Middle Of The Week Doldrums And Memories

 Howdy Everyone,
 I thought that today I would post a simple page of your's truly. This is Me Quiet a few years ago. I had just turned 40. I was full of spunk and energy back then. I turned 40 and went down hill. Well that is not totally true. The 40's were my best years in working and family and fun, but a month after my 40th birthday is when all my kidney issues came to a head.  I managed tho, but Karyn took on a lot of responsibility for her age. I wish that I could take that back. I should have hired help at the time and she should have been able to enjoy more of her teen years.

 She cooked and cleaned, shuffled the boys to and from basketball practice, she attended the games, made sure they had baths and homework done.
 Is it any wonder she decided against having a child or children of her own?
 Of course I ask her that a lot and she says, "No" but other times when I bring up having kids she said, "I already have. I should just adopt a senior and send him or her to college." I know that she is using her sense of humor, but sometimes I wonder if, especially now if she has given up much of her life for me.
 Still to this day, she cooks and cleans for me. She shuffles me back and forth to doctors that she needs to be with me for, she has been there for days at each surgery and it didn't matter where it was she was there and she stayed at my side until I came home. Only one time did she have to leave, but she was there for the surgery and much of the night before she had to leave to come home.
 She says I owe her nothing, but I do. I know that it is not an amount of money or material things that matter to her. But I owe her so much in her giving of time, love and attention. I hope she knows how much she means to me.

 Not just Karyn, but all of my kids. I love them all. I don't love one more than the other. I love them differently tho. Jonathan was my first born, so there is a special bond there.
 Karyn was my Princess K. We battled. I wanted her to be girly and dress her frilly and she detested Pink. Now it is one of her favorite colors.
 Laurie was a mixture of a girly girl and a tomboy. She would wear a dress to church or special occasions but most of the time it was blue jeans and boots. She was the quiet one and it is true that you have to watch the quiet ones. Our run in's are legend.
 Matthew... He was planned. I wanted another baby and I decided that if I got pregnant that month then I would. If not then I would get my tubes tied. I got pregnant. I also think that I developed Diabetes then but they just didn't catch it. Matthew is his father's son. Charming and handsome brown eyed man. It is tho he gives his heart to easy and to fast to the girls. He seems to always come out on the losing end. I pray he will find someone deserving of his heart.
 Nathan was my surprise baby. Not only a surprise but his soft spot closed at birth. They told me brain over ride. Where the skull closes during the birth process to protect the brain. But that is not what happened. Being a diabetic, the insulin caused the skull to fuse together. Surgery and way over a year later he was in my lap. We could not allow him to hit his head. They chose not to put a helmet on him. We have a special bond as well.

 Anyway I am not sure where all of this came from today. I was just thinking how thankful that I am for my family and my friends. Every person in my life holds a very special place in my heart. I am like Matthew in so many ways. Some friends are better left in the past. Others are in my present and I hope they are in my future as well.

 On to other news. I vacuumed my room, and even my baseboards. My bed got a good shaking out and clean bedding. Cisco's bed as well. I dusted and put away things and wondered just how in the world did I have so much mail pile up.
 I made another call to the Visa card company. The card has not been activated so they cannot track it. They are going to deactivate that one and send a new card. I asked them to send it to Miss Edna but no they are to send it to me. This time when it goes in the mail it is going to go to a different postal office and I am going to have it certified so I will get a receipt when she receives it.

 I have been thinking of dinner tonight. I looked up a recipe for a chicken dish on the website I use for my diet. I have the ingredients. I will make green beans with it and I am out of good carbs until Friday but I will figure something out. I do have this rice but it has to soak for 24 hours before I can cook it. So it is too late today for that.

 Thank you for stopping by and listening to my rambling. I better close for now and get on with my day. Have a fantastic evening/day where ever you are in the world... BB

Almost Bedtime For This Old Gal

 This scrap layout is for my sisters Linda and Susie when they went to Europe last year. I came across it on my external hard drive. Enjoy.

 Hello,
 It is getting late here. Almost 10:00 pm and I am getting ready to call it a night. I still have to get my coffee ready for in the morning and put another few dishes in the dishwasher for a full load. While Nathan eats at work, Jonathan and I have very few dishes. I just rinse them off and put them in until I get a full load.

 I made split pea soup today. Jonathan decided he didn't want any of it so I have divided it into half and froze half and kept out the other half for tomorrow. It has been a couple of years since I made any and it was very good.
 I have no idea what to cook tomorrow for the evening meal. I might make a few stuffed peppers tomorrow as I have several that need to be used. And I have plenty of tomatoes to make the sauce with.
 Jonathan wants pinto beans and cornbread. I said. Not on my diet. Feel free to put them in the slow cooker tonight for you but I will have something else. He knows that is not on my food list. Anyway I noticed that he did not put any beans on in the slow cooker lol. I will send them over to Karyn to cook and she can make it for him and bring him a bowl.

 I am still super stiff and have had some problems getting around today. Matt picked up my meds and brought to me tonight so I will be taking those and going to sleep pretty soon. I am just waiting on the boys to get back so that they can take Cisco out before bedtime. He turned his nose up at his dinner tonight. I am out of apples and carrots so he was not wanting to eat just plain kibble but that is what he got. He finally ate it.

 News is short and my bed is calling me. I think that I will go ahead and take my meds and go on and lay down. The boys should be home any minute so I will make sure to tell them to take Cisco out before I fall to sleep.

 Have an awesome Tuesday.... Be kind to one another and enjoy your day... BB

A Lazy Sunday

My page that I made for my sister Linda. This is a current one that I did for this year. Thanks for looking. She had a great Birthday and I am so glad that she did. She is a very special sister to me.

 It is a beautiful Sunday here. It is 64 degrees but will drop down into the 40's tonight. How I wish I could crack my bedroom window, but since we live on the bottom floor, it is not safe to do so. But I do open it during the day. Just nights I close and lock it because we are at our most vulnerable at night and no matter how safe you think that you are, you may not be.

 My son in law Joe and I had a date for the library today. But I got a call from my daughter Karyn and she told me that Joe's feet, both of them are swollen badly. About 2 shoe sizes. Anyway I just seen her. She brought me lunch/dinner. She made a plate for me with a slice of roast with roasted veggies, half of a sweet potato and some sugar free jello.... Yes Miss Edna, all is on my diet. She did not bring me gravy, mashed potatoes or corn which she had at home. My veggies consisted of roasted cabbage, carrots and onions. But there is enough for my dinner tonight. Oh and I just love cabbage anyway that it is cooked, steamed, boiled, roasted or fried. I can actually have fried cabbage cooked in grape seed oil.

 Karyn and I ooohed and awwwed over the pictures of Pogo that Miss Edna sent to me. He is just too cute. I love his little Jammies. They are soooooo cute. And he is so cute in them. I wonder if Cisco would like them. Not sure if he would or not. Oh he knows I am talking about him. He is laying in his bed, opened one eye and is staring at me, eyes drooping occasionally. Silly Boy. I just took a photo of him. I am going to go get it to share.

 He is all propped up, better to keep an eye on me lol. He usually lays the other way and in a ball or with his nose tucked into his blanket. He is getting old. It is breaking my heart, but he doesn't act his age. He still loves to rough house with the boys and he likes to run thru the house chasing his balls or toys. He likes his tug of rope and he likes his stuffed babies. I am surprised that he doesn't have one in bed with him.

 I talked with my sister Sharon today and she said that she left me a voicemail. My phone is so low on space that I cannot get voice mail messages anymore. But I found out that my brother in law Raymond will be having open heart surgery. She is worried and I understand why. They cannot get into the cardiologist until Jan. 10th. In the mean time they have a cruise planned and will leave this Saturday for Chile and Peru. She is worried that something will happen on the water, but my brother in law said, if we cancel the cruise, we will just be sitting here at home anyway. So he wants to go and he told her, Let's live while we can. Worrying about it is not going to solve anything. So they are going. They will be back December 21st and will still have a few weeks before they see the cardiologist anyway.
 Raymond is like a dad to me. I was 4 when they got married, so he has been my father figure for most of my life. My dad was a hard man, and hard to get a long with. I loved him of course but I learned early to tip toe around him.
 Raymond on the other hand was the opposite. Fun and Jolly and positive. He has always been the one that I went to when I had a problem. He is the one that talked to me about the birds and the bees and he is the one that guided me in life. Of course I grew up with their children. So my sister and her husband was more like my family than my own was.
 This is going to be hard for me, but my sister especially. I hope that they have a wonderful time on their cruise.

 Well I guess I had better go for now. I am waking up stiff in the mornings and it is taking longer and longer for my meds to kick in for the stiffness and the pain. My shoulders and neck especially. I have resorted to using the cream that my pain management doctor prescribed for me 3 times a day now. I was just using it once or twice a day but I am needing it a bit more now. I also think that they need to up my pain meds by just a little. Maybe just for the mornings. Not much but maybe a half a pill. I will talk to her at my next appointment and see what she thinks. It has been a long time since I have needed an increase.

 I have a story to tell you today. Not much of one but over Thanksgiving I sent Nathan to the store to get me some bleach. I make my own dish washing detergent. It is much cheaper than buying it. Anyway years ago when the boys were growing up, this is about Matthew and Nathan, I would send them to the store and it never fails they would come home with out what I asked for. It would be in the same linage but not what I needed.
 One time I sent them to get me a head of lettuce.. We lived right next door to the supermarket. They come home with the hugest head of cabbage I ever saw. I said "This is not lettuce, this is cabbage." Matt grumbled all the way back to the store and finally returned with a scrawny head of lettuce.
 Another time I sent them for a package of toilet tissue. I was in between paydays and I made it clear as I handed them my last $20.00 bill just to get the cheapest 4 pack that they had. That would get us thru to payday.
 Matt comes dragging in the most expensive 24 roll that they had. Well he didn't want to take it back and I said, look you have to because what money I have left out of that twenty dollars is what I have to put in the gas tank to get back and forth to work this week. In those days I made them walk together every where they went. We lived in a huge city, Las Vegas and I always worried about them so Nathan this day griped that he had to go back to the store with Matthew and return the toilet paper. Matt just complained that it was embarrassing having to haul it back and return it. I told him maybe he would start to listen to instructions and if he had been listening to begin with instead of being more concerned with his I-Pod then he would not be making a second trip.
 Neither boys have really improved. Even if I write it down. Even now I have problems with them.
 Jonathan makes me write a list and I have to be very specific because if for example I put Water on my list he will come home with the big jugs of purified water. To him water is water. He gets what is on sale.
 So I have to write on my list: 2 Cases Of Spring Water in the Bottles..... You would think after 3 years of shopping for me he would automatically know what to buy. It is a good thing that he at least can read lol.
 Anyway the day before Thanksgiving I give Nathan the money and asked him to go to get me a bottle of bleach as they were going to Walmart. Well naturally he forgot so I said Okay just go get it from Walgreen's when you go later on.
 Thanksgiving comes and I need to start a load of dishes in the dishwasher. The only task my daughter let me do.
 So I am looking all over for the bleach and I ask Nathan, "You forgot to get my bleach didn't you?"  "I bought it last night Mom."
 "Where is it?"
 "I put it on the counter. You must be blind, it is sitting right there on the counter."
 I looked and looked and all I saw was Clorox Toilet Bowl Cleaner. So I said "Okay maybe I am blind because I don't see bleach anywhere."
 He comes in and hands me the Toilet Bowl Cleaner... "Right here Mom... Clorox Bleach." I am still shaking my head over that one.
 "You want me to wash dishes with Toilet Bowl Cleaner?"
 He shrugged and said... "Bleach is Bleach"...........

 So I hope that you got a chuckle from my story of my boys..... Have an awesome day and week ahead.... BB

Happy Birthday Linda

 Happy Birthday to my sweet sister Linda. I made this page for her last year. I haven't done one for this year yet. We had to disconnect the internet yesterday so we could move Karyn's work computer and when we connected to the internet again I was busy just enjoying my family.

 Our day was awesome and peaceful. No arguments except the good nature'd teasing from one sibling to the next. We talked about past holidays and some were hilarious conversations that had us in stitches.
 By the time that dinner was served and we decompressed Jon took Karyn home and I came to my room for a bit. Then I decided to put the rest of the food away and then finished up a little bit of the kitchen.
 Still I didn't sleep well. Sometimes I think that I might be to tired to rest well. I got up at 1:30 to go to the bathroom and that was it. I never really slept well after that. But all is not lost. I did finally go to sleep.

 Patsy and I are chatting now about books that we want to read and authors. It is so fun chatting about things we have in common. Today I will be doing my publications for her. I haven't done them in awhile. So I will be doing that today. I think I have 4 pages that need to be sent to the forums that I have chosen. She will do the ones for the stores because I am not doing those. I don't mind the others because they are my choice.

 The weather here is so nice still. It is a bit warm today. It is 75 degrees here and will not get much lower tonight. But Cisco is enjoying the day and that is what is important for my boy.
 He is so funny with the boys. They come in and play with him and he acts so funny with his balls and blankets. We have a ritual with his bones too. That is so wonderful to watch him get so excited. He will take it and run with it... then wait for one of us to act like we are going to take it from him and he will run away from us again. He finally will eat it, but he likes the game.

 Christmas is just around the corner. It is one of my favorite holidays. This year will be bittersweet as we are going to my sister's house December 16th for Christmas dinner. It is really the only time that she can have it this year and it falls on the day of my mother's passing, so it is bittersweet, but mama loved Christmas so this is really a great way to still celebrate her.
 I really hope that nothing crops up to keep us from going. I know that the kids are off work but transportation could be a problem.
 Jonathan's car is needing to go into the shop and Matthew might not be here. He might be driving to Reno to see his kids this year. I was hoping to go, but I don't know but Matt sort of made an issue out of it so I changed my plans. I really don't have the money to spend on the extra food and such so I will let him go by myself.

 I want to save what money I can for my trip to Florida to be with Miss Edna and Pogo this year. I tried to save thru out the year, but it was harder than I thought that it would be. So what money I will have will be geared to that.
 I swear there was nothing more peaceful than sitting out on Edna's porch having coffee with Pogo in my lap watching the gorgeous sunsets and sunrises and the evening fireworks. Chatting and just doing nothing but enjoying the moments.
 We will demand the flu bug stay far away this year. Poor Edna was so sick. I had to leave a day early and really worried about her. She didn't have a good trip home and then several days later ended up in the hospital... So we are going to guard against all that this coming year, aren't we Miss Edna?

 Everyone have a great weekend. I am going to finish up my pubs for Patsy and then I am going to read a while and watch some tv. I have a new episode of a program I like. Chrisly knows best so I am going to watch that later on.
 Take care everyone and thanks for stopping by.... BB

Happy Thanksgiving 2017

Happy Thanksgiving to all my American Friends, and those that do not celebrate our Holiday, I wish you a special day with many Blessings...

 Hello everyone,
  It is a gorgeous Autumn day here. Right now it is 47  degrees but will warm up to 57 sometime today. It is so crisp and cool outside. I took my coffee out and Cisco was not impressed. He wanted back in almost as soon as I sat down. I let him back inside and he went on to his bed and blanket lol.

 I have been banned from the kitchen. We are not having a traditional meal. We are having Tortilla Soup and Beef Fajitas. Karyn is even making me a couple of tortillas out of Spelt flour but I told her that was not necessary and I would just have the filling and forget about the tortilla. But she is going to make me a couple of tortillas. I only need one but I can save it for tonight or tomorrow I suppose.

 Oh I have some awesome news to share. My doctor changed my insulin and I had 17 boxes that were unused. The pharmacy said that they couldn't take them back but I could bring them in to be destroyed.
 I was not about to do that. Ok that is Thousands of dollars worth of insulin. Seriously. Each box of pens cost $1,348. a box. 5 pens to each box.  Now multiply that by 17 and it comes to $22,916 dollars.... 
 So Karyn went online and found 2 places I could donate to. The first place is called Insulin For Life. I would have to pay shipping cost but it would be sent globally to disaster victims.
 The other place is a clinic right here in Austin so we called them and they said they would take it. They give it to people here in Austin and so Karyn and I took it to them yesterday. They were delighted to get it. 
 You know it felt so good to be able to make a donation like that to people that needs it. It makes a difference to give and it made me feel good too.

 Tomorrow is my sister Linda's birthday. I need to make a page for her. Last year her birthday fell on Thanksgiving. The year before it fell on my granddaughter Cathy's birthday. 

 I hate to cut this short but Karyn is allowing me to come in and watch her make the soup so I know how to do it... 

 Blessings to all....... xxx BB

Almost Turkey Time

 Good Morning,

 It is a gorgeous brisk morning here. Today is in the 50's and nice and cool. Cool for me, Freezing for my kids lol. But they are cold at 80 degrees. Go figure. The other night I woke up sweating. I looked at the thermostat and it said 78 degrees. I turned it down to 68 degrees. You would think that they are living in the Arctic by the way they bundle up.

 I had to go to the doctor yesterday. It was quiet the adventure. The lady that picked me up was new and she got lost in our apartment complex so I called her to direct her to me. It is easy to get lost in this complex because it is big. My day started off in a rush as I over slept so I was in the shower when she called and so I jumped out to answer the phone and tell her I would be right out. I rinsed off and threw on my clothes and headed out to find she was not there.
 Then off we went. I wondered why she was going towards downtown but thought well perhaps she knows a quicker way. Finally she pulled up at this clinic and stopped and I thought, oh she must have another patient to pick up, but she came around and opened my door and said, "Call me when your finished."
 I told her that this was not where I was going and she looked at her logs and said, "Oh I am so sorry." Back into the drivers seat she went and off we went. We made it with 5 minutes to spare. I had another driver on the way home and he was prompt. He said 10 minutes and he was right on the money. He was one of my favorite drivers and he said she was new and so I gave her a bit of slack since she was new. Still I guess that I should have asked when I saw her going down town. We have to travel towards down town to get to where I am going, but then we turn off. We were past our turn off point by the time I realized it and just a couple of minutes later she pulled up at some other clinic.
 My appointment went well. I was sad to hear that one of the receptionists there had moved to another office. I will miss her. She and I use to chat in between patients. I like the other girl too but she is really busy with other work as well as check in's and check out's.
 By the time I got home it was 4:00 pm. I ate my dinner early and laid down. My meds really make me so tired and I was already tired from not sleeping well the night before. Jonathan woke me up for dinner. He didn't know that I had already eaten, but I checked my sugar and it was right where it should be so I had a small plate (saucer) of brown rice and baked chicken breast with green beans and a few grapes. He is learning my diet. Thumbs up Jon. So I didn't have to have a snack. I got up this morning with a great blood sugar. I will take it!!!

 To all of my American friends I really hope that you all have a Fantastic Thanksgiving. Being thankful for family and friends is such a Blessing. I am so thankful for everyone in my life. I am thankful for my home, family, and my beloved dog Cisco. I am thankful that my children are giving and loving and I am thankful for all the Blessings in my life.

 News is short here today. I have so much I need to do. So everyone have a great day. Today is cleaning for me after I get back from running my errands... BB

Lordy What A Day So Far

 Hello All,

 I hope that everyone is having a great day. To everyone here in the U.S. Happy Thanksgiving week! Only a few more days until a lot of folks will be with family and friends and enjoying the holiday. As for me and my family, we are just going to be at home. Karyn is making Tortilla soup and I am sure that she will find a few other things to make. I will just be happy with the soup. She is also going to make me some garbanzo beans as well and I will freeze most of it and make hummus out of it.
 We even thought of desert. This is what we are planning to make Wednesday evening, once again from Ty's Conscious Kitchen.

 I have everything but the apples. We have no idea how it will turn out but I hope it is good. Well we are giving it a try and see what happens.

 Lordy people you do not know how popular you really are until you get Hacked On Facebook. I got hacked and if any of you are my FB friends and reading my blog, I am so sorry. I did not send it. My daughter called me early this morning and told me that I was hacked and to go in and change my password.
 I started getting text after text after text that no one could open the video. I had to send out... Do Not Open, It Is Not Me... It IS A VIRUS... change your password to FB now.... All of this before coffee too.

 Then I had to take some paperwork to the office and then I had to come back and wait for the repairman. I am getting a Brand New from the store Fridge. Of course it was running fine while he was here and the water was no where in site until he pulled out the fridge and ohhhh what a mess. He cleaned it up tho. I told him that I didn't want this one repaired because it has been repaired several times since I have been here a little over a year so he said... I agree, I will go and order you a new one right now and get it in tomorrow morning. Sooner if I can.  Home Depot is just a couple of miles from here and so is Lowes. Can't they just go and pick one up???? But maybe they do business with an appliance company other than Home Depot or Lowes. I don't know but I hope that by the time I get home from the doctor tomorrow I will have my new fridge.

 My neck and shoulder are hurting so I won't be on long today. I have so much I need to do and taking my meds is number one on my list. I have been so busy dealing with this that I have gotten behind so have a great day to all and Happy Monday.... BB

A Couple of CT Pages For Today

http://berryapplicious.com/store/index.php…
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http://www.pixelsandartdesign.com/store/index.php…
http://wilma4ever.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=52_488

http://berryapplicious.com/store/index.php…
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http://www.pixelsandartdesign.com/store/index.php…
http://wilma4ever.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=52_488

 Good Morning to all, Oppp's not morning here anymore. It is 1:00 pm. but it is morning for me. I had a very wide awake night last night all because I slept late yesterday and then Cisco and I cuddled up and took a really long nap. Hence I was not sleepy at bed time.
 So I decided that I would make a couple of scrap pages for my friend Patsy. She is just starting to design and she is one of my dearest friends so of course I will help her out. Best of all she knows my health situation and is tolerant, but I told her I really don't know where my scrapping desire has gone to. It ran away to never land or someplace. But I think that these two pages turned out really pretty. I am not sure which one I like best.

 Jonathan is going over to the front office today. My fridge is going out. I noticed it yesterday so I kept an eye on it thru out the night and it is getting warmer and warmer. I have a lot of food in it and my insulin so they will have to call someone to come and get it and this time I am insisting on a new one because this is not the first time I have had problems with it.
 It is odd how I discovered it. I opened it to get a bottle of water out of the fridge, the light popped out and then a loud pop. Sounded like a gun shot. My son Nathan came in and asked "What was that?" I told him the fridge and he looked at it and said it was making a odd noise the night before.
 We will find out what the office says today. I can at least put my insulin and food over in Karyn's fridge but I would rather not. I know it is Sunday but still they have someone on call and they need to come and get it and bring me a new one. The office has just opened so I reminded Jonathan to go to the office. He said he had to go anyway so he will in a bit. Right now he is playing with Cisco.

 Speaking of Cisco... I feel so bad. Lately he has been trying to charge under my feet and last night he was quicker than I was and I stepped on him. Not once but twice. I felt horrible that I hurt my fur baby but it couldn't be avoided. I almost fell but thankfully I was able to catch myself before I fell on top of him. I would have hurt the both of us if I had. I don't know why he is doing this. He use to wait for me to go ahead or he would go ahead of me. Now he sees me get up or walking to another room and he is like a streak of lightening right under my feet. I just pray that I don't hurt him again. That really broke my heart.

 We have grocery shopping on the agenda today. I am not really interested in going but I need to get out of the house and exercise a bit so shopping it will be. I need to make a list of the things on my diet. It is going to be a challenge in a lot of ways but it is good for me to come up with new ideas and try different foods. It is working out alright but wow yesterday I really had an urge for an old fashioned cheeseburger. It was not on my list so......
 I had some roasted veggies and baked chicken with a sprinkle of allspice and cinnamon and some onion powder, sea salt  and pepper, day before yesterday. It turned out  really good.
 Then for dinner, Karyn ordered me a Ginger salad and a kabob skewer of chicken and vegetables. I would love it if my chicken turned out like the chicken I had from where she ordered it from.  Cisco had the broccoli and Carrots haha... He wanted a piece of chicken too but that was not to be because I was enjoying it a lot.

 We really have some fall weather today. Miss Edna would say that it is warm haha... It is 52 degrees this morning. I was going outside with my coffee but decided to work on my blog instead. I was going to do it last night but I decided to chat with Patsy and scrap some pages for her.
 Patsy is a wonderful friend to me. We have had our up's and down's but you know, we don't always have to agree to be friends. She is such a sweet lady. She told me that I could share this picture so I will do that now.

 Last Sunday she was Baptized and she is the one in the white with the smile. I don't know if you can tell but she has a severe disease that I cannot pronounce but her hands are curved inwards. She has good days and bad days and I have worried about her. The disease she has causes her skin and organs to toughen like leather, and some cases of this disease causes organs to turn to stone. She is a fighter tho. A few years ago she couldn't walk or get out of bed and was in tremendous pain, but she fought it hard. Today she is driving, going to her church and bible studies, very active with her granddaughter and I was thrilled when she came to visit me for a week a year ago in October.
 Now she has started making her own kits. I support her. Her courage and faith has brought her so far.
 I should have cropped the picture before I posted it, but I didn't. My computer is funny like that. Sometimes it lets me and other times it doesn't, but that is okay. I just wanted to share her smile.

 Also my son in law and I have a date next Sunday. We are going to the new library. As last time we are just going to have one of the kids drop us off and then.... Ok so we are going to be a bit naughty. We plan to find a bar or a pub and have a beer or two and shoot some pool. My idea. I am wanting to get out and play. I use to be really good. As kids we had a pool table at home and our dad taught all 3 of us girls how to shoot pool. I had my own cue stick and could hold my own against anyone, but the last time I shot pool I got my butt kicked and hard. By my sister... she showed me no mercy. But you know the saying and it is so true, if you don't use it, you lose it. I lost it... But still I had so much fun.

 I asked my doctor if I could have a drink occasionally and she said yes but limit it to 2. I can do that. I will have a dark ale, like Samuel Adams because it is dark and good for my kidney. I will also take into account my sugar levels too.
 I will eat a healthy lunch before we go and take something with me in case I need it. I have one book that I want to re-check out. Maybe 2 but the others can go back.

 Living Wicca by Scott Cunningham and Hedge Witch by Silver raven wolf. I have not gotten to read these just yet so I want to keep them a while longer if I can. If not then there is always next time.

 Well it is almost time to get out of the house and do some food shopping and get in some of this brisk cooler weather and some exercise. Jonathan is getting ready to head to the office and I need to think about getting dressed.
 Have an awesome day from Cisco and I.... BB

A Good Morning To You

Hello,

 Life is Beautiful..... We just have to live it and love what we are living!

 I am posting a bit early today. I had a good night's rest finally and awoke feeling rather refreshed at 6:30 this morning. I love mornings when my body awakes on it's own, slowly, with a feeling of just a low yawn, and a stretch and a feeling of rest as well as refreshment from the night.
 It is super hard for me to toss and turn all night, and then have to just jump up and try and start my day. Or being woken up by other noises that are just a tad too loud or a little to much. Someone from outside or inside that doesn't realize that it might cause me to wake up.
 Now if I am in the middle of my deep sleep, go ahead and move the furniture, scream at the world or what ever because I am going to sleep right thru it!
 My doctor suggested a Sleep Test. I looked at her and said, "Your the second one to suggest this to me.""
 A few months ago when I had to have the endoscope done my doctor asked my daughter if I had Sleep Apnea. She said she didn't know and asked me and I said, hmmm how would I know? I am asleep.
 A lot of people talk to me about how I sleep. Either deep or I will be startled out of sleep and gasp and jump up only to go right back into the deep sleep and not remember at all.
 Jonathan said last week that I kept calling him during the night yelling at him, he would come in to find me asleep. He decided to stay for a minute and find out why I kept yelling for him. Apparently Nathan had put Cisco in bed with me and for some reason he wanted down. He was probably thirsty is my guess and couldn't get me awake. Jonathan said he put Cisco down and I slept the rest of the night.
 Cisco can get off of my bed. It is lower than the one I use to have. He just likes for me or someone else put him down. But if there is food around, or if there is someone he wants to see, he can get down on his own. And even if he should fall he has not far to fall as his bed is very close by. Normally he sleeps in his own bed and I in mine, but we do have a cuddle before lights are out.

 I have nothing to do today. No where to go, no doctor visits or anything. Nathan is sleeping as he is off work and Jonathan is at work so Cisco and I will be hanging out. I have my daughter close by most days if I need her.
 I really enjoy knowing I am not alone. I can take a shower during the day and that is nice. We all agreed since I can fall not to do so without someone here at home with me. I have my shower chair now so it is a big help.
 The man came yesterday to fix my walker. YAY! He actually gave me some good advice because it gets loose so easily and that is to put some super glue on the threads of the screws and knobs so it will not become loose. He also advised me to buy some bungee cords to prevent my cable for my breaks from wearing out and breaking. I will be picking those up soon. My son in law probably has some already.

 I might take my laundry next door and do it today as I don't have a lot but it will give me something to do and it will also help me not to have a lot of laundry to do over the weekend.
 I really need to work on my room and bathroom. I have my closet pretty much cleared out and sorted. I do need to run the vacuum and dust down my bedroom.
 The kitchen really needs to be cleaned. Deep Cleaned. I have been slacking on that job. The fridge needs to be taken apart and cleaned and the oven as well. I also need to sweep and mop. The boys are home tomorrow so we will probably do some deep cleaning then.
 They are getting better in some areas! That is a plus for me. I am the one that seems to shrug off housework these days.

 My daughter checked the mail for me early this morning. I actually got my Herrschners  catalog in the mail yesterday. I will have a great time later on today thumbing thru it. I will have some hot tea and quiet time to just read thru it.
 I have been trying to change up my routine. Some days are harder than others when I have no choice but to keep appointments. It is important that I keep them as they are with specialists. My Endocrinologist said the other day that we are taking my Primary Care Doctor out of the Equation. OHHHH YESSSS! That pleases me to no end. I am to see her only for colds and such. She messes with my medication and that puts me in risk categories that I don't need to be in. I have argued with her in the past about changing my medication.
 I am so glad that she is leaving. Now I can just rely upon my specialists to care for my needs. Other wise I wouldn't have specialists because honestly if you do have diabetes, at some point your going to need specialists. Internal Medicine, or PCP's cannot care for your needs properly and then when they realize that they can't then they refer you to a specialist.
 I could tell my first doctor I needed a referral and he would give me one. Problem was his assistant never put the referrals in.
 This doctor would tell me that I didn't need a referral. Then she would change her mind. A few weeks ago I got a call stating that she was referring me to an Endocrinologist because she could no longer care for my diabetic needs.

 I am so sorry for anyone that has Diabetes. For years I controlled it with diet and exercise. Easy to do since I worked manual labor and was on the go and busy for 10 to 12 or longer hours at a time. I worked off the calories, burned the carbs, and had good blood sugars.
 All that changed when I had to have my Vascular surgery. I had to quit my job because my legs hurt so bad I couldn't walk. It was a long time before I could actually walk on my own for any length of time or even a short walk.
 I would get more active and then have to slow back down. As a result my sugars kept going up and up and up.  Getting them back to where they need to be has been a challenge and a very hard battle.
 It is not easy to give up your favorite foods. It is not easy making the right choices. It is not easy to know and to accept lifestyle changes, even when you know in your heart and soul that you have to say no to that slice of peach pie, or that second serving of mashed potatoes, or some other loved food.
 But battles can be won and I am going to fight tooth and nail on this one. I have to. I have family and friends and loved ones that I want to be around for and perhaps with my faith in God I can be here. I might not always win the battle but I will take every small victory there is.

 Wow it is nearly 9:00 am. I have been typing this post for an hour now.  Of course that is because I have been up and away from the computer at times. I took Cisco out to potty, made some coffee, talked to my son, talked to my daughter etc. That eats up minutes here and there.
I will close and get on with my day. I hope that all have a great day..... BB

Hello And Good Afternoon From Texas

 Hi,
 I know that it is not Monday but Cisco and I have been feeling a bit down, not as in depressed or sadness, but down under the covers, snuggling and sleeping... I came across this scrap page that I did eons ago and I thought that I would share it today... It just spoke to me so here you go!

 I have not been sleeping well at night. I have been walking quiet a bit, exercising these legs and in addition to that I have been paying the price of muscles that are not use to doing a lot of walking, they hurt at night. I had leg cramps for the last few nights so that is the price that I pay for it. It is a trade off, exercise and use my legs while I have them, or not use them and avoid leg cramps.. So the leg cramps will ease up the more that I walk and move around. So it is a good trade off actually.
 Still I didn't sleep well so that means that I slept in really late today. 1:00 pm before I woke up. Not good. I missed breakfast and my morning insulin.
 My kids are so funny. Set your alarm mom... ha.. I can sleep thru a tornado when I finally do go to sleep so alarms are not the answer for me. Someone needs to come in and make me wake up enough to get up.
 Cisco use to be that "Person" but he sleeps right on thru the alarm as well! In fact I had to wake him up to go potty. He was letting me know that he did not appreciate it at all, but then he reluctantly got out of his bed, sighed and sat at the door for his leash.
 He was rewarded with bits of apple in his kibble this afternoon. Now he is sleeping again... One eye open at times to make sure I am close by.

 The weather here is so perfect. It is 80 degrees outside right now. The sun is shining so brightly and tonight it will only be 70 degrees.
 Yesterday was so gorgeous out. That is why I took the long walk that I did. I was at the Podiatrist office and wow they got me in before my appointment time. I didn't even have time to sit down and go thru a magazine before they called me back. So I was done in less than 15 minutes. My transportation ride was already picking some one else up and so I told him not to worry,  and I decided to walk while I was out waiting. I walked around the building, a very large building twice and just as I was coming around to the front, my ride drove up. It worked out for the both of us.
 What a gorgeous day to admire the pansies, the squirrels, the birds and enjoy the sun shine. I will walk again later on as I have to go to the grocery store tonight.
 Jonathan called and said to make a grocery list. Hmmm, when the cupboards are looking bare do I really need a list haha!

 I promised to stick to this diet and so far I am not having much problems at all. Most of the ingredients that I need I have. Agave is a natural sweetener from the Agave plant. It tastes good and I have been substituting it for things rather than using Splenda or Sweet and Low which I detest... yuk... except for Splenda in my coffee. I really need it for that.
 Grape Seed oil is along the lines of Olive oil etc... The good news about that is that it takes very little to saute and goes a long way.
 Been using Sea Salt for a while now so that is not an issue, I have a large container of that, and the only water I drink is Spring Water so no problems there.
 Lime Juice.... I have always got a lot of limes and a bottle of lime juice in my fridge.
 Spelt flour is easy to find. So is Chickpea flour and of course Garbanzo beans. I make my own hummus so it is really not expensive at all.
 The rest of the veggies are easy to come by and so by this I can easily stick to my diet. The rest is protein and since dairy is really not on my list I discussed this with my Endocrinologist and she said that the diet looks great but I need the protein and some dairy. At least once a day to have a tiny bit of both.
 Last night I found a recipe for Strawberry banana ice cream.... Check it out.

 I hope that if anyone suffers from diabetes, or high blood pressure or kidney disease that this is helpful to you.

 Dr. Sebi has a lot of follower's. Of course he is not alive anymore, but on YouTube you can find a lot of video's and I really like the one from Ty's Conscience Kitchen. The video's are short and he is the most accurate.
 My son Nathan has been telling me of this man, Dr. Sebi for several years and has encouraged me many times to go onto his diet.
 I blew him off because I figured the cost would be too much and it was from the Internet and I figured another scam.
 But actually I started doing my own research. Anyway there are people out there that are trying to sell his products so I stay away from all of that. But I do watch the video's and am learning as I go. Everything so far is delicious.

 I am off here for now. I need to eat and I have to get some things done... BB

It's Too Early For Crap!

 This is an older kit from Lins_Creations called Safari. Thank You for looking....

 Hello and Good morning to everyone.
 It is a bit early for me, but I have a Podiatrist  appointment this morning. I go every 3 to 4 months. Being a diabetic it is very important to see a foot doctor. One time I went when I lived in Arkansas and the lady said, "How long has this sore been on your foot?" I was astonished as I never felt a sore at all. It was between my toes and was getting infected. I try to keep a close eye on my feet.

 Now for the crap... I am a crabby person when I don't get my sleep. Last night was one of those nights. Sleep was elusive. I was tired but I just sort of dozed off and on all night. Karyn was upset with Matthew for some reason and she came over this morning to get her things because she  is working in the office today. So I was trying to have my coffee and scrap a page and heard all of that. I felt bad that they argued. Not taking sides tho. I learned not to do that!

 Then I went to Facebook to try and find links I needed for something but instead found my news feed filled with some really stupid stuff. Mainly about a Go Fund Me account that really ticked me off. A woman asking for ten thousand dollars to support her worthless broke husband. REALLY!!!
 We set up my niece a Go Fund Me account where she was just asking for a thousand dollars to get her teeth fixed after a horrible car accident a few years ago and she didn't get a dime. This man has already gotten over a thousand dollars!

 Anyway rant is over. I have to get my shoes on and get going so my blog is very short today because my ride is here and he is a half hour early. Oh well he can just wait a bit. I am just finishing my breakfast.

 Before I go I want to see if I can share a YouTube video of a cool thing that pertains to the new diet that I am on...
 Check it out.....

 Ok now I must go... Have an awesome day... BB

Warm and Muggy Adventures

 A Delightful kit called Winter Dreams from my friend Rosie H... For personal use only...

 Hello Everyone,
 I have been trying to get over and blog but every time I tried something came up. Laundry, Life, Kids, and some here and there things that had me away from the computer.

 Today is warm and muggy. It is 71 degrees out and the sun is shining but it is so muggy, the air is thick with humidity and makes it feel a lot more sticky than it should be, but I am not going to complain as it is most welcome compared to the wicked heat that we had over the summer. One day got into the 50's and it was a cold rain and wind that made us shiver. Isn't that something? Who would have ever thought that I would be shivering in 50 degree weather?

 So I took myself on to a small adventure yesterday. My daughter dropped me off at the new library. I didn't get as many photos as I wanted. Long story short, I dropped my phone into the toilet. I was afraid to use it really. But here is a few photos that I took. Most is from the exhibit that they had from the event Day Of The Dead. Yesterday was an Asian Orchestra. Wow it was amazing.
 The entire place is just incredible... I will be going back for sure.

I had a great time looking at the exhibits and can't wait to go back.

 While I was there I found 4 books that I decided to check out. One is called Earth Magic. The Zodiac is different in this book, which I don't understand. It has me as a Libra in September instead of October.. But everything else that it said in the Earth Zodiac was spot on. I was amazed at what I read.
 Some of it made me smile. Like for example some of the wise woman's weather advice. I will have to go thru the book and share some with you some times.
 Then there is herbs, how to pick, dry and store, and how to make ointments and teas and such. Now my problem is that I live in the city and there is not many places here that I can go and pick the herbs called for certain things. Seriously some I have never heard of and I am leery of trying to use herbs that I know nothing about.
 I am particular interested in the herbs that heal the kidneys. But they have to be picked at a certain time of the day, some need to be dried before used, others need to be used right away. I have not used many herbs other than what I can get at natural stores or garden centers. So a lot I will not be able to use at all.
 Anyway the book is interesting but I will not read it in depth. Today I will explore another book on the recipes of a hedge witch.

 As always I am busy today. I have to see my endocrinologist tomorrow so I have a couple of things that I need to do and I also have a home breathing test I have to do and get in the mail. I am scared that the mail system here will not get the test to the lab in time.
 This test is to check for an over growth of bacteria in my small intestine. I was on one medication and it was not working so I made an appointment with my gastrologist and he changed my medication but had to fight for it over the insurance. When I got it I found out why. A month's supply costs over a thousand dollars!!!!! Anyway this test is important because I have a lot of indigestion, bloating and hiccups. Some times my food doesn't feel like it is going to my stomach properly.

 I also have to prepare my foods for my dinner tonight. I am using a different food plan now. It is Dr. Sebi's cell foods. It is an alkaline diet. It does seem that I am feeling a bit better with the foods. Lots of recipes out there and you can check out Ty's Conscious Kitchen on YouTube. The videos are short and easy. Today I am making my own ketchup! So I have to get busy on that.
 My veggies are almost gone. I will not be getting another produce box until spring, but the Farmers Markets are still open.

 I have my music playing and am feeling well other than I am a bit tired. Sleep is still not coming easy for me. I have been drinking my tea and trying to relax before bed, and when I do fall asleep I end up waking up several times a night so I am not going into the deep good stage of sleep I need. By the time that I do reach that point, I have to get up for one reason or another.

 Time for me to go to the store so I will close for now and I hope that everyone has a wonderful day and I will talk to you soon... BB

Ohhh Where Did That Cold Come From????

 Autumn Friends, a page I made a couple of years ago. Thanks for looking...!

 Hi There,

 Well I am not sure where our Autumn went yesterday. It was cold, or at least cold for us. 43 degrees most of the day and the wind and rain made it even colder. I just wore pants and a long sleeved shirt. I should have taken a sweater with me to knock off the chill but I didn't. I really didn't think I would need it but that wind and rain was cold. Not the warm kind that we usually have here in South Texas.

 My day started early. I worked on my blog post and then my daughter was here to get me to the dentist by 11:00 am. I didn't have to wait at all. My dentist told me I wont have them by Thanksgiving but he is going to try really hard to have them for me by Christmas. He said that it is the lab that is the hold up since they have many dentures to do a day but he is going to put a rush on mine due to the fact that I need mine for medical issues. He is I swear the nicest man. Extremely gentle and considerate. I wish I had him all along instead of the last few months I would already have my dentures.

 Then we took my son Matthew lunch and then decided we needed food ourselves. The rain and traffic was really bad and so we missed our exit to get to a place that had food that I could eat. We tried to back track but we got tangled up into some really unbelievable traffic so I told Karyn that we were running out of time to get to my eye appointment so we stopped at a fish place and just ordered a fish and chicken plate and ate just a few bites before we had to leave. I brought the rest home with me for my dinner. I am sorry but it is going to take me a long time to enjoy baked fish. YUK but I ate some of it and then we made it to the eye doctor where we waited for over an hour and a half.
 The place was so packed we did not have a place to sit for the first 10 to 15 minutes when we got there.

 They had a premature baby that was a priority so they had to shut one part of the waiting room down so as not to expose the infant to anything. After the baby was seen and they left we were able to disperse into the other area. It is always sanitized for the preemies. They took pictures yesterday. Something that they don't always do, and years ago it never bothered me to have my eyes dilated but now, I can't see a foot in front of me when they do it. They put me in a dark room so that helps but I had to go to the bathroom so that meant I had to go out into the light. Once back in the dark room I had to only wait a few minutes before they called me back.
 I took a pain pill when they dilated my eyes so it had time to work before the actual injections started. The good news is I didn't cry but Ohhhh I darn near passed out. I go next month for the next treatment and then I can start going every 8 weeks. My sugars are coming down, so less bleeding in the vessels so that is great news.

 I came home and of course went to bed. Jonathan came in before he went to bed and put the drops in my eyes and flushed the other one with saline so he was able to get the gel out of my right eye. Then again this morning before work so that is what is enabling me to see a little this morning. I really can't see what I am typing really well, but I know my keyboard so that helps. So forgive any mistakes.
 They eye patch is not very comfortable today. As a matter of fact it is really bothering me so I wont be long on here.

 Before I forget I just wanted to say that I know a lot of you leave comments on my blog by notifications. I appreciate that but could I also ask that you leave a comment in the comment box? It really does help me know who is who and I can respond in kind. It is harder with the notifications. Not that I don't appreciate you stopping by and I do appreciate it, but this is just a request.

 Christmas is just around the corner so I am almost done. I have 5 gifts left to buy and I am finished. I want to get them in the mail the first week of December so there is plenty of time to arrive for Christmas Day. I have 3 that is really a hard decision for me to make on what to get. One is for a teenager. To me that one is going to be the hardest. I know it should be the easiest but for me it is going to be the hardest.

 I think that we are going to go to my sister's in Dallas for Christmas but not Christmas Day. We plan to go on the 16th which is going to be a rough day for our family but bittersweet as well. It was the day our mother passed away. This will also be the first Christmas without our brother. My sister chose this date because it is the only time that she can do it due to her work schedule. And it is going to be a pot luck. Most of the time it is a formal thing with the china and works, but this year it is going to be everyone bring a dish and paper plates and plastic utensils and plastic cups. We want to spend time together, not worry about kitchen cleanup and cooking.

 We are staying home for our Thanksgiving. Not a traditional meal either here as we are going to be watching our new diet. It is going to be alright regardless. Last night for dinner I had the left over fish, 1 slice, 1/2 avocado and cherry tomatoes with a light drizzle of vinaigrette, and you know, that was plenty for me. Cisco had the chicken!!!!

 I wasn't really hungry anyway but I had to eat for my insulin. So I did. My sugars are coming down so I am pleased. Today is steamed cabbage and squash with a romaine salad and cantaloupe. We will use my Ninja to chop some of the salad ingredients. We just pulse them to make it easier for me to eat. I can use a whole list of herbs for seasoning so it will be fine.

 Guess I will close for now because it is getting hard for me to see. I think that I am straining my good eye so I will close for now. Have an awesome day my friends... BB

Autumn Magic

 Hi There,
 A scrap page of my grandkids taken last year about this time. It was one of those gorgeous Indian Summer days. I miss my little stinkers... They have really grown this past year. I wish I could see them. Maybe one of these days I can.

 The weather is just beautiful here. Gorgeous blue skies and puffy white clouds. A brisk 53 degrees with a slight chance of rain. I love it. I have sit out on my patio and have just drank in the gorgeous trees, the cool breeze and the happiness of the birds chirping. Happy sounds and Happy moments.

 So yesterday was a very busy day for me. I started out by receiving a call from my doctor. Just checking on me since I had last been in and I am feeling better yay! Then calls to Walgreen's to check on a couple of my prescriptions. No they had been delayed due to being pre-authorized for a year and the year is up. Now they will either over ride them or they will change me to something else. What a pain that has been. I am still waiting on one call back for one medication that I really do need. It is for my diabetic neuropathy, which is nerve pain in the hands and feet. They had me on another kind but it really hurt my stomach so they changed it to a milder form, now the insurance wants me to go back to the original.
 Then my doctor said for me not to wait until the last minute to call in for refills on a medication so when I opened my last bottle guess what.... I checked and had no refills, so I called it in. Her nurse informed me yesterday it is to early to call in for refills.... I will be so glad when this doctor leaves!! I only have a couple more months to deal with her then I will see my new doctor that is taking her place and I am happy about that. I have seen this other woman before and love her. She was so kind to me when I was in the hospital once.

 Things have been hectic around here. In between scheduling a crap load of doctor appointments for specialists, and dealing with medications, I have also been dealing with no hot water. Good to inform you that I now have hot water. I am not sure who was in the biggest rush to have a hot shower. I did the dishes first then I won the first shower ha ha. I am not sure how people like my mom and her brothers and sisters managed with boiling water growing up and such but they did. Our generation is just spoiled me thinks. I am so use to just turning on the water and having hot water come out. Then I think of all those poor people hit by hurricanes and think... at least I have clean water to drink and to clean even if I had to boil it for a few days.

 I always have something to say that is not good news and today is no different. I think that it was Friday that I got a call from my doctor's nurse. I had a 24 hour urine/protein test done a couple of weeks ago and I have stage 3 kidney disease.
 Basically that means that my kidney is failing, it is at a moderate level of damage. It cannot be cured but it can be slowed down. I have to give up a lot of things that I am spoiled over, but it will be worth it.
 There is a diet that is from a man that was killed in prison. His crime was helping people with illness. It is a long story, but the main thing is that it has been proven to work for those that adhere to it. Basic foods, cut out all fats, dairy and protein and caffeine.  I did find out that chicken and fish are ok. But to limit the chicken to once or twice a week. Much easier than the other diet that I was doing. I have lost weight on the other one, but it was hard. This time it is a family effort, not just me. We are all going to eat the same foods. Most of them I actually like. There are a few that is off limits, such as garlic, tomato sauce, or canned tomoatos and or anything acidic except for the tiny key limes. I can have those in moderation. Cherry or plum tomatoes are ok too. Special flour that is whole grains and most all vegetables are on the list. Broccoli, cauliflower and iceberg lettuce is not as well as any corn products, that includes corn tortillas, cereals and such. And low protein since protein can over load the kidney.
 Karyn and Nathan went on YouTube yesterday and found a lot of the recipes that look good and are easy to make. They are going to do come over and help me and we are going to prepare meals for breakfast lunch and dinner and some snacks I can have. One thing for sure, there is no way to be hungry on this diet.

 I go for my denture fitting today. I hope that they fit and I hope that they get them built soon. This has been the most awful experience that I have endured for so long and no reason for it. I could beg and plead but I cannot change the way the insurance company does things. Some times I feel like another head of cattle being led thru the nose by a ring to jump thru their hoops.

 It is getting time to get into the shower so I will get off here for now and start my day. Here is a few goodies to share. Have a great day to all.....

 LOL.... I think that could happen to me... ha ha.........

 Awwww never thought of it this way........ I guess it would be a horror movie....

 Yep.... this is me and my Cisco.... now there is only one of him but no matter the size of my bed he would take the entire thing. Thankfully he has his own now and we are both sleeping much better.

 And the last one I borrowed from the internet.... Enjoy, smile, laugh and love..... BB

Late Is Better Than Never

 Hello,

 It is a gorgeous day here even over cast and misting rain. But the temps are lovely and we are having a family day of sorts. Matthew, Jonathan and I. Sorry to say that Karyn is not feeling well and our plans can wait a bit. Nathan is at work after his days off so it is just the boys, Cisco and I hanging out.
 I have the dishwasher running, Jonathan went to the store for me to get something for lunch and then I caught up on most of my blog reading and now it is time for my blog.

 I know I am horrible at blogging lately. I am sorry for that, but some days just are not meant to be. On Sunday I had a fall in the shower. A week today. I insisted that I was fine but when a bit later when I went to sit down, the room spun, my vision became blurry and I couldn't keep my balance to get to the bathroom because I knew I was going to be sick.
 Jonathan and Karyn insisted then that I needed to go to the hospital. They feared I had a concussion and I did. Even tho I hit my head, it didn't hurt as bad as my neck and right arm. Then I was hurting all over. I was surprised when I learned that yes I did have a concussion. I have never had one before and am in no hurry to have one ever again.
 I had to have a follow up with my doctor the next day and she said that my left eye was not dilated properly and said it was residual effects of the concussion and found I had fluid behind both ear drums and another part of my ears that caused my balance problems and probably led to my fall. My ears were infected as well. So for 2 days I was supposed to just sit or lay down and up only for bathroom breaks and such. I am not 100% just yet. Sometimes I get really dizzy still.

 We are out of hot water. Our water heater went out and it isn't something that they could fix. So the gas company had to shut off the gas and tomorrow they will install the new water heater and Tuesday the gas company will be here to turn the gas back on. We tried to get it earlier but we have to wait on the schedule because they have to come into the house to make sure that there is no gas leak. It is always something with these company's I swear. So since Friday we have been lambasting the fact that we have no hot water. I boiled water, hand washed the dishes then put them in the dishwasher to make sure that they will get another wash, my dishwasher has a heat cycle that will heat the water. The fact that I had not done dishes in a few days made it necessary for me to do some hand washing first.
 I know, I am weird like that. Most people just throw their dishes in and let the machine do the rest. But with cold and flu germs, I take a bit of precaution, including a bit of bleach into the machine. My kids doctor suggested that years ago and I have done it ever since.

 I had a lot of fun with the kids over the Halloween photos I received. They were awesome and also a video from Alex. My baby girl Celeste turned 3 the day before Halloween, and I got new pictures of her too and this morning her daddy was video chatting with her and she had to talk to her Nanna. Such wonderful times for me, these little ones. I am blessed!

 Here is my little goblins.... Well part of them anyway. The one little prisoner you can see is Alex.
I don't know how to share the video. I keep trying but can't figure it out.

 Think that I will find somethings to share then I am getting off and cleaning my room, then laying down to try and read a while. My book is very good that Patsy sent me, but with my vision it is taking me a long time to read it. I hope that I can finish it before my eye injections on the 8th.

 I would be hesitant to start the game too if I was Santa.... lol....

 I thought that this was cute.... awww....

 This is sooooo me... I have a thing for plastic bags. They are so useful and I am always using them.

 One last photo to share. Our local grocery store has these awesome bags for groceries. My daughter is thoughtful and buys them for me when she sees one I might like. We use them so we do not contribute to the pollution of plastic bags. We went green a long time ago, and now we have these bags and the little plastic bags are still allowed until the retailers finally run out of their stock of them.
 This is one that Karyn got me. Day Of The Dead celebration.

 I love it... I am going to use this bag for my library bag. I think that it will be great because it is actually a bit bigger than the usual ones.
 Ok I will close for now. Be Blessed always and be kind to one another and have an awesome Sunday... xx BB