Monday, March 26, 2012

It Would Be Nice

If I posted something, huh? I know I have to post the Cherry Blossom pics, but I am still overwhelmed at the thought.  Maybe I will have Wallene guest post for me. :)  Thank you for your nice comments on the last post.  She is told that a lot because she really IS a happy kid.  And my baby sweetheart.

I have been good and have kept up with reading, commenting and visiting facebook, but there is not a whole lot going on in the pond these days that is exciting. [To you guys anyway. :)]

I do have a few things that made me go "whaaat?" this past week.

1.  My blood tests came back with good news except for two areas.  One area was my vitamin K which was a bit low.  I found this a little odd since I eat a lot of [dark] greens and cabbage, but, okay, I will be a good girl, follow the doctor's orders and pick the prescription she called in for me at Rite Aid.  For 5 pills and insurance paying some of the total the prescription cost $30.  FOR FIVE FREAKIN' VITAMIN PILLS.  THIRTY DOLLARS. Jeesh.

2.  I know they have been dooming and glooming that the price of beef was going to go up with the price of corn and gas, but holy angus steak batman. I am shocked!  One of our favorite meals is pot roast.  It used to be a cheap roast that we slow cooked to make it oh-so-moist-and-tender.  Well, one of those puppies won't be darkening my crock pot anytime soon. I checked the price today and for a roast that would feed our family of  3, with one added lunch for Dad [i.e. it was small], was $23!  Are they kidding? Food prices have sky rocketed as a whole, but that has more than doubled in price in just over a month.  I should've stocked up when I could get them for $10 each.  We bought chicken and pork instead.  It is a good thing we eat very little red meat, but when you want red meat, you really want red meat.

3.  While shopping today I actually saw a father swat his kid on the rear end with a roll of wrapping paper.  He wasn't playing around either.  The kid kept whining about something and the father told him to stop.  When the kid didn't stop the father whacked him, twice.  Great.  Now the kid was screaming bloody murder. I know the father didn't hurt him, but honestly?  If they are getting on your nerves then take them home.  And leave the wrapping paper here. [Although once home he might use his hand. :shudder:]

That's about all for today - hope everyone had a nice weekend and there is something upcoming this week that will put a smile on your face.

See ya' on the flipside!

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

I Never Thought I Would See the Day Again. . .

. . .when I weighed what I weighed when I was a kid. [Or as I like to say to Pooldad "when they don't make a bra in my size."] giggle

Since I have to weigh myself everyday to make sure I not retaining water in my lungs, imagine my surprise when I stepped up and saw this:

Oh, and I discovered my camera weighs 3 pounds exactly:
I knew I was getting really close to the 100 lb mark, but I I never imagined that it would actually happen.  My doctor noticed my weight loss last week. We discussed it and he seemed to be fine with it, but [of course] would like me to gain, not lose.  Me too! Besides the fact I have the boniest rear end going [no plastic or wooden chairs to sit in for Skippy! heehee]  I now understand how all those videos on "America's Funniest Home Videos" of people whose pants suddenly fall down actually happened.  Forget the belt, I think I need to invest in a cool pair of suspenders.  Y'all can see me in suspenders, can't you? Yep. :D

I am eating a lot of small meals throughout the day and I am plowing my way through gallons of ice cream with chocolate sauce and whip cream - yay for low sodium desserts - but I honestly cannot eat more than my body tells me to.  If I am full, I am full.

I am not going to worry about it for now, but if anyone wants to send along some cookies or a cake I wouldn't be averse to that. :wink: I kid, I kid.

I know I owe you a Cherry Blossoms post, but there are 224 pictures to go through and it is hard to pick just a handful because they are all so beautiful.

I'll show you what I mean:
Pretty neat, huh?  And they all look like that. :D

In the meantime I do have a favorite picture out the 224 taken yesterday - so I share with you because it is guaranteed to put a smile on your face:
Happy, happy, happy
Only Wallene

Have the best day you can gang. We'll see ya' on the flipside.

Monday, March 19, 2012

Too Pooped to Post. . .Almost!

We went to downtown Washington DC to see the blossoms today.
[This was at the end of our day.]
After our two mile trek around the Tidal Basin I had to find a place to rest my weary bones:

No, I don't suffer from allergies. Thank goodness. :D

Now that we are home this is about all I can manage [sorry!] but I will be back tomorrow to show you the gorgeous Cherry Blossoms in all their splendor.

This was my view when I opened my eyes lying on the bench.
It really was a great day. :)  We saw so much more than just the blossoms. It was awesome.
See ya' on the flipside Tadpoles. Take care and have a great Tuesday.

Sunday, March 18, 2012

Welcome!

Looky at my pretty red door:
I have ALWAYS wanted a red door.  And this sucker is RED!  "Nationals Red" to be exact.  So in honor of our favorite baseball team, the Washington Nationals, I broke out my favorite sweatshirt and hat with their logo.
Peace out! 
[Our kids are forever doing this when I take their picture. So I took this in honor of Squirrel who is the worst offender of the peace sign gesture.]
Pooldad, bless his heart, painted it this morning for me [while I was still in bed - slug that I am] and he buffed the brass kick plate too.  Doesn't it look fabulous? YAY!

Fair trade tho' - I made dinner and put all the laundry away. [Okay, okay - he washed it, but Tadpoles that is a lot of laundry.]

We are off to see the cherry blossoms in DC tomorrow [We're taking Wallene out of school. shhhhh - it's a doctor's appointment.  I swear.] so that will be a lot of fun.  I will have oodles of pictures for you.  Come back and enjoy the beauty. They sure are something to see.

Have a great week and we'll see ya' on the flipside. :D

ETA:  Now that we have spruced up the front of the house I am beginning to see all the other things we need to spruce up. Isn't that always the way? heehee

Up and At 'Em!

The weather here has been so beautiful it has been a gift to be outside and enjoy the sunshine.

The doctor approved me for mild exercise starting Friday [walking, 2 lb arm weights, more stairs - nothing too amazing] and it feels so, so good to be mobile.  Spottie is becoming quite spoiled from all the long walks we are taking.

With the neighborhood awash in color of the blooming trees and flowers we decided to spruce up the front of our home too.  We don't have a front yard, per se, but a small plot [3 x 5] at the foot of  our steps and a long strip on each side of the driveway [1 x 14] that gets absolutely no sun light.

It is a challenge to give color to these small spaces, but I think Pooldad, Wallene and I managed it. Especially Wallene. She is a dynamo.

We weeded [gah! There were a lot of weeds here - the only thing that grows here], put down landscaping fabric [take that weeds!] and mulched with red nugget mulch.   We have a red brick home so it matches nicely.
This is the right side by our stairs. So clean and fancy!:
 And the left side [those are our neighbor's stairs]:
At the bottom of the steps we weeded again and Wallene planted all these beautiful petunias and placed all the rocks around.  She took the rocks from the creek bed down the hill from our home.  Industrious kiddo - free rocks. We also mulched with shredded hardwood.  The stick in the middle is our Charlie Brown tree, but it hasn't bloomed yet so I chopped it off in the pic.  To the right of our stairs is our neighbor's driveway and his strip of landscaping, but he isn't home much so he just leaves it as is.  I would've loved to extend our flowers out, but that is his property and he wasn't home to ask.  He is a really nice guy so I am sure he won't mind when I see him.
 Up close shot - the flowers are purple, yellow and lavender which are Squirrel's school colors. She'll be so surprised. :)
I am pretty sure the flowers will grow and spread out more - that is IF we can keep them alive.  We are not gardeners by anyone's imagination but I am hoping that Wallene got a green thumb from her namesake and great grandmother.  Fingers crossed. :D

After lying in bed all winter it is so fabulous to get outside and do something.  I am quite sore now and although that doesn't look like a huge amount of work, for me?  It was. I am seriously out of shape.  I know I am going to be achy, achy tomorrow but it was worth every minute of it.  It is hard not to take granted everything we have, and we do have so much to be thankful for, but sometimes it takes something as simple as planting flowers with the family  to make us realize just how much we do have.  I don't look too far into the future right now, instead choosing to concentrate on the here and the now.  If time is shorter than I expected at least I will have a smile on my face and in my heart because of the pretty darn nice life I have lived.

I should be asleep right now because tomorrow I am painting the front door! Woohoo.  At least I can do part of that sitting down. :wink:
 
Have a wonderful Sunday Tadpoles. We'll see ya' on the flipside.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Why I Don't Watch The News Anymore

Borrowed from one of my favorite bloggers Ken Levine.
Another option would have been. . .what?

Monday, March 12, 2012

Now THAT Was a Weekend!

There must be something about gorgeous weather that just makes a body feel good.  We had such a blast [and spent a lot of money] this weekend with the girls.
We went to:
  • The Dollar Tree
  • Payless Shoe store
  • The Diner for lunch
  • JCPenny's
  • The consignment shop
  • Drove Squirrel back to college
  • Bob Evan's restaurant
  • Barnes and Noble
  • WalMart
  • Countless 7-11s [gotta' get my Slurpee fix!]
Doesn't seem like much - but they were two long, fun filled days with the family and 70 degree weather.  I was running around with just a light jacket and capris on and it was so refreshing to feel the sun.  More of that great weather to come this week. Woohoo!

Winter?  Winter who?
Things I learned:
  • Slurpees have restorative powers.  I swear.  
  • The Dollar Tree sells real greeting cards for .50 cents each.  I love sending cards, but I hate paying $4-$6 per to do it.
  • The "new" JCPenny's lives up to hype.  Things are cheaper, everything is priced to the dollar [$15 as opposed to $14.99] and their selection is great.  We bought a lot for the kids and saved a lot too.  I could have spent all day in their accessories department with the jewelry, hats, scarves and belts. So pretty. I wanted it all.
  • I bought 3 books at B&N, all classics.  Upton Sinclair's The Jungle, Thoreau's Walden with Civil Disobedience" thrown in and Harriet Beecher Stowe's Uncle Tom's Cabin.  What is so great is all three only cost $16. I know everyone loves their Nooks and Kindles, and Pooldad has offered several times to buy me one, but I just prefer the printed word on paper.  I may change my mind one day, but for those prices I'll keep buying the books.
  • The Dollar Tree sells obscure hardcover books for $1.  I bought The Great Swim - the story of the first women to swim the English Channel.  It is a great read and I am already half way through it because it is so hard to put down.
  • The following restaurant foods are very low in sodium and make me so happy because now I can eat tasty when we go out - Bob Evan's beef soup and strawberry smoothie are both so delicious - but I have to avoid their luscious rolls. Those are addictive, but one has 260 mg. [I only had a half :)] Plus Domino's/Pizza Huts "Thin & Crispy" pizzas.  This has always been my favorite pizza and when I checked the sodium I was surprised just how low it is for how much I eat of it. With my favorite mushrooms on top I am in heaven.  Pizza night is back in rotation. Yippee.
I slept 8 hours last night and then another 6 today.  It was so worth it to be out and about with them and not sitting at home, waiting to see what they bought or to hear about their shopping.  I know the girls liked it too.  Pooldad especially liked it because as he says now he isn't outnumbered. Two vetos are better than one. heehee
There were a few minor hiccups, as to be expected, but we made the best of them.  The funniest one happened when we were eating at the Diner.  About halfway through our meal I felt myself begin to get nauseous from my meds and excused myself.  I tried to make it to the bathroom but knew I wouldn't so I ran outside and around the back of the building where the garbage cans and such are stored. This part of the restaurant faces a busy 6 lane parkway lined with sidewalks [i.e. lots of people]  As I stood, bent over, hands on my knees, heaving for all it was worth Pooldad came out to check on me. When I was [ahem] finished I stood up, wiped my mouth and while pointing at the busy roadway I said to Pooldad "Well, I don't think I am exactly the best advertisement for this place, do you?"  He smiled and I could tell he wanted to laugh but he didn't. He did say "If I didn't feel so bad for you Skip that would be really funny."  And it was.
Gotta' keep your sense of humor. :D
I hope y'all have a great week too and are enjoying the beautiful weather we are having here.  Take care and we'll see ya' on the flipside!

Saturday, March 10, 2012

The Incredibly Shrinking Woman

Although there has been a lot going on around here I haven't been posting because most of it involves doctors' appointments, tests, blood draws [Seriously, are they trying to make me anemic again?  I just had a transfusion.] and the like.  Frankly I am beginning to bore myself and I am here, living it.
 
But I got such a surprise the other day I thought I'd share.  I had an appointment with my oncology/hematology doctor and in the course of doing vitals they measured my height.  New one on me, but especially surprising because I shrank!  Always being between 5'7 1/2/5'8 [depending on who you ask] I was really, really shocked to learn I am now 5'6 1/2.  Now, I know everyone shrinks with age, but a whole inch at my age seems to be a bit much.  I try to look at the bright side tho' - it explains how all my kids ended up taller than me. :D I'm a shorty. heehee
 
In other news of things shrinking - my weight.  I am now at 107 lbs.  Sigh.  To gain any weight at all I have to eat an extra 3,000 calories per week in addition to my 1,500 daily calories.
 
Try eating 2,000 calories on a low sodium, liquid restricted diet.  It ain't all ice cream and lollipops.  If it was I might put the weight back on. hee
 
I am happy that my appetite has returned to [almost] normal - but without all the prohibitive food and drink I just don't see me doing it.  It took me over a year last time to gain 17 lbs, now I am looking at replacing 28 lbs. Even if I liked the nutritional supplements [Boost, Ensure] I can only consume so many ounces of liquid a day.  This even knocks out milkshakes and sodas.
 
As with everything else, though, this does have a silver lining.  I am way ahead of bikini season [yeah, right] and I don't need a new wardrobe.  Just a really good belt. :D
 
Hope y'all are having a gorgeous Saturday.  Enjoy and relax.
 
See ya' on the flipside. :)
 

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

Tuesday Tidbits

Things are progressing nicely here.  Everyday I feel a bit better and able to do a little more.  I have had so many doctors' appointments in a row that I have had to get dressed everyday to go out.  That may not sound like much to anyone else, but it is big to me.  I am ready to never see a nightgown or a bathrobe again.

My kind GP finally prescribed me some medication for pain - just enough to take the edge off, but not enough to make me loopy - and the difference is night and day.  It doesn't make me sleepy either, but eventually I catch a few hours here and there to make for a full night's sleep.  I will take it.

The eating front is sort of, kind of. . .okay, not really. . .getting better.  I have completely stopped taking the anti nausea medication because that was a huge catalyst in making me sick, but I still have a hard time holding solid food down.  I now weigh 115 lbs, but it is safe because almost all the loss at this point has been congestion/water.  It is nice to have my body back but I need the added energy of food to enjoy it, y'know?  Pooldad took me out to lunch on Saturday and I had my favorite meal at our local diner [breakfast!] and managed a few bites before I had to stop.  Our waiter thought I was displeased with the food and tried to comp my meal, but we convinced him it was delicious [and it was!] but that I just had a small appetite.  I do appreciate all of your emails regarding this and I am looking into all of it.  I really want to eat, believe me.

The best news all week is that Squirrel is home for the rest of the week today!  She has Spring Break and the poor girl really needs some sleep and quiet.  So nice to have her home.

On a fun note - our Dollar Tree store changed locations and whooboy!  The place is huge.  I found so much great stuff the other day when we went shopping.  Honestly, how can you not be happy with $1 boxes of name brand [movie sized] candy?  I bought Sweettarts, Hot Tamales and Mike & Ikes Tropical. Yum.  Plus I found my two favorite soaps - Yeardly's and Pears.  So good for my skin and for a $1 I can't make it that cheap. Yipeee

We also went to the party store and bought some tips/bags along with the fun liners to decorate cups.  I figure we make enough of them for school and work why not take it up a notch and make them pretty?  I am especially excited about this stuff. :D

I have a few more doctor's appointments this week, one today in fact, so I best be scooting along and get ready.

Thank you so much for your good wishes and suggestions. They all really help.  I hope you are having a great week and there is a smile on your face.  There's one on mine :D!

See ya' on the flipside Tadpoles.