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:)

VISITING ROYALTY

He came on our property on Sunday.  His ribs were sticking out and his belly was sunken,  He did not seem to have much energy. When Slim tried to do her job of running the stray off our property, the visitor simply laid down.  Finally Slim managed to move the dog and it jumped in the back of Ron's pickup.  This stranger spent most of the day pretending to be going somewhere in the truck. 

Since it was Sunday there was no one available at the animal shelter plus if anyone would take him, we would have to deliver him and I feared trying to get close though he did seem like a nice dog. Still, who knew what disease he might be carrying. I wanted to feed him, but Ron pointed out that he would then be my dog. 

Soon the situation became more fragile.  The chickens were bedding down in the hen house and White-Spotted Dog joined them there.  Frenzy followed and the chickens went berserk with the intruder in their home.  Neither Slim nor I could coax the dog out of the chicken house so I called neighbors and found one at home willing to help.  "Do you want me to shoot him?" the fellow inquired and I reluctantly replied "Maybe.  It does seem awfully sick and that might be the best thing."

My dog-loving neighbor arrived and did not get out with the gun.  First he went in the hen house and introduced himself to this stray who seemed mighty glad to be getting petted.  My good Samaritan then told me that he knew this dog and would contact the owner.  He called the fellow and it wasn't his but he knew who it belonged to.  The owner had been looking for the dog all day. 

This dog that I thought about having shot turned out to be the last of his blood line and he was a 12 year old Grand National Champion bird dog ...with cancer.  The reunion with his owner made me cry. Thank God the neighbor I found at home was willing to help, knew what to do and was not eager to shoot this registered royalty.

MAMA SAID THERE'D BE DAYS LIKE THIS

Question Of The Week 1-7-13

What is the most valuable life lesson you learned from your parents?

My mother told me: "Never put anything in writing that you would be embarrassed or ashamed for someone else to read."

My father told me:  "You will never have all the answers but don't ever stop asking questions." 

DIDN'T SEE THIS COMING

You have met Rooster King Kong.  He is a pretty boy and makes us very proud.  I was a tad bit disappointed because he didn't resemble his father, Jack Bauer, at all.  Well, other than his size. 

Suddenly I viewed the growing youngest set of chicks and behold, this little guy is the spitting image of Rooster Jack Bauer.  If J.B. Jr. grows as large as his dad and his brother King Kong we might have some trouble a'brewin'.