My mom passed away yesterday at 12:15pm. I take joy in knowing she is now with my dad.

Once again I am humbled by the love, kindness and support that you, my wonderful friends, have shown me throughout these past few months. You have touched my soul and have brought me joy. I cannot say thank you enough.

( More joy to be found... )</div>

Most likely will not make it thru the weekend. We're all here with her and told her it's ok to go to be with Daddy.

Now I can post my ramblings from my mobile. I feel like those geeky parents on that Verizon commercial...LOL

I haven't been able to update for a few months. Once again my family has had issues, the least of which was me not being able to get online. My mom was excited to have knee replacement surgery. Both her knees were bone on bone and excruciatingly painful. She put the surgery off for years to take care of my father. With his passing in February, my mom decided now was the time to get some relief.

The plan was simple. My husband and I would stay at her house during both her hospital and rehabilitative stay; taking care of her dogs, the home and the ever growing yard. The surgery for her left knee took place on July 21st. It was the biggest mistake she ever made.

( More...  )

This is my first Father's day without my father and it's been a difficult day to say the least. I lost him to brain cancer four months ago.

A tribute to my dad:

( Loving words about my father ~ )

I have made several really nice ones of the grandbabies using Windows Movie Maker in the past. But for some reason, WMM keeps shutting down on me. And all my daughter wants for her son's 1st birthday is a video made by me. I ended up using Sony Vegas. OMG - what a learning process THAT was! The help files need help files! It makes me appreciate even more all these great videos I've seen online (and most done by kids half my age and younger!)

( See the vid! )

I couldn't mow last weekend because something is wrong with the tractor. I called the John Deere place on Monday and they promised ( Post to snooze by... )

I was sickened and heartbroken to discover Sunday morning that someone had stolen all the flowers from my father's gravesite. They took 3 arrangements. They left the flag that we placed on Memorial Day. My dad was a Korean War Veteran.

( See how people SUCK )

I'm off to mow the Hundred-Acre Wood this morning!
All the trails need mowing too so my ass will be firmly planted on the tractor for at least 8-9 hours.
Oh joy.

 


( How to deal with a hungover hubster 101 )

Sometimes I just simply amaze myself...LOL

Today I managed to change my layout, swap out the header, change my user pic and add a sidebar with animations. *pats self on back*
I actually find using lj more difficult than starting with a blank page and writing the html myself.

( Ramblings continue... )

So I started to get sick a few days ago. My chest got really tight and I got really scared. My 10 days in ICU last April for respiratory failure have not been forgotten.

I went to the doctor and got super medicated on Tuesday. Went for the recheck today feeling worse than I did initially.
Still lots of wheezing and rales. Still full of fluid. So my lasix got upped as did my prednisone and theophylline and I'm on a different antibiotic. I don't mind the prednisone being upped though - it is making my psoriasis dry up and go away. The theophylline on the other hand keeps me wired for sound.  I can't sleep. Seriously, I can't sleep longer than 45 minutes or so at a clip.

Of course 5 grown kids who obviously aren't all that grown up have to keep calling me and texting me at all sorts of odd hours with their drama. ugh ugh ugh.

The doctor wanted to admit me to the hospital today. My oxygen levels were at 79% and only got to 84% after a nebulizer treatment and a healthy round of O2 by cannula at 3 liters for 15 minutes. I ended up refusing. I have a feeling I probably shouldn't have refused though. I know I could really benefit from some solumedrol.

The doctor is also pushing for a c-pap machine. I failed (or is it passed?) the first part of the sleep study. 15 events an hour are needed to qualify - I had 18. That's kinda scary. 18 times an hour I totally stop breathing. No wonder I'm freaking tired and confused all the time. I go next month for the titration study. Oh joy.

Called the kids and told them all they had to leave me alone, that I need a stress free weekend if I want to get better. I hope they listened, otherwise I will be checking myself in to the hospital come Monday morning.

Well we did it. We made through Christmas and New Years.
Mitch, our oldest boy had invited the family to his house for Christmas dinner.
It was great to spend time with the kids and the grandkids and not be responsible for the cooking and clean-up!

So now it is the year 2009.
My burning question is... how do you pronounce it?
a) Two thousand nine
b) Twenty oh-nine

2009. How very strange.
My grandmother had been born in 1898. Boy did she have some great stories!
She was 94 years old when she passed away in 1992.
Best damn cookie maker I ever knew.
My youngest daughter, Cassie shares the same birthdate as my grandmother ~ January 25th.
Cassie makes awesome cookies too.


Enough randomness from me. It's the meds and lack of sleep talking again.

A friend of mine had recorded all of season one of a new BBC show called Merlin. I finally got a chance to watch some of it today. I'm embarrassed chagrined to say that I actually watched the first 7 episodes and I plan on watching the last 6 episodes tomorrow.
I love this show! Actually I'm fan of movies in this genre anyway, but I really liked this series. I'm quite excited that the BBC has given the go ahead for season two.  More info here @ IMDb  www.imdb.com/title/tt1199099/

I am an Admin at a freebies forum. It's something I've been doing for a few years now and I love it. While I like all the administrative parts of running the community it is the community itself that inspires me. We are a relatively small forum and as such the members have become close. In fact, I refer to our community as a neighborhood - it has that kind of friendly feel to it.

My 'neighbors' decided to get all cloak and dagger with me recently and gave me the surprise of a lifetime. They truly astounded me.
The following is my quoted thank you to the members:

I am one of those people who always gets wrapped up in others. I have always been a giver. A mom who has given all plus some, making the sacrifices all moms make for her children. A wife who has given more than she should. A daughter who feels she hasn't given enough. A sister who tries hard to be accepted. A grandmother discovering the joys of babies and toddlers in a new light. A volunteer who has tried to save lives, comfort others, teach, advocate for special needs children and their families, save homes and property etc etc.

What I am not, is a good receiver. I often feel unworthy of things. I'm not special - I'm just me. An average person who has tried to do some good in her time. I'm also never sure if my gratitude, appreciation and thanks is ever expressed sufficiently so please bear with me while I unfold yesterday's events.

A huge package and I do mean HUGE arrived at my house. The mail lady had to get my husband to get it out of her trunk.

Vic put it on the table and after I was given the go ahead from Mrs. Claus (Chicky) to open it - I cracked the box open. I first read the card from Holly explaining what the box contained. I glanced under the tissue paper to see gifts prettily wrapped and packed tightly and tags from FnF members.

I sucked in my breath and started to shake.
"So who's it from?" Vic asked.
"All of them." I whispered.

And then the tears. I cried and cried and cried. I cried so hard Vic was begging me to stop because he was crying too. And I hadn't even opened anything at that point.

We carried the box into the living room and Vic made some hot cocoa for us both. I grabbed a notepad so I could keep everything straight. It took me 2 hours to unwrap everything in that box.

And with each card, each gift big or small I felt so loved. Everything is wonderful! Everything matches my taste, my likes, my collections - perfect, just perfect!


I was left speechless and totally humbled yesterday.

I hope you can understand that when I say thank you I mean that those two small words can never fully convey the enormous feeling in my heart that you all have left me with.





And because the pictures will never to it all justice ~

Ice Cube Snowmen Tree Ornaments
Red & White Christmas Bell
Cloth Snowman Tree Ornaments
'Twilight' Pink Tree Ornament
Tree Ornament that says "Jonnie"
Tree Ornament that says "Baby's First"

Scratch & Sniff Lottery Card
Santa Cross Stitch Kit

Rooster Pot Holder with matching Kitchen Towel
Naughty/Nice Christmas Kitchen Towels
2 - Handmade doilies

Dark Blue Snowflake Blanket

Twilight Mix -CD
8x10 Photo of Edward Cullen
2 - 4x6 Twilight Photos (1 of Bella & Edward & 1 of a Sparkling Edward)
Twilight Lion & Lamb Keyring/Bag Clip
Twilight 4pc Pin Set
Twilight Soundtrack

Candlelit Praying Crystal Angel
Candlelit Christmas House with bear cubs

Handmade Beaded Tree Christmas Tree Ornament
Handmade Beaded Book Mark

"Welcome Friends" Garden Stone with 2 frogs

Naughty/Nice Snowman Wall Decor
Metal Scroll Design Rooster Wall Decor
Country Measuring Cup with Gingham hanger

Claire Burke Apple Jack & Peel Gift Set
Bath & Body Works Sweet Pea Shower Gel, Lotion and Body Splash

2 - $10 Books-a-Million Gift Certificates
$20 MusicCash Gift Certificate
Photo to 11x14 Canvas Art Kit Gift Card

28 - Scented Tarts
2 - Simmer Pots
10 - Candles/Candle Sets/Tea Lights

Slinky
Sudoko Computer Software

3 pairs Beaded Hoop Earrings

Flower Seed Mix

Suduko Puzzle Book
2009 Day Planner
Rooster Address Book
Book: A Century of Great Suspense Stories
Pen Set

6 pack of Ball Toys for Patches (AKA Kitchen Kitty, Living Room Kitty and Houdini Kitty)
6 pack of Rahide Sticks for Dakota and Manny

2 Candy Bars
2 bags Reese's minis
Ghiardelli Chocolate
Lindt's Candies
Palmer Snowflake Candy
Hot Coco Mix
Tin of Butter Cookies
English Breakfast Tea
4 packs Fruit Sensation Chewing Gum
Cool Coke bottle (with Coke!)


Thank you, thank you, thank you - from the bottom of my heart!
You are the most amazing people!!