Home Days, Hockey, Trader Joe's, and Tuesday Treasuures and our Very First Fall Weather Day!

 Saturday we meant to go to Harrison's hockey game - and alas - we did not.

I felt like I was completely out of energy and needed a day to rest and recuperate.

This happens more and more frequently.

I am owning up to my age - 76 - and am making peace with my limitations.

That's a humbling thing and I have struggled with this for some time now.

I admit to being a bit blue from time to time and yet I press on to the things I need to do and the one I need to take care of - my beloved.

No longer am I available to fill the needs of others as I am totally involved with taking care of Louis Dean.

We are keeping a low profile and staying home for days at a time.

This is good for both of us and I am working in the gardens and using the estabished plants I already have - to propagate into my new beds.

The more we stay at home the more we stay at home.

Home on Saturday was a blessing.

Louis Dean did the things that he does and I did my 'keeping at home' things.

By the end of the day, I felt so much better.

It's easy for me to get overwhelmed with things and I purposely have to step back and seek the Lord for wisdom, discerment and understanding.

I asked Louis Dean what was going on in his mind and he said, "I feel like I have no idea what I am supposed to be doing." I told him, "No worries! I will tell you!"

We continue to treat each other with humor, love and kindness and that makes our life together so much easier than some who are dealing with dementia and Alzheimer's.

Still - it is a progressive condition and life changes happen day by day.

We continue to enjoy and appreciate our time together and I am so grateful for our life!

Sunday we rallied round and went to Harrison's hockey game and I am so glad we did.

We watched Fellowship church online and then went to Plano for the hockey game.

Louis Dean cannot handle back to back activities anymore so I thought it was important for him to be a part of Harrison's hockey experience. Relationships matter and I have to pick and choose what we do now since we can no longer do it all.

It was a good game and Louis Dean only had eyes for his daughter when she snapped that pic!

And she IS his legal daughter as he officially adopted her in 2013.

Amber and Harrison!

I need to buy me some purple things!

So where was Mike and Trystan, Kailey and Logan???

At a hockey tournament in Las Vegas!

And they did so WELL!!

After we left the ice rink on Sunday afternoon, I shopped at Trader Joe's.

I love that store.

I went to my doctor appointment on Monday and I do, indeed, have a UTI.

It's not a raging one as I have had so many of those in the past but it is a significant one.

Thanks to the Rx and treatment I am already on - I am not where I used to be when I had a bladder infection. My PA said that stress increases my already compromised immune system. From now on I will be seeing her every six months. 

A dear friend recommended some things to keep these infections at bay and I have started doing what  she suggested me. Still waiting for the culture to come back so I can start the correct antibiotics.

Monday was a rest and recover day and I puttered around here at home.

I love these 'Home Days' and they are like therapy to me.

We had an easy dinner from Trader Joe's and I was in bed before 8:00!

Still under the weather on Tuesday but I did not miss Treasure Hunting with Brenda.

She's such a good friend to me!

I found a hodge pod of goodies!

I'm redoing the walls in the guest room and this will live in there.

The metal Capuccino sign is now hanging outside on the fence where we will see it every monrning as we sit out there with our coffee.

I'm looking forward to using this dish for cheese/meat/crackers at the cocktail hour on the driveway soon.

$0.30!!!

WHY did I buy this??

It doesn't fit any of the switches here!

I've slowly replaced most of my switch plates - they were so cleverly disguised that people couldn't find them! Once Son Dean came over to spend the night while we were away and he said he had to grope around in the dark because he couldn't see how to turn the lights on!

And never mind that I use power strips in several places here - and they are covered with faux fall leaves and such. Only I know where to put my hand in and click the strips on!

I was looking for some purple things and found some!!

Brenda found the super nice Chico top in a deep dark purple.

I'm all set!

She also found this sweet lace dress topper for me.

AND this fancy black slinky top!

I grilled steaks on Tuesday night and made a carmelized onion and cabbage side dish.

Wednesday was our first real fall-like day and I was so excited about it that I was up early!

Louis Dean didn't know it was so chilly when he said, "I'll meet you with coffee outside!"

He didn't last long before he came in and siad, "It's COLD!"

We had our first fireplace of the season!!

We love watching the flames flicker and we sat there enjoying the comforting sounds of twigs snapping and the delicious aroma of a fall fire!

It was my 'AH' moment!

I had planned on making oatmeal and bacon when the first cool weather arrived and I cooked it smiling big and with a happy heart!

I was also waiting for cooler temps to change out my closet and that's exactly what I did!

I'm doing it in stages and sorting and tossing anything I don't just love!

My dinner plans for the first fall dinner was either beef stew or chili......

Chili won!

Peach cobbler using my mother's recipe made the dessert!

A perfect fall evening!!!

Today (Thursday) we enjoyed another fire and the peace and solitude nearly made me weap tears of contentment. Who knew a change in weather could bring such deep feelings of gratitude?

Louis Dean wandered off and was doing things in his room - as in looking for his billfold which he has completely and totally lost and I cannot even imagine where in the world he put it!

I took advantage of his being busy to linger long in the den with my coffee, Bible, prayer journal, diary and devotional book.

Oh, the blessings of an October day....