Thanksgiving 2010

Thanksgiving Day is a time to thank God for our many blessings.   I've been sharing this meal with Ed's family since about 1998 and enjoy it more now because I know every one.

Christine and Richard Barkett were our hosts.  Richard is a brother to Ray, who is Ed's brother-in-law.

Richard made two turkeys this year!  One was a Memphis rub and the other a veggie stuffed recipe from the food channel (or something like that).  Both were delicious.

Steve Angelil, Ed's son, preserving the hosts and their turkeys.

Uncle Ray and Lorraine Angelil solve the problems of the world.

Richard makes sure everyone has something to drink.

Ray, Olivia,Nicole and Steve

Lorraine & Kay Angelil and Taylor

Kids Concentrate on Computer Games

Sean (Ed's grandson), Keaton, and Olivia

Katie Barkett and her fiancé, Michael Caysido.

Ray Barkett and Cameron Petrie, his son-in-law

Paul Barkett, Ed's nephew

It's always good to have supervision and advice.

The Siblings -- Ed, Lorraine, George

Michael Caysido and Chopin

Dana Barkett shares some songs.

Ed and MaryMay Angelil are thankful for so many blessings this year!

Ed's Scan & Mary's Therapy

Ed was diagnosed with lung cancer and was given a very grave prognosis.  Not only did he outlive the "3 to 6 months" prediction, he's still going strong after two years.  He had a scan this week.  His oncologist in West Palm Beach got the results and said there is no significant change.  Ed was delighted to hear that the doctor doesn't need to see him at this time.  His next scan will be in the spring.

Meanwhile, I went for my physical therapy evaluation.   After filling out at least a dozen detailed forms, it turned out that the therapy center was more for pain management.  So, it was back to square one.  I called another center and asked more questions this time.  They've already called my doctor in Virginia and my insurance company.  I'll be going for an evaluation the week after Thanksgiving.

Ed just came in and says he wants to go out to eat to celebrate his good scan results.  I'd better go get ready.  Byeeee for now! 

God is good!  We have a lot to be thankful for this Thanksgiving.   

Scans and Therapy

We're in "that" age group where health maintenance becomes a part of life that is a fact of life.

Ed is having a CT scan this afternoon and it should be read within 48 hours.  Then he'll go to see his oncologist in West Palm Beach.  He'll decide his next course of action -- or non-action -- based on the scan results and what the doctor says.  He really doesn't want to have chemo again.....who would?

My doctor in Virginia wrote a prescription for me to have therapy for my weak legs and jello knees. I go for my evaluation tomorrow.  You may remember from a previous post,  "I discovered that if I don't hold to a railing when going up stairs, I can NOT step up with my right leg and when I get into a car, I find myself lifting the right leg in."  

I have been refusing to help my leg when I get into the car and I can now lift it in.  I am also able to lift that right leg to cross my legs,which I couldn't do a few weeks ago.  Practicing on stairs will be a challenge because every place we go seems to be one story.   (Some people don't realize that Florida homes don't have basements because of the high water table.) 

Today is one of those lovely Florida days of about 80 degrees.  The windows are open and there's a gentle breeze.  The cats are lovin' it and so are we.

Nesting and Investing

Having a house is an investment and always involves upkeep and improvements.  We had three main things we wanted to accomplish and are coming along on all three. 

First, we used our Visa reward points and got a flat-top stove.  The old one had burners that weren't level and heated unevenly.  So far, Ed's quite pleased with the new one and since he does all the cooking in the household, it's good to keep the cook happy.

Second, we got a new kitchen sink and we're both delighted.  I do most of the clean-up and this makes the job easier.  The sink that was here was white, the two tubs were equal size, which made it hard to wash large pans, and the edges stuck up, which made it hard to clean. (Don't know if that makes sense or not but maybe the photo will help.) 

 The new faucet makes life easier, the soap dispenser is handy and we treated ourselves to an instant hot water dispenser.  And, the edge is flush with the counter so wiping the counter is way easier.
 
Our third project was to get the big tree in our front yard taken down.  When we first saw the house we said,  “Oh, we’ll have our own live oak tree.”  Little did we know what a total mess it would be.  I could sweep the driveway and in 10 minutes you’d never know I was out there.  Besides, it was really close to the house and that isn’t good in hurricane regions. 

Saturday we were out most of the day doing errands and came home to find the tree gone.  We were were glad to have missed the noise of the chainsaw.  

It took several days for the "stump" man go get here but it's finally done.  The stump grinder and the process was interesting.

 That's it for this post.  Have yourself a great day! 

Carrying the Cool Cats South

One of my friends asked if we brought the cold weather with us.  Well we brought two cool cats named Pepper and Blanche and I guess the cool weather came along too.   It was 50 degrees here this morning, which seems colder than the same temp would in Virginia -- I don't know why.

We learned a couple of things about traveling with two cats.  First, they did much better when we let them out of their carrier in the car.  I did have to be mindful to keep them away from the driver's feet but they were much happier being loose.   Second, getting a good night's sleep with two kitties doesn't happen (We stay in pet-friendly motels).  We considered putting them in the bathroom but knew they'd yowl about that.  So, they got on and off the bed, ate, ran around and did some meowing.  Oh, well, one night didn't kill us.

Our house was clean and straight, thanks to the work of my sister-in-law, Kay Angelil.  She and George even put clean sheets on the bed for us!  What a wonderful welcome.

This week was busy with getting Comcast set up so we could have internet and TV.  Ed went through a lot of hassle with two trips to Comcast.  Finally, a technician came and got everything working properly.  Now Ed's happy with his beloved High Definition for his football games. 

We are making an effort to get involved in Savanna Club activities this year.  Ed went to the Fishing Club meeting and I went to the Garden Club this week.  We also attended a presentation by the "tappettes" last evening called "Autumn in New York".  It was very entertaining and SUCH a deal for only $5. 

Stay tuned for more adventures with the Angelils!

Bullseyes Everywhere

I've been out of the hospital for 2 weeks and am doing better, although not quite up to par.

The Lyme disease had covered my back with big splotches of red rash that I didn't know were there and thankfully, didn't itch.  My doctor told me something I didn't know -- almost every splotch was a bullseye!  (This isn't evident in the one photo that Ed took) I asked if that meant there was a tick in each of those places.  He said no that this was an indication I'd had Lyme disease for about 4-6 weeks and this is how the bacteria manifests itself. 

He said the blood test clearly diagnosed Lyme disease.  In most cases, if they catch it this early, the antibiotics knock it and hopefully, this will be the end of it.  He was pleased at how quickly the rash disappeared.  Some people aren't diagnosed for years so it becomes a chronic problem.

My large intestine is still slightly "iffy" in spite of all the prunes, Kale, high fiber cereal, and yogurt, so he's giving me something to try to keep things moving.  My weight is lower than it's been in years but my tummy (better described as a pot belly, errgggh) is still there.  Let's hope this new med will rectify that annoying situation. 

My legs have been affected  Yes, I still have "jello" knees so he's sending me for some therapy. 

I discovered that if I don't hold to a railing when going up stairs, I can NOT step up with my right leg and when I get into a car, I find myself lifting the right leg in.  That's VERY scary!!!  I will be a willing therapy patient, that's for sure.

The Elite Greet, Meet, and Eat

Last evening our cousins, Mary Margaret and Hunter Hollar gave a dinner party in our honor.   It was so much fun to just talk the evening away, eat some good food, and be with some of our favorite people.  

(Click on each photo for a larger view) 

Linda Heatwole, Mike Frank, Mary Margaret Hollar and Deane Geier

Thelma Hollar and Deb Frank

Mike Frank, Mary Margaret Hollar, Jim Bowman, Hunter Hollar, Beth Foerster, Linda Heatwole

Thelma Hollar, Maggie Gridley, Deane Geier

Deb Frank, Ed Angelil

Dick Heatwole, Clarence Geier

 Ed and Mary May Angelil

Thank you Margaret and Hunter for a wonderful evening!

Foxy Loxy & More on Bluebird Hill

 
Caution:  Weak stomached people might not want to see a couple of photos at the bottom of this post.

Living in the country brings all sorts of adventures and unexpected nature shows.

Yesterday morning we looked out the laundry room window and there was a big red fox under the tree.  Pouncing and hunting...it appeared he was eating a few mice or other small creatures.  He then calmly walked down the driveway.  I couldn't get over how bushy his tail was and the fact that he was out in the open in broad daylight!

Click on photo for a larger view.

 I'm pretty sure it was Foxy-Loxy from the Chicken Little "The Sky is Falling" fable!

One problem around here is groundhogs.  They dig holes that cause cows to break their legs, they dig holes under the foundation of your house AND they eat your garden -- always choosing the best vegetables and most expensive flowers.  My cousin says he thought groundhogs served no purpose until he decided they were created for target practice.

We've been seeing this huge groundhog and five babies throughout the summer.  Ed shot two small ones.  Last week he saw one out the front door and it went under the front porch.  For some reason, he got his rifle and went around the end of the garage.  Sure enough, the groundhog emerged from under the deck.  That's VERY bad because it means they've dug a tunnel under the garage or house!  Anyway, his Savage 22 Magnum did the job and the groundhog suffered not a second.

He put the carcass down in the field in towards the road.  It took several days but the vultures (a.k.a. buzzards) found it.  It's fascinating to watch how they take turns eating.  Seeing them that close makes us realize how huge and how ugly they are.  But they do serve a purpose to help scavenge and clean up dead animals from the environment.

Nature's garbage service. 

 

 

 p.s.  The giant groundhog is still out there somewhere!

Cat Trees by Ed & Robert

Ed's been a busy bee in his woodworking shop this summer.  The cattery where we bought Blanche had cat trees that intrigued Ed.  We took pictures of several of them.

Cousin Bill May let him cut some little sumac trees from his woods.....the idea being that the cats could use the bark for scratching.  Neither Pepper nor Blanche does that but the tree bark gives a unique look to the cat tree.  

Mary's nephew, Levi, said,  "Oh, look, a jungle gym for the cats!"  Blanche likes the top perch and Pepper sleeps on the 2nd one.

I was invited down to the shop last evening to see the latest creation.  This one will be disassembled and taken to our house in Florida. 

We had planned to paint it when we get there.  I took one look at it and suggested that the wood looks nice and we might decide not to paint it.

Finishing touches.

 Congrats, Ed and Robert Forester on a job well done!

 We'd like to bring the cats down, especially to see them discover the ramps that go to the next level.  However, we fear they'd start exploring the shop and we'd never see them again!

Jello Knees

So far the doctors are right in that I'm more comfortable at home.  I actually slept through the night instead of waking up at 4 a.m. in pain.  My goal today was to take a shower and wash my hair, which I was pleased to be able to accomplish.  I'm trying my best to take as little for pain as possible -- I just don't think it's good for a person's body.  The best part is that there was less of that intense, piercing pain today.

Ed is very strict and is not about to serve me meals in bed.  He does serve me meals but I must do my part and get to the table.  That's good because it can sometimes be easy to let myself fall into the Poor-Little-Me category.

All day I've had this strange sensation that my knees were like jello, as if they would buckle backwards instead of staying straight or forwards.  Our neighbors, Faith and Jonathan Histand, brought some food and stayed for a short visit.  When they left, I stepped onto the porch to show them something.  

When I came back inside -- it happened -- the jello knees went the wrong way and I sat flat onto the floor.  Ed was able to help me up and I wasn't hurt.  Needless to say, I'm not making walking a high priority for now.  What a strange sensation!

Home, Sweet Bed 'O Mine

I came home last evening after 13 nights in the hospital ..... walked in, laid down on the flat, soft, comfortable bed (Mind you, this means no plastic over the pillow under the thin pillow case, no plastic mattress or lumpy pad, no side panels with a "Call Nurse" button that keeps going off, even if you barely touch it) and just started crying.  Ed asked what in the world was the matter and I responded that it just felt soooo good to be home.

The doctors explained that this does not mean I'm well -- by any means.  It will probably take a few weeks for my bowel to settle and function.  In the meantime, I'll be more comfortable at home in my own bed -- and how! 

I work up with that all-too-familiar feeling that a Mack truck has mowed me down and squashed me -- especially my legs, the area between my shoulder blades and the bottom row of front ribs ache.  Neither flexeril (muscle relaxant) nor Tylenol help much at all;  but when one knows that's a normal part of Lyme disease, it's not as scary.


The doctor thinks the Lyme's Disease and the bowel "on strike" are related issues, after all.   

These symptoms are like my current fibromyalgia diagnosis and the mononucleosis pain that I had in college.  My mantra these days is, "This too shall.....or at least get better."

Different resort next time....

Last night was night 11 in this Rockingham Memorial Hospital.......for my next vacation I plan to choose a different resort!    I've lost 14 pounds since I've been here -- the least I've weighed in years but this method isn't recommended.

Progress is slow but my large intestine does seem to be showing some progress.  I have advanced to a full liquid diet -- which means cream soup and pudding -- yee-haw!  Am not complaining - after 5 days with nothing except IVs, pudding tastes good.   Hope to get home soon but am not pushing -- I'll go when they say I'm ready, no need to risk a relapse.

The Lyme's Disease has been confirmed and has cleared up nicely.  I did learn it's caused by a deer tick, not a dog tick.  Also, recovery is like mono recovery - progress, but with bouts of unexpected fatigue for quite a long time. 

Apparently the Lyme's Disease and the bowel "on strike" are two different issues.

p.s.  Please keep holding email for now.  Or you can write or call Ed for updates.  Thanks for all your cards, etc. 

Still in the Horse-pital

I was admitted last Thursday evening and am STILL here!  A doctor who met with us last evening said that if this were a teaching hospital, he'd have a line of students to meet me and hear about my strange case.  Ed says they could use it as a storyline for House, the medical show on TV.

I started with a 102 fever for about 5 days two weeks ago, then temp started going up in the evenings.  I had some wild, strange rash which they thought was Lyme's disease but now are not sure.  Those tests were sent to a state board to be evaluated and results aren't back yet.  They put me on an antibiotic for that and the rash is almost gone.

My fever has come down the last day or so but not much change in my condition has taken place.  Basically, my large intestine has become paralyzed.  I've had daily X-rays, tests, etc.    I've had nothing to eat for 5 days, various enemas, etc. but there is still no "action."  My pain level has been very high for several days, as has my blood pressure.  They changed my pain med yesterday and that has helped some.

(I can't believe I'm telling this to the world.  Some days I have felt too bad to talk, which is why the internet is helpful and I've decided to tell all here.)  

My nurses have been really special and caring, as have all the lab people, etc.  There have certainly been a lot of doctors and they have coordinated with each other.  People have been so kind with cards, flowers and calls to Ed.    Hope to be back to the "land of the living" soon.

It's amazing how long a day can be with no meals to look forward to.  On the bright side, I've lost 9 pounds in 4 days!

More Miserable

I'm here in the hospital in Harrisonburg, Virginia and might be here a several days until they figure out what's wrong with me.  Ed brought me to ER Thursday evening and they kept me, much to my surprise.  My abdominal X-ray and CAT scans are normal and my kidneys are OK.   Dr. Overby said it might take a bit of time to track down what's causing me to have a fever for 10 days.

The pain in my right leg, upper abdominal area and middle back is off the charts.  I can have a pain shot every 2 hours but I fear that the dilaudid is "wearing out" on my body already.  Dr. O. said that my fibro is probably intensifying my pain but that's not what is wrong here.  So far they've ruled out the flu (did you know they have a test for that?), a kidney infection and a couple of other things.

I declare that Dr. Overby is thinking up every test known to medicine -- even a TB test.  Now's a time when I'm blessed to have the best doctor in the county.

This is a brand-spank-new hospital -- just opened in June of this year.  I'm getting a tour from the inside out.....would prefer it the other way around.  The hospital has free wi-fi but allows no Facebook ....gasp... how will I live?

Short email personal notes are welcome but please understand I feel too bad to respond for now.  Still hurtin' for certain and feeling like a stuck pig -- about 20 sticks so far, which doesn't work well with my needle phobia.  I'm not going to have any blood left!

Hope to bring happy news and a diagnosis the next time round.  Thank you for your prayers and positive thoughts.

Under the Weather

I haven't had the flu in years -- this time IT has ME!  My temp has gone up to about 101-102 each evening for the last four days.  I called my doctor on Friday and he's pretty sure it's a viral infection.  If it's not better by Monday, I'm to go the ER.  Reading online indicates that you pretty much let the flu run its course.

I would venture  to guess that I will be making that trek tomorrow.  Look on the bright side -- I'll get to see our new hospital.   I feel rotten and, of course, one always feels the worst in the evening.  

Miserable me, MaryMay

Bits of Beauty in the Valley

There's something so special about driving in this gorgeous Shenandoah Valley of Virginia.  I never get tired of it and every hill you top has a new view of surprises.  Yes, town is 8 miles away but that means 8 miles worth of wonderful views, plus there are several different routes to get there. 

This graveyard is at the edge of our family's farm.  There are some graves there from the 1700's!

There was a church on this site (you can see the remaining steps) that was vacant since before my childhood.  It was dismantled and moved to another location, where I hope it is being used. 

Our neighbors always have this lovely flower garden in front of their healthy vegetable garden.  Horses are always graceful and pleasant to my eye.

Even the farmhouses are charming.

Our humble home.  We've stuck to the plan to have landscaping near the house and treat the rest of the 2 acres as a field.  We only mow a few times each summer instead of the weekly mowing that a lawn requires.  Of course, with the drought this summer, we wouldn't have had to mow that often.  I have been planting flowers on the bank by the road and have added flowers among the shrubs near the house.

What a feeling of "roots" to be able to see the home (among the trees and is now rented out) where I grew up (my father was born in that house, too) from our house.  I can also see the location of the house where my Granddaddy May and his father grew up.

I even find beauty in a hornets' nest in our field!  We have three and I was ready to get rid of them -- pronto!  Ed researched and found out they're good, especially at eating spiders so we're steering clear of that area for this year.

Seeing deer is always a thrill.  Last week, cousin Jim Bowman saw two large does grazing among a herd of cows.  Smart deer!

Seeing beauty in one's surroundings gives each day a special joy.  Hope you will recognize and enjoy the bits of beauty in your world today!