Hospital Stay for Mother

You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

New Presidential Candidate (Wait for video to load, then click picture below to start.)

Our First Trip - Part 2

We had a good day with Barbara Elliot and left on Wednesday to visit our dear friends, Jan and David Clements, who live near The Villages (near Ocala) in the Stonecrest development. They surprised us, showing up at our rig as soon as we pulled into the Southern Oaks RV Resort. We spent the evening with them - life is so convenient as they can use their golf cart to get to most any shopping or eating place.

On July 4th, we went to Jan and David's for a cook-out, along with Diane (a sister), Roger, Matt, Anita (her other sister), her finance Ron, and Sierra (Jan's Weimaraner). Ron presented a drama he had written in 1976 where he "became" Thomas Jefferson - it was very interesting. A thunderstorm prevented the golf cart parade and contest. Later I helped Jan with her computer and Ed helped Dave with his TV. We had a wonderful time with lots of laughter and good conversation.

We then started North for a night in Savannah , one of the largest ports in the U.S. We drove into town and had fun walking along the old Riverfront area. We had $1 beers and some fantastic nachos at one of the many neat restaurants there.

Sunday night we stayed in Hillsville, VA, which is just over the NC border and were overjoyed at the cool weather.......we love sleeping with the windows open. It was frustrating that they had WiFi but we couldn't get on the internet.

We got home on July 7th and yes, the RV did fit into the shelter that Ed built. Now I'm eager to get all our "stuff" into the coach and put away. It was hard not to buy various things but we already have 2 mustards, ketchups, etc. from our stay in Florida last winter. We only bought a small mustard, bread, bologna, milk, and cereal.

Today I'm off to spend some time with Mother. She's still in Assisted Living and dealing with terrible pain. Tomorrow I'm going with her to the hospital for an epidural steroid injection to her lower back. Oh, how I hope she can get some relief.

Nice Nest - 1st Trip Part 1

Here we are, at last in our nest on wheels! We flew into Orlando yesterday and Barbara Elliot (the dive buddy we housesat for January - March) met us and took us to the RV repair place where we had it stored.

We're checked into a county park called Manatee Hammock on US1 in Cocoa. There are many little glitches and a gazillion things to learn how to do but we're getting there. In fact, Paul, the technician from Coastal RV, stopped by on his way home from work and helped Ed figure out a few things.

The RV has been parked at Coastal RV on US1 in Cocoa since March. 12 RVs were broken into -- flat screen TVs and other electronic equipment were the target. They broke the passenger window in our coach which will be covered by our insurance and they put a temporary plexiglass window in until we can get it fixed...............we thought nothing was taken.

During the time we were carrying our things in, I noticed the bedspread was missing but thought to myself how smart it was to put the new bedspread away so it wouldn't get dirty when they were working in there.

As we're getting ready for bed, Ed opened the space underneath to get the blanket and bedspread out. After searching every nook and cranny, we realized they weren't there. Ed, the optimist, said maybe they got it dirty and were having it cleaned. A call this morning confirmed what we really thought - they were stolen. Paul said they took the mattresses from 2 units and several other bedspreads........obviously to use for packing around all their TVs and other goodies.

Insurance will cover it but I doubt we'll find the same one - and I really liked it.......oh, well, it could be worse.

We're off to spend the day - what's left of it (It's already 11 am......retirees don't "do mornings" well) with Barbara. I'm "aquiver" with excitement because I'm going to Bonworth's, my favorite clothing store and Beall's, the place for deals.

Do you "Bling"?

Step right up, folks, here's your BIG chance for the buy of a lifetime!!

In one of the shops at Dulles Airport, I saw blue bottles and white frosted bottles that looked like wine bottles for sale. They had the word "Bling" on them in shiny, glittery letters. And, what a total bargain - the large ones were only $49.94 and the small ones were only $29.95.

I sort of rubbed my eyes like they do in cartoons and had to verify with the clerk that I was seeing what I thought I was seeing and sure enough, the contents of the bottles were plain, ole water - as in drinking water!!!

Young people have been brainwashed to think that they must have the fancy Starbuck's coffee for $4 or more and that there is something wrong if you drink tap water.......you must pay money and get tap water in plastic bottles. Guess this Bling H2O is the next step in brainwashing!

Assisted Living for Mother

You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

Bringing Our Baby Home

The time has finally arrived......Ed and I are flying out of Dulles on July 1st. We'll land in Orlando and our friend, Barbara Elliot is picking us up. We plan to go right to the place we have the coach stored and start RVing! We'll take about a week to return to Virginia.

Taking A Breather....

Things are progressing slowly for Mother. She has started her therapy and hopefully, by next Friday will be able to move into assisted living on a month by month basis for rehab. She is still having a lot of pain and it hurts to see her suffer so much. I think that being right there for her therapy instead of painfully having to get down her steps at home and into a car will be wonderful. Also, she won't have to worry about what to eat.

Several people have said she's going to be surprised how many people she already knows, plus she'll make some new friends. Our cousin (and dear friend), Jim Bowman, volunteers there as a driver a LOT. We know he'll be checking on her, especially when we travel.

The RV shelter is finished but we need to get Mother settled before we go to Florida to get our motor home. I won't be posting for a while but hope to start again when we hit the road!

Mom's diagnosis

You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

Friends from Albuquerque

Jerry and Kathy Millspaugh and I have been friends since about 1980 when I joined the Undersea Adventurers Scuba Club, in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. The club had about 200 people in it and we used to observe that it was half diving and half social. The friends I made there will always have a special place in my heart.

Kathy had bad arthritis and noticed when they vacationed in dry climates, she felt much better. IBM worked out something so Jerry could complete his work from Albuquerque until he retired. They bought a fifth wheel RV, which they call their Roadhouse, and have traveled all over!! They usually spend the spring in Florida to be with their two children and their grandchildren.

This year, they're on a long planned trip to Canada and stopped here in the Shenandoah Valley of Virginia for a visit to the Angelil homestead called Blueberry Hill. I took them to see cows being milked in a dairy barn, a house of 30,000 young chicks, and an egg operation. I think Kathy was especially pleased with the flat of eggs given to her.

Janet sorts eggs coming down the conveyor belt. Notice the chicken looking through the window.

Jerry and Ed watch............it's tedious work!

Flat-out Like a Lizard Drinking Caring for Mom

(You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/ )


.......that's what they say in Australia when someone's super busy! In this case, I'm referring me being busy and to Mother (age 82) being flat-out.

(I'm prejudiced because she's MY mom but, isn't she pretty?)

Mother had gotten along pretty well after her sprained hip ordeal in late March. Her doctor sent home health therapists who really helped her. She had even driven herself to the Wellness Center for her water aerobics class.

But, last Saturday this pain started in her lower back. Her doctor sent her for bloodwork and an MRI. He says it's not sciatica. He mentioned a pinched nerve but I am wondering if it could be a hernitated disc......this is her 9th day in pain. If she stays still, flat in bed, she feels OK but the slighted movement brings on such pain and those type spasms that "grab" you and are so strong they take your breath away.

We'll call the doctor first thing tomorrow and hopefully the MRI will show something! She can't keep on this way.

Anyway, one of the purposes of this post is to explain why I've gotten behind on my email responses. Ed's making some progress on the RV shelter.....got siding on the large wall and a small section of roof installed yesterday. I'm busy with Mother's care and sneaking out to garden as much as possible!

More later.....

Think before you shoot....

Put yourself in your photos!

I would like to make a suggestion that I think is very important. I lived in Australia for a year in 1974 and made a scrapbook when I got back. Now, all these years later, the only photos that really matter are the ones with me in them.

I used to think it seemed conceited to ask people to snap my picture but have gotten over it. One example is the grandmother or grandfather who takes pictures at all family gatherings but never puts herself/himself in them....PLEASE do yourself and your heirs a favor and get yourself into those pictures!

My dear aunt died 3 years ago and she was a world traveler. She had thousands of pictures in a gazillion albums, plus, thousands of photos in boxes everywhere. Out of a thousand, we might find one photo with her in it. We could care less about seeing a picture of a tree or a rock or a mountain.....we want to see Aunt Mary in those places! She could have just bought postcards and left her camera at home.

Please consider taking pictures that will mean something to you and your children in the future. People are always happy to snap a picture of you (they won't think you're vain and if they do, who cares?)....and there's always the self-timer feature on cameras these days. I rest my case.

p.s. Oops, "gotta" unrest my case to mention......

1. TRY your best to label the photos the moment you get them. Many people, like me, plan to do it later, then years later you find this sleeve of pictures and you have no idea where or when they were taken. The same goes for digital pictures......put a caption on them when you download them into your computer.

2. I've also learned that putting a caption below a photo in an album is great. But, most albums fall apart after 10-20 years and labels fall out. Do label your albums for enjoyable viewing, but also (They have acid free pencils made just for this.) label every photo on the back of the photo itself. (They have acid free pencils made just for this purpose.)

OK, now I really rest my case.

Lunch with Leslee (from Alaska)

May 1, 2008 - This is Part #2 from Email Mistake Yields New Friend

TA DA! Email pals meet in person in Harrisonburg, VA.

Mary May Angelil, Leslee Orebaugh from Alaska, Lois Brown Horne

I was not disappointed at all.........quite the contrary, Leslee was absolutely delightful! She's lively, self-confident, open and has had a fascinating life. We all have so much in common and talked over lunch for more than three hours! Lois went to the Iditarod Dog Sled races in February so they had lots to discuss.

I look forward to spending more time with Leslee, keeping touch through email, and maybe visiting her some day but I have NO thoughts of moving to Alaska (BRRrrr... )

Roots in Singers Glen

The Dedication Day for Old Salem, our moved and restored 1833 log cabin church was April 27, 2008.

This was the mother church for our church and several others. I am especially fond of this project because my great great grandfather, Levi May, was the assistant builder back in the early 1800's.

Old Salem has been re-established as a chapel that will serve as a memorial to the Christian congregations that shaped the character and culture of northwestern Rockingham County, Virginia.

Email Mistake Yields New Friend

It never ceases to amaze me what a small world it is. Email has opened a whole new world of possibilities, as illustrated by the emails below.....

November 16, 2007 - I received an email that was a comment about a joke. I was a bit leery because I didn't recognize the email but I hesitantly replied saying, "Do I know you? Your name isn't ringing a bell."

November 17, 2007 - leslee@ replied, "No, and it shouldn't ring a bell. You sent this to Carol Nesselrodt and I mistakenly thought I was replying to her. My error. Sorry."

November 17, 2007 - I replied, "I don't know Carol either but it's fine if she wanted to share a cute email. With names like Nesselrodt and Orebaugh you must be from or connected the Shenandoah Valley so I KNOW you're a nice person!

November 18, 2007 - leslee@ replied, "Oh, you are so right. We are from the Shenandoah Valley. You must be to in order to recognize their origin. Again, sorry for any trouble I may have caused.

Oh, by the way, I am in Alaska (have been for 20 years) and today it was 31 degrees and no snow. We had about a 1/2 inch last night. We probably will not see the ground again until March. My cousin emailed and said the valley had some cold weather."

November 18, 2007 - I replied, "Wow, I've never known anyone who actually lives in Alaska. I've heard wonderful things about it! How did you happen to end up there?"

November 19, 2007 - lesslee@ replied, "How did I end up here . . . well you will never believe a flip of a coin but that is exactly what happened.............. "

.......And that's how it all got began....... a series of emails as I got to "know" Leslee and her fascinating life story.

December 23, 2007 - lesslee@ wrote
”Subject: we are closer than you think
We are so much closer than you think. I had a good laugh yesterday when I was telling my cousin and best friend (Carolyn Jean Bradburn Arnett) about how you and I met. She says you have been to her home and than you went to school with another of my cousins (Phyllis Mason Flick). So, how's that for a small world.”

April 29, 2008 - Leslee is here in Harrisonburg, Virginia!

She’s visiting Carolyn (her cousin and best friend). On Thursday, Leslee, Lois (my friend since first grade), Phyllis (her cousin, my good friend since high school) and I are going to have lunch together. (Carolyn has to work :( , poor dear.)

As I told Leslee on the phone, I feel like I'm going to meet a movie star and should ask for her autograph! Who would guess a mistaken email message reply from Leslee to me on November 19, 2007 would have opened such a plethera of connections!

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May 1, 2008 - Click here for: LUNCH WITH LESLEE, My Email Pal!

The Word for Today - Benign

It is with great pleasure that I report the Word for Today is "BENIGN".
"How do you spell relief?" B-E-N-I-G-N!

(If this doesn't make sense to you see my last post - Life's Lumps.)

Life Has Lumps Sometimes

Like a good girl, I had my yearly mammogram a few weeks ago. A week later I got a letter and a call from my doctor saying there were some suspicious "lumps". I went to the hospital for a Diagnostic Mammogram on Thursday. After the first film, I started feeling light-headed and asked for ammonia. It didn't help any that this test squished me even harder than a normal mammogram. The technician had me sit on a tall chair for the rest of the pictures and it was all I could do to get through it. I had tried to tell myself that this was "nothing" but I think my body's reaction showed more how I really felt.

A few minutes later, Dr. Norris, the doctor reading the film, came in. He said the suspicious area showed up and he wanted to do a biopsy. I told him I was "allergic" to pain so he said he'd give me some Zanex ahead of time to help me cope. Meg, the coordinating nurse, called me at home and we set up the appointment. She was very descriptive and the whole procedure sounded awful. I had a very rough night with not much sleep.

Ed took me to the hospital Friday morning at 9:30. Meg, the nurse, was very supportive and understanding since she'd had 3 biopsies herself. (We later learned she had cancer, surgery, chemo, etc. But she was determined to get back to normal life. She's perfect for this job.)

While in the nurses' area signing the 2,000 forms, there was a nurse who looked familiar to me. I asked her name and before she finished saying it, I knew who she was. Sandi and her husband, Charlie Collette were in my scuba club in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida! They moved up here 5 years ago to Briery Branch, which is about 15 miles from Singers Glen. Charlie was a boat captain, has retired, AND they now have a motor home! Everyone was entertained listening to us discuss the various people we remembered.

Then, it was time for the biopsy. The machine is in a large van, shared by several hospitals. I was on a table on my stomach with my poor boob hanging down through a big hole. They REALLY squished, squashed, and squeezed to take more films from various angles. They decided which shot gave the best view and then clamped down hard in that position.

About the time Dr. Norris started giving me the Novocaine shot and inserting the "tube", through which he withdrew tissue, the nurses started asking me about scuba diving and had me chattering through it all. I told them that I thought they squeezed me to give me so much pain that I hardly noticed what the doctor was doing. I was on the table about 20 minutes. Dr. Norris said the lump seemed smaller than he had expected and he didn't think it was cancerous. If it is, they've caught it very early so can nip it in the bud.

Ed brought me home and I slept all afternoon. Today I feel weak - like limp spaghetti - and my poor squished boob is tender. But it's over. Now I just have to wait till Tuesday evening for the results. Breast cancer does not run in my family so I'm reminding myself of that. At least the biopsy is behind me.

Never again will I think, "Oh." when someone tells me they had a biopsy. Lumps are lumps, wherever or however they appear in our lives.

RV's Need Homes, too!

Ed has worked diligently at getting a shelter constructed for the RV. He's spent hours considering which design and construction materials to use. Then, as with any construction project, once you get estimates and hire someone, you're pretty much at their mercy ........oh, and the weather plays into this, too!
Our two acres is all hills. The only flat piece of land was between Mother's sheds and barn. So, that's where it's going. The sides are up and surely do look tall, don't they?

After a day of putting in rebar and a couple truckloads of gravel, they poured the concrete today.

Maggie's Murder Mystery Party

Some people think nothing ever happens in the boonies but that's not altogether true! Saturday night we went to a Murder Mystery Party at Maggie's house in Singers Glen. (Maggie is the gal who house-sat for us while we were in Florida January-March and she's also my hairdresser.)

It's the 1st Annual Deadwood Poker Tournament Party!

For weeks, people have been pouring into the small western town of Deadwood for the biggest poker tournament this side of the Mississippi. As the tournament concludes, a celebration party is planned at the Deadwood Saloon.

Bonnie Banker, Marshal Dalton, Sally Starr, Holly Hickok (Maggie), Black Barbara, Minnie Money, and Harry High-Stakes

Mitch Maverick, Gambling Jack, Montgomery Money,
Clay Coldwell, Jesse Wales

Here's Montgomery Money (Ed) and Minnie, his daughter, (notice her bustle).

I was Black Barbara, an outlaw. ("She's been in town all week and no one knows quite why.") I borrowed the dress and hat from a lady who grew up in Singers Glen and keeps such items for the Singers Glen Opera every 5 years. My friend, Beth, came and helped me dress. I never could have gotten it put together without her. The bustle she pinned stayed put and once I put in the five antique 10" hatpins that Uncle Bob loaned me, the hat stayed on. It was awesome to wear an authentic dress and hat made long ago. Several of us studied the dress and were amazed with the hand stitching and the hand worked buttonholes.

We didn't solve the mystery as to who murdered Mitch Maverick, but we ate some good food and had some laughs. There were several people I didn't know and if I see them on the street, I'll have to say, "Hello, Bonnie Banker" or "Hi, Gambling Jack" because everyone stayed in their roles all evening!

Mother's Mishap - The Rescue Squad...

You may also find this post on Frances May's blog at http://howisfranmay.blogspot.com/

The Rescue Squad took Mother to the Emergency Room Sunday night, March 30th, with severe hip pain. They did an X-ray and a CAT scan but found no fracture. Her doctor saw her Monday afternoon. He agreed with the ER doctors that it appeared to be a hip sprain/strain and prescribed bed rest.

Mother could not think of anything specific she did to bring on such pain. It is my sister, Anita, who saved the day. About 9 p.m. that evening, Anita called from Ohio, having just talked to Mother, and asked us to go check on her. Maybe Anita's motherly instincts sensed the pain in Mother's voice. And, sure enough, we called the rescue squad. Thank you, Anita!

Her doctor is sending Home Health nurses in for several weeks. One is an Occupational Therapist who helps with life skills such as bathing and gives her exercises. The other one is a Physical Therapist who focuses on exercises to build leg and arm strength.

For me to manage all her meals, meds, and sleep at her house was taking its toll. We were blessed to find a lady to come in to help out with various household needs. Ed has been a Godsend through all this.

I think there is light at the end of the tunnel......Mother started feeling a bit better yesterday. She has "graduated" to a cane and has put her bedside potty chair into storage. We're in the process of adding grab rails in the shower and bathroom for added safety.

Tomorrow, the therapist plans to start working on getting up and down the outside back porch stairs. Mother's looking forward to going back to her Wellness Center for her water aerobics class three times a week and for just getting out in general.