It’s Redbud Winter

Hello and happy Thursday!! Wow did the temps around here take a nose dive. We were happily coasting along with sunny days and very warm weather when all of a sudden it turned cold again. It was 28F at my house Tuesday night. Fortunately the days have been sunny and warm just not as warm as last week. It’s Redbud Winter. This usually happens in the second or third week of March and can last for about a week or so. Unfortunately we are prone to freezing weather at this time and it can harm other things that have bloomed early.

I know you are probably thinking that these blooms look pink and you are right. However the very small bud before it blooms out is red, giving it the name of Redbud. They are quite abundant in our area right now.

We finally got a new refrigerator and stove. We have had the same appliances since we built our house in 1999. I will have to say they have lasted a long time. Probably much better than the newer models today. They were delivered yesterday and we had the old appliances hauled away. We are loving the new ones and we are still getting used to them. I had to leave work a little early to come home and be here for the delivery. The delivery men were just wonderful and so helpful. It is always nice to get such great service. It is almost sad but it is actually a surprise lately when things work out right.

I saw a video on Instagram about making paper bunnies I loved the paper roses I made last week so I decided to do a few of the bunnies for Easter. These are made from pages of a book. I used the old books I bought at the thrift store. I love the way they turned out. I am planning to add a baby bunny.

My mother in law hasn’t improved she is pretty much the same as she was a week ago. Maybe a little weaker. We have discussed Comfort Care with the facility. She is not able to do therapy. The therapy department still comes in to move her and turn her over. She doesn’t eat much. I think she is just worn out.

We have also been moving things out of my mother in law’s Assisted Living apartment. It is a lot. My sister and I worked on clearing clothes, books and things like that. My husband and I will finish up next week with the heavy items.

We have been very busy at work but I am taking a long weekend to meet a friend in Nashville. We planned this trip last year. She is from Pennsylvania and I can’t wait to show her Nashville. I have a lot planned for us.

To add to the craziness of the week my credit card was hacked. I had almost $700.00 of charges I did not make. Luckily I keep a close eye on my charges. The credit card company was very helpful. A new card is being sent. Fortunately this doesn’t happen very often.

My brother’s Birthday was Sunday, St Patrick’s Day. He passed away in 2017. I thought about him more than ever Sunday. He was a couple of years younger than me. Though he was younger he always thought he had to protect me. It’s hard to believe he has been gone for almost seven years.

***A picture of me and my brother, I was probably three and he was just about a year old. I had gotten the scissors and cut my bangs that day.***

What fun things do you have planned for this weekend?

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!

Book Review for January & February, 2024

Hello friends, I meant to put this post together at the end of February but that didn’t happen. Life got in the way again. I did read several books that I enjoyed and I wanted to share them with you. These are in the order that I read them starting in January. I read a total of 10 books, well 2 of them were audio books and a lot of them were very short reads. As far as reading goes March has started slow. I haven’t finished an entire book. yet. Oh well that’s just the way it happens sometimes. Here is my list:

All That Glitters by Danielle Steel. I know that a lot of Danielle Steel’s books are a lot alike. You can sometimes predict what is going to happen. But I love them anyway. It is great reading that is uncomplicated and mostly happy. Danielle Steele, All That Glitters, This is a story of a young girl who loses her parents at a young age. This leaves her all alone in the world at a young and vulnerable age. this leads to some bad decisions. All she has is her trusty best friend Sam who stands beside her no matter what. Unfortunately she makes some bad choices and decisions along the way. But as most Danielle Steel books turn out she will come out ahead in the end. I give this one a 4 out of 5.

Abigail Thomas, What Comes Next And How To Like It: I have recently discovered Abigail Adams. Well I can’t say I haven’t read her books. I read “A Three Dog Life” and loved it, even though this book was the devastating loss of her husband. This book is different. It is, again, happenings from her true life. She tells about changes that age brings about to all of us. She always wonders, what comes next? This is a great and honest book. I loved it. It was real. I give it a 4 out of 5. I am currently reading Safekeeping by Abigail Thomas and it is good so far. I just ordered her book, Still Life At Eighty.

Ann Patchett, These Precious Days: Oh my goodness I loved this book. I had read a couple of Ann Patchett’s books but this book made me fall in love all over again. Another writer telling about her life experiences. A lot of this book is about Patchett’s close friendship with Tom Hanks’ personal assistant, Sooki. You will just have to read it to understand it. Tom’s brilliant assistant Sooki becomes a dear friend to Ann. She also painted the cover for the book. This is a portrait of Ann’s dog. Just read it. You will love it. This one I am giving a 5 out of 5. It was one of those books that you didn’t want to finish because you knew you were going to miss the characters. And the characters were real.

Mary Oliver, Dog Songs: This was a short book. I think I read it in one sitting. Being a dog lover myself I could identify with all of the stories and poems within this book. I may have shed a tear remembering my dear doggo friends. It is a great short read. This was really good and I give it a 4 out of 5.

Danielle Steel, The Challenge: Another Danielle Steele book. This is a story of a group of young people living in Montana. Several teenagers and an even younger boy are stranded on the side of a mountain. The story revolves around the parents, the teens and the local people of the town. It was so good. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Danielle Steel, Royal: This is three Danielle Steel books in the last two months. The Danielle Steel books are usually available on my online Libby service and they are free. I just can’t pass that up. This book is a doozy. I give it a 4 out of 5. It has such a great storyline. Both royalty and common folk and everyone in between. You have to read this when you get a chance.

Ann Patchett, Commonwealth: I had this book for a long time. I started it and stopped reading it a few times. Then I read These Precious Days by Ann and I decided I needed to explore this book a little more. It may have had a slow beginning but man did it finish on top. This story explores five decades of four parents and the lives of their six children. Read it. That is all. I give this one a 5 out of 5.

Ted Kooser, Delights and Shadows: I read most of this book of poetry waiting for my cat to have two enemas at the vet. I was waiting in my car most of the time and I happened to have this book in the car with me. These poems by Ted Kooser are different but they will touch you in a very profound way. I challenge you to read this book and not feel the stirrings of familiarity in your own life, in one way or another. It is great. I give it a 5 out of 5. It is a short but rewarding read.

Ann Patchett, What Now? This was the shortest of audio books. Only about an hour of play time. This was based on Ann’s commencement address at Sarah Lawrence College. This commencement speech has something for everyone no matter the occupation you might have or might be seeking. I know!!! I know!!! It’s another Ann Patchett you might be saying. But so what? When you find good reading or listening you cherish it. I give it a 4 out of 5.

Reading People by Anne Bogel This was a book that came recommended on the top books list of 2023. I bought it in December and finished it in February. It was a good book. A lot of new understandings about people and their personalities. I even discovered a couple of new things about myself. I know that I am an HSP, a highly sensitive person and an empath so I feel a lot of things just by being around other people. This one was very interesting a fairly slow read. I give it a 3 out of 5.

Well that is it for January and February reading. I guess you can see I have a pattern when I find a favorite author. Ann Patchett and Abigail Adams have become favorites for me. However, I am open to suggestions for new reads. That is all for the first two months of this year. I hope you enjoyed this review and it might inspire you to check out some of these books. What are you reading?

Always remember

Lover your day your way!!!!

Tuesday Happenings

Hello and happy Tuesday!!! Another busy and full week last week. We finally got my mother in law moved to a care facility closer to us. She is doing as well as can be expected. We are just taking it day by day. We are trying not to expect too much and hoping and praying for the best. She is ninety years old and we are realistic about how things can change quickly with her.

Last week was also a crazy work week. My work is starting to get really busy. Between work and going back and forth visiting my mil there wasn’t a lot of down time. She sleeps most of the time it is hard to rouse her to talk. I do think she knows we are there and that she gets some comfort from that.

I did take a couple of hours last weekend to make these cute paper roses. I saw the idea on Instagram and then went to YouTube and found a few videos. I love the way they turned out. Once you get the hang of it they’re really easy to make. I made these while watching a DIY on YouTube called Paper Book Roses.

I hated the idea of cutting up a book. I want to the thrift store and bought a couple of really old books. I think that made the roses even better because it gave them a more vintage look. Instead of trying to tell you or show you how to make them, and if you are interested in making them, just google paper roses or roses made from book pages or something like that and you will get lots of different ways to do them.

I also finished knitting a scarf over the weekend. I was really close to finishing and finally just buckled down and finished it. I love red and I think this will go great with a lot of things. It is almost getting too warm here for scarves but there is always next year. I am trying so hard to focus on some of the projects I have started and finishing them!!!!

And every chance I get I am working on my nephews’ Afghan. I am doing this one in gray and navy blue, Tennessee Titans colors. That is his favorite team. This one is crocheted and it is nice to switch from knitting to crochet every now and then.

Isn’t this the cutest brooch. I bought it a couple of weeks ago at one of my local thrift stores. I almost forgot about it. I started to throw the bag away and it was in the bottom. I collect some of the really big brooches. I love the unique ones. I don’t really like to wear them but I plan to use them for a project one day. I do occasionally put them on a purse or hat.

I leave you with a picture of our work cat. Her name is Anthodite which is a cave formation made up of crystals. We call her Anthey for short. She showed up about two years ago. She is a bit feral and only comes around when there is not a lot of people around. There are a few of us who have been lucky enough to pet Anthey, for just a second or two, but she is very selective. I would love to take her home someday. she is the most precious girl and has made it for quite a while in the wild.

So yes a very busy week but I did want to catch up with all of you. My blog is my happy place and I love reading blog posts from my fellow bloggers. I am catching up on some of those right now. Have a wonderful rest of your week.

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!

Sunrise Sunset

Hello friends. What a week it has been. I hope yours has been much better. I am sorry that it has been a bit quiet here on the blog but as Dolly Parton says, I haven’t had time to scratch.

Last Saturday, eleven days ago to be exact, my little mother in law fell. We got the call from the Assisted Living Village, where she lives, around noon on Saturday. My husband and I were on our way to Lowe’s to pick out a new refrigerator and stove and have a late Valentine’s Day lunch. So we were actually already in town. They told us they thought she had broken her leg.

An ambulance was called and we spent several hours at our local hospital ER. After doing X-Rays and a CT scan they told us nothing was broken and she was just bruised up. She was sent back to the assisted living village.

She was in more pain than ever the next day and the village called for a mobile X-ray unit. They discovered that her hip had a fracture. The same hip she broke in 2018. We then spent several hours back at our local ER for more images. They confirmed the fractured hip and referred us to The University of Tennessee Hospital in Knoxville. She was taken by ambulance. This was around 2:00 AM on Monday morning. I was told that the check in process in Knoxville would take several hours. I ran home to get a bag to take with me. I got to the hospital a short while after the ambulance. It was about 4:30 AM. We waited ten hours to get a hospital room. It was a nightmare. The ER was packed.

After consulting with the surgeons and the ER doctor we decided against the surgery. She doesn’t walk now and they knew and we knew she couldn’t and wouldn’t do the therapy. The pain would be handled with medication.

In the last six months my husband and I have watched her decline quickly. After being put in the hospital it was worse. She doesn’t know us most of the time. She won’t eat. A lot is going on. Thursday we were ready to have her moved to a full care facility. Transport had been called and she was given a Covid test. She tested positive for Covid. WHAT??? I felt so sorry for her. So she is still in the hospital. She will probably be there for a while. The full care facility will not take her until ten days after testing positive for Covid. Things are not looking good.

***This is me and my little mother in law on. Valentine’s Day. I was able to visit her and eat lunch with her.***

So this last week has been a whirl wind of hospital and work for me and my husband. There is no one else to help. My husband’s only brother passed away last July. His mom was an only child so it is just the two of us. We have either been at the hospital or work almost every day since this happened. The first two days she was in the hospital I took off from work and stayed with her all day leaving her only at night. I packed a bag with lots of books and knitting and anything else I thought I would need.

I stayed at home all day yesterday and caught up on laundry and just a lot of things that needed attention. It was good to be at home. I know Gus has missed us being at home he has been extra loving to us. It’s funny how animals always seem to know when you need some extra attention. The other cats have been their same aloof selves.

A lot of things happened in the last couple of weeks and I will catch up on all of them in a future post. My blog turned six years old. The Anniversary of my husband’s kidney transplant was last Saturday. It has been 13 years. We named the kidney Baby Kay. Since we don’t have children and the kidney did belong to me for many years we decided to name her. So Baby Kay officially turned 13 and is now a teenager. If you would like to read more about the kidney transplant you can find it in a previous blog post here

The reason I named this post Sunrise Sunset is because the sun was usually rising about the time that I got to the hospital to be with my mother in law and then setting when I started for home. The hospital is an hour and fifteen minutes from where we live. I think during times of stress and worry it helps to appreciate the little things that are really quite beautiful things.

***Daffodils are starting to pop up everywhere.***

The daffodils are blooming and spring is in the air. Of course with our crazy East Tennessee weather it could be snowing next week. I hope you are having a great start to your week.

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!