Getting all my Ducks in a Row.....

 Monday morning, as Louis Dean and I sat out on the kitchen deck with our coffee, 

.....this beautiful butterfly came to visit.

We usually see some critter or another just about every morning..... dragon flies, bumblebees, birds, or - as was the case a few days ago - an ugly rat! It ran down the pole of the bird feeder and under the fence! The good news is - we also have a full grown oppossum living under our deck and, guess what? They love to eat rats! The reason we KNOW we have an oppossum? The other night Louis Dean was sitting on the driveway waiting for me to come out, when one sauntered right up to where he was sitting and looked at him.

Louis Dean said, "Well, hello there!" That's when our friend turned around and headed back across the front yard.

I have surgery scheduled for in the morning so I've been getting all my ducks in a row.

First thing - Summer and I went for pedicures at Hollywood Nails on Beltline Road.

They do excellent work! Louis Dean had a pedicure a month or so ago and he said it was the best one he'd ever had!

Summer really needed a little TLC.....

We both chose pumpkin colors!

My big toes have had two surgeries on them and they got shorter with each one.

I'm not complaining because without the surgeries, I would be crippled up.

We decided to go to Chilli's for lunch and margaritas to celebrate.

It was SO good.

So - one task done!

Next up? Aldi!

I wanted to make sure we had a stocked fridge during my recovery.

Summer had her basket and I had mine and we rendezvoused  over in the dairy section.

I had already picked up a gallon of milk and needed some eggs. The cart just inside the door to the refrigerated room was empty - but there were two full carts stacked with eggs right behind it. So I opened the door and walked in and picked up my two dozen eggs. Then when I tried to open the door to get out - it wouldn't open!! I was so glad to see Summer! I was knocking on  the door and the other shoppers were just staring at me. She said, "That's my MAMA!" and opened the door for me!!

Turned out - I was pushing on the wrong side of the door so I wasn't really locked in after all!

Still......it was one of those 'I Love Lucy' moments!

I came home and put up groceries, started laundry and did a few more chores before deciding to take a nap at 6:30. It felt so good that when I woke up, I fixed a glass of tea and went back to bed for the night. Poor Louis Dean didn't know what to think.

Tuesday I had a pre op appointment at the hospital and arrived one HOUR early!!

I couldn't believe it, either! Once again, Summer had come over to go with me and we had dropped a goodie bag off at Kimmy and June's on our way to Arlington.

Turns out that being early was a good thing - I went to the wrong hospital!

I was at USMD instead of Medical City!

I assumed this was the right hospital since I'd had my EKG there.

It took a good half hour for them to figure out I was at the wrong one so I arrived at Medical City - still a little early - for my 12:30 appointment!

Checked that off and then we picked up some pizzas on our way to visit Jesse.....

This time he was not in bed!

Slowly but surely, he is healing and doing well with his physical therapy.

I have to admit, I was not feeling well at all. So deeply tired and my neck and shoulders hurt and I had a headache. I loved hearing my son and daughter visit - you know that's music to a mother's heart! But I was fading fast and still had a few more things to do that day.

As in pick up a prescription for antibiotics. I have yet another UTI!

SO happy I have this surgery scheduled.

We stopped at Walgreens in Irving and then drove to the Sports Clips in Grapevine where Yulisa works.

Summer was trying to check us in on her phone but I just got out of the car and went on in.

Yulisa had already checked me in when I sent her a text saying we were on our way.

I gave her a big hug and then settled down while she worked her magic.

Not only did she give me a great hair cut - and is there anything that can relax you like having someone do your hair???  Then she shampooed my hair after she put a hot lavendar scented towel over my face. Ahhhhhhh.......I was feeling better already!

But wait! There's more! Not only did the shampoo chair have a built in massager - Yulisa gave me a shoulder massage after that!

Now it was Summer's turn!

I was feeling so much better by now and I LOOKED a whole lot better!!

Thank you, Yulisa!

Our last stop - Trader Joe's!

Another reason I love September!

It's the start of 'Pumpkin Season!'

I liken walking through the doors of Trader Joe's to the same way I feel when I enter a Starbuck's.

There's the very same kind of  'AH' moment!

I had not seen ANY pumpkins in the stores yet so I was excited!

How special was this??

I bought several bags of the Orange Chicken and Vegetable Fried Rice for easy meals next week as well as a few other good thing!

Summer drove us home by way of Los Colinas.....

and we saw this!

Normally, there's flowers here but they have been replaced with American flags.

Back home and it was nearly 7:00......

I was in bed by 8:00. I don't usually go to bed so early and certainly not two nights in a row!

Today has been a cleaning, cooking, laundry day.

Changed the bed linens, cleaned the bathrooms, vacuumed the entire house and that's something I won't be doing again for awhile. Vacuming is a real total body workout!

My bag is packed and I will only be gone one night. 

I will be going to bed as soon as I close out this journal entry as I have to be there at 7:30 in the morning for a 9:45 surgery which will take about 90 minutes.

Louis Dean loves to give me unexpected cards 'just because' and sometimes they are sweet, other times funny....and then there's .....

THIS one!!

It did make me laugh!!!