It was a very Good Day

 

Sunrise over our state capitol, 9-29-21, courtesy WSFA.

Is it just me, or does this remind anyone else of the closing scenes from Gone With the Wind?

Mr. God sure paints some pretty pictures!

Good morning friends!

... and thank you again for your prayers.  They were felt.

Thanks to some angels -- both in the V.A. and the business office -- Tom was finally released late Tuesday afternoon!   Ugh, on the finger-pointing between Medicare and VA.  

Not going there, but aging in America sure isn't what it used to be.

😒

Macie and Grace were beside themselves when they spotted their daddy.  Good thing they're small, or he might have thrown to the ground.  We were both exhausted and fell asleep early.

Had to be up early yesterday, to run his prescriptions to the VA in Montgomery.  On the way, the home healthcare lady phoned to say she'd be over at 5, so that left us time to run errands.

Wow.  So many shelves at PetSmart were empty ... I guess Chewy wasn't lying!  Had to choose 'weight management' -- but I won't be sharing that with the ladies.   Things are tough all over!

Tom was so cute while at Target.  Think, a little kid who's just been given his allowance.  Went to look for sports socks to protect his pic-lines, and wound up with a new jacket, fleece-lined pants ... and caramels.

Stopped at Publix for Genoa salami (him) and my cheese.  But like the mythical Lorelei, it sucked us further inside.  Seriously, I haven't seen him in a better mood in years -- not caring about the cost of goods or whether we need something.  Good thing we don't shop there more than once a month!

😁

The home health care lady came and quieted (most of) my fears about doing the infusions.  I actually got a sick stomach worrying about screwing something up -- and almost did this morning.  Thankfully, Tom caught it.  2x a day for 10 weeks -- yikes!

Face it, I'm not nurse material; certainly not one you want with you in the lifeboat.   My hat's off big-time to those who do!

🤗

Thankful to be home, yakking with my Best Bloggy Friends!

Stay safe out there!

Hugs, Myra

The Good ... and not so good.

 

... So are the days of our lives.

Remember this swamp scene across the street a couple of weeks ago?

And, remember me saying the 911 operator in Millbrook said she couldn't help us because we live in Coosada?

Well, guess what I spotted out my window this morning?

That's a City of Millbrook work crew on our front lawn, working to drain and divert all the standing water across the street.  (Also in Coosada.)

I strongly suspect the owner of Chapman Christian Academy -- the former mayor of Coosada -- may have had something to do with this.   His wife is a new FB friend of mine; she told me after the last storm, anytime we need limbs picked up, etc. just drag them over to her side of the street and she'll make a call.

Politics in Small Town Deep South.  Love it!

Our back yard at Noon today.  Oh well!

😎

Tom's still being held in the hospital 'til Monday or Tuesday.

He/we were so disappointed he wasn't being released this afternoon.

When his doctor walked in the room, asked the aides to step out and close the door, I got the worst feeling ever.  It was actually a relief to hear he has Osteomyelitis.  She cautioned us, it's still dangerous if not treated ... but it IS treatable.

He has to stay another few days while they work to identify just what kind of bacteria is attacking his spine.   She'll then sign release papers and he'll be treated 6 weeks home health care infusion therapy.

What's that Gilda said?  It's always something!

😎

Finally, just because ...

My sweet DIL texted this picture of Grandlove #2.

Hard to believe, this is the same girl who used to try every which way to avoid having her picture taken.

Thanks so much for listening!

Hugs, Myra  

 

 

Update!

Thank y'all so much for your sweet comments!   I texted with Troy this afternoon who wrote, "I'm good and getting better slowly."

Apologies in advance for not getting around to everyone's posts today!

When I woke to take the dogs out this morning, I discovered Tom in distress.   Long story short, he's been suffering from back pain for several months -- we treat with super Tylenol and Voltaren.  This morning, however, his pain levels were through the roof.

He agreed to a trip to the ER, but could barely stand and couldn't walk.  

Called 9-1-1.  But when the operator took our address, she (politely) informed me she was Millbrook and we live in Coosada.

See that Town Limit sign on the left?

I'm standing on Pastor Janet's lot in MILLBROOK, looking at our home in COOSADA!

It actually crossed my mind to try and drag him across the driveway. LOL.

'Was transferred to the Coosada sheriff who summoned an ambulance.

Long story short, everyone was super nice and VERY thorough.  Given his history of lung cancer, the CAT scan was read, and read again.  No cancer, yeay!  A room became available late this afternoon.  MRI's next. TBD

Meanwhile Tom's happily doped up on a Dilaudid drip and I'm going to fix myself a Tanqueray and tonic.

Bottom's up, y'all!

Thank you for being here!

💛

Monday chatter

 

Happy Fall, y'all!

Outside my window?
When I started this early today, it was raining.  Again.

But when I stepped outside with the dogs, I spotted a sweet Cardinal thoroughly enjoying a leisurely bath in the stream.  Totally oblivious of the dogs, he preened himself this way and that.  

Times like this, I'd love to have a real, whiz-bang camera.

A few hours later ...

At the conclusion of our ladies Bible study, Brenda was first out the door.  A few seconds later, back inside.  Barricade stance, serious expression: "Y'all be careful out there!"

What?  What is it?

Brenda: "The sun's shining!"

Speaking of, I'm thinking the conclusion of this particular study can't come soon enough.  I'm trying, but this one leaves me cold.

Came home and picked up Tom.  How that fellow loves to grocery shop!

For the second time this month, developmentally disabled young men were bagging.  (While their teachers stood watching.)  One even came running when Tom couldn't get an empty cart to let go from its mates.  I hate when that happens!

Anyway.  Big smiles, calling everyone 'sir' or 'maam', wishing us a nice day.  So sweet; I love that our local grocer encourages these sorts of initiatives. 

I'm concerned.  My son called yesterday; it sounds like he's fighting Covid.  Both tests came back negative, but he has all the symptoms -- kicking his you-know-what.  He's lost 8 lbs. last week and it seemed to exhaust him to speak for more than a few minutes.

I offered to help him run his routes -- he's a self-employed distributor for Little Debbie -- but he doesn't want us exposed.  We finally agreed, Lois will call me if things warrant a trip to the ER.

If you're inclined to pray, I'd sure appreciate it!

Meanwhile ...
I've been playing house.  Thank you, Dollar Store!  And thank you, Target for these sweet foam pumpkins. Only $1 each!

Hopefully, our friends Jean and Bob will be joining us Saturday for roast and fixings.

I've no clue what comes after that -- but seeing these makes me happy, so there's that.

Y'all have a super new week!

Hugs, Myra

   

Saturday smiles

 

Have a great day, friends! 🌞

TBT: Gotcha!

 

Happy #8 'Gotcha Day' to our darling delinquents!

I'll never forget the day we brought you home.  Daddy was over the moon; me not so much.

Only 6 months before my heart dog, Caraleigh, passed suddenly.  I wasn't done grieving.  Certainly, there was no room in my heart for an imposter -- never mind, two!

But just like friends predicted, daddy's depression began to go away, he began to fight that horrid cancer in earnest.

Privately I referred to you as 'the rodents.'  But you knew better.  Little by little the ice floe in my heart began to thaw.   And when you, big girl, swallowed the tip from the door stop, I was the one who panicked, insisting daddy rush you to the vet.   

It occurred to me, Wow. I love you. 

Sure, it's been challenging. 

Oh yes, they did!

Your true personalities have emerged.  Grace, despite your size and sweet demeanor, you're no pushover.  Your sister's the one most prone to tummy issues ... to get her feelings hurt. 

Today you're all grown up ... mellow.

Come the end of each day, you snuggle with 'your person' ... sometimes even each other!

Thank you for loving me, even when I wasn't so loveable!

💜💛

  

Recap!

 

G'evening friends,

Where were we, now?   Oh yeah.   I was fretting over what to wear to our friend's End of Summer Bash.

So, I'm learning to sniff out the 'better' estate sales.  Come Friday, Tom was all, "let's go!"   He got a new battery pack for his flight box and I discovered a long, like-new hankerchief skirt.

Unfortunately, there was no time to find a seamstress to take in the waist.  No suitable tops or sandals.  

I consulted Pastor Janet:  "Just wear something fun.  Shorts, jeans, even."

The band was soooo good!  When she opened with Fleetwood Mac ... wow, y'all.

They play all about Auburn, Lake Martin, Prattville.  Locals, check out their Facebook page, Smoke and Mirrors

Reality.  Janet's advice was spot-on.  I went with a boho top, my nicest jeans and boots.   Except the 3" heels was a Big Mistake - I was petrified I was going to do a face plant.  (And no, alcohol wasn't involved!)

We sat with a nice couple, both retired from the Air Force/Army.   Her: "I'm a Georgia girl, he's a Montana cowboy who met at the North Pole."

That's her on the pink top doing the electric slide

Hanging in the outdoor kitchen

* * *

My little eBay play-project's coming along!  Stunned at what seems to draw attention!  For instance.  I glanced in my Goodwill 'pitch it' box at the Sony Walkman.  Then for giggles, I looked online and saw some are fetching as much as $100!

An assortment of souviner menus, etc. from my family's time aboard the Queen Elizabeth and Queen Mary.  24 hours later, "I release you!"

One of my only memories from those voyages is mother grabbing my arm and pulling me back, under the purple rope that separated us from First Class.

Tom asked me last night, "What are you going to do when you run out of stuff?"  That boy'd better keep his shop door locked!

Oh, I'm not making the kind of money to spring for a new clothes dryer.  Yep, our 3-1/2 y/o Maytag bit the dust a few days ago and the earliest we can get a service tech out is next Wednesday.  So much for "Made in the USA."  Wanna make a wager if parts are even available?

Oh well, I'm not having second thoughts about the paper I just put in my Amazon cart.  Another simple pleasure -- premium weight junior legal tables.  (Weird, but I'm addicted to heavy paper stock.)

Life goes on ...

'Glad you're along for the ride!

Hugs, Myra 

Friday favorites

 

The other day a popular meme asked participants to name 10 of their 'right now' favorite things.   Without over-thinking as I'm apt to do, I got to looking around.  And picked 11.  (So sue me, lol). 

Little things mean a lot.

It might be fun to look at a year from now and see how many still resonate, ya know?   

In no particular order .....

* What she said this morning!

(Click to enlarge)

* Soft leggings

* This guy's daily column

seandietrich.com

* Strong coffee

* Auburn football

* Smocked dresses

* Acorn spice scented hand soap

* Naps

* South in my mouth

conecuhsausage.com

* Nubby old towels, aged from too many washings

* And of course these two... 

"Remember sis... use your INDOOR voice!"

Thanks for visiting today!

Hugs, Myra

 

Currently in Coosada

Scene across the street this morning

Thankful, for the speedy response by our Air Conditioning service provider yesterday.  Not 30 minutes after I called in 'panic mode', someone pulled into our drive.  Two new capacitors and all's well again!

Only then did the storm arrive ... accompanied by LOUD thunder and lightning that went on for hours.  More than once I went to the front window to be sure one of our trees wasn't down.  Tom raised an eyebrow when he saw me go to the refrigerator, but hey.  Near-death experiences make me hungry!

Reading

I just finished The Family Across the Street --  "A psychological thriller with a shocking twist."  Never in a hundred years could I have predicted that ending.  4 stars!

In the kitchen.

Want to know when you're old?  When you get excited, really excited, about sink strainers.

Because this is our first home with septic -- I'm uber diligent about not letting 'stuff' go down the kitchen drain.  I can't tell you how many differt strainers I've tried, each a hassle to keep clean and free of debris.    

Well, no more!  Introducing, Dripsies! (Click here.)  I've already ordered another pair for son and DIL and may get a second pair to have as back-up.

An upset?

A blogger friend - who shall remain anonymous - has a follower who seemingly enjoys calling attention to his spelling errors, etc.  The other day, in fact, she made an unsolicited, disparaging comment about the length of a post.  "Constructive criticism," she claims. 

  

No, I'm not boiling.  More like a slow simmer.  This has no bearing on me, but stuff like that gets under my skin.  She may be a very nice person, but I don't like her.

Looking forward

I got a PM last week from our Bible study leader, saying she'd sent me an invite on FB to a party she's having this coming weekend. "Hope you can make it!"

Lara Sue's indeed a nice lady, but in the last couple years, we've had little personal interaction.  You might say, she's out of my league.  Believing she'd been hacked, I sent an e-mail -- "Did you mean to send me a PM just now about a party?"   (Think, the popular head cheerleader who remembers my name. LOL)

But yes.  She's hosting a big 'End of Summer" bash, complete with a caterer and a band, and wants us there.

What I can't wrap my mind around, she's known the other ladies for years, but I'm only one of two (besides Pastor Janet) who's been invited.

... Obsessing (a teeny bit) over what to wear.  Casual, but not 'poor' casual, ya know?  I'm thinking Talbots casual.   Gonna play it somewhere in between.

At least I won't be like this lady!

Cracks me up every time!

Y'all stay safe and sound!

Hugs, Myra

   

 

Sunday Stealing

 

Thanks to Bev Sykes for this week's posers.  Please, join us, right HERE!

  

What's your favorite TV channel to watch in the middle of the night?

WSFA Channel 12.  The only time you'd find me watching TV in the middle of the night is in the event of a possible tornado.

Which decade do you feel the most special connection to and why?

Definitely the 50's.  Oftentimes I've wished I'd been born 10 years earlier, so I might enjoy those things that escaped me as a child.

Some might disagree, but I think the world was a safer, nicer place.  The ugliest thing one might say to the another is, "You've got cooties."  No school shootings or other senseless acts of violence.   

What is your favorite oldie/classic rock song?

Impossible to choose!

I favored all things the 'British Invasion' brought to the airways, but I'm going with something closer to home.  (A grocery-store sing-along, I've had this stuck in my head for days!)

Left Banke, "Walk Away Renee"

  

What Disney villain are you the most like and why?

I'm not familiar with Disney villains ..... but since I'm always up for a nice pork chop, let's go with this guy.

Have you ever been a Girl Scout/Boy Scout?

If you were traveling to another continent would your rather fly or take a boat?

A ship, please.  (Fingers crossed, I hope to never fly again.)

What are 3 of your favorite dog names of all time?

Caraleigh, Macie Ann, Grace Evelyn

How do you feel when you see a rainbow?

Sad.  All my life; I've no idea why.

If you were in the Land of Oz would you want to live there or go home?

There's no place like home!

What is the first word that comes to mind when you see the word:

Air:  Conditioning

Meat:  Steak

Different:  Odd

Pink:  Bazooka (bubble gum)

Deserve:  Karma

White:  Sale

Elvis:  meh

Magic:  Fake

Heart:  Break

Clash:  Metallic

Pulp:  Egg Carton

Happy Sunday y'all!

Have a most blessed day.

Hugs, Myra

Thoughts on Thursday eve

 

G'evening,

It may be only Hump Day, but I'm feeling led to recap our week.

As some of y'all saw on Facebook, after last week's grooming Macie Ann began favoring her right ear.  Concerned, I called her vet who had an opening Sunday afternoon.  He confirmed an infection: 2 kinds of bacteria -- thankfully, not the bad kind.  Antibiotic gel and a shot in the fanny, and our big girl's right as rain!  All the same, I'm not cancelling next week's check-up.

Monday was Tom's one month follow-up with the surgeon in Birmingham.  I wasn't delighted to travel amongst the outer bands of Hurricane Ida, but it was worth it.  Doc's happy with the results, but suggested we come back in 6 weeks to see if there's any further improvement.  Worst-case scenario, she may have to do the same (clip the muscle) in his left eye.

Anyway!  Tom went out to the flying field for the first time in nearly two years!  It was his buddy who actually flew, but Tom was pretty excited to be able to see it in the air.

OK then!  My 90-day challenge results:  12 lbs. gone (forever, I hope).  BMI 24 to 22.

Granted, the first two weeks were difficult.  I'd become so accustomed the last 3 years to randomly consuming Butterfingers, pizza ... senseless acts of eating because I was bored.

So, I asked Tom last night:  "Have you witnessed me denying myself this summer?"  Nope.  While he enjoys pasta, I normally go through 5 lbs. of loose meat (ground chuck) each week.... Conecuh sausage, eggs with fresh veggies, walnuts, Bellavitano cheese.

Now what?  I like this quote: "Our dreams are like the rest areas on a cross-country trip. They refresh us, help us to gauge the distance we've come, and give us a chance to consider our destination."

There's little I miss, but I do look forward to having a slice of cheesecake on our anniversary.  Perhaps the Remy Martin espresso martini I read about.   Or this!

Cahawba House's

"Best Breakfast Sandwich in State of Alabama"

(by USA Today)

Scrambled eggs, Conecuh sausage, fried green tomatoes, pimento cheese.  Hold the bread.  "It's big and messy ... a knife and fork kind of sandwich."

Something else before I go!  I can't remember if this has ever been discussed?

Recently I wondered, "Why do I always chew my food on the left side of my mouth?"

I shifted the next mouthful to the right side and ..... AWKWARD!  For a second I thought I might choke.

I consulted Google, which resulted in a mish-mash of differing opinions: Warnings of everything from facial assemetry to TMJ.  I'm going with the one that suggests folks are simply predisposed to chewing on one side or another.  "The process of chewing is almost automatic, requiring very little concentration on your part."

One less thing with which to concern myself.

Are you a 'leftie' or a 'rightie'?  Both?

Or, do you care? 🙂

Hey, I appreciate your visit!
Stay safe out there.

Hugs, Myra