Blessed Again

Have settled in the recliner and so glad to be home after 4 days in the hospital ridding myself of cellulitis with the assistance doctors, nurses, IV antibiotics and most of all the good Lord.

Last Saturday morning, I awoke to find rash looking 'discoloration' on my left leg where I had the NF surgery.  My leg felt 'tight' and I had had flu-like symptoms and fever on the previous Wednesday and Thursday.  Knowing how that was similar to how I felt at the onset of the NF, I was scared.  I called one of my dear doctor friends and he gave 'orders' to go to the ER in Kingsport since my doctors were there and they had my records.  So we headed out Saturday morning and I was finally moved to a room late that afternoon.  I stayed 3 more days. 

I had about a total of maybe 5 hours of sleep the whole time.  For some reason, I can NOT sleep in a hospital. Last night I had 3 straight hours of sleep and rest of slumber were naps.   Hopefully sleep will come easy tonight.

So blessed to have a husband and daughter to come pick me up on such a snowy evening.
We got to stop and eat at Fatz and ole Rosy got us home safely. 

Glad Mags and I get to have us a snow day tomorrow. 

Yep, God has blessed again!!!

Tasty Lunch

A "snow day" (without snow/yes, school was cancelled for predicted snow two days ago/1-17) and cleaning out a kitchen cabinet = a homemade lunch for Maggie and me.  I "unearthed" a box of beer bread mix and a box of Chicken and Wild Rice soup mix.  

They both took the same amount of time to bake and simmer so  about an hour later, Maggie and I were warmed and fed by these tasty blessings.  How grateful to be able to prepare (even though easy) these with the conveniences of an electric stove and oven.  No chopping wood or hauling water or grinding corn....yes, I guess I'm spoiled.  Most of us are.  Thank you, Lord.

Saturday Mornings

Saturday mornings have a different "feel" about them than any other morning and I'm not sure what it is.  It's so nice to be in a warm home with my Maggie watching Toy Story 3, one of our favorite movies.

I remember as a child how much I loved Saturday mornings watching cartoons.  That was way before Cartoon Network and all of the other cartoon stations that can now be watched at anytime.  I was usually a very early riser, even on the weekends, so most of the time I was on the couch  (way before Mom and Dad got up) in the kitchen/den watching Quick Draw McGraw, Bugs Bunny, The Jetsons, Yogi Bear, The Flintstones and other "tunes" on that old black and white set we had.  You know the one where you had to get up and manually change the channels and you had to wait for it to "warm up" before the picture showed on the screen?!  I remember when we got our first color set....wow!  I honestly thought we were "rich"!   We always had a portable television unlike my Mamaw Russell.  She had a big cabinet tv which was a prominent classy furnishing in her living room. 

I never had a television in my room.  We only had the one which was hooked up to the antennae behind the house.  If the reception was not very good, one of us would go out back and turn the antennae until we heard the person inside watching the television holler, "STOP!" whenever the picture brightened and became clearer.  Our neighbors had one of those gizmos which had a dial on it and it controlled the antennae without having to exit the house.  I admit, I was a bit jealous. 

Our one television provided us with hours of family entertainment.  Mom didn't have to worry about what I might see, hear or learn on the programs I was viewing.  And she certainly didn't have to even consider being concerned about the commercials being shown. Times were different then and I'm glad I got to experience that  era.

Oh my, commercials..... I need to grab the remote and change this channel.... Cialis, HRT, and Trojans just don't seem appropriate for Saturday morning viewing audiences.  But then again, maybe they are!  Today's kids have their phones, ipads, and other techy gadgets.  Maybe it's just us old folks watching Saturday cartoons now!

One Cleaned Out Kitchen Cabinet

I just love it when I actually get something "constructive" completed even though nobody will see it but me....well, maybe Rosy and Maggie.

I cleaned out the base cabinet that is home to the flour, corn meal, and brown sugar along with my Mamaw's stand mixer, her glass pie plates (2 regular and 2 deep dish), and cake pans.  I also forgot I had a small food processor, ice crusher, and coffee bean grinder.  Or course, there were lots of things that had found a home in there that have now been cast into the trash.  Yes, I threw some stuff away!!!  Yay, me!

Now I have a cabinet that will make my baking (yes, I bake so often, cough/cough) less a hassle when I brace myself as I open the cabinet door.  Now, things will NOT fall out and I will be glad to get to things with greater ease. 

Hmmmmm, what kind of cake will I bake now?  Maybe Mamaw's delicious white cake with white icing!  Naaaaaa, I will just enjoy knowing I have at least one cleaned out cabinet.  Wonder how long it will stay that way?!?!?!

(Thanks, Maggie, for getting waaaaayyyyy back in the back for me!)

I Skipped a Year

Good grief...2013 totally passed without an entry.

2013 began and ended rather well, but the middle....well, it was rather 'an ordeal' as my BFF, Georgeanne described it.  Just to mention and not to dwell on it, I fell victim to the flesh-eating disease, Necrotizing Fasciitis.  I was admitted to the hospital on April 1st (no foolin') and spent 39 days in the hospital with having 11 debridement surgeries.  The summer was spent recuperating with home health nurses coming to dress my wound, which when I was discharged from the hospital was 50"x5"x7".  By the end of September, I was completely healed without plastic surgery or skin grafts.  All due to the prayers of family, friends and the healing hand of the Great Physician.  My Rosy and Maggie were so faithful in their care and love.  May God bless them forever for ALL they did before, during and after being admitted to the hospital.  End of story for 2013.

2014 is teasing us weather predictions of snow.  Only flurries and nothing substantial/no 'snow days' for the kids and teachers yet.  We did survive a very brief "Polar Vortex"...some of the coldest weather we have experience in 20 years.  While the vortex was 'texxing', our new heat pump decided to go out.  The windows in my bedroom were literally frosted...on the inside!  Apparently, there was a gas leak in West Hills and it 'sucked' all the gas from us and the heat pump tried to restart and didn't have enough gas to do so.  All it took, thank the Lord, was the heat pump fella coming and flipping 'the switch'!  Wish all things were that simple. 

My baby girl is counting down the days until she turns 18.  Yes, only 3 more months.  Graduation is a mere 4 months away.  Where has time gone?!

Part of my 'excitement' is the visitation of "my" squirrels.  Notchie, Wynken, Blynken and Nod.  Notchie is the most famous.  He has been here a year and a half and trusts me enough to eat nuts from a jar I'm holding.  The others, not so confident, do come to the sidewalk and porch and partake of peanuts, bird feed, apples, popcorn and whatever else I think they might like.   (They do NOT like broccoli!) 

I am blessed in my little corner of the world where I could just hibernate for the winter with my ole tomcat, Oliver, by my side on the arm of the recliner. 

I count my blessings and am so grateful for the grace and mercy I receive everyday.

2012 has come to a close....and it proved that the Mayans just ran out of room on their calendar stone.  Now, maybe Maggie has a chance at graduating high school in 2014!
Joys, sadness, births, and deaths once again came with this year.  Crazy people killing innocent children in a school setting, killing at malls and movie theaters.  A gang rape in India in a public setting.  Wow, how numbing it is!

I am saddened that Maggie and 'the younger generation' will never know life as I did.  Really being safe at school. Walking home from school and not worrying about some stranger or goof head trying to pick me up.  Being sent to the Citizens Union Bank when I was in the 8th grade by Mrs. Romans, my wonderful teacher, to cash her check during school hours.  Yes, she sent me alone and trusted that I would get back to school with all of her money.  Being left at home during the summer and being trusted to be good and behave.

I wish 2013 would be 'like it used to be' for the youngsters.....I can hope.

While I can hope, I made a resolution several years ago not to make resolutions.  Seems that's the only resolution I have ever kept!!!  Now I don't have to worry about that hanging over my head.  The only thing I have worry about now is staying awake.
I'm sitting here trying to get sleepy cause I KNOW I'm gonna need a nap to make it till midnight....

I enjoy ringing in the new year with family and friends in a 'social setting' but I must admit that there is nothing like ringing in the new year in my gown in the coziness of my little humble abode.  I suppose I had better hush to see if a little nappie is in my future as I close out 2012.

Happy 2013.

My Gift

Two years ago, a couple of months before Christmas, I ventured to Full Cycle Wood Works to purchase a piece of walnut for a rolling pin.  Was I going to make the rolling pin?  Heavens NO.  But I was hoping my hubby would. (you can read in a previous post of what I did with it..that would be 2 yrs ago "Dec. 15, 2010" post, I think). 

No rolling pin 2010.  No rolling pin for birthday, or anniversary or Christmas 2011.

But Christmas Eve, 2012, my true love gave to me....the most beautiful walnut rolling pin...a piece of art and perfect craftsmanship.  I cried, he cried, Maggie cried.   I told Maggie it is to be hers and passed on down for generations to come.  He had no pattern but his own talent and instinct.  It is a treasure.  It rates right up there with that beautiful shiny new green Schwinn 26" bicycle Santa brought me when I was a little girl....in fact, it may top it for first place!

Love you Rose Bud!

Tis the Season

It's been 8 months (almost a full term pregnancy) since I have posted a new entry....geepers/where has time gone?   (I did lose the password and just now reset it)

It's just two days since that sick young man murdered those precious little children and those dedicated adults in Connecticut...how do we deal with that? I cannot imagine the anger, grief and hurt those families are feelings right now.  I wonder about those presents under the tree that were intended for those children and how Santa will deal with those leftover gifts.  Only prayers for those families seems the only thing we can do.  My heart aches for them all.

Ramblings

Holy Week. Trees blooming. Flowers blossoming. My baby turning 16 next week.
New beginnings. Rebirth. Lovey dovey sitting on her nest on our carport. The new grass is that beautiful shade of green. The river is rising. The air smells fresh. The temps are perfect.
Ahhhhh, April.

Where has a year plus gone?

My dearest friend, Georgeanne, texted me a month ago and said it had been a year to the day that I had posted on my blog....WHAT!?!?!?!?!? Heavens to Betsy, what's up with that? Life as it is, I suppose. Then again, I wonder who cares anyway....lol.

Sitting here at the dining room table, my new desk, is see new beginnings out the dining room window. Flowers blooming, trees budding, grass is growing and getting greener....Where was winter? I've worn a cape 3 times this winter. No sweaters. Are we going to be fooled to think that Spring is here to stay? I remember the blizzard of '93. I remember the HUGE snow in April of '87. Sarah was a year old on April 6 that year and Ann and I wrapped her up (Aunt Ruby didn't want us to take her out for fear she would get sick/but of course we didn't listen), spread out a blanket on the snow and sat her on it and took a picture. Yep, a snow in April.

We had better enjoy this weather because we may just have to pay for it later.

NOTE: btw/ Sarah didn't get sick but we sure have a cute picture of her!

Enjoy the spring!