Shop "Til We Drop

Trudy spent the night here and stayed with Frank while Mary Kate, Sophia and I went shopping. We first stopped in Athens at a place where Trudy had seen a yellow Coke box but it wasn't there anymore. Next we drove to Madison and went to Khol's. MK got some shirts and Sophia found a dress she liked. We went to Academy Sports and I got a pair of shoes. They are orange and black, a bit wild for an old lady but I can handle it. Next, we drove across the highway to Crafty Bere and I bought the bird painting I was wanting.

We ate at Chick-fil-a and then stopped at Walmart in Madison to buy some food. MK wants to make some meals for Trudy for after she has her surgery. I guess I should find something to fix her too.

We watched an action movie on TV and I gathered some veterans pictures for Sophia to carry to school for an assignment. They are all family. I had the Civil War represented. World War I, World War II, Viet Nam era and her Uncle Frankie's picture of about the year 2000. We had the Army and Navy represented. She should get a good grade on the project.

Action TV is going on now. MK will take up a pair of pants that I bought. They are a wee bit too long. She has something of Sophia's she's going to alter, too.

I have a lot of family pictures I want to get organized but don't quite know how yet.

Friday

I went to exercise. Frank was still too sore to go. Jenn came at 9:30 AM but Frank slept all the time she was here.

I stopped by the pharmacy and then went to Walmart to get groceries. I bought lots of salad fixings for Mary Kate. Forgot about the photo album and had to go back after Trudy came, to get one. Walmart was very busy on a Friday afternoon. I was tempted to go to Staples and pay more but I found a parking place and went in. The album and extra sheets were only $7.60. It's for old ancestor pictures and family pictures. I haven't gotten a clear idea about how to organize it yet. I think I want to do it by families but I don't know.

Mary Kate got a late start tonight so will be here about 10 PM. Trudy already went downstairs and Frank is in his room. Trudy will stay with Dad while Mary Kate and Sophia and I go shopping Saturday. I think I'm going to buy the bird painting I saw at the craft store. I have some money on a Pep Boys credit card that I plan to use. I'll have to call and see if the money can be used anywhere besides Pep Boys.

Trudy's back surgery is Sept 18th. Ruth wanted to come up for the surgery but Trudy said wait until the next day so she can visit with us. She might not feel like having any visitors but we wouldn't stay long. I could get Jenn to stay for 6 hours and Ruth and I could shop that Friday. I want to show her the Crafty Bere store in Madison.

Odds and Ends

Frank was too sore to go to exercise today so I didn't go either. I had a Dr appointment at 10:45 AM, just a follow up visit we have every 6 months. I told Frank and left him alone. I was a bit longer than I thought I would be and was afraid he might have gotten out of bed but he didn't and was there when I got  home. We watched TV the rest of the afternoon. I snoozed a bit in the recliner and at 5 PM we ate supper.

Trudy is coming over tomorrow to spend the night so I can go to the temple with the Decker's. Brenda and Summer Rae will be going also. It will be a good trip and will be good to get back in touch with people I usually see at church.

Tuesday

I went to Isom's Orchard this morning when Frank went back to bed. I wanted to get some yellow squash and they had some. It was a bit large, but cooked up nicely. They have all sorts of produce but I just wanted squash. I have a couple of small acorn squash I  will cook this week-end when Mary Kate and Sophia are here. I cooked goulash today using 2 lbs of ground turkey, 6 cans of beans and 3 cans of tomatoes plus seasoning. It will feed us for a week maybe. I'm still eating diet food but that is coming to a close.

I called Home Instead and asked for a sitter for Saturday from 10 AM to 4 PM. We may not be gone that long but it's better to have enough time than to have to rush home. When Mary Kate comes up, we always go shopping on Saturday morning. I take the kids to the book store and buy them a book.

Frank has been in his room since lunch. I turned to TV off to read the Ensign. I swept the floors this morning and dusted my room and threw a lot of papers away. My computer desk is rather orderly and I like it!

Forrest is dating a non-member and I'm afraid it will get serious and there won't be a temple marriage. The girl comes from a nice home but she has been going to a religious school and if they do get married, she will determine to "change" Forrest.

Falls

I got up 15 minutes early this morning so we would have plenty of time to get ready for exercise and found Frank on the floor of his bedroom. He fell but didn't remember how. I helped him get back in bed. His right hip was swollen up a lot and I decided he needed to see the Dr today more than I did so I called the office and had the Dr see him instead of me. I helped him get dressed and while he was in the bathroom washing his face, his knees buckled a couple of times and down he went. He was between the sink and the door so he didn't fall far. When I got him out to the car, he said he felt a little light headed. He doesn't remember how he falls. His left hip went down but is sore. In fact, he says he's sore all over. That's three falls in two weeks. I can't leave him alone for fear of him falling. His blood pressure was low at the Dr's and he said to cut down on the blood pressure meds he takes.

Mary Kate and Sophia are coming up this week-end. I'll have to call Home Instead to see in Jenn or someone can come and stay with Frank for 6 hours. Mary Kate and I and family usually go out Saturday and shop in Madison and H'ville. There's a new craft store I want to show her. There's a picture of birds that I want to buy if it's still there.

President Monson's talk is about being prepared in this months Ensign magazine. We are prepared but I cringe at the thought of what will be coming to make us use our preparations.

I had steel cut oats again for supper. I made a double batch and they were fresh and were so good with fruit and nuts. I skip the nuts for they hurt my mouth. I'm still going to eat the diet food until it's gone. Yuck! I'm so tired of it.

Sunday

I don't usually write on Sundays but I didn't write yesterday and we had a good Sunday today.

I didn't write yesterday for I didn't do anything..nothing, nada, zilch. But today was good.

Bro Patterson and his son brought the sacrament out and stayed a few minutes and then Karen stopped by and while she was here Sarah came by to pick up the solar lights I had for her. It was good getting to know her. Trudy told me her family was a great family when they moved into the Ward. Sarah's very active in the scouts and has 6 children, 3 of whom are adopted. They live on a 15 acre  farm in Elkmont.

Mary Kate called and said she and Sophia will be coming up for a visit this week-end.

Karen said they were going to the temple Thursday and wanted to know if I could go. Trudy said she could come over to spend the night Thursday so I can go. I'll leave about 3:30 PM and get back at 12:00 AM.

Trudy's back surgery is Sept 18. Ruth wants to come and be at the hospital with me so I'll have to get Jenn to come that day. I think it's a Thursday. Both fusions will be done that day. The Dr said she would have trouble with the pain since she's been on pain meds so long but hopefully the operation will help her with the pain once she heals.

Out

Jenn came at 9:30 AM. I left after she came and went and got gas and a diet Pepsi and then stopped by the pharmacy. I headed to Madison and the craft store.

The bird pictures I had seen were done by students and weren't for sale. I did get a small wooden piece covered with canvas and painted colors of yellow, green and red with a curvy black line running through the colors and "smile" written in black on the bottom. I have it hanging in my room under a canvas of four colorful songbirds with "friend" stenciled above the birds. I saw some other art that I liked but have no place to hang in my home.

Across from the Crafty Bere store, was a thrift store. I've been on the lookout for some trays to put my plate on when I eat in the living room and I found 2 nice round trays there. They had Christmas themes to them but they were very pretty. They are metal and are a bit larger that the round tray I had been using.

I drove on into H'ville to see where Gallatin St was for that's where Frank's Dr Phillips is moving. It is a new building near H'ville Hospital. The building doesn't look finished enough to be moving into but when I called the office today after I got home, they said the office was closed and that they were moving into the new office. Frank has an appointment next week to get his Prolia shot so I hope I found the right place. It said 720 Gallatin St on the building and that was the new address they gave me.

I stopped at the Madison Walmart to buy some fresh veggies and milk and then came home. We watched TV the rest of the afternoon and then had a supper of steel cut oats, fruit and nuts for supper. I was so hungry that I got off my diet so I could have a big bowl of oats and a glass of milk. It was good.

Thursday

Didn't go out today. Just stayed home with Frank. Watched TV most of the afternoon. Did manage to cook the rest of the squash.

Jenn comes tomorrow and I hope she comes at 8 AM then I can go to exercise. Frank's Dr in H'ville has moved to Gallitan St and I need to find it so I'll know where to go next appointment. So, I guess I'll be going to H'ville tomorrow. I want to stop in at the craft store in Madison. I'm looking for a canvas with a bird picture on it. I'll have to be back home by 12:00 PM.

It's really been hot today. It was 94 degrees when I looked and it was hotter yesterday.

Exercise

Frank's back hurt him from the fall he took last night so he didn't go with me to exercise. I had this white T-shirt on with a conservative saying on it but no one commented on it. I was a bit surprised. I would have commented on it had someone else been wearing it.

Came home and have been doing nothing ever since. Went to get the mail but it hadn't come at 2:30 PM. The mail is mostly file 13 materials but we do get the paper in the mail. Of course, our little paper is not much to read and I throw it away after I read it. I get the bird papers from the news paper I get at the pharmacy.

I'll see if the mail has come now. 3:30 PM. It came but there wasn't anything interesting in it.

Tuesday

We went to Isom's Orchard and bought some yellow squash and some very small tomatoes. I bought two containers of squash so we'll have plenty to eat.

Came back and I was preparing to cut the squash when Frank fell in the kitchen. My back was to him but I heard the commotion and I turned to see him loose his balance and slide down the wall where the calendars are. He hit pretty hard on the floor and I was worried about his hips but he scraped his already bruised arm on the way down. He scooted into his bedroom and I helped him onto the bed. He's been sleeping ever since. The arm is already changing colors from the bruise he got last fall and now he's added a scrape and probably another bruise to it.

We've had rain but the weather is going to warm up again by the week-end.

Slept Late

Thunder woke me up a couple of times this morning, I don't know what time but I eventually woke up at 7:30 AM and that made us miss exercise. Frank went back to bed after breakfast. I don't remember what I did. Anyway, the day was pretty slack.

I tried looking up New Family Search but couldn't navigate the site. I'll have to get Trudy to help me.

I talked to Mary Kate. She and Nate were driving back from his therapy session. Things are going well for our GA family. I called Frankie and left a message on his phone.

I got a T-shirt today that says, "I will not apologize for: My faith, My family values, Or supporting the Constitution". That's on the back of the shirt. I will wear it Wednesday to exercise and see the reaction. I got it off the internet at conservativestuff.com. They have lots of stuff on their site. 

Interesting Day

Jenn came at 9:30 AM and I headed into town. I stopped by Allstate and had the insurance taken off the 1990 Honda. Now it's officially a piece of junk.

I stopped by a service station for a diet drink. They didn't have Pepsi so I had to get Coke. Then I drove to Madison to Kohl's. I got a blouse and two pair of pants. One pair I don't have to take up and the other pair I do. I stopped by the craft store where Karen will be selling her doll clothes. I bought a pair of tree earrings for $12.00 and hope they don't bother my ears. I saw a painting of a bird but it didn't have a price on it. It's a big store and everything is hand made.

Then I went to Sam's and shopped. I always spend too much money there but I got stuff that will last forever.

Came home at 1:30 PM. The Wright's were just finishing up picking the pears from our pear tree. There's far too many pears for me to handle and the Wright's have 6 children and home school and I used to teach one of their girls piano lessons. I love their family.

Trudy came over later. She had stopped by the Pain Clinic and picked up Frank's scripts and had gone by the pharmacy and gotten the medicine, too. She was hurting pretty bad and went downstairs to get on the heating pad.

Tomorrow, Home Depot is delivering the upright freezer. They will carry off the old one. Next, I guess we'll have to get a generator to keep the freezer on when the electricity goes off. Our big chest freezer has never melted completely when the power was off. We don't keep meat in it just mostly bread and bird pellets. The power was off 4 days after the tornadoes blew by.

Do Nothing Day

The only thing I did today was go to the Dollar General store for 2 gallons of milk. Frank was in his room all afternoon and I watched TV. I did dust some and cleaned the sink drainer and under the bird cage but that was it. I can't get interested in Family History work and I have all this time on my hands. The drawing didn't work. I need a teacher for that. I'm just content to sit around and take care of Frank.

Tomorrow, we won't go to exercise. Jenn is coming at 9:30 AM and I will go to Allstate and have the insurance taken off of the 1990 Honda and then will go to H'ville and shop at Sam's. I did the bank work online so won't have to go there. Trudy is coming over tomorrow afternoon and will spend the night with us. She will pick Frank's Rx up and bring it over for us.

Good Day

We went to exercise and had a good time. Our group has been named the Huff 'n Puffs. Several names had been submitted and that was the one that won out.

After exercise, we went to Chick-fil-a and got a small vanilla ice cream cone. Boy, was it good! It hit the spot. A diabetic and a dieter eating ice cream. I could eat a half gallon of ice cream but I won't. I've lost 6 pounds and I don't want to put it back on. Now my jeans fit, at least the one pair I tried on.

I cooked a cabbage this afternoon but the rest of the veggies were already cooked. Got to get milk tomorrow. Will go to the Dollar General that's right down the road from us.

I ordered some country music CD's today. We've listened to the rock 'n roll CD's and now we need some more music to listen to. These are vintage songs and I hope we'll remember most of them.

I've got a bit of a sinus infection. My head is stopped up and I have to blow my nose frequently. This too shall pass.


Trudy will come over tomorrow afternoon and spent the night. She can be here when Jenn gets here for she'll be coming at 9:30 AM to 1:30 PM. Maybe Trudy and I can go to H'ville to Sam's. I got to go to the bank and I can't forget to do that. Then we can go shopping.

Our weather has been good. The humidity has been low but we still have some hot months to go.

Tuesday

I forgot to write yesterday. Just did the usual Monday things. Today I thought Sarah was coming over but it's 2 PM and I haven't heard from her.

I called an appliance repair service to check on the upright freezer Trudy and George gave me. The repairman turned out to Greg Brown, our former Bishop and Stake President's youngest son. The freezer didn't have any freon and it would cost too much to repair it. I was looking forward to using it. I checked on Amazon for upright freezers and one would cost 500-600.00 dollars so I guess the freezer is out. Out chest freezer is full. Mainly of bird pellets and bread and some other stuff. I don't really need more freezer space.

Frank has been in his room lying down most of the afternoon. He spoke of being weak but all he does is lie down. His arthritis isn't bothering him anymore. Of course, he takes medicine to keep it from hurting, but he didn't used to be able to sit in a chair but now he can go to exercise and sit for 45 minutes.

It rained some today.

I cooked several yellow squash and fixed a pot of goulash from the ground turkey Mary Kate already cooked for me. Now, I won't have to cook for several days.

Saturday

I cut Frank's hair and beard and helped him take a shower then we watched TV. He must have lost his balance last night and fell. I had been asleep for an hour when his fall woke me up. He scooted over to the railing on the wall and pulled himself up. He must have broken a blood vessel in his arm for a big hematoma formed. I don't think we need to go to the Dr about it. The blood will just have to be absorbed by his body.

Steve came and cut the grass. Lance usually comes on Thursday and today I looked at the grass to see if it was cut because I didn't remember Lance coming Thursday. It wasn't cut and then Steve came and cut it.

I cooked two of each, cauliflower and broccoli. We have enough veggies for 2-3 days now.

I called an appliance repair place yesterday to have someone come out an look at the upright freezer Trudy and George gave us. It was running when he got ready to bring it here but has never run since it's been here. George is too busy with his stuff to wait until he could look at it so I called a repairman. He'll come Tuesday.

Friday

Frank and I went to exercise while Trudy waited for Jenn to come at 9 AM. We just need her to come on Fridays now that Frank is going to exercise with me. He seems to enjoy it. Today the boom box wouldn't work and we listened to Janet as she explained why we did the different exercises. It was good.

After we got home, Jenn was there and Trudy and I went to town to run some errands. We stopped by the Dr's office to get a prescription and then by the pharmacy and the bank. It was the 1st time I had used the ATM machine by myself and it worked just fine. I got out some birthday money for Forrest for today is his birthday.

After I shopped at Walmart, Trudy said Forrest would meet us in Madison and we could have lunch together. We ate at Chick-fil-A. It was nice seeing him and I got a hug out of it. He left to go get a  hair cut and we came home.

Trudy got the end-table that goes with the chest of drawers I gave her and that matches the headboard that Sophia has. Dad has the only one left in his bedroom. Mary Kate wants the desk that is in the extra bedroom downstairs. She'll have to buy me some sort of table to replace the desk for there won't be anything to set things on there. Another piece of old furniture will do-just something to put stuff on in that room.

I called an appliance repair place about the Frigedaire  Commercial upright freezer that Trudy and George gave us. It won't cool and I would like it to work since it's taking up space in the basement.

Maybe when the woods get cleared, we can bury Rosco. He's been dead for 2-3 months now and is residing in the big freezer. After the trees fell during the tornadoes, our animal grave yard was obliterated, and there was no place to bury him. Years ago, we had a cat to die and the weather was awful and the kids wrapped him up and put him in the freezer without my knowledge, to wait 'til a better time to bury him. When the ground dried up enough to dig a grave, the kids held a New Orleans type funeral for the cat. Frankie on his trumpet and Jason with his trombone. Since then, only some of the meat in our freezer have names! Rosco was a bird, a Nanday Conure. He was 24 years old when he died.

Didn't Go Out

Slept in since we didn't have anywhere to go. Trudy came over around lunch time and is spending the night with us. She cooked some talipia for supper and it was good. She marinated it in Dale's Sauce and it gave it a good taste.

I ordered the Ensign for her. I had ordered the New Era for Sadie and next I will order some garments for TJ and George. I have to get the correct sizes and then I can order.

I have a new book to read concerning the sacrament. I'll start it tonight.

Middle of the Week

We went to exercise today. Frank seems to like it and can usually do what the instructor does. We signed him in to the senior center and then came home.

I cooked cabbage, cauliflower and broccoli for lunch and washed two loads of clothes. We both read some this afternoon and then watched TV. It's 30 minutes 'til supper and I'm tired of sitting. I'm sitting now, but my mind is not glued to the TV.

I got a new book and it tells of Lehi's dream of the tree of life and is illustrated by the best pictures I've seen in a long time. I like realistic pictures of the Savior and not the romantic type pictures you see. This illustrators work appeals to me. The book has illustrations and then narrative between the pictures. It's an odd size-more of a small coffee table book, but I will read it anyway. I ordered another book about the New Testament. Hopefully, it will tell about the ancient Jewish customs and help us understand the Gospels better. There's another book from Acts to Revelation that I may get if this book turns out to be a help.

It's pretty hot outside but we've been in the house all afternoon so it hasn't bothered us.

The men who are going to take care of the downed trees will start on them probably in October. I put extra money in the main account to cover the cost but the vet bill was huge and everything cost more. I hope the money will last until they will do the work. It will last. I will make it last.

Missed Out

It was 2:30 PM when I realized that we had forgotten the luncheon at the senior center. I was looking forward to it but being a creature of habit and usually not doing anything on Tuesdays, I just forgot. We'll go to exercise tomorrow and find out what we missed. We did go to town and I got a lipstick and a brow brush but then came home.

Tonight after we had gone back after putting the birds to bed, someone knocked on the door. Larry and Bishop Harris had come for a visit. It was so nice having a visit from them. We have been fortunate to have had visits from the Sister missionaries, the Emmet's and now Larry and Bishop Harris, plus the fact that Karen and Ken stop by after church each Sunday.

After scripture reading, we have been playing some of the rock 'n roll CD's I got. Tonight, the birds were still out and Rikki talked softly while the songs were playing. Gert bobs his head to the music when it starts playing. Everyone enjoys the old songs.

Busy Monday

Frank went to exercise with me today and enjoyed it. I guess he will go with me now. Janet said she thought he did well. Maybe Fridays I can have Jenn come over so I can go grocery shopping and do other things by myself.

We came home and called the vet and found out when we could go get Gertie. He'd been at the vet for several days while his foot got better. We left the house around 10 AM to drive to Hartselle to get him. I had to wrap his perches with some soft material and put a towel down on the floor of his cage in case he fell in the night. He's to stay in his cage for a while so his foot can heal more. He was glad to get home and Rikki was glad to see him. She just talked up a storm when he got back in his cage. She must have missed him.

Bro and Sis Emment and their two children came to visit us tonight. They live in Madison so I was impressed how far they traveled to come see us. They are a nice young couple. She's a counselor in Relief Society and he is the adult Sunday School teacher.

Slow Saturday

Didn't get out of the house today. Trudy and Sadie came over for a couple of hours. I gave Sadie her lap top and she gave me a bracelet she had brought back from her Utah trip. It's circles with light green-grey stones in it. It will match most of my clothing. I don't usually wear bracelets but I have been wearing the parachord bracelets Nate made me and now I have a pretty one to wear.

Doc Jan called about Gert. He's perching better and can come home Monday or Tuesday. We'll go down Monday after exercise and pick him up. She originally wanted him to stay in his cage in the daytime and go into a kind of an incubator at night, but I told her I would have to towel him to move him from place to place so she said to put a towel or pillow on the bottom of the cage with some paper towels on it in case he should fall during the night he wouldn't fall on a hard surface. She will send some bird wrap to wrap his perches in so he will have something soft to perch on. He tore some ligaments in his hip and has been on pain medicine. What we do for our animals.

Usual Friday Things

Went to exercise, the pharmacy, to the credit union and Regions bank and then to Walmart for food. I got home about 10:45 AM. Jenn had been trying to get a hold of me but I don't think my phone was on. Her son was sick and she probably needed to go see about him.

Frank wants to go to exercise with me. He wants to go everywhere with me. That's okay but he can't go grocery shopping or clothes shopping with me. We'll have to see how he does at exercise. The exercise class is having a lunch at the senior center Tuesday and he can come to that. Janet, the instructor, will be giving the group a name. I suggested the Swinging Seniors and there were several that were cute. It's fun to go to exercise.

Called Trudy and she is recovering. Sleeping mostly. George and Sadie were going fishing tonight with David, too.

Mary Kate called after they called her to see how to get in touch with me. She and Richard were driving to the Atlanta Temple to do some sessions. Nate got his home school materials and now wants a desk to put  in his room to study on. They may can get the desk that's downstairs in Trudy's room. Mary Kate was thinking of a small, folding craft table that she could get at Walmart. In GA the home school is free and done by the public schools. No such luck in Alabama.