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OK....so I just tried to add a picture. I clicked on the add pix icon, and then clicked on "browse" and nothing happened??? I'm more technical than Dean (by far---he can't even use the DVR) so I can't ask him for help. I need to get Bekah over here to help me. She's a master at the computer.
The other tech problem I WAS having---was streaming netflix to my computer. It would "buffer" for 7 long minutes for every 7 min. of watching!!!! So I got Brian over & got his opinion; Dean had his own opinion; talked to someone at Office Depot, and even called my brother who made my computer. The different answers I got, were I needed more memory and/or more DSL and/or maybe I should get another modem + box for the t.v. and so on. So I made an "executive" decision and upgraded my DSL from basic to 1.5-----and voila! I can now watch movies all the way through with NO buffering!! So easy......(sigh). However, I'm still going to get another memory stick, as my virtual memory is small as I have LOTS of games & stuff on this computer!
Bekah gave me a new "heading" via her computer---I did say she was a computer whiz, didn't I?
Other technical items----we bought 2 new doorbells today. They are wireless and supposed to work from button-to-receiver at 100 feet. Ours work at about 6 feet!! So we installed one outside the front door. We wanted to put one at the back door that would ring in the kitchen (less than 100 ft. by far) but it wouldn't work. So we are going to try a new battery, not that one that came with it from China----& then if it doesn't work---back it goes! Whew! Who knew this stuff was gonna take up so much time in our lives?
I've almost finished reading THE HOUSE AT SUGAR BEACH by Helene Cooper (non-fict.). It's really interesting. Did you know that back in the 1800's there were freed slaves sent BACK to Africa, and they started their own colony---Liberia? I didn't either. This is a true story about the author who was raised with money, and lived very similar lives to what we we did back in the 50's & 60's in so many ways. I was astounded to learn about the government, and all the things we never learned in history about these free black people who were raising their children to be educated (in America mostly) and have similar lifestyles that we had. Eventually, there was a "coup" and that is the rest of the story. Fascinating!
On another front, Sherri, girls, & I did a card challenge that Sherri thought up using nothing but scraps----it was SO FUN!!! The cards turned out marvelous! Also helped Sherri go through a few closets and she has tons of bedding to get rid of----so if you need any, just give her a call. Cause it's going OUT!!!
That's all for now----talk to you later......
Well, I haven't posted in a long, long time. My grand-daughter Bekah is now posting her pictures (that she draws) and I so enjoyed looking at them, I thought I'd go & post on mine.
Well, I survived----as did Sherri----Noah's 11th Birthday party, which was a SURVIVOR Party!! We had 12 kiddos, 4+ hours and 12 challenges (some really hard) and 90+ heat. And we made it. Of course Sherri did & kids did all the hard work. I just showed up, and helped a little, but now that I'm officially an "old-lady" I get a pass, right? It was actually fun watching them do the challenges and the kids were from 7-15, and on evenly matched teams. Really fun. The winner---SURVIVOR---(name pulled out of a tiki-box to make it fair) won $1, and a T-shirt. Great fun had by all.
Now that the weather is in the 90's & so not my time of year, I may just sleep during the day (sometimes) & stay awake all night. Ha-ha. We didn't get any flowers planted in our flower beds yet, and even though it's really late, I think we will still plant a few. I want perenials (sp) & just don't know what to get. I like those yellow lily-looking plants with leaves that look like big grass, and need to find some other's that keep coming back. We have a gi-normous stump, and I mean like 3 feet or more across, that's actually hollow, & we plant flowers in it, and it's looks really cool.
I just read SHANGHAI GIRLS by Lisa See (she also wrote SNOWFLOWER & THE SECRET FAN) and I wasn't disappointed. It was really good. I so love a good book.
We had a great shoebox-card-swap at my friend Trish's last month, and it was so fun. It was great making all the cards and just talking, plus one of my friends whose name I won't mention (Suzanne) played a great trick on us all. Every time I think of it, it makes me laugh. Good Times!
Well, that's it for today. Have a great day/evening whoever reads this----& if you are reading this, it means you are someone special in my life. Cheers!
OK, so it was 75 on Friday, and then we 12 inches of snow!!! I LOVE this weird weather. You just never know what's gonna happen.
We went to Branson after Sherri was done with the play, and I must say I really enjoyed it. We stayed at Stormy Point, and I never get tired of the kids. I love to hear their thoughts on just about everything!
Dean & I are starting a painting class tomorrow night. He entered his carving of a bird (he painted it also) in an Art Show at the VA and took 1st place in carving and BEST OF SHOW!! We were both truely amazed!! Now he wants to learn to paint better, so the class. I have taken MANY painting classes over the years, and hope I learn something good from this one. I'm NOT really interested in painting anymore, but am interested in doing this with my husband, and so......
I've been reading a lot of books lately, and making lots of baby blankets. So many new babies in our family!! I love it. Haven't been making very many cards lately, and I expect that to change when I get my Mother's Day Present (early) from Sherri & Brian & family. It's a machine that cuts out and also embosses things for cards. :-) so happy.........
Next week our John will be in Kansas City for some kind of Theater Conference, and he will have time off, so we've decided to go there. We've never been there, and we will be able to spend a day with him, so why not!!
I want to go antique hunting with Sherri ASAP. I say this while I also have tons of stuff I need to get rid of. I love the rule of: "one thing comes in, one goes out." I'm trying to do that. Not always succeeding. We both love to find "treasures" and if we get to eat out, it's a winner of a day!!!
Well. Hope all is well for everyone. Please, I'm asking for prayers for my youngest son, who continues to have some mental-health problems. He needs LOTS of prayers.
Oh, Sherri and kiddos came over today and helped clean-up the house (with cheerful hands & hearts) and it was just so delightful. Lucky us!!! Good Night All......
Hello to everyone who reads this. I haven't written in loooooong time. Here we are in FEBRUARY 2010 already. Did you see that time speeding by? Right now Dean is well and very happy. We had a great Christmas and even got snowed in at daughter Sherri's for a couple of days. Perfect! Haven't seen her lately cause Caleb has been sick, and that is one thing we are very careful about-----keeping Dean well.
He will now have alternating every 3 months either a cat-scan or ultra-sound to keep track of his aneurysm, and then regular blood work to keep track of the CLL. We have a routine, and look forward to our dates at the VA---because we get to go out to lunch and do some shopping in the "big" city. LOL He's in 2 carving groups now, and very enthusiastic about his hobbies and his life in general. I've always been a big part of Sherri's family life---and have let that go while Dean has been so sick. I hope to be more involved again this year. Also I re-joined my "make cards" group. I may even be able to get back to my book club at the library!
We both have come to a lot of "acceptance" of what life holds for us now, and in the future. This has the side-effect, I guess you could say, of making us really enjoy every day, and being happy for everything we have.
Today Dean is at a buddy's doing something with carving, and I am getting our house back to normal finally, after the holidays. Next month, if all goes well we are going on vacation for a week with the Karps up to our time-share at Stormy Point in Branson. Really looking forward to that! Also, looking forward to seeing Sherri & Katie in CHEAPER BY THE DOZEN at the Community Theater at the end of Feb. So......that's if for now, and I will try and keep this up. I know you read it Sherri at least. Haha. Love meeeeeeeee
I'm calling this blog chapters. I feel like that is what life is like---chapters. Always changing, with new stories to come. Dean had a CT Scan and it wasn't great----but it is....what it is.
They saw a spot on his kidney & another organ (cysts they "think"). He has an enlarged spleen. The spleen is what filters your blood. His is clogged, and they could eventually have to take it out which will live him even more immune compromised. He some enlarged lymph nodes, and his white count is growing. Oh, and he also has an adominal aneurysm. Acturally this is the scariest thing to me, because if it reaches 6 cm or more it will burst and kill him (painfully). His is only 2.8, so will continue to have tests to check it size. Next month he is having an MRI. I hope after that they stick to ultra-sounds for most of the testing because it's good and not invasive. Too much dye in the veins can kill the kidneys!
As horrible as all of this is---we are "LIVING". He is mostly well at present, and feeling pretty good. We are all going to die sometime (even though in our secret hearts, we're pretty sure it's NOT going to happen to US). He's going to be 67 in January. I've told him I'm not through with him yet, and he has to stick around for awhile. We agreed that is a good thing.
We are looking forward to going to Branson with our friends on Nov 1 for a week of seeing shows, and having fun playing cards and dominoes. We will also have our 43rd Anniversary (Nov 5th). We are still very much in love, and I know we will have a good time. So, that's what's happening in this chapter!
Good Night Gracie.
The past two days have been very busy with painting. Sherri, Brian, and kiddos came over to paing our dining area, living room, and hallway. The old color was a seafoam green, and the new color is stuart gold----very different. I'm not a good painter b/c I was never allowed to paint (b/c my husband is so good).
I did get to paint at my brother's house a couple of times b/c he wasn't so picky. Well, now that Dean is disabled, he's decided I can paint, only I suck at it. Lot's of tension around our house the past 2 days. The good news is, Sherri and Brian, and 3 of their kids all know how to paint and even enjoy painting. So they were a HUGE help. I got wet clothes for drips, got stuff, checked on Caleb, and even did some "cutting in". Also, I did 90% of the pre-work, in packing and moving stuff around. Tomorrow is the last coat of paint. Whew!!!! My thanks to my kids and kiddos who helped so much and did such a wonderful job. I did take them out for good meals everyday, and will do so again tomorrow.
Dean & I have never worked well together at projects. I don't know why. I'm sure someone could analyze it. I work very well with Sherri and other people, but not him. Oh well. You don't have to do everything together, right. I'm tired. Think I'll go relax. If any Karps read this.......Thanks again, and again!!!!! x0x0
Two of the reasons I haven't been "blogging" so much is first: Face Book. It takes a lot of time, and you get instant gratification, sort of, to what you post. It takes too MUCH time tho. The 2nd reason is, it's been a hard year, and I didn't want to a "whiner" about it.
So much has happened this year. I have gone through a lot of different stages like Helen Kubler Ross says about DEATH & DIEING, and more to come, or maybe all over again. I have just come to the "acceptance" sort-of, that I'm living with a man who has a terminal illness. Also I have to deal what he is thinking. And I don't tell him all that I know.
All sorts of things surprised and shocked me this year and some of them were: He got pneumonis REALLY quick, was hospitalized and came home & was on oxygen for 2 more weeks. After a brief period of wellness he then got sever shingles, and then pink-eye. It has dawned on me.....finally....that I have to be greatful for the well times, and this is going to keep happening. His white-cell "lymphocite" count continues to rise and crowd out the good while cells. His immune system is crappy. He is progressing in this disease.
I was terrified for awhile, then accepted it, then got angry. I was mad at him cause he can't do all the things he always has, and can't work in the workshop & make things, and build things like I always thought he would at this stage of our life. It really made me mad. We just went on a long road-trip, 20 days, and he did the driving, thankfully. But I did all the packing and most of the hauling in and out of stuff, and I have gradually been taking over more and more of stuff at home. It both scares me and makes me mad. This is not what I thought I signed up for. But I did. I said "for better or worse." And I'm so very very thankful he is here. I do everything in my power to make sure he is well, and ask all the questions of the doctors, and do the research on the internet to get more info.
So sometimes I feel AWFUl for being mad, and scared.....and thankful. Stress. Yes that's what it's been like. So like I said.....it's dawning on me finally that this IS our life, and how it's going to be. So I'm learning to be happy in our new "normal" and greatful that I am still healthy enough to be able to take over more, and do whatever he needs done. We've spending a lot of time at the VA this year. He just got checked out for a possible blod clot in his leg (negative). Now he has to have CT scans to check out his lymph nodes. No problem.
So that's why I haven't been writing. I'm learning a new chapter has begun in our life. I think I have gone through most of the anger. I love him dearly, and really really want him here as long as possible. He is the other half of me. I don't feel like I can exist without him. Who loves me like he does? The truth.....no one. Don't pity me. This is just what it is. Every day people go through this and this is life. It is what it IS.
I'm still learning.......and I've always thought it's on on-going process forever. I still think that. Today is a good day. I love that. So, I will try to write more, and think more postive thoughts.......Such is life.
