Cutie Petuties

Well, I had a fun day today with Elizabeth and George! Mel, Kelly and Megan were in a fashion show today and I had the opportunity to watch the kids. I had a fantastic time with them and it was a beautiful day to play outside. I will post more pics on Flickr later but just wanted to share a few with you two for now.

Melanie and I have been going to Curves together and I lost a pound and a half in one week! We have been trying to get Kelly to go with us but I guess she isn't too interested right now. She is loving being home with the kids so that's okay with me.

Not much else new here, feeling stronger every day and thankful for that.

I hope you are doing better Liz. We need to get together soon, I'd love to see your new place.

Keep the blogs coming Lori, I don't always post or comment, but I do enjoy hearing from you.

I think I'll relax some, maybe play a stupid game and then hit the sheets. Those grand babies wore me out!

Love you both bunches...

Trying Again

Well, Lori, thanks for cheering us all up with the nursing home musings! You are a wonderful volunteer and good friend to those people and I'm way proud of you for your faithfulness in visiting them. You do need to also find a young group to even things out a bit. How about an afterschool or daycare setting where you can go and get a happy upbeat fix?

I went to doc this morning and, just as was suspected/expected, he wants me to go for a CT scan. I'm waiting on them to get back to me to tell me when. I have rx for two different antibiotics so I'll start those today. Hopefully, today.

Our big furniture gets moved in on Monday and the place is looking (and smelling) really good. The carpet was installed and Dan has been hanging our plantation blinds - 15 of them all together. He just keeps going and going and going! It's amazing, isn't it?

Susie - what's up with you?

I'm at work but I've wanted to add notes and musings but was so frustrated yesterday with the Blogger that I finally gave up. Not sure what the major problem seems to be - couldn't be me!
Love and hugs to you both.
Lizzie - ever searching

4th time is a charm

This will be the 4th attempt at posting and if doesn't work - I quit!

Musings

Yesterday I took communion to the nursing home and to another lady in town. While I was at the nursing home I talked to a few of the residents (prisoners) as they sat in their doorways in their wheelchairs just waiting for someone to recognize them. It truly tugs at my heart. Every once in awhile, like yesterday, someone will say "I am just here visiting and will be leaving soon". Yeah, but how will they be leaving? In that big black vehicle probably. There is a man there who is there because he can't stay at home alone because of a large tumor on his neck. He sometimes just passes out and falls down. Anyway, he is a very handsome man of probably 50 something. Mentally he is with it and I always chat with him a few minutes before I leave. Who doesn't like talking to good looking men? He has a great attitude for being there with so many who must seem zombie like to him. He passes his time reading, watching TV and sometimes going out to smoke a cigarette. What an existence! I inadvertently ask him "what's new". As soon as I said it I wanted to bring back the words. How stupid to ask such a question. He didn't flinch and said "well, Mr. Blake, in the room next to me died last night". Then he told me about a couple rooms on one of the wings that they move people in that are dying. Geez...I left very heavy of heart thinking how long will it be before someone will be bringing me communion in a place like that. I will go kicking, biting and screaming. That is for sure. Don't let them do that to me, sisters.

Well now, isn't this a cheery little missive? Sorry...I won't continue with telling you about the other woman I visit. However, she is very amusing. Just can't think of anything funny she said at the moment. She does think that the Muslims are going to take her house because she is a woman so she might put her house in her son-in-laws name so she will still have a place to live. I have got to find some younger friends!

I better shower and get ready to go step back to 1770 at the Tryon Palace and their fancy clothes.

Love youse girlies

I don't know why either

I don't know why I can't comment!
I'm trying this way to see how it works.
I'm at work - it's crazy busy as usual and my part time gig keeps getting pushed out farther and farther. It will happen but it's just taking so long to get here.
I'm feeling some better - like I told Becky, I know I'm getting old when I start telling people about my BMs! I had two today so that made me happy. I still don't feel right but I'll go to the doc on Friday and see what's going on.
Sorry this isn't long but I wanted you girls to know I'm thinking of you fondly.
Lots of love,
The Searcher

Hello Again....

I know I said I wasn't going to write anymore, but here I am. I did enjoy your email in response to the blog Lizzie. Thank you. I am not sure why you have problems posting and commenting. I hope you are feeling better Liz. Did you go to the doctor? Did they do an MRI? It is terrible feeling bad when you have so much to do. Let me know how you are.

There isn't much new going on here in NC or our little world. Earl broke a tooth this past weekend and has been stewing about that since the weekend. He went to the dentist Monday and was scheduled to have it pulled yesterday. Of course the dentist wanted to do some procedures that would have cost about $3500.00. Well, he went yesterday for the extraction and when he got there he talked to the hygentist (sp?) and told her he had decided not to do anything about it at all because it didn't hurt. When it started hurting he would be back. And then he would decide what to do about it. He said it wasn't the cost or the fear of pain. His reasoning was he was 70 years old. Why spend $3500.00 on his mouth when he didn't know how much longer he had to live and besides we could have some fun with that money. Personally, I would have had it done, but it is his mouth. You only see that space when he smiles BIG and as you all know he doesn't smile big. LOL

As for myself I haven't been doing anything different lately - just bowling, playing Mah Jongg and sewing. Stuff like that. Enjoying it all. I have been sewing so much in the evenings that I haven't done much reading. In fact I was reading Folly's Island - an e-book from the library and it disappeared after the 2 week borrowing time. Damn. I will have to put it on reserve and probably have to wait to finish it. I do love being able to read the books on my reader for free.

That is it for me. I am having lunch today with Therese Schwarz to catch up. We haven't talked in months and months.

Hope all is going good with my beautiful sisters. I love you!!

Lori

The End For Now

I was hoping to jump start our blog again, but it just isn't happening. I know everyone doesn't have the time I have to drone on endlessly about not much of anything sometimes but I was hoping that I might hear in the comments a few sentences about your lives at the moment or "you are a boring old woman stop writing" to know someone is out there. No, I am not having a pity party. I am just missing the communication.

I probably will continue with the blog some, but not if no one else is writing anything.

Love you bunches Sisters,

Lori

Hello Out There

Another day has come and gone. Now where exactly do those days go? Never questioned that before, but it seems lately I question a lot of things. I am a little crunched for time this morning so I won't go there.

Yesterday seems a blur right now. What I remember most about it was visiting my friend Jean in Morehead at the nursing home. She has regained her sense of humor. A very funny lady. She kept Sandy and I laughing almost the whole time we were there. She was looking forward to a visit from her great grandson today.

Every Wednesday night Barb and I have a video chat date on the computer at 9:00 p.m. Sometimes we are so silly I have to take a Tylenol PM to get wound down and go to sleep. We will see how fun it will be when she is here for a week in October. LOL Earl said he thought he might have to take a trip to Florida that week to see some of his old bowling buddies.

I also talked to Sarah for a little while. She was making baby food for Camden. What a good little mommy she is!

Today I am going to the Tryon Palace for a little while, a doctor's appointment and then to Greenville to get my/formerly Bobbie's sewing machine that had a serious illness - a $425.00 illness with no insurance. I shouldn't complain because this fancy expensive machine did not cost me anything till now, but gosh I probably could have purchased a very nice new machine for much less that did all the things that I ever needed it for. If it breaks again I will seriously decide a different plan. I might have to take a hammer to it.

Hope all is well with you girls and you know I love you bunches and bunches - even more!

Lori

Day 6...

and only one comment. Oh well, I said I was just using this as my journal and one doesn't have to be exciting or witty in a journal because who reads it?

Yesterday I went to lunch in Beaufort with Irmgard, Penny and Fr. Dan. Boring! And the food was really overpriced. I am not particularly cheap when it comes to eating out, but come on - $12.00 for a salad with only greens, 2 or three walnuts, a few craisins and a little dab of goat cheese. Geez. And I fear I am becoming an old crotchety snob. I was so bored listening to Irmgard telling the same stories to Fr. Dan that she has already told to me - some twice. Am I bad? I could have stayed home and had a bologna sandwich and watched the news. At least I would have heard something new.

I had a pleasant phone call from Kelly. She sounded so happy about being home with the children and how she has fallen in love with John again. How sweet. She said the medicine has helped her anxiety so much. I am happy for her. I need to call Melanie and Sarah and catch up with what is going on in their little worlds.

That is about all I have to say for now. Earl and I just got back from walking a little while ago and now I need to get showered and off to Morehead City to see my friend who was just transferred to Harbor View Nursing Home from the hospital in Greenville. She was in the hospital for 108 days. So many complications with her surgery. Now she is at the nursing home to build up her strength so she can return home. I talked to her last night and she is so happy to be out of the hospital.

Love to my sisters

Wouldn't Diane be Proud?

Hmmmmmm

Where are you sisters? Am I boring you to death that you can't even think of a comment? Please tell me you are reading or tell me to stop. Of course you probably know I will not continue with this drivel very long. My longevity in these types of endeavors usually wanes after a few days. I must say I getting a sore arm for patting myself on the back for sticking with it this long.

Nothing much to report from this end. Aren't you glad? Yesterday I stayed home all day and did domestic things. Did laundry, cleaned a little and sewed. That is about it.

This morning I am trying to talk myself into either going to the gym or walking. Neither one is appealing to me. Lately I have found more excuses to stay away from the gym. I should go walking while it is still in the 60's. I am so looking forward to the cooler weather. Has it started for you? Gordon called last night and said he took down his pool and put it away.

Today I am going to lunch in Beaufort and am driving Irmgard and Penny so that should motivate me to go out and clean the car.

Since I am talking about the weather that is a good sign I have run out of words for now. Am hoping to see some from you girls.

Love you!

Lori

Sunday Adventure

Earl usually plays golf on Sunday afternoons and I usually hang out at home reading, sewing or sometimes going to a movie with Irmgard if there is anything we want to see and can get in for 6 bucks. There are advantages, although small, for being old. Yesterday was different because there was a tournament being played on base that Earl didn't want to play in so we decided we would go "somewhere". You know like old people do. The "Sunday drive" where other cars drive by saluting you with their special finger as we gawk at the surrounding countryside. We had a specific destination in mind because I had looked up on the computer "Happenings in Eastern NC". As luck would have it there was one about 50 miles away in Ayden - The Ayden Collard Festival. Felt like this was just something we must be a part of. Rides, crafts, eating contest. Can you imagine a contest to see who could eat the most collards? We couldn't so we headed out for this exciting event. We arrived after about an hour drive only to find the big festival was yesterday. Only the remnants of carnival rides remained that hadn't been hauled away yet. Now since I was the one that had found this already happened event do you think Earl was going to not mess with me about it? On the way back to Havelock he said things like "did you get any good pictures of the eating contest?, be sure and put this on our calendar for next year a day late, what did you like best about the festival?" and on and on. I was not wrong about the date I read. It was wrong on the computer. When we got home I looked on the website and sure enough they had put the date as September 11th. When I told Earl he said "what year?". Turd! Oh well, something new for him to tease me about.

Before going out on our adventure I had printed a coupon from Michael's email I received for 50% off a regular priced item and put it in my purse. I have had my eye on a light box to trace these designs I need for this damn Christmas quilt that I inherited from Bobbie. The light boxes are $100.00. I was hoping it wasn't one of the items that was excluded. It wasn't so at least the whole trip wasn't a bust - at least for me. Or Earl either. We went in TJ Max and he bought a $7.00 baseball hat. What more does he want??

That's it for me this morning. I have a bunch of things to do today. I am SURE you just can't wait to hear about them tomorrow.

Love you Sistas

Forgiveness

Before going any farther in my musings let me say this is not religious in of itself, but something in the gospel reading and sermon started me thinking about if there was someone I needed to forgive and I couldn't think of anyone right off hand. Someone ask Jesus how many times you should forgive someone and he said seventy times seventy. Well, in nearly 50 years of marriage I have probably done that with my beloved at least two rounds. Joking...maybe not. But...thinking of other people in my life I couldn't think of anyone I needed to forgive. Of course there are times I feel slighted, but who doesn't? Perhaps my memory is short (we know that) and I just forget and that is truly a gift for the next time I meet up with the person who has said I looked like I had gained weight or they thought I should do something about that big mole on my nose or even that I may consider a facelift, I don't even remember they said those hurtful things. I am finding at this time in my life that my life is getting shorter so why waste time on crap like that. Not too many things penetrate my thick skin. It is getting thicker all the time, especially my ugly feet. Oops, now I will have to forgive myself.

I know some of this is silly, but all these weird things often swirl around in my head when a word or phrase triggers them.

I was also going to talk about death, but I will leave that for another morbid post. Lord, I think I am around too many old people. And now I am one of them.

Picture

When I checked the blog this morning I was looking at the picture of us all and remembering when the four of you came to visit. How long ago was that??? Don't we all look young? Well, I guess we were. Now there are only 3 of us left from the picture. I sure miss Diane and Mom. Where are they and what are they doing? Are they looking down at us and wondering about some of the choices we make and proud of us when we make the right ones? Both of them were so nonjudgemental, weren't they? One time I was talking to Gordon and said I wondered what had been done with Diane's ashes and Gordon said he saw another bag next to Mom's in the "girls room".

Earl is ready to out and walk so I will stop this musing for the moment.

Hope all have a wonderful weekend and could we chat in real time?

Love youse girlies.

Lori

Week in Review

Since no one seems to be blogging these days I thought I would just use this as my journal and if one of my sisters happens to check to see if one or the other has added something, they can read the nonsense I have written and think Jeez, can't she come up with something better than that to write about? Well, I can't so I will just chronicle a little about what has been happening in my little world.

I have been trying to get these quilt tops finished for Maw Maw Diane's girls. I have three tops finished and need to cut the pieces out for Ally's. They are all very scrappy and bright because Diane gave me a variety of pieces of fabric - none of them too large so I had to use some of the fabric I had and buy a little too. I am going to put labels on the back telling them that much of the fabric had been Diane's and she had wanted to make them for each of them herself, but since she couldn't I said I would. Well, I won't put all that on a label. I will probably write each of them a note.

I love quilting. I didn't think I would like it so much, but making a quilt is somewhat like a puzzle. I enjoy the quilt guild I am in too. All the ladies are so much fun. Our 2 day summer retreat went well. I was one of the coordinators but the other two ladies did most of it. i told them I would be glad to be on that committee and do what I did this year! The winter retreat in February is Thursday - Sunday at the beach. There is a nice facility there. I went this past February. The food was great and the weather was nice enough to get in a few walks on the beach.

Lots of people here are still cleaning up after Hurricane Irene. So much damage. Earl and I spent a couple days helping some friends who live on a canal. The storm surge landed 5 inches of water in their house and 45 inches in their garage. They had to replace their appliances and of course take out all their carpet. The water did so much damage. Luckily their RV was in Wilmington being repaired when Irene visited here so they were able to get it a few days after the hurricane and are living in it outside their home. Wallboard has to be replaced, new carpet, etc. It is a beautiful home that David built himself. Needless to say they are disappointed over all this, but realize there are so many others that lost their whole house. I sure hope Maria does not take the same track as Irene did.

I am still mad at Irene for taking away our sisters get away. Guess it should not be rescheduled until after the hurricane season.

My Mah Jongg friend, Jean, has been in the hospital for 106 days in Greenville (50 miles from here). She had a re-occurence of cancer of her stomach, had surgery and then got an infection in her wound and other complications. Tonight when I spoke to her she said finally she would be able to leave the hospital and go to a nursing facility in Morehead City.

I am enjoying getting e-books from the Columbus Library on Gordon's library card. But...I had two books on hold and I got one Thursday and another yesterday. Now I am going to have to read at least 50 pages a day before they disappear. How am I going to do that and do all the other things I want to do.

I could continue with this drivel, but I am going to try to read at least an hour before I go to bed.

If my sweet sisters happens to look at this blog I apologize for the boring stuff, but know I love you girls so much.