Finally Good Things Happening

After being tied to the house the past year with first my surgery and down time and then Frank's surgeries and his recovery time, I had lunch with my friends Paula & Peggy. We used to get together once a week for a visit and sometimes lunch. We have decided to start up our girly club again.

Yesterday they came to my house and I had a salad bar all ready. After lunch we gathered in my computer room and Frank gave them a lesson on genealogy. It is nice to be able to socialize again.

The winds of change came today. Yea! Fall is here and we are going to have much cooler weather in fact the temperature was 100 here yesterday and it is only supposed to be in the 70's today. I love the Fall as it means cooler weather for several months. I really don't like the hot summer months and I never have. I have lived here for over 40 years and I have never adjusted to the hot summers. I love being able to go out on my patio and sit, read, and enjoy the sounds of my bubbling fountain. The fall decorations are appearing on my neighbor's front yards. Pumpkins, scare crows, and all the Halloween stuff. Sometimes I get the urge to buy some Halloween decorations when I see some of the neat things they have in the stores. I would love to go up to Utah and see the Fall colors next month.

I used to decorate for Halloween when I had kids and grand kids around as they helped me decorate and it was so much fun to see their eyes glow with excitement as they placed the decorations on the windows etc, but now Christmas is our big decorating season and that is just around the corner. I used to make up costumes for my kids to wear to the big Halloween school parade. Remember Bret, the Big Foot costume we made up for you, and no one knew who you were? Those were the fun days.

Good news! Bret is really doing well, and the bed they had in their family room for him is gone and he is back in his own comfy bed. He is looking good and has gained back his weight, but Bret you could use quite a few more pounds and hopefully that rice pudding I keep bringing to you will help. Next I will bake you some of your favorite chocolate chip cookies. Mom is spoiling you, and I know Laura is too with those good pumpkin pies. I didn't even get a taste of the last ones she made. I hear from the neighbors on your block that they see you walking up and down the street and they are happy to see you out and about. Well, I have to quit for now and get ready to go to my nail appointment, and then go Visiting Teaching, another full day of stuff to do.

I have to add one more thought. Today would have been my first husband Larry's & My 49th anniversary. In some ways it does seem that long ago and in other times it doesn't seem it has been that long ago. Wow! I am getting ancient and I feel time is running out.

Renee's Baby Shower

Wow! Look at Renee's belly. Little Rozlynn is growing fast and it shows. I hadn't seen Renee since our last trip to her beauty shop and I couldn't believe the growth of the baby. Her baby shower was on September 20th. The shower was held at her home and there were so many people that you could hardly walk around. I couldn't believe the stack of baby gifts. She had a lot of duplicate gifts, but most had receipts in them and she was going to take some of them back to the stores and get things she didn't get. I don't know what that would be as it looked like she had everything a new baby would need. I wanted to take a picture of the darling baby's bedroom, and I forgot. Renee and Jason did a fantastic job of painting the room and decorating it. I can't believe that soon I will have my first great granddaughter. Renee is due around the 20th of November, but everyone thinks the baby will be early. I can't wait to see the baby and get to hold her. Jason is so excited you can see it in his face. Frank & I are going in to Vegas Thursday to have our hair done before Renee has to quit as it will be quite a while before we will be able to get our hair done.

Renee & Jason had just bought some new furniture and had done some accent wall painting, and their new home is beautiful. They are also in the process of landscaping their back yard. It made me want to do some accent walls in my home. Better not say that in front of Frank, as he will think he has to jump right in there and start painting.

Bret Improving Daily

We dropped by Bret's today after eating a yummy
lunch at Sugars, fish & chips one of my favorites.
I wanted to get a new picture of Bret as I forgot to get one the other day when I was there. He is getting stronger each day. It is nice to see him up and moving around and especially eating again. I had some fish and fries left so I took it in to him, and he ate it all plus some of Laura's good home made pumpkin pie. Laura makes the best pies. :) Of course Frank & I had a small piece too.


Hey! look at Frank (Pops) in the background and you can tell he has lost 40 lbs. He hopes to keep it off and lose some more. We had to go to Walmart last Friday and buy him some smaller pants as his old ones were falling off. He had to use his belt to keep them up. It is so good to see both Bret and Frank doing better.

I can't wait for Bret to be back in the office so I can get a good chiropractor treatment. I am one hurting Mama. I am used to getting worked on at least once a week and I can tell that isn't happening. I know Bret's patients feel the same way I do. HURRY UP BRET AND GET BETTER SO WE CAN SEE YOU BACK IN THE OFFICE WITH THAT SMILING FACE.

Sierra's Costume Birthday Party

Sierra and Laura dropped by last week to show us Sierra's Oriental costume she wore to a birthday party. Sierra had three friends that had birthdays close together so they decided to have a different kind of a party, a princess costume party. Wish I could have been there to see the other girls costume. Sierra explained what each girl wore and it sounds like they all did a good job with their imaginations in costume design. Sierra loves to act in plays so maybe this costume will come in handy in one of her future plays. Good to have you back home Sierra. We love you.

Remembering Tonia my Friend

Tonia Payne, my friend passed away September 9th. She had a massive heart attack caused by an embolism and was taken to the hospital on Flight for Life out of our valley on the 9th. She had been in the hospital a couple of weeks before having her gall bladder out. Unfortunately she had blood clots form in her lungs. The doctors sent her home with blood thinning meds hoping the blood clots would break up and dissolve, as they needed to do more surgery as she ended up with pancretitis. She was doing really well, and then her husband and son in law noticed that Tonia wasn't making any sense with her words. Then her son in law heard Tonia making some strange noises and they knew something serious was wrong, thus the ambulance was called. The EMT's tried to revive her before they put her on the Flight for Life helicopter, and we all prayed that all would be well. Later when Cal arrived at the hospital and was surrounded by some friends, the doctor came out and told them that Tonia had passed away. My Granddaughter Kristen was one of the EMT's who took care of Tonia and she came over to see me yesterday September 16th and gave me the above information. I am updating this part today September 17th as I had the facts wrong.

Tonia was a dear friend of mine for over 40 years. Our families grew up together and my daughters took dancing lessons from her. She had a dance studio next to her home, and she taught many girls and some boys dance over the years, and put on many dance recitals. She also had exercise classes for her friends and we had many good times together in these classes.

We kind of resembled each other and I can remember being at the market with my head down looking at produce and one of her daughters came up to me thinking I was her. We were flattered to think that we looked like each other, to the point where her own daughter thought I was her. We did some fun things together with our families and the one I remember the most was packing our lunches and hiking up the wash behind my house in Overton and going to some caves, eating our lunch there and letting the kids play for a while before the hike back. My daughter Sherry and her youngest daughter Tonianne were best of friends all through school.

Tonia was an avid reader and after she retired from a dance instructor she was our local librarian for many years. One of her goals in life was to write a book. She finally achieved this goal and also wrote a sequel to the first book. She wrote these books by hand as she didn't know how to use a computer. The books are fictional and took place in Ireland a place she loved to visit and did so several times. They are called "Stairway to the Past" and "Dundrum Castle." The above picture was taken from the cover of "Stairway to the Past."

I have been a little depressed since I found out about her death. I had bought a get well card and was going to give her a few days to recover and then get some flowers and take them over to her home and have a good visit. Instead I will be going to her funeral Monday. I will miss her smiling face and the talks in the middle of the isle at the store, or at the post office, etc. She wrote in my book, "To Donna, my Friend forever, I'm glad you like my story." I will miss you Tonia, and someday we will see each other again and have much to talk about.

Bret's Doctor Appointment

Bret's patients me included will be

happy to see him back in his office

with his smiling face.

Bret back home from his doctor visit

in Las Vegas

I couldn't believe how much better Bret looked when I went over this afternoon to see how his doctor's visit went today. Dr. Scott was impressed with how well his incision had healed and they even took out the stitches, which surprised me. He still has the Foley (think that is what they call it) the drain and he will still have to take sponge baths for a few more weeks. Boy will he appreciate that first hot shower. Just getting the stitches out and getting some of the irritating tape off made him feel better. I am sure he will continue to get stronger and the pain will subside a little more each day.

I have had so many people come up to me and ask how Bret is doing. He is loved by a lot of people here in our valley and they have all been concerned for him. His patients are anxiously waiting for him to return to work and so am I as I miss my chiropractor treatments from him.

We love you Bret, and wish you a speedy recovery. I have enjoyed our visits and reminiscing about our old friends in the valley. I hope that dark cloud that has hung over our family is going to let out some badly needed rain fall and then just go away.

Frank's Back Surgery Checkup & My Checkup

Frank shopping with me at Walmart

Frank's muscle in his leg still hurts him enough that he rides the scooter at Walmart. This picture is for you Allen as you said that you couldn't imagine Frank using a handicap scooter. So here is proof. We were shopping in Las Vegas as we had been staying with Sherry for Bret's surgery and then for Frank's and my Doctor's appointments.

On Monday morning the 31 of August I was able to get into my doctor. They worked me in and the doctor went over my blood work and she changed my hormone cream. I am going to a doctor who works with the biodentical hormones. I needed to have a change as I have been hot flashing like crazy and not sleeping at nights because of it. She went over my thyroid test and told me that we needed to keep up on the ultra sound test on me as I have some cysts on my thyroid. She had just diagnosed two young women with thyroid cancer. She herself has gone through breast cancer, and it came back the second time. She is still growing her hair back and she says that she is doing good now. She is Indian and believes that people in the US needs to change their diets, too much fast foods, and pesticides in our country, and also our environment needs to be cleaned up. There is just way too many people popping up with cancer. I agree with her. I got a B-12 shot and made my next lab test appointment. So now we won't have to go to the doctor for three weeks.

Monday was a day of doctor's visits as Frank's doctor visit was later on in the day. His appointment was at 3:30 so we packed the car up so we could just head for home as soon as his doctor appointment was over.

We were amazed when Dr. Duke the surgeon came in to do the checkup, as we were under the impression that it would be his PA. I decided that he was a really nice guy after all, as he was in a different mode than when he came out to see us after surgery. He took his time and told us he was really happy with what the X-Ray showed. He said that Frank was healing good, and was impressed with how the incision had healed. He did say that there was still healing going on and that Frank still needs to take it easy for the next three months. Now if we can get the torn muscle in his leg to heal as well, Frank will be back in pretty good shape for an old man. Frank hopes to be able to putt, and and play a little golf by Christmas, just not a full club swing. He will be a happy camper to be out with the old farts down at the park again.

Making Progress

Merritt on his favorite spot

his bed at the hotel

Frank visiting Bret Laura in the back ground at

the hotel

Bret in the wonderful recliner that Firemen brought

to the Extended Stay Hotel

Bret was released from the hospital on Thursday, August 28 and spent three days at the extended stay hotel and in the wonderful recliner that lifted him up and reclined to a good sleeping position. We are so grateful to Russel and his firemen friends for the loan of the chair and getting it into the room before Bret arrived.

Bret was able to come home on Monday August 31st and got home only to find that his air conditioner was not working. So he had to get back into the truck and come over to my house. We were in Vegas at Frank's doctor for his back checkup when I received a phone call telling me he was there in my house. He was very frustrated with the whole situation as he had just paid a huge repair bill on his truck, and now his AC was out in his home. When it rains it pours! Luckily the repair was minor as it was just a switch and when Frank & I got home, Bret was waiting for Laura to come and get him as the repairs were done and the house was cooled down. So I got to see him for a while and thought that maybe the family would be staying with us for the night. It was great to see him home and not in the hospital.