FEVER, RASH, CHILLS, DEATH

Question Of The Week 2-25-13

What (if any) allergies do you have and what are the consequences when encountered?

DAYS LIKE THIS

This is what is happening in our neck of the woods.  Last Wednesday thousands of bass fishermen began to pour onto The Grand Lake of the Cherokees for this event.  Even if Ron and I were in the best of health, we wouldn't have ventured to the south side of the lake for anything.

Today we turn our attention to the Oscars where we will once again see my god-daughter Jessi as she enters on the red carpet for what I believe is the 5th year. Here she is last year. (To your right of the lady in the green dress.) Another year of playing "Where's Waldo Jessi".

You may think the winning fisherman or the Hollywood stars are the center of this weekend, but I know the only champion is Jessi:)

DON'T HITCH HIKE WITH US

Question Of The Week 2-18-13

What is your favorite travel snack?

We pack hard boiled egg and hotsauce:)

HERE WE GO AGAIN

My x-rays from first diagnosis.

Trigger finger is back for the third time.  Can barely type. Forgive lack of posts and brief comments for a while.

Here is my first post about it.  

PAINFUL AND NOT ITCHY

I have had injections twice and dread the thought of doing that again.  Surgery is another option but don't like that thought either.  However this is the absolutely the worst ever!

READ IT YOURSELF

 

Passenger: 'It was pretty disgusting'  click this link to watch interview

NBC's Mark Potter talks with two passengers who are very happy to be back on land after their experience on board the disabled Carnival cruise ship.  These young ladies, Brittney and Kendall,  were very succinct and interesting in their telling of the nightmare experience and expressed their joy of being back on land.  The most striking thing about the interview was the ending when one of the girls mentioned the fact that they did better than a lot of the passengers because they had hope and had started their trip with a verse from Joshua 1:9  At that point  the newsman brought the interview to an abrupt halt.  

 

As the girls walked away the one said "Joshua 1-9 Look it up." and so I did.    

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”

TO RON

 HAVE A HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Comments are closed today:)

HEEEEEEEEEEEEEE's BAAACK

Vincent has returned in 2013 in for bald eagle watch.  Do you remember him?

See Vincent in 2009

See Vincent in 2011

WORK OR PLAY

Question Of The Week, 2-11-13

 What did you do this past weekend?

Part of our weekend included a visit from my sister and bil.  They were excited to see Ron standing. Can you find my sister in the photo?

THE GOOD NEWS AND THE REALLY GOOD NEWS

First the construction workers are gone from our home and the new bathroom is lovely and working.  The other two bathrooms are complete also and our home is once again dust free.  (Okay, as dust free as any home in the country can be.) 

New carpeted and paneled stairway. 

Looking into new wide bathroom entry way from our bedroom.

Very roomy bathroom with easy wheelchair mobility available. (That won't be necessary now for quite a while!)

Wonderful shower with grab bars and seat so Ron can bath without assistance.

Second, and most important, you know we have taken trip after trip to the Orthopedic specialist in Tulsa seeking help for Ron's back?  Before his chemo and radiation treatments, the epidural spinal injections were giving him some relief but the last three years there has not been any relief in sight.  Thursday they did it. They gave him the shot in a new spinal location between the discs and he knew when he felt the shot that it was different.  The next day he really knew it was different when he walked unaided and virtually pain free. We are holding our breath that this will be a long lasting treatment and one that can be repeated successfully when necessary.  

Thanks to all for your care, concern, thoughts and prayers.  Keep it up:)

ASK THY PURSE

Question Of The Week 2-4-13

"Getting money is like digging with a needle;
spending it is like water soaking into sand."
Japanese Proverb

Are you a spender or a saver?

WHAT CHA GONNA DO WHEN THEY COME FOR YOU...

Majesty and horror wrapped up in one big bundle of protected species.  Three have been spotted flying over our property the past several weeks and they are feasting on our chickens and guinea fowl.  At first I wondered what could carry off a big fat guinea fowl, then I saw a huge bald eagle feasting on it's catch near the road yesterday and I would swear the bird was as big as our dog Slim.  He just looked at me as if saying, "Yea girl, what cha gonna do?"  Needless to say I didn't get a picture of this mighty bird.  I wonder how many American Bald Eagles are actually nesting around here.  Part of me is so happy to have them here and then part of me wishes they would eat coyotes instead of chickens. 

GREAT EXPECTATIONS

The building and remodel on bathrooms started January 9th.  We are weary from the yet unfinished projects. Today ends January and our once great expectations are waning.

DEPENDS ON WHO YOU ASK

Question Of The Week 1-28-13

How I saw myself.  My siblings would say otherwise:)

What type of kid were you (e.g. spoiled, rebellious, well-behaved, quiet, obnoxious...)?

TAKE A LOOK

Many bloggers read entries without going to the homepage of the blog.  When you do this you miss seeing the wonderful header designs and the interesting sidebars.  Our fellow bloggers put a lot of artwork into their designs

 Sonny of 155 Dream Lane is hosting another giveaway of a specialty design and you can enter by going to her blog before January 29th.  If you are like me and don't have a flair for graphic art, you might have the opportunity to win a beautiful design from Sonny.  She has exceptional skills in this area.

Meanwhile try to look at more of our blog headers and read some sidebars to learn more about your blog friends.

POTENTIAL

Who relishes the "potential" to go through things like this again?  Picture from hospital stay in October.

We scheduled our oncology appointments for the same day.  An 80 mile drive to Tulsa led us to 5 hours for visits.  2 1/2  hours for Ron's appointment and 2 1/2 hours for my appointment then another 80 mile drive home.  Ron was there for labs and consult with his doctor about his cancer. The news was good and he is getting stronger.  The home health care workers are helping a great deal.  His doctor gave us lots of time and filled us with hope.

I was there for a  long, long lobby wait and exam room wait then a 3 minute visit with my doctor to find out my last CT scan was fine and I still do not have cancer.  Why didn't he just call me or have his nurse tell me? Instead of shouting hooray I left tired, angry and very hungry.  Now you know I am selfish.   The inconvenience of this long wait to see my doctor upset me.

Because of the type of tumors that were removed in October, a doctor at  Johns Hopkins who reviewed the pathology, insisted I be checked every three months for two years and every six months for three years after that because I have the "potential" for cancer to invade my body. 

I am a very impatient person.  I am ashamed of that.  Suddenly the "if onlys" began to fill my mind.  "If only" Ron had had these kind of check ups to avoid his cancer.  "If only" my sil had known of the  potential and avoided her breast cancer.  "If only" these people in the treatment rooms had been able to avoid chemotherapy and radiation.

My attitude is changed, hopefully my impatience can be checked and I will give thanks that I have been granted this option to remain healthy.  My desire will be NOT to reach my "potential".  My waiting time will be spent with thoughts of concern and prayers for the healing of others. 


As an aside note, I was worrying about Ron being out in the waiting room so long.  I knew he must be concerned about the length of time I was in the exam room.  Instead I came out to find him happily chatting up a lovely blonde woman, charming her with his tales of the sea. He knows how to pass the time:)

FILL IN THE BLANK

Question Of The Week 1-21-13



It's your turn.  What would be your question of the week?

_____________________________________________________________________?
(Fill in the blank by putting your question in the comment section.  My son suggested this when I was whining about not having a question this week. You see, my brain is fried from inhaling concrete dust and drywall all week.)

QUAPAW PLUMBING, MIAMI, OKLA CONSTRUCTION DECONSTRUCTION

New bathroom being constructed in our bedroom with lots of room and handicap access.  I am already wishing we had not gone with Quapaw Plumbing out of Miami, OK. 

At least the new shower is going to be great.  Can't wait.

Remodeling our guest bathroom and the plumbers removed the old tub to make room for a shower.  This is the deconstruction part.

Oops!  Toilet will be a bit close to the new shower edge.  Ron said it would be fine for a one legged person.  A frantic search began for a smaller shower and they could not and we could not find a smaller shower to fit that had any satisfactory reviews.  The job foreman with Quapaw plumbing suggested moving  the toilet over.  When the plumber mentioned added hourly charged for the correction I asked him it it had been my responsibility to measure or his?  I then ask him to put the tub back in and was told it was destroyed in the removal.  They are moving the toilet over at no additional cost. I still cannot believe they tried to leave us with this arrangement! 

We have another bathroom that remains operational until the first two projects are complete and then it will be turned into a half bath.  Also they are adding the washer hookups in the utility room and cutting a second door into the half bath.

My house is topsy-turvy with all the construction, supplies and workers inside the house  Ron is sleeping through most of it and Slim is loving all the free pats that are delivered plus the constant inside-outside access that is provided her.  Meanwhile if you have ever seen the famous painting called SCREAM, you know what I look like:)

SWIMMING IN THE DEEP END

Paraphernalia associated with my Zoll LifeVest.  I wore everything here in a cloth vest except for the charger.

BYE-BYE LIFE VEST! My Echo Cardiogram on Friday has shown my heart function to be normal and my cardiologist is letting me return the life vest. Here is the paraphernalia I have been toting around for 2 1/2 months, 23 hours a day (allowing removal one hour a day for bathing).

I am happy that I get to stop wearing this uncomfortable thing, but a tab bit frightened too because it was my lifeline in the event of another heart attack.  Without the vest I am left to fend for myself in the deep end of the pool.  Staying afloat involves exercise, proper diet and strong faith. 

TELL THE TRUTH

Question Of The Week  1-14-13

PICTURE # 1 Tidy Drawers

PICTURE #2 Messy Drawers

Which are you and why?  Picture #1 or Picture #2

So in all fairness I must confess that I am drawer #2.  I don't know why and I cannot remember how my mother used to arrange our drawers when we were growing up. Usually I start things out very tidy but it always ends up like that.

HELLO 2013 ARTISTIC ENDEAVORS

I have finally gotten back in the swing of things at the Julia Kay portrait party.  My artist name is EAGHL (pronounced Eagle).  Here are my first "markerings" for 2013.

You might also get a kick out of my first effort to draw a portrait on my Kindle Doodle Dawg app.  Guess I've got a way to go:)