Friday

Here's another farm that we saw along the way to McEwen yesterday.  We live in such a pretty area!

Woody has been a lot busier than I have today.  He got up and walked four miles.  Later he did our grocery shopping at two stores.  I put away the groceries after he got home...that way I know what we have to possibly make meals from this week.  I'm still not totally functioning as far as meal planning...still drawing a blank when it comes to thinking what sounds to cook...that Woody should eat!  After Woody had been home, he headed out again to pick up a couple of people (without transportation) to take them grocery shopping.  I have picked up and put away things that I was using for my doll dress project.  After lunch I ran the vacuum in our bedroom and the sewing room and part of the hall (as far as the vacuum cord would reach!).  I've also started a new e-book.  I had requested it a while ago and it had finally become available for me a week or more ago...so now I have to hurry up and read it or it will disappear into cyberspace before I get it done.  The reason that I remembered that I had this book on my iPad was that I got notified that another book that I had requested was ready for me to check out.  So now I have two e-books available to read and have one book that I have started that I checked out of the church library.  So I have plenty of reading material to keep me occupied when I feel like sitting!  I also got the bird feeders refilled.  I had put off refilling the feeders when it was raining a bunch and then sort of forgot about them till our friends and Woody and I sat on the front porch yesterday. So I put that task on my mental "to-do list!"  Task done! Check! Woody made his cole slaw recipe today...something that he can still eat...one of our tried and true recipes that he can still eat.  He bought the ingredients for Mother's Boston baked beans, but he isn't supposed to eat those.  He will miss eating beans with his slaw!  I guess if I make the beans they are mine to eat!   I have felt pretty lazy today...I guess the heat and our little trip yesterday sort of took today's energy away.  While I sat today I was trying to think about what I might like to sew next and so far I haven't had many ideas pop into my head. But as I sit here at the laptop I do see some fabric that I had pulled aside to make a quick project a while back...perhaps that will be my next thing to make...but...still thinking!

Home Again, Home Again Jiggedy Jog

 Woody chose to work in the yard rather than go on a walk this morning.  I got up and decided that today was the day that I would finish the doll dress that I have been working on.  And, I actually finished it.

Friends (blog reading friends) stopped by and visited on the front porch for a little while just before noon. They brought a news clipping of Graham when he took part in a Memorial Day service over in Shelbyville. Kathy had asked them to get a couple for them. When they were here it felt very pleasant to sit on the porch, but as you can see by the car thermometer it got quite hot this afternoon.

A little before 2pm we headed off to McEwen, TN to go to Wade's father's visitation.  We took mostly back roads because Bonnaroo was getting underway in Manchester today and that usually has I-24 backed up when they are coming in.  Thinking about Bonnaroo made me realize that we need to be more aware of locking out house doors over the next few days...it was over Bonnaroo weekend last year that an uninvited guest barged into our house and took quite a few years off my life!  Of course, I probably scared him more than he scared me!  It took us a couple of hours to get to McEwen.  We stayed for about an hour and a half for the visitation.  I ended up sitting with Mary, Wade's mother, for most of the time that we were there.  Woody visited with Melany, Erin, and Alex and part of the time with Wade.  I snapped a few pictures out the car window as we were traveling.  I couldn't resist taking a few barn photos! Here is one of them.

It's good to be home and settling in after our drive today.  We were gone about six hours.  It was an easy drive.  The way we went kept us out of much traffic for a good part of the trip. And, we managed to get home before dark.

Woody just made us some air popped pop corn...something that he CAN eat!

Out of Routine Wednesday

At least I have been out of routine today.  We didn't work in the library today as there was a funeral at the church during the time that we usually work so the three of us had the day off from the library. Not going to the library has made it seem like it isn't Wednesday!

Woody got up and walked six miles early this morning.  He also spent some time out in the vegetable garden weeding...lots of weeds thanks to all the rain that we have gotten.  I ended up spending time in the kitchen.  I made one of the recipes that we have found that is kidney friendly...low in phosphorus and potassium.  It was an eggplant casserole recipe...not many ingredients in it but it seemed to take quite a while to make it.  Then after I got that made I made a recipe that we have loved for years--Cantonese Spare Ribs...mainly because Woody had bought the ribs before his doctor appointment.  He did eat a small portion of the ribs.  I guess you can say that we have gotten through the first day of his new eating routine.  He has been studying the "dos and don'ts" of his diet.  And, is adding things to the grocery list that he can eat.

While the ribs were still in the oven, Kathy asked me to go next door for a short time.  She had forgotten Joy's orthodontist appointment and they had a guest over for Esther to play with.  So I left Woody to turn off the oven when the timer rang and grabbed a book and went next door till Kathy and Joy got home from the orthodontist...not very long.  The ribs were cooked perfectly by the time I got home. We had my cooking efforts for supper.  And, now we are settling in for a quiet evening.  I'm trying to figure out if I have enough energy to do a little sewing.  I'm feeling rather lazy at the moment and I am almost through with the book I am reading so I will probably go finish the book and then see if I feel like doing anything more this evening!

A's Move on to the Championship Game!

Woo! Hoo! Big game tonight!  The winner of tonight's game moved on to the championship game on Saturday.  And, the A's won by one point...one of those games where your heart is in your throat for a good part of the game especially once the game got tied up.  Final score = 12-11 and the last hit which scored the winning run was hit by the last batter in the A's batting order!  He became their hero! Good job A's!  Saturday afternoon will see us at the ball field for one last time.  Kathy went to Joy and Esther's softball game.  They had one like ours too...they one by one run!  Way to go girls! I don't like it when Elijah's and the girls' games are at the same time.  I would normally go to the girls' game if they are at the same time since Woody attends Elijah's as one of the coaches.  But tonight I decided that I wanted to attend Elijah's . And, at one point I thought that I should have probably gone to the girls game as that one might have been better for my blood pressure...but then found out that the girls' game was also blood pressure raising!  Good games for both teams!

Woody walked early this morning.And, then later he walked to get his hair cut.  I got up early and sewed for for a while this morning.  The doll dress is looking more complete...sleeves are in and side seams of the bodice have been sewn up.  Now to attach the skirt and add some velcro or snaps to the back and it will be complete.Woody went to the nephrologist this afternoon and he got what I was afraid that he would get...sheets of food do's and don'ts for keeping his potassium level down.  And...let's just say that there are many more don'ts than do's!  At the moment it has me stymied as to what to cook.  So many of the things that you think of as "good for you" are no longer good for him...a whole new way of thinking and at the moment I can't get beyond all the don'ts...it has given me a cooking block...that's my excuse and I'm sticking to it! His potassium level had dropped back to the normal level in his labs from yesterday.

Monday=Busy Day

Well, this must have been quite a day...I almost forgot to blog.  We got home from the girls ball game and I just headed to "my" recliner.  Woody came up and checked on some things on the laptop and when he finished he asked if I wasn't going to blog.  Oops!

Woody walked early.  I woke up early and then was afraid to go back to sleep because I was picking up a friend this morning to take her to her physical therapy appointment.  So I decided to sweep and mop the kitchen floor while Woody was on his walk.  I picked up my friend on time.  I read while she was having her therapy session.  Then we stopped at WalMart for her to pick up a few things.  After dropping her off at her house, I stopped at the church to choose a book for a memorial and did a little maintenance.  We won't be working in the library on Wednesday because there is going to be a funeral at the church that afternoon.

Speaking of funerals...there have been too many lately!  Yesterday afternoon Wade's father passed away. So Melany, Wade, Erin and Alex are in the midst planning his funeral. For the time being Wade's mother is staying with them.  Today they went to McEwen, TN to make plans for the funeral at the end of the week.

When I got home from the library, Woody was gone.  He went to the doctor to have more lab work to see if his potassium level has come down.  He will go to the doctor tomorrow and will find out.  He also went to the Life Care Center.  As a matter of fact he went to Life Care twice today.  After lunch, he and Joy went back to visit with one of the ladies he visits with each week.  He had told her that he would share a grandchild with her now and then!  On his first trip out this morning, he also made a stop at Aldis to get some fruit.

I rested some this afternoon.  Woody didn't go to Elijah's baseball practice this evening.  He went to the Furnace Room prayer meeting.  Then he came home and picked me up and we went to Joy and Esther's ball game.  Their team won handily.

Time Marches On

When I was scrolling through my photos to choose a picture for tonight's blog, my eye landed on this photo of the class of Cottey College 1968 and I realized that I hadn't ever posted this.  It is the "official"  group photo of our class taken by Cottey's photographer. I guess you can play "Where's Lois!"

Woody got up and walked early this morning to beat the heat that was predicted for today.  Later in the morning he made his weekly trip to the public library.  I woke up to my cell phone beeping that I had a text message.  It was from Melany.  She was telling me that Wade's father had gotten worse in the night and had been taken to a hospital close to his rehab facility.  The word was not good.  They had been told what you dread to hear at the hospital...that they were going to keep him comfortable.  Wade's family is gathering at his bedside.  One of Wade's brothers lives in the Atlanta area so it was a bit of a trip for him.  He is there now.  Also Wade's dad's siblings are there too.  They have been told that he has from just hours to a day to live...and as we all know...only time will tell if the doctors are right!  But it is a sad time for their family at the moment.

I have spent quite a bit of time at the sewing machine today.  The little dress is starting to take shape and my modifications worked.  The bodice is together.  Next will be the sleeves.  All these pieces are little and the fabric I'm using isn't very friendly for small seams.  It is vintage fabric from my Aunt Lois' fabric stash.  She was a doll collector and enjoyed sewing from her dolls.  The doll I am making this dress for is one of her dolls. After the sleeves the rest should be easy.  I did the collar using a method taught in the internet sewing club that I belong to...so I did try a technique that was just a bit different than the way I usually make collars.  I like her method.

After lunch, Woody headed off to the ball park for Elijah's last regular game of this Little League season.  I didn't go today because it was going to be so hot and also I wanted to be at home in case Melany needed to get in touch with me.  I can't see/read text messages on my cell phone if I am out in the sunshine and I wasn't sure that I would even hear the phone with all the noise at the ball park!

Elijah's team won the game.  When I talked to Nathan earlier he said that their team ended in 2nd place.  This coming week they play in a tournament.

So did you find me in tonight's photo?

Friday Night Ball

Woody and I have just returned from the ball park.  Elijah's (and Nathan's & Woody's) team played the 7pm game.  As one of their coaches said at the end of the game...they got into the game from the start and were still in it at the finish.  They did a great job and won the game handily.  They only have one more game in the regular season (I think) and that is tomorrow afternoon (in the hot sun).  It is a make-up game.  The girls' game got rained out...less grass on a softball field than on the little league field.

Woody got up and thought that he was going to walk early this morning.  He got to the end of our street and the bottom fell out.  He was glad that he had taken an umbrella or he would have been drenched.  Since his walk was foiled, he ended up doing the grocery shopping a bit earlier than usual.  It rained off and on most of the morning.  We would think that the rain was over and would turn around and it would be back.  We have really gotten a lot of rain over the last several days.  The plants seem to be happy.  Once the storms decided to pass, I was able to get a little time at the sewing machine.  Woody ran errands for a friend later in the morning.  After lunch, it was a shoe shopping spree for part of the grandchildren and me and their mom.  Joy and Isaac went to our local family run shoe store and got what they were needing.  Abigail had found what she wanted (shoes like her volleyball teammates) at Penney's so we went there next. So three of the seven next door have new tennis shoes.

Not long before we needed to leave to go to the ball game, Woody got a call from his nephrologist's office.  His potassium level showed up quite high on his latest lab work so the doctor's office was phoning in a prescription that is supposed to lower it.  Our pharmacy didn't have that particular medicine and it was time for them to close so it was then phoned in to WalMart.  We headed out the door hoping to get the medicine prior to the game and get it quickly enough that Woody wouldn't be late with the line-up papers for the game!  We made it.  He drank the medicine on the way to the ball park!  He has to go back to get his potassium level retested on Monday.  Seems to always be something!  He did get to the ball park in plenty of time!  We found out that the young fellow who was waiting on Woody was one of my former Montessori students.