More Progress

Today was a stay-at-home day for Woody. I had an appointment this morning and several errands to run...all successfully completed. And...I managed to be home for three very important phone calls. The first one came from one of Woody's dialysis nurses. She had news that they had transport set up for Woody...BUT...he would need to move to Monday, Wednesday, Friday for his treatments as the transport dosn't run on Saturday. We accepted that change, which put it back in her court to coordinate times between the center and the transport. The next call was from the nurse saying that his new time would be on at 12:30pm and that transport would pick him up at 11:45 starting Monday. She did offer for him to start today, but we thought it best to go on and complete this week on the Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday schedule and have Sunday off and begin Monday with the new schedule. So...super early mornings will be no more for dialysis...at least for the time being! Now...for me...early morning appointment will happen this coming Tuesday. The third call was the surgery center, where I will have my cataract surgery. She got all pertinent questions answered and information filled for Tuesday morning. And, she gave me my time to be there...6:15 am. I am very fine with that...the sooner the better as far as I am concerned. I would rather be early in his surgery day than later after he has done several and "might" be tired!!!! The main reason is that I will just be glad to get there and get it over! Definitely we saw more progress. Woody has taken it easy today...his major efforts (and, mine) were getting from couch to recliner and later in the day from recliner to couch...both successfully done. Oh, and, another bit of progress, I think that Nathan ordered a sling for the lift he got yesterday. He checked out what were offered for this particular lift and found the kind that he thinks will work best...time will tell. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Progress Or So It Seems!

I'm running late tonight...we just had supper...all our meals have been a bit off since lunch, as we got back so late from the rehab/wheelchair evaluation. Woody left the house around 5:15 this morning and he wasn't back in his chair until between 12:30 and 12:45 this afternoon...that's a long time! He was so tired that he didn't even want to think about food...well, he did have his usual after dialysis snack...though it took him a while to even be interested in that. He had a good dialysis treatment. Instead of going home after dialysis, we headed over to the rehab office which is just down the street. Nathan followed us. Nathan helped us get him in the waiting room and headed off to fill in the time with things he needed to do while waiting on us. The appointment was almost 1-1/2 hours...poor Woody...all slumped over in the wheelchair. But there were lots of questions and other things to check out. The therapist was very helpful and is in the process of getting us hooked up with a company who will be providing the wheelchair. She said that he definitely qualifies to have a wheelchair that reclines and also that the legs come up (like a recliner). She decided features he needs to keep him from getting pressure sores, etc. This wheelchair will be able to be used if he/we need public transportation to get to appointments, etc. It's one that can be secured in a van that is equipped to transport wheelchairs. When I called Nathan to tell him that we were finished with the appointment, I found out that he was in Manchester. He was picking up a lift that he had found, probably on Facebook marketplace...or something like that. It looks brand new. We will have to order slings to use with it...but we now have this device parked in our sunporch. See progress is being made in several areas. After I got Woody settled as in dozing because he was so zapped from all the activity of the morning, I did get a call from the kidney center dialysis team including Dr. O. It wasn't long into our conversation that he said that they were in the process of arranging for ambulance transport to and from dialysis. Praise the Lord!!!! So it didn't take any convincing on my part that this was needed. I don't know when it will begin...but the office manager said that she was going to put in the request today to get the process started. Crossing my fingers that it will take place soon! So we have had a day of things moving forward in getting help with getting Woody from place...a lift to help get him from chair to wheelchair, etc...a powered wheelchair custom fit for him so he will be more comfortable when in it for any length of time. And, the best of all...transport to and from dialysis! So all in all I would say that we have seen progress. Now for it to continue to see this progress progress! This has been a pretty tiring day for both of us so I think I will leave it at that and say..."to be continued!" Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Quiet Day

We both stayed home all day. Woody stayed put on his couch/bed for the whole day...so at this point I have done no transfers today...a rest for my back, neck, arms, etc! He's worked "at" his crossword puzzles off and on throughout the day. He has dozed, watched a bit of TV, and enjoyed me sharing highlights of the Cardinal's win today. I phoned in some presriptions for Woody which I plan to pick up tomorrow on my way to pick him up from dialysis. "I" cleaned the lower oven in our range...that is I pushed the right buttons and it cleaned itself over a period of time. I have wiped out the remaining gray ash and it really does look very much better! Our sweet neighbor who lives next door in the house that Nathan, Kathy and family used to live in texted today and asked me to tell her about what is growing in the garden that we call "the shared garden" as it straddles our property line. It was put in by the original owner of their home and, I think, the second owner of our home...and it has been the shared garden ever since. She is wanting to work in the garden...weed, plant, etc. I gave her our blessings to do whatever she wanted. I stayed outside and did a little weeding with her...filled a basket with weeds and then called it quits. I was after some horrible weeds that are covered with stickers down even on their roots. I don't want her or their little boy to get into those weeds so I attacked the ones at the front of the garden and showed her that she needed to be really careful when getting rid of them. Woody's bandage is changed on his leg...it looks better than the last time that I changed the dressing...thankfully! Also the order for bandages for his wound was put in yesterday and arrived today from Texas...things can move quickly once in a while. The bandages that the medical supply place sent us last were not acceptable after Woody's wound care doctor looked at them closely. So they sent in a request for different ones. These still aren't as good as the ones that the wound care place uses or that I can order, but these will do. I didn't hear this morning from the dialysis center about a time for our phone "meeting" tomorrow so I called them after lunch...no luck...just had to leave a message and no one ever called back. So I am clueless about tomorrow's meeting as to time. I just hope that it works out since we picked up another appointment. That appointment did sent a confirmation text. Nathan told me that he thinks that he has located a Hoyer lift in the next town over. He said that if it works out, he will pick it up tomorrow. I'm am just trying to envision just where all this equipment that may be coming into our house is going to fit! Guess we may be finding out! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

An Interesting Day,,,

All sorts of things have happened...not sure I can remember all the detaisl..sort of passed in a whirl! Nathan and I got Woody to dialysis a bit early...but they usher him right in as they want Nathan's assistance! I don't know if they start him immediately, but at least they get him in the chair and ready for when they are ready to get his dialysis treatment started. I had plans to do several things today and I have pretty much marked each of those off the list. Donna and I didn't go to the library to work today as the book order hadn't arrived...it did arrive mid-afternoon...so next time we can get together there will be new books to work on. I did some library work at home. I wrote memorial notes to families and to the donors. I have had one task that I have needed to do for a long time...sort through my gift bags. I left them in the guest room so "when I had time" I could work on sorting them and getting rid of some of them. It is getting to the point that this job had to be done since I will have folk needing the guest room over the next few weeks. So it was time to turn to and do the job and I did. I split the bags between me and a yardsale. Nathan told me that Kathy is part of an upcoming yardsale. So I am going to give the rest of the gift bags to them for the sale. I had meant to give them for their last yardsale, but forgot. So a good job done...the gift bags are all sorted according to size for both. Mine are in the Christmas closet and the guest room is closer to ready for guests. Melany will be here next week to help because of my cataract surgery. Then two weeks from now Cheryl will be here for Abigail's wedding. Busy days ahead. The interesting part of the day was several medical calls. I got an email that said that we had a notification from Vanderbilt. I checked and it was for an appointment for rehab evaluation...or some such. That appointment was for July so I wasn't too worried as to just what this was for. But it wasn't long till I had a call from Vanderbilt about said appointment...they had an earlier date and could we come. With this call I found out this is for evaluation for him to get a powered wheel chair. The appointment is now Thursday immediately after dialysis. I guess we will go, though I was told later in the day that a power chair wouldn't help us much...more about that comment in a moment! I got through that conversation and moved on to fixing lunch. After lunch, I decided that I was going to rest for a while. I called my sister and we talked until I got another call...this time from our PCP. I hung up from talking to Cheryl so I could answer her call. She was calling in reference to my message from a week or so ago on their app. She told me that with any of her patients who were on dialysis, that the dialysis center takes care of all extra needs through their social worker. I told her it made sense to me. She wants me to tell Dr. O everything that is going on...espcially that his nurses in the center are depending on Nathan. I'm supposed to talk to him on Thursday and hope the new rehab appointment doesn't mess with that phone call...but it is a phone call so I feel I can take it even if Woody is being evaluated. I am hoping that someone gets in touch with me from dialysis tomorrow telling us a time. If I don't by a certain time, I will attempt to get in touch with someone at the center. So my head is in a bit a spin from all the calls and medical information. Also received a text from the medical supply place saying that they had received an order from us and that it had been sent. Both the medical supply order and the evaluation for wheel chair all came from wound care. They are carrying out what they said they would! Our PCP is who said that she doesn't think that a lift or a power wheel chair is what he needs. Woody has done so-so, but over all has done pretty well. He has felt very sleepy today. He is safely settled on his couch/bed. I am through for the day...cross stitching and reading ahed! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Remembering 2024

We have had a fairly quiet day. I spent a lot of time in the kitchen...mainly jobs to be able to put things in the freezer...diced and chopped red, orange, and yellow bell peppers and froze them. Froze several portions of soup for future meals. Deboned and skinned chicken thighs and put the meat in the freezer. Made a small batch of broth with the bones. That is in the refrigerator chilling before I freeze it in two-cup portions. I broiled hamburgers for our lunch. Woody seemed to enjoy his...he ate his in pita bread...I enjoyed a real hamburger bun! Nathan and Joseph stopped by this afternoon when they were out and about. Then we had to put in an SOS call to Nathan as Woody had gotten scooted down so far in his recliner that I couldn't get any leverage to be able to get him up and into the wheelchair to get him to his couch/bed. Nathan, Elijah and one of Elijah's friends were actually on the road that runs behind our house when I called, so they turned around and were here very quickly. Nathan and Elijah just picked him up and carried him the few steps to the couch. So Woody is settled for the night...hopefully! I have cleaned and cleaned the kitchen...the dishwasher is running for the second time today and I just finished quite a few by hand that either didn't fit in the dishwasher or aren't supposed to go in the dishwasher. But at least I can say that the kitchen is closed for today! I did finish hemming Esther's dress yesterday so wedding hemming is finished and I can move on to other things that I have neglected! I think, though, that for tonight, I am going to either read or cross stitch. I just have to remember that today is Monday...seems like either Saturday or Sunday. But we have to be up and out dark and early in the morning. Nathan will be here early to help us get out of our house and then into dialysis. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Sunday Favorite

Memories of Yore and Making Memories Today

Thirty-three years ago on this day, Melany and Wade wed. And, today we celebrated our grwduates with a party at their house. The 33-year memory is a good one and today's party is now a good memory of hours. I guess because of the date and because of my current wedding sewing for Abigail's wedding, I have been thinking back to Melany's wedding. I made her whole dress...so glad that I am just having to do hemming for Abigail's wedding! Nathan came over this morning and helped transfer Woody from house to car and then at dialysis from car to wheelchair to dialysis chair. The nurses are depending on him for help getting him into and out of the dialysis chair these days. I worked on Esther's bridesmaid's dress inner hem while he was at dialysis. I pressed all around the hem...the problem with this hem is that it is a double hem...not one that I can cut off like the others. I pressed it as well as I could at the edge of the hem...then hung it back on the door and carefully basted close to the edge so it would keep the two layers of fabric together so I could see how much it hung below the outer layer. Once I decided how much to turn up, I brought it downstairs and put it on the oouch so I could pin up the amount I decided..very uneven...but this won't show, but as a shadow...and only you, who read this, would know to look carefully for a wonky hem! So, shhhhhhh, don't tell and don't look if you come to the wedding!!! I decided that the only way to hem this was to hem it by hand...not sure if I will ever get around the skirt...but I think that I am two-thirds around..."just" a third left! Hopefully before I go to bed tonight I will have the hemming done for Abigail's wedding! I "think" that Woody had a little better day (maybe wishful thinking?). But he has seemed more alert this afternoon and managed to get himself positioned in his recliner than he has the last couple of days. He has found a channel that plays Colunbo reruns. I think that he is enjoying them. The Cardinal game started a little while ago...so he is periodically in conversation with Alexa finding out the score. Cardinals were ahead for a while, but the last I heard they were tied with the Cubs. Oops the Cubs are ahead...not what he wants Alexa to tell him! At least the TV and Alexa and his computer keep him occupied part of the day. After Woody ate his lunch, I decided to head over to Nathan and Kathy's for the party they were having for their two graduates. It was nice to visit with several people I hadn't seen for a while. Lots of kids running around and I guess there were even a few horse races out in their pasture...I just heard about that...I was an inside party guest! Woody was none the worse for wear when I got home. After I got home I napped a bit and then got going on the hem on Esther's dress. I have cooked some meatballs to put in the freezer to maybe have when Melany and/or Cheryl are here...that way just have to make the gravy and cook the noodles when we decide to have that meal. I am going to go clean the kitchen in a few minutes and call my sister and answer a couple of texts and THEN get back to hemming and hawing! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious.

June Must Be Close

The day lilies are just starting to bloom. They are are June or almost June bloomers. I guess they are right on time. Well, this day has seemed like a day-and-a-half...but I guess it is now coming to a close. Woody had an appointment at Wound Care this morning...it was not easy getting him there and he was miserable most of the time that he was there as he was so uncomfortable sitting in his wheelchair. It did get the powers that be at wound care thinking about perhaps he needs a different, more comfortable wheelchair. They are seeing if a recommendation from them will work or if it has to come through our PCP. Here we go again!?! I'm not going to hold my breath. They are also supposed to be ordering a different type of bandage for his leg. The ones that the medicial supply sent are not acceptable to the doctor. Of course, the last time we were there, they were going to order a different kind, but they have never come from the medical supply place. I don't think that the medical supply place wants to send the much more expensive ones. We'll see if this request goes through. The only problem is that we aren't going to be going to see them regularly due to it being so hard for him to go places these days. We are to go back only if I feel like his wound and his leg are getting worse. So we won't be able to follow up on wheelchair or bandages if we aren't going...I will call if needed...they are very helpful and caring health providers. Woody has struggled greatly being moved from one place to another. But Nathan got him to and from wound care and I managed to get him from recliner to couch/bed...none of the transfers were easy on any of us. The last transfer of the day...about a two foot transfer took Woody and me about 30 minutes to complete it...but complete it we did! And, he is all settled for the night...at least I hope he is! He has done a lot of dozing this afternoon after his tiring doctor visit. I asked him how he felt and he said, "blah." I guess that probably describes it very well! I made a quick to the Post Office before lunch and after lunch a very quick stop at the grocery store and then got gas. Other than doing this and that in the kitchen, that is about all I accomplished today. I seem to just be spinning wheels when it comes to getting things done around the house. Oh, well, it will still be here to be done another day! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

More Passing the Buck!

Well...we got Woody to dialysis on time thanks to Nathan's help. And, no thanks to me as I overslept! But we turned to and managed to get him there and a little before time. A nurse was waiting in the treatment room doorway for us...mainly wanting to catch Nathan before he left. They had Nathan transfer him into the dialysis chair and waited to bring Woody after dialysis until Nathan got to the center. While Nathan got him transferred, the social worker came out to talk tome. She says that the PCP is the one who has to evaluate Woody and put in a request for the lift. I told her that I had tried and they had turned it back to dialysis. She said that she would call the doctor's office and attempt to straighten things out. I did find out from her that according to dialysis/medicare standards that Woody does not qualify for ambulance transfer. The rule is that the patient can not be able to sit up in a wheelchair at all...has to be confined to bed to qualify for ambulance transfer. BUT she did say that sometimes PCPs do qualify patients that dialysis isn't able to...so maybe?!? The social worker said she would get back with me if she gets in touch with our PCP...and she has to get in touch today or tomorrow as she will be off next week. She also told me that the team is having an evaluation meeting next week and that they can include me in on the meeting via phone. Supposedly she has put in the request for them to let me know when they will be calling. So there is where we stand...about the same place as yesterday before I put in a call to the doctor's office. Oh, she also said that this lift that they are reommending, they have one at the center and it takes two nurses to be able to lift a patient. So...I guess it will be helpful in helping myself and another person to get him up...but not a lot of help for me here by myself with Woody. Oh, well, not going to worry about that as we are at a stand still, anyway! I have worked on several things today...a gift and also a couple of other things around the house. I did manage to get the casserole in the oven for my friend and delivered to her this afternoon. Which means that I did get several things crossed off my ever growing list of to-dos. I never could see a length of time that would work for me to sit down with Esther's bridesmaid dress...maybe tomorrow after we get home from Woody's wound care appointment. Nathan is going to help get us to and from that appointment, too. The friend, who I took the casserole, has her daughter helping her out after her surgery. I told the daughter that maybe it had something to do with birthdates...both she and Nathan have the same birthday...just month and day...not year. And, both of them are helping out their parents BIG time! She did laugh. She is a few years younger than Nathan, but her brother is close in age to Nathan and Melany...his birth year lands in between Melany and Nathan. Woody and I have known this family since we came to this church...Woody in 1968 and I in 1969...so a long time. That is the way it with many friends who we first met at church so many years back...lots of strong bonds. We've had a good 55 - 2 years here in Tullahoma. Those two years were spent in California in the San José area = Sunnyvale/Mountainview area...Do you know the way to San José? That was a long time ago...Nathan was born there and we moved back here when he was one. We always knew that we would like to move back to Tennessee if the opportunity arose...and it did and we did move back. So glad we did. We formed a lot of friendships in California, but our hearts never really left Tullahoma. Well, I guess I just chased a rabbit! To be continued! Be safe! Be ell! Be cautious!

Passing the Buck!

I guess I should have looked for a photo with a deer in it considering the title of tonight's blog! I will explain the title first thing. Today I put in a call to our PCP since there had been no response to the message that I sent through their app. I was told when I called that sometimes she sees those messages and then others don't get through and that they don't recommend using the message feature of the app (rolling my eyes over that statement). Our doctor has told me to use it in the past...oh, well. I explained to the person answering the phone at her offic that I needed to know how to go about getting a recommendation for a lift for Woody and also for ambulance transfer to and from dialysis. She told me she would let me talk to a nurse. Of course...that transfer went into "leave a message and I'll get back to you." (another eye roll!) But she did get back with me mid afternoon. The nurse said that thes recommendations are done through the dialysis center through the social worker...of course, I was told many weeks ago that the social worker would be calling me...but so far she hasn't. I was also told that we were supposed to have a meeting with "the team" on May 30th...have heard nothing more about that either. I figured that this meeting was going to be the social worker's "call" to us...explaining things that might help us out. Anyway, the dialysis nurse told me were to get the recommend through our PCP and now the PCP's office told us that we are to get it through dialysis. Doing it through dialysis makes so much more sense to me as they are the ones who are aware of just exactly what is going on with him as they see him three times a week for four hours each time he is there. So...I plan to write a note to the dialysis nurse and put it on his clip board in the morning explaining what we were told. "See Saw Margery Daw!" Woody has stayed very quietly on the couch today...hasn't even had the TV on all the time and I'm not sure that he ever finished his dialy puzzles. He has looked at his computer several times trying to find out about the Cardinals games today. But it has been a very quiet day for him. I managed to get the overskirt on Esther's dress hemmed. Now to approach the underskirt and figure out just what exactly how to shorten it at least an inch. At least it is the underskirt and really won't be seen as long as I get it isn't hanging out like it is right now! After lunch, I headed out to get my hair cut. I was ready for a hair cut this time...guess the more humid and warmer weather is doing a number on it. I usually get it cut every four weeks. But this next hair cut is in three weeks because of the wedding And, the way it was this time, I will be ready for that cut in three weeks! I talked to Cheryl today...we get to end out calls with "see you soon!" Not usually what we say at the end of our calls! After my hair cut, I made a stop at Kroger as our Sunday School class has some meals planned for one of our members who had hip replacement surgery yesterday (and, she is home today!). I'm taking a chicken casserole tomorrow so I needed a couple of things in order to make it. I have the casserole all made and in the refrigerator. It is one that is supposed to have it flavors blend over night...so they are blending. I will add a couple of more ingredients before I cook it tomorrow afternoon and then take it over to them. I have started to clean up the kitchen, but took a break to blog and then it is down to face the rest of the mess! Messes like this make me very thankful for a dishwasher. I went many years without...never had one in the two houses we grew up in and then didn't have one till we lived in this house...of course, we have been here a loooooooong time now (40 years this Fall) so have had one for more years than I was without...but am still very thankful for having one! Well, I guess my break is about over! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Totally Tuesday

Nathan arrived not long after 5am and we were pretty much ready to start on transfers. All I can say is that transfers are so much easier when Nathan does them...now whether he thinks that or not...Once he was in the car, I headed towards the dialysis center with Nathan following. Woody was actually about ten minutes early...for a change. Woody said that the nurse came out to get him pretty soon after we left. I headed home and Nathan headed to the high school track for some early morning exercise. I had breakfast after I got home...how could it not be a good morning when greeted with this colorful array of eggs..made me think of an egg hunt! (Thanks for the colorful eggs, John and Ruth!) Before I went back to pick up Woody, I had machine stitched around the bottom of the hem on Esther's bridesmaid dress for the first time. I then headed out the door to make a stop at Hobby Lobby to pick up Payton and Abigail's wedding sampler...the framing was finished. Then I headed to the dialysis center. I got there a few minutes early so I read. Nathan arrived around 10am and Woody was rolled out in short order. Nathan got him transferred into the car and then out of the car once we got home. So all successful transfers this morning...a big thanks to Nathan! Woody had an aftrer-dialysis snack. I went upstairs and cut off the excess on the hem of Esther's dress...and that is where the dress hemming stopped for the day. I sat down for a couple of minutes aftr I did that and dozed off. When I awoke with a start, I knew that I needed to get a move on to get lunch because Donna and I were meeting in the library at 1pm...well, Donna got there, but I was a few minutes after 1. We did maintenance...quite a few books had been returned. Donna checked them in on the computer and the two of us carded them and shelved them. Then we did one of the fun parts of our library job...shopped for books...online. We found several that we wanted to add to our collection and popped them into the "shopping cart" and I finished the transaction when I got home. More new books will soon be on their way. We got some good books for summer reads...hope we can get them processed before summer ends!!!! After I got home, it was time to take the garbage and recycle to the curb for pickup in the morning. One of my friends made a delivery with a gift for Abigail and Payton and we sat on the front porch and had a nice visit. She is a home health nurse so she helped me know a little more about the lift that has been suggested. She did say that Medicare requires an inperson visit with the PCP...so I guess I will attempt to make an appointment with ours tomorrow...then...to get him there and back!!!! This was my first porch visit of the season...many more to come...I hope! I know that Cheryl is looking forward to her porch time while she is here visiting..just three weeks from today she will be winging her way...getting nearer. That means that two weeks from now my first cataract surgery will be behind us and Melany will be here. Which means that Abigail and Payton's wedding is just about 3-1/2 weeks away...lots to keep up with for us over the next few weeks! Woody and I successfully transferred him to the couch earlier. I think that he only feels "so-so" today...hoping for a better day tomorrow since he has nowhere to go...so far as we know. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Monday Managed to Arrive Again!

I just got back from Monday Night Furnace Room Prayer Meeting. It was such a nice evening that we decided to have our prayer meeting outside...such a nice breeze and we had surround sound (aka cicadas!). Woody has had a very lazy day. He deicded to stay on the couch all day. He has sat up and moved from one end to the other and back to lie back down. So at this point in the day we have had no transfers...a first in a very long time. One time when I asked him if he wanted to move to his recliner, he said that he did, but that he didn't have the energy at that time...and never found it as the day went on. He has a headache this evening...bad enough that he decided to take some Tylenol. He told me a little while ago that he still had a headache, but that it had lessened. So hopefully he will be able to get a good night's sleep and have it totally gone by morning. After I got breakfast this morning, I decided it was a good time to make a pot of soup that I had planned to add to Woody's selections for meals. He enjoyed it for lunch. I wonder if he will want to continue to eat soup on into the summer! We usually change over to salads which we have already started some in that direction. But Woody stays cold even in the summer due to being on dialysis. I fiddled around with a couple of sewing projects that I plan to do once I have the wedding garments finished. Kathy and Esther came over this afternoon for a hem check. The overskirt is fine where I have it basted, but the underskirt needs to be shortened some since I had to shorten Esther's the most of the girls' dresses. Hopefully I will be able to work on her dress tomorrow. Nathan is planning to come help transfer Woody into his wheelchair then into the car and then out of the car. He may be able to come back when it is time for Woody to come home from dialysis. It is getting to the point that I am really struggling doing the transfers by myself. We did okay uesterday...transferred from chair to wheelchair to bathroom to wheelchair...and then came the trouble...getting from wheelchair to recliner. He seems to want to lead with his head when moving...I think that he feels closer to his goal when his head gets close! BUT that puts his head too far into his transfer and inevitably he ends up with his up against something that keeps him from moving any farther...front, back or to the sides...he gets wedged. That happened yesterday. He was part way into the recliner, but then could move no more and he wasn't in a good position. We reclined the chair and he was sort of set for a while. It was at the end of church time for Nathan and family. I texted Nathan and requested a stop by when he got back in town. I guess that was one way to get to see him on his birthday!!! Not our intention!!!! Hope he wasn't too late for his birthday lunch at home. Kathy and the girls went home in a vehicle and Nathan and the boys headed over here...divide and conquer! Thanks to their "visit" we found out that once again, Woody could watch his Cardinals play on TV...nice...EXCEPT...they lost. Nathan got our TV tuned into the game before they left. So I guess that pretty sums up both yesterday and today. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Happy Birthday to Nathan! Our 1972 Baby!

We’ve Had Better!

Tonight's title is in reference to having had "better days!" This has been an interesting one, to say the least. Would just as soon forget it, but since the blog is really our diary, I guess I will retell at least a little of it. We got underway with preparing to go to dialysis at 4am...that is when I came downstairs and gave Woody his thyroid med that is supposed to be taken on an empty stomach at least 30 mintes prior to breakfast. I give him the pill and a glass of water to take it with and then I give him his crossword puzzles. After that, I head into the kitchen to prepare his daily omelet. The timing works out that about the time that I have it ready, the 30 minutes has passed...or at least close enough. At this point all was well this morning. He ate his breakfast. While he is eating, I pack the bag he takes to dialysis...it has throws in it and a book or two and at the last I will add his puzzles and the ziplock bag of pencils, handkerchiefs, pencil sharpner and other sundry things that he might need while he is hooked up to the dialysis machine for four hours. Once I have that packed, I take it out to the car and put it in the backseat. This morning I did add on another task as I put a Boston Butt Shoulder Roast in the oven to cook for the next 5 or 6 hours. I had put the rub on the roast last night before I went to bed so it would be ready to pop in the oven this morning. Before taking his bag to the car, I hand him his toothbrush, toothpaste, hair brush, etc. so he can be doing those while I am outside. When I got back in today, it was 5:13 (my goal is to have him loaded into his wheelchair and be heading out the door by 5:20 these days. At that point things were still going fairly well. We struggled a bit getting him from the couch to his wheelchair, but we made it and we were still going along in a timey manner. We got to the car and had a terrible time getting him from the wheelchair into the car. He finally got in but...not really in enough...sort of leaned over onto the center console and still hanging off the seat so much that I couldn't shut the door. At that point, time was ticking. Woody said to call Nathan. I reminded him that he was out of town. In the end we called 911 and explained that it wasn't an emergency and explained what we needed. After an ambulance was dispatched, and I could hang up from 911, I called the dialysis center and told them the situation and that we would get there eventually. I called 911 a little before 5:45...so we were going to be late. But the ambulance was there quite quickly and the two lady EMTs...mainly one of them...got him straightened out (not easily) and they were on their way and we were on our way. We got there at the time we should have gotten there IF we had had our old time. The rest of the transfers today were very difficult for us...but we were successful...just took us a long time. He was finally settled in his recliner a little after 11am and I picked him up around 10:10...and it is only a 10 minute drive from center to or house...even in, what for Tullahoma, would be considered "bad traffic!" I was so hoping that since he gets out early, that I wouldn't be late for my Zoom meeting with my Cottey College alum for our monthly book club. I was late, but still had a very enjoyable discussion with ladies who are becoming my friends even though some of us have never met. One, who was there today, I have known since the our very young days in the church nursery/Sunday School. It is always fun to get to see her! I especially wanted to be in the Zoom meeting today, as we were discussing the book that I had suggested we read as one of our selections for this year. It was The Bookwoman of Troublesome Creek. A very good read...I first read it during our Covid days of lockdown. Memories!!!! I pulled pork for a while this afternoon. Woody rested in his recliner and watched some tennis and now he has safely transferred over to the couch and is ready to rest after a bit of a day of struggles! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Fairly Fine Friday

Things can't be totally fine around here...but all in all a pretty good non-dialysis day. It has been a bit of a dreary day...but one good thing about the day is that it wasn't a total washout. I was able to get to the grocery store and back home without it raining on me. When bringing in the groceries, it did start to sprinkle on me when I was bringing in the last bags. So I really didn't get wet at all. I just got finished cooking a month's worth of sausage patties for Woody's breakfasts. Woody did his usual crossword puzzles...the Los Angeles Times, Boston Post, The Plain Dealer, and USA Today. Tomorrow is the hard day for two of those puzzles...he often comes home with next to no answers in one of them...then it is even hard to finish it with Alexa's help! The one puzzle is called The Saturday Stumper. I think a lot of entertainment clues...which are definitely not his choice for puzzles! He has watched his usual TV during the day. He moved over to the couch several hours ago...I think he was ready for the day to end...or thought that it was the middle of the night. I hope I got him straightened out on what day it is and what time of the day it is. But with sleep, who knows whether he will realized that when he awakens that it is a dialysis day...that is if he waits to wake up till the middle of the night. Our one downer of the day was that he decided to transfer without my help first thing this morning...guess he got impatient that I wasn't downstairs yet. I was awake and was just about to run off his puzzles when I heard the thump. Had to put in a call to Nathan and he and Elijah came, once again, to our rescue. Nathan has been texting me about types of lifts that may be able to help us. On dialysis days I am usually down before he is actually awake since I come down so early with our new schedule...so hopefully he will still be on the couch when I get downstairs in the morning! I did manage to complete a cross stitch piece today...but then forgot to purchase the item I need to completely finish it. I spent time this afternoon looking for instructions on hem stitching...that I knew I had...but couldn't put my finger of the book. After looking in several places, I finally remembered where it might be and I found it there. I had fun looking at the magazines that I was looking through to find other instructions to use if I couldn't find the book. All that is put away and the book I wanted all along is now where I can look at it when I settle into my recliner later. I have put out several small cross stitched items that I have stitched to do some finishing on. I'm trying to move some projects along instead of having them just laying around unfinished. Well, I'm off to finish in the kitchen so I can go upstairs and say good-bye to this Friday. The month is marching right along! That means the wedding will be here before we know it! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Thursday Doings

The day, since it is Thursday, started with heading out the door to go to the dialysis center. According to the nurse, all went well. Seems like he gets out later with this new schedule. Once again, we got there a little before the time they ask him to be there. So I guess we are getting settled into the new the new time slot. All I can say is that it is different. I sort of miss the patients that I had gotten to know while sitting in the waiting room. I'm one step closer to having the wedding garb finished. I got Esther's dress hem basted so it is ready to be tried on. I did a little cooking...just put together the ground pork mixture to make Woody's breakfast sausage. I will cook it tomorrow and get it into the freezer to use as needed for his breakfasts. I also made him some egg salad for a choice for sandwiches...I made tuna salad yesterday...two sandwiches that sound good to him at the moment. I need to get the grocery list ready as I plan to go to Kroger in the morning. Our new schedule doesn't make it as easy to grocery shop while Woody is at dialysis so I am going to change days. Fridays are good except a LOT of people shop on Friday, but if I can make myself get out the door early, it should be okay...plus it is 4X gas points on Friday. I'll at least attempt it tomorrow. I think that it is going to rain in the morning...not ideal conditions to move groceries into and out of the trunk. I checked today and the frame for Abigail and Payton's sampler is ready so I need to find time to take the sampler to them to be put into the frame. Then I can give it to them officially. Today has really been a do-a-little-of-this-and-a-little-of-that-kind-of day. Lots to do around here so the days tend to stay pretty full of all kinds of things. I did manage to get in a nap this afternoon. So like I said...I did a little of this and a little of that. I am working on a new cross stitch piece...hoping to turn it into a gift...IF...I get it finished. Woody got did his crosswords per usual and watched some TV...he even found an old St. Louis Cardinal game...players that I recognized unlike the players of today. He has retired to his couch/bed. His days start out pretty early these days. He's still watching TV, but I'll bet that he is asleep by the time that "my show" (Elsbeth) comes on! He hasn't kept awake yet for it. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Two Down, One to Go

I finished hemming Abigail's wedding gown this morning and then finished Joy's bridesmaid dress just before supper. So "just" Esther's to go...pinning up, basting, machine stitching around the hem twice. Getting closer to seeing them all on the hangers just waiting for the wedding! Today marks the date of one month from the wedding. I guess the count-down for Abigail and Payton is on for real now! In between dress hems, I went to the eye doctor and things are all ready for me to have cataract surgery on my right eyeon June 4th. Woody has had a stay-at-home day...I believe his favorite kind of day lately. He is already on his couch bed watching TV till he falls asleep. I have dressed his leg wound so my "mursing duties" are finished for the night. We will be up dark and early in the morning...just trying to figure out when to set the alarm to make sure that we have plenty of time...but also don't want too much time that will cut into our sleep. It's a fine line. I need to build in "just in case" time, but not an overly generous amount of that kind of time! Hopefully it won't take us too much time to figure out how much time we really need. A lot depends on how Woody is doing in the mornings...on how well he can move and how much he can do to help with the transfers. He gets weaker as the day goes on...so he can usually do a little more a little more easily in the early hours after he has rested. As always...time will tell! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Just Hemming Along!

Here's a photo of some of the Mothers' Day activities at our house. I didn't end up taking many pictures as I ended up being busy myself while they were washing the car and replacing windshield wipers. Not all the crew had arrived when I snapped this picture. Today I pretty much dedicated to hemming Abigail's dress. I hemmed the satin underskirt before lunch. After lunch, I hemmed the front part of one of the chiffon panels. I had planned to take a break and hem the other chiffon panel, but a storm came up and I couldn't go back to it. I didn't want the dress under the sewing machine needle if the electricity went out...plus since my machine is computerized, I unplug it if a storm is in the area. After supper, Kathy, Joy and Esther came over...Joy to try her dress on to see if the basted hem was okay...it was and Esther, as her dress had arrived today, to pin up the hem to get it to the right length. I think we are good to go. I will finish Abigail's tomorrow and then see where i can get on Joy's. Their dresses will be so much easier to do than Abigail's. I spread a sheet out on the area of the sewing cabinet where it would be while I sewed the hems...I also extended the sheet over to the table that is at the far end of the room close to the end of the sewing cabinet. I was able to lay the dress top there...it still wasn't easy to maneuver the dress as I was attempting to have a smooth sewing movement as I was sewing around the hems. The dress would bunch up as I worked my way around the hem. I had to get up many times to adjust it and had to stop to keep the hem under the needle. I am pleased so far with my progress and the finished product. I won't have the whole day at my disposal for sewing tomorrow...just the morning and evening. The afternoon will be dedicated to an eye appointment. By this time tomorrow I will know IF cataract surgery will happen, what day it will happen, if it happens, etc. Woody's dialysis went well today according to the nurse who wheeled him out. We managed with just the two of us to get him through the many transfers today...sometimes fairly easy and others not so much. He still can't pull himself up to use the walker. We both hope that he can regain that strength, but so far it hasn't happened. He tried this evening to pull up and just move the couple of feet to get to the couch, but after several attempts to stand, he finally asked for the wheelchair. Oh, and we were on time this morning. Well, I'll sign off for tonight. Tomorrow is another day...one in which our story will be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious...until we meet again!

Mid-May Monday

It has been a pretty good day for both of us today. Woody seems a little stronger. This morning he transferred himself from the couch to his recliner with the wheelchair all by himself. He did this before I got downstairs this morning. He still hasn't used the walker in a couple of weeks, but he did seem to be able to help more with all the transfers that I helped him with today. We stayed home but he did move from one spot to another during the day. I have just gotten home from prayer meeting. Woody had supper and got settled on his couch/bed before I left for prayer meeting. He gets pretty weary by the end of each day. We had a really nice day yesterday. Sometime about mid-afternoon, Nathan and some of the grandchildren showed up...our car washing crew and windshield wiper changing crew. Soon Abigail and Payton showed up and then Kathy and the rest of the Dorrell grandchildren showed up. Graham came with a tool kit in hand so he could clean the sensor on one of my cameras. Nathan also got the TV set up so we could watch the Cardinal baseball game...Major League Baseball app were showing all their games for free on Mother's Day. By the end of the game, all the work crew were gathered in the family room watching the game and the Cardinals pulled off a win at the very last of the game...so that made all happy, but especially Woody! So that was my Mothers' Day celebration. I did get Graham's wedding duds finished and sent them off with him when he left. So one part of wedding sewing is complete. Today I dedicated to getting The hem on Joy's bridemaid's dress basted up. I did accomplish that...it takes a looooooong time to go around the hem of that type of dress! First I measured and pinned up the hem, then I basted close to the fold all the way around and then basted all around the top of the hem to keep it from falling down when she tries it on to see if the hem is correct. So the next step for her dress is done...have to wait on her to try it on again before I proceed. So it is hanging back up. I then started getting the sewing machine ready to start the real hemming on Abigail's wedding dress. I have cleaned the machine, changed the needle, threaded it with white and am in the midst of clearing everything off the sewing machine cabinet to give me space for the dress. I am first going to hem the satin underdress...the hem that really doesn't show...of course that is the more stable of the fabrics that I am going to be hemming on her dress...so it should be the easiest. The chiffon is more difficult to work with...but...there is a pretty neat method to doing a narrow hem...that has always worked for me before so I am counting on it working for Abigail's dress and for the two bridesmaids dresses...but it still makes me gulp...I will especially gulp with I have to cut off the excess fabric after I make my first stitching step. Sewing on such a long dress with lots of fabric involved makes it a bit more challenging...just being able to manage the extra fabric while I am hemming. I am glad that I don't have to do the entire hems on the wedding dress since the hem moves off into a train...and, don't need to shorten that...so just the front of the dress over to the side seams where the train begins. I guess less hemming on her dress than on her sisters' dresses...but her dress is scarier to do than the bridesmaids' dresses! The bridesmaids' dresses are more flexible than the bridal dress...less heavy. I plan to get to sewing on the bridal dress tomorrow. We still are waiting on Esther's third dress to get here. But plenty to do while awaiting its arrival! I may do a little more cleaning in the sewing room tonight...but I don't plan to start the sewing on the dresses till tomorrow when I am fresher...don't want to do it when I am tired...that would just be asking for trouble! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Saturday

Well, today has gone fairly well. Nathan came over at 5am and helped get Woody into the car...after that we were on our own for transferring for the rest of the morning. We managed without too much trouble on all the rest of the transfers so far today. Woody seemed a little stronger today, but still not like he was a few weeks ago. Woody also told me today that he thought that he has a cracked rib. I had no idea about this. He told me that he had let us know several times when he was being moved by his cry out in pain. Well...that cry out didn't mean that to me...it meant that we had hurt his knee or his left arm or his right leg or...He has so many places that hurt that I hadn't thought to add in something new that he hadn't told me about. He said that it has been bothering him for a while (insert rolling eyes on my part!). If he doesn't tell then we don't know. I don't think that Nathan has any idea that he has a rib that is bothering him. Nathan was always trying to avoid his left arm and shoulder area and be careful of his right knee/leg. Anyway, I guess we add one more place that hurts on Woody! I asked the dialysis nurse to analyze whether they need to adjust his dry weight...that perhaps that is contributing to his weakness. I just know that his weight is staying right at 130 and we would like him to gain more and I don't know if the way they have his treatment adjusted will allow more weight gain or not. She told me that they were going to have a care team meeting with us at the end of the month and that I am to be involved. So I guess we have to wait several weeks before they will make suggestions that will help us? Hopefully by then this period of weakness will be behind him! We were home today by the time that I usually leave to pick him up...so finally we got there so they could get him on his new schedule. Today we more than 30 minutes early. Looks like we are either late or early! Graham came over this afternoon to get his pants length measured. He is going to be in a friend's wedding this coming weekend. I have hemmed his pants, washed and ironed his shirt and attempted to get wrinkles out of his vest and pants. But he is hopefully good to go for his part in the wedding. Now to get going on the hemming for the wedding dress and bride's maid dress. Maybe tomorrow...if not tomorrow then Monday. Time is flying. I realized that a month from today Cheryl will arrive from Arizona and in four more days it will be just a month from the wedding. Time marches on! I had planned to do some cooking this afternoon, but ended up in the sewing room instead. Tomorrow is another day, as Scarlett would say! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Critters Abound!

We are being blessed with tons of these critters aka Cicadas...I'm not sure is this is the 17-year variety or the 13-year variety...but there are quite a few around and you can definitely hear the in the tree tops! But, so far, we don't have them nearly as badly as Melany does 45 minutes away in Murfreesboro. She has so many that it looks like she has mulched her gardens with cicada shells! Here's a couple of photos that she sent me yesterday.

You are seeing both the shells and what emerged from the shells in her photos. When she is out gardening they actually land on her. If I were she, I would not be gardening, if they landed on me! Well, we have had an interesting day...lots of coming and going and Nathan has been a part of our comings and goings probably more than he would like! First I had to call him around 6:30am to come over as Woody rolled off the couch. Elijah came with him for that trip. Then he came back in time to help us get into the car and into his appointment for wound care. Then he came back when that appointment was over and helped get him in the car and then out of the car and into the house once we got home. The next trip happened before Oncology...once again, he came helped get him in the car and then out of the car at that appointment and then came back at end of appointment and helped us get into and out of the car and into the house. Wound care worked on adjusting his brace which the other gentleman did not do a couple of weeks ago. The doctor was comfortable with him just being careful with his knee. She didn't feel the need for x-ray at this point. She said not a lot to do for it at this point other than a more rigid brace that would keep his knee straight which would really impede movement. He shouldn't put weight on that leg while it is healing. Well, he isn't really since he isn't moving much of anywhere on his own at the moment. That appointment took almost two hours. We came home had lunch and rested until the next appointment. He had labs which did not show that he needs a transusion...so I guess the weakness is from the knee injury and lack of moving around or???? It was decided at this appointment that he would not continue to get Keytruda since it doesn't seem to be helping...aka...the tumor on his upper left arm continues to grow. So I guess he will continue to go to oncology for them to keep an eye on it...anyway he does have an appointment in three weeks. Almost forgot to mention that Wound Care now has an elevator, an outside modular one, that takes you up to the level that the building is on...to get in before, we had to either climb stairs or go up a long, steep ramp. We took it down when we left today...made the trip to the car much shorter! Definitely an improvement on getting into their building. Well, that about sums up our day...mostly comings and goings. Tomorrow is "just" dialysis. Nathan is coming over in the morning early to help get him into the car and then we are on our own as they have a couple of gigs tomorrow...first ones in Kentucky and then in the afternoon in Shelbyville area. Busy! Busy! I guess you could say more comings and goings for them! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Checking In…

Another interesting day. We started the day with rain and passing through storms. When we left for dialysis it was raining, but not really hard. About the time we got to the car there was a flash of light. Woody didn't think it was lightning, but soon after we saw it there waa thunder. I don't think that the storm made Woody move any faster. He did get in and we headed to dialysis. We got there on time, but he struggled getting out of the car. One of his nurses came out and helped get him out of the car and wheeled him in. So this nurse did come out and helped us. The nurse last week was one of the new nurses...so probably more strictly adhered to the rules? Plus they need him to get in and not mess up their schedule! He is still very weak. I'm hoping that we can get to his appointments tomorrow...wound care and TN Oncology. The wound care is a orthopedist so we can ask her about his knee. And, TN Oncology will be doing labs and will find out if his hemoglobin is low enough to need a transfusion. Seems strange to wish that he needs one, but if he does that would explain why he is so weak. Time will tell. Abigail and Joy came over to try on their dresses...Abigail to check if the hem I have basted in is right...we decided that it was good...so time to commit...gulp! I figured out how much to shorten Joy's dress...so basting is next. The wedding is getting closer! Back to Woody's adventures of moving from place. He really struggled getting into the car to go home from dialysis. He got himself into a position getting in that we couldn't manage to get him onto the car seat...so...Nathan and Graham to the rescue...again. They came home with us and helped him get inside. Now hoping that we can get him to and from tomorrow's appointments. Next adventure is getting him to the couch. Here's hoping that he gets a good night's sleep and gains strength in the night!!!!! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Maybe a Stormy Night

We're watching the skies...well, not any more as it is getting dark...but conditions are right for it to be a stromy night on into tomorrow morning. So far the bad storms have been north of us...but there has been rotation activity not all that far away. I am hearing thunder in the distance. We have had an uneventful day...so far...it's not over yet. Woody finished a book, did his puzzles and has watched TV and has been checking out things on his laptop. He has been able to transfer successfully today...so sliding onto the floor...we'll see if he can continue that as I am going downstairs to help him transfer over to his couch/bed right now. He asked me to come down at 7:30 so I will go down and come back to finish the blog.I'm back! "Only" took a little more than 15 minutes to get him from his recliner to the couch...a two foot or less move! But he is safely in his bed. I have asked him to stay on the couch and not transfer by himself to the recliner in the morning...mainly to conserve his strength for the transfers necessary to get him to dialysis. I'm just hoping that we don't have rain/storms included in those transfers in the wee hours of the morning. Also hoping that we don't have a tornado warning and he needs to move to the bathroom...one of our safe spots in the house. Tornado warnings are popping up all around us...I don't like when there are tornado warnings to start with...but they are so much more dangerous in the night...when you can't see what is coming. Programming on TV has all turned over to storm watching...both in Nashville and Huntsville. I have watched a little of Nashville on their app, but out TV is tuned to Huntsville. Linda H. just texted me that she is in the storm shelter room that they built into their house. She is in the county to our north and they are under a tornado warning. So far we are not in one...at least no tornado warning siren going for us...yet. Today was a cooking day for me. I roasted a chicken on the convection oven setting on our stove. I also made a pot of soup...I've got to build up the choices for Woody again! He is enjoying the strawberries that I got the other day...I am enjoying them, too. We each had strawberry shortcake for dessert with lunch. I'm hoping to do a little stitching this evening while I relax and get ready to sleep a few hours before the alarm goes off around 4am (eyes rolling!). Here's hoping that we aren't tardy tomorrow and that we can manage on our own! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Battening Down the Hatches

Sounds like we have storms approaching with a lot more tomorrow. they just said that there is a storm heading toward a town down the road from us and that there is a possibility of ping-pong-ball-sized hail. We decided that I should put the car in the garage. I did that and moved the tomato plant that Melany, Wade, and Erin gave me so hopefully it won't get blown over. Not long after I got back inside, it did start raining which didn't last long. It seems that storm has gone south of us and we are not in the path of the severe thunderstorm or hail. More is to come overnight and tomorrow and on into Thursday. Right now there are tornado warnings to the south of us in Alabama. TV programming is stopped so the meterologists can keep folk up to date on the dangerous storms. Now to report on this morning. Things went well and we were right on schedule to be able to walk out the door a little before 5:30...BUT...about 5:10 Woody decided that he needed to go into the bathroom before going to dialysis. I knew that was asking for trouble, since he is having so much trouble transferring from place to place. We attempted it, but he ended up sliding down to the floor between the wheelchair and the toilet. So a call was put into our rescue squad aka Nathan and Kathy (this time). They did manage to get him up. I had called dialysis to tell them that we would be tardy, but would get there as soon as possible. Nathan helped Woody transfer from wheelchair to the car and then he and Kathy followed us to the clinic and Nathan helped him get from car seat to the wheelchair. We got there before his old time...really we got there quicker than I thougt we would. He hadd a successful dialysis treatment. His nurse did tell me that it took three of them to get him into the dialysis chair. I'm beginning to wonder if his difficulty moving is more than just his knee that he twisted last week...I'm womdering if perhaps he is very close to needing another blood transfusion. I know his color isn't the best today...but it could be that the green color of his sweater just isn't "his color!?!" While he was at dialysis I did manage to get the hems on Abigail's wedding dress basted. So the ball is in her court for the next move. She did stop by this evening and had a little time, but she needed to be somewhere and I really didn't want the "push" of needing to get her in and out of the dress in such a short time. She will return! She got what she came for...so this trip wasn't really for a dress try on. I left the house at 10 to pick Woody up. He was finished a little after I got there. I would say that he came out exactly 4 hours after he went in. So day one of the new schedule not the best start for us. We will attempt it again Thursday. Donna and I once again put off the library...I just felt that I needed the time to catch my breath! Phone calling was a part of my afternoon...first I put in a call to the Fresenius (dialysis company) about a dialysis medication that we get from them. I called and ordered it week before last and since it hadn't come and we were getting close to emptying the bottle, I called to check on the status of the order...it was on hold because they hadn't gotten authorization from me...i guess you could say an "okay" that we will pay (not a cheap med). I told her I wouldn't call if I didn't approve...but I know they have to ask if I am willing to pay before they will send...BUT...they never left any messages...just said that they hadn't been able to get in touch with me. Well, we had no calls designated "Fresenius" on missed calls nor did we have any messages. I told them that I ordered in plenty of time so we wouldn't run out. Woody is supposed to take two of these pills with each meal...so we go through them pretty quickly...two very large bottles. They are espediting the shipment...hope they get here before they are gone. I may just give him one with each meal till we have the refill in hand. The other call never happened. They put me on hold for a while and then came on and asked me to leave a message and they would get back with me. They haven't gotten back with me yet...I'm sure it is too late tonight for them to call. We'll see if they follow through or if I will have to call again. This is in reference to a bill they keep sending. A bill that I can find on my EOB and it shows what both companies would pay and what we owe...our box shows a big fat 0 so we owe nothing. I hope they will stop sending us bills for this. I did make two fun calls...talked with Cheryl...we have to get started on our front porch visiting before she gets here! She will be coming for the wedding. She got her tickets yesterday. I also talked to Connie. I'm starting to get things cleared off my sewing machine cabinet. I have certain items on the long cabinet, but will need to have them hidden away while I tug around a long heavy dress at my machine. The wedding is getting closer...as Abigail pointed out this afternoon. She's so happy and so excited! Tomorrow is a stay-at-home day for us. I hope to get some cooking and cleaning done and maybe a little stitching on something random. To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

It’s Official! Congratulations, Graham!

Today has been a wedding dress-strawberry-graduation day. Today was a stay-at-home day...well, sort of...I got up determined to work on the hems of Abigail's wedding dress. At this point I am just basting up the hems so she can come back and try it on again to be sure that we have it right. I was almost finisehd with the satin underskirt (the easy part of the hemming), when Marie called and asked if I wanted to ride with her and Carolyn to get some fresh picked strawberries. I couldn't resist that invitation so put aside the hemming till we got back. By the time we got back it was lunch so right after lunch, I got busy on the hems again. I got the satin hem finished...well basted close to the fold and then at the top of what I turned up. Then it was on to the chiffon overskirts...the overskirt isn't one piece...so there are two parts to that hem...and then add on that it is chiffon AND there is a curve that I have to conquer/tame. I have the dress hanging high on the sewing room door so that it can hang down so the chiffon hangs down and I can see what needs to be done on the curves right at the front. The satin underskirt I did with the dress on my couch with me sitting next to the hem area. The problem with the dress hanging is that I have to be "down low" to be able to get to the hem. So I am sitting on a stool out in the hallway outside the sewing room. I sat there for quite a while...so far I don't even have the first half basted close to the folded edge...so have the rest of that to do and then go across the top of what I have folded up to keep it up when she is trying it on...then have to do the other side. And, that stool gets pretty hard...plus hard to get up from it! Kathy sent me the link to be able to watch Graham's graduation ceremony. That started at 3:30...I kept working on the hem until the graduates started to walk to get their diplomas. Now his name starting with a "D" I thought that he would be fairly close to the front of the line...but NO! He was close to the back. I am guessing that they had different types of majors or degrees were put into groups...as there they went through the alphabet several times before they finally got to the group where his name came alphabetically. The ceremony was scheduled from 3:30-5 and went to 5:30. The ceremony took place at Middle TN State University gym in Murfreesboro. Here's a picture of his sibblings waiting...still about 15 minutes till Graham finally went across the stage! They don't look too enthusiastic!!!!!

When the ceremony was finally over, I had time to fix Woody's supper before it was time for me to go to prayer meeting. I'm now home and ready to get finished in the kitchen and then head upstairs. Woody is already settled on his bed. We have our first day on the new earlier schedule. I just hope I can get up in time and have us out the door at 5:30 am instead of 6:00 am...not too sure about this new schedule!To be contiued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

CELEBRATIONS FOR 2 GRADUATES AND SOON TO BE MR. & MRS.

Graduate Recognition Day at Edgemont Baptist Church in Shelbyville was this morning. Graham is a graduate of Motlow State Community College. Joy is a graduate from Home Life Academy High School and from cosmetiology school.

This afternoon Abigail and Payton were showered with love at First Baptist Church, Tullahoma. This is a picture of them opening the wedding sampler that you have read about that I hav been stitching for them the last few months. It has been a very special day in the life of the Dorrells!

May the Fourth Be With You!

Well our last day to leave the house at 6am. Come Tuesday we will need to leave at 5:30am...yikes. I hope we can adapt to the change! Not a lot has happened today. I got Abigail and Payton's stitching gift ready to stretch and lace...that task finally got done late this afternoon and I have managed to get it wrapped and ready to take to the party tomorrow. Woody got finished about a half hour early this morning...something wasn't going quite right with his access...so they stopped. I certainly hope that it works correctly the next time or he might be facing a procedure either to correct or place another access. Other than that, Woody has had a pretty good day, I think...at least he hasn't told me otherwise. I believe that he finished his Patterson book...at least when I saw the book last the bookmark was quite far back in the book with only a few pages left. I am going to Sunday School and church at Nathan and Kathy and family's church in the norning. I believe that I mentioned earlier in a blog that it is graduate recognition Sunday and we have two graduates. Melany is coming to the house around noon. We will have lunch together and then she and I will go to Abigail and Payton's at Woody's and my church. We have been quite the partiers these last few weeks! To be continued! Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!

Full Larder

Today has pretty much been filled with everyday type things. My main accomplishment was the grocery store...our cupboards had gotten pretty bare...I was scraping bottom to come up with what next to make with what was left! But we should be good to go for quite a few days after my shopping spree. I don't usually go to the store on Friday as it is usually extra busy, but I decided I would go today especially since you get double gas points on Friday. BUT...guess what I didn't download the correct coupon to get credit for double gas points...not a happy camper about that. The store was really humming, but the shopping spree went well and I was able to get up and down aisles without getting blocked too many times. I think that Woody's knee is some better...he is still being very careful and mostly using the wheelchair for moving from place to place. He has spent a good part of the day reading...after he got finished with his crossword puzzles. He is about finished with the James Paterson book. I went back to the pharmacy today to get the prescription that they failed to fill the other day. It was so funny...I went to pick up two prescriptions and they had three for him...one he no longer takes so they took that back and made note that this med is no longer on his list. I then left with two meds...didn't look to see what they were since I had called in two. I got home and found out that only one of the ones that came home with me had I asked for. The other one was ready to be refilled...but I didn't ask for it because we didn't need it yet since it is for a month's worth of taking it two times a day...but on dialysis day he only takes one...so that prescription lasts longer than a month...but no problem having it ahead of time...it just means I won't have to go back another time to get it. But...wait...I did have to go back another time because he would be out of the one they didn't fill after tonight's dose. So I called yesterday and gave them the # for the prescription AND told them the name of the medicine they would be filling...when I went this afternoon to get it, it was the correct one and we have a full round of meds once again! We have had rain off and on all day. I did manage my errands in rainless times...always nice not to have to get wet going to and from the car. When I came upstairs, I told Woody that I was going to blog and then head back down to tend his leg and get his bed covered up with the quilt that he sleeps on. I moved it when Graham was here today. He came at the perfect time...I was bringing the groceries in from the car and he helped me get the rest of them in. He needed me to measure him, as he is going to be in a wedding (weddings seem to be in the air!). He then paired our new house phone system with my cell phone. And, then ate lunch with us! The timing of his visit was good all around...both for us and him! My favorite (only) sister, Cheryl, and I have been talking today...attempting to figure out plans for her to visit at the time of the wedding. Plans are a little more complicated this time since my cataract surgery will hopefully be intertwined with the wedding. I should already have had my first eye done before she gets here, but she may be here at the time of the second. Of course, all this is based on my eye doctor saying that he would work me in in June since that is when Melany can be available to help transport Woody, hoist wheelchairs, etc. during the time that I shouldn't do such things. All very interesting to try to figure out who, what, where, and when...when we don't know surgery dates for sure...but he only does these surgeries on Tuesdays...so that limits it to four if doing it in June. He told me that he would be gone on vacation on the fourth Tuesday...so that just leaves three Tuesdays. I think that usually these surgeries are done two weeks apart...so that gives just two Tuesdays...so by process of elimination and counting on the doctor to come through with fitting me in in June...I think we have the days...first Tuesday and third Tuesday. Now we'll see if the doc has open slots on those days by the time that I see him on May 15! Cheryl is trying to figure out when to arrive...sometime in the week before the wedding...leaving is more open. But plans are underway. Busy times between now and the wedding/surgeries, etc., etc! Well, I guess it is time to head downstairs and finish up my nightly duties. Another Friday is soon to be crossed off the calendar. Days are flying by. No stitching or other needlework work so far today...maybe a little stitching tonight before bed, but I think it is too late for me to concentrate on centering the stitching piece on the mat board and then lacing it...I will pull a Scarlett on that one and say, "Tomorrow is another day." To be continued. Be safe! Be well! Be cautious!