I have so many posts running through my head that it's not even funny. But I'm going to do this one while it's fresh in my brain because we all know that things get lost inside my head sometimes, never to see the light of day. As many of you know from facebook or twitter or this post, I hurt my knee the week before Easter. Playing with my Wii. Okay, competing heavily with my younger, firmer, thinner, more able bodied children. And boom! There goes my knee. Not much of a surprise, my knees hurt alot of times and make that horrible grinding popping sound anytime they're used much. (As Lu pointed out when we were playing Wii, in the form of "Eeewww...Mom! Your knees sound so gross!") Thank you very much Lu.
Well, with my Grandmother's last days, the details, the visitation, the funeral, ect. I didn't exactly have time to go to the doctor. I slapped a knee brace on it and called it good. I figured it would pass in a couple of days. Well it kept swelling so bad that the knee brace would cut off circulation and I'd have to remove it. So I figured once things settled down and I was off of it for a few days it would go back to normal. So life settled down again and we went back to what passes for normal in our house. I was spending alot of time at my computer desk or watching movies with the kids, trying to stay off the knee. Funny thing...it kept getting worse. It was now to the point where it ached and throbbed and had sharp shooting pains when I'm sitting down. Not to mention the pain of walking and heaven forbid I decide to squat, kneel or do the stairs. So my family starts getting on my butt about seeing a doctor. Yesterday I had to go to town so everyone joined forces and pleaded with me to see someone about my knee. I refused to commit.
Well, I spent the afternoon at my Grandma's (now my Uncle's) house going through some of her things with my folks. This was not fun and rates it's own post down the line. After several hours (in which I went up and down her horribly steep stairs), I was tired, sweaty (no air conditioning!), grimy (years of dust), sneezy and in no mood to do anything other than pick up fast food, go home, put on jammies and swallow some Motrin. I made the mistake of calling my hubby. He urged me to go ahead and go to the doctor since I was already in town. So I went to the treat & release at the hospital.
6 pm and the parking lot is so packed I have to park a half a block away and hobble to the building. Off to a good start. Walk in, wait in line. Get signed in and joke with the nurse about how their new "fast care" branch in a local store was supposed to alleviate some of this. But alas, no xrays at the fast care and with warm weather most are injuries requiring xrays, like me. Take a seat in the waiting area where I am accosted by a bored (and kind of grubby) four year old.
4 yr old: What's your name?
Me: Mommy. What's yours?
She stared at me in confusion.
Me: *sigh* Stacey. What's yours?
her: Hailey.
Me: that's a very pretty name. (me wondering why her mother is letting her wander around a hospital waiting room talking to strangers who are possibly ill with something contagious?) Are you sick?
Hailey: yep. I frowed up.
*sigh* I try edging farther from her and finally her mother looks up from her cell phone and calls her back to her seat. The triage nurse calls me and I limp in as a man limps out.
Me: guess you got all the gimps today.
Nurse: I know! Lots of injuries. Did you injure your knee?
Me: I guess.
Nurse: When did this happen?
Me: about two weeks ago.
Nurse: And you're just now coming in??
Me: Um. I've been busy...
Nurse: so how did it happen?
Me: I was playing Wii...
Nurse: I haven't tried it yet. Is it fun?
Me: Well it was until I hurt myself.
She takes my blood pressure, temp and oxygen sats. Really? For a knee injury? Then she says she'll order an xray and there are five people in front of me, I can go have a seat. I limp to the other waiting room and sit down. Oh yay! The Disney channel is on. Whew! NOT. After 5 minutes of some ridiculous show called "Good Luck Charlie", I whip out the novel I was smart enough to throw in my purse. Then the xray tech calls me. I limp along behind her.
I climb awkwardly on to the table and lay down. She starts shoving my jean capris up over my knee and then says~
xray barbie: I'm going to roll your jeans up. Is that okay?
me: (since she's already doing it (none too gently) do I really have a choice? I'm temped to yell "DON'T TOUCH ME!" but I resist) um. sure.
xray barbie: so how did you hurt your knee?
me: playing Wii with my kids
xray barbie: *blank incredulous stare*
me: um. you know the Wii fit?
xray barbie: *looks me up and down* oh.
I think don't you judge me you skinny little bleached blonde, fake nailed barbie doll! But I just smile. Because I know I have more personality in my little finger than she does in her whole perfect body. So there!
After the xray, I limp back to my chair in the waiting room. It's a long wait, they are super busy. Finally a nurse calls my name. Again, she asks how I hurt my knee. Don't they write this stuff down? Or are they wondering if my hubby beats me? I repeat that I hurt it playing Wii. She nods sagely.
Nurse: My son-in-law broke two fingers playing Wii.
Me: Oh my gosh!
Nurse: He was playing tennis and didn't have enough room around him...he hit his fingers on a weight bench with a backswing.
Me: Ouch!! I can totally see that happening. The tennis is intense.
Nurse: My daughter was out of town. I think there was alcohol involved.
Me: Maybe there should be a rule. No Wii-ing under the influence. *me giggling hysterically at my potty humor*
Nurse: *looks at me strangely*
So then I sit in the exam room for forever. Okay, it was only an hour, but it felt like forever. Then a new nurse comes in and asks more questions about how I hurt my knee.
Me: playing Wii.
Nurse: We've seen a few of those.
Me: well, if my kids weren't so competitive...
Off she goes. More waiting. I'm really ready to curl up on the gurney and go to sleep. Instead I read a Better Homes & Gardens. The whole thing. Finally the doctor comes in. It's Dr. S. I've seen her before and I really like her. She tells me it's a problem with my knee cap sliding sideways and the cartilage getting messed up and it's swollen with blood and other fluid. Gross. I'm wincing at the ookiness of her descriptions (which are very good by the way). She shows me some strengthening exercises I'm going to have to start doing. She says she has the same problem and that if I don't do them I'll be looking at knee replacement surgery in about 10 years. She warns me it may be months before my knee is back to what's normal for me. I'm supposed to stay off of it as much as possible, keep it elevated when sitting, absolutely no stairs, no kneeling, bending or squatting. And no Wii. See my doctor in two weeks and he may send me to physical therapy. She prescribes anti-inflammatory and pain meds. Hello Vicodin! I'm kind of surprised at the painkillers, I mean, I've been handling it without for two weeks. But I'm not going to say no. Then she says~
Dr S: I'm carrying some extra weight around and I know that makes it worse. So losing weight would probably help your knees feel better too.
I'm pretty sure that's the nicest way someone's ever told me I need to lose weight.
Me: Um. Yeah. That's what I was trying to do with the Wii.
She nodded sagely and left. And I sat there wondering how exactly I'm supposed to lose weight when she's just grounded me from all physical activity??! Starvation?? Not happening. Magic pills?? I take enough pills thank you very much. A bad case of stomach flu?? Thanks to Hailey in the waiting room, that may be an option. We'll see...
The nurse comes in and gives me my prescriptions. I head to the pharmacy drive thru and wait. And wait. Seriously?! I'm the only one in the drive thru. It's 8:35 pm. I wait for like ten minutes. I seriously consider getting out and knocking on the window. WTH?! I'm not going away peeps. You better come answer the window. Finally a tech comes to the window. I hand her my prescriptions.
P tech: Have you gotten scripts here before?
Me: only about a bazillion.
P tech: is your address and insurance correct in the computer?
Me: hasn't changed in 8 years.
P tech: when do you want these?
Me: before you close? I live out of town.
P tech: *looks grumpy* we'll try.
Seriously? How hard can counting out pills be? How long can it take? There's no one else in line!! So I drive around for 10 minutes, talking to Hildi on the phone. I get back to the drive thru at 5 minutes til and the shades are down and the lights off!!! They closed early to avoid me!! I park and hobble into the store. The pharmacy lights are off, bars pulled down, empty. Sh*t!!
I call hubby. Ask if he and Sean have eaten. No. Apparently they really are incapable of feeding themselves. I offer to get Taco Bell. I go through the drive thru and get food and an extra large fountain cola. Because after all this, I deserve it. Thankfully, Lu works today so she's picking up my meds. But I'm still angry with the pharmacy. I might have to break up with them like I did Blockbuster.
Stay off the Wii if you've been drinking,
♥Spot
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tuesday, April 13, 2010
Pink Flamingos and morning breath
So it happened. I should have known it was going to. I'm not even sure what my poor befuddled brain was doing ignoring a "spidey sense" directive. Will I never learn?? To tell the story, I have to start at the beginning...
I woke up this morning to an odd "thump thump" noise. (Well, OK, really I'd woken up once at 3 to let Lu's cat into her room because he was frantically scratching at the door because he's obsessed with Lu. Which of course meant that I had to go to the bathroom because well, three children used my bladder as a trampoline. Then I woke again briefly at 6 when hubby's alarm went off. Long enough to kick him out of bed anyway.) So I glance at the clock from my warm cocoon under the covers and realize it's 8 am. The sun is shining gloriously in the windows and when I lift my head I see that the "thump thump" is the cats tail furiously smacking the window sill on which she's sitting. Apparently the birds and bees are taunting her.
I roll over and take stock of myself. This is when I realize that the area above my upper lip is crusty. Eeeewww...gross. I'm in possession of an extremely runny nose and watery eyes. Thank you allergy season. Next I realize that while the spinal sensation that was tormenting me last night has eased (thank you hydrocodone, but only one because two makes me have crazy ass dreams) my leg muscles do not seem to want to work right this morning. Well, I'm off to a great start, no? So I haul my carcass out of bed and head to the bathroom. As I sit there, I eye my capri pants from yesterday which I have haphazardly thrown on the floor by the scale. The idea was that I would put them back on this morning, just in case I had to answer the door at any point before I showered. Let me explain: I'm wearing the "vile" pajama shorts. So named by Lu. I'll admit that they are not stylish, but vile may be a little harsh. They are knee length, black w/white stripes that look like paint dribbles, and dancing pink flamingos. I bought them for 75 cents on clearance at Kmart. Really, at that price how could I not buy them?? I mean, they're just to sleep in, so who cares what they look like? Not I. So, I may not be known for my stylish sleepwear- my other pair of sleep shorts are a rather loud orange color with pink flowers. But so?? Anyway, I didn't feel like fighting with my aching muscles and changing pants. I ignored that little niggling "what if?" in the back of my mind.
Eye drops, fibro meds, claritin and an empty bladder later, I stumble to the kitchen for my daily dose ofambition caffeine. Sean says something to me but I'm not coherent yet so I give him a little wave and head to the computer. I read news, do emails, start enjoying bloggy land and am in fact gigglesnorting at Elly Lou's bra woes when it happens. A minivan pulls onto the road in front of my house. Now, when you get to the end of our driveway, you can take a right into the camp itself, or you can go left to our house driveway or my husbands workshop. It hesitates and silently I will it to turn right. But no, it swings left. The problem with this is that I know my hubby is not in his shop or his home office. I've seen his red work truck zipping about all morning- from the shop to camp, from camp to the drive, back and forth. (Why is he always in such a hurry?) I know that Lu is still asleep. And I know that Sean is out somewhere with the dog. Who does that leave to answer the doorbell? Yep, moi. Vile shorts and all. Add to the shorts a purple tshirt (yes, I know I don't match at all), no makeup, my orphan annie hair up in a messy bun, my reading glasses perched firmly on my nose, moving at the speed of a very old and possibly lame turtle, and...coffee breath. Let's just say I'm nobody's idea of a pretty picture this morning. I'm much more likely to scare people. I wonder if I could open the door, screech in rapid Spanish and convince them I'm the housekeeper?? Horrifiyingly, the only Spanish phrase that springs to mind is "numero nueve con queso por favor", and that's not fooling anyone. "Number nine with cheese please" is all the Spanish my husband knows, it's kind of a joke at our house.
Reluctantly, I limp to the door and try to put on an inviting smile and pleasant tone, hoping that they just concentrate on my face and fail to notice the other discrepancies in my appearance. It's a very nice older gentleman who lets me know that they've just come to get the tractor that their son in law left parked in the field across from my house after doing some volunteer work for hubby on Sunday. "Awesome" I say. And then throw in a "have a nice day!" as an afterthought.
Someday, I will learn to always listen to the nagging voice in my head, to shower first so that I always look presentable. Oh hell, who am I kidding? That's so not happening. I mean, seriously, what would I write about then??
Rockin my mismatched hideous pjs,
♥Spot
I woke up this morning to an odd "thump thump" noise. (Well, OK, really I'd woken up once at 3 to let Lu's cat into her room because he was frantically scratching at the door because he's obsessed with Lu. Which of course meant that I had to go to the bathroom because well, three children used my bladder as a trampoline. Then I woke again briefly at 6 when hubby's alarm went off. Long enough to kick him out of bed anyway.) So I glance at the clock from my warm cocoon under the covers and realize it's 8 am. The sun is shining gloriously in the windows and when I lift my head I see that the "thump thump" is the cats tail furiously smacking the window sill on which she's sitting. Apparently the birds and bees are taunting her.
I roll over and take stock of myself. This is when I realize that the area above my upper lip is crusty. Eeeewww...gross. I'm in possession of an extremely runny nose and watery eyes. Thank you allergy season. Next I realize that while the spinal sensation that was tormenting me last night has eased (thank you hydrocodone, but only one because two makes me have crazy ass dreams) my leg muscles do not seem to want to work right this morning. Well, I'm off to a great start, no? So I haul my carcass out of bed and head to the bathroom. As I sit there, I eye my capri pants from yesterday which I have haphazardly thrown on the floor by the scale. The idea was that I would put them back on this morning, just in case I had to answer the door at any point before I showered. Let me explain: I'm wearing the "vile" pajama shorts. So named by Lu. I'll admit that they are not stylish, but vile may be a little harsh. They are knee length, black w/white stripes that look like paint dribbles, and dancing pink flamingos. I bought them for 75 cents on clearance at Kmart. Really, at that price how could I not buy them?? I mean, they're just to sleep in, so who cares what they look like? Not I. So, I may not be known for my stylish sleepwear- my other pair of sleep shorts are a rather loud orange color with pink flowers. But so?? Anyway, I didn't feel like fighting with my aching muscles and changing pants. I ignored that little niggling "what if?" in the back of my mind.
Eye drops, fibro meds, claritin and an empty bladder later, I stumble to the kitchen for my daily dose of
Reluctantly, I limp to the door and try to put on an inviting smile and pleasant tone, hoping that they just concentrate on my face and fail to notice the other discrepancies in my appearance. It's a very nice older gentleman who lets me know that they've just come to get the tractor that their son in law left parked in the field across from my house after doing some volunteer work for hubby on Sunday. "Awesome" I say. And then throw in a "have a nice day!" as an afterthought.
Someday, I will learn to always listen to the nagging voice in my head, to shower first so that I always look presentable. Oh hell, who am I kidding? That's so not happening. I mean, seriously, what would I write about then??
Rockin my mismatched hideous pjs,
♥Spot
Sunday, April 11, 2010
Friends, family and revenge...
Everyone who reads this blog rocks my socks. You will never know how much your comments meant to me last week. I could check my email with my cell phone while in town and the constant flow of comments and emails that were sent my way filled with support and comfort really helped. Some of them even made me smile, if only briefly. So thank you to all of you. And thank you for returning even when the blogs have been sad. I just needed to get it out.
One of the few bright spots in the week was getting to see relatives I haven't seen in a while. There aren't many who don't live around here; my aunt, uncle & cousins who live in Ohio near my sister and her family, and my cousin and his wife and baby who live about 3 hours away. And my two youngest cousins who live two hours away. Yes, my family is completely crazy (some certifiable) but I was really proud of the way we all pulled together. I had thought that it would be a clusterf*ck. Because it's a family that loves to argue. And I knew that some of the family hadn't realized that death might come so quickly. And some blamed themselves and others for decisions made. So when we all met at the funeral home, I truly expected it to go badly. I was completely surprised in a good way. Decisions were discussed and made quickly with very little dissent. At one point, angry words were spoken, but they were quickly dispelled with, everyone only concentrating on what they thought Grandma would want. And in the end, it was a beautiful funeral. I think it was exactly as she would have wanted it.
My children were amazing through the whole thing. They made me proud. Not only did they behave in a respectful manner towards everyone, they pitched in with my sister's children. They spent alot of time watching and entertaining their younger cousins to lesson the burden on Hildi & I. Part of it was because their really good kids. And part of it was because, well, who wouldn't rather be swimming at the hotel pool then standing around the last hour and a half of the viewing? I hate that it was for that reason we all pulled together so well, but I'm still proud.
So as not to be a total downer...we did have some fun, mostly of course, before grandma's passing, but some later in the week too. Lu's boyfriend Luke spent most of the week with us so he could help out with the little girls and also to be there for Lu. He'd made the mistake of telling Lu that the last time he spent the week with us he got tired of all the "ur mom" jokes. (so sorry that we have the sense of humor of 13 yr old boys). And she told me. And I told everyone. And we drove him crazy with it this last week. Even my Dad got in on the action. A typical example~
Lu: It's too big.
Sean: Ur mom's too big.
Me: That's what she said.
Dad: Who said?
Hildi: Ur mom.
You have no idea how many times we can work this into a conversation. Trust me, it's an astronomical amount. Poor Luke. And poor my mom, because she totally didn't get it most of the time. And poor Hildi's oldest daughter who still doesn't understand why we think it's funny to say that.
And then there was this conversation with Lu~
Lu: Cousin S's baby is sooo cute!
Me: Yeah he is. He looks just like his Daddy did. (my cousin and I are only 18 months apart in age and spent alot of time together growing up, even living in the same house from time to time).
Lu: Did he have blonde hair when he was little?
Me: No. His hair was always dark. We always had the same color hair. People thought we were brother and sister.
Lu: Well you don't have the same color hair now. He has sooo much gray!
Me: Um. Duh Lu. That's because I dye my hair!
Lu: Oh yeah.
My cousin thought this exchange was hilarious. Although I did point out that even if I didn't dye my hair, I'd still have less gray. And I finished the convo with a "nanny nanny boo boo". I'm still trying to get back at him for this one time...
Apparently, when I was 4 and he was 2 1/2, my mother and aunt heard screaming (me) coming from the bathroom. They rushed in and discovered me on the potty and my cousin standing in front of me with two huge handfuls of my hair. Seeing as how I had to use both hands to keep from falling in, he'd strategically planned his attack for when I was defenseless. Many years later, I felt compelled to pay him back. Being in possession of a photo of him peeing in the public swimming pool (he was like four at the time), I put it in a photo frame that sat atop one of those tabletop fountains. Appropriate, no? Then I gave it to him as a wedding gift. Don't cross me...
Again, thank you all. Have a peaceful Sunday!
♥Spot
One of the few bright spots in the week was getting to see relatives I haven't seen in a while. There aren't many who don't live around here; my aunt, uncle & cousins who live in Ohio near my sister and her family, and my cousin and his wife and baby who live about 3 hours away. And my two youngest cousins who live two hours away. Yes, my family is completely crazy (some certifiable) but I was really proud of the way we all pulled together. I had thought that it would be a clusterf*ck. Because it's a family that loves to argue. And I knew that some of the family hadn't realized that death might come so quickly. And some blamed themselves and others for decisions made. So when we all met at the funeral home, I truly expected it to go badly. I was completely surprised in a good way. Decisions were discussed and made quickly with very little dissent. At one point, angry words were spoken, but they were quickly dispelled with, everyone only concentrating on what they thought Grandma would want. And in the end, it was a beautiful funeral. I think it was exactly as she would have wanted it.
My children were amazing through the whole thing. They made me proud. Not only did they behave in a respectful manner towards everyone, they pitched in with my sister's children. They spent alot of time watching and entertaining their younger cousins to lesson the burden on Hildi & I. Part of it was because their really good kids. And part of it was because, well, who wouldn't rather be swimming at the hotel pool then standing around the last hour and a half of the viewing? I hate that it was for that reason we all pulled together so well, but I'm still proud.
So as not to be a total downer...we did have some fun, mostly of course, before grandma's passing, but some later in the week too. Lu's boyfriend Luke spent most of the week with us so he could help out with the little girls and also to be there for Lu. He'd made the mistake of telling Lu that the last time he spent the week with us he got tired of all the "ur mom" jokes. (so sorry that we have the sense of humor of 13 yr old boys). And she told me. And I told everyone. And we drove him crazy with it this last week. Even my Dad got in on the action. A typical example~
Lu: It's too big.
Sean: Ur mom's too big.
Me: That's what she said.
Dad: Who said?
Hildi: Ur mom.
You have no idea how many times we can work this into a conversation. Trust me, it's an astronomical amount. Poor Luke. And poor my mom, because she totally didn't get it most of the time. And poor Hildi's oldest daughter who still doesn't understand why we think it's funny to say that.
And then there was this conversation with Lu~
Lu: Cousin S's baby is sooo cute!
Me: Yeah he is. He looks just like his Daddy did. (my cousin and I are only 18 months apart in age and spent alot of time together growing up, even living in the same house from time to time).
Lu: Did he have blonde hair when he was little?
Me: No. His hair was always dark. We always had the same color hair. People thought we were brother and sister.
Lu: Well you don't have the same color hair now. He has sooo much gray!
Me: Um. Duh Lu. That's because I dye my hair!
Lu: Oh yeah.
My cousin thought this exchange was hilarious. Although I did point out that even if I didn't dye my hair, I'd still have less gray. And I finished the convo with a "nanny nanny boo boo". I'm still trying to get back at him for this one time...
Apparently, when I was 4 and he was 2 1/2, my mother and aunt heard screaming (me) coming from the bathroom. They rushed in and discovered me on the potty and my cousin standing in front of me with two huge handfuls of my hair. Seeing as how I had to use both hands to keep from falling in, he'd strategically planned his attack for when I was defenseless. Many years later, I felt compelled to pay him back. Being in possession of a photo of him peeing in the public swimming pool (he was like four at the time), I put it in a photo frame that sat atop one of those tabletop fountains. Appropriate, no? Then I gave it to him as a wedding gift. Don't cross me...
Again, thank you all. Have a peaceful Sunday!
♥Spot
Saturday, April 10, 2010
I'm back...sort of...
I'm back. Back to blogland. Back to the Internet. Back to work. Back to life. And yet, some days I'm still feeling like a sleepwalker. Someone who's observing, but not really participating. I think grief does that to you. It creates an insulating wall between you and the rest of the world. I guess that's why they say "numb with grief". It's not all the time, just in those quiet moments when I'm left alone and my mind invariably turns to thoughts of my grandma. Not the way she was near the end, but the way she was in my childhood, early adult years, and until about a year ago. She was feisty. I think that's the one word that sums her up. Others would of course be devoted, determined, and vibrant. Grandma was a feminist, long before feminism was popular. She'd had a hard life, but she was determined to make the best of it. Life gave her lemons, but by God she made some damn fine lemonade. She was a woman to admire and emulate. She was my hero. Way back in fifth grade we had to write a paper about our hero and mine was about grandma.
She was born in 1923 to a Scottish immigrant named Harold Macready and the daughter of German immigrants, Helen Charlotte Schaefer. A year later her mother died in childbirth and Harold had to leave baby Helen (named for her mother) with his wife's parents, August and Minnie Schaefer. They were farmers and were also raising her uncles. When Harold remarried, he came back for her, but August and Minnie refused to give her up. They legally adopted her. I don't know that she ever had much of a relationship with her father after that, but she did have several half sisters that she knew and spent some time with.
She grew up poor and used to hard work. She didn't have many playmates on the farm but she was close to her uncles and grandparents. She dropped out of school after 8th grade. In 1946 she was working for her aunt and uncle who owned a tavern when she met Clyde Graham. They began seeing each other and soon she realized she was pregnant. In 1946 there were few options for unwed mothers; illegal back alley abortions, having the child and being ostracized by everyone, or marrying the father. She ended up marrying even though she didn't want to. Clyde was an abusive alcoholic, who often drank most of his paycheck. They went on to have 7 live births, 1 stillbirth, and one miscarriage that necessitated an emergency hysterectomy. My grandma used to say she got pregnant every time my grandpa laid his pants across the bed. She raised four sons and three daughters on very little money but with a strict sense of right and wrong. She was very short at only 4'11", but she had a fiery temper when crossed.
My grandmother put up with my grandfather's abuse, alcoholism and affairs until her last son was in high school. Then she finally sought a divorce. I was 7 at the time. She got royally shafted in the divorce proceedings, but she didn't care, she just wanted out. After the divorce, she worked hard to get her GED and worked outside the home until she was no longer able to due to health reasons. She rode the bus, never having learned to drive. I offered to teach her once, but she declined, saying she'd made it this far in life without it, she figured she'd make it the rest of the time. She was not a bitter woman, though she had reason to be. She was always full of laughter and she loved a good prank, which is good, because my uncles were serious mischief makers! Often using masks and sneaky techniques to scare the crap out the grandchildren. She stayed close to my grandpa's parents even after the divorce. And shared our grief when great grandma passed and a year later great grandpa followed. She also grieved for my uncle's wife and then my uncle when he passed. We also lost my cousin and his wife several years ago to a car crash. But through it all, Grandma persevered. She was the heart of our family. She kept us coming together for Sunday dinners and holidays, until she was no longer physically able. She was my friend and confidante and I could always count on her for good advice.
When CJ was small and I was pregnant with Lu, if I got lonely, I could always find willing company at grandma's house. She was always proud of me, even when there was no reason to be. She encouraged me and supported me, and often took my side in disputes with my parents. My earliest memories are of grandma's house and grandma's lap. She took care of me when I was only tiny so my parents could both work. My mother says I used to cry when she came to pick me up because I didn't want to leave grandma's. I know I always cried when we would have to leave after visits, later when we'd moved. The four years I spent in England, I missed my Grandma terribly. But she was an amazing pen pal. She wrote me long detailed letters on beautiful stationary that somehow always smelled like her perfume. I lived with her for a year, my freshman year of college. I'm so grateful now to have had that time and those memories. Though looking back, I would spend even more time with her.
I know that I got my fiery temper from her, as well as my optimism. Grandma knew how to find the silver lining. She taught me how to grocery shop on a tight budget. She taught me to go after what I want with determination. It is from her I get my love of animals, she almost always had a canine companion. She taught me that hard work, sacrifice and determination pay off. She taught me that love is unconditional. And regardless of how hard life was, her hugs were sure to make it bearable. And her absence is like a huge gaping hole.
However, I will go on, with the lessons she taught me fresh in my mind. Because, if there is an afterlife, and Grandma had a firm faith that there was, I know that she is still watching and I want to make her proud.
♥Spot
She was born in 1923 to a Scottish immigrant named Harold Macready and the daughter of German immigrants, Helen Charlotte Schaefer. A year later her mother died in childbirth and Harold had to leave baby Helen (named for her mother) with his wife's parents, August and Minnie Schaefer. They were farmers and were also raising her uncles. When Harold remarried, he came back for her, but August and Minnie refused to give her up. They legally adopted her. I don't know that she ever had much of a relationship with her father after that, but she did have several half sisters that she knew and spent some time with.
She grew up poor and used to hard work. She didn't have many playmates on the farm but she was close to her uncles and grandparents. She dropped out of school after 8th grade. In 1946 she was working for her aunt and uncle who owned a tavern when she met Clyde Graham. They began seeing each other and soon she realized she was pregnant. In 1946 there were few options for unwed mothers; illegal back alley abortions, having the child and being ostracized by everyone, or marrying the father. She ended up marrying even though she didn't want to. Clyde was an abusive alcoholic, who often drank most of his paycheck. They went on to have 7 live births, 1 stillbirth, and one miscarriage that necessitated an emergency hysterectomy. My grandma used to say she got pregnant every time my grandpa laid his pants across the bed. She raised four sons and three daughters on very little money but with a strict sense of right and wrong. She was very short at only 4'11", but she had a fiery temper when crossed.
My grandmother put up with my grandfather's abuse, alcoholism and affairs until her last son was in high school. Then she finally sought a divorce. I was 7 at the time. She got royally shafted in the divorce proceedings, but she didn't care, she just wanted out. After the divorce, she worked hard to get her GED and worked outside the home until she was no longer able to due to health reasons. She rode the bus, never having learned to drive. I offered to teach her once, but she declined, saying she'd made it this far in life without it, she figured she'd make it the rest of the time. She was not a bitter woman, though she had reason to be. She was always full of laughter and she loved a good prank, which is good, because my uncles were serious mischief makers! Often using masks and sneaky techniques to scare the crap out the grandchildren. She stayed close to my grandpa's parents even after the divorce. And shared our grief when great grandma passed and a year later great grandpa followed. She also grieved for my uncle's wife and then my uncle when he passed. We also lost my cousin and his wife several years ago to a car crash. But through it all, Grandma persevered. She was the heart of our family. She kept us coming together for Sunday dinners and holidays, until she was no longer physically able. She was my friend and confidante and I could always count on her for good advice.
When CJ was small and I was pregnant with Lu, if I got lonely, I could always find willing company at grandma's house. She was always proud of me, even when there was no reason to be. She encouraged me and supported me, and often took my side in disputes with my parents. My earliest memories are of grandma's house and grandma's lap. She took care of me when I was only tiny so my parents could both work. My mother says I used to cry when she came to pick me up because I didn't want to leave grandma's. I know I always cried when we would have to leave after visits, later when we'd moved. The four years I spent in England, I missed my Grandma terribly. But she was an amazing pen pal. She wrote me long detailed letters on beautiful stationary that somehow always smelled like her perfume. I lived with her for a year, my freshman year of college. I'm so grateful now to have had that time and those memories. Though looking back, I would spend even more time with her.
I know that I got my fiery temper from her, as well as my optimism. Grandma knew how to find the silver lining. She taught me how to grocery shop on a tight budget. She taught me to go after what I want with determination. It is from her I get my love of animals, she almost always had a canine companion. She taught me that hard work, sacrifice and determination pay off. She taught me that love is unconditional. And regardless of how hard life was, her hugs were sure to make it bearable. And her absence is like a huge gaping hole.
However, I will go on, with the lessons she taught me fresh in my mind. Because, if there is an afterlife, and Grandma had a firm faith that there was, I know that she is still watching and I want to make her proud.
♥Spot
Tuesday, April 6, 2010
Memories and Tears...
I want to thank everyone for their comments and warm wishes on the last blog. They meant the world to me. I haven't been home much. I've been either at the nursing home, or a hotel in town, or with my family. I can't blog or read blogs on my current phone, but I can check email. I got your comments in email when I had a chance and they made me smile.
We had a good day Saturday. My parents were able to get some rest, Hildi and her family were here. We grilled and I made homemade potato salad and mac & cheese. Lu & Luke dyed Easter eggs with Hildi's girls and helped them make Easter bags. When they were in bed, we all sat around talking, raiding the Easter candy, filling their loot bags and hiding the eggs. Easter morning was fun. Then we had a lovely brunch. Lu, Luke & Sean kept the girls so the rest of us could go to the nursing home. My grandmother was much worse. They were having to give morphine every two hours so she was never really awake. Hildi & her husband drove 4 hours round trip to see to my parents cats and gather more things. My cousin and I spent hours holding grandma's hands and talking about memories. I got some private time to tell my grandmother how much I'd miss her and how much she's meant to me. But that if she needed to go, she should go. That when the light called to her, to follow it home. She didn't need to suffer anymore. I'll never know if she heard me, but I hope she did. Lu, Luke & Sean brought Hildi's girls in to the hotel. I told them to say their goodbyes, because I didn't think she'd make it through the night. Sean and I stayed at a hotel in town that night. My grandmother passed at 3 am. My parents were with her.
Monday, my father, Hildi & I packed up my gran's belongings from the home. We all accompanied my mother to the funeral home to help the family settle arrangements. We went with my parents to order flowers and then we took them to the hotel. Hildi's hubby had taken the girls back to my house that morning and we joined them around supper time. Today has been the first day I've rested. The next two days, visitation and funeral, will be hard. Hopefully on Friday, I'll feel like posting. Thank you for keeping my family and I in your thoughts and prayers. It means alot to me.
♥Spot
RIP Helen Schaefer Graham
January 10, 1923- April 5, 2010
We had a good day Saturday. My parents were able to get some rest, Hildi and her family were here. We grilled and I made homemade potato salad and mac & cheese. Lu & Luke dyed Easter eggs with Hildi's girls and helped them make Easter bags. When they were in bed, we all sat around talking, raiding the Easter candy, filling their loot bags and hiding the eggs. Easter morning was fun. Then we had a lovely brunch. Lu, Luke & Sean kept the girls so the rest of us could go to the nursing home. My grandmother was much worse. They were having to give morphine every two hours so she was never really awake. Hildi & her husband drove 4 hours round trip to see to my parents cats and gather more things. My cousin and I spent hours holding grandma's hands and talking about memories. I got some private time to tell my grandmother how much I'd miss her and how much she's meant to me. But that if she needed to go, she should go. That when the light called to her, to follow it home. She didn't need to suffer anymore. I'll never know if she heard me, but I hope she did. Lu, Luke & Sean brought Hildi's girls in to the hotel. I told them to say their goodbyes, because I didn't think she'd make it through the night. Sean and I stayed at a hotel in town that night. My grandmother passed at 3 am. My parents were with her.
Monday, my father, Hildi & I packed up my gran's belongings from the home. We all accompanied my mother to the funeral home to help the family settle arrangements. We went with my parents to order flowers and then we took them to the hotel. Hildi's hubby had taken the girls back to my house that morning and we joined them around supper time. Today has been the first day I've rested. The next two days, visitation and funeral, will be hard. Hopefully on Friday, I'll feel like posting. Thank you for keeping my family and I in your thoughts and prayers. It means alot to me.
♥Spot
RIP Helen Schaefer Graham
January 10, 1923- April 5, 2010
Friday, April 2, 2010
Lumps, swollen knees, and breakdowns...
So...if you're looking for a happy funny post, I'd consider going elsewhere today. Like the Bloggess or other funny people. Because today I'm going to vent. Why? Because yesterday was pretty much the worst day in the history of my days. I mean, so far, because I'm pretty sure it might get worse as the week rolls on...
After I wrote my blog post yesterday, my Dad called. Apparently he'd received a call from my Mom saying that Grandma's condition had deteriorated rapidly and she didn't know who anyone was, they'd upped her morphine and she was probably at death's door. I was stunned, because seriously, she wasn't that bad off the day before. He was having a dilemma about weather to call Hildi and tell her to get here quick. So I told him I'd go to the nursing home, assess the sitch and call him back. Well, after that I didn't have the heart to keep reading blogs and commenting. (sorry peeps I missed getting around to.)
About this time, CJ's program coordinator called and I explained that we were facing an imminent death in the family and I wouldn't be able to get CJ as planned for the weekend. Then I burst into tears on the phone because it will be the first Easter EVER that he hasn't been with the family. But I absolutely cannot bring him into this situation or give him only half of my attention. Then I went to get in the shower and realized a cat had peed on the bathroom floor. As I'm cleaning this up (and cursing the cats), my hubby calls per my texted request. The noise in the background is so loud, I almost can't hear him. I have to shout "Grandma's worse and maybe dying today and I have to go to town and I had to cancel bringing CJ home and where the bloody h*ll are you??!" He tells me he's at the quarrry picking up a load of gravel. Seriously, I didn't even know he'd left the property. He can't take 5 seconds to text me and let me know these things?? Anyway, he's no help. So I shower and Sean and I head out. About 5 minutes into the drive, we realize my AC in my car is broken. It was supposed to have been fixed. NO. So now we have to roll down the windows and open the sunroof. Yay! I love the fine layer of gravel dust that coats absolutely everything after driving down the gravel road with the windows open, don't you?? NO. Not too mention, that when I get hot, I get way stabby. I shoot off a massively pissed off text to hubby and oldest adopted son who had supposedly fixed the AC (to the tune of $250 dollars).
We get to the nursing home to realize my mother is half delirious from lack of sleep, my grandmother is asleep finally (thank you mr. morphine), and the opinions of how rapid her decline is vary widely. So I drive my mom to my uncles in her car (to save the lives of all other drivers she may have come in contact with) and Sean follows in my POS, I mean, car. Along the way, my mother tells me that she's very proud that I'm now a paid writer and that I'm truly going after my dreams. I know now that she is beyond delirious. We get her deposited with strong admonitions to GET SOME SLEEP. Then I say screw it and take Sean to a favorite pizza place for lunch. Over extra large Cokes (thank you caffeine, thank you), salads and personal pizzas, I inform him that this moment may indeed be the highlight of my day. He asks what my mom and I were talking about in the car and I tell him. He looks thoughtful for a moment and then~
Sean: I think me and Lu and Dad have held you back quite a bit.
Me: Well, I suppose. But it was my choice to put raising a family and taking care of my home before my professional aspirations. Now, that you guys are older, I can pursue those goals. I don't regret that decision. Ever. Even if I wrote a bestseller and it was made into a blockbuster movie, no five star review will ever compare to the sense of pride I get when someone tells me how great my kids are.
Sean: Do you really feel that way?
Me: Of course. I mean good books are awesome. Good movies are awesome. But good people? They change the world.
Sadly? Lunch really was the highlight of my day. Bless you fountain Coke, bless you. I called my Dad and told him that it was hard to assess the sitch with Grandma asleep so I'd go back later and try to figure it out. But my spidey sense says that she's not going to pass away in the next 48 hours so Hildi could go with her original plan to be here on Saturday. But she might want to pack extra clothes and funeral clothes just in case. Then Sean and I ran a bazillion errands and grocery shopped. Somewhere along the way I began to have difficulty walking. My knee had been bugging me for a few days, but now it had swelled to twice it's normal size and was aching horribly. Thank goodness for carts. They offer support. Sean tried to get me to sit in one of those motorized scooters at the store. No thanks! We got everything done, I dropped him off to meet his ride to Civil Air Patrol and headed home.
Hubby and Lu carried in groceries and we put them away. The house looked great. But I realized the rug in front of the sink was soaked. I smelled it. Nope. Not cat pee (whew!). The sink is still leaking!! Hubby checks it. He's going to have to rip the entire cupboard out to fix it. Sh*t. Lu and I hurry around and head back out, so we can go back to the nursing home. By now it's 7 o'clock. I can barely walk and Lu is complaining that she's starving because she forgot to eat today. (Seriously? How come I never forget to eat??) We head to the nursing home. Two uncles, an aunt, a cousin, and an uncle's wife (she will never be considered an aunt) are there. No sign of my Mom. I call her. No answer. My uncle says she's still at his house sleeping. He and his wife get ready to leave. I ask them to please wake up Mom when they get home. Agreed. My uncle's ex-wife (my aunt) comes by. Grandma is sleeping through most of this, but finally my cousin gets her to eat three bites of strawberry shortcake and I get her to drink some water. She knows who Lu and I are, although she doesn't recognize my aunt. We leave there because it's now 9 and Lu is still whining she's starving. We go to Jimmy John's. They are out of bread and say come back in a half hour. True story. The sub shop ran out of bread.
We run to WalMart, where only 5 lanes are open and we stand in line to pay for our 5 items for 20 minutes. Lu is in a pissy mood and won't talk to me, so I forget the cardinal rule and make eye contact with the person in front of me. Now he's talking to me and he won't stop. Lu is giving me the evil eye. I'm pretty sure the guy is also staring at my cleavage. Creeper. Then he starts talking about hugs. Not happening mister, move along. Finally, we get to check out. Then we hurry back to JJ's with 5 minutes til closing. We grab sandwiches, chips and drinks for us and Sean and hurry to pick him up since we're already late. Oh! And then we almost get hit by two cars on our way out of town. The ride home is filled with giggles so that's good. We get home, congregate in the kitchen, finally eat supper (at 10:45 pm). We are all amazed at how swollen my knee is and how dumb I look limping around. And my nose piercing? Well it's been looking a little funny. So I take it out (which actually hurts worse than the piercing itself) and discover a horrid red lump. I think it looks kind of blisterish, so I sterilize a needle and poke it. It bleeds copiously. That was NOT a good idea.
Hubby: What are you 5??! What's that? I don't know. Let's poke it with a stick.
Hmmm...that was kind of the logic I used. I run in Lu's room to show her and she's completely grossed out. I went to bed. I looked it up on the Internet this morning and apparently it's a keloid, or build up of scar tissue. I'll have to see a doctor about it. But for now, I have a hideously ugly red lump on my nose. Ugh.
I did call my Dad and Hildi and tell her to stick to her original plan. I think my Gran will hold on at least for the weekend. I finally talked to my Mom and she was headed to the nursing home to stay the night. I'm headed back in later today.
I am an eternal optimist, but yesterday? Well, it tested even my powers of finding a silver lining. But it's got to get better, right??
♥Spot
After I wrote my blog post yesterday, my Dad called. Apparently he'd received a call from my Mom saying that Grandma's condition had deteriorated rapidly and she didn't know who anyone was, they'd upped her morphine and she was probably at death's door. I was stunned, because seriously, she wasn't that bad off the day before. He was having a dilemma about weather to call Hildi and tell her to get here quick. So I told him I'd go to the nursing home, assess the sitch and call him back. Well, after that I didn't have the heart to keep reading blogs and commenting. (sorry peeps I missed getting around to.)
About this time, CJ's program coordinator called and I explained that we were facing an imminent death in the family and I wouldn't be able to get CJ as planned for the weekend. Then I burst into tears on the phone because it will be the first Easter EVER that he hasn't been with the family. But I absolutely cannot bring him into this situation or give him only half of my attention. Then I went to get in the shower and realized a cat had peed on the bathroom floor. As I'm cleaning this up (and cursing the cats), my hubby calls per my texted request. The noise in the background is so loud, I almost can't hear him. I have to shout "Grandma's worse and maybe dying today and I have to go to town and I had to cancel bringing CJ home and where the bloody h*ll are you??!" He tells me he's at the quarrry picking up a load of gravel. Seriously, I didn't even know he'd left the property. He can't take 5 seconds to text me and let me know these things?? Anyway, he's no help. So I shower and Sean and I head out. About 5 minutes into the drive, we realize my AC in my car is broken. It was supposed to have been fixed. NO. So now we have to roll down the windows and open the sunroof. Yay! I love the fine layer of gravel dust that coats absolutely everything after driving down the gravel road with the windows open, don't you?? NO. Not too mention, that when I get hot, I get way stabby. I shoot off a massively pissed off text to hubby and oldest adopted son who had supposedly fixed the AC (to the tune of $250 dollars).
We get to the nursing home to realize my mother is half delirious from lack of sleep, my grandmother is asleep finally (thank you mr. morphine), and the opinions of how rapid her decline is vary widely. So I drive my mom to my uncles in her car (to save the lives of all other drivers she may have come in contact with) and Sean follows in my POS, I mean, car. Along the way, my mother tells me that she's very proud that I'm now a paid writer and that I'm truly going after my dreams. I know now that she is beyond delirious. We get her deposited with strong admonitions to GET SOME SLEEP. Then I say screw it and take Sean to a favorite pizza place for lunch. Over extra large Cokes (thank you caffeine, thank you), salads and personal pizzas, I inform him that this moment may indeed be the highlight of my day. He asks what my mom and I were talking about in the car and I tell him. He looks thoughtful for a moment and then~
Sean: I think me and Lu and Dad have held you back quite a bit.
Me: Well, I suppose. But it was my choice to put raising a family and taking care of my home before my professional aspirations. Now, that you guys are older, I can pursue those goals. I don't regret that decision. Ever. Even if I wrote a bestseller and it was made into a blockbuster movie, no five star review will ever compare to the sense of pride I get when someone tells me how great my kids are.
Sean: Do you really feel that way?
Me: Of course. I mean good books are awesome. Good movies are awesome. But good people? They change the world.
Sadly? Lunch really was the highlight of my day. Bless you fountain Coke, bless you. I called my Dad and told him that it was hard to assess the sitch with Grandma asleep so I'd go back later and try to figure it out. But my spidey sense says that she's not going to pass away in the next 48 hours so Hildi could go with her original plan to be here on Saturday. But she might want to pack extra clothes and funeral clothes just in case. Then Sean and I ran a bazillion errands and grocery shopped. Somewhere along the way I began to have difficulty walking. My knee had been bugging me for a few days, but now it had swelled to twice it's normal size and was aching horribly. Thank goodness for carts. They offer support. Sean tried to get me to sit in one of those motorized scooters at the store. No thanks! We got everything done, I dropped him off to meet his ride to Civil Air Patrol and headed home.
Hubby and Lu carried in groceries and we put them away. The house looked great. But I realized the rug in front of the sink was soaked. I smelled it. Nope. Not cat pee (whew!). The sink is still leaking!! Hubby checks it. He's going to have to rip the entire cupboard out to fix it. Sh*t. Lu and I hurry around and head back out, so we can go back to the nursing home. By now it's 7 o'clock. I can barely walk and Lu is complaining that she's starving because she forgot to eat today. (Seriously? How come I never forget to eat??) We head to the nursing home. Two uncles, an aunt, a cousin, and an uncle's wife (she will never be considered an aunt) are there. No sign of my Mom. I call her. No answer. My uncle says she's still at his house sleeping. He and his wife get ready to leave. I ask them to please wake up Mom when they get home. Agreed. My uncle's ex-wife (my aunt) comes by. Grandma is sleeping through most of this, but finally my cousin gets her to eat three bites of strawberry shortcake and I get her to drink some water. She knows who Lu and I are, although she doesn't recognize my aunt. We leave there because it's now 9 and Lu is still whining she's starving. We go to Jimmy John's. They are out of bread and say come back in a half hour. True story. The sub shop ran out of bread.
We run to WalMart, where only 5 lanes are open and we stand in line to pay for our 5 items for 20 minutes. Lu is in a pissy mood and won't talk to me, so I forget the cardinal rule and make eye contact with the person in front of me. Now he's talking to me and he won't stop. Lu is giving me the evil eye. I'm pretty sure the guy is also staring at my cleavage. Creeper. Then he starts talking about hugs. Not happening mister, move along. Finally, we get to check out. Then we hurry back to JJ's with 5 minutes til closing. We grab sandwiches, chips and drinks for us and Sean and hurry to pick him up since we're already late. Oh! And then we almost get hit by two cars on our way out of town. The ride home is filled with giggles so that's good. We get home, congregate in the kitchen, finally eat supper (at 10:45 pm). We are all amazed at how swollen my knee is and how dumb I look limping around. And my nose piercing? Well it's been looking a little funny. So I take it out (which actually hurts worse than the piercing itself) and discover a horrid red lump. I think it looks kind of blisterish, so I sterilize a needle and poke it. It bleeds copiously. That was NOT a good idea.
Hubby: What are you 5??! What's that? I don't know. Let's poke it with a stick.
Hmmm...that was kind of the logic I used. I run in Lu's room to show her and she's completely grossed out. I went to bed. I looked it up on the Internet this morning and apparently it's a keloid, or build up of scar tissue. I'll have to see a doctor about it. But for now, I have a hideously ugly red lump on my nose. Ugh.
I did call my Dad and Hildi and tell her to stick to her original plan. I think my Gran will hold on at least for the weekend. I finally talked to my Mom and she was headed to the nursing home to stay the night. I'm headed back in later today.
I am an eternal optimist, but yesterday? Well, it tested even my powers of finding a silver lining. But it's got to get better, right??
♥Spot
Thursday, April 1, 2010
Good News/ Bad News...
First...I've been so busy lately, I meet myself coming and going. This week is out of control. As a result, I'm behind on reading and commenting on other's blogs. I will catch up! Hopefully tomorrow before I head to Springfield to pick up CJ. We got some news on my grandmother yesterday and they've moved her condition to "comfort care". Which means they are only making her comfortable in these last few weeks. And we really are only looking at weeks. I'm spending a lot of time at the nursing home. I'm holding up well with regards to grandma. She's 87 and she's had a long life. At this point, she's not lucid much of the time, and I think she's ready to go. Spending that much time in the vicinity of my family however, is very trying. I may begin drinking heavily. I mean vodka in a Nalgene bottle could pass for water, right? I'm kidding. And then again. I'm not.
My Grandma and I
I wanted to participate in Little Miss Blogger's Rant and Rave Wednesdays, but I'm a day late and a dollar short (story of my life). So today is "Good news/Bad news" Thursday. Enjoy...
The Good News is I've started to find work on the Guru website. The bad news is some of the companies are less than professional.
The Good News is my family will all be here for Easter. Consequently, the bad new is that my family will all be here for Easter.
The Good News is one of my friends got an agent to ask for her novel manuscript, and I am sooo incredibly thrilled for her! Seriously, this is the best news ever. The bad news is I haven't even finished my novel.
The Good News is that puddle I stepped in on the floor of the kitchen and then tracked all over wasn't cat pee. The bad news is it was water from the sink which was leaking profusely. (now fixed)
The Good News is that Lu took me to see the new Nicholas Sparks movie "The Last Song" last night and it was amazing. The bad news is that I bawled my eyes out and have a lingering headache this morning. Not to mention how awful I looked when I walked out of that theatre!
The Good News is Sean had a telephone job interview and they really wanted to hire him. The bad news is they couldn't because of his summer jobs and trip so they told him to call back in the fall. Which means I continue to pay for his gas & insurance...and truck repairs.
The Good News is I started working out on my Wii Fit again with the kids and we are having a load of fun. The bad news is apparently I gained 5 lbs since January and if that thing yells out "obese" one more time I swear to Bob it's getting tossed out the window.
The Good News is I started submitting again. The bad news is I can't quite seem to find the time to write fiction. Darned kids thinking I should spend "family time" with them and all. Aren't they supposed to not like spending time with me by this age??!
The Good News is the weather got sunny and warm. The bad news is we hit a record high of 81 degrees yesterday. For real weather? The hell?! I do not want to go from heat to AC in the same week.
The Good News is Lu is cleaning my house today. The bad news is that I have to go to town to do the grocery shopping, pick up meds, and flea stuff for the cats. (Hello warm weather, please keep your pests outside).
That's pretty much my week in a nutshell! Feel free to play along.
Happy Thursday,
♥Spot
I wanted to participate in Little Miss Blogger's Rant and Rave Wednesdays, but I'm a day late and a dollar short (story of my life). So today is "Good news/Bad news" Thursday. Enjoy...
The Good News is I've started to find work on the Guru website. The bad news is some of the companies are less than professional.
The Good News is my family will all be here for Easter. Consequently, the bad new is that my family will all be here for Easter.
The Good News is one of my friends got an agent to ask for her novel manuscript, and I am sooo incredibly thrilled for her! Seriously, this is the best news ever. The bad news is I haven't even finished my novel.
The Good News is that puddle I stepped in on the floor of the kitchen and then tracked all over wasn't cat pee. The bad news is it was water from the sink which was leaking profusely. (now fixed)
The Good News is that Lu took me to see the new Nicholas Sparks movie "The Last Song" last night and it was amazing. The bad news is that I bawled my eyes out and have a lingering headache this morning. Not to mention how awful I looked when I walked out of that theatre!
The Good News is Sean had a telephone job interview and they really wanted to hire him. The bad news is they couldn't because of his summer jobs and trip so they told him to call back in the fall. Which means I continue to pay for his gas & insurance...and truck repairs.
The Good News is I started working out on my Wii Fit again with the kids and we are having a load of fun. The bad news is apparently I gained 5 lbs since January and if that thing yells out "obese" one more time I swear to Bob it's getting tossed out the window.
The Good News is I started submitting again. The bad news is I can't quite seem to find the time to write fiction. Darned kids thinking I should spend "family time" with them and all. Aren't they supposed to not like spending time with me by this age??!
The Good News is the weather got sunny and warm. The bad news is we hit a record high of 81 degrees yesterday. For real weather? The hell?! I do not want to go from heat to AC in the same week.
The Good News is Lu is cleaning my house today. The bad news is that I have to go to town to do the grocery shopping, pick up meds, and flea stuff for the cats. (Hello warm weather, please keep your pests outside).
That's pretty much my week in a nutshell! Feel free to play along.
Happy Thursday,
♥Spot
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