Monday, August 13, 2007

Garden Hobbler

Well, just so you know, I did my best to get my front yard finished yesterday - and I almost made it, no thanks may I say, to my two cats. I did get all the cardboard boxes that had been left behind by my recent movers, cut up and put in the recycle bin, I crammed Olivea's two bikes into my tiny little storage area and got all the nasty butts that the smoker's,that used to live with me, left laying around all swept up. I rearranged some yard furniture and made a nice little seating area by my front window. Doing all this while stumbling over my cats who seemed to think that I could not do the job alone.

I also managed to weed out the two flower beds that run along my sidewalk. This turned out to be a major accomplishment because Elliott and Hermoine decided that they wanted to sleep right where I was weeding. I had to constantly move them out of the way. So, when they weren't sleeping in the flower beds they were sleeping on my gardening cushion (old, thick couch cushion I use to sit on when working in the garden). I'd push them over and sit and they would snuggle up close to my backside and sleep and then have the gall to get miffed when I had to change positions. Finally, without their help, I totally cleared the beds of all the weeds and moved the flowers that were there to a different location. It looks really nice and is now ready for some new plantings of the low growing variety, however, the cats are mad because there are no cushy weeds to sleep on now!

By the time I was finished I could hardly walk and it took me a few minutes to make it up off the ground but I did it!! Yeah, and the crowd goes wild!! Lucky for me that my cane was near by so I could use it the help pull myself up -- I did keep my cell phone by me just in case I had to call one of my daughters and say "Help, I've been gardening and I can't get up!" Today is another story -- I can hardly move right now and I still have the flower bed that runs along the front of my place to finish! Yikes!! I think I will put it off a day or two - wadda think!

Thursday, August 9, 2007

Guard Cat

Last night I was invited to dinner at some friends house, now, these friends just happen to live right behind me so it is nothing to just run over and spend some time. My cat, Elliott, a beautiful black, grey and white striped tabby, follows me where ever I go and last night was no exception. He followed me all the way over to my friends and sat out side on the patio until I was ready to come home and then followed me back home again. He is so funny he even follows me to the street when I take out the garbage or pick up the mail. If I am outside doing gardening he will lay beside me in the grass and move to where ever I happen to move next. I love this cat!!

I don't love that he seems to be a very good hunter by the evidence he leaves on my back deck for me to find--birds beware -- so far the squirrels have outsmarted him! But, cats will be cats! I have had Elliott for about seven years now, my daugther, Erica, found him in our front yard in the pouring rain just a speck of a kitten. When I got home from work she showed him to me and he captured my heart right away, of course, it helped a lot that he immediately curled up under my chin and lay there purring his little heart out--who can resist that! Erica was a more than a little miffed that Elliott took to me rather than her since she was the one that rescued him!

We also have another cat whose name is Hermoine (yes, after Hermoine in Harry Potter)who is a pretty little calico / tabby mix. Hermoine is more independent and tolerates the household -- she will occassionaly allow us to sit and pet her but when she is ready to vacate the area there is no stopping her. She and Elliott get along famously and usually where you find one you will find the other, which means usually curled up in chair together! She is definitely the princess of the house!

Erica, the daughter that still lives at home (but is hardly ever there), called me yesterday just so totally miffed. She is a nanny for a family of five children and one dog. Well, she was sitting outside with the children when she had to go inside to let the father of one of the extra children she had that day in to collect his child. While she was distracted taking care of the leaving process the puppy got a hold of her cell phone, which she had left on the table outside, and chewed the heck out of it -- she'd only had the phone for a couple of months and it was quite costly. Needless to say that puppy is on her list!

Wednesday, August 8, 2007

Special Time With Olivea

Olivea and I got to spend some special time together this weekend and we spent it by going to the movies together and by just spending time talking and cuddling on the couch. Livvie and I checked out a new feature of a movie theater in our area that has gone to $2 movies. They charge $1 on certain days of the week and $2 the rest of the time. We saw Nancy Drew and Olivea really loved it - I love hearing her laugh! I think we will go to this place again--can't beat the price.

I have posted some new pictures--not just to show off my grandchildren--but to show off my daughter, Erica's, improving camera skills (I am talking about the pictures of Vivian)! Erica has always been interested in taking pictures and loves natural settings. I have a beautiful picture of Livvie that she took that just takes my breath away when ever I look at it. I will see if I can post it later.

I also spent some time with my daughter Erin this weekend. We had a little visit then I left her to babysit Livvie for me while I went to lunch with my Mom and sister (before Livvie and went to the movies). It was great to see Mom walking so well on her own. She is really doing great with her walking and didn't even use her walker - although she should just to help keep her balance a little. Sis is doing great and we had a good time talking and visiting with an old family friend that met us at the restaurant. It was good to see her and we made plans to get together soon with our kids and grandkids. Erica and I went to dinner at a local Mongolian Grill on Sunday . . . I should have taken a bib, I could have borrowed one from Vivvie! I love their noodles . . . but they don't love me much. You know what happens when you slurp those noodles, yep, all over the front of me. I told the waitress that next time I am bringing a bib, she told me not to worry, she has long apron in back! She was so cute and right on!

I talked to Mathew on Friday and he was going to be out of town over the weekend. He went to Vancouver and spent some time with some friends. Mo stayed home to watch Earl, their dog, but will go next time. I talked to Matt just yesterday and he said that he had a good time and was really relaxed. Our Mo has been going through some rough times as his Dad has just been diagnosed with prostate cancer and it has become invasive and there is nothing that can be done. Mo has been going home to spend time with his dad as much as he can, while he can. It is so hard to lose those you love--our prayers are with the family.

God Bless . . .

Monday, August 6, 2007

Great News

Our little friend Stephanie is one tough little cookie! She has gone from having to be revived by CPR and being shocked by those cardiac paddles to being taken off life support on Saturday and is now able to give us all a thumbs up!! Ya have a tendency to think the worst is going to happen when doctors are giving instructions to get to the hospital as fast as you can if want to see her before she dies, but they don't know our Stephanie like we know her. She is a fighter and if anyone could pull out of the circumstances she was in she could. She has a strong will to live and she has proven that to us--big time. She has a hard road ahead to total recovery but she is going to be okay - eventually!!! Praise God for his goodness in answering all our prayers and I thank all of you who prayed for Stephanie and her mother -- prayer is a wonderful thing and God answers prayers everyday!!!

Thursday, August 2, 2007

Sad News

We have had sad news this week and we need all the prayers that we can muster for a very close friend of ours. One of my very best friends daughter, Stephanie, is on life support as we speak. She has had many health issues over the years of her young life and they have brought her to this point. She has childhood on-set diabetes, full blown osteoporosis, and an eating disorder. Her bones in her legs have been breaking often and she had just recently broken one of her legs again. She had then developed a sore on her other foot and it became severely infected and she has been in either the hospital or rehab center for the last two months. Last week the antibiotics that she was being given to fight the infection in her foot caused her to go into paranoid schizophrenic phycosis. It was horrible and it seemed that she was just being continually tormented by horrible hallucinations. Monday night she went into full body shut down and was put on life support.

This is a young woman (27) who has grown up with my children and is a part of our family.. this is hard on all of us. Stephanie is also the only child of my friend who has been a single mother for most of Stephanie's young life, which means of course that they are very close and did almost everything together. Mom's have this thing that we are strong during a crisis and break down when the crisis is over. This is how my friend Laurie is right now -- being very strong. Our prayers have to be for her too -- to give her strength and peace and rest so she can be there for Stephanie. This has been devastating for all of us . . . my heart is aching.

The last report that we had from last night was that she is opening her eyes when her mom yells at her. She didn't focus and closed them right away but she did voluntarily respond, she also was able to squeeze her doctors hands, both right and left when commanded. She has also started to develope a slight gag reflex and these are all good signs even though she is still in a coma. She has only a low level of brain activity right now. Let's pray that her doctors have wisdom and insight for Steph and that she continues to improve. And, to give her mother the strength she needs not only for Stephanie's sake but also for her own. Lord, please watch over both of these women and meet their needs as only you can do Lord. In Jesus name Amen. Please. . . pray for these women . . . thank you!