Saturday, December 31, 2016

Saturday and The Ohio State Football Game

Tonight we will watch the football game between Ohio State and Clemson.  Ginger is a huge Ohio State  fan. She played basketball for them when she was in college. Nathan and his girlfriend will come back for that event. We will have chicken wings and perhaps pizza while we watch the game.

I feel a lot better this morning. I still have the cough but that may take awhile to go away. Coughs usually do. I slept well because of the Zeequil, I guess. I have had my Granola and my coffee. I have also emptied the dishwasher and dressed and got myself ready for the day. I am now having my tea and honey. Scott just came in so I fixed him some ham and eggs and toast for breakfast. He is much better this morning too. Not as well as I am but much better then yesterday.

Ginger is sleeping in this morning. She was very tired when they got home. Nathan stayed the night too. He will go home today to get his girlfriend and they will come back for the game and stay the night tonight.  

More later...

Nathan went home to get his girl friend.  He will be back this afternoon.

O.K. Ginger and I have been talking while Scott went to get his haircut. Now he is back. Ginger is going to work out awhile while I work on my blog and Scott is cleaning out the fireplace to build a new fire in it later on this afternoon.

I gave Ginger the 30 minute story of my life while Scott was gone. We traded ideas on the political situation. Ginger is really a nice person. I am very fond of her.

Now she is out on the drive working out. Scott is working around the house.  Soon we will go to the market when Ginger is finished and maybe get something to fix for lunch. It's almost 11:00 now.

More even later. 

Scott and Ginger went to the market. I was busy working on my classmate list to get ready to send off the other letters by snail mail when I get home and eating a sandwich for lunch so I stayed here.

Nathan and his girl friend came later in the afternoon and they all watched a football game to see who Ohio State would play tonight. It turned out to be Clemson.

The evening came by quickly and we watched the Ohio State/Clemson football game. Ohio State has a basically freshmen team and they made a lot of mistakes and never were able to make any score. Clemson won big. Before the end, Scott's cold kicked in again and he took some meds and went to bed.

I stayed up with Ginger and watched until the end. We all had plenty of snacks. I had a small pizza which I was unable to eat by myself. Luckily pizza warms up nicely in the microwave and I will have some more of it this noon.

I went to bed at 11:00.  I took two Zeequil capsules and slept like a baby.

Friday, December 30, 2016

Friday and Ginger Comes Home

Ginger and Nathan will be back tonight. That will be  around 10:00 PM though.

Scott is home sick with my cold. He called in sick. He is pretty miserable. I believe in "feed a cold and starve a fever" and so I fixed him some ham and eggs for breakfast and some hot tea with honey and he is drinking lots of water. He will just lay around today and see if the cold breaks. Mine is on the mend but I still have the cough. I slept well last night. I took a couple of  Zeequil capsules.

I called Cox last night and they walked me through fixing my e-mail so I can now "send" as well as "receive" e-mail. I got to bed about 10:00.

This morning Scott texted me that he was sick with a terrible cold and he had called in sick. It's the same one I've been fighting ever since I came....blast that minister who sat next to me on the plane to Charlotte last Tuesday a week ago. I caught his terrible cold and now Scott has it. I am on the mend after a week and three days but his is just starting. I warned him not to kiss Ginger when she comes in or she will get it too.

More later....

Scott lay around and napped off and on most of the day. About 3:30 he got to feeling a little better and we walked around the community for awhile. He almost overdid it though. We got back about 4:30 and he got some of the Low Country Boil out that Von brought us yesterday, and put it in the microwave. He is eating that for supper. He is feeling a little better this evening.

I don't know what I will eat. I had a cheese sandwich and hot tea for lunch. I'm really not hungry yet.

I am feeling better but I've had the cold for a week.

Maybe more later....

I had some ham and potato salad for supper and watched Gettysburg  with Scott until Ginger and Nathan got home.  Then we turned it of and visited. They had had an exhausting flight and wanted to tell us about it.

About 9:30, I went to take a shower  and washed my hair. It was disgusting. Then after dryer it, I went to bed. I did take Zeequil and it worked.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Thursday and A Worse Cold

I slept really poorly last night. I went to bed at 9:00 and woke up at 12:30 so stopped up I couldn't breathe. I got up to clear my head and almost never got back to sleep. Then I coughed for an hour before finally getting back to sleep. I am really dead headed this morning. I set my alarm to wake Scott up at 5:00, like he asked, but when it went off and I crawled out of my warm bed and went to call him, I found he was already up. I won't do much this morning unless I get to feeling better. Breakfast may help and coffee may help too.

I see he didn't forget to take his lunch. That's good.

Eddy spent the night outside. He scratched on one of their expensive chairs and Scott made him go outside...not that he knows why he spent the night outside. He is, after all, a cat.

Sometime this afternoon I will fix the potato and ham casserole for our supper this evening. Yesterday I cut the rind off all the leftover ham from Christmas dinner, left some in bigger pieces and cut the rest up into small pieces for this casserole.

Their soon-to-be-next door neighbor friends sent over some Cajun food last night. We will save it for tomorrow when Ginger and Nathan will return. They can help us eat it. There's a lot of it. I had Scott put it in the frig instead of the freezer.

Leslie texted me yesterday to tell me that I will get back on Wednesday the 4th of January just in time for an arctic cold front to move into Kansas. She said to enjoy the mild weather while I could.  I hope it holds off until she can pick me up at the airport in Tulsa.

Now I'll go and get myself ready for the day.  More later....

I am dressed now and made up and ready for the day.  I will just read my Kindle for awhile. I don't feel just real good.  I will be glad to get home on Wednesday and get my hair cut, colored and done. It has looked tragic all the time I have been here. It needed to be done before I left but Kathy was off for the holiday. I have an early morning appointment on the Thursday after I get home on next Wednesday.  I will wash it again myself tonight.

It's 65 degrees here at 8:30. It is partly sunny but pretty gloomy right now. If it warms up I will sit out on the porch and read.

At  9:35 it's still chilly (in the 60's) and overcast. So far, there have only been two days of sunshine since I've been here. I have been here a week and one day.

More later..

It is 73 now. at 11:32 and mostly sunny. Maybe it will warm up enough that I can sit outside again. My Kindle is charging. I am eating the remaining potato soup.

More even later...

Scott came home about  1:00 and was hungry. I started our casserole dish and got it in the oven about 2:30. It was to bake until 3:30 at 375 degrees. When it finished and the oven was cooling down, we were watching the movie "Lincoln" and suddenly a huge wind came up and blew the tarp off Scott's grill. I saw it from the kitchen window and shouted at him to gp get it before it went into the river. He ran out to find it and secure it again and suddenly the wind picked up even harder and blew the tarp off the table and chairs on the patio. That tarp took to the air. I shouted at Scott but with the sound of the wind, he could not hear me. I was in my stocking feet but I opened the sliding door and ran to catch it. I ran about half a block to that church two doors down and finally caught up with it. I had run through dirt and sand in my stocking feet and my feet were soaked, but I had that tarp. I brought it back and Scott had secured that tarp on the grill with rocks from the walk and gone to get all the beach towels they had. We wiped down the table top and I came back with the tarp and the tie downs and he and I tied the tarp back on the table and chairs. He crawled under the table and dried off the chairs too.

The wind finally died down and we tossed all our towels and my socks and jeans in the dryer. What an experience!

Then Scott went to get the mail. In the mail, we received two DVDs from KOAM-TV out of Pittsburg, Kansas. They taped an interview with my Bob and Carol and Paul Fairbank after they got back from 9-11 in 2001. Bob's was the primary interview.  They sent us two DVDs of that short interview at the Red Cross Office in Coffeyville.  Scott is trying to save that DVD interview to his mass storage drive.  So far, he has not been successful.

He was able to put it on facebook and that gave the other kids and others access to it! Wonderful!

We were going to e-mail it to Keith to make copies for Leslie and himself.  Scott also wrote the news director at KOAM-TV to see if they might have the copy of the video they made of the church service at our church. They came to that service and set up their cameras and taped the part of the service where he talked about his 9-11 experience.

Wednesday, December 28, 2016

Wednesday and Laundry

I slept well last night.  I woke up just once but got right back to sleep.  I got up at 5:00 and noticed Scott was not up yet. I wasn't sure what time he generally got up or I would have woke him. Sure enough, about 5:45 he got up and said he was running late. He needed the Dayquil I didn't take so I gave it to him. He grabbed a cup of coffee and took off.

I will do laundry today. I will do a load for myself and get my laundry washed up and then I will do several loads for him. I haven't looked to see what he has in his basket yet but will.... after I finish my coffee.

It looks like about six loads of laundry. That will be my project for today. I have it all sorted and have T-shirts...or mostly T-shirts in there now.  There is a load of underwear, one of the scrubs Ginger wears to work , one of jeans, and one of whites. I guess I will throw mine in with her delicates.

There are several stacks of clean clothing in there now on the counter. Scott did not get it put away last night. Maybe I can get him to do that tonight. I will fold the laundry I am doing now into the basket, I guess. There is no counter space for it. Maybe if I look in Ginger's closet, I can figure out where some of it goes.

In the meantime, I will have a cup of tea and turn on the news.

More later...

One load in the dryer and another in the washer. Three to go. This gives me something productive to do.

I'm down to the last load in the washer and the next to last load in the dryer. I will cut up our leftover ham for a ham and potato casserole tomorrow.

I have put away the clothing that I found a place to put. Scott will have to help me find the place for the rest.

More even later....back to cutting up ham for the casserole.

More later....

I finally finished the ham trimming and left some for sandwiches too. If Scott will run by the market this afternoon after we eat, I will pick up the ingredients for a ham and potato casserole. We will need some PicSweet veggies and same salad makings too.  If he needs NyQuil again this evening, we will need to get that too and green tea and Chai Latte. I want to get some cream of celery soup too for the base.

More even later...

I forgot the PicSweet veggies so we will just have to make do with what is on hand.

I did get all the laundry done and the towels are in the dryer now. We went over to St. Mary's so Scott could work out and then we came back to Yulee and ate dinner at a Japanese restaurant.  After that, we went to the market and bought some of our groceries for tomorrow's casserole dish. I brought home half of my dinner and Scott will take it for his lunch tomorrow. 

We are back home now and will watch TV this evening until bedtime.


Tuesday, December 27, 2016

Tuesday and Ginger and Nathan Leave

I assume Nathan, Ginger's son, did finally get in last night. I heard Scott get up and leave this morning but was very tired and did not get up to see him off to work. I am still fighting off this cold. Now I'm hoarse. Ginger is finally up. Nathan is not up yet. It must have been very late when he came in. It's only 6:40 now.

I have been up about 45 minutes. I've made my bed and dressed. I don't exactly know what I will do today here at the house alone. I will watch TV some to get the news and then read my Kindle. If the weather is nice I may take a walk.

More later...

Nathan got up and got around.  Ginger took him out for breakfast. Then they were going on to the airport.

It's raining today. I have put the laundry in to wash and folded the laundry Ginger did last night. I don't know where everything goes so I have just left it folded on top of the counter in the laundry room. When Scott comes home this afternoon, he will know where everything goes.

I've texted Bob Avery and he slept late this morning...which is good. He said Missy's treats would be late this morning. That will be fine. She can wait. He says she is adjusting to the new routine.  That's good too.

More later....

I've made some potato soup from the last six potatoes left from Christmas dinner. That's what I will have for lunch. There may be some cheese too.

I watched "A Few Good Men" for the nth time. That was fine. 

More even later...

I've had  my potato soup with some pretzels and cheese and it was good.

Then I got the covered box Ginger showed me to put the Christmas decorations in and took them off the tree and took the tree out to Nathan's truck. He will take it home on Friday and build a bonfire with it. I swept the needles off the walk and dumped the water out of the tree stand. Then I swept off the drive.

Now I see Scott is home. so....more even later...

Scott ate some of my potato soup with some crackers he brought home with some cheese.

Then we watched "The Accountant". It was pretty good though violent. It's 4:25 now. Keith called awhile ago and we visited for awhile.  Then the tax appraisal guy came and he measured the outside of the house.

Ginger and Nathan are in Ohio for the funeral. The funeral is tomorrow according to Scott. Then Ginger and Nathan fly back on Friday.

Scott and I watched a couple of movies this evening. One was the original "True Grit" with John Wayne. The old movies were so much more entertaining without terrible violence.

Scott went to bed at 7:00. He gets up around 5:00 AM. I will try to stay up until 9:00. I usually sleep better if I stay up a little later.

Tomorrow I will do my laundry. I did Nathan's today.

Monday, December 26, 2016

Monday After Christmas

I slept really well last night. It had been big day. We stayed up after the movie and visited and kind of watched TV until 9:00 and then all went on to bed. Ginger gave me another packet of those NyQuil capsules and I slept through the night. They keep my cough down. I am still fighting off the cold I was exposed to on the plane on my way down here. When I finally woke up this morning it was almost 5:00.

It's nearly 7:00 now. I'm the only one up. Ginger is on call. Scott has the day off.  Ginger will leave tomorrow to go to Ohio for her grandmother's funeral. She will take Nathan with her. He will come back down here so they can both take off at the Jacksonville airport. Scott will take them to the airport. Then they will return on Friday.

I've had my cereal and my meds for the day. Yesterday was an exhausting day. I guess it's my mileage and perhaps it wasn't that bad after all. They gave me some great lotion and candle gifts. Ginger will send them to me after she gets back. They would never make it through security.

This morning after everyone gets around, we will go to the market.  I need a thing or two.  Then I will try to get back to my book on the Kindle. Scott watches non stop TV.......CNN most of the time and movies some of the time. It's exhausting to me. I need to read and sit out in the sunshine some of the time.

Scott mowed day before yesterday and trimmed. The yard really looks good. I swept out their garage. That was needed too. It gave me something productive to do while I am here besides loading and unloading the dishwasher and peeling potatoes.

More later...

I read my Kindle until the kids were ready to leave. Then we went to Fernandina Beach for lunch and we stopped at Walmart there for me to do my little bit of shopping. I had tomato bisque soup. Ginger had a salad and a pizza. Scott had a hamburger and french fries. It was all yummy. Then we went back out to Amelia island so the kids could go looking for the place on the beach called Driftwood. There they both bought a small Bluetooth speaker they could put out by the pool and listen to their music.

I will make some potato soup after Ginger is gone tomorrow. That will be good for Scott and me to have for supper.

More even later...

Ginger rented the movie, Florence", this evening and she and I watched it. It was very good.  I had wanted to rent it from V&S Variety in Coffeyville but it was not out yet.

Scott and Ginger have walked down to the mailbox to check the mail. I am staying here to watch CNN news and wait for Nathan to come. He and his mother will fly out tomorrow. It's only 6:10 right now and I will not take my bath until 8:30 or so.

It's 9:00 now and I am really tired so I will go on to bed. Nathan still has not arrived.

Sunday, December 25, 2016

Christmas Day in Florida

I didn't sleep well last night. I am still trying to take cold, I guess. I have fought this cold ever since I got here. So the man that sat next to me on the plane to Charlotte must have done a job on me.

I need to text Bill this morning and thank him for the Kindle book he gave me for Christmas. He is so faithful to do that every birthday and every Christmas.  I will wait until it is later in Kansas though.

I need my friends and family to know I cannot use my e-mail "out" while I am here. The mail still comes "in" but texting and this blog are my only way to tell anyone "Merry Christmas" or "thank you".

More later...

I just peeled some potatoes for Ginger. She has begun our Christmas dinner. It will be done in two crock pots. One for scalloped potatoes and one for the stuffing. She will do the ham and the mushrooms in the oven.

I cleaned up after the preparations.  That's one thing I could do to help.

More later....

Got the dishwasher loaded and ready to go to the movie.

More later...

The movie was called "Fences" and starred Denzel Washington. It was a very slow start and almost never gets going.  Ginger did not like it at all. I thought it was good once it got going but I wasn't sure it was going to get going.

When I finish this I am going to get my bath and get ready for bed. I didn't sleep well last night at all.


Saturday, December 24, 2016

Saturday and a Shopping Trip at Amelia Island

I slept well last night. Ginger gave me some meds to help me sleep and also dry up what is trying to be a cold. So far, so good. The man sitting beside me on the plane to Charlotte had a terrible cold and I am trying to fight it off of developing. So far...so good.

We ate breakfast at Caroline's this morning and it was a terrific breakfast. I am still full and it is 1:25 in the afternoon.  The kids are off on a run. I am sitting on the porch in the wicker chairs in the sunshine trying to get the blog up to date.

The bad news is that Ginger's grandmother passed away last night. She will be flying out to Ohio for the services which are being held on Thursday. Since I am here, Scott has to stay here with me. My plane takes off on January 4th. I could stay here by myself while they are gone with Nathan, her son, to the services... if they got back in time to get me to the airport the morning of the 4th. But I don't think they are comfortable doing that.

This morning we all went over to Amelia Island and walked all over the place after visiting the street market there. Ginger finished up her last minute Christmas shopping. After a couple of hours, we came back home. Scott and Ginger are doing a run right now. I stayed here with the animals and am resting.

It is a beautiful day. Yesterday was chilly and cloudy. Today is lovely!

More later....

This afternoon Ginger's son, Nathan, came. She and Nathan are going to leave Tuesday to go back to Ohio to the funeral services for Ginger's grandmother, who passed away last night. She should be back on Friday. He is a very nice young man. When he got out of his truck, I extended my hand to shake his hand and he gave me a huge hug instead.

Scott and Ginger cooked dinner. Ginger cooks her veggies over a grill in a large cage type utensil.  I actually had never seen a thing like that. It reminded me a bit of an old fashioned popcorn popper.  But it worked. She put some seasoning on them and put broccoli, cauliflower and tomatoes in it and Scott grilled them over an open flame. Then they put some special seasoning on the pork and grilled that. They walked down the lane to get the mail and deliver some gifts to friends that live down that way and I watched the meat while they were gone. Dinner was great.

We visited awhile over dinner reminiscing over past experiences.

Nathan is watching a movie now. It's "Jack Reacher". I have not seen the movie. But it might not be one I would enjoy.

It's 6:20 now and I want to read to relax so I will go back to my bedroom and read. It's been a wonderful but exhausting day.

More later...

As it turned out, I did decide to watch "Jack Reacher" with the others. I got to bed before 9:00 but did not fall asleep right away. Too big a day, I guess.

I cannot send e-mail from here so texting and this blog are my only way to communicate with anyone. 




Friday, December 23, 2016

Friday Another Beautiful Day

I slept a little longer this morning. It was nearly 5:00 when I finally got up. I took a shower and washed my hair.  Then I came in for breakfast. I had some more of the cereal Scott bought for me and it is nearly gone. It was a small box.

We watched the last half of  "All The President's Men" since he went to bed last night before it was finished.  Then we went to the market and he bought a few things he needed. I bought some more cereal and some gum. Then we went to Panera Bread and I treated him to breakfast. We intend to go to the movie tonight to see "Collateral Beauty" with Will Smith.

Now Scott is going to run and I am going to watch the news.

So More later...

Scott never did get to run. It was just too chilly get out. He is off today although Ginger does work. This morning we watched "The Book Thief". It was part of his Apple TV. He has 112 movies on Apple.

I am still not hungry and it's nearly 1:00. I still have part of my dinner from last night.

I never did eat my leftover dinner. It's 3:45 now.

We will eat out again tonight and then go to the movie.

More later....

We went to Chili's for supper and I had their wonderful potato soup. Afterward we all went to see the movie, "Collateral Beauty" with Will Smith. It started slow but soon reached an interesting climax. I thought it was pretty good!

When we got back home, I washed my face free of makeup and got ready for bed. I had washed my hair this morning in the shower so did not want to take another bath or shower. 

When I turned my phone back on, Leslie had texted me about my old friend, Madelyn Miller.  She had fallen and broken her arm and her hip. She is in her late 80's or early 90's.  I don't believe she will make it. I called Tom Allen and he told me she does not want to do her physical therapy and she will not be able to recover unless she does.

I started to go on to bed but realized it was only a little past 8:00 and I would be up in the night if I went to bed that early. I will try to wait until 9:00..my usual bedtime.


Thursday, December 22, 2016

Thursday and Another Quiet Day

I slept well last night and was up, as usual, at 5:00 AM. Old habits are hard to break.  Ginger was up when I came into the kitchen. She was getting ready to go to the hospital. After she left, I dressed and made up my face and had a bowl of cereal for my breakfast with a cup of coffee and one of chai latte.

Scott came in too late to have breakfast. He did turn CNN on for me on the TV. Then he left for work.  Perhaps he stopped on his way to the island and got something for a breakfast.  I hope at least he got some coffee.  

 I will work on my blog and read my kindle today. Hopefully it will be warmer today. It has been in the 40's since I've been here. I'd like to take a walk today and I'd like to wash my hair tonight.

We may have some more of our spaghetti tonight. We made enough for two meals.

More later...

I spent the afternoon out on the porch in a wicker chair in the sunshine. I had both the dog and the cat out there with me. 

No, Scott is taking us out to eat tonight at one of his favorite Mexican Restaurants as soon as Ginger gets home from work.

More later...

We enjoyed the Mexican Restaurant. It was way too much food though. I brought half of it home.

I watched "All the President's Men", a movie I had seen several times already but one of my favorites.

I went on the bed afterward. I was really tired.

Wednesday, December 21, 2016

Wednesday and In Florida

Well, I made it yesterday! It was quite a trip. I stayed Monday night at the Hilton and told them, as they told me to, to send me a wake up call at 4:00 AM. I also told them I would need the shuttle at 5:00 since my plane was to take off at 7:00 AM.

Well, that didn't happen. They didn't call me at 4:00 AM and luckily I had taken an alarm clock and it did wake me up. Then I called the desk to ask what happened. The woman who checked me in did not make a note of either. So when I talked to the young man on duty in the morning, I told him about it and he did order the shuttle. It came on time and I got to the airport in plenty of time. But I also was unable to connect to their internet there at the Hilton. They gave me three different codes but none of them worked.

Going through security at the Tulsa airport, something in my carry-on set off an alarm.  So they went through everything in the bag, stirring it all up and then I had to be patted down by a woman there. They found nothing illegal but a bottle of lotion  and that didn't set off the alarm but they still threw it away. It was larger then 10 ounces. It was brand new and a Christmas gift. I don't know what danger a bottle of lotion is but that's "security". I asked them if they had encountered very many 81 year old women  terrorists.  They said they felt someone could always plant something on an 81 year old person.

Finally I got on the plane for Charlotte. There I sat next to a man with a terrible cold. If I'm as lucky as I usually am, I won't get it. I read my Kindle until we got to Charlotte. When I got to the Charlotte airport I discovered that the gate I needed to find to leave for Jacksonville was all the way to the other end of the terminal. I had my carry-on and the computer bag to carry. That's when I felt my 81 years. Those two bags were very heavy. When the plane took off for Jacksonville, the man at the gate said I should let him check that carry on since the plane was packed and it would be a complimentary check. I was happy to let him do that. Then I just had to carry on the computer bag.

When I got to Jacksonville and the baggage area, I found both of the bags just fine. Scott circled around until he saw where I was standing outside the terminal at the baggage door and picked me up.  To say I was delighted to be done with the air travel for two weeks  would be an understatement.

We stopped for gas and shortly after that we arrived to their home. Ginger came in soon and started dinner. We had a nice dinner. I was pretty hungry. All I had had to eat all day was the breakfast bar I had in my purse. Somehow I wasn't particularly hungry all day. I will use one of their carry-ons when I go back home. Theirs have wheels. The one I brought was my Bob's and it was old and did not have wheels.

I slept fairly well last night. I think we went to bed fairly early after watching a movie. It was called "The Family" and was hilarious.  I think we all went to bed at 8:00 so I was awake at 4:00 and just got up. Scott was up.

Scott had been notified by his staff about that time that his parked work truck had been hit and wrecked out on the island and he needed to come in and assess the damage. After he lined me out on where things were etc, he went on to work.

He thinks he will be back home at 2:00 or so.

Later...this weekend, we will see a movie. They have waited for me to come to go see it. 

More later....

I think the one they want to see is called "Collateral Beauty" and stars Will Smith. There are a couple of others I would like to see. One is "Fences" and stars Denzel Washington and the other one is "Manchester By The Sea" with Casey Afflect.  Maybe I will see those at home.

More later again...

Scott came home after 2:00 and started fixing dinner for Ginger and me. I pitched in and helped. We fixed spaghetti.  It was very good. Scott browned some sausage on his grill while I stirred up the spaghetti and added spices. It was a good dinner.

Later Ginger went to a crafts party and he and I watched the movie, "The Judge" on the TV. Later I watched a chick flick. He watched it as long as he could but finally just had to go to bed.  I finished it before I took my bath and went to bed at 9:00. It was a good first full day. I did little things like emptying the dish washer. :) It is truly a vacation.

Monday, December 19, 2016

Monday and Packing

Today I will pack to leave for the motel this afternoon when Marilyn R. is ready to leave. First I will eat breakfast and give Missy her breakfast too. I have started my packing with packing all the stuff from the bathroom that goes with me. When I get the large suitcase down and the carry on she will know what is up and get nervous.

Right now, I had better got get our breakfasts and then I will get back with this after my breakfast and after I pack. I will not go to exercises today. I will pack and get ready in case Marilyn wants to leave earlier.

So, more later...

O.K. I am all packed and ready to go whenever Marilyn is ready. I have printed off her hotel reservation confirmation for the 25th. That's when she is coming back. I will be coming back over a week later on the 4th of January.

Bob came over before exercise class and brought me a Christmas gift. I gave him his...a tin of various popcorns. His was from Missy.  He is caring for her while I am gone. I even found an appropriate card from her. He gave me some Calgon hand soap and some Calgon lotion complete with a little holder to keep them in.  I was going to go down to the Dollar General store and buy some lotion this morning. So that was really timely. I put lotion on my feet after my bath and then put socklets on and go to bed that way. Eventually that softens my calloused feet in the winter. And I had just run out of hand soap in the bathroom too so even that is timely. That was nice of him. He will be kept busy coming over here to feed and water Missy and clean up her litter box.  He says he will stay some and watch my TV and give her some company too. She will enjoy that. She really likes him. (and she has not bit him either...yet.)

More later...
 He came back over after he got back from the church and we went over to Brahms and had a chicken sandwich and a small cup of coffee.  Now he is checking his bank balance and his e-mail .

He just encountered a threat of some sort and the computer is rebooting and Avast is checking his drive. It may take awhile.

Back later...

I managed to clean up his computer and get ready to go about the time Marilyn called me  that she was ready to leave.

I'll get back to this after I find a hot spot.

Sunday, December 18, 2016

Sunday and Cancelled Services

Last night my daughter, who is one of our pastors, called to cancel the services today. This morning it is -2 degrees outside and many of us are way too old to get out in that type of weather. In fact, it's too cold and windy for anyone of any age to be out there. I will see how the weather does before deciding whether to go out to Leslie's for the cookie party at 3:00 this afternoon.  I think we only got about an inch or so of snow last night. Today and tomorrow I will definitely wear a coat...and that's against my religion!  :)

I slept pretty well last night. I woke at 12:30 and went to the bathroom and took my thyroid med but got back to sleep within an hour.

Marilyn texted me last evening too and said I should eat lunch tomorrow at home. We were going to have dinner together in Tulsa but Marilyn is 83 and she doesn't need to be driving around Tulsa in this type of weather. No one does. So I will eat out somewhere...preferably somewhere close...perhaps Brahms which is a half block away.

Missy and I have had our breakfasts and I have had coffee and a cup of Chai Latte too. That always warms me up inside. She wanted me to open the door so she could see out but I don't need that cold air on the storm door in my apartment.  So, this morning, she is out of luck.

Tonight I will watch my DVD of  "The Christmas Carol". It's a Christmas tradition with me.

More later...

Bob and Phyllis F. and I went out to El Pueblo for lunch. "Just Us" had frozen pipes and drains with this freezing weather. They had  heaters on the drains and pipes to get them thawed out.

We had a good lunch. We had not been out to El Pueblo for quite a long time.

Now, at 3:00 or before, we will go out to Leslie's for the Cookie Exchange party she is having. In the meantime, I will just play free cell on the computer.

So more later...

This was the counter where Leslie set most of the cookies.  Her sister-in-law Alberta is holding my great grandchild, Maia. That's her friend, Connie, on the right. I almost missed her but the purpose of the photo was the cookies.

This is Leslie's best friend, Cyndi. She made some really terrific cookies. Cyndi is the salt of the earth.

I had a really nice time out at John and Leslie's. She had a very good crowd for the cookie exchange. She and John have lots of friends.  They have lived out there in that area since they moved back to the Caney/Independence area when they left Kensington,  Kansas after John had taught there for just one year after graduating college. They missed their families. So he got the VoAg position at Caney Valley High School. He taught there until he retired.

When I left, Leslie gave me money for my motel at the airport and spending money at Yulee. My kids are so good to me! I am very blessed!

Anyhow, Bob came home with me and watched the football game before 60 Minutes and then left to go home and I took my bath and Missy and I lay on the sofa with her afghan until I was just too tired to stay up any longer and then we went to bed.

Saturday, December 17, 2016

Saturday and a Different Breakfast

I slept pretty well last night and got up and fed Missy and got myself ready for the day. I will bake cookies this afternoon to take to Leslie's cookie party cookie exchange tomorrow afternoon.

I have been working over my checkbook this morning. Back in November, I forgot to record a cash withdrawal and it has taken me an hour to find that error. Now my checkbook balances with Quicken and the bank.

It's about time for Bob to pick me up for breakfast so I will continue this later.

We went to Sirloin Stockade for a change today. We usually go to Eggberts on Saturdays.  The business all over town is down according to the waitress we have there. And it has been for awhile...too many fast food places for restaurants to be able to make it. Why pay $8.75 for breakfast when you can get one for one or two dollars at fast food. Of course, the size of Americans anymore shows their preference. That stuff is loaded with calories and fat and sugar. 30% of Americans are obese and diabetes is rampant here in America.  Too many don't cook and eat at home anymore.

We won't eat again this afternoon. Later this evening I may have my last yogurt.

The weather is supposed to change this afternoon to snow.  We are forecast for one or two inches. I am hoping it will be gone by Monday.

More later....

I went out to Walmart this afternoon and bought the last of my gifts.  I have everything done now, I believe and am ready for Monday if the weather only holds. So far we have no snow but it is forecast for one to two inches. Marilyn R. and I will drive down to Tulsa on Monday and I will stay overnight at the Hilton. She will leave for Utah Monday evening. My plane leaves at 7:00 AM Tuesday morning. I will need the shuttle about 5:00 AM to get me to the airport. I hope they will get me there in plenty of time.

I baked my Christmas cookies for Leslie's party tomorrow.  They are in my Tupperware square now. I left the lid off so they will be completely cool. Her cookie trading party is at 3:00 tomorrow afternoon. 

Bob just called. He went out to Walmart too this afternoon but he says it's bitterly cold. Well, it is, but I'm not going to worry about it. As long as we get no ice. I definitely do not like ice. I told him I would drive tomorrow morning if he wasn't up to it and would let him out at the front door. His car sits out with no shelter and mine sits under a carport. He says if it is bitter this evening ( and it will be, I'm sure) he will not come over this evening.

This was my family the day of Scott and Ginger's wedding!


Image may contain: 4 people, people smiling

Of course that is me in the flowered jacket. That is Leslie, Scott, Me and Keith. That wedding was held at John and Leslie's home in May in 2015.

More later...

It finally began snowing this evening and it looks like we have an inch already. We may have three inches by morning. We have called off church because our church is in the country and we might get stuck in the drive. Whether or not we go to Leslie's cookie exchange party depends on how bad the snow is in the morning.

I called the Coffeyville people and Leslie called the Independence people and Mike and Laura and Leeann who lives a couple of miles from the church.

I watched a DVD this evening...one of my favorites, It was "Camelot". I started to watch "A Christmas Carol" but just got too tired and am ready now to go to bed at 9:00.

Friday, December 16, 2016

Friday and "Great" Sitting Again.

Today I will not go to exercise class. I want to clean the apartment before I leave to go stay with Cheyenne again.  I will not have another opportunity to clean it before I leave for Tulsa on Monday. I want to leave it clean. Tomorrow, I will have breakfast with Bob and then I will bake cookies for Leslie's cookie party Sunday afternoon.

Sunday morning is the children's Christmas program at church. I hope the children show up. Leeann's children attend erratically. Cheyenne and Maia will undoubtedly be there with John and Leslie.

I was really exhausted last night and went to bed at 8:30. It was a huge day. I was glad to get my surgery scheduled though.

More later...

Change of plans!

Maia is home sick from school with a cough and  Leslie doesn't want me to get whatever it is. So she is staying home from work until Jeromy comes in from their trip and he will pick Cheyenne and her up and Leslie can go to work then.

So I am going on to exercise class. I can clean after I get home.  I want to go to Utopia for cinnamon roll day and a Utopiachina drink today.

After I got home from Utopia and got my bathroom and kitchen floors cleaned, I sat down here to rest a bit. Bob came with the salad so we visited awhile. Missy wants to go outside so badly but it is too cold for her old bones.  I let her out briefly while I swept off the carport from a ton of leaves. Terry, Jeannie's eldest son, came and left his diesel truck motor running. That scared her so Bob let her back in the house.

After Bob left, I finished my cleaning. I vacuumed the carpets.  I also cleaned one place in front of the carport door in the dining room where we walk in and track in. I'm finished now. I watered my plants and that was the last of it. I will dust well when I get home from Florida. I have recently changed the filter in my furnace and that keeps the dust to a bare minimum.  I usually only have to dust every two weeks. Electric heat is expensive to use but much cleaner then gas. It's 1:40 PM and the apartment is clean. I am washing the little bit of laundry I have now. Perhaps I will read after I get that in the dryer. I have several books I haven't read yet. One is a paperback Bill gave me for my birthday.

More later...
Bob came back this evening to watch Brooks and Shields...except they didn't have Brooks..they had a substitute for the commentary.   After that was over he was very tired and went home. He has not been having any back problems and hesitates to have surgery on his back unless it is truly necessary. He had A-Fib and that is another concern. His appointment with Dr. Hsu  is the 21st. I will be gone and his daughter, Denise,  will go with him to that appointment. 

Missy and I lay on the couch after I had my bath until 10:00 and watched Dateline. Then we went to bed.

Thursday, December 15, 2016

A Huge Thursday

Today was huge. To begin with, I didn't sleep well last night. Then I left the house at 7:30 to be sure to be able to find the doctor's office in Bartlesville. It's a good thing I did. The address was 500 East 5th Street and after living in Bartlesville for 16 years, I felt sure I could find it but just to be extra sure, I left early. My appointment wasn't until 9:00. It's a 45 minute drive down there. I could not find an address of 500 East 5th. I could find 501 East 5th but that wasn't his office. The building across the street didn't  have a number on the part facing 5th street but that was my only option. So I drove around to the back of it...and guess what...there was the number. 500 East 5th Street but at the door facing the number there was an arrow that said take east door. I walked around the building to the east side and there was the entrance!

Anyhow, I got in ten minutes after my appointment time and by 9:40, I was finished. I had had an exam and the doctor, who I was very impressed with, had examined me and decided I definitely needed the surgery. So I went ahead and scheduled it for January 18th, a Wednesday. The hospital will call me with the exact time but the surgery may be as early as 7:00 AM. I will stay overnight and go home the next day on Thursday the 19th of January. That was the easy part.

Then I drove to Independence, Kansas to pick up Juanita. Juanita is basically blind. So everywhere she goes, she needs an arm to hold on to and to help her with her balance.  We drove back to Bartlesville to her doctor's appointment. I have to stop in the fire lane to help her out of the car and into the foyer where they have a wheelchair. Then after checking in, we went to the basement for them to check out her pacemaker.  She has A-Fib and the only way to keep her heart beating correctly is the pacemaker.  We got the pacemaker checked out and then went back upstairs to see the doctor. Actually she sees a nurse practitioner. Juanita is 95 so they don't have a lot they can do for her.  Finally she saw the NP and after that we left and I went to get the car and help her once again into the vehicle and off we went. She wanted to stop at Sonic and get us milkshakes. When we finally got her home, I helped her into the house. Then I started home myself.

By then it was after 4:00 PM.

I got home at 4:40.

So I am exhausted!

I have taken my bath and will go to bed soon.

Wednesday, December 14, 2016

Wednesday and "Great" Sitting

I awoke fairly early this morning but slept fairly well. I got up about 4:30. No sense just lying there wide awake.

I am dressed now and ready for the day. It will be a big one. I will probably go to exercise class this morning and then leave for Leslie's about 10:30. Exercise class lets out at 9:40. I will be sure to be there at Leslie's when Cheyenne's bus comes at 11:30. Maia's bus will come later in the afternoon. She goes to school all day. I will probably just have a sandwich for lunch with Cheyenne. I will stay until John comes in after work. I don't know exactly when that will be.

I see Missy is patiently waiting for her breakfast so maybe I had better finish this later.

More later...

We've both had our breakfasts and now I am just waiting for time for exercise class. I missed on Monday because it was 23 degrees.  Now it's 24 degrees but Bob is going to drive so I will go to exercise class.  I need to run out to Wal Mart and buy the treats for tonight's PINCH meeting. Then I will drop by Wilson Hearing Aid Center and pay Stan another payment on my hearing aid. I will miss the PINCH meeting but the treats will be at Sharon's. I have 8 more payments on the hearing aid and then it's paid for. I guess it's worth the expense. My Bob used to sell Belltone hearing aids and he wore two himself. He always said hearing aids don't restore your hearing, they only amplify what you have left.  So none of them are perfect.

I have worked an hour trying to find a $4.61 error in my checkbook. I never did find it so I just took it off as an error somewhere.

My daughter just called to firm up our plans for the"greats" today and Friday.

More later...I'd better get ready to go.

I got the treats for the PINCH program I will miss tonight. I also stopped by and paid Stan. Then I headed out to John and Leslie's. When Cheyenne came home we had our lunch of peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and chips with flavored water to drink.  She was so good. And I had taken a couple of sets of books for the girls and before her nap, I read one to Cheyenne. I told her when she woke up from her nap, we would read the other three and she could choose them. We had a good experience. I read my Kindle until I finished my book and the battery ran down. Then I went upstairs after Cheyenne woke up and sat on the floor and played with her. We had a good time. She is very well behaved. When we finally went down the lane to meet Maia's bus at 4:00, we met John..coming home early.  He took over for me and I left to go home. Cheyenne will be sure to tell Maia which books are hers. :)

I got back Friday to stay with them again.

Tomorrow at 9:00 AM is my  doctor's appointment.

Bob came over after 5:00 and we watched the news and one episode of a rerun of The Big Bang Theory. Then he went home to get ready for bed. He was very tired. So was I. I took my bath and Missy and I laid on the sofa and watched TV until I started falling asleep and then we went to bed at 9:00.

Tuesday, December 13, 2016

Tuesday and Cake Delivery

I slept poorly last night until 2:30. Then I got up and took two Zzzquil capsules and finally got to sleep and slept until 6:00. I have fed both Missy and myself this morning and loaded the cakes into my trunk. Then I swept a ton of leaves away from my door and into the east yard. That won't help. The wind just brings them back but at least I try. It's 29 degrees this morning I have watched the weather channel and the news (after a fashion). It is full of commercials. So I turned to Songs of the Season. That's what is playing now.

I will pick up Bob about 8:20 to leave for Independence. We will first deliver the cakes then I will get my hair done. Then I will mail off the package of photos I am sending to Scott at their post office.  Then we will go out to Walmart and walk around until 11:00 when Big Cheese opens. That's where we will eat today. Then after that we will come back to Coffeyville. I don't know what the afternoon will bring. Maybe I will get some more newsletters from classmates. I worked on the class newsletter all afternoon yesterday. I will continue to work on it until I leave for Tulsa on Monday with Marilyn. I am taking my laptop and so if more news comes in from e-mail, I can continue to add to it while I am in Florida. I will have to do some editing if too much comes in though. I have three pages filled front and back already.

I intend to pack Sunday evening. I will need to be ready when Marilyn is ready on Monday. She is my ride to the motel. I am staying at the Hilton. It is near the airport and has an early shuttle service to get me to the airport on Tuesday.

Tomorrow and Friday I am in charge of being at Leslie's when the "greats" get off the school bus. As I mentioned earlier, their parents are in Hawaii on vacation and my daughter is in charge of them with the help of her sister-in-law, Alberta, and me. Leslie is on call part of the time and only works Wednesday through the weekend. So she will have them on Monday and Tuesday. She usually goes in to work on Wednesday at 4:00.  But this week she will be going to Nashville to deliver a Corgi pup to a buyer. That why she needs Alberta and me to help. John has a job and also his own business delivering liquid cattle feed.

More later....

This is a "Happy Holidays" from the Florida Millers and Ginger's son, Nathan, who is a college student.



We got back from Independence and Big Cheese at noon and I took Bob to his home so he could get a nap. I came back to work on this blog and the newsletter I am putting together for my classmates of the class of 1953.

Missy is here on the floor beside me. I can tell she gets lonely in the house alone all morning. I will stay home this afternoon. It is very cold here at 31 degrees.

More later.... 

I did go out to Walmart to buy some Chai Latte. I miss that in the evening. I also stopped at Country Mart to buy three of their .99 cake mixes and three pans. We don't have to take cakes again until January 10th but now I am ready. I may have to buy frostings later when I get home in January.

Bob came over shortly after 5:00 to watch the news and read the newspaper. He left at 6:30 and was very tired.  he will be on his own for lunch for almost three weeks. I am due to go to take care of the "greats" this afternoon and Friday. And Thursday I go to the doctor and later take Juanita back to Bartlesville to her 1:00 doctor's appointment. Then I leave on Monday for Tulsa to leave Tuesday for Florida. I'll be gone two weeks there.

Missy and I watched "My Cat From Hell" until 9:00 when we went to bed.  

Monday, December 12, 2016

A Very Cold Monday

Neither Bob nor I are going to exercises this morning. It's too cold to get out and we will get out later to go to Bartlesville. He has a doctor's appointment there with Dr. Eslicker, the dermatologist. He likes me to go with him because he says four ears are better then two.

I slept well last night. I woke up at 3:00 to go to the bathroom. I noticed Missy had vomited on the indoor/outdoor carpet in the bathroom hall so I picked that up with Kleenex.. In a little while I will put some carpet cleaner on it and spot clean the carpet better than just picking up the mess with Kleenex.  I did get right back to sleep after all that activity which was a blessing. I awoke the next time at 5:30 and got up then, made the bed and got myself ready for the day. 

While I was feeding Missy and eating my own granola, Bob texted me that he was not planning to go to exercise class. I was glad because I wasn't going to go either. His appointment in Bartlesville is at 11:00 and it may be a little warmer by then. We will probably leave at 10:00 or so. Afterward I hope we can stop by the mall. I want to pick up an appointment book at the Hallmark store there for the 2017 year. I carry one in my purse to keep track of my appointments. I used to get one every year from my beautician but she has stopped ordering them. I may be able to find one at the Dollar General Store nearby here. It would be cheaper.

More later....

I went with Bob to Dr. Eslicker and helped him fill out the information sheet for the new year. Dr. Eslicker froze a half dozen places where he had keratosis. Afterward we went to McCalisters and had a cup of soup and a half sandwich. Then we walked around the mall. The appointment book at the Hallmark store was free. I was glad I hadn't bought one.

He never had a sore back or pain in his legs. His appointment with the orthopedic specialist is the 21st. The day after I leave for Florida. His daughter, Denise, will go with him and fill out his paperwork. I asked him to text or better yet, to call me with the results of what Dr. Hsu had to say about his back problem and if he will need surgery.

When we got home he came in to read yesterday's newspaper and then went on back to his apartment to take a nap. Marilyn R. called and told me a solution to the transportation problem to get the Tulsa airport by 5:00.  She suggested I go with her to Tulsa on Monday the 19th and stay overnight there and use the hotel shuttle to get to the airport by 5:00. She is going to do that when she goes to Utah but she is going to do it when she returns on the 25th. She gets in too late to drive back to Coffeyville that evening. Her room was to be $101.14. I got my reservations for the same motel I will stay at in Tulsa. The room was a lot more then the same room for Marilyn but Leslie said she would pay for it so I went ahead and booked it.  It will be $146.44 with all the taxes. I put it on my Amazon credit card and Leslie will re-reimburse me..probably at church on Sunday.

My kids are just wonderful to me. The boys contribute some to my budget each month and Leslie does things like this from time to time. When I went to Hawaii two years ago, she bought my plane ticket then.  She was so worried about her brother. It was Thanksgiving time and he was alone. He and his wife had divorced. His birthday was right after Thanksgiving and he would be alone then too.  My birthday was three days after his and we really celebrated. He took me to a fancy restaurant for Thanksgiving dinner  and we went to breakfast every morning at a cute cafe. I stayed a week then. I will be with him and his new wife two weeks this year. I am so excited!.

Bob came over this evening to watch TV until 7:00. When he left, I took my bath and will lie on the sofa and watch TV until 9:00. I got my cake for the Christian Church in Independence baked and iced and ready to load into the trunk of my car tomorrow morning.  Both Karan and Phyllis brought theirs over this afternoon. I get my hair done tomorrow morning after we deliver the cakes. Bob got his baked and will ice it in the morning. We will eat lunch at Big Cheese tomorrow.

Sunday, December 11, 2016

A Huge Sunday

Today will be very full...again.

I slept poorly last night. I got concerned about whether my son-in-law would be able to pick me up on the 20th at 4:30AM  to get me to the airport in Tulsa by 6:00 AM. My plane to Florida takes off at 7:00 AM  and the holiday will make the terminal very crowded and busy. I will have to go through the routine that always slows everything down. The x-rays, etc. Also, I will need $40. to check my large bag and I will need that much coming back too. Flying is such a hassle anymore. I want to take my laptop computer so I can keep track of my bills, etc. I don't know whether they will require me to put that in the overhead storage with my carry on or not. I would like to keep it with me if at all possible. I would be very upset if it were stolen. I don't know if they will let me do that or if it has to be stowed in the overhead storage. I had all this going through my mind and just about never got back to sleep. Then when I finally did fall asleep,  I woke up at 6:00 AM, an hour later then usual.

Then when I got up I fed Missy and myself and then put together my coffeecake for the church school class and then read the newspaper.  When I got the coffeecake out of the oven, I iced it and reached under the sink to get my plastic wrap. It was soaked. I mopped up the water under there and ran the faucet to see where it was leaking. I could not get it to leak there either. I ran the garbage disposer and still could not detect a leak. I left a paper towel under there and put everything back under the sink. I left the box of plastic wrap out because it was soaked.

Now I am ready to go to church. We will try to eat at "Just Us" in Cherryvale again after church. When I get home from that, I will do the congregation's newsletter and later I will pick up Gary at 5:45 to go to Marilyn's for the Living the Questions group meeting. She wants us to have chili and soup at her house this evening. I generally don't eat much of anything in the evening ..especially not chili....before bedtime. I will try her soup and take it easy. Howard and Judy will be there and Karan, Bob, Mona and Richard and I will soon be there with Gary. With Marilyn, that should be nine. Joyce is out of town training for her FEMA work. Richard A. only comes when Gretchen is in town.

Several of our original group, have died. Keith, Joyce's husband died a year ago. Bobby died last spring. Jack died a couple of years ago and my Bob died almost seven years ago. Those deaths  shrunk our group considerably.

More later...

The meal at "Just Us" was good as usual and Cindy and Darrell Crown came to Crossroads and asked to eat with us at "Just Us" so we all five made a reservation for lunch there. Kay saved us a table.

When I got home, I did the congregational newsletters. It was 2:30 before I finished that and got the letters out on the mailbox.

More even later...

I picked up Gary at 5:45 and got to Marilyn's in time to park in the driveway. That is easier for Gary and we don't have to cross the street. Marilyn had the nine she had planned for alright. He soup was good although it was "white chili". I didn't eat much because I usually sleep better if I don't eat much before bedtime.  We had a good session and watched video session number 15. Howard led the discussion. After a time of discussion of the material and our own feelings, we had refreshments. We had eaten dinner before the video session. The meeting broke up about 9:00.

I got home, took my bath and Missy and I went straight to bed. It was another huge day.

This will be a huge week.  Bob has his appointment with Eslicker tomorrow, Tuesday we take cakes to Independence. Wednesday I go out to Leslie and John's to stay with the girls from 11:30 until John gets home from work.   Thursday I have an appointment with a doctor in Bartlesville about my proposed bladder surgery in January, That is at 9:00 and then I come back to Independence to pick up Juanita at noon to take her back to Bartlesville for her appointment with the cardiologist. He will check her pacemaker. Juanita is 95. I will bring her back home to Independence after her appointment and then come home to Coffeyville. It will be too late to go to PINCH so Judy is taking over early. I take the agenda to her this evening.   Friday, I go back out to Leslie and John's once again to stay with the girls until John gets home from work. It will be a huge week. Then the next week on Tuesday the 20th, I leave for Florida for two weeks. 

Saturday, December 10, 2016

Saturday and Breakfast Out

I slept very well again last night. About 1:00 AM Missy came in and quietly meowed at me. She had used the litter box and wanted it cleaned up. Anyhow, I was awake and needed to take my thyroid med so I went into the bathroom, where I keep that, and took it and then cleaned up the litter box. It took me awhile but I finally got back to sleep and slept until my usual 5:00 AM.

I want to get another box of Christmas cards today. I also want to buy some special ones for Scott and Ginger. I may start going through my photos again today to see if I can find some more of Scott's kids. Even if I don't find any more I need to straighten out the closets....especially the ones in the den and dining room. I have made a mess of them.  It's too cold to do anything else although it's not as cold as yesterday when the thermometer read 13 degrees. It's 32 degrees today.

Bob will be by at 7:00 to pick me up for breakfast out. That's ten minutes. I'd better get a vest on.

This is a photo of Ashley with Scott when she was a child. She's 26 now.



 More later...

I spent the morning going through all my photo albums getting all the photos I have out for Scott. He got none of the family photos in the divorce. I will send off the second packet of them on Monday. I spent 8 years scrap booking. It was the only hobby I ever had so when I gave it up, it was really different. One of Leslie's friends at Four County bought all my scrap booking stuff. I don't know what I would have done with all that stuff here in this small apartment. I had the third bedroom to put it in when I was in my own home.

While I was at it, I organized my closet again...at least the one in the den. I still have the dining room one to redo but I'm tired now.


More later...

This is Happy Holidays from the Florida Millers. This is Scott and Ginger.



Bob did not come over this evening. He was too tired and it was too cold to get out. Instead, I took my bath early and lay with Missy on the sofa and watched TV until I simply could not keep my eyes open any longer and we went to bed. It was only about 8:30 but I was very tired.

Friday, December 9, 2016

Friday and No ExercisesToday

Today is Friday and we decided we will not go to exercise class after all. It's 14 degrees out there.  I don't have a plan for today. I got everything done yesterday that was left to do. I may just relax.

I set some hamburger patties in the frig last night. We will have hamburgers and french fries for lunch. It's been awhile since we've had that. And it's easy.

This afternoon, I want to wrap the little girls' books for Christmas. I won't be here Christmas so I will leave all these gifts under the tree at Leslie's on Wednesday when I go out there to wait for Cheyenne and Maia to come in from school. I am to stay with Cheyenne and Maia when she comes in from school until John gets home from work. I will do the same thing on Friday. Leslie and Karan are going to Nashville to deliver Corgi puppies to some who have bought them. They will meet them halfway at Nashville. Next Thursday I have a doctor's appointment in Bartlesville at 9:00 and then I go to Independence to pick up Juanita to take her back to Bartlesville for her cardiologist appointment at 1:00. I will go back on Friday and stay with the girls again.

I will have to get Judy to take the PINCH meeting on Wednesday since I am not sure when I will get home Wednesday evening and PINCH is at 5:30.  I also have the refreshments that evening so I will need to do them early and get them down to Sharon's so she can serve them for the meeting.

More later.....

A stormy day in Florida.

 
More later...

We had our hamburgers and french fries for lunch and Bob has gone home to take a nap. I have been playing free cell on the desktop computer. It's too cold to go out for any time at all. I took my plastic bags over to Genesis this morning before they closed and got rid of them. They can use them and I don't like to throw them away. It was 13 degrees then.

More later....

I spent the afternoon doing my Christmas cards and my own newsletters to friends.  As I was leaving to go get stamps, John W. came by and brought me a check for the expenses of the class newsletter.  I took it right up and cashed it and bought stamps.

When I got home, Bob came over to watch the news and left about 7:00 after we polished off the grapes I had washed.

After he left I took my bath and Missy and I lay on the sofa all evening until 8:30 and watched TV. At 8:30, I just couldn't keep my eyes open any longer and went to bed. 

Thursday, December 8, 2016

Thursday and Apartment Cleaning Day

I slept well last night. Got up at 5:00 and stripped my bed and did a load of laundry.  Then I cleaned the bathroom and kitchen and scrubbed both floors on my hands and knees. I remade the bed after the sheets were dry and brought out the vacuum cleaner. I want to start in the den this week. I try to start at different ends of the apartment each week.

I also worked on my class of 1953 newsletter. I received a newsletter from one classmate attached to e-mail. That's the easy way to do it. I just copy and paste and then edit the newsletter so anyone who still writes me will have some room in it.

Some classmates send me huge newsletters and they must be edited down to fit the six or seven page class newsletter. I use both sides of the paper. I cannot use the news of everyone's grandchildren. The newsletter  has to be sent with one stamp. Postage has become so expensive. Mostly I just try to use the news of the classmates themselves. I include the names of those deceased each year and our numbers that are left. We lost three this year.  Since high school we have lost 126 members of the class. We have lost 25 who are unknowns ( I do not know where they are). There are 142 left...67 of those are online. The others must have a hard copy.

More later...

After we ate lunch and Bob left, I called Honda of Bartlesville and scheduled an oil change. It was also time to rotate my tires.  So I drove down there and took a $14.95 coupon for the oil change. I had a discount for the tire rotation too and that cost me $9.95. It's almost time for brakes but that will have to wait until the next oil change.

Anyhow, I am back now and it is 4:40.  I bought my last two Christmas gifts while I was there. I got my greats books. My aunt Mildred always kept my sister, Phyllis, and me in books. I want to do that for my greats.

More even later...

Bob came over in the evening and watched the news and read the paper. He left at 7:00 and I took my bath and watched TV until 8:30 when I simply could not keep my eyes open any more. I went to bed and Missy soon followed. 

Wednesday, December 7, 2016

Wednesday Exercises and Bunco

I slept well again last night. Hooray! I feel so much better when I get a good night's sleep.

I will pick up Bob for exercise class this morning and then later we will eat lunch at Sirloin Stockade. I have my free lunch from them for my birthday. I want to use it.

After that, I will go to Bunco at the senior center. Bob will probably go home and take a nap.

It's almost time to pick him up so I will make this short until later.

So more later...

We did the exercise class and then went to lunch at Sirloin Stockade.  Afterward I took him home to Sycamore Landing and went on to Bunco at the senior center. I had a good time and had three Buncos. Unfortunately there was another senior with four. I had a good time though.

I came home and got the mail. I had another Christmas card from a classmate with news for the newsletter. I got that entered and it is up to date so far. I have had three who have responded this early. That's a good sign.

Tomorrow I will strip my bed and do laundry and clean the apartment. That should keep me busy for awhile.

I sent off a package of photos to my son, Scott this afternoon. They are of his children growing up, He has none. He may as well have mine. They will end up with him anyhow eventually. I will spend some time this winter going through my scrapbooks taking out his kids photos and mailing them to him.

More later...

I went out to Walmart and bought groceries but forgot to get the girls' books for Christmas. Darn memory!

Anyhow, when I got back I read the paper. It was bitterly cold and so Bob did not come over. I took my bath and lay on the couch with Missy and watched "Tora Tora Tora", an old movie that was nearly a documentary  about the Pearl Harbor Attack in 1941. I finished it and Missy and I went to bed at 9:30 or so.

Tuesday, December 6, 2016

Tuesday and Hair Day

This morning I will pick up Bob to go to Independence. I will get my hair done and he will visit with his 92 year old sister, Betty. Afterward, we will eat at Great China.

I slept well last night for the second night in a row. That helps me feel even better.

I want to get my last two Christmas gifts today. That is for the little girls, my great grandchildren. I will buy them each a book. I can't buy for all my grandchildren and great grandchildren on my limited budget but I send Christmas cards and Christmas newsletters to them. I can buy for only those who are local. I wish I had more money so I could give gifts to each of them. I love to Christmas shop.

After I get back toCoffeyville, I will compose the class newsletter for my class of 1953. I have been doing this for about 18 years. There were about 3 others who began doing it. I took it 18 years ago. The class has postage money in their treasury and I donate the envelopes. Some of them are online and I send theirs attached to e-mail. There are 140 of us still living. I have lost track of 26 of them and there are 125 deceased.  I try to keep track of those we lose and e-mail that information to the 70 who are online. The other 70 get that news in the Christmas newsletter.

More later...

I didn't get the gifts after all. I renewed my thyroid med instead and also picked up the cartridge  for the church's copier.

Then I spent the afternoon working on my family newsletter and the Christmas cards. Then I started the class newsletter. I have had two classmates send my a Christmas card with news.

The paper came about 4:35 and I read that. Bob came at 5:15 and we watched the news. There was nothing on TV for Tuesday evening that either of I were interested in watching.

Missy had done better today although she is sleeping more then usual. She is able to get up on the recliner and also the daybed today.

More later...

I forgot Maia's school program tonight. I was supposed to drive to Caney to see it and I forgot. Leslie sent me some photos of the class. Here is one of them. This is the entire class and the crowd that attended.

 

Then this one shows Maia.



She the brown haired girl..the second row up on the right in the blue dress. She is just right of the little boy in the dark cowboy hat. She is 6 years old.

Then there's this photo from my son and his wife entitled the cat who swallowed the canary. I couldn't tell which was which. :)




After Bob left at 7:00, Missy and I watched most of a movie before I got too tired and sleepy to stay awake anymore. Missy and I went to bed at 9:30. 

Monday, December 5, 2016

Monday and Exercise Class

I never did get to the blog yesterday. I gave my sermon and then we went over to "Just Us" for lunch afterward. Phyllis went with us.

After lunch we took Phyllis back to her car at church and Bob took me home before he went home. I worked on my congregational newsletters and got them sent off and three out on the mailbox for those who have no e-mail.

Then I just rested until Bob came over to watch 60 Minutes with me. After that he went home and I took my bath and later went to bed.

I slept well last night. I only woke up once. And I managed to get back to sleep.

The copy machine at church ran out of toner yesterday so I will go to the Service Office and Supply this morning and buy a new one. Hopefully they will have one in stock.  If not, I hope they can get one in just a couple of days. I will need to get it out to church before next Sunday.

I will go to exercise class first. Bob has a doctor's appointment this morning at 9:30 so he will not be going.

More later...

After breakfast I changed the water in my flowers sent to me by Scott and Ginger for my birthday.  They still look fresh. This photo shows all my birthday gifts.Leslie also took me to lunch. Had a great lunch although way too much to eat. 

Aren't those flowers lovely? To the left of them is the Sensy Leslie gave me. It makes the apartment smell like Christmas. I also got several neat birthday cards. They are set up behind the flowers. Bill gave me a book. I will read it on the plane when I go to Florida for Christmas.  Cyndi gave me a box of chocolates and so did Juanita.

More later...

I see Ginger received my birthday gift. It's a fast charger for her phone.





 This was taken at her birthday dinner. Don't they look happy?




Here's another photo of them.


Bob came in the afternoon and paid his bills online. When he came back in the evening he brought popcorn. I popped it and that was our supper.

After he left, I lay on the sofa and lifted Missy up to lie with me. At 9:00, we were both tired and went to bed.



Saturday, December 3, 2016

Saturday and Breakfast Out.

Missy is still having problems getting around. It's not so bad just walking...although I can see she is slower and hesitant. But she cannot jump up on anything...at least not easily. It appears she has not much strength in her hindquarters.

I went on to breakfast with Bob and when I got home I looked for her and she was up on the daybed. Strange...it is a lot taller then the recliner..even with me in it. Yet, somehow, she got up there. That is her favorite place nowadays.

In about ten minutes, I will leave for Independence. I will meet my daughter at the museum up there to look at Christmas crafts and decorations at three different locations. I probably won't buy anything. I didn't last year. But I like to look anyhow.

Bob is having some trouble with his hip again. he finally heard from his doctor that he has a deteriorating disk in his back and the nerve is extending out of it and being pinched. He has an appointment with Dr. Hsu to discuss the options on December 21st. Denise will go with him. I will be in Florida at that time. He had a bad day yesterday. For several days it had been a lot better and then he walked around our Walmart store yesterday afternoon and aggravated it and it hurt again last evening. This morning it appeared to be alright again. He just can't do a lot of walking or it starts hurting again.

It's time for me to leave so I'll get back to this later today when I get back home..

More later...

Got home just in time to leave for Independence to check out the Christmas Bazaars there. I met Leslie and we walked through five of them but neither of us bought anything. We neither one of us have room for anything else. But it was fun to look anyhow.

I got back home about 11:00.

More even later...

I called Bob and asked him if he was still interested in going to Joplin. he was. So I picked him up and we went over to Joplin. I wanted to go to Christmas shop. I only lack the little girls now and I am going to buy them books.

After the shopping,We went to Olive Garden to have soup and salad for lunch with raspberry tea. Everything was very good but they were swamped. We sat near a very noisy family who kept our waiter scurrying. We had a late lunch. We got out of Olive Garden at 3:00.

When I got Bob home to his apartment to take his nap, I went home and rested up too. He came over that evening and watched the news with me and when he went home, Missy and I watched TV until we went to bed. She is still crippling around.   Her hindquarters seem to be the problem. They seem to have lost their strength.