Today is Now

Today’s the day! I’m stepping back on a Kaa…not my Kaa…Weight Watcher’s Kaa.  There is a wedding coming up….and pictures for the church directory.  I don’t want to look like this.  I told Hubby he’d have to go with me.  I cannot do it alone.  I need support.  I need someone to hold my hand and take me to the meetings.

Hubby is off the hook.  A church friend also has a wedding to attend (not the same as mine) but she does have a church directory picture coming up too.  We are going together.  Today.

My problem is not going that first time. Heck, I can even get to the second meeting.  The hard part is sticking with it.  I'm going to stick with it...hopefully my buddy has more willpower than me!  LOL  I sure don't need a buddy to help come up with excuses.

July 1st is tomorrow.  My perfectionist/ OCD/ Fiddle-Dee-Dee mentality makes me want to start something at the beginning instead of in the middle or the end.  June 30th is the perfect day to start.  It is today; it is now....really, she is coming in a minute to pick me up so I'll close with

Don't wait.

Begin now.

As FlyLady says "you are NOT behind."  I love that.  There is no catching up.  There is only now.  And today for me is Now.

Happy Thursday, Grainiacs.

Sunday Sunday

Today is June 12th.  A week has passed since Graini-Mom's horrible fall.  Life has gone on.  The in-laws have celebrated their 61st wedding anniversary; Hubby and I have celebrated our 31st; Master College Girl has celebrated her 25th birthday; Mum-in-law has celebrated her ??? birthday; and we all celebrated on Saturday!  It was good to be with family.  It was good to laugh. 

 Did I mention that the in-laws have had their own medical issues???  My mum-in-law recently had her gall bladder removed. The Dr said it was close to rupturing and she possibly would not be here today.  My pops-in-law's blood pressure soared one day to 200/100 (not sure if it was on his home BP machine or the Dr's....I'll have to investigate!).  So....yeah.....glad to be with the family this weekend.  Life is precious.

Now for a zen moment.....

I'd rather be on the beach!

I've gotten into fairy gardening.  I love this beach scene.  I want to purchase a little rake so I can rake the sand and "ommmmm."  I need more zen moments and less stress moments.


Mom and Me update:  She went to the ENT last Monday.  Sure'nuff there WAS blood IN the left ear.  The right ear/jaw seemed fine but he was concerned about the left ear.  Unfortunately the CatScan done at the hospital did not show all the way to the ear.  They just took a frontal picture.  So, the ENT ordered another CT scan....of course!  The dried blood in the ear, he thought, was a burst blood vessel from when she fell and jarred her jaw back into that space.  He mentioned seeing her aneurysm coil and I laughed "from your exam? That doesn't sound good!"  "Mom, he can see straight through; you really ARE losing your mind!"  Disclaimer:  you DO have to laugh about some things!!!  And PS**he saw her files and the CT scan.  Her coil was not falling out of her head and into her ears!  ;)  So we left that ENT with a smile on our faces (he would wait for the CT scan but did not think her jaw was broken.).

Funny thing:  he stuck 2 "wicks" in her left ear to help the ear drops reach where they needed to go.  Mom kept saying "there's something in my ear."  I reminded her of the wicks to help the ear drop meds.  At Subway I went to get her a drink and when I got back PLOP...something fell to the ground.  I looked and yes, you guessed it....2 little bloody ear wicks!  bahahahahahaha  So much for the medicine getting to where it needs to go.  You're on your own, ear drops!  Tomorrow we head back to the ENT so I'll have that to report and I haven't mentioned her oral surgeon appointment!  Poor woman- hardly spent any time at Drs' offices in her younger days (the only time she was in the hospital was 50+ years ago having children).  I guess she is making up for lost time.

I do believe everyone needs some zen moments....especially if you have this guy!

who? me???

ommmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm

I get it

"Pull over and stop the car and call me!"

This was the message given to me that Saturday as I was barreling down I-35 in Austin traffic.  I asked my traveling friend to answer my phone and take a message for me.  Austin has a no-hand held policy for phones AND I was frantically trying to find Hubby's car miles ahead of me (note to self: when in Austin, DO NOT follow someone...get the directions on MY own GPS; there is no keeping up with someone in Austin especially on I-35).

I get it...I finally get it....I CANNOT go out of town ever unless I want these types of calls.  My friend pulled my earbuds out of my purse and redialed the number for me.

Mom fell flat on her face in the driveway that Friday night after having a "wonderful" dinner.  Poor stepdad couldn't pick her up so he called EMS and they took her to the hospital.  Unfortunately her primary care giver said this was out of her expertise and Mom needed an Ears, Nose, Throat specialist and none were on-call (Drs and Stepdad are thanking ObamaCare).  The closest ENT Dr was in San Antonio and they were discussing AIRLIFTING her to San Antonio.  Okay, does anyone else think this is a problem???  I don't even want to think of the expense much less the emotional trauma my Mom would endure.  Stepdad recommends an ENT an hour away ( a Dr. he saw years ago). That Dr. said come in on Monday; by what the hospital was saying, it was not an immediate thing.  She is released.

Stepdad calls and said their nurse maid was over and was helping Mom shower and getting the blood out of her hair.  Also she still has blood coming out of her ears.

WHAT????  That's a sign of concussion!  They let her go?  What does the nursemaid say?

I'll ask after she gets out of the shower.

I'm still on the road traveling home.  I get a text from the nursemaid.  She says Mom is better and she finally got the bleeding ON her ear to stop.  I decide I'm going to that ENT appointment.  Bleeding IN the ear and bleeding ON the ear are two different things.

By the time I get home on Saturday, she is asleep and I pray she wakes up on Sunday!  Sunday I attend early service and put her on the prayer list and then travel down to see her.  I'm imagining the worst....

Smiling...no pain at this point...thank you hospital meds!

Stepdad goes for breakfast meals for the both of them.  I wonder if she'll be able to eat it without any pain. Sure enough...STILL no pain (you've gotta love the hospital painkillers!!!)

I can't believe I ate the whole thing with a possible broken jaw!

 
Monday morning before Mom's appointment I called a certain commitment I made and begged out of it.  I cannot be a camp chaplain and do my job effectively while waiting for the call and more than likely have to leave.  I'm sorry.  I do not like breaking a commitment, but I get it!  Something happens when I leave.  I get it, universe!!!

Fumes

You will not be surprised that I can find the one thing of housecleaning to do wrong.  Here is a hint: DO NOT pour a whole bottle of Clorox onto a towel which is on the floor of your shower.  Something happens.... the fabric disintegrates AND you sniff in a bunch of Clorox fumes.  Bad, bad, bad!

The towel was old but did not have holes!

The good news is the mold is gone; of course so are the airs in my nose!
I've always said housecleaning like exercise is detrimental to your health.  I mean it!

"Mom and Me" Update:

This morning we met up with friends and enjoyed breakfast while visiting. I know Mom won't remember it but I think it's good she gets out and does the whole social thing. Each week I ask Mom "How are you?"  The answer is always the same== "doing fine, I think."  She had an oral procedure last week so I asked about her mouth, any pain.  "No, should I have pain?"  She didn't remember going to the oral surgeon.  She doesn't remember much...although she can still surprise me!  More and more I'm seeing shades of my Grandmother.  Mom is perfectly content to be with others but like Grandmom, just to observe.  She doesn't contribute to the conversation.  If you mention an event or person I can tell she is searching her memory banks.  I have stopped asking if she remembers, because her fast answer is no.  At some point I want to ask her about specific events to see if she can recall periods in time.  Right now, it is just easier for her to say no.  So I'll continue to ask how she is and then proceed to tell her about what's happening with us.

Meet TSA

I come from a long line of smart asses....I don't say this viciously, just matter of fact. You would think I wouldn't be shocked; I should not be surprised, right?  I thought my Mom was the Top Smart Ass (not anymore- in more ways than one!), but my son has brought smart-asstry to a new level...even for us!  I'm such a proud Mom.

As some of you know, he is working this summer at our denominational camp.  He left last Saturday and headed to the hills.  I gave him enough time (Sunday morning to be exact) and texted "I assume you are there!"  Almost one week later he texts "Yes I'm here."  Well I sort of figured that! -- I didn't text that snarky remark but I did text "Pictures!!!"  You know what I mean, right?  I wanted to live vicariously and see what's going on there.  A mom is nosy that way.  It's our right!  It's in our DNA! They should be proud we aren't asking about their bowel movements anymore!!!!

TSA (top smart ass....that's his new name!) sent these beautiful pictures. Ah, to live vicariously through the eyes of TSA!!!

His text "Here ya go"

I think someone forgot to add water! Unfortunately this kid isn't at hill country camp!!!

No! I'm not a camp counselor and I do not know Top Smart Ass!!!

I'm a Shih tzu, I tell ya....I am NOT a pug!!!

Ooooh!  I bet you wanted a picture of me when I was 10!!

"Ok ok.  Here's a picture of me."

Thank you, TSA! Glad you are enjoying yourself!! Can't wait to receive the next batch of camp pictures.  Who knows, I might start a scrapbook....only take off the "s."  Yes, I can be snarky too!

Wednesday ramblings

You know that feeling when you've checked and re-checked and submitted the paper only to open it up the next day and see a blatant mistake!!!!????!!!!  Yep, it happened.

You know what else happened? I woke up to vertigo again!  My room is spinning and I feel like I'm going to fall out of my chair....and I didn't drink last night!  sheesh

We re-watched X-Men: Days of Future Past and there is a drowning scene (oops, spoiler alert...heck, if you haven't seen it yet, that's on you not me! 2014 movie Grainiacs!!).  Last night I dreamed of drowning.  This morning my ears are full of water....coincidence?!  I think not! LOL

I didn't tell you about our trip.  Two weeks ago we picked up College Boy from .....college!  I was very thankful to see my 2 girls too.  We had a fun time; can you say "JoAnn's Fabrics?"  I love that place.  We are (supposedly) getting one in my neck of the world.  Can't wait!  Hubby can; he knows what it means.  ;)

We ate and laughed and packed.  BUT!

we were missing one boy (big black beast needs attention and we got a hotel that doesn't allow pets....tee hee....no really, it was graduation weekend and our hotel was in another town!).  We were lucky to get that one: there was a biker event in town too!  I feel like a biker groupie.  Last month I went to the beach in time for Biker Fest.  This month I go to north Texas in time for Biker Fest! hmmmm....I'm not even a motorcycle biker; I'm a biker with a bell and a basket who has to pump her legs in order to move.

Any who...  We were missing one "taking care of the animals" boy, 

we are not whole

but not to be left out....

photo-shop genius

May rhythm

It's getting towards the end of May! How did that happen?  Why do I keep blogging about how fast time is going?

Before I forget, here is a Mom update:  everything is going along (dare I say?) smoothly.  I sure do not want to jinx it, but we seem to have a certain rhythm going on.  Her mind is still foggy but the physical strength is there.  I am going down to see her every week and I coordinate these visits with her Dr. appts if possible.  This week she is a busy beaver with hair appt, Dr. appt, AND dentist appt.  I don't expect she'll get out of bed all weekend long!

I don't have much to say today.  I've been working on newsletter news for the church, and organizing a letter for the Presbyterian Women, and editing advertising blurbs for another organization so my creative juices are juiced out!  I doubt you want to hear about that stuff, so I will end now.

Is the weekend close????