He is Risen!

Springing Right Along

We have had another delightful Spring day...now the pollen count is another thing...but at this time of the year we can hardly have one without the other! Dialysis came and went for Woody...another good treatment day and with that he has made it through another week of dialysis and now has a two-day break. We're planning to go to Sunday School in the morning and then come home to watch the church service online. I have a special lunch planned for Woody...haven't told him what it is yet. But something he has wanted that wasn't on the menu yet as the main ingredients were in the freezer...now they are out thawing so they will be ready tomorrow. I have read and stitched today and done a few other things that needed to be one around the house. The gift needlework piece is heading in the right direction. My book is also heading in the right direction as I am about finished with it...at this point I'm wondering where my next book selection will take me! I just finished doing a few dishes by hand and the rest are being washed by the dishwasher. The kitchen is ready to be closed for the day. I have changed the dressing on Woody's leg and have applied the antibiotic cream to another part of his leg...so he is set for that for today. He was thinking about heading to the couch when I was downstairs last. I will check and make sure that he is settled before I get settled for the night upstairs. I did do a little napping inbetween stitches at times today...so since I napped, I'm hoping that my eyes will stay open so I can move along a little farther with my stitching. I have met my goal for the day, but would like to surpass said goal. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! !

Wedding Fittings

As soon as breakfast was finished this morning, I got busy getting areas cleared in the living room and our bedroom for wedding garments to be tried on to see what was needed or not needed to be done with them. Nathan, Kathy, Abigail, Joy, Esther, Elijah, Isaac, and Joseph all sowed up for "the show!" Joy also brought her hair cutting bag as she planned to cut Goosey's (Woody's) hair if he felt up to it. I got Woody into the wheel chair and rolled into the kitchen...he wasn't about to miss this opportunity. He was ready for a hair cut! Kathy and Abigail went upstairs to get Abigail into her dress. Yesterday Abigail bought the shoes that she plans to wear so that meant that we could now check the length of the dress. Today I just measured and decided about how much to shorten it...pinned it to see if it looked about right. Then she was finished with her fitting for this time.I will baste up the amount that we decided and see if it will work...her next fitting...for this time. Esther headed up next to put on her bridesmaid gown. It needed a little more than shortening...but we decided that perhaps what she needed was a smaller size...so Kathy ordered the next size down and we will see if that takes care of altering needs. I pinned up the amount that we thought it needed to be shortened and she walked a bit to see if that length was better. Hers I won't baste up the hem since we are hoping that another dress size will work better. Joy tried hers on after she got finished with Goosey's haircut. Hers fits well...just needs to be shortened a little...so I'll be basting up that amount to see if what we decided is corrext. So...wedding attire is getting readied for the big day! Abigail told us how many days left, but I didn't retain...maybe 78? I'll let you in on a little secret...Abigail makes a beautiful bride!!! And, her two sisters beautiful bridesmaids! After they left it was lunch time. Woody chose Spicy Vegetable Beef soup from "jis menu." The next hour or so after lunch was passed doing a little of this and a little of that. Then it was time to head to TN Oncology for his every three week appointment that includes getting his Keytruda infusion. I dropped him off and then came home and planned to get back to my secret stitching project, but ended up napping during a good part of the time till they called to say he was ready to be picked up. I got back and it was a nice enough day that he chose to sit out in front of the building waiting for me while sitting in the sun. It looked like he was the last man standing...absolutely no cars in the parking lot. I did get a little stitcing done after he got home. We have had supper and now I'm heading down to clean up the last dishes in the kitchen. Woody had headed to his bed/couch just before I came upstiars to blog. So we are winding down for this day...getting ready to rest and be ready for another dark and early day in the morning. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

End of March is in Sight

How can it be that the end of March is so close?!? In a blink and we will be finished with the first first quarter of the year. I really do feel like it was just yesterday that it was March 1...really February 1...or even January 1! I understand that when it seems that time speeds up when one gets old...no comment!!!! It has been a cool, but sunshiny day...very springlike. I have cleared away things on my sewing table and have put out three cross stitch things that need to be finished. I ironed the cross stitch pieces and also the fabrics that I have chosen to finish them with. Now to get the energy/motivation to go on and get them finished. I have stitched on my gift piece and also done a little reading. Put a few more Christmas items away that I found still out of place. Woody must have had a good dialysis session as he said that he was surprised when it was time for him to be taken off the machine. He had worked the four crossword puzzles from various newspapers that I run off each morning and then he started in working the book of Bible crosswords and I guess that kept him occupied and time went by more quickly than usual for him. I'm afraid to say this, but at the moment he continues to be doing so much better than a couple of weeks ago. He is stronger (relatively speaking...for him) which makes it so much easier for him to transfer using his walker to move from recliner to bathroom and back or from recliner to couch. It is also easier for him to transfer from chair to wheelchair to car, etc. It has made a lot of difference since they stopped pulling so much fluid off of him during his dialysis treatment. He continues to have a good appetite and seems to enjoy his meals. I have made a list of available food items (a menu of sorts) for him to choose from for his meals and he seems to like that and it is easier than for me to list (and forget some) things as suggestions for his meal. He brought home his lab reports from dialysis and everything looked good...anything that we can do anything about through what he eats were very good...so we will continue as we are. I did get a response to my medicine questions that I had asked...not that it helped much...they said go through primary care physician...which I don't understand since these meds are dialysis/kidney related. I think that I will just ask the pharmacist to send in a request for a refill from his PCP and see what that response is. We had just talked about this medication with her when we were there a couple of weeks ago. Tomorrow he goes to TN Oncology for his Keytruda infusion. He has to request for them to send in refill on a prescription to our pharmacy, too. Maybe we will get all this straightened out before he runs out! The one medication, I'm not sure that he needs anyway...that was just something that the hospitalit wanted him to try. Too many doctors! And, we will be adding another doctor into the fray in a couple of weeks (insert rolling eyes). So another day comes to an end...we are both ready for either a recliner or a couch/bed...I have stitching and reading that I want to do and Woody is watching more March Madness. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Wednesday

Another day of a little of this and a little of that. I spent some time in the kitchen after breakfast prepping green, yellow, orange, and red bell peppers for recipes and then putting them in the freezer to have them ready for when I need them. I did a little stitching...slowly and steadily making a little headway on the gifts that I am stitching...still a long way to go! After lunch I headed off to get my hair cut and then ran a couple of errands. I got gas for the car and then stopped at the pharmacy, Only one of three of Woody's prescriptions had been filled...mine were ready. I came home and have written a note to the dialysis center asking them to see if Dr. O wants Woody to continue on the one med that the hospitalist wanted him to take and if he does would he please fax a prescription to the pharmacy. The other prescription I will have Woody ask for a refill when he goes to TN Oncology on Friday. I also discovered that a payment that I thought that I had paid with bill pay hadn't bee received...I made a call to check to see what the Credit Union records said and they didn't have a record of it sso I must not have finalized the payment when I thouught that I had paid...I had recorded payment in check book. Oh, well, I think I was successful this time. So lots of littles of thises and littles of thats today. I will change Woody's bandage in a little while and finish up in the kitchen and then head upstairs and hopefully be able to stitch. I made a goal for my stitching and have about made that goal...maybe I'll surpass it before I fall asleep with needle in hand! Woody has had a pretty good day as far as I can tell. Dialysis in the morning...going to be a bit cold...there is a frost warning for us...so I went out earlier and covered the car windows...don't want to have to scrape the car windows on top of everything else I have to do in the morning! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Rain and Shine!

We have experienced both rain and shine today. It was raining when we headed to dialysis early this morning...thanks to good rain jackets we didn't get too wet. It was raining when I picked Woody up after he was finished with dialysis...but not as hard as it was when going to dialysis. Then it was raining when I went to work in the library after lunch. BUT when Donna and I came out after getting a stack of new books ready to be checked out, it was bright and sunny...blue sky...no evidence of all those rain clouds. From what I understand, we are in for a really nice end to the week and also a good start to another. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

The March Wind Doth Blow!

It has been pretty windy all day. I think that these winds are supposed to blow in storms over night and into the morning. When I got home from prayer meeting, I saw to tasks that helped Woody be ready for the overnight hours and then fixed myself some supper and cleaned up the dishes. Except for prayer meeting, our car didn't leave the driveway today. I thought that I would pick up prescriptions at the pharmacy today, but there were problms with figuring out refills for some of Woody's. But that is the reason that I like dealing with a independent pharmacy...we know them, they know us and they go the extra mile. One of the pharmacists called me to figure out which doctors to contact about which prescription. I didn't even try to pick up the medicine today...figure it will take a day of two to get all of them phoned in and then have the doctors' offices to respond. I do know that one has been faxed back to the drugstore as Vanderbilt messaged me that it had. I will stop by tomorrow and pick up my prescriptions and see if his have been taken care of...I was just trying to get a group of meds all being filled at the same time to save extra trips to the drugstore...imagine that it will take several trips to get all five that I phoned in today...mine should already be filled...just Woody's are causing the problem! At least we are not at the last of his so maybe by the time he runs out they will be filled! One of them is from TN Oncology, if they haven't responded to the pharmacy by Friday, I will have Woody tell them that he needs a refill. I am going to need to buckle down and do a lot of stitching over the next days...if I am to have the gifts ready that I have planned. I texted with Kathy today and she said that Abigail is planning to get her wedding shoes sometime this week...hopefully...then she will be over here to try on her dress and we will see if it has to be shortened. Joy and Esther also have to come over with their bridesmaids dresses and see if their Grammy has the skills to alter them. I can shorten them, but other alterations we will have to see about! Grammy hasn't been sewing much so her skills may be a bit rusty! Woody worked on his usual crossword puzzles and also did more in several of his crossword books...he has baseball crosswords and Bible crosswords...both of which he has been working in since he finished his yearly calendar of daily puzzles. I'm hoping that it won't be stormy when we leave dark and early in the morning...hoping that there will be a break in the rain at least while we get Woody into the car. There is a cover where I let him out at the center. I hate for him to get wet and have to sit in wet clothes for the four hours of dialysis! He has a good hooded jacket that does a pretty good job of keeping his dry...and a fleece throw over him will help too...but that short period of time when he transfers from his wheelchair to the carseat can be a time to get fairly wet depending on his speed of transfer! I guess time will tell at what point we are in when leaving as to where the storms are that are supposed to blow through here. Hopefully we can zip between raindrops and stay dry!!!!! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

Nice Day

This was Melany's first day of Spring Break and she and Wade came here and worked on claning up our flower beds...getting them ready for Spring! This is my birthday gift from them.,.along with a couple of other things for our gardens/gardening. They raked and moved a LOT of wet leaves. The temperatures were pretty chilly and it was windy, but they perservered and even worked up a sweat! Our day started out as a typical Saturday...up and atum early and out the door early to get Woody to dialysis. I came home and got busy in the kitchen preparing our lunch. I made a cake for our strawberry shortcake base and put together a pot of Spicy Vegetable Beef Soup...a little before time to eat, I put together one of our favorite corn bread recipes and popped that into the oven. I think they were ready to eat after all their hard work. We visited for a while after lunch and then they headed back to Murfreesboro mid afternoon. I think that Woody and I took a nap! I unloaded the dishwasher a few minutes ago and am in the process of reloading it with what didn't fit in and what we have used since they left. I will start it when I go back down and load the last few things in that I have soaking and then wash the handwash items. Woody has already headed to his bed/couch...it has been a busier than usual day for him. When he wasn't in dialysis or visiting, he watched March Madness basketball. He plans to go to Sunday School in the morning. I will be teaching in the morning. I still need to go over my notes and see if more needs to be added to what I have already written down in my notes...I attempted to do that after they left, but my eyes closed before I even got the book open or the lesson notes pulled up on my iPad! We'll see if that was nap enough to get me to be able to get a little farther next try! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Could It Really Be 55 Years?

I won't go as far as to say that it seems like yesterday...but 55 years?!? How could that many years have flowed under the proverbial bridge?!? It is what it is and we are what we are, as we head into our 56th year together! It has been a day like most when Woody doesn't have dialysis...try to get done what needs to be done and also do as little as possible at the same time! I have kept a bit busy. I did go to the grocery store this morning...that took a chunk out of the day...especially when you add in putting the purchases away. By the time I had them put away, it was time for lunch. I cooked some of the fresh vegetables that I bought...asparagus and also cauliflower. We had some of the asparagus with chicken pot pie for lunch. I made a favorite of both of ours with the cauliflower, Italian-Style Cauliflower, which is good both hot and cold. We each had a couple of florets when it was warm and then I put the rest in the refrigerator to chill. I had that mess to clean up...so have already run the dishwasher today and now need to empty it before I can put the supper dishes in the dishwasher. I have done some vacuuming downstairs. I plan to take the vacuum upstairs when I go back up and vacuum the hall. I worked some more on the Sunday School lesson and I also took a short nap before supper. We have had supper...tacos...so have that mess to clean up. Melany and Wade are coming tomorrow to work in the yard. I plan to make soup for our lunch tomorrow...and want to make somethiing for dessert...and perhaps a bread...but I think that I will just do preparation for some of this cooking and then cook it tomorrow when I am fresher. I may make banana bread in a few minutes, as I had some bananas in the refrigerator that needed attention...so that may happen in a few minutes once I get the counters cleaned off from taco fixings. Woody has been enjoying March Madness on his new TV...so far it is still working! Tomorrow will be another early-leave-in-the-dark morning...looking forward to several weeks ahead when we will be back to leaving in the daylight...again...I really don't like this time change! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Looking Back on Today

Just sat down to blog and started looking back on what happened today...and, am not sure! Nathan did stop by with a new TV...if at first you don't succeed, try, try again...third time is a charm?!? We did also get a new surge protector just in case that was the cause of both TV failures! We're back to the original brand since this last brand barely lasted three weeks! At least Woody has a TV to watch all the basketball that is going on and whatever else he wants to watch. I did get the boxes out of the hallway and into Melany's old room and I have a stack of empty boxes just in case I need another one or two before the closet puzzle backing gets complete. Woody decided that he wanted a meatloaf...that used to be a recipe that I was always making, but then I guess he grew tired of them...this is his first request for one in a long time, I made one this afternoon and so he got his requested meatloaf sandwich for supper tonight. I have started preparing for Sunday's lesson for my ladieis' class...keep getting pulled away from my preparations or...falling asleep while I'm attempting to read the material! I must get focused!!!! I almost have the kitchen cleaned up from my latest cooking mess. I was about to run the dishwasher, but decided that I would come upstairs and get a mug and glass from next to my chair to add to the dishwasher. Once I got up here, I decided that I would blog before going back downstairs...this is all sort of like the book, "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie!" One thing always seems to lead to another and thus many things get started, but few finished! Tomorrow is a vacuuming and soup making day...and Sunday School lesson prep day...and, it may include a grocery trip. It's a special day tomorrow...more about that tomorrow...as...tomorrow is another day! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

First Full Day of Spring

And, a very nice first full day of Spring it has been. It stated out rather chilly, but turned into a nice sunny Spring day. Welcome Spring! We haven't done a lot except stay home today and do things that needed to be done. I think that I filled the capacity of the one end of the Christmas closet...next job is move the boxes that are left into Melany's old room and once again have a hallway that isn't half filled with boxes! Then I will be able to run the vacuum down the hall again...not that I have missed being able to do that! I have read and did some stitching. This afternoon I found out that I will be teaching Sunday School again this Sunday so started studying for the lesson. I spent a while concocting the filling for the chicken pot pie. I thought that it was pretty tasty and the pastry crust was very flaky and good. Woody just ate it, didn't want seconds and that was all that I learned from him as to whether he liked it or not. He has been working on a Bible Crossword book this afternoon. For some unknown reason the TV went black this evening...you could still hear it, but no picture. I have SOSed Nathan to see if he will stop by after church to see if he can work his magic on it. I just know that it was working...the remote was in the edge of Woody's chair. He got up to go into the bathroom and when he stood up there was no picture...I wonder if he did something to the remote as he got up...but we can't see any buttons that might have caused the screen to go black and the sound to stay on...he turned it off and then back on...now screen is black and no sound. I unplugged it and left it unplugged for a short time and then plugged it back in...no change. It is sort of what happened to the old TV...thinking that it may be user error...why can't there be simply an on and off button and a channel up and down button?!? Though, truthfully this remote is fairly simple and has no where near the buttons that some of our remotes have had. This sort of reminds me of my sister telling the story about our Grandpa having trouble with our TV and always calling her to fix it. At least she was in the same house...a bit of a problem that we have to holler at Nathan who isn't here and has to make a special trip or at least an extra stop. Nathan is wondering if it could be our surge protector...but it is one that we got recently...who knows! But at the moment our house is much quieter than usual. Well, I need to go finish cleaning up from my cooking efforts of the day. I have it pretty much cleaned up except for the last step of the pot pie...the pastry mat. I have already washed the non dishwasher dishes by hand. I will go load the last dishes and wipe off the counters and stove and put the closed sign on the kitchen for the night. We will be up and out early tomorrow morning...supposed to be above freezing tomorrow morning at 6am...but not by much...but it may feel like a heatwave after yesterday's 23°! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Just Hours Till Spring!

In about 2-1/2 hours (10:06 pm Central time) Spring will arrive. Sounds good...hope the temperatures will rise accordingly! It has been pretty chilly all day today. It was around 23°F when we left for dialysis this morning...the one good thing...the wind wasn't blowing! He got to and from dialysis safely...and had another good dialysis day. He also came home with an appointment card for a cardiologist here in town...about a month from now...one more appointment added to the calendar! We enjoyed last week and so far this week...no appointments other than his dialysis treatment and we don't consider those appointments...just part of our weekly routine. Woody filled out tax forms today...about ready to be mailed. I have to make copies and then get them into the envelope and adhere the stamp! Good job done! I have been trying to catch up on the wash...still have a load in the washer that I will put in the drier when I go back downstairs. I made corn bread this evening...pretty good...hadn't had any in a long time...has never been a high favorite since we never had it when I was growing up. But I guess a little bit of Southern has gotten into me as I do like it once in a while...especially when it first comes out of the oven with a crunchy top and bottom. I need to put together the dough for a pie crust befor I go to bed tonight as I plan to make a chicken pot pie tomorrow. I finished that book that I didn't care for last night...glad I read it for the club, but am glad that I am finished with it! I have already started my next book and this one is sooooo much more enjoyable! I also stitched some more...I finished the part that I wasn't enjoying stitching and now the rest should speed right along...well, not that stitching is speedy...but at least it is easier counting which does make it go faster since I am not having to pick out incorrectly placed stitches. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Chilly Monday

Spring is just around the corner...like arriving tomorrow night...but we have one of those TN winters coming around the corner, too...I think that it may be Redbud Winter, as the redbuds are blooming. We have a freeze warning out for the over night and early morning hours. It is supposed to get into the upper 20s. Brrrrrrrrrrr! I just covered the car windows to keep from having to scrape them in the morning...the wind may keep the frost away, but better safe than sorry! It will be bad enough having to face the low temps once again as we head out dark and early...don't want to have to scrape windows to freeze my fingers even more. It was already cold tonight when I came home from prayer meeting. We have had a quiet day. I did a little of this and a little of that around the house. I am also trying to finish a book before it is whisked back into cyberspace. It is one for next month's Cottey bookclub so I want to finish it. If I let it get away from me unfinished, I may not get high enough on the list to get it back again before the next meeting. I have not cared a lot for this book, but am determined to finish it...just a few chapters left...I think I can, I think I can..! Woody has been pretty quiet today and told me a little while ago that he has a headache...but so far isn't interested in taking any Tyelenol. I told him not to let it keep him from sleeping so ask me for some if it gets to that point. I don't think that I have done any dozing during the day today so maybe I will be able to sleep through the night. Last night I fell asleep shortly after settling into my chair and then woke up around midnight and then had trouble falling back to sleep for several hours. I am hoping to fall asleep a little later and then sleep through the whole night...we will see! I also stitched on one of my cross stitch projects...one that I hadn't touched for a while and managed to get finished with a part that was a bit of a struggle to keep the colors straight in it...I think that since I got that part finished that the rest of it will go easier...time will tell. I added more to the box puzzle in the closet. The one end of the closet is about boxed in...the other side needs to wait till I take the corner tree down that I have decoated with Spring and Easter decorations. The corner tree box is the bottom of the box puzzle on that end of the closet. So a bit away from getting all the boxes put away. I think that once I get the one end boxed in, that I will put the boxes that are left into Melany's old room...that will clear the hallway. I'm ready for more order upstairs! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

Mid-March Saturday

Once again, today has seemed like a day and a half. The time change is still messing with us. I can't get used to what seems like lots of extra hours at the end of the day. I still am not sleeping right...waking up too early...and then it is too close to the time to get up that I don't dare go back to sleep...os I might get into too deep a sleep and not respond to my alarms. I woke up so early this morning that I ended up working on the Sunday School lesson in the middle of the night...then the rest of the day I have been fighting sleep...have taken several naps...not planning to! Woody has dozed off and on this afternoon, too. I had my Zoom Cottey College Alum book club meeting for an hour this morning...right after I got Woody back home from dialysis. We had an enjoyable discussion as we always have. Interesting to see what others see in a book that you have read...see other points of view. I rested and worked on the Sunday School lesson this afternoon. Then went downstairs and worked on supper for Woody. The plan was for tacos and this time that meant that I had to make flour tortillas as we were out. I make them as the store bought ones have preservatives that Woody isn't supposed to have. Tortilla making is not my favotite thing to do! But they are made and they do keep for quite a while so I won't have to make them again for a while. I also had to make the meat mixture as there was none left in the freezer to use. So lots of "from the start" that I had to do for this meal. Thus he has just finished his supper...a bit later than usual for us. Woody seems to be doing so much better with his dialysis since they have upped his dry weight. He has now had two good weeks of dialysis with no "spells" during or at the end. A very good thing! I have quite a mess to clean up in the kitchen and still have to get the Sunday School lesson notes completed and printed out...so the evening isn't over for me. Still have his leg wound to dress, too. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Quiet Friday

Not a lot happened around here...or lots of little things got done today. I have done a little of this and a little of that. I managed to get a handle on the stack of EOBs...and think that the way I have organized them I can search them if a question comes up. I have the ones pulled that there is presently a controversy over...two claims that say we owe and according to EOBs we don't. Supposedly "they" are checking into it. I have packed some more boxes into the Christmas closet...an endless job, it seems to me! I have done some work on this Sunday's lesson. Our teacher has the flu so I will be the substitute teacher this week. Woody completed his year's worth of daily crossword puzzles today...a lot of year left! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Progress

First I will report on Woody's progress! He is fianlly gaining some weight and they aren't attempting to pull off the weight he has gained at dialysis (They pull off fluid weight during dialysis and Woody just isn't retaining enough fluid to need it pulled off.). Dr. O, Woody's nephrologist, told Woody today that they had raised his dry weight (the weight they accept before pulling off excess fluid). Today, and this still sounds horrible, Woody weighed 132.32 lbs...that's ten pounds more than he weighed when he came home from the hospital/rehab the end of January 2023. He still weighs too little but at least we are seeing some pouds come back on him! Major progress! Woody doesn't know what his dry weight was raised to...of course, he rarely asks questions of the doctor! I was just glad to hear the improvement in his weight. Tonight's photo shows my progress on the Bristol sampler that I am stitching. The top row shows the width that the sampler will be. Now I am working down and just doing part of the rows so I can see what the length of the sampler will be. I have reached the last row of alphabets/letters. This last row of letters that at the moment has an "SD" is probably a row of initials...often initials of family members or friends are included on samplers. I'm wondering if these iniials are for some of the sisters' friends at the orphanage. Sometimes when I am stitching reproductions of samplers, I like to speculate about the life/circumstances of the stitcher. On this sampler, I wonder which sister stitched what I happen to be stitching at the time. I have stitched on three pieces today...one that will be a gift and then this sampler and another sampler that will stay in our home...either finished or unfinished! I'm about to head down to dress Woody's leg wound and then attempt to put the brace back on. It is not easy to put on correctly and lately it has seemed to be bothering him some. We have to be so careful that it doesn't create more wounds! We are supposed to be in for storms/rain tomorrow. I'm hoping that we are going to be able to stay in for the day. I ran a couple of errands today so I wouldn't have to go out tomorrow. No dialysis so there is a strong possiblity that we will be able to be home bodies tomorrow...our preference! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Quiet Day

We had a quiet stay-at-home day today...the kind that we like to have at least once in a while! I did as close to nothing as I could...just decided that today I was going to rest and stitch. I finished stitching another little cross stitch piece and stitched on several more...just rotated through three or four of my projects. Woody did his usual four crossword puzzles and then did a lot more of his daily crosswords in his daily calendar. For him the year is nearing an end! It is going fast enough as it is...I can't believe that we are almost halfway through March. It was a beautiful spring day here ib Niddle TN. I wonder if any of you wonder about my designation of Middle TN. TN is divided into three sections...Western, Middle, and Eastern. Trutfully the three sections are almost like separate states...We are such a wide state from the eastern most point to the western most part...differ in many ways...especially terrain. Tomorrow is another early dialysis morning. Hopefully all will continue to go well with his treatments. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Tuesday After Time Change

I think I may feel a little like this barn looks...changing times seem to do me in! It has seemed like another loooooong day...with it staying light so long into the evening now. Of course, it is disappointing to once again have to deal with leaving in the dark when we head off to dialysis. Woody had another good day at dialysis...so that is four dialysis treatments with no "episodes." I remembered to ask the nurse how much he weighed and he has gained some weight...a good thing...but he is still way too skinny! Donna and I got back to the routine of working in the library on Tuesday afternoons. We accomplished several tasks towards getting another group of books ready to be checked out. We only had a few mysteries to solve today...for example...why was the computer dating things for today as February 14, 2006. Thankfully I noticed it and got the items that I had checked out with that major erroneous date all fixed with today's date so they are right in the computer. I know about the time change...but if that is what caused the date glitch...our computer was even more confused by the time change than I am! I got things ready to make shredded pork enchiladas this afternoon after I got home from the library. I made a small pan for tonight's supper...and either tomorrow's lunch or supper. I will make the rest as an enchilada casserole...too much trouble and too messy to roll them as I did tonight...the rest will be done in layers...not rolled! Woody is settled on his new couch bed for the night...he likes his new place of rest. I still have a bit of a mess to clean up in the kitchen...then it is upstairs for me and hopefully I will be able to keep my eyes open to be able to stitch at least a few Xs. I did finish a little Spring design today that I plan to make into a small pillow...I have another Spring piece that I finished the end of last week that I will also be making into a small pillow. Items to display in my antique scoop...or maybe...the knife box that I purchased at the moving/estate sale on Saturday? To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

A Long Day…Or So It Seems

Days that wrap around an almost middle of the day appointment seem to be long...the morning seems long while waiting for it to be time to head off for the appoinment and then the time for the travel to and from and the actual appointment seem long...then...especially with the time change...the day that stays later than my mind and body are used to makes it seem even longer. We headed to McMinnville, TN mid morning...it is about an hour trip when you include getting into the car and out of the car (when one moves as slowly as Woody does!). Have to add transfer time to travel time! We got to the appointment pretty much right on time. It was a very pretty drive there and back. Some of the trees are in full bloom...so the hillsides and roadways have lots of white sprinkled throughout them...and it was a pretty blue sky day with only light cloud cover. The visit to the doctor was uneventful...his blood pressure was not high, but in an acceptable range...which lately it has rarely been. Perhaps the low dose of blood pressure medicine is helping? The doctor didn't have much to add to what we are doing...I guess this could be considered a visit that helps to keep him in her record system! WE ate a late lunch when we got home. Then we both rested in our recliners! I stitched and also talked with a friend on the phone. I fixed our supper prior to me going to prayer meeting tonight. When I got home from prayer meeting, I removed the brace on Woody's leg and dressed his wound and put antibiotic cream on part of his lower leg...and then put the brace back on. I'm still not really comfortable with putting the brace on...not exactly sure if I have it on correctly or not...but it isn't hurting him so that is good. It doesn't seem to be rubbing his leg anywhere it shouldn't. He wants it on so it must make his leg feel more secure. He is wearing it all the time presently except for when I dress his wound. I figure that it is sort of like a person who really needs glasses...once they get their glasses and can see so much better, they tend to keep their glasses on...don't take them off and leave them places. Perhaps that is the way it is with this brace...it is helping enough that he really doesn't have a desire to go without it. Woody got a very thoughtful letter from a former Sunday School boy...now a grown man...thanking Woody for teaching him all those years back. I got more birthday mail today...that was nice! I'm heading to put our supper dishes in the dishwaser and tidy up the kitchen for the night...tomorrow morning will be here all too soon...and, once again we will be traveling in the dark...and, to think that we had been enjoying not going off in the dark these last couple of weeks. Tomorrow starts another week of dialysis...praying that the treatments go well and that he is over the hyrdle of blood pressure or blood sugar problems causing problems. We'll take another week like last week! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Saturday Saunterings

Started out our Saturday heading to Woody's dialysis center at 6am. I came home and in a little while I headed out to meet Nathan at Lowe's shortly after they opened to see about what to get for traction on the ramp. We found a product...now to wait for some dry days in a row so the boards can be thoroughly dry before applying the strips. I came home and worked in the kitchen...preparing some things to put in the freezer, feeding my sourdough starter, and just some other things that needed to be done. I also brought down a stack of EOBs to see if I can get them in date order. I had them in date order at one time, but having to rifle through them looking for certain dates has them not as user friendly as they were! I thought that I was pretty much finished with last years...but some bills have come up from the Fall so I will hunt through the 2023 stack again. I picked up Woody from dialysis. Once again, he had a good dialysis day...three good dialysis days for his three treatments this week! That's what we want! After I got him home and settled, I realized that I hadn't gone to the Credit Union and needed to make a birthday transfer for Wade, our son-in-law. He and I share birthdays...easy to remember this way...but I had neglected to "take care of his gift" despite knowing the day! I got that done. Came home and we had lunch. After lunch Linda, Darin, and Michelle Hasty stopped by, came in to visit for a few minutes and then we headed off to a moving/estate sale together. The sale is at the former home of my friend and owner of the Montessori School where I taught for 27 years. She and her husband have recently moved to live nearer to their daughters. A lot of memories of the years spent teaching with her as I walked through their home and looked at LOTS of things that she loved. It was also good to see her daughters and others of her friends who were helping with the sale. I bought two items to remind me of her...a little demitasse cup and saucer (reminds me of her love of dishes) and a wooden knife box/caddy that her mother made. I plan to use that to display some of my needlework finishes or store sewing tools...to be determined. We had an enjoyable time visiting as we walked around stopping to admire both items being sold and architectural features of the house. I had never gotten to see their current home so I was glad to get this glimpse into the last years of their lives in Tullahoma. The Hastys dropped me off and I my saunterings of the day ended! I showed Woody my purchases and gave him a midafternoon snack of strawberry shortcake. I headed upstairs to stitch for a few minutes...but...didn't get many Xs made before my eyes closed...guess I was tired after my gadding about! We have now had supper. I am about to go see about removing his new brace so I can change the dressing on his wound. So far he seems to be comfortable wearing it...he wore it when he slept last night and had a really good night's sleep. I do think that it helped him when he was transferring from place to place today. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious! Time change tonight...lose an hour and I gain a year when I wake up in the morning!

Friday Doings

Wednesday a couch...today a TV. Woody's TV (well, it is our TV as it is the only one we have, but I rarely watch it these days.) gave up the ghost today...we decided that "they" don't make them the way they used to...but at least the price of TVs has come way down. Nathan attempted to get it back...but shortly after he left Woody was looking at a black screen and just hearing the news. A few minutes ago, the doorbells rang and there was Nathan on the other side of the door with a large box. He came in and set it up with ease. So Woody is back in business. Really the TV is one of his distractions that helps him get through the day and sometimes the night! Woody had good doctor appointments today. He got a clamshell brace to help stabilize his leg. The wound care doctor felt that Woody looked like he had gained weight. She said that his face was fuller and less gaunt than it had been. She hasn't seen him for a month. She said that is a good thing as that means that his body isn't using all the nutrients that it gets to ward off "things." Woody seems pleased with the brace so far. He had good lab reports at his oncology appointment. He got his Keytruda. I think we were both glad to get him back in the house and settled in his chair after those two appointments. I go with him to the wound care appointment, but I leave him for the two hours that it takes for his oncology appointment. Today I didn't feel like doing much of anything so decided to just stitch. I did remake his couch/bed while he was gone. After he got home, I got busy and made sweet 'n sour pork for supper. He really seems to enjoy that. I think that it is because we don't have it all that often. I still have the kitchen mess to continue to clean up. Along with making the sweet 'm sour pork, I also prepared some things for the freezer...diced the rest of the peppers that I didn't use in the pork dish and am getting ready to get them into a freezer zip-lock bag and also am going to cube up another pound of pork for the freezer to be ready for another sweet 'n sour meal. So kitchen tasks still aren't through. I decided to come write the blog before I got my hands dirty cubing up the pork! All in all we have had a pretty good day...once again busy and I think that we will both be glad to "hit the hay" tonight! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Busy Spring-Like Day!

The day started out a bit foggy, but soon it turned into a beautifuk spring-like day. Woody had a better than usual night sleep due to a new purchase...a new couch. Without me asking how he had slept, he said that he was glad that we had replaced our old couch and that he had slept well on it. Nathan and Kathy and a crew of our grandchildren removed the old couch and brought in the new one last evening. i had planned to take a photo, but Woody is already stretched out on it with his quilt covering it. I figure he is anticipating another good night's rest. Dialysis went well today, as far as I could tell...at least he was out on time and he had an easier time with transferring from chair to car and car to chair each time today. He did seem a little stronger today...and best of all...no falls! While he was at dialysis, I did some grocery shopping, came home and put most of them away before picking him up at dialysis. We cqme home and got him settled. I got him his lunch and then I left for a couple of hours to go out to lunch with a group of ladies from my Sunday School class. We had a good time eating and visiting with each other. And, looked around a gift shop that was connected to the restaurant. A fun couple of hour get away! Tomorrow will be busy. He first has an appointment with the wound care center which is being combined with the gentleman who is attempting to come up with a brace for Woody's leg. We will see what he has come up with tomorrow...maybe. The wound care appointment tends to be long anyway and with this added on it will probably take longer...which means that we had better take a snack for him to eat before his next appointment that is scheduled for after lunch. He has his TN Oncology appointment for his next Keytruda infusion. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Busy Day Off

At least I have has a busy day. I've been getting ready for some furniture moving...one puece moving out and another moving in...again more about that after it happens...probably in tomorrow's blog. Nathan and family are a part of this exchange so it will happen after they get finished wih church tonight. They have already been involved in the first part of "the move" earlier in the day. Nathan and Elijah got a call from us around 7am...Woody didn't quite make the transfer from couch to recliner. I don't get up until 7am on the mornings that there is no dialysis...and, I guess Woody couldn't wait for me to come downstairs. I was literally getting up from my recliner when I heqrd him fall...again mainly his pride that was hurt. And, at least Nathan wasn't at work in Shelbyville when we called! He and Elijah made quick work of picking him up and depositing him in his chair. I keep waiting for it to sink in to Woody'snbrain that he needs to have me behind him when he is transferring...maybe one of these days!?! I needed to get in the upstairs hallway closet so ended up needing to put away some of the Christmas boxes so I could get tothe doors. So the job of packing up the Christmas closet has stqrted...Ican at least pa k up one half of the closet before I twke down the corner tree after we celebrate Spring and Easter. I have done several loads of wash today qnd various and sundry other jobs. I will be ready for my recliner once the furniture transfer happens and I have Woody settled for the night! It seems like another long day. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Brag Time

I meant to brag last night...but realized after I posted that I forgot to toot Elijah's horn! Elijah played in his first high school baseball game last night. He got one of only two hits of the night and made two outs playing 2nd base. Pretty good start for him. We're all really proud of him and his efforts! Way to go, Elijah! We have had what seems like a long day to me. That can be good and can be bad. I guess we have had a little of both. It was rainy day, but we managed to not have rain when getting to dialysis in the early hours. It was raining coming home. He got into the car at dialysis under cover...but getting out at home was a different story. I'm not sure who got wetter, but I think I was the winner for that, as I was out in it the longest. He had trouble transferring from the car to the wheelchair...partly because of the rain, but also he is still weak from his hospital stay and he tends to be weak after dialysis. But we finally made it inside and into his recliner. He had a snack and then a little later had his lunch. I spent the morning putting everyday things back in their places in the living room...and I did complete that task. We both rested after lunch after our efforts of getting in out of the rain. I napped and I think he did a little, too. This afternoon I was gathering things for recycling and taking them out to the curb for pick up tomorrow. When I came back in, Woody was on the floor...in that short time he decided to transfer to the couch...major eye roll inserted here. I have found that if I am right behind him when he is transferring places that it works very well. I don't have to exert much effort...just be there in case and also give him a little push/nudge from behind if his body decides to head the wrong direction! Well, obviously I wasn't behind him this time since I was at the curb! I am trying to convince him to wait till I am there or call me if he wants to move from one place to another. He is hard to convince! Once again it was just an easy slide to the ground so he wasn't hurt. But he really couldn't maneuver to get himself back in the chair from the position he was on the floor. After 15 minutes or so he decided that I should call Nathan and ask him to bring a couple of the strongest of the children. Nathan really doesn't need to be doing a lot with his hand that the dog bit yesterday. I have seen his hand twice today and it doesn't look good...really swollen. Abigail showed up to wait for her dad to get there from Shelbyville (he was working at Edgemont Baptist where he is children's minister). The other children were otherwise occupied and Kathy was in Manchester. It wasn't long after Abigail got here, that her mother called and asked her to go get Elijah from his baseball practice and she, Kathy, would come to help Nathan. So in the end Nathan and Kathy managed to pick him up and get him to the couch...and there he has stayed since. He has been dozing...I think he was worn out from this latest escapade!!! I decided that it was time to change some things in the family room to give us some more room. I decided to remove the card table, which I used for supplies...so with the card table gone, I have had to redistribute Woody's wound care supplies. I have it partway done...tomorrow is another day to finish that job. Speaking of wound care supplies, another task of the day was to call the billing folk from that company and get them to file with the correct Medicare supplement company. We'll see if that is taken care of or not...at least I have made the call and the lady supposedly put a hold on the bill till it is looked into. Woody is all tucked in for the night...I dressed his leg wound before coming upstairs to blog. Melany called and we talked a little while and then I made it up here to blog. I still have to go down and load the last of today's dishes into the dishwasher. I"m not sure if I am going to do any handwashing or not...there are only a couple of things and I am just ready for my recliner and my heating pads and a little stitching and maybe reading. I did finish a book today. One of the ones for my Cottey College Alum book club...so I have read two of the next year's books...and then started another book which is also for the book club. I have to read them when they come to me...whether I remember them when the day to discuss them is another matter all together! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Monday Doings

The car got its recall taken care of...pretty easily on our part...just had to hand the key over to the young man who had his instructions on what to fix. Easy peasy! I have done this and that around the house today...trying to get things back in order...I'm slow on the draw this year...still have everyday items to get put out...getting closer, though. I got an unexpected text this morning telling me that Nathan was in the ER. A stray dog bit him on the hand...several puncture wounds on his index finger and then a couple on his hand. Since they don't know who owns the dog...and he wasn't chipped. They were able to capture the dog and take him to animal control. But Nathan is having to take a series of Rabies shots. Last I talked to Nathan, he said that it was pretty painful. One of my big fears is of dogs...for just this reason. I was bitten as a child and to this day I pretty much will walk around a city block to avoid going near a dog that isn't contained. I did a little shopping via Facebook with a friend...more about that later! I did manage to call and make an appointment for Woody to see our personal care physician the first of next week...one more appointment. This week is pretty covered up with places to be...with dialysis three days, wound care/brace appointment, and TN Oncology for his Keytruda infusion. It was nice to stay at home today. Woody does seem to be getting a little of his strength back, but still pretty weak. Before I went to Furnace Room Prayer meeting this evening, he moved over to the couch and was pretty settled in by the time I got home. I did dress his leg wound and put antibiotic cream on his leg after I got home...reason I am a bit later posting tonight. When I got home, he did tell me that he had a headache so I gave him some Tylenol...hope that will help him sleep most of the night. I heated up a bowl of soup and am eating a late supper after prayer meeting. I'm ready for this rather busy-stay-at-home day to come to a close. I am ready to read and do a little stitching before I close my eyes for the night. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

Dialysis Nurse Report: “ He Behaved!”

Shortly after I got to the waiting room at the dialysis center, one of the nurses stuck her head out the door and told me that he had "behaved today." I am pretty sure that they changed his dry weight and thus drew off less fluid...other than that, I don't know much. I wondered about his blood pressure during dialysis, but Woody said that he hadn't heard the nurse say what it was during the treatment today. I had meant to ask him to write down some of the readings on the back of his crosswords, but I forgot to ask him. They take blood pressure very frequently during treatment time...at least I know that I did when doing dialysis at home! He continues to be very weak after not moving out the hospital bed for 2-1/2 days. But I do think that as today came to a close that he was transferring from place to place a little easier...still not back to where he was before the hospital...which, of course, wasn't all that great anyway! It took him a long time to be able to transfer from the wheelchair into the car after dialysis...though not so hard getting out. He has to boost himself up a little to get into the car...but getting out he is helped by gravity! I made some New England Clam Chowder this afternoon...have finished cleaning up that mess and have the dish washer running and got the rest of the dishes washed by hand before I came upstairs. I attempted to catch up on the wash...one load is drying as I type and another is in the washer. I have already washed, dried and put away another load and folded and put away a load of towels from the other day. I cleaned Woody's bathroom while he was at dialysis...so lots of mundane chores today! I did go by the hospital and retrieve his shaving kit and I went to the Credit Union...both those I did before picking him up from dialysis. His leg wound is dressed and he is all tucked in for the night. He never has a lot of energy...but today he has had less than usual...hopefully he will slowly regain what he lost while he was in the hospital. A Fresenius nurse (from the kidney center) called us mid-afternoon and said that the nurse practioner who did his dialysis at the hospital wanted him to see a cardiologist...that was the first we had heard of that...our only doctor instruction post hospital was to make an appointment to see his personal care physician in the next two weeks. I told her that he doesn't have a cardiologist and that she would have to refer us to one. We'll see where that goes. We're not overly anxious to add another doctor into the fray!!!! A report on how well, or not, he is transferring...most of the time today, I tried to be behind him when he transferred...that way I could put my hand on his back and help propel him in the direction he was going...as the day went on I had to do less propelling...was just there "in case!" He did transfer from his recliner to the couch while I was upstairs...don't know how easily it went, but at least he was on the couch when I discovered he had moved while I was upstairs! I will say that I continue to seem to nap when I sit down...I slept pretty hard on my last nap. I had sat down to do a little stitching before I went downstairs to finish in the kitchen, but no stitching occured and when I woke up it was almost supper time...that is when he moved without me knowing it! Hopefully he will get a good night sleep and feel stronge tomorrow. He won't be going to Sunday School in the morning, as this is the first Sunday in the month and the youth minister teaches all the youth in a large group. Since Woody doesn't have to be here, he will stay home and rest some more. I plan to go to Sunday School, unless I feel uneasy about leaving him for that hour. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

March is Here!

I guess we can say that March came in like a lamb...we did have a little rain, but no storms...it was chilly, but still not a bad day. We have stayed in today...except I did get the mail! But no appointments or any other reason to leave the house. Woody is pretty weak, but I think that he has improved at least a small amount as the day went by. He is all tucked in. He spent the first part of the day sitting up on the couch working his crossword puzzles and watching some TV. Before lunch he used his walker to get over to the recliner. Later in the afternoon, he used the walker to get into the bathroom. I did take him out in the wheelchair. Then before supper, he went back to the couch using his walker. He ate supper sitting on the couch and not long after he finished, he was ready to lie down. I have him tucked in for the night. I changed the dressing on his leg and put the antibiotic cream on his leg before he went back to the couch. I checked his blood pressure this afternoon and it is still running high...so the blood pressure med hasn't kicked in yet. The hospitalist said that it may need to be changed as she has starated him out on the lowest dose. I have his new rotation of meds in the cabinet. And, it is literally a rotation...I have 3 "lines" of meds on the shelf...one for breakfast, one for lunch and one for supper...some of the morning meds get taken at all three meals, some at two and some at just one. As I get them out for one meal, I move the bottle into the "line" when it will be taken next. I made sure to not move the blood pressure back into the morning "line" as he is not to take it on the morning that he has dialysis...so just left it in the supper "line." This method seems to be working well for me to keep things straight. We'll see now that we have added a couple of new meds into the "lineup!" I realized a little while ago that I couldn't find his shaving kit...I took it to him at the hospital with his hair brush, toothbrush, tooth paste, and razor. I remembered zipping it up at the hospital and sayint that we didn't want to leave it. I had it with the rest of the things to take home...but he asked for his toothbrush and I guess that it got placed out of sight as it didn't get home. After a thorough search of the house and car, I called the nurses station and it is there so I will go get it tomorrow before I pick him up from dialysis. Rolling my eyes over this ocersight! We've had a couple of interesting contacts today. We received a recall on our car a while back and it has been hard to find a time for me to not have the car so it could spend severl hours at the dealership. Yesterday I received an email from the dealership and I decided it was time to work out a time. So last night when Nathan was here, I asked him when he could help me get it there. This morning I emailed back to tell them that we could do it on a Monday, Wednesday, or Friday in the morning. I received an email back saying that they could send their mobile unit and do the fix right in our driveway! That fix is supposed to happen Monday morning. Should be interesting. Then we got a text from Woody's wound care group saying that they had contacted the gentleman in Estill Springs who is supposed to be making Woody some sort of support brace for his leg and that he would be at Woody's appointment this coming Friday at Wound Care. That came about because of Woody being in the hospital and his wound care team coming to see and care for him in the hospital. One of the nurses asked me if we had heard from the gentleman and when I said "no," she said that she would try to contact him before next Friday. Done! Done! I hope that he has something for Woody that will work and will help to support his leg when he is moving about. Wound care is involved as they have to be sure that said brace or whatever can't rub on the wound that is part of the unstable part of his leg! Fingers crossed nd lots of prayers that a solution has been found that will help and that Woody can endure wearing! I made a pot of soup this morning...so back in the kitchen! I just got the dishwasher going and turned the lights out in the kitchen for the night. I have managed to do a little stitching and met a goal on the piece that I am making for a gift. I will continue with it, but plan to work on something else for a break for a while this evening. Tomorrow we will be up early. I just hope that he will easily transfer from chair or couch to wheelchair and then from wheelchair to car, etc. Since he was able to today, I am hoping that he will be able to after a good night's sleep and a good breakfast. I'm wondering how he will do at dialysis tomorrow. Hopefully they have revised his dry weight and won't pull much fluid off of him...now to figure ot why his blood pressure is staying so high whenever he isn't on dialysis...need to get that down so when his blood pressure drops during dialysis it isn't a drastic drop. I imagine that the nurses at Fresenius will be concerned as to how he will react during dialysis each time now...hpefully we can get him stabilized! To be continued! Be safe@ Be well! Be cautious!