Hard Work

Got to bed at 1 AM this morning and got up at 7AM. Taught at the Senior Center and then went to Curves. After lunch, I went to Janet's houses for a personal training session. I got all kinds of exercise today! I really feel great. It's definitely a mood lifter, exercise, that is. I feel great about getting fit. It's about time. I was literally dying on the vine.

Someone from the Center called me today and said the Garden Club in Athens wanted someone to come talk to them about exercise at the Senior Center. I told her that I did the exercise, not talk about it! I told her I wouldn't care to do it. I asked Janet if she ever talked to groups and she said she did. I'm just not prepared to talk about exercising. She said she would help me get something up if I wanted her to. Maybe I should-I'll have to think about it.

Frank is going to put some bolts or screws in a wooden beam downstairs so I can hook his stretching tubes onto to exercise. I have a lot to learn before I can do a lot of the exercises Janet shows me but Frank has a book that shows how to do the various exercises and what muscles you are exercising. It will be a good start.

Temple Day

Showered and got dressed and washed a load of clothes. We took out the trash. Frank was going through his files and shredding papers. It's hard for him to stand today but we got a bag full of shreddings.

Gert is still at the vet. We called about him and he is doing fine.Guess we'll get him back next week sometime.

We're having beautiful Fall weather. It's in the 80's and the sun is shinning. We're going to the temple tonight and I'll be getting home around midnight. I told the seniors that I would be there Friday to lead the exercises so I won't get much sleep! I'll go to Curves afterwards and I see Janet at 1 PM. I'm enjoying getting more active and today the scales said 139 lbs. so maybe it's working. Weighing every day makes the weight go up and down.

Work Out Day

Today we went to H'ville to see the pain Dr. Frank goes every two weeks and I pick up the Rx the weeks he doesn't go. We spent 3 hours going and coming. Went by the pharmacy and had to wait. I should have gone in but we used the drive way instead. We didn't eat out because of my diet. I didn't have any hamburger mix made up so I had to eat bean soup and green beans and bread and Smart Balance. It was pretty good because I was hungry!

I was tired and didn't want to go to Curves this afternoon so I worked out downstairs. I did 15 minutes on the bike and did some reps on the Total Gym and 5 minutes on the Gazelle.  Hopefully, in time, I'll be able to exercise more and loose a pound or two.

I just got off the phone with Jan. We talked over an hour. She is very busy taking care of her husband and daughter and grandchildren. She really needs a break but can't take one.

Vet Day

I took the birds down to Hartselle to for their check ups. Gert didn't go but I took a stool sample with me since the other two were going to get checked. Rosko and Rikki were fine but Gert's was a 4 plus on a 1-4 scale. That meant he's very sick. I came home and we got him into his carrier and I took him back to Hartselle to stay at the vet so they can give him medicine. We couldn't give him the medicine he needs so he had to stay at the vet. Dr Moore said it may be a week. Poor Gert! I knew he didn't look good for he is having a heavy molt plus he won't come out for a bath. A bath always makes his feathers look good. He's been eating well until today. He didn't eat a peanut I gave him. We had to wait until he got on top on his cage and we shut the door and then we got him in a towel and put him into his carrier. The next time the birds need to go to the vet, we'll just towel him and he'll go with Rikki and Rosko.

I've been counting calories and I haven't gone over 1,600 calories. My activity today was just 10 minutes on the bike. I was too tired from two round trips to Hartselle to do more. 

VT

Went to exercise and Curves today. Seems like no one come to teach exercises on Friday so I'm going to try to do Friday and Mondays too.   Came home and got ready to go VT and Ann called to say she couldn't go because Russ' grandmother was dying and they had to drive to Michigan.  I went over and saw Karen and gave her the message. Ann said she would call Joy and we had to miss Mary Lou because Bob was sick. Maybe we'll get an earlier start next month.

Our neighbors are getting cable today. There are two trucks outside stringing cable to the houses. One neighbor has been out here a long time and they were across the street from the pole that would carry the cable but they still couldn't get it. Now they'll have it.

This week has been full of things to do but next week is empty. I have to take the '06 Accord back to H'ville to get an oxygen censer replaced and will have to make plans with Trudy to pick me up again. The old Accord needs to go back to the shop to get a leak in the trunk fixed and I need to find a day to do that and get a ride for that, too. Being too busy and not being busy enough are problems!

Relaxing Day

I went to the PO first thing this morning to mail the package off. Then, I went home. I had to cook a new batch of beans and hamburger mix and did that at lunch. I washed a load of clothes and peddled for 25 minutes on my bike and played over the Primary music. Tomorrow, the Primary children and the men of the choir sing for Sacrament. I'm not a part of it so will get to sit and listen and enjoy.

Frank vacuumed the floors this afternoon and we watched some of the Alabama-Razorbacks football game. Bama won. We didn't watch all of the game. Frank's been having problems with his lungs. He's taken 3 breathing treatments today.

Friday

I got up and went to Curves at 10:30 AM. I tried to go faster on the machines, but I'm already going fast as I can go. I guess I'll need to do more repetitions on each one. I tried the new moves on the aerobic pads and it was more interesting. I then went to Walmart and did the weekly shopping. I'll have to cook beans and make some more hamburger mix tomorrow.

I have a heavy package to send to Frankie's kids. I found some more art supplies when I cleaned out my bookshelves and I put them in a box for Luke. I realized I needed to send some presents to the other kids too so I got some play dough for Mariam and a gun that shoots foam bullets for Josh and some finger nail polish and a lip balm for Kayla.

The birds are put to bed and the house is pretty quiet but Rosko and Gert are still making noise. They usually get upset after they have been covered up and we walk past their cages on the way to the kitchen. They will ruffle up their feathers as if to say, "You are disturbing me!"

My new Nike shoes hurt my feet after a half a day wearing them. They don't seem wide enough for me. My left foot is 1/2 size wider than my right foot but a size 8 is usually wide enough for both feet. I hope I can find a pair of Sketchers like the ones I have. They were wide enough plus they made me 1'' taller and I can take all the inches I can get!!

Personal Trainer

I took the old Accord to the collision shop that fixed the leak in the trunk for it has another leak. I'm to bring it back on a day next week when I can leave it a few hours so they can find the leak.

At 3 PM I met with my personal trainer. We talked a bit and then I exercised in her home gym. I got a good work out. She used to own two Curves and liked that I was going. She gave me some exercises to do on the aerobic pads and I will try them tomorrow. The faster you do the Curves exercises the more work out you get so I'll try to go faster. On the days I don't go to Curves, I will work out on my recumbent bike in the basement. Maybe I can do something on the total gym, too. I'm happy I'm exercising now. I'm to count calories too. I don't know how to count the hamburger mix I eat. I can count all the others but I don't know how to count the mixture of meat and beans and tomatoes. I'm to weigh every day. I'm not used to doing that! But my scales tells the pounds and the ounces too, so I'll know if I'm gaining or loosing.

Car Day

I took my '06 Accord to the Honda dealership in H'ville to get some part exchanged in a recall. The work ways free. I asked them to fix the radio because it was nothing but static but they couldn't duplicate it so it still has static. Frank and I might be able to fix the stations ourselves. Old radios has a knob that turned to get the stations but these new fangled cars just have presets and I know nothing about them (yes, it would help to read the instruction book...but then I couldn't complain!). I was told that I needed rear brake shoes and they wanted $170.00 to do that. And I have an oxygen censer that needs replacing and that cost $220.00. Our son-in-law, George said that we should get that fixed. We'll go to Big 10 Tires for the brake job and back to the Honda place for the censer.

Trudy came and met me and we ran around running errands and then went to her house while the car got fixed. It was a lot of fun seeing the grandchildren and talking with Trudy. We need to get together and make some cards.

I meet my personal trainer tomorrow and will see what she has to say and what advice she can give me as to what I need to do to gain a better lifestyle. I'm looking forward to it.

Dr Day Today

Frank had an appointment to see Dr Walker at 11:00 AM. We didn't have to wait long. Frank's heart is still missing beats and Dr Walker is referring his to a cardiologist. In a month, Dr Walker will move into the John Waddell medical offices. It's a little closer and easier to get to than his old office. The hospital isn't going to let his wife be his nurse so she's going home to stay. He'll have to train a new person to his likings. We got some food from Taco Bell and I really enjoyed what I had. I don't usually like Taco Bell but today was good. Not so good for you...

I went back into town to get my driver's license renewed-$23.50 and stopped by Advanced Auto and got some new windshield washers for the old Honda. The old ones lasted 3 years and I bet that was a long time for a car to be sitting out in the sun and weather. They were $33.46. I stopped by the Dollar Tree and bought two pair of reading glasses for Frank. They smell like a store so I'll have to wash them. He needs to go to en eye Dr and get a set of prescription reading glasses. I guess that will be another Dr we'll be going to see soon.

I'm going to see a lady that will help me with my diet and exercise and see if I can't loose the 10 lbs that I have gained. I'm getting as round as I am tall and that isn't good! I see her Thursday at 3 PM. She lives near the Middle School in Athens.

Monday Things

Taught at the Senior Center and went to Curves. Afterwards, I went to Lowe's to get some wood putty and some black paint for the repairs to the stereo cabinet. A really tall customer helped me find the wood putty. I like going to Lowe's but I am out of my element in there. I usually have to have someone help me find what I need. Now Frank has to feel better so he can solder the wires and get everything hooked up and the holes repaired and painted.

It rained as I left the Senior Center at 9:15 AM and I think it is raining now at 4:30 PM. The skies have been cloudy all day so the temperature didn't get high.

We got a recall on our '06 Honda. I have an appointment Wednesday at 9:30 AM to get it fixed and Trudy will come and pick me up and I'll go to her house and wait for it to be fixed. I'm looking forward to seeing her and the kids!

Frank's got fever blisters on his mouth and inside his nose from the fevers he's been having. He goes to the Dr tomorrow. There's nothing anyone can do for the fever blisters. He gets them every time he has the high fevers. It's part of his rheumatoid arthiritis.

End of the Week Now

Frank had fevers this morning. I got his medicine in him and he went back to sleep but I had to get him up again to eat breakfast and take his AM pills. The day before yesterday he had fevers too. Don't know what's causing them. It really takes a lot out of him when they come.

I read some this afternoon and about 3 PM Ann called and said she and Russ were going to come get their trailer that had been parked in our back yard while they were getting their garage fixed. Russ got down to the last part of hooking the trailer up and couldn't find a bar he needed to finish the job. We knew it was there but we couldn't find it. I suggested we have a prayer and Ann gave it. we still couldn't find the bar and a little while later I said a silent prayer to help us find it and then I looked at the trunk bumper and there it was. It had rolled under the tip of the bumper and was out of sight. With the bar, Russ was able to fix hitching the trailer up and they could drive it home.  I'm thankful that we could depend on prayer to find the missing piece.

Sheffield Trip

Bubba came by at 9:15 AM for our road trip to Sheffield. (of course it was a "road" trip, what else were we to drive on??). He drove his Miata but with the top on. It was a little too cool to have the top down.

We drove first to Sheffield and stopped by Sheffield High School to take a tour of the school. It was very interesting to see all the changes the school has made. It even has an elevator! Just for the teachers and special needs students. We went into the basement where the ROTC has classes. I didn't know the school had a basement. We got to meet and talk to some of the teachers and it was all very nice.

Then we drove three blocks down to our old home place. Just 1/2 of the grass out front was mowed for some reason. The people on the corner own the house and will some day have to have it torn down, it's getting in such bad shape. We drove on up the street to the Stand Pipe, a big water tank that sits on the bluff overlooking the Tennessee River. I took some pictures of the river and then we drove on to Tuscumbia. We doubled back to eat at the Southland, but they were in such bad shape that they didn't even have any white bread or bacon! We left there and went to Muscle Shoals and ate at Ruby Tuesdays. We had the salad bar and Bubba had a small steak. The salad bar filled me up.

We went to the Tuscumbia cemetery next. I took pictures of the family graves and we left to drive through what was downtown Muscle Shoals. It took us out to a road that went over the river on a new bridge that was near Wilson Dam. That road finally brought us back to Florence.

We were almost home and Bubba wanted to drive through Popular Point to look at a house he once owned. We found the house and finally found the road that would take us to our place.


We got home around a little after 3 PM. It was a nice trip and I guess we will do it again next year if everyone is still in good health.

Temple Day 2

I already had a "Temple Day"so I put a "2" on it. I was too tired to write Wednesday. We had a good day at the temple. It gave me back the spiritual feeling I had been missing. I'll go again when the Decker's go down to work and it will help me keep the special feeling I get when I do the Lord's work.

Didn't do much today except feed the animals and read. I cooked some more goulash but put rotini in it instead of beans. It's really good with the rotini in it.

Bubba is driving up tomorrow and we are going to Sheffield. We'll go by the old home place and probably over to Tuscumbia and Florence and our old stomping grounds. It will be a nice trip.

Night before Wednesday

I'll get up at 5:30 AM so I can feed the animals before I have to get ready to go to the temple. We'll leave at 7 AM and get there about 8:30ish. We'll eat our lunch on the temple grounds and then come home around 3 PM. The weather has been nice and we should have a nice trip.

I went back to bed and read for two hours this morning. I'm reading The Help and it is very good. I'm over 60% of the way through it and I will read a couple of hours tonight. I love it when I get a good book I like.

Bro Hill came and got the stereo cabinet be wanted to get rid of. He is so strong-he just picked it up and carried it to his truck like it weighted nothing! We really appreciated his doing that for us. Some how, Frank realized the receiver we got for the new stereo cabinet, was the wrong one. He boxed it up and UPS will deliver the one we need in a couple of days and carry off the old one. It weighs 26 lbs. and I couldn't carry it to the UPS store to mail!

Good Exercise

I got up at 6:30  AM again this morning so I would have enough time to feed the animals and get ready for the other activities of the day.  I taught at the Senior Center today and then went to Curves and then to Walmart. I needed some hamburger meet and bananas and some cereal. I forgot I had one lb. of meat in the freezer and made my chili with 100% TVP, beef flavored. It's not as tasty without some hamburger meat in it but it's just as nutritious being a soy protein.

The exercise class went well. I said I would be there Wednesday but Karen and I will be going to the Temple at 7AM. Betty said there would be someone to do it. Maybe I'll call Jan and see if she can come and do it. I enjoy Curves now too since I just do the two rounds and don't try to do 16 reps on all of the machines like I started out doing. I would be stronger if I did the reps but I like the easy pace of just doing the twice routine.

After scripture study, I came home and entertained Rikki while Frank cleaned the bird cages. We hooped and hollowed and had fun walking around the house. We have an apple each day around 3 PM that we share with the birds. We all enjoy this routine. Then we folded and stapled papers for Gert's cage. It won't be long 'til supper. I think I'm tired of eating the chili but I don't know what else to fix plus it is easy to cook one day and then eat leftovers the rest of the week!

The temperatures during the day are in the high 80's so it is getting cooler! Hopefully, we'll have a nice long Fall before the cold weather comes. There's always something to gripe about, isn't there!

Sugcess

I'm feeding Danny Boy and the cats while Maryleen is gone. After I eat breakfast, I go down and feed them.

While Frank finished the audio cabinet, I tackled the other side of my bookcase. The books were just piled in there with no order or anything. As I was taking each out and dusting them, I found my senior annul. That word doesn't look right but the computer said it was the right spelling. It's 1961, my senior year in high school. I don't care about my college yearbook for I have only one picture in it out of about 20,000 students. I knew I had moved this yearbook from the basement where I knew it was, but I had lost track of it since then. I've found two important books by cleaning up this bookcase! One was the family album and now the yearbook. Now to clean and clear the bookcase over my bed. I'll have to get the step stool to get that one.

I'll get up at 6:30 AM tomorrow to feed the animals. Then I'll have enough time to shower and wash my hair before it's time for church. I look forward to Sundays. It's always a good day.

Project Still On

Tomorrow, it will be three days that the living room has been a workshop. Frank lacks 6 screws in fixing the cabinet and then the receiver can be put into it and the cabinet can be moved to its place and the living room can be vacuumed and peace restored to our home! After two days being messed up, it's getting on my nerves.

While Frank was working in the living room, I cleaned out the book case behind my computer desk. I threw away old magazines and papers and folders. I got all of my journals on one shelf and I took the Master Gardener notebooks down to the bookcase in the basement. I have the other side of the same bookcase to clean out. Maybe I'll tackle it tomorrow.

Gee Whiz!

I try to get into my blogging account and they don't recognize my password! It hasn't changed! I hate it when things on the computer go wrong. I signed on again and got right to it. Just getting old, I expect.

Frank spent all day putting screws into the shelves of the new audio cabinet. It wasn't too sturdy when we first put it together, but now it is! He still has things to do to it and will finish tomorrow. Since he's working in the middle of the living room floor, I'll have to vacuum the sawdust and dirt up after he finishes.  We still have to get rid of the old audio cabinet and the old computer that sits on my computer desk.

I'll go to Curves tomorrow. I can tell my muscles are stronger and I like that. I haven't lost any weight, but have gained some.

Strange Things About This Blog Page

I was expecting the same old blogging page but instead it's just a white page with this rectangular space for me to write in. Hum-m-mm. I wonder if it's going to be this was from now on?

I got the old Honda back today. The windshield washer is fixed and the trunk is water tight and all the felt put back in it. It looks like a new car trunk. Frank thought about painting it but it would cost $2,000.00 and it's not worth putting that kind on money into it. We'll just drive it as long as it will run and  the rust will keep it together.

Dad and I put an audio,video cabinet together today. He did all of the brain power and heavy lifting and I just sat along side for moral support. Our old radio was on it's way out and we got a new receiver, radio, and needed a new cabinet to put it in. It's black and matches the two old speakers that went with the old cabinet. Now, the kitchen is full of cardboard boxes, which will go out tomorrow on trash day. I don't know how we'll get rid of the old cabinet. It's sitting in the kitchen right now.

Rain Almost Gone

It sprinkled a bit today but it didn't rain. The skies were grey and it only got up to 69 degrees.
 I wore my blue jean jacket when I went out . I had to take back some things to Walmart and I bought some groceries. I can't go into Sam's or Walmart without buying something.

I almost cleaned off my computer desk today. Sometime this week, Frank is going to take the hard drive out of the PC computer that doesn't work but still sits on the desk. I'm in the mood to clear out some books that I have. I'll have to see if the library in town will take them. I know the library in Rogersville will take them but the library in town is closer. My room needs a general overhaul. My bookcases are full of "stuff" besides books and its time to downsize!

Curves will be open tomorrow. It was closed last Friday and Monday. I miss going when I'm used to going. Of course, I could go every day but I don't want to do that right now.

Rain

The cloudy skies did indeed come from the storm in the Gulf. It started raining Sunday while we were at church and has rained all Sunday night and all of today and it's Monday night and it's still raining hard. We've already gotten 2" or more. It's good we're on high ground. Too bad Texas couldn't get some of this rain. They are having great fires that are burning peoples houses and it's spreading. Mary Kate said it was raining in LaGrange, GA, and Atlanta had 3 tornadoes from the storm.

I got out once today for scripture study but stayed in and threw away some old boxes I was saving. I found the picture album of the Layton family I had made years ago and had forgotten where I put it. I put it back in the same place so I would know where it is. Some pages are gone and I don't have any idea where they might be. I feel fortunate that I found the album.

Trudy is planning a girls night out for us sometime soon. She and I would meet Mary Kate somewhere in Birmingham and spend Friday night and then shop the next day and go home Saturday afternoon. We did it several years ago and it was a lot of fun. Then in January, we might go again and take Sadie and Sophia and do a session in the temple for the girls will be old enough to do baptisms. It's good to have plans.

Cleaning Day

I didn't do much cleaning, just cleaning out Dad's closet. I got lots of old clothes and a great many coat hangers out of the closet and now he has lots of room. He has more stuff on the bottom of the closet and it is up to the bottom of his shirts! We really utilize our closet space!

I ordered some BareEscentuals concealer tonight. I got on the site to see what was going to be auto shipped to me. I have some dark powder that is supposed to give you a "glow" but it just makes my skin darker. I didn't want any more shipped to me. I learned that it isn't included in the auto shipment. I learned how to get rid of things that were in my shopping cart that I didn't want. I didn't know how to do that before. It's fun to order things on the internet!

I vacuumed the floors, cooked lunch and finished the laundry that was waiting a couple of days. I had to iron a few things because I didn't get them out of the dryer in time. I don't mind ironing. In fact, I don't mind doing housework like I used to years ago.

The skies were getting greyer before night fell. I believe it's from the storm that's in the Gulf. I hope we get some rain soon.

Take the Old Honda

I took the old Honda to Bradford Collision today to have the leak in the trunk fixed and the windshield washer fixed. If we keep fixing things on it, it will be like a newer car but the outside will still be yucky! I went to Walmart to get some bananas and ground meat. They have re-arranged the store like it was before, parts of it, that is.  The ladies clothes are up front again which is bad for me. When I see new clothes put out, I want to get something. I got a button down shirt today and two  things that will have to go back because they are too small. I didn't want to try them on so I just put them in the basket. I don't buy many clothes at Walmart but I can find shirts and hopefully jeans there this Fall. I still have jeans in the closet from last year that I hope I can wear. I have gained some weight so I might have to get new pants. Oh, well. It'll be hard to do, but I can do it! This Fall! It's already September 2! Because it's so dry, the grass won't need cutting tomorrow. We're supposed to get some rain Monday from the tropical storm that's in the Gulf. Everyone's afraid it will hit New Orleans and rain 20" and flood out the city. We could handle 20", I bet.

Early?

I got up at 6:30 AM to shower and get ready for a dental appointment I had in H'ville at 10:40 AM. I left the house at 8:40 and drove the interstate to avoid the traffic.  I got to the dentist's office and realized that I had been so concerned about self medication that I had forgotten to brush my teeth. I went in and asked Barbara if I could have a toothbrush and she said, "You're early!" I was there at 9:40 for a 10:40 appointment! Instead of waiting an hour for my hygienist, another girl was free so I got to go right in. I was embarrassed about the mix up but hopefully won't make that same mistake again.

I was going to read a new book I got for the Kindle, but the battery was dead. I'm charging it now. I haven't been reading much lately. I think it's because I buy these books that take a lot of concentration and I don't want to do it. I just want some lite reading for entertainment. Hopefully this book will fill the bill.

I read an article in the August Ensign about keeping testimonies strong. I can't remember all of the things it said but reading the scriptures was one. I read them before I headed out for my early dental appointment today.