New Round of Doctors

I just spent most of my day wrapping Christmas presents.  I am finished except for the dogs J  I decided to wrap all the presents for Brian’s family so he could take them home with him after he brings Jana to Alabama.  Of course, I had to wrap Jana’s presents since she will be here.  As for Kevin’s family, since I had purchased their presents I decided I might as well wrap their’s also.

Next on my list was getting the plastic canvas pieces ready for the new chain for the Christmas tree.  I will now start working on that.

I sure wish I felt better.  It’s just been one of those days.  I have not been sleeping well.  I have an appointment with the pulmonary doctor next week.  I hope he can help me.  I think part of my problem is my sinuses. 

I just finished the website for Landmark Academy.  Of course, I couldn’t get that name because there are many facilities with that name.  So I improvised.  Anyway, I had to do this on a free site which always makes it difficult because you cannot always do what you want.  I did the best I could.

Renea is doing much better now.  Most of the swelling has gone down and her black eye has cleared up.  She is even talking normal now.  Her biggest problem now is eating – she is still on soft foods.

I haven’t done much the past few days.  My fibromyalgia and arthritis has been really bad. I keep moving but the pain is bad.  I know it is something I have to live with so I try not to complain, but some days I just can’t help it.  I have tried many meds but none of them help.

Tuesday was see the pulmonary doctor.  When my primary care doctor set up the appointment I recognized the doctor’s name as the same one who treated Jim.  In fact, when Dr. Patel walked into the office he did a double take looking at me and asked if I had been there before.  He said he thought he knew me.  When I told him who I was and that I had been there many times with Jim, he said he remembered. 

Anyway, after spend an hour and a half with him and his nurse he decided to have me get a CT scan of my lungs.  He said my lungs were too small and very restricted.  Meaning I have trouble breathing in and out (I knew that).  I have done a lot of research since that appointment and I think I have figured out what he meant.  My appointment for the CT scan in next Wednesday afternoon.  He said he doesn’t want to make any decisions on what to do  until after he sees the CT scan.  He has read all the reports from my previous tests. 

Next week will be busy.  I have an eye doctor appointment on Monday morning.  My left eye is really starting to bother me.  I have an appointment for my blood work on Wednesday morning, then the CT scan in the afternoon.  Of course, my doctor appointment to get the results for the blood work won’t be until the following Wednesday morning, and then my appointment with Dr. Patel to get the results of the CT scan will be that same Wednesday in the afternoon. 

Meanwhile I am just going about my everyday stuff.  Wednesday I went to WalMart in Phenix City.  Thursday I went to Tigertown.  Stopped at Lowe’s for a LED lightbulb for my ceiling fan in the dining room, then stopped at Books A Million (BAM) and bought a couple of books, next it was on to Hobby Lobby for supplies to make a tree topped for my Christmas tree, and finished up going to Kroger for a few groceries.  Today I am doing a few loads of laundry, dusting, and just doing a few odds and ends.  I did watch the debate Wednesday night.  What a mess!

Spent a Lot of Time at Tigertown

I spent most of Friday with Renea at the dentist.  She had all of her upper teeth pulled and most of her bottom teeth.  They left a couple on the bottom so her bottom partial would fit better rather than give her a full bottom.  The worst part was several of her upper teeth roots were wrapped into her sinuses.  When they took them out they found she had an infection.  The dentist had to put antibiotics directly into that area before she did the stitching.  Her two hour surgery took four hours.  While she was having surgery I went to Kroger and had her prescriptions filled.  Needless to say, when finished her face was swollen and she was in plenty of pain.  When we arrived at her house she took one of her pain pills (that was interesting trying to swallow) and laid on the couch.  I stayed with her until Kevin got home.  He brought supper for him and me.  After that I came home. 

Saturday morning Kevin came over to my house and said Renea was able to eat a little yogurt.  He said she was still swollen.  The dentist called last night and said she would have pain for a few days.  Kevin came over a second time and finished he to do list that I had for him.  He is planning to fix fish for supper and has invited me.  Renea doesn’t eat fish so this would be a good time to have it. 

I have been working on the website for Landmark Academy.  Made real good progress today.  Hopefully I will be able to publish it this coming week.

I took down the hummingbird feeders since I have seen any hummingbirds for over a week now.

This past week when I was working on my Christmas tree skirt I kept thinking that something was not working right with the sewing machine. So, I checked the book of instructions and everything seemed okay.  But I noticed there was still something wrong.  So, I finally got out the DVD with a video of the instructions.  I found the problem.  It seems I have a quick set bobbin and I was missing a step.  It sure would have been easier with a “normal” bobbin.  Now I can finish the tree skirt.

This morning (Monday) Penny and I made a trip to the vet.  She was the pet of the day today and was given a couple of treats which she would not eat.  Her name and picture was on display on the counter.  She now weighs eight pounds.  The vet said that is probably all she will/should weigh.  She will not be a big cat.  Her annual physical went just fine.  She received three shots; rabies, distemper and leukemia.  She also had her back nails trimmed.  She was really good.  She didn’t give them any trouble when they checked her, gave her the shots or trimmed her toenails.  She was given a couple of treats afterwards but she didn’t eat them either. 

After arriving home I took Renea back to the dentist.  She had to have her stitches checked and her upper plate removed.  She has a black eye from her surgery on Friday, and Kevin and I told her she looks like a chipmunk with her face so swollen.  Everything is fine.  The dentist gave her a prescription for stronger pain meds.  She goes back on Thursday for a filling and cleaning.  She is not allowed to drive because of the meds she is taking, so I will take her on Thursday.

Today is Tuesday and it is another beautiful day in Alabama.  The past week has been just perfect; 40’s at night and upper 60’s and low 70’s during the day with plenty of sunshine!

Since I have been doing so much running the past few days I decided I better get some stuff done inside.  I am doing laundry, doing dishes, balancing the checkbook, paid a few bills, changed the furnace filter, and anything else I can think of. 

The red maple tree leaves have changed to a beautiful red.  The peach tree and tulip poplar trees have all lost their leaves.  The weeping willow tree has done the same.  All the other trees are still green.  The pecans are starting to ripen and fall, but I don’t think we are going to have a very good crop this year.

Penny is back to herself.  When we came home from the vet yesterday she just laid around and wanted some lovin’.  This morning she is back to running around the house, checking out the squirrels and all her other “duties.”  She is a busy kitty.

I finally finished the Christmas tree skirt.  I’m really pleased with it.  Now my next sewing project is the Christmas pillows.  I am also going to make another chain for the tree.  However, this will be totally different than the first one. 

A Couple of Gotcha Days

Since I have not been writing on my blog every day I will just update y’all as to what I have been doing the past couple of days.

First of all, today, Monday, is Miss Penny’s Gotcha Day.  One year ago today Miss Penny was rescued from PAWS and become a member of our family.  She has been a joy.  She is also a little s**t.  She still loves to climb.  I find her on top of just about everything I own.  She can’t get on the wall bird cages now because I took them off the wall.  She still climbs on top of the television and watches it upside down.  I have not been able to break her habit of doing that.  The water squirt bottle doesn’t help because she thinks I am playing with her.  As you can tell she is spoiled rotten, but I wouldn’t want her any other way. 

I have finished my Christmas ornaments.  I have cut my material for my Christmas pillows.  I have cut the material for my tree skirt and pinned it together.  I also purchased material for an autumn hanging. 

Yesterday we celebrated my birthday at Kevin and Renea’s.  Ryan and Stephanie were also there along with all four dogs.  Such a mad house!  Anyway, supper was great and so was my birthday cake.  My family, including Brian’s family, gave me a purple martin house.  It is one of those consisting of gourds.  Now I have to decide where to put it.

Today I mowed my front grass.  A couple of days ago I finished weeding the area around my birdbath.  It sure looks good.  Now I have to buy more rocks for around the birdbath and the deck. 

Kevin spent the past couple of days working on clearing the woods of weeds, vines and dead trees.  It is really looking good.  We figure we will all be dead before he finishes.  He is finding a real assortment of trees; oak, walnut, hickory, birch, and a lot of magnolia.  There are several pine trees that look terrible so he is cutting them down.  The people that owned this property before us used this area for a dump and he is finding all types of “stuff” including tires, fencing, railroad ties and just plain old junk.  Renea noticed a rather large nest in the arm of one of the trees.  Since we have hawks in the woods we think maybe it belongs to them.

The weather has been gorgeous; lows in the 50’s at night and highs in the upper 70’s and low 80’s during the day.  Perfect!

I haven’t been doing much outside.  I have been getting my house ready for Jana.  I am making room for her and Smoky.  We are going to be packed in here, but that’s okay. 

I have been working on my Christmas tree skirt.  It is almost finished.  I think I am doing something wrong with the bobbin on my sewing machine.  I need to review the CD they sent me with instructions.  I have read the book and I just can’t quite figure out what I need to do.  I thought I understood it, but I cannot put it into practice. 

I have also been working on the website for Landmark Academy.  This is slow going because I am using a free site and it won’t let me do what I want.  I will succeed!

Plenty of Work Accomplished

Today is laundry day, so that is what I am doing!  I also went thru a few books and put more of them into the half price books box and saved a few others.  I finished all except two of my “ball” ornaments.  Hopefully, I will finish them tomorrow.  I also have to start on several ornaments I am making for gifts.  And…..I still haven’t started Lanora’s napkin holder or my Christmas napkin holder. Not enough hours in the day.

I am back to working in my yard.  This morning I worked for an hour pulling the weeds/grass around the birdbath.  What a mess.  The weeds/grass are taller than the birdbath.  The job wouldn’t be so bad except there are some type of thorny vines growing among the weeds.  I only finished about 1/5^th of the mess and that filled a large garbage bag.  It is hot out there now so I will get a few things accomplished inside.  I did notice that the red maple tree is turning red for the fall.  It looks really pretty.  The peach tree has lost almost all of it’s leaves.  I guess fall is on the way.  Yea!

I completed the ornaments I was making for Christmas presents.

Good Morning.  It’s another beautiful day in Alabama.  Finished most of my indoor work including going thru two more shelves of books.  Finished that project.  I then headed outside to work on weeding the birdbath area.  I am almost half way.  From the front you can see the birdbath and St. Frances of Assisi statue.  I filled another garbage bag.  It is now getting hot and the breeze is starting to die down so I thought I better come in.  I also noticed that the Bradford Pear tree leaves are starting to turn.  Those trees are really pretty in the fall.  From my back window I can see that a few of the trees in the woods behind my house are starting to turn.

Filled the bird feeders except the hummingbird feeders.  They apparently have headed further south for the winter since I have not seen them in over a week.  Only had one around last week and now he is gone.

Miss Penny is not happy with me.  She does not like when I put her monthly dose of medicine on the back of her neck to protect her from fleas, etc.  I know it doesn’t hurt, but she still does not like it.  In fact, she knows when it is time and she hides.  She even will not eat her treats when I try to coax her, but she will eat them after I apply the meds.

It’s a new day, and I didn’t do any weeding out by the birdbath this morning.  Instead I headed to Tigertown.  First stop was Books A Million (a/k/a BAM – I had a coupon) where I purchased several Christmas presents.  Then it was on to PETCO (another coupon) where I bought a “puppy” crate for Penny.  Next was Hobby Lobby (another coupon) where I bought some material.  Then to Kroger for a few items, and needless to say I used my Kroger card. 

Now I have to get started on sewing some of this material I have purchased.  I have all of these ideas.

The reason for the “puppy” crate for Penny is because when Jana comes to visit she will be bringing her dog (Smoky) with her.  Now, Smoky is old and laid back but we don’t know how Penny and her will get along.  Smoky is not used to cats and Penny has never seen a dog this big.  The crate is a precautionary item for when Jana and I go running errands, etc.  We may not need it, but I would rather be safe than sorry.

This evening I cut the material to make my Christmas pillows.  I also started cutting the material to make my Christmas tree skirt.  While I was doing this Penny checked out her crate.  I have just let it sit in the dining room, and she went into it on her own.  She actually laid down and took a short nap.  That’s progress!

Three hours and three large garbage bags of weeds and grass and I am half finished with the area around the birdbath. 

YEA!  It is Saturday and I have finished weeding around the birdbath.

 

A Busy Week

Miss Penny sure has been busy this morning.  She has been guarding the house from the squirrels that are hiding pecans in the yard.  She has been running from window to window to door.  I know I can count on her to keep an eye on the squirrels and birds J

Yesterday I drove to WalMart in Opelika to pick up the ottomans that I ordered.  I had looked at ottomans on a lot of different websites and these were the only ones that were in the color range I was looking for.  Besides I did not want any print because of the chairs and room size rug. I also didn’t want buttons on them because of Penny.  I didn’t want leather or faux leather because of Penny.  So, anyway, I picked them up yesterday.  They were not exactly the color I wanted.  The website said khaki but they are much lighter.  But that’s okay.  They will be fine.

The reason I bought them is because I do not have a recliner since I bought my chairs and love seat.  The chairs do recline a little and the foot piece the comes up is very minimal.  Jana needs to prop her feet up so I knew I needed to do something before she arrived.  This was my choice.

This morning I am cleaning, and Penny just loves it when I run the sweeper.  She has spent most of the morning on top of my high bookcases.  She lays up there and watches.  I’m not sure if she is hiding or waiting to pounce in case I need protection.  Anyway, room one is finished and she is not off the bookcase and smelling everything. 

Another room is finished so Penny and I are going to rest.  Also finished two loads of laundry and changed my bed.  It’s been a busy day.  Even Penny is worn out from watching.  I didn’t really take a nap.  Instead I worked on my garland I am crocheting for my Christmas tree. 

It is now Saturday afternoon and I tired!  I just finished cleaning my living room which included moving ALL the furniture and completely rearranging the room.  I even moved one piece of furniture from my bedroom (night stand) to the living room to be used as an end table.  I also moved another piece of furniture into the dining room, then moved the dining room table to another spot in the dining room.  Miss Penny is totally confused.

Didn’t do a lot today.  Was sore from moving all that furniture yesterday.  I paid some bills and not much more.  Went to Kevin and Renea’s for supper.  Kevin smoked a pork butt, and Renea made macaroni salad, beans and slaw.  Cake for desert.  I came home with leftover pork and some leftover hillbilly lasagna.  I’m all set for a couple of days.  Watched the NASCAR race.  Started it at home finished it with K and R.  Came home and watched the end of the Packers/49ers game.  Packers won!

 

Not much of anything

 

Well, it’s another cloudy misty day. Supposed to have quite a bit of rain over the next couple of days.  That’s okay because we really need it.  However, I have noticed we are having a second growing season.  I have flowers on my weeping cherry tree and new leaves on my tulip poplar trees.  And, of course, the grass is growing.  In fact, Kevin is mowing our back yards as I type.  I am not helping with the grass mowing today because I am having a slight problem with vertigo.  Not sure what caused that but I sure don’t like it. 

Feeling a little better so I went to Kevin and Renea’s for supper.  We had pork loin with apple stuffing and pineapple upside down cake for desert.  All of it was awesome!

Renea’s new fall napkin holder.

 

This afternoon while I was watching the race I finished my fall napkin holder.  Another project I can check off my list.  I did each side differently.

The last few days have not been very productive.  I had a bad case of vertigo.  Needless to say, I didn’t get very much accomplished.  However, yesterday afternoon I started feeling better and today I seem to be fine.  I still have a headache and a floaty in my left eye, but no more dizziness.  So, this morning I headed to Tigertown and went to Office Depot, Books A Million, Petco, Hobby Lobby and Kroger.  This evening I plan to go to Bible Study at church.