It’s Tuesday Let’s Catch Up

Hello friends. I have been a little quiet on the blog lately. My life has been busy but good. I really have no excuse except I have been so tired every evening I usually don’t do much after I get home. So here is a little bit about what has been happening in my neck of the woods.

My sister and I visited the cutest farm on Saturday. We have been planning this for a while. The farm produces tulips every year. For about four weeks out of the year you can go there and pick tulips and take pictures and just enjoy the atmosphere and scenic beauty of the farm. It is really quite lovely. We had put off going for more than a week because the owners had reported a very small crop of tulips this year because of the rain and wind. We finally went Saturday, even though the tulips were a little less than what they will be in a week or two, and we had a great time. The weather was warm and so nice. We picked a few tulips. Most of them hadn’t bloomed out. I put them in a small glass dish and they are really starting to open up. We also had lunch and did a little shopping. I ran into a dear friend I hadn’t seen in a while. She recently lost her husband and she and I have been planning to do lunch forever. I made sure I had her number and we will definitely go in a week or two.

I had to do some work on my orchids on Sunday. I repotted two of them. My orchid Oliver is blooming after almost two years. His leaves were always green and strong but he didn’t bloom. I am so excited that he is finally blooming again. I don’t know why some of my orchids are male and some are female but I just see them that way.

Last week I met up with two of my best friends Lorie and Emily at one of our favorite restaurants in Tellico Plains. It was Lorie’s Birthday and we had dinner and Emily brought a cake. This restaurant has some of the best truffle fries I have ever eaten.

So lots of things going on. I have been working on a crocheted egg for Easter. I will share that with you soon. I’m not sure how crazy I am about them and they are so time consuming.

I leave you with a picture of two of my babies Kitty Kitty and Gus. It looks as though they are on guard, protecting us I guess.

I hope you have a wonderful week.

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!!!!

A Wild Week And A Snowy Weekend

Happy Monday. This past week was a bit of a crazy one. Last Monday started with our four month check up for hubby in Nashville at Vanderbilt Medical Center. That is where he had the kidney transplant and returns three times a year for his kidney checkup.

As usual we go over the day before the appointment because it is about a four hour drive each way. We used to do the drive in one day but it is just too much. So we go over the day before and have a nice dinner and stay at a hotel five minutes from the hospital. It is a little costly, because the hotel rates in Nashville always are, but we get a small discount because it is a hospital visit and they work with Vanderbilt on that. When we had the kidney surgery, several years ago, we stayed at that same hotel for more than a week until we could both go home.

We went over on Monday. I worked half a day. And then came home about 2:00 to leave for Nashville. And of course the threat of bad weather was hanging in the air. It always seems to be when we have to travel this time of year. We had been watching the incoming snow carefully and had planned to postpone the appointment if we needed to. We didn’t. The weather stayed pretty clear just cold!!!! We did run into a little snow going over but nothing on the roadway.

***This was a little rest stop about halfway to Nashville.***

We got to the hotel and had dinner. We always eat at the Commodore Club at the hotel. They have wonderful food and nightly entertainment.

We had an early morning doctor appointment on Tuesday morning and before we knew it we were headed home. Unfortunately hubby is going to have to have a couple of blood tests repeated but he will be able to do that locally.

It was back to work on Wednesday and we had snow in the forecast for us on Friday. The local weather was predicting 3-5 inches. This probably wouldn’t make most of you excited but we are in the south. We don’t know how to drive in snow. We know how to go to the grocery store and clean out all the bread and milk but we just haven’t learned how to get around in the white stuff.

I went to work on Friday morning and I knew snow was coming. No matter what the weather man, Doppler or whoever, I knew it was coming. When I was growing up my mama and daddy always taught us how to predict snow by the way the way the clouds moved together and the sky would take on a smooth gray coloring. When that happens You know snow is coming. Remember back in their day they didn’t have a weather channel to watch. Doppler Radar did not exist.

As I said I went to work. There was only about three of us there when the snow started at 9:00 AM. We called all the staff and told them not to come in. Finally everyone was gone and I was there alone. I felt confident I would be okay. I had planned to only stay a couple of hours. I had been on the phone with my husband and he said we hadn’t gotten hardly anything at home.

About an hour later he called and said I should come home. I had finished everything that had to be taken care of at work. I headed out. And let me tell you I had almost waited too late. I have an all wheel drive car but many people don’t. There were cars all over the road. It normally takes me about 20-25 minutes to get to work and back home but Friday it took me almost an hour to get home.

***Views from my office window and you can see it was really coming down.***

So we had a great snow weekend. That is after I got home safely and made sure all the loved ones were in safe and sound. Hubby was off all weekend so that worked out great. I was so lazy during my snow days. You know you’re not supposed to do anything when you have a snow day or two. We went out and took pictures and took the drone up to get some shots of the lake and other areas. I knitted and read and listened to some of my audio books. It was such a wonderful relaxing weekend. A lot of the snow has melted but it was fun while it lasted.

Some of the drone photos:

How is your week going is it cold and snowy? I know some of you, in different parts of the country, are experiencing some really nice warm sunny days. I know ours will be here before we know it. Have a wonderful week!!!!

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!!!

Sunday Morning Coffee Share. 10-27-2024

Happy Sunday!! How is your weekend going? Come in and let’s share a nice hot coffee or tea or whatever you would like to drink. I bought this “Wicked” mug a few weeks ago when I was on Sister Trip. I thought it was appropriate with Halloween coming up.

What have I been up to you ask? Well I took a long weekend off from work. My husband was off and we decided to go car shopping. Of course you know that usually means you will find a car to bring home. And we did. I have been needing a new car for a while and have been putting it off. I just hate the whole dickering back and forth with the dealership trying to come to an agreement. But we did it and came home with a car for me. I am loving it. Still getting familiar with it.

Work was a little quieter last week. I didn’t do a lot otherwise. I did get to early vote.

I finished a cap I was knitting. It actually worked up really fast. I was using size 11 circular needles and chunky yarn. I added a fluffy ball to the top.

I have also been decoupaging some pumpkins I bought at Hobby Lobby last week. I have decoupaged some smaller ones before. These are a little bigger and I should have them finished tonight. After they dry I will show you what they look like. I think they will fit in with Thanksgiving decor as well.

I ***know it looks really messy but if you have decoupaged anything before you know it looks completely different when it dries.***

What am I reading? I am reading this book by Ina Garten, Be Ready When The Luck Happens. Ina is one of my favorite chefs of all time. I love to watch her show. This book is about her life and how she got started with her shop and then show, The Barefoot Contessa. So far it is really good.

It seems like almost overnight the leaves are finally starting to change color.

I took this picture yesterday. This is at the top of our driveway. Just after this it started raining.

What am I celebrating? Well National Black Cat Day of course. And I leave you with this picture of our sweet Sadie. She has brought us a lot of luck since she arrived. We call her shady Sadie because she is always into something.

I have so enjoyed our time together. Please come again soon. Until next time.

Always remember

Love your day your way!!!