June 19, 2015

Friday Ran Over into Saturday

June 19, 2015

Leaving the grocery store in McAllen after my shopping

As I have stated sometimes in this blog, we don't always know what tomorrow will bring and plans sometimes change.  This was one of those times.  When I went to my thyroid specialist on Thursday, I expected her to say, come back in a year, as she did last time.  I started going to this lady about 6 or 7 years ago when a thyroid scan showed a nodule on one side of my thyroid.  She and the doctor who referred me to her, both said it was minor.  The specialist did a biopsy  way back then, and said it was fine and she would monitor me.  I returned in 6 months and there was no change so I was to return in a year.

Looking at the rain clouds from Jeff's back yard

Each time I see the thyroid specialist, I have blood work and a sonogram of the thyroid done first.  Then depending on what they show, she decides what needs to be done.  Another time I had a new nodule so she did a biopsy.  Sometimes I go every 6 months, sometimes every year, depending on what has changed since the previous visit.  This time had been a year since I had seen her.  I had a new nodule and so I needed another biopsy.  This made the third one with her.  She is an amazingly kind, gentle, encouraging lady.  That was just not what I was expecting on Thursday.

Just about the only furniture in the house when I arrived. 

 Stephen had these chairs fixed for Jeff and Barb one year for Christmas.

Thursday was shot day, so we were up early and after my allergy shots, I baked the cookies I had mixed up earlier.  Then I had spent the morning at our office, doing assorted chores.  Ron was out most of the time.  It seemed most of the customers had unique problems that only he could solve.  I felt rather frustrated by the time I closed the office about 12:45.  We had decided to close early so I could go to the doctor and Ron could go help our son Jeff and his friends as they loaded the moving van Jeff had rented for their move.  Ron had an emergency call that came in that he had to do in Harlingen for a good customer, so after helping load things for a while and filling his Suburban to the roof, he went and did that job on the way to McAlllen.

Meanwhile, I went to have my biopsy done.  I was not concerned since I had previously had them done.  This time the doctor ended up taking four samples to send off.  I had an appointment scheduled with her the end of next week for results but asked if there was any chance the results would be back Wednesday since I had plans to take care of the grandchildren in their new house while their mom is out of town on Thursday and Friday.  She said that would work and so I will get the results next Wednesday.

Watching the clouds during the afternoon

By the time she finished taking the four samples, I was a little stressed.  After texting Ron, he said things at Jeff's were going slowly, so for me to go shopping before I went to the house in McAllen.  He didn't have to offer twice.  I headed to the quilt shop in Harlingen and unwound as I looked around.  The owner and  I have talked a lot the last few times I have been in and when I looked at a purse she had for sale that she had made, she asked if I liked it.  I told her I did and she said she would like to give it to me.  I think that was the uplifting I needed.  She was so thoughtful to do that and I thanked her for her kindness as she is getting ready to close her business in a few weeks.

When Ron unloaded, boxes started stacking up. 

One quick stop at Cracker Barrel and then I headed to McAllen,  and I apparently was following rain showers.  I was not getting rained on but the highways were wet.  When I turned off the expressway, the side streets had standing water in the outside lanes and it started to rain on me a little.  I found a Wal-Mart in Jeff and Barb's end of town and went in and bought supper stuff.  I had made egg salad for sandwiches and had stuff to make tuna salad, along with the cookies I had baked earlier.  As I shopped, I bought sandwich meats, cheeses, bread, condiments, sodas and bottled water as well as ice, some fruit and a few other things.  While I was in the store, it poured rain very hard and there was lots of thunder that even I could hear. 

Up and down the stairs went the workers

Going to the house, I could not find the road I intended to use and when I took another route, I didn't know if I had hit their road north or south of their house.  I finally had to call for directions and was only about a mile from the house, on the right road.  When I arrived, no one else was there, so I unloaded the car in a small rain shower, taking all the food to the kitchen and then touring the empty, newly painted house.  It is great!

It was well over an hour before Ron arrived.  We unloaded his Suburban and I got the food organized.  The rest of the moving crew arrived - very close friends of Jeff and Barb's.  There was one couple and a family of 5 plus Jeff's family of 9 and Ron and me.  They all worked hard.  They had a large truck packed to the brim.  Everyone except me worked unloading.  I was sometimes working in the kitchen and sometimes taking photos.  Following the biopsy, I just was not up to carrying things.  It was not a major thing, I was just mentally and emotionally exhausted.

Ready to ask the blessing for the supper and the house.

After the van was about 80% unloaded, we had supper and then they finished getting the last of the things out.  The others left and Ron and I helped a little cleaning up.  I straightened the kitchen and we loaded our things.  We decided to leave Ron's car so I didn't have to drive home.  Barb would bring it the next morning.  They had not planned to stay at the house last night, but the beds all got loaded, so they stayed.  As I said, things don't always go as we plan.  Ron and I left at 11:30 and before we got far, Jeff texted Ron that I had left my phone.  We returned and then headed home again, arriving at 1:00 a.m.  It was a long, but very productive day.