I Cried Uncle the other Day

Since our Cockatoo died a few years ago, I have been feeding birds in my back yard.  I guess to fill the void of losing Cami. I have this big bush close to my patio where we placed the feeder and I can watch out my dining room window.  I call it my bird bush.  It is a Mock Orange and just keeps getting bigger and bigger every year.

It has been a lot of fun watching the birds come to the feeder.  There have been families of quail visiting underneath the bush as the smaller birds would dump seed when they were eating from the feeder above the bush.  The bigger birds would try and eat from the feeder and scare the smaller ones away.  Well guess where the smaller birds would go.......yes my patio.  I would go out to my patio and have to walk across bird poop.  It stuck to the patio like glue, and it was hard to wash off.  So the other day I cried Uncle and came into the house and told Frank "please move the feeder way out back, I am sick and tired of bird poop!!!!" 

So Frank moved it out back closer to our fence, and I am a happy camper now as the patio is staying cleaner, but today I noticed that some birds are still coming on to the patio and pooping.  It isn't quite as bad as it was.  I still throw some seed under the bird bush for the quail as they have been bringing their babies to eat there.  I love watching them as the babies grow and also how protective the papa quail are of their brood.  They chase any bird that isn't in their brood away, so guess where some of them end up...yep back on my patio waiting for the quail to leave so they can feed.  I guess I will leave it this way for a while, or I may cry Uncle again, and quit putting food under the bush for the quail and just watch them from a distance. 

The Past few weeks

A couple of weeks ago Frank had a Doctor's appointment in Vegas so we went in the day before so I could have a pedicure and manicure.  Frank dropped me off at the nail shop and he ran some errands.  Later we met Renee and Rozlynn at Red Lobster for dinner.  After Rozlynn's tummy was full, she didn't want to sit still any longer so we let her run around the corner seat we were in.  She explored everything on the table.  We went back to Sherry's condo and piled on Sherry's bed leaving Frank in the living room to watch TV.  We played with Rozlynn and talked until almost 10:30 PM.  Renee went home and I got ready for bed as I was exhausted.  The next morning was Frank's Rhematologist appointment, and it went well.  The doctor instructed Frank on how to lower the dosage of his cortisone pills.  Frank is gradually coming off from the pills.  The doctor said he didn't want him to come off from them too fast as he doesn't want Frank's pain to get out of control again.



Lunch with the Girls

Last Monday my grand daughters and Sherry got together for lunch at The Scoop.  Of course my great grandson and great grand daughter were there too.  Frank and I had lunch before the girls came because they were running late as usual.  So Frank got to see everyone for a little while and then he went home.  We all met at Sherry's place and visited until 6 PM.  I had so much fun playing with the babies.  Jamie came a little later to the Scoop and got her a salad to go.  Renee and Jamie went to Lin's to do some grocery shopping so Sherry and I took Rozlynn and headed to Sherry's.  Robyn went to a friends home to drop off some baby things.  So Sherry and I played with Rozlynn and visited until the girls showed up later.

Jamie took me home and I had a nice surprise when I got home.  Frank was cooking fried okra, and hamburger patties.  He sliced up some tomatoes to go along with it, and it was delicious.  What a treat for me as Frank doesn't cook very often.  He tells me he isn't a cook.  Jamie and I had stopped by the store on our way home, and I had picked up some chicken and salads thinking that would be an easy and fast dinner for us.  We had that for lunch the next day.

The nurse from Dr. Gorman's office called during the week and said everything was normal in my blood work.  I realized later that she didn't give me my A1C results, so Bret suggested that I have them fax my results to his office.  When I went into Bret's for a treatment he told me that by Europe's standards I did have a thyroid problem, but the US had moved up to a higher number in the blood test. So that explains some of my fatigue.  Bret and I talked about Lipitor for my cholesterol, and all of the bad side effects from this medication.  I decided to quit taking it, and I swear I felt better the next day, and the best part is that the dizziness went away.   To my surprise my A1C test hadn't been done, so now I have to call the doctor's office and see if this was a mistake .   I think it was as I had made the appointment for a Diabetic check.  The nurse seemed to be in outer space that day, as she put my weight at over 200 lbs and the doctor had to weigh me again. She is the one who does the blood work. I am thinking either the doctor didn't have it marked or she spaced it. Thanks heavens I didn't weigh 200 lbs. even though I still weigh too much. Oh, and when Frank went in to the doctor to get his finger stitched up, the nurse told him she was waiting for me to come in for my blood work. I had a bruised arm proving I had the blood work done. Go figure, so I am thinking she spaced the A1C test so I will have to go in and get stuck again, and I am a hard stick.

I was reading in one of my Diabetic magazines that fatigue goes along with Diabetes and is a common complaint.  So I guess I have to resolve myself to the fact that I will always have fatigue.

Dizzy Redhead

Hey I need my land legs back!!!!!

I went to the doctor Thursday and told him how fatigued I have been and he decided to do a more extensive thyroid blood test.  I have all the symptoms of a thyroid problem but my blood work comes out normal.  Go figure?  I told the doctor that I had been having some dizzy problems but they had improved.  Guess what?  it is back.  I am a dizzy red head.  I have been sneezing a lot so I am thinking maybe this has caused some sinus issues, something is going on.  Dr. Bret says he has had several patients with the same problem, and it could last longer than I want to think about.  My daughter had the same problem a month or so ago and it seemed like it took for ever for her to get over it.  Dr. Bret worked on my neck when I first started with this, and it seemed to really help.  So guess where I will be going Monday, .........you guessed Bret I will be in to see you Monday. 

I don't have much hope for Dr. Gorman to find out what is causing the fatigue as it is something that I have complained to doctors for a long time, and no one has come up with the answer yet.  Somehow they kind of just ignore it, or they just don't want to admit they don't have a clue.  Maybe they think it is all in my head?  I don't think Diabetes could be the complete cause as I have friends with diabetes and they have a lot more energy than me.  I am sleeping better with my sleep appliance, so I can rule not getting enough sleep out.  I am even dreaming again, and they say this happens in REM sleep.  Well we will see what the blood works says, A1C, and thyroid function.  Also I will be having a thyroid scan as I do have cysts on my thyroid that I was supposed to keep track of.  Oh yeah! the exercise thing came up and I am supposed to try Frank's stationary bike.  I would really rather do the "dreadmill."  I have to wait until the dizziness goes away or gets a little better before I try either.  Good excuse!!!!

Laura's Birthday Dinner

Samurai 21



Grill



Yesterday when Frank & I dropped by to give Laura her birthday card, Bret invited us to go to dinner with them to celebrate Laura's birthday.  Laura wanted to try a new Japanese restaurant in Mesquite as she had heard it was really good.  I said I would love to but Frank declined due to the pain he was still having with his injured finger.  I decided to go without Frank, and I am so glad as it was so much fun watching the chief cook right in front of us and the show he put on.  I had steak and shrimp, fired rice, and a stir fried vegetable.  It was delicious and I had left overs today for lunch and it still tasted great, in fact I could have eaten more. 

Poor Frank stayed home and ate hot dogs.  At the very end of the cooking, the chief threw shrimp at each of us with our mouths open trying to catch it.  Mine whipped right past me and hit the floor.  The waitress brought out a piece of cheesecake with a candle in it for Laura, and it looked delicious. I couldn't have eaten another bite. All in all it was fun to get out of the house, and it was a fun night of conversation and good eating.  Thanks Bret and Laura for letting me celebrate with you. Of course my camera was in my purse and I forgot to take pictures.  So the picture of Laura is from our Christmas party. 

Random Things

Today I went over to Bret and Laura's to give Laura a birthday card, and Bret reminded me that it has been a month since I blogged.  I told him that we have lived a boring life lately, and I didn't really have much to blog about. So this one is for you Bret. I did want to tell a funny story about me and our boat of long ago.

I was a spoiled Mom having two sons and my husband to do everything with the boat.  All I had to do was make sure there was food to take on our outings.  The boys helped unload the boat, and load it up.  I just waited at the dock to hop in.

Then the day came when the boys left home.  One getting married the other went on his mission.  So Frank and I decided to take the boat out on our own.  At that time we had a cabin cruiser, so it was a lot bigger boat than what we have now.  Frank did it all on his own unloading it, and there I was waiting at the dock to hop on.  When it was time for us to go home and load the boat up, Frank asked me if I would drive the boat up to the dock.  So I said sure, not really wanting to, but I needed to help him. So he went to get the truck, and I was driving the boat up to the dock, and was getting close and all of a sudden I realized I needed to stop.  I hollered out to Frank "Where's the brakes.!!!!"  Boy did everyone including Frank have a good laugh at that.  There are no brakes on a boat.  You have to use the gears to stop.  Dummy Me, and color my face red.

Frank is still working on the boat and had to replace the propeller.  I think he has it pretty close to running again, and I hope Bret will be there to help him test it out.  Are you listening to your Mom Bret?  As you can see from the above incident I am not a very good helper.  Just call me "Dumb Redhead."  I thought I would be posting "The Rest of the Boat Story.  LOL  Me having to learn to either drive the truck or boat while loading and unloading.  We will see what the future holds.  Like I said, I thought the boat was for fishing, and I am not a fisher woman, and when it is hot I don't want to be on a boat.

Well I was wrong about us having a boring life. Frank had to add some excitement yesterday. He belongs to findagrave.com and is a volunteer to find graves in our area and take pictures of the headstones for other members of the site.  It is for genealogy purposes, and he loves doing it.  He has really used the site himself for his genealogy and he knows how much it has helped him in his research, so he loves to help other people do the same.

So he had a request the other day for one of our local cemeteries and decided yesterday to go to the Pioneer Cemetery and look up the grave.  I couldn't go with him as I was waiting for Jami to come to my home and give me a massage.  Any way I heard him come in the door and went to greet him.  There he was with his hand all wrapped up in an old sock I had left in the car.  He told me he had fallen down and had bent his finger clear back.  Well I didn't see the blood and thought he had broken his finger.  He took off to the doctor and came home with six stitches and a bruised and swollen hand.  This poor guy has enough pain without adding this new one.

The grave just so happens to be one of our old friends that passed away several years ago.  His grave has a horseshoe fence around it, and this is what Frank fell on, and it could have been so much worse.  His hand had rocks, weeds, and dirt embedded in the wound.  So the doctor had to dig all of this stuff out before he could even stitch it up.  Unfortunately when he fell, it jolted his shoulders and now they are hurting more than usual.  When it rains it pours. I told Frank that he had gotten up close and personal to Richard and greeted him as he fell face down on Richard's grave.

Even after all of this, Jami still came down to my home and Sherry dropped by too.  We visited while Jami gave me a massage.  I was like a wet noodle when Jami was through.  She gives me deep tissue massages, and they are a good hurt type of massage.  I feel so much better today and I slept like a baby last night as they are so relaxing.  On the other hand poor Frank didn't sleep due to the painful finger.

I guess I should admit that I haven't been feeling well myself.  I have been so fatigued and have to force myself to do my housework etc. I have a doctor's appointment Thursday to get my Diabetic check up and my A1C test.  I have to admit that I have been eating too many sweets, and potatoes.  I  love potatoes of any kind, baked, fried, french fires, you name it I love them.  Potatoes are like eating sugar.  So I thought to myself "I need to really watch my diet and be good."  It is so dang hard.  Last night I was craving chocolate and I fought myself to not get up and find some chocolate sweet treat. 

I had to quit my "dreadmill" because I didn't even have the energy to get on it.  Then it started hurting me again.  I wake up in the night with the pain in my thighs as I am a side sleeper.  I know my back has a lot to do with it.  I try and keep myself  standing straight on the "dreadmill" thinking this is what is causing it.  Could age have a lot to do with it, after all I am 70 years old and the old body is wearing out?  I have seriously been thinking about getting one of those above ground pools so I can exercise in it.  They say that is good exercise for people with arthritis.  But then poor Frank would have to set it up and we would have to get rid of some grass and change the sprinkler system. Too big of a job to expect of him, and it hurts him to do this kind of labor.  So I am trying to think of something I could do that won't hurt me.  The first thing the doctor will ask me "Are you exercising?" ........and my reply will be "I was and I will give him the big excuse.

Behind Again - Catching Up

Fatigue, fatigue, my constant companion is my only excuse for not blogging.  Yesterday I didn't even have the energy to turn on my computer.  I try to fight it but sometimes it really gets to me and I give in to it.  Thank heavens there were some cute romantic chick flicks on Direct TV yesterday and that is what I did lounge around on the couch, and in my recliner watching the boob tube. 

Poor Frank has caught some nasty bug which seems to be the one I had a month or so ago.  His throat is raspy and he is coughing.  He is feeling miserable.  One of the side effects of the cortisone he is taking is it will lower your immune system.  I will be glad when he gets off from the pills which should be soon.

Last Monday Robyn, and Renee came to Overton to Sherry's home and we had a really nice visit. 

It was so much fun watching Braxton and Rozlynn interact with each other.  Braxton hasn't been around other babies and once again we couldn't help but notice the difference between boys and girls.  Braxton let Rozlynn know more than once he wasn't going to let her take his toy.  He even tried to hit her as she wouldn't give up the toy they were fighting over.  Renee used the moment to teach Rozlynn to share.  We all clapped our hands when Rozlynn gave the toy to Braxton. I couldn't get a decent picture of Rozlynn as she was running around.  Just as I would try and snap the camera for a good picture she was off again.

Renee enjoyed playing with Braxton and you can see by the smile on his face he was having fun too.  I think Renee would like to have a boy, and Robyn would like to have a girl.  Maybe some day this will happen, but I know that if they do have babies, it won't matter what sex they are as long as they are healthy.  Sherry had Rozlynn play a game that she learned from a friend.  Rozlynn would go around the ottoman while Sherry was singing a song and kept going around until Sherry said I think Duck and then Rozlynn would run to Sherry for a big hug, then they would start all over.  It was really cute.

FRANK'S PROJECT

Several years ago, Sherry gave Frank her boat.  It was a birthday gift.  He fixed it up, even putting new carpet in it and then never used it.  I guess life just got too busy as we still had our condo and rentals that were constantly needing repairs.  He also was still working and putting in a lot of over time. 

He decided he needed a project and so once again he is working on the boat.  A cat had her kittens in the boat and we didn't know it.  I guess when she left the kittens, she couldn't get back into the boat to take care of them.  So Frank had a surprise when he uncovered the boat and found three tiny dead baby kittens.  At first he thought they were rats.  As you can imagine, the boat smelled of cat urine, an odor that I hate.  He aired the boat out for days.

He then tore the boat apart and cleaned every inch of it.  He had the carburetor rebuilt, and he worked on the motor.  He also used a special cleaner that took a lot of the oxidised paint off and it really did make a difference. He got the motor to run, and put the boat back together.

Friday evening, I went with him to the lake as he wanted to put the boat in the water leaving it on the trailer as he wanted to see how the motor ran.  The motor started up and he ran it for several minutes checking it to make sure it didn't heat up.  It ran good, but when he went to check out the gears, there was a problem of the gears not engaging.  So he brought it home, and worked on it some more.  He wants to take it to the lake and check it out again to see if he fixed the problem.

He asked me if I could pull the boat, with him in it, out of the lake and I said I could.  Well I didn't have the window down and was not checking him in the rear view mirror.  He was yelling at the top of his lungs for me to stop as he hadn't raised the propeller.  So I dragged it out on the cement and left a few mental shavings.  The worst part was that when I realized he wanted me to stop, I hit the brakes to hard and it scared me to death as I saw him being jerked back and forth. I haven't driven the truck as it makes me nervous, so I am not used to the brakes, etc.  

Not only that I am a coward when it comes to driving the truck as it seems so big, and especially towing anything.  Frank gets really frustrated with me.  I hate to drive anything with a man passenger.  I think it goes back to being afraid of my Father, as him teaching me to drive was a disaster.  My Dad finally just let me learn on my own, and that worked out a lot better. Well anyway Frank says "I am going to learn to drive the truck!!" -----and or learn to drive the boat onto the boat trailer.  I am thinking, "Hey I thought you were going to go fishing and Bret would be with you to do all that stuff."  I am not a fisher woman and wouldn't be there anyway."  I am sure there will be more to this story.

Memorial Day Weekend - Family Fun

When my brother Allen met us and Lorri K. in St. George for dinner a few weeks ago.  He put a plan in motion for all of us to get together and have dinner and for me to make my southern green beans.  So I decided to invite our St. George cousins to dinner and it ended up being on Sunday the day before Memorial Day, as this was the best day for every one to be here.  It was Sherry's day off so it worked out perfect.  Sherry came to my house around noon to help, and to her surprise I had everything under control, table set, and baker potatoes all washed and ready to cook.
I am a person who has to have everything ready and under control, or I suffer the consequences of nerves being out of control.  I wanted to make every thing simple so that I could enjoy my family being here.  So I did an oven pork chop dinner with bake potatoes, and of course my southern green beans, and Lorri K. brought a salad bar.  Laura brought rolls, and since it was my cousin Penny's birthday the day before, I bought a birthday cake at Costco. 

We surprised Penny with the birthday cake, and we all sang Happy Birthday to her.  She had a tear in her eyes and gave a good wish for our families all to be healthy and happy. 

After dinner everyone gathered around the piano with Allen playing, they sang, laughed, and had a good time.  Rozlynn tried to play the piano along with Allen.  They were a little loud, and I bet the neighbors could hear the party that was going on at my home.  I loved seeing them having so much fun singing.

Renee and Bret sat on the couch and sang.  Maybe Renee listened as she may not have known the songs they were singing.  She has lost over 30lbs and looks so good. 

The last picture of the day was a four generation picture.  I wanted to get a more recent one.  The last one we took was when Rozlynn was a month or so old.  Hope we get to take some more.  I was really tired at this point.  Lorri K. spent the night with Sherry and they stayed up until 3 AM talking, catching up on their lives.  They haven't seen each other for a long time.  My brother, Allen got up early Memorial Day, packed his car up and drove over to Sherry's house and woke them up.  Frank and I ended up meeting them at McDonald's for breakfast and said our good bys to Allen.  Lorri left a little later. 

It sure was a fun weekend and the best part was the telephone call Allen made to my estranged son Garen, as I ended up getting to wish him a happy birthday, and told him I loved him, and hoped some day I could see him in person and give him a hug.  He told me he loved me too.  I found out that he is working in Carson City, NV.  He was in Manti, UT fishing with his family, and freezing his hind end off.  The weather is so crazy.  Even today is so much cooler than normal.  The weather man says it won't hit a 100 degrees for another week and it is June 7th.  Crazy, crazy,  Sign of the times. I will take all the cool summer days we can get.  I know it will be hot soon enough and I am dreading it.