Saturday, June 24, 2017

Saturday and Breakfast Out

I slept well again last night.

I got up about 5:00 and fixed Missy's breakfast and even my own. I forgot Bob and I were eating breakfast out this morning. I only had a small bowl of cereal and juice and a cup of regular coffee. No one gets fat on breakfast so I will eat some more with him. 

I took Missy out with me while I watered all the flowers. We didn't get the rain we were forecast yesterday. After I watered and was ready to come back in, she wandered off to Kenny's side of the house again. I had to get a stick to prod her and make her come home. Strange...sometimes she does what is expected of her and other times she is in complete rebellion. That's a cat for you! (very much like humans).

I will pick Bob up about 7:30 and we will try out the new buffet. Sirloin Stockade has closed and sold all their Kansas restaurants to Kansas Buffet so we have no idea what to expect out of this new operation. We don't even know if they kept Rick and Steve the manager and assistant manager or let them go. I guess we will find out.

I am the speaker at church tomorrow. I had considered giving it up since I am 81 but there are so few left....Johnna's husband, Greg, was murdered last month and even though she is one of our pastors, she certainly is not ready to resume being a speaker again. Her mother, Sue, is 81 too and in very poor health. Sue's husband John, who is 84, gave it up years ago. That leaves, Karan, who is about to have a complete knee surgery on the 28th, Bill,  Leslie, Melissa. and me. Leslie gets some guest speakers from time to time and that helps.

More later....

Well they kept the same staff at what used to be Sirloin Stockade. I am glad. They do a good job. 

I went out to church after breakfast and did some chores. I printed off the bulletin and insert, put up the worship center and put away the last two week's worship centers. I cleaned out the bookcase in the office. I threw away a lot of old stuff and took the trash home to dispose of it.

When I got home, Bob was here doing his laundry. After he left, I went to Country Mart and bought the apples for tomorrow night's dessert of Apple Brown Betty for after the Living the Questions group meeting.  I also stopped at Braum's and bought vanilla ice cream.  I have that stuff put away now.

Missy is back in my chair again. It will have cat hair all over it...again.

More later...

Bob came over early and offered to buy us ice cream cones since we had not had any dinner. We went over to Braum's and he bought them and we ate them!

When we got back, we watched the news and after that, he went home. I took my bath and watched TV with Missy on the sofa until 10:00 when we went to bed.  

Friday, June 23, 2017

Friday and a Good Night's Sleep

I had a good night's sleep last night after two nights of sleeplessness. I am feeling so much better this morning. I have dressed and fed Missy and myself. I took her outside with me while I watered everything. She went next door and I could not get her to come back home. I tried to pick her up but she was very angry and would have bit me if she could have reached my hands. She growled and spit at me and and wriggled around to try to reach my hands with her teeth. What an angry cat!  I finally put her down and she came home by herself. She is in the apartment now.

I will go to exercise class this morning. I haven't been all week. I need to keep that up.

I will see Dr. Webb on Monday at 2:30 and Dr. Peaster on Tuesday at 11:00. Next week will be very busy.

We have a 50% chance of rain today. 

More later...

I went to exercise class but was just exhausted for some reason. Afterward, I came home and soon started lunch. We had pork cutlet, mashed potatoes and gravy, broccoli and salad. The more I worked on it, the tireder I got. Then I cleaned off the dishes to put them in the dishwasher and did the pans. I am really exhausted now and depressed too. I don't know what's going on. I am seldom ever depressed.  I even had a good night's sleep.

For one thing, I am on overload right now and today one of our number invited another friend from exercise class to the class here on Sunday evening. I have it at my apartment this time. I can only seat 10 at best in my living room. We sometimes  have 12 if everyone comes.  Howard and Judy invited another couple time before last and today Marilyn invited this other guest today.  I don't know where I will put all these people.

I have a load of white clothes in the dryer now. I started them in the washer before I left for exercise class.

I think I will lie down and see if I can get some rest.

More later...

That helped a lot. When I got up the depression was gone. I don't know what that was all about but it may have been something about the feeling of overload just now.

Bob came over about 5:15 and stayed to watch the news and PBS where we watch Brooks and Shields every Friday evening in the Newshour. They do a good job of analyzing the news.  

After he left I took my bath and lay with Missy on the sofa to watch TV until 9:00.  Then she and I both went to bed.

  

Thursday, June 22, 2017

Thursday and Another Sleepless Night

I did not sleep well at all again last night. I awoke at 1:30 and never did get back to sleep. At 3:30, I just gave up and got up. I had way too much on my mind and it seemed to be impossible to shut it down.

First I thought about having that bunion redone. I will have to be either on crutches or a walker for six weeks afterward while it heals. Then I thought about the redo of my bladder surgery. I decided it would have to be done first. That will be a six weeks recovery....again. After that is all well, I will probably plan to have the bunion surgery....if it can be done. That will take me into the fall....at least twelve weeks of recoveries.  All that kept me awake....again. It's 4:00AM now. No sense trying to go back to bed now.

This morning I will call Dr. Gillis about my swollen ankle. When I get up in the morning, it is fine until I have been up an hour and then it swells up again and stays swollen all day.  I don't know what to make of it. I want to see if he can see me before he leaves for his next weeks week-long vacation. It will have to be today or tomorrow because he will be gone all next week.

My friend, Mary, from Springfield, that I got to see again at camp, called me last night to see how the ankle was doing. I told her it was still swelled up and the doctor was out both Monday and Tuesday and will be gone all next week. It was sweet of her to be concerned. We talked a bit but really nothing can be done until I can see a doctor about it. And then, I don't know what he can do about it. It isn't injured. It's just swollen.  I called his office on Monday but he was out and would be out Tuesday as well. Yesterday I already had way too much on my plate to try to see him.  When I called on Monday they wanted me to see the nurse practitioner instead. I told the receptionist I would just go to the Urgent Care on 11th street. She said if they needed an x-ray they would just send me back to them to have it done. Why would they need an x-ray? I hadn't fallen or twisted it and hurt it...it just swells. An x-ray just shows bone anyhow. I don't need the additional x-ray. I spent seven years working in dental offices doing x-rays without any protection.  So I just forgot about seeing a nurse practitioner.

We will have that leftover roast beef and gravy for lunch today. I still have potatoes and carrots to have with it and some of Bob's jello salad. We will have cookies and fruit for dessert.  Tomorrow I plan to have the pork cutlets I bought day before yesterday.

More later...

My daughter, Leslie, called this morning. I explained my dilemma about needing two different surgeries and having a recovery time of twelve weeks. She said "why not have them at the same time and just have one six week recovery."  She is smarter then the average bear.  I sure didn't think of that.  I'll see if I can do that.

More later...

I finally got the doctor's office. My doctor is not in today either and he's completely booked tomorrow and will be gone on vacation all next week. They offered to give me to a PA or a NP but I want to see a doctor. She gave me to Dr. Christiansen, my brother-in-law Bob's doctor. I will see him at 10:30.  It wouldn't be such a big deal but the camp nurse told me there is a chance of a blood clot with swollen ankles.

So, at least I will see a doctor.

I went to see Dr. Christiansen and he said the swelling was probably because of the heat and the fact that we did so much sitting during the services.  He said I appeared to be in very good shape and not to worry about a blood clot.  I decided I like him. He seems very down to earth, personal, practical and nice.

I got home in time to warm up the roast and potatoes and carrots. We also had the rest of Bob's salad. Marilyn R., my neighbor, brought us over some cup cakes and we had those for dessert.

I took Marilyn the rest of the roast and carrots and potatoes. She had that for her lunch.

I went to Orschelon's and bought ten small cement blocks and laid them in that flowerbed on that peat moss that the birds dropped seed into and pulled out most of the sprouting seeds. Now I can fill the bird feeder again and if they drop seed this time, it will fall on those blocks. I will take a photo of that solution and post it here. I will also take a photo of the flower bed that I replanted the flowers in. I had to transplant the hen and chicks too. The squirrels dug them out and ruined that flowerbed too. I've had a time trying to have flowers.

Here the flowerbed that I moved all those flowers to. I looks fuller now.

This is the tomato plant with five tomatoes on it. I threw one away because a squirrel had evidently taken a bite from it.

Anyhow this is all for now.  More later..

Bob came over about a quarter past 5:00 and stayed to watch the news. After that, he left to go home and watch "Mysteries at the Museum" . I don't get that program on my TV.  I took my bath and put my PJs on before  I had a cookie and a cup of Chai. Then I watched "This Old House" on PBS.  After that, I came in here to bring the blog up to date. I will go to bed at 9:00.

Wednesday, June 21, 2017

Wednesday and an Eye Appointment

I did not sleep well last night. I had too much going through my head. I finally just got up at 4:00 and came in here to read the e-mail and do my blog.

In a little while I will dress and get ready for my day. Missy is still on the bed. When she gets up I will make it and get her breakfast and mine. Then I will need to water the flowerbeds.

I will not cook lunch today. I have a 10:30 appointment in Caney with my optometrist.  This is my yearly appointment. My brother-in-law, Bob, has a Bartlesville appointment at 9:30 with Dr. Eslicker's nurse practitioner. He missed his appointment on Monday so now he will just see the nurse practitioner. I will meet him after our appointments and we will have lunch at McCalister's and perhaps walk around the mall. I also want to see if I can see the podiatrist, Dr. Webb, about my left foot bunion. I want to see if he can repair that failed bunion surgery so I won't get back home soon enough to go play Bunco at Asbury.

More later...

I have fed Missy and myself and watered all the flowers and tomato plant and dead headed the flowers. Before I leave this morning, I want to run the vacuum sweeper in the living room and perhaps the dining room.

I haven't taken my Zyrtec for two nights and that may be why I didn't sleep well last night. I notice I am having a sneezing episode this morning.  So maybe I should take some.

More later... 

I got the vacuuming all finished and dusting too before I left for Caney and my eye appointment. I met Bob and McCalister's at 11:30 and we had lunch. Afterward he went home and I stopped at Dr. Webb's to check about repair of my failed bunion.  I have an appointment to meet with him on Monday at 2:30. I have an appointment with Dr. Peaster on Tuesday to discuss redoing my bladder surgery.   What a mess!

I did get home in time to go out to Asbury to play Bunco. And surprise of surprises, I won "most Buncos".  The prize was a cute jar that was supposed to hold little hearts on which you would print your blessings.  I don't know what I will do with that but it is cute.

After I got home the newspaper came and I read that and did the crossword puzzle. Around 5:00 Bob came over to watch the news and read the newspaper. He left sometime after 6:00.  I took my bath and Missy and I watched TV...a PBS special about Yellowstone Park and all of it's animals and birds. Missy really gets into shows about animals and birds.

At 9:00, Missy and I went to bed. I was exhausted!  

Tuesday, June 20, 2017

Tuesday and More Disappointments

I waited all day yesterday for a call back from Dr. Peaster, the urology doctor that did my bladder surgery. He never called. I called twice yesterday and then again just before 5:00 when the office closed. The receptionist said he had been in surgery all day and would call me today. Well, it's 1:30 now and I still have not heard from him. I called the office at 10:30 and made an appointment to see him at 11:00 next Tuesday. He did the failed surgery and I feel he should be the one to redo it. We'll see how that goes.

I have not had a good track record with most doctors. Dr. Smithson, who did my hysterectomy when I was 30 and later did my surgery for my hernia, did a good job. He actually spent time with me each time I saw him.  He was a "person" doctor. I can't say that for Dr. Peaster.

Then before my Bob died we had a doctor we both loved...Melissa. However, notwithstanding the PET scan, the CT scan, the MRI, his cancer was never detected. He had developed lymphademia in his left arm. It swelled and hurt terribly. Our doctor sent him to a lymphademia massage therapist three times a week but that didn't help either.  We had a surgeon who did not want to do his biopsy because of his type 2 diabetes but told our family doctor that we had refused to have it done.. In other words....he lied. I'm not surprised that our hospital finally fired him.

After that, we were seeing my husband, Bob's, dermatologist and he suggested we see a Bartlesville radiologist who would do a "needle" biopsy.  He even got us an appointment that day and we went right up to see that doctor. He immediately scanned Bob's chest and after looking at the computer screen said,  "Well, this is cancer. We just won't know what kind until the biopsy comes back". Then he did the needle biopsy. That was on a Wednesday. On Friday, the biopsy came back. It was squamous cell carcinoma.  It had spread throughout his body and settled in his lungs. The prognosis was "days". My younger son, Scott, was due to be deployed again to Iraq but the doctor sent a letter with the results of the biopsy to his commanding officer and the Red Cross got his deployment cancelled and he came home to help me with his dad. The doctor suggested we should call in Hospice. He died a week later...the day before his 80th birthday.

More.. back in the early 2000s I had surgery for a bunion on my right foot. That was successful. Then in 2003, I had the same doctor do the left foot. That one failed. I showed it to the doctor that did the surgery and he said my only recourse was the "Keller" procedure. I looked that up. They evidently remove the protruding bone and put a rod in the big toe. It is only for people who have terrible pain. I don't have terrible pain but I do have to wear a very wide shoe in the winter and fall and sandals in the summer. I also have to set my left foot on top of my right foot when I sleep. Otherwise rubbing the bunion on the sheets in the night makes it hurt and keeps me awake.

Now this surgery....another failure.

I had the roast in the slow cooker while I went to have my hair done. It cooked three hours with potatoes and carrots and then I set the slow cooker on low to keep it warm. It was good but dry.  We will have it again on Thursday and I have made some brown gravy to go on that meat. Maybe that will help.

I have a 10:30 appointment in Caney in the morning to get my eyes checked. My brother-in-law, Bob, has a 9:30 appointment with Dr. Eslicker's office. He will drive himself down and will see the Nurse Practitioner because he forgot his appointment with the doctor yesterday. I will drive down to Bartlesville myself after my appointment and we will eat at McCalister's.  I want to see the podiatrist, Dr. Webb, while we are there. I want to see if he can do anything about that right foot's bunion.

Today, I am depressed. It's been a rough weekend and a half.

Today I checked into what a passport will cost. I was told it would be $150. plus the photo...so perhaps $160. I will probably go to Bartlesville to have it done. That post office will also do the photo. Ours in Independence will send me to Walgreen's for the photo. There's no rush. The cruise my daughter-in-law and son are sending me on with them and her mother isn't until next June. I hope to have both my foot and my bladder repaired by then.

I am looking forward to the Alaska cruise.

More even later...I have vented...thanks for listening!!

Here's something to cheer me up. Missy ignores the little solar cat Leslie gave me for Mother's Day. She simply ignores it. Missy has more personality then any cat I've ever had and I've had a few.

Well, this morning I set it in the sun to get it's glow. Missy went over and laid down and finally...after all this time...looked at it. I grabbed my camera and took this photo.

Of course, you realize it was in the sunshine and Missy loves to lay in the sunshine.

More later...

I've made peanut butter criss cross cookies this afternoon and even ate one of them. Then I read the paper and did the crossword puzzle. In about 25 minutes the news will be on and I will watch that this evening. I laid down awhile with Missy this afternoon. I even took her out briefly but it was too hot for her so she wanted back in.

More even later...

Dr. Peaster never did call today.

My brother-in-law, Bob, came over at 5:00 to watch the news and left after it was over.

I took my bath and laid down with Missy to watch TV.  In about an hour, I'll go to bed.

Monday, June 19, 2017

Next Sunday's Sermon



Take Up the Cross and Follow Me
June 25th 2017
Matthew 10: 24-39 is sometimes thought of as a hard saying. Let us share it. 

Matthew 10:24-39New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)

 “A student is not above the teacher, nor a slave above the master; it is enough for the student to be like the teacher, and the slave like the master. If they have called the master of the house Beelzebub, how much more will they malign those of his household!
 “So have no fear of them; for nothing is covered up that will not be uncovered, and nothing secret that will not become known.  What I say to you in the dark, tell in the light; and what you hear whispered, proclaim from the housetops.  Do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul; rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body.  Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? Yet not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father.  And even the hairs of your head are all counted.  So do not be afraid; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Everyone therefore who acknowledges me before others, I also will acknowledge before my Father in heaven; but whoever denies me before others, I also will deny before my Father in heaven.”

The author of Matthew tells us the disciples had been on a journey with Jesus and he had just shared with them some of the mission to which they were being called. Then he began to tell them what might happen next. It was Jesus’ way of preparing them to expect the unexpected. Jesus warned his followers they needed to be prepared to be rejected and face persecution simply because they would be labeled as his followers.

The passage opens with clear warnings and guidelines for the disciples. They are to share the values of God’s kingdom that Jesus had  shared with them and what they have learned is that there won’t always be a great reception. They must also be prepared to share in the rejection.

As the disciples proclaimed God’s kingdom coming near, they were also told they must remain focused on the mission and do what they must to attend to the Holy Spirit’s leading. 

This begins the transition into an even more commonly difficult portion of the passage. 

Beginning in Matthew 10:34–36, Jesus recites a familiar passage from Micah 7:6 where God and the prophet are engaged in an exchange about being faithful in their relationship amid unfaithfulness in the community. 

It reads like this. “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth; I have not come to bring peace, but a sword.

For I have come to set a man against his father,
and a daughter against her mother,
and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law;
and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.

Whoever loves father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever loves son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and whoever does not take up the cross and follow me is not worthy of me.  Those who find their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it.”

When people challenge the status quo, they are often labeled as being unfaithful to what has become a way of life. Jesus seems to be telling them he didn’t come to keep the peace or harmony with what’s been happening in their lives of faith. His coming and his message will shake things up and invite new followers to a new way of life…a different way of life. They are challenged to put aside class differences and live the Kingdom of God in the here and now!

So let’s explore the Scripture:

There is some doubt among scholars of the New Testament that Jesus really said all these words because the words say that Jesus deliberately creates conflict… and this contradicts other of Jesus’ sayings where he recommends unqualified love. In this passage Jesus also refers to himself in the first person, something they doubt that he did except as found in the gospel of John…a very late gospel. 

For that reason, and because the saying is based on something the prophet Micah said, they conclude that these words are probably something formulated by the early Christian community as they encountered objection and difficulty to the message of living out the Kingdom of God in this life…a message that instructed disciples to take care of one another as well as those they encountered who were also in need. …something that was clearly counter cultural in that day.   

We should keep in mind that the sayings in this segment reflect a knowledge of events that took place long after Jesus’ death. Matthew is clearly depicting the situation as he knew it in his own time and Matthew is believed to have been written between the years 70 to 90.   

Then the author of Matthew says that Jesus clearly defines what the expectation is for life as a disciple. Taking up our cross may not always mean an actual cross…it may mean doing something that we ordinarily would not do…responding in a way that may be counter cultural in our society. 

We are not to stop loving others because we confess to love Jesus. We are simply to put his message and instructions first. 

According to Matthew, Jesus says that following him means we shouldn’t set aside the good news of the gospel because of another relationship. We instead should find hope in the reality that God will never betray us or abandon us. Our value is immeasurable to God and God’s fidelity to us is always promised. It is in that relationship that we can “lose” our life…perhaps not literally… but certainly as we decide to do the servant ministry that he instructs his disciples to do….meeting real need wherever they and we find it, we can in this way figuratively “lose our lives”.  

We know there are times when, if we choose to follow these instructions of Jesus, some people will challenge us. When Jesus said disciples should “take up their cross” and follow him, he meant disciples should have a wholehearted response and willingness to give up the way of life they might otherwise have chosen to live, and follow his “way” instead.  Perhaps that is why the earliest Christian community was first called “The Way”. 

So what does this mean for us as modern day Christians? Does it mean we should literally “take up a cross”? That’s not likely in today’s world. But it might mean that for us, we should be willing to lay down our lives to protect another. It means we should always be willing to help others we know who need our help. It means we should be ready to accept those that our society won’t always accept. That’s what Jesus would do. 

We all encounter opportunities in our everyday lives to assist others who need help. And it doesn’t always have to be something dramatic. But sometimes it’s just a matter of helping someone change a tire….or taking a meal to a shut in. Occasions happen throughout our lives to be helpful to others in need.  It’s just a matter of whether we notice and decide to assist that someone or simply walk away. 
 
In every situation we encounter, we should just ask ourselves. “What would Jesus do?” and then act….that’s basically what it means to follow Jesus. It won’t always be easy. 

While I was at camp this week something very different happened that challenged me and  many others in our witness of Jesus’ way. 

I was in the dining hall and a woman came in who was dressed very nicely for church. I had been busy so I just glanced up…and then I did a double take. It was not a woman…it was a man dressed as a woman. He went outside where there was a group visiting on the benches outside the dining hall and walked down toward the worship center. I went out to see how others reacted to him. They were as surprised as I was and after he walked down to the worship center, several of them laughed loudly. 

So I walked up and said, “you know he is just a cross dresser, He is who he is, just as we are who we are.”  They immediately stopped laughing. As I walked away it occurred to me that I had not laughed but I had not made any effort to speak to him either. 

I suddenly remembered that this same man had come to the last camp I had attended two years ago and after several visited with him, he had been well accepted. In fact he and his girlfriend attended the nearby Neosho, Missouri, congregation regularly. I was ashamed of myself. 

Later that afternoon, I saw our Mission Center President, Vivian, sitting next to him at those same benches and she was visiting with him. I realized again what a quality person she was. 

The next day at our morning group meeting, our leader,  Karan had three questions for us to consider. They were 1) What challenged you to grow yesterday? 2)   How could you have been more like Jesus? 3) What do you wish you had done differently? There was a long silence and then I finally spoke up and said,” I was ashamed of myself when the young man who cross-dresses came up here and I didn’t try to visit with him and put him at ease. 

I realized that Jesus accepted everyone in his culture. He accepted women who were the very lowest part in their society. He held children who were considered property by the men of that day. In fact, as objects, if they disobeyed their father, they could be stoned to death. He touched and healed lepers who were forced to live outside the city gates and shout out “unclean, unclean” if anyone approached them. 

Jesus was definitely counter culture. 

The next day the young man came back after he had worked all day and was dressed in his work clothes. 

Later the following day, I was serving dinner when he came in again very well dressed in his woman clothing…a bright red dress, hat and heels. He was carefully made up and well dressed…as a woman. This time I had the opportunity to talk to him as I asked him which foods he wanted on his plate.  

 “Matthew pretty much had it right in a later chapter in Matthew 25, when he said Jesus in a teaching parable had said: “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a foreigner and you showed me hospitality; I was naked and you clothed me; I was ill and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to see me.

 Whatever you did for the most inconspicuous members of my family, you did it for me as well.” 

It’s really not that hard to see opportunities. The hard part is to be able to act on those opportunities. 

So let us ask ourselves “what are we willing to do to follow Jesus?” and “What would Jesus do…in every circumstance we encounter?”

Monday and No Exercises

I slept very well last night and didn't wake up once. I got up at 5:30 or so. I have fed myself and Missy and am going to make a fast trip to the market to get meat for the week. I don't buy my meat at Walmart. I will get everything else there later this afternoon.

I have washed the  kitchen and bathroom floors this morning. Tomorrow after I get back from Independence, I will vacuum at least two rooms. I need to try to see the doctor today about my swollen ankles and also call the Bartlesville doctor who did my surgery about my surgery failure. It should be a busy day.

If I'm going to make it to the market, I'd better got back to this later....

My 56 year old son ran a triathlon last week in Florida and he did it in 1 hour and 40 minutes. Here is his photo.




He was exhausted when he finished.

I've had a stressful morning. I called the doctor's office about the swollen ankle (it's down now...at least temporarily) and he will be out both today and tomorrow and he will be gone all next week on vacation. So I can't find out anything about that. Then I went to the grocery store and when I attempted to use my debit card to pay for my groceries, I accidentally put in the last four digits of my social instead of my pin number. I tried three times and finally just paid in cash.

Then I went to the bank to get my hair money back and I had been locked out of my account. I called the bank when I got back home and they reset it for me. Then I went back to the bank to get the money for my hairdo tomorrow.

I called Dr. Peaster's office and was put on hold  for awhile then when I told the receptionist what I was calling about she took a message and said she would have the doctor call me when he came in . That's been almost an hour and he hasn't called yet.

Bad start of the day...

It's 8:40 in the evening now and Dr. Peaster never called me back.   I called his nurse for the second time at 4:50 and learned that he had been in surgery "all day".  I asked if that began at 9:30 this morning and she didn't even answer me. She said he would call me in the morning. In the morning, I will be in Independence getting my hair done. I will have my phone with me and I doubt he will call me at 9:00 AM. That's when my appointment is scheduled.

I finally went on to Walmart to buy the bulk of my groceries in the afternoon. I took my phone with me and had it in my hand the entire time...hoping Dr. Peaster would call.  I got that finished. Then I finished my Sunday sermon.

I heard from my friend, Gay, today that her mother had died in her sleep last night. She was 99 and would have been 100 if she had lived until January. Gay and I have been friends for 63 years. I would go to the memorial service for her mom but I am preaching at our church next Sunday.  I did go buy a nice card and added a personal note and sent that to her today.

It's nearly 9:00 now and I have had my bath and lay with Missy on the sofa for awhile. In a little while, I will go to bed. It's been a huge day.

Sunday, June 18, 2017

Sunday and Church

I had another busy day. I fed myself and Missy and then got myself ready for church. Bob picked me up at 9:00 and then we went to get Phyllis. When we got to church I cut up Bob's coffeecake and he swept up the bugs in the foyer. Our church is in the country and every week there are a few bugs that find their way into the foyer. One of us cleans them up. They are mostly dead because Bob sprays around the doors and windows to mostly keep them out.

Leslie was in charge of church and she had a testimony service.  It was very good!

After church Bob and Phyllis and I went over to "Just Us" for lunch. Karan was till at church camp until about noon and she wanted to get right home so she didn't go.

After lunch Bob brought both Phyllis and me home. I opened my mail and put everything from it away. Then I did the congregation's newsletters and got them sent out.  Then I finished Sunday's sermon. Finally! I laid down with Missy about 4:15 and took a short nap before Bob came by at 5:00 to watch the news and 60 Minutes.

After he left Missy and I went out on the patio and swept and then I transplanted some of my flowers. The bird seed that hangs above my new flowerbed had dropped into it as the birds fed and the seeds had sprouted and ruined the flowerbed. A squirrel dug up the one with the hen and chicks and they were scattered everywhere.  I will weed the one I took everything out of the first chance I get.

I have the ankle all swelled up very large again so I must remember to call the doctor in the morning and see if he can see me.  I also want to talk to him about my bladder prolapse problem. I just had that surgery in January and now it needs to be redone. He will probably want me to call the same doctor that did it. I dread that.

It's 9:30 now and about time for me to think about going to bed.