Happy Birthday to you!!

Rebecca is 12 today.

I talked to her last night. She's excited about her birthday and trick or treat which of course always happen on the same day. We'd hold her birthday celebration on the closest weekend so it wouldn't get lost in the Halloween flurry.

If you ever have a chance to read this, Rebecca, I hope your birthday was everything you wanted it to be.

I love you.

Yes, we felt the 5.6 quake last night. No damage - just surprise. I was relieved to see from the news this morning that there was no serious damage and no reported injuries at the epicenter (near San Jose).

I Haven't Dropped Off The Face of the Earth!! Update 5:30 p.m.

But it's been a busy week.

First, the news about my friend Carmen is not encouraging but she continues to fight. Her husband thanks all of us (on their blog) for our prayers and asks us to continue. For those of you who don't know about her struggle, my earlier post is here

Update: I'm so sorry to let you know that Carmen died this morning. Thank you Susie for letting me know about the later post. Your thoughts and prayers for the family are needed more now than ever. For further information, check Mike's latest post.



Ray came home from the hospital Friday afternoon. His leg is better (yes, it was staph but one of the varieties which responds to antibiotics). It was not the "superbug" which is terrorizing so many communities. The home care is a little more involved than it was but I've learned and we're managing. Other than the infection, he's doing quite well.

Saturday I attended the "celebration" of the life of one of my good friends from church. It was a wonderful service complete with a bagpiper in kilts and lots of memories of my friend. I have my own, often funny, memories of Betty. The two of us laughed a lot. If I could choose my own death, there are far worse ways to go than at the age of 78 busily planning my next three projects. That was Betty. She left an amazing legacy.

Sunday and Monday I had the "blahs" (not exactly sick; just tired I think) and did very little except care for Ray, watch the '49ers lose to the Saints (my older son was happy enough to call me from El Centro to gloat), and watch the Rockies go down in flames to the Red Sox. Congratulations to Boston even though I was hoping for Colorado (National League, same as my Giants and they'd never won a World Series). Monday I spent lying down some of the time in between preparing meals and doing what was necessary.

Today has been much better. Friend Janet and I went for what is becoming our Tuesday ritual of coffee and grocery shopping. Now I'm waiting with an empty refrigerator for someone to pick up the fridge and drop off a loaner. Nothing serious; just the seal (or lack thereof) on the door. It stays cold but I know it's gulping down electricity. Still under warranty so no problem if they ever get here. They said between 1 and 3 - it's now 2:12.

I've talked to all the girls, mainly Rebecca, several times. Her birthday is on Halloween (she'll be 12 - the same age as Rochelle for a little over two months) and she's very chatty about that. They seem to be doing well.

Rochelle will turn 13 in January. I don't know where the time goes.

If all goes well with Ray, I'm headed for San Francisco early Sunday morning and coming back on probably the first train Monday. I'll set up meal menus (microwavable) and medications ahead of time, my friend Dawn can handle wound care on Sunday afternoon, and he should be fine. The home health nurse didn't see any problems. So far, each day seems better than the one before. He's certainly well enough to make toast, pour cereal, and put a sandwich together. I have lots of what in the military would be called MRE's (meals ready to eat).

Dawn will bring him Sunday dinner so we're talking about one lunch, one bedtime snack (because of the insulin), and Monday breakfast. I should be home before lunch.

It should be fun. I'll be meeting up with either two or three bloggers I already know (hi there) and another friend from out of state. The two of us have been trying to get together for over a year and something always happens. Maybe this time is the charm.

We had a loud, but short lived, thunderstorm last night complete with enough wind to take down trees (or parts of them)all over town. Dawn has an entire tree down in front of her apartment. Fresno (60 miles south) had hail the size of golf balls. Many folks love thunderstorms. I'm not one of them. I don't panic but the cat and I were both somewhat uncomfortable. She sat at my feet and looked offended. Then, it doesn't take much to offend a cat. Today the sun is shining, the weather is warm for late October, and it should continue for the rest of the week.

Thanks to all for the comments and support. I'll try to get back here a little more often. November is the "post a day" month. I haven't decided yet whether to try for it. I did it last year but there were several days I cheated with a meme, jokes, or pictures. I'll make up my mind at the last minute I suppose.

Take care everyone.

Southern California Fires (cross posted)

Again from Emily and Cooper.

These two women started blogging as a response to Katrina by establishing a clearing house for information. Their blog has evolved into a political forum with the primary focus on women's and children's issues (although they write about other things as well).

Now they're involved in a group on The Motherhood (to which I belong) which is serving as a clearing house for those interested in helping the people of Southern California.

You can find the link to The Motherhood on their blog.

Blog Hers Act - Post Partum Depression (cross posted)

I didn't know about this until this morning when I was reading my friends Cooper & Emily at Been There.

If BlogHer emailed me, I didn't see it and I hadn't checked the site lately. I admit, I'm not their most active member.

I left a comment for Emily telling her I was going to cheat and copy her post because time was so short.

It's also probably too late to ask others to post today but we still have time to contact our Senators and ask them to support S. 1735.

Here is Emily's post (I updated to show today's date).

Katherine Stone appeared this morning yesterday? on The Morning Show with Mike and Juliet to talk about Blog Day for MOTHERS Act -- happening this Wednesday -- and did a wonderful job. Go to the Mike and Juliet site to watch Katherine talking in the Green Room after her interview and see what a natural she is on camera.

We're getting behind Blog Day for MOTHERS Act tomorrow because as Katherine says,

Postpartum depression is a serious and disabling condition that affects up to 20 percent of new mothers -- as much as 800,000 American women each year. Yet only 15 percent of these women will receive any assessment or treatment. Let me repeat. With all we know and as smart as we are, only 15% of 800,000 women will get diagnosed and treated. That is so wrong on so many levels. Women are not being diagnosed because they're not being educated and they're not being screened. Untreated, the consequences of maternal mood disorders range from chronic, disabling depression to death. The impact of untreated maternal depression on infants/children ranges from behavioral and learning disabilities to depression and, in the worst case scenarios, death from infanticide."

Here's what Blog Day for MOTHERS Act is all about (thank you again, Katherine):

On Wednesday October 24th, BlogHer, Postpartum Support International and Postpartum Progress are joining together to host Blog Day for the MOTHERS Act. We're asking bloggers from around the country to write about the MOTHERS Act for postpartum depression on the 24th and to encourage their readers to pick up the phone that day, call their Senators and urge them to endorse this critical legislation. I hope you will join us in this effort, which is part of the overall BlogHers Act 2007-2008 initiative to improve maternal health.

What is the MOTHERS Act? The Moms Opportunity to Access Help, Education, Research and Support for Postpartum Depression Act, or MOTHERS Act (S. 1375), will ensure that new mothers and their families are educated about postpartum depression, screened for symptoms and provided with essential services. In addition, it will increase research into the causes, diagnoses and treatments for postpartum depression. The bill is sponsored by Senators Menendez and Durbin.

So,

1. Blog it on Blog Day for The MOTHERS Act tomorrow today, October 24, 2007.

2. Share your link at BlogHer.

3. Proudly display the badge in this post stating you're going to do the above.

(I can't display the badge - Blogger is being contrary about images again.)

4. CALL YOUR SENATORS AND ASK THEM TO SPONSOR AND SUPPORT THIS LEGISLATION!!!

5. Go to Postpartum Support International to get all the contact info you need.

We're hoping a LOT of bloggers will get in on the act on Thursday Wednesday?. Your post doesn't have to be long. Just let everyone know you support the bill, and you hope they'll agree with you, and call their Senators.

And every one of us, let's pick up the phones tomorrow. Even if you've never ever called your Senator before, give it a try. It takes a couple of seconds, and all you need to do is say to the person who answers the phone that you're calling because you want the Senator to vote for the MOTHERS Act, Senate Bill 1375. Telling him or her that you vote and you live in the Senator's state. That's it. They'll make a note of it, and you're done. And you'll feel great because you've been heard and because you could make the difference in getting this bill passed into law.

Falling Asleep

I have a cat sleeping at my feet, CNN on the t.v. as I try to keep up with the disastrous fires in the southern part of California, and I'm close to asleep myself.

I meant to get back with an update over the weekend but Ray wasn't doing too well and I was spending time with him.

First, thanks to all of you who responded to my friend Carmen San Diego. Her husband's latest post was quite positive considering how serious her illness is. He also said that so far their home is safe from the fires. Let's hope it stays that way. He thanks all for their prayers and good wishes and said he's been reading them to her.

Another southern California friend reported 85 mph winds outside her home last night and no electricity. Being a true blogger, she wrote her post from the local library. Seriously, as of this morning, she and her family were okay.

The fires are fanned by high wind and spreading rapidly. Please keep all those families and the firefighters (we even sent some from here), in your thoughts.

A friend emailed me to ask if we were in any danger. No, Merced is a couple of hundred miles to the north and east of the fires. My son is in southern CA but he's almost on the Arizona border surrounded by desert.

Ray and I have had what might be called an interesting day. His leg (the one they removed the vein from for the bypass) began acting up a little on Saturday, a little more on Sunday, and by this morning was scaring me enough to call the home health care nurse. (You don't need the description; trust me, it was yucky.) We had a scheduled appointment with his doctor in Modesto this afternoon so we agreed to wait rather than send him to the emergency room here which would mean missing the appointment as well as trying to explain the whole thing to the e.r. personnel.

The doctor decided to admit him to the hospital there for a course of broad spectrum i.v. antibiotics "just in case". Only problem? No beds. We agreed the hospitalization could wait until the next morning and we came back home (50 miles more or less). At 4:30 they had a bed. Naturally. If we'd known, we could have hung out in the hospital cafeteria for an hour. Nobody at the hospital knew it was supposed to be tomorrow and nobody at all called me until 7:30 when the hospital wondered where we were. They insisted it had to be tonight - they couldn't guarantee a bed tomorrow. Don't these people ever talk to each other?

I managed to get there, it got even crazier when they couldn't find an admitting order. Finally, someone figured it out and I left him there after answering the same questions at least four times to four different people. Got home around 11:00 p.m., too tired to sleep.

Almost 200 miles in one day. My coffee drinking friend Janet made the last run and we chattered the whole way and back. Good thing - we might have fallen asleep. Bless her heart, she thought it was the local hospital until she went the wrong direction for the northbound freeway and I mentioned it. Oops. I shouldn't have assumed she knew it would the same hospital where he had the surgery. She was a very good sport. We're not sure about coffee tomorrow (our usual day because it's also senior day at the market). Might both be too tired.

Anyhow, it should be no more than a few days. He might be out by Thursday or Friday. It's common with this surgery for the leg to cause more problems than the chest but I was hoping it wouldn't happen.

Mary and Merle, I had a draft partially prepared with those award buttons but Blogger wouldn't cooperate. I haven't forgotten and I thank you both. Friday's Child, I think I have one from you as well. As soon as life calms down around here, I'll try to post them.

I spoke to the girls on Friday and they were doing well then. Not since so they're either busy or grounded.

Now I'm going to try for some sleep. Take care everyone.

Prayers for a Fellow Blogger - Update Saturday Night

I'd started a post earlier today and put it aside to catch up on some of you.

I just found this post from Mike, "Carmen San Diego's" husband.

Some of you may know she's on the waiting list for a lung transplant. Her husband just let us know she's in the Naval hospital in San Diego battling a serious lung infection.

If you pray, please pray for my friend Carmen and for Mike. If you don't, please hold her in your thoughts. She needs all the support she can get right now.

Thanks - I'll be back tomorrow with an actual post and an update about Carmen if I know anything more.

Update

She's doing better. For those of you who want to read it, here is the link to Mike's latest post.

Thanks to those of you who have responded. We'll hope the news from San Diego continues to be good.

Candle Lighting Tonight

I saw this on Msfitzita's blog this morning.

It speaks for itself.

Blog Action Day (cross posted)

Today is Blog Action Day during which we've been asked to sign up and write about the environment.

I got it half right. I tried to officially sign up and obtain a button to post on sidebar. I'll try again for the button but they wanted an RSS number, whatever that is. I know it has something to do with feeders like Bloglines, but I sure couldn't find it.

So unofficially, I'm doing it anyhow.

Here, from the New York Times and reprinted in Truthout, is something a little out of the ordinary. We all know Al Gore won the Nobel and I think most of us believe global warming is a reality. Hopefully, we're all doing what we can as individuals to combat it.

Here's what the Congo Republic's pygmies are doing.

When Congo Republic's northern pygmies go out into the forest these days, some will be carrying hand-held satellite tracking devices along with their traditional bows and spears.

Using GPS handsets to pinpoint sacred sites and hunting areas, the nomadic forest dwellers are literally putting themselves on the map to protect their livelihoods and habitat against the chainsaws and bulldozers of commercial loggers.

Through the scheme, northern Congo's Mbendjele Yaka people and the central African country's largest logging company are working in an unusual alliance to ensure the forest areas crucial to the pygmies' daily lives are left standing.

"It's essentially a process by which the traditional rights of the pygmies can be respected and protected," Scott Poynton, executive director of the Tropical Forest Trust, which works to promote responsible forest management in the world, told Reuters.

With training and technology provided by the trust, logging company Congolaise Industrielle des Bois (CIB) owned by Denmark's DLH group, and other international partners, the Mbendjeles are using the GPS (Global Positioning System) to mark out forest areas and even specific trees they want preserved.

"The sets have icons on them, so they don't have to be able to read and write. They basically go out and say OK, click, here is a sacred site, and a GPS point is taken and links up to the satellite," Poynton said in an telephone interview on Wednesday.

"They can wander through the forest and map all of the areas -- the tombs of their ancestors, hunting grounds, sacred areas, water holes, areas of medicinal plants -- these are all captured on GPS points, all downloaded on the computer," he added.

"And suddenly, you've got a map."

These maps were being used by CIB to guide its logging operations on its concessions in this part of the Congo Basin rainforest, the world's second largest which conservationists say is under threat from indiscriminate illegal logging.

CIB is using the GPS scheme to extend certification of its Congo concessions by the Forest Stewardship Council, which recognizes responsible, sustainable logging that takes into account the rights of indigenous peoples.

"It's a wonderful partnership between very poor, disenfranchised traditional people and a large company that's saying we want to do things the right way," Poynton said.

"LIKE KIDS WITH A COMPUTER"

CIB turned to anthropologist Jerome Lewis of the London School of Economics, an expert on the Mbendjele pygmies, to help design the pictorial icons that allow the forest dwellers to click and identify on the GPS sets their important sites among the towering tropical hardwood trees of the forest.

For example, a syringe represented an area of medicinal plants, a pygmy with an arrow a hunting area, while an image of a typical pygmy leaf and liana home indicated a living area.

"We've been working with them about six months and honestly, they're like fish to water, they're like kids with a computer game ... We're finding they can map very large areas very, very quickly," Poynton said.

The project was also receiving funding from the World Bank's Development Marketplace program.

Among the trees being marked out by the pygmies for preservation are the giant sapelli, many of them more than 40 meters high and more than two meters in diameter at the base, from which the Mbendjele gather caterpillars to eat.

"OK, trees are falling, but they are not trees deemed to be traditionally important by the community. These are marked with paint and the bulldozers go around them," Poynton said.

The project is also setting up a local community radio station, named Bisso na Bisso or "between us" in the local language, to help spread the word about pygmy issues among communities scattered across the vast forest.

"It's about getting their voices heard," Poynton said.

He said the GPS mapping scheme had set a benchmark for conservation partnerships and the Tropical Forest Trust was already working on a similar project in neighboring Cameroon.

Spirit of Christmas (Addition)

Tammy has presented me with the Spirit of Christmas award you see at the top of my sidebar. You can check out her other winners by clicking on her blog. Most of us know each other.

Thanks Tammy; I'm honored.

Now I'm supposed to pass it on to five people. I always struggle with this part - as far as I'm concerned, we all live up to the Spirit of Christmas with our love for each other. If we have nothing else in common, we have that.

I've decided to thank the foster and adoptive parents I've come to know and love. I'm going from memory here so if I miss someone, please consider yourself included. Or drop me a comment and I'll update. Obviously I didn't stop at five.

These men and women have become online friends. Some I knew before I started the blog; others I've come to know later. We have shared many of the joys and challenges in our day to day lives. I know none of them want to be considered "special" but to me they are and I hope they accept my gratitude in the spirit it's offered.

I know from reading your blogs and from our emails some of my other friends have adult adoptive and/or foster kids as well. Some might be raising adoptive/foster kids but not talking publicly. I can't remember how much is public information and how much I knew from private email so I'm not naming you. You know who you are.

I listed the friends who blog about their lives with their kids.

I tried to do links and for some reason Blogger is turning them into illegible garbage. They're all on my blogroll.

Foster Abba (yes, I know - I couldn't find a Chanukah button - I looked. Please consider the spirit.)

Baggage

Cluttergirl

Gawdess

Yondalla

Melodee

Bacchus

Daddy, Papa, and Me

Jo

Darn it. I forgot Lion Mom.

Each is unique but the one thing they share is a love for children. Their stories are on their blogs.

Happy Birthday to Pea - Update

Pea has invited all of us to her online birthday party. She'll be celebrating all day tomorrow. I just dropped by and came away with the memento above.

Pea's blog is always great fun to visit and today she's outdone herself with the party preparations.

Happy Birthday Pea. Fifty is Nifty!!

(Update - It occurred to me this morning that I should give credit for "Fifty is Nifty". It's not mine. The first time I heard it was on a t.v. special celebrating Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's (the pride of New Zealand) 50th birthday in 1994. At the time, she looked around 30 if that. She is drop dead gorgeous and my older son, Jim, is in love with her. I just heard she's retiring. I'll still have her videos and cd's.)

And to all who have had birthdays recently, I hope I got around to you. A Happy Birthday to all.

How Dumb Are You?

I was surfing around earlier looking for memes, recipes, etc. to save for the occasions when I have nothing to say.

I found one called "How Dumb are You"? I started taking the quiz. I answered 20 tricky questions, most of which I'd seen before in one venue or another. Then I hit "submit".

I had to work my way through at least five pages of ads inviting me to sign up for this, that, or the other. I kept hitting "skip". On the very last page was a list of at least 40 offers to which I had to answer yes or no. I answered "no" all the way down, hit "submit" again and up popped a little notice telling me I had to answer "yes" to at least one.

I don't know about you but I'm not that dumb. I was dumb enough to invest 15 minutes of my life I'll never get back though.

Ray is still doing quite well, I'm about to cook dinner, and I'm watching Boston beat up on Cleveland. My National League game comes on later. Other than a drizzly rain for much of the day (accompanied by a welcome cooling), life is good.

For those of you who asked, I'm doing well too. Having him safely home makes a difference and we've settled in the "old marrieds" routine once again. There is much to be said for knowing each other so well. And no, I'm not wearing myself out. I have time to play on the computer, watch baseball, and even do a little reading. Ray is working his way through his old Babylon V videos now that we've located them. I'm going to surprise him with the season by season dvd's one of these days.

He walked all the way around the outside of the house yesterday. Twice. He may have picked up a slight infection in his leg. They're not sure but it was slightly red and swollen so they added an antibiotic to the mix as a precaution.

Glad you enjoyed the meme (which was copied with no strings attached). Thanks for all the kind words and welcome to my new friends. You know who you are.

Have a great weekend and take care everyone.

Change of Pace

All is still going well and it's time for a change of subject for a little bit.

Here, from Peppy Lady, is a meme. I'm not too sure about the results; some of the questions could have been answered another way I'm sure.

She published all the verses of Robert Service's "The Cremation of Sam McGee" as well. My sons' dad was a huge Service fan (he liked Zane Grey and Louis L'Amour as well) and he could recite Sam McGee all the way through. It took me back seeing those lines.

You Are 2: The Helper

You always put on a happy face and try to help those around you. You're incredibly empathetic and care about everyone you know. Able to see the good in others, you're thoughtful, warm, and sincere. You connect with people who are charming and charismatic. At Your Best: You are deeply giving, altruistic, and humble. You devote your life to others while caring for yourself too. At Your Worst: You are manipulative and enjoy making other people guilty. Your Fixation: Rejection Your Primary Fear: Being unworthy of love Your Primary Desire: To be loved unconditionally Other Number 2's: Mother Teresa, John Travolta, Princess Diana, Dr. Phil, and Mr. Rogers.

What Number Are You?

Another Good Day

First, a note to new visitor Lynne and anyone else who hadn't read my earlier posts about Ray's surgery and the insulin.

He isn't diabetic. This is a relatively new concept in the promotion of healing and prevention of infection after a coronary bypass. The theory (and I finally found it on Google) is that high blood sugar may lead to infection and/or slow the healing process so the testing and insulin are prescribed temporarily.

I know, I thought the same thing until it was explained to me. I found one link to a hospital in Boston (Beth Israel Deaconess which is associated with Harvard) and another to a hospital in Toronto, Ontario that have had good results. There may be others. The discomfort is a small price to pay. (Easy for me to say of course, I'm not the one sticking a lancet in my finger 4 times a day and a needle in my stomach first thing in the a.m.). His leg is healing nicely even though it still looks awful and the other incision (the one from his neck almost to his navel) looks even better. They tell me the leg is more apt to cause grief.

He made it down my front step and out to the yard 3 times today while the physical therapist was here and also managed to get into our shower. He's in a little discomfort so may have overdone a little. We'll try for the actual shower tomorrow now that we know he won't need the bench which has been on order since last week. It's a little after 8 p.m.; I sent him to bed and will wake him later for his final test and the mandatory bedtime snack. I found yogurt on sale today and picked up ten little cartons, all with the fruit on the bottom. He hasn't seen it yet.

Dinner was a reprise of yesterday. It's easier with some things to cook 4 servings than it is to cook two. It saves energy too; mine as well as the other kind.

The best news of all is that our Elcie initiated the phone call last night. Those of you I've been in contact with by email will know how pleased I was. She was cheerful and updated me on everything that had been going on with her. It was so good to hear her voice. R & R sang a duet of one of their favorite songs (sort of karaoke thing - I could hear the cd in the background). Now I can't remember the name even though Rebecca sang it again for me tonight.

Tomorrow I'll probably keep my weekly coffee date with my friend Janet provided Ray has as good a day as today. I'll be five minutes from home (in a car) and it will give me a chance to see son Tim who just returned from a weekend at Disneyland. He said it was awesome. (Tim, for anyone who doesn't know, is almost 35 but still a kid at heart in some ways). Amusement parks have never been my thing but I'm glad he enjoyed it.

Tuesday is senior discount (5%) day at the local supermarket. I noticed a couple of things today when I ran in after milk, bread, and juice that I may pick up tomorrow. Janet qualifies too and she likes to go on Tuesday so it works out well. Those nickels on the dollar add up eventually.

My local friend, Wandering Dave, who set out on a long journey from here, up the west coast to Canada, across the prairie provinces, Ontario, part of the Maritime Provinces, Quebec, and back down the east coast, is now in Gettysburg (unless he's moved on today - looks like he might have made it to Manassas, VA). He's interested in the Civil War battle sites among many other things. It's been fun reading of his travels. He'll go down to northern Florida and then come back through the southernmost states back home. Janet and I are keeping a seat warm for him for coffee.

I'm keeping one eye on the Cleveland/Yankee game. Bottom of 9th, 1 out, 6-4 Cleveland. As an old Brooklyn Dodger fan, my distaste for the Yankees knows no bounds. There is no logical reason; the Dodgers left Brooklyn for Los Angeles in 1957 or 1958 but old resentments linger on. Sorry Yankee fans, I can't help myself.

Anyhow, I'd better close this out and check on my sleeping beauty.

Two outs.

Three outs.

There is joy in Cleveland tonight. Their last World Series was in 1948, the first World Series I remember. My uncle and I listened on the radio as they defeated the then Boston Braves. That year was probably the beginning of my love of baseball. I was 10.

Thanks, as always, for all the kind words and take care everyone.

The Worst Seems to be Behind Us

Ray is doing better each day. He's able to be by himself for short periods. I got out to the store and for a quick coffee break yesterday. He's getting around our little house without the walker and we're still maintaining his blood sugar levels with just one insulin dose in the morning. He washed his own couple of breakfast and lunch dishes before I could gather them up. Good for him!!

He's done so well I surprised him with a scoop of ice cream for his evening snack on Friday. Been saving it until I was a little more sure of what I was doing with diet.

I'm noticing that many of the mysterious symptoms that kept sending him back to the hospital seem to have left. Of course it's too soon for anything except cautious optimism but not too soon to tell you how encouraged I am.

I've taken advantage of the calm to catch up with most of you. His LDS Conference has been on t.v. yesterday and today so he's been engrossed with that. I wander in and listen to the music and wander back out.

I have a few minutes before starting dinner. I'd thought about clam chowder but the weather turned back warm. Plus I'm a little low on milk and don't want to make a trip out just for that. I have some very lean pork chops and I'll cook them with some au gratin potatoes and some kind of vegetable. A little high in sodium (the cheese in the potatoes) but other than that, not bad. His blood pressure is fine so I'm careful but not obsessive. I have plans for a small peach cobbler; maybe later in the week. Another surprise I won't tell him about.

It's been a couple of days since I've heard from the girls. Maybe tonight.

Hope all my Canadian friends are enjoying their 3 day holiday. They tell me that the actual feast is any day they want it to be so some have already feasted; others are holding off until tomorrow.

Our turn will come on the 4th Thursday of November and I still haven't decided what we're going to do this year. I'm so used to cooking for a mob but with Jim probably on the border, Melissa (Jim's wife) with a brand new baby (due November 10) in addition to Jonathan (around 18 months old now) and her teenage girls, and my girls not here, it may be just me, Ray, and possibly Tim. Maybe we'll splurge and go out but then I wouldn't have all those great leftovers; the turkey soup and the white beans and ham. I'll think about it later.

And then Christmas of course. I have room for a tiny tree (maybe) and I'll swap the knick knacks on my corner shelf for Christmas decorations and my small creche. Perhaps a wreath on the door. It will be different from Christmas past, that's for sure.

Wow, I get sidetracked easily, don't I. Already thinking two months ahead. Whatever happened to one day at a time?

It's almost 5 in the afternoon so I should go start dinner. As always, thanks for the kind words, welcome to my new visitors, and take care everyone.

Happy Thanksgiving

Quick Note

We're settling into a routine of sorts around here. Ray had a barely okay day yesterday but a very good one today. He's walking a little more and they've cut back on his insulin as along as his test results are at acceptable levels. What that means is one long lasting shot in the morning but as long as the test levels don't dip too far during the day, that's the only shot (except for that nasty testing) he'll need each day. I'm crossing my fingers. He's eating well, his breathing seems better already, and he's very glad to be home. He still can't get into the shower but Physical Therapy has ordered him a bench which should make it easier. We've been doing the sponge bath thing, especially on the incisions.

I've learned a lot just in a couple of days about blood sugar. He seems to have a tendency to have low levels which is why they cut the insulin back. The first day it really dipped and tonight before dinner it was a little low but it went right back up again.

I can't hang around the computer too much because, even in this small house, it's hard to hear him with the kitchen separating us. I've read all your comments and emails but may not get back to you until I'm sure he's stable enough for me to be in here for any length of time. Same thing with all your blogs. I'll read when I can but a little at a time.

Right now, we're watching the Cubs and the RockiesDiamondbacks (oops - Rockies played earlier today) and since I have online friends in both cities, I'm a little torn. Arizona has won a World Series - Chicago still suffers from a jinx, so deep down I hope Chicago pulls it out.

I've been talking to Rochelle and Rebecca almost every night and now they can talk to Grandpa too. They were both worried. They've been running the mile. Rebecca came in first in her class yesterday and Rochelle did today. Rochelle has always been the athlete but tiny Rebecca is catching up fast. Rochelle made the Honor Roll and Rebecca came close. She missed one science project and now that she's made it up, her grade may go up.

Rebecca wrote me a poem and wrote an essay about me for her Language Arts class. Rochelle sang me a song she'd composed.

Elcie hasn't had much to say. I hope eventually that will change.

We're doing well, all things considered.

Thanks again to all of you for the support. I'll be back around visiting as soon as I have a little more time.

Take care everyone.

It's Not Diabetes After All

They never actually said it was. I'd just never heard of any other reason for insulin.

It's a short term thing. They say after this extensive surgery, the insulin promotes healing and prevents infection. Okay, I can understand that.

I spent most of the day at the hospital learning a bunch of stuff. We finally got home at close to 3 in the afternoon and then it took at least another hour at the pharmacy and still could only fill the insulin and syringe prescriptions. First they didn't get the fax from the hospital (took 3 tries before it came through) and then their billing computer was down. When I told them the other medication could wait; the insulin couldn't, they managed to work around the computer. I'll go back tomorrow after the rest.

I don't do the shots; I just fill the syringe. He does everything else although I did learn in case I need it.

So now I just gave him some dinner and I'll try to hold out until his last test at 10:00. Then I'll try to convince him it's bedtime because it's certainly mine.

Rochelle and Rebecca called a few minutes ago and were surprised and happy he was home. Rebecca was sorting crayons by color into separate boxes (very Rebecca). I'm not sure what Rochelle was doing.

Anyhow, I'm exhausted but wanted to get this short note up to let you know that he's home and all is well so far.

Thanks to all for the comments and the blogiversary wishes. Still can't believe I almost forgot it.

Take care everyone.