Saturday, April 30, 2011

After the Storms

I haven't been able to blog because our router has been down. We've been watching TV and seeing all of the destruction the tornadoes have done. It's impossible to fathom the emotion of all of the people who have been touched by the storms. We were so blessed to have been passed over by the tornadoes. There has been wide spread destruction done in Alabama and surrounding Southern states. The majority of it was in Alabama and most of the deaths. The storms wreaked havoc at the Brown's Ferry Nuclear Plant near us and caused all of Madison county (H'ville and Hazel Green) lines to be without electricity. It may be a week until they get all of the power lines reconnected so Madison county can have power.

Athens was spared and we have electricity. Without power, the gas stations in Madison county haven't been able to pump gas so the people have come over to Athens and Limestone county to get gas and food. The highways have been over flowing with cars and any place that had food and ice were packed. I went to town Thursday after the storms to go to Curves and Walmart, but the traffic was so bad on Hy 72 that I turned around and came home without anything. I went to Walmart today and there was no meat, frozen foods, eggs, cottage cheese and most of the things I was going after! I don't know when they will be stocked up again.

I got gasoline at the Shell station where I usually buy, but the pump was so slow that it took forever to get 9 gallons. I still had 1/2 a tank but I don't like to let it get that low before I fill up again. The price was $3.75 a gallon. I came home and didn't have any meat so I cooked a tomato and rotini and TVP dish that wasn't too bad. It could have used some tomato sauce but I didn't have any so I just added another can of tomatoes. Thank heavens we have electricity.

Horrible Weather of April 27, 2011

Horrible  Weather of April 27, 2011


It really began about 4:30 AM Wednesday morning. We were asleep so we didn’t know anything about it. By 8:00 AM another storm was rolling through. There were tornado warnings in it, but we just watched it on TV. After that bout of bad weather and rain, it slacked up and I was about to go to town for some groceries. I decided not to when I realized another storm was coming and would catch me at Walmart.

Sure enough, I would have been out in the storm had I not stayed at home. There were tornado warnings with this storm too but we just watched it on TV. The television was full of all the foul weather coming from the West and South West. The weather sirens were going off constantly and the rain was severe. We watched the TV carefully to see where the storms were headed. There were tornadoes on the ground but not around us.

Sometime that afternoon, Frank said, “Let’s go to the basement”. We gathered up all of our important papers and meds, got the birds in their carriers and went too the basement. We got situated in our safe room and waited. I went back upstairs to see what the weather was doing and saw that the storm had passed us by. We came back upstairs but left the birds in their carriers and our important stuff in the basement in case we had to flee again.

No tornadoes came near us, but did do much destruction in the Tanner and other areas near us. A large tornado hit Tuscaloosa, the home of the University of Alabama and killed a few people there.

The tornadoes hit in Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia and Tennessee but the most destruction was in Alabama. President Obama came to Tuscaloosa to see the damage and said federal money would be available.

It was said that 91 tornado warnings had been issued. The devastation was wide spread and it was horrible to see people’s homes nothing but a pile of rubble. Over 100 people were killed in Alabama alone.

It was really a day of unbelief. Wave after wave of storms came with little relief. We had to stay by the TV and radio to know what was happening and where. After the “all clear” was issued, we could relax and go to bed knowing we would be safe.

Tuesday, April 26, 2011

Walls Torn Down

The retaining walls are town down. I went outside and watched the South wall come down. The Iris and the small trees at the top of the North wall are all gone. I watched the scooper scoop them away. It's amazing how the operator of the machine can carefully, almost gently, place the bucket of the machine anywhere he wants it. We're supposed to have more bad weather tonight and all day tomorrow so they won't be working here.

The middle of the country and the South is having repeated storms and flooding and tornadoes. We have been fortunate so far. We have just had rain and no tornadoes. Plus, we have no place to flood. The Lord's voice is heard in nature and it is a voice of warning. All of the 10 Commandments are being broken, plus many vile and degradable behaviors are sanctioned by society at large. The last days are here, and we shall reap the rewards of our actions.

Monday, April 25, 2011

Trip To Hartselle

Taught my class today and went to Karen's for scripture study. Got home and got ready to take Rosko and Rikki to Hartselle to see Dr Jan for their trims. It was an uneventful trip except that I some how didn't see the turn off I should have taken and missed it. There was another Hartselle turn off and I took that, but I realized that I had messed up and turned around at the Faulkville-Eva exit. My mind must have been of the traffic to miss the turn off. I've been going there for 21 years and never had this problem!

The birds wings didn't need much trimming but their beaks and toe nails did. I got back home at 5 PM. Rosko was tired and wanted to go to bed about 6:15 PM. Dr Jan gave me some herbal capsules to sprinkle over Gert's food to take "the edge" off his behavior. He is afraid of hands and won't come out of the cage. This medicine is supposed to mellow him, if it works.

The work begins on the retaining walls tomorrow. I plan to take a lawn chair out and watch them. I love to watch other people work! They brought some sort of machine over today and parked it out back.

Some fire ants have set up residence at the end of the sidewalk. I used Raid on them when they were near the front steps, but they just moved on down the sidewalk and began their nest building again. I have some powered fire ant poison that I will have to put on them tomorrow before they take over the place.

Saturday, April 23, 2011

Beautiful Saturday

The weather is just marvelous nowadays. The wind was blowing gently and it was 88 degrees. Wish it could stay this way all year round.

It being a Saturday, I stayed home. I vacuumed the floors and played the piano for 1 1/2 hours. I did practice the Primary music. Tomorrow is Easter. I have some new clothes to wear for once. Usually, I don't get anything for Easter but this year it just worked out that I have something new to wear.

We cut papers for the bird cages and folded and stapled papers for Gert's cage. He hasn't been out of his cage and away from it since Dec '10. He'll climb on top of his cage but doesn't want anyone to come near him while he's out. He won't get on my finger. I think we're going to spray him through his cage tomorrow for a bath. He won't like it, but he does need to get his feathers wet. The other two birds will get out of their cages and will take a shower in the bath tub.

Friday, April 22, 2011

The Out Back

Mr Crews came out and talked about the retaining walls. He plans to have his crew here Monday morning early. We moved the pipe that connects the propane tank to the house. They will move the tank when they start working on the walls.

After lunch, I went to Goody's to try and find a bolero-type wrap. The white sweater I have is really too big but I wear it anyway. I didn't find a wrap but I did get 4 blouses. I needed a fancy, black blouse to go with a new skirt I have. I found one and I found a white and black blouse that looked like the new skirt I have. I figured that if it didn't match the skirt, I could wear it with my black skirts. Well, it matched perfectly! I got the skirt and blouse at different stores! Go figure! I got a blouse that matched a pair of knee highs I already had and another pull over that was only $8.00.  I really need no more clothes now. I have two patterned skirts that need matching colored blouses but I don't know when I'll try to find them.

I've been playing the piano more and enjoying it. The new piano glasses help. They stay on the piano all the time so I have no excuse for not sitting down and tinkling the ivories. I need to get the Primary music out and play through the book. That way, I'll be prepared to play anything on Sunday.

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Hair Cut

I had let my hair get long, for me, and I had a hair appointment at 11:30 AM. Kari gave me a good cut. I got the works, a shampoo and blow dry. Usually, I go with clean hair and just let it air dry. It only cost $16.00 for that and $20.00 for a blow dry, plus the tip. It felt good getting worked on!

I went to Curves after the hair cut. They will be closed tomorrow, for Good Friday, so I wanted to get my third work out for this week. I didn't work that hard. Don't know if it was because I had gone the day before or not. I was the only one there again. After Curves, I went to Walmart to return Dad's suspenders.

We went out back of the house to see if the back wall needed painting. The new retaining walls will be freshly painted and I don't think it will look good if the wall isn't painted too. There were small trees growing in where I have some white Iris and the Iris are beginning to bloom. All of that area will be torn out when the new wall is made. Perhaps I can salvage the bulbs that will be dug up. Mr Crews wants to begin work Monday. He's coming to look at the area tomorrow. He saw it about one year ago. Frank has some questions he wants to ask him. We are getting new gravel on the road that goes around the house and the road that comes from the street to the house. That will be great for the road that comes to the house from the street is pretty worn. Next we need new kitchen cabinets and the house will be in pretty good shape.

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

No Blogs?

I don't know why I didn't blog Monday or Tuesday. Maybe it got too late and I forgot or  didn't want to fool with it.

Today I was up at 6:45 AM but I lollygagged around until it was too late to go to exercise class. I spent some time back in bed and then got up and went to Curves. It will be closed on Friday so unless I go tomorrow I'll only get two days in this week. I have a hair appointment tomorrow so I could go after that. My hair has gotten long and curly-not long in the back or over the ears-but long for how I usually wear it. It will be good to get it shorter all over.

Mr Crews is coming over tomorrow to discuss replacing the retaining walls in back of the house. Over the years, 30 plus, the mortar and blocks have rotted or whatever concrete does when it gets too old. We really need to replace our kitchen cabinets and the house would be in good shape.

Trudy will be going home Sunday which is Easter. Hopefully she will be better.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Great Sunday

It was a bit cool but otherwise a great day. I wore a white sweater for it was cool in the Primary room last week. The piano's were in too, so I had a real piano to play on instead of a wantabe Casio.

The choir sang and really sounded good. We are fortunate to have a large choir for such a small Ward. I love singing in the choir. We had 196 people at church today. Last Sunday we had over 200. Primary went well. We had Stake visitors since it was our Ward Conference. It was great having a piano, but I forgot my piano glasses and had to struggle to see the music with my regular long distance or all distance glassed on. I guess I'll have to get another pair of Piano glasses. I left my piano glasses on the piano at home. Since I got the Reader's Digest song books back from Frankie, I've been playing the piano lots more.

Trudy's home by now. I was going over there Monday, but George is taking off work. I had arranged for someone else to teach my class at the Senior Center Monday, but now I can do it.

Trudy's not home yet. I'll go to the hospital to see her tomorrow.

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Swap and Shop Day

I took my stuff to the church about 9:30 AM and put it out. I had some of the clothes on hangers and just hung them up. We could shop before 10:00 so I began putting stuff back into my bag! I got a shirt to go with my purple skirt and a pair of PJ's. I got 3 CD's, a pair of earrings and a bathing suit. I wouldn't have picked it out for myself, but it was the right size and even had the tag still on it. Now, if I ever get the chance to go swimming, I have a suit.  Not many people came while I was there, but the hours to shop were 10-2:00 PM. The left overs will be taken to the thrift store.

Dad is busy copying pages of the taxes he just finished filling out. 


After raining all day yesterday, it turned out sunny today. A bit on the cool side but will probably warm up soon.

Friday, April 15, 2011

Dreary Day

It has been raining and thundering all day. The birdbath must be full by now. I had to put a coat and galoshes and carry an umbrella to get the trash can and the mail. It's supposed to blow over by tonight and I hope it does for we have a Swap and Shop at the church Saturday morning.

Mary Kate called and said she was coming up Friday and stay at the hospital  Saturday night with Trudy. She asked if I could stay Sunday night. I would have to get someone to sub for me at the Senior center Monday morning. If I can get a sub, I guess I can do it. Cay said Trudy's pain seems to be in her brain and not her body. Mental pain can be terrible and I hope she gets over it quickly.

It's been a minor pain to be stuck in the house all day. There's no laundry to do and no cooking so there's not much to do.

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Happinesss At Curves

Mary Kate has me doing 16 reps on the machines at Curves and I'm doing different moves on the cardio stations. I worked up a good sweat today. I didn't have anything to do in town so I came home. I had to help Frank get the medical info for our taxes. It wasn't hard to do. The vitamins came in today and he is putting labels on them now. I called George to see about Trudy and he was getting ready to go get his taxes done. Her pain pump malfunctioned and she is having to wean herself off of some powerful medicine. It's going to take a while to do this and will be a rocky road for her and her family. I can go up and take the kids out shopping one day. Mary Kate has been keeping me abreast of what's going on.

I took some more winter clothes downstairs and found some more cropped pants and two shirts I hope I can still wear. That with what I bought should have me fixed up for the summer.

This Saturday is the Swap and Shop at the church where we all bring our clothes and things and everybody looks through the things and gets what they want. It's all free. I have two big sacks to bring. Some are Frank's old clothes. It will be fun. It seems unreal that it will be at our church in Athens. After a year of going out of town for church, it's really great to be in town again. There'll be an open house some time but I don't know when.

Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Usual Day

I took Frank to a Dr appointment today. This makes the second one this week. We didn't eat out but came home and had lunch. The 21 yr old Honda just keeps riding along. It has 240 thousand miles on it. Hope it goes another 240!

Trudy checked herself out of the hospital. George and a friend of Trudy's, Cay, is with her. She's home, but needs to be in the hospital. Hope all goes well.

Frankie gave me back the Reader's Digest song books he had had for years and I have really been enjoying playing the pieces in them. It's like getting acquainted with an old friend again. There are four books and I intend to play through all of them.

The weather has been beautiful. It's been on the cool side but not too cool for sandals and short sleeves. I've taken most of my winter clothes downstairs. My closet is still full, though. The new skirt I got was multi-colored and had several tiers. It was a bit too long even for a long skirt but I found that it didn't have a hem, it was just an unfinished one. I used the Pinking shears and cut about 2" off of it and think it will be the right length. I have several long skirts and enjoy wearing them.

My hair is getting rather bushy and I guess I need a hair cut, but I'm rather enjoying the curls.

Tuesday, April 12, 2011

Shopping Day

I got out of the house before 10:00 AM and the store I wanted to go to didn't open until 10 so I went and got some reading glasses made. The fine print in the Institute book warranted a pair of reading glasses. I already had the frames for the lens to go into. They were ready in an hour. When I got out of the glasses store, I realized it was almost 10:00, so I waited a few minutes for the store to open. I got some capris  and a skirt and top and another pants and top to match. It was the Goodies store that has opened up again in Athens. I was really sad when the store closed last year and am glad it's back.

I went to Curves after Goodies. Mary Kate had told me to do 16 reps on the machines to get a good work out and I did. Then to Walmart. After that, I went to the PO and on to Luc's to pick up my black bra and breast forms. Finally, I was ready to go home.

Mary Kate had text me before I went into Walmart but didn't tell me who she was, so I called Frank to see if it was him. It was MK and I called her to see what was wrong and she said that Trudy was in the hospital. George had taken her in Monday. She is getting tests run now and we'll soon know what was wrong.

Monday, April 11, 2011

Former Days

The next day, Thursday, Mary Kate and I went to the Thatch-Mann cemetery to look at cemetery lots.  We picked out two and went to the cemetery office and paid for them. The plots are in a black cemetery but we don't care and don't think there will be color in heaven!

I don't remember what we did the rest of the day.

Friday, Mary Kate mopped the floors for me and Dad and I went to the eye Dr. After I came home and fed Dad, I left for Trudy's. I left my car at her house and Mary Kate, the kids and I left Hazel Green for Knoxville. It was a 4 hr trip and we stopped in Chattanooga for lunch. Sadie went with us. We arrived at Frankie's house safely. Kayla wasn't home, for she had gone to Atlanta with friends. I gave Mariam and Josh and Luke the presents I had gotten them and they all liked them. I had forgotten to pack my PM meds and had trouble sleeping that night. I slept in Luke's room on Josh's bed. Josh was on a mattress in his parents room. Mariam was on a small mattress in her room and Mary Kate slept there with Nate. Nate was on the couch but it made him itch.

The next morning, Mariam and Josh had soccer games and we went to them. It was a program called Upward run by the Baptist church. All faiths were welcome and the children played just for the love of playing and didn't compete but got stars to put on their uniforms. After the games, I treated the families to lunch. Rachel had 4 coupons that got $22.00 off the final price, which was good, for we had 6 adults and 4 children. The "children" ate more than the adults! The food was good and we had a super waitress. After eating, we left for home.

While we were going through Chattanooga, we took a wrong turn! We were almost to Nashville when MK realized what was happening. We stopped at a Subway for food and MK asked directions. We weren't too far off and found the right road and headed for Trudy's house. We got there at 8:30 PM and no one was home! They had gone to a baptism and had locked the house. Luckily, Sadie found the extra key and we go into the house. I left shortly there after and got home at 9:30 PM.

The next day, Sunday, April 10th, we met for the first time in our new building! It was very nice and so exciting to have our building back. It was good not to have to travel through all the Sunday traffic to get to church. We had choir practice after the meetings and Karen had a presidency meeting, so I had to wait a while before she was ready to go home. I got home at 2:30 OM. It was too late for a Sunday nap and I had to tough it out until bedtime! It was a wonderful 5 days being with family.

Today, I drove Dad to H'ville to a dentist appointment. I stayed in the room with him and learned some interesting things about the dental process. We stopped at Wendy's for lunch and then came home. I went to Karen's for scripture study. We're starting on the Old Testament. What a task! It will be fun for me for I was raised on Old Testament stories. I'll need to get some reading glasses for the print in the Institute book is too small for me to read! Getting old is not for sissies!

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Day of Fun

We left the house a little after 9 AM to go shopping. We stopped at Walmart to return a DVD to the machine. Nate and Frank watched Tron last night while Mary Kate and Sophia and I watched TV on my bed. Anyway...back to the shopping trip...We stopped at Kohl's where MK returned some merchandize and I tried on some clothes. I got three tops, two of which will go good with my purple skirt. I bought another skirt and found a dressy white blouse to go with it. Now, I need a nice black blouse to go with the same skirt. It's black and white print!

We drove into H'ville and went to Target. We had lunch there, but didn't get anything. We went to Hobby Lobby and I got Luke a sketch book and Marian a mosaic tile to make and a bird house to paint. We then went to AB Stephens to get a music book for Kayla. I had already gotten a Nerf ball gun for Josh. Hope his parents don't mind. Nate has three or four of these guns. We came home after getting the music book.

My brother called while we were at Target to say he has chronic leukemia and will start the chemo next week. I hope the chemo isn't too hard on him like it was on me.

After lunch, MK wanted to go outside. It was a warm, blustery day and a nice day for a walk. She had gone on before me and had run up and down the road. I walked up and down with her and the kids. It was fun. We all will sleep good tonight!

Tomorrow at 10:00 AM, we have an appointment to go pick out a cemetery plot. We want to get this out of the way. One less thing to do when the time comes.

Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Tuesday of the Arrival

Mary Kate and kids are about 2 1/2 hrs. away. The beef stew was made yesterday and was good but the meat is still too tough and too salty for Frank. Maybe MK and the kids will like it and eat it. I made a lot. I used a large pot and the larger the pot, the more food I want to put in! I stayed up today and swept the floors and helped Frank clean up his room a bit. I even cleaned the sink in the kitchen waiting for the family to arrive. I called her to see where she was and they were in Anniston, which is below Birmingham, so they have about 2 1/2 hours to go. We'll go to Walmart to buy some food for the stay.

Today is a good day for Frank so he can enjoy the kids. Hopefully there will be no odor problems.  Wednesday we can contact the cemetery dept and see about seeing two grave sites in one of the cemeteries that has room. Two plots cost $600.00 which is not bad, I think. Then we will go on to Khole's in Madison to shop. MK has some merchandize to take back she ordered online, and they are having a sale. I need to get some cropped pants and blouses or pull overs for summer. I have outgrown three pair of pants from last summer-perhaps it was the dryer instead of my outgrowing them!! 

I won't have time to blog tonight.

Monday, April 4, 2011

Monday Again

Time is flying by. I led the exercises today. My mind wasn't quite up to par and I had to use my notes a bit more. I forgot two exercises and part of another. Oh, well. There's always next Monday.

I went by the shoe shop to drop off Frank's shoes, but they were closed on Mondays, and Wednesdays too, I think. I'll drop them off tomorrow when Mary Kate and I go to Walmart. I went to Curves. My biceps are defined and I don't even have to "make" a muscle. I was hoping that the exercise would cancel out my eating, but I think I eat more than I exercise!

We've had bad storms since 2:00 PM. We were fortunate that there were no high winds here. There could have been. It rained a lot and thundered and sounded all mean. We may have gotten pea sized hail when it first started raining.

Mary Kate, the kids and I will go to Knoxville Friday afternoon to visit Frankie and pick up a table that Mary Kate used in her preschool. Rachel is running a daycare and bought some of MK's preschool furniture. We may stop by Heather's house too. I would love to see Heather again. We'll come back Saturday afternoon. It should be a fun trip!

Sunday, April 3, 2011

General Conference

Today was the second of General Conference. My hand cramped from taking notes yesterday but I kept some notes today. The talks were good. When I take notes, I miss parts of the talk because I'm concentrating on what I'm writing down. Sometimes, I forget the second part of the thought I'm writing and have to leave it blank!

I've gotten tired of my vegetables and need to find something else to eat. I could get some frozen veggies. Today for supper I had 1/2 of a potato with chili beans and lite sour cream. It was pretty good. I think I need to eat more protein. I forget about the eggs I have. Mary Kate and the kids are coming in two days and I will make some beef stew Monday or Tuesday. Hope it turns out eatable!

Friday, April 1, 2011

Typical Friday

Went to exercise class and then on to Curves. There are usually only one or two other people there when I go at 9:30 AM. After Curves, I went to Walmart for some groceries and then to the bank. I went to the Jiffy's on Hy 31 for a coke Icee but it was on defrost. So I went to the original Jiffy's by the Post Office and got a nice frozen one. It wasn't really as good as I wanted it to be. It was good. I just wanted it to be a bit of a thrill like it used to be (it doesn't take much to amuse me).

After lunch, we payed the bills. It's so easy to do it on-line. Frank did it this time but I need the time to do it so if something happens to Frank, I can do it myself.

Tomorrow is the beginning of General Conference, so my day is planned out; a few hours anyway. I found a notebook that had notes from the 2010 Conference in it. I will use it to take notes this time.