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