Frankie and Slim

Frankie and Slim
Happy New Year

Friday, December 22, 2006

SEVEN YEAR ITCH

Tomorrow, December 23, is our seventh wedding anniversary. If we are itching, we’re only itching for more.

Thursday, December 21, 2006

Germany, be kind.

Jessi and Travis are in Germany visiting Christiane and her family. They have been gone eight days. I am starting to pace.

WELCOME TO SLIM'S WORLD

We started letting Slim in the house at night when everything was snow covered. She got in the habit of coming to the door around 8 or 9 o'clock in the evening asking to come in. We allowed her in but she has to remain in a very confined space.

Last night Slim appeared at the door at her given time, but when we opened the door, she would not come in. She would run off toward the barn. She kept repeating this process and for a while we thought she might be trying to tell us that "Timmy was in the well."

Needless to say, we tired of this game and went to bed, leaving Slim outside for the night. This morning everything was fine -- Slim was happy -- no Timmy was found in peril. We have decided that Slim was inviting us to spend the night with her in the wide open spaces she loves so much.

Monday, December 18, 2006

MY DYING DAY

I have just read my journal and blog entries from this date in the past. It seems I have failed to comment on this day, December 18.

December 18, 2003 was a month after my near fatal heart attack. The first stent had been implanted to unblock 100% blockage. This surgery was to implant second stent to unblock 80% blockage. I told my family, other than Ron, not to bother coming for this procedure because this would be routine and a piece of cake after the more crucial episode in November.

My death occurred on the operating table. I learned of it when I was awakened in recovery. Apparently my heart had stopped for 30 seconds as the stent was being inserted. They gave me a good jump-start and brought me back. (From that evolved the leg injury that took six months to heal, but that is an entirely different story.)

December 18, 1984 was almost my dying day as well. That Dec. 18, I had a drug crazed bank robber hold me hostage with a loaded gun pressed to my head as he demanded money.

Today is December 18, 2006 and I shall celebrate it as my day of blessings. :-)

From Today’s Upper Room Devotional
Cast all your anxiety on God, because he cares for you.
-1 Peter 5:7 (NRSV)

Sunday, December 17, 2006

Yard Sale Booty

Lookie, lookie what Ron got us at a yard sale! Merry Christmas to us:-)

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CALLING ALL YOTs

I am a Y.O.T. (Youngest Of Three). Regardless of my age or theirs, I find much in common with other YOTs. To view my life from afar, you would say I was a spoiled child. To view my life from inside my head, you would say I was pitiful and spent too much time in the garden eating worms. To view my childhood as it actually was, you will know that I was left to my own devises and basically ran amok.

There is an unspoken empathy that automatically forms when encountering another YOT. My cousin David was a YOT. My brothers-in-law, David and Mike are YOTs. My niece, Melinda is a YOT. My nephew Mike is a YOT. My granddaughters Beth and Jasmine are YOTs.

If you are a youngest child of three, tell me about yourself. If you are an older sibling of a YOT, tell me about him or her. Maybe, with your help, I can write THE GUIDEBOOK TO YOTS. Heaven knows that my husband needs that guidebook!

Friday, December 15, 2006

MIRACLE CURE? COULD BE!

I am sixty years old and have suffered with intermittent lower back pain all my life. After a while you finally accept the pain and move forward, knowing it will eventually subside. Recently my sister said, “I didn’t know you had lower back pain. I have just the cure for you.” And, she did.

A video tape of a six week program of back exercises seems to have cured me and I am only on the fourth week. It is unbelievable!

It is not like I couldn’t have learned this sooner. I can remember at least two doctors recommending back exercises. I just could not imagine that a problem that practically immobilized me could actually be cured by mobilization.

If only I had told my sister earlier. I’ve never listened to doctors but I’ve always listened to Elenore – whether I wanted to or not :-)

I found the name of the tape. It is a program developed by Dr. Hans Kraus and is published by Westwood Productions called SAY GOODBYE TO BACKPAIN, The Y's Way to a Healthy Back, used by the YMCA and developed to benefit JFK.

Friday, December 08, 2006

MAJESTIC

We were coming home yesterday afternoon down the country road. It is still very snowy and cold, but the sun was shining and we were toasty and comfortable in the car. I daydream more than I view the sights plus I was still feeling lousy. Thankfully I can depend on Ron to point out anything of interest.

Suddenly Ron slammed on the brakes and exclaimed, “I think that was a bald eagle!” He shifted into reverse and began to back up as I craned my neck looking for the tree where Ron had indicated the bird would be. Ron had to watch where he was going so I got to watch for the eagle.

Sure enough, I was able to view this beautiful creature up-close and personal, as it rose from its perched position into a full and graceful winged lift into the sky. It was an awesome sight. God gives us the beauty of the earth and Ron gives me the gift of bringing nature’s beauty to my attention.

We watched it move through the sky until it was a dot. Ron said by the size, coloring and full white head it was probably at least five years old. Why was it here, where was it going? What a blessing to catch a glimpse of this majestic creature on its journey.

ITS ALIVE!!!!

I am "IT" and I am alive. After another night of 20 minute sleep segments, I finally was able to get two complete one hour segments and I actually feel on road to staying alive this morning.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

cybrarian

The Word of the Day for December 6 is:

cybrarian \sye-BRAIR-ee-un\ noun
: a person whose job is to find, collect, and manage information that is available on the World Wide Web

Example sentence: The library provided an e-mail address to submit inquiries to the cybrarian.

Did you know? We've been using "librarian" for the people who manage libraries since at least the beginning of the 18th century, and the word was used for scribes and copyists even earlier than that. "Cybrarian," on the other hand, is much newer; its earliest documented use is from 1992. "Librarian" combines "library" (itself from "liber," the Latin word for book) and the noun suffix "-an," meaning "one specializing in." When people wanted a word for a person who performed duties similar to those of a librarian by using information from the Internet, they went a step further and combined "cyber-," meaning "of, relating to, or involving computers or a computer network," with "librarian" to produce the new "cybrarian."

Subscribe to Merriam-Webster Online word of the day here.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

December 5, 1914

Today is a very special Tuesday as we remember Dad's Birthday and celebrate his memory. He would be 92 years old today. We think of him lovingly. We all miss him so much.

Monday, December 04, 2006

WINTER WONDERLAND

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SMART DOG

Everyone knows how smart we believe Slim to be. It is important to convince ourselves that she is a smart dog to justify keeping her and spending so much money on her care and feeding.

With all this snow and very cold temperatures we have allowed Slim to come in the house at night. She is smart, so she stays on her pallet by the front door with her chew bones and water and does not move out of her assigned area. In the morning Slim is right where she is supposed to be.

Ron and I are courteous sleepers as well as very sound sleepers. We touch in the night or brush against one another, but we do not push or shove. The other night Ron kept pushing me and when I woke up Ron was accusing me of pushing him. Actually our smart dog Slim was in the middle of our bed pushing both of us so she could get more comfortable. We guess she had been sleeping with us every night.

Well, you still have to say she is smart.

SHOOT THE FLU BUG

Ron and I both had flu shots. Yet he has struggled with some mild, flu-like symptoms, and I acquired a stronger version.

Yes, I am drinking plenty of liquids. Thus, I awakened every two hours during the night last night to get up and pee. Finally at 4:00 this morning I gave up and stayed up.

Viewing me in the bathroom mirror revealed a face even a mother could NOT love. My nose is red and swollen and my lips are dry and cracked. I sound like a cartoon character when I speak and my voice feels like my words are coming out my ears and not my mouth.

I am trying to draw a picture of the flu bug. It has feathers on its feet and the hands are big paddles. The two antennas on a flu bug are very long and one has a pointy end while the other has a hammer on the end. This way the bug can stand at the back of your throat and tickle you with feather feet until you cough madly then the paddle hands are used to push volumes out your nose while the spiked and hammer antennas prod and pound your temples creating a headache to end all headaches. I’m not positive, but I would guess the flu bug is a blended color of green, yellow and brown.

We did shoot the flu bug, but it looks like we missed.

MIKE AND LESLIE AT THANKSGIVING

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