Write and Run

It has been a few days, so I thought it was time to do an update.  NOT that my life is exciting or anything.  :)

We'll start back at Black Friday.  I didn't go out--of course--so I didn't know about the excitement until The Oldest called me.  (From 100 miles away.)  Shortly after 3:00 PM that day, several--8+--businesses had bomb threats called in to them.  Walmart, Target, the mall, and several other stores and a hotel, were the targets of the threats.  Everyone had to be evacuated from the businesses and the places were searched.  Nothing out of the ordinary was found, so everything was up and running and back to normal a couple of hours later.  As of today, no one has come forward--or, at least, been given the reward--and we are no closer to knowing who did this than we were two weeks ago.

Some people seem to think that the threats were made by someone attached to the 'occupy' movement.  Now, I love a good conspiracy theory as much as the next person, but I STILL think it was a bunch of kids at home, unsupervised, with nothing better to do.  It will be interesting to see of the people responsible will ever be caught.  (And I'm not holding my breath that local law enforcement WILL 'get their 'man.'')

**********

We finally have snow.  Over the weekend a storm front moved in and dumped many inches of snow on the area--just not here in town.  We only got enough snow to blanket everything, but that is the way it is so close to the Lake.  Still, I do believe winter is finally here.

**********

Last week Thursday, we did our monthly road trip.  Normally we go on the road on Friday or Saturday, but this month was different.  Our friends were having house guests this past weekend, so we moved our trip up a few days so that we could get together.  I truly am happy that things worked out the way they did--we didn't have to fight quite as horrendous crowds on a Thursday as we would have on Friday, so that was a very nice thing.

**********

http://theletter.co.uk/index/5414/

I am trying to get myself motivated enough to begin the Christmas decorating.  And I am not succeeding.  But that isn't the worst of it:  I still have to make an effort to get GIFTS bought.  But I have to actually write out a list, first.  To say I'm behind in Christmas preparations, is putting it mildly.

**********

Our truck has finally gotten the 'once over' from the shop and everything that needed to be, is now repaired.  We are giving the truck to The Youngest and her husband just as soon as we can make arrangements to transfer possession.  K decided to pass the truck on, as it isn't worth a bag of rocks if we used it for a trade-in--it IS over ten years old--and our daughter and husband can use a second vehicle.  K was all set to buy a new truck and then he decided against it.  He wants to see how we get along with only one vehicle, so that is what is going to happen.  I understand his thinking:  There are times--most of the time, actually--that the Envoy just sits for days without being moved.  However, I dread the thought of not having a vehicle at my disposal at all times.  I love the feeling of freedom that I get when I know I can leave the house any time, day or night, that I want.  This is going to be very interesting...

**********

And finally, I will close out with another Christmas reference.  

There are some people who don't do the whole 'Santa' thing with their kids.  Some feel as if it is against their belief system, others feel as if it is teaching their children to mistrust the parents because of the lying.  The Oldest and her husband never have done 'Santa' with their kids.  I have no idea why and I don't ask.

Growing up, I was taught to believe in Santa Claus.  And I pretty much believed until I was in 4th or 5th grade.  (EDIT:  Upon further review and thought--and a couple of hours later--I think I found out about 'no Santa' when I was in 2nd or 3rd grade--NOT as late as this.  I know I was a late bloomer in far too many areas, but NOT quite THIS far behind.  ;D)  Then, one Christmas Eve, I stayed awake and heard The Parents putting out the gifts and I finally knew the truth.  But, for a few years before this, I questioned whether the guy was real or not--and I would ask The Mother if he was.  She NEVER lied to me, but told me this, instead:

"You will never get any presents from Santa Claus again if you stop believing in him."

Quite a good way to get around the 'lying' issue, yet a nice way to keep your child young for a while longer.

http://www.sharenator.com/Santa_Claus_DEAD/

Bambi Killer

 Our second granddaughter got her buck yesterday.  This is her first year hunting, so she was pretty pumped about it.  She had to call and tell me all about it--AND let me know that she even helped field dress it.  She said it was "GROSS!"  :)  Her older sister got HER first buck the first year she hunted, too.  I guess it is a case of beginner's luck.

I have no problem with people who hunt.  The Husband used to hunt and trap when we were in high school, but has done neither since we got married.  If he had had friends that were into hunting big-time, I'm sure he would have been, too.  But, he just doesn't have anyone that he would go out with.  And I REFUSE to eat wild game, so he would be left with trying to find someone to take the meat if he actually managed to get something. (However, the local food banks accept donations of wild game, so none of the meat has to be wasted.)  The Oldest's family pretty much depends on the meat they get from hunting.  She is hoping that her oldest daughter AND her husband will be successful this year--it will keep them going for quite a long time.  They still have a few days to try.

Just A 'Keeping In Touch' Post

One thing is really hurting my chance for being over-the-top happy today and that's the weather.  Now, most people are unhappy with rain/snow/sleet/cold/etc, but not me.  Noooooooooo. I'M not happy because it is October and the temp is close to 80*--and should continue to be this warm through the weekend.  I just want to get on with the fricking fall already--is that so wrong?  ;)  And we are doing a road trip this weekend, so that means I will be shopping in stores that have already turned their a/c off, so I will be sweating like a thoroughbred right after running a race--NOT a pretty picture, by any means.

In other news...

Today K and I celebrate our 38th wedding anniversary.  After this many years, we don't go all-out in celebrating, though.  I think we'll probably order pizza for dinner and then watch the Tigers and some hockey--a REALLY big night for us.  ;D  And it's not as if we are/feel so old, it's just that 'special' days aren't all that different from any others and this far into the marriage, we don't necessarily need to make big deals out of them.  That being said, K DOES do extra nice things on big days.  Today he gave me a beautiful matching necklace/earring set as a gift and he also brought flowers home.  I really did get one of the 'good ones' when I married him.

The NHL starts its new season tonight and the Wings begin theirs tomorrow night.  I should NOT be this happy.  ;)  While other people wait for Christmas, my biggest day/night of the year is when I finally get to watch hockey again after a very long off-season.  I'm warped, I know.

I have been playing around with my nookCOLOR and have been having far too much fun.  Finally, I got around to trying to load some DVDs onto it and I must say it is EASY!  Surprisingly, the picture is fantastic when seen on the nook and I'm amazed at how nice it is to watch something on a 7" screen.  Now, all I have to do is take the time to transfer some things onto the nook--it IS VERY time-consuming--and then I'll have movies/TV shows with me at all times.  I also found out that transferring music onto the thing was super-easy, as well, so I can always have music going while I read, if I want.  I am very much loving my rooted nook and can't wait for 2-3 years down the road when I get myself a full-time tablet.  (I am waiting a bit before getting a tablet because there just aren't that many options with Android right now.  I WILL NOT buy an iPad, so I will wait until things settle down and a clear front-runner is named in the Android market.  I'm thinking this will be an anniversary gift I get myself in a couple of years...)

With fall here, I'm looking to get back into some crafting.  I have been doing a bit of sewing now and then and need to get into it much more.  I have baby shower gifts to make--one of the babies is almost 4 months old already--and bridal shower gifts.  Of course, I ALWAYS have things I need to make for the grandkids.  Last night I made a reusable, cloth snack bag.  I think it will do very well for dry snacks--trail mix, pretzels, etc--and will be used a lot by the friend I made it for.  I used ripstop nylon to line the 'bag'--which is made out of cotton material--and put Velcro as the closer.  It came out pretty neat and is one of those things that I have to make for the granddarlings.  The original instructions called for using oilcloth as a liner, but I didn't have any in the house, so the ripstop was used as a replacement.  I think I'll be getting some oilcloth and trying that variation, too.  So little time to do so much.  ;)

I have mentioned how the neighborhood dogs come to the house on a regular basis to beg me for treats.  The dog from across the street is a daily visitor.  The poor thing is getting up in years and every day I notice how old he is looking.  He is getting more and more 'pigeon-toed' as time goes on and his joints really seem to bother him when the weather 'turns.'  I hate to say it, but I don't think he will be with us for much longer.  To top it all off, his face is getting that 'old dog' look--the fur is turning whiter and whiter.  He still is happy and smiles whenever I give him his treat--he will be missed when he is gone.  (However, I will NOT miss him using our yard as a toilet...)  Here is (as K calls him) my boyfriend:

After he got through his 'puppy' years--which lasted until he was almost three--he became one of the nicest, sweetest dogs I have ever been fortunate enough to know.  But, I really don't know how many more winters he'll be able to last.

Me Being Obsessive--As Usual

We just came back from an overnight road trip.  We actually haven't had one of our trips in a couple of months--the timing has been bad with K doing overtime and all.  So, this was a very nice outing.  Of course, we did far too much shopping and went to eat with our best friends--nothing spectacular, but a nice change of pace from our 'normalcy,' as it always is.  The last thing we do before leaving the town we go to is stop at Sam's Club and do our final 'spending of the money.'  We 'take orders' from friends and family and pick up whatever is needed, along with our own needs.  And it was in Sam's Club that one of my ugly obsessions came to the forefront.

When I buy something, I want it to be in pristine condition.  Whether it is a box of cereal (do NOT try and sell me a box with a bent corner), a can of beans (I won't accept a label that has a tear in it), or an apple (NO bruises at all), I want it perfect.  And there is NO living with me when the purchases are bigger:  my car better GLOW with shininess--and NO barely perceptible streaks;  my washing machine better not have a ding, scratch, or dent;  and my couch better have even seams and matching patterns.  If I'm paying the big bucks they are charging, everything better be to my satisfaction.  However, one thing bothers me more than the others and that is magazines and books that have been read and mishandled and put back on the shelf.  I hate wanting a book and finding only one copy that has bent pages or a wrinkled dust jacket.  It drives me insane to get a book in the mail and finding the corner of the cover bent.  Most of my books look like new AFTER I have read them, so I don't want them to look abused even before I get my hands on them.

Today in Sam's Club I had to hold back from going off the deep end.  There at the book table were several children going through all of the books willy-nilly.  They were playing with the 'read-to-me' features and over-extending the 'pop-up' books.  And I KNOW the books had to have that 'well read' look to them after the kids were done.  The kids were at the table by themselves with no grown-up to be seen.  It was obvious that this was where the parents dropped the kids off so that they could shop in peace.**  While I encourage reading in kids--and books are the ONLY gifts our grandkids get from us at Christmas--I don't like it when parents use the 'for sale' books as babysitters in stores.  At least at Barnes & Noble, they have a reading table--with books on it-- for kids to look at so that they don't have to be taking the ones off of shelves.  I really wonder how much money stores lose because of 'damaged' books that can't be sold as new?


**I have seen parents allow their kids to play with stuffed animals and any toys with noise, etc, features, also.  I can't imagine giving some of these toys as gifts after having tons of grubby, dirty, germy hands playing with them beforehand.  {shudder}

Like Glitter?

The Youngest and her husband were here for a long weekend the beginning of July.  Before they came here, they spent a day and a half with The Oldest and her family.  After they left to come here, my 2-year-old granddaughter was talking about Auntie A and Uncle A to her mom.  "Mom,"  she said.  "I miss Auntie A--she is so pretty and she sparkles!"  We still aren't sure what 'sparkles,' but it's nice to know she's loved.  :D

A Follow-Up

Following up the last post about the 2nd granddaughter:  She still is being a Drama Queen.  She walks around the house, clutching her lower belly and whimpering/groaning quietly whenever someone notices her.  Her oldest sister--15 years old--just rolls her eyes.  What a kid.  ;)

This whole thing brings to mind another story.  My oldest sister-in-law went into labor with her oldest.  Because it wasn't time to go to the hospital, she went and sat at my in-law's house, to spend time with her mother--hopefully, to get a little sympathy.  In typical fashion, my mother-in-law was very laid back about the entire thing and continued with what was on her agenda, which included setting her hair.  My s-i-l sat at the kitchen table, groaning and moaning whenever she had a contraction, and said, "But you don't KNOW how much this hurts!!!!" My m-i-l just continued setting her hair and said nothing:  SHE had given birth to five kids--the last of which were twins.  :D

Fantasyland

Our 2nd oldest granddaughter is quite a hoot.  Her goal in life has always been to be a princess--and she still wants that at the age of 12.  She has told her parents that she will never leave home--and after they are 'gone,' her older sister will take care of her.  She is the Drama Queen of all times--EVERYTHING that happens to her is worse than anything that has ever happened to anyone else.  She is a bit of a 'space cadet.'  Her mother will send her to do a chore and five hours later, when The Oldest asks her if she's done, she answers, "With what?"  She is the family 'Informer'--she knows everything that is going on and lets her mom know, too.  Also, she is the 'Recorder.'  I try to give gifts of equal value to each of the grandchildren and this grandchild makes sure of that--she remembers what everyone has received and lets it be known if the next gift to come into the house is of lesser OR greater value.  I can count on her to remember things I have forgotten.

Today, The Oldest called to tell me that The 2nd got her period for the first time.  In fine, Drama Queen fashion, she told her mother:  "THIS is GROSS!!!  NO ONE has EVER had ANYTHING so gross happen to them EVER!!!!"

The Oldest only has six girls to raise--she is going to have so much fun for the next 18 or so years.  :D

Updating My Life

I know I haven't quite gotten back into the swing of posting regularly, but I realized it's been quite a while since I actually have done an update post.  So, here goes:

Our holidays were good.  I found as it got closer and closer to Christmas, I was over-extending myself.  So, I decided to back off.  And what a relief it was to do so!  I learned a great and valuable lesson:  Just because I WANT to do it all, I don't HAVE to do it all.  And the best part was, NO ONE knew that I didn't get everything done for Christmas that I had planned.  Wow--all of those years I ran myself into the ground and practically had a nervous breakdown every December and for what?

**********

January and February this year means that I am getting a whole lot of yearly medical stuff out of the way.  I have already had my appointment with my internist--which turned out fine, I guess*--and last week I saw the ophthalmologist.  It has been almost three years since I had my LASIK and he has declared me a complete success.  Everything is pretty stable and he is happy with the results.  That being said, I DO have some residual astigmatism--which I guess isn't surprising, considering how bad it WAS--and he found evidence that cataracts are beginning to form.  Great.  And the worst part is that I can't do anything to stop this and I won't be able to tell how bad things are getting because the sight deteriorates so gradually.  What I have to do is see him every two years and keep track of the progress.  Another joyful part of getting older.

**********

I got my report from the ultrasound of my carotid arteries and THAT was good news.  There is no evidence that anything is getting worse in my neck, which is a relief.  Now, I don't know if there is anything I can do to make things better--unless they go in and do surgery--the sludge that is there is staying.  And there is no way they would do surgery on me because the problem is so very slight.  It has been two years since the last ultrasound and I haven't exactly done much to keep things from getting any worse, so this was very welcome news.

**********

I won't get my mammograms done until the end of February.  This is because of when I had them done last year.  Insurance companies will only allow these once a year--unless there is a problem, of course--so I have to wait the 'one year plus one day' and have them done later than I wanted.  Sometimes things are just too complicated.  I'm just happy that the hospital caught this in time--I don't want to have to pay for something that we have covered by insurance.

**********

This week I get to go and have my teeth scraped--and hope that no other work needs to be done.  Just thinking about it causes a panic attack!  But, with the amount of time I spend daily with cleaning my teeth, things should be okay for a while yet.  I hope.

**********

A week from now I will be getting things ready for our road trip to see 'Wicked.'  We decided to spend two nights away--we will leave here on Monday afternoon, see the play on Tuesday, and come home on Wednesday.  Of course, the rest of the time will be spent in the stores--this will give me plenty of time to go to places I don't normally get to visit.  I've got my lists going already, so I am hoping the shopping will go in my favor.

**********

As I said, there were a few things that I didn't get done in time for Christmas.  But that just means I have to do them now.  The sewing/crafts room is filling up with projects that I need to get started on or complete.  Right now I have a scarf that I started, two hats that I'm making, a bunch of fleece blankets, and fleece polar socks.  I have no problem making the stuff--and I actually enjoy the work--but I find that I HATE the preparation and the finishing work.  I have to get going, because most of the stuff isn't for me and it has been promised to others--and I believe the patience is wearing a bit thin when it comes to people not getting what they are expecting. 

**********

We took a ride up north last week to deliver some stuff to The Oldest and her family.  This was the first time I've been up there in quite a few months.  So many times when K goes up there, I stay at home--I enjoy the time alone to get things done without him being here. I need to go more often, however, because I do miss the grandkids.  Anyway, the roads were normal for here in the winter:  snow-covered and a bit slippery.  As for the weather around here, we have snow almost every day--but that is normal, too.  :)  Haven't had too many bad storms this winter--but at least one will be coming yet this year.

**********

So far it seems as if we have been waiting for three months for the damned Super Bowl to finally be played.  Of course, with living here, the hype is on about the Packers, so I have it worse than people in other parts of the country.  I'll just be happy when the entire thing is done.

With hockey, the All-Star weekend just finished up and the regular schedule will be back on Tuesday.  I haven't seen a Wings game since Wednesday and won't get to see the next one until Wednesday.  I AM suffering from withdrawal symptoms.  ;)  Oh well, the race to the playoffs is about to begin.  Fun times.

*I still am not sure how I feel about the new doctor.  Some people think I should go out and look for someone who I may feel more comfortable with, while others tell me to give it some time.  I have a lot of thinking to do about this.

Just Catching Up

I put out all of my bird feeders the other day and have gotten so many more birds showing up since then.  I still have the chickadees and finches, but the juncos have now moved into the yard and the starlings are making their presence known.  The blue jays continue to strip the corn cobs in record time.  I don't know what I will feed them later in the year when the corn is finished--I guess I will have to buy cracked corn to keep them happy.  (I LOVE seeing the blue of the jays in the middle of the winter--the color stands out so beautifully on a sunny winter day.)  And today I had a cardinal at one of the feeders!  I haven't seen any of them for quite a few years--at least, not up close.  We have had a family of cardinals living in the area for years, but this is the first time in a long time since one has come in our yard.  I am really looking forward to seeing what birds we get throughout the winter.

(NOT the one that was at my feeder.  ;))

**********

And speaking of winter:  We had our first snow the other day.   I don't know if it was MEASURABLE, but it certainly was snow.  A couple of times during the day, I saw snow in the air.  I was beginning to wonder what was going on, as we hardly ever have our first snow AFTER Halloween--so, I was worried it wasn't going to happen on time this year.

**********

Our Youngest and her husband are in the beginning stages of house shopping.  She is a bit stressed and worried--thoughts I remember so well when we decided to buy this place.  I tried my hardest to reassure her that all will be well. And I truly believe it, as they are going into this with such a realistic perspective.  They have decided just how much they can afford, where they want to live (with regards to taxes, etc), and just about every other aspect that needs to be looked at.  I guess they have impressed the realtor and financial person they are talking to--not everyone goes into house buying with so much thought and preparation.  I certainly hope all goes well for them.

**********

The youngest granddaughter was weighed last week--or was it the week before?  Anyway, she has already gained over two pounds since being born--she is now 6lbs 6oz.  Things are going quite well, thank goodness.

**********

 I really am re-discovering some old music these days.  I guess it started with my getting the Robert Palmer anthology and the re-issue of John Lennon's Power to the People.  I find myself listening to music much more than watching TV--which is a bit of a change from the past few years.  I just get so tired of watching the same old tired re-runs that are on during the day or late at night.  I think I will be happy when Conan comes back on the air--at least it will be something different to watch at 11:00.

Anyway, while I was listening to the Lennon CD, it occurred to me that I think he did his best work after The Beatles broke up.  The CD is just full of great songs:  Woman, Power to the People, Instant Karma, Imagine, Mind Games--as I said, some of his best work.  And personally, I think McCartney did lousy work after the break up.  I mean really, Silly Love Songs and Ebony and Ivory!?!?  The only reason Wings was a success was because he rode his Beatles fame.  (Okay, just my own opinion--but it's my blog, so I can have that.  ;))

**********

While I try very hard not to think about it, we do have only about two months before Christmas.  So, I guess I need to get started on some gifts that I plan to make.  Last night I went into the sewing room to straighten up--a task made a lot easier to do now that I have a TV in there to watch games, I might add.  Anyway, while I was looking through the absolute mess that I had going in there, I found some material that I had bought for the purpose of making gifts.  One thing that I'm planning on making are bowl and cake pan covers--you know, like the thin plastic ones you can buy, only reusable.  I made the patterns tonight, but will have to buy more material, as some of the pieces I bought already aren't nearly big enough for what I'm doing.  I guess this gives me a reason to go to Jo-Ann's the next time we do a road trip.  :)

**********

Not much planned for this coming week.  K is working night shift for the beginning of the week and might do a few overtime shifts later.  We don't have any appointments coming up--unlike the last two weeks--so all I have to look forward to are the games on Thursday and Saturday.  And that I can handle--a fairly lazy week.

Oh, Happy Day!

Today, after two and a half weeks in the NICU, baby Faith is going home!  The Oldest and her husband just got into town and will turn right around and go back to settle her in at home.  Thank goodness they finally released her--it was much too hard on The Oldest to have the baby 100 miles away.  But now all is good.  :)

Will Post ASAP

I don't have the excuse of 'nothing to write about,' so I'll go with 'no time to write.'  ;)  Actually, this last week+ has been a bit overwhelming:  we went to the Twin Cities for the Labor Day weekend, we had a new granddaughter be born, we had to run to the hospital to SEE said g-daughter, we did a day-run shopping trip, etc, etc, etc.  So, when I FINALLY sit down and spend the time, I will have several posts to write.  And I'm hoping to get to the first one tonight.  Check back soon.

And She Has Arrived (With UPDATE)

This morning at 4:00, our sixth granddaughter came into the world--4+ weeks early.  She is four pounds and there was some concern over her breathing, so she is being transported to our NICU.  I will go to the hospital tonight and get more info and pictures!  Of course, if any of the pics turn out, I will post them later.  I talked to The Oldest and she is tired, but happy to be done with this pregnancy--it was a bit of a tough go.  All in all, Mom and Babe are doing fine.  More news will be posted as I get it.


UPDATE:

I went to see the baby-her name is Faith--and she is doing well.  I also got quite a few pictures of her, so here goes.

Here is her area in the NICU--and the best picture I took.  Of course, you can't actually SEE her...

 The lighting is subdued in the NICU, and every bit of light is reflected in the plastic of the isolette, so that is why the pics are the way they are.

And she finally opened her eyes for me.

The nurse said she probably would be here for two weeks or more--but that is subject to change every day.

Makes Sense

The grandchildren will be attending VBS (vacation Bible school) this week.  The whole family has been talking about it, generating a lot of excitement.  The 2-year-old told her mother that she's going to have so much fun at "ABC."  Well, she knew there were letters involved, just not which ones.  :D

A Little Bit of This, A Little Bit of That

Cool dryer weather today--HOORAY!!!!  We should have nice, summer weather for a few days--and then it will warm up.  And by warm up, I mean temps at and over the 80* mark.  Blah.  Thank goodness for air conditioners.

**********

While watching the Tigers game last night, we saw one of the pitchers break his elbow when he threw a pitch.  I have never seen anything like that before and never want to see it again.  He was in so much pain, I thought I could feel it!  I STILL shudder to think about what I saw.  He is done for the season, but did no damage to any tendons, ligaments, or muscles.  He actually was lucky that it only was a broken elbow.  It still is unbelievable that ANYONE could break an elbow just by throwing a baseball.

**********

The Red Wings signed my Baby Boy's older brother to a one year contract.  For the most part, he will be playing in Grand Rapids, but will be called up to Detroit during the season.  It would be nice to see the two of them play together--I'm sure there is a great deal of chemistry there, as they grew up playing together.  It will be interesting to see if he can make it in the NHL.

**********

The Youngest's neurotic cat--the one on anti-anxiety drugs--has been doing quite well lately.  And then they went and bought a new couch this past weekend.  He is NOT amused, but getting better every day.  It's not a wonder he isn't happy about the couch--cats HATE change in a big way.  Our cat gets very upset for a few days whenever I move the furniture around in the living room.  The joys of pet ownership.

**********

We're still battling the yellow jackets in the soffit.  While K was able to close up most of the entry holes, they still are finding their way in.  So, K did a little bit of spraying, which killed MOST of the buggers--but not all.  There are two or three that continue to find ways to get into the soffit, so there will need to be more spraying done.  This HAS to be taken care of quickly.  From everything I've read, they get more and more aggressive as the month of August approaches--something about new queens, I believe--and they don't want anything around the nest.  Like I need to worry about THAT!

**********

I don't know if the weather has had anything to do with it or not, but the police logs just haven't been too interesting lately.  There have been quite a few alcohol-related calls, but with this weather, ANYONE would want to drink the depression away!  Hot weather seems to bring out the wackos and this weekend is supposed to be hot.  High temps and a holiday weekend just might give some interesting police calls.  Stay tuned.

**********

Our oldest has always had some strange reactions to certain medications.  If something is supposed to cause drowsiness, she would get hyper.  We found this out when she was given Tylenol with codeine for an ear infection.  She stayed up all night talking to herself after getting a dose, so we stayed away from that afterwards.  She also couldn't handle Dimetapp or several other meds because of the same result.  Last night, she found out her boy takes after her.  She gave him some Benadryl for his newly diagnosed allergies and he stayed up till at least 3:00 AM, bouncing off the walls.  But, when he fell asleep, he slept very well and woke up extremely refreshed.  At least something good came out of it.  ;)

**********

Despite the fact that nothing came of K's visit to the sleep center, I STILL think his sleep isn't right.  (He went to be tested for sleep apnea and was told he doesn't have it.  I disagree.  I also think he has a bit of 'sleep eating,' too.  But I digress...)  Many times this next scenario has been played out in our house.

I went into the bedroom last night to put away the last of the laundry that I had just folded.  K had already been sleeping for an hour or two.  A lot of the time, he isn't disturbed when I go into the bedroom, but sometimes he is.  As I was putting my night gowns away, he got up out of bed, looked at me and began saying "I heard on the news..." and he proceeded to talk as if we had been conversing for an hour or so.  And he does this quite often--he just starts as if he never was sleeping.  It is the strangest, eeriest thing.  Maybe he DREAMS we are talking and he just continues what he was dreaming about.  I don't know. 

**********

My favorite day of the year came and went over the weekend.  That day would be the first day of summer.  It is my favorite day because every day from now on gets shorter and shorter--and we are one day closer to winter with each day.  ;)  And the hockey season will be starting on 7 October--just 99 days away!  Time is moving way too slowly...

Baby Watch--Newest Edition

The Oldest went to see the specialist today and was told she is having another girl.  So, that will be SIX girls and one boy in the house.  Good grief.

And Here We Go Again

Now begins what I hope will be seven months of daily worry. Once again, I am not overly pleased with C's announced pregnancy. And no, for those who don't know, I am not being a horrible person. Please, read here to understand my complete and total trepidation. Since that post, there are a couple of updates. First, the seventh grandchild was full-term and she is doing fine. Second, the "All of C's children--except for the stillborn, of course--are healthy and fine." is not correct. Her son was diagnosed as a high-functioning autistic. He is quite well, but is very much a handful. Bringing in another child into the mix just isn't going to make anyone's life any easier.

Once again I will ask those who are so inclined to keep C and her unborn child in your prayers. At the very least, please send good thoughts out into the universe. I'm sure you will hear more than you ever wanted to about this pregnancy over the next few months.

File This Under: "Words I Never Thought I'd Have To Say Again"

Just found out that the oldest is pregnant.












Will post again when this has finally sunk in--and I can find words.

Not Even A Lump Of Coal?

I'm deep in my holiday depression, so I might as well continue with very depressing posts. Today is no exception.

I LOVE getting presents. I have no guilt admitting this. While I like giving things to everyone I love, I almost think I enjoy receiving more. I'm like a little kid when it comes to getting things. Just the thought that someone made the effort to get me something that I would like, is heartwarming. I realize a lot of this comes from not getting exactly what I wanted when I was a child--The Family didn't have all that much money--and I wait to see if the present I open is something I really, really like. Much of the time, I am pleasantly pleased with what I find. Almost as many times, I am not very happy. There are far too few people--read that as 'family'--who don't put much thought into what I might want. (My friends read me very well and very, very few times am I disappointed in what they get me.)

This year there will be no presents under the tree for me--other than the possibility of something from The Youngest and her husband. Nothing comes from The Oldest and her family. I realize that they are on an extremely tight budget, with eight in the family and only part time jobs, but still. She talks about the kids making homemade gifts and she tells me about the name exchange they participate in with The Family, but nothing comes into our house from them. While I have insisted on backing off to an extent, we provide an awful lot of money and articles cost-free to their household. It is our decision to buy things for them, but I'm beginning to feel very much taken for granted these days. I am pretty positive that The Mother and The Father don't go without gifts from my kids and grandkids--ever. And I am just as sure that they don't provide hardly anything to The Oldest and her family. But still, they are treated more like her parents than we are. It hurts--deeply.

So, where does The Husband come into the picture? There will be nothing from him this year, either. At the beginning of the month, he suggested we buy a computer as our Christmas gift to ourselves--and I agreed. However, I changed that to TWO computers, as I would NOT be happy with our laptop if I have a new desktop to use. And it is hard enough for the two of us to share the desktop we have, so we really need separate computers to keep a happy home. (The laptop we have was a mistake for us to buy. We spent too much and didn't get anything more than someplace to play basic games. Live and learn.) While I knew I could get two computers for what he wanted to spend, upon further research, I KNEW we couldn't live with anything that basic. I am so over getting 'the biggest, fastest, most powerful' computer, but I won't get the bottom of the barrel, either. So, because of less than $500, I haven't ordered the computers. We can't come to an agreement on how much to spend. (Really, all he has to do is go up on what to spend and I can come down a bit--it could work.) And there will be no gift for me this Christmas. This year will suck eggs, big time.

And, what does this mean for The Husband, in terms of what is under the tree? Well, I won't be going all out as I usually do, but I WILL be putting gifts under the tree for him. I can't stand to think of anyone going without having gifts to open on Christmas Eve--and I won't allow it to happen. Maybe I should get myself something to open, just so I won't feel left out? :|

Part of the problem I have with not getting presents is the fact that The Husband and I are very much ignored throughout the year. IF we get cards--only from The Youngest, I might add--that is the extent of how we are acknowledged at special times through the year. This includes birthdays, anniversary, and Mother's and Father's Day. Thing is, I KNOW in-laws and The Parents are NOT ignored on their special days, because I have seen the presents purchased for them. It is so hard to not show how bitter I feel at times. It is so, so hard to not feel appreciated by your own kids. It is like a dagger through the heart--literally.

Now, I didn't post this so that people will feel sorry for me. My blog is a place for me to vent, that is all. I'm a big girl and will survive this year, just as I have survived all of the rest of them. Mid-January, the latest, I will be fine. Until then, I will wallow in self-pity. We all need to wallow at times--mine just happens at this time of the year.


(I realize I will feel like an absolute ass on Friday if things turn out to be different than this scenario. And I WILL admit my mistake, right here, with face red as Santa's suit. But I don't believe I will have to swallow my pride and admit my mistake. I've lived with these people way too long to not know how they are. Such is life. :|)

Three Blondes Sharing One Brain

The Oldest and two of her girls were out running errands today. They had to stop at the local hospital to make a delivery to an employee there. Once in the hospital, they went to the elevator in order to go to the second floor. On the second floor, they walked past the six-step staircase they avoided by using the elevator. Oldest said she looked around just to make sure no one saw what dumb-asses they were. :)

Big News

The Oldest's husband goes deer hunting every year--this is their main source of meat for the winter. (There's no accounting for taste, I guess--I HATE venison.) Anyway, last year my 13-year-old granddaughter went hunting for the first time and got her first buck. Today, we got the call that she got her second buck. Second year hunting and on the second day of hunting season, she got her second deer. What a girl.