Sunday Greetings

Good Morning,

I hope everyone is having a pain free, beautiful morning.  Mine is beautiful, though my back hurts a little.  It's nothing I can't live with.  

I have to jump in the shower, and get my butt to church.  After that, I am going to be working on cleaning.  My kitchen and living room are disasters.

Must scoot.

Love,

Trish

I had a blast with the kids yesterday.  We spent about an hour on the playground.  Then, we got our lunches out of the car, and had a picnic.  Then, we spent about two hours at the beach.  They built it up with sand, so you can walk pretty far from the beach and still touch bottom, plus it's sand, not mud.  They have a lifeguard there too.  Frankie is fearless in the water.  Even though he can't swim, he waded out up to his chest without swimmies.  I stayed right beside him, in case he lost his footing, which he did once, but he caught himself.  We spent about an hour in the water, then he and Lincoln played in the sand.  Izzy and Lincoln are good swimmers, coz their Grandpa teaches them in his pool in the summer.  After we changed, we stopped at McDonald's for ice cream on the way home.  I picked them up at 9:30, and dropped them off at 4:00.  Needless to say, I was wiped out.

Eagles won last night.  They are looking good so far.

Love and Prayers,

Trish

Good afternoon Trish and everyone....

Trish...oh how I love the beach and the water. I haven't been in that situation in very long time. We have some beautiful beaches but they are too far away. Now without driving and all I never get there anymore. I think walking with a walker would be really hard to do on a beach......LOL!!!!

I am glad you had such a wonderful time with your munchkin's! I am so jealous!! When I was living in Iowa, Gracie and I went to the huge pool almost every day! We had so much fun!!!

I am very sure you were down for the count last night. Especially when you are in the sun like that.

As for me..... I am doing okay. We had a lot of storms here last night. There were times I could hardly see out the windows. The rain was just coming down in sheets!! The storm drains couldn't keep up for awhile. It finally did clear up and the drains worked again. I kept thinking of Judy because they are supposed to get it later today. They almost always flood there when it storms like this. Still sending Prayers for you Judy!!

My body is not liking all this temps going up and down and the barometric pressure doing the same thing. OUCH!!

I still haven't gotten those files gone through. My hands couldn't handle it yesterday. I am hoping to get a little done today!! 

That is about it for me...I am going to be doing some more coloring today. That is so relaxing!! 

Prayers for out amazing OFF Family and their families. Some special requested prayers as well.

Have a good rest of the day....I will stop in later again.

I love you all!!!   

Sending loads of love and hugs too....connie d

Good Morning Trish & OFF Family!

I am exhausted. I don't know how you ladies run around day in and day out! I have had the busiest week since last Saturday, and two more days to go before I can get back to my 'normal' routine. Ugh! I need consistency!

Had a great time yard sailing yesterday morning. Every place we went I hit gold! Love those kind of days...it has been more of Jim's year for great finds. Went to baby shower for the lady who took over my position last year. It was nice to see her and my former boss. My boss and I started out sharing the same dumpy 8 x 10 office in a homeless shelter's bedroom where we were both case managers. She went on to be a director while I became a manager. We have a pretty long history together. So it was nice to see her and some other former co-workers.

Went swimming when I got home in my new pool lounge I got at the yard sale and then I weeded the gardens while Jim cut the grass. Then we drove Jazz down to her mom's to spend the night so she could straighten her hair for the 1st day of school Monday. My youngest daughter will pick her up and bring her home when she comes up for her visit later today.

I have got to get these hardwood floors mopped today and do some dusting. My sinuses are acting up and I think that is part of the reason. I feel so discombobulated with a messy house. I hate that about myself...who cares as long as it doesn't stink and you have room to sit down and a space to eat? Oh well, doubt I will change at this point in life.

My next door neighbor's husband is dying from cancer and we all know how stressful that is from Vickie's situation and from Mary's current situation. She still works and they have been raising their teenage granddaughter. She just got diagnosed w/breast and below the belt cancer at the same time! She is out of her mind! Meanwhile, another neighbor 2 doors up passed away suddenly in the house. She was 75 and in poor health, but she and her husband walked their little beagle 3 times a day...I just saw her! so a bit of a shock. We will be attending the funeral tomorrow.

Oh, and I am a little pissed b/c I thought I was on my way to having my surgery scheduled for mid-September. I had my last NUT appointment over 2 weeks ago, and the nurse said the only thing missing from my file was my cardiac clearance. I had all that testing back in June, and my cardiologist told me I was fine and she would clear me. So I figured it just didn't get sent over. The nurse told me to give it a week and call my surgeon's office if I had not heard from them first. I called them last Friday a week ago, and she said the cardio clearance was still missing. She said SHE would call to get it. So this past Thursday I get a call from my doctor's office saying she wants to see me before she signs off, but the first available opening is September 9th! UGH! I was thinking my surgery would be mid-September....had the file been approved by insurance almost 2 weeks ago and then I did my 2 week liguid diet!!! So looks like surgery will be late September or early October.

Oh well!

I'm sorry for the delay, Kathy.  It will happen when it happens!  God's timing is everything.  Maybe there's a reason for the delay.  Hang in there!

Kathy...delays happen for a reason...not your time YET...HANG IN THERE!!!

HUGSSSSSSSSSSS

The delays can be so frustrating.  I went thru the same thing. Hang tough.  It will happen.  Some times God's timing is very different than ours. 

I understand about the office delays. I had a nearly six-month delay because the office didn't process things in a timely manner. It pays to be assertive and keep pestering those folks. You have to speak up for yourself.

Hello Kathy...I am so sad that your surgery got bumped. That is no surprise to me. Right before surgery I was told my insurance changed their rules and I would need to go on a six month documented diet. I was in tears!! Well, I contacted my PCP and asked her what to do. She said she knows I had been trying out different weight losing methods. However, I had to have them documented and they needed specific kinds of programs, how I did on the program and what I lost. Thank GOD I worked at a fitness center. My boss knew all the kinds of things I tried while working there. We sat together and figured out all the dates, weight loss and the programs. We went back for over a year. My boss sent it immediately to my surgeon. My WLS doctor sent it in to my insurance company right away. So instead of having to wait another 6-9 months, they gave me the next available surgery. It was about 2 weeks because I had to do the 2 week liquid diet. The rest is history! So hang in there. I do believe things happen for a reason. I knew everything would be okay then.

I so miss yard sales...I always found the greatest things...CHEAP!! 

I am glad you got to see your friend, your old boss and other staff at the baby shower. 

I will be praying for your neighbors...that is awful. God Bless them all.

Love and more hugs...connie d

Good morning Trish and Kathy and all my sistas,

Oh, it is good to be home.  The past few days in Nacogdoches were traumatic and emotional for me.  I cried buckets and just felt so helpless and alone and sad.  It's easier here at my new little house.  I don't have to face so many memories here.  In Nacogdoches, I literally cannot drive down any street without a memory (or twenty) assaulting me and making me cry.  

Anyway, I did accomplish some things.  I got the probate process started.  But I screwed up and didn't bring the originals of the will with me.  I thought I did.  But turns out, what I brought was a copy of the will.  ****  I don't know where the originals are!  I'm going to have to hunt for them and y'all know what the situation with my house and my boxes are like.  So I'll have to find them and overnight the original to the attorney.

I did a few other things--mostly small stuff--but I have so much more "business" to take care of!  I really have to make that a priority this week.  I just can't keep putting it off.

My first trip to the cemetery was quite awful.  I cried and cried and really just felt like dying.  Butch wanted to be buried in this tiny country cemetery just a stone's throw (literally) from his grandfather's farm where he grew up.  I understand his feelings about it, but personally I hate it there.  It's small and off the beaten path and so isolated.  The most recent headstone I could find there was dated 2005!  I feel like he's just been left in the middle of nowhere!  But he can "see" his grandpa's barn and I know he's happy to be there.  And, of course, my place will be beside him, so I might as well get used to the idea.  

Anyway, first thing I did was go to Hobby Lobby and buy a metal urn and some silk flowers to make a temporary headstone for his grave.  Carrie and I put it in place and I felt a bit better after that.  When the real headstone is put in place, I'll bring the urn and little sign I bought home with me and make a place for them in my new flowerbeds in the back yard.  That way I can "visit" his grave whenever I want.  Here's a pic:

Pretty desolate looking place, isn't it?  And I hate that big mound of red dirt.  Sigh.  I need to complete the paperwork for the small footstone that Butch is entitled to because he was a vet.  I would like to have that for my backyard garden here as well.  

Anyway, on Friday Carrie and I went to a monument place in little tiny Cushing (a small hamlet about 20 miles north of Nac) which I was told had better prices than the big monument place associated with the funeral home.  I got there first and Mr. Gresham was waiting on this other lady, so I was just sitting there going through the photo album and sort of listening to them.  Holy Cow!  Her order was $6300!!!  I thought, "Oh, no!  I'll never be able to afford anything here!"

But turns out she ordered the best of the best, as well as a photo and etchings and the names of all her kids, etc., etc., etc.  Whew.  She kept saying it was the last thing she would ever buy her husband and she wanted to do it right.

Well, as you can imagine, all of that played a big head trip on me.  But as I was looking through the photo album, I saw a monument that really spoke to me, so when it was my turn, I asked Mr. Gresham about it.  I was pretty apprehensive, but turns out it was definitely one I could afford!  I'll just tell y'all what it cost, because nobody ever buys this sort of thing very often, and I still have no idea if I got a good price or not, but I just couldn't go through price comparison shopping for a monument.  It was too hard.  Anyway, here's what I ordered and the final bill was $2400:

We did change a few things.  The granite we picked is called Texas Pink.  (The color of granite you choose GREATLY affects the price!).  And we selected a square shaped urn instead of a round one.  Mr. Gresham is going to engrave our marriage date on the urn.  And we change "Papa" to "Daddy".  Mr. Gresham said it would be ready in about 60 days, which is faster than I anticipated.

We also went to dinner on Thursday night at Butch's brother's.  That was also very emotional for me.  I've really been avoiding direct contact with people, but I guess I had to make that first step sometime.  It helped that Carrie was with me.  There was lots of talk about the baby, etc., so that was a good and positive thing.  And Rusty (Butch's brother) is going to help me with the disposal of some of Butch's stuff.  There's just so much of it everywhere, and I have no idea what to keep, what to sell, what to throw away, etc.  The other lake house (the one there near Nac) is just a disaster area and I am so overwhelmed by all of these things and properties that need to be dealt with!  I just want to run away from it all, but of course, I can't do that.

So I did contact John Juan (y'all remember our sweet Mexican handyman whom Butch loved like a son), and I asked him if he could give me one day a month to start cleaning up down there at the lake house.  The yard needs to be raked, cleaned up, mowed, etc.  There's a huge tree branch that fell across the driveway (and nearly hit the roof of the garage!) that has to be sawed up and burned.  The porches and outside of the house need to be power washed and cleaned (can you say cobwebs???).  Anyway, I left $500 with Rusty to pay John Juan as he gets a chance to do things.  I generally pay him $100 a day and I just don't worry about how long a day he puts in.  He's always fair with me.  

So I made a start on some things.  I would truly like to be able to finish out the Nac lake house next spring/summer.  I will have to hire a contractor.  I would like for my family to have a liveable vacation home there.  Rusty is going to help me sell some timber next January and I can use those funds to get the lakehouse finished.  It needs floors and walls first of all.  And Butch and I already bought so many things for that house: light fixtures, ceiling fans, kitchen cabinets.  It can't take that much more to fini**** out.  Maybe another $50K total.  

Well, here comes a golfer looking for his lost ball in my back yard.  He better not try to hop over my fence!  All balls that land in my back yard are MINE.  LOL!  Never a dull moment on the golf course.

Before I close, I have a private prayer request: one for Carrie.  It has nothing to do with the baby, which y'all know about, but it's a personal matter of the gravest importance.  I am not at liberty to give the details, but we do so need God's help in resolving this matter.  Thank you!

I'd better get started on my day.  I've sat around too long and the morning is half over.  Love you all!