Bye Bye, March!

Can you believe that 1/4 of the year is behind us already?!? Today I had to sit and wait around all day for the Sears repairman...who never came. Of course, if he had come, he couldn't have fixed the dryer as the part that is supposedly being shipped to us hasn't arrived yet. Not sure what my next move is...I guess wait and see if the part comes tomorrow in the mail. At this point don't know if it is the postal service or repairman or someone else who is at fault. I guess I can just hope that it will eventually be repaired. Woody is the only one who strayed from the house today. He had his second Keytruda infusion and after that appointment he stopped and got his hair cut. One of the things that Woody said sounded good was banana pudding...so I made banana pudding today. It was quite an interesting undertaking...let's just say that Murphy visited! But, no matter how many misturns were taken,there is now a banana pudding chilling in the refrigerator. Hope it is good...the leavings in the pan I cooked the pudding in tasted good...the banana piece I ate tasted good...and the several vanilla wafers I ate also tasted good...so surely combining three good items will turn into one very good item! Time will tell! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Seems Like Saturday!

I am confusing myself by trying to change my grocery shopping day to a weekday rather than Saturday. I have shopped on a couple of Tuesdays now...but some times it hasn't worked due to an appointment or something else that has gotten in the way. But today I made it out the door on Tuesday...but because I shopped on Saturday for so long it has made it seem like Saturday all day to me. I guess I am trying to extend my weekend! Woody also got out. After I got home from getting groceries, he headed out to get gas for the car. He also put it in the garage as we are supposed to have more rough weather tomorrow...at least a lot of rain. After I got the groceries put away and rested for a few minutes, I headed outside to plant two herbs that I bought at the grocery store. In the produce section they have herb plants sometimes. I decided that if they had rosemary today that I would get some. Last year I got my rosemary at Kroger and it made a great plant in one of my patio planter pots. Today I also found thyme besides rosemary and decided to get it too. I have thyme growing in the hydroponic garden in the kitchen and could plant that outside (and, I may still), but decided that I wanted a little more established plant. I got both of these planted...the thyme in the raised planter that Nathan and Graham made me several years back and the rosemary in the pot that I had rosemary growing in last year. I got them out so they could benefit from the rain that is coming. A lot of our herbs survived the winter and already look good...the parsley, oregano, and a scroungy looking thyme plant, and the marjoram. So my herb garden already is doing well and I can already harvest from it if I need some. I'm waiting to see if the basil that was out there last year sends up some shoots...if not I will probably plant the ones that I have growing in the kitchen hydroponic herb garden. I have already used that several times in recipes. I continue to itch...so ready for this to be over! I had to put my feet up after walking all over Kroger and then putting away the groceries...my feet were not happy in shoes! Once I got the groceries put away, I headed upstairs to my recliner and stitched a little. I have put aside what I had been stitching on to stitch a gift so got underway with that this afternoon. Woody had his high protein shake for supper and I have gotten most of the dishes into the dishwasher...still have a couple soaking. Will put those in the dishwasher when I go back downstairs later and be done in the kitchen for today. I have been wanting to make Bragg's Barbecue, but was waiting for the Boston Butt Pork roasts to go on sale. I was so happy when I saw the sign posted that it was 99 cents a pound...but then was very disappointed to find out that they were all gone...I did ask. I went on and did some more shopping and then decided to stroll back through the meat department since I hadn't really found anything to buy this shopping trip that appealed either to my taste or in price! When I walked back through I found that they had put out the pork loin roasts that I like to get and they were 99 cents...so I was happy to walk away with a nice almost 4lb roast for under $4. The jar of honey I put in the cart today cost more than that roast! So, even thought I didn't get the cut of meat to make the barbecue, I got another and this takes a lot less effort to prepare and cook and Woody does like it as he can get just a thin slice of it for his meal...about what his appetite desires these days. But I am still going to be on alert for another sale of the Boston Butt roasts...still want to make my pulled pork recipe...even if it is labor intensive! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Attention!

I think this little bird's commanding officer must have been near by...he really seems to be at attention! Still playing with my new camera. It is still frustrating when a setting gets set and then I can't figure out how to get to it again to undo it! But using it and it alone for a while will get me to know this camera. Nathan, Kathy and 5 of the 7 grandchildren stopped by this afternoon. Nathan, Isaac and Joy all took a turn at trying to take a picture or two with the camera. Joy took pictures of the flowers that they planted for me for my birthday. One of them took a picture of me...it doesn't happen often that I am in front of a camera...especially my own! Woody left a few minutes ago to go to the Monday Night Furnace Room Prayer Meeting...the first time in over a year! He said that he would start going again once he was two weeks out from getting his second vaccine. He was two weeks out this past Friday so he is "good to go." He will wear a mask vaccinated or not. My sister got her second vaccine this past Friday and she was pretty much down for the count for a little over 24 hours. She was given papers prior to her vaccine and one of the things stated on it was: if you got a rash from the first one then don't get the second. I have about come to that conclusion all on my own! This weekend my arms and hands kstarted itching again. Feet are better except they are itching some as the blistered places heal. And my legs about three inches above the ankles down to the ankles are itching badly tonight. Ready for the itching to go away! But I have about decided that no matter what doctor and health department say...I think that I am going to say "one is enough" and just be extra careful and continue to wear a mask. On that note...Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Happy Birthday, Virginia Alice Cottey!

Today is the reason that Cottey College in Nevada, Missouri celebrates Founder's Day as close to this date as possible...it is our Founder's birthday. And, it seemed like a good excuse to make a small Texas Hot Cocoa Sheet Cake...any excuse for cake! Oh, and, by the way, Nevada is pronounced Nu VAY du! Just a bit of trivia...on the day that a Cottey trivia game was played between residence halls. My residence hall came in 2nd...there are only three residence halls! I even answered one of the questions that none in my group knew...right off the top of their heads. The question was when the Cottey yearbook name changed...and, I knew immediately because my first year it was one name and the next it was the other name. Perfect question for me to answer. We have had a lot of fun talking in Zoom groups...getting to know people from different years at Cottey. It has been a fun diversion and something different to do during these times of still staying mostly at home! And on a day thwt storms are supposed to be rolling through...the roughest yet to come...and the thunder is rumbling in the distance. Tornados and Cottey reunions sort of go together...one of the times that I got to go to a reunion...I flew into St. Louis and one of my Cottey suitmates picked me up and I stayed the night in her home and the next day she drove to Cottey. We had a great time...lots from my class and from my seniors' class were there. When we were getting ready in the motel to go to Cottey for one of the functions, all of a sudden there were tornado sirens and the police driving down the streets telling us to take shelter. I called the front desk to see where we were supposed to go...and to the sort of underground cellar we went...ended up having part of our reuion there...talkingto friends and singing Cottey songs. So I guess that I should feel even more that it is a Cottey reunion since we are in a tornado watch...conditions right for a tornado...hopefully the warning won't happen which means that one is sited on the ground heading our way! I do dislike tornado season!!! Melany tood me that they were all in the closet and an inside bathroom the other night as one was VERY close to them. Alex was in the meat freezer at Kroger, where he works parttime! Brrrrrrrrr! Woody has had a usual day...he spent some time upstairs with the computer and his crossword ouzzles. Then he has read, watched some March Madness, and, maybe dozed a bit or at least rested. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Oh, and, about my photo! Well, I am part of the reunion so I thought that I would show my face for a change. The photo that I am holding is one my father took when I was at Cottey...so it is an OLD photo of Main Hall...the center of Main Hall is the original building at Cottey...minus the third floor tower...that was added years later along withthe wings on either side...more trivia from this weekend about Cottey!

Beautiful Friday

Beautiful day and look what we discovered...our first blooming tulip...so pretty and bright! I have spent quite a time on my iPad attending virtual "functions" at Cottey...some live and some pre recorded. I have taken a virtual tour of the campus and a prerecorded tour of the three residence halls. Having just been there three years ago for my 50th reunion not a lot has changed. They will be unveiling a renovation to the lower floor of the chapel, a campus center, tomorrow. I joined another Zoom group for a scavenger hunt this afternoon...that was fun. One of the items was a cookbook or recipe from Cottey. I pulled out the original recipe for Cottey Wassil that I got during the Hanging of the Greens Ceremony during my first yeqr at Cottey (1966). That item really intrigued them. I have since sent a photo of said very stained recipe and order of activities that evening so many, many years ago. I'm posting a bit early tonight as I am planning to go to the Chapel Service honoring our founder, Virginia Alice Cottey, that starts shortly. My one venture out today was to pick up a prescription for Woody at our pharmacy and then a quck trip to a grocery store down the street to get some much needed ice cream for Woody's daily high protein shake. Woody had an outing today, too. He had an appointment at TN Oncology for labs and to see the doctor. I guess all was fine as they scheduled him for his next Keytruda infusion next week. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Stormy Thursday

Tonight's photos show some of the pictures that I took the other day using the 4K feature that lets me capture still photos from 4K video clips. I made them into collages...for some reason they said "collage" to me. WE have had storms off and on today and they still arent over...thought at the moment all is calm...that couod be good...or...what's the saying? "The calm before the storm!" The really bad storms today have been south of us...so far. I decided to come in and blog a little early as this weekend is a virtual reunion at Cottey College and I am going to try to join some of the virtual meetings. One of my childhood friends is on the alum board and is on campus and they are having a Zoom meeting that I am going to try to join so I can see my friend at leaet! There are various things planned from tonight on through Sunday afternoon...so I will attempt to attend virtually without leaving the comforts of home! I have my Cotteybt-shirt on...so am ready! Now to see if my technical skills are ready! We have both stuck close to home today. I don't think that Woody even ventured upstairs. He says that he isnt sleeping much at night and I'm not around at night to verify that he isn't! I know that during the day he often says that he hasn't dozed off, but I nabe talked to him during that time he claims to have been awake and he has no idea that I said anything to him. Oh, well...I just know that he needs to sleep...at some time or another! I cooked this morning...made a meatloaf and then with the rest of the ground beef cooked some hamburger patties on the George Foreman grill. Woody chose a hamburger for lunch. I had a slice of meatloaf. I think we both enjoyed our choices. Just had a tornado warning drop down on my screen...warning means a tornado on the ground...thank goodness not a warning for our county...just praying everyone in the path stays safe! These warnings are for Tennessee...most today that I have heard were for Alabama. Our county is under a tornado watch (conditions right for a tornado) until later tonight...hoping all the bad stuff is passed us before it is time to connect Woody for his dialysis treatment tonight. I worked some more on my sampler index. I "think" that I only have one more set of magazines to go through and then I can be through with this task. I have really found some lovely ones...now to decide which ones to stitch. I already have one picked out to stitch after I finish the current project I am working on...but have to order some linen before I can start it. Well, off to see if I can tune into Zoom! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Beautiful Ending to Last Night

Last night while I was writing the blog, I noticed that that it looked golden outside so I grabbed my camera and this is one of the pictures that I captured. It was absolutely beautiful. It was also nesting time for the black birds (starlings) and there were hundreds in our trees. The next photo was shooting away from the golden sky. Not very fond when the birds flock in like this, but can make for interesting photos.

This next photo comes close to capturing the golden glow that surround the whole front yard when I walked outside...that golden moment only lasted a little while.

Just so pretty! Well, today has been fairly busy. Donna and I worked in the library for a couple of hours this morning...trying to get back into the rhythm of library work after being away from it for a year...not easy! I found one glitch when I was checking to see what books I had checked out and it showed that they were due back in 2006! Well, upon closer observation, I discovered that the calendar on the computer had reset itself...probably a function of the time change? The library computers are not connected to the internet so perhaps the internal clock/calendar of these computers didn't change times correctly! I hopefully got the calendar and the clock set properly and that problem will be behind us...but we will have to be aware that there may be some strange due dates on books that have been checked out since the time change. Just one of the little mysteries that seem to crop up in the library. Donna entered books and I guess you could say that I trouble shot! Woody spent a good part of the time that I was away upstairs with both computers...cross word puzzles, baseball information, and Scrabble playing. After lunch I phoned in the next order for Woody's supplies...the ordering day seems to come around all too quickly...every other week it is either order or receive an order. Keeps us on our toes. Then it was time to do a little party planning. Several of us are in the midst of planning a party for a newly married couple, who we couldn't have a party for prior to their wedding mainly due to Covid. Our church is opening back up so we can once again have a party there. A date has been chosen so the planning can get underway in earnest. We made a few decisions today. Woody put the car in the garage as we are due for some strong storms tomorrow. It has been such a lovely day today, I hate to think about strong storms and possible tornados heading our way again...typical Spring days...warm air meeting with colder air...means trouble! But we have enjoyed the last two beautiful days! Woody sat on the porch for a few minutes. I was going to join him and try to cpture a few birds, but in the end got sidetracked inside. I continue to work away on my sampler index. I stand in amazement as to how many I have charts for when you bring in the ones that were published in the magazines. There are some really lovely ones. I look forward to stitching some of them in the months/years to come. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Tuesday

Here a couple of the captures with my new camera from our front porch. Melany and family gave me the apple feeder. Mr. Mockingbird seems to be enjoying the apple that I put on when I filled feeders this past weekend. The squirrel was checking to see if anyone was sitting on the front porch...he stayed away when he spotted me sitting there. I sat on the front porch for a little while today, but it was quite windy and then it started raining so I headed inside. I think that I managed to get a few pictures of a tufted titmouse. Woody spent a while upstairs working crossword puzzles, checking out baseball statistics and other information, and played Scrabble for a while on the old computer. I continued working on my sampler index...finished a couple sets of needlework magazines that had quite a few samplers in them. I have now gone through most of them that almost always published one or more samplers in them every issue. There are still others that had samplers in them every now and then...just have to decide if I feel like continuing. I already have enough in the index to keep me stitching well beyond my expected life expectancy! BUT...this gives me choices and I don't have to look through them everytime that I feel like starting a new sampler! I think that my feet are some better...they haven't itched as much today...but I noticed a little while ago that the itchiness seemed to be coming back! I am so ready to be over all this mess that has been caused by one "little" vaccine that I got seven weeks ago. My only trip out today was to pick up some prescriptions for Woody. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

LOTS of Water Under the Bridge!!!!!

52 years ago...how can it be?!? Sometimes seems like yesterday...others it seems like a lifetime (guess it really has been...or close to it!). And, what did I do today? I waited on the Sears repairman...supposed to be here between 8am and 5pm...well, it was 6:45pm before he showed up. This is a return appointment to fix something that didn't get fixed on the dryer when he was here a couple of weeks ago. He figured out what the problem is (I hope) and he is having the part shipped here and he will return in a little over a week to put the part in. And, till then the dryer is working on one of its cycles...just won't turn off. He said to use that cycle till it is fixed. Sounds like a plan! Woody spent time upstairs this morning doing crossword puzzles and checking out Cardinal baseball news. He is having to do one of his puzzles on the computer as it is no longer allowing him to print it off. I made Woody his high protein pancakes for breakfast...and for several breakfasts to come. I decided that chicken noodle soup sounded good so made a small pot for me...Woody not interested in eating it. Yesterday I decided that I was going to try sourdough French bread...no yeast...just very active sour dough starter. Very good! I put one loaf in the freezer and am am enjoying the other one...tonight's supper for me was a grilled cheese on that bread. Woody's supper was a high protein blueberry shake. I sat on the front porch checking out settings on my new camera. I haven't looked at what I got today. Over the weekend Woody took me on two road trips in the area so I could try out the camera...his anniversary present to compliment my birthday present! Lots of new settings on this camera...but, many of the same settings just accessed differently...sort of an Easter egg hunt to find where they are hidden! It's fun to learn some new things. This one has 4K video...I'm not into video...but this feature has a benefit to still photography...as I can choose the frame that I want to keep...say of a bird finally looking over at me rather than when he had his back to me. I can choose the frame I want for a still shot and discard the rest...still figuring that feature out! I will later upload them to the iPad and see how that works on it...or if I have to make the decisions on the camera. Just a bit of what I am learning/figuring out. While I waited for the repairman this afternoon, I decided to work on my sampler index. I got quite a few more added to the growing index. Woody has spent time in front of the TV in his recliner (his usual spot) watching March Madness basketball games...good to while away the time...something different. He spent a little time outside this afternoon...I heard the leaf blower going...blew off leaves from the front porch. He continues to try to do his dialysis overnight. I still don't think that he is sleeping all that well, but hopefully he can adapt to it so he can be freer during the day. Afterall...baseball/softball games begin soon...Elijah is playing baseball and Joy and Esther are playing softball. Joy and Esther are on the same team...that is helpful...so we don't have three different games to go to...two will keep us busy enough! Nathan, Kathy, and Esther stopped by today and visited for a while. I have developed another problem probably due to the Covid vaccine...my immune system is not happy at all that I got the vaccine. Now I have what is called "Covid Toes." Both my feet are itching terribly and over the weekend I started to get blisters on all the toes on my right foot and the beginnings of blisters on the left foot. Supposedly Covid Toe is something that folk who have had Covid might get. I am 99.99% sure that I have not had Covid...what I think is that my immune system "thinks" that it has had Covid due to the vaccine and that it is letting me have all these weird things happen. My arms are ever so much better...they once again feel like they are made of skin and not scales. They still itch some...but arms, at least, seem to be heading in the right direction...now my feet...all I can say is grrrrrrrrrr! So ready for all this to be over...and it gets harder and harder to even think about getting the second Moderna or the Johnsob & Johnson. We will see what my doctor says the second week in April! On that note...Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

New Kid on the Block!

Fed Ex delivered my birthdaay present from Woody today...a new small point and shoot. I say small but when I line up my older two point and shoots...new kid is biggest...not exactly pocket size anymore...but still small and it still has a good zoom lens. Once I got the batteries charged, Woody took me on a little side trip to try the camera out. I didn't take any pictures till I was in the car. I just set up the date and time and moved a couple of settings to where I know I like them. I stayed with Panasonic after doing a lot of comparisons...in each of the comparisons it came out on top. I have a Lumix DC-ZS8, DC-ZS40, and now a DC-ZS80...big changes over the years. I have quite a bit to learn with this one. I kept trying to figure out how I was to select a setting...screen was like the 40, but I couldn't get the setting to change...all of a sudden I relized that all I had to do wss touch the setting to choose. This is the first point and shoot that I have had a touch screen. It will take some getting used to, I'm sure. I had alredy downloaded the manual so had read through it prior to the camera arriving. Now I can go through it with camera in hand. I will close with some of the pictures I captured today on our little jaunt out into Bedford County to Bedford Lake. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! I was hoping not to have Covid stories any more, but yesterday one of the members in our Sunday School class messaged me that her preteen grandaughter had tested positive for Covid. And, now...some of the first images from the new kid on the block!

Opening Back Up?

Yesterday I placed some books on hold at our public library for Woody. Today I got the call that they had them ready for me to come get. I asked if they were still doing curbside check out and they said, "No." They are opened back up and we can once again go into the library. Today was the first time that I had been inside tne library in a little over a year. I didn't linger. I waited my turn to approach the check-out desk and then asked for my books, gave them my card and was on my way back out the door in a matter of minutes. That waa the extent of me being out and about today except for taking a bag of dialysis "trash" out to the garbage can and then to get our mail. I did get up and do the next step in making Sour Dough English Muffins. Then cooked them this afternoon. The next step is to bag them up when I go back downstairs when it is time to get Woody's dialysis treatment set up. I have done some more stitching on my cross stitch piece and just finished stitching a sweet little fawn. Now to decide whether to stitch a mallard duck or a turtle...have to move the fabric on my scroll frame before I can procede. Woody was very glad to have some books to read. He had finished what he had been reading so was glad that I got him some today from the library. He spent some time upstairs on the computer and working his crossword puzzles. March Madness has begun so he watched a little basketball today. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Thursday Doings

The main accomplishment of the day was going to see Dr. O. at Fresenius Kidney Care Center. This is his "care team" visit...see nurse, dietician, social worker and the doctor. The word that came from all is that everything is going very well and to carry on as we are doing. Sounded good! It is time for me to do something with my sour dough starter again. I have let it go dormant for a while, but feel like starting to use it once again. I made sour dough waffles this morning. Tomorrow I plan to make English muffins...that recipe has to be started tonight and left on the counter over night. I will put that together after I get Woody's dialysis machine set up for his overnight treatment. Woody still says that he isn't getting much sleep...so we will see if it gets any better or if he decides to go back to doing it during the day. I got word today that my birthday present from Woody is on its way and will be here sooner than they originally said...now we will see if the mail comes through...I'm not sure which carrier is bringing it from New York to Tullahoma! The gift that I ordered with the birthday money from my sister is also supposed to be here this weekend...its tracking says Sunday. I can't get used to things being delivered on Sunday, but the last time or two that I ordered something from Amazon it was delivered on Sunday. Woody had a bit of a backwards day...usually he heads upstairs to work at the computer either before breakfast or right after. Today due to his morning appointment, he waited till later in the day to go upstairs and didn't go upstairs till just before supper. So he did his crossword puzzles a bit later in the day today...but did them he did! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Supposed To Be A Stormy Night

Tonight's barn is another that is tuked away and will hardly be visible in a few more weeks. It has rained a good portion of the day and strong storms are predicted for the late night hours. We have had a few stray claps of thunder but so far just lots of rain. We have had a quiet stay-at-home day. These days first thing that I do is get Woody disconnected from his dialysis machine. After that this morning, I made a recipe of his high protein pancakes. Then this afternoon I made breakfast sausage patties and now have them all tucked away in the freezer ready for Woody's breakfasts. Along with that cooking came quite a few dishes which either I or the dishwasher washed. I worked a little more on transferring recipes from my recipe app on the old iPad to the new iPad. I am closing in on getting them all transferred over. I had worked on them earlier but just hadn't gotten back to that task. Lots of little tasks like that seem to hang around. This rainy day seemed to be a good day to do a little more on them. This is a "one-or-these-days projects." One of these days it will be finished. Another one of those "jobs" is indexing samplers in my needlework magazines. I had thought that I was going to do that today, but never got around to it, I have taken many little mini naps today...about everytime I sat down today at some point I found myseof drifting off to sleep...or more like it...waking up after drifting off! I'm beginning to think that the steroids that the doctor put me on have had the opposite effect that they have on most...make them not sleep and gives folk energy...not me...at least so far...I have just been extra sleepy. I took my last one this morning...maybe I will start to feel like myself once again!?! I will say that the antibiotics and steroids have done a good job of clearing up my arms. They almost look normal once again. I guess it is time to go down and set up Woody's dialysis for tonight. Here's hoping and praying that the electricity stays on during the night...and that we don't get blown away! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Tuesday...A Doctor Day

We got up a little earlier than usual this morning. We needed to complete Woody's daily dialysis routine and be able to have breakfast before we headed out the door around 7:30am. We got to Murfreesboro a little before his appointment time, 8:45 and were on the way home by 10am. I think that it was a good appointment for him to have as she reassured him about several places that he thought were melanoma...but aren't. There was one place that she biopsied very near the recent reexcision area...she is a bit concerned with that place. Woody said that it has been itching. She also froze a place off his face that was a type of skin cancer (not melanoma). We took a backroad home after the appointment. I took pictures of barns and other things. We even veered off the direct path home and took in a little more scenery. It was nice not to have to get home quickly in order for Woody to start his dialysis treatment. I think the verdict about doing the dialysis at night is still out. He says that he isn't sleeping very well, but doesn't totally blame it on the dialysis...he said that he even wondered if it is some of the medications that he is taking. We're also still trying to get used to the time change. We came home and had lunch. After lunch, Woody spent some time upstairs on the computer. I came upstairs wanting to sit and relax in my recliner for a little while and either read or stitch on my needlework piece...but instead I napped! I was just so tired from the activities up to that point in the day! Of course, I guess you have to factor in that I am taking medicine that I'm not used to taking and that I my arms are trying to heal, etc. Speaking of my arms, they are really doing a lot better. The swelling is now down and the redness is about gone...they are mainly just peelig. Here's hoping that there is soft skin under what peels off...right now still very rough feeling. I did manage to get my birthday present from Woody ordered today...last night I finalized my research and made my decision...will let you know what after it arrives! I also ordered what I am getting with the money that my sister gave me for my birthday. When I went out to the mailbox, I found another birthday gift there. Connie and I are trying to figure out why it is so hard to get things delivered between her house and mine! She mailed this on March 3rd which should have been plenty of time for a piece of mail to get from Alabama to Tennessee! We had a terrible time getting our Christmas card delivered to her house in December. And, it seems like we had trouble with something else that was either coming or going there. It is just so strange how some things get to their destination rapidly and others seem to take the "slow boat from China! Looking for it every day in the mail just stretched out my birthday all that much longer and now I have more to wait for! Storms are predicted for tomorrow...rain, strong wind, and what I don't like to hear about at all...possibility of tornadoes. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Monday Rolled Around...Again!

Monday's seem to have a habit of rolling around...again and again! It seems like Monday is here and before we turn around another Monday is upon us. Today has been a busy day. I guess that it is good that we are both feeling better! I managed to accomplish a job that I had been putting off for one reason and another...main reason...just didn't feel like it! But I had never gotten the Christmas decoration boxes back in the Christmas closet. One of the reasons is that it had been cold and the closet is cold and when I open the doors the cold air in the closet makes the upstairs colder (at least that was my excuse!). The other, and this is the main reason, it is so hard to work in that closet as hardly any light gets into it. It's one of two closets that run the length of our upstairs hall. Folding doors open to the middle of each of the closets and then the it goes to the left and right of the opening about 6 feet both ways...those storage areas are so dark that it is hard to know exactly what spaces you have to fill. A while back I decided that maybe we could put in one of those lights that just stick onto a surface and are run by batteries. Yesterday Nathan and Kathy stopped to pick up some dishes to return to Melany. They were heading to WalMart so I told Nathan what I needed/wanted. He did find one that he thought would work and on their way home stopped and put it in the closet. PERFECT!!! Exactly what I needed. So this morning it was warm and I had light in the closet...so my excuses had been put aside and I set to and managed to pack all the boxes back into the closet...quite a puzzle...but I managed to fit boxes into open spaces till at last all were in and I could close the closet door till I decorate at Christmas. For a while I thought that the boxes would still be out when it is time to decorate for Christmas! Now the hallway seems so spacious! It needs to be vacuumed...another day! Woody's major undertaking of the day was a shower...a major effort these days...just getting the bathroom set up is quite an undertaking and then it is just not easy for Woody to do even everyday things these days. We had a storm blow through this afternoon. It gave all the spring flowers a good drink. It really is looking like spring outdoors these days...flowers blooming, grass getting green, trees getting that first color they have before leaves start forming, some trees blooming...such a beautiful time of the year. Tonight's barn is one of those that is tucked back into a lot of trees. It is one that we would have trouble photographing once all the foliage is out. This one I took so you can see how far away we were from this barn and then zoomed in on it so you can even see inside it. I like to get the "big picture" and then zoom in on details. Woody's temperature was back to its usual low-normal degrees and he definitely feels better than he did over the weekend. My arms continue to calm down, though still rough and now peeling a bit...and, still itchy at times. It does look like we will both live! Woody has a fairly earlyl appointment in Murfreesboro in the morning with his dermatologist. I am having to adjust the time for his overnight dialysis a bit so we will be sure to have plenty of time to go through the disconnecting routing before it is time to leave. These days it seems like one of us is always facing several appointments each week. This week Woody has two...tomorrow's and then later in the week with Dr. O. his nephrologist at Fresenius Kidney Care Center. I got around to doing some wash over the weekend and used the dryer for the first time since the repairman came and it is not fixed so I had to arrange for a return trip for the repairman...that will be my appointment next week! Woody will see Oncology for labs and see the doctor before his next Keytruda infusion. Oh, and I guess I do have another "appointent" next week...have to make the next order for Woody's dialysis supplies...like I said...always something looming that has to be done! Guess that is life!!!! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Update

I'll come in and quickly update you on how Woody is feeling. His malaise had to be the side effect from the 2nd vaccine as he is doing fine today. Last night before bed, I could tell that he was starting to feel some better, though he did have a low-grade fever. Tylenol and a good night's sleep seemed to do the trick (Though he said that he didnt sleeo much!)and like so many others after their 2nd vaccine started feeling better in a little over 24 hours. My arms, also, continue to get better. Maybe there is hope for us yet! These two steeples were part of our barn trip last week. They are across from the Rutledge Falls barn.

Saturday Malaise?

At least I would describe Woody today with the word "malaise." i didnt ask him if that was te correct term for how he has felt all day. Malaise is described as any of the following: a feeling of overall weakness a feeling of discomfort a feeling like you have an illness simply not feeling well He has simply sat in his recliner and only gotten up if absolutely necessary. He didn't have the energy to take his blood pressure this morning after his dialysis. He told me to write down "NA." I did write that on his chart, but also noted that he had had the 2nd Covid vaccine yesterday. He did have a low-grade fever this morning. He took Tylenol for it. He hasnt felt like eating much. The first thing that he seemed to enjoy today was his strawberry shake at supper. It seems like I have cooked all day. i made his yesterday request of slaw and baked beans. Those are tucked in the refrigerator hoping for a day that they will sound good to him again! I made a new soup recipe mainly for me: Mexican Chorizo and Corn Soup. I found a package of Chorizo sausage in bottom of the freezer drawer and decided to use it. This soup is really quite tasty. i enjoyed it for my supper. I have dirtied a ton of dishes...first load is being run through the dishwasher as I write this. I am seeing an improvement in my arms...I guess all the meds are beginning to work. I'm not as itchy...but did wake up at 3am itching so it isnt totally gone. The redness is calming down and the swelling is much better too. I'm hoping that Woody will start feeling much better tomorrow after a, hopefully, good night sleep. And, of course, we really don't know if the way he feels is just 2nd Covid vaccine related or a combination of starting Keytruda this week, and/or being on dialysis. Probably never know! But he has hardly moved today...spoken very little, etc. Mostly was just stretched out in his recliner covered with a throw or two. Here's hoping tomorrow is a better day! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

May I Provide a Laugh For Your Day?

Now this barn isn't your laugh for the day. Carolyn decided that this was her favorite...sort of a comment on what we have gone through with Pandemic. I posted one last year that I called a barn to summarize 2020. I am hoping that this one isn't a summation of 2021...just of what we have and are going through till we flail our way out of it! Around 9am Woody and I headed off for the Coffee County Fairgrounds so Woody could get his 2nd Moderna Covid vaccine. It was even quicker than the last time. We drove in and shortly were at the front of the line in the tent. When the nurses came toward the car one went to Woody's side of the car and another came to my side. I rolled my window down and said that I had cancelled my vaccine yesterday due to the severity of my reaction to the first vaccine. She took a look and called another nurse over. She told me that I could have it anyway. Ummmmmmm...I don't think so. I told them that I was on steroids...that didn't matter...it was okay to take it if on steroids! I told her that my doctor told me not to get it presently. They said ok...but could they take a picture of my arm and send it to the doctor director of the health department. I said, "Sure." So she snapped away with her phone and then we were asked to move our car out of the tent and to pull over on the grass till they got an answer back. So pull over we did! Woody had had his shot almost as soon as he rolled down his window...I hardly knew that it had happened I was so bombarded! In a few minutes the nurses came over to tell me that the doctor said that I should wait till my arms calmed down and then get it. They are finding out that the two vaccines don't have to be given quite as close as was once thought...that there is a bit more flexibility in the timing. But that I probably wouldn't be quite as immune to Covid as the ones who were getting the 2nd in the time frame suggested. He also said that I needed to get my next vaccine in a larger muscle...aka...the hip! My comment was, "And, just how does that work in a drive through venue!" She said that it could be arranged for me to go to the health department to get mine...and then said, or we could take you to the back of the tent and give it to you! Woody thought that funny!!! And, truthfully so do I. I could hardly get the story out to my sister because I was laughing so much and that got her to laughing, too, even though she still didn't know the "rest of the story." So there...have I given you your laugh for the day! I think it is funny...may not think it so funny at the time! Woody said that this shot made his arm hurt much quicker than the first. He is tired...but he probably has ten or more reasons to be tired so we will probably never know if it is vaccine caused as long as "tired" is his only side effect other than a sore arm...that sore arm we know is a side effect! I waited till after lunch to go to the grocery store...because I was to take the next dose of steroids after lunch. I am trying to abide by all the timetables on my new meds. It rained while I was in the grocery store...very considerate...as I didn't have to put the grocery bags in the car while it was raining nor take them into the house in the rain. We did have a little gardening crew come right after we got back from getting Woody's vaccine...Nathan, Elijah, Isaac, and Joseph showed up to put some mulch around the new plants that they gave me for my birthday. It was perfect timing as I had just given them some good drinks of water. So far they are looking very good...of course I haven't had much time to work my black thumb on them nor has the weather dropped drastically in temperature, yet. You can see the artistic eye of Abigail, Joy and Esther in the placement of the flowers. Very pretty...still! I still haven't seen much improvement in my arms...waiting...maybe not so patiently! The side effects of "energy" have not kicked in with me taking steroids. I did mop the laundry room, which is a very small area...but that wasn't because of extra energy. It was because I had taken things out for the dryer repairman and decided that I should mop before putting said items back in! I am truthfully pretty tired after my busy day. I will be getting Woody's dialysis treatment set up in a little while. He said that he didn't sleep very well last night, but that it was perhaps because he had slept quite a bit while I was away because he was so tired after his gardening efforts of the early morning. So he will continue to give overnight dialysis a try. He said that there was only one alarm in the night and that it came early in the morning. Oh, and, about last night's blog, if you checked at the "normal" time. I had it all written and then it wouldn't post...found out that our internet was out. I posted last night's at 10pm when it came back on. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

First Barn Trip of 2021 and a Doctor Visit

Tonight's barn I have taken before. It is located right next to the entrance where you can walk down to Rutledge Falls. It is on the outskirts of Tullahoma. it is just one of MANY barns we found on our way to my doctor appointment in McMinnville. Marie, Carolyn and I enjoyed ourselves immensely as we always do as we discover barns around almost every turn in the road. I really appreciated them letting a stop at my doctor be a part of today's outing. I will now report on my doctor visit. She was very wide eyed when she saw what my arms looked like. She immediately said that I was NOT going to be getting my 2nd vaccine tomorrow. She has put me on an antibiotic and a dose pack of steroids to help my arms to get back to normal...wonder if they ever will!!! After I got back out to the car, I called the Coffee County Health Department to let them know that I won't be getting my vaccine tomorrow...so they could give my spot to someone else! After I got back to my car, I headed to the pharmacy...only the antibiotic had been phoned in, but the pharmacist called the doctor office and got the steroid perscription from them that way. I have taken my first dose of antibioric, but it was suggested that I wait till tomorrow to take the steroids...if I want to sleep tonight! Woody chose not to have his dialysis during the day today so he could be "free" while I was gone. He finished cleaning out the little triangular garden around the mailbox...a goal of his for the day. He is going to try to have his dialysis treatments at night so he will be free to do things during the day. He thinks that he will be able to sleep during his dialysis since he doesn't have many alarms during the treatments these days. I hope it works out for him this time to do them at night. He's hoping to be able to go back to the Monday Night Furnace Room Prayer meetings and to be able to go to grandchildren's ball games.

Quite “The DAY”

An interesting day to say the least! Started with a phone call a little before 7am to say that Woody's delivery of dialysis supplies would be here shortly...a little after 7 the BIG truck pulled up in front of our house. The delivery was done very quickly. It was a different driver than we had had for the last six months. I was pretty sure that it wasn't the same driver since he didn't show up late afternoon the day before our scheduled delivery. i told him how the other driver worked us in at the end of his day so he would know that was okay to do if he runs our route again. Today was high protein pancake making day so I finished making those after the delivery. So Woody got his breakfast. Today was Wednesday and Donna and I planned last week to work in the library for a little while this morning, which we did. The library has been used throughout the pandemic. We shelved a lot of books and straightened the library up. This is only the second time that we have worked in the library in a year. Just seems so strange! The only problem we came across was that the printer didn't print...that should be solved with new ink cartridge. Woody was out working in the garden when I left for the library. When I got home he wasn't here because he was getting his first Keytruda treatment. He said that things went fairly efficiently. His appointment was at 10:45 and he was home by 12:45. I got his dialysis treatment all set up before he got home so all I had to do was connect him to the machine when he got home. So he started right at 1pm. He is thinking about starting doing his treatments at night so he can do more during the day. I think that is a good idea...now that the weather is nice it will be nice not to be connected to a machine all day. He wants to be able to go to some of the kids' ball games, etc. So we will give starting at night a try again and see if he is able to sleep. I got a text from Nathan asking if the birthday girl was at home. I answered in the afiirmative and all nine of them showed up a little while later. They were ladened down with many pretty flowers. And, they provided the man and child power to get then all planted. Very nice birthday present! I have had phone calls, cards, messages, texts, Facebook messages galore. My birthday has definitely been well acknowledged! It has been a very nice day...except...that I'm not feeling all that great. My arms are really bothering me. I guess that bathing my arms with baking soda dissolved in water was not the best idea...though I had never heard anything negative about it prior to the other day AFTER the fact. I found out that some are very sensitive to baking soda on the skin...well...I guess that would be me! The places on my arms from the reaction to the Covid vaccine are now very red and rough and scaly...sort of like a burn...though no blisters. And, the red places really aren't sore. But I decided that I probably needed to have my doctor look at my arms before I have the 2nd covid shot on Friday. Marie, Carolyn and I have a barn trip planned for tomorrow and I didn't want to throw a wrench into our plans...I would really rather go with them than go to the doctor! Well, in the end we are going to make the doctor's office a stop on our barn trip! There are lots of barns along the way to my doctor and it will be a different direction than we have been before. My appointment is after lunch so we will spend the morning on the highways and byways of Middle Tennessee and then make a little nonpicturesque stop at the doctor. I guess you could say that it is a bit of a different trip for us...but at least we will still get to go and taking pictures all morning will keep my mind off my arms and the doctor! Hopefully lots of new barn pictures to post over the next weeks. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Fix-It Day

It wasnt very far into the morning that Nathan showed up to remove the old battery from the green car and head out to get a new one. It wasn't long till he was back and got the new one installed. As he was about to drive off, the repairman showed up to fix the dryer. That didnt take long to get fixed either. So we should be "fixed" for a while! Woody will go tomorrow for his first Keytruda infusion. We're hoping that these treatments go as well as they did five years ago. Tomorrow is delivery day for Woody's dialysis supplies. This is the first time that they havent been delivered the day before. I hope that they come early in the morning. This week is filled with lots of things...busy week! But at the moment all is quiet in our household. Woody is on the last of four cycles for his dialysis and I am happily sitting in my recliner typing tonight's blog. It has been a beautiful day. Woody even spent a little time outside working in one of the gardens. He was working where the leaves need to be hand picked out rather than raked. It is so nice to have it feel like Spring is just around the corner! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Monday, Monday!

It has been a rather busy day. Woody spent part of the morning upstairs checking things out on the laptop..it's baseball time again...at least Spring Training...so there are happenings with the St. Louis Cardinals that he checks out the day after the play. I have spent part of the day trying to overcome the itch...it may be a little better, but at the moment my arms are really bothering me. The rash seems to have formed scales over the top and now my arms and backs of my hands feel like leather and when I touch the skin on my arm it feels totally different both with the hand that is touching and with the arm that is being touched. Strange, strange! Not a happy strange, either. One of the last things that I did last night was get online and arrange for a repairman to come to the house...the dryer didn't dry the load of clothes that I put in last night. We now have clothes hanging in both bathrooms and laying around on surfaces drying. I think that they should be dry by now, but they weren't this morning. Always something! The repairman is supposed to come tomorrow sometime between 8am and 5pm. Can you see me roll my eyes?!? Woody's dialysis supplies should also be delivered tomorrow. The delivery is set up for Wednesday between 7 and 11am, but he almost always drops ours off the day before when he has finished up that day's deliveries. I hope that he delivers tomorrow as he has told me that it will always be the earliest time that I'm told that he will be here. 7am is just a little early for a delivery. But we will take it whenever he comes! I spent a little while moving things out of our little laundry room and clearing off the top of the dryer. I always feel sorry for whoever comes to repair as there is very little room to move appliances out and be able to work behind them. But they seem to manage so I will let him manage...but the laundry basket and the dust mops, etc. have been moved. At this point in the day my recliner is calling my name. All this itching wears on me and when I do sleep, I don't sleep very long even if I have taken a couple of Benadryls! I am having a hard time thinking that it is time for my second vaccine on Friday...definitely not looking forward to this one, since the side effects are supposed to be worse! I don't want to imagine worse! Woody has played some solitaire, watched TV, read, and just whiled away the time during his dialysis. He will be finished in a couple of hours...and be done for another day! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Rabbits Showed Up on Front Porch Today

I heard a little knock today and went to the door and what should be there but a box and inside the box were these two cute bunnies. They seemed to want something to eat after their long travels so I invited them in to munch on the kitchen herb garden! My sister and I usually exchange Spring gifts and this came from her today. The funny thing is that when I saw what copany the bunnies came from, I told Woody I wondered if she had chosen the same thing that I had marked in the catalogue for her. And, sure enough they were exactly the same thing that I planned to get her! I checked at the website to make sure that they were still available and whenI called Cheryl to thank her for my Spring surprise I asked her if she wanted some too. And then told her what had been my plan. She said "sure" and so after I hung up I made my order and they should be hopping her way shortly! It is funny to think that out of all of the things in that catalogue we picked the exact same items. I am still combatting the "itchies!" I am so ready for them to go away, but so far no such luck. Today I am trying a new tactic...every time I start to realize that they are coming back I slather on a paste of baking soda and water...maybe what is good for a bee sting is good for whatever this is that ails me?!? It has helped some...at least I don't have the urge to claw at my arms constantly! But I am having to put this on fairly regularly. It stings when I first put it on, but after it dries, the itch goes away for at least a little while. The longer this lasts, the more hesitant I am about this Friday getting another one! I'm ready for this side effect to move on! My body definitely does not like this vaccine! I want to say "this too will pass," but I am beginning to wonder! My accomplishment of the day was to make chicken stock...plopped everything in the pot and let it cook for hours. The pot with the chicken stock in it is now sitting in an ice water bath in the kitchen sink. I will start freezing portions of it when I go back downstairs and put the rest in the refrigerator. A good job done without a lot of effort on my part! I did go to Walmart late this afternoon. I realized that my benadryl was out of date by quite a bit so thought that I should get some new to see if it would be of more benefit than what I had seemed to be...it didn't even seem to make me sleepy. We will see if the new helps to calm things down. Woody had a major accomplishment today. He finished preparing our taxes. We both signed the form and I put it in the mailbox and it got picked up. So it should be winging its way to Uncle Sam! Woody's dialysis treatment seems to be going along today without any hitches. He should be on his 4th and last cycle of today's treatments. He has been watching college basketball games. Guess I will go back downstairs and work on getting the chicken stock put away...that means that we will once again have "liquid gold" in the freezer for when I need it in a recipe. Always good to have it on hand. Today's has fresh parsley and thyme from my kitchen hydroponic garden that I'm now sharing with my new bunnies. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Mystery Solved!

I went downstairs just a couple of minutes ago to get something and Woody asked me if I knew where his toothpaste was. Well, not really! But sometimes I do move it if it is next to the sink because I have to lay the bags of dialysis solution there at the end of his treatments to empty them. Once in a while I will put it in the mug that his toothbrush is in. I remember doing that a few days ago, but not last night. The only thing that I could think of was that it had gotten stuck to the solution bag and I had picked up and thrown it away. I had put a new bag in the tall wastebasket that I keep in the family room for all the medical "stuff" that we throw away daily. But luckily (for me) I hadn't taken it to the outside trash yet. I had put it with the cardboard and was going to take it out tomorrow. I decided that I would take a look and sure enough there it was with the empty solution bags almost at the top of the trash bag. So I saved the day! This was the brand new tube that I had just gotten him...the old tube that just has a little left in it was still on the counter...at least he was't totally out, I'll bet he could have gotten a little out of it if necessary! Today has seemed like Saturday all day long to me. Maybe it is because I keep taking little naps. I didn't sleep well last night due to the itching so today have been dropping off if I get very still for even a short time. I am still itching! I hope this bout with itching ends before I have to get the 2nd vaccine next week! Since I wrote that last I had to run downstairs as I heard Woody and then heard the alarm on the dialysis cycler machine. Woody had gotten up and moved the machine a little and in the process something must have jiggled the cord and sent a message to the machine that there had been a power outage. I got alarms shut off and checked connections and everything seemed okay and the machine reset and resumed again. But I turned around and then back and the screen on the machine was dark. This time I pushed the plug in a little where it connects to the machine. It came back on and once again resumed. I hope that is the end of that problem for tonight. He is in the last probably 1-1/2 or so hours of his treatment so I hope that it continues. I have gotten the time that this dwell is supposed to be over and how much needs to be drained if we should have to do a manual drain...at least it is close to the end of the treatment. Never a dull moment! I did manage enough wake time this afternoon to be able to get the synopsis of the Sunday School lesson done and I went on and sent it off today...might be another reason that I think that it is Saturday...when I do the lesson, I usually email it to the class on Saturday. One of the things I did in the middle of the night was work on an inventory of the sampler charts that I have...if it ever gets completed, I will have a picture next to the names of the samplers along with their designers and where they are located...then when I feel like stitching a sampler I can look through all the ones I have and more easily choose. Doing this I won't have to go through a multitude of magazines and charts choosing. I guess it is something to do with the time that the pandemic has given me...not something that is necessary...but something to do and "could" be useful in time...plus I am just enjoying looking at all the pretties that I could possibly stitch! I had been trying to figure out how to do it for a while and finally came up with a plan and it is working fairly well. It is not something that I will ever print out...will just be on my iPad waiting for me to look through it from time to time when I am in need of something new to stitch. And, it is something that can be sort of mesmorizing and can put me to sleep...so in the middle of the night when I choose to do this for a little while I can only hope that it will put me back to sleep! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Appointments behind us for this week!

Anyway, I hope that tomorrow is a stay-at-home day. This morning we headed off to see his nurse at Fresenius Kidney Care Center. He always has an appointment about two weeks before he goes in to see Dr. O. The one prior to the doctor appointment is to do labs and get general information prior to seeing the doctor. Most of the time it is a pretty quick appintment and it was today once again...in and out. Woody got his iron infusion and I gave them his vitals records that I keep daily prior to and after his treatments. I also give them the thumb drive that is plugged into the dialysis cycler machine and they get information off of it. It has been a beautiful day today...up in the 60s. Woody sat on the front porch for a while after we got home. I came insie and got his next treatment set up and got his lunch...this time he ate a square of lasagna...a very small square but at least he ate some! His dialysis got underway and is still going as I write this. Woody has charged me with choosing what he wants to give me for my birthday. I have been looking for a couple of days now and had about made up my mind and had it in "the cart" and when I went back to look at the item once more it was no longer in my cart...it was out of stock...so back to the drawing board...do I wait or do I choose a different brand and model? I will leave you guessing for a bit until I actually have it in hand1. I am still itching...now both arms. I will be so glad when this itching goes away. I thought it had pretty much gone away, but it came back again yesterday. It just might drive me up the wall!!! But there isn't much to do for it except take antihistimines and I take a daily allergy med. I have been taking Benadryl at night only as I need to function during the day! I am trying an ice pack wrap on my arms alternating back and forth. It helps a little for a little while at least. The only other thing that can be done to stop it is steroids and steroids and this vaccine don't go together. My doctor said that if it continued too many weeks after the 2nd vaccine that she would consider giving me some...BUT that then I would probably need to get the Johnson and Johnson vaccine. I'm ready to be through with vaccines at the moment so will tough it out. It is hard to sleep at night. I usually doze off just out of being so tired...needle in hand or book in hand and wake up several hours later because I'm itching so badly again. By the time that I got Woody's dialysis going around noon I was ready to eat my lunch and then head upstairs to my recliner...and before I knew it I was waking up from a nap. I've managed to get our supper this evening and we have eaten and I got the kitchen cleaned up and the dishwasher going. But as soon as I got that done my recliner was calling my name. So I grabbed the ice pack wrap from the freezer, found a towel to wrap it in and headed up here. I am going to lean back and watch a little TV on my iPad after I publish this and wait for Woody to say he is finished in a few hours. I haven't really felt like cross stitching or reading...so just being lazy and doing nothing for a while! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Plan is in Place

Woody went to his appointment at TN Oncology on his own. So...we are dependant on him telling me anything that I write! May be good or may not be much information. I'm thinking that it we will know less these days! He has always gone to his appointments at TN Oncology by himself since he mainly went there when he was getting his anemia shots and a couple of other things...all of which are now taken care of at Fresenius Kidney Care Center. He came home and said that it was just as well that I hadn't gone. That it was a two hour wait to see the doctor for five minutes! In that five minutes he found out that the doctor had gone over his records and wants Woody to start Keytruda, immunotherapy, this coming week. He will get an infusion every three weeks and the doctor wants him to get these infusions for a year. Keytruda is the immunotherapy that put him in remission before. I looked back in the blog posts and found that he had his first Keytruda infusion on November 6, 2014 and was declared in remission on January 26, 2016. So he was in remission for around 5 years. Let's pray that he has the same results this time around! It was in my memory that Keytruda infusions don't take very long and I was right (again, thanks to the blog for giving the information I needed). An infusion takes about 30 minutes and then there is a short time after when the lines are flushed with saline solution...so he gets all the good stuff! I told him today that he must be an insurance company's nightmare! He said, "Yes, and I'll bet that my insurance company wishes that they had never signed me up!". The thing that I will add about insurance: thank goodness for it! Today was Wednesday...I am sure because Donna and I had a nice "library talk." It may be time to start getting it ready for more things happening at the church which will have them walking by the library and might wander in, as we got an email today that siad that the plans are to go back to having Sunday School in the building for children, youth, and adults starting April 11th. The response that I have heard is positive...I'm still withholding my opinion till we see what happens over these next weeks. I am glad that by that time we will be more than two weeks beyond our second vaccine. Marie, our barn trip driver and our Sunday School teacher, stopped by and we visited in her car for a while. She brought my Sunday School books so I can "teach" this week. The way we have "taught" for the last year is that either she or I write a summary and some thoughts on the weeks lesson and send them to the Sunday School Class members. In between visits and phone calls and getting Woody set up for his treatment late due to his appointment, I managed to get a pan of lasagna made. I enjoyed it for supper...Woody opted out for a high protein strawberry shake! No comment! I still have a little to clean up in the kitchen and then I am heading straight to my recliner. It has been missing me today and I it! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Oh, tonight's photo is of my hydroponic herb garden. I used two kinds of basil and some thyme from it in the lasagna. I planted this in early January.

Signs of Spring

Our yard is starting to show signs of Spring. Pretty flowers are always a welcome sight in the yard after a cold and somewhat dull winter. Today was the beginning of several appointments this week. It is an appointment that I am always ready for...an appointment to get my hair cut. I enjoyed a nice visit with Jody while she cut my hair. I managed to get Woody's dialysis set up and running prior to going to my appointment. Today...no glitches...thank goodness. After I got home I made a call to my sister. It's her birthday today. So wishing her a BIG happy birthday. Woody has read, done crossword puzzles, etc. today...his normal routine. I have just done little things around the house including collecting all the recyclables and emptying various wqstebaskets into the big trash can and got it all out to the road for tomorrow's pick up. The new boxes are made of thicker cardboard and are larger...thus a little more awkward to get the weekly stack of cardboard out to the curb...always seems like a bit of a wrestling match by the time I get it all out there. I fought sleep in my chair while attmepting to work on some cross stitch. Melany called about the time I was about to drift off and I even caught myself dozing off once while we were talking. I am bothered once again by itching...both arms this time, but no red blotchy areas this timel..at this point anyway. I plan to take some Benedryl after I get Woody disconnected from his dialysis tonight. I'd hate to become any sleepier than I am now so best wait to take that till it is okay for me to go to sleep for the night. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!