At the crossroads

Sitting in the Hospital Today--Not Too Worried

2011-11-03T06:13:00.000-07:00

Larry has been suffering from drop foot since at least early last spring, I noticed something much earlier, a slapping sound, his tripping over very very small things. By the time his mother's funeral took place and he was tripping and nearly falling several times, even he had to admit something was not right. He began a round of doctor's appointments, spinal shots, MRI's It has come down to the tight leg muscles gripping the nerve so tightly that it is doing this damage. The orthopedic surgeon who assists in this surgery to make sure there is nothing orthopedic going on in the knee, says their results are good, but May to November is a long time to wait. The damage could possibly be permanent. Dr. B said there are a surprising number of misdiagnosis in this area and most docs just chalk it up to degeneration of the nerve but that it can be addressed and possibly cured. He also said the improvement can take as long as a year, like any neurological event. Larry is in good hands, both of these docs are top notch. Did I say they are going to start publishing about this condition? There is not much in the world literature on this.

I Slapped

2011-10-23T04:20:00.000-07:00

I slapped a pound of bacon (probably 12 oz, the new pound) into a piping hot iron skillet and was overwhelmed with the smell of my grandmother cooking in her tiny apartment on Howard Street in Indianapolis, 55 yrs ago or more, it was a lovely rush of memory. Smells are so special. Several times since my dearest granny has been gone, my first real loss in my life, I would buy a jar of Pond's Cold Cream just to smell it and be brought back in time to her nightly ritual of cleaning her face with Pond's. But the bacon? A complete surprise. There was a special smell in the apartment building of all the combined cooking combined with my grandmother's waxing and cleaning of the stairs to earn money to buy 12 of us cousins identical Christmas gifts, you know, socks and panties. It turns out to be the combination of the hot iron skillet and the bacon, I don't have the scrubbed waxed wooden stairs with the black rubber treads.

Uncomfortable, Do Not Read. I Mean It

2011-09-25T09:37:00.000-07:00

It has struck me that the corpses of children are not peaceful. Each one I see, even if I catch them out of the corner of my eye and try to avoid, is one too many. The latest was 17 and will always be 17. She had just started to get on the right track and turn her life around, contemplate a future when she had a tragic auto accident. The other two passengers have managed to survive and I am grateful for that. There is only so much the artistry of body preparation can do for a girl on life support for a week, then waiting for her funeral for another week. She did not look peaceful. Why should she?

I was ambushed at one funeral and forced to see the battered body of a true infant beaten to death by it's mother, the grandchild of a colleague. No, not peaceful. Why should her tiny body be peaceful?.

I stood by my sister in the place of my mother, who refused, while we looked at the body of my 9 year old niece, a murder victim. 24 hours in a pond, two long hot trips to Little Rock to and from the medical examiner, no way to make her look peaceful. Why should she?

Several years before I had to prepare myself and my son to lose my first niece, his closest cousin. After a valiant but terminal fight against a still incurable cancer, my 8 year old niece breathed her last, but not gently, not quietly and not ready to let go. I did not see her that last trip to Riley, Her arms were held above her head by the tumors in her lymph glands. I had to be the grownup and view. She looked angry, and that spirited little girl probably was angry at leaving before her time and going through so much pain. She was a bossy little girl and liked to get her way! That fighting spirit took her well past any projected survival date. She did not look peaceful and why should she? She was fighting for her life.

She grew me up in many ways--not ways I wanted to grow up, but in ways I needed to, to be able to face these losses over time, to act like a grownup in sad and terrible situations, and hopefully say nothing stupid to someone in grief.

There I go losing my focus. I felt the need to express this somewhere. Maybe I won't publish it. I did warn you.

Monster's Progress

2011-07-15T12:13:00.000-07:00

Henry's Monster

2011-07-13T04:58:00.000-07:00

Quinn Watching Baseball

2011-07-11T05:03:00.000-07:00

Nearly two, watching big brother play baseball.

backpack--zen tangle

2011-07-10T07:14:00.000-07:00

OOPS Forgot one!

2011-07-10T07:02:00.000-07:00

Dear Thyroid

2011-07-10T06:58:00.000-07:00

that's my bag!

Skillet Monsters in the museum

2011-07-04T15:29:00.000-07:00

papier mache project inspired by Dan Reeder's Monsters plus one Oaxacan animal. Bobo is the fabulous one, there will never be another that good! I can't give them that much time!

zentangle bags

2011-07-04T15:15:00.000-07:00

OK getting something done here

some zentangle some casket

2011-07-04T14:59:00.000-07:00

lampshades stained by roof leak then tangled, a little bit of grandson at ball game and some casket painted by Larry.

A Death in the Family

2011-06-25T11:41:00.000-07:00

My children's last living grandparent died this week. This is after so many years in deep dementia and physical incapacity and misery. My daughter coined a word for this, grelief, I feel such relief for her to be freed from her mind and body. I cannot remember the last time she knew me, but I do know it has been at least a year since she recognized her one and only son. It has been very difficult for Larry to be repeatedly rejected and unrecognized by his mother. He had a hard time not taking it personally, even though, logically, he knew it wasn't really her speaking.
When my very young niece died, I made her dress to wear in her burial and it helped me deal with the loss. It was very kind of my sister in law to let me do that. Larry has undertaken a much larger project, he has painted the casket with a California style paint job, from hot rod painting days. First he painted it a lighter blue, then through a few yards of lace in a floral design, he sprayed a darker blue. The body of the casket is the dark blue. He and his friend are now returning the casket to the funeral home. The smell of auto body paint has made me think a lot about my dad who was an auto body man as well as a mechanic. He was an artist at painting cars and truck, even painting race cars. He was very gifted in that area, but the years of painting without taking safety measures added to his lung disease which took him rather young. It has actually been nice to think about some of his good points, his talents at this time, many of my memories of people are tied to scents and this is true of the smell of auto paint.

This is why I am not a writer--focus-- focus--
We discovered during this backyard casket painting (under a tent) adventure that a new neighbor is a funeral director and he was quite enthralled by the idea as is his boss. hmmm. Also the taping of the insides to protect it was slightly inadequate and some blue leaked in-- new neighbor told Larry those pieces of fabric would be flipped out and not show, whew, cause we were going to pull it about and re-staple it. I also burned my first CD today gathering some music for my MIL's visitation and funeral. A little tech job I wasn't sure of.. freaked out really, but it's simple.

SLOW ME

2011-06-09T06:30:00.000-07:00

Finally following a few blogs on my dashboard-- I take my own time to do these things. I usually just bookmark-- don't know where I have misplaced my feeds that my daughter helped me with-- Still haven't plugged in my laptop and I have been told that I may already have a wireless connection with my service-- technology is for ridiculously scarey to me it is amazing I have bought a book on my kindle, but I have... several... and games. Is there a jail for people who use dashes for punctuation? or multiple periods, oops gotta go back andmake sure there are three instead of two.

I Know How It Goes

2011-06-09T06:11:00.000-07:00

We are saying farewell to 4 people at my school, every one of them special to me in a different way, my best principal of three I have worked for. a teaching neighbor with whom I spent many mornings in deep conversation until she moved around the corner to a different team, the aide who was the human heart of the media center and also did several other aide jobs, plus coaching amazingly successfully several academic teams AND organizing a community service group that rocks. A close, close member of my own team who is leaving to enjoy brand new and the unexpected blessing of grandparenthood, younger than me, but feels she cannot waste a precious second of her grandparenting. (I am not wasting mine, my career is shorter than most my age) I have been around long enough now to see that teaching life is so intense that there is often little left over for maintaining relationships that feel so close and full of love and admiration. Maybe I am just a bad and or lazy friend. I am going to try harder. right now. But I, too, am feeling the pull of retirement and concentrating on the grandchildren who are available to me and that involves moving away, in a few, very few, years. I am starting to understand the desire, before the guv took such a public hate of my chosen career, I saw myself teaching until the grand old age of 70, now I am just thinking maximum benefits for survival. and the coolest new living space ever-- a young artist's dream.

I need and English teacher to step in here and help me with punctuation, but you get the point. I am happy and sad, happy for what my friends are ready to enjoy, sad for the loss in my life of daily contact with those same friends. I miss them now, but August will be much worse, because summer is normal separation time, and really, Barb needs a break from me!

Long Time

2011-06-04T03:04:00.000-07:00

Things are so bad in Indiana with our governator on a full out attack on public education that I am actually starting to think about retirement. In the recent past I was all-- 67 to 70yrs old before I retire-- (Late starter) Now if we elect one more public education hating gov I am thinking retirement may be much closer- like as soon as I qualify. Since I have had weight loss surgery, all aspects of my physical life are so much better that I could even consider teaching until aged 70, that is how good I feel. Now something else very interesting has come up and it is making my look forward to retirement instead of fearing it. There is a sweet little storefront for sale in law daughter's tiny town with a possible apartment upstairs. The space is completely raw and beautiful. Think of any cool coffee shop with brick walls and light flooding all the way to the back. there you have it, upstairs and down. The ideal home for 2 artists-- a studio down (must have a biz biz on the main floor) You can do that very thing in many places, but this happens to be within spitting distance of the two youngest grandsons--

Could I have little art workshops for kids? Could I make giant papier mache' monsters or have paintings on an easel and not have to worry about space? It sounds heavenly. Larry really feels like he can still do the plumbing it needs and that is really my only hold up-- that and I need my knees replaced and there are stairs, but the new stairs are a rather gentle angle and the people I know with new knees are skipping around my building and or hopping on tractors farming and loving the knees. I did take dibs on the windows up front! I have even thought of a name and then someone else improved that-- I dream about furniture arrangements in the loft style living space with 20ft ceilings-- and yes, room for a loft for the boys to sleep over--

Christmas in Central Illinois

2010-12-26T16:09:00.000-08:00

I picked up the super duper chocolate chocolate “Christmas eggs” at Flesor’s on Sunday in preparation for our annual trek to central IL to share Christmas with our daughters, our youngest grandsons and our son in law. I way over cooked (amount) chicken and noodles, made a really scrumptious snickers cake, and took along some chili to have on Friday night. Leah arrived on the train and we all made it safely into the house before the heaviest of the snow and there we stayed, covered in a thick blanket of snow, until today. I find waiting for Santa with a grandson as exciting as it ever was in my childhood, and I love those magical years. H literally shuddered with joy when he finally scratched off a bit of paper from his Santa gift and found it was EXACTLY what he asked for. We had so much fun watching him and also watching the Q-ball tearing bits of paper off of his presents. As usual, for a toddler, boxes and paper are as delightful as anything.

Rayne is a terrific cook and she prepared her first turkey ever-- superb. She made potatoes called glory hallelujah potatoes that live up to their billing, and you can shout glory hallelujah and eat your way to a heart attack with the cream and butter laden delights. I drizzled her moist turkey with her homemade cranberry sauce which really is so much better than canned. She made her signature cheesecake and I had a small slice of that. We nibbled all weekend on what Larry and I have come to call Christmas salad, which is the mix of peanuts, m&m’s and raisins, well, it does have green in it.

We played playmobile pirates, beyblades, and Aunt Leah spent loads of time playing with H, but he nearly broke down when we left, I think he was really emotionally fried by then and had been so good. Attempts at family pics were met with resistance by the boys, but I am sure a couple of decent ones were captured by all three photographers. Leah will be on the train to Chicago in about an hour, I am so thrilled she makes a point to join us for this special day. It really is a lovely loving time.

Flesor’s Candy Kitchen

2010-11-07T11:30:00.001-08:00

Flesor’s, in downtown Tuscola IL just did the most amazing bit of customer service ever. I was talking on their FB about what a wonderful place it is for lunch and for treats and how Henry desires their incredible gigantic chocolate chocolate Easter eggs. We had a back and forth IM like thing going. Suffice it to say, Henry is getting one of the giant eggs in his Christmas stocking. The people who own and staff the candy kitchen are so kid friendly when you are there, even with a cranky 5 year old who needs fuel but doesn’t recognize it and now this. I am putting this right here so if you accidentally find my site, you will know how fabulous the candy kitchen is. Do not go from the mall to denny’s go to Flesor’s Candy Kitchen, and while I am at it, their authentic gyro is the best ever, and worthy of a photograph before you bite into it. They also put on an incredible luncheon for those very special mothers’ and fathers’ days. Get thee to Tuscola IL for a gem of a place to eat and treat.

alfred

2010-10-11T10:55:00.001-07:00

Alfred Hitchcock

2010-09-21T13:18:00.001-07:00

Q contemplating psycho birds and crazy blondes

My Grands at Flesor’s

2010-09-21T13:13:00.001-07:00

The boys enjoying lunch at the Candy Kitchen.

Manikin modeling T-shirt

2010-09-21T13:10:00.001-07:00

Larry’s new t-shirt design

new stuff

2010-09-20T14:23:00.001-07:00

moving stuff around. Here are Henry’s feet from a long time ago.

Quiet

2010-09-10T05:31:00.000-07:00

It is Friday already which meant that I got to have breakfast with friends this morning which always sets Friday up as a good day. It's gonna be a good day....It's gonna be a good good day. We walked out of the cafe to see a gorgeous, intense double rainbow. I took pictures and maybe I will remember how to post one here. In my eagerness to get the really bright one, I didn't even notice the second one until someone called out "It's a double!" I have my things all set for classes today so just thought I'd take a moment to note the lovely beginning of this day.
My 6th and 8th graders will be up to their elbows in paint soon, so I will see you all later.

Back to School

2010-08-28T05:39:00.000-07:00

School has been in session for two weeks and it has been wonderful. Next week I introduce our second projects in my art classes and the first ones have gone well. Afternoon classes are large, morning classes are tiny. Our class sizes are determined by the music the students choose so we can have a ridiculous bursting at the seams class after lunch, not even enough seat, and an embarrassingly tiny class in the morning. Only music people can rearrange anything. We lost a subject out of our rotation so our related arts grading period has finally aligned with with academic schedule, 9 weeks. that lets me bring some art projects back on line that I had to shelve when we switched to 7 weeks. This is a good thing for me. We have a new tech teacher who has dropped out of administration after 24 years and he is terrific, plus one can ask him a question based on his years as principal and assistant principal and get good thoughtful answers.

A wonderful thing for me and for my students is that I got to order clay this year. Happy days in 8th grade! I am looking at an artist named Romero Britto for some really fun ideas, I ended up buying a 2011 calendar at a normal price, his 2010 calendars are 200 and 300 dollars. Who knew? Also got a childrens book he did with wonderful happy illustrations. Now, to develop the project. I do not think I will be cutting this calendar into pieces!

Long Dry Spell

2010-08-28T05:23:00.000-07:00

My summer flew by and I did not write a post since the meniscus. I am holding steady at a weight loss of 146 pounds. I haven't lost in the past two family doc visits so she is happy and I realize if the excess skin were removed I would be well under college weight, so I would have to agree with Dr. W. Enough is enough. I am 1 1/2 yr out from RNY surgery and can sample most normal foods. I believe I have become intolerant of mushrooms, they make me queasy. I have had a very few sweets, very few, and have had no problem with all but one. I had a cupcake (small) from a cupcake bakery at my grandson's 1 year b-day-- It seemed to have double the sugar--so so sweet--and I was really ill from that, some vomiting, foaming and my nose swelled shut. My symptom for having one bite too many, and stop now is a slightly running nose-- that means NOT ONE MORE BITE-- do not go there. This time the nose started to run and swell shut at the same time. It probably took an hour to recover. So not worth it. I will not be going there again. I have had OK experiences with sugar free ice-cream, but just so you WLS ers who might read this know, this also involves the famous WLS gas and also has joined the list of not worth it. I don't know why, but I can eat popcorn and I enjoy it with no problem.

I really hardly swam this summer, some things got in my way and one was a health issue. I had not taken the importance of iron as seriously as all the other vitamins. I floated down to anemia and had two solid weeks of vertigo. Basically, I could not leave the house much, I was staggering and bumping into walls. I never fainted or fell down. I am taking a wonderful iron supplement from bariatric advantage that is chewable and tasty, I am very compliant now. My body is still trying to amass a store of iron, climbing very very slowly, but I am out of the dizziness. Do not underestimate the importance iron following WLS surgery, it is a change in absorption issue, not a "I never had a problem with iron in my life" issue. I must have been distracted when they mentioned iron absorption, it may have been the terrible ice storm the day of the dietary class and the 14 hours it took to get home 90 miles.

Knee Update

2010-06-17T04:19:00.001-07:00

My meniscus is tearing and will continue to do so as there is no cartilege in my inner (weight-bearing) portion of my knee. I am to the point where, when I can no longer stand it, the knee or knees will need to be replaced. The loss of 140lbs has certainly relieved pressure on the knees but cannot actually repair them. I got some really specific directions for exercise, I particularly wanted to know what not to do, my step ups? yes, but only one step not two, never squats and lunges, and some machines are a no. Keep on swimming, that is the best thing. In the tall lanky family of my birth these knees are called the Stewart knees, prone to problems. I will just keep living my life until I can't do daily things and the pain becomes too bad. The doc said aiming for 65 is not a bad goal. I will be 63 this summer.

No Ideas Today

2010-06-12T04:26:00.001-07:00

I should read back to see how the weight is going. I am holding steady at a loss of 140lbs and that is all I want to lose. I now have to call a moratorium on clothes buying for the summer, I HAVE ENOUGH. I even went out on a limb and bought a cute skirt, do you hear that, cute. Maybe I will wear it. someday.

Last Saturday I was striding along quite normally when my right knee gave out with a sharp pain that nearly sent me to the ground, I caught myself on a nearby parked truck and managed to hobble in to the service I was attending. I did the right thing (for a change) and went to the doctor on Monday where she declared I have a torn meniscus and ordered an MRI and made me an appointment with an orthopedic guy. The insurance company denied the MRI, you must be in pain 6 weeks. My knee did not start to improve until Thursday and now I can straighten it and there's only a little pain and stiffness. Medically this is probably the first time I ever tried to take care of a problem in a timely fashion.

I returned to the pool this week, but I only went twice, the first day was very painful and after the second day there came the marked improvement in the range of motion of my knee. Next week I will shoot for 5 days in the pool. I did learn that when your BMI drops from 39or 40 to 23.5 the floating isn't so easy anymore! I used to float like a cork and did not need a noodle for the deep water exercises, now my arms are getting a great workout keeping my head out of water on those same exercises! I think that's a good thing.

I have been collecting various new art supplies this spring to try some different types of media and styles for me, searching for my retirement art form that I can enjoy without taking up more space in the house. I have I like to do oil pastel landscapes and am also ready to try the methods of a very wonderful colored pencil portrait artist, Kullberg, I am all set to go, just have to pick a portrait to do. She is a lot more structured than I am so we shall see. Wish I could remember how to make a link. My brain does not retain these things, hence the lack of photos and links. My daughter who talks me through this is camping in the wilds of IL prairie this weekend so you will just have to look up Kullberg yourself, she is fabulous.

Cousin Cousine

2010-05-31T16:47:00.000-07:00

Cousins have, through the magic of social networking, reappeared in my life. Actually, some of it was ordinary telephone networking. I have looked for one cousin by her maiden name having no clue about her life so got no where at all. Her "little brother" I remember him as a tow headed little boy--called and we have had a couple of fun conversations. I got the FB of the girl cousin who is close to me in age, and wow! does she do interesting work. I have not seen her for about 33 years, my girls were babies, and the time before that we were in high school. We have lost all our parents now and that reignites the curiosity about family. Talking to my daughter, I realize how little my kids know about my paternal family. My parents broke up early on in my kids' lives and things were never really fixed between me and my dad before he died. His last words to me were "You are all liars, all 4 of you." There were 6 of us so I don't know which 4 of us were liars. At that time I was leaving toxic people alone and said goodbye. One aunt said we siblings were not allowed at my dad's funeral, but I didn't feel the need to be there anyway. so I didn't go. In the last couple of years the remaining aunt, the most fun aunt EVER really, said that was also a lie.Aunt D would not do that. I guess those two didn't tell each other everything. The aunt who "forbade" us from going to Dad's funeral also told us she had him buried at sea. The remaining aunt now says that was a lie, too,(on our part) that they really dug a hole on or in his mother's grave and put his ashes there. You can't make this stuff up. Even my mom thought he was buried at sea, boy was she surprised when she heard the truth. The same two aunts and my grandmother buried an older sister of mine who died as a baby and never told my mom where she was buried. So, can you see, there's not a lot of talking going on. Why did she accept that? We kids had never heard a word about this sister until I was a young teen and saw a picture that looked almost like me that I had never seen before. Oh, there was another baby. Many many years later when I was the mother of one, my mom and I were driving down first street when a story came on the radio about how many babies died in the 40's from a nutritionally incomplete formula, after 30 years my mother learned why her baby had died. That was her formula.
The last time I saw my uncles Charlie and Bob was when my grandmother died. Or maybe it was only Charlie... Charlie had had some tooth implants and was having trouble with them. The photo my cousin sent to me shows a guy who looks so much like his dad I might recognize him on the street.

Explorations

2010-05-12T14:09:00.000-07:00

I discovered a colored pencil artist with a couple of wonderful books on the artrageous site. I purchased two books and a really big box of prisma colored pencils, the Cadillac of colored pencils. I wish my 8th graders could use prisma on their repeat design, but they are too expensive for school. I have also tried a few oil pastel landscapes at school and am finding I like it, don't know a lot about it but am having fun with it. The colored pencil artist I found in my search for a smaller format art form that wouldn't take up every square inch of our house, what is left of it....meaning it is already packed with our art from over the years. What can I do to stay creative and even call myself an artist that doesn't take up that much space? This might be it. We shall see. Ann Kullberg, "Capturing Soft Realism," in colored pencils is a very step by step book and she is very step by step, I have always been rather slapdash, but I am so intrigued by her beautiful results that I am going to give it a try. I have been accumulating stocks of art supplies for the last couple of years in anticipation of my retirement which is not exactly looming. Best just get started. Restarted. Going. I do acrylic landscapes with my 8th graders and have learned to enjoy them myself, we did not do landscapes in college, period. So here I am, playing with it now.

Weight Loss Report WLS

2010-05-12T13:59:00.001-07:00

I have bumped along here for a month and am now officially down 140lbs and need to lose zero. My workouts are making me stronger by the week and I am stepping up on two steps now, not one. In the past, no matter how much I worked out, step ups were just too painful. I am lifting more and more compared to when I re-started weight training. My trainers are great, we get them through a school wellness program in our town and they do a different workout each and every time. There is always something new. Support meetings for St. Vincent's have started up again with new leadership and it is good to be back, though I do find myself impatient with a person who repeatedly says and asks the same thing over and over again. I finally told him he may not be ready to make this choice. Choosing WLS is definitely a life changing decision with lifetime commitment to vitamins, minerals, and other aspects of health. One must really make up one's mind to follow the rules after going through this. My surgery has been 15 months now and I am still doing great with no bad after effects or incidents. yet. I say yet, because I have read enough to know that things can happen a year or two out that are still related to the surgery. At the moment, and I am not complaining, my family doc wants me to get my calories up and the first few days I made a big press for that, I lost two more pounds after being stagnant for a month or so. I am wondering if I should get the shots in my knees again now that I am normal weight. Yes, you read that right, normal. I think I might ask the arthritis doc this summer what he thinks.

YaYa Limited

2010-04-11T05:46:00.000-07:00

I do not know how we can spend 5 hours together and never stop talking, but we do. My best friend/cousin and I had a wonderful time together on Friday. Tea and talk. No kids around so we never had to shut up! She is all packed up to move again, but as always neat as a pin and a great hostess.

Weight Loss Report

2010-04-06T04:36:00.000-07:00

I am 13 months out from WLS and hovering between 130 and 136 pounds of weight loss. My skin has held up remarkably well and I am really toning up since I restarted weight training. 2 or 3 months ago I was 32% body fat, now I am 25% body fat. (and 62 years old) Woo hoo! I went to a big gathering of cousins and they pronounced me very healthy looking and strong looking. I know that my posture now is straight up, not bent over in pain, and the work of carrying all that weight around. And then I add some skechers roll bottom shoes to it and they must add 2 inches to my 72 inch frame! If any WLS'rs come here, I have discovered unjury protein powder, nectar protein powder and click. Unjury and nectar can be stirred with a SPOON! and no protein after taste. I think the nectar has to be bought in a medical setting, but go find it! My one year blood tests were normal, a tiny bit low on the protein so I have stepped up the powders, seems to be the only way I can get enough. I have managed to keep my hair, I take all my vitamins most days and try my best to get the calcium. Love the chewable lemon creamy thingies but crystals are my mainstay, stirred into yogurt. Another recommendation I make is the shaker cup that I buy from amazon.com, I am getting a second. That thing has made the blender and the hand held whirly stick unnecessary, as well as finding the very stirrable protein powders. The Click needs the shaker bottle.

Four Nights

2010-04-06T04:29:00.000-07:00

The grandson has spent 4 nights, no problem, his last personal best was 3 nights. Yesterday we went to our town's fantastic public park with the best playground in the midwest. It was packed. First he rode his razor scooter until he was tired of that (sidewalks only) then played on the playgrounds which, by the way, are completely accessible playgrounds with lots of seating for parents and grandparents. As the sky clouded up, we decided a movie was in order because we ALWAYS go to a movie. I took the 5 yr old to see Alice in Wonderland and we loved it. He claims to not be scared, but he was curled up like a blue worm in his seat for a while. I found the movie worthy of a trip to the theater, even without a 5 yr old. After my morning trip to the dentist, we will head off to meet mom and maybe I will do some of that spring cleaning I keep reading so much about on line.

New tradition, as we drift off to sleep, H wants me to tell stories of my childhood, sleeping in the barn, swimming in the creek, Rose and I lost in the woods with baby sister. Sometimes he already remembers parts, but wants to hear it again. We used to discuss planets to fall asleep, I have more knowledge of my childhood than I do of planets, but it works.

Easter+Cousins=FUN

2010-04-05T04:44:00.001-07:00

Friday I met my daughter and gathered up my grandson so we could go the the big gathering of cousins in the country. Dear daughter has a pressing engagement and the drive with young un and infant is just too much. H and I did the museum on Saturday, all the while ticking down the time until "Going to the Cousins". He planned on filling a backpack with eggs to share with his friends. More about that later. Somehow E.B. discovered there was a child in the house and really left enough treats for the three children who lived here and grew up. Miscalculation. It took a comically long time for H to even find the treats because he was not expecting them and was amazed at how E.B. knew those were the exact cars he asked Daddy for recently. He then decided he had so much candy that he didn't even need to get eggs at the hunt.
The weather and the temperature couldn't possibly have been one iota better yesterday and we arrived at the gathering of three generations of cousins, seconds, maybe a third or two, and some several times removed. The food was particularly beautiful as Rose is a vegetarian, so the salads are just photogenic and amazing, she made an eggplant dish she invented that I was able to eat a bit of and it was superior. There was a table laden with desserts, strawberries, and apple slices AND a chocolate fountain. Reece, a third grader, has his first strawberry in chocolate and I swear the boy was in ecstasy. I asked him if he wanted a chocolate fountain at his wedding and he literally shivered with joy, yes, he closed his eyes and shuddered. Want a party idea for kids? Fruit and a chocolate river...and a river of babies--Baby B. Baby L. Baby E. is that all? not sure, then tots, then preK then elementary and three middle schoolers who no longer wanted to tolerate a 5 yr old boy...for a while.. a trampoline, 2 great danes--two calves the size of great danes and good old lemon drop, a beagle with a body the size of a fatted calf. At five there was bottle feeding of calves.

At some point we "hid" the eggs, 200 plastic eggs with various treats and some with slips of paper with very funny tasks inside. Believe it or not, the kids loved the tasks. Hug 5 trees, thank your mom, hop ten times on one foot....Marci and Matt live in the country, have acres, woods and a creek, we hid the eggs in the yard only, which is probably 2 or 3 acres and woods encroaching, some eggs were hidden, many were just tossed especially for toddlers, then the brood zoomed over the land filling their sacks and H's plan to save all his eggs to share with friends? No deal, he did the same as last year, ate everything. I made him eat something with protein at least twice during the day, but the rest of the time....oh well.

I hadn't been with my cousins and their children since Thanksgiving and now I really look like THEIR mother--that was fun, and once Mandy mistook me for HER mother, my cousin Rose. I think we have the same sharp jawline now. Right at 6p.m. we rolled out toward home and H said with disappointment, I thought we were staying till night. It's six o'clock! Oh. He did not collapse and fall to sleep on the way home..unbelievable (we talked all the way home) but he is still in bed right now at 8:15. He wants to go home today, he's afraid he'll miss school tomorrow, I think he wants to share his good times!

Posting 1, 2 ,3 Posting 1, 2, 3

2010-02-24T04:59:00.000-08:00

I am not sure when my last post was, I'll look in a bit. Next Tuesday is 6 weeks out for my husband's quintuple bypass and he will be out of the back seat and into the driver's seat next week. His recovery has been wonderful. I expect he is stir crazy or has cabiin fever though he gets out and walks good distances almost daily, barring intense cold. He has officially done the taxes in record time and that's always a relief. He had some time at home...

The weight loss: I am so close to wedding weight I cannot believe it. I am having a fairly easy time with the restrictions and am doing better all the time with the vitamins, in particular getting down the required calcium citrate. The calcium is the hardest. I was one year out on February 11 and still have not had my year's check up. I also forgot to fast this morning for the big 47,000 tubes I hear they take for this blood test. OK, do that another day. The docs office has once again changed my appointment to an inconvenient time:^( I am going to ask for one at any time of any day of my spring break. Gotta get that over with. I never took one of those pictures of me in my giant jeans, I just gave them to goodwill. Don't seem to care about a photo record. My daughter has enough pics of the fat me to do the trick. I don't know exactly what my top size was, it was one of those mystery sizes from lane bryant's but now I am in college sized attire, so I am exactly where I want to be, I still have hair and I still have bones. I am rebuilding muscle in regular weight training and cardio classes and am having some improvement in the skin due to the exercise.

Odd Schedule Today

2010-02-02T05:40:00.000-08:00

We are doing a practice writing prompt under real testing conditions. I have a group that is so very special that I only have four students and one of them is missing. Hope it goes well and I hope I didn't talk too much for them to process. After this we go on our two hour delay schedule where we will have each class for 35 minutes. No one gets left out. It is a good plan.
Several Days Later.
My kids were great, they really worked and wrote so much better than I had hoped. I think there is a good chance that when we get to the high stakes test they will do well, not perfectly, but well. Who wants perfect? This prompt was really to gather data for our school being part of title one, but it was set up in testing sites to have the kids be comfortable with that. And the teachers as well, My team, related arts, is not a team that normally tests so a few of us are not comfortable with it. I came from Elementary and science, so I am quite used to the testing scene and it doesn't bother me at all. Although I can never forget the time I administered a test to a second grader when I was a teacher's aide and I was not allowed to help, he and I both cried. Wonder where Jimmy is now?

This week there were some fund raisers for red cross and Fridays was gum day. We never allow gum and are really pretty harsh about it. Much to my surprise the kids were willing to donate a dollar for the privilege of not sneaking and for having entire packs in their mouths. They came prepared. It was a stinky day in schooltown. I heard one parent even brought in the gum her daughter forgot. That's the way to teach them responsibility. Hey, if they forget their gum, forget it.
The drive home was slushy and the back deck was freezing in at least an inch of the nasty stuff, so before I got in the house, I had to clear the path and feed the dog. I knew I was not going to be willing to GO BACK OUT!

Weekend Update

2010-02-01T04:13:00.000-08:00

Things are moving along swimmingly with DH's quintuple bypass. Tomorrow is his first doc's appointment and it will be his first trip out since he returned home. It has been extremely cold and he is not supposed to go out in it, breathing that cold air is not good for the healing heart. A bypass recoverer rides in the back seat away from the airbag. That was new to me. I wonder if I had an air bag when I brought my mother home? It has been way over my personal time limit since I saw the boys and I am going to have to make a LeRoy run this weekend unless they are busy. Baby Q got 2 teeth, got up on his knees to rock and started babbling on the same day! Gotta see that in person! Q's mommy, my girl, is on a cleaning and organizing rampage now that Q is entertaining himself more. Now I really have to get to work and get the 8th grade pallettes made for painting. They are only going to have this week then their grading period is over so I cannot waste any time. Later.

Adventure in Juicing: First Time

2010-01-30T12:53:00.000-08:00

I gingerly uncrated my new Breville 600 watt juice fountain. Folks, I read the instructions, I removed all packing materials, I practiced the moves, then I took it to the kitchen. I was ever so careful with the plug and started juicing strawberries, an apple, celery, pineapple and carrots, then noticed a beautiful pool of creamy yellowy and pinky red liquid flowing out the back: I forgot to put the pitcher under the spout. What a mess! Our counter top is old science table top with a crack between each slab so I opened the drawer and marvelled at how much juice I had made, all over my smallish kitchen tools. Clean up in the produce aisle! I had to clean up the drawer and the machine, then started again. Larry and I were able to share some truly delicious and pretty juice. He said since I intended to stick around a while (live) he would, too and is willing to drink his fruits and veggies which he is not too keen on eating. We are no where near the 5 servings a day or whatever it is now. I can't get that much in my WLS pouch, and he just doesn't care much for them. This machine is remarkably easy to clean and I will learn to use the fibrous leftover for something nutritious and delicious.

Getting Stronger Every Day

2010-01-29T05:29:00.000-08:00

DH is making so much progress, it is hard to realize the trauma he has been through. He is totally independent except he is supposed to stay out of the cold and not drive for 6 weeks. This morning he was still asleep when I left to meet friends for breakfast, and I think that is better than him getting up at 5:00a.m. I crashed before he did last night, I think that is emotional exhaustion on my part. Do not worry dear reader, I gave the dog fresh water and another pan of dog food this morning. She eats more in this cold than usual, so if it is empty tonight, more food for her. And DH, if you are perusing my writing, I did get a big bar of chocolate this morning at the Cracker Barrel, and another new outfit for Quinn.

8 Hours of Sleep

2010-01-28T05:59:00.000-08:00

8 hours of sleep in a night is an event worth celebrating. I have had broken sleep for years, though there have been improvements from the weight loss. The past 2 weeks with Dh's heart attack and subsequent quintuple bypass have really brought back the chopped up nights of waking hourly, and exhaustion sets in. Last night while a phone call was interfering with my enjoyment of modern family, I fell asleep just at 9p.m. and woke up to my first alarm at 5:15a.m. and I do not remember a single awakening! Yay! Today I feel invigorated, talkative and happy. DH also had a really good night's sleep, I didn't hear any coughing and nothing woke me up. He said he slept well. Hooray for both of us.

Yesterday I got my body fat level read at a local fitness center on their new big money machine, and after all this weight loss, I am at 32% body fat, just 4% above the top ideal for women. (14 to 28%) I thought with as little weight training as I had done since surgery, the numbers would be worse. Yay me! This is part of a program our principal asked out PE teacher to do for staff, and since her family owns a fitness center, they graciously let us have this reading, and it is a detailed reading, for free before we start our school exercise program. It turns out that many of the supplements and protein products I have needed and searched for are sold in their center. They carry Isopure and a shake called OhYeah! and is OhYeah! ever tasty. I also bought their high protein pancake mix and will try it for both of us. They also carry every good oil you have ever read or heard about.

HOME!

2010-01-27T03:02:00.000-08:00

I got DH home last evening and went through quite a bit of frustration organizing the new meds and figuring out what old meds were still to be used and which ones were not to be used. Most of his are generic and the list from the hospital was mostly in brand names. Finally I just went online and got the names of the 4 that I could not figure out, but the process was daunting for me. We both had a good night's sleep and this morning seems strangely normal. It is extremely cold here, so he is not to go out. He'll take his walks in the house for a while.

Today is

2010-01-26T09:45:00.000-08:00

Today is supposed to be the day DH gets out of hospital. I had to run an errand for him so I didn't go up at lunch as I usually do and I am waiting for the call that tells me he is in his wheelchair ready to go to the car. I am working, that keeps me on an even keel, rather than waiting, waiting, waiting. This is an experience where I have had the desire to eat in an old way. I haven't done it, I physically can't do it, but the urge was strong! Everyone knows how hospital time is so if you are getting out right away, it is at least 2 or 3 hours. I may finish this day of teaching and not get a call. We had a 2 hour delay for ice and blowing snow so I sat in his room for an extra long time this morning. We are supposed to be on time to work on a delay day, and I was on time, I am usually really really early. After seeing how well he walks now and how strong he is, I am not worried about him being home. The man is really snapping back.

Hellacious Fortnight

2010-01-25T06:01:00.000-08:00

I think a fortnight is two weeks. Two weeks ago tomorrow my dear one went into the hospital having a small heart attack and dodging the really big one. He had a heart cath which showed 5 blockages, one complete on the front of the heart. He stabilized in the hospital for a couple of days then was sent home to rest and wait for Tuesday morning op0en heart surgery. I am sure it was annoying to him as I would creep in the room during the day just to listen for breathing. He was to do nothing and he stick to that. On Tuesday he had a quintuple bypass (CABG). He donated lots of good veins to himself and the two small arteries were big enough to be bypassed so he had all five done. This is a point in my life where watching the discovery channels may not have been the best as you have an image of one you love flayed open on a table and it is hard to shake. His recovery has been nothing short of amazing, His color was good well before he regained consciousness, the swelling from the IV fluids left quickly and this morning he says he feels normal. He looks normal, too. The final chest tube will come out today and then he will be home in 24 hours.
This past weekend while my husband is in the hospital, my 5 month old grandson had to be admitted to a different hospital 2 1/2 hours away with RSV, bronchitis, and a double ear infection. He has had to stay 48 hours and my poor daughter is exhausted. They are being released this morning. It just killed me to not be able to go to them. Mrschicken went, though, and I thank her. Son-in-law has the 5 year old during this unnerving event. I do not remember RSV from the days I was parenting, nor do I remember so many babies having to go in the hospital. Maybe it is that there was no social media and I was a stay at home mom in those years with little contact with the outside world. I cannot imagine that it is a new disease. By the time my children were in a school setting they were over 2, which I understand now RSV simply seems to be a cold after the age of 2.

My husband's wounds have no staples or stitches on the outside. isn't that interesting? Glue, I suppose and the incisions are healing so fast!. I have had support from the interwebs and from everyone I know and many people I don't know. It has been so helpful and I am so grateful to not have that isolation of the early years with children. Thank all of you who might read here. We have had prayers from the nearest and farthest reaches of the earth and Larry really was amazed by that.

Here's for you Katie

2010-01-21T08:47:00.001-08:00

Some Pics and Maybe a Word

2010-01-15T15:06:00.000-08:00

A few more photos

Kinda Weight Loss

2010-01-15T10:48:00.000-08:00

This week has been a hectic round of walking the new hospital wings, dropping off and picking up Larry, being the carrier and the hiker and I realized today that a year ago even one of those trips down those long halls would have been difficult for me. I have been all over the new and expanded hospital keeping up with gurneys, climbing new slanted hills in halls that lead from old to new and most of it quickly and easily. Hmm. I have lost 124 lbs since last Feb's surgery and it has certainly made me physically markedly pain free..almost. I finally had a weight training workout this week, but due to my husband's heart attack, I couldn't go to the second workout. My arms were sore all week and are still sore today if I straighten them. The workout was Monday and this is Friday. I also could lift way way less than I could last year, I simply must rebuild my muscle strangth! Right now I need my mental strength to get through the days ahead with DH having open heart surgery and possibly needing 5 bypasses. He was at a regular doctor's appointment and his seeming minor complaint turned out to be an MI. He dodged a much bigger one by getting in so quickly. more later.

Husband Ill

2010-01-13T14:32:00.000-08:00

Larry had some chest pains, not the kind he had with his first heart attack. (foreshadowing) As it turned out, he was having a heart attack, though the discomfort was very minor and didn't run down the arm or up the neck. He thought he pulled a muscle and he works very hard physical labor. This morning he had a heart catheterization which revealed that every major artery was blocked. When the effects of the blood thinners he had to take for the heart cath wear off, he will have bypass surgery, not sure of the number, is 4 maximum? The heart attack itself was caught so early we consider it fortunate and a blessing. He is pissed as this does not fit into his neat calendar of events for the near future. As of today, he still has a near future to complain about. L is resting comfortably in the hospital waiting for time and day, but for the blood thinners it would have been today, and thankfully he was not presenting with a massive heart attack. That was building.

I personally am exhausted from sleeping so fitfully last night in the fear Iw ould oversleep which I never do! I did not oversleep this morning, either. I shall crash early tonight and pack a few things to knit and to read for tomorrow. I will also check in at school and hopefully get a chance totalk to my sub in person and see how she feels about the art assignments as she is not an art teacher, but she IS a real teacher. More later family.

In the Cold

2010-01-10T15:54:00.000-08:00

The last 2 days of school were cancelled for the weather. I find that the longer I hole up in the cold, the longer I want to hole up. It will be good to get back to school and back on schedule. I shock myself by how quickly I can become a hermit. I have done a lot of reading, "The Tall Book", came out of that feeling a little freer, a little prouder, but in the world of the tall and super tall, 6ft is really not that much. Felt shorter just reading it! I admit I like to be in Indy during the women's b-ball championship seeing the crowds of tall girls walking around the circle center mall, I stand up really straight and enjoy seeing them. I read "The Plague of Doves," one of Louise Erdrich's well-drawn masterpieces that retains a mystery until the very last page. I am trying to finish "American Wife", loosely based on Laura Bush. It is making me like her though I always wanted her (in real life) to stand up for teachers against the insanity going on in education today. It is a book I pick up, read a bit, put down and read a whole other book before I come back to it.

I took a little trip to my favorite store today, just to get out of the house, only to find my car dead, not quite as a doornail, but not turning over. I had not turned off the XM radio so it was draining the battery in the sub-zero temperatures. grrrr, but better to find it today thatn in the sub zero morning to come! I spent some money on absolutely non-essential items like lovely scented candles and another pair of exercise pants for my workout, tomorrow I should have both a workout AND a haircut.

The Season and Some Weightloss WLS Style

2009-12-27T05:54:00.000-08:00

I had a message on FB so I thought I should update a little. I am closing in on 11 months post surgery and I am still losing weight at a steady slowing speed. At least I think it's slowing. I am wearing the same size I was married in though I am nearly 20lbs heavier. My daughter got me an impossibly skinny sweater for Christmas and I fearfully tried it on, (old clothes as gifts anxiety) and it was great. I looked at the scale today and I am down 124lbs. I always lose another 3 or 4 pounds when I am in charge of my grandson for a few days! We are busy. As I have said before, I am satisfied with where I am. if it stops today, I am GREAT!
I made cookies this year for the first time in 40 some odd years, I mean from scratch, not slice n bake, and had one in the morning and one at night, to no ill effect. This is really the first time I have deliberately eaten something with sugarbut one little cookie followed many hours later by another did not harm me. I have religiously followed the sugar rule for the entire 11 months, which is sugar no higher than 5 on the list of ingredients. I have had a few bites of pasta from time to time, recently, but it is too too filling. Overcooked meat in the crockpot goes down just fine, you know when the meat is falling apart. I also had success with my daughter's amazing Christmas Roast and I am sure that is the name of the roast, "The Amazing Christmas Roast" though in honor of the 4 11/12 I called it roast beast!

Since I have failed at making myself go to the Y and swim since school started I am starting back in with the school trainer deal and get back to that, because, dear WLS readers, you will not believe what needs toning after such a major weight loss--EVERYTHING and then some. This wellness deal also gives us access to a local hospital fitness center. I am excited to get back on the elliptical, because, even when I had not lost weight, I loved what that machine did for me! I have said before (again) but the nurses at the hospital said the reason Iw as not having the pain everyone else was having was because of the 3 years with a trainer and my abs, though buried were in great shape, if you are beginning to explore this route, do yourself a favor and really exercise and work on those abs, you will thank yourself later when you have a super amazing nearly pain free recovery. I also recommend meltingmama.net as a really helpful WLS site.

Random Thoughts and a Little Weightloss

2009-12-02T07:50:00.000-08:00

I have come to the point in my weight loss journey where I don't really care if I lose any more weight or not. I am looking and feeling better than I ever expected I could at age 62 and just dropped another three pounds. I know many of you think WLS makes weight loss effortless, but that is not the case. It is different, but it is still not effortless. My total at this point is a loss of 118 lbs. I had to drop another size in jeans this week and am in the size I wore as my skinny self from about 35 years ago. Of course that is not taking the new vanity sizing into account, but I don't care, I feel really good about where I am and now I just want to stay put, or knock off a few more pounds so I can safely bobble there for all time.
I have had a student teacher who has been completely in charge of my room for at least a month, this week is her last week and I am eager to get back to teaching myself. I have done a lot of reading and some knitting. I also made a cute quilt for my new grandbaby during my free time. I have spent most of my time in the library so I can use a computer whenever I like and have learned some new (to me) art skills that I can teach my students, thanks to my student teacher.I have also subbed or covered for several people during this time. My student teacher is so good I have had no worries and am not pining quite as much for my room as I have in the past with lesser student teachers. My kids are safe with her and learning a lot.
I had grandson H over Friday and Saturday night, we went to see Planer 51 which was so much fun and then Saturday we did Thanksgiving with my cousins and all the children of the third generation. H had a blast, everyone was a little bigger and a little older, and it was rough and tumble and he totally loved it. I had a great time being with my cousins and their kids, myself. Of course there was a groaning board of food, but that is not anything that bothers me. I tasted several things, stayed away from sugar, as usual and got to rock babies to sleep. All in all a very good day. I also passed out the hats I knit like a maniac last week to babies, including one for my newest grandson.

Grand Babies

2009-11-02T04:27:00.000-08:00

We spent Saturday and Sunday with Rayne_of_Terror and the "boys" and they are grand babies. Q is 2 months and 16 pounds of blue twisted steel, cuddly but tough. My long fingers barely meet around his expanding chest. He is a laughing cooing baby who gives his mother hell to pay at night. H was adorable and seems to have made the transition to big brother very well. It was tough at first. He imagined that any time he was not home, there was untold fun and partying going on without him, but he has finally relaxed and started to enjoy school. We made a pact with each other to have another good week at school. Since I go to school every day, too, we did a little huddle and maybe a band cheer (ala Aunt Leah). H dressed as super pumpkin and he was super cute from head to toe in his stuffed orange shirt with a pumpkin and a super S ont he front, an orange terry cape (otherwise known as the baby's towel from Israel) though it has been a super cape ever since it arrived. He wore a green kerchief and just looked adorable. See pics on Rayne's blog. DH began work on converting the tiny upstairs office/bedroom into a laundry room. It looks like heaven to me to make that room into the laundry as all the dirty clothes are made upstairs! There will be some other changes, but the most exciting one is having the laundry on the second floor. There will be a pantry style cabinet, cabinets, and counter top for folding. That still leaves 3 bedrooms. Seeing the room empty for the first time, I realized it really was big enough to have a crib, I hadn't thought it was possible. I am also thinking a pullout ironing board to touch up collars and such would be a good idea. Maybe I will get her that sewing machine I mentioned a few years ago and she can do some mending and create more fun costumes in that room, too. hmm, there's an idea.

While we were there, @Derndingle made the repairs to our beloved dell tower, simple for him, mystifying to us and we are grateful. I did get all my photos off the newer e-machine but DH and I really prefer the mighty Dell for now. I'd like to thank AccidentallyJewish for her guidance in talking me through the memory stick, she in Chicago and me way down state. SUCCESS! My big worry was losing all the new photos from my new little canonelph.

Weight Loss Check In

2009-11-02T04:19:00.000-08:00

I have achieved a loss since February 11, 2009, of 115lbs. I am looking like my original self plus age. Yesterday I had a confusing time at an outlet mall trying to find a new pair of jeans that fit. I searched and searched, until I realized I had to leave the women's department and go to another department. I was sure it wasn't going to work, but I got a pair of no gap waistline well-fitting jeans and another plain pair that also fit well in a size I never expected to see or enter again, even with the weight loss. I feel like maybe I have 10 or 15 more pounds to lose but I am just not sure. My imagination did not go this far. Visualization did not go this far. My understanding is that you get this kind of weight loss for about a year following surgery then any more becomes the same old effort it always was. I may make my unknown goal before that year is up. In two weeks I will be 9 months out from surgery..

For Rick

2009-10-04T09:02:00.000-07:00

The loom is foam core board with an even number of slots cut in each end. We have 14 slots in each end this time. The first time I did this we used crochet cotton for the warp, this time we used cotton thread like peaches n cream for the warp and it worked better, it is easier for 7Th grade fingers.. I buy mostly worsted weight yarns on sale and a few fun yarns so they can get some fluffy stuff going on. We weave all the way around the foam core and then we weave a flap on one side. I do a little braid and sew on a button for them. They are 7Th graders and they choose their own colors. I also have a sheet of various patterns you can do with a tabby weave. I am also sure there is a way to braid a handle through this to give a little something to hang on to, we just haven't gone there yet. Packing the weaving as tightly as possible is very important. I will put on a photo that shows how we load the warp onto the board. If you used a big enough piece of foam core you could make a decorative pillow or even a full size purse. These are perfectly sized for a phone as big as an I-phone or my canon elph camera. I am not identifying the artists, but at least half of them are mildly mentally handicapped and their projects are exactly as good as anybody else's. I did find out this time that they LOVE variegated colors so I stocked up on some of those at a sale at JoAnn Fabrics. I also have a selection of yarn that I bought with school supply money through the catalogues. It can often be a disappointment so I don't count on that. I am working on one that is all cotton Peaches N Cream brand or the walmart brand of similar cotton. This is the cotton I have knitted and crocheted dishcloths with in the past.

Pocket Weavings 7th grade

2009-10-03T01:38:00.001-07:00

Mosaics/pocket weavings

2009-10-03T01:27:00.000-07:00

Weight Loss or Not

2009-09-29T15:49:00.000-07:00

Have had a week hovering at a 101 lb loss, I am pleased with my progress and don't mind hovering. I had the first mention today of losing too much, yet I am 60 lbs over my college and young bride weight. hmm. what's that about? The people who know me now in my present life have never seen me at a normal weight. I am not at a normal weight yet, but I sure am looking a heck of a lot better than I did a year ago!
Dh repaired my bicycle which had the front fork of backwards for 3 years as put together by ultra excellent bike shop. It really improves the ride! The little hills that had become challenges to me since the weight loss strangely smoothed over and got lower! My feet are no longer hit by my front tire when I turn the bike. Hard to imagine not noticing that little problem for so long! I just blamed those issues on my own body, feet, losing some strength along with weight...and it was BACKWARDS!

Last week I thought I may have lost my mind in offering my afternoon 6th graders the Oaxacan animal project. I was wrong, once we got through the horrid first day where each and every one of them was clamoring for help...I can't..I can't...I can't ringing through the air, it has been more than fine, so much better than they have been since the beginning of school. I feel like I have literally yelled at this one class 5 times in 43 minutes.(Each day) I don't much care for it when that happens, and I really don't care for raising my voice.

Because I have learned the simple task of putting pics on my blog, Thanks, daughter, I will be able to put up some photos here when the animals are finished. This project gives my kids a sculptural experience, a social studies experience, and just a lot of down right fun. I learned some techniques 3 or 4 years ago from Dan Reeder's book "Simple Screamers" that have made this project one that lasts. Little siblings say my brother still have his..maybe 4 years after making it. A child can even play with them they are so sturdy. We make the lat layer a wrap (like a mummy) of elmer's glue and strips of cotton ripped from sheets that makes them amazingly strong, and paint them with acrylics.

some editing

2009-09-20T14:49:00.000-07:00

Rockets Red Glare

2009-09-20T14:17:00.000-07:00

weekend pictures

2009-09-20T13:54:00.000-07:00

newest grandson

2009-09-13T13:54:00.000-07:00

Bag and Chameleon

2009-09-13T13:21:00.000-07:00

This bag I knitted and felted and the chameleon is a paint pen painting I did for my grandson and I am just having a blast doing this right now! Hey little brother look what I am doing!

Me Trying Pictures

2009-09-13T13:14:00.000-07:00

I am learning how to post photos...finally

2009-09-13T12:09:00.000-07:00

Mom's Journal

2009-09-12T16:26:00.000-07:00

Mom left a few pages on a tiny yellow pad, my youngest sister just gave it to me.
I am going to quote this from it as it pertains to me......"I am so proud of the good job Linda and Larry are doing with their girls....I am picking up my grandchildren today from practice. (band)Those 2 girls are something special. I love being with them. They are smart, pretty and not all mixed up like so many kids I know. I don't think they keep many secrets from the parents. It looks like rain, I do hate to drive in rain."... Thanks Mom, I loved reading this.

Knee Pain Weight Loss

2009-09-09T03:46:00.000-07:00

Tomorrow I will be 7 months out from my gastric bypass surgery. So far no complications and I am down 97 lbs. I am looking forward to the psychological goal of 100lbs. Early this morning I woke up(4a.m.) and straightened my left knee. In the past this has been a very painful and slow process. I realized I was doing this with NO pain at all. I don't know how long this has been going on, but I just noticed it. I stopped taking arthritis meds at least a month before the first cancelled surgery and have never taken it since, so I have been off of it for nearly a year. I did not restart it because I was afraid of what it would do to the new pocket stomach. Ulcers can be deadly for post-bariatrics so I do nothing that can cause it, not even baby aspirin. I was so happy this morning I kept bending and straightening my knee and going "yeah it doesn't hurt."

Stop Me Before I Shop Again

2009-09-07T11:24:00.000-07:00

I have always hated shopping for me. When I was tall and thin, there were almost no tall clothes. I sewed for myself from the ages of about 13 to 40 when suddenly there were some ready mades for me, with buttons and zippers. I have hauled 2 over 40 gallon bags of things to the goodwill and that doesn't count the things that are nice enough for resale or consignment. I haven't bought myself anything that wasn't on a deep discount the past month, BUT I keep on buying. I can shop almost anywhere for me now. They have been making really long things for several years and now that I can put my hands on some items, more than one or two in a fat store that I can wear. I buy them. Things I bought a month ago are sliding off. I think I will have to get out the machine and do a little remodeling so it isn't just throwing money away. I also bought what I needed to make my newest grandbaby a colorful cozy baby quilt.....and more yarn. cotton yarn.

Weight Loss

2009-09-05T05:56:00.000-07:00

94lbs down. Just got back from routine bloodwork keeping track of cholesterol, sugar and iron. Opening of school has messed with my exercise schedule, I must work out a new schedule and stick to it. I attended a bariatric support group meeting with my friend Diana last Monday and the subject was tips for beginners. It is amazing what you did in those early days and weeks that just slip out of your head. I don't think I even had a tip to share. I am now in the smallest jeans I have worn in 30 years, and am still losing weight. I may get closer to a goal I thought was impossible and even undesirable for someone of my age and parity. I am just taking it a day at a time and finding it rather exciting. The physical abilities that reveal themselves to me gradually, oh I couldn't do that last year, oh, I haven't done that for 3 years, oh, I didn't think that was possible. Just little sneaky things that crept away, even sitting here typing with right leg crossed over left, thoughtlessly, right foot touching the floor. I caught myself tying my left shoe with my foot up where I couldn't get it before, had to tie that one flat on the floor for the last several year. The flexibility in my hips seems to have returned.

I need to apologize to my brother if this rambles, and my blogging is definitely hurt by my twittering. When I cast about for a topic, I just think I already covered it in 140 characters! I will try to do better. Goodness, either I don't have any spelling errors or spellcheck isn't working!

Weight Loss

2009-08-30T03:45:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd better record it here. This morning I hit 92 pounds down. I had a gastric bypass 2-11-09, in just less than two weeks I will be 7 months out from the surgery. So far I have had no complications and I have only thrown up twice. I finally got some palatable chewable calcium citrate and am taking it faithfully. That had been the one thing it was hard to get down. Crystals, powder, taste like or feel like crap. Once again, I found what I needed on Amazon.com. The opening two weeks of school has been wonderful, I have energy at the end of the day that I did not have before and every few days I discover another physical ability that has either improved or returned! I am doing some major reorganizing in my classroom that I never would have attempted for fear of using up my energy and not having it for teaching! Those little improvements sneak up on me and take me by surprise when I realize I am doing something easily that 7 months ago I couldn't do at all. My colleagues are telling me I am looking healthy, my color is good. I met someone yesterday who is considering the surgery and she said I was glowing, that word has been used more in the last two weeks than it ever was when I was pregnant so many years ago. I like that. Glowing and healthy looking. I think people expect you to look sick after this.

I can already tell how much more physically capable I am when I carry my newest grandson out on the deck and down the stairs/up the stairs with no problem. I can get up and down off the floor maybe 75% better than before. I have also reached what I thought was my possible goal is size and am really only 2 or 2.5 sizes away from my younger ideal. I had no expectation of getting any closer than I am right now. I guess I will just blow through that goal. My good friend D is at goal weight in WW for the first time in her life, she finished out her last 20 lbs after bariatric at WW as she likes the support, she has lost at least 120 or 125 pounds an she is only about 5'4"! Even her shoe size has dropped, that would be a financial blessing to me. Go D! Hard to find this year, 3/4 sleeves, I am flying flags under my arms, which has been true since my first round of optifast 20 years ago. Mynew pants are already sagging. thank goodness I got everything at deep sale prices, I couple of darts would keep my jeans up a little longer.

Movies: I wanted to blog a bit about 2 movies I saw yesterday, but found my twittering has really cut my blogging to almost nothing. I went to see Julie and Julia and I LOVED it, Maryl Streep was wonderful as was everybody else. They did a really good job of making Meryl look tall and I only wish I had always had Julia Child's attitude about height. I always wanted to be 6ft tall because I adored my 6ft tall aunt, and I am, but I haven't always had the confidence about it that Julia had. Hey, maybe I still don't..the story lines intertwined wonderfully from the past to the present--and I left the theater and went to Sam's and bought both Julie and Julia AND My Life in France-- then I bought some protein bars and just knew that Julia was disapproving as they are not worthy of the taste buds. I just needed a little guarantee of the protein in my day. Though (or because) the tickets were at $5, the theater was packed, mostly older people, and since I qualify at the Y now, I am also an older person. I saw an old friend from school who has moved on to another job and asked her if she teared up at all, and she had. I had wanted to shout at the crowd "did anyone else well up in here?" "or is it just me?" She welled up, too. Annoying, watching this movie with people crunching popcorn behind you. This movie is a feast in more ways than one.

I also saw "500 Days of Summer" It was a very sweet movie and I enjoyed it very much.
I appreciated the lack of graphic sex as well as the manner in which the story was told which seemed very original to me. This movie has only just arrived in mytown and there were only about 12 people in the audience. Open mouthed eaters sat behind me. Why didn't I move? Oh and by the way, the theater seats are a lot bigger than the last time I was there. hmmm. I bet airplane seats are bigger, too.

Birthing My Twins

2009-08-08T11:36:00.000-07:00

My twins are 32 and one of them is on the brink of birthing her second child. Reading Dooce makes me want to write my little story from the dark ages. Actually my son is 38 and he was also a wonderful natural delivery (foreshadowing) in the days when natural childbirth was just beginning to rear its head. I read books and practiced exercises from the books with him and relied on panting for my breathing. I remember a kindly nun patting me on the hand and saying "You shouldn't breathe like that, you'll hyperventilate". I had a fantastic 8 hr labor and delivery. Jump 5.5 years up in time and I not only read books but took a class. I was in that class still not knowing I was having twins as my OB said I had made a 3 month MISTAKE and I was most certainly NOT having twins even though my abdomen extended to just above my knees when sitting(and I am 6ft tall and very long-legged)AND he was going to wire my jaws shut as there was no earthly reason to gain 10lbs a month for 3 months running. And to think I went to a real OB and let him talk to me that way....you young women these days would punch him in the nose and find a midwife and a doula. Not sure the term doula even existed yet in 1977. Since my first baby was 11 lbs6ozs, I thought the OB might be right and no telling how big the second was going to be, they're usually a bit bigger, right? 20lbs maybe?

Much to my Ob's dismay the pregnancy continued way past his last chosen due date and much closer to mine. By the end I was going to the IGA after Larry got home and walking down one aisle with a cart and calling it a success. Not sure I should have been out there, though. Two weeks before MY selected due date (the right one, March 23) the doc decided my body could take no more so he would induce. I think I sat on 2 folding chairs in a hall and used up 1/4 of my health insurance benefit for having a baby. You will know this was the dark ages because they X-rayed me.....repeat....repeat...repeat... techs were running around like chickens with their heads cut off. I was starting to panic as my little niece had already been diagnosed with a terminal cancer and I was having my baby blasted with cancer rays. I asked how many heads they saw and of course, they could not tell me, but I knew it was more than one.

Doc told me I was carrying twins, they were 38 weeks and OK size not great big. (laughs later)He could tell by the cartilage in the babies how many weeks they were. I must go home and stay pregnant for two more weeks, yes we are talking full term here and whose date? MINE of course. The last two weeks of my pregnancy were filled with the sensation of babies growing, an actual sensation, a growth day would completely exhaust me. We shall know why later. I had no stretch marks from my first baby and a completely flat stomach after, but from 6 months on with these babies I could feel my skin zinging and tearing, another sensation indescribable. Or maybe I did just describe it. I give thanks to my sister here for coming to stay with me, she may have stayed 6 weeks and was important beyond measure in my success as a twin mother. I will thank her again later.

Today is your birthday, for some strange reason, the date I arrived at from counting on my fingers is the date the doc is going to induce me. Early to rise and to the hospital we go. Good old pit. Pitocin... you all know it. Hours, hours, hours, nothing, then the doc does the hook the water thing and off I go. The breathing techniques I learned really worked! There was space between contractions which I did not have the first time, so nice. Nurses and docs still did not understand natural childbirth and were still offering drugs. I was able to lie on my side and found I had real control of my contractions. In those days you had to move from the labor bed to the delivery table, and as huge as my abdomen was, I did not want to make the trip across that grand canyon. My abdomen listed to the right, one baby in the center and one to the side. I would walk in one direction and my abdomen pointed in another direction. OOOH here comes the urge to push, I am not going to tell a soul because I do not want to get on my back or move to a table...I think I am being very sneaky, but my husband knows it instantly and he yelled out to the nurses, "you better get back in here...she's pushing." Damn him. Now I am going to have to move. Extra people stayed for a twin delivery, for a natural twin delivery, and for the ungainly size of the mother (me). One young nurse was a 6 footer like myself and she literally lifted my abdomen to the center as I somehow rolled to my back (beached whale comes to mind)and held it--them on the top as I scooted. They got my left leg in a stirrup with my knee pointed back and my foot to the ceiling and my right leg in a stirrup and my foot mere inches from the floor. The cloths were neatly folded on my abdomen. I assumed I'd have an episiotomy and did not scorn that but Leah slipped right out with the doc barely dressed and my legs hilariously askew. One up, one down. I was really great at the delivery part! It was a healthy looking girl, looked like a nice weight, a good 6 or 7 pounds--yeah right. She got name number one Leah now known as @leahjones. The doctor yelled out, "get her god damned legs where they belong!" cloths were spread, and then he gave me a shot for an episiotomy, what the hell? I probably had the big one first! He was so discombobulated he shot right into his own hand. The nurse, measuring Leah started yelling out 10 pounds 10 pounds this baby is 10 pounds, excitement ensued in the room. Another doc walked in, no proper clothes or shoe coverings and that really pissed me off. Then I needed to push, or my OB said I needed to push. I really had lost my concept of what that meant. He reached in for baby number 2, centered it, and pushed on my abdomen and out came @devivo in 3 or less minutes. 5 years later I had reason to understand why it was so great for her to be out so quickly.

Among the books I read was the Bradley method and I learned the secrets of cold cream. I had nary a tear nor a loss of a drop of blood and no episiotomy, in spite of the injection which was now taking effect, why I ask you why?

Baby 2 was 8lbs12oz edging out the other biggest baby of the day and being my smallest twin. Lastly the placenta was delivered, 2 mashed in to one as they are fraternal twins, a mighty huge looking thing. I forgot to ask what it weighed. My labor and delivery was 4 hours. Exactly half what my first delivery was. At this point I began to feel like a Salvadore Dali painting with my empty abdomen hanging off the edge of the recovery table. One of my first pleasures of the evening was being walked to a bathroom and peeing for the first time, and peeing and peeing and peeing. By the next day I could see the bones in my feet again. I nursed my babies but did not get angry when the nurse gave Jenny a bottle, second time around I knew I could deal with that at home. We all went home in two days and I have always been inordinately proud that all my babies had 10's on their apgars right from he start. Yes they all aced their first standardized tests as they went on to do all other standardized tests they had to deal with!

My sister, Kathy, stayed on for at least another month and totally and 100% supported me in breastfeeding. I started out thinking I'd have to alternate with bottles but ended up completely nursing them for 10 months when they began a rather quick and painful weaning and never looked back. I am not sure I could have been as successful without her encouragement and active support. Thanks again, Kathy.

3 years later, my girls ended up in preschool with two other girls born on the same day, one waiting in another hospital for my OB to deliver my girls and the other in my hospital who saw me in the hall and felt great pity for my gargantuan abdomen. Sorry to the mom who had to wait, but first things first!

I Have Realized Something About Myself

2009-08-02T08:08:00.000-07:00

As a blogger, I am not a writer, I am not looking for a following, the few who read it are dear to me and I think I am more of a rambling stream of consciousness type of person. I am not going to publish or sharpen a snarky wit here, though I do love to read those blogs! Maybe when I retire I'll change my mind, but I am thinking it just isn't me. I am not a political wizard so I don't go there much, though I feel it. I am not going to monetize or seek a following. I write things down to remember them or share them with a few readers and that's OK with me! I always thought I could write a children's book, but doesn't everybody think that? I haven't done it. I have read and loved so many. I would want the one I wrote to last in the annals of necessary children's books as The Very Hungry Caterpillar has lasted.

Yesterday was My Birthday

2009-08-02T07:47:00.000-07:00

My brother was nice enough to leave links to the books I wrote about yesterday and to note I had not mentioned my own birthday. I twittered it, I facebooked it, but I forgot to blog it. It was a beautiful sunshiny day most of the day as I hit 62. I really wanted to call Mom, so mentally, I did, and I try to think of what she was doing at my same age. I realized how young she was when she lost her own mother, my dear Mammie. Mammie was 72 so I think Mom was 41. I never knew from my aunt and my Mom what a grievous hole it leaves in your psyche when your mother passes from this life. They never mentioned it. They were from a more stoic generation, the great generation. Here I am rambling. Did you ever notice how glamorous the young women of the 40's were? They looked like movie stars in their hand tinted portraits. Here I am, 62, in relatively good health, especially now that the pounds are falling away and Mom had already had a heart attack. Her life was so hard and she smoked for many many years. She reared 6 children and worked many many physically demanding jobs in her time. Had she already broken both ankles? Had she already had bladder cancer? When did the diabetes rear its head? There was the quadruple bypass. I often think of her asleep on a bench in the sun on one of her last trips to KY because her heart was only beating 35 beats a minute and she was traveling against oldest daughter's orders I might add. Orders from me were a challenge to her! She says I shouldn't do it, so here I go! That was Mom. A trooper woke her up and sent her on her way, she completed that defiant trip, returned with injuries and had to spend time in the hospital and the nursing home for one week to get back on her feet. Oops Rick, this wasn't the happy birthday mention you wanted probably, but my mind always goes to mom on my birthday, because she gave it to me. I now await the birth of my 5th grandchild and look forward to giving him the attention I have given his brother.
My daughters had to teach me what a hilariously fun grandma she was to them and I hope to my son also, though he doesn't mention it. She adored him completely.

Summertime and the Living.....

2009-08-01T09:38:00.000-07:00

I have read like a fiend this summer and i'd like to give kudos to Joshelin Jackson (sp) for ""The Girl Who Stopped Swimming" loved it. Too bad I can't remember how to successfully make a link to that! She has a great blog, too, Faster Than Kudzu. I read that long before I got one of her books. Now I want more.
I am now two weeks away from being back at my teaching schedule, the summer has flown by. I have hogged it all to myself with reading, twittering, swimming. Soon I shall be able to knit as I need to make a new surprise sweater for my newest soon-to-be grandson. I haven't been knitting because all last year I had the worst back spasm and my knitting posture does not help that! There must be a way, maybe I should wear a back brace while I knit!

I have built up enough strength and endurance with my swimming schedule this summer to add workouts in the school program back into my exercise life. Hooray!

I am reading a book now, "Oxygen" by Carol Cassella that literally and figuratively takes your breath away in the first chapter and really lets you know how in the hands of another human you are during surgery. oooooh.

I already mentioned this in my previous post but this one's for me. I had my 4.5 year old grandson over for the first time to try to spend Monday through Friday. He crashed into bed Sunday night asleep as his head hit the pillow so that doesn't count! He got homesick late Tuesday night, 10p.m., too late for me to make the 2 hour and 15 minute drive home. We did our activities the next day then went home. He needed to "see his mommy." I consider it a rousing success as he slept here three nights, I was betting on two. We had some swim lessons and in spite of his excitement about having them, and maybe it was the unseasonably cool weather, he did not like them as I had hoped. I do think he has a few things to practice in his home pool though that will advance his increasing skills in the water. He actually dove for pennies, pennies!
Now that we have had this successful sleepover, we can have a few more maybe I can pick him up on a Friday and Mom can pick him back up on a Sunday. We went to one of our wonderful city parks several times, we went to our cities children's museum which is all activities, though small. The smallness is the real appeal to the children. We are getting a new bigger one and I certainly hope it is as interactive as our first one. H absolutely loved it.

Gastric Bypass 5.5 Months and Other Random Things

2009-08-01T09:24:00.000-07:00

Today I did not take a cart in to Krogers to go to the pharmacy. I did not use a cart to walk around and I did not bring a cart out. I will now enter a store with bad carts or no carts.
I picked up my new 5 \mg BP prescription, giving way from the 50 mg's I was taking at the beginning+ no longer taking 3 other BP meds.
purchased a few new things as many as 4 sizes smaller than February sizes, getting ready to break through to "normal" sizes. You know, the kind you can buy in any store, not just a specialty store.
I was able to entertain my grandson (4.5 yrs old) ably for three whole days without collapsing or taking a nap! It was his very first sleepover without a parent present. Good things ahead with that skill. Well, we did relax once in a while after vigorous activity, which means lying down and watching 2 sponge Bobs before another activity.
Nutrition info--my daughter's midwife gave her a list of iron rich foods and cream of wheat is at the top. Who knew? I checked it out and compared it to Malt-O-Meal and MOM tops COW--that is an easy addition for me as I came out of this low in iron from blood loss. I could only eat two chicken livers, but I can eat a serving of M-O-M. In case you landed here because of the title of this post, I use Stevia to sweeten the cereal. I saw some interesting information on agave syrup and am wondering if it is good for bariatric patients. Oh, I almost forgot, since Feb 11 I am down 86 pounds. Some of you won't think that is much, but I am 6ft tall and that is a lot for me, many people lose a lot more in numbers, but I am so pleased with how this is going. I am keeping up my protein and hanging on to my hair. I do have a funny bump in my fingernails though that I attribute to the changes since surgery.

Weather Report-Etcetera

2009-06-29T09:15:00.000-07:00

Today is such a perfectly beautiful day I just thought I'd write that down. Very low humidity and pleasant temperature. We have had a minor heat wave with disgusting humidity for at least a week so today is especially heavenly.

Yesterday we went to daughter's house. She, grandson and I went to the new rec center in the tiny town of 4100 people. They have three nice pools, one is for toddlers and the pools are just delightful. I added to the sunburn I got on Friday at the Plainfield Aquatic Center which is an outstanding place but SO MANY people. Husband and Son in law repaired and relined their above ground pool while we were gone.

I felt so warm and toasty and relaxed from the water and the sun that I have not yet ventured out into the world today, except to sit on the front porch and read a terrific YA novel "The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian" by Sherman Alexi. Banning of this book is afoot in some nicer neighborhoods possibly for masturbation and possibly for having to face whites' treatment of First People. Couldn't be the open discussion of alcoholism, we're all past that aren't we? This national book award winner should be in every library.

Now I am awaiting the arrival of my amazon order to read a book recommended to me by @katieschwartz , right now I am blanking on the title but I will get back to you.

A Memory

2009-06-22T10:16:00.000-07:00

Something happens when you lose your parents and then a sibling close in age. You realize you are the only one with certain memories. Here's one, Kathy and Rick, you were too little to remember!
We went (I think) to the LaBrea Tar Pits, there was a dry riverbed with sand, we were running across it and the sand was so hot Bob and I were jumping up and down screaming and crying in the middle. Mom ran out and grabbed us both up and ran to the other side. That's it. I think JoAnne Shadrick and her kids were with us, too. Being on that hot sand is a vivid memory but nothing else about that outing is clear at all. We certainly hadn't heard of flip flops yet.

Another Memory: Bob and I were left in the car alone while Mom was up in the hospital room visiting Rick. Rick was 2 and when he and Kathy were playing with a cigarette lighter before anyone else got up, his arm was set on fire and his pajamas burned up and he got a 3rd degree burn all the way to his shoulder. Hospitals in those days did not allow parents to stay with their children and certainly did not allow child visitors so we had to wait in the car. Of course, we argued, wrestled, fought, and somehow I gave him a bloody nose--I feared retribution for about 40 years! He didn't remember it, whew.
Sense memories from California: The wonderful scent of carnations growing wildly in California, The huge grasshoppers, the smell of the orange groves in bloom, the pain in the chest from the filthy air in 55/56/

Adding Food

2009-06-22T10:12:00.000-07:00

I finally found my binder from St. Vincent's and it is time to add another ounce of food per meal taking it up to 4, we can stop the protein supplement, but I am loving my hair and how great it is doing.... actually thickening rather than thinning. Today I carefully ate a chicken liver, very tender and yummy, it seems to be going through just fine and I need to raise my blood count, it is still low. I am taking iron, but I like to get it naturally, too. I did my swimming this morning and there was so much chlorine in the pool it was hard to swim without goggles, I need to find mine, they were not in the bag I thought they were in.

Weather Report

2009-06-21T08:37:00.000-07:00

Not really, but pretty random. I am still sore from last weeks intense legwork in the pool and have dropped more pounds since I got into the water. I have made it to 72 pounds loss, I will have to check my other entries to see where I was before the pool! Somebody told me the shorts I thought fit perfectly were baggy, O.K. they are sliding down, maybe I WILL have to purchase summer clothes before August after all. running out of smaller sizes, I could consider a belt, yeah, that's the ticket. No wait, I still have some waitng for me from daughter, I shall try them on again!
new topic
Met a new member of the extended family yesterday and, since I am a baby magnet, I had two month old Wyatt gurgling and laughing and "talking" for an extended period of time amazing his mommy, aunt and grandma, I do have a gift with babies! OK I just love em'.
another random topic
We went to the nicest AA event I have ever been to in Indy last night, nice space, food was good n plenty, service was efficient though tardy, worth the wait, everyone at my table was friendly. I always feel odd at places where I know no one and the speaker was one of the best I have ever heard with a great message not soaked too much in the horrors of the past, just enough that you could imagine. The man was 76 and had 52 years of sobriety.

Another very odd thing for me, I have done this twice since February 11, gone to a buffet and put two or three ounces of food on the plate which I could not finish. I didn't explain myself, but I really wanted to tell the sweet young couple across from me that I had had surgery, I felt my plate might make them uncomfortable! I have to say, what I did have was tasty, if you are in Indy and need caterers, I recommend Indianas--I have no idea how they spell the ending, but I can tell you they are good cooks and bring plenty of food for the crowd, people really piled on the food, even the meat was not rationed, many satisfied ooh and ahhs over the simple but delicious desserts, I got that from crowd noises, I haven't gone there yet. After all I don't want to get that sick!

I Forgot to Tell You

2009-06-16T16:09:00.000-07:00

Jennifer Lancaster's newest book, "Pretty in Plaid" arrived today. I intend to sit in coffee shops and hee haw out loud and alone as I have for all three of her other books. There is no silent reading with a Jen Lancaster book.

PS: a few days later, I have read "Pretty in Plaid"' and it was entertaining, but no guffawing, no embarrassing myself by sounding like a crazy woman laughing in public places. It is still enjoyable but don't make it your first Jen Lancaster.

The Hangover

2009-06-16T16:04:00.000-07:00

Two days in a row I have gone to the movies. This afternoon, with a bit of hesitation, I went to see "The Hangover". There was a very small crowd but we laughed uproariously. The movie was hilarious from start to finish, and by finish, I mean you must watch the credits as the mystery of the movie is told there. I would classify this as a buddy road-trip movie and if one is easily offended by R-rated language, don't bother.

Gastric Bypass 4 Months Out

2009-06-16T08:49:00.000-07:00

I am in my second week of daily swimming and am feeling great, getting a super workout in the pool and today I finally went over 65 to a 66lb weight loss. You touch a loss a few times for a few days before you finally lose that pound and move on. Feb11 was my surgery date and things are super. I did chew gum at a movie yesterday and found out why you are not supposed to, the gas it causes is quite painful and malodorous, yuck. I will stick to sugar free mints now. Right now I am looking for my very detailed binder to see if I have any food changes for month 4. Thank you St. Vincent's for such a wonderful guide, and if you are reading this from any where near Indianapolis, I highly recommend St. Vincent's AND Dr. Inman, the surgeon, very thorough, no non-sense woman who is on a mission.
The Movie
Yesterday afternoon I went to see 'My Life in Ruins" and it is not a must see, it is sweet, predictable, has lovely scenery, some laughs, not big ones, and will be just as enjoyable on the small screen at home. I give it two stars.

short post

2009-05-18T15:10:00.000-07:00

I am just a few days over 3 months out from surgery, down 53 1/4 lbs and feeling good. Maybe it is all the protein I am getting, but my hair and nails are actually better right now. Hmmm. mysterious. I have learned to get down the 2 TBL of cher amino a day as well as two scoops of EAS whey protein powder in my morning milk. I am running down through old clothes pretty quickly and some of the baggy ones I wear right now look a little sad. I will have to give them up soon. This is just a tiny report from the world of bariatric surgery.

Surgery Update

2009-05-03T05:34:00.000-07:00

I have been to two support meetings, and to my surprise, they are interesting and helpful. I put on a pair of shorts today that button and zip, no elastic, I couldn't fasten them a couple of weeks ago, now they are perfect. I have made it cleanly to a 45lb loss. I am approaching 3 full months since the surgery. I am feeling good, still have all my hair (whew Mom), and I am signing up at the Y tomorrow to get back into my swimming. At the last meeting the leader told us St. Vincents is thinking of making a 25lb limit on lifting for life due to the risk for hernias and the bowel twisting, which is life threatening. My biggest problem is remembering to take all my vitamins, especially the calcium which I find disgusting. Osteoporosis is more disgusting, so I think I'll go get some calcium right now. OK, I just got it ready and I'll eat my squash that contains the calcium as I type. I also haven't taken my B12 or B1 this weekend, so I'll do that, too. Lots of people get the b12 shot once a month. I accept that, at the age of 61, my skin is not going to come close to snapping back, hell it didn't when I was 29 and had twins so what's new? Today also looks like a good day to ride the bike and get into that routine.

Not Necessarily Reading Material

2009-04-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd record a weird dream to the best of my memory. I dream in full color. My dream last night seemed to be a continuation of a dream from the night before, but now that I am awake, I am not so sure. Leah and I were on a walking trek through some countryside, quite beautiful with a tiger on a slim rope. The tiger would sleep right next to us at night but did not seem to be threat. Then one night the tiger was leaning on me while we were trying to sleep on the ground and we knew it had become dangerous so Leah cut its throat. We then laid it on a narrow platform and took everything wooden we possibly could out of a nearby and very familiar house and built a funeral pyre for the tiger. It seemed to be a very lengthy process to collect enough wood to cremate the entire tiger which was unusually long. There was a crowd scene that followed that I do not remember very well. This dream was saturated with color and I had not taken anything to help me sleep. I also slept all night, though climbing all over that house in every nook and cranny collecting wood, there were no sticks outside, was exhausting. Much of my view of this dream was aerial.

Bariatric surgery

2009-04-12T18:30:00.000-07:00

I thought I would post more about this surgery. Suffice it to say I had an amazingly fast recovery from the surgery itself and went back to work in one month. It took that month to learn how to get down prescriptions, vitamins, milk drink and 3 small (2 ounce) meals per day. At school I have had to really try to get enough water down, one does get very dry mouthed very quickly and that helps the cause. It is time for me to go back to my exercise programs as my walking isn't nearly good enough. The knees still restrict me. Since February 11, I have lost 35 pounds and more importantly, my blood pressure is coming under control. I take my BP twice daily and if it starts to edge up over 130, I take a pill, then it stays down for 5 or 6 days. I am thinking my heart and kidneys are already thanking me for this improvement. Most of the time my blood pressure is well under 120 over 70. My worst days have been days when the blood pressure dropped too low. My doc cut me down on my meds and I cut myself down further.

One of the hardest things has been taking the calcium, it has to be calcium citrate and mine is powder. You don't want to be taking a pill big enough to stop up your exit hole in your stomach! I have found this powder to be rather hard to take. Two days ago I just put 3 scoops in water, stirred it up, kept stirring it and found that the easiest way to deal with it. Then you have to be sure you take it two hours away from your other vitamins. The B vitamins are easy to take and the multi s are Flintstones. I find it funny that my grandson and I now take the same vitamin.

I am giving up on my two most trusty pairs of jeans and found a pair in a box of clothes that fit me better. I think I bought them without trying them on and Levi sizes don't match with Lane Bryant sizes, even these are somewhat baggy in the seat, but at least they won't fall off.

By the way, if you are having trouble finding chewable or powder calcium citrate, don't even bother looking, just order it from amazon.com, they have it and they have cher amino by twin lab which my cousin's daughter recommended. It should be here tomorrow and at a much better price than store price and no standing on your head looking at labels in stores and vitamin sections. And Thiamine? That's B 1, don't forget it, you may never find thiamine unless you remember it is B 1! Then it is easy to find. I just found it very exhausting standing in vitamin sections right after surgery trying to read labels and running out of steam. That may be more because I lost some blood during the surgery and was very sloggy and slow for a while.

Something I have said to everyone in my real world but not here, is that I had almost no pain after surgery and the staff at the hospital said it was my exercise history. I worked out for 3 years with a tough trainer who really got me into good muscle shape in spite of the weight. If I could give anyone advice, it is make sure your abs are in as good a shape as possible and you will not regret it. My "pain" literally felt like a serious ab workout, not the pain I expected. I'm sorry if I am repeating myself from another post.

Another YaYa Day

2009-04-12T18:21:00.001-07:00

That means a day with my favorite cousins, kids and grand kids. H got to play wildly all afternoon and eat an awful lot of sweets and drink koolaid--poor mommy! I think the ages were 11 down to 7 weeks, the seven week old and the one year old were pretty much out of the fray. There was egg hunting in the forest, big kids riding a golf cart, Reece getting to "drive" Uncle Matt's new orange tractor, with help from Uncle Matt. There was jumping on the trampoline, and for once, Henry is a little kid and had to get out of the way of the big ones in that situation, but he kept going back. My little Tom Sawyer was shoeless all day no matter how brisk and stinging the breeze was. I foresee much sleeping tonight. Daughter took 314 pictures until her battery died. I can't wait to see them, she has a great camera and a lot of talent. AS there always is, there was a groaning board of food, I took a few little bites of things I know are OK for me--too late I saw the deviled eggs, I could have had one of those. Too bad for me.
There was the newly adopted 7 week old and 3 young -pregnant women having second and third children all within a couple of months of each other. Even my son-in-law came for the first time to one of these get-togethers that didn't involve a big white dress. I hope he will come again.

One Week Out

2009-02-18T06:01:00.000-08:00

I am feeling so much stronger today even than yesterday, the dietitian said as long as I take my Flintstones the blood will rebuild just fine. I sit here with a slight awareness of one or two stitches on my abdomen, but that is all. Last night was my first full night's sleep since last week. At home i have awakened at 3 or 4 a.m. for a blood draw! I find timing the prescriptions I am still taking, and getting in all the fluids. I may go to a small grocery store today and do a little shopping, I am going to check out the side of the bottle on naked lunch protein, see what the sugar content is, can't have that above #5 on the ingredient list. As of today my weight has ventured down past all the stuff that was pumped into me in my hospital stay.

Surgery

2009-02-16T09:12:00.000-08:00

I had the roux en Y this week. I had to stay 2 extra days because of some internal bleeding. I came home after two days of no further blood loss and have had no signs at home. I feel totally normal and my pain is zero.
I had some pain meds in recovery then maybe a dose and a half in my room. Switched to Tylenol, turned out it was children's Tylenol that was my best pain reliever. I had some visually interesting experiences on the dilaudin, not my cup of tea, although I was aware that I was not really seeing what I was seeing. I mean, rarely in real life do charcoal drawings start developing on your wall with an occasional little Disney style but charcoal value bird flutter out. Not threatening, but not something I wanted to do again. I was totally pain free by day two except for the sensation of having had a good ab workout. My last nurse who released me said my lack of pain was from all the exercise I had been doing so all you pre-bariatrics, get goin on some crunches! Now I am trying to get all my "sippin" done, vitamins, one last pill.
I can also tell you that, although right now I feel no sensation of hunger at all, when I stepped foot in this house, my mouth wanted to crunch on something, and that with no hunger. I am going to have to deal with that.

My Brother Bob

2009-02-04T03:33:00.000-08:00

Last May Bob called and said he had 2 days left to live. Last night he died in his hand built home in the presence of his wife, Cindy and his son Robert Jr.

Bob was the picture of a grizzled mountain man and he had been recovering and revitalizing the earth on his mountain top in Snowflake AZ
for the past 12 or 13 years. Until about a month ago he could still animatedly discuss the misuse of the land and his efforts to reclaim it. Robby had disappeared years ago and my sister, Kathy used her skills to find him; Robby reunited with his Dad then moved up to the mountain top and helped keep the homestead going. They enjoyed these months together and I am so glad they had them.

Cindy kept Bob going all this time with herbs, nutrients and sheer will. Sunday during the game, Bob had a stroke, slipped into a coma last night and died. Cindy, Robby and Bob's neighbors will honor Bob's wish to be buried on his own land which is legal where they live.

Bob was 60 in September and had cancer caused by Agent Orange. He is survived by his wife, Cindy, his son Robert Jr., his daughter, Brandy, and his four siblings, Linda, Kathy, Rick, and Elaine. He also has grandchildren from Brandy, 2 nieces and a nephew.

added 2 days later: I now know that Brandy got there in time to say goodbye to her dad. His children, his wife, gutsy Cindy, and friends spent several hours yesterday backhoeing the grave and placing Bob in his final resting place, wrapped in his favorite blanket with his bible. I think this ancient ritual may be better than the sanitized somewhat walled off methods we use "down here." Son Robby is going to stay for some time helping keep the homestead going for Cindy until she decides what to do. I don't see their extremely rugged life as a life for one person.

Surgery Cancelled, Last Second

2008-12-31T14:38:00.001-08:00

I had on the cute gown, knee hi white socks and some very funny red socks with grippers on top and bottom. If you fall on your face they can't drag you down the hall because your socks would hold you still. We literally sat in the outpatient room for at least 2 hours if not more, surgery was nearly there, the surgeon was in and said things looked good, two previous surgeries needed their gallbladders out so that took a bit longer.

I inquired about the stress test as I had had no information from any of the tests, everything seemed OK, but there was this one thing. Hmmm. get the anesthesiologist. He reads carefully, again things look Ok but for one phrase. He said this should have caused a conference with a cardiologist and that he would rather err on the side of caution and have a cardiologist see me, no surgery for me. He also said that the second day after surgery is the most stressful day for the heart and he wouldn't want to do the surgery and then me have a heart attack in two days. Me neither. I was disappointed, but I also have to be relieved. Safety first. Now I am home. No appointment yet, already been through my last times of having a blizzard, or a pizza or whatever, drinking the diet coke that is to be a no no for at least a year, maybe forever. Anticlimactic, and yet faced with mortality once again. There is a spot on my heart where blood does not flow under stress, does flow as stress is relieved. It is called ischemia something. I googled it, it may be a blockage, it may be the site of a silent heart attack. Kinda scary. My sister reminded me that, although I never smoked I lived with smokers for a long time. Parents, Husband. I have figured 36 years at least in a house with smoke.

When Mom had her knee replacement, she passed whatever heart tests she was given, then two days later after the surgery, she needed a quadruple bypass. A sharp eyed nurse saw her lightly wave her hand over her chest and said "why did you do that?" Very soon, Mom was recovering from knee surgery and bypass surgery. I have seen the two day thing with my own eyes so I don't doubt it.

14 Hours on Ice and not Dead

2008-12-27T13:55:00.000-08:00

My pre-op meeting was rushed as they tried to cram in the info as fast as they could before the weather hit. I was out on the icy sidewalk and parking lot, gently trying to get to my car without landing on my head again.By 2p.m. I was scraped clean and on the road. It was obvious for several blocks that I-465 was already at a standstill, so I made a decision to try to wend my way through the west side of Indy to get to SR40. I took a left on High School Road, a road I am familiar with that crosses 40 at some point, but I came to a fork in the road and forked right, which was wrong. Without intending to, I found myself on an interstate headed northwest and no way to get off. Unmarked, icy, cars already in the ditch, semi's sliding this way and that. I crept/crawled for quite some time until I saw another familiar road name, Unknown to me, this road was not complete. I eased my way up the ramp keeping two wheels on the gravel. When I got close enough to the sideways semi, I crossed behind him and once again crept along with 2 wheels in gravel. The top of the ramp appeared to be sending cars sideways and backwards so I turned right and went down a hill until it looked clean enough to do a u-turn to go the direction I needed to go. Traffic began to build up in front of me, I saw an unknown road bumper to bumper t-ing into another road, bumper to bumper. I slowly and tenderly kept far enough to the right to keep two wheels on gravel and grass for traction, this eventually put me on the inside of another traveller who thought I was being a smart ass, really I wasn't, we were all going 3 MPH or less, I was just a bit more stable. at some point I merged onto the solid ice with everyone else. I was able to get on the next road which was 136, once again I am headed for champaign instead of Terre Haute. I see a 4 way stop up ahead, bumper to bumper and at this crossroad was a gas station with the area of the pumps under cover, a blessing. I stopped, filled up the tank and got some directions from the cashier whose goal was to keep me out of the mess on 136 and on to 40, she sent me through a subdivision and as I turned onto the road she sent me to I saw another wreck ahead. I tried to find another way, I tried to come back and got lost in a subdivision of culdesacs deadends, I was trying to get back to the station to just sit and rest. It is still daylight. I have been on the road for hours. I have made it to Brownsburg, a place I have heard of but never been. Eventually, slowly and carefully staying at about 2mph I came to a road the cashier had indicated, I had somehow, with my horrible sense of directions, gotten around the wreck that had been blocking my way and I headed east. I wish I had thought to count cars and trucks in ditches along my way, but I had to concentrate on my own wheels, the times I slid, no one else was near, whew. I try to time stop signs to not come to a complete stop and rarely ever hit the accelerator. All the while, it is 32* and freezing rain. I slowly arrive at a brightly lit town, I think it is Plainfield and join the traffic on the highway, I quickly realize this is not plainfield and I am headed in the wrong direction. I scout the sidelines and make my way into a nearly empty parking lot with at least one traffic light exit, no cars on the lot, one restaurant open, but too icy to try to go in, it is nearing dark, I called home to tell Larry where I was so he could tell me where I was! and how to get out of there. I turned right on the highway then left into another mall lot and to another light and back in the direction from which I had come. I got to good old Dan Jones Road! Hooray. it was a lot farther to Plainfield than I thought at 2, 3 or 4 MPH but at last I am at highway 40, familiar ground and I know where I am. I head west, after very few mile and two more hours, a police car came down the eastbound lane yelling at us in the westbound to go back and take shelter. OK, I did, It was a lot easier going back than it was heading west, the roads were definitely clearing as the temp had risen to 41*. I went to a Denny's near I-70 ordered a breakfast, rested, then went to find a room, wrong strategy. no rooms, all those other people heading back with me got there first.
Nothing else left to do but head on home. I made god time for at least 15 miles until I hit the stopped traffic and from then on it was stop for an hour move 20 feet. After about 3 hours I began to wonder how an overweight 61 year old woman with very bad knees was going to go to the bathroom.....shouldn't have had that refill at Denny's. Possibly 12 hours into this stupid trip, I made it to the Greencastle intersection, bathroom, bad coffee, 2a.m. From then on the road was clear enough to do 2o and sometimes even 30mph, but that felt very frightening. I rolled in and flopped on the couch at 4:07a.m. after leaving on a normally 2 hour drive 14 hours earlier. I slept and the next day I was on the ragged edge of tears most of the day. We had a two hour 15 minute drive ahead of us to join our daughters for Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. DH drove, bless him. There were possibly more than a hundred cars and trucks in various ditches on my way home and I am grateful to have not ended up one of those people. I wrote this detailed and certainly boring rendition of this trip before the details faded from my exhausted memory, and I am sitting in front of an open door letting the warm breezes of December 27 blow through my living room.

My Cardiolite Stress Test

2008-12-22T12:16:00.000-08:00

I had my cardiolite stress test today, chemical stress, not treadmill. The facility, the techs, the nurses were great and the experience was all good. I do keep sighing right now and maybe I'd like a little nap. That is not any different than usual. This is my last physical hurdle between me and the bariatric surgery. Pre-op classes are tomorrow and that is all day. Here is how it goes, you get a needle put in the back of your hand to send medications through and receive a little something. Painless needle stick, great job. You lie on what appears to be an awfully narrow, slightly-curved table. They have a really nice pyramid pillow to go under your knees that is great for 6 footers, set the timer, and the first set of nuclear images are taken. That takes 12 minutes, return to waiting room. Go back later to get an injection that contains isotopes. Enter another room with a bigger table, a couple of treadmills and 2 super nice nurses who watch the EKG and inject you with whatever it is that stresses your heart, little by little. My scalp tingled, eventually my stomach hurt a bit, and I felt like I had really worked out, then they let off of that, put in the reversal meds, gently get you up and let you go get a sip of coffee! Again you lie down on the narrow table that really fits just right, have another set of pictures taken for 8 minutes. and then you are released and you feel like nothing happened to you at all.

The coincidence part that was so good for me was that when the nurse verified that this was pre-op I said yes, I am getting bariatric surgery. I (as it happens) am having the same surgeon and hospital as her husband. He was well over 400 pounds with horrible sleep apnea and knees that were set for replacement they were so bad.
He is 4 years out from his surgery, followed the post op directions to the letter and has lost over half his body weight. He still has his original knees and is doing great. If I hadn't said what kind of surgery I was having, I wouldn't have heard that story and I am glad I heard it.

Now I really want to know how my heart checked out because of Mom and my youngest sister. I would also like to have a little nap.

It's a Cold and Icy Day

2008-12-17T04:48:00.000-08:00

Our corporation did something unheard of, it cancelled at 7:30a.m. Usually if it isn't done by 6a.m. it won't be done. We were on a two hour delay and the roads in town are pretty horrible. The only reason I wasn't already out the door (we are expected to be on time) is that I was going to wait for a bit of daylight so I could see where I was sliding. Do you think the airbag in a 99 still works? Now I am sitting her dressed for school but shoeless and my jammies are calling me. Even hot chocolate is calling me. I don't have that much but it may also be my last.

Things are going swimmingly for my roux n Y coming up in a couple of weeks, my physical life is going to change. I am looking forward to rejoining my exercise class, to having less and less pain in my knees and to having certain numbers drop, like BP, cholesterol, and the blood sugar that has been creeping up slowly for a few years.

I hope this finds law daughter safe at home with the soon to be 4 year old tucked away from ice as I believe they had more than we did, they are really on the plains where the cold winds blow. brr, a chill to think of it.

I Figured It Out

2008-12-03T06:22:00.000-08:00

Last spring I had a diagnosis on my foot and the surgery was too extreme for me to do right then. Yesterday, when I was talking about volunteering at a therapeutic riding program for a couple of summers, I suddenly realized why it was my left foot, which I thought was injury free, that is so smushed. I was a sidewalker and the guy riding was a young adult who had been hit head on by a truck as he was riding a motorcycle and his recovery was unexpected. Riding therapy was helping him regain some physical abilities. As I stood ready to help him off the horse, he simply slid?fell from the horse onto my left arch with the full force of his 200lbs. Ouch. As I was retelling this story, I suddenly understood the damage in my left foot. Oh, how could I have forgotten the pain of that day? Now the need for screws, grafts, and what not comes clear, it isn't just limping from an old injury and being too heavy, there was a direct assault on the foot.

Dog Wrestling is not My Sport

2008-11-18T16:25:00.000-08:00

The dog wrapped herself around a little tree and I was hoping DH would get home to extricate her. She wrapped tighter and tighter. I did not want to save her, she is rough and untrained and I knew it would be hell. It was, but I got it done, it took 25 minutes, creeping across the dark yard wondering when I would step in a dog pothole and break my ankle. I made it though, and spent the rest of the time trying to unwind her while she was trying to play with me. I put her on her side a couple of times and that worked temporarily. I made it in scratched, toothed, clawed, but unbroken. Well, OK, there's a little tiny bit of blood, but I have had worse. Suffice it to say I am not a happy camper. Some of you may remember I made a little pledge to myself that Yoshi would be the last pet. Even a live mouse on the kitchen stove has not changed that. That mouse, slowed a little, I am sure, by ingestion of poison, is sitting under a cup on the kitchen floor awaiting its fate. Did you know even a slightly groggy mouse can jump pretty far off the stove, but the jump must have stunned it a little as I set a cup on top of it and there it stays. I'd let the dog take care of it, but I am afraid the mouse poison would upset her tummy. OOH I really stink now, smell a lot like a dog. Can't stand myself so as soon as the dishwasher stops, it is into the shower for me. While I was out there, I could see the headline, woman draped over dwarf crab apple tree, dead. I have imagined worse for myself!

Knitting Rampage

2008-11-16T08:38:00.000-08:00

Hats are falling off my needles for a little art and craft sale in Chicago, I had yarn to make the preschooler a sweater in his Mom's school colors, but she is long graduated and into the work force, so the colors are for Chicago Bears. Think that would sell in Chicago? Next I am going to see how many little newborn soft fuzzy hats I can make and call it a day. I have hatted all but two of the babies to be born to teachers in my building this year, including a set of twins coming in a month so I am getting pretty good at that. It helps that I have a student teacher right now and she is getting ready to be totally in charge as of tomorrow and has taken 4 of the six classes over in the past two weeks. I have made my closet/office more orderly so I started knitting, covered one on-site, oooh how I hate covering on-site. By the way, the preschooler requested a purple hate so I did that and put a red stripe in it.

I am now going to recommend a therapeutic sock. My doc told me to trek to a small southern town to a mom and pop drugstore to get Truform therapeutic stocking as my feet and ankles have been swelling during the work day, and, by god, they work like a charm. the are compression socks that look great. Thanks to my great feet, I am in a men's sock, nothing new to me, and it goes right up to my knee, for a six footer that almost requires getting out the culottes and calling them knee socks and really going back to 1969! Maybe next year,

Twittering has really cut into this forum for me, not used to writing lots any more, too much fun twittering. I am thinking this may turn into a post-bariatric surgery and weight loss blog for a while. I am scheduled for surgery and very happy about it, already looking forward to a May event in Chicago and walking briskly down the street instead of whining and looking for benches on which to sit and bend my knees. More about that later, in the new year.

It Meant Something

2008-11-16T08:37:00.001-08:00

My vote counted this year, my state was not thrown into the trash heap, and I am very very happy about that. Now to see if one man and his team can repair and move this country forward.

I Voted Today

2008-11-01T16:37:00.000-07:00

And I sure as hell hope it means something.

Remember the Time

2008-11-01T16:20:00.000-07:00

Remember the time Bob got a birthday present for MY birthday?
no one does
Remember the time I lost my tooth in the truck and the tooth fairy found it anyway?
no one does
Remember the time we all went on that ice and didn't fall through and freeze or drown?
maybe someone does
Remember the time we had measles, the stinky kind and stayed in town in a dark room at mamaws?
no one does
Remember Dad picking us up in a semi and Bob pushing that curious little button?
someone does
Remember how the truck jumped forward?
I do
Remember how we cut saplings and built a cabin about two feet tall in the woods?
someone does
Remember Mammie lining us up to be switched as we came through the gate?
someone does
Remember taking care of the new baby sister when mom was so sick?
I do
Remember that it was two weeks with a 12 year old caring for a sick mom and 5 siblings?
no one does, not even me
Remember Rick having a siezure that went on for hours?
I do
Remember the layout of Lewis's General Store?
I do
Remember all the elementary schools I went to?
no one does
Remember the time we took a shortcut through the woods and were lost for hours with a toddler?
two do
but not the toddler
Remember taking little baby corn with its silks and making them dolls?
two do
Remember how bad our chicken pox was?
no one does
Well, I remember everything but the chicken pox and the elementary schools, I lost track