Simple Woman's Daybook...

FOR TODAY (August 31. 2009)...

Outside my window... It's cloudy and cool, with a slight breeze.

I am thinking... of what a great weekend we had here... Friday, DH brought home Chipotle for dinner, Saturday, we stayed home all day and worked on small home projects. And Sunday, we went to church, bought a new tool for DH and had lunch at Cracker Barrel. It was a nice day.

I am thankful for... my hardworking husband and our little family. I am thankful for a cozy home and good friends.

From the kitchen... we are going to have pork chops and scalloped corn for dinner. Yum!

I am wearing... a black long sleeve cable v-neck sweater and denim shorts... bare foot as usual.

I am creating... yummy things to eat for dinner... and maybe dessert too!

I am going... to physical therapy tomorrow... glad to see progress on my disc issue.

I am reading... "The Shack"... and I love it!

I am hoping... that I will gain more mobility and be able to go back into the pool for my knee.

I am hearing... the breeze in the trees and few birds too. We've kept the tv off now for a few days... and either talked or listened to music.

Around the house... DH is working on a couple projects, I am working on training Pumpkin... and Nolli is enjoying extra Mommy-time with me!

One of my favorite things... is how most of my outdoor flowers are still blooming... we are well aware that soon we will be putting all the Summer things away and our outdoor living room will be gone for another 7 months.

A few plans for the rest of the week: working on my flexibility... and recording my pain on my knee to build a clear picture of what is happening for the doctor. (Replacement may be coming sooner than I thought.)

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Delurking Myself!

I have been around... just not posting... I am doing a ton of at-home physical therapy to help correct a bulging (leaking) disc in my thoracic spine. It's just under my shoulder blade... right where my bra strap starts. The doctor thought it was muscular... but the therapist wanted to rule out the disc first.... and it ended up being the disc. So... now that I have done the first set of exercises... I am doing step 2 and it is every hour or more if I need it. I am concentrating on my posture... and my rib cage is sore. I've even raised my monitor up a good 6 inches on the desk to help my neck so that my chin is not down.

This also means no bending forward. No lifting... and I had to downgrade my handbag. I am still also dealing with my left knee and how uncomfortable this last injection of Hyalgan has been. I am in more pain then before the first shot. I have to watch how long I stand, how I stand and how I walk. Ice is still my best friend... and we "meet" several times a day!

Nolli and Punky are doing well... they are becoming more bonded... and I am sure to give Nolli more one-on-one time with me and extra treats and car rides when possible. We are looking forward to the weekend... and being able to chill out around home. They are calling for lousy weather all weekend, so we are content to stay home and putter around here.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Simple Womans Daybook...

FOR TODAY (August 25, 2009)...

Outside my window... it's sunny and warm... and just a little humid!

I am thinking... of the many projects I need to tend to and want to put off~

I am thankful for... good health insurance, DH's job~such as it is, and the love that we share for each other!

From the kitchen... there is pizza bread on the table... popcorn for snacks... and double-deck tacos for dinner.

I am wearing... denim shorts and a black and pink floral knit top and black flats.

I am creating... physical therapy props... rolled towels in different configurations to help me with my posture and being able to sit properly.

I am going... to the pharmacy later. (Always... the pharmacy!)

I am reading... nothing... got any suggestions?

I am hoping... for Pumpkin to figure out what going outside means soon!

I am hearing... DH working on projects, the tv in the background and just a few cars going by.

Around the house... there is laundry to do (always!) There is a little light housekeeping to be done.

One of my favorite things... was having DH at my p/t appointment today to reiterate what I am feeling and to learn what needs to be done to help me with my posture and shoulder issues.

A few plans for the rest of the week: to maintain my physical therapy program and gain strength.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!

~Suzanne

Sweet Sunday Love

I had a very rough night last night... I went to bed feeling ill... and was up and down during the night. When I finally woke up this morning after getting some sleep, DH had come into the bedroom and told me that I was not going to church this morning. He was very right... I wasn't moving all that well. My legs were hurting and my knees (left) were screaming.

DH did make me breakfast... yummy french toast, pepper bacon and fried eggs. It was so good. And I did share with Nolli-dog. (I cannot not share bacon with him! I did give some to Pumpkin as well.) We went back to bed for a while as I elevated and iced my knee. I brought Pumpkin with us... she's learning how to chill... (just a little, lol!) and we worked on a couple of cross word puzzles. Once we finished, I got showered, and we decided to take a drive.

We went down the country road that I wanted to explore with DH... showed him where I had found one fishing hole... and we made our way home. We drove 60 miles of back roads and made a huge loop around Sugarloaf Mountain. It was so fun... and we discovered a great park as well... one that we will probably go and visit again before the end of Fall... don't think we will hit it before end of Summer.

We stopped and picked up some bread and cheese and salami... and had a great little picnic. It was divine! We enjoyed the sunshine and each other's company... it's all about the simple things to us!

We are now home... and doing a few chores. DH is such a help when it comes to some of the things I use to do alone... he flipped the mattress for me... and vacuumed under and behind the bed. He's going to start a load of laundry for me as well. (He told me that he understands that I cannot do it by myself anymore. That I do need help with some basic chores these days.) I am growing concerned as I had great hopes for this injection series... and it's helped my right knee... but my left knee is still in so much pain and is so stiff that I have trouble walking if it's not braced. The doctor told me that I don't need the brace... but I do so much better with it.

That's pretty much what our day has been... just enjoying the simple things... helping each other, and being a family. That's Sweet Sunday Love!

Thanks for reading.. be blessed!
~Suzanne

Easy...

After what feels like an extremely busy week... we are staying home today. We have (DH) a few projects that need to get finished. DH is re welding the frame on the attic ventilation cooling system and re-calibrating the speed on the fan blades. With all the humidity we are having, it will help cool off the house... and keep the "pups" cool in the process.

Yesterday... I left the house to go to get a few groceries... and I didn't check the weather first. It started blowing wind... and got dark, and then the rains came. It was 82 degrees when I left... by the time I made it to the top of the hill and turned into the shopping center... it was coming down faster than the wipers would go. (There was no way I was getting out of the car for that!) So.. I drove home. By the time I got back down into the valley, the temperature had dropped to 68 degrees. (The house inside was now hotter than outside!) I came in and opened everything up and got the fans going... and turned on the attic system. I could only leave it on for a few minutes as it has a loud noise from not being balanced. Hence, DH working on it today!

The dogs are getting used to each other. We are allowing Pumpkin time outside the crate now... and she is enjoying getting use to the house. She adores DH and just howls when he gets home from work! (I know how she feels... lol!) I am still taking extra care of Nolli-dog... extra treats, extra Mom-time, time up on the bed with us. He actually seems to be adjusting to having a little dog in the house now... and that smile and sparkle have returned. Pumpkin's favorite thing... is to be held... and of course being in close proximity... has to bath our faces with kisses. She's also liking the grub... she is a healthy eater and can almost eat as much as Nolli-dog. We have had no potty accidents except for the first 5 minutes of being in the house. I think she's getting it!

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Life with Pumpkin...

Pumpkin is settling into life nicely here. She enjoys being in her crate and we keep her there during the day. We take her out directly when we take her from her crate and she seems to be getting the hang of going outside.

Yesterday... I decided to go and get my hair done... it's very short and very, very blond. I love it and it's the perfect end of summer haircut. It will take me into the beginning of October.

I also took Pumpkin on a car ride to Wilkes-Barre yesterday. She has a micro-chip and her previous owner told me that the SPCA could assist in changing the information. So... off we went... we had gotten directions for someone we met at PetSmart. I "thought" I knew where it was.... boy, was I wrong! I ended up missing a turn... and way far out of the way. There was road construction on part of the way... and I didn't want to go back through that. So... we took a long, scenic drive back to the turnpike. (I finally remembered that I have navigator on my phone as well... it never worked on my old phone) So... once I got directions sent to my phone via *411, I was set to go. I did make my way to the SPCA, where they read her microchip and gave me the phone number and her chip number, but not before giving me the third degree about where I had gotten Pumpkin and who her previous owners were. (Talk about making me feel like a criminal! Hello... I just ADOPTED her!)

We got out of there as quickly as possible and went on over to PetSmart. I got her nails trimmed and picked up a couple of items she needed... like a small pink flowered dog-food bowl with "Diva" painted in the bottom... and new hair brush... and a sleeping mat. We met several nice people who were very interested in Pumpkin and her sweet face. She's sooo tiny and has such big eyes, and loves attention! She did pretty well on the car trip... but I do need to get a small dog tote for her. She so craves being held and wants to be up near your face. That makes it a little difficult to drive... but we're working on it!

When I got home... I called the micro-chip company. It seems that her chip has never been registered! I was so surprised! They are sending me the info packet... and it will cost me $20 to have it registered. Now it makes me wonder about Pumpkins shots... they didn't give me a copy of her certificates for rabies and shots... I sent off an e-mail asking about it. We shall see... I just don't want to have to give her shots again if she doesn't need them.

Last night... Nolli and Pumpkin did have some play time. He's trying to teach her how to play tag and chase. It's very cute and he's starting to warm up to her. He's still jealous when I have her near me... it doesn't bother him when DH has her, just me! But I am giving him tons of extra attention and treats and praise. He's going to be just fine once we get into a regular routine.

Thanks for reading... be blessed!
~Suzanne

Holy Cow!

Holy Cow... Holy Mole`... Holy smokes! I had my last set of injections... because the doctor bruised me so badly last week, he moved his injection site a little closer to the middle of my right knee. That stuff is now under my knee cap! It feels like a small mountain in there!

But that's not the worst of it... when he did my very last shot... on my left knee... he hit a nerve! I actually cried as he finished. (I just never cry at these things... they are always a piece of cake!) It was so bad... that he made me sit down in a chair in the exam room and wait... he went and did another patient... and came back to check on me. He had me walk... and it sounded like "rice krispies" as I walked back and forth. I am once again walking like a weeble ... a very drunk weeble! So... I managed to make my way out of the office and I promised I would ice it. Yes, Ice is my best friend these days! (It does feel good with these 90 degree days we're having!)