Friday morning I had blood work at the lab. My doctor didn't clear me a week ago for my coming knee surgery because my potassium was low and I have this awful sinus infection. She put me on an antibiotic and some potassium pills, hoping the bloodwork has improved enough for her to send the orthopedic surgeon her okay to operate. Fingers crossed that a week was long enough to bring the numbers up and down (whichever way they needed to go).
After the blood draw, Joe and I went to Publix for a few things and then popped into Bealls Outlet to check out some clearance items. It was a bust, though I did find a nice pair of slacks for $11.00. When we got home we both crashed.
Saturday, we both crashed all day.
Sunday, we intended to go to church but Joe felt awful and I only slept a couple of hours (Barb, the socks didn't help). So... crashed again. Went out for the newspaper, in the driveway, and that was it.
Football has been on most of the day. When the Eagles game isn't on TV, we watch Red Zone to catch the best plays. Hotdogs for dinner. That was it.
We have nothing on the calendar today and tomorrow so hoping laying low for a couple more days will make us feel much better by the new year!!
Thanks for checking in!! Peace & hugs!! God bless!!
Off to church this morning. Joe and I are greeters today. It just feels weird having this Sunday be right smack in the middle of Christmas and New Year's Day. I've been messed up all week!!
In spite of that, I wish you a day and the week ahead filled with many blessings!
Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love to answer the questions, however, and here is today's questions!
Our last Saturday 9 of 2019. Thank you for another great year, everyone!
1) Look back on 2019 and share a happy moment. There were lots of happy moments but the biggest were Joe's new heart valve and my new knee!!
2) As 2019 ends, are you making any New Year's resolutions for 2020? I don't make resolutions.
3) Tell us about an obstacle or challenge you faced in 2019. As my regular readers know, it was when I was just home with a new knee and Joe had to go to the hospital for five days. We are so blessed with wonderful friends and neighbors who pitched in and helped us.
4) Is it "cold as ice" outside where you are today? No. Our high is to be 79° and we have the door opened to fresh air.
5) Foreigner is this week's featured artist. The band formed in New York City. If you were to travel to New York City, what would you be sure to see? The 9/11 Memorial. 6) The band went by the name Trigger. They changed it because their prospective record label was already auditioning a different group named Trigger. They settled on Foreigner because half the members were foreign -- from England. If you received a free, round-trip airline ticket to any foreign country, where would you go? Back to Italy.
7) In 1977, when this song was popular, Star Wars was breaking all box office records. The Spy Who Loved Me, a James Bond movie, was also a 1977 hit. Which film series do you prefer: Star Wars or James Bond? James Bond.
8) In 1977, Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak incorporated Apple. Are you answering these 9 questions on an Apple product (PC, laptop, pad or phone)? On a laptop. I have never owned an Apple product.
9) Random question: What was the last thing you thought of as you dozed off last night? I am writing this on Friday. Last night was not good for me. I have those nights now and then when I am up and down all night long. Probably my last thought was "why can't I sleep!".
I don't have too many photos to share, but here are a few...
This photo is from our HOA website. The significance is that
the car parked behind the mail truck is ours and you can see
my arm out, taking the next picture of part of the rainbow...
I saw the rainbow and took this photo out of the car's window.
Our Christmas dinner was quiet and casual. There were only six of us.
I used everyday dishes and served buffet style.
Not seen are the au gratin potatoes in the crockpot.
Ham, potatoes, sweet potatoes, green beans, cranberry salad,
deviled eggs, rolls, pickles and olives.
I baked a yellow butter cake and made chocolate cream cheese
icing, and then put borders on it and red & green sprinkles.
It was served with ice cream.
Cheryl, Helen, Joe, Shirley, and David.
(Helen is doing well after being in the hospital.)
(Shirley just lost her husband on Dec. 10th and David is her son who lives in Texas.)
Several went back for seconds so I think the food was good.
Joe has a cold now, coughing and blowing. He says he feels okay though. Mine is getting better, thanks to the antibiotics. We are taking it easy today. We went out for gasoline in the car and a quick trip to the bank's drive-thru. I'm doing laundry. We're watching season/series 4 of The Heart Guy on Acorn TV. One of our favorites.
I hate to say it, but I'm ready to put Christmas decorations away. I'll do a little here and there and leave the tree for last. It's time to clean good and embrace 2020!!
Is anyone else messed up on what day it is? I can't keep it straight this week!! Joe just laughs at me!
How great is it to have Thankful Thursday fall the day after Christmas!! Joining Rebecca Jo for her weekly link-up where we can all count our blessings and share them with others! You can join in HERE!
** I am thankful that our Savior was born and celebrated on Christmas Day!!
** I am thankful for our friends who joined us for Christmas dinner.
** I am thankful that dinner was good!!
** I am thankful for phone calls from my sisters and from our son Jeff!!
** I am thankful for a text from granddaughter, Lauren!
** I am thankful for my husband, Joe. He is such a blessing to me.
My dad wrote a poem when we were all youngsters and still at home. My grandma typed it out and decoupaged it on wood for each of us. It is a treasured keepsake and I will share it with you here!
Daddy's Poem
by Orlyn A. Kelly
Twas' the night before Christmas at Broad and Main
Everyone was stirring, but all were sane.
The children were filled with Christmas cheer
In the hopes, they could tiptoe past Grandma's big ear!
The tree looks bare but the lights are bright
In hopes that ole Santa can see through the night.
Grandma and Grandpa have nary a frown,
And here's Aunt Mabel who's far from her town.
Dad and Mom are overcome with joy at the thoughts
Of stubbed toes over new Christmas toys.
And then there's Terri who's acting like crazy,
Much different from Randy who acts like he's lazy.
The Ferrier was at the farm so Pistol was alone in the pasture,
having gone first, and was waiting for Doc to return.
I took a video of him running from the gate, waiting for Doc
to be brought back, and then to me for his carrots!
If your sound is on, you can hear me telling him to come back!
He put on quite a show!
We saw cattle on the way out.
No pictures, but our friend, Helen, got to come home from the hospital
on Friday. We went right from the farm to the hospital to get her.
It was still after 6:00 by the time we got her settled back at home,
and Cheryl went to pick up her prescriptions.
Saturday was the memorial service for my friend Shirley's husband
who passed on December 10th. It was at their house and was
well attended by those she cares about the most.
When we got home from the memorial service, we had
Mas Verde's Christmas Potluck at the Clubhouse.
I had put au gratin potatoes in the crockpot so they were done
when we got home, changed clothes and away we went.
We sat at a table with Al and Theresa,
and Eileen and Miguel.
We didn't get to church yesterday because we were meeting
family over at Disney Springs in Orlando for lunch at 11:00.
We always enjoy the food at House of Blues!
It had been four years since we saw these guys and we hadn't
met our great-great niece, Maya, yet!
Here is Uncle Joe greeting Lexie...
Dimitri is from Barbados and went to the same
college as Nikki. Both were there on soccer scholarships
and both are really, really good soccer players.
We asked if Maya was playing soccer yet, and Nikki
responded that she is a good kicker... and Maya had to show us
by kicking the shopping bag her mom held! Maya is two.
Dimitri, Maya, and Nikki.
These sisters are our great-nieces. Daughters of Joe's
older brother's oldest son, Lou. Got that? LOL
Nikki (mom to Maya), Jackie, and Lexie...
The waitress took our picture for us.
We had such a nice time and Dimitri picked up the tab
for everyone. Not expected and a nice gift for us!
Maya was showing Uncle Joe something. She was shy
at first but warmed up pretty fast. Joe looks very much like her Pop-Pop, after all.
We had to say good-bye. Promises to return soon!!
When we got home, we both took naps. Our neighbor, Sharon, popped over with homemade fudge (YUM) and returned a dish I lent to her. Al and Theresa came by for a visit later. It was good catching up with them. We didn't get to talk much at the potluck on Saturday.
I have a facial scheduled today and after that, my pre-op doctor's appointment with my primary doctor, who has to tell Dr. Bernasek that I am okay for surgery in January. I also need to get to the grocery for things I still need for Christmas dinner.
It has been a great weekend, leading up to our Christmas celebration on Wednesday!
The fourth and last Sunday of the advent season is on December 22, 2019. The day is called the Fourth Sunday of Advent. The fourth candle is lit on this day along with the first three. It is the Angel's candle, reminding of the heavenly hosts that proclaimed Christ's arrival with "Behold, I bring unto you good tiding of great joy!" This text has been taken from www.cute-calendar.com.
Welcome to Saturday: 9. What we've committed to our readers is that we will post 9 questions every Saturday. Sometimes the post will have a theme, and at other times the questions will be totally unrelated. Those weeks we do "random questions," so-to-speak. We encourage you to visit other participants' posts and leave a comment. Because we don't have any rules, it is your choice. We hate rules. We love memes, however, and here is today's meme!
Saturday 9: Happy Holidays! (from the archives)
1. As you can see, Sam loved giving her annual wish list to Santa. Yet some children are reluctant to climb into Jolly Old St. Nick's lap. Did you enjoy the tradition or were you shy? Or did you bypass it all together -- either because you wrote him a letter or because your family didn't celebrate Christmas? When I was little, they didn't really have Santas in all the stores for pictures. My grandpa dressed as Santa for my earlier birthday parties (2 weeks before Christmas) and there are photos somewhere of him at my birthday parties. 2. Are you currently on the Naughty or Nice list? I am always on the nice list! Aren't you? How did you get there? By being nice, of course!! 3. Did you ship any gifts to friends and family this year? Yes. If so, which one traveled the farthest? I sent my sister and BIL gifts in GA. 4. Did you buy yourself a gift this year? No. 5. What's your favorite holiday-themed movie? A Christmas Story is a must-watch. Have you seen it yet this year? Yes. 6. Thinking of movies, Christmas is lucrative for Hollywood. Have you ever gone to a movie theater on Christmas Day? Yes, we have. 7. Have you ever suffered an embarrassing moment at the company Christmas party? No. 8. What's your favorite beverage in cold weather? Springwater. 9. Share a memory from last Christmas. Last Christmas we had friends around the table for Christmas dinner and Joe and I got caught under the mistletoe at our neighbor's house.
Thanks to Crazy Sam for this week's Saturday 9! You can join in HERE!
This has been a week. I am late getting a post done for today, but here I am at 6:30 Friday night.
I didn't get a picture of our nephew and his family when they were
visiting on Monday but they sent me one from Disney!!
Mickey, Emily, Mary, Jim, Anthony, and Minnie!!
A pretty sunset the other night. The picture doesn't show how pretty it really was.
And our pretty Lucy does not have skin cancer (!!!) and the t-shirt has come off!
She is doing fine with leaving the incision site alone.
The best news is that our friend, Helen, got to go home today!! She has consumed much of our time these last few days and we have been so blessed to be available to her. She is doing great and has been delivered home to Cheryl's care. Praise God and thank you to those who have prayed for her.
I still have my cold. Coughing and blowing and not really tasting or smelling anything yet. Once in awhile a whiff of something comes through but it doesn't last. I told Joe I haven't had time to get well yet this week. Time for some rest!
That's all for now. We have a busy weekend ahead which I will recap on Monday!
Rebecca Jo at Knit By God's Hand is helping us count our blessings and link up with others doing the same! You can join in HERE. Thanks, Rebecca Jo!!
** I am thankful that our dear friend, Helen, is improving and was back to herself when we visited yesterday afternoon. Thankful for prayers lifted for her!
** I am thankful that my cold is better and once in a while I can actually taste and smell again! Again, thanks for prayers lifted!
** I am thankful that, with Joe's help, we got our Christmas cards out today. I have never been this late getting cards out. Dealing with my cold and then Helen just set me back a week or so. All is well now!
** I am so thankful for our church and church family, and especially our small group members! Our meeting last night (1st & 3rd Wednesdays) included great food, good conversation and prayers for so many before we called it a night. It is always uplifting. So blessed!
** I am thankful for family and friends, including all of you!!
My thoughts: I would choose bobby socks and saddle loafers for comfort, but I really think I like shoes #1 if we have to pick the heels. Shoes #3 are really cute though!
No linky. This is just for fun. Check out the comments
to see what others think.
Joe and I were in the ER last night until after midnight with our friend, Helen. She
has pneumonia so she was admitted for probably a couple of days.
I have not been connected to Toni's Tuesday 4 Meme for very long and only recently discovered her blog full of so many Treasures! Most of you know that she passed away last week after a long illness. I just wanted to acknowledge her and her contributions on this first Tuesday without her. If you read her bio on her blog page, you will be amazed, as I was, at the brilliant life she led. You can find her page and bio HERE. Rest in Peace, amazing woman!
Our nephew and his family came yesterday, as planned, and we had a wonderful time catching up on family news and reminiscing about grandparents and great-grandparents and family lore. We laughed and laughed. The fajitas were a hit and later we made ice cream sundaes, which were also a hit. We were sad to see them go. I kept my coughing and blowing to a medium minimum. Still couldn't taste or smell. I also didn't think to take one picture. Not one.
My BFF, Elaine, called soon after they left and we talked for nearly an hour! I absolutely loved catching up with her and her family. We don't talk often so it was an unexpected and delightful surprise!
Haircuts today and I am going to my friend, Shirley's house to help her plan a memorial service for her dear husband who passed on December 10th. She is doing a little reception at her house and expects about 30 people. I'm hoping she agrees to keep it simple with sandwiches and finger foods. I think she is thinking along those lines. Her son will be back (from Texas) on Wednesday and I think she wants things arranged before he gets in. The memorial is planned for Saturday.
There is nothing to back up to for this past weekend. I have had a miserable cold since my birthday, on Wednesday. Where did it come from?!!! I am still coughing and blowing and can't taste or smell a thing but I really don't "feel" bad so I have to stop whining and complaining.
My niece, Sara, and her mother-in-law, Lisa, got to our house right at 4:00 on Saturday afternoon. I wanted hugs but told Sara to hug Uncle Joe again for me. I sanitized the house with Clorox wipes. Joe helped get all the doorknobs and handles wiped and, bless him, he cleaned the guest bathroom for me. I sure hope neither of our guests gets sick from their visit. I did my best. Sara had been at a conference down at Sanibel and Lisa tagged along. They have a good friendship which is so great to see. Sara's hubby, Matthew, is doing his residency in neurology, in Cincinnati, Ohio. Sara is working on her PhD and was asked to present some of her research at the conference. Kudos to her! It went well. Lisa sneaked in to listen and took a picture.
We took them out to eat at Thai Oshi. I couldn't taste a thing, but Lisa and I ordered the same thing and she said it was very good. We walked around Lakeside Village a bit, did a little shopping, and took a few photos before heading home.
Joe, Sara and me with the big Christmas Tree.
Lisa and Sara
The big color-changing tree. They construct it over
the fountain that usually anchors the center of Lakeside Village.
There were wandering carolers who were good sports
about posing for pictures.
If you look closely, you should see "SNOW" flurries.
Every hour on the hour, it snows for five minutes around the big tree.
The kids were loving it.
When we got home, we put on a Christmas movie, poured some wine
and settled back to watch The Holiday (one of my favorites).
This is Lucy, in her t-shirt that covers her incision. The collar had to come off.
She snuggled in with Lisa for the movie.
Sara and Lisa. We sure enjoyed their too-short visit.
Today I have a lab appointment for pre-op blood work. Yikes!! My left knee surgery is coming fast!! Our nephew and his family are to arrive around 11:00. We are looking forward to their visit. I'm making fajitas for our lunch. It would be nice to be able to taste!
I hope you all had a good weekend! Christmas is coming!!
