Hi there.....

So kind of you to stop by....I do enjoy the company.

Sunday, December 29, 2013

Hey, I need that lung!

Although the bouts aren't as often, thanks to good cough medicine, I still get 'em and they are just as mean.  I feel like I'm going to cough up a lung once it starts.  Tried a trick a friend told me about and, along with the cough medicine, I only tried to cough one up twice instead of 5 or 6.  The trick?  Rub Vicks on the bottom of your feet instead of on your chest.  Put sock on so you don't get the sheets messy.  I'll do it again tonight and tomorrow night and......  Whatever might work.  Actually since my recliner has become my temporary bed I'm going to put more on after I get off the computer.  I'll let you know.
This all started right after my last post.  Daughter called and asked if I could drive her and her daughter to the pediatrician (whom they had seen just a few days before but who did not issue any prescriptions), because she (daughter) didn't think she could do it.  Now, they had been sick when they came up to celebrate Solstice (see previous post) but for her things has gotten worse.  Apparently they had for Sprout also.  So, okay, I go down and pick them up and off we go.  It's all she can do to get to her van  without stopping every foot to try and breathe.    I'm the one carrying Sprout.  She can't even pick her up.  We wait and wait.  Meanwhile daughter is getting sick to her stomach so I go back with S when her name is called.  K finds us after doing what she needs to do.  Come to find out the poor S has the flu!  and an ear infection!  and I don't remember what else.  She was this sick the week before and they didn't see it?!  Now we're off to drop K off at the ER 'cause by this time it's a miracle she can even breathe.  On the way home I stop and pick S's medications.  By now I'm not feeling so good myself, so when we get back to the house both S and I head for the "lounge" and settle in.  A keeps us company for a while.  Tomorrow I'm to take her to her post-op procedure and we have to leave the house by 6:00 a.m.  Welllllll, guess what?  K's admitted to ICU.  Whoa, we CANNOT take S with us.  K gets hold of J and tells him what's what etc. etc. which does not make him happy when he finds out she was texting him from the hospital and not the house.  At any rate he shows up in the a.m. when he's supposed to and A and I get to the hospital.  While she fills out paperwork I sit and doze, not having gotten much sleep the night before (coughing toddler).  To make a long story just a tad longer I head back to K's and take over toddler care once again.  Meanwhile trying to cough up one of my lungs.  Sometimes we coughed in harmony.  K was discharged later that day.  There was more drama but I won't get into that.  I came home and crashed, literally.  I'm thinking now that perhaps I should have stopped at her hospital ER on the way home (I don't trust ours).  Of course Dr.'s office was closed Wednesday, I found out Thursday they were closed then, also so Friday I just drove over there willing to sit in the waiting room until he could see me.  I was the first one in.  I don't know what I have and neither does he.  It resembles the flu, but isn't.  It resembles bronchitis, but isn't.  So I take the cough medicine and the antibiotic and keep my fingers crossed.  I really need to be well cured of this by Thurs.  I'm going back to my recliner now.  Y'all have a healthy day.

Monday, December 23, 2013

Solstice has come and gone.  It sure would have been nice to see the sun. Because daughter and granddaughter were sick and friend A was recovering from surgery we did not have the big fire.  Didn't even have a fire in the fireplace 'cause is was too hot.  Don't know what daughter and granddaughter have but it seems to have attacked me as well.  I'm trying to cough up my lungs and my skin hurts.  I have to get better so I can take A for her post surgery check up tomorrow.  Daughter is taking granddaughter to ER today (I hope).  Poor thing coughed so hard she couldn't breathe.  Daughter isn't much better.  I know I would rather suffer through waiting in the hospital waiting room than have them there to possibly get something worse.  I think my problem is mostly sinuses and post-nasal drip (you really wanted to know that, right?).  If the sun would come out I'd sure be a happy camper.
Y'all have a very Merry Christmas and may the New Year bring many bright blessings.

Thursday, December 19, 2013

We celebrate the winter solstice here in my house.  The tree is trimmed, the mantle decorated, gifts wrapped and stockings hung (for the two kids).  Tomorrow I'll call and try to get a burn permit so we can have our solstice fire to welcome back the sun. Hopefully the wind and rain will cooperate.  We couldn't have our bonfire last year due to wind so we had our ceremony inside with a fire in the fireplace.   I'll be making shepherd's pie and pineapple upside-down cake.  A tradition we've had for a number of years.  My daughter is the one who said that the pineapple resembled the sun.  I usually go to my son's the day after Christmas.  It's a little less chaotic.  And with the new house just getting into shape it may be more chaotic this year.  It's nice that family is close enough that I can celebrate both holidays with them.
Whichever you celebrate I hope that it is wonderful.  Bright blessings to you all.

Tuesday, December 3, 2013

Progress, I think.

Well, the meringues for the cookie swap are done and waiting for daughter to come get them.  I'll continue to make more since that's what I give out to a bunch of folks.  Somehow a box of chocolates or some such just doesn't say what something homemade does.   At least that's what I think.
The tree has been purchased, along with an extra for daughter to take home.  They're tabletop size.  Perhaps next year when Sprout is a year older (but probably not much wiser) I can have a full sized tree.  The other factor for the table top size is PB.  I think I'm going to have to somehow tie it to the table it's going to be on so PB can't knock it over.  It'll be interesting to see her reaction when I've put on the lights and such.  I wouldn't be surprised if she tries to climb it.  I'll be keeping a spray bottle full of water handy just in case.
Guess I'd better get a move on if I want to get anything done.  Lots still to do.  Y'all have a productive day and remember:  you reap what you sow, so be thoughtful.

Sunday, December 1, 2013

It's meringue time

This time of year I spend a lot of time in the kitchen making meringues.  They seem to be very popular with folks and are simple to make.  Just time consuming.  I'd give you the recipe but then I'd have to kill ya.  Just kidding.  I got the recipe from a food magazine the name of which escapes me it was so long ago.  At any rate, I make peppermint and cinnamon meringues.  The cinnamon ones are my idea and have gained popularity.  Daughter takes a bunch of them to a cookie swap she goes to.  I may be mailing some out to an acquaintance in TX. 
Do you have a special something you make this time of year?