Work

I go back to work tomorrow.

PT

I had my third visit to PT today for my shoulder.  My oldest drove me and stayed with me in my little area reading.

I love my therapist.  His name is Reuben. He is funny, kind, really good at what he does, and pushes you without letting it go to the point you hurt yourself.

Today's therapy consisted of:

• Heat
• Shoulder Manipulation
• Pendulums and Swings, four exercises at 2 minutes each.
• Hand Bike, 4 min. forward, 4 min. backwards
• Pulleys, 4 min.

Then I was supposed to get back on the table and do my stick exercises, which I have not done since surgery.

I laid down and went to lift the stick and it was as if my shoulder and upper back went into a giant Charlie Horse. I tightened up, there was spasms, and all I could do was start laughing hysterically.  The oldest is not paying the least bit of attention to what I am doing even though he is only 2 feet away.  I can't move, I can't cry, I can't speak, all I can do is laugh.  Finally I am able to squeak out Reuben's name.  He asks if I am in trouble and all I can do is laugh.  He walks over to see what I have done and to see if I am in pain.  One look and he knows.  He starts manipulating my shoulder and telling me to relax, but all I can do is laugh.  He finally gets it relaxed enough that the laughter stops and I can catch my breath. No stick exercises were performed.

Reuben gave me ice and STIM therapy and that helped tremendously.

I asked him when I would be able to drive and he said it would be probably be another month.  He will let me drive to work and back since it is so close to home.  He said if I can't pick up the stick, I can't drive. 

Thank goodness for my village. 

Accomplishment #90

Laundry, mail sorting, and general light picking up with my right arm. 

Not very exciting or productive. 

30 Days of Birthday from Loni - Day 5

A lovely little (but not to little) green journal.  Here is a picture of it on the quilt Loni just finished for her "Little Princess."

Not a Bad Day

Since my work place will not accept the restrictions placed by my doctor, I am still at home recovering. 

Today was not a bad day.

I had bunnies, squirrels, lots of birds, including a woodpecker on the porch swing feeder, and a coyote in my backyard entertaining me as I sat and worked on paying bills, and pinning quilt pieces.  (Loni, I am two pieces short.)

Mina and Loni are traveling this week so I will be watching the Wednesday night shows by myself, including Survivor.  Definitely won't be as much fun as it when the gang is here, but at least I won't be bored.  

In fact the only bad thing so far about the day is John just called to say he was coming over to work on the oldest's bathroom, which means I need to go put on a bra and a real outfit in order to be decent.  

30 Days of Birthday from Loni - Day 4

Today's package contained a nice new green dusting mitt!

Here it is on the fabric from Day 3.

I know I should have ironed the fabric, but it is just going to be folded and put back in the stash.

I Just Have to Say It

Some people are just too stupid to know. 

I don't feel bad saying this because I told the person I am referencing this to their face.  In fact, if circumstances allowed it, this person would not be in my life in any way.  I don't respect them or like them, but the relationship is there and will have to remain there as long as I desire to keep other relationships in my life.

I can't even feel pity for this person.  They have no concept of empathy, respect, or general human kindness.

In no way do I consider myself to be a great human being.  I have many faults.  I can be very harsh and when asked I will give my opinion.  However, I also do not put myself out there as being someone who is an expert in compassion, sympathy, and full of love for all. 

Each day I pray this person will finally see themselves for what they are and change their ways.  Some days I see a glimmer of what they could be, but those days are few and far between. 

It is up to me to find a way to make this relationship work.   Easier said than done.

Getting into Losing

I have to get serious about losing weight.  I keep putting on and taking off the same pounds. 

Since surgery I have lost about six pounds which I am going to consider a kick start.

I have new walking shoes to help me train for my part in the triathlon in October, and I am working in as many fresh veggies as possible into my diet, and ignoring fruit and carbs as much as possible.  

I am also working on other exercising besides walking and shoulder rehab.

Loni surprised me with an aid to my kick start by bringing me a Ziploc full of little packages that say "Celebrate."  I get to open one each time I weigh in at TOPS with a loss. Last night I had a .6 loss and was able to open a package.  I beautiful piece of fabric for my stash!

I feel another loss coming next week.  I really want to open another package!

Advent Birthday

It has become a joke about how long I celebrate my birthday each year and how it keeps getting longer. 

The reason the whole lengthening of my celebrations started in the first place was that so many people wanted time with me I could not fit it all in at once, so the lunches became extended over several weeks.  

Recently the discussion came up about how many weeks would I celebrate this year and I told the girls, meaning Jill, Loni, and Mina, that I wanted an advent birthday, with a gift to open each day of April leading up to my birthday.  Joking and not really expecting anything to come of it.  

Well, Loni showed up the other night with a green (my favorite color) bag full of 30 gifts.  I get to open one each day, at any time of the day I choose. It is the greatest thing! 

The first day she suggested a gift for me to open as she thought I would need it first.  It was a box of Thank You cards, which I do need to thank everyone for all they have done for me during my recovery.

The next day I opened Post-Its that say "I'm a Fabric Fanatic..."

Yesterday I opened a package to find a beautiful piece of fabric.  

I have to admit my grief has overshadowed the opening of the gifts, in fact I am not even given much thought to my birthday, but I am starting to get into them now.  

Thank you Loni.  You are such a good daughter and friend. 

Really Rough TIme of the Year

This is a really rough time of the year for my oldest and me.  March was the beginning of the end for our family of four.  It is when Raymond went into hospice.

I don't know if it is because of the surgery or what, but I am having even a rougher time this year.  I cry at everything during the day, and at night I sob for hours.  I mean deep, gut wrenching sobbing.  

I upset the oldest the other day by posting a song on FB.  I wasn't really thinking about him seeing it when I posted it.  It is just a song I love and it was running through my head.  I did not mean to add to his anguish.  

My youngest never talks about how he feels about missing his dad or anything about that time of our lives, but I also recognize the shell he has put around himself.  

Sometimes I feel horrible about my grief because I know others have suffered so much more.  I also find myself wanting to slap some people silly who go on and on about how they are grieving over something that is really nothing but the loss of a goal, one that can still be accomplished.  

Since I am still singing the song in my head, I am going to post it here where my oldest can't see it.  

If only we could go back.

When I was pregnant with the oldest I would read Winnie the Pooh stories to him in the womb.  Raymond would play him classical music.  Some days I would love to go back to that time and live it all over, even if I knew Raymond would still die at the same time.  Nothing would have to be different, it could be the same as it was, it would just be having all those special little magical moments that happen during a day again. 

Accomplishments #86 to #89

With the shoulder still recovering, the accomplishments have not been very exciting.  In fact they have been the same every day.

Sort the mail, pay any bills that come in, put dishes in dishwasher, laundry, and some light dusting.  

I am doing my shoulder exercises each day and I have been doing some straight line stitching on the Big Bernina because it doesn't really require me to do much with my left arm.  

Totally Baffled

As I am paying bills today I realize that I missed paying two of my larger bills from last month, and I just cannot figure out how I managed to forget them.  I don't have that many bills to pay, and one of them I study carefully each time. 

Nothing I can do except pay the late fees, but I am still baffled.  I pay bills online, so maybe I skipped the confirm step, or there was a glitch in my computer while I was paying.  

I usually check to make sure all my payments when through, but these would have gone through the week I was recovering from surgery and in the drug haze.  

I am very upset with myself, but it is all on me.  I paid them up to date today, and will have to deduct the fees from my fun money account.

Accomplishment #85

I cleaned a couch pillow, started a load of laundry, and put away clothes.  The trick to all of this is not using my left arm.  Not always easy, but believe me when I say if I forget, it is just a second before I remember.

Accomplishment #84

Today I sorted mail, wiped down the kitchen counter, and used a Swifter.  All of this is being done with my right hand.  

I am restricted to no more than 1-2 pounds at waist level, no kneeling, no reaching overhead, etc., which means there are a lot of things I can't do around the house.  Like empty the dishwasher. 

Accomplishments #72 - #83

Pretty much my accomplishments #72-82 was that I looked at the mail every day while I was recovering from surgery.

Accomplishment #83 included laundry, dishes, vacuuming (not any pushing of the vacuum just using the wand to pick up some things off the floor), and bringing the garbage can up from the street with Loni's help.  

Bless my Village

I really could not have gotten through this shoulder surgery without my village. 

Loni has been an angel, taking me to doctor's visits which is about a three hour process since his office is so far from the house.  Staying at the surgery center an entire day waiting on me.  Helping me change clothes, changing my bandages, folding laundry, taking out the garbage and recycling, bringing me food, etc.  She also will be removing the last of my staples soon.

My boys were good to help me while they were home on Spring Break.

Mina brought food and friendship, along with a bobble head turtle. 

Kathy brought a full meal and took me down to sign up for PT and will be taking me to PT tomorrow.

Cindy brought a meal.  

Laura brought me one of her wonderful burritos and fruit salad.

I have had lots of visitors.  

Cards have been arriving.

I could not have gotten through this all by myself.  There is no way. 

Thank you village!

Recovery

I must say I hope to never have another surgery in my life.  

The first three days after surgery I was so out of it I don't remember very much, there is just a haze in my brain of certain things that went on around me.  Starting around Thursday of last week I was able to make sense of things and trying to wean myself back into a normal routine.

I am so sensitive to drugs of any kind and I am just now beginning to feel like I am free of the narcotics I had to take for pain last week.  

I really tried not to take too many after the first 3 days.  I could usually make it through the mornings, but by the late evening the pain and burning sensation would take over and I would give in and take a pain killer and/or anti-inflammatory.  It would take about an hour before the hallucinations would begin.  I don't enjoy hallucinations at all.  Abstract art I can take, swirling colors in my head are another thing entirely. Due to the hallucinations I wasn't getting any sleep so I added in the Ambien the Dr. prescribed to help me with that issue.  BIG MISTAKE!!! Ambien will never again enter my system.

I remember some of the hallucinations very vividly. 

• There were the freaky clowns that were chasing me and making howling sounds. They were loose in surrounding areas and causing so much havoc the CIA came in and took them away.  My son tried to stop me from posting on Facebook, but at that time I had to warn people that the clowns were there but it would be okay because of the CIA.
  
• One night I had these giant foam pinwheels spinning towards me coming from each side of my peripheral vision.  There were three on each side, one was bright yellow, there was a red one and a royal blue one.  As I watched them spin towards me wondering if they would smash my nose, cross over, or crash I looked forward only to see a huge dried apple doll zombie coming towards me.  That made for a very bad evening.  

The night that has stayed with me the most is the one where I had this dream about going to the doctor for an endoscopy that I was awake through.  It was a woman doctor and she was very nice.  I was able to watch the entire procedure as if I was the doctor looking through the camera.  I watched the scope enter my esophagus which was a pretty pale pink and I saw the ridges as the camera continued down.  Right before she entered my stomach the doctor said "I wonder how long that has been in there?" and she used tongs on the end of the camera to remove a pretty good sized pink and blue dinosaur skeleton from the end of my esophagus.   It was quite amazing.  As I was leaving the doctor's office I was handed a bag of fliers and envelopes and told to go home and stuff the envelopes and mail them as that was required of each patient to promote the doctor.  The problem was I didn't go home.  I went to a hootenanny and met up with a bunch of women I saw at the Dallas Quilt Show. We booked rooms in this musty hotel and drank some nasty red moonshine and danced the evening away. 

By the weekend I was taking only Advil and living with the burning sensation. 

I have had my follow up visit and start PT tomorrow morning and will be going back to work with many restrictions on Monday.  I am not cleared to drive yet, but I am going to try to convince my therapist to let me drive to work since it really is just around the corner from my house. 

Surgery

This is the post from Loni's blog about my surgery day, since I don't remember much.  My additions are in italics.

It takes a village to care for a Mama. And Mama has the best village ever!

My role this week was to was mainly get Mama C to/from the surgery center for her shoulder repair on Monday. Since she had been told to arrive at the surgery center between 10:30 and 11, for a surgery at noon; I arrived at her placed around 9:30. Shortly after my arrival, she received a phone call from the center asking if she was already there since they had her arrival marked as by 9...

So the timeline for Surgery Day then went something like this:
9:40am - Departed Home

10:10am - Arrival at surgery center  {I would later discover from various waiting-area discussions with other families that pretty much the center's scheduling skills must have been way out of whack for that day; since one patient was told to be there at 6:30 and when he arrived was told, "No, you are too early; your surgery is at 2". Another arrived at 8 and was told, his was not until later (but they had a voice-mail to prove what they had been told). The doc had 2 knees and 3 shoulders to repair that day; apparently all the shoulders were tedious and time consuming.} I hate being late to anything and I was really upset that they considered me late.

11:30am - They had finally called Mama back to get changed into the hospital gown, IV started, etc.

12:30pm - They let me back to pre-op to sit with her; we turned off the depressing TV coverage of the Japan earthquake, tsunami, nuclear power plant stuff. In my first room they had the tv really loud and they were showiing horrendous pictures, every time they took my blood pressure it was higher.

1:10pm - The anesthesiologist came in to do his pre-op questions, shoot her up with happy juice, and the nerve block shot in her neck (I was out of the area for that part). Shortly, thereafter, the happy juice kicked in and Mama's mind was struggling to stay connected I think; as she alternately dozed off a bit and had interesting commentary about how the pattern in the ceiling tile would make a nice quilt square; Very stark pattern with vibrant colors would be a great pattern. to not buy her any ugly towels that were apparently a hideous combination of red and blue;No they were beige with blue and red squares very ugly and cheap looking,  that the picture was so pretty (which turned out to be one in her mind because all we had was beige hospital curtains); just swirling pretty colors, and a neat orange substance (also in her mind) that was like blown glass, but flexible like plastic and very interesting.. i wonder vaguely if she will recall any of this? That was the best of all very artsy fartsy orange bubblish substance that could be molded. 

Ceiling tile would make a good quilt block in other colors....

2:15pm - The Surgery Nurse comes in to do her set of the same pre-op questions - what's your name, your DOB, why are you here, how are you doing, blah blah blah.

2:30pm - The anesthesiologist returns.. by this time, Mama's left ear has gone numb; her right leg has gone numb; and I had earlier make some kind of crack about well, either it didn't hit the right spot -or- she is as true as the new sign gracing her patio that says "God Bless The Freaks"    The anesthesiologist wants to give the pain block another shot; the Surgery Nurse is looking at him like we are already so off schedule, are you kidding me?... they wheel Mama off and that's the last I will see of her for a while.

At that point, I went in search of a soda machine to learn that there isn't one on site; so I opt to leave and go to Sonic for a burger and orange slush.  Though I had packed a JC chicken salad kit... and Mama, even doped up, was fussy about me needing to have some lunch.   I warmed up in the van, sunshine, and fresh air; and then head back into the waiting room with my knitting bag and kindle.

3:54pm - Dr. McConnell comes out to talk to the wife of the shoulder patient that he just finished; so this would be the one right before Mama.. and he had another surgery after Mama's.   Hmm.. and here I had thought she had been being worked on since around 2:30pm'ish.. guess not.

5:15pm Surgery center reception staff gives us the remote control to the TV and wishes us a good evening.

6:00pm Most of the other family in the waiting room leave to go back to their hotel, get dinner, etc. leaving just the wife of the patient and me in the waiting area.  We had nice chats about surgery, waiting, rehab, etc.

6:10pm - Whilst fiddling with the remote and trying to get it off of the depressing, unending news of the Japan tsunami and aftermath, I hit some button that makes the TV channels go blank; aww fooey.

7:00pm - One of the tech guys is able to fix the TV situation, so now we have channels again and we watch Cake Boss.

7:23pm One of the nurses finally comes out to tell me that Mama is out of surgery and in recovery and that the other patient just went into surgery and that Dr. McConnell will see me after he is done with that surgery.

8:08pm A nurse lets me know that it will be at least another hour or so in recovery before they let me back there to see how Mama is doing.

8:30-m - We start watching Mike & Molly

8:54pm - Finally back to get first glimpse of Mama who is looking fairly out-of-it and proclaiming an 8 on a painscale (1-10 with 10 being the worst).

From that point it is just a sit and wait and monitor; get the discharge orders; get instructions on the bag of Rx that was delivered direct to the surgery center, etc.  Debra the post-op nurse asks if this is my best friend and I answer "Not really, she's a good friend, she's just my Mama."

9:30'ish- Dr. McConnell came to report out that what he found was pretty much as expected the SLAP tear and the rotator cuff tear; that it takes a bit longer on people of shorter stature and females simply because there is less room in which to work; that an ideal shoulder patient would be a giraffe with 3 feet of room in which to work.   And that the shoulders that day were just tough; the guy before Mama just had scarring and tight everything; and the guy after was have corrections done from a prior Open procedure... but that he expected things to go well for Mama provided she follows the post-op therapy regimen and so forth.

9:45pm - She's coming out of it enough now to wrangle her into clothes and for a trip the the bathroom.   She stares at the 2 nurses trying to help her like Who are you people and I'm not going anywhere with you... Stranger Danger!   So I step into line of view with a firm "Mama, come here" and if I didn't already know I was one of her kiddos, I did then because she looked at me with relief and trust and toddled right to me.

10:00pm-- She's very concerned about the time of day when she's been under anesthesia and is distressed to learn it is 10 o'clock AT NIGHT??!!!   Apologetic that I've had to be there all day (no worries, that was what I signed up to do)... and that Mom-part of her is so ingrained, she was even apologizing to her post-op care nurse Debra for having to be there so late because she must be tired and want to go home... to which Debra replied that she still had another patient coming from surgery so it was ok.

10:23pm - Loaded into the van and homeward bound; not too happy with decelerations and ocassional bumpy roads; but otherwise hanging in there. 

11:03pm - A stop at Sonic for grilled cheese for me and the younger boy; shakes for the 3 of us; and a regular coke for Mama.

11:20pm-12:20am - Getting Mama wrangled out of the van; got the boys to unload the bags and Sonic; got Mama wrangled into clean jammies for the overnight in the recliner.  Gave post-op care Rx info to the boys; got first round of pain meds on board along with some peach yogurt.  Ate my grilled cheese and shake; did a bit of post-op at-home observation before I left. 

It is not easy for the Mama to accept that much care.  It is quite embarrassing.  Loni was great though and I could not imagine a more attentive care giver.  (Well, me, but I was out of commission.)

Thank you Loni! 

Surgery Day!

I am sitting here waiting for my boss to come by and pray over me.  I asked her to come here instead of the surgery center since she has a class to teach today.  I didn't want her to have to find someone to cover it for her.  I would have been fine with an over the phone prayer, but she wants to do it in person.  For those of you that don't know, my boss is a Pastor. 

I am supposed to wear loose comfortable clothes.  The problem is I don't usually go out in public like this so I am not comfortable. PJ bottoms and loose TAMS t-shirt.  I am taking a robe to wear coming home because it zips up the front and seemed like it would be easiest. No Jill, it is not the ratty robe, even though that would be loose and comfortable.

Since surgery isn't until noon, I made sure I had a good dose of protein right before midnight last night, and lots of water.  Of course, right now I would love some water.

I remembered to pack my glasses case. I hate giving up my glasses.

I talked to the anesthesiologist last night.  He told me the first thing they would do is give me happy juice and then a nerve block through a shot in my neck. I made him tell me twice that I would get happy juice before the stuck a needle in my neck.  He told me I wouldn't even notice the needle in the neck.  Well, I might not have noticed it if he hadn't told me about it.  Now I am going to be looking for it. 

Loni will be driving me, staying there, and bringing me back.  Then she will give the boys their instructions on how to take care of me.  

All is good.

Accomplishment #71

Yesterday was not a good day for pain.  I popped my shoulder out after my shower, and I wasn't allowed anything but Tylenol, which quite frankly does nothing for me.  

I did manage to pick up some around the house early in the morning, and organize some items.  

I also worked on my taxes with my oldest.  I am really proud of how well he did and how he took the lead in some of the areas.  We have four tax organizers to fill out for the CPA and he really did a lot of the work.  We are missing the forms in the portal for the most complicated of the returns and he knows he will be doing the bulk of it while I am recovering from surgery.  I know he can do it without any problems.

His girlfriend, her sister, and her sister's friends stopped by and the oldest and the girlfriend cooked what i had planned for dinner since my pain level was a little to high to want to do all that moving around.  They did a great job.  I had them make beef and spinach tacos and told them to keep it simple and just the cheese, sauce, and sour cream on the table in their original containers.  After dinner they put away the food and cleaned the kitchen.  Yes, there was some sniping, but once I told them to cut it out they kept it to a minimum, or at least quiet enough I couldn't hear.  

My accomplishments will probably be small for a couple of weeks, but I will have something everyday.  

For Lent

I am going to spend the next 40 days telling different people how they have blessed my life.  Most of this is being done on FB. 

So far I have thanked the following people, in no particular order:

Cindy, Jill, Loni, Mina, Gina, Tony.  

OK, so I might end up telling more than 40 people since I am already ahead, but that is because I am truly blessed.

The Boys are Home!!!

That say it all.  Mama is happy.

Accomplishments #65 thru #71

Good thing I didn't say I would accomplish a post a day on my blog, because that would not be an accomplishment I could meet.  Why?  Because my life is too full.

What have I accomplished in the past week? I sorted mail daily. 

I also managed to get in two loads of laundry, a couple of swipes at the kitchen and some daily picking up, but mostly I have been too busy, or tired to work on the house in ways that would qualify as accomplishments as set in my head.

I did accomplish a lot at work this past week in preparing for my recovery time off for surgery.  I worked three weeks up in advance along with my regular duties.  That involved one 12 hour day, but I left the job knowing I had done all I could do to help them cope with my absence.  When you are the "Staff" there is a lot that falls on your shoulders you don't think of until you have to tell someone what to do to carry on in your absence. 

Accomplishments # 60, #61, #62, #63, and #64

It has been a slow week for accomplishments until today.

#60: A Tuesday, so a busy day.  I took all the garbage out and down to the road.  I also sorted mail and tidied up the kitchen and bedroom.

#61:  This was just a mail and kithchen night.

#62:  Just mail.

#63:  Sorted laundry, loaded and ran dishwasher, straightened a couple of shelves, did a little dusting.

#64:  Washed and folded a couple of loads of clothes, with thanks to Loni for helping get the clothes into the dryer and bringing them to me for folding. Cleaned the bathtub and counter.  Made the bed, cleaned the bedroom, sorted the mail that Loni brought in for me, and I put away all the items I purchased yesterday  I was planning on running the vacuum, but my that just seemed like to would be too much on the shoulder today.

A lot of other things were taken care of today with the help of Loni.  She took my recycling and garbage out to the big cans in the carport, emptied the dishwasher, and refilled it, along with many other small tasks that makes my like easier.  She is such a wonderful "daughter."

BFF Jill helped today too by cleaning her shelf and completing some projects and getting them out of my house and into hers.  Especially the huge picture frame she had stored here.  I never mind being the temporary home, but I am always glad when items leave because that means someone accomplished something they wanted to do in life.  

All Done For the Year

In the last seven days I have had 2 physicals, an EKG, two complete blood work ups, urine analysis times 2, a mammogram, a bone density test, a PAP smear, and a tetanus shot. 

That should do me for the year. 

That Was Different

Jill, Loni and I went out tonight.  First we ran a couple of errands, and then we had dinner at La Hacienda Ranch.  I haven't been there in a couple of years, but I remembered I liked it so I suggested it when we were in that part of Dallas. 

The food and company was excellent.  What was different was that there was a man at the table next to us that I found extremely attractive. 

I don't mean attractive in the general "he's a hunk" and everyone is staring at him.  I mean he was someone that looked about my age, seemed pleasant in his behavior, and I found him attractive.  Yes, he had a little comb over going on, but not too bad.  There was just something about him that made me want to look at him.  A lot!

I still can't quite figure it out.  He was blonde, which is my least favorite hair color.  I think I have only dated four blondes in my entire life.  I usually like my man to have dark hair.  His five o'clock shadow was darkish, so maybe that is why the blonde hair wasn't bothering me.  

There was just something about that way he was talking to the two men he was with, and the way he seemed to really pay attention to what they were saying that made me think he might be kind.  

I thought about it a lot tonight.  Trying to figure out if maybe he had Raymond's mannerisms or something that would have drawn me to him, but I don't think that was the attraction.  I think he just looked like he might be nice. 

I probably wasn't very good company at dinner because I was spending so much time looking at the guy, but the chances of ever seeing him again are nil, so I don't think the girls are going to beat me up over it.  

Another Big Step

All my close personal peeps that are reading this: SIT DOWN!

This week, I, without prodding from anyone, threw away a pair of underwear that had holes.  Not only that, but they have been sitting in the trash can in my bathroom all week and they are still there, I did not rescue them.  In fact I throw something on top of them each day and it makes me quite pleased with myself.

No, Jill, that does not mean that ratty robe is going in the trash next, not even the ratty slippers. 

Spinning in My Brain Today

So many things spinning in my brain!

• That is not snow.  It is all the new blooms on my Mexican Plum blowing off.
• What a great night's sleep.
• They better have my films ready so I can get my mammogram today.
• So much fabric, why do I have to work?
• Can't  wait to see my boys over Spring Break.
• Where does all this dust come from?
• Wouldn't it just be wonderful if we never saw anyone as different but just as their own normal? But then what about child molesters and serial killers?  That one has been spinning in there for a week!
• I think the makers of the Girl Scouts' Thin Mints put something addictive in there.  Can anyone just eat one?
• Won't be long and I will be spending my evenings on the patio.
• My new placemats are beautiful, what will Loni do to quilt them?
• Is it Loni abuse to have her cut my kits up for me?
• What will Jill work on this weekend?
• How far will Mina get on her baby quilts?
• Will it be a good art show?  I need a painting for my wall and one for my fireplace. If not this weekend, Cottonwood in May.
• I have to start walking and getting ready for my part in the triathlon relay.
• I need new shoes so I can start walking.  
• So many quilt kits, so little money.
• Why do the pictures on my wall keep getting crooked.
• When is John going to pick up this spout?
• I want a new phone.  
• Why can't we just go to a flat tax? 
• What will they say at my first work evaluation in 3 years?  Well, I know my boss will say I am a terrible proof reader.  Yep.  That is not my forte.  Raymond was the proof reader in the family.  
• Why am I sitting here typing this when I have places to be?

10 More Days

Just 10 more days until I have shoulder surgery. 

So far I am pretty calm about it.  I just hope it is successful, and if not, that it doesn't make it worse.

Loni Is

Loni is a knitter that can make beautiful things out of yarn.  Now she can do a darn fine job of piecing a quilt and soon will be quilting some placemats.  That girl has talent!  I have even heard her humming while using the Baby Bernina. 

She also enjoys cutting fabric, so I am going to put her to work cutting out some of my kits so I can actually do the part I like which is putting them together.  

Made it Through

March 3 was Raymond's birthday.  I did pretty good getting through it this year.  Just teared up once. 

He never wanted much of a fuss over his birthday, so it wasn't missing the celebration that made me sad. It was that he died at the peak of our life together and we won't grow old together like we planned.  

I did have to laugh Tues. morning when I was putting my shoes on and realized I was doing it like Raymond used to do and I always thought was strange.  

Now I just have to get through Mom's birthday on the 6th.