Complaining ( just a little)

I am so tired of doctors appointments and therapy appointments.  I know they are necessary and I know they are helpful, but they are so boring.  For every minute you are actually speaking to a Doctor or actively doing physical therapy there are at least 20 minutes of waiting in a crowed waiting room filing out forms.  And what really makes me mad is the fact that I know exactly what is wrong and usually I know exactly what is needed to be done but I have to jump through all their hoops and fill out all their forms just to get the treatment that I need. 
I have known for the last six weeks that I needed an injection in my right hip, but first I had to get the appoinment with the Post Polio doctor, then he gave me a referral to the pain doctor, who required a consult before he would do the procedure.  Then I have to have a verifying appointment ( required by Medicare), and then I can have the treatment I know I need. So lets see, that's three appointment with two different doctors, over six weeks to get the treatment I knew I needed from the beginning.  In the meanwhile I continue to hurt.  
I truly do not understand it. 

Schedules

I hate when we have to start planing out the summer.  Today J and I looked at the calendar to plan out annual trip to Michigan, so I had to start filling things on the calendar.  We have so much this summer.  My sister is going to start radiation treatment soon for a non malignant brain tumor, it will take about six weeks to complete, every day for thirty treatments.  Then we have a bridal shower, a wedding, relatives coming from down south for a weekend, 4th of July family get together, before I know it, it will be time to leave for Arizona.  

I don't like planning, it seems to make the time go so quickly.  I try to plan things with Louise at least once or twice during the week and with Connie on the weekends.  If I am lucky I get to see my younger brother once a month or so at our breakfasts.  I am looking forward to my nephews wedding because our whole family from Pa. is coming home for it. 

So much to do, so little time. 
The closer I get to my birthday, the worse it gets. Judy and I celebrated  out birthdays together in Door County, WI every year for the last seven or eight years.  I don't even want to think about this year.  I told J I definitely don't want to  be away from my sisters this year on my birthday.  I want to celebrate my birthday surrounded by loved ones, not alone grieving for Judy. 

Great Weekend

I had such a wonderful weekend. 
Saturday my sisters and I went on a "road trip",  found up at a great nursery with loads of plants to buy, such a great variety.
Then we stopped for lunch at MiMi's, a really sweet place with good food.
We dropped one sister off and with the other one, we hit Home Goods.  I love Home Goods, I could live in Home Goods, I always find something I didn't even know I needed at Home Goods. 
I bought a couple of cute pieces of yard art.  A turtle and a frog.  All the plants and pretties are for my back yard, where I am putting in a new perennial garden along the patio. 
I also ordered a bottle tree to put back there.  I have always wanted a bottle tree.  Hope my husband doesn't read this post before I tell him I ordered it!

Mine is going to be a little taller than this one and has fewer limbs.When I get it done I will post a picture.
Then on Monday the majority of my family came over for lunch.  I love cooking for my family.  I made Perfect Pot Roast from The Pioneer Woman it is absolutely the best recipe I have found. One pot which has the meat, potatoes, carrots, onions and gravy.  What more can you ask for. 
 And we topped it off with Bread Pudding.  I was in the mood for Bread Pudding because I made Gumbo yesterday.
I have enough left overs in the frig, I don't have to cook for the next month!

When we were sitting at the table after lunch my sisters started laughing, saying "who would ever believe we would be having a meal like this, prepared by Joyce and her dog running around the house. 
It is hard to believe that until about six years ago I didn't know how to cook anything, barely knew how to boil water.  And I could not understand how people could become so attached to an animal. 
I don't know what changed.  When my Mom got sick and I was helping take care of her I decided  I had better try to learn some of her recipes while she was still with me. And I liked it, go figure.
After Mama went to Jesus, I was so lonely.  I was used to taking care of someone full time and then all of a sudden I was not needed.  J (smart man that he is) talked me into going to an animal shelter and I was a goner as soon as I walked in the door. 
So now I have a spoiled rotten dog, who sleeps in my bed and I feed from the table (I know, I know) and I am constantly looking for new recipes I can try.

Have a great day friends.

Memorial Day Musings

I gave J this print years ago and it hangs in his home office.  I love this print. 

I will never forget the first time we went to see the memorial. When you reach the middle it seems as if you are surrounded by all those names.  So many names, so many husbands, fathers, sons, brothers,friends. I remember so vividly that year and a half that J was in Vietnam. Hoping for letters, fearing what the letters might say. J sent me tapes that he made, I still have them, it is so amazing to hear his quiet voice talking to me and hearing sounds of fire fights in the background.  
I still have all the letters and tapes he sent me.  From time to time I take them our and try to read the letters and listen to the tapes.  But so far I have not been able to do it. 
The sweet boy that wrote and spoke those words didn't come home to me.  The man who came home was still my loving husband, but he had rougher edges, he had hardened in ways that slowly revealed themselves to me.  
He has never talked a lot about his experiences during his tour, but every once and a while he will open up and share something with me and it helps me understand how and why this hardening of his spirit happened. 
My heart bleeds for all the young men and women who are coming home on a daily basis from our current wars.
I think that for the most part people have forgotten that we are in the middle of a war and that everyday these young people are coming home, changed, hardened, never to be the same. 
We need to be ever mindful of them and their families and continually lift them up in prayer.
Thank you to those who have served, those who are serving and those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom. 
Thank you to the families of those who served, those who are serving and those who have paid the ultimate price for our freedom.

May God Bless You All

Sunday Praise

Pinterest and other things.

I was looking at some prints of Georgia O'Keeffe's  from her time in New Mexico for Pinterest and I happened on this one. It is called Blue River.

It is a painting of the Chama River, which I took a shot of when we were at her home in Abiquiu.   I was so excited to know that what I thought of composing for a picture was the same thing she painted.  I love all her work, but my favorites are the ones she painted in New Mexico.

By the way, I am so hooked on Pinterest. I can spend hours, literally hours looking at others pins or searching for something I remembered I had seen that I wanted to pin. (think my sentence structure is a little funky there) (oh well).
I have been working on flowers in the yard all week.  I have been putting in hardy perennials, we just travel to much to have to worry about watering.  When I get through I will take so pictures.
For now I have to put away this laptop and get busy about my day.

The other night I made another recipe from The Pioneer Woman .  It is Beef Stew with Beer and Paprika . It was very, very easy and it was very, very good.  I served it in bread bowls from Panera  Bread, but I don't think I would serve it that way again.  I think it would be better to just serve it in a regular bowl and have wonderful Panera sourdough bread on the side.  

.  

Yes you are right, those are Ronald McDonald plates.  I have a whole set. Ronald McDonald's used to be one of J's clients at ATT&T and I have the whole set.  Two of them are from Judy, she had one for each of her kids and gave them to me for my collection.

This is my very favorite pot.  It is a La Creuset from William Sonoma pot. It is wonderful to cook in.  I would like a bigger one, but I just can't justify the cost. 
But oh the stew, it was wonderful, absolutely  wonderful.

New Restaurant

I went to lunch with an old friend the other day (not that she is old, I am, but she isn't, it's just we have been friends for a long time).  We met at a neat little restaurant in Yorkville called Cobblestone Bistro and Bakery.  What a sweet little place, I guess I shouldn't call it little, they have an extensive wine selection, a bakery and a lovely bistro with a good selection on the menu.

If you get an opportunity you should defentily give it a try.

We had a couple of their appetizers, the one on the left is hummus, an artichoke salad and bruschetta, served with flatbread. And on the right is a caprese pizza.

Because it was lunch, I had lemonade (freshly made) and my friend had tea.

  I love finding new restaurants. I don't know why but J and I don't explore new places any more when we are back here in the stick house.  
I have talked him into going to the city (Chicago, to us that's the big city) to see the Jersey Boys.  J did some research and found a place for dinner that we've never visited.  
Maybe we will try harder this summer. 
Do you know of any good places we should try in Chicago?

What's for Dinner

I love to cook, I really do, but I hate everything else except the cooking.  I hate deciding on menus, making a grocery list, doing the shopping and washing the dishes.  But I love the cooking and the eating.

I tried a new recipe from Pioneer Women the other night. I have a hard time coming up with meals without meat and I know I need to do better in that area, so I was excited to try this recipe from her website, Pasta with Whiskey, Mushrooms and Wine.

It was so easy and Lord was it good. The sauce was the best part so I served it in these cute Rachel Ray bowls with spoons.

I have to admit I am getting lazy, I hardly ever get my real camera out anymore because it is so easy to snap pictures with my IPhone.

Do you have a favorite, easy, no meat recipe you want to share with me?

Sharing

I have been listening to Moody Bible Radio lately whenever I am driving in the car.  I get to hear a good part of a sermon every time I go and come from my sister's house.
The other day I heard a preacher who was born with cerebral palsy speaking, his name was David Ring.  I had to listen closely because the cerebral palsy had left him with a pronounced speech impediment. But as I listened I became so engrossed I almost had to pull the car over. I sat in the car at Louise's house not wanting to shut the radio off. 
I wanted to hear more from this man's testimony so I asked Jack if he knew him, turns out he did and Jack had actually heard him speak in person. 
Louise showed me how to download the podcasts from this program from Moody, so when I got home I did.
David speaks of himself as a poor little crippled boy, in his childhood. The resonates with me,because probably until I graduated from high school that is how I saw myself from inside my mind, the poor little crippled girl.  And if I am honest on occasion I still see myself that way. 
I really don't know if  my conversion experience had anything to do with  bringing me out of that mindset into the mindset of most post polio individuals, " I can do anything you can do, in fact I can do it better" or not.  But I found his testimony so moving and encouraging that I wanted to share it.
I cannot figure out how to share the podcast with you but I did find a service where he preached several years ago on youtube.
I want to share it with you and I hope you will get something from it.
Just click on his name below.

David Ring

Sunday Praise

Great Is Thy Faithfulness

Great is Thy faithfulness, O God my Father;
There is no shadow of turning with Thee;
Thou changest not, Thy compassions, they fail not;
As Thou hast been, Thou forever will be.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Summer and winter and springtime and harvest,
Sun, moon and stars in their courses above
Join with all nature in manifold witness
To Thy great faithfulness, mercy and love.

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!


Pardon for sin and a peace that endureth
Thine own dear presence to cheer and to guide; 
Strength for today and bright hope for tomorrow,
Blessings all mine, with ten thousand beside!

Great is Thy faithfulness!
Great is Thy faithfulness!
Morning by morning new mercies I see.
All I have needed Thy hand hath provided;
Great is Thy faithfulness, Lord, unto me!

Good News

So, so happy!  Went to the Orthopedic doctor yesterday and he said my rotator cuff is not that bad.  He thinks the pain is from my biceps tendon and it was irritated from the fall in Santa Fe.  He thinks just PT and possibly a trigger point injection will do the trick.  If I keep up the exercises and no more falls he thinks I can get by with just that and no surgery.  Makes me very happy, now I just have to schedule an appointment with the Pain clinic for a shot in my hip and heres hopping I have a nice quiet summer health -wise.
I made a decision not to talk about my health any more until I got a handle on it and I think maybe I do now.  This just has to be the new normal for me.  
I am also going to see a couple of Dr.'s my polio Dr. recommended to me, to help my manage the medication.  I want to be able to go up and down with dosage as needed.  I am definitely able to go lower in Arizona where the humidity is less, but here in Illinois is a different story.  J and I are still trying to adjust to the difference.  
I have been having such a good time catching up with my sisters and some old friends.  It so nice when you know someone so well, you can go months without talking and then pick right back up with your last conversation.
I have been able to do a little work in the yard, it is so pretty.  Everything I put in last year came back, except one transplant of a trumpet  vine from my sister's yard.  Everything is getting close to blooming, when it does I will take a picture.
It is really pretty here this week, hope it's nice where you are.

Happy Mothers Day

Happy Mothers Day, Mama.

 I can't believe how quickly the years have flown.   I still miss you so much.

  I know your biggest fear as you left us was that we would split apart as a family, that we would not stay close.  I always told you I wouldn't let that happen, I assured you that the foundation you had laid would hold even if our center went away.

I think you would be proud Mama, it hasn't been easy and it hasn't been consistent but we are still a family.  We call, we visit, we meet for breakfast and usually have at least two gatherings a year of all of us.


Your family has grown, four new great grand children since you went to be with the Lord. Oh how you would love them, but that's a given because you love all little ones so much.

Rest assured Mama, we are all doing well and look forward to that day when we will all be together just like we did at your house on Sundays.

I love you Mama

Happy Birthday Heather

Today is my best friend's daughters 
birthday, she will be  40 years old.  I don't think you should have to face your fortieth birthday without your Mom. 
I know we don't have Judy here and we'll never have her again. 
Oh, Heather has had such a difficult time dealing with her children  and the loss of their grandmother.

Hope there are better days coming for you sweetie.
                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Sunday Praise

In honor of this week's National Day of Prayer

A Call To Prayer

Softly the evening vespers
Hallow the closing day;
Sweetly the Savior whispers,
“Come to the throne and pray.”

Refrain:
Softly I hear Him calling,
Calling at close of day;
Sweetly His tones are falling,
“Come to the throne and pray.”

Come, ere the shadows lengthen,
Bring Him thy burdened heart;
Come where His grace may strengthen,
Come from thy cares apart.

Smiles of His love await thee,
Lighting His lovely face;
Just to behold His beauty,
Dwell in the secret place.

Boldly we may approach Him,
Mercy and grace to own;
Tempted like us, He bid us
Come to the Father’s throne.


Words: Clara M. Brooks (1914)

Rain, rain, go away

It has rained almost continuously since we arrived home.  I am so done with it.  The humidity is killing me.  I think next year when we are coming home we need to take a little more time so our bodies can get used to the change. 
Izzie doesn't like the rain either.  She woke up at 4:30 am this morning ( her timing is still off from the trip home ) and it was storming like crazy, rain beating down, thunder and lightening.  So there we stood under the protection of the back porch, as she pranced back and forth.  She would dart out and then run right back.   I even went in and got an umbrella and tried to walk her out in the yard, didn't work, I got soaked, she got soaked.  Finally she just gave it up and went out and did her job. 
I dried her with a towel, but Iz is not the kind of dog that dries easily, so we had a wet dog in bed with us. And of course when she is cold she crawls right up by our heads, between us. 
So enough of this rain, I have things to do, places to go, people to see.But since it is still raining right now, I am just going to get my blanket and my Kindle and make myself comfortable right here on the coach.

Hoping for some sunshine today.

Babushka's New Home

Yes, we name the Rv, the car and the bike.  The RV is Babushka,(don't ask why, I don't know) the bike is Tadpole ( because the sidecar we had was Froggy), the jeep is only a year old and we don't have a name for it.  We also name our GPS', the one in the RV is Contrary Mary and the one in the car is Helga. 

I know we are a little crazy aren't we.

But the point of this post is, Babushka has a new home, in the back yard!  J had a pad with electricity put in last year before we left.

It makes it so easy to load and unload. Maybe a little too easy.  We have been home three days and still have finished unloading.

I am so glad we live outside of the village and there are no rules about parking RV's in your back yard.

We checked with all the neighbors before we put it in and no one had a problem with it. We still have tons of room in the back yard for cookouts with the family.

Life is Good