Once in a Blue Moon

The blue moon at 6 this morning...I decided thwt today I have done several things that I only do "once in a blue moon!" This afternoon Nathan stopped by with a lawnmower and attempted to mow our lawn...he got part way through when the mower decided not to cooperate...so he changed to the push mower and that one didn't cooperate much longer than the riding mower! While he took breaks hoping one or the other would start after a rest, I got him to do a sonny-do job...this is the "once-in-a-blue moon job...pull out the refrigerator and let me clean under it and vacuum the back and wipe off the sides and back of the refrigerator. That hadn't been done since we remodeled the kitchen...four years ago. These days I rarely read a real book...but I had been reading a book that got taken back into cyberspace in the wee hours of the morning. This happened to be the book that I checked out for Woody the other day...so since he didn't take it to dialysis this morning, I decided that I would attempt to finish it today...then he can have it when he is reqdy to read it. I did get it finished just an hour or so ago...good book...Patti Callahan's "Surviving Savannah." Thanks, Connie, for recommending it! Another job that I don't do often is make croutons...did that this morning. Last time I made them was just before Cheryl and Rachel came...I had stored those in the freezer after they left...just finished them. So made more. Woody has been enjoying salads lately. Woody seems to have had a pretty good day. Made it through dialysis, finished his crossword puzzles after he got home, watched some TV, and rested and relaxed. He enjoyed visiting with Nathan. This morning while he was at dialysis, I did do some weeding...needed it since it has rained so much and then my back has been bothering me enough that I haven't felt like bending over to weed...so the gardens are a little happier. Weather was delightful for the last day of August...lots lower temps and lots lower humidity...another day that gives us a promise that Fall is around the corner. Tomorrow is wound care. I think that Woody is looking forward to seeing how this knee brace will work. Hoping that it will give him the support that he needs. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Playing the Waiting Game

We had to wait all day wondering when the home health nurse would arrive. I did know that she was coming as I called the office this morning since I had missed two calls yesterday. I was told that Woody was on the schedule of the nurse who had called us yesterday. So we waited and waited...she finally came around 5pm...she did call and give us a 45 minute "warning." When she got here she told us that it was his discharge visit. Something I don't understand...why would a nurse who has never seen us before come to sign him off...he had to go through all the questions and answers from the beginning since she didn't act like she knew any of his history. I will just say...it seemed like a waste of both her and our time. She didn't check wounds...just asked general questions that our usual nurses already knew. Oh, well...so unless the wound care doctor thinks that Woody should continue on, I guess we are out of the home health loop...at least for the moment. I'm wondering if there is a time frame placed by Medicare/insurance on how long home health nursing care can last without a break...like happens in a nursing care facility? For the time being...one less appointment with a medical person! A day freed up...wonder if it will last till next week. I know that wound care seemed surprised when I said that Woody was being processed out of home health care...that was our wound care nurse...we'll see what the wound care doctor has to say and whether she will start it up again...even before it really ends. We managed to stay at home today...no coming and going. I did finally manage to get all the things back into the laundry room...cleaning supplies that go on a little shelf in there. The fireplace is cleared once again. I worked on the Sunday School lesson for a while and have done some reading and also a little cross stitching...while we waited...Woody has been doing crossword puzzles and watching some TV and maybe read a little. Tomorrow is another early day...those roll around all too often! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious

Busy Tuesday

A short and sweet blog tonight...I'm just really tired and ready to do nothing for the rest of the night. Woody had his dialysis treatment today as usual for a Tuesday. All went well. I made chili while he was gone. He thought chili sounded good...my thoughts...still too hot for chili! But it did taste good for a change. I worked a little toward finishing the little piece that I finished cross stitchig last night...it's ready for the next step, but I'm not ready to take the next step...it will still be here when I am ready! I just loaded the dishwasher...ready to start it after I check to make sure there aren't any more dishes lurking around. I came upstairs to check and deciede that I would blog while I am up here. Donna and I worked in the library today. We chose books for our next book order. I came home and completed the order...so now we wait till they arrive. While I am downstairs after finishing up in the kitchen, I plan to change Woody's leg dressing. Our days have changed on doing that. We are using smaller bandages and changing them more often. I still haven't gotten into that routine, yet. I think that home health will come tomorrow to evaluate whether Woody will continue with them or be finished. I know that wound care wants him to continue...so we will see whether they communicated that fact to home health, or not. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Monday Arrived on Schedule!

We have just gotten home from prayer meeting...well, it took us a little longer to get back inside than usual due to it starting to rain while we were there. I drove the car around and picked Woody up under the portico at church. Then we waited a bit for rain to slow down, after we got home. I headed inside and turned on lights, checked the radar, and decided that the rain was here to stay for a while so grabbed an umbrella. Woody said that all went well in my strategy for getting him inside as dry as possible, as he said he didn't get wet! i won't say the same, but even with my goings in and out several times...first at church and then at home, I'm not all that wet...and it's time for jammies anyway! We have had a fairly uneventful day. I did head out this morning to make a stop at the public library...returned the book that I picked up for him Saturday and got him another one. I do hope that he gets back to reading...that will help pass some hours of his day...and books are such good escapes! After the library, I headed to Kroger and did some shopping...our cupboards were getting a bit bare! I was ready for a rest after putting groceries away and getting lunch. I did do some stitching this afternoon. I'm within just two short rows of Xs of being finished with this little cross stitch piece...plan to finish it tonight before i sleep. Woody's new knee brace arrived in the mail today...in plenty of time to take to his wound care appointment on Friday. We're ready to settle in for the night. Tomorrow is another early start to a Tuesday. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Triple-H Summer Day

In TN those 3 Hs referred to in tonight's blog title are Hot, Humid, and Hazy. I captured some of that haze on my way home from taking Woody to dialysis this morning. Another characteristic of a TN summer day is thunder storm...and, at the moment we arein the midst of a thunderstorm. It's raining! It's pouring! And, the old man is snoring (thundering). I'm glad to hear rzinon the roof...no watering tomorrow attherayeit is coming down! Woody and I are both teaching Sunday School tomorrow. While Woody was at dialysis this morning, I cleaned up his room. On the way back to pick him up, I made two stops...the library to pick up a book i had put onhold for Woody and then wentto the Credit Union. Woody was eaiting for me when I got to the center. Woody has really been feeling better the last couple of days...a very good thing! His appetite has picked up, too...another good thing! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Hot, Hot, and Hotter!

Another good day to stay inside as much as possible! We ony had to get out a little before noon...pretty hot then! Woody had his wound care appointment at noon. We were in and out quickly, but did get a suggestion that Woody had been wanting for a long time. The wound care doctor suggested a knee brace...a hinged, adjustable knee brace. She showed me what to order from Amazon. And, as soon as we got home, I placed the order. We are to bring it next week and she will adjust it to his leg. This will allow him to bend his knee, but will limit side to side movement to protect his leg where it is so weak due to hardware failure. So...obviously...he did not get dismissed from wound care this week. Also the nurse at wound care said that she would include wording in her orders to home health that show that he needs to continue with home health. I'm just glad that professionals will continue to check his wounds twice a week. But wounds were status quo today. Nathan stopped by this afternoon. He had a little sewing project he needed to do. Then he did a couple of "sonny-do" jobs. Thank you, Nathan! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Keep cool!

Another Thursday!

Thursday rolled around again and is about to turn into Friday! We went through our usual routine for a dialysis day. Up thirty minutes before Woody eats so he can take his thyroid med. I make his breakfast (lately an omelet). I bring down his crossword puzzles when I come downstairs and he gets dressed and starts working them while he waits for breakfast. He eats breakfast and then finishes getting ready. I pack a tote bag with his crossword puzzles, a ziplock bag containing pencils, a little pencil sharpener, and a magnifying glass, a book, and most importantly a fleece throw. I take that bag out to the car and open the trunk and then come back in to get him into his wheelchair...and...we're off! When we get to the center, I take him into the waiting room and then knock on the door to the treatment room, wish Woody a good morning, and I'm off. This morning, I watered after I got home...while it was still slightly cool. It was another really HOT day and we are supposed to have several more before this hot spell breaks. After I watered, I came inside and got ready to go out for breakfast with Carolyn and Jo. We met downtown at a little mom and pop restaurant and enjoyed a good breakfast and caught up with each other. The time passed fairly quickly and the next thing I knew, it was time to head to pick up Woody. His treatment went well as far as I could determine. We came home and spent as much of the rest of the day as possible inside with air conditioning! He continued to work on the puzzles in his daily calendar. I worked some more on the Sunday School lesson. I guess it was a visiting with friends day as, I visited with Connie on the phone for a while this afternoon. Sounds like home health is about to be over (again!), as a message was left on our answering machine that next week they would be discharging him. I have a feeling that the may discharge him from wound care tomorrow also...we'll see if my feeling is right! So we may have less comings and goings around here! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A “Slightly” Less Hectic Day

Well, the nurse left just a few minutes ago. But our day started out slower because his TN Oncology appointment wasn't until 12:30pm. So we had a slow morning. He has done his usual crossword puzzles and has picked up his daily crossword puzzle calendar and has been doing those...catching up to date. He took a book with him to Oncology today, which he hasn't been doing. He was so into his book while waiting for me to pick him up that he didn't realize that I was there. It was a very hot day...the car's thermometer said that it was 94 on the way to and then on the way home it showed 96...whatever it said...it was HOT!!! It is still hot out there...says that it is 84 but feels like 95...which means that humidity is hanging in there too...We're very glad for air conditioning! I have worked a little on the Sunday School lesson. I have also done quite a bit of resting. I started listening to another audio book...one that my childhood friend mentioned at our Cottey College Alum bookclub the other day. This happens to be a book that Donna and I decided not to add to the library. One of my friends didn't care for it when she read it. I don't think she liked the format of the book. And, when Donna read it, she felt like it probably wouldn't be high demand in our church library. After it was mentioned on Saturday, I decided that I would read it if I could get a copy and was able to get an audio copy from our public library's e-library app. At the Zoom bookclub censuring often comes up...was our choice censuring!?! But...in our case one of the reasons that we choose not to place a book is whether we feel it will be checked out...also another reason that we pass books by is that we have a limited budget...so can't buy all the books...have to have reasons not to buy some! I think my childhood Cottey friend may see it as censure...she's guessing due to where we live...it is a book that deals with slavery. I don't feel that is the reason that it won't be read...but maybe I'm rationalizing!?! So, guess tonight I am sharing some of my thoughts as a librarian! Tonight, Woody and I are watching a cooking show as he does crossword puzzles and I write the blog...multitasking! Tomorrow starts out early, again. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Quick Update!

After I worked in the library this afternoon, I napped...too long! Guess I needed it...I didn't sleep last night...guess it caught up with me. Our day hasn't been the greatest. I think both of us are showing our age?!? Doing things, but taking forever to do them! Woody's dialysis went as usual...then he was spent. While he was at dialysis, I got ingredients ready for him to have one of his favorites...tacos. I was thankful that I had made the tortillas a few days ago! So I just had the meat filling to make and then gather the reat of the toppings. Since I am behind because of my extra long nap, I will sign off for tonight...to be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Batters Up!

Time for some baseball news from the Dorrells! When Nathan, Kathy, and Joseph were here on Saturday, we learned that Tullahoma Fall Ball has gotten underway with practices for Isaac and Joseph. Then today we got a text from Elijah with news that we had been waiting to hear. He made the Franklin County High School baseball team for 2023-24. Congrats, Elijah! We're excited for him to continue on with his love for the game of baseball! I'm running late tonight blogging because we went to prayer meeting tonight. After we got home, I needed to change the dressing on Woody's leg and then get him settled for the evening/night. That done...I decided that I wanted a little supper before I blogged. Up to this evening, our day has been fairly quiet...stayed home and attempted to stay cool...up in the 90s today. I did do a little weeding beore it got too hot this morning...I didn't stay out too long, but got rid of a certain type of weed that I often avoid due to it having stickers...I "think" that I got most of them for the time being...I have worked some on this coming Sunday's Sunday School lesson and listened some more to the book for my next Cottey Zoom book club...I have listened to the whole book since I got it on Saturday...but I will admit to dozing through part of it so have tried to go back and pick up what I missed. I think that I have the gist of it...so think I can "pass" for having read it! Well, I think that Woody is settled in for the night. I will go downstairs in a few minutes and put my plate in the dishwasher and start it up and then check on a load of wash that I started after we got home...I would guess (I still haven't figured out how long wash cycles go on this washer.) it will be done and I can transfer the clothes to the dryer. Tomorrow is another early day...those come around all too often...just ask Woody! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Busy Saturday

We've stayed pretty busy from start to finish on this Saturday. Woody had dialysis from 6:30-10:30am. I dropped him off and came home and fixed my breakfast and ate it on the front porch. I came in and straightened up the kitchen and then got a load of clothes going. I did a few things upstairs...including setting up a little table to put my iPad on for my Zoom book club meeting. I made a quick trip to WalMart...the birdies are going to get hungry as I had used the last of our bird food the other day when I filled the feeders. I picked up Woody, got him settled with an after-dialysis snack and then headed upstairs for my Zoom meeting. This time one of my childhood friends was at the meeting...always fun to see Randi. The year I headed off to Cottey College, there were four of us who had known each other since preschool in Sunday School and then went to school all the way from first grade to 12th grade, who also went to Cottey. Randi and I were the only ones of the four who stayed for both years at Cottey, a two year liberal arts collge back then...now a four year college...still a women's college. Yesterday was Randi's mother's 95th birthday...I think that Randi is the only of my childhood friends whose mother is still living. We had a fairly lively discussion about the book, River Sing Me Home. Next month's book was mentioned and I knew that it was one that my library doesn't have nor does it's e-branch. So I figured that I wouldn't be reading the next one. I have a "thing" about not buying books...as we would be broke if we had bought every book that Woody, I, and the kids read over the years! We are majorly thankful for libraries for supporting our reading habit! I went to Amazon to "think about" whether I would break my rule...and found that if I did a trial of Amazon's Audible that I could get the audible book for free. So I have been listening to it while I did "things" this afternoon...while I rested and while I made homemade flour tortillas! Now I just have to remember to cancel the Audible "subscription" after I finish listening and before 30 days from today has passed! Hope I can figure out how to cancel! I am enjoying the audible book. It is "Untold Power," a biography about First Lady Edith Wilson. Just as I finished making the flour tortillas, Nathan texted and said that he, Kathy, and Joseph were going to stop by. I had invited them to come by and help us eat the watermelon that they had given us earlier in the week...I got it nice and cold. Nathan told me that four of the kids were going to be at a church youth gathering so only he and Kathy and their non-youth would come...that now means only Joseph...as the rest are either adults or youth (according to age at church...youth start at 6th grade...well, that is the grade that middle school starts here in town. So Joseph is their only non-youth and the older ones who are no longer youth were otherwise occupied...either at work (Graham)or with a boyfriend (Abigail). So Woody, Nathan, Kathy, Joseph and I had a watermelon party! Let me tell you that watermelon was really good...they can definitely grow watermelon! After they left, I finished up in the kitchen, watered (going to be hot and no rain predicted over the next little while), and changed the dressing on Woody's leg...and, that is where we are in our day. Woody is watching a football game on TV and I have come upstairs to blog and then get back to listening to "Untold Power" and maybe stitch a little! Pretty busy day for us! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Like a Saturday of Old?!?

Now before someone wonders if I know what day it is (note tonight's blog title)...I do know that it is Friday. But the way the day has played out it is just like how our Saturdays were back when we were working...a day that nothing was dictated that we HAD to do...after a week of having to be somewhere each day, it was always so nice to have one day that we got to decide if we wanted to do something or nothing! It's so unusual these days to not have somewhere to go just about every day that it was nice that today we had no where to be at a certain time nor had to wait on someone to come here! Normally Woody has a wound care appointment on Fridays, but he got the day off because the doctor took the day off because it is her child's birthday tomorrow. She always takes the day off the day before the birthday, too, as it makes her feel like a better mother! I used our "day off" to do some cooking. I made enchilada sauce because we had a lot of fresh tomatoes that needed to be used before they went bad. Since I was making enchilada sauce, it seemed like common sense to make enchiladas! So I did that too. We enjoyed them for lunch. I have gotten the kitchen cleaned up and the dishwasher is going. Woody has settled in for the evening. I will head upstairs in a few minutes and decide what to fill my evening with...reading, stitching, listening to a book, or...I did take a nap after all the enchilada making. So may have a few more hours till I can't keep my eyes open again. I did get caught up the rest of the way with my washing...so we are all clean...for the moment! Nathan texted this afternoon that he and Kathy were in the ER. Kathy had been stung by something. I texted with her a few minutes ago and she said that she was doing better after a double dose of Benadryl and whatever else they pumped into her at the hospital. She said that she can once again smile...she got stung on her lip. Ouch! I have another Zoom meeting in the morning after I get Woody home from dialysis...my Cottey College alum bookclub. I have listened to the book so I have cpmpleted my assignment to be ready for discussion! To be cpntinued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Invasion

We've been invaded by mushrooms/toadstools! Do you think that it has rained around here over the last days?!? They are all over the yard...all different kinds. Yesterday, I picked an entire basket and through them into the yard bucket/wheelbarrow along with all the aticks that I have had to pick up due to all the storms. There are ao many now that I didn't feel like picking them up...so they can stay and "decorate" the yard...maybe the elves and fairies are building cities in our yard?!? Woody had dialysis per usual for a Thursday. Sounded like everything went well. I started putting things back on the little shelf in the laundry room...but still have more to do. I enjoyed the front porch for a while this morning as it was a beautiful day once again...lower temps and loser humidity. I filled birdfeeders while I was outside. Not long after we got home, I got a call from Ruth with an offer for Arby's...so she treated us to lunch. She and I sat on the front porch and visited and ate our lunch. We had a nice visit and the Arby's sandwiches hit the spot! I have done various and sundry things today. I have started getting things reDy to make enchilada sauce tomorrow...the romatoes are all chopped and in the fridge waiting for me to go on with the next steps tomorrow. I napped for a while this afternoon. Woody reated, too...don't know about sleeping since I wasn't right there. I am on the last load of wash that gets me caught up due to our old washer being on the fritz. This last load was a mixed load...and the new washer is not happy with me...I think that the new is "pickier" with what is in the load than the old was! I'm having to respin things in like items...I mixed some lightweight things in with several towels and a throw...oh, well, live and learn! I may get this "load" finished this evening! Woody is settling in for the night. He's feeling just "so-so" T this point in the day. I hope he will wake up refreshed and hve a good day of "no place to go!"To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

What a Day of Waiting!

I am glad that all of today's waiting is behind us! Our refrigerator repairman came between 11 and noon...not too bad. The only problem was that the refrigerator would not perform its noise/vibration sound for him. I had taken a video...thus had a recording of the sound, but he still needed to have it do it for him while he was here! He was pretty sure that it was a fan, but not for sure. He offered to order one of the fans and change it out and see if that fixed it...well, this "possible fix" came at a pretty steep price, so we chose to wait till it, whatever "it" is, was a constant problem/noise. So that problem was not solved. Next the dryer vent redo folk called and they came 2ish. That was a success. I'm drying the first load with the new venting all done both in the laundry room and under the house and our the new animal proof vent is on the side of the house. So...one job finished successfully! Our nurse texted while the vent guy was here, that she would come between 3 and 4pm. The vent guy was gone before she came our way. Today was just a routine nurse visit...wound bandages changed. Both looked fine and bedsore is just about totally healed. We are both glad to see this end of the day. It is tiring having folk in and out of the house! I did manage to write a couple of library memorial notes and get them into the mailbox so that was a job done that needed doing! I also have managed to register our two new appliances using the phone to take a picture of a code and then text it to a number provided...who would have "thunk" registering something that way years ago...like when we purchased our washer and dryer years ago! Tomorrow is another day...and hopefully it will dawn with us both getting good night rests! I know I am tired and Woody has already turned in for the day. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood

Last night's storms brought beautiful temperatures and humidity for today. Days like this say to me, "Fall is around the corner!" Today was pretty much a routine Tuesday...up early and out the door by 6am for Woody's dialysis. I came home determined to see if our new washer and dryer work...and...they do! I went to the Credit Union before I picked Woody up from dialysis. l had thought that I would go to WalMart before I headed off to get Woody, but didn't build in enough time to do that. So the Walmart trip got put off till after I worked in the church library. Nathan, Kathy, Esther, Elijah, Isaac, and Joseph stopped by just before I headed off to work in the library. The three who went to Germany, Nathan, Esther and Elijah, filled us in on their trip. It sounded like they had a good and productive time...and they got to eat quite a bit of ice cream...there was an ice cream place very near to the church where they were working. They worked woth refugees in a refugee camp. Sounds like Nathan tried to arrange a marriage for Graham! He said that Graham laughed when he told him! Nathan thinks that was a positive response! This young lady was a very good cook according to Nathan. After Nathan, Kathy and crew left, I headed off to the church library. Donna and I accomplished quite a bit in the library...more new books on the new book shelf all ready to be checked out. We have a few more that we plan to work on next week and we will have that book order totally processed. Woody has settled in for the night...not interested in supper tonight...but he still has some pills to take before he completely falls asleep. Tomorrow should be an interesting day. We have no place to go...a good thing as we have folk coming here off and on most of the day...or at least we have to wait on them to come for most of the day. The refrigerator repairman is supposed to be here sometime between 8am and 5pm. Then the dryer vent fixer is supposed to come between 1pm and 3pm. And, Woody's home health nurse will come sometime tomorrow...probably late in the day. Wonder what the odds are that they all arrive at the same time! Doubt that very much! Well, guess it is time to head down to give Woody his nightly medicine and for me to check to see if the latest load of clothes is dry. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

No Lost Socks or Spiders!

My friend Linda told me to expect to find a missing sock and at least a spider or two...didn't find either of those...but did quickly sweep out some collected dirt from the 4 years since they were moved! I gave the floor a quick wet mop while the fellas got the new ones out of their boxes. Our dryer isn't vented properly so have to contact someone about redoing that...why can't anything be simple...like plug in and go!?!? It is a strange feeling not to know how to turn the new washer on...guess I will learn fairly quickly! I plan to try them out tomorrow. Tonight I still have Woody's wound dressing on his leg to change. I did get notification today that we have a telemed appointment with Woody's infectious disease doctor the first week in September. I guess that the wound care nurse was successful in getting in touch with her. We have had a quiet day...no where to go except prayer meeting and we didn't get to go to that because of washer and dryer installation not getting started as early as I had hoped and then it took longer than I expected. But they are in and both turned on for them. I got the locking lid explained to me...I thought that I had chosen a fairly straight forward model with not a lot of bells and whistles...but things change...hopefully for the better! I think that Woody continues to feel better. I feel better today, too. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

And,Do You Know Where You Were 23 Years Ago?

Tonight's photo collage give me a pretty good hint as to where we were! And, there are several who read the blog that this will remind them of where they were 23 years ago! Happy 23rd Anniversary, Nathan and Kathy! In some ways it doesn't seem that long ago...but in others it seems like a very long time ago! I guess that is the way I relate to time gone by these days...sometimes two days ago seems like a long time ago and other times 23 years seems just like yesterday! We have had a relatively quiet Saturday. Woody spent an early four hours at dialysis. I spent that time getting ready for the delivery of our new washer and dryer. I have a small bookshelf in the laundry room that I store laundry products, cleaning products, etc. on and that needed to be moved to clear the path for old to be taken out and new to be brought in. I still have a few items like some mops, etc. that need to be taken out and the laundry basket...but most of what needs to be moved has been done. Glad to have that job behind me! Of course it really isn't behind me as it will all have to be moved back in! We both had a lazy afternoon...perhaps brought on by the latest storm going through...more wind and rain. Our gardens continue to be content with the moisture that God has been providing them! The weeds, too. I thought about doing a little weeding early this morning...BUT the humidity was so high that you could have cut through the atosphere with a knife! As we were leaving this morning at 6am, it was 73° and 100% humidity...pretty muggy! I decided that the weeds could stay for another day! Plus I really needed to concentrate on getting things out of the laundry room. This afternoon, I came upstairs to do some more stitching...the little doggy that I'm stitching for the Dog Days of Summer has a head and a lolling tongue...looking pretty cute. But he didn't get any more stitches put in as I fell asleep...not in my plans! I think that we both napped away a good part of the afternoon. Woody is just feeling so-so...not horrible, but not great either. After I awakened enough from my nap to think straignt, I got out Woody's EOBs to check to see if we really owe a bill that we got from the Murfreesboro hospital from back in March. And, as I suspected, we do not owe them...now to figure out how to tell/convince them! I'm not sure what it is about this hospital...maybe they just aren't patient enough to wait to be paid by the secondary insurance...or..? They have dunned us several times and never have we owed what they say we do. I just get tired of having to thumb through the more than an inch thick stack of paperwork to find the exact one they are talking about...but so far that thick stack of papers hasn't failed to prove that we owe nothing. In saying that last, we are so thankful for Medicare and supplemental insurance! Well, time to head down to see if Woody needs anything and for me to do my final clean up of the kitchen for today. Then I plan to either read or stitch...or perhaps both as I can listen to a book and stitch at the same time. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

World Cross Stitch Day

Any day is a good day to stitch! BUT how couod I have NOT stitched on World Cross Stitch Day!?! I got underway with the new little cross stitch design that I found on a cross stitch site as a "freebie." I want to make it into a small pillow to put in my antique tin scoop. I will exchange something that is in the scoop now and add this in. I plan to have several seasonal items to be able to swap out at various times of the year. I'm hoping since this is so small that I will be able to get it stitched and made into a cross stitch "small" before the Dog Days of August are behind us. I will say that so far it hasn't felt like the dog days of summer...BUT today the humidity has settled in along with the sun beating down. To show you about the humidity...when we came out of the Wound Care Center, the metal on the wheelchair was quite cold due to the AC inside running at full blast, as Woody will vouch for! By the time I had wheeled Woody to the car and he had gotten into the car and I picked up the chair to put it in the trunk...all the metal on the chair was wet with condensation...good science lesson! I know when I went outside one time this morning, the temperature was 79 and the humidity was 86...pretty muggy! Speaking of science experiments, I had a chemical reaction happen in my hand when I tried to get the blood out of Woody's shirt (from a leak during his transfusion). I poured hydrogen peroxide over the place on his shirt and that area was in my hand...the hydorgen peroxide bubbled right up and the part of the shirt in my hand became very warm. I will say that several soakings in hydrogen peroxide did save his NIH t-shirt. I did have to go to greater lengths to get the stain out of his white undershirt...it took both hydrogen peroxide and clorox...but I think that the stain is out of it, too. Success...saved his favorite shirt and a brand new white t-shirt! I will say that Woody seems to be doing better...still not totally great (will that ever happen?!) but at least most of the pain that he has experienced over the last week seems to have pretty much subsided. Still having a few digestive problems but on the whole, he is MUCH better. Today's trip to wound care was pretty much the same ol', same 'ol. We just continue to change dressings on his leg and his bed sore. Bed sore is just about totally healed. They gave him some waffle cushions a few weeks ago and they have helped tremendously. He has two so we have one to transfer to and then pick up the one he had been sitting on and carry that to put down for the next transfer. He's much more comfortable sitting now that he has those cushions. He has already called it a night. I will have to give him some medicine a bit later, hopefully I will be downstairs when he has a wakeful moment and can give them to him then. It was just a bit early for the meds when he decided to "bed down." The wound care doctor is going to try to make contact with Woody's infectious disease doctor to see what she recommends he take as a suppresive antibiotic. They were glad that Woody already had an established Vanderbilt infectious disease doctor, as they said that sometimes it takes months to get established with one. We will have another early up and out for dialysis in the morning. I will say, again, Woody's strength is so much better since he had his transfusion...just hope that we can keep his hemoglobin to an acceptable level. Anemia is a dialysis problem...just have to keep a watchful eye on it. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! And, if you are a cross stitcher or any kind of needleworker...be sure to put in a stitch or two in honor of "our day!"

A More Quiet Day

We got up and were heading out around 6an this morning...typical Thursday start. Woody is definitely feeling stronger after his blood transfusion yesterday. I managed to forget to attach today's crossword puzzles to his clipboard this morning...so no crosswords during dialysis, but had them to fill in his afternoon after he got home! I made a months worth of sausage patties while he was at dialysis. They are all in the freezer ready to be gotten out individually when I need them. I also rested aka slept for a while after I dropped him off and came home. It was a rainy morning...good napping weather. We had storms in the night that woke me up so sleep got interrupted so I was very happy to go back to sleep for a while this morning. My back is still bother me some...so the rest time was a good time to use the heating pad of my back. I think it is better, but I am being careful! Woody's appetite has picked up some since his transfusion, also. So at this point mainly seeing positive results of the transfusion. After dialylsis we made a pit stop...literally...stopped to get gas. I rested, again, after lunch and watched some Floss tubes...YouTube videos done by folk who cross stitch. One person told about a free design from a company. I checked it out and it is a cute summer stitch and I decided that I wanted to stitch it. I downloaded the chart and printed it off. I then decided to pull the floss colors that I would need...11 colors...BUT...I didn't have 6 of them! I decided to make a quick trip to Hobby Lobby so I now am in business to start stitching this small piece. I plan to start it this evening after I come upstairs to settle in for the night. I hope I can get a few stitches in before I doze off. I did finish listening to my audio book...but in the middle of the night after the storm woke me up. I fell asleep before I could listen to the last 30 minutes of the book! But another book has been added to my "Books Read in 2023" list. Besides finishing another book this year, this is the next book we are going to discuss at my Cottey College Alum book club Zoom meeting that will be held a week from Saturday, I think. The book is called "River Sing Me Home" by Eleanor Shearer. If it hadn't been for the book club, I probably would have never come across this book and if I had, not sure it would be one that I would just automatically pick up to read. I enjoyed hearing it as it was well read with accent and proper pronunciation of words...I don't think that I would have heard the words correctly in my mind if I had read it as a book in hand or as an e-book. It is a rather draining book emotionally...about slavery and separation of children from their mothers and then a mother's search to find her children later in life. I tend to not choose such books as I want my reading to be an escape to pleasant times...but this was well worth the time it took to listen to it. I was able to listen to it while I worked in the kitchen and sometimes just sitting in my chair...sometimes while I was stitching. I still prefer to read the book myself, but sometimes I do enjoy listening...I can read faster than I can listen...so to me it takes longer when I am listening. Well, enough about all that! Tomorrow will find us heading to Wound Care...again...seems like we just were there. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Little Jenny Wren

I have named this little house wren, "Jenny Wren." She has the sweetest song. She lives in our barn birdhouse. I believe that she has another family of little wrens as she and Mr. Wren are very attentive to taking turns flying to the house fairly frequently. They had a family earlier in the season...so their second brood. Once again, it has been a day-and-a-half day! We got to the hospital on time...went straight in and they were ready for him. I was in the parking lot leaving by a little after 8am and they were getting ready to put his IV in. I drove out of the hospital parking lot and drove across the street and into the parking lot that took me to Kroger. I did my grocery shopping, went home, put away the groceries and then rested for a while. My back is bothering me so I got out the heating pad and sat with that on my back several times during the morning and afternoon. I took Tylenol just before I left to get my hair cut and between the Tylenol and the heating pad it is feeling some better...just trying to be really careful. I got my hair cut and then headed to pick up Woody. He was waiting on me to spring him! After we got home...a little after 3pm, I texted his home health nurse that we were home. She came alityle after 5pm and left around 6. Woody is definitely feeling much stronger since he got his blood transfusion. Hoping that will help with whatever has been ailing him...but he still is hurting and having othe problems. I guess all we can do is what we have been doing...taking it one day at a time...often one moment at a time! I think that he has called it a day and is already sleeping...hasn't had all his meds yet. I will be down in the kitchen for a while...so when I hear that he might be awake, I will give them to him then. I still need to put together the ingredients for his breakfast sausage...have been "going to do that" all day! I will get the ingredients together and then cook the sausage patty for him in the morning and then make the rest of them while he is at dialysis. I am washing a load...hoping that the washer will spin at least one more time for this load. I am needing to do this as all the blood transfusion didn't get into him...they had a major "leak" and it got all over his NIH Guinea Pig shirt...his favorite...plus all over one of his new undershirts. I have been using hydrogen peroxide on the stains...but so far that hasn't taken it totally out. If it doesn't come out in this wash...I will pour more hydrogen peroxide on it and let it soak longer and try again in the next load...perhaps in the new washer? I forgot to finish the eye appointment story last night...I think that I was close to going to sleep when I wrote last night's blog. Shortly after I published it, I fell fast asleep to wake up several hours later. Anyway, back to the eye appointment...they couldn't give him a very close appointment, so I suggested that they give him mine that I have in September and then give me another one. She said that they could do that...but when she went looking she couldn't find my appointment. I had cancelled one earlier in the year and made another one farther into the year...but obviously they hadn't actually done it. The funniest thing was when she told me that my appointment was for March 23, 2023...already in the past...the one that I cancelled. Oh, well...poor Woody couldn't get one any earlier than October and mine is now in November! Well, off to make breakfast sausage...I will be very ready to head to my recliner when I get that finished! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Another Foggy Morn

We faced a cool and foggy morning as we headed to dialysis today. It has been a lot cooler all day today...only got into the upper 70s. I decided that I would checkout washers at a local family run business today. I thought that I could check size and price here before Jo and I went over ro Shelbyville later in the week. I found out that what I had figured was correct...the Speed Queens that so many had recommended to me really didn't fit in my small laundry room space. I would have only been able to open the dryer door 3/4 of the way if that much. They had a Whirlpool set that will fit my space...they seemed to fit the bill that we need so made a decision to purchase them. They will be delivered on Monday. So washer and dryer selection is checked off my list. On the way home I stooped at the grocery store down the street from us to buy the ground pork that I use to make Woody's bfeakfast sausage. By the time I got home and put the meat in the refrigerator, it was time to get Woody from dialysis. I got there and had instructions to knock on the door so the nurses could come talk to me. I found out a medicine that Dr. O wants Woody to take and that we were to head over to the hospital on our way home and get registrred and fet Woody's blood typed for a transfusion tomorrow! His hemoglobin has dropped. The main problem with this is that Woody's eye appointment that he has been anxiously awaiting for 6+ months is tomorrow! He has to be at the hospital at 8am and he is to get two units of blood...each unit takes 3 hours...so 6 hours plus getting started and stopped time...probably will be there close to 8 hours. I will take him and get him situated and then I will head out and hopefully accomplish something! I will return after I get my haircut...and, hopefully it won't be much longer after I get there.Hopefulky the transfusion will help him feel better. Something needs to help him feel better! I got him settled after dialysis and the hospital labs and then I headed to the church to work in the library with Donna for a couple of hours. We really got quite a lot accomplished on processing the last book order. I stopped at the pharmacy on the way home and picked up the med that Dr. O suggested and now...we are "just" here. I'm hoping for a restful night for both of us...I know that I am tired this evening. If we get some good rest, then maybe we will be ready to be off to the races tomorrow! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Stormy Monday!

A "bit" of tree damage next door! Our house is the cream colored house in the photo. The neighbors on the other side of us had a large limb come down across their driveway. A storm definitely blew in! And it blew hard for a little while and we got more rain. Our plants continue to be happy. We only had branches blow down. There was a bit of stick picking up in the front yard...haven't gone into the back yet. Our neighbor helped me pick up the sticks after he finished dragging the pieces of his large branch to the road. Anothrr neighbor helped them cut up their large limb...they needed it moved quickly as they had to pick up grandchildren from school. Woody still isn't feeling the best...hopefully heading in the right direction, though. He didn't go to prayer meeting. I went and haven't been back very long. Today is bandage changing day...that bandaging method has changed just a bit. They didn't give me all the supplies this time since they are signing off on that wound...so I will have to figure out what I have to substitute for what they have been using. They gave us new stuff to protect the skin around the wound, but not bandages...we still have one of the large bandaid-type bandages, but not the absorbent dressing to go under the bandage. Will go check out all the leftover dressings from other care for the best substitute. Jo and I had planned to go on a washing machine/dryer fact finding mission today, but the storm blew up just when we planned to go. We will try later in the week. The last time I washed, the spin cycle did work...sometimes it works...sometimes it doesn't! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Foggy Saturday Morn

The fog was really dense this morning on our trip to take Woody to dialysis and then my trip back home. A couple of places, I was very glad that I was familiar with the area, as I knew where I was despite feeling closed in with the fog. I was very glad when I got back home. The fog was thicker closer in to town. Woody came out of dialysis saying that he was feeling better...a good sign! I came home from taking him to dialysis and went back to sleep for a couple of hours. I didn't do a lot today, but try to rest and catch up on sleep that I lost yesterday and last night! Woody said that he dozed during dialysis today...something he rarely does. I did get the notes for tomorrow's Sunday School lesson printed off. I have read through what I printed and added a few more notes. I'm finished with the lesson...now to gather everything together to take with me tomorrow. I think I'll read once I get the kitchen put to bed for today! I'm almost finished with a book that will be taken back to cyberspace in a few days! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

We’ve Had Better Fridays!

Suffice it to say that Woody has had better days...hoping that better days come back soon. We did go to wound care...in the rain...today. The bed sore is healing well, but the doctor doesn't think that the wound on his leg is going to heal over so she is just going back to what we had been doing before...just keeping it clean and covered...changing the bandages every two or three days...so that care is back on us and home health...she has written that wound off. It's Woody's choice to just continue as we had been doing. He is not willing or ready for the other choice...amputation! In the midst of having to do quite a bit of care for Woody today, I have been able to get notes written up for the lesson on Sunday...so that is a good accomplishment. I have also been researching washers and dryers on the internet. It is about time to go see some in the flesh at a store or two...not easy to make a decision without checking them out in person. Ours are so old...I guess they have changed somewhat since our purchase years and years and years ago. Oh, someone did contact me about the refrigerator repair and asked a few questions...still won't happen till a week from this coming Wednesday. I have done a little reading today...not a lot else...pretty much staying within hearing distance of Woody in case he needs me. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sweet Sixteen!

Esther turned 16 today...another..."how is that possible" moments in our lives! I teased her about her hat. I told her that I expected to have trouble getting the hat off her brother...but wasn't expecting her to have a hat on! She stopped by when she was out practicing her driving...she is still working on getting enough hours behind the wheel before she can get her license. I told her to talk someone into letting her get some practice driving in and come by to pick up her birthday gift. I later found out that she was already out practicing and she didn't get her text, but I had told her daddy what I had told her...so he got the text and they swung by. Esther is a sweet girl so it isn't hard for her to be sweet sixteen! Today was a pretty usual Thursday for Woody...up early and out the door early for dialysis. I went on down the street and did a little WalMart shopping...I had almost eliminated WalMart from my shopping routine, but since it is open at 6am, it lets me run early errands and then head home to get on with what needs to be done here. I did get to work on Sunday's lesson for a little while this morning. We have some sporadic rain today...enough to make the plants happy for at least today. Nathan came back by to use one of my sewing machines. He was making some juggling bean bags to take on a mission trip that he, Esther, and Elijah are going on to Germany along with a couple of others from our church. Donna and I worked in the library this afternoon...trying to get back into the swing of things...it had been a while since we processed books...it took a bit to remember the next step in the processing! But we got the hang of it and got 11 books well on the way to being ready to circulate! We even nudged out printer back into service...though it did take a new ink cartridge to make it totally happy and cooperative! But labels are printed which we wondered would/could happen since the printer had sat idle for so long. We got work done and had fun catching up with each other. Woody still doesn't feel the greatest...but is resting at the moment on the couch and he has been able to get up from the couch on his own...a big improvement from a month back when he needed major help getting up and thus made the decision to just sleep in his recliner. If he is dozing, I am going to have to wake him up, though I hate to. But he has some night meds to take...then he can go to sleep the night through, if he can! I no longer have to wake him up to take a antibiotic as he is through with that prescription...unless his wound care doc decides she wants hinm on it longer. Speaking of wound care. We go there tomorrow morning. She will be checking out the progress of the healing on his leg wound...it has been left alone for two weeks...tomorrow the doctor will change the bandage down to the wound and see if she sees any progress. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! And, last tonight a BIG Happy Birthday to Esther!

A Day of Waiting

It has been a bit of a long day...lots of waiting. Our first wait was for the time to get here so we could head off to his Keytruda appointment. We have gotten used to early morning appointments...mid morning appointments take forever for it to be time! He had the wait of 1-3/4 hours for the appointment to be over at Oncology. I came home during that time. My main cooking today was to make homemade applesauce. I'm anxious to see if it even comes close to my mother's. Woody usually says that mine is "okay," but doesn't taste as good as when my mother made it. He's not feeling the greatest today so hasn't tried it yet. I have tasted it and I pronounce it pretty good...but I'm not the applesauce connoisseur that Woody seems to be! I texted Woody's home health nurse when I got him home from Oncology. She didn't really set up a time. I told her to come when she was close to our neighborhood. She didn't come till 5:30pm. I decided since we seem to have toilet repairs taken care of, that I would set up a time for our refrigerator to be looked at. It has a strange vibration noise at times...sounds like an airplane taking off. I decided to have it checked before it turns into a major problem. I set up an appointment online...supposed to come today between 8am and 5pm...then shortly after that it became 5:15...and kept changing until it said 7:30pm...them suddenly it changed...and it had been rescheduled till two weeks from today! And, nary a person to talk to! We have lived with the sound for a while...hope that it can wait another two weeks! If I can figure out how to cancel it, I may and try someone else! I did get some library work done while I waited for nurse and repairman...so waiting time wasn't wasted. Woody has decided to try sleeping on the couch...first time in over a month...hope he can get up from it! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

It's August!

It's calendar-page-turning day! How did that page turning end up showing August? The year is just racing by! Woody had dialysis today. His comment was that it was a loooooong time sitting in that dialysis chair...found out that he didn't do his time passing crossword puzzles. He said that he just tried to sleep and couldn't. Tomorrow will be busy for him, too. He goes to TN Oncology in the morning...about a two-hour appointment. He has labs, sees the doctor, and gets his Keytruda infusion. His home health nurse comes tomorrow. I'm to let her know when he gets home so she can work him into her schedule. While Woody was gone this morning, I worked on cleaning "his room," the family room. On the way to pick him up I stopped at our pharmacy to pick up some prescriptions for both of us. Got to the dialysis clinic just a few minutes before his nurse rolled him into the waiting room. This afternoon, Nathan came by and got our car to take it for an oil change. We are officially a one-car family. Nathan and Kathy took/towed our old green Taurus to the junk yard yesterday. I called our insurance today to get them to drop that policy...no longer a multicar policy holder...so our other policy will be adjusted accordingly...sounds like we will pay slightly less for one policy than for teo...at least it's not more...maybe that is the bright side to this situation?!? I have done a little work on this Sunday's Sunday School lesson. I also got the books, from the library book order, out of the box and on the table ready to be worked on. I may do a little more on the lesson tonight, but also plan to stitch...but first...back to the kitche to finish unloading the dishwasher so I can reload it. Such an exciting life we lead!?! To be continued! Be safe! Be weii! Be cautious!