Belated Happy Thanksgiving!

Things have been busy here!

In the process of having a leaky vent pipe on the roof fixed, it was determined that we would have to start thinking about replacing the roof soon. So we started getting estimates and the first one was a good one, so we said okay and had things set up for work to be done in a couple weeks. Then on Tuesday afternoon we got a call saying the crew had some free time and could they come on Wednesday morning. Well, sure! It was a good crew and they got here a little after 7:30 in the morning. Immediately several were up on the roof tearing off the old shingles. Soon after that, the big truck with the conveyor arrived to unload the new, much better shingles. Have you ever been in a house getting a new roof?? It's LOUD! I had to go to work. Golfer stuck around to handle anything that came up. The furry kids went into hiding. The guys also re-roofed the shed so it matches. They were all done by late afternoon. They cleaned up the yard and all was well.

Other things taking up my time and energy are Christmas shopping, Christmas preparations, Thanksgiving cooking, all the usual house stuff, and work. Add in the physical therapy and a couple doctor appointments and there goes the time!

Golfer and I did squeeze in a lovely drive one afternoon. It was going to be one of the last warmer days and it was a good time for a ride in Duke, the convertible. The Colonial Parkway was lovely - still some color on some of the trees. We took the Jamestown ferry across the river to Surry and stopped for pie and coffee, then continued our drive through some lovely country.

The leaf sweeper has been getting a workout around here. Golfer goes out and sweeps up leaves a couple times a week. A few times the leaves were coming down faster than he was picking them up! And even though we've had a little frost here, we still have some lovely azaleas blooming and my porch geranium is still going strong. The grass looks better than it did all Summer!

That's about it from here. I was taking a break after doing a few errands and now it's time to go put some decorations on the tree! Golfer and I got it together yesterday and finally figured out how to get all the lights to come on, so the rest should be easy! Stay safe!

BACK TO WORK!

Today was my first day back to work. It went well. Sadly, I didn't think to take a camera with me to take a picture of my office before I started cleaning it up. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the work the ladies did in covering things. Most of them were volunteers and I wouldn't dream of complaining to them or about them. But one lady was getting paid to do my work.

Every flat surface in the office had some piles on it. And there were piles of stuff on the floor. Evidently, she didn't want to throw anything away while I was gone. So most of the morning was spent going through the piles and boxes, putting things away, getting things to the people where they should have gone, and bagging up three garbage bags of trash. And the rest of the time was spent trying to get my computer to work. It died while I was away. Repairs were attempted, but obviously were not successful. So that has to be dealt with.

Tomorrow is another day.

In other news, we had a wonderful visit with Golfer's brother, L, and his wife, V. They came for the weekend so L could play in a golf tournament with Golfer. They had a good time and wonderful weather. V and I had fun, too, although I can't really recommend going to the Premier Outlet Mall on a Saturday morning this close to Christmas! But it was fun.

It's cool here and is supposed to rain off and on for the next couple days.

I'm still going to physical therapy three times a week. It's going well. I may try the pool again tomorrow.

Boxer has been sick with strep throat, we're sending him good wishes. Hi, to Bloomer, too! And BeyB is getting the braces on her bottom teeth this week and we wish her well.

That's about all from here. Stay safe!

AAAAAHHHHHHH!

Golfer and I just got home from the pool at the "Y"! I finally got the okay yesterday to get back in the water. I was cautioned to take it easy and not over-do and it felt great! I have a few observations to share:

I think my balance is better when I'm in the water.

I also think that my new knee is heavier than the "original" one I was born with! It felt odd in the water; like it was heavier. Golfer was in the next lane and he said it was the new metal of the new knee. Makes sense. But not something anyone tells a person about ahead of time!

That's all the news here - just wanted to share. Stay safe!

Well.

Yes, we are still here. I just realized how long it has been since I wrote anything!

I don't know where the time has gone. I've been busy recuperating and going to PT. And trying to do a little more everyday with all the other things in life I want to do. I had a minor set-back when I ended up in the ER one Sunday morning. I woke with a fever and increased pain and swelling and a killer headache. I called my doctor's answering service and he called me back within five minutes and said go to the ER. He was worried about a blood clot. So Golfer hustled me on up to the Mary Immaculate ER where I was tested and poked, and scanned and x-rayed. After about five hours, they didn't find any blood clots but did find an infection at my incision site. So that meant more meds and a stop to the PT for a while. But it is pretty much all better now.

The PT is going well and I plan to go back to work next week. (The PT will continue for while longer) Just today I was given the okay to get back into the swimming pool but cautioned to "take it easy". So I'm looking forward to that.

Golfer and I have been keeping busy around the house. The yard looks better than it has for months! We even have some azalea bushes blooming right now. And my geraniums are still lovely. The grass seed has sprouted and grown and the yard is greener than it's been all Summer! It's gotten cooler here and there has even been some frost in some areas. The leaves are really starting to fall now.

Golfer and I have also been spending time getting to know our new car - a 2010 Acura TL. Lovely, comfortable car with lots of buttons and levers and way more technology than we can use yet!

I have been trying to get a handle on the Christmas shopping. I have tried a couple one-hour shopping trips and it's gone okay. Usually by this time of the year I am done and have things wrapped and packed up to ship off. I lost a chunk of time this year and things are not quite so efficient, but they're coming along.

I just wanted to check in and let anyone that reads this that we're still here and doing fine. Stay safe!

PROGRESS

Hey, All!

Things are going well here. I had the first appointment with out-patient physical therapy yesterday. Mostly it was just a lot of questions and measuring and poking and twisting and evaluating the status of things currently. I go tomorrow morning for a regular session.

Another milestone.... I can now get into our KIA from either side. I drove last Saturday - just over to the grocery store for fruit - but wasn't able to get in the car on the passenger side then. I tried this morning, and hooray! I can do it!

The motion machine was picked up yesterday. I still have exercises to do here at home twice a day. And I am trying to do just a little more of the regular house stuff every day. My energy level remains low and I've been told not to over-do things and activity. My appetite is almost non-existent (not necessarily a bad thing). I've lost over twenty-five pounds since this all started! I have very little interest in food or cooking. And when I do cook, by the time I've been around it and smelled it, I really don't want to eat it. I think this is because of medications, but I'm dealing with it.

Golfer and I took our Chrysler in for service this morning. I drove the KIA to pick him up. We stopped by Starbucks on the way home.

The sun is out today and it's cooler. Feels like Fall. No leaf color yet though.

As I am more mobile and able to do more, Golfer is able to get back out on the golf course. That's a good thing, and good for him. I know he's been worried about me.

So things are going okay here and that's about all the news I have. Stay safe!

THERE'S THAT TIME WARP AGAIN!

Hey, all!

I have thought about posting a message many times but just haven't gotten to it. Time has just been disappearing around here.

Since my last message things have been moving along. I progressed from the walker to the quad-cane.

Bikini had to go home last Saturday. That was a day early, but the bad weather was moving in and Brief was worried about aircraft safety, so it was the thing to do. She is safely home now and we really appreciate her being here to help us for the week!

I continued with the Monday, Wednesday, Friday visits from the physical therapy guy and he says I am doing well. Tomorrow is his last visit and on Monday I will start out-patient therapy at the Mary Immaculate physical therapy center over at the "Y" where we go. I think the plan is for three times a week. I also have exercises to do on my own twice a day.

The nurse made her last visit today and said I looked good. That's debatable, but I understand what she means. I am completely off the Coumadin now so she did not have to draw blood today.

I saw my doctor on Tuesday and he was pleased. Said he was glad to see me looking and moving as well as I am because it makes him look good too! :) We've adjusted my medications and I'm off the Dilaudid now and trying Advil during the day with a stronger med at bedtime. Sleep is still an issue.

I have moved on to a one-pronged cane now and am getting around the house okay. My incision is looking good and is healing nicely. I am now allowed to try to do anything I feel like doing, including driving. I'm pretty sure I can't get into the Mustang yet, but might try the KIA this weekend.

The weather has been rainy and stormy all week. We needed some of this rain during the summer, spread out over time! There are flood warnings and messes all over. It's supposed to be cleared up for the weekend.

That's about it from here. Just wanted to let you know I'm doing okay. Stay safe!

IT SEEMED LIKE A GOOD PLAN AT THE TIME...

Hey, all!

I had planned to start doing a daily post as soon as I got home from the hospital. Sorry. That didn't happen!

The surgery went well. I've been learning to deal with pain management and juggling what little energy I seem to have. I have lots of odd bruises. The nurse says my incision is looking good. I came home last Thursday. That afternoon the home health company delivered the continuous motion machine that I use four to six hours a day. They also delivered a chair for me to use in the shower.

On Friday the home nurse came and got things set up with paperwork, ordered supplies (really long band-aids to cover the incision) and checked me over. Later in the day the physical therapist came and went over a page of exercises I do twice a day. The nurse will come twice a week to check me and take blood and the PT people will come three times a week for therapy.

I'm on Dilaudid for pain and Coumadin, the blood thinner. I'm dealing with the side effects of tiredness, light-headedness (just a little of that so far) and some others I won't go into here.

So basically, everyone is telling me that I am doing very well. I haven't had to wear the leg brace since last Friday and am getting around the house with the walker. I have some periods of frustration, but am told that is normal.

Bikini is here this week helping us. Since she works from home she can work from our home just as well. Nurse J has been here as she has been able; her caseload has been busy lately. Golfer has been great. Recovery will take a while, but I'm working on it! I see my surgeon next Tuesday.

I'll try to write again soon. Stay safe!

WELL! LOOKS LIKE I DO HAVE SOMETHING ELSE TO SAY TODAY!

HAPPY HOLIDAYS! ???

I was reading the Sunday paper a while ago and saw the first ad with Santa in it for this season! And then a bit later I had the TV on and there was a holiday commercial! A definite Christmas commercial, no doubt about it. Just for the record, it is now Sunday, September 12, 2010. I don't know about you, but I am not ready for the holidays yet. Especially this year.

In other news, the last load of laundry is in the dryer. The cleaning is done and I have just packed my bag. Cinder was helping and tried to stow away in it, but she decided she did not like the zipper and got out. I just went over the check list again, too.

So 'bye again and stay safe!

THE DAY BEFORE

Hey, all!

It's the day before my surgery.

I woke up about 5:30 this morning, did my exercises and then got up and dressed for the day. Cooked breakfast for Golfer - he likes omelets and I might not be able to handle that for a while. I've been busy doing things around the house that I want to do. It's not that Golfer isn't perfectly capable and willing, but I want to do this stuff. I cleaned the kitchen and the bathrooms and changed the bed. Laundry is running right now. I've mopped the floors and vacuumed. I'll dust when the laundry is all finished.

I still need to pack my small suitcase. I'm not exactly sure what all to take, so I'm just putting in comfy jammies, robe, slippers, etc. Since we're only about five minutes away from the hospital if the traffic is good (always a question around here!) I figure if I forget something Golfer or Nurse J can bring it to me. We've been told to expect my hospital stay to be two or three days. Honestly, if I'm there at all I'm going to want a shower. And I have no idea if I will be able, or allowed, to take a shower, but am packing toiletries to cover that! I have everything else labeled and ready - brace, cooling unit, walker, etc.

It's a dark, cloudy day here. Been raining off and on. That sort of puts a crimp in my plans to sit out in the sun on the deck for a while, but that's okay. Golfer and his friends had a match scheduled for this morning and he went out to the course to see if they were playing. Sometimes it can be raining here at home and nothing out there and vice versa.

He said we'd go out for dinner tonight, my choice. And my first choice is Outback Steakhouse. I have to call later and see if they are actually open for business. They have, unfortunately, recently had another fire! The paper said it wasn't too bad, but didn't say when they would reopen.

I have checked my calendar and I have done all the prep things that were mentioned. Did you know that before major surgery now, they restrict your grooming? And yes, I mean things like shaving your legs, etc. And yes, I know, TMI for some of you. So Friday was grooming day! And I have kept to the schedule as far as stopping medication and such. So I guess I'm about as ready as I'm going to get.

This will probably be my last message until after the surgery. Perhaps Golfer will want to say something though. We'll see. I'm a little nervous, but have confidence in my doctor and the hospital staff. I know God is watching over me. I know I am loved by my family and they will take care of me. I plan to be up and mobile as soon as possible though.

So take care and stay safe!

JUST STUFF

Hey, all!

Today was my last day in the office for a while. I have done all I can to make it easier for those who are covering the work. I hope it goes well. And with saying that, I am done worrying about it.

I got a call from my doctor's office this afternoon. Nurse Sarah wanted to remind me of my surgery (like I was going to forget????) And also tell me that they had to move the time to two hours later. So, yea! We don't have to be at the hospital at 5:30 a.m.! Golfer was pleased about that.

I have the duffel bag with the brace and cooling unit all tagged and ready. I got the walker out of the back closet and cleaned it up and labeled it. I got the small suitcase out and will pack it over the weekend. I have stopped all medications and other pills (aspirin, vitamins, etc.) except one for the RA. I'm allowed to take it until the day before surgery. Yesterday I had a bad headache and I took the allowed two Tylenol. It helped the headache a little but didn't do much for the increasing joint pains and aches. But I had been told to expect that as I stopped taking the medications, so I'm just dealing with it.

All in all, I'm about ready. Golfer and I went to the "Y" this afternoon to the pool. The weather is lovely here. It's cooled off and is sunny and bright. Walt, our yard guy, came with his crew yesterday and aerated, fertilized and seeded. I went out this afternoon and picked up a few little branches and twigs that were in the yard and grabbed up a couple weeds.

I don't have any big plans for the weekend unless you count going to get groceries and packing my bag. :)

I hope you are all well and happy! Have a good weekend! Stay safe!

GETTING READY

Hey, all!

Things are progressing here. I had the pre-surgery appointment at Mary Immaculate Hospital this morning. Very nice people and a great system! After checking in at the desk in the new surgical pavilion and getting an ID bracelet, I was escorted into a private room and asked to sit in a big recliner. Nurse Terri and Nurse Leah were very pleasant and helpful and very professional. While Leah asked many questions and filled out the paperwork, Terri performed the EKG and drew blood. I had to go to another room for the chest x-ray and also had to do the required urine test. All in all it was not too bad.

I have a pinkish ID band/bracelet on my right wrist that I was instructed to NOT remove until after the surgery when they said it was okay. It's the identifier for blood being held in reserve in case I would need some during the surgery. Hadn't really thought about that before now, but I guess it's a good thing. Creepy, but a good thing to have it ready.

They were impressed with my organizational skills. :) I had prepared some spreadsheets of information we were told I would need to tell them. As the questions were asked I just handed Leah a page for the records.

After work I did a couple errands and then went to the eye clinic and optical shop to have my new glasses checked. I gave them ample time for adjustment and something was just not right. I lucked out and got a very good technician who had worked with me before. Too bad I did not get her when I ordered and picked up the glasses instead of the ditsy young lady I had. I explained the problems I've been having to the very capable Ms. Jackie and she said "well, no wonder, they're crooked!" So she took them away to the back room and did some work on them and now I can see better.

Now I need to finish up some desk work. Our pile of held mail was delivered today.

Stay safe! More later!

UNOFFICIAL END OF SUMMER. SIGH....

Golfer and I just returned home from the pool. This is the last day. Very sad. It's not like we don't have access to the large pool at the YMCA, and we do plan to go there on Wednesday. But we like the outdoor pool. Especially me, although I suspect that Golfer is enjoying it a lot too. This is really the first year that he's gone more than once! Retirement is good!

So, anyway, we're home again. I said good-bye to a couple pool friends - ladies I chat with during the Summer and don't see any other time. We all wish each other a good Winter and say "see you in June!" Sometimes we say we'll have to get together during the Winter, but things come up and we never do. I have disassembled the pool bag and put everything away. Sigh again.

Golfer mowed the grass and got the yard ready for Walt of Spring Green to come and do the aeration and seeding and fertilizing. The yard needs some TLC; it's been a tough Summer on it. Too much heat and not enough rain.

I have been doing some things around here and got the car all cleaned up after our vacation. Salt spray and bug guts are gone now.

BeyB goes back to school tomorrow. Boxer and Bloomer have been back for a month already in Georgia.

Next week at this time I will hopefully be coming out of anesthesia and have a "new" knee. I'll keep you all posted on that. Golfer got me a new laptop so I can email and blog and "surf" while I recover.

So for now.... Good-bye Summer, it's been good! Stay safe!

WE'RE HOME!

Vacation was wonderful, the weather was beautiful, and it was great to visit with friends. I really enjoyed the pool and beach, and just relaxing and resting. Golfer had a good time playing golf, although he was ready for a day off by Friday! We spent that day just "potting around". We went to Martin's golf shop so he could spend his gift cards. Then we stopped at Broadway at the Beach to feed the ducks and fish.

We spent a little time at the pool. The high wind and passing storm on Thursday must have stirred things up because that was the first day that there were little biting bugs going after us. We didn't stay out long. But it was nice.

We went to dinner Friday evening with friends. Enjoyable, but very pricey! We went to Rioz, the Brazilian "Meat" place. Very interesting, but if you're just having a regular amount of food, not really worth it. But, it was nice to spend the time with friends.

The trip home was uneventful. Weather was clear, no storms or rain. Things here at home were good, too. Evidently there was some rain on Friday evening, but no wind damage or problems from Earl.

The furry kids were happy to have us home. Cecil always pouts and hides for a bit when we return from a trip, but he's okay now and even let me pet him. For those of you who don't know Cecil, he is very timid and afraid of just about everything and spends a lot of time hiding by himself. But we love him! The girls were right there to help with the unpacking.

So, I just finished the last load of laundry and finished doing a little cleaning. I went and got groceries early this morning. Tomorrow is a holiday, so I don't have to go to work.

Tuesday morning I have the pre-surgery tests and appointment at the hospital.

We're home and things are getting back to normal. I hope everyone has a good weekend! Stay safe!

WAVES!

Hey, all!

Vacation has been wonderful! I've been resting and relaxing, reading and having a great time.

The weather has been beautiful up to today, and even today isn't bad. There's a pretty strong wind blowing thanks to Earl out there over the ocean. There are some clouds flying by and it might rain a little later today. The waves are getting a lot bigger and are interesting to watch. No one is supposed to be in the water now because of the strong rip currents.

I've done a little shopping. Golfer and I went with friends to one of our favorite spots here - Bimini's - last evening. I don't especially like seafood, but I love their grouper! It was a nice evening.

Golfer has, for the most part, enjoyed playing golf, although yesterday was not particularly good and he was frustrated with himself. Hopefully, today is better!

This evening we're going to another favorite for dinner - Villa Romana.

We are trying to keep an eye on how things are at home. We're hoping the storm doesn't hit too close and hoping Nurse J and Cable Guy don't have to go move all our outside stuff for us!

Stay safe! More later...........

BUTTERFLIES!

I had a lovely morning sitting out on the lawn by the dunes grass watching the water and waves. There were only a couple other people in the pool while I was in exercising and swimming. The water was cool, but nice - it's been getting in the high 60's at night but warming up to near 90 during the days.

While I was sitting out there, there was a steady flow of butterflies. There were yellow ones, green ones, and some dark orange and brown ones. All sizes. They seemed to like the flowers that were close to where I was sitting and several times they almost landed on me! They were beautiful!

Also saw a flock of pelicans fly over and dip down into the water.

No surfers out today. maybe they had to go back to school.

My friend, GW, arranged to have a car today and caught up to me as I was heading down to the beach. She asked if I wanted to go shopping with her. I thanked her, but was already in the mind-set for the water.

This evening we will all be heading to the Convention Center for the 19th Hole of the tournament. Food, entertainment, vendors, new golf equipment to check out!

Stay safe!

aaaaaahhhhhhhh! (that's a good sigh)

I have not written very much recently. I've thought about it, things have run through my head; they just haven't made it into actual writing.

I've been sort of busy lately. I've been putting in extra time at the office and doing lots of things around home getting jobs finished and things done up ahead. I'll be having knee replacement surgery in two weeks and will be off work at least six weeks and in various stages of incapacitation for a while. Then there will be rehab and much work trying to get back to "normal".

I've known this was coming for a long time. I have damage in both knees from the RA and some deterioration from OA, also. And there are bone spurs in both. The left one is the worse and it's time to fix it.

I have a very good doctor. Golfer and I have been to the pre-surgery class at the hospital where we learned way more than we expected. And just from reactions of other patients, way more than they wanted to know. But we believe in being prepared. I've gotten my leg brace and had it fitted and got the cooling unit for my knee for post-surgery.

I will be in the hospital for a few days. Nurse J and Bikini will be helping Golfer take care of me after I go home, and helping him with all the other things involved with the daily workings of keeping house. He knows all these things and is absolutely quite capable of handling it all himself, but I like knowing he will have help. We think we've gotten things planned and under control for now.

So, having worked very hard and gotten things ready, Golfer and I are on vacation right now! He's playing in the Amateur Championship in Myrtle Beach. Several of our friends are here and the guys are having a great time playing a different course each day.

I am enjoying beautiful weather and spending the week resting and relaxing. I have finished one book and am starting on another. The balcony door is open and I can see and hear the waves on the beach. I'll be going down to "sit" and to swim in just a few minutes.

The storms out in the ocean - Danielle, Earl and possibly Fiona - are making large waves and I actually saw surfers yesterday. Not boogie boarders, surfers! There are rip tide warnings out now, but since I don't swim in the ocean, I'm just enjoying the sights and sounds of the waves. (I know my limitations!)

When we get home next weekend I'll get my walker and cane out of the back closet and clean them up and have them ready. But for now, it's time for a swim. Take care and stay safe!

FOR BIKINI

I follow Bikini's tweets, and she's expecting an email response from me. I decided a post was better!

Yes, dear, you and wildlife. Um..... There have been some interesting experiences. For those who are wondering about that cow comment in your tweet, Bikini and Nurse J were young girls. We were visiting family in Ohio and staying with Golfer's parents on the farm. The guys were all out and away doing something and the cow got loose. So Mom P says to the girls and me that she needs help and we are glad to assist. However our round-up skills were not so great and when confronted with a large roaming cow we were really out of out realm of expertise. Let's just say there was much running and squealing. But the cow was safely returned to the pasture and barn and all was well. And the story lives on.

And yes, we all like to watch fish. I don't remember Bikini or Nurse J either one being very helpful at the cleaning of fish bowls and tanks though. When they were in school they sometimes got free coupons from a pet store for a free goldfish. Usually they lived a day or two at the most. I didn't want to try any more, but they talked me into it and we got two more goldfish while they were still in grade school. Those babies set a record! I was still cleaning the bowl and feeding the fish long after the girls graduated and moved out! And I have to tell you geriatric goldfish aren't all that interesting to watch. When one of them died, the other one got bigger to fill in the space. And he faded so he almost looked albino when he finally died.

So now, on to chickens. I would recommend banties. (sp?) When I was a small girl, Mom and I lived in a large house with a huge yard right on Main street in the small town where I grew up. I have great memories of that time. It was a big old house with a secret passage between two of the rooms that most people did not know about. There was a pump in the back yard. We had a long grape arbor and several fruit trees and large garden. There was even a tiny fish pond. My Grandpa liked to fish and he would often keep a couple alive and bring to put in the pond. Mom had some banty chickens and I would gather the eggs. We also had a couple bunnies at times. And a pair of geese! Large and protective geese! Mom made little leather bands for their legs and I could walk them out front. NO one came in our yard with them out there!

So, anyway, Bikini, if you want to try chickens, good luck. Once you get to know them they aren't that scary. For the most part they have tiny beaks and don't bite much. They are fun to feed. And you can have the joy of washing your own private supply of eggs!

Stay safe!

It's like a scene from a classic Mafia movie......sort of!

Hey, all!

So I'm busy around the house this morning and go out the front door to do something outside. There's a dead mouse stretched out on the sidewalk right in front of the porch. I'm sorry for the mouse, but ICK! Couldn't he have died under a bush or something? It reminded me of those scenes in the mobster movies where the bad guys put a dead fish at someone's door as a warning. But what does the mouse mean? Was it from a neighborhood cat warning our indoor kitties to stay indoors? Was the little mouse trying to reach help and he just collapsed there in front of the door? Or was it just to freak me out?

Geez!

Have a good day and stay safe!

WELL. HOLY CRAP!

I can not believe it has been so long since I've written! I have thought about things I wanted to say many times, but never got them down. Sigh.

It's been a busy Summer. We had our beach trip the end of May. We got home and got caught up and then there were little projects to get done and other "stuff". Golfer and I have had some doctor's appointments. I have had work. He has played golf.

We took a short trip to Ohio to visit family and attend his 45th high school reunion - Hooray! Fairless H.S Class of '65! It was a nice time and we got to visit with people we had not seen in years! I'm class of '67 and knew a lot of the people also, so it was fun for me too! Seems like the girls from my class dated and/or married the guys of Golfer's class. Anyway, we had fun!

We came home to 105 degree heat. It's been a rough Summer around here. Not much rain and too much extreme heat. Plants have died, grass is brown, and leaves have dried up and fallen off the trees. So we had some extra yard work. I decided not to replace any of the dried up plants at this time, just cleaned them up. A couple nights ago and storm rolled through. Not much rain, but lots of wind. We finished cleaning up from that today and have a pile out at the curb for pick up tomorrow.

I have been busy at work and here at home, getting things done and cleaned and in order. We are looking forward to our end of August Myrtle Beach trip. Several of our friends are going also. The guys will be playing in the big tournament - I think over 3,500 players at last count. Some of the ladies will be doing major shopping trips. I am planning to rest and relax and enjoy the beach and the water. The week after we return I am scheduled for surgery and will be recuperating and doing rehab for while. At this time they say I'll be off work for a least six weeks. Oh, the surgery is for a new left knee. It's time.

Bikini says Boxer and Bloomer are off to a good start with their new school classes and new teachers. They start in early August in Georgia. They are all doing fine. Bikini is planning to come and help after my surgery.

BeyB's school starts the day after Labor Day. She'd like Summer to last a little longer. Nurse J is also arranging to have some time to help after my surgery, so I think we've got things covered. I'm in the process of stocking up the freezer and pantry.

I hope you all are well and happy! Stay safe! I'm going to close this with one of my favorite pictures from the beach!

And Summer Rolls On . . . .

Well, we had a tiny (and I mean itty bitty) break in the Africa hot heat and now it it's back with the highest humidity of the Summer so far. It's sort of cloudy today and we're hoping for rain. For the record, we've been hoping for rain for a while. We need a good soaker here.

In spite of the heat, Golfer and I have been busy doing things around the house. His major project has been cleaning and painting the deck. He finished up the primer and first coat of paint yesterday. The humidity is lengthening the drying time, so the second coat hasn't happened yet.

I decided there were a few extra larger cleaning jobs that needed to be done and I tackled those. You know, those chores you put off doing like wiping baseboards, wiping down walls and corners, scrubbing tile, getting dead bugs out of lights, etc. I also did a little bit of weed pulling and clean-up in the yard.

Nurse J has had a lot of overtime lately and we haven't seen her, but she says they are all doing fine. BeyB went to computer "camp" last week at William and Mary. She had a great time and learned some new computer skills. The students studied computer graphics and designed games.

Happy Birthday, Bikini! We're sending you hugs! She says they are all doing well in Georgia. She's excited about getting a composter for her birthday. And she's getting lots of use out of her new clothesline for outdoor drying. Bloomer is busy looking for frogs every chance she gets and Boxer has been going to swim camp. So things are busy there.

I hope everyone is well and happy and having a great Summer! Stay safe!

HOT!

Hey, all!

You know it's too hot when the squirrels make little scooped out spots in your mulch after the sprinkler runs so they can stretch out in the cool damp on their bellies! You could almost hear them thinking "geez, it's too hot to dig any more holes in the yard!" They were cute though.

And speaking of the yard.... I got out there about 8:30 this morning and did some weeding and tidying. Gathered up a whole bag of stuff. Evidently it is not too hot for weeds to grow.

Golfer and I are doing okay. He's getting some time on the golf course and I'm getting some pool time. Now that he is retired this Summer, he's going to the outdoor pool with me more often. That's nice.

Nurse J and Bikini are doing well. Everyone is busy.

So life goes on. Stay safe!

HAPPY ANNIVERSARY, GOLFER!

It's been a wonderful forty-three years! I love you!

RACCOON UPDATE

I am more settled this morning and at peace with nature and wildlife.

I have looked out at the back yard many times since we saw the raccoon and have not seen him again. Hopefully he was just a traveler and passing through. But I am glad we were able to offer him a snack if he was hungry.

I do have an interesting observation though. After we saw him yesterday, I did not see any birds or squirrels at the feeder whenever I looked out. Not one. When I looked out first this this morning, the birds and squirrels were happily feeding and jumping around out there. So evidently all is well again.

Still "Africa hot" here. Heat index is supposed to be around 110 today.

Stay safe!

WILDLIFE !

I love God's creatures. They all have a purpose and reason for being. Some are more lovable than others and that is just a fact.

But they need to stay in their space and stay out of mine. I wish them no harm, just want them to go home. Sort of like illegal immigrants.

Golfer and I were in our office this afternoon and I looked out the window. This is what I saw --

Just munching away! I called the home owners' office to get the proper number to call. There have been many cases in our area of rabid animals and everyone has been told if you see a raccoon out in the middle of the day it is not good. The first number I called the lady got all excited and said "don't go outside!" But she was from the York County office and we live in the city of Newport News. So she transferred me to them. That woman was not so helpful. She said that of course they come out in the day if people have bird feeders. Then said we could rent a trap for $60 plus a daily fee until we caught it ourselves. Didn't offer up what to do if we did catch the poor thing. I wasn't up for that and thanked her for being less than helpful. I watched as the raccoon had a couple more bites of the new bird seed I had just put out earlier and then it sort of galloped along the fence and across the back of the yard and disappeared behind our shed. I am unsettled. I am hoping the raccoon was just passing through. We will keep an eye out and be cautious.

BTW...the picture was taken from inside through the window. And our cats were oblivious!

After that Golfer and I went to a movie. We can highly recommend "A-Team"! Great show!

Stay safe and watch out for wildlife!

JUST SOME RANDOM THOUGHTS.....AND SOME NOT SO RANDOM

Hey, all! We hope you're all doing well.

First of all, Happy Fathers Day to Golfer, CableGuy and Brief!

And then "Get Well Soon" to my sister!

It's hot and muggy here in Virginia. We're talking "Africa hot" here, folks. You can look out at the yard and see the grass drying up. And this is after the sprinkler system is running on schedule. I was looking out the window yesterday and saw a squirrel on the deck, stretched out flat on his belly with his head hanging over the edge of the deck. Pitiful! But he got up and moved about the time I was ready to go out and check on him.

Golfer and I had our first dealings with the Social Security office this past week. He did his application online last weekend. Monday we got a call from the local office to set up an appointment. We went to the office on Tuesday afternoon with our papers. Judy was excellent! She was so helpful and informative and efficient. Turns out she's actually retired herself and just working now because they called her back for a few months. I'm glad we got her! She did all the numbers and input data and the money was in our account on Thursday. It was all so much more efficient than we ever expected!

I do have a small rant though... I really do think that if you can't speak English you don't have any business in the Social Security office. Golfer and I were definitely a minority in the waiting room. It was packed with non-English-speaking young people. My thoughts on this are: 1. Are you here legally? Show me your green card! 2. If you are here legally, you should be speaking English. And have a job and supporting yourself. 3. If you aren't here legally, GO HOME! And that sums up my thoughts on the general state of things, folks.

Does anyone have any suggestions or thoughts about why our "Harry Potter" DVDs won't play? We tried to watch them in order and the first three movies and the fifth one will not play on either DVD player. It just says "no disc". I am annoyed.

Did you know that your garbage disposal can become unplugged? As in no electricity? I was cleaning up in the kitchen this morning and flipped the switch and nothing happened. Boooo! So I got my tool kit, the flashlight, some towels, and got myself down on the floor and under the sink. Darn thing was unplugged from the wall outlet under there. Easy fix, but who knew?! And how did that happen?

I bought myself a "Gopher III" gadget. It's one of those extended reach helper thingies. It works very well and can grab a weed and yank it out of the dirt pretty well! Picks up a lot of other stuff, too, but the constant bending and stooping is difficult for my bad knee so I thought I'd try it in the yard.

Take care and stay safe! That's all for now!

Finally! A Functioning Computer in the Office!

Hooray! Today I could finally start on the pile of work sitting on my work desk! I now have a functioning computer. The planets are aligned and all is well. Mood is better.

In other news---- I had to go buy a new toaster. Yesterday afternoon I went to get my calcium supplement out of the cupboard and looked down at the toaster and it had ants crawling in and on it. EWWWWWW! I got the flashlight and did an inspection and there were NONE on the counter, crawling up the cupboard, or on the floor. Just in and on the toaster. Like they just appeared there. I put the toaster out on the patio. Again, EWWWWW! I thought about it. I couldn't soak and scrub it in hot soapy water. And if I sprayed it with insecticide there was no way I would eat toast that came out of it. So I bagged it up and put it in the dumpster. On my errand list for today was "buy toaster". I got a four slice Black and Decker one that will accommodate bagels, too.

We are still seeing ants, but they are moving slowly and coming out to die, I guess. There will be some major cleaning here this weekend.

That's about it from here. Stay safe!

Nope; Did Not Fall Off the Face of the Earth!

Hey, all! Golfer and I are doing okay. Just been busy!

We were away on a family vacation at the beach for a week. So there were preparations for that and then catching up to do when we returned. Vacation was good. Golfer and his buddies had some good golf, we visited with our family and friends, played with the grandkids, and enjoyed lovely weather.

I'm back to work this week. Having some issues there with the office computer, but hopefully that will all be fixed tomorrow.

We came home to discover we have some tiny visitors in the house and had to call an exterminator to come and deal with ants. The things we had tried just weren't making them go away. It's under control now, but "ICK!"

Happy Birthday to Nurse J!

Stay safe!

LIFE CHANGES

Life changes (n.)

Life changes (v.)

Doesn't matter which it is - noun or verb - they are changes. Things are different from what they used to be. Some are better. Some not so much.

One day you wake up and wonder where the time has gone. Seems like it was just yesterday your children were tiny. All of a sudden you realize they're all grown up and have turned into very wonderful responsible adults with children of their own.

Time has flown. Life has moved on. Some things you used to be able to do aren't so easy any more. You can still do them, you just have to plan it out and be careful. You pace yourself.

People you have known and loved are not around any more. You miss them. You meet new people. They don't take the places of the others, they make their own spaces.

Places you have lived, and places you have traveled to change. You go back to visit and they're either all built up and you don't recognize anything or they've been ignored and aren't in such great shape.

So. Life changes. We grow up. We have families. We get older. If we are fortunate and very lucky (I am) , we have a soul mate to go through life with. (I do) I love you Golfer!

You look for the positive. Remain optimistic! Yes your children are all grown. But hey! you can now delegate and let them take over worrying about details! (I recently did just that!)

Enjoy the small things.

Eat some ice cream if you want it. Or chocolate! Sometimes someone will say my almost 101-year-old mother shouldn't be eating a certain thing. I figure why the hell not? She's almost 101!

So. Here we are a few months into Golfer's retirement. Are things different? A little. We've adapted. I love him and love having him around more. Does he miss work? I don't think he misses the job; it had been getting kind of stressful. I think he probably misses some of the people.

So we're living our lives. It isn't always flashy and exciting, but it's loving and comfortable.

Stay safe out there!

BUSY WEEK!

Hey, all!

I haven't written much lately. But the few of you who read this blog already know that! I swear whatever goes on in Bikini's head is contagious. We tease her about writing her emails in her head and not sending them. I've been thinking of lots of things I want to write about, but just haven't done it.

This past week was pretty busy -- work for me, all the regular/normal stuff to do around the house, trips to the "Y", some physical therapy for Golfer, and some golf for him. Then on Thursday the work started on replacing our heating and A/C system. It was close to ninety humid degrees that day. Our heating equipment is in the attic. We had been told it would be a two day job, but the man in charge told us at the end of the day, after they finished, that since it was so hot they wanted to get it done for us. It works fine! On Friday they came with the new water heater and got that job done. Golfer is now working on paperwork for the incentives, rebates and refunds.

Our furry kids have been busy with guard duty. They post themselves at the windows and keep watch. We have a little tiny baby bunny living under our deck. He is sooooo cute! I have to think he has a family somewhere and didn't just end up here in our yard by himself. He looks healthy and is helping to keep the grass trimmed. For some reason our furry kids feel threatened by him and get all excited when he makes an appearance.

Mom doesn't have a computer, but I want to wish her a very Happy Mother's Day anyway. I wish we lived closer; but I'll call her tomorrow.

And speaking of mothers... I'd also like to take the opportunity to tell Bikini and Nurse J how proud I am of them and that I think they are both great mothers to our grandchildren! Love you both!

Take care and stay safe!

NO EXCUSES, JUST BEEN BUSY

Well, evidently it's just one more thing that is hereditary, either up line or down line! Taking after Bikini, it's been a while since I've written anything!

The weather here has been good and when Golfer and I had the energy and enthusiasm, we've been getting some things done around the house. He's started putting the wood sealer/protectant on the new wood fence. He's also been keeping up with the mowing and trimming and other yard work. It hasn't been all that long ago that we had to acquire some help in that area and I'm so glad Golfer is feeling up to tackling these jobs again. He's also getting a little more time on the golf course!

I decided that the pollen was letting up some and I hauled out all my scrubbing equipment and tackled the porch and front of the house. The siding and windows look much better. (no thanks to the bird who pooed above the garage door the next day!) On the next bout of energy I will tackle some more windows.

We also decided to take advantage of the rebates and incentives being offered now and replace our heating/AC system and get a new water heater. The old ones have been working okay but we know their time is limited. So the work on that starts next week. Supposed to only be a two day job.

I hope you all are well and happy! Stay safe! I'll write again soon.

SPRINGTIME IN VIRGINIA - HACK, COUGH, WHEEZE!

Hey, All!

I hope you are all well and happy!

Things are "busting out all over" in our area. And along with that comes the major pollen issues of the season. We had several days that were near 90, so the A/C had to be turned on. For cooling as much as for keeping the pollen outside! Then we had a nice rain and wind one night and that sort of cleaned the air for a while and cooled things off. today is sunny and in the low 60's. And, the pollen is building back up.

Golfer and I had a busy week, but the yard looks great! Our friend, C, who does landscaping, came and spread out a truck-load of new mulch for us and did some edging. We had some areas enlarged because grass was not growing and we added some stepping stones and planted a couple new azaleas. Deck furniture has been cleaned and grass mowed and things are looking good out there.

We also planted a tiny Rose of Sharon bush. Our sister-in-law, V, started it for us from a cutting from one she has kept going. They are descendants of one that Golfer's Mom and Dad had years ago. Ours is tiny, but appears healthy.

I have been pondering what to put on the deck table this year. You might remember that last year I had bought the cute coffee cup pots and had them filled with lovely growing things. The pots did not survive the weather when it started to get colder here and they are now gone, after their glazing cracked and the pottery broke. I thought I wanted something I didn't have to be sure to water every couple days, and I found just the thing! I had been looking for a frog or turtle to use as a centerpiece, but all the ones I saw were sort of goofy looking. Then I found this guy on a clearance aisle! I love him!

That's about all from here. Stay safe!

Happy Easter!

Hey, All!

I hope all is well with everyone. It's been another busy week here.

The weather is lovely - warm and sunny today. The pollen count creeps higher every day, but the trees are pretty and more things are starting to bloom. Our azaleas are getting buds. The pansies I planted recently are doing well out front and I just planted some bright red geraniums in the porch pot this afternoon.

Golfer mowed the grass and did some other yard work this week.

We had a couple appointments and other things to take care of. I took a couple days off work for a prep day and to go to the hospital to have a colonoscopy. Wasn't nearly as bad as I had expected. So be brave, folks, get yourself checked. Peace of mind is a wonderful thing.

I've started talking to the orthopedic staff and gathering information on knee replacements. I'll probably have my left one done in the Fall. No matter what I've been telling myself for a couple years about coping, it isn't going to get any better, so it's time to get it done. You know, it's that old "reality sets in and you have to acknowledge it" thing. And I thank Golfer for his patience and care in all of this.

Nurse J is okay, but CableGuy has a bad case of bronchitis. BeyB is on Spring break this next week.

Bikini says they are all good in Georgia and all are busy. School break there, too, I think. Boxer and Bloomer are enjoying nice weather and getting to play outside.

So, as you can see, not a lot exciting going on, but we are keeping busy! Take care and have a nice Easter weekend!

Stay safe!

VIVA LAS VEGAS, BABY!!

Hey, all!

I hope you're all well and happy! It's been a while since I posted anything, but we've been busy. All the regular stuff going on, work, doctors appointments, and vacation! Golfer and I just returned from a wonderful trip to Las Vegas. He had been there years ago on a TDY trip, and we sort of passed by when we were taking Nurse J and Bikini to Disneyland when they were little. So essentially, this was our first visit. It was big, bright, noisy, crowded, expensive and lots of fun! We stayed at the Bellagio, which is practically a small city in itself. This first picture is of the water show in the Bellagio fountains.

We're not big gamblers, but we did play some slot machines a little. We saw a great show at the MGM Grand - Lily Tomlin. She's as funny as ever. We saw The Blue Man Group at the Venetian. I wasn't sure what to expect on that one, but it was wonderful.

We went to the Liberace Museum - very flashy!

We went to the Hoover Dam. Very impressive! BTW, we looked, but couldn't find any traces of Optimus Prime or Megatron. :)

We had a pleasant drive through the Red Rock Canyon/Mojave desert area. That was beautiful. We were a little disappointed that we did not get to see the burros or ponies, but the scenery was lovely.

AND..... We renewed our wedding vows at the Elvis Chapel O'Love! Actually, the correct name is the Graceland Wedding Chapel. "Elvis" conducted the ceremony and sang to us. He was actually an excellent Elvis and we had a wonderful time. A huge white limo picked us up at the hotel. We got flowers before the ceremony. It was a nice way to top off our trip.

So, now we're home. I'm back to work. We're catching up on things. The weather here has been warm enough that the cherry blossoms along Canon Boulevard are starting to bloom. The Bradford pear trees are all white, and the pink bud trees are blooming. Pollen season has started! Golfer is keeping busy. And yard work is on the "to-do" list.

Stay safe!

JEEPERS! ANOTHER SNOW DAY!

Hey, all!

Who can understand Virginia weather????? Anyone??

They've been predicting a chance of snow for a couple days. Yesterday afternoon it started to rain a little, then more, and then evidently while we were watching TV and not looking out a window, it started to snow. On the 11:00 p.m. news they announced that for most of the area the snow was over and we'd just have rain. We looked out the window and had a little snow sitting on top of the grill cover. We woke up this morning to more light than usual (regular daylight reflected off all the snow that fell during the night!) We turned the TV on and there were the closings announcements scrolling across the screen. The poor kids in this area will be going to school until July if this keeps up!

Being rather sure of myself and knowing that there was a ton of stuff to be finished in the office, I dressed appropriately and headed to work. The main streets were wet and there was slush at the curbs. The side streets pretty well covered with snow and slush. It has rained a little and some of the snow is gone now. I'm hoping it doesn't get too cold and freeze it all.

Now for some other random thoughts. I like watching the Winter Olympics. There's pretty scenery, flashy costumes on the skaters, daring crashes by the ski jumpers. Many things to comment about. I don't know if it was an NBC decision or an Olympic committee decision, but did anyone else notice that the pictures they put on the screen as they announced participants looked like mug shots?? Some of the athletes are pretty good looking, but you couldn't tell it by those photos!

I'd like to send out a huge *!#**&^%#!!! to the idiot driver who was behind my car last evening. I was sitting still at the end of a line of traffic when this guy came barreling down the road. I saw him in the mirror and thought for sure he was going to hit me. At the last minute he veered off onto the sidewalk and drove the rest of the length of the street on the grass, then turned into a shopping center.

Congratulations to Boxer who is mastering bicycle riding! And at a much younger age than his mother or aunt. (love ya, girls!)

Golfer and I finally caught up on some of our TV viewing. We got a little behind what with watching the Olympics.

That's about it from here. I hope you are all well and content. Stay safe!

A Case of the "Mondays"

Hey, all,

I hope all is well everywhere else! To be honest, things are okay here, I just have a case of the blahs accompanied by a headache. I thought it might get better after I ate lunch. Nope. Then I thought maybe after I went to the "Y" and had some pool time it would go away. Didn't happen. So now it's time to fix supper, and it's still here. I did have a short nap until the phone rang, made my head buzz, and scared Cinder who leaped off my lap because she had been sleeping, too. I have taken some pills. I know it will get better, but it's still Monday.

In other news, and in order to stop my complaining, the sun is out! It's still cool here, but evidently Mother Nature doesn't care. I've seen daffodils poking out of the dirt, some trees have buds on them, and the robins are all back! Over the weekend I got out and did a little more yard clean-up. Our day lilies have broken through the ground and the Easter lilies are starting to show some green shoots. Of course, the yard still has many muddy, soft spots, but it's still great to get out there! My friend/sister-in-law in Ohio said she couldn't believe I was out doing yard work already. Well, to be completely truthful, I was wearing a couple layers of clothes, but it was great to have the sun on my face!

Golfer has played a couple more rounds of golf. He says it's good to be out on the course, even if his game has suffered because of the long time off because of medical issues.

Speaking of medical issues, we seem to be in period of "see all the doctors". It's time for our annual check-ups and associated testing, routine check-ups with eye doctors, orthopedic doctors, rheumatologists..... so far, nothing new and horrible has shown up. Other than the raging bladder infection that I have that I fortunately did not have symptoms for. The doctor was stunned, prescribed antibiotics, and wants to see me yet again. So, there's one for the books.

Well, enough of my blahs. It's time to get to the kitchen. It also might be time to break open the Thin Mints! Girls Scouts were posted at the entrance to the grocery store this past weekend to pressure good people going in to buy fruits and vegetables! I couldn't resist!

Stay safe!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BOXER!

We hope you have a good birthday!

A TASTE OF SPRING!

Hey, all!

It's a gorgeous day here - sunny and probably around sixty degrees now. Golfer is playing golf again today. I am so very glad that he is able to do that.

I spent several hours working out in the yard. My new leaf blower definitely has "more power". When I first turned it on it lifted up the heavy door mat at the front door and sailed it out onto the sidewalk. Then I turned to a lower power level. All our mulched areas but one are now cleaned up and ready for new mulch. I'll try to get that last area sometime this week.

I am anxious to get some flowers planted out front. Will have to check on that!

The neighborhood is busy today. Quite a few of the neighbors are also doing clean-up work in their yards. A couple were even mowing. And a couple were washing cars. Tomorrow is the bulk garbage pick-up for our neighborhood and the guys are going to have a bunch of bags to haul away.

BeyB has bronchitis, but Nurse J has taken her to the doctor and she is on medicines and is starting to feel better.

That's about all from here. I'm taking it easy the rest of the day! Stay safe!

Hey! Where Did the Time Go?

I feel like I've been in a time warp or something. Nothing momentous going on, just lots of regular stuff and routine things that needed doing. And of course, for the last few days, I've been caught up watching the Olympics. There's nothing like watching an athlete slide down a big hill! And on another topic, too bad the Russians are such poor sports. I think the American skater was way better and had a nicer attitude!

It was sunny here today and made it up to 50! Tomorrow is supposed to be a little warmer and I plan to try to do a little work out in the yard. I want to do some clean-up and get things ready for the new mulch to be put down. We have someone lined up to do that and prune the Crape Myrtles, and he likes to do the pruning early. Also, I got a new electric blower for Christmas that I want to try!

Golfer finally got out to play golf today. He said it was better than he had expected. His golf buddies have been supportive and told him they didn't care how bad he was after not playing since September, just come on out. So maybe things are looking up!

I've spent the day doing some housework, getting groceries, and working on Golfer's retirement scrapbook. Got to go fix supper now.

Stay safe!

THAT'S AN "OOPS!" FOR THE WEATHERMAN!

While much of the country is being dumped on and enduring blizzard conditions, I hate to complain. But as I have said before --- I am ready for Spring. The weather forecast for our area for today was a possible "dusting" of snow with no accumulation. Nurse J called us on her way in to her office to tell us that was wrong and it was way worse than that. I was in the process of getting ready to leave for work myself and headed on out. Carefully. It was snowing great big fluffy flakes. And they came down fast and thick and the wind picked up. Visibility was about a block ahead and it was sticking to the streets. Ick. It has let up some now and is just lightly coming down and piling up. But it's supposed to snow more later today and the wind is to increase.

Bikini says it's snowing in Georgia again, too, but she's thinking there won't be any accumulation.

Other than that, all is well here. Golfer and I have been taking care of odds and ends around the house and cleaning out a few things. There's a long "to-do" list in my head for things that need to be done outside if we can ever get out there. With all the rain and snow, I'm sure the yard will be muddy for a long time. Unbelievably, I saw daffodils coming up in a neighbor's yard. A sign of hope! We don't have any. Daffodils, that is. We have plenty of hope. It's been my experience that if I plant daffodils, the squirrels eat them, so I just enjoy others'. I try to to always have hope.

So for now, that's about it from here. Stay safe!

SNOWMAGEDDON!

Yep! That's what they're calling it this weekend!

It took until last Thursday for the schools to reopen and things get back to a somewhat normal condition. It remained cold here all week. Then on Friday there was some rain, that turned to snow as it got even colder. Then it turned back to cold, icy rain and rained all night and into this morning when it turned back to snow. It has snowed pretty much all day. With falling night-time temperatures, the roads are icing up. There has been no place for any of the water to go because of all the rain we've had in this area. The standing water is freezing and being covered by snow. Broken bones waiting to happen. The snow is supposed to stop tonight sometime.

People closer to the water have another problem --- tidal flooding. Higher water levels because of the huge amounts of rain combined with hurricane force winds thirty miles off the coast are making tides higher than normal.

I AM SOOOO READY FOR SPRING! BRING ON THE SUNSHINE AND WARM WEATHER!

Golfer and I are safe and staying in. We've caught up on some recorded TV shows and I did some laundry and other cleaning. We've surfed around on the computers. I finished a good book.

So that's it for excitement around here. I hope you're all well and happy! Stay safe!

SUN'S OUT! SNOW'S OVER!

Hey, All!

Our "Winter Storm 2010" is over. The sun is out, but it's still cold. I took this picture early this morning. Where the sun is hitting the snow on the roof it is melting just enough to make some big icicles. Golfer got a path cleared to the mailbox and some cleared off the driveway and walk. He measured in the front yard and we have at least 6". Some areas got more. Because there was some sleet and freezing rain at some point, it's very icy out.

I mushed my way around to the back yard and filled the bird feeder and knocked a few icicles down off the gutters. I'm sure the birds will appreciate the food. The squirrels, too. Yesterday afternoon there was a squirrel out in the back yard jumping from one spot to another. The snow was way over his head and he'd land, then stick his head up and he'd have a pile of snow for a hat. Then he'd do it again. Cute! I didn't have the camera handy though.

Nothing else new here with us. We're now back inside for the day.

Stay safe!

UPDATE

It's still snowing and a little windy and very cold.

The morning paper never came. And I don't see any signs that the mail has come either.

Laundry and ironing are all done and put away.

Other than that, all is well here. Maybe it's nap time!

Stay safe!

SNOW DAY! (even if it is Saturday!)

Hey, all!

We are in the midst of a big snow storm here. Some of the TV folks are calling it a monumental event. I don't know if I would go that far, but we don't get this much snow very often around here. There are several inches already and we may get up to twelve inches according to the forecasts.

Golfer made it home last evening before the snow started, so we are all safe and sound. Nurse J called this morning and they are all in for the day and safe, too. And Bikini tweeted that she got home from her work trip and all is okay except for an explosion of laundry and toys and such that greeted her when she got home.

A large number of birds has been hanging out in our back yard. They have already emptied the feeder. I saw cardinals, wrens, a red-headed woodpecker and several other kinds. Pretty. And they are providing entertainment for the furry kids sitting in the windows looking out!

Cancellation notices started running yesterday afternoon while the sun was still out. It doesn't take much to shut things down here in the Tidewater area. Basically there are constant announcements to "stay home, don't go out unless it's an emergency".

Golfer and I are catching up on our recorded TV programs. I took a break from that and did the ironing. The last of the laundry is in the dryer. I have some other projects around here I'll be working on later.

I hope you are all doing well. Stay safe!

Hey, again!

After looking at a few pictures of Golfer's retirement ceremony and festivities, I have decided for security reasons, I should not post most of those pictures. You just never know who's lurking about out in cyberspace. And being military, we're very security conscious. I , unfortunately, do not have the skills needed to blur faces and name tags, nor can I find any instructions in the programs I use. Sorry.



As I said before, last weekend was a wonderful time and we so appreciated our family and friends who came and shared that time with us. Golfer was presented with many gifts and letters and such. But I will only post a picture of one for now. Bikini and Nurse J will know before seeing it which one it is! He is quite impressive. He is the symbol of the squadron. He has been given a place of honor in our "new" library! I don't know what he is made of, but he is heavy! (and he is anatomically correct)

In other news from here, our weather forecast for the weekend is ominous. It is supposed to get colder and tomorrow night start snowing. Anywhere up to 10-12 inches is predicted. That should effectively shut down the area if it happens. I have been to the store and stocked up on kitty food and fresh fruit. We're all set.



Stay safe! More later.

It's Been a Whirlwind!

Hey, all!

The last few days have been a blur of activity. The retirement ceremony was beautiful and impressive. It was wonderful to share this important time with our family and friends. We want to thank all of you who came and shared this time with us.

Our family had to leave to get back to their lives and routines, work and school. Our niece had to leave on Saturday morning. Bikini and family left on Sunday morning as did Golfer's brother and our sister-in-law.

Things have been busy since then with laundry, cleaning, errands, sorting through things. Golfer has been emptying his office and bringing things home every day. The piles are growing. We have some sorting and packing to do, but it's easier on Golfer to just bring it all home.

The furry kids are calmed down and back to their normal routines now. I'm back to work and getting to the "Y". I've started the Suppartz injections in my right knee since they seemed to help the left one. We'll see.

Our weather has turned cold again and they say we might have snow by the weekend. I am sooo ready for Spring! I will try to post some pictures soon. Stay safe!

Retirement Ceremony Day

Golfer's brother, L, and his wife, V, arrived yesterday. Their daughter, M, was to arrive late last night. Bikini, Brief, Boxer and Bloomer all arrived late afternoon yesterday. Nurse J, Cable Guy and BeyB came over and we had a house full of family for dinner last night. And friend stopped by for a visit, too. It's great to have everyone together.

It had been a long day and everyone went to bed fairly early. However, I woke up at 3:30 and have not been able to get back to sleep. Golfer woke at 4:00. I finally gave up trying and have been here in our office. He is up and is now feeding the furry kids. They are perhaps confused and a little nervous by all the activity and additional humans in the house yesterday. Little do they know it's going to happen all over again today! And tomorrow.

We'll all be heading out to the base about 9:00 a.m. There are some final instructions for us before the official ceremony starts at 10:00. The people Golfer works with had a luncheon for him on Wednesday and had many nice things to say. There will be more of that today I am sure. And amid the joy and celebration there will be a few tears. And don't you know, as I was pressing my new clothes to wear today, I discovered the darn clothes don't have any pockets for tissues!!

Golfer has spent over forty-two years with the Air Force. First as active duty and then as a civilian. I have always known he was a wonderful man and he was great at what he does. It's nice to hear so many others say the same things. Our life has not always been easy, but it has always been wonderful. Now we're on to a new "chapter". I love you Golfer!

We're getting an early start on a very busy day. The rest of you stay safe!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BLOOMER!

We hope you have a wonderful day!

Busy, Busy!

Hey, all!

It's been a busy week here. There's been all the usual stuff like work, and household duties - the cleaning, the laundry, the cooking. But the weather finally got a little better. And by better, I mean actually got above freezing! So it was the time to get the cars cleaned up and make sure things were good in the yard. Not much needed to be done regarding the yard; it has been too darn cold for any weeds to grow! But the cars had not been cleaned in a while. So all went to the car wash and much detailing and inside work was done at home.

Then, in the time that was left, I did some prep work for next week. We will be having family and friends coming for Golfer's retirement ceremony. I've been getting a jump on the Spring cleaning and doing some menu planning and making lists. Golfer has brought more lists home from work about the retirement doings. So, all in all, we've been busy.

While we have had some better weather for a couple days, it's supposed to turn nasty tonight and tomorrow and rain at least a couple inches. I really don't think we need any more rain right now, but it's coming anyway.

So, life goes on, moving faster and faster. Stay safe!

Patience!

When we remodeled our bathroom about a year and a half ago, Golfer and I discussed getting a "shower stool". We knew we did not want a plastic one. We decided we liked the looks of the teak ones we had seen in ads. In pursuing such a stool, we discovered they were not available in stores. They had to be ordered, with the starting prices near $200 plus shipping fees. I just wasn't quite willing to spend that for a wooden stool. Since then, I have kept an eye out for them and when we traveled I would check new areas. This morning we were "out and about" and stopped in Bed, Bath and Beyond to get a couple other things I had on my errand list and "TA DA!"!!! There were lovely heavy teak stools! Fortunately I had stuffed a handful of coupons in my purse when we left the house, so I was ready. We got it for way less than if we had ordered one. I have to say this, though, teak is heavy wood! We got it home and I gave it an oil rub and now it is in its new home!

I may have surprised Golfer a little, or at least caused him to pause for a moment in thought. I have always had a tendency to see something I like and then not get it. I had absolutely no hesitation this morning. Been doing a little thinking and reflecting on things lately. I'm about to have my sixty-first birthday. I have decided I'm not going to put things off. I do intend to be around a whole lot longer; I do, after all, have a mother who is over 100! But, in reality, why wait? I told Golfer I wouldn't just go off and spend money on stupid, dumb stuff, but if it was something we had wanted or had been waiting on, I wasn't waiting any longer. So we huffed and puffed that stool out to the car and loaded it in!

And on that note we went to Best Buy to replace the receiver for our TV/stereo system. Golfer discovered this morning that teh old one no longer gives us any sound with our new DVDs. Bummer. We brought it home with us. It is sitting in front of the fireplace.....waiting for the Geek Squad to come on Wednesday and integrate it into our system and make sure everything is compatible and working. See....age does bring wisdom. We are now smart enough to know we don't want to even try to tackle that project!

It is still cold here. No signs of a major warm-up any time soon. I said WTH and started cleaning windows anyway. Also vacuumed the drapes and curtains and did a little extra cleaning. In two weeks we'll have friends and family here for Golfer's retirement ceremony and festivities and I need to be ready! Plus, I always like to do some extra clean-up after the holidays.

So, that's about it for now. I hope everyone is having a good weekend.

Stay safe!

Oh, Well.

The snow "event" the TV guys have been talking about all week is over. It was cold and dry last night when we went to bed. It snowed a little during the night and by the time we got up at 5:00 a.m., the little snow we had gotten was starting to melt away. Like they predicted, there's been from a dusting to an inch around the area. Sitting here at the computer, I can hear the snow melting and dripping off the roof.

I'm sure BeyB is disappointed that the snow day didn't happen. They have a two hour delay.

So, it's time to get things done and get ready for work. I hope you all have a good day!

Stay safe!

Geez! It's #*^%##! Cold Here!

Hey, all!

I hope you are warm and cozy wherever you are.

The sun is out here, shining nice and bright, trying to fool us. The thermometer says it's about 20 outside and the the TV reports that with the wind it feels like 6. So, YAY! We have no outside plans for today. Except I will probably, at some point, bundle up and go refill the bird feeder.

I've been busy cleaning out our file cabinet and shredding papers. Getting things ready for tax filing and doing some insurance filings and other desk "stuff". The "to-do" piles on my desk are shrinking. Hooray!

I'm not quite sure what I'll do with the humongous bag of shredded paper. When the recycle truck came by last Thursday, they took the bin. Friday morning we found a note with two paper grocery bags on the porch saying the contract had expired and until the new company delivered new bins we were to use those two bags. HA! What a laugh! So we will wait and see.

Tomorrow it's back to work for us. We have several appointments in the coming week and things to do. So that's about it for now.

Stay safe!