February Gone

What happened to February? The month just started, but then the weather has been part of the culprit with so much snow.  Monday I was having some problems with the stomach from all the stress. When is it going to end? I hope this last paper work is the last that I have to do. Pray that  I have given them enough. I think not knowing is part of my problem.

Then Tuesday we got the snow and I went no where. They had problems trying to push the driveway because of it being so wet and  heavy. Wednesday, more snow, but my daughter-in-law came and got me in their 4 wheel truck. I spent the day with my two oldest grandsons. They were out of school and I knew I wouldn't being able to get into the parking lot at work. When they brought me home, they cleaned off my car and around it. It was a good 10 inches plus part of it had melted so I really don't know how much we got for sure.  It still wasn't that good today, but I could park on the street and then very carefully walked  into work. I got some of it done, tying up loose ends without much help.

Tonight I went to our mall to hear my youngest grandson sing. The kindergarten and first grade put on a very good program. They had worked really hard on it. They have only gone to school three days in the last two weeks. 

I thought I would show you a couple of my tea towels that I have finished.  I have to keep the hands busy right now. This seems to be my best stress reliever.  My roosters has a copper color blanket stitch around the edge. 

I have the possibility of doing a Spring Craft Show. I haven't done one, but then I may be doing more of them. I will just have to wait and see. 

The snow we got this time was great for building forts and snowmen.  Matt was busy building his lego's. He has all of these things he wants to get done before his Uncle John gets home. 

I am looking forward to him being home. He will be here the week of Easter. The boys are counting days and they will all want his attention.  I have talked to him this week. He always seems to know when mom needs to hear his voice. 

I hope you all have been staying warm and safe. If you have to travel, please be careful. So many accidents and many were because of driving to fast for the road condition. Have a wonderful weekend. 

Snow Anyone

How many of you can remember when you went in a wagon or a sled with a team of horses pulling you to town? You were all wrapped up in quilts to keep warm. Going out to take care of the animals in the snow and  cold. I can remember when my dad got his first used car and our first refrigerator.
My tree was taken several years ago, but that is how I think we are going to end up with the temperature staying right around the freezing mark. The snow is still coming down  and needless to say I don't know when it is going to stop.
I did get my taxes figured yesterday and talked about our new planning stages of drawing unemployment. I haven't done that for a long, long, long, time. I thought I was really going to retire from my job, but then that was a rude awakening. I had been there for a long long time. I have a few things to finish up then it will be doing whatever. I don't know where to look for a new one at my age. I wasn't really wanting it, but then maybe it will good in the long run. It did relieve a little of the stress, stomach is still churning and the meds don't help alot. It will settle down I hope.
My youngest grand son and his yellow race car got third in districts of the Boy Scout Pinewood Derby. He got two trophies, one when he won at his pack race and the  other at districts. Him and his dad was already talking about the next car. He said he just couldn't catch the one that won.
I have been told  that they were going to help with the nursing home bill, but they want more paper work before they will tell me how much. I have a deadline to get  it in by. They don't take in consideration the weather.
I hope all of you stay safe and warm. For those north and east of us, the snow is coming your way. I think the groundhog must have been really had his eyes shut so he couldn't see his shadow. Look at the snow we have had here at the end of the month.
Take care. 

FUN

This is what you do when you are out of school on a cold wintry day. You go Tubing down the front hill at Aunt Angie's house with Ethan. Jake is giving instructions to Ethan with him pulling Matt on the sled. They look as though they are having a blast. 

It brought back some wonderful memories of the many coasting parties we had when I was a child. We didn't do the inner tube back then, but we did use things we weren't suppose to do.

 I can remember going to our cousin's and being told not to sled toward the ditch, which was deep so what did we do, you guess it. We didn't get hurt, but we did have a blast. 
Homemade snow ice cream, yummy. Of course, mom always had cookies to go with it. You want to be sure that you picked clean snow. 
We lived close enough to town that we always had our town friends coming to our house. Mom always took it in stride, but then she had several brothers and sisters. Of  course, dad was an only child except for half-brother and sister. We never got to know them very well. Now with mom's brothers and sisters that was another story. We had a lot of cousin's and always had fun.
  How many can remember going to the outside movies in the small towns. The county fairs or as some would call them street fairs. The carnivals that came to town, the horse shows, drive-in movies. When your brother works there, you got in for a very cheap rate. 
Don't you miss the olden days, I guess that tells our age, but we had fun. We didn't do the things that kids do now. We didn't destroy people's property. 
 Well you all have a wonderful day. Stay warm and safe. I am out the door to get my taxes figured, the store, and home. Take care.

RETIREMENT???

The  snow has stopped and the sun is trying to peek out from under the clouds. My driveway is bladed shut thanks to our city workers. I won't be going anywhere until it gets cleaned out for me as if I was going anywhere today. 

 

Basically a lot of stores are closed today which I can't say I blamed them. I set here watching my next door neighbor trying to get out of their driveway. They have a Kia I think, but needless to say they didn't make it out. 

 

My stress level went down some with a phone call that I got yesterday.  I still have to send them more paper work, but until they have that they can't tell me how much other then they will help us. You know I am a person who has always paid my own way and never asked for help. If I could figure out a way, I wouldn't ask for help now.  All I can say is if you are our age be prepared for surprises because you are going to get them with all of the changes that they are making.You always had the thought that medicare and supplement insurance would pay the bills. Not now. One medication they have him on, our portion out of pocket is over 200.00 and it is only for 14 days, that is a bummer.  At that rate we will be in the donut hole before you realize it.

 

I am working on some new projects, but not far enough long to show pictures as of yet.  I have to keep the hands busy. You all stay warm and safe. There are a lot of people that have to dig out from the snow or there were tornado's  in the south. Take care.

Snowing

I am sitting here watching the snow coming down out my window. It won't take long to accumulate with the rate that it is coming down. We may look like my picture or it may be worse, don't really know. I have been needing some down time, but it isn't exactly how I wanted it. I wanted to go shopping. 

Of course, the boys will love the snow. What kids don't love playing in the snow. I did when I was a child. I can remember taking sleds to school and going out to coast at lunch time. We might make it back in time to do something in the afternoon. Walking on top of the drifts to make it home for Christmas, mom making snow ice cream, snow ball fights, using mom's wash tub, the scoop shovel, and a piece of tin to coast on. We did get in trouble for using the wash tub, the scoop shovel and the tin. The coasting parties, hot chocolate and cookies. Fond memories.

The snow will give me some time to visit my friends in blog land. I have been stopping by, but just not leaving messages. The last two weeks have been very trying on the nerves. Needless to say the stress load was out of site. Scared because they thought at first hubby had a stroke, but he didn't. Just his ammonia level out of site. It just takes several days of working to get it back down.

If we get as much as they are saying I probably will have a long weekend without going anywhere. 

I keep having these crazy pop-up showing up. I thought I have it set so they won't, but they do. Any suggestions how to get rid of them. 

I hope I can get out Saturday because I am suppose to get my taxes figured. We will have a discussion of about how the year will change and what I need to do. 

Enough of my rambling. Have a wonderful day. Stay safe and warm. 

This, That, and etc

 The weekend is coming to a close and I spent yesterday basically sleeping the day away Other then eating and going to the  bathroom, I didn't venture far from the bed.
It  was rather nice, but today I went early to the nursing home.  Hubby was having a little bit of a problem. For one thing, a low blood sugar, but he was doing better when I came home. I had to go to the store for me.
I was a little upset because I lost my little sewing bag that my boys gave me for Christmas. It had needles, seam ripper, and other sewing items in it.
It was gone by the time we come back from lunch . I know it was there earlier and it made me think that somebody had seen it because it was the only thing missing.  When I looked in his closet, there wasn't any of his clothes. We still have clothes missing, that is supposedly in laundry. I guess they thought he wasn't coming back.
My youngest grandson, Ethan, had a very good weekend.  It was Pinewood Derby race car weekend. They had built  four cars that  they did a trial run and he had to choose which one he wanted to race. He  chose his yellow car and it won first place.  They took grandma out to dinner on Friday night to give me a change of scenery from the hospital and nursing home. He had grandma stay a while  with him. Daddy was weighing the cars and  I had to see his collection of Pokey man Cards.
 He went to his first ice-skating  birthday party. He loved it. Mom has no broken bones  just sore feet from stuffing her feet in her skates that she hadn't wore for quite a while.
Thank you for all of your continued prayers.  I just hope we get him out of the nursing home, but it makes me wonder if that is going to happen, physical therapy wise, I think we are going backwards. They did work with him every day he was in the hospital.
You all have a wonderful week.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY

Happy Valentine's Day to all of you. I got my present today which was hubby got out of the hospital today. He didn't have a stroke, but they didn't completely rule out a mini stroke because when he squeezes your hand, the left hand does not squeeze as tight as the right. His ammonia level was still 69, but they could no longer justify another day in the hospital. It was 195 when he was admitted  which was way to high.  He had several things going on at once, but it is terribly nerve racking when you don't know what is happening. Of course, you always think the worse case possible. With  him having cirrohosis of the liver you have to watch his ammonia level because he takes meds that require the liver to function. His doesn't so we take laculose to help get rid of them.  You have to be careful how you do it.  When I get really stress and nerves stretch to the limit, I get sick to my stomach.  Needless to say that happened early Saturday morning. The nurse caught me vomiting and thought I had the flu. It was just something that happens every so often ,I want to say thank you  from the bottom of my heart for your prayers they have truly helped me get through these days. I just wanted you to know I am home and he is back in the nursing home. I still have to talk with some people there that had already gone home by the time we got out of the hospital so that is on the agenda. Well I really need to get some sleep because I need to go back to work tomorrow. Trying to finalize everything by the end of the month. Thank you again.

Quick Update

I came home long enough to get some clean clothes and pick up a few things. Hubby is still in the hospital and will be there for a few  more days. From there don't know where he is going. Lots of unanswered questions. His ammonia level was 195 with a urinary tract infection when he was admitted. Then he got sick that they thought was from the dye they gave him for the MRI. He had diarrhea also,that lab work said there was a bacterial infection.They think he might have had a TIA or mini stroke because when he squeeze your hand the left hand doesn't squeeze as tight as the right. Mobility has gone backwards.  His ammonia level is coming down slow process but it is still not where we need to be It has got to get to 40  part time knows where he is at and makes sense sometimes don't. Please keep the prayers coming. Must get back to the hospital.

Prayers Needed for Hubby

Please pray for my hubby, we admitted him to the hospital last night. They are running test. Don't know what is wrong this time. I will be gone for a little while staying 24/7 at the hospital with him. My daughter is on facebook, I will have her post up dates as we get them. Her name is Angela Caw. Take  care.

This, That, and Need a little Assistance

     Valentine's day is quickly approaching . Have you either made or bought your Valentine card yet?. 

      You can hop over to see my Friend, Donna over at Brnywoodneedleworks. Just click on  the giveaway on my side bar and it will take you there. She makes a lot of pretty things. The quilts, the ribbon embroidery, she will help you  if you need help. You will have your choice of three different items made especially for you. 

        I need your help on a couple of items. First, how can you get rid of these pesty  pop-ups that keep popping up either on the side or the bottom of your page  when you are trying to read or type.  My next problem, I have a new tea towel done, that got some coffee spilt on it. How do you get it out or if you decided to give the whole tea towel a coffee stain look, how do you do it.? Right at the moment I am in limbo about it along with the waiting game to see if my hubby got qualified for medicaid. You really can't get answers from people , who is suppose to be able to help you. 

     I keep praying that my hubby doesn't get sick at the nursing home. They have so much flu bug going around right at the moment. He had his flu shot so that could possibly help him. I didn't get one, but my immune system is better then his. 

     My cute little bunny came from Deb over at Dragonfly. She had some Valentine images on her blog. If you like Vintage Valentine cards go see Lindsey and Twyla over at Two Crazy Crafters. They share them with you and they have some that has brought back the memories of my childhood. I remember  decorating shoe boxes for our Valentine box in grade school. Of course back then, we went to school in a one room school house. All the classes were in the same room.
    One more day until the weekend, I think I am going to have a quiet weekend. We shall see. Have a great day and stay warm.

     

APPOINTMENT

     I made it down to my doctor appointment and got a good report on what he could tell me today. Of course, I have to wait on the lab work, but my blood pressure was the best he has seen it in quite awhile even with the drive down. My EKG was good and we had a good talk about my stress load. He  lowered my blood pressure medicine because he didn't want it to get to low with my living by myself. We talked about hubby in the nursing home. Let"s face it we talked about everything that was going on in my life at the present time even about my job coming to an end. 
     I go back in 6 months, but if I need him before then I am just to call.  He has always been there for me. He knows I don't call unless there is a problem. I felt good after I left his office. He is kinda like family because we have seen him every since hubby first got sick which is starting into the 15th year.  He has always been there even when I have been an emotional wreck crying. 
     We had the birthday party yesterday and grandpa played cards with his grandson's. It was fun to watch. Ethan picked out grandpa's birthday cake. It was white with chocolate icing. They had put balloons on it which each balloon made out of frosting representing so many years. Angie didn't think she could get 73 candles on it and it might cause a fire hazard. He He He got his polish sausage lunch meat sandwich. He loved that.  He was tired after his afternoon, but he enjoyed it and that was the main thing. 
     I have been trying to get warm this evening. It was 45 when I left the city and by the time I got home after stopping at the pharmacy it was down  to 28 which was roughly in a hour  and a half. The wind came out of the Northwest. It was stronger then when I went down. I got my car serviced while I was down there. It was a little early, but I won' t have to make a special trip to get my car service. 
     Our oldest called and wished his dad Happy Birthday. He was going to a job site in Lake Charles, La. He has had to deal with the crazy traffic with the Super Bowl in town. The only thing I liked was the Clydesdale commercial. It made me think about Grant's Farm, and the Brewery in St. Louis where we saw the babies. My kids were little so you know how long ago that has been. 
     Hope you stay warm, safe if you have to be out in bad weather. Prayers are going out for those in need. My list keeps growing, but I am a firm believer that is what is helping my family.  Take care 

Birthday

At least they say the ground hog didn't see his shadow today so that means Spring is maybe on its way. I would love that in more ways then one. 
Today they tied a Happy Birthday Balloon on hubby's wheelchair. He got a card and they sang Happy Birthday to him at breakfast. I spent the afternoon with him and his oldest son called him tonight to wish him Happy Birthday. Not to bad. The rest of the family will see him tomorrow for a party in the afternoon. We couldn't get the room today.  

This is what you call imagination. I don't know what Matt's tower is suppose to be, but it is all made out of Lego's as well as the plane, cars, that is just a few of the things. He is constantly building something. Mom says it definitely shows that his mind is working.

 The picture shows you how much they had to build up my hubby's shoe.  He has reconciled himself to the fact that he will have to stay at the nursing home for a while longer. We are going to take it one day at a time. I told him he has to be patient, but that is easier said then done.
Jake called me to let me know they had made it home from seeing my dil's dad , who had a stroke. She moved him to a different facility because they were giving him the therapy that he needed.  He has improved some, but as all things you take it one day at a time.
Dad will have a surprise. He is getting a Polish Sausage lunch meat sandwich. He has been wanting one, and my son was able to get some yesterday.
I have been doing a little of this and that. My concentration has been a little up in the air with so much going through my mind. I think it will settle down maybe a bit when we hear back about the medicaid and know just how much longer I will work. I just wish they would say this is the dead line and be done with it.
I hope you all have a wonderful week. Take care.