Thankful Thursday with Rebecca Jo....

It is time to join in with Rebecca Jo at Knit By God's Hand to celebrate our blessings this week!  You can click HERE to join in!

I have written about playing Nickels on Friday nights and that our winter friends are back so we finally have enough people to play again!  The wife of one couple, MJ, crochets beautifully.  I have seen in our neighbors' homes a crocheted "doily" with their names worked in.  I really never gave it a second thought, but when MJ and Ernie got back and came to Nickels two weeks ago MJ handed me a package that had this in it!! Wow!  I didn't want the cats sitting on it if I put it out as a runner or doily, so I took it to Hobby Lobby to have it framed.  They did a beautiful job and I finally got it hung up yesterday.  Our name is LONG.  This baby is 36" long and 8" high.  We LOVE it.  I was so touched by her generosity.  I crochet so I know what went into doing this! Wow.  We are so very blessed and thankful to have such good neighbors/friends here. 

We are also thankful that we got to go to the ranch (Joe's client) yesterday. It has been three weeks.  The weather was beautiful and the sky was gorgeous!  Joe isn't allowed to lift more than five pounds for a month, then not more than 20 pounds until February! Guess who got to tote his computer to the office for him!  I was happy to and praise God that it didn't make my knee hurt and that he is doing so well!!  We count our blessings and praise God daily!

Please visit Rebecca Jo and visit others who also post their blessings.  It is always so uplifting!

Thanks for your visit!!  Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!

The Wednesday Medley...

A big thanks to Katsumi for this week's Medley questions!  Please click HERE to join in with the other Meddlers!!

1. During Red Ribbon Week a red ribbon or rubbery silicon bracelet is worn to remind others to live drug-free lives and honor the sacrifices of all those who've have lost their lives fighting the war against illegal drugs.

Do you have family members or loved ones in law enforcement?  Yes, we do.  Our son, a nephew, and three cousins.  Wearing any memorial ribbons or bracelets?  No.  I still have a Relay For Life (cancer) bracelet, but I haven't worn it since I quit participating.

2. There isn't an International Day for October 30th.

What is your suggestion for a new national or international day?  We could celebrate Halloween Eve like we do for Christmas and New year.

3. On this date in 1938, Orson Welles performed his radio play of H. G. Wells' The War Of The Worlds. Some people understood it to be an actual news broadcast of a Martian attack though there were disclaimers throughout the show.

Have you witnessed an example of people behaving to the contrary in spite of warnings?  Joe and I just a few weeks ago ignored a tornado warning and did not seek shelter.  We were lucky because the tornado passed by us by only eight miles.

Bonus question: Did you listen to or do you stream radio shows?  No. Listen to books or prefer reading?  I prefer reading.  Listening doesn't work for me because my mind wanders.  I am someone who needs noise in the background in order to concentrate on a project or book (etc.) so the talking quickly becomes zoned out background noise.

4. Happy 80th Birthday, Grace Slick!

She sang with psychedelic band Jefferson Airplane and later reincarnations Jefferson Starship and Starship.

All rock 'n' rollers over the age of fifty look stupid and should retire. — Grace Slick.

Is pop music solely the domain of younger artists?  Kind of like the Beatles singing about being 64...  I think the success of the Rolling Stones, Paul McCartney, and many others who are still performing and filling stadiums proves that it is not a domain of younger artists.  I'm not even sure you can call today's music "rock n roll".  What is that noise the youngsters listen to?

5. Tomorrow is Halloween. Any fond memories of Trick Or Treating or escorting little ones while they made the rounds? Favorite costume?  I don't remember a costume other than the plastic face masks that fogged up your glasses (yes, I wore glasses in 1st grade) and you couldn't see where you were walking.  When I was a kid, you could trust your neighbors to not poison your candy or put razor blades in apples.  We got homemade candy apples, popcorn balls, brownies.  One man gave nickels!!  I could buy an entire full-sized candy bar with a nickel.  My boys were past trick-or-treating when I entered their lives (and they mine).  The grands lived too far away so all we got were pictures...   this is Lauren.  I can't find one of Tristan dressed up.

Bonus question: As an adult, have you attended a Halloween party or fancy-dress ball? Sexy? Or spooky?  Halloween party, no.  Mas Verde had one last Saturday with a DJ.  We saw pictures and it looks like it was lots of fun.  Perhaps we will go next year.  Fancy-dress ball, yes. Every year for the 20 years I worked at the museum we attended the annual black-tie Gala.  Not sexy... might have been a bit spooky!  LOL

6. Please share with us something interesting about your week.  The difference in Joe, from yesterday to today, is AMAZING!!!  The cath is out, the UTI is gone and he feels GREAT!!  I got my Joe back!!  Praise God and thank You, Jesus!!  Your prayers were felt and heard!!

Thanks for your visit!  Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!

Tuesday 4 Meme... Ghostly Tell Tales

Ghostly Tell Tales

You can find the Meme to join in right HERE!!

 Ghostly Tell Tales
1.   Believe in ghosts, spirits, or the supernatural?  Yes.

2.   Ever had a supernatural experience?  Yes.  More than one.

3.   Favorite horror film?  The old Bela Lugosi vampire movies in B&W.

4.   Finish this line: Silently I walk in the moonless night wishing I hadn't forgotten
my flashlight!!

Joe got the foley out and is doing okay so far.   Being positive that the goodness
will continue!!  He sees our primary care doctor today.

                      Thanks for your visit today!!  Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Weekend Recap on Monday....

I really don't need to go into detail here because you already know how our week went and that we were back at the hospital on Saturday morning.  Joe is feeling MUCH better now and we just need to connect with the urologist today (hopefully - please God - today) to get the foley removed.

The weekend was low-key after we got home.  Helen and Cheryl came by for a visit.  We did not go to church yesterday, but I did do some cleaning, some laundry, and baked some pumpkin bread from my mom's recipe.  It is the only pumpkin 'thing' I really like.  It makes two loaves. I gave one to our Canadian neighbors, who just arrived yesterday, and got a big hug from Jill.  It is nice to have them back for the winter!

Our friend and fellow church member (and our Sunday school teacher) came by for a visit in the late afternoon yesterday.  It was good catching up with him.  We always have good conversations.  His wife and I worked together at the Museum for years before she retired.  She was our Deputy Director and had the office next to mine. We have known him (and her) since 1997.  Judy died of a brain tumor but fought a hard battle for a couple of years. This is them at Mayfaire back in 2008. Her hair was growing back in.

We ordered dinner from Cheddar's.  Take out is a great way to go!! Joe had the sirloin steak and I had the New Orleans pasta. While we were eating, Sharon (next-door neighbor) popped in and talked with us while we ate.  She had eaten and didn't mind at all.  It was a bit awkward but we enjoyed her visit. 

Later, Joe had the baseball game on. Vinny decided to get on my lap while I was reading blogs and Facebook.  I put the cat video on for him and he watched for a good 20 minutes.  Silly boy!

And that was our weekend. Counting on them being more fun as Joe heals!  We have Art Crawl coming up on November 2nd and I am determined to attend.  It is an outdoor art festival of up-and-coming artists (meaning their work is more affordable than those at Mayfaire).  It is in Lakeland's central park, Munn Park, and the Farmers' Market will also be going on.  Hoping my knees will hold out this year. I haven't been for two years!

Thanks for your visit today!!  Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!

Sunday Blessings!

We had a little hiccup yesterday with Joe's recovery.  His heart is fine but he has a really bad urinary tract infection (UTI).  His bladder hasn't worked well since he was in the SICU and had the catheter removed.  He did have a urology consult before his discharge and the doctor said there was no problem. HA!  Friday night/Saturday morning, he couldn't pee at all so off to the ER we went.

They put in a foley and what looked like a gallon drained out immediately. Sorry if this is too much information (TMI).  Anyway, they sent him home with the foley and he needs to see his urologist on Monday to have it removed and to see if the antibiotics have done their job.  Never a dull moment around here!! Joe feels so much better and all of that bloating and fluid retention has gone away.  Praise God!

This was a little too much for acquaintances on Facebook so I did not post about this there. Happy sharing with my prayer warriors here!

Thanks for peeking in!  Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!

Saturday 9... Miss Me More

Miss Me More

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 are today's questions!


Saturday 9: Miss Me More (2018)

Unfamiliar with this week's tune? Hear it here.
Chosen because October is Domestic Violence Awareness Month. Learn more and spread the word that help is available.


1) This song is about a girl who ditched her high heels so she wouldn't be taller than her beau. Tell us about the most recent addition to your footwear wardrobe. Do you need to go shoe shopping?  Shoe shopping is not fun for me because I have a big foot. Women's' size 12wide. Shoe stores don't carry my size so I have to order them. My more recent purchase was flip-flops a few months ago.

2) She sings that she misses the sheets on the bed she made herself. As you answer these questions, is your bed made?  Our bed is always made, but it is not made at the moment because Joe is napping.

3) This video shows her in a ring. Have you ever worn boxing gloves?  No.

4) This week's featured artist, Kelsea Ballerini, got married on Christmas Day in 2017. That makes their anniversary easy to remember. Are you celebrating any birthdays or anniversaries this month?  Two of our grandchildren have October birthdays.  Tristan's is the 3rd and Lauren's is the 25th.  Joe's brother, Lou, had a birthday on Oct 11. Our friend, Cheryl, celebrated on Oct 6th.

5) Kelsea has been quoted as saying, "Perfect doesn't exist." She worries that we exhaust ourselves "trying to be something that isn't real." How about you? Do you believe your best is good enough? Or do you strive for perfection?  I have never been concerned with being perfect.  My best is my best.  Sometimes it comes close to perfect and sometimes not. 


6) One of Kelsea's tattoos is a square inside of a circle, aka a square peg in a round hole, on her left wrist. She says it's there to remind her that it's OK to "not fit the mold of what normal might be." Tell us about a time where you felt like a square peg in a round hole.  Frequently when I worked at the Museum with so many events to attend. I don't like crowds and I don't feel comfortable at big parties when  I don't know anyone. I am not a good at mixing and mingling. 

7) In 2018, when this song was popular, French President Emmanuel Macron lowered fuel taxes. When it's time to fill your tank, do you shop around for the best price?  On the road, we use the Gas Buddy app but here in Lakeland Sam's Club always has the best price so we go there.

8) Also in 2018, Luxembourg made all public transportation free. When is the last time you rode a bus or train?  I can't even remember. It was back when I live in Washington, DC.  We have been in Lakeland for 30 years.

9) Random question: When did you most recently say, either out loud or to yourself, "I haven't got a thing to wear?"  I don't remember if I have ever said that.

Thanks for your visit!  Joe feels a bit better each day.  I sure am happy to have him home.  Our son left yesterday afternoon.  It was a blessing having him here while Joe was in the hospital.

Thanks to Crazy Sam for this week's questions! You can find the questions to join in HERE.

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

 

Friday Photos...

I don't have too much to share this Friday since I have been spending most of my time in the hospital with Joe.  I did steal a couple of photos from Facebook though that I am so happy to have!!

I often mention my BFF, Elaine.  We have been friends since we were 10/11 or so.

This is her hubby, Jim, her mom (and my 2nd mom), Jerri, and Elaine.

And this is my dear sister-in-law, Jo Anne, on the right, my beautiful niece, Sara,

in the middle, and her hubby, Matthew, on the left.  Great picture!!

Jo Anne just retired from teaching and is enjoying some free time, I think!

I did take this picture last week when we went to Mazzaro's Italian Market

with our neighbors.  This big brown cylinder is a 1,000-pound provolone cheese,

 imported from Italy, that has aged for 2 years.  They call it the Christmas Cheese and will cut it

sometime in mid-December.  We have purchased some in years past and

it is VERY sharp provolone.  Joe loves it.

This is the only photo I took of Joe while he was in the hospital.

This is the Surgical Intensive Care Unit (SICU) where he spent the day

of his surgery and that night.  I took this picture more for the warming

blanket they were using on him.  The big hose fills a blanket with

warm air and keeps the patients warm, rather than continuing to add

warmed blankets on top.  When we first arrived there he had FIVE

blankets on and around him because he was so cold. When we went back

later in the evening, this is what we saw.  He was finally warm.

I am thrilled and delighted to have my sweetheart at home.  He still has healing to do and needs to purge his body of all the nasty dyes and chemicals.  He is bloated and not feeling great just yet but his heart is working so much better, praise God!!

Thanks for your visit!  Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!

Thankful Thursday with Rebecca Jo...

I am quickly linking up with Rebecca Jo at Knit By God's Hand and thank her for hosting our blessings each week!!  You can join in HERE!

I am thankful for each of you and I apologize for missing your blogs this week with Joe in the hospital and our son here with me.  We are out early and home late, stopping by to feed the cats and clean their boxes in between.  I will get back and catch up soon!

Of course this week I am thankful for Joe's successful surgery!!  I am thankful that he finally shook off the anesthesia and is feeling so much better.  He really had a hard time with it so they must have had him way under.  He didn't even remember that we were there on Tuesday night.  When I called the SICU nurse yesterday morning and she handed the phone to Joe I was thrilled and amazed because he could barely get two words out on Tuesday.

Our Pastor, Associate Pastor, and one of our Elders came by yesterday and prayed with Joe.  We are so blessed by our church family.

It is doubtful they let him go home today but we can hope for a change in his favor. It is more likely to be on Friday.  We give all the glory to God and we both know your prayers have helped to make a difference.  Thank you!!

Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!

The Wednesday Medley...

Wednesday Medley for October 23rd.

Welcome to this week’s Wednesday Medley!

You can visit the Wednesday Medley and join in HERE!  Thank you, Katsumi!

1. On this date in 2001, Apple introduced the iPod, a pocket-sized media player. Are you old school with Sony Walkman and CDs? Has your iPhone or smartphone eclipsed those functions? Hop in the car and listen to the radio? Or you don't require a soundtrack to your life?  We have a lot of CDs that never leave the cupboard these days.  We listen to Serius radio in the car and if we want music in the house we either use our cable TV or Alexa.  I never had an iPod or a Walkman.

2. Today we celebrate Mole Day. Not the burrowing subterranean rats. Not angel kisses. Nor the Mexican sauce which is pronounced to rhyme with olé as if we are cheering a matador at a bullfight and is great with chicken and rice.

This mole is a relationship between mass and weight and is a basic unit of measurement in chemistry.

H₂O has a molar mass of 18; a mole of water weighs eighteen grams.

It is expressed as 6.02214076 × 10²³. Ten to the twenty-third meaning October 23rd and 6.02214076 translating to 6:02 in the morning. Or I suppose if you don't keep military time you could celebrate in the evening, too.

So. Are you a science or math nerd? Which begs the eternal question: Why are we cool and guy nerds are dorks?  I am not a science OR math nerd.  Sorry.  Ask me about art!!

3. Because Mole Day is all sciencey, it kicks off National Chemistry Week.

Did you take a chemistry class?  Yes.  What were your first impressions on being in a laboratory classroom?  I hated it.  Do you recall your early experiments?  No. Did you have a lab partner?  Yes.  Did you want to strangle her?  No. She was smart and I drew the pictures. Was the prospect of capital punishment or twenty⁠—to⁠—life in the slammer and getting a poor grade on your report card a deterrent? Or was her enthusiasm infectious and she was a sheer joy to be around?  Actually, Karen was my biology lab partner and we had a blast.  I absolutely hated, hated, hated chemistry.  Loved biology.  Go figure.

ALTERNATE QUESTION: Ever been on a date and the chemistry was just all wrong?  Oh yes!

4. National Boston Cream Pie Day. Not a pie. Two yellow butter cakes baked in pie tins. A vanilla custard cream filling with luscious slathering of chocolate ganache over the top. Mmmmm. Custard cream. A luscious slathering of chocolate ganache.

Have you ever spontaneously without forethought gone out to the frozen custard stand or ice cream parlor or soda fountain to treat yourself?  Of course!  Met up with friends for coffee and dessert?  Yes, indeed.

ALTERNATE QUESTION: When reading about something delicious, do you do a mental checklist of ingredients and think about heading to the kitchen to whip up whatever strikes your fancy?  No. I usually post it to a Pinterest board and then forget it is there.

5. Heeeeeeeere's Johnny! Happy Birthday, Johnny Carson! And Happy National TV Talk Show Hostess / Host Day! Have a favorite talk show you regularly watch?  I loved Johnny Carson but don't watch talk shows anymore because they have become too political and not fun at all.

BONUS QUESTION: Do you miss Johnny Carson? Do you think he was a great host who set the standard for current talk show hostesses and hosts?  Yes and yes.

6. Please share with us something interesting about your week.  Joe's surgery was a success! We are thrilled about that but the poor baby is having a hard time waking up from the anesthesia.  He knew we (son Joey and I) were there but I'm not sure he will remember much about the day.  We will be there with him today, probably as you are reading this.  At least we don't have to be there by 5:00 a.m.!!  Your prayers and good thoughts are much appreciated!

Thanks for your visit!  Peace & hugs!  God bless!!

Tuesday 4 Meme....

Over & Over Again

Thanks to Toni for this week's questions!  You can join in HERE!!

Over & Over Again
1.   One Movie You'd Watch Over & Over Again?  Christmas Vacation, While You

Were Sleeping, Sleepless in Seattle, and on and on and on...
2.   One Book You'd Read Over & Over Again?  Gone With The Wind, Pillars of

the Earth, to name two.
3.   One TV Series You'd Watch Over & Over Again?  Andy Griffith, Mash, and

lots more.
4.   One Song You'd Listen To Over & Over Again?  I do listen to the oldies over 

and over. Don't have just one to single out.  Love Motown!!

                    

We are at the hospital today.  I will post an update on Facebook when I can.

Thanks for checking in!!  Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!

Weekend Recap on Monday...

I will start by backing up to Wednesday.  We went to our first (ever) small group get-together from our church.  There are six groups and we are in the more senior group (which fits fine).  It was great fun.  The leaders (at their house) served us a yummy dinner and we had some great fellowship. Looking forward to the next one.  We meet on the first and third Wednesday of each month.

Thursday was my last physical therapy appointment!  They really wanted me five more times (to equal 12 visits) but I told them no. Do what they need to do to process me out. I really didn't think they could do much more for me and I would miss this week anyway.  I have homework to continue doing and need to go get in the pool and walk but that isn't happening this week.  I need to get Joe through his procedure and the doc told us last week that there is a likelihood that Joe will need a pacemaker too, which will require a couple more days in the hospital. We are okay with that and would rather they do it now than wait a few months and put him in the hospital again. Prayers appreciated!!

As to the physical therapy location... I think I picked the wrong facility.  I will not use them for my left knee.  It is small and they rely on their robotics and the bubble treadmill rather than really working the muscles like I feel they should have been doing.  The robot felt great on weak and knotted muscles but I needed strengthening work which I didn't get there.  I'll do it on my own now and will go somewhere else next time.

Friday nights we are back at the clubhouse for two-hours of Nickels with friends.  Most of our Nickels 'gang' have returned from their summer homes so we had two tables to play.  Our wonderful Canadian neighbors, Jill & Murray, will arrive this coming Sunday.  Looking forward to seeing them again!  A couple of people asked what Nickels is.  It is just a fun dice game and we use real nickels to play with.  Everyone has a card in front of them with numbers in two rows 2-3-4-5-6 on the top row, then 8-9-10-11-12 on the bottom row.  You roll your two dice and if you roll a 3, you put a nickel on the 3 and so on.  If you roll a 7, you have to remove a nickel from the card and put it in a cup.  Whoever fills their card first wins all the nickels in everyone's cups.  There are other 'rules' but that is the gist of it.  It moves really fast and that causes all kinds of silliness.  We are loud and we laugh a lot. 

Saturday was laundry day and it was good to get almost two-weeks of dirty clothes washed. We were up in Georgia last weekend so there was what seemed like a month's worth of dirty clothes to wash. 

Saturday was also when Tropical Storm Nestor passed through on our west coast, heading for the panhandle.  We were not concerned and had no idea that tornadoes would spin off it and cause real problems and fear for us here in central Florida!  Our cell phones went off around 10:00 pm with that piercing sound indicating an emergency broadcast.  It said TORNADO WARNING!! TAKE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY!!  What the heck!!  We had no place to go!  It had been raining really hard all day and we did hear thunder now and then.  All we could do was pray and pay attention. Turns out the tornado was about eight miles west of our house.  It started near our airport, traveled north across I-4, causing a truck to overturn, then went on into an area called Kathleen, where it really caused damage.  It was an EF-2.  Here are pictures I saved from the Polk County Emergency Management Facebook page.

Cattle were loose in one of the neighborhoods near the airport.

Someone captured this grainy photo of the tornado.

Lots of trees down.

Kathleen Middle School lost most of its roof. School is canceled the

first of this week.

Inside the school.

Praise God there were no injuries reported.  9,000 were without power but I understand the power is back on for most of them.

Sunday School and Church yesterday, with Helen & Cheryl over for a late lunch.  The house smelled SO good when we got home from church with that beef roast and trimmings in the crockpot. I made a salad and we had brownies and ice cream for dessert.  I am watching the Eagles football game with Joe as I write this Sunday night and they are already behind by two touchdowns. Sigh.

Today, I have a lab appointment, Joe needs another blood draw at the hospital, our cleaning person is coming and our son arrives in time for dinner.  I'm using leftover beef and veggies to make soup in the crockpot.  Did I mention how much I love my crockpot?

Thanks for your visit!!  Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!

Sunday Blessings...

We are off to Sunday school and church this morning.  Helen and Cheryl are coming by late afternoon for an early supper with us.  I put a beef roast and all the fixins in the crockpot before we left for church.  Wishing you a lovely Sunday!!

Peace & hugs!!  God bless!!

Saturday 9 with England Dan & John Ford Coley...

I'd Really Love to See You Tonight

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!

I'd Really Love to See You Tonight (1976)

Unfamiliar with this week's song. Hear it here.

1) This song is about a guy who, out of the blue, phones an ex. Have you ever spontaneously phoned or emailed a former lover?   Nope.  Has an ex ever reached out to you?  Nope.

2) He suggests walking through the park, taking a drive along the beach, or watching TV. Do any of those suggestions appeal to you right now?  Right now, watching TV.  Tropical Storm Nestor is in the Gulf right now making a beach visit difficult, and the coming rain leaves out a walk in the park.

3) "England Dan" got his nickname because he was a passionate Beatles fan and would affect a British accent when he talked about his favorite group. Are you good at imitating accents?  Terrible -- laughable, actually!

4) Dan met John Colley when they were high school classmates in Dallas. When they were still kids, they agreed that "John Ford Coley" would be a better stage name. Think back to your high school days. Which of your friends daydreamed along with you?  Elaine and I day-dreamed about horse ranches. Karen and I day-dreamed about the boys we liked.  Mary and I day-dreamed about movie stars.

5) After the duo disbanded, "England Dan" went to Nashville, billed himself by his real name -- Dan Seals -- and recorded country music. Who is your favorite country performer?  I like quite a few but Pasty Cline came to mind.

6) Today John Ford Coley lives in TN. He performs occasionally and raises horses. Have you ever been to TN?  I  have been through Tennessee several times and visited blogging friends in the Chattanooga area a few times.

7) In 1975, when this song was popular, Foster Grant Sunglasses had a suggested retail price of $5/pair. Do you buy sunglasses more for fashion or utility?  Utility.

8) The most popular movie in 1975 was Jaws. Have you seen it?  LOL... only about 100 times. It was grandson Tristan's favorite movie as a youngster and we watched it daily when he came for his 2-week summer visits.  Seriously. I think I still know most of the lines and he is 23 now!! 

9) Random question: Excluding anyone related to you by blood or marriage, what man are you closest to?  Probably our friend, Gregory. If I called him to help with anything, he would be here. He has been our friend for 20+ years.

Thanks for your visit!!  Happy Saturday!!

Peace & hugs!  God bless!!