September 28 & 29, 2015

Two Very Busy Days

September 27 & 28, 2015

There has not even been time for photos the last two days.  I started out yesterday by going to the office early so Ron could go finish a job up the valley.  It was a very busy day in the office - busier than most have been lately.  I spent much of the day on my feet.  Ron had expected to be back about 1:00 so I had not worried about taking a lunch.  There were a couple of errands I needed to run when he got back so I had expected to get lunch then

One of the people who came in was a man from our church who is going to recover a chair for me.  He thought he would only be able to repair it and not recover it due to the unusual structure of the chair, but he had  gone on line and found out how to recover it.  Now I just need to shop for foam and fabric.  He stayed a long time and we had a very interesting talk.


Ron texted me about 1:30 that his car had a dead battery and he was waiting for AAA to send help.  It was about 4:00 when he returned to the office.  So much for my lunch.  I had raided the office refrigerator, but there was very little in there.  I had worked on several things on my desk and had run off hundreds of invoice and estimate forms.  They still need to be cut with the paper cutter, but I think it will be next week before I get back to them.
 
Once Ron arrived, I caught him up on all the things that had gone on.  We closed up at the regular time and met our friends for supper at the usual Mexican food restaurant.  It is always nice to spend time with them.  They are going to try to refinish the wood on the chair that the other man is going to recover.  I have amazing friends!

After we got home, I left on some errands.  I had some things to return at the mall and then went to Kohl's and used some cards I had to get $20 in merchandise for $4.60.  From there I went to the grocery store and got enough to get us by for a couple of days.

Today was just as busy but in a different way.  I spent a couple of extra hours at the house working on a variety of things.  Then I went by the allergy doctor's office to see if he would recode the order for blood work that had the wrong code on it.  They were not at all helpful.  From there I went to the office, again not taking a lunch since I thought I would grab a bite before going to work.

Ron left on a job and when he returned I was finishing up a deposit that I did not get to take to the bank yet.  Ron had called and gotten me an appointment with my doctor at 3:00, so I went and was called in at once.  The doctor and I talked about my allergy situation and a few other things and she ordered the test the other doctor didn't recode.  They were able to do the test right then at their office.

Leaving there I headed to the mall to pay the Discover bill and then to pick up some lunch (at 5:00) and came home to eat and get ready for the quilt group.  There were 4 besides me tonight and we had a good time.  I love this group of ladies.  They are a nice bunch.

Later in the evening after doing some laundry and some cleaning, I talked to our daughter-in-law in New Mexico.  Two very long days and still things to be done.  I better get to work!

September 26 & 27, 2015

Spectacular Saturday

and Sleepy Sunday

September 26 & 27, 2015

Photo by Granddaughter

Young Buff-bellied Hummingbird

Saturday morning started a little before 8:00 a.m.  I had slept in the recliner in the sewing room with the two oldest of Jeff's girls on the sofa and the youngest on the floor.  Naturally, the youngest woke up first and I quietly waved to her and motioned for her to come get in my lap.  She climbed into my lap and snuggled for 20-30 minutes.  That is such precious time.  She is almost 4 years old and I know this won't go on forever. 

Bewick's Wren photo by Granddaughter

 

Once the other girls were up, Grandpa Ron went to get donuts and we all had a fun, yummy breakfast.  The middle granddaughter want to start sewing again right away and when she encountered some problems, her older sister helped to solve them.  Together, they made a mattress for some of the stuffed toys, a tiny quilt and several little tiny pillows. All three played on the sewing room floor with the beanie babies and small doll beds, for the next several hours with time interspersed for sewing.

White-winged Dove photo by Granddaughter

We were enjoying watching the birds in the yard - especially the middle granddaughter and me.  She had recently gotten a camera for her birthday and she took photos until her camera battery ran down.  I told her to get mine and use it.  She got some great shots, including the one of a very young hummingbird at the top of this blog entry.  She is a good spotter and had a great time taking the pictures.

Goldfinch photo by Granddaughter

Around 1:30 I started fixing lunch which was grilled cheese sandwiches and chips along with peanut butter and jelly for the one who does not like grilled cheese.  Lunch was followed by cleanup time and packing time so that we could take them home.

Our Granddaughter who did the bird photos for today's blog

As we drove closer to their home in the opposite end of the valley, dark clouds gathered and the rain started just before we got to their house.

 Dark skies

Ron and Jeff got us in the house and we spent the rest of the afternoon and evening at their home.  Ron had taken locks to replace ones on many of their interior doors.  He got a bunch replaced, but there are more to go. 

 Rather dark for 4:13 in the afternoon 

 


The rain lasted a couple of hours and then cleared off for a beautiful rainbow and lovely  sunset.

Rainbow following the rain and my husband

 

We had Chinese food for supper and it was very good.  I am not usually a fan of Chinese food, but it was a very good supper.  When we went to pick up the supper at China Express I was able to meet one of Barb's new friends, another home school mom.  It is a joy to see them making new friends in their new community.  We got in a lot of visiting and a lot of eating.  It was after 9:00 when we started home.

Just prior to sunset Saturday Photo by me

 

When we got home around 10:30, I was too tired to do my blog.  I took my new antihistamine and went to sleep before long.  Ron had to wake me up several times this morning before I got up.  I think the new antihistamine is making me too sleepy.  It is such a tiny pill, it is hard to believe the wallop it packs.

Sunset Saturday Photo by me

We made it to Sunday School on time, but all through Sunday School I could barely stay awake.  I went to pick up Mom for church but when I got back to church, I asked Ron to take me home.  I knew I could not stay awake for the service.  He brought me home and it did not take long for me to be sound asleep.

Sunset Saturday photo by my husband

 

Before going to sleep, I asked him to wake me about 1:00 for lunch.  He had gotten chicken pot pies for lunch at Kentucky Fried Chicken and we ate together.  Then I took care of the feeders and ponds in the yard, came in and went back to sleep until 6:00 in the evening.  Now it is almost time for me to take another pill.  I don't think so.  Maybe 1/2 of one a little later in the evening. 

Sunset Saturday photo by my husband 

There is laundry to do and I need to start setting aside things for a quick trip coming up soon.  I did not have the housekeeper come yesterday since she is still recovering from the cut on her finger and since the girls were here.  The house needs some attention this week, yet it looks like a busy week ahead for us.

Sunday evening full moon prior to eclipse

 

My sister and her husband have been 30 miles away at South Padre Island all month and I have not seen her once.  I saw her husband briefly one day when he came by the office to ask Ron a question.  The days are so busy.  Already it is getting dark earlier in the evenings and light later in the mornings.  I can't believe fall is officially here yet usually it still feels like summer.  We were blessed with cooler temperatures last night and today with the cool front that brought the rain to the upper valley (but not to us).  Ron just set the sprinklers in the yard since we did not get the rains that had been predicted.

Partial eclipse

 

Hearing issues have just been the usual problems.   When several people are talking in a room, I can't understand the "one" who is talking to me.  Coming up soon will be my first plane trip since I got the Cochlear Implant and I am curious as to how I will do the the plane noises.  I know I can't hear the announcements in the terminals.

 Tonight we had a lunar eclipse.  

It was interesting trying to photograph the eclipse

But there comes a limit to the combination of me and my camera

September 25, 2015

A Long Day and

An Evening of Giggles

September 25, 2015

 Sunrise this morning

Years ago, after we had been married about 5 years, we bought a piano.  One of the first songs I started playing on it was Sunrise, Sunset from Fiddler on the Roof.  Ron was so sick and tired of that song before I moved on to something else.  Today felt like a Sunrise, Sunset day.  I took a photo of the sunrise on the way to work and one of the sunset on the way home.

Sunset this evening

Ron had an early appointment for blood work, so I had to open the office.  He is often running late and says no one comes in early.  When I got there at right on the time to open, two men were sitting on the front step waiting for me, and before they left, another one came.  I stayed busy with customers most of the morning.  Ron came back to the shop after his blood work, and after I ran a couple of errands, he left on a couple of jobs. 

Sunrise

 

On my way to the office, I stopped to photograph the sunrise.  I don't like to get up early, but the best bonus for getting up early, is seeing the sunrise.  There was a bank of clouds on the horizon so actually the sun was a ways up in the sky before it was visible. 

Sunset

 

During the morning at the office, I mostly waited on customers and filled key hooks.  I probably added hundreds of blanks to the hooks.  There is still more that needs to be done on that, but I made progress on the most common ones. 

 Sunset

When Ron came in from the doctor's office and the blood work, I ran to the drug store to leave a couple of prescriptions.  While they were being filled, I ran an errand.  It seems that every time I get my lunch out or heated, customers start coming in.  Today, as soon as I got my soup out to heat, customers started coming in for help. 

My errand was at the church and I took care of the problem quickly.  Returning to the office, I took care of several items and Ron left on his jobs.  Later in the day when he was back at the office, I finished up some paper work and prepared a deposit which Ron took to the ban while I did some of the other pressing matters.

After work I picked up Mom and we went to supper.  It was very good and we all had a great visit.  Yhr granddaughters arrived about 8:30 and there have been giggles ever since. 

September 24, 2015

F-R-U-S-T-R-A-T-I-O-N!!!

September 24, 2015

Me, feeling pulled in different directions with what I hear the allergist say.

 

As far back as I can remember, I have always tried to follow doctors' orders.  As far back as I can remember, I have had allergy problems.  Some of those allergy problems have gotten worse over the years.  I have taken enough allergy medications to fill a HUGE medicine cabinet several times over.  I have tried too many different medications to remember all of them.  Some of those medications, I have been allergic to.

Today I went to the new allergist for allergy testing since he would not prescribe for me based on the tests run by a different allergist.  I understand that.  We are not finished with all the testing - he has ordered blood work to see about food allergies.  I have not heard of that before and will do research on it.  He says, yes, I am very allergic to dust, dust mites, dogs, cats, grasses, weeds, and trees, but he does not recommend allergy shots.  Because of my age!  He could have given me a lot of other reasons that would have been much more polite!  I did not like that one.   No wonder I am depressed!

Again, I understand what he is saying about age, but to someone who had a grandfather who lived to be 96, who has a Mom who is 92 and still fighting hard to stay active, I was not pleased.  The reasoning is that as we age, the heart gets weaker so if there is a major reaction to the shots, the heart could become a problem.  BUT, he said if I wanted the shots, he would do that.

Allergy shot or not?

Actually, that is where my frustration came in.  I went to him to see what he thought I should do, not for me to tell him what I wanted.  The final outcome is that I will stop all current allergy medications and do a new one he is suggesting and a new nasal spray.  I will try them for 2 months and then come back to see him. 

Today Ron had a job up the valley for all day so I spent the day at the office and had to lock up when I went for the allergy testing.  I spent the day filling key hooks, waiting on customers, and doing odds and ends in my office. Then at the end of the day I had to lock up.

My friend, Dolores, came by the office this morning, and picked up a quilt I had ready to be quilted and texted me this afternoon while I was still at the doctor that it was finished.  She will bring it to me in the morning!  She is quick!  I am amazed.

As for my hearing, it was a major problem at the doctor's office.  He has a heavy Spanish accent and talks fast.  I repeatedly had to ask him to repeat and know I missed a lot of what he said.  All his help was the same way - fast talkers and accents.  I really needed an extra set of ears with me today.

Looking for a place to eat supper!

We met our friends for supper at the usual place, but the restaurant had a gas leak and was closed.  We went to another place down the street from there and as we pulled in the lot, they turned off the OPEN sign.  They must have heard I was in a bad mood.  So we went to a third place and it was not too full when we got there but quickly many people came in and it got very noisy.  The food was OK, but my vote is to go back to the other place next time.

It was a good day.  I think I would be fine with taking an allergy pill each evening and sleeping late in the mornings instead of doing the shots.  It was just the mixed message I was getting from the allergy doctor.  Hope your day was great.

September 23, 2015

A Quick Visit with the Grandkids -

Well, Six of Them Anyway

September 23, 2015

Ron let me sleep a little late and that was nice, except I needed to be at the office.  When I arrived, he had locked up and put up a sign "Back in 1 Hour".  He had a job that he had to go do and left before I got there.

It was a good day.  I got a lot of things done that I needed to do.  I paid a few bills and sewed some.  I took care of stocking some merchandise and let Ron know of some things we need so he can place an order.

Our granddaughter started texting me while I was having lunch to say they were in town and she really missed me.  Ahhhh...  I miss all of them - the ones in McAllen and the ones in San Antonio.  They are all too far away.

I thought Ron was going to be out of the office during the afternoon, but it turned out he was in the office working on things for a job he is doing tomorrow.  So when our daughter-in-law let me know she and the children would be at my mom's house for a while, I went over there to see them. 

They had been busy all day.  They went to the dentist and they got haircuts.  They had family to visit and they needed to be back in McAllen in time for ballet class and church activities.  While the boys were getting haircuts, one of the people there offered to braid the hair of the oldest girl.  I loved the look.

The children quickly got out the toys to play with and the crayola markers to draw on Grandma's sliding patio doors.  They love to decorate them while they are there and after a few days it gets cleaned off for their next visit. 

I returned to the office and finished the sewing I was doing and then at a little before closing I left to go to the post office and then to pick up a loaf of bread.  The utility bill needed to be paid and when I drove up, no one was in line.  The guard was standing around and I told him I had never seen it empty.  He laughed and said it is worse some days than others. 

Once I got home, it was time to take care of things in the yard.  The prediction was for rain today, but it didn't happen and some things needed to be watered.  Inside, I fixed my supper (Ron stayed late to work on the things for his job tomorrow).  Then I read for a little bit before starting on sewing again.  I finished the project in progress.  Time to either start a new one or work on one of the many "in progress projects" I have on the shelves of the quilt room.

Any day I see grandchildren is a good day!  The oldest had gone with his dad to San Antonio on a business trip. 

September 21 & 22, 2015

Monday and Tuesday

All Rolled into One

September 21 & 22, 2015

The yard looks so nice after all the rains

Monday morning seemed like it came sooner than it should have.  I am beginning to have some allergy problems since I am off the allergy shots and off all allergy medications to prepare for the allergy tests this Thursday.  I was slow moving and didn't go to the office until about 10:30. 

In one section of the yard we have a lot 

of ivy and it is doing very well this year.

 

We have a chair that I would like to have recovered, but the way it is made makes people cringe at the thought of recovering it.  A friend from church does some upholstery work and after talking to him, we decided he would just try to repair the chair and not recover it.  He had come by before I got to the office, to look at the chair, but it was in my car.  He came back after I got there and said he would come to pick it up later in the day.

 One of the waterfalls in the backyard

 

I did an assortment of chores and then while Ron was out on a job, I did some sewing.  I got 3 1/2 of the rows put together for the quilt I am working on.  I have all the blocks made except for the last row.  There will be 12 rows with 8 blocks in each row for a total of 96 blocks.

One of the arrangements I fixed yesterday

When Ron got back from his job, I left and went to Harlingen to get some foam for the chair to be repaired and a few other things at Hobby Lobby.  I got some fall colored silk flowers to use in some of the bird cages I used to decorate for our son's wedding last fall, and fabric for the back of the quilt.

Another of the arrangements

I picked up some supper on the way home.  Ron was working late.  When I got home I worked on the arrangements and did three of them.   I still need to do some work on fall decorations, but I have put away the spring/summer ones.  Later in the evening, after taking care of things in the yard, I talked to our son in New Mexico.

Tuesday morning I was up before my alarm and got some things done around the house before going to the office.  I had some paper work to take care of and then Ron was gone almost all afternoon.  I mopped the showroom and my office and then sat down to sew and got the rest of the rows all assembled, except for the one I still need to make. 

Clouds to the South

During the afternoon while I was mopping, the clouds got dark and it looked like it would rain, but they just passed to the south of us and didn't leave any rain here.  While the dark clouds were to the south, to the north, was blue sky and big white clouds.  At the end of the day I had to close up since Ron was just finishing a job.

Clouds to the North

After work I went by Mom's house to check on her and she was working at her computer.  After we talked a bit, I went and picked up hamburgers for her and Carmen since they had a project spread out all over the dining table.  I got myself a small burger also and ate when I got home.  I took care of things in the yard but the mosquitoes were terrible! 

Clouds later on the way to Mom's house

 

Back in the house I worked some more on the quilt.  The backing I bought yesterday for the quilt had to be washed.  I added the rows to each other and now have the quilt top in three sections.  Ron had worked late again after going to his Mom's for supper.  My evening was quiet with time for sewing.

September 20, 2015

Excellent Morning Service

and Nice Afternoon

September 20, 2015

This morning Ron and I were up early but took time to talk about some news items, the Sunday School lesson he was preparing, etc.  We sat down to breakfast together and talked, which we don't do often since Ron does not usually eat breakfast.  We were running really close to make it to class on time. 

As usual, I left to go get Mom for church and while I was at her house, took some Tylenol for a bad headache.  At church the third mission group to go to Nepal following their very serious earthquake, is back and gave a report on their trip.  It was an excellent group of folks (5 men and 2 women) who went and it was so encouraging to hear their reports and then to talk to the two ladies who went after the service was over. 

Their trip is a reminder that in times of trouble, people's hearts are often more tender and open to hearing that God loves them.  People are turning to the Lord God here and on the other side of the world.  In our service there were two baptisms today.  It was a long service, but I am so glad I was able to be there.

The birds sure love this fountain on hot days

 

After church Mom, Ron and I went to lunch at Luby's.  Mom usually goes with a group called The Lunch Bunch, but several of her friends who normally attend were not there today, so she went with us.  We had a good visit as we ate some yummy food.  Then we took Mom home as rain clouds gathered, but we only got sprinkles from them.

Following lunch, I took a 2 hour nap and Ron slept much longer than that.  After that I checked on the things in the yard and then started working on my quilt again.  I got three rows done today and need only one or two more before it is the size I want. 

Hearing was a problem often today but it may be related to the allergy problems I am having since I am off all allergy medications prior to the allergy tests this coming Thursday afternoon.  It has been a good day and I can't believe the weekend is gone!

Project in progress

September 19, 2015

A Nice Saturday

September 19, 2015

This morning I got up about 7:00 and had planned to mow the backyard, but Ron had put a large heavy object in front of the mower and I could not get to it.  So instead I worked on cleaning the garage after I took care of the ponds, fountains, and feeders in the yard.  The temperature started out nice but quickly rose and it got hot and muggy.  There was no breeze and that is unusual.

As I did assorted chores, I was doing laundry.  Since Carmen cut her finger, I had to do my own housework today.  I had not changed the guest beds since we'd had company a couple of weeks ago.  So there was a lot of laundry to do and it was supper time before the last of it was finished.  After being in the yard and garage for a while this morning, I needed to come in and cool off.  I was reading a good book and after I cooled off, it was time for me to go get my hair cut.

When I got back, I did not put my car up, but instead, left it out and cleaned that section of the garage before getting the clippers and trimming several bushes.  I had several piles of cuttings for Ron to haul when he finally got home.  He removed a limb from a tree and finished doing some trimming I could not reach.

By the time I came in, I was soaking wet with sweat.  Yuck!  I took a cold shower and then got some leftovers for lunch.  Again I read for a while as I continued to cool off.  Finally in the late afternoon I started sewing on the quilt in progress.  I got a couple of rows added and lots of pieces cut out for the quilt. 

Supper again was leftovers and then I returned to the sewing machine.  During the evening I talked to our daughter-in-law in New Mexico and during the afternoon I had talked to our son in Dallas.  I had trouble hearing both of them but got most of the conversations.  Our daughter-in-law in McAllen sent a picture of a hiking trail our son cut with the riding mower back in the pasture behind their house.  That should be interesting.  He probably could have done a maze with the tall grass from all the rains we have had.

It is always a treat to hear from our kids and their spouses.  I sure miss being able to have clear, understandable conversations with them.  While working in the yard, I finally took off the sound processor because I was sweating so much my hair was soaking wet. 

I finished the book this evening and see that there are 7 in the series.  I am not sure how they will stretch this out for that many books.  I think I will buy the next one on my Kindle and find out.