Domestic Bliss...

Yesterday, we took a drive to Briar Creek State Park... it's located out in the middle of nowhere, where most state parks are located! We were told that it was near the "Old Stone Church"... but we missed the sign the first time as it was covered up by a pine tree! It turns out that the park is a man-made lake with an earthen dam at one end. It has several picnic spots, covered pavillions, a great play area at the end, a ball field... and several swinging benches with a fabulous views of the water. We sat on the one in the very center and rocked and talked for over an hour. It was fun to watch the fish jumping and see the ducks swimming and watch the few people fishing from the banks. It was relatively empty for such a nice day.

Today... we went to church this morning... it was nice to go to "an old church building" but have it be so full of spirit and good music. We felt as tho we have found a "low-key version" of our old church. It was good to visit the house of the Lord today.

We are working on fixing the gutters on both sides of the house. The gutter on the southside had completly come apart in one section. DH got up there and nailed it all in and added some screws to hold it. He went back later and adding silcone caulk as well. I did some basic yard work and got things watered. My left knee is killing me... it started hurting on one of my many trips up and down stairs today... by the time I was done... it was swelled and I was yelping as I tried to walk on it. I guess my Hyalgan shot just gave up! Time to baby it and ask for another injection series.

Tomorrow... we are celebrating our first anniversary. DH took the day off... I don't think that we will do much of anything... maybe go back to the lake with picnic if the weather holds!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

38 Random Things...

Randomness

Ok... I'm thinking a little slow this morning... so I'm taking the easy way out today!

1. What color is your toothbrush?..... White and pink!

2. Name one person who made you smile today: That would be John! Always!

3. What were you doing at 8 am this morning? .... I was eating breakfast and watching the Today show.

4. What were you doing 45 minutes ago?... Getting John out the door and wishing him a great day!

5. What is your favorite candy bar? ... If it's in "bar form" Snickers... or Dove Milk Chocolate

6. Have you ever met a famous person? ... Yes... Pat Robertson and Ben Kinchlow (from working at CBN... crazy days!)

7. What is the last thing you said aloud? ... "I love you... Have a Great Day!" to John

8. What is your favorite ice cream flavor? ... Moose Tracks or Mint Chocolate Chip

9. What was the last thing you had to drink? ... water

10. What was the last thing you ate?..... Breakfast... an egg sandwich

11. Have you bought any new clothing items this week?... Nope... Not at all!

12. The last sporting event you watched? ... ummm, I have no clue... the neighbors playing softball on Monday???

13. What is your favorite flavor of popcorn? Buttered... with kosher salt

14. Who is the last person you sent a text message too?... That would be John... his status on coming home on Friday

15. Ever go camping?.... Not in a very long time... kinda over that phase... I'll camp at the Marriott with room service!

16. Do you go to church every Sunday?... Used to... but haven't found one up here!

17. Do you have a tan?... no, my tanning days are over, but I miss it!

18. Do you prefer Chinese food over pizza? ... oh yeah

19. Do you drink your soda with a straw? ... When I am out at a restaurant, or if it's in a can... but at home... no.

20. What are you doing tomorrow? ... Hanging out with John... hopefully going to Relay for Life to walk the Survivors Lap.

21. What color is your watch?.... Actually... it would be my cell phone, which is black

22. What do you think of when you hear Australia? ... Kiwi's and koalas... shrimp on the Barbie!

23. Do you go in at a fast food place or just hit the drive thru?.... both, just depends

24. What is your favorite number? ... I don't think I have one!

25. Who's the last person you talked to on the phone? ... That would Lizzy, yesterday!

26. Biggest annoyance right now? ... The never ending dust in this house... it's always there!

27. Last song listened to?.... Hmmm... we tried to find a certain song online.. Psalm 23 by Kathy Tricoli

28. Do you have a maid service clean your house?... Yes... It's me and the Hubs!

29. Favorite pair of shoes you wear all the time? .... Any pair of broken-in birkenstocks or my black flip-flops.

30. Are you jealous of anyone? ... no

31. Is anyone jealous of you? ... sadly... yes, my old roommate and a former friend that has stalked me for a year.

32. Do you love anyone?..... absolutely!

33. Do you hate anyone that you know right now? ... no... feel sorry for, but not hate!

34. Do you use the word 'hello' daily? ... only if i answer the phone

35. What color is your car? ... white

36. Do you like cats? ... Yes, love em- if they are friendly

37. Have you ever been to Six Flags? ... yes

38. How did you get your worst scar? ... That would be from my first cancer surgery when I was 28... and the staph infection that I got while in the hospital... it was awful and traumatic. (way too much info, I'm sure!)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Ummm... I Forgot!

Part of my little "drama" of not feeling well... is that I forget stuff! It's gotten to the point, that if I am cooking something... I cannot leave the room if it's something like boiling eggs and I need to set a timer once they come to a boil. I cannot remember what I am doing!!!

I also no longer feed the dog... because I cannot remember if I did it or not! I also can't remember if I answered email, paid a bill, or returned a phone call. It's gotten bad! I can remember who is on my prayer request list... because that's one of the things I do when I wake up in the middle of the night and can't sleep... I go back through my prayer list and pray for folks who are ill or in the hospital or had surgery, along with my family and friends.

I also forgot that I asked for prayer about John's job... that it was a huge meeting and that we may have to move again... well... Thank you for your prayers, first of all! And... the outcome of the meeting? Well... that was merely a "big-wig" that had been left out of the loop by his people about the performance of my husband and his company at several "Big Brown" sites... and that because my husband keeps very detailed records of his work tickets and emails detailed accounts of his site visits... he was able to supply his Top Service Manager with all the detailed information for all the sites he has serviced for "Big Brown" in the last 3 months. Mr. Big-Wig is now satisfied with the work done at those sites. We can rest easy that the contracts will remain in place and we do not have to move or look for other work. (Phew!)

Thank you for your patience... is there any other questions or issues that I have overlooked or forgotten about? Please let me know! In the meantime... I will be wandering around here, looking for my memory!

After A Brief Break...

I am back! It's been a quiet but moderately eventful few days... mostly in how I managed to clean house propped up with a ton of pillows... or had to stand and point at what I needed to have done. Sunday night was a very rough night, sleep wise, and Monday, I was requested by DH to "do nothing, not even bend over to pick something up." Monday night, sleep was interrupted a few times, by aches and feeling sick and hot. Yesterday... again, I mostly did nothing. Last night... I took Ambien, which took too long to kick in, but once it did, I slept all night.

During the last few days of "doing nothing"... DH has managed to get the dog bathed, clean and vacuum the entire house, and except for my actually loading the clothes into the washer, he did 4 loads of laundry and helped me fold it all and put his stuff away. He's done dishes, made lunch, cooked dinner on the grill, watered plants, worked on Miss J's lawn mower, walked the dog and groomed him... all the while, fretting and hovering over me, lavishing me with tons of kisses and I love yous.

I have also skipped yesterday in taking my meds... and felt great by the end of the evening. Today, I took everything except for my Avandia... and feel pretty good. I only have a slight tinge of anything near the right side of my chest. That medicine was the only new one aside from the Ambien that I am taking... and I didn't take any Ambien over the weekend while I was hurting so badly. It's not necessarily the medicines that get me, but the side effects of those medicines! I wish for once I could be the textbook example of how it's suppose to work rather the one of how it works with side effects! =)

Today... all I have done was to go back to sleep after getting DH out the door to work... and then have breakfast around 10. I took a shower this morning to warm up... it's cold and rainy this week and I refuse to turn on the heat! Nolli and I went to the post office this morning and I will soon start some dough for homemade pizza for dinner tonight. (Yummm... pepperoni!) I will quietly putter around, but that's about it... doing nothing, really!

Thanks for reading... and for your prayers! Be blessed!

~Suzanne

Heartfelt

This month has been very challenging, healthwise. With many doctors visits and getting ready for a full body scan... I am still not back to where I would like to be. I am thinking that doing the low-iodine diet has added some additional concerns that need to be dealt with... such as my back and how I can't seem to tolerate sitting straight up in a chair for very long... and the newest issue of being diagnosed with aortic stenosis and how all indications seem to point to possible issues with congestive heart failure. We are keeping a very close eye on any edema and any coughing... and that I am not allowed to do anything strenuous... I am not allowed to bend over at all. Fatigue and shortness of breath come easily these days.

On a brighter note... DH gave Nolli dog a bath today... he did it in the shower! Nolli allowed me to dry him off as good as I could get... and is currently recovering while laying a blanket on our bed in front of blowing fans! I swear to you... he's not spoiled at all!!!

Yesterday, we took a small road trip down to Quakertown... we weren't there all that long. As we drove home, we got caught in a torrential downpour... it was so bad, that we were traveling at 25 mph with the wipers on high, hazard lights flashing... there wasn't any good or safe place to pull over so we just kept going slowly... and everyone soon followed suite. It was coming down so fast and hard... that once we got out of it... the car had a just washed shine back on it! This storm had everything but a funnel cloud... it was dark, green sky, with lots of thunder and lightening. I told DH that if we listened close enough we would be able to hear the music of the witch from the Wizard of Oz!

Tonight, we are grilling chicken on the grill. We are having corn on the cob with it! And what ever else I can think of from the fridge. I am looking forward to having a yummy meal. DH is pulling more than his share of the load today... but the more we get done together, the easier it will be for both of us in the days ahead as we work on getting the house more organized and my health back on track. Don't worry... I will be fine... we just need to keep doing what we are doing!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

It's Blocked!

Last night while we were out doing errands... my cell phone rang... It was my stalker calling. I handed the phone to DH to let him answer the phone. She hung up on him. Within 30 seconds, there was a text message sent. This one was actually pretty funny! It said, "What a freaken fake person you are" and we both laughed, as if she had any idea who I am as a person!

Anyway... it's become quite evident that she has escalated her little assault on me as the night before she had sent a text message that DH also had picked up because I was in the other room. That message was, "Beoutch you are the worst friend i ever had"... (ummmm, yeah! I am not your friend anymore... move on and get a life!) So... I mentioned on facebook last night that she has gotten worse. My new way to answer the phone was going to be "Hello, Losers Anonymous Hotline, how big a Loser are you?" I say... WAS... as my friends from VZW let me know that number blocking under Usage Controls can be added to the account for a fee! I can now block her number and keep my own cell number! (Yeah... it's an added cost... but I don't think I will need to keep it on account forever... but I do get to keep my number!!!)

Blocked Numbers


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Block unwanted calls and messages by entering phone numbers that are not allowed to call or to message your child. Your child will also not be able to call or send messages to those same numbers. Up to 20 phone numbers can be placed on the block list. 911 and account member phone numbers can not be placed on the block list. This will not affect your child's ability to call 911 or any phone number within your wireless account. You will not receive notification of attempted calls placed by phone numbers in your blocked number list.Set Blocks - You can add up to 20 contacts for each account member.
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It's Almost Here!

Only one more day... and then it will be Memorial Day weekend! We have been looking forward to this weekend... not that we have any plans for it (now) but it's nice to have 3 days off together. We will probably just keep working on our never ending projects... things like changing out closets, cleaning gutters, doing a little painting... and doing it together, at our own pace!

We may actually go to the movies... we would like to see Night at the Museum 2... we liked the first one. And we may rent a couple of movies as well... and of course, we will Bar-B-Que out on our grill. I am still undecided as to what I want to grill... likely some chicken with homemade sauce... and of course we will need a great tossed salad with homemade salad dressing! (I am hoping my back will let me do all that I have planned! It has a life of it's own these days!)

I need to actually go grocery shopping... but I may wait until this evening when DH comes home to go with me so that he can load and unload everything for me. We are also waiting for the oil delivery to come today... I went with a new company... and I am hoping that the driver is not weird and won't give me a case of the "heebie-jeebies" like the other one does! Nolli and I have already been outside, watering the flowers and enjoying the beautiful weather!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

An Early Start

I went to bed rather early last night... I was out cold at just after 10pm! I didn't take any ambien... I was sleepy without it and off to bed I went... I didn't even know when DH came to bed! I slept soundly until 4am... not exactly what I was hoping for! My back was hurting... I had spent too much time lying flat on my back and it was angry with me for doing that! I got around 5 am... puttered a little bit... and got cold so I went back to bed.

I got warm and cozy, started to drift back off and then heard the sound of DH's work phone going off. He had an emergency night call to a new facility about an hour away. I jumped out of bed as he was answering the phone... because I knew that I needed to finish packing his lunch and help him get out the door as quickly as he could. We had him on his way within 15 minutes, including taking the trash out to the curb. Nolli was impatient the entire time... he wanted out if we were getting up... and I made him wait until after I got the cooler all packed. (Silly dog!)

I puttered around for about an hour and then went back to bed. I slept for 3 more hours... it felt soooo good! I am still in pain, but I am moving slowly... determined to get something done today. Around 11-ish... I heard noise in the driveway... I was thinking that it was Miss Joanie from the flower shop... bringing flowers to the shop. Then I heard the front door open... and it was my DH! He had stopped by on his way to another emergency repair call to get some parts and to give me a kiss! He's so sweet! He is working just down the road... so I know he will be home at a decent time, unless he gets called to go somewhere else!

I made some pasta salad for dinner... one of my favorites... with golden raisins and broccoli and bacon stirred into farfalle pasta and some red onion and parmesan cheese. Sprinkle in some sunflower seeds... and make a vinaigrette... yummmm! It's suppose to be in the 80's today... so I wanted something that wouldn't heat up the kitchen. Don't know yet what I will be throwing on the grill for dinner... but I'm thinking maybe some good hot dogs or sausages. I don't feel like having anything that is heavy and I know that would be a quick dinner that DH would love. I know that some people don't eat hotdogs... but, we do eat good kosher dogs... either Nathan's or good ones from the deli. What's your take? Do you ever eat hot dogs?

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Semi-Green Thumb

I have not really had to have a true green thumb in quite awhile. It's been years since I have had a yard where I have wanted to do anything. (I've had some roommate living situations that could have used my talents... but I had no desire to share any of those talents.) I had wanted to do more than what I have started here... but, realistically, this is all I can probably handle these days. So... without further "a-dieu"... here are some pictures of my little container flower garden...

Looking across the front...


Our front door... with some very fragrant Mimosa and Heliotrope... it smells so wonderful in the morning.

My little sitting area with a few birdhouses... I like it here in the afternoon.

Close up of birdhouses and a few weeds!!!

Our park bench... we like to sit here in the evening wth Nolli and watch him play in the grass.

Our Welcome banner by the front door... with Heliotrope and snapdragons and lobelia...

I have a few other containers that have zinnias and petunias and one with a climbing black-eyed susan vine... once it blooms again... I will take a few pictures of that!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY (May 18th, 2009)...

Outside my window... It's partly cloudy and 55 degrees with a slight breeze. They are calling for lows tonight at around 34 degrees. That means we will be bringing in all the flowers for the night.

I am thinking... of ideas for dinner... maybe something easy like tacos, one of my favorites!

I am thankful for... a hard working husband that knows how to do so many things. I am also thankful for a loving God that favors us with so many blessings.

From the kitchen... there is new bead-board up on the wall... and trim to be finished. I am seeking new inspirations for meals, time to go through some cookbooks for ideas.

I am wearing... my usual draw-string jeans... a pink sweater... and pink slippers.

I am creating... lists of things I want to accomplish within the house and garage.

I am going... no where today... we ran errands yesterday, together!

I am reading... blogs and emails...

I am hoping... to get an old birdhouse down from the loft and re-paint the trim on it.

I am hearing... traffic on the main road... it's very quiet.

Around the house... Nolli is sleeping in his bed, there is laundry to folded and basic chores to be done.

One of my favorite things... is how much Nolli and DH have bonded... how Nolli loves to get on the bed and snuggle up to his Dad now.

A few plans for the rest of the week: to keep cleaning... to work on getting winter clothes put away and summer clothes unpacked. Work on adding pictures to scrapbooks.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Home Improvement

We are in the midst of fixing the wall behind the stove... the wall that used to have a huge, ancient stove with a double oven. It was hiding some pretty ghastly wall board and some equally bad paneling. All pieced... and some paint on one side. Not pretty. So... today is the day that DH is fixing it. I can't wait until he is done. We are doing it in stages... just getting the new bead board and trim up today. We are going to add a shelf and some under cabinet lighting... I am looking forward to having the extra lighting. We are also going to be adding a pantry cabinet out on the porch... I am very happy about the plans for that. It will be very helpful to finally have enough room for me to organize supplies... and not lose things because I have to have DH put things away for me and I forget where I stash stuff!

We had torrential rains last night... with big thunder and lightening. DH pulled all my plants in just as the rains hit... so we didn't have any real storm damage. Today... we walked along the stream and looked at the high water marks... it was really high last night and this morning. Our yard guys came today and cut the grass again. They do okay... but could be a little neater and take some care to get the edges better!

DH also got a new phone this weekend. He is so excited about having this phone... it's the one he wanted last year that was sold out. He got the Boulder in Orange... and I love this phone too. I didn't upgrade my device as I can't decide what I want... do I want a Voyager, or a Blackberry... and do I really need to do email from my phone? If I ever do go back to work... I would! Oh... I haven't heard anything back from my interview from last Sunday... but then I didn't think I would, because I am too qualified and money would be the deal breaker. If it's meant to be... than it will happen is how we both feel about it!

My good friend, Rose, added me to her facebook... and asked me to call her! I just got off the phone with her! It was soooo good to catch up with an old friend from church. And she was able to fill me in on things going on... like the fact that my old roommate is actually on boyfriend #8 and is engaged to be married! That's 2 guys in less than a year! And a total of 8 guys in 2 years! (I know, I'm being snarky! "Yay for Shay, he dodged a bullet and didn't know it!") We also got to play in the yard this afternoon with Nolli... he's so good! Our neighbor was walking across our lower backyard with her greyhound... and Nolli started to run after them... but as soon as I commanded him with "no... stop!" ... he did as he was told! I am so pleased that he is such a good listener!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

She's at it again...

My text stalker is at again. She's sent me 4 messages this past week. All of them at night. I have locked all the messages she has recently sent. I wish I had saved the ones from last year. I didn't think she'd continue on... but, sadly she has started to escalate. I responded to her only once, asking her to stop. I still don't want to get a new cell number, because it's such a pain in the neck to notify everyone of a new cell number... not just with personal stuff, but with doctors and pharmacies. DH really wants me to get a restraining order against her. I don't know if it's worth the trouble. But I could be mean and have her served at her job. But does that make me any better than her? I could also push back through the church... and go through the steps of mediation and she would more than likely be excommunicated. And how would that be? It would still leave her angry and lonely and still jealous... and probably still sending me harassing messages to my phone. She tells me that I am evil and the scum of the earth... but I am neither. She insists that I lied about her. I have never ever said anything against her. She has a sickness, and is projecting her sickness on to me... very classically so. I know that I have the very thing that she so craves... a wonderful husband who loves me for me.

Sadness

Please lift up in prayer... my half sister, Adonna. Her sweet husband Jerry was killed in a car accident yesterday morning. Jerry had been in the hospital last week for very high blood pressure and fluid around his heart. He had turned the corner and was released on Tuesday. It is still not known if he had a heart attack or what caused his accident. They had been married about 8 years. It was her second marriage... and she waited a very long time to get remarried.

Please also lift up in prayer. my brother and his family... he and his long time girlfriend have split up. This saddens my heart deeply... he has been the primary caregiver for their daughter. I feel badly for Taylor, as I know she missed her Daddy.

And lastly... please pray for Brooke... a dear friends daughter, who has been remanded for 5 months of rehab. Pray for her Mom... whose heart breaks for her daughter.

Thank you for your prayers and support for family and friends in the days ahead.

Be blessed... ~Suzanne

Random Bits...

Tuesday night... I took my first Ambien. It was heaven! I only woke up once, around 2:00am and went right back to sleep. I woke up at 6:30... feeling pretty good. I am also having to double up on one of my blood pressure meds... and that slows me down, just a little. So... feeling refreshed from having a good nights sleep, I wanted to get a lot done. I tried... but could only do so much before having to stop and rest for a bit.

Last night, I was tired... so I decided to skip taking the Ambien. I fell asleep watching Nancy Grace last night. I woke up after an almost hour and a half snooze, thinking... "I'll just take Nolli down for a quick walk and go right back to bed..." boy was I wrong! I tried, but it didn't happen. I laid in bed until 12:30 and gave up... got up and puttered around, made DH's lunch and finally went to bed at 2:50. I got up at 6 to get DH off to work. I am hoping that I will get a nap later, and tonight, I will be taking an Ambien.

I finally have all my planter boxes and pots done. I would have pictures, but it's raining pretty good today... so that will have to wait. Over the last few days... we have been busy with yard stuff, and cleaning the garage. DH did a plumbing project yesterday as well... installing a cold water shut-off valve that should have been installed when the new furnace was put it. (That man is so amazing... there doesn't seem to be much that he cannot do!)

The wind is kicking up... and that makes me cold. I don't want to turn on the furnace if I can help it... so I think I will light all my candles and get some old fashioned heat going on in here! Guess I could bake something too! =)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

If It's Gonna Happen...

If it's gonna happen... it will happen to me! There are silly things that happen to everyone... but it seems that if it's the "first time that's ever..." chances are, that I did it! That's been the case for a lot of things in my life... like tripping up the cement steps and hitting my arm as I went... and breaking my wrist! (That little trip happened back in 1994... and the arthritis still haunts me!)

Yesterday... DH and I both had doctor's appointments. He went for a complete physical, his first in 9 years. I went back for a blood pressure check... (it went down... but not enough.) I went first because DH was doing paperwork. The nurse who checked me in was older... she had been working over 35 years... you can figure out the math! Anyway... she took me to the exam room and set about taking my vitals. She quickly went through her paces and went to take my temperature. She quickly put the probe under my tongue and held it in place herself. She pulled that probe out quickly... and with it... came my chewing gum! Oooopps! She laughed and said that she had never had that happen to her before! Only me, I tell you!

DH had the pleasure of having his history taken by a student PA... she was very thorough... she didn't miss anything. The doctor came in and went over him with a fine tooth comb as well... DH does have high blood pressure so we are going to work at watching the salt along with the fats!

My blood pressure has only come down about 25 points... so the doctor has doubled me up on one of my meds... so I'm certain that I am going to be feeling pretty woozy as my pressure starts to fall. (I already feel it a little bit!) After the doctor... we stopped at Panera Bread for dinner... I had the Asian Chicken salad and 1/2 of a Turkey Artichoke paninni. Yummm! DH had the Smoked Turkey paninni and the rest of my salad, part of my sandwich and half of my bread. Then we went to the pharmacy... where we proceeded to go broke on prescriptions. (Literally... it was sooooo expensive, that I only took 1/2 of what I needed and will finish getting the rest next week.) It's easier to split it into 2 parts anyway... so that it once we hit the deductible... it will be easier to manage. We are almost there on the deductible now!

My day today... is going to be spent doing smaller, managed chores around the house. Once the sun comes around the side of the house... I am going to try and plant some more flowers and get finished with that project. I also need to clean off my desk... but may do that while I was American Idol this evening. (And DH needs to help me move the fax machine anyway!)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY (May 11th, 2009)...

Outside my window... The sun is shining with a soft breeze blowing... but it was cold this morning!

I am thinking... of our doctors appointments this afternoon, hoping I have all the info gathered that we will need for today.

I am thankful for... a Loving Husband, Great neighbors, the ability to stay home if I want...

From the kitchen... The dishes are done, floors are swept, and good things to eat are in the fridge!

I am wearing... my usual... draw-string jeans, white t-shirt, cardigan sweater and birkenstocks.

I am creating... storage and organization for DH down in the garage.

I am going... to the doctor this afternoon with DH and to the mall to have my ring cleaned.

I am hoping... that my blood pressure is down today... and that the doctor will give me more samples!

I am hearing... the soft sounds of praise and worship music in the background.

Around the house... towels are neatly rolled and in the basket on the floor, Nolli is sleeping in his bed, and dishes are drying in the rack, soon to be put away.

One of my favorite things... how my DH loves to work on projects with me... how he learning to let go of certain things, secure in the fact that he doesn't have to worry about being with out the basic necessities of life or that someone will destroy his things behind his back.

A few plans for the rest of the week: to finish several projects that we have embarked upon.

Here is picture thought I am sharing..

I copied this from the Costco website... it's so small! Sorry! This pic is of my Mom holding Nathan, one of her great grandsons on her last birthday. I miss her soooo much!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Clean Up Weekend...

It's been a very busy weekend here... we worked on cleaning out the garage yesterday. We did not finish, but did make great headway. Today we worked inside, cleaning out DH's closet. We made it to the end of getting everything out and gone through. It still needs to be repacked and either sent to the basement or put back in the closet.

I have things to switch out from Winter to Spring and Summer. I also need to go through my 40-50 pairs of shoes and decide what needs to stay and what needs to go. Handbags are also on the list to be weeded out. It's always hard to let go of any handbags!

We are also getting things ready for our friends to visit over Memorial Day Weekend. It's always a process for me... I am a perfectionist and want to have everything done just so... even though I know they aren't coming to just see my house, they are coming to see us! I just need to take the pressure off of myself and just let it be... what gets done will be fine... I know and they know that I only have so much energy with all I have been through this past few weeks.

I also had a job interview today... Yes, on Sunday... at 7pm, on Mothers Day! It was for a management position with a fast food restaurant. We shall see if I get offered anything... I've been saying all along that I am so overqualified for most anything that I can't get hired at "XXXX-XXXX" and that might be the case! (It will come down to money, I am certain!)

DH has worked so hard this weekend... and last week was pretty tough on both of us! I made him a great dinner... and he is going to clean up for me! =)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Friday Recap

Here's a recap of what life entailed today...

DH started his day at 3:15 am... he had to be a job site at 5 am. He was only suppose to work until 9 am today. He made it home tonight at 5:15. He still has paperwork to do.

I packed his lunch the night before and slept with ear plugs. I woke up at 7 am... I slept 9 hours... which is pretty good for me... I'm coming out of Hypo-Thyroid mode... so it will become less and less that I sleep like that.

I puttered around most of the morning. I did get a load of laundry done and went to the post office. I got the invoice from the Berwick Hospital from my very first set of labs... grand total is $1738. I don't think that we will have any issue in hitting the $2400 deductible... I should tap the plan out by the end of the week. Thank the Lord in Heaven that DH's company actually pays the deductible for us! I can only imagine what the charge for my ultrasound, lab work, RAI-133 and my total body scan will come out to be, given what was racked up for my first set of labs. (yeah.. be sick is expensive!)

I went to my first office visit with my new PCP... he's nice, young, has a great sense of humor, and is very thorough and technically savvy. His charts are all electronic... and he writes and sends his scripts the same way... all 7 of my scripts are waiting to be picked up. I cannot lose a script or forget to fill one anymore.

I did have my blood pressure taken... and I knew it would be high. I wasn't prepared for just how it really was... the doctor was afraid I might pop! But after he checked my eyes... he relaxed a little bit... my retinas were still looking ok. (Big sigh of relief) I will be back on my regular meds in the morning. I will see him again on Monday afternoon for another bp check when DH goes for his checkup. May has always been a heavy month for doctors for me... this one is no exception.

Tonight... we did an easy dinner... grilled polish sausages on buns, Bushes' grillin beans, and cold pack coleslaw. After dinner and watching wheel of fortune while DH worked on paperwork, we settled in to watch tv, snuggled into bed. We are both tired and achy. My back is killing me... my legs are acting funny and my feet hurt. (It's all part of hypo-thyroid and partly the exam, and partly living with old injuries.)

Plans for tomorrow... sleep in a little bit... finish my flowers, do some laundry and work down in the garage to make it livable again. DH has so many parts stored down there for future jobs... it needs to be organized desperately... and I have a plan in place to help him get started! I am excited about helping him get things done down there, even if it's just that I stand and point... I know that he won't let me lift anything heavy. I don't want to lift any heavy and I have nothing to prove anyway! (hehehehe) I will try and remember the camera while we are at... it will not be pretty, that's for certain!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

A New Morning!

I am so over-the-moon happy this morning. I took my Synthroid and enjoyed it! The sun is shining and DH will be home early today. He went to work at 3:30 this morning... and has to do that tomorrow as well.

I have many plans for the day... I have errands to do. And I want to get my flower boxes planted. We'll see just how much energy I have. I have a long list of stops... and a long list of things we need. (But on the good side... I don't have to stop and read any labels on food! I can buy what we normally get!)

So... if I get it all together... I will try and post again later. If I don't, I know you'll understand that I ran outta steam!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

Suzanne

Day 3... back from the hospital!

And the results of all this agony and hard work with diet... reveal that I am CLEAR!!!!! WooooHooo! We are so "over the moon" HAPPY!!! Thank you to everyone for your prayers and good wishes. John and I both have claimed from the very start of this episode that they would find nothing... and the Radiologist said just that... there was nothing showing on my scan to worry about and I could go back to my regular life, eating normal foods and that I didn't have to "Glow in the Dark" this Friday!

After I got out of the radiology area... and into the corridor, I started to shake and to cry tears of joy as the news really sank in! I made many phone calls between the hospital hallway and down the road towards home. I haven't used that many cell minutes in awhile!

We did stop on the way home for some lunch... I had myself a double cheeseburger and french fries... it was sooooo good! I don't know what we are having for dinner tonight... but I don't have to wrack my brain with what I can't have and how to make an appetizing meal for both of us. DH is just as exhausted as I am... and I have a killer backache from the scan table. So... without further adieu, I am going to take a well deserved rest... and plan out how I am going to work at regaining my strength from this whole ordeal. (Ain't God GOOD?!?)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Day 2... I made it home!

Today is day 2 in all my medical visits this week. Today... parking was a bit crazy and I think I walked a quarter mile to the entrance because I missed the shuttle bus. And once inside... I had to go past where I went yesterday to find the lab. It was not too far on the other side of the main entrance... very posh in feel... very quiet and organized. Once I was done there... I had to walk back to Radiology and wait for nuclear medicine.

I only had to wait a few minutes to be called up to check in. And once checked in, it was again just a few minutes before I was called back. Everyone looked at me funny... because, it looked like I was a line jumper or somebody special, because I was the next one called in. (Nuclear medicine works faster, because there are less patients!)

So... I went to "nuclear medicine" and met with the lab tech... she had my water all waiting for me... with my little pill cup. And next to it was a marvelous lead lined black bag. Inside were 8 lead lined containers with 8 individual pill bottles. Inside each pill bottle was a dose of radio-active iodine 133! I got to take all 8 pills... they were all mine!!! =) But, I am getting ahead of myself.

The tech had to do her thing... ask me to spell my last name, when was my birthday... and IF I WAS PREGNANT! I shook my head "no" and tapped on the chart right in front of her... where it was written in HUGE LETTERS that I had had a HYSTERECTOMY!!!! (What it is that people can't get that?... I mean, it's written, right there, in HUGE LETTERS that my blind self could see! Things like that make me nervous!)

Anyway... I took my prescribed dosage... and will return tomorrow for a full body scan. She was a little worried about my getting nauseous, because I had eaten breakfast and there needed to be a 2 hour fast... I was all good with the 2 hour window. But once I took it... I instantly felt it in my face. I mentioned that I do have iodine sensitivity. She went to get a doctor. (I'm sure I will be billed for a consult.) The doctor came in... we talked, discussed my surgical history, she wanted to know how many micrograms my RAI-131 was... I don't have a clue! It was 3 years ago and I gave you my chart from my last doctor.

Then, she mentioned that my voice was raspy and hoarse... (Ummmm.... yeah... I'm on the low-iodine diet which makes me hypo-thyroid and one of the effects of that condition is hoarseness!which is why YOUR TECH just administered RAI-133 for a full body scan tomorrow!) Again... I hate being smarter than the highly paid physician before me! She asked if I had nodules... Nope! I don't have anything... I had thyroid cancer and the organ was removed, 2 stage re-sect, how can you miss the scar!!!! Needless to say... she tried my patience and I was itching to get the heck outta there! Now I want to go back to Maryland for treatment... but that's not going to happen. ***Nice Rant!!! Wouldn't you agree?***

So.... tomorrow, we will drive back to the hospital again... and I will have the scan. We are "suppose to" know tomorrow if indeed I will need to do the last treatment and just how we will get that scheduled without my having a "meltdown" because of the protocol they take. (My major hospital nuclear medicine department wasn't as stringent with their requirements as this one is... and everyone lived that last time!)

I'm going to go and rest now... fix myself a little bit of lunch... maybe a veggie wrap with lots of tomato and avocado. I plan on doing nothing all day the rest of the day, except for making some dinner for DH. (I so hope that they find nothing... and that tomorrow I can announce that I can have real food again... like a big giant cheese burger or meat lovers pizza with extra cheese. =)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Simple Woman's Daybook

FOR TODAY (May 4th, 2009)...

Outside my window... it rained over night, the yard is covered in pink cherry blossom petals and it's chilly.

I am thinking... of all the things I have to do this week... 4 medical/doctor appointments over the next 5 days.

I am thankful for... my wonderful husband for understanding how I cannot help but sleep right now and for taking such good care of me.

From the kitchen... there are dishes to be done... but also fresh baked bread and red potato salad done so that I can eat it!

I am wearing... a pink cotton nightgown, robe and socks.

I am creating... flower boxes for outside, and some new recipes for my low iodine diet.

I am going... to the appointments all week.

I am reading... nothing at the moment.

I am hoping... that nothing shows up on my ultrasound or body scan this week. I don't want to go through RAI-131 again.

I am hearing... the hum of the computer tower and a sleeping dog behind me.

Around the house... there is some laundry to put away, and more to be done. Things need to be picked up and straightened up.

One of my favorite things... how we packed a cooler with things for me to eat and drink, and we headed out on a little road trip to Edwardsville... taking all back roads. We had a great time and plan to do it again!

A few plans for the rest of the week: getting through all the tests and appointments without the house imploding down around us as I struggle to keep up.

Here is picture thought I am sharing...

The inside of Rocky Ridge Greenhouse... very pretty and fragrant. I had to show DH where I bought my flowers... and of course we left with a few more! =)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Weary

It's currently the glamorous hour of 4:30 am... yesterday... I did go north to the hospital for my lab work. And I stopped at the Rocky Ridge nursery... and picked up a couple of plants. (Just a couple...) I made it back home by 1:30.

Around 2:30, DH called me... he informed me that he would be at his current job site until the wee hours of the morning. It was a imperative that what he was fixing be done before Monday, and that he was waiting for parts but couldn't start the repair work until after 9:30 pm. (Gotta keep those packages moving!) So... to be a supportive wife, I packed up a second lunch and drove down to his job site. (I took Nolli-dog with me, he's a good road warrior!)

Between the weather and traffic, and the road being a state highway, it took me a good hour and 20 minutes to get there. Then I had to wait for him to come out to meet me... as his idiot supervisor was there, getting all his paperwork for the week, and insisted that DH write him a work order for the current work being done instead of waiting for it via e-mail so he wouldn't have to write it himself! (That's what he gets paid for!)

Anyway... I stopped off at a wonderful "primitive" furniture shop on the way back... it was full of fabulous stuff! I'm going more cottage in decorating these days, but they did have some wonderful cabinets and hutches... it was just so much fun to go and take a look around. I miss shopping like that, and missed my friend Mary, who would have loved all the linens they had. If I had the time and the money... I would start over and do more primitive... maybe.

I camg home... fed myself and Nolli... and by then it was after 7. So, I snuggled in with Nolli and we watched tv until 9. I fell sound asleep until 2:30, when DH got home. I got back up and helped him get unpacked, walked Nolli, and fell back into bed around 3:15. DH and Nolli both fell sound asleep... and I was bookended by 2 snoring bodies.... so here I am, wide awake. I'm hoping that by the time I finish this post, I can pop in ear plugs and zonk back out! Later on today... I will try to remember to take some pictures of the flowers or even go up to Rocky Ridge and take some photos... DH needs to see how pretty it is up there!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

TGIF!!!!

Yippee! Happy Friday Everyone! For me this means.... I just have to get thru this weekend and then I start the carnival of medical visits! Today... I have to go for labs. Monday, I have to go for an ultrasound on my neck. Tuesday, it's more labs and my pre-scan cocktail. And on Wednesday, it's the full body scan! That's a lot of visits back and forth to a hospital that is 20 miles away!

It also means that I have to plan for meals during those visits. I am thinking I will make myself some simple veggie wraps like I had the other day at Wegmans. Lot's of lettuce and tomato with spicy red onion and topped with sweet celery seed dressing. Yummm!

It's started to rain this morning... so I went and got back into bed and turned my electric mattress cover on... it was such a divine, warm coziness! I need to get myself pulled together to get to the post office and pick up my lab slip! Then it's off to get gas and head out for another blood draw. (Oh joy!)

Yesterday, I did make it all day without having to take a nap. It was tough, I wanted to curl up and go to sleep sooooo badly. With this fatigue, I can say that when I go to bed at night, I sleep fairly soundly (with the exception of my back hurting, and DH will rub my back to relax me enough to go back to sleep) and I sleep all night long! I hope that I continue that pattern!

Well... I'm off to pull myself together and hit the road. I will have to get some gas in the car along the way. Since it's cold and rainy, I may take Nolli with me. He's good company on little trips, I took him with me yesterday, and he loved it! Gotta throw some laundry in while I'm at it... everyone... have a great Friday!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne