May 20, 2014

Healthy Enough to do 

a Happy Dance!

Tuesday, May 20, 2014

Following our annual physicals Ron and I have had a variety of appointments with specialists.  Mine were with Dr. Cua, an outstanding heart specialist.  I have had a few little heart problems over the years - nothing major, but since both of my grandmothers had heart problems, those minor things have concerned me.

The assorted tests that Dr. Cua ran have shown that I have a very healthy heart and am in very good shape.  There are a couple of minor things, but he says they need no medical attention or intervention and that I am fine!  This news all came with my early Tuesday morning appointment with him and I thanked him for being full of good news.

My blood pressure had gone up while I was on the treadmill during the stress test at Dr. Cua's, but he said that he wasn't concerned about it - that it was normal.  He said as long as it is OK when I am relaxed at home, not to worry about it.  I will go back to him in November for a check up, but it was so good to know that there is not a major problem.  I wanted to "Happy Dance" out of the office.

In this blog entry, I am covering Monday and Tuesday (May 19 & 20) and hope to get caught up now.  Monday was uneventful, and after the busy weekend, that was nice!  We went to supper Monday with our friends the Lawlers who we usually eat with on Fridays.  We had missed last Friday and they will miss this Friday, so we were getting caught up with each other's lives.

After going to the doctor Tuesday, I ran a couple of errands before going to the office.  Ron was out of the office much of the day and I waited on customers and paid bills  I am doing pretty well with the customers as far as my hearing.  The major problem with the hearing at the office is the noise of the machines.  The Cochlear Implant takes that noise down a lot, but sometimes to the point of blocking out all sounds.  If I am waiting on a customer, and Ron is using a machine, it may take down all the sounds, including the voice of my customer.

When Ron finished the jobs he was doing and returned to the office mid-afternoon, he said I could go home since I had quilters coming in the evening.  I ran a couple of errands like getting milk and bread since I have not been to get groceries since we got home.

When I got home I filled the bird feeders and bird baths and put out fresh fruit for the woodpeckers to feed to their babies.  I watered the hanging plants and took care of various chores in the yard.  The new plants we bought in Houston are doing so well!  The Royal Poinciana tree is in full bloom and is beautiful!  That is my favorite flowering tree.

I wandered around the yard enjoying the sounds of the birds, of the water being pumped into the resaca, filling the man-made lake behind our house.  I loved seeing the colors of the blooming plants.  God is so good and so creative.  I am so thankful for our yard!

When I went in the house and into my sewing room which overlooks the backyard, I looked up to check the woodpecker nest hole in the tree and was delighted to see a little head peaking out the hole!

 Baby Golden-fronted Woodpecker

I took a few photos and then called my brother-in-law Jim Foster, and told him what I had spotted!  He said he would be right over.  He came and spent about an hour photographing the baby.  I took a few more photos after he left and enjoyed watching the male and female adults continue to feed their hungry baby/babies.

We don't know how many babies have been in the hole.  My guess is three.  Jim's guess is one.  We will have to wait until the "coming out party" to know how many they have been feeding.  They have taken a LOT of food into that hole - more than I think one baby bird would eat.  I think I "hear" three little cheeps, hollering for room service.

I fixed and ate my supper while keeping an eye on the woodpecker hole and then it was time for quilting.  Only one of the ladies was able to come.  Two had recently had surgery, one was sick and I think the others forgot.  But I had a great time visiting with the one since that is when visiting is easiest for me: one-on-one.  We had a great chat and after she left, I was asleep within 30 minutes.  It was a good night's sleep!