Controlling...Trucks, Bad Cookie and Cake

Good morning, friends...

It's been another extraordinary week.  I'll try to make this short...lolol...right...

Ruth Ann had her reversal surgery then Larry had his surgeries...gallbladder and bladder.  I was running back and forth between the two rooms (same floor, thank God).  Ruth Ann got to go home first...I drove her home, got her in the house, fed, watered...lol...and put to bed.  She's able to do things on her own.  Okay...The next day, I brought Larry home...fed, watered and put to bed...then back out to Ruth Ann's...I do the usual routines, picking up meds etc., then back home to Larry.  

That afternoon, I get a feeling to call Ruth.  An EMS worker answers the phone!  "What?  Who are you??, I say..

"Your sister has fallen and couldn't get up"..."we're taking her to the hospital!'

(she was trying to get up into her HUGE A$$ truck to drive to the friggin' bank...she has not been cleared to drive for another 3 weeks!!)  She fell onto the ground.

Can you say stubborn?  

I'm so upset with her here...she knew better than to try to get into that devil truck!  But I'm keeping my mouth closed...you'd be proud of me...

Eight hours later, we're home.  They found nothing broken. Just low potassium..... I install her onto the sofa (she didn't want to sleep in her bed) ...and then I get a phone call from her the next morning, saying she's fallen again in her living room...

I can't get her up...so her handy man is called, and he gets her back up into her chair...lots of moaning and a few dramatic screams...She's not really hurt by the fall, she rolled...somehow...onto the floor...her knee hurt too much to use her foot as leverage to get back up. 

I look at her dead in the eye and say...enough.  It's time for a rehab center...she has to get strong again, somehow.  She agrees. (heat of the moment type, of agrees)

I spend ALL day Wednesday getting arrangements made... We have a dear neighbor that is a Nursing Home Administrator, and she did all the hard stuff for me (thank God for Tami ).

I then call Ruth Ann...What does she say??  "Nope, I'm not doing that...I will decide what I need..."

Friends, I am so tired...I love my family...I consider myself steadfast and loyal to a fault.  But when she said that to me, something inside me broke...I simply and quietly answered her with, "Oh, you will be going...of that, I have no doubt or...as you have told me so many times, "it's your life and you'll be the one to make all the decisions...and I will wash my hands of it all.  You'll need to find someone to come help you...I have my hands full with Larry."

( I have no immediate help here in town. Family lives almost 3 hours away)

Long hesitation...thinking about her chances of follow-through on my threat...

"Fine...fine...I'll go!'

It's the first time she didn't scream her words at me, in ages.  She's a screamer when she thinks she's losing control and I try hard to keep that fact in mind.  She has no friends...businesses are fed up with her treatment of them...she talks down to people.  She's even managed to run my daughter off... I usually end up calling them and apologizing for her...

Oh...and as her agreeing to go to the rehab center for two weeks?  She absolutely refuses...and I can't pick her up and put her in the car so...I simply and quietly tell her, "Okay".  "You know what? You are absolutely correct...It is your life...so I'm going to butt out.  You do what you think is right for you.  I've been trying to help you for over a year now...and neglecting my home...life...You have a plan?  Fine.  Go for it.  Get your hired help in and let them help you figure things out with you.  I love you".  

And that's how things stand right now.  Oh, I'll still stop in and check on things but as to her decisions?  They are all hers...I'm so done.  When I'm so tired I don't even know what day it is...it's time to stop.

So... if you've stuck with me this far, I thank you for letting me vent...it's been one long year...

As for good news, Larry's on the mend...He gets up and walks...takes his medicine without griping, tells me he loves me...now he's in the kitchen doing his best to make us breakfast.  If I see he can't do it, I'll intervene.  He loves to cook.   

Me and Ruth Ann...guess which is which...lolol

In other news, our granddaughter, Samantha, needed Gamma to make an Italian Cream Cake for a baby shower for her friend, Cortny, whom she's throwing a party for, on Saturday.  I managed to pull it together ( 3 layer, 8"X5" tall) then rested the rest of the day...nice.

You can be crawling tired but if you know your grandchild needs something (planned the cake two months ago), you make it happen. 

And I did...

Side note here!  I bought this at Walmart!  I love it !!!  It works and the smell is yummy!  Just like a fresh baked cookie!  No GMO garbage in it either...

And what's a post without my Sloaneygirl in it?  She's the one in the maroon onesie...blurry. They are about to have snack time in the classroom.  They are doing all types of things...I'm so happy the grandkids are able to afford this for her!  Aren't they all so precious? 

Our Sloaneygirl...styling.

Well, that's about it for me this week.  I'm sorry about the length of the post!  I know we all don't have time to read through novels...so...I'll end it here.

Until next time...

God...Gallbladders, Cheese and Ghouls.

         

Good morning, friends...

The last few weeks have been incredibly busy.  I don't want to say scary but the truth of it, it has been, and the ride isn't over yet.  We are still waiting for the Larry's bladder biopsy results.  Maybe we'll get them Monday?  No clue.  Still feverishly praying for good results...and just Believing.

Oh...did I mention that when they did a CT Scan, they found his gallbladder needed to come out, as well?  Well, long story short, they took it out.  A one-and-a-half-hour procedure turned into a four and a half hour marathon.  It was the worse gallbladder the surgeon had ever seen, and he didn't know how Larry felt no ill effects!  But it's out...and he's already doing better.  

My "walking and praying " path on the surgical floor...waiting...

This is how we feel...

Notice anything wrong with this cheese stick packaging?  They shortened the amount about an inch!! 

Anyone else do this?  If we eat out and are given tons of these packets, I always throw the un-used ones into my purse.  Over time, it can add up!  I refuse to throw them away.  I've become my Mother...

Samantha, Sloane's Mom, sent us these shots of their family photo shoot.   The quality isn't terrific because I copied them off my computer screen.  Goodness!  Larry and I needed a smile!!

Sloane's super nice daycare contacted Sam and told her they now have a spot for Sloane...only took almost two years to get accepted!  

I'm still the back-up sitter...just in case...We already are missing her.

We love these sweet Babies...

Made this sometime last week...don't get me 'ta lying about when...lol

Just when I felt at my lowest...this arrived!  How did you know, sweet Ann... It's fun and cheery, just what I needed.  I haven't been able to sit down long enough to do one of my own but hopefully, soon.  I can't say, Thank you...enough.

Clowns...One and All!  I'm so angry at our country's state of affairs...

As for this house, we stand with Israel... 

Well, that's about it for me.  I tried to keep it short and to the point today.  The weeks are flying by!  So... until next time...

A Press...Muscles, Loins and a Thief.

Good morning, friends...

Sorry I'm late to the party but have been a tiny bit busy.

Read on...

This is called a heat press.  It's weight, in the box, is approximately 55 pounds.  My husband has always been a very active guy.  So... he decided he could carry this heavy box from the street, into the house and around to the back playroom...without a dolly.  He is now 76.

Read on...

Here's my husband, Larry, today.  He ended up in the hospital because of bladder complications...

He couldn't urinate...He was fine one minute and several hours later, he couldn't "go".  He had lifted the heat press two days prior.

It was his birthday (on the 14th) ...Tim and daughter Crystal,  came to help him celebrate.  They leave and that's when he decided to tell me.  Needless to say, I got him to the hospital fast.  Long story short... IF he hadn't lifted that 55 pound box...he would have probably died of bladder cancer...it pulled something in his bladder...most likely a growth and it blocked him...with a blood clot....yes, that's what they found when they ran test.  The Urologist said if left, it would not be a pleasant thing. . . He got all the growths cleaned out and said he was almost positive the growths weren't the really aggressive type of cancer.  Treatable...Six weeks of chemo bladder washes...one per week.  But we'll still wait on the biopsy results, due back in about a week.  This type of cancer is silent and sneaky...no pain...Ask your doctors to do urine test yearly!

Read on...

My sister's (Ruth Ann) re-attachment surgery also took place on Friday the 13th...Larry's problem happened on Saturday, the 14th....his birthday...they are now in rooms 1507 and 1509.  I'm a crazy woman...There's really only me to help both of them...My beautiful daughter came to be with me yesterday while Larry's procedures were done...did I say what a Godsend she is?   Larry's side of the family is...well...just not there...I want to say useless but that might be unkind so I won't say that.  Crys has to leave today though.  Which is fine, I've got this.  I'm bringing Larry home this morning...My sister won't be leaving for another few days so I can run up and still watch over her.

I'm a crazy woman...but me and God's got this...seriously.  There's no other option.

I've girded my loins...I'm good...

Daughter Crystal and our sweet peach, Sloane.

  

          At the birthday visit, before all the other happened...everyone had a sweet time.  Pops and  

                           Sloaneygirl having fun in her pool.  She's not happy he's stolen her blankie...sun hat...baby and blankie! lol                                        

                                                                                

Sloane...our heart...     

 

                                                                         Lol...right!

In other news...I bought this little puppy.  I want to learn embroidery done on machines.  This machine is a Baby Lock Aurora.  It sews and embroiders.  

 

I love anything Sherlock Holmes.  I just threw this one in the donate bag...As well as I could ascertain, it's about a female relative of Sherlocks.  Terribly confusing... I was either too tired to figure it all out or...it's just not my cuppa tea.

Larry made chicken, shrimp and sausage gumbo last Wednesday...Extremely good!!  We packaged about twelve, pint bags, and froze them.

I guess this was last Tuesday...Breakfast out...

Well, this crazy woman needs to get this posted and do some chores.  

Thanks for reading this far!  See you next time...and...

Dog Sitting...A Move, Pumpkins and Pirates.

Good morning, friends!

Goodness!  Another week has flown by!!  

I had to venture down state to my daughter Crystal and hubby Tim's house, in Magnolia (love the name of the town!) to babysit their three fur babies.  I apologize for not commenting on your blogs...it's been a week! 

 They were heading to Arkansas with their son and his girlfriend, Alyssa and dog, Wesley.  Will is in the Airforce and has gotten informed he's moving to Little Rock AF Base, which is in Jacksonville, AR... I'm not positive on all the locations yet.  I just need the new address.  I was told they'd be gone until Sunday...but...they came back in the next day, late.  Business concluded, apartment rented, they just wanted to get back.  Will and Alyssa still need to drive home to Tucson, AZ, which is a 14 hr trip from Magnolia.

Leaving today or tomorrow.

I left the next morning that they returned, to head back home to Larry and my fur babies.  It was so good to see our grandson Will...he's now 24!!  Hard to imagine!

I made the trip home safe and sound in about three hours.  Larry stayed behind to keep our babies.  I got unpacked then we ate lunch... and I rested. 

This is Bo.  He has to take medicine for seizures morning and night.  He did great while I was there. 

This is Toby...the ham...the 'lil old man.   I swear he's part human!  He was a bit upset with me because Bo was sitting next to me instead of him!  Sat on his bed (one of many!) just staring at me...lolol

I finally coaxed him onto the sofa after Bo left.  But he was still stand-offish.  

Finally decided to forgive me...lolol

He's just a little (big) love!

Here's Tim, Wesley the dog, Alyssa and William working out the apartment agreement.

It has a very nice pool...and after Tim (dad) called the local police station to verify location and neighborhood statistics on crime in the area, the deal was struck.  Will and Alyssa had been victims of a robbery at their third-floor apartment last month.  They were asleep in their bedroom but thank God, the bedroom door was also locked so they didn't bother trying to get in.  Will woke Alyssa and told her someone was in the apartment and to be quiet while he investigated.  Glock in hand, they made off with what they had time to steal.  The police said they had too many cases right now to investigate but as soon as they were able, they'd check it out...(WHAT???)...  Okay...it's Tucson, Arizona and there's a border crisis going on.  I get it.  You know they'll never catch them. 

SO... onward to a new state, a new apartment (supposedly a great reputation).  Will needs to report to his new duty station by the week before Thanksgiving.  His mom and dad (Crystal & Tim) will be going there for Thanksgiving to meet Alyssa's parents...hummm...:O) we love her!

I think we all remember the little old lady across the street...always on the lookout! lol

And I must post about Sloane's adventure to the pumpkin patch!  

I wasn't there but they said she had a blast!

Well, that's about it for this week.  Hope you all enjoyed your "week past" and are having a sweet and peaceful weekend.

So, until next time...