Resting

After the trip to H'ville and the 3 hour wait at the hospital and the trip back home last night, Frank and I were tired today. I did cook some yellow squash and have a cauliflower and some broccoli to cook and I will probably do it as soon as I get through with this post.

No Exercise

I chose not to go to exercise today for I didn't know when Trudy would need to come home from the hospital. She texted me and said to come to the hospital in H'ville at 5 PM that they were getting her papers ready. We got there and had to wait until she went to the bathroom and we waited 3 hours and she couldn't so she called George to come get her so we could go home. We got home at 9:15 PM. I'm glad she got George to come get her for had we taken her home, we would have gotten home about 11 PM.

Tuesday

We slept in and after I got up I did the laundry. One of the florescent lights in the living room went out and Frank went downstairs and brought up a ladder to fix it. It needed two new bulbs and he got them in but couldn't get the plastic shade back on. He got down to rest and shortly afterward the sister missionaries came by for a visit. We had a nice visit and one of the sisters got up on the ladder and fixed the light shade and then carried the ladder back downstairs. It was a joy to have them in the house. I want to get a gift card to Chick-fil-a for them. I guess I need to go by Chick-fil-a and see if they sell gift cards. I could then send them to Susan since she is the new Relief Society president and she could give the cards to the sisters.

Trudy operation was over at 5 PM George said. He was going back to the hospital after she got out of recovery and give her her phone. Hopefully she'll feel like calling us after she's been in her room for a while. Frank and I will go and get her and take her home tomorrow. George said the surgery went fine.

So far I've lost 5 lbs on the diet. I need to loose another 10 lbs but I don't know if it will happen or not. I'm trying to follow the diet and not eat more than I'm allowed and I don't feel I will gain the weight back for I've learned how to eat and I won't ever, well, maybe rarely, drink a regular Coke. I surely won't drink them like I was.

Bobby and I talked about having the trees removed by the man we talked to yesterday. Bobby even said he would pay half of the cost even though most of the trees that fell on his property were ours. I will have to go by the Credit Union and transfer some money to the main account so I'll be ready to pay our share. Steve and Lance were going to try to move the trees, but they don't have the equipment to do it. They'll just cut the grass

Monday Things

Exercise was great today. I asked Jenn if she could come next Tuesday at 11:30 AM so I could go to the senior center and have lunch with everybody. It will be a fun time and I would like to be there.

I took Gert to Hartselle today to see about his foot. Doc Moore said it was a little swollen but not broken. She wanted me to confine him where he couldn't climb or perch but I didn't want to do it so he is being boarded there for 7-10 days. She hopes it will get better with rest. I had to towel him to get him in his carrier and he only bit me twice. Last visit, he got me three times. He is definitely not a cuddly bird.

Came home and took Frank to the hospital to get a lab done to check his calcium level. He gets his Prolia shot next month and the Dr needed to know what it is.

This afternoon we talked with a man who can clean up the tornado damage in the trees. It will cost big bucks but will give us our lawn back. I'm going to ask Bobby what he is going to do. It would be good if he wants him to clean up his trees so the equipment would be out here at the same time.

Trudy goes into the hospital tomorrow to have her pain pump taken out. We will pick her up Wednesday and bring her home. Sadie comes home late Wednesday evening. Hopefully, she will be able to help her mother.

Relaxing Sunday

We've had a nice Sunday. We had the sacrament around 9 AM. The music from the church CD's made everything spiritual. After church was over, Karen came for a visit. I had told her I had a loaf of bread for her. She had left Ken at church for a meeting and he called and said his meeting was over so she left. They came back so Ken could fix our TV in the living room. It's not hooked up to the WiFi. Trudy found this out and  must have called him. He couldn't get it to work and said he's have to go home and study the manual some more. They have sold most of their miniature horses and all of their goats. Karen said she couldn't baby sit animals when Ken was out of the country, that she wanted to go to Utah and be with her daughters and grandchildren. Ken's company has offered him 2 more years on the job and then he will probably retire. They will move to Utah after he retires.

I've been hungry today. I cooked some Kale and a green squash. I cooked the squash in the crock pot and will have to get the seeds out of it after it cools down. Mary Kate told me to cook it in the crock pot. The Butter nut squash is too big to fit in the pot unless I cut it up.

I take Gert to the vet in Hartsville  tomorrow at 11:30 AM, I believe. He is still favoring his left foot and I should have taken him earlier but the memory of his biting my hand was still fresh on my mind. He seems okay except that he is lame, but birds hide their injuries and it could be something more. Dr Jan clipped one of his nails too close and that may have been the cause of his lameness at first, but it's been too long for it to hurt now. After I get back, I'll take Frank to the hospital to get a lab done. He gets his Prolia shot next month and Dr Phillips office wants to know his calcium level. We've had the lab request for a couple of weeks, but couldn't do it because I was gone most of last week to Mary Kate's house.

Relaxing Saturday

Frank went backk to bed after breakfast and I snoozed in the recliner. Got to moving at 10:30 AM. Lance and a friend were trying to burn the brush pile but it was too green. He'll try again in a couple of months. He said his dad's tractor could push some of the tree debris back into the woods and he could burn the other. I've paid him a lot of money for his services lately.

Frank and I drove into town to the pharmacy to pick up some medicine and then came home. Looking forward to a nice Sunday tomorrow. I have a lot of cooking to do. Just fresh veggies. The refrigerator is full of stuff that needs cooking.

I upgraded the food in the Nutrisystem order. I'll be getting some frozen food this time. I hope it's better than some of the other food I've been eating. I've eaten most of the good stuff and now I have 4 pizzas I have to eat, and I don't like them. They are hard for me to chew, plus I don't care for Italian food.

My Trip

I left Mary Kate's house about 11:30 AM and headed for home. There wasn't much traffic and I made good time. It's not a hard trip. It's  4 hours but the roads are good. I was home by 3 PM. It was good to get home.

Friday, today, I went to exercise and was glad to get back. I went to Walmart for groceries and as I was putting the last things away, Ruth came to pick blueberries. Just 3 bushes had berries on them but we picked a lot. It wasn't too hot but by the time we were finished I was getting too hot. She brought us a homemade loaf of bread, a blackberry cobbler, two books and a container of chicken and dumplings. Frank had the chicken and dumplings for lunch and dinner tonight. He had some cobbler for lunch.

Lance and his dad will be over tomorrow to burn the pile of downed trees Lance cut up. Steve will cut down another tree into the burn pile. It should burn all day.

I have some veggies to cook tomorrow. I cooked yellow squash today and have some zucchini squash, cauliflower and broccoli to cook tomorrow. I  have lost at least 4 pounds on my diet. I have to have the veggies to eat because I don't have enough food to eat for my main meal. I might go another month on this plan. I've got to have a better choice of food, though. I've had far too much Italian-type food and I don't like it.

Frank is having good days. He sleeps most of the morning and stays in the living room most of the afternoon and night. We put the birds to bed between 6-7 PM and then we go to our rooms and do whatever until it's bedtime. I read from 9-10 PM and then shut the lights out. I usually wake up at 7 PM and start the day.

Having Fun in Georgia

Mary Kate and I went to Atlanta to the CNN building and two the Coke factory. We saw the vault where the secret of Coke is kept and went to a 4D movie. I bought Trudy a Coke napkin dispenser and a very small Coke bottle salt shaker. We then went to Newnan, GA and went to a mall and bought some school clothes and I bought the kids some books at the book store. It's my tradition with Sophia and Nate to buy them a book when I see them.

Today we are going to Callaway Gardens in Pine City. I have a bird statue I want to buy. I saw it last time I was there but talked myself out of it. I'll get it this time. When  you're on vacation, you should buy things to take home    I will gllleave to go home Thursday morning. sIt's really been a fun trip.

Saturday

It rained part of the day but quit and Lance came over and cut down the trees that he has said he would. I didn't think he would be able to do it all in one day but he did. He said when they come over Thursday to mow the grass they would talk about burning the pile. I wonder how much that will cost. We do need some or I should say a lot of help burning the pile. Steve will cut down one tree and it will fall on the burn pile and so the burning won't endanger the woods.

I began packing for my trip to Mary Kate's Monday. I need to make a list of things to bring so I don't forget what I need. I have a large container of veggie soup in the freezer I need to take. Mary Kate said she would have some veggies for me. I have to have the veggies so I don't starve on this diet. I'm trying to faithfully stay on the program but I get so hungry that I eat more squash and okra and Kale than I'm suppossed to. 1,000 calories is not a lot of food to eat. I have dipped into the ice cream 3-4 teaspoons on occasion. I need to put it in the freezer in the basement where I won't be tempted to go get it.

I got Jenn to stay for 6 hours Monday so if Trudy isn't here by lunch time, Jenn can feed Frank and be with him until Trudy comes. I'll probably leave around 8tish. Looking forward to it.

Ruth will come Friday to pick blueberries. I like to eat them but hate to pick them. We give the pears to the Wright's.

H'ville

We had a Pain Clinic visit at 11 AM. Didn't have to wait long. Came home and went to the pharmacy.

Steve and Lance mowed the grass and cut the shrubs this afternoon. Lance gave me a price on cleaning up the trees the loggers left. He gave me a good price of $350.00 and that's a lot of work to be done. He's young and able to do it.

Trudy will be going to Kentucky Thursday through Sunday. She's to come over here Monday so I can go to Mary Kate's house. I'm afraid she won't be feeling too well after doing all that driving but she assured me she would be able to come over here by 12 PM and I could leave then. I'll have to take all my diet food with me. I think I will not get the second month of food for I am so tired of eating it I could choke. It has taught me that I was eating way too much food and drinking too many calories in milk and Coke. I won't go back to drinking Coke again. At this point, I don't care if I loose any weight. I'm tired of eating their food and always being a little hungry. Oh, well. Got to finish what I started.

Time To Fill

I really enjoyed exercise to day since I had missed the last two times because Mary Kate was here. After exercise, I went to Walmart. None of the stores in town open until 10:00 AM but Walmart is open all the time. I bought a few groceries and then drove out to Isom's Orchard to buy some veggies. I got some okra and yellow and green squash and cucumbers. I have enough veggies now to last all week. I hope I don't get tired of fresh veggies because I have to eat them because of the diet I'm on.

I had a 40% coupon off two items at Goody's if I used my charge card and I found a aqua colored skirt and blouse to match for $20.00. I have many skirts but since I wear them on Sundays, I like to have more. Some of the skirts are too long to be comfortable just lounging around in and the new skirt would be short on someone tall but it's just right for me.

The loggers finished today. It's been 4 days of them harvesting logs from the woods. There were still more to get but it's too wet to get them. They did push some debris back into the woods and make the place look a little better. We still have the tops of the trees of deal with but they can wait.

The Scouts came and mulched around the house and emptied some flower pots for me today. I got 2 yards of mulch and it wasn't too much. I paid them extra since it was a fund raiser for the Scouts. I told them the shed needed cleaning out, too, if they were interested. It also needs scraping and painted. They would have to have adult supervision to do that. Brother Toone was here with them today. He had to leave early but the boys finished things up. I know all of them by site but don't know all of their names. There were about 7 boys today.

George and Trudy took Sadie and her cousin to the air port today to fly to Utah. I told Trudy I had gotten Sadie a lap top and that it had come in today. Amazon Prime is the best! I have some clocks coming in tomorrow. Frank wanted a new clock and a small clock, too.

I'm reading a new book, The Mockingbird Next Door, or some such name. It's on my Kindle and it's about Harper Lee the author of To Kill A Mockingbird. I already like it and I've just read about 7% of the book. I also received two books from Deseret Books that will have to wait until I finish the ebook.

Mr Rooter

The toilet in the master bathroom stopped up again last night. I had a cheaper plumber but I called Mr Rooter because this toilet has been overflowing a lot lately and they were the ones who put the new pipe under the road. Hopefully the log truck driving over the road won't crush the pipe like last time. The toilet is working. The man said we may need another toilet for the one we have is 34 years old. Frank says toilets don't go bad but if it overflows one more time, we are getting a new one. It'll cost about $445.00 to get a new one installed. I may can find a plumber who will do it cheaper. I like going with a big name company.

The loggers have been working all day and they worked all yesterday. Soon they will be through. Steve said he could bring his tractor over and push the tree tops back into the woods but there's a lot of work to be done after the loggers get through. Bobby said he knew a man with a bull dozer that he might contact after the loggers get through and he could push the tree tops back into the woods.

Trudy was to come over today but she said she was hurting too much. I hope she'll be able to come over and stay with Dad while I go visit Mary Kate next Monday-Thrusday. It will be a fun trip. It's a four hour drive but it isn't that bad. Trudy's pain pump removal is July 29th. Then she'll get her back fused. Everyone's hoping that will end the awful pain she is in all the time.

Bank Business Done

Mary Kate, Nate and I left home after Jenn got here. We had found a Compass bank in H'ville where we knew where it was. Called Trudy and arraigned to meet at the bank at 9 AM. We got there early and waited until the bank opened and then went in. We had the procedure going when Trudy got there. Their names are on both accounts at Compass now. If anything happens to us, they can get the money.

We stopped at Sam's but we were too early for my card so we upgraded to where we can go at 7 AM instead of having to wait until 10:00 AM. Nate will be home schooled next year and he needed a computer so Mary Kate got him one at Sam's. We came home and MK looked the same computer up on Amazon and I bought one for Sadie. She'll be needing one for school and her family wouldn't be able to get her one, or it would be hard for them to save the money. I might have it when she gets back from Utah. She'll spend two weeks there with family. She's had a very fun summer and getting the lap top will top it off and maybe help her get ahead in school.

MK and Nate left after lunch. It was a fun visit. I will drive to their house next week, Monday-Thursday. Trudy will come over and stay with Dad.

While Nate was here, he made 10-12 para chord bracelets. Mine it neon green and royal blue. I told him I wanted a red and white one. I ordered a patriotic bracelet from the internet but it is for a man's wrist and is too big for mine. It looks really nice but is too big.

The men were here today picking up the logs with a big back hoe and loading then onto a logging truck. The back hoe is still in the woods so they will be back tomorrow to get more logs.

The blue berries are getting ripe. Ruth called about them but there's not too many yet for her to make a trip up. Maybe we can pick after I get back from Mary Kate's.

Trudy's

Jenn came at 9:50 AM and MK, Nate and I left to go to Khol's in Madison and then to Hobby Lobby in H'ville and then on to Trudy's house. She said she didn't have anything to eat at the house so we stopped at Publix on the way there and got some food. We got there and she wasn't home so Mary Kate fixed the ground beef and I picked some veggies from the garden. I ate a bar for my lunch and had fresh yellow squash and cukes raw to go with it. This diet is driving me hungry.

MK and I went to the farmer's market this morning before we left and got some squash, zucchini and cukes and I fixed them for supper tonight.

While we were at Trudy's, Mary Kate and I and George cleaned out the pantry. Some mice had gotten in and had made a mess. We got the pantry spick and span. We came home in time for Jennifer to clock out at 4 PM.

Mary Kate and Nate have gone to Walmart for some groceries. I told them to get 2 gallons of milk but there is no room in the refrigerator for it. I'll let her rearrange things so they will fit.

I'll get to go to church tomorrow and stay for the 3 hour session. I may come home after sacrament meeting.

Thursday and Friday

Mary Kate and Nate came around 6 PM. Sophia didn't come for she had Youth Conference Sat and didn't want to miss it. We sat around and visited.

Friday, we left after Jenn got here and went to Kohl's. It was the only store open at 9 AM. After Khol's, we went to Hobby Lobby in H'ville. It was open at 9 AM, too. Nate got some parachord and has been making bracelets all afternoon. He made me one that is neon green and royal blue. Also the ones I ordered off the internet came in today but they are way too big. Made for a man's big wrist. I'm wearing mine on my ankle.

We stopped by Regions bank in Madison to add MK to the bank account but Trudy was to meet us there but she had a VT appointment and didn't get there until after we had left. She just had to sign the form that she gave permission for MK to join the club. We had already left and gone to Chick-fil-a to eat lunch. I was allowed to have a grilled chicken sandwich on my diet. It wasn't all that good but it was real food.

We got back  home at 12:00 PM in time for Jenn to clock out and leave. Frank was eating his lunch and she was going to stay until he finished. She'll be coming tomorrow for a 6 hour shift while we go to Trudy's to help her organize her pantry. I wrote Forrest a letter after the mail had run so I can just give it to him tomorrow. I hope he's home. After helping Trudy, we'll go shopping in H'ville. I have 2 50% off coupons and there must be something I can find to buy!

I'll be able to go to church Sunday for MK and Nate will stay with Frank. It will be nice.

Wednesday

Went to exercise then to Walmart. I have a list I forget to bring with me so I have to go back many times. I was getting some food for Mary Kate and Nate and Sophia. They will be here tomorrow night. I then went to see Wanda, Mike and Charlie.

Last night or early morning, I found Frank on the floor of the living room. Couldn't get him up so I went back to bed. Had the alarm set for 6 AM so I could get a shower and wash my hair before exercise, but I had to deal with Frank on the floor. Somehow, he got up...Jenn came at 7:45 AM and helped me get him back in bed. When I came home from Wanda's, he was in the floor again this time in his bedroom. He had slept all morning and for some reason got on the floor. Jenn and I couldn't get him up and we called 911 and Jenn spoke to someone and a big young man came out and picked Frank up and put him back in bed. He might have been from the local volunteer fire dept. He had an Alabama red shirt on and I said, "Roll Tide" to him and he chuckled.  Frank got a shower and ate supper and now is resting in bed watching a movie. Hopefully, there will be no more floor incidents.

Tomorrow, I have to vacuum the floors and clean out the air filters. There's lot of dust bunnies that I have been watching and think now is the time to chorale them and dispatch them. I might even mop the floors...don't hold me to that though. The floors will get dirty with company here. I need to sweep the floors downstairs. Trudy washed the sheets in "her" room where MK and kids will sleep.

I ordered a  CD player for the living room. We have some hymns we can play to help the Sacrament meeting be more spiritual on Sundays and I ordered some 1950's rock and roll CD's to play instead of having Fox News on all day. We have a CD and DVR player in the living room but it's way down low and I don't know how to work it. I have a nice small CD player in my room that I got from Amazon last year but the same one cost a lot more this year so I changed models.

Shopping With Sadie

Trudy spent the night with us Monday night and she asked me to go shopping with Sadie today. Sadie has Youth Conference next week and needed some clothes. Trudy stayed with Dad while I met Sadie at Khol's at 10 AM. She found one blouse at Khol's and then we went to her favorite store, Old Navy.
We took both cars for it's closer to Sadie's house from Old Navy but it started running hot and she had to park it at the first shopping center we came to. She text-ed her Dad about it and he said to put water in it but we both didn't want to do that, plus I would have wanted to follow her home to make sure the car would make it. So she go into my car and we went to Old Navy. She found a pair of jeans and two tops she liked. I bought them for her so she could save her money for her Utah trip. I was offered a 25% off deal and I thought it was a coupon of some sorts so I signed up for it and it turned out to be an Old Navy credit card! The cost of the clothes went on the card so now I'll have to pay the bill and cancel the card. Am I too dumb or what?

I drove Sadie to Hazel Green and then came back to Athens and had to stop at Walmart to get some diabetic Boost and some Greek yogurt. I have a recipe for spinach dip using Greek yogurt and some seasonings. Only one more day of the starvation diet and then I get to eat the 1,000 calorie food. I'll feel like a queen after these 7 days of little food. I weighed this morning and had lost 3 lbs. It's teaching me portion control for I was eating far too much healthy food plus my comfort food, Cokes. I will be very careful about drinking regular Cokes from now on. Diet drinks bother me-the aspartame upsets me-but I'm drinking them on a limited basis now.

Tomorrow, I'll go to exercise and then go over to Wanda's house. She called me three days ago and I hadn't called her back but will have some spare time tomorrow morning and will go visiting. I did call her to ask if it would be alright to come by early. I can be at her house at 9:30 AM.

Loggers

Two men came in a red pick-up truck and began cutting trees. They were in the woods so I didn't see what all they did. I haven't gone back in where they were. I'm afraid there will still be a lot of tree debris left and it will cost too much for us to do anything with. Lance told me he could take care of it but we will have to pay him, too.

It's been unseasonably cool today and that's good. July and August are very hot months for us, usually. It was nice when I cut the trees out of the bird bath circle yesterday but I did get hot. It's because I'm not used to doing any physical labor like that. I'll get Lance to do it next time.

Mary Kate the kids will be coming for a visit this Thursday and staying until Monday evening. I'll need to get Jenn to come Saturday for 6 hours. Friday, we'll go to the two  banks and get Mary Kate's name put on the accounts, and Saturday, we'll go shopping. I don't know what I'll shop for since I'm dieting and have recently bought a new purse. It will be fun to just all be together. I'll buy the kids a new book. That's a tradition I've started--we go to the bookstore and I buy each one a new book. I did that when I visited LaGrange, too.

Stayed Home

I stayed home today. It was the 1st day of the 5 day diet. So far so good. I have another shake to drink before the evening meal, which I plan to wait as late as I can to eat. My liver is still full of glucose and I probably won't get very hungry until tomorrow. I plan on making this work and hope to loose 1-2 lbs a week.

The man who will cut the trees came by today. They will cut them Saturday. We will have some dozer work to be done afterwards but I don't know how much or what kind of work he means. He's already done Bobby's trees. They will drive the logging truck on the road the goes around the house. I hope it doesn't destroy the pipe that goes under the road.

Tomorrow is the 4th of July. We will celebrate by watching Fox News celebrate. Trudy has to go pick up Sadie from girl's camp so they can't come over. I like quite holidays.

VA Office Again

I waited an hour to be the only person to see Mr Davis. He said he would mail the info in to the VA and in a month I would get a letter saying they had received the info and then I would have to wait to see what happened. The man in the H'ville VA office was more excited than Mr. Davis. Jenn said her husband went to the H'ville office instead of coming here. Live and learn.

My diet food came in today. Only 1,000 calories a day. I'll be starving all the time. I'll give it the old college try. I drank my last Coke today. It would be good not to take that bad habit back ever again.

After the VA office, I mailed a letter at the PO and then to Regions Bank to see if Trudy has to be with us when I put Mary Kate on our account, and she does. I have the power of attorney so Frank doesn't have to be there but the two girls do.

I went to Walmart for a few groceries, mostly fresh veggies. It was good timing for if I start the diet tomorrow, I will need to have greens on hand. It said I could eat green peppers but I don't like them.

Bro Hill came over today and changed the faucet in the bathroom. No more leaks. It took him almost  an hour to do it. We surely appreciated it.

Last night the toilet in my bathroom backed up. Frank didn't awake me and he cleaned all the water off the floor himself. The laminate floor doesn't like water and some of the edges of the laminate are raised. For some reason, we are having problems with our toilets not wanting to flush. I found some water on the floor of the bathroom downstairs. Had to wash the rug in front of the toilet. Maybe that's not a good place for a rug.

My Drs Appointment

Trudy spent the night and I was able to go to Sam Mitchell's funeral and then go on to H'ville to see Dr Alexander. My appointment was at 12:30 PM and I didn't have to wait long. My leg had stopped hurting and the Dr was glad to hear that. He said if it was still hurting another surgery would be in order. I was out of the office by 1 PM. I stopped in Madison and went to Khol's. I had $30.00 in Khol's cash. I bought a new comforter and sham and a new purse. It's be a while until I carry the purse for I just got a new one when I went to see Mary Kate 6 weeks ago. I love purses. I'm glad it's the first of the month again and payday comes again, too!

Mary Kate will we coming up after the 4th of July for the week-end. She wants me to come down to see her before Trudy has her surgery, which is at the end of July, I think. I don't know. My diet food will be here shortly and I'll have to diet for two months at least. I get hungry just thinking of dieting, but I need to loose 15 lbs. Any pounds will be good. 4' 10" isn't tall enough to put an extra 15 pounds on. I'll miss the Coke the most.