Saturday and Another Idea

I had gone on to bed pretty early last night but I woke up at 2:30AM with the realization that what I am going through was just what I was going through six years ago before I was diagnosed with Erysipelas by Dr.  Eslicker. After I finally got through that after weeks of a red swollen face, he told me to refill that prescription and keep it on hand since the disease might happen again. It began with a sinus infection and no mucus...just red bloody tissue that came out when I blew. ...lots of blood.

I get bloody tissue now when I blow...no sign of a cold..just hunks of tissue that is usually bloody.  I got up and went to the computer and searched for the photo from 2013. I found the photo Leslie took of me back in 2013 when I had it before and printed it off. Then I went back to bed and got back to sleep until almost 7:00AM.

This morning after the Medicine Shoppe opened I called and got John, the pharmacist .I asked him if that prescription would still be good after all these years. He said the company would say "no" but he said he had meds in his medicine chest that were ten and fifteen years old and he still took them. He said it was his opinion that my med would still be good. So I opened it and took one. I am to take them three times a day. He said if this had not cleared up by Tuesday, I should probably see a doctor. I will do that. I don't need meningitis, that's for sure.

I did call Nancy at 10:30 and she was still in bed. She says she feels wretched.  She took Tylenol but it did not help. She aches all over. I told her Tylenol doesn't do anything for inflammation so for that I usually take Aleve. She didn't have any Aleve and she had already taken Tylenol. I apologized for waking her and let her get back to sleep. Sure enough! She had not called David back. She felt too bad.

I walked up to the library and checked out two more books. I have been watching a vet show on TV so I have not started them yet. My Kindle is being charged.

More later...It's 11:30AM and I am thinking about lunch.

I had a sandwich for lunch and watched a TV show I had taped.  Then I went out back and opened those two bags of Miracle Grow that John and Leslie had brought me and worked it into the soil John had brought me earlier.


That little garden bag was something I won at Bunco last year. It came in handy today. I am going to buy six of those foot square tiles at Walmart  and enlarge my tiny patio. This little tiny thing is hardly big enough for my two chairs.


This is the little above ground flowerbed John made me when I moved into the apartment in Coffeyville.  When I moved last January here to Caney, he took it up and later had Jeromy, my grandson, bring it to him. Then earlier this Spring, he brought it over here to my new place along with several big buckets of good rich dirt. He and Leslie brought me the two bags of Miracle Grow earlier this week. Next week, I will buy my flowers and get them planted and also buy a bag of mulch and those six foot square tiles to enlarge that small patio.

More even later...

I heard from Leslie that we are going to eat at the Railroad Inn in Independence for Easter.  I will take my list and after lunch I will go to the Independence Walmart and buy the things I want for the flowerbed... including the foot wide tiles...everything except for the flowers. I will get them next week at Coffeyville. It may be a little bit early to plant flowers this week.

I started to read the two books I got at the library and found that I had already read both of them...so Monday I will take them both back. So after my Kindle was charged, I have begun a book Bill gave me for a birthday gift and I never got around to reading.

I took my bath and got ready for bed st 7:00PM, watched Dateline and went to bed at 8:45PM. I was very tired again.

Friday and a Full Day

I slept pretty well last night on the trundle. I got up at 6:00AM so I slept a little longer then usual. I drank my coffee and Chai and even my Caramel Cappuccino. Dean slept well. I sneaked into the bedroom in the middle of the night to use the bathroom and didn't even disturb him. He uses what I think he calls a C Pack to keep him from having sleep apnia.  He has atrial fibrillation like Bob has except he has a pacemaker. He takes a handful of pills every morning and another handful every evening. That C Pack makes just enough noise to keep him from hearing anything and disturbing home and waking him up.

I put the TV on with the news about 8:00AM and kept the sound low and he was never disturbed. He got up at 9:30AM.  After watching the news he wanted to get a shower and dress and wants to go back to Dewey to go through some of those antique shops and "junk" shops they have there. He said we'd catch a quick breakfast after that. He also said since he had everything done he came to do, he thought he would not stay the second night.  He wants to go back to Topeka and buy himself a new box springs and mattress. He said he slept better on mine then he had in years.

I told him he was welcome to stay the second night if he wanted but he was anxious to get back to his son, Rod. He said he would come again another time. He gave me a hug and thanked me for my hospitality. I thanked him for all the meals he treated me to.

After he left, I wanted to wash my towels. I got them ready to go through the washer but I could not get it to turn on. I tried several times and did several different things. Nothing worked. I texted John for an idea what to do and he suggested it might be a breaker. I went to the garage and looked into the breaker box but nothing had been tripped.  I tripped the ones for the washer and dryer anyhow and then went back into the house and tried them. They both worked that time. I texted John to thank him for the suggestion. He suggested it might have been the storm Wednesday night that tripped that breaker. I had not thought of that.

Anyhow, I got that laundry done and dried and put away.

I noticed that I had never picked up my "Coffeyville" books at the Journal office since I moved and called the Journal to see if they still had them. I had loaned them to Jennifer, who was the Journal editor last fall. But she had moved on to the radio station and now they had a new editor. They had quite a few of the books and asked me if I wanted to come look to see if some of them were mine. So I made a fast trip over to Coffeyville to check them out. They had three of mine. So I picked them up and just came on back home.

I hadn't been home very long when Nancy dropped by. David, her only son, had finally called. She talked to him briefly but it was time for her to go to her Bible study so she told him she would call him back after the Bible study. He agreed to that. They were not quite ready for the class yet so she dropped by my place to see if I was finally home. I told her about my visit with Dean and that's when she told me about David's call. I am so pleased he called her. I hope she remembers to call him back.

More later...

By the time Nancy got out of her Bible class, she was feeling really bad, She aches all over.  I doubt she called David back.

I took my bath at 7:00PM and watched TV until 9:00PM when I went on to bed. I feel drained. 

Thursday and Dean Arrives

We were under storm warnings yesterday and Dean decided to come today instead. He is to be here before noon. He said it takes about two hours to drive from Topeka and he plans to leave at 9:00AM.

I had washed the sheets on my bed and changed the bed for him so I slept on the trundle last night. I slept pretty well considering the situation. I was very hoarse yesterday and could hardly be understood. The drainage has made me have laryngitis.  I have more voice today.

I cleaned the leaves out of my hedge yesterday and generally cleaned up the yard. I need to pick up sticks again before I mow again next week. 

I read the new free Amazon book I had downloaded yesterday afternoon and finished it this morning.  It was pretty good. I think the name of it was "The Fifth Sister".

I am dressed and have had my breakfast and two cups of warm drinks. That may help loosen up my voice.

I see they are having problems with the weather channel this morning and we have no "local on the 8s" weather yet.

More later...

I went to buy some gas at Casey's this morning. I didn't get it at Coffeyville, yesterday where it would have been cheaper because the wind was blowing too hard. I had already lost my voice and didn't need anymore exposure to the wind.

I watched the interview of the AG as he tried to explain why he redacted the Mueller Report the way he did.  I am sure the Democratic House will examine it carefully. Mueller didn'y come to any conclusion about the obstruction part of it, but Barr did. He went one step further. There are 10 instances where the President might be found attempting to "obstruct" the  investigation.

"In the report’s second volume, Mueller’s team documented 10 instances of Trump trying to impede the investigation or directing his staff to do so (including firing Mueller). Ultimately, Mueller chose not to say whether Trump did or did not obstruct justice.

The report suggests, though, that Trump feared the special counsel's investigation and what it might find". 

Dean is not here yet and probably will not be here before noon. He was to leave Topeka at 9:00AM but I don't know if he is going to check on his farm first or come here first.

I'll know when he comes.

More later...

Dean came about 11:00AM and was his usual charming self. We visited for about 45 minutes and then I asked him if he would like a sandwich for lunch. He instead suggested we go out to Eggberts and have lunch. And that's what we did. We sat there for the better part of an hour swapping life stories and bringing one another up to date. I did not know Dean very well in school. He ran with a different crowd and I was always either in school or working my several part time jobs after school and on Saturdays. I dated a lot of neat guys over my school years but Dean was not one of them. He graduated and went on to KU and I worked at the Journal there in Coffeyville reading proof. I did attend classes at Coffeyville Junior College but only one year. Then I met Bob and it was a whirlwind courtship and he wanted to get married. I quit my job in March and we were married in April.  Bob was in the Air Force at the time so we moved to San Antonio.  I lost track of my classmates for at least a year until he finished his last year of the Air Force and we moved back to Coffeyville.

Several years after that, I got my first class newsletter from Dean. He was a self appointed class locator and sent out a class newsletter every year for several years.  Then he passed the newsletter on to a woman from Oklahoma City area and she passed it on in time to one in Arkansas. That woman  passed it on to me 21 years ago and I have had it ever since.

We came back to my apartment after lunch and sat and visited awhile. Later, that afternoon we went over to Coffeyville and we did a lot of looking around for him to see how the town had changed and to give him a chance to see the farm he has there in South Coffeyville. He leases it out to a farmer who plants it in hay. Then we drove around town so he could see all the changes and he showed me where his family had lived.  Then we visited the cemetary so he could see where some of his relatives were buried.

Later that afternoon we went to Bartlesville and ate at the Painted Horse, one of their newer restaurants.  It was good but very noisy and we both wear hearing aids so we had to sit on the same side of the table to hear one another.

He drove through town one the way back to see how much Bartlesville had changed too. Then we drove out near Osage Hills State Park but it was getting too late by that time so he turned around and we came back to Caney in time to watch the news and a program of American Experience on Amazon Prime TV.

I took my bath during that and got my PJs and robe on and watched the rest of the program with him and he brought in his bags and got ready for bed. I pulled the trundle out from under the daybed and went on to bed in the den.

It was a big day for both of us. I am still fighting my laryngitis and I am not sure it isn't a sinus infection. I feel alright but I have this drainage and a cough and of course, I have almost lost my voice. 

Wednesday and Company's Coming

I slept pretty well last night but probably because I took another Benadryl capsule. I woke up once in the night coughing and I dug out some cough medicine I had had for awhile.  It seemed to work. I went right back to sleep and slept until 6:00AM when I got up and stripped the bed and remade it with my other set of sheets. Then I washed those sheets. They are in the dryer now.

I have dressed and had my breakfast. I still have the cough but it's not as bad as it was.

John and Leslie came by last night after I had had my bath and was in my PJs and robe.  They had been to Bartlesville and eaten out at the Japanese restaurant there. Then they had gone to Lowe's and bought Miracle Grow for their flowerbeds. They brought me by two bags. After Dean is gone, I will work that into my flowerbed and then after the women's retreat next weekend, I will go to the nursery and buy my flowers and get them planted.  I also want to get some flat pavers and extend my little patio a bit larger so I can put my yard chairs out there and sit this spring and summer.

It's 7:10AM now and I have had my breakfast and will go watch the weather. I have a 10:00AM hair appointment this morning in Coffeyville and I will go out to Walmart and perhaps buy those pavers. I also want to get some bread. I seldom eat bread but with Dean here, I may want to fix french toast. I will stop by Walmart's deli and get some shaved ham too for sandwiches at noon. I also have some canned Amy's tomato bisque soup we could have with cheddar cheese for one lunch.  That's my plan anyhow. I also want to get some of that Lipton's tea Leslie had at Independence, Missouri last week.

My dryer is finished now so I will take a break here and fold those sheets and put them away.

More later...

I got the sheets folded and put away and am drinking my Chai now.  I watched the local on the 8's weather and they are forecasting rain and possible storm this afternoon. I hope that won't deter Dean but if I were him, I would cancel rather then take a chance on getting hail damage on my car.

More later...

I took my broom, dustpan and rake out and cleaned up the leaves, etc, from behind my hedge. It looks so much neater now.  It's 9:00AM now and I think I will go on over to Coffeyville and get my groceries first. Then after I get my hair done, I can just come right back home before the weather changes and it rains.

I just got into my car and barely out of town when Roger called me to ask if he should order me some of the new contacts. When I answered him I realized I had very little voice. I have my annual laryngitis.  What poor timing! Here Dean will be coming this afternoon and I will be hardly be able to talk. I have chewed gum all morning hoping to urge my voice back.

I went out to Walmart first when I got back to Coffeyville and bought the groceries I needed for  lunches here with Dean. I also bought some bread so I could make french toast for breakfasts. Then I went on to get my hair done. And it really needed it! I had mowed both Monday and Tuesday and so it was a mess! And today, we have wind. I needed to get some gas while I was out but with the wind blowing the way it is, I did not want to get out in it. So I have four gallons left and if I need gas, I will stop here at Casey's in Caney and get it later.

More even later...

I fixed myself a hamburger for lunch. It is 2:10PM and Dean is still not here. He did tell  me it would be late afternoon before he got here. But he didn't check in with me to confirm everything today. I have not wanted to leave the house because I don't know when to expect him. So I have been puttering.

He will come when he comes.

I heard from Dean. In order to avoid the storm warnings he is coming in the morning instead.

I read all afternoon and then we had the tornado warning and I went and sat in the closet with the radio and a sofa pillow for awhile. Nothing developed though so I finally went on and took my bath and went on to bed.

Tuesday and a New Revelation

I slept well last night but it was because I took a Benadryl capsule. I discovered that what I thought was allergies, was instead... a cold. I have blown and blown but my best defense is Zinc Lozenges. That seems to help more then anything. I was miserable when I awoke this morning but after a couple of Zinc Lozenges I feel much better. I thought about contacting Dean and asking him to postpone his visit but I looked and the next week and I have that women's retreat then. So I am just hoping I have nipped this thing in the bud by catching it early.

I will strip my bed this morning and put new sheets on the bed and hope Dean will not catch the cold.

After awhile, I want to finish mowing that last two strips of grass I didn't have the energy to finish yesterday. I also want to vacuum the apartment.

I go to Coffeyville tomorrow to get my hair done at 10:00AM. Then I will get right back to Caney so I won't miss Dean in case he comes early. It may rain tomorrow afternoon.

Later...

I got the rest of the mowing done. And I worked the crossword puzzle in the Reporter too. The internet is down at Cox so I can't check the e-mail.

Now I had better vacuum the apartment. It's 11:35AM  now. First I will have my lunch.

So more later...

I took  Zinc lozenges all afternoon and the cold seems to be mostly gone now.

I called Cox Complete Care to find out why I had no internet. Cox had a major mail outage today. The tech I got wanted to do my updates on Windows and that took half the afternoon. Then I lost my internet connection on the USB Wireless Adapter connection. Nothing I did would hook it up again.  Usually I could reboot the computer and it would find the adapter but this time that did not work.

So  I called Cox Complete Care again and got a different tech. Of course I had no internet on the desktop computer so he had to walk me through trying to get it reconnected over the telephone.

Nothing we did helped so finally he wanted me to text Leslie and see if she used a CD to install that USB Adapter. I knew I didn't have a clue about where that would be located. I opened the CD drawer on the desktop and there it was! So he walked me through reinstalling the USB Adapter. Getting back online had taken all afternoon after trying everything else first but we finally got it done.

By that time it was 5:30PM and the entire day was over.  I just ate some yogurt for my dinner.

I never did get the vacuuming done. Luckily I had just done that when I got home from Independence, Missouri.

At 7:00PM or 7:30PM, I will take my bath and put my PJs on and try to get to bed at 9:00PM or so.

By the way, I set my little solar kitty out in the sunshine today and it is still glowing. Cute, isn't it?

Monday and Laundry and Mowing

I slept poorly last night. I woke up twice and went to the bathroom and just got up shortly before 5:00AM. I have dressed and eaten my breakfast and watched the weather channel.

I have done some cleaning but will wait until tomorrow to change my bed in anticipation of Dean coming Wednesday afternoon. I will sleep on the trundle and it's bedding is clean. I will give him my bed just as I do whenever I have company. I noticed on the weather channel that we are expecting rain on Wednesday afternoon.  I hope he can get here before he encounters the rain. He too is 83 years old. I have a 10:00AM hair appointment on Wednesday too and will need to get back before he arrives.

I hope to have lunch with Nancy today. We plan to go down to the Copan Cafe truck stop. I know they have good food. It will be something different from Eggberts.

I have to go up to Dr. Burch's office and get my new contacts this morning as soon as he opens and then I need to also take the check for my March water, sewer and trash payment by the City of Caney office. For some strange reason, the bank sent me their payment check. I have paid online ever since I have been here but this is the first time they have sent me the check. Weird!

More later...

I got that mess straightened out and then Nancy came over and wanted to go to lunch. Sounded good to me. We went down to the Copan Restaurant this time. Afterward we visited awhile and then after she left, I mowed the front yard.  I want to get at least part of it done before Wednesday. It's supposed to rain Wednesday afternoon.

My allergies are driving me crazy. The nose runs constantly. And I have a slight cough too.  

Here's the front...



I will do the back next. The side yard will have to wait until tomorrow.


 

I got the back done and most of the side before I played out.  It's 4:20PM now and I want to watch the 5:00PM news. I will get back to this later.

This is the side yard.

 I lacked about two swipes to finish the side. But I will be fresh tomorrow.




I will finish then. I will get back to this after the news.

Palm Sunday Back Home

I went to bed fairly early last night. I slept pretty well but woke up with a slightly sore throat at 4:00AM . I found my zinc lozenges and took one and I will take another with me to church. I am not particularly surprised about the sore throat. There were a lot of people at the conference coughing. ....plus, I am back in allergy country and my sinus's drained down my throat all night. The fact that it was 80 degrees one day and 33 degrees and very windy with 50 mile an hour winds the next, didn't help.


I will get my coffeecake made as soon as I dress and eat my oatmeal. I hope my little dab of milk isn't sour. If it is, I will have to have a breakfast bar instead. Luckily, Leslie sent them home with me.

So after I dress and have my breakfast, I will get back to this.

Well, I got the coffeecake baked and cooled and then iced it.  I will load up the cake for the First Christian Church into my car and my sermon and Bible. Then I will take off for church about 8:15AM.

I got there after Bob did. He had the doors open. I set up the coffeecake and cut it into slices and got  the paper plates out and the plastic forks. Then I went into the office and ran off the bulletins.  Then the class arrived and after they had their coffeecake, we began the class. After class, it was time for the congregation to begin coming in . We had a fair size group and four or five came down from Chanute.  I was not terribly comfortable with my sermon but everyone seemed to be alright with it afterward. I had prepared it before the conference and just run through it a couple of times after we got home from the conference.  It was short but that's better then a very long one.

John surprised Johnna with a lovely painting of angels.  Johnna was the women who lost her mother three weeks ago in a head on collision near here. He also painted Phyllis one of Iris. She was thrilled with it. Just a couple of weeks ago she had asked John if he ever painted flowers. He ended up giving it to her and she was thrilled about it. It was really pretty.

Phyllis and I intended to to go Great China for lunch but when we got there, we remembered that they were closed for a month so they could go back to China to visit.  So we turned around and went over to "Just Us". Luckily they had room for us. After we got our food we found that Rick and Carmen were there. We visited with them shortly but they had finished and we were just getting our food. They came by our table when they were ready to leave and said "goodbye". Rick doubled back and told me he had paid for our lunch.  What a guy!

I took Phyllis back to her car after lunch and went into Coffeyville to go to the bank and stop at Braums and get milk and eggs. Then I came on back home to do my newsletters. I ran over to the Dollar General store to get some more envelopes. I sent out two in snail mail.  When I finally finished,  I read the papers and vacuumed out my car. I intended to have it washed but the bay was shut down for some reason.

So  I came home and talked to Nancy awhile and watched 60 Minutes. Nancy and I may have lunch at the Copan Truck Stop tomorrow. They have great food.

I have had my bath and am ready for bed. I will try to stay up another 30 minutes. It's just a little past 8:30PM now.