Here I Am Again

Seems like it's been forever ago again since I've posted, but it's only been a week.  Did you miss me?  Hehe, it's ok if you didn't, just don't tell me you didn't.  Well, let's see, where'd I leave off last time?

**The garden - plenty  of zucchini - some hide & get huge.  The lemon cucumbers are absolutely prolific. The corn has finally started showing some silk & ear growth. The tomatoes are slowly ripening.  Most has been given to the neighbors or others.

**The neurosurgeon - appointment went well; was clear to point out though that a reparation surgery will NOT ease any of the pain, it's osteoarthritis, but should help with swallowing issues - one of the prosthetic pieces juts out creating a 'speed bump' in his throat- it will be removed or replaced.  

**I'm planning on heading home 8/7, but then returning 8/25 or 8/26.  I calculated my time since 1/1/14 through 8/7: 130 days here, 80 days at home, and 8 days on the road.  Seems to be a disparity in my time splits...would sure like to be home more, and I suppose I could if I planned my time better, and could trust that my dad wouldn't start having issues as soon as I leave.  When I went to quilt camp, the very next day he went to the doctor to get something for his anger/anxiety/depression.  I'm already hearing rumblings of 'issues' that he may go to the doctor on before I get back.  It's a challenge.

Well, on to some fun stuff.  The local county fair is on.  My cousin's 11-year old son is in 4-H and has a sheep for his project.  Yesterday was showing as a market lamb, today was showmanship.  His sheep, aptly named Custer (he'll be auctioned for slaughter) weighs more than the boy, and these incredibly dumb, defenseless sheep, can be quite cantankerous - a bit like a rodeo.

Custer misbehaving a bit.  Custer is buddies with the sheep held by the boy in blue so was doing everything he could to be next to him.

Hold on tight!

This was a different sheep for showmanship.  It was a little better behaved than Custer, but not much. 

I tried to upload a video but could only get an error message :(  boo Blogger!  The video shows the sheep rearing up a few times and eventually breaking away and being chased down.  It also shows another 4-H-er's sheep rearing up and bopping the poor gal right in the face, but she eventually got it under control again.  

While at the fairgrounds, nostalgia took over as I wandered into the arena where I don't think I've been in 45 years!  I too was in 4-H with my horse at fair competitions and my mom & I had joined a local horse group that met at that arena every Saturday night to ride for a couple of hours.  I haven't had a horse of my own to ride since those days, and the memories made me tear up as I looked around the arena building seeing it not look much different - maybe new benches.  Oh how I would have loved to be back in the saddle exercising a horse.  How I miss it, and how I regret having let go of that part of my life to follow a boy to the 'big city'. 

Also yesterday I took my aunt and went to one of my favorite quilt shops and spent a whole lot of money.  I'll write about that over at Webs of Threads in coming days - hopefully Sunday for an updated stash report - it isn't pretty, but then, that depends on how you view it.  I also realize I'd promised to write about, and haven't, a tool I purchased during quilt camp, so will try to get that done over there too.

Well, tonight we get to go swimming at a pool in a neighboring town.  My aunt and I will be going with one of my cousins and her kids.  I'm not sure if the other cousins are going or not.  Tomorrow will be a quilt show in the morning over at the coast and it's also my dad's 81st birthday though he doesn't like celebratory stuff.  Saturday we're going back down to the coast where his youngest daughter lives to celebrate the birthday of one of her daughters.  Then I hope the next five days I'm here are calmer - one has a doctor appointment for my dad and is just an annual checkup.

Another Mom Update

My mom is still hospitalized.  It was originally believed she would be able to be released Friday (1/31), but it's now looking like it could yet be another week or two.  The nurse says they're just assessing her day by day.  

After an abdominal surgery for her ailment, the body has to resume functioning normally and as yet hasn't, and she cannot be released until it does.  She's on a liquid diet and hasn't yet held down solid foods, so those processes are slow.  She's 80 and lengthy hospital stays alarm me.

She's not a happy camper, and I'm not sure any one would be in her position, so all prayers would be appreciated.  

I'm still attempting to assess if there's a legitimate 'need' for me to travel there (my parents keep saying no), versus just going to lend support and to ease my own concerns.  I have to weigh our own financial situation with Marty's unemployment along with Nick's means of getting to school and his piano lessons.  Life can be complicated at times with decisions seemingly impossible to calculate.

Committing it to the Lord.

Thursday This & That

It's the last day of October.  I don't like Halloween and it's celebrations. I find no joy in answering "Trick or Treat" to see if it's little kids in cute fairy costumes outside my door, or far-too-big kids hiding behind evil depictions to get "free" candy that cost me a fortune. 

In the past, I have acquiesced to Marty and let Nick go trick-or-treating a number of times so he hasn't missed out on any childhood rites of passage.  Tonight though, Nick & I will hide out in our respective rooms to keep busy and leave all the downstairs and outside lights off.  Marty has his usual Thursday night out with the guys and they'll be meeting up at a Starbucks. 

October 31st is also the day that, in 1987, my then S.O. passed away from cancer.  It was the day before his 40th birthday. Hard to believe that ordeal was 26 years ago.  The Lord made big changes in my life at that time and has equally provided blessings and trials since. 

Oh, and before I forget, Marty came through his surgery fine, though almost had to spend an extra night in the hospital.  He isn't experiencing as much pain as he expected, he always fears the worst, so is doing pretty well. 

Nick has his piano lesson today after school, then after that we need to stop at a store for a few items.  I haven't figured out what to fix for dinner, so maybe something will strike me while I'm at the store.  Since I made a soup for lunch, I might just feed Marty leftovers from last night, and Nick can have his imitation crab sandwich and I'll punt, popcorn sounds good fixed with melted butter and grated Parmesan cheese.  Yum.

I'll spend the evening working on October's NewFO or think about what I can put on my November Get It Done list.  Did I miss October's, guess I'd better go check.

Yesterday on my return home from taking Nick to school, I came upon an accident that had happened no more than 5 or 10 ten minutes prior.  A young man riding a small bicycle rode against the red light as a city utility truck was coming through from the left on a green light and was struck and killed.  Very tragic, yet as tragic as it is, it's one of those pet peeves of mine, that of bicyclists who have no regard whatsoever for the rules of the road.  Now his life is gone, his family will be grieving his loss (if they find out who he is - not carrying i.d.), the driver who hit him must now live with that, even though he was not in the wrong.  And countless other drivers, like me, who had to see the bicycle still stuck under the truck, and his lifeless body on the pavement as it had not yet been covered.  I am fully of the mindset these days, that bicyclists need to undergo training, testing and licensing before being allowed on the streets and roadways and that infractions by them should be ticketed and fined the same as other vehicle infractions.

After Surgery

Praising the Lord for my mom's surgery which went well and was finished earlier than expected. She's not experiencing any pain yet, but I expect some will hit eventually. She was also released from the hospital and home by 10:00 this morning. On Monday she will go in to have the drain tube removed, Lord willing, and for the results of the tests on the lymph nodes. For some reason this particular hospital had to send them to a larger town for biopsy rather than check them during the surgery. Still praying that the cancer has not travelled.