Busy - Plums - Wisteria - Peaches

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Allergies have me down a bit or maybe it is the antihistamine or perhaps the combination of them. We've been a bit busy too.

I did a bit of weeding this weekend. I weeded the flower bed that runs alongside the driveway. It is about four car-lengths long. I worked in 15 to 20 minute sessions over two days.... two session each day. My back is okay, but my legs, butt and right hand ache. I cannot tell you how good it felt to have those achy muscles. It has been many years since I've been able to weed the flower beds. I have more weeding to do, but it will wait until next week.

Frank had his CT scan on Monday. They were running behind, so a long afternoon.

Tuesday morning Frank had his appointment with the oncologist surgeon. The doctor pulled the JP drain out about 3 inches. There is somewhere between six and eight inches to go. So, maybe in two or three more visits the drain will be out.

Tuesday we also had the rest of our driveway paved. (Frank, David, Tom, and the man that brought the concrete did the first portion a few years ago.) This company was so happy (or I should say desperate) to have work. Frank was getting more than one estimate and this company's owner would call Frank back every couple of hours Monday evening asking if Frank had gotten the other estimate and if he could do the job tomorrow.

Our yard is full of our vehicles (large truck for hauling the rv, Frank's small truck and our car) while the concrete dries. It is a bit of a pain to park the car in the yard. A gate has to be opened and closed each time. We are suppose to have rain over the next few days and we are hoping some of the pollen will get washed off the vehicles... and that there is no hail.

This morning we had to go the Marine base to get my ID card renewed. My face is slightly swollen from allergies especially under my eyes... so you know that made for a pretty picture We picked up some meds at the pharmacy on the base and did a bit of grocery shopping at the commissary. Frank did well in the commissary. He only started venturing into stores a few days ago. We were tired when we got home. We had a quickly made lunch of hot dogs and macaroni and cheese.

Today I put a bit of fertilizer on some of the flowers and plants in the yard. Just before a rain is a good time to do that.


Tomorrow afternoon we both see the gastroenterologist Just a checkup. We are a bit tired of visiting doctors.

I appreciate all the nice comments on my header picture. The dogwoods have been so pretty this year. The blooms are almost gone from our trees and the leaves have appeared.

I really haven't felt like taking my camera around the yard so here are a few oldies...

The plum trees are blooming. We have two plum trees in our yard. The plums make good jam and wine. I like to use the wine in cooking... especially a pot roast.

The wisterias are blooming. We don't have any in our yard. This one is right across the street hanging amongst the cherry laurels, pecan trees and some trees that I don't know what are.

Frank cut our peach tree down. It just did not make peaches. I will miss their blossoms.

Humor is the great thing, the saving thing. The minute it crops up, all our irritations and resentments slip away and a sunny spirit takes their place. -- Mark Twain

Busy, Doctors and Bluebirds

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Yesterday was a busy day with laundry and hemming pants for Frank. I broiled some juicy pork chops for dinner. Since they weren't the fancy pork chops... I sprinkled them with a bit of seasoned salt and seasoned pepper (maybe more than a bit... we like pepper) and whacked them with the meat mallet before broiling. Some butter beans with a bit of leftover mixed veggies thrown in and some warmed cornbread muffins (both leftovers from the freezer) completed the meal. There was enough left over for today.

This morning was Frank's appointment with the oncologist surgeon. The tube is still in and he has to do the octreotide injections. He goes for a CT scan on Friday. Frank is feeling some better and has slept in the bed for a couple of nights now. We had to switch sides of the bed and that is so strange. Frank can only sleep on his back, which gets tiring for him.

After we got back from the doctor we looked out the living room window and a pair of blue birds were checking the birdhouse out. The light sucked and the window is a little on the dirty side, but the pictures turned out about par for me and birds. Click on the pictures for a larger view or use your right-click options for opening in a new tab or new window for a larger view. They look better in the larger view.

FEMALE BLUEBIRD

MALE BLUEBIRD

This mourning dove seemed to enjoy watching the bluebirds. Don't you just love its pink legs and feet.



Frank swapped his appointment with our family doctor with me... he will go Thursday if he needs to (his foot is feeling better, so he may cancel). The doctor didn't tell me a diagnosis, but he gave me a handful of prescriptions to be filled. My sinus drainage can be aggravating my stomach, so I have prescriptions for Zyrtec, Z-pack (antibiotic.. the doctor said he didn't think I got enough after that bad virus I had... my ears are a bit messed up). For my stomach... prescriptions for Zantac and Carafate. For my shoulder pain... Ultram and an injection of Toradol. I also got a referral to the stomach doctor. I prefer seeing the doctor instead of his physician assistant... so that will be a couple of months away. Hopefully all these meds will help my body feel a bit better.

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BE LIKE THE BLUEBIRD
From "Anything Goes"
(Cole Porter)

Be like the bluebird who never is blue,
For he knows from his upbringing what singing can do,
And though by other birdies in the boughs,
He may be told that his efforts are perfectly lousy,
He sings on and on till his troubles are through,
"Tweet tweet, tra-la, tra-la, tra-la."

Busy, Procrastinating, Prayers, Give

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Busy...

I am doing more. I had a second outing this weekend. We walked around Super Wal*Mart early Sunday morning. They were a little busy in there, but it wasn't too bad. It was a pretty good walk around the perimeter of the store... so I was a bit tired by time we got home. Later in the day I did our regular walk. Frank measured it on the way home and it is 8/10 of a mile.


Yesterday I was very busy. I manage to do a small load of laundry by myself. I helped cook dinner. Dinner was very good. I got some butter beans going with a smidgeon of a piece of hog jowl and some ham flavoring and a bit of salt & pepper. When Frank cooked a Boston Button the other week I had him freeze the left over juices. I took the juices and mixed them with a can of cream of mushroom soup (the healthier variety). I added a small amount of Kitchen Bouquet and I thickened the gravy with corn starch. The gravy was awesome! ... this is coming from a gal who is not fond of gravy. We had some already cooked pork loin slices in the freezer and I simmered the slices in the gravy. Frank cooked rice and reheated leftover biscuits. I washed dishes twice, which Frank thanked me for... it felt good to be able to accomplish a little bit.

Frank and I did a longer walk yesterday. We walked around the block which is right at a mile. It took 30 minutes which is about twice as long as it used to, but that is okay with me. I'm moving and getting stronger.



Procrastinating...

I printed out the Christmas card address labels on Saturday. For some reason I can't seem to get in the mood to get the cards sent out.... maybe later this week :-)

Prayers...

Our daughter and her boyfriend still don't have jobs. Continued prayers for them and others in their positions are much appreciated.

This afternoon my Mama is having back surgery. I would appreciate prayers for her too. Mama is 80... 81 next March. She had back surgery last June and had a hard time. When she did her pre-op physical a couple of weeks ago and they found she was anemic and put her on iron pills. They checked her again yesterday and her red blood count was 10. I can't remember the good range for red blood count... I know it varies from lab to lab. The surgery is still a go, so I assume that 10 is good enough for the surgery. The reason this part of the surgery wasn't done in June is because the surgeon didn't think Mama was strong enough to stay under anesthesia long enough to do it all. Bad backs run in my family. My eldest brother will undergo surgery in January... he said if he lasted through the pain that long. He had his first surgery back in 1993.. the same year as my first back surgery.

I need your prayers to help me get through all this stress. I used to handle stress a lot better.


Give...

I know most of you are tightening your pocket books. Please don't forget those that are less fortunate than you. Give what you can to your favorite charities.... especially those in your own communities. If you can donate food and clothing do so. If you can't give money give time. Help out at the food bank. Visit residents in nursing homes. Donate old blankets to your local animal shelters.

When our children were at home we would make bread and cookies and take them to members of our church. These members had husbands at sea and were strapped for money... so bread and cookies made the holidays a bit special. We did it anonymously. Our children loved it. We did this other times of the year too.

Our Children also went caroling with their friends in the local nursing homes. They and their friends put together personal hygiene packages for the residents of the nursing homes. It was wonderful seeing smiling faces in the nursing homes.


It will probably take me a few days to catch up on blogs and Flickr. Do know I think of y'all and have y'all in my prayers.



We should give as we would receive, cheerfully, quickly, and without hesitation; for there is no grace in a benefit that sticks to the fingers. -- Seneca