for me to come pick up.

P.S. After I wrote that last sentence I climbed up on my stepladder and unloaded the decorations on top of my sewing cabinet...dusted them with the vacuum and also dusted off the top...pretty thick with dust.  I will say that this last side of the sewing room seems to have gotten a bit to my allergies...I dusted off the tops of the bookshelves and also all the picture frames that adorn the tops.  But I have not attacked the bookshelves themselves...another time!  I have had about enough of this deep cleaning.  I'm ready to do something else! The cleaning has about worn me out!

Plans Underway!

Today we got underway with the plans for our next trip for Woody's next check-in at NIH (National Institutes of Health) in Bethesda, MD.  Four months have just about passed since our last trip.  This time we are planning to head off a day earlier than usual and do a little sightseeing on the way.  We are planning to visit Montpelier, home of James and Dollye Madison.  This will add another presidential home to our "collection" of presidential homes that we have visited.  When we decided that we would visit Montpelier, I got to looking at their website and found out that there is a tour of the home prior to it opening to the public.  This will be an hour-and-a-half tour through the home.  I decided that I would like to see it this way so today Woody made a call to make reservations to tour the home on one of these "behind the scenes tours."  So that is all booked.  I am really looking forward to it...appeals to the history buff in me!  The next plans I made were getting a hotel room in Orange, VA.  I thought that I had been successful and then when I printed out the reservations from the laptop...well...I had reservations for a hotel in Orange, TX!  OOPS!  Well, I cancelled that reservation and made one (I hope) in Orange, VA...at least the printout says that it is Orange, VA.  I think that I was successful the second try.  If at first you don't succeed...

Woody walked ten miles this morning.  Later in the day he mowed some more on the yard.  I have continued to clean in the sewing room.  The one side of the room is now done...now to move on to the "path" behind the sewing machine.  The table that holds our laptop, printer, and some sewing needs, etc. is now dust free for at least a short time!

Tonight's photo was taken a year ago on our fifth trip of 2011 to NIH...the first week of October...same week (a year later!) as we will be heading out this year...just a little over two weeks away. Time does pass so quickly...sometimes too quickly!

A Wednesday to Wallow

Woody got up early and walked ten miles.  I was still sleeping in as I didn't get to sleep till the wee hours of the morning.  After I got up, I worked on a design that I am planning to embroider with my sewing machine.  Then I ate lunch and got ready to head to the church library.  There Donna and I wallowed once again in the check-out records...but I do think that we are making headway (at least we hope we are!).  All this record checking is leading up to taking an inventory of our books, etc...not an easy task.  Preparation ahead of time (that is what we are doing) makes all the difference in the world in the ease of doing the inventory.  We hope that we are aiding a task that is to take place on down the road.  As I left for the library around 1pm, Woody was mowing.  When I got home, he had tuna salad prepared for our supper.  Pretty much as soon as I got home I headed up to the sewing room to wallow in more dust and  "sewing debris." I am trying to go through piles of "stuff" that seems to accumulate...I'm determined to either find a home for the things in the piles or get rid of what doesn't have a home...as in throw them away.  I went through the drawers in the sewing chair that Woody's dad made for Woody's mom many years ago.  I use it for storage...there is storage under the seat and then two drawers.  The drawers are where I store some of my sewing thread...I took out each and every one of the spools and vacuumed the bottoms of the drawers.  I have four cork board squares that I use as a bulletin board.  Well, those squares can get pretty crammed with "stuff" so I took a bunch of the things down or at least consolidated some things.  Still pretty full...but better and I have the pattern directions for my vest pinned up on them...so a start to getting back to sewing!  I am now to the computer/printer part of the room...that means lots of cords on the floor...I do NOT like cords.  I have vacuumed/dusted them off the best that I can.  I am not planning on unplugging any of the computer items...afraid that they won't come back on if I do!  I am going to have to have Woody's help in vacuuming off the tables that hold the laptop and the two printers that are in here...as I don't want to move any of them very far (as in having to unplug them so I can get under them.  We'll see how that goes!  Once I get this computer end of the sewing room finished then it is go to the backside of the sewing machine cabinet and clean down that sort of "hallway" that leads to my sewing cabinet.  This is where the bookcases are...the only cleaning that the bookcases will get is dusting the tops...which means moving and dusting LOTS of photos.  Just about all the dusting that I'm doing, I'm doing with a dusting attachment on my vacuum.  Dusting with the vacuum really helps me to not get all choked up with allergies.  There's lots of stuff crammed into this not very large room...almost impossible to turn around when I have the vacuum in here with me! Woody is downstairs watching TV and I'm just about to call it quits for vacuuming/cleaning for the evening and go plop down in the recliner with a book. I have listened to some more of Vanity Fair at the times that I was doing things that didn't involve having the vacuum running.  That is a really long book...lots of big, old fashioned words in it, too.  It will take me forever to listen to all 67 chapters (and they aren't short chapters many are 45 min. long...some longer...some shorter.  It is an interesting commentary of society of Victorian times.  Sometimes I have to chuckle and sometimes I have to wonder just exactly is being talked about! Tonight's photo shows that our little crepe myrtle is blooming...this is its one and only bloom!

Remembering in TN

I'm sure that just about all of us can remember where we were eleven years ago today when we first heard the news of the attack on our nation.

I'm pretty sure that Woody got up and walked this morning, as when I asked him if it was as cold out this morning as yesterday and he told me "no" that he had been out early...and if he was out early then he walked (yes, seven miles).  But I forgot to ask him how far he walked and he has now left to walk to the church for his time in the Prayer Room.  He has spent quite a bit of time outside mowing today, too.  I have been working on the computer...backing up pictures and other documents from our laptop onto our Passport external drives. I hadn't done it in a while and decided that it was time.  While I was waiting on files to copy, I listened to more of Vanity Fair and also began in earnest cleaning in the sewing room.  I can say that the sewing machine cabinet and all its nooks and crannies have been cleaned. And, that is a very good start in the sewing room...that takes care of the center of the room...now to work on the sides!  One side is very scary...a wall of books...hundreds of books.  I'm not sure that I am up to working on those bookshelves "this cleaning" of the room. Tomorrow, though, I do hope to be able to clean the ironing board side of the room...and the table that the laptop and printer and...rest upon.

Short and Sweet!

I plan for the blog to be short and sweet tonight!  Woody got up early and walked four miles.  He has mowed some today, read, and done some taking it easy.  I got up a bit late as I didn't have the best night's rest as I got cold in the night...that hasn't happened in a long time!  I forget that the change from summer to fall tends to cause me problems with my Transverse Myelitis...my body likes hot better than it likes cold.  So waking up cold wasn't a good thing...though I did get back to sleep...but then I slept in longer than I like and that got me off to a slow start.  The best part of my day was talking to two friends and my sister (not to say that my sister isn't a friend...if I don't say that I'm sure that she will call me on it!  (big grin!)).  I did start to do a little work on the sewing room...maybe tomorrow I will make more headway on it.  Then I made marinara sauce for our supper and cooked angel hair whole wheat pasta for it to go on.  That is about the simplest pasta sauce that I make...and it is so very good to be so easy and fast.  So...supper preparation was short and sweet, the amount of work done in the sewing room was short and sweet...and with that I am finished with the blog!

Sunday Stroll Down Memory Lane

Melany called this afternoon needing some pictures of her when she was little for an art project that she is working on for a class that she is taking in her Masters program at Cumberland University in Lebanon, TN.  Well, that got me to looking through files and albums.  All these are from the two years that we lived in California.  We moved from Tullahoma, TN to Sunnyvale, CA when Melany was 18months and then moved back to Tullahoma shortly after she turned three.  Nathan was born in CA.  We moved back to Tullahoma just as he turned one.  So I have had fun looking back over photos which brought back lots of memories.  It seems that just about the whole time that we were there I was either pregnant or sick...and with Nathan pregnant meant feeling sick just about the whole nine months.  Then not long after I had him, I was diagnosed with gall bladder problems and had that surgery just prior to moving back to Tullahoma.  As you can see most of the photos are black and white.  My father took some of these, but I took most of them.  My camera went on the fritz shortly after Nathan was born so there is a bit of a shortage of photos of him early on.  It was fun to see how well the photos scanned especially the black and white ones.  One of our blog readers who lives in Shelbyville needs to look very closely at the photo in the top left corner!  I'll bet she will recognize the outfit that she made for Melany's 2nd birthday present.  The one where Woody has her upside down is what Melany called "upside" when she would ask him to carry her around this way.  The Christmas one was taken at my parents' house...one of the two times that we spent Christmas at their house in all the years that we have been married.  Anyway, these photos range from when Melany was around 20 months old to her turning three and from Nathan as a new born till he was 8 or so months old.  Nathan is in the colored Christmas photo...he's playing in the playpen in the background.  Melany is playing with her Fisher Price barn that is still being enjoyed today...now by Nathan's children.  That barn has survived Melany and Nathan and now eight grandchildren...well, Isaac hasn't really started playing with it yet, but he will! The photo in the lower right hand corner shows Melany's hair blowing...it seemed that the wind was always blowing when we lived there...the trees in the school yard across the street from our house were permanently bent in the direction that the wind blew. These are just a few of the things that went through my mind as I went back over our time living in California...glad that we are back living in small-town Tullahoma.  California was just too big and too busy for me...I like a slower paced life! The photos that Melany chooses to use she will turn into negatives and then do neat things with them that she learned in a photography class. (Be sure to click on the collage so you can see the pictures better.)

Woody got up and needed to wear a jacket on his seven-mile walk this morning.  The low registered on our outside thermometer this morning was 51.4 and Woody said that it was 48 on the bank thermometer down in the valley...a bit chilly!  It felt so good coming out after church this morning...the nice cool air with quite low humidity.  Definitely Fall is in the air!  We went to the early church service and then we both taught our respective Sunday School classes.  We came home and had lunch.  I rested for a little while and then Melany called and then I went on the hunt for photos and then scanned them and emailed them to her.  Kathy called and I had to run next door to get some information that they needed (brought our shared steam mop back to our house...guess I will mop the kitchen floor tomorrow).  Woody went to Deacon's meeting this afternoon.  Then he went to the evening church service.

Cooler Day!

Woody got up early and walked six miles.  Later in the morning he walked to the library and made a stop at the fruit and vegetable market on the way home.  He said that though the temps were lower it was still quite humid out when he walked early this morning and then it rained on him on his walk home from the library...so he came in rather wet after both walks.  But according to Weather Bug we didn't get out of the 70's today and it is 65 right now and supposed to get down into the mid 50's over night.  I got up and got to work completing my Sunday School preparation.  I ended up having to do more than I thought I would as I guess I neglected to save the last that I typed in last night.  So when I printed off what I had typed while studying this week, there were missing parts so I had to then fill in the missing parts by hand...so my notes were very messy.  A little while ago I decided that I had better type them over again...so I did and that is the reason that I am late getting in here to blog.  While Woody walked to the library, I quickly vacuumed through the downstairs and did some cleaning in the kitchen and freshened up the downstairs bathroom.  Then I fixed philly steak sandwiches for our lunch.  Mid-afternoon Woody made us s'mores!  Yummy!  But messy...not sure if Woody's shirt will ever come clean...he bit into one and it went everywhere...well, at least down the front of him!  

Friday

Woody slept next to none last night as once again his kidney stone pain has surfaced.  He walked four miles early this morning. Then a bit later he headed off to do our weekly grocery shopping.  He also did a bit of mowing.  I got up planning to have a busy day...not sure what happened except that I went to check on something on the internet and that led from one thing to another.  I spent quite a bit of time working on photos...both looking at mine and looking at others...trying to learn things that others do with photo composition.  I talked to my sister on the phone this afternoon and then made our supper.  That about does it for our day.  Woody has stuck close to the house this afternoon and evening trying to drink a lot trying to convince his kidney stone to leave!

Adaptations

Woody seems to be back on his more normal schedule...sleeps soundly for quite a few hours and then wakes up and since he can't get back to sleep, he heads off on an early morning walk.  Today he walked eight miles.  He also worked on pulling weeds again today.  After lunch he ran an errand.  It seems that when I work extra hard one day that they next is sort of a day of doing not so much.  That was today.  Once I got to sleep, I had a good night's sleep.  When I got up I did a little reading, worked on my Sunday School lesson for this week...nothing too strenuous as far as being active!  Then this afternoon I set about adapting one of our favorite casseroles to a healthier version.  It calls for cream of mushroom soup so I made my own from scratch...pretty good and worked very well as a base for our tuna casserole.  I realized that we had no onions (they are on the list) so Woody went out and pulled a couple of green onions from the garden.  Then I realized that we were out of bread (recipe calls for bread crumbs on top) so I tore up a pita bread round and used that on the top of the casserole.  Anyway...all the adaptations worked out well and we enjoyed a new version of an old favorite...Company Tuna Bake (now known as Company Tuna Bake with Homemade Cream of Mushroom Soup). And, Woody seems to continue to feel okay (no pain) after this latest bout with a kidney stone.

Muggy Wednesday

Boy has it been humid today...sort of takes your breath away when you go outside after being in air conditioning.  I talked to someone today who said that it felt like they were in New Orleans rather than Tullahoma.  Supposedly there will be a front come through over the weekend that is supposed to cool us down significantly...time will tell.  Woody had the best night's sleep that he has had in weeks.  He's hoping, but afraid to say, that perhaps this bout with this kidney stone is over...again, time will tell. Woody walked his four-mile route this morning.  He said that when he got home that his shirt was dripping wet.  And, that is walking in the "cool" of the morning...again, so very humid!  Even the spider webs are showing the humidity.  Tonight's photo was taken of a web right after one of our rains of late.  Woody pulled quite a few weeds today trying to take advantage of the soft ground after our latest rain.  This morning I vacuumed our room and changed the sheets on our bed (Well, I washed the sheets this morning.  I am in the process of getting them put back on the bed now...just taking a bit of a break to blog!).  I did go through the sewing room door this morning with the vacuum and vacuumed a path, but haven't really attacked the room yet.  After lunch, I headed to the church library where we continue to find all kinds of snafus...but each one we solve we are closer to having the library records better organized. It is a bit like tonight's photo...a tangled web! I came home and collapsed for a while and read and now I'm heading in to finish making our bed.  Woody is downstairs watching television.  We're settling in for a quiet night. Though it may not be a quiet night as it looks like we may have some storms approaching.

Celebrating a Birthday!

Oreo cookies turn 100 this year and in honor of Oreo's birthday Dairy Queen has a special offer.  You buy one medium Oreo Blizzard and get another for 99cents.  This ad came over our computer today and Woody took them up on it and took us for a treat!  Sounded like a good reason to celebrate to us! Woody didn't sleep very well last night...he spent part of the night in his recliner downstairs and part on the family room couch.  But in neither place did he get much sleep.  He has really been drinking today...hoping to get his kidney stone to move to a more comfortable place!  I, on the other hand, had one of the best night's sleep that I had had in weeks and I managed to sleep in our bed.  Usually if I stay in the bed too long I get to really hurting.  I guess that I was tired enough that even if I hurt in the night that I didn't awaken!  I think that it drizzled a good part of the night...at least when I went to bed it was raining some and then when I woke up it was raining...so who knows what happened rain-wise during the night!  But things are pretty wet and the flowers are pretty happy.  I walked around a little while ago and managed to deadhead some of the flowers. That is a job that I have neglected since I haven't felt well the last few weeks.  After I got up, I got back to cleaning.  I had a couple of surfaces (table/desk tops) downstairs that I wanted to finish before taking the vacuum upstairs.  I did those and then found other things that needed vacuuming/cleaning so did those too.  I spent a lot more time downstairs than I had planned to (that seems to be the way it is when I get to cleaning...one thing seems to lead to another).  I vacuumed through the pathway downstairs and then vacuumed the stairs as I took the vacuum upstairs.  I have done a little cleaning upstairs...our bathroom and the upstairs guest bathroom.  So for the moment we have three clean bathrooms!  I can pretty much say that all rooms have had a good cleaning...except...the sewing room...gulp!  Well, I will leave that for another day!  Woody didn't walk this morning due to the rain.  He left a little while ago to walk to the prayer room at church.

Laborious Labor Day

Woody had a pretty good night's sleep once he got to sleep.  Now me...well...not so great!  I woke up super early and once Woody was stirring I got busy.  Today I attacked the kitchen with a vengeance.  I took everything off the countertops and then cleaned them well and then wiped off all that goes on the counters.  I cleaned the microwave and sink, but didn't do the stove since I had done that recently (and the oven can definitely be left for another day!).  The stove top probably needed it again, but I just didn't have it in me.  I worked steadily for most of the morning.  Then had lunch and then rested for a while.  I talked to my sister and then came downstairs and fixed our supper.  We had Chunky Tomato Sauce and Italian Sausage on linguine...one of our favorites.  I then cleaned up the kitchen and left the dishwasher going and left dishes in the drainer.  I'm going to let Woody take care of putting the dishes away!  I'm tired!  We did get more rain after I blogged last night...so the plants are once again happy.  Woody walked a bit later this morning...six miles.  Later in the afternoon he ran an errand.  He also surprised me and made brownies while I was upstairs resting.  Looks like the squirrels are busy getting ready for the winter...and we still have that one pesky squirrel that likes to eat nuts right over our walkway...shells keep appearing as soon as we sweep them away...a losing cause at the moment!  Hope that everyone has had a great Labor Day 2012!

First September Sunday

Woody didn't sleep the best last night so got up super early and headed out on a walk.  He walked six miles.  We both went to the early service and then went to Sunday School.  Woody taught his sixth grade boys class.  We came home and pretty much both took it easy this afternoon.  We were hoping for some rain, but most of it passed us by.  We did get a little shower.  The flowers were hoping for more!  Woody has just gotten home from the evening church service.

Slipping Into September

Maybe if we slip into the new month quietly it won't pass by so quickly?!?  It is just getting too close to Christmas for comfort...especially if I plan to make anything for Christmas this year.  Woody got up first this morning and it has to have been pretty early as I also got up early...a little after 4am...so not sure how much of a head-start he got on the day.  He walked eight miles.  I got up and started in on my next cleaning challenge...deeper cleaning in the family room.  I cleaned for a while and then came upstairs and read for a while and slept a bit more.  I woke up just a little before Woody headed off for his walk to the library and asked him to move his recliner out into the room so I could vacuum it and also under it.  I did that while he was at the library so his chair would be ready for him when he got back. He did walk to the library and on the way home he stopped at the fruit and vegetable market for tomatoes and apples.  I cleaned most of the morning.  After lunch I plopped in the recliner upstairs and read and rested for a while.  I was pretty worn out from my cleaning efforts...but the family room and the guest bathroom are much cleaner now!  I used the other eggplant that Woody bought the other day at the farmers' market and made Eggplant Parmesan.  This recipe is just so good and uses all fresh ingredients...fresh homegrown basil, homegrown tomatoes (this time someone else grew them as our plants have been picked pretty bare for the moment), a fresh eggplant, fresh Parmesan cheese, and mozzarella cheese...very simple ingredients.  And, the eggplant slices are just brushed with olive oil that has minced garlic (homegrown) in it and then the eggplant slices are baked in the oven...so all-in-all pretty healthy.  Woody has watched a bit of football and a bit of baseball today.  I'm sure that he has inserted some reading and resting during the watching. I finished another book today and have started another one.  We have both worked the USA Today crossword puzzle.  He also did some yard work.  He is now watching a library DVD.  So we have had a pretty busy first day of September.  And, as September arrives, we know that there isn't much left of summer and that fall is right around the corner!  The year really is slipping away from us as September slips in!