Time Warp!

So I’ve just gotten back from Ft Worth, Texas.  Brendon, his friends Erik and Mary, and I went down there  to go see the Rocky Horror Picture Show with the shadow cast of Los Bastardos. We had such a great time! We left at around 10am on Saturday and got down to the DFW area too early to check into our hotel.  So we took a little side trip to the Grapevine Mills Mall, where we went to GameWorks, a huge arcade and had a blast!!! Mary, Erik and Brendon preparing to play Dance Dance Revolution. All three of them had so much fun and thorough enjoyed themselves.  There are no pictures of me on this machine as I do not dance on machines while others are watching!! We all rode this one “game” which is two stories tall and as you play your chair goes up or down based upon game play. We laughed so hard and squealed as the chairs dropped.
Us two girls left the boys to play games and we went shopping. Grapevine Mills Mall is sooooo huge and we had such a great time wandering through stores and just chatting about life.
After a spending several hours at the mall we made our way over to the hotel, after receiving some GPS assistance from my phone. The DFW metro can be so crazy and if you make one wrong turn you can end up someplace you never wanted to be, QUICKLY! When we got to the hotel all four of us were ready to kick back and relax for a few. So we ordered in Pizza and Pasta from Pizza Hut and played a Steve Jackson card game called Munchkin. I think Mary and I were mostly lost during the game. The only think I really know is that Erik is a ruthless player, but Karma took a little piece of his Tushy because he LOST!!! HA!!!
We got ready and left for the Rocky Horror Picture Show around 11pm for the midnight showing at the Ridgmar Movie Tavern.
As we waited in line for the movie we met these two hysterical guys, Michael and Liam. Now Michael is a big, beautiful, black man and Liam is an adorable, little Irishman with amazing long red hair.  What an interesting pair!!! They fit quite nicely into our group and asked to join us for the movie.
Now for those that don’t really know much about the movie or the plot, the Rocky Horror Picture Show is more of an experience rather than just a movie. It began in London as a play in 1973. It grew into a movie and then into an amazing cult classic. One does not go to Rocky to watch a movie, you go to throw things or yell things at the screen, or to watch the shadow cast act out the movie in front of the screen. It’s all about audience participation and just having a great time. During the movie water guns are shot into the air, toilet paper is tossed about the theater. cards are flung with gusto, and everyone dances in the aisles! Of course, the movie is totally inappropriate but when taken with a grain of salt and in the best of attitudes it can completely be an exhilarating experience.
I began going to see Rocky as a teenager when I would spend the night with a girlfriend. Of course, my parents would never have allowed me to go to a midnight movie, especially one of this nature. But I am completely thrilled to be able to share this experience with my son. For me it’s just part of experiencing the fun in life and learning to just live beyond the “rules” just for a couple of hours. Sure I shouted some things that a son should never hear come out of a “proper” mother’s mouth. But lets face it, I’ve never been one to be “proper” or to act as expected. We all joined in the yelling, dancing, throwing and being inappropriate; and we all had such a great time! We laughed so hard that I think we all ached the next morning!
After the movie we sat in the parking lot talking with Michael and Liam and just being silly and enjoying life. We were eventually kicked out  of the parking lot and returned back to our hotel room around 3am relaxed and happy. The boys played game while Mary and I crashed! We awoke late the next morning and found our way into an IHOP. We enjoyed a full breakfast and shared tales about the movie the previous night. As we were checking out Brendon and I were being a bit silly and acted out one of the signature actions from the movie and one of the employees at IHOP immediately recognized it and asked if we had gone the previous night. This again spurred another round of how great the experience had been for all of us.
As we drove home we discussed what a wonderful weekend we had all had together and what a perfect group had gone.  We all admitted that we were taking a sense of relaxation with us that we hadn’t experienced in a long time. We then listened to several Stephen Lynch songs and the laughter started all over again.

THANK YOU

 

Brendon

Erik

and Mary!

for making this weekend so much fun for me. I am so blessed that my son has such good friends and such wonderful people in his life. Thank you for letting a such an old married woman go with you and to share this wonderful experience! You guys ROCK!

Birthday Boy

So tomorrow is Brendon’s 20th Birthday.  It’s hard to believe that August 27, 1989 2:53 am my little critter was hatched! He was a beautiful baby boy and he was a complete delight. He was born with those big brown eyes and he knows how to use them.

Brendon’s first Christmas with Papa looking on in the background.  He was such an observant baby, always wanting to take everything in.

This is his second Christmas when he was 17 months.  He was always soooo happy, he was always smiling and laughing. Even at this age he was very interested in pushing buttons. And he loved to talk on the phone. He would put the phone on his shouder and jabbering away, usually to his Aunt Ta. In the middle his Brendonese jabber you would hear him say “OK!” or he would burst out into laughter.

This is my favorite photo of Brendon.  You can just see the happiness and light in his eyes.  He has always known that he was cute and he used it to his favor when he was little!

 

He’s always been such a matter of fact child and this picture expresses that beautifully. He has always had this ability to march to the beat of his own drummer without caring what everyone else was marching to.

Brendon in his Pokemon pjs made by his Grandma. For quite sometime he would not wear pjs unless they were made by his Grandma. Brendon and my Mom are very close and I am so blessed that they have such an amazing relationship. He enjoyed spending every summer with Grandma and Papa.

It’s not a very clear picture but My Mom has spent many hours watching Brendon play video games.  It’s a pasttime they enjoy to this day! Only now they play the Wii together.

 

Brendon wanted to play the flute or the trombone (he really wanted the flute), but when he talked to the band director he was advised that with his long arms and ability to find the right pitch he was a born trombone player.

Quite like is mom, he felt the need to explore other instruments.  He went on to learn the tuba and the souzaphone.  This picture is from his freshman year at John Marshall High School in San Antonio.

 

This is a photo from his Senior year at Moore High School.

 

Once we moved to Oklahoma just after the start of his sophomore year he found this great group of friends, which he is still close to today. The photo above is Heather, Brendon, JO (Jeremy), and seated is Erik.

He’s not afraid of looking goofy! Actually he’s really good at it! He enjoys making others laugh!

I tried to teach him how to dress appropriately but apparently it didn’t stick!

If the shoe fits then wear the box on your head!

Or don a hat with ears in the middle of a restaurant.

Look at me I’m doing the graduation dance!

 

Bowling sitting down….it’s a new technique he’s perfected!

He’s the light of my life and I’m so blessed to have such a great kid! He’s a wonderful grandson to my parents, a great friend and just a fun peron to be around. He’s brought me so much joy and happiness over the years and I am looking forward to seeing what the future holds for him.  Brendon, I hope that your life is full of happiness, love, light and fun! Keep being just who you are because I love everything about you! 

Having fun

Saturday was a busy day. I got the pleasure of attending Jeremy and Kasey’s wedding.  It was a lovely ceremony and the bride looked radiant. For a young couple they are so in love and are making a great life for themselves in Virginia. However, they are missed by their friends here.
They are part of the “dumpster gang.” Brendon and his friends used to hang out under this big tree at school.  Nearby was the telephone recycling dumpster. So I jokingly called them the dumpster gang. And for the most part this clan has stayed in touch since they graduated two years ago. All of them are now making their way in life and setting out to conquer their own little corner of the world.  It’s interesting to watch these kids grow into adults and set out on their own trail.
After the wedding I had a scrapbooking party to attend! Oh what fun! Two cricuts, five women, tons of paper, glue, embellishments and lots of snacks! Although I was finished with the project I had brought with me from home, which was a beautiful black and white wedding album for the above mentioned bride and groom; I thoroughly enjoyed making a few cards and helping the other women use the cricut. It was a great time of creativity, sharing, laughing and just relaxing! Thanks Tara for opening your home for all of us. We truly appreciate it and I can’t wait for the next one!
Sunday was a very relaxing day. I really didn’t do much of anything as I am still not sleeping well and it’s wearing me thin. So I just lounged and played on the computer since Brendon had to work all day.
For dinner I took my sister to Ted’s Cafe Escondido compliments of my hubby.  Mick had taken an accounting class and Tammy acted as his tutor for the class.  This was Mick’s way of saying Thank You for all of her help with the class. Ta, we truly appreciate all you did to help Mick with his class. Great Big Thank Yous!!!
I truly enjoyed the food at Ted’s, it really it great. And their QUESO! Where we live, when I asked for a cup of queso I got a cup of grated cheese.  Mick and I really do miss great Mexican restaurants. So while there I took a mobile picture of the queso and sent it to my darling Mick and said “mmmmmm queso at Ted’s!” Then I took a picture of the grated cheddar from Ta’s fajitas and said “mmmmmm queso where we live!” Ugh! I  so miss living in the south. But it was great to get out and have a nice meal with just me and my sis. It’s hard to believe that my time here is already half gone, it’s just flying by so quickly!

Proud Momma

I am sooooo proud of my son! He traded in his 1990 Pontiac TransSport van for a new car.
For those of you that know Brendon you know that this van was appropriately dubbed the P.O.S. It is loaded with problems and parts have been replaced from the salvage yard. But Brendon never complained about driving such an atrocity. He was just grateful to have a vehicle that got him from point A to point B.
We went shopping for a new car in hopes of being able to trade in the van on the cash for clunkers program.  He was able to get $4500 out of this van!! We paid $400 for it! So it’s crazy that he was able to get that much for a trade in.  I’m not an Obama fan, but my son says, Thank You for giving him WAY more than POS was worth!
He bought a 2009 Chevy  Aveo with a sticker price of $15,000 but after trade in and discounts it was $8300. He qualified for the loan at the age of 19, without a co-signer!! I am so proud that he hasn’t let himself fall into the credit card and debt trap.  He has a great credit record and only suffers from lack of credit.

He has named her “Radio.”  He loves the movie “Radio” and we frequently quote it to each other.  Plus Radio was a little ‘special’ and so is this car as it does have some minor hail damage.  Or maybe it’s the fact that he feels ‘special’ driving it because this is the first manual transmission he’s ever driven, so we do a lot of chugging, killing the engine and barking the tires.  Plus there is the fact that Radio Flyers are red, his favorite color.

It’s a nice looking little car and I am so proud of him for being able to take on and handle this debt all by himself! He’s such a great kid, I am so blessed to say that he’s mine.   Brendon I love you great big bunches and I’m lucky to be your Mom!!!

School and Sickness

First let’s talk about yesterday. Brendon, Mom and I went to Oklahoma City Community College, OCCC, where Brendon is currently going and the University of Oklahoma, where he hopes to be going this fall. We were trying to get the details about the post 9/11 GI Bill and determine where he will be going to school this fall. We found out that he will not be able to attend school at OU this fall as he is too late to be admitted. This is quite okay, because he has one class left at OCCC before receiving his Associates degree and OU does not offer that one class. So he must spend one more semester at OCCC before transferring to OU. But he can take another class or two at OCCC which will transfer. Now in order to be eligible for the GI Bill he must be attending more than half time. Brendon thought that it would be better for him just to take the one class he needed and just pay for that class out of pocket in order to save all of the GI Bill for OU.  I couldn’t understand why he would want to pay for even one class when he could have it paid for!! So we spent quite some time arguing back and forth about this. I knew that really he was just wanting to slack for a semester and take just this one class which isn’t really even a class.  It’s more of a project that he needs to meet with his teacher once a week on but there is no class time. During this argument as to whether or not he should be taking more than this one class and utilizing the GI Bill of course, my history came up.  I had been offered a full tuition paid scholarship to the University of Central Oklahoma and I declined it in favor of getting married to his Father. Now that I am currently 40 and unemployable due to my many health concerns I don’t think I missed out on anything (not that I ever felt like missed a great opportunity by not taking the scholarship). But the fact is that I lived my life on my terms and did exactly what I pleased. However, Brendon’s situation is a bit different because he is wanting to pursue a degree. I even asked Brendon what he would advise Erik if he was the one with this opportunity. Brendon said that of course Erik should take the GI Bill and take a couple of extra classes to have his school paid for. So for the life of me I couldn’t understand why Brendon would want to do anything different than that. But the truth is that I wanted him to do it and therefore, Brendon wanted to do the exact opposite. Just because kids can be that way!!! But he went to work in the evening and came to his senses. He decided it would be for the best to take the GI Bill, have school paid for and receive a monthly stipend too! So I’m glad that he’s decided to help himself out. And it was a nice opportunity for me to really revisit that time in my life and to realize once again (20 years later) that not going to college was the right decision for me. Because right now other than a diploma on the wall, it would not be benefiting me at all.
Today, Brendon had the day off and it would have been an excellent opportunity to spend the day doing something fun with him. However, my body had other plans. I had gotten a great full night of sleep I felt great in the morning. I did enjoy a good hour of playing Wii with the boy.  But then I went to the grocery store with Mom and BOOM!!!! Migraine!! ARGH!!! But I took my meds in hopes of getting rid of it quickly. I even helped Mom make chicken soft tacos for dinner. I also secretly hoped that eating something healthy would help relieve me of my headache. I also had a soda while cooking and eating dinner because sometimes the caffeine will help ease a migraine. But no such luck. So after dinner I took another dose of meds and then a nap.  Again…..no relief! I was quite bummed because Erik called and was hoping to go out and do something fun with the two of us but I had to decline.  So the boys went bowling but not before bringing me some Mint Chocolate Chip ice cream from Braums!!! Thank you Brendon! And the ice cream was the magic ingredient to cure my headache. I had been prepared to give myself a shot in order to finally get rid of that nasty headache but the ice cream was better than a shot of Toradol. THANK GOD!!! because the ice cream felt much better than a shot did too!!!!
Brendon and I did get the application for the post 9/11 GI Bill filled out. I am so excited about being able to provide this benefit to him. He has been paying for school for 2 years now by himself. But now that he has just about received his associates degree it’s time for him to move to a four year school like OU. And I’m not really sure he could afford it even though he’s living with my parents and working full time. So by being able to have school paid for it will certainly be an excellent opportunity to give him a great start in life once school is over. 
All in all today was a mixed blessing. I was able to help my kid apply for his scholarship, we had great fun playing the Wii together, and I enjoyed helping Mom cook dinner. But the headache put a damper on the like a wet blanket all evening. But I am grateful that I was able to get out of it without taking a shot. Because I always experience drug hangover the next day. So since I’ve been home I’ve been struggling with getting my body to cooperate.I have to remind myself to just be grateful because I could have it alot worse. So tomorrow will be a better day!

Dad's Garden

Ok, so we all know that I’m not really gardening, but I wanted to share my parents garden with you.  My parents, especially my Dad, have done an amazing job on this garden.  Their backyard is truly their oasis.  And even though summers can be very hot, mornings out on their back deck are cool and very relaxing. It’s a peaceful way to start every day.   

The morning “coffee” for the birds

The Iris beds

The rose garden

Pink Hybiscus

Geraniums, Begonias and my Grandmother’s  Deer

The deck where they enjoy breakfast every morning.

My Dad out deadheading the hybisccus.

Going Home

So I had a very long but uneventful flight home. I didn’t sit next to any jerks, stinky people or Chatty Cathys. So all was good.  When I got to the airport my kiddo and my Mom were there to pick me up.   Brendon had to go to work so I had plans to go out with one of his classmates, Mary, she really is an adopted daughter to me.  We get along sooooo well and we love to sing Lady Gaga and the soundtrack to the Rocky Horror Picture Show. I can even forgive her for being a bleeding heart liberal! Life just hasn’t left her with many scars, and hopefully it never will. She always sees the good in people and I love that about her.
Mary took me out to dinner at Johnny Carinos, my all time favorite Italian restaurant. The Italian nachos are the BEST!!! They arent made with chips they are made with fried pasta! covered in sausage, chicken, olives, peppers, onions, alfredo and cheese!!! OMG!!! We split the chicken parmesan for dinner and sat and talked and talked and talked. I needed to run to Wal Mart where we had so much fun just wandering the aisles, looking at shoes and being amazed at these really really really cute high heels that we found, and laughing at Mary trying to drive a jet ski on Wii Sports Resort.  Then we went to the bowling alley where we hung out waiting for the kid to get off work. So we had to play some more Lady Gaga on the juke box! She’s sooooo talented, even if she is a little unconventional. That’s probably why I like her so much!  Mary and I just enjoyed spending time together and hanging out! I miss her sooooo much while I’m in Washington.  So now it’s 230am here and I’ve been up for 20 hours so I am calling it quits. But I am looking forward to all of the adventures I get to have while being home!

Just stuff

So I’m feeling better and perkier than I have in a long time. I wish I new the magic formula to make that happen for everyone. I would never wish my illnesses on anyone but if I could give them this opportunity to see with the clarity that I am currently experiencing I would gladly do so. I would wish that they could experience the world the way I do because there are so many things that I experience differently and always have. I just never realized that what I was experiencing wasn’t the “norm.” It’s only been recently that I’ve really come to realize that my reality is very different than that of others. There are some symptoms I would love to share with others just because they are so bizarre. But I would never want anyone to be as intimate with their nervous system as I am with mine.  I won’t share the graphic details at this time but I will in a future post. Until then if you’re dying to know just ask, I’m an open book.
Back to clarity, I don’t think you reach true clarity without going thru some real thick muck.  And I’ve been through some merky mucky dark days. I’ve spent too many days sitting in the dark wondering when it’s going to get better, both literally and figuratively. I know that I will have to sit in the dark again in the future and that I will never have to ability to run a marathon or to climb a mountain. My body simply won’t let that happen for me.  But I gladly make that trade for exactly where I am at this moment. I know what I’ve been blessed with, I know the graces with which I live. Crawling onto that operating table in preparation to have my skull cracked open certainly puts life into perspective.  And since then I’ve been really busy with trying to get my life back into some kind of order. Trying to figure out what limitations I am going to have and what I don’t have to worry about. The cold hard truth is that I don’t have an answer for that, I will never have an answer for that, the specialists don’t have an answer for it either. I can’t be certain from day to day what I am going to feel like or what I am going to be able to do.  But I am just over worrying about it.  I will always have to travel with a suitcase full of drugs and with a shot of Toradol in my pocket. So I’ll never be able to run a marathon. Heck a simple 2 mile walk leaves me with more symptoms than I care to list or than you care to read.  I’m just tired of focusing on it. I’ve been so busy trying to figure out how I’m going to live, that I’ve been missing just living. Living up here so far from everything I’ve ever known has really given me an opportunity to get still for once in my life. And I’ve just remembered that I don’t like being still. So for now, I’m not going to be still.  It’s time to dance again…… even if I have to sit every other one out.

Fun things

So Friday I leave to go see my Kiddo! And I am so excited. I haven’t seen him in months and I miss him terribly. I am very blessed to be able to travel whenever I wish but it’s still not often enough! He will be turning 20! on the 27th. I cannot believe that I am old enough to have a kid that old. It seems like just yesterday that I was 20. Now my baby is turning 2o. So I can’t image what my parents feel like knowing that their baby just turned 40. Time just flies by.
Yesterday we took a walk to Target. It’s probably a mile over and a mile back. It was a nice day despite being a tad cool.  We both took light jackets with us.  So we went to look at the new Wii game, Wii Sports Resort, and I ended up falling in LOVE! First let me tell you that Wii Sports Resort is an AWESOME game. It offers archery, frisbee, table tennis, wakeboarding, kayaking, and much much much more. I am having a blast with this new game! I can’t wait to take it home and play with Brendon and with my PARENTS! They are avid Wii players. They play bowling, tennis, and gold daily. So I am anxious to see what they think of this new game. 
So, now let me explain what I have fallen in LOVE with. Brendon and I used to ride bikes regularly when we lived in San Antonio. And I have decided that it’s time to start riding again. When I am being a gypsy next year I plan on taking my bike with me whenever I can. So we took the two bikes we had to the shop, because the needed new chains and a bit of a tune-up. One of the two bikes would take more than we are willing to spend to fix it up. So we decided to fix up the bike that I used to ride and then to buy one new one. So while we were at Target we looked at bicycles. And this Schwinn was calling my name. 

How cute is this bike! I cannot wait! We decided that since the other bike is in the shop and I will be gone for a few weeks that there was no need to buy it right then and there.

So I went to the neurologist today and she is pleased with my progress and where I am for now. So no changes with my meds except that I can increase the amount of melatonin I take at night to help me sleep. So I am excited about trying that tonight to see if it helps me sleep soundly through the night.  I made a follow up for 3 months from now. So nothing exciting to report. 

Shopping

First off….. Welcome Terry to the 21st century!!! I am happy to have to commenting on my blog page. I’m honored to be the one to help bring you up to speed!! Terry is one of my dearest, sweetest friends from San Antonio!! She has this perfect way of sending the just the right thing to me at the right time.  She’s always had the amazing Faith about her and I am truly  blessed to call her my friend.  She always reminds me that there is a bigger reason for all of the challenges we face in life. Now she’s never really seen herself as being able to blindly walk on Faith. She’s always felt that hospitality has been more of her strong suit. But I’ve always seen her as the most Faith-full person I know.  So I once made her this little frame to remind her how much I see it and now she can see it too. Now for my favorite Terry story………
I was struggling with the fact that Arnold Chiari Malformation is not a common illness and that there are plenty of times that I have to explain to Doctors what it is.  Any time that I talk about being sick, I have explain what this is and what the symptoms are etc. I have even said that it’s frustrating because so many people don’t understand it, unlike wearing a pink ribbon, or a red ribbon.  Terry drew out and colored a ribbon just for me. She made it of sever different colors and she defined the reason behind each color.  That multi-colored paper ribbon is one of my prized possessions. I keep it in my inspiration book for when I’m stuck on a speed bump.   Thanks Terry I love you great big bunches!
So today,  I went to a small town arts and crafts festival. Well the festival wasn’t much to talk about but the town was ADORABLE. I loved wandering the antique stores, even if it did torture Mick. We didn’t spend much money but I got some really great Christmas ideas!!! I did buy a Vera Bradley pen to match my laptop bag! Too Cute!! Two of my favorite things. Vera Bradley and Pens!!
I would say it doesn’t get any better than that, but it does! We bought a Barefoot Contessa cake mix. Now I had one of them before and it was the best cake I have eaten! EVER! Even it was phallic in shape. Thank Katie for sharing your bridal shower cake with me!! Now I am anxiously awaiting tomorrow and this cake!
I did also have to make a stop at Wal-Mart for some supplies before going home this Friday. I always like being able to work on some sewing project with Mom.  Now my Wal-Mart here still has it’s fabric department. All over the country the fabric departments are dying off quickly and I think this is sooooo sad. I love being able to pick up fabric for as little as $2.oo a yard at Wal-Mart. I will be a very sad puppy when I’m no longer able to do so. I was able to buy some beautiful satin for 3.74 a yard which is perfect for what we will be working on. But you’ll have to wait to see what it is!!! I wouldn’t want to spoil the surprise.
I also had to make a stop by Bath and Body Works they had their antibacterial soaps for 7 for $2o.  That’s sooo cheap! When I was checking out the clerk said, “Oh, I see you really enjoy our Cucumber Melon.” I said “No that would be my husband.” He is crazy over that one. Who knew!
We then had a wonderful dinner with our darling friends Sean and Katie. J-Man came too and that kid is such a character. I soooo adore him! He is so expressive and has the best expressions. So full of energy! I wish he’d share some of it with me but he’s really busy driving Mom crazy with it. So he’s not sharing right now! Darn!
I really do have the best friends anyone could hope for. My life is truly blessed! Thanks to all of you for helping me stay connected and keeping life in perspective. I love you all, even the ones that didn’t get mentioned in this post. You all fill very important roles in my life and you all bring me blessings in ways that you’ll never truly know. I don’t know that I could ever be as great as all of you are. So I’ll just focus on trying to bring a smile to your face when I can. And for now I will  say right now to each and every one of you…… THANK YOU! I love each of you bunches and bunches!

Blogs and Dogs

Well, you can all see that I’ve changed my blogger AGAIN. The fact that I couldn’t get the other links to work properly in Internet Explorer was really driving me mad. So I gave it up and decided to create a new background and use a premade Blogger template and just tweak it.  I must tell all my friends that all the cute elements are coming from www. shabbyprincess.com. Now I’m not really a digital scrapbooker I prefer playing with papers, glitter and glue. But I think the stuff from Shabby Princess is too cute!!! They offer great free downloads, the best I’ve ever found, and their coordinates are awesome!
Every month they offer a free desktop background and I adore these.  This is my current desktop background

These backgrounds are sooooo easy. All you need a simple photo editor such as photoshop. The layouts are premade with holes for the photos. So all you need to do is layer the photos underneath the background, save and then post it as your background! Easy Peasy!
So please go visit www.shabbyprincess.com! It’s well worth your time.
So we took Ginger to the vet yesterday about the scratch on her eye. He numbed her all up and put the fluorescent drops in her eyes. I got to see with the blacklight what the scratch looks like on her eye.  It’s pretty big and this is the one eye she has without a cataract. Why couldn’t she have scratched the one with the cataract??? But, of course, isn’t this the way life works?? She will be left with a blurry spot in her vision but last week the oncologist said, “She doesn’t need to read the paper.” Which, I guess, is true; especially since we don’t even subscribe to the paper.
The vet was a little concerned about her catching the scratched spot with her dew claw while she is scratching and cleaning her face. Her eye is a bit bothersome so she does rub her face on the couch as a means of scratching it. She hasn’t been rubbing her face with her paw, but it’s not beyond comprehension. If she managed to catch the scratch she could rupture her eye. So since that is her good eye we need to do what we can to protect it. So he gave her a cute bandage to cover her dew claw.

She hasn’t even tried to take it off…she’s such a good patient!  But you can see that she’s kinda squinting out of her right eye. That’s the one with the big scratch. We have no idea what she did to cause the scratch! But eye injuries just aren’t fun. I know this one first hand because when I was 15 I was striking a match to light a candle.  Apparently the match head flew off and burned my eye. Luckily, I wasn’t wearing my contacts at the time or it could have been really bad. I do have a scar on my eye but it doesn’t affect my vision at all. So I sympathize with Miss Ginger. She’s taking after me! With all her medical problems.

Creating

Well, Hello World. I would first like to welcome my friend Adrienne to the world of Blogger!! She’s done a great job of blogging here and there but she has finally found a home here at fsubrat1969.blogspot.com.  Welcome A!! We’ve been waiting for you!
I did take some time to make some cards over the weekend. I really love making cards because you can send them to friends and show them how much you love them. You can just hang on to them for waiting for the perfect opportunity to send them. Or you can gift them…. this one is my favorite. I love making cards to give to someone else as a gift!! It’s a way for me to express to them how wonderful I think they are. Here are some of the cards I made over the weekend.  Some of them are being sent to my blog readers and I don’t want to spoil the surprise for them, so I didn’t post all of them.
 

I am still working on a solution for the quirky links on the new blogger page. I am thinking that I may have to give up and rethink the page. I don’t really want to do that as it’s so adorable.  But I can always make another one that is just as cute. So we shall see.
Today Miss Ginger goes back to the vet for her eye. It’s not healing as well as we would have hoped. So we would rather pay to have our AWESOME vet, Dr. Mike, look at it. It’s still so red and its itchy. She rubs her face on the couch as a means of scratching it. Poor baby!!!!

Happy 70th Birthday Dad

Wishing my dad a very very happy 70th birthday!
My Dad was born in Northwestern Oklahoma on August 3, 1939. He grew up in a rural community with hard working parents who taught he and his 3 siblings morals, integrity and the value of a dollar earned.

My Dad entered the Air Force in 1963 where he served as a hydraulic specialist, testing planes  and keep our country's airmen safe.
While in the Air Force he met and married my Mom, a small town girl from south central Arkansas. On August 7th they will be celebrating 45 years of happily wedded bliss. One of my favorite things about my Dad is that he and my Mom never really fought.  The worst thing my Dad ever said to my mother is “Damn it, Barbara Ann!” Now he did say that quite frequently.  When I was child, if you asked me what my Mom’s name was I was liable to tell you, “Damn it, Barbara Ann!”
   Circa 1970 something, my Dad is painting the carport that he built! As the youngest child, I was frequently used to hold wrenches or retrieve dropped nuts while my Dad was working on any given project.  My Dad has never been one to be idle.  He once brought home a Cub Cadet lawn tractor in parts and 5 gallon buckets, by the time he was done it looked brand new! He’s amazing with his hands. Thanks to him I certainly know which end of a screwdriver to use!

This photo is from the early 80s and was taken at my Grandmother’s house where we would visit so my father could go hunting.  My Dad taught me all about shotguns and how to shoot.  I have very very very fond memories of going hunting with my Dad and his brothers.  I, however, couldn’t quite keep up with them and when they would break for coffee and doughnuts, I would stay in the truck and sleep until they got back! I was blessed to learn such a valuable lessons from my Dad, so I could pass the information off to my own son.

My Dad is an avid fisherman. And I would tell you that he’s an ace at it too. But he frequently gets outfished by my Mom! They own a lake property and they both take great joy from fishing and enjoying the lake with their family.  Here he is with my niece, his oldest granddaughter in the early 90s. The kids always loved helping Papa drive the boat. They always felt so big!

My Dad and my son at the World’s Longest Yard Sale which runs highway 127 all the way through Kentucky, Tennessee and Georgia.  My Dad is holding an old hand plow and yes it’s upside down for easier wheeling around. We had such a good time on that trip.  My Dad even wanted to get some hand crafted handles for some of his garden decor similar to this hand plow and he ended up taking us into Amish country in search of handles!! But he got his handles and they are proudly displayed in his garden. Since retirement my Dad has become an amazing gardener.  He’s always been a gifted gardener; he’s kept one rose bush alive since 1970!!! But since retirement, he’s been able to spend time in his garden and his devotion really shows….. It’s beautiful! I’ll post pictures while I’m home!

HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD! I LOVE YOU GREAT BIG BUNCHES AND I AM BLESSED TO HAVE SUCH A GREAT DAD! THANKS FOR ALL THE LESSONS YOU TAUGHT ME… BELIEVE IT OR NOT, THEY DID SINK IN! I realized this when one day when I was carrying my son's trombone. I said as I handed the trombone back to Brendon, "Here take this, I don't play the trombone!" I remember some man saying that same thing to me about my clarinet or bassoon!

A Numbers Game

13 days, 4 months, $181.00, 6 hours, $22.00, and 1:30am. So I bet by now you are asking what all of this means. So let me explain where all these numbers fit into my day.
13 days, the number of days until I go home and get to spend time with the kiddo. He is such an awesome guy and I miss him so much. He’s funny, witty and always brings a smile to my face. He’s really doing well, taking a couple of online summer classes at college, working at the bowling alley full time now, and generally enjoying life. I would say doing what most 19 year olds are doing. But I’m not sure that most 19 year olds are as together as he is. He’s getting a clue about life and it’s nice to see.
4 months, the amount of time I have left here in Washington.

$181.00, the amount of money we spent for Miss Ginger’s chemotherapy meds. Each pill costs $3.00 each and she has to take 3 pills each night. So it adds up very very quickly. And we are spoiled because our personal health care coverage is so great that we don’t pay nearly that much for my meds and I’m on quite a few. So it’s always a hard pill to swallow, pardon the pun, when we have to shuck out that much for medication!
6 hours, the amount of time we have to wait before giving my sweet puppy her eye medicine.  She does have a big scratch on it and we have to put antibiotic gel in her eyes every 6 hours. She’s been on the medication for 5 days now and I had hoped we would see some improvement but we haven’t yet.
$22.00, the amount of my new Vera Bradley bag that matches my laptop bag. I needed something to carry my external storage in when I travel. I had found one at Barnes and Noble but it wasn’t nearly as cute as this one!!!!! My external drive fits perfectly in it with a little room to spare for the cords! Sometimes life can be magical! It’s the little things that make me so happy!

1:30am, the current time and I’m nowhere near sleep. Which is very typical for me. So that’s not unusual. What is weird is that our new duplex neighbors are still up and blowing smoke in our windows. Oh, that’s not weird…… but the fact that the baby (maybe 18 months) is still awake, should be considered weird. I even over hear the mom say to her as she is crying, “No more candy.” Uhhhh, ya think???!!!! It’s one thirty in the morning, maybe the baby should be in bed instead of eating candy! Ah, we are soooooo blessed by our white trash neighbors! Madness…….it’s just plain madness. And I continually know more and more about this neighbor as the days pass into weeks. She is soooooo loud that I hear every conversation she has while she is on the phone. I know that she’s on her boyfriend’s mother’s cell phone plan. And the mother is not happy because the loudmouth is burning through the minutes too quickly. And the loudmouth, doesn’t care about this. And I question the relationship with the boyfriend, because apparently he recently got drunk and bedded another girl.  I also know that loudmouth can’t afford to go anywhere because she doesn’t have enough money for gas, but I certainly know that she can afford cigarettes. She’s outside smoking enough to put 2 tanks a week in her car!
So it seems that today has been a numbers. And normally this would not be a good thing for me as I’m not a numbers person. My sister got that gene. But it was a good day. Out shopping, doing homework, taking care of Miss Ginger and just enjoying life. I realize that my life is far from perfect, but it keeps me darn happy. I’m not sure what more I could expect from life, or ask for out of life. I hope that all of you are finding the same satisfaction with your life that I am with mine. I’m truly blessed. And I’m sending my blessings your way!!!! Muah!