Sunday Afternoon Coffee Share

Happy Sunday!!! Come in and let’s share a nice cup of hot coffee or tea or maybe some hot chocolate, whatever you would like. But most importantly we will have a chance to catch up.

Last Saturday I awoke to a strange noise. It only took me a minute to realize it was coming from me!!! My breathing sounded terrible and there was a definite croaky rattle to it. Whenever I have had this in the past it has always meant trouble. Yes, I had been exposed to the flu a couple of days earlier. A girl at work came in feeling terrible but didn’t tell anyone until she had been there several hours. When she left later in the day she told us her mother had the flu and she was pretty sure she was getting it as well. I washed my hands like I was going into surgery. But I had held her phone, not too smart on my part, while she was showing me some pictures of recent crochet things she had made. This was before she came clean about the flu symptoms.

Later in the day when my fever started climbing I took myself down to our local walk in clinic to get officially diagnosed, and get a prescription for Tamiflu. This is a treatment for flu if you have had symptoms less than two days. It can shorten the duration of flu symptoms. I will admit I was going to try and tough it out until the voice of reason, also known as my sister, called and said “go to the clinic or I will come and take you myself.”

I had a really couple of bad days and then just mainly a weak and shaky feeling. I was out of work for three days and went back on Thursday. I felt so bad I didn’t even feel like knitting or crocheting. My husband takes immunosuppressants for his transplanted kidney so he is very susceptible to everything. I stayed upstairs and he brought me food and left it at the door. Luckily he has escaped getting this nasty bug. I didn’t even see him for four days. The kitties kept me company.

On Friday night my sister, and a friend and I went to a local production of Fat’s Waller’s, Ain’t Misbehavin’. My friend Dann was the director and one of the performers. It was so good! It is unbelievable how much talent we have in our own back door. We also went to eat Thai food at a restaurant close to the Arts Center. It was great!!!!! As you can see it didn’t take me long to get my appetite back.

I am saving the best for last. Another really big thing happened on Friday. My husband retired!!!! What?? I can’t believe it. He has been counting the days and Friday was his last official day of work. He has worked in his field for more than thirty years. He has been at his last position for over ten years. It was a bit emotional for him. There will be a formal retirement celebration for him in March. He is ecstatic and has a lot of projects he can’t wait to get started on.

Whew!!! What a week.

That is what I have been up to this past week. How was your week?

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!!

Happy Valentine’s Day

I hope you are having a wonderful Valentine’s Day. My husband sent me roses at work. I love roses and I especially like all of these different colors. I think I will try to dry them after they fade a bit.

My mama died on Valentine’s Day many years ago and my husband always tries to make it bearable by sending flowers or strawberries or something. I told him he didn’t have to worry about doing it but he always does something to try and brighten my day.

I didn’t do a lot of Valentine decorating this year. I made the small hearts last week and strung them into a garland. I think I will add to them for Valentine’s next year.

It’s been another scary week around here. My brother in law, who I think of as a brother, I mean after all he has been in my family since I was eight years old, had a stroke in his left eye. What seemed like some blurred vision turned into a three day stay in the hospital while numerous tests were done to rule out a stroke in his other eye or somewhere else. As of now he has completely lost the vision in his left eye. His lively hood is using his hands and eyes for close repair work. It is a terrible thing for him. We know it could have been so much worse such as a full stroke that could have affected his entire body. I feel lucky that we still have him here with us. This just proves how fast your life can change. Don’t take it for granted. He is adjusting very well and I am so proud of him for this.

The winter days have really brought out my lazy mode. It seems like I want to hurry home and get warm and cozy. During these cold winter evenings I’ve knitted and crocheted and read. To be honest with you I just haven’t been in the mood to do much. I am hoping with some warm weather I will feel a burst of energy. Yep that’s the plan.

I finally finished the slouchy hat I was knitting and I love it so much I immediately started another one.

I have also been cleaning out closets and getting things ready to take to Goodwill or a similar place near us. I cleaned out some drawers last week and Kitty Kitty was obsessed. While I was downstairs getting my small vacuum she jumped in the drawer and tried to make a bed. Her and Gus were fascinated with everything I was dragging out. I was a little fascinated myself. I couldn’t believe all of the “things” I have that I don’t even need or use.

***Please pardon the mess, oh and what a mess there was. I had everything out of the drawers and I guess it was just too tempting for Kitty Kitty.***

Work has been fairly slow and I am thankful for that. The temps have been all over the place which is really not uncommon for East Tennessee. We have had a lot of rain this week and colder temperatures return to us next week. Maybe even a snow flurry or two.

I hope you have a wonderful weekend and you are able to spend some time with your Valentine ❤️❤️❤️

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!!

Goodbye January

I am very happy to say goodbye to January. January was a scary month around here. It seems as though you worry about little day to day things, and they seem really big at the time. But when you are faced with your health or the health of a loved one, you realize that those other things don’t mean anything. That is how January was for us.

I mentioned in a previous post that my husband and I had been to Vanderbilt Hospital in Nashville at the beginning of the month. This was for his four month check up for the kidney. The kidney is now almost fourteen years old. Well that is if you don’t add the years it was just mine. I think I have mentioned that we named the kidney Baby Kay. The actual transplant date was February 24th, 2011. If you haven’t read our kidney story you can read it here and here. Some of the pictures may be missing, thank you WordPress, but the story is there.

***A picture of us leaving the hospital at Vanderbillt just after the transplant. 2011.***

Anyway, I got a little side tracked. The blood work for the kidney was slightly elevated in areas that were not good. Not a lot but enough that Vanderbilt wanted the tests repeated the next week. My husband did this through our local hospital so we wouldn’t have to drive back to Nashville. Those tests did not show a lot of change. Another set of tests were ordered. These would actually check to see if the kidney was starting to reject. It’s hard for me to write that because it was so scary to think that could be happening. We prayed, and our faith is strong. So we knew we would be led in the right direction no matter what happened.

The last set of tests were done last Tuesday. Vanderbilt notified us a few hours later that the blood work looked good, the levels were back to normal and no worries of rejection. I was at work when I got the news. I screamed. Amy my co-worker jumped and said what has happened? I told her the news and then all of my other co-workers and of course notified all of the family. What a relief. What happened? we don’t know for sure. It could have been a slight infection or just something off. All I know is that it was a really scary time. But then we know that life can be that way a lot of the time.

So February is here and it is almost like spring here. Although, I know colder temps are predicted for next week. I spent most of yesterday crocheting these small hearts. They are so easy. There’s several videos on YouTube with step by step instructions. I made about 35 of these small hearts and I strung them on a garland to hang on my mirror near my front door. I love hearts and I had so much fun making them.

So lots of knitting, crocheting and reading and work and just enjoying our life every day. That’s what has been going on around here. How was your January?

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!

Tuesday Happenings

Hello and happy Tuesday, and dare I remind you, only one week until Christmas. I’m still trying to wrap my head around that one. Thanksgiving was only about twenty minutes ago.

I have been off from work for seven, yes you heard that right, wonderful and glorious days. Did I have big plans? Nope. Did I have a lot of Christmas projects and decorating? Nope. Just seven awesome days to do pretty much what I wanted when I wanted. I had some vacation days to get rid of before the end of the year. Sadly we can no longer carry them over and your really shouldn’t anyway. Use those days and enjoy yourself.

Last Tuesday night we had our work Christmas party. It was very nice. We had it a restaurant about forty minutes from me. I had to plan everything for the party such as the menu, time, number of people etc. it is always a bit stressful. But I had the vision of those seven days off, bouncing around in my head. We had a lot of fun at the party. It’s always worth it to see all of our members get together and have a good time.

My sister and I spent one day finishing up with Christmas shopping in Knoxville. And would you just look!! the stores are already putting out Valentine’s Day decorations. I love hearts so you know it doesn’t really bother me but it was a little strange to see all the hearts amongst all the Christmas decorations.

It was actually a pretty quiet week. We had to attend the funeral of a cousin. And of course groceries were bought and last minute Christmas items ordered and picked up. I have been doing more cooking and baking, which I love to do when I have lots of time.

My nephew had been in London for a week and my sister and I had agreed to pick him up at the airport on Sunday night. His flight was supposed to get in at 11:51 PM but it was delayed and didn’t get in until after 1:00 AM. I didn’t make it back to my house until 3:00 AM. The airport was deserted until that last flight came in and then it sort of exploded with people. A good thing I had the following day off.

***Deserted airport. Also freezing cold.*** ***The reflection of those blue light*s *look like blue footprints.***

I have also done a lot of knitting and crocheting while I have been off. I’ve been working on some hats to donate to the University of Tennessee hospital, where my sister had her chemo. There is an area for donations. People leave hand knitted and crocheted hats and head bands for people going through chemo. They always go through a lot of them in the winter. Below are a few I have finished. What is your opinion about a Pom Pom on top? Yes or no?

I am also working on a pair of socks for my nephew’s girlfriend. She asked for a pair at Thanksgiving, and in typical me fashion, I have waited until the last week before Christmas to get started on them.

We put our Christmas tree up a few weeks ago. The same one we have had for 34 years. We bought it the first year we were married. It has made it through a couple of moves. We did order a new tree this year. It was lost in transit and finally made its way to us a couple of days ago. Only about a month late. We haven’t decided if we will return it or keep it for next year. We finally got the last of the ornaments put on the tree this morning. So far the kitties have controlled themselves around it.

Just to let you know that is not an actual kitty at the top of the tree. It looks exactly like my Sadie, Ha!!!

I have done quite a bit of cooking and baking while I have been off. I made sourdough bread for my nephew and had it for him when he got off the plane Sunday night. I made chess bars for my husband. And I made a beef stew today in the crock pot. It was yummy. We had it with biscuits.

So it is back to work for me tomorrow. Sadly all good days off must come to an end. But the bright side is Christmas is next week. I have about 20 people coming to my house for dinner on Sunday. Everyone is bringing a dish so it won’t be a ton of cooking just for me. On Christmas Eve my sister has a small get together at her house. Christmas Day will be just me and my husband and the kitties and a very quiet day. How is your Christmas season going? Do you celebrate big or do you keep it relatively quiet?

I leave you with a pic of my big Christmas present that keeps giving all year long. My big boy Gus.

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!