Wednesday, May 2, 2018

Wednesday - This and That......



It was one year ago today that Louis Dean was perched on the corner of the deck watching for the Home Depot truck to pull up to the gate.
He was as excited as a little boy waiting for some new toys!


This is the way it looked then.


We couldn't use the deck at all because of the morning son so we sat behind the camper for our coffee and Bible reading.
Then in the evening - or sometime after 4:00 - there was enough shade to move back around to the deck again.


As soon as the materials arrived Louis Dean set to work.
However, he soon realized he needed to level the deck.


He worked long and hard at that!
Rufus encouraged him on!
You can see what a cheer leader Rufus was in the last pic on the bottom.

I woke up in a good mood this morning - especially after I saw some of these photos come up in 
My Memories on Facebook.

I made two trips to the dentist today.
When you get new teeth, there is some tweaking to be done.
Today the permanent lining was put in my bottom teeth.
I had to leave them at the dentist office all day. Truth is I have not been able to wear them since I cracked them Friday night eating fresh broccoli with Ranch dressing over in Quadville. 

I am on a quest for good health these days.
My lab reports came back and after years of adjusting the dose for both my blood pressure and my cholesterol - they both came back good!!
I had thyroid cancer in 1988 and thankfully my synthroid dose has only changed twice since then with long years between the changes. Surprisingly, that lab test showed I needed to reduce the dose.
And my liver enzymes were elevated.
I was diagnosed with nonalcoholic fatty liver disease back in 2009. Fortunately, the number was only slightly elevated from normal and stayed that way each year since - until this checkup.
So I need to do all I can to get my liver healthy again - or as healthy as possible.
First - that means no wine for 2 months. My doctor said to limit my wine but I decided it would be better to completely cut it out for the time being. She added some supplements such as fish oil and such so I made a stop by our local health food store to stock up on things. 

After that stop, I went over to visit Reaoma.


She has always been beautiful and you can see that she still is.
They were all being taken to the dining room for lunch when I arrived so I fed her today.
The aid who usually does this said she hasn't been eating as well lately.
They puree her food now to make it easier for her to swallow.
Her body has shut down to the point that chewing and swallowing is an effort that wears her out.


When they brought her plate out, I took her fork and ate a tiny bite of each food.....
green beans (well seasoned ), mashed potatoes (well seasoned ), and something white with chicken. 
I couldn't quite figure out what it was - chicken and dumplings perhaps.
That was the only thing that was not tasty.
I was inordinately proud when she nearly joined the Clean Plate Club!!
I asked the staff about dessert - Reaoma loves her sweets - and they brought of a sorbet which she finished off completely.

So it was a good visit with my friend.

When I got home I had to do all the meds for Louis Dean and myself for the next four weeks.


With all the additional supplements - and they are LARGE in size and HEAVY in weight - I had to find us a bigger bag for all our pills!!


I head finished all of my boxes except for the night ones and I was out of vitamin C.
I take two to activate another medicine I take every night.
SO! We went to the drug store and back to fill those boxes and it was time to go back to the dentist.
Before I left, I realized I would not have enough of one of Louis Dean's so I called that one in to the pharmacy. After I got home, I asked him to go get it since I was already starting to stress out. You need to be a rocket scientist to keep up with all these medicines.
And since I was developing a bad mood - I told LD I would be out pulling weeds - always a great way to work off steam that builds up.
He came back with the milk and the 7 Up - and no meds.
They must have fallen out of the bag as he threw it in the back seat.
He hurried back to the pharmacy and I threw myself into pulling up each and every weed BY ITS ROOTS!
God loves Louis Dean! He came home with the medicine!
It had, indeed, fallen out of the bag and a nice lady had picked it up and turned it in to the pharmacy.
Praise God!

Isn't it amazing what stresses us out? And how little it takes?



I am happy to say that I chilled out after getting the front planter nearly all weeded!
Well, not really NEARLY all but I got a lot done!


I'll  close with this pretty photo from this day last year up at the big tank.

Tomorrow we go back to Quadville for the weekend and I'm not even going to take my laptop!
Just to let you know, I probably won't blog for another day or two since we won't be home until Saturday evening.


Isn't this the truth??
Attitude is most often a choice.....a conscience choice.
It was for me today.
I'm glad I made the right choice .......
and Louis Dean is happier about that than I am!!!



22 comments:

Ginny Hartzler said...

I believe those pretty pink flowers are primroses. We have a lot around here. I am so glad you had a good checkup. Except for your liver. I hope the supplements and no wine really help!! I have about this many meds, too. A big basket full, then a smaller basket. I divide mine out four days at a time. I hope you have a blast in Quadville!!!!

Joy@aVintageGreen said...

Weeding is a good way to make cranky go away - end result is positive (weeds gone) and progress can make you feel happier again. Whew ! Look forward to reading your next post when you return home from time with the kids.
Hugs.
Joy

Bluebird49 said...

Oh, I hope that whatever you do, it makes your liver healthier! It has always been easy for me to get stressed out, it seems! Sometimes, even as I sit and read, I'll realize I am not breathing slow and steady as my husband does.
My grandson David, called and Facetimed with me about an hour earlier. That is something that always makes me happy. He had his second Remicade infusion yesterday, and I really pray that it will be the magic bullet for his Crohns disease! I'm glad you and !this Dean can go down and spend time with Amber-- the quads will be happy, and I know you all will be, too!
Realms looks pretty still! I know she picks up when she sees you! There foods at Mama',s rest home that we couldn't identify, either. ��
I will miss you when you don't post! I look forward to it.
Hope your teeth will be comfortable now! I have never had good teeth, and it isn',t easy, especially when bone density lowers. Ugh!
Y'all have have a good day tomorrow!!

Bluebird49 said...

Wish I could remember to proof read before I push publish! This touch tablet is annoying to my old shaky hands! 😨

Carole said...

Wishing you your family and readers good health! Cheers

BeachGypsy said...

glad you are getting those dentist appointments taken care of! How many more 'til you are done? Glad y'all are headed to a fun visit with the kids...they will be so excited to see y'all! Have a great time!

Aloha Acres said...

Weeding is good therapy. I'm sorry you had a stressful day, but as always, it looks like you made the best of it. As Scarlett would say, "Tomorrow is another day"

Susie said...

Linda, I think you and LD hold up well together. I try to not sweat the small stuff, but by golly it can all add up at times. Stress is the worse thing that we go through. The dentist would be enough for me. LOL. Glad you fed Reaoma. Maybe you were more patient than the staff. Or talked about things she loved. Good to look back over the year with pictures. Enjoy the quads. I know you and LD will. Blessings to all, love you, xoxo, Susie

Arlene G said...

I get stressed easily as well Linda....must be a first born trait as we try to please everyone. :) Hope you have fun with the quads. Enjoy your weekend.

NanaDiana said...

I am so glad you are taking care of your health. My dad used to say that if you didn't have your health you didn't have anything. He had Parkinson's and I think he was right.

Hope your dental work turns out okay and that you truly enjoy your new porch that LD has been working on so faithfully. xo Diana

I'm mostly known as 'MA' said...

There is nothing like working out doors to lift your spirits. You made a wise choice indeed. Nice to see those pictures from last year. They make you realize just how far you've come. Hope the next few days are all good ones for you !

Tina said...

Oh Linda I do enjoy your posts and that last quote really hit home with me! We don't always have a lot of control about what happens in our lives but we can control how we choose to deal with it! Glad to hear you finally got the medications all sorted out AND managed to keep your mood in check in the process! And your yard is looking wonderful as a side benefit! Louis Dean has worked so hard on the construction of your "home away from home" and you have worked equally hard on beautifying it! You guys are such a great team and an inspiration! Have a wonderful weekend with the quads!

Changes in the wind said...

What sweet memories of a year ago and LD does look so excited. Glad you had a good dr. report and have wonderful week-end with the quads.

MadSnapper said...

two things. If i were there to help, i would get nothing done but hugging on Rufus. and in our house, Bob KNOWS to stay out of the kitchen when i am filling the med boxes. there are 3 weekly boxes for me and 2 for him and i am really cantankerous while doing them. i agree about the rocket science... and you have more than i do.... your home away from home has really chaned since they started.

Rain said...

Hi Linda :)) Rufus is the perfect cheerleader lol...ours are the same! :) I loved reading your post, gosh sorry about all the dental visits...I'm NOT a fan of the dentist...I get way too scared and usually cancel appointments until it's absolutely necessary! I'm so happy about your test results and your health! EEEK! 2 months without wine? Not sure I could be that brave lol! ;) Alex and I have been tweaking our diet slowly but surely, eliminating all processed foods, making our own, growing our own, going organic and using natural cleansers and soaps. Gotta get away from all those chemicals. I take fish oil daily to help manage depression, it's wonderful. Hope you have a wonderful weekend sans-the-internet!!! :)

DUTA said...

Fish oil (Omega 3) is a must in any house. It's good for everything and everyone.
Enjoy your weekend!

Carole said...

I do drink tea sometimes, mainly if I don't feel that well - but I use a tea bag - I like Earl Grey. Cheers

bj said...

Glad your day ended on a good note.
Stress can make a body sooo sick..it amazes me.
Hoping your weekend will be a really good one.....

Judy said...

Smiling about your missing med's story...and your bad mood...and gals it all ended well! Have a great weekend and we'll hear from you 'on the other side' of it. :)

Vee said...

Yes, I have noticed stress levels and what tends to crank me...almost everything. 😊 As I grow older, there’s more on the list so I am going to have to learn to cope better. Yay for honest folks! Now why didn’t the pharmacy call to say the meds had been turned in?

Every little thing is going to work out in the end...may we all learn to lean on The One Who makes the difference. Saying a little prayer for all concerns and for dear Reaoma.

Pondside said...

So sorry to hear about all the dental pain - I hope it is resolved soon! Thank goodness for the honesty of the person who found the meds!

Carla said...

I can't believe someone actually turned the medicine back in like that. Awesome. What no wine for 2 months. Well okay I've been know to go without wine for long periods of time and then boom I want wine like the last two weeks. Hope you're doing well now. Have you thought about buying the pill holders and filling up 4 of them for each of you to avoid carrying all those bottles. I finally got David to use a pill holder. Takes up less room. Hugs