Steel Magnolias #10
 

Good morning ladies! Cold and gloomy looking this morning, but it is supposed to warm up as the week goes along and no more rain in the near future. I have to go out and run errands and get my nails done today but will probably wait until it warms up a bit.

Susan: Glad you know have internet and phone service again. I know it is kind of weird feeling in this day and age to have no phone or computer service. We were without it for about 3 days and it was strange.

Maggie: Every once in awhile we have breakfast for dinner and I love it. It is a nice change up. I am sure the birdbath and waterfall are just beautiful. I love the terra cotta look.

Jean: We have just the opposite problem, restaurants opening up in our neighborhood and then closing quickly because of lack of business. There are areas here that do well, but our area doesn't unless it is bbq or fast food.

I already have my morning chores done except for the bed being made, so I have my day to myself, which is nice. I am having a bit of trouble with the female stuff the last couple days so I will sure be glad when they get this all taken care of.

You all have a great day today! I am going to fix myself some breakfast. Faye

Thankful Tuesday
 

Good evening, ladies. 44 degrees right now, but it is supposed to snow tomorrow. Not good - the Mid-Atlantic Quilt Festival begins tomorrow night and I have to hang our quilts at noon.

I have a cardiologist appointment at 9:45. My feet and legs are swollen something awful. I hope they are that way in the morning so he can see how they get. I'm not expecting anything but the Pulmonary Hypertension diagnosis.

Faye, I'm glad you are starting to feel better and it won't be surgery to fix you up. It's too bad you had to be miserable so long with that wretched medicine. I wasn't without phone service, just internet. With my new service, I have e411 which notifies the Sheriff's Department that there is a problem at my address if I can just get the phone off the hook. I was able to put in my medications and all my doctors and diagnosis and my hospital preference. A little more piece of mind for no more money. I love to get my nails done but they don't last long with the quilting. They get chipped and scratched with pins and needles so I usually don't get them done unless I am going somewhere special.

Jean, Isn't it nice to make friends on the internet and then to actually get to meet them. I've tried putting out bird feeders but the racoons break into them at night and eat everything, sometimes they even take the feeder with them. I only put water out for the birds when the creek freezes. I am being overun with rabbits and deer right now.

Maggie, I can smell your bread baking. There's nothing like bread warm from the baking. Congratulations on the loss - looks like you are back in the groove. I have no idea how I am doing because Monday I was up 5 pounds from Sunday - all water and who know how long it will be until it leaves again. I had problems with water retention last year that started at this time and lasted until June. I think if it doesn't come off quickly, I'm going to cancel my monthly pass and just do my lifetime weigh in each month and go to the meetings without weighing in the rest of the time.

I had a very busy day at work today. It seems like I try to get all my usual work done in half the time. I really need to quit that.

Have a good night - and I hope everyone sleeps well.

Good morning gals! When it rains, it pours at our house. Jack tripped over something sticking up on the road at work yesterday and fell and tore his knee. I took him to the dr they use for OTJ injury and they xrayed both knees. He tore a bit of tendon on the inside of his right knee so they put him in this elastic brace and he is on crutches. He also was put on Aleve and a round of steroids. The thing is, the stupid rules for workmen's comp don't allow him to stay home unless he is critical so he has to go to work this morning and he is in no shape to do so. His car is parked out at the plant because he couldn't drive so we are going to have to deal with getting it home too. On top of that, I am having some diverticulitis issues for some reason so have been in pain the last couple days on and off. Brother, I think pain and injury can leave our house alone for awhile!

Susan: I heard they are predicting one more big snowstorm for a majority of the country this year. Hopefully, the snow will pass you by this time. Glad you got all the emergency doodads on your phone. I always worry about you being there alone and having a bad attack. My heart goes out to you about your feet and legs. I know what that feels like and it is no fun, especially when you have to go to work.

Jean: I am trying to get us organized again on WW. I have been so miserable that I let us slide just so I didn't have to stand and cook. For being on vacation, you did a-ok with it all I think. Maybe one of these days all of us girls can get together before we get too old to do it. I would love to meet face to face with all of you.

Maggie: Congrats on the loss, that is wonderful!!! I think I am on every list where they send out catalogues. I get them from everybody and for everything. Once you order from someone online, you are sure to get a catalogue! I dump my straight away most times, especially since I am trying not spend any money on clothes or whatever.

Well gals, I need to go. I have to take Jack to work this morning so will need to be upstairs in just a bit to help him get ready. Getting him downstairs will be interesting. I got him upstairs last night by having him go up backwards on his bum then I had his office chair at the top of the stairs so he was able to get into that then onto his crutches. Take care all and have a great hump day! Faye

Good Morning, Flowers! The sun is shining brightly and it's -9 outside. :brr: The snow is not going to melt very fast at this rate. I'm going to iron again this morning then finish vacuuming around stuff in the basement. I really should sort and pitch down there before the snow melts and we have trickles running across the floor to the drain. :dizzy:

Susan -- I think having the emergency information and help available on your phone setup is a great idea. :yes: Before my dad remarried I worried about him living alone and had a neighbor keeping an eye on him for me. She told me once that he was hardly ever home! :D I hope your legs and feet are better today. I can tell when I've had too much salt as my shoes are tight.

"Gma" -- Poor Jack! I can imagine how much his knee hurts! :yes: I feel sorry for you too! :hug: How much work can Jack do when he is on crutches? If the injury is work related you'd think they would be more lenient with taking some time off. I guess one can't cure "stupid!" Wish we lived closer so we could help!

I'm off to attack the chore list. I wish you all a comfortable day! (great just didn't seem to fitright) :D

Jean -- :wave: from :brr: Iowa!

Good evening, ladies. Rain started in the early afternoon and I'm seeing snow flakes now. I don't think anything will accumulate unless it gets a lot colder, however.

3 of my friends and I hung the quilts for our exhibt at the quilt show. I am exhausted. It's really hard for me to use my arms overheard much and quilts are heavy, plus we had the metal rod it was on, and then up and down the ladders. Anyway, it's done and the taking down on Sunday will be a lot faster.

Everything was good at the cardiologist today and I don't have to back for a year unless I feel I need to. I have volunteered for a research study into COPD for a new medication. I had the telephone screening this evening and she says everything looks good for me to participate. Next will be an office visit for testing. I do hope I get accepted. It will last 13 weeks, involved 9 office visits and pays $900 for time and travel and it's about 5 miles from my house.

Faye, poor Jack! I hope he's a quick healer. It sure would be fun if we could all get together and visit. How's your son in law doing now?

Jean, I feel for you in Iowa. Way too much snow and cold for my tastes!

I think I'm heading upstairs for an early night. Tomorrow is a work day!

Good morning ladies. Fortune had to go outside around 1 am so I let him out then just got into the recliner, but gave up trying to sleep. I will take a nap later.

Jack got the grand marquis home yesterday, but it was really hard for him to drive so I will be driving him back and forth until his knee is better. Good news is he can bend it a bit more than he could and he says it doesn't ache like it did, only sore if he moves it too much or touches the spot where the tendon is torn. So, I imagine he will heal ok. He has to go back on Saturday and we have to be there at 8 am sharp so no sleeping in.

Jean: Yikes, you just can't get a break. Below zero temps sound awful. We were cold here yesterday because it was really windy, but it is supposed to warm up nicely this weekend with no rain, which will be nice. Jack absolutely can do no work. He sits at a desk with his laptop and goofs off all day. I guess by having him show up at work, even though he can't work, they don't have to report it to OSHA that they had a "man down" so to speak. You know, those places have to keep track on how many days they have no lost work and such and report it to OSHA. With them having to come to work even though they don't work, they don't have to report it I guess. One guy a few weeks ago slipped on ice at work and fell down a whole huge flight of stairs. He cracked ribs and was pretty beaten up and had to come into work everyday. I think it is a crappy way to do things, but that is what places like that do I guess.

Susan: As far as I know, Tom is doing well. Thomas told me he is back to normal. Now my dil is having problems with her lymph nodes so is going through blood tests and possibly a biopsy to find out what is going on. I guess Kelly is still gimping along with her ankle too. Our family is a big medical mess at the moment! lol Hope the quilt show goes well! I would love to go to one sometime just to see them all.

I have clinic tomorrow and I have not worked my last two, one because of going to Chattanooga and last week because my feet and legs were so swollen. With having to go and get Jack, I am going to have to leave an hour early tomorrow. Nothing I can do about it. I can't be in two places at the same time.

You gals have a good day. Tonight is Burn Notice so I have to make sure I get a good nap so I can stay up as it comes on late. Only two more episodes and it is done again. This 8 episodes then done is irritating. It just started again in January and here it is finishing up all ready. All the shows are doing that now, 8 episodes then done for the season then they start up 3-4 months later again. I remember the good ole days when shows went from Sept-April or May before they were done for the season. Faye

Good afternoon, ladies. In the low 40s for the rest of the week with high winds until 3 PM tomorrow...the tailend of the nor'easter that affected the northeast. No snow accumulation but more in the forecast next week.

Faye, I'm glad Jack is doing a bit better. I hope everyone in your family gets healthy soon...enough with the docs already! If I every hear of a quilt show about half way for each of us, I'll let you know and maybe we could meet. I'll try to take some decent pictures I can post so you can see where quilting is going.

Jean, you are having a heat wave! And here I am complaining about temps in the 40s being so cold. I guess everything is relative.

I'm going to the quilt show tomorrow afternoon, Saturday and Sunday. That should be enough time for me to buy what I want and get pictures.

Another month is almost over!

Have a good evening!

Good morning to all you lovely ladies! I am hoping the dr will let Jack start driving again next week. He is getting along without his crutches in the house, though he still takes and uses them at work. He is now wearing a smaller knee brace (he says the other one, which is long and black makes him sweat a lot) and he says it is not hurting like it was so I guess he is on the mend.

We are gluttons for punishment, so are going to try again in Oct of this year to go to Houston for a Cubs game. If you remember right, the last time we were going to go a hurricane blew in right before we were ready to leave. Hopefully that won't happen this year. I already bought the tickets! lol I also hope the Cubs don't put it in the dumper again this year so that the game will be a "who cares" kind of thing!

Jean: Did you see the poor speed skater who was a sure gold medal winner have his coach put him in the wrong lane and he ended up disqualified? I felt so sorry for him. That sweet little gal who lost her mama did a wonderful job skating I thought. What pressure that must have been on her. I guess her mom came to Vancouver to watch her and had a massive heart attack while there and died just a few days ago. So sad. So are you in + digits for weather yet? We are supposed to be around 50 today so I am keeping my fingers crossed. It isn't too cold now.

Susan: I would love to see some of the quilts. I wish I had someone to go with at the quilt shows they have here. I would like to walk around and see them.

I have to get working on my 2010 budget. I have been dragging my feet because it takes hours to do. It is a pain, but sure makes paying bills easy. I guess I better hope to it and get my chores done that at least start tackling the next few months.

Have a great day everybody and a super weekend! Faye

Finally Friday
 

Good evening, ladies! It was in the 40s today but so windy!

I went to the quilt show for a few hours this afternoon and checked out the vendors. I bought a package of yellow lead for my quilt marking pencil and could not find anything else I wanted to spend money on. If that isn't a sure sign I have too much, I don't know what is. The quilts are really outstanding this year.

Faye, I'm glad Jack is doing better. I wish I were closer, I'd come and go to the quilt shows with you. No hurricanes this year!

Jean, You sure had a busy day planned. I don't buy quilts anywhere. I look for books and supplies.

Maggie, I like HP printers, too. Very trouble free and good prices. I remember homemade root beer, too, and also going to the A&W rootbeer stand with a gallon judge to get it. Those were the days!

I had my first appoint for the drug trial today, met the doctor, filled out papers and they looked at all my meds and made changes to my some of my dosages. I hope I pass the next two tests. The doctor and I both think we know each other from somewhere but can't figure out where.

Have a good evening!

Good morning to you all! Jack has his second dr appt this morning and she said to get there when they opened because they are very busy on Saturday's so we are going to be there before they open at 8 so we don't to sit forever. At least,that is the plan.

We have been fighting with the dr's office over a bill that we shouldn't have to pay. It isn't large, under $20, but now they are threatening us, even though we have talked to them and the insurance company at least 6 times. My problem is giving in when the dr's office is wrong. The thing is, Jack has been seeing a dr that at the time he first started seeing her, she was not "certified" whatever that means and so Tricare wouldn't pay for the dr visits. We always pay our copay upfront and that is all we are responsible for. The bill show the copay, but they continue to bill us for this one appt. Well, the last time, Jack called Tricare and they said they are not going to pay this appt because she wasn't certified at the time. The doctor's office wants the money and now I am afraid they will send it to collections if we don't pay it. I am being stubborn because WE don't owe it. It doesn't seem like anyone wants to budge on this. I imagine I will just pay it, but it rankles me that we should have to pay it. I find the dr's office to be the culprit because they shouldn't have let an uncertified dr practice or at least "bill" until they were certified. Also, if I do pay it, will that give them license to come back some other time and refuse to pay something? I am going to write a letter to them and try one more time to make them see reason.

Susan: I saw a breaking bulletin that Chile had an 8.8 earthquake. I wonder if there is any of that area left after something like that. The Bible warns of end times where there are floods and earthquakes of great magnitude. God is only going to put up with so much from us. Wow, what restraint, pencil lead! :D If you are like me, I can't go to a yarn shop and leave it without some beautifully colored yarn. Hence, I have been staying away. I haven't knitted in a couple weeks and have projects to finish I just can't get into again.

Jean: Thank goodness you and your family are back home from Hawaii. This Chilean earthquake is causing tsunamis and they have a tsnami warning out for all the Hawaiian islands. Maybe you will be bypassed by this huge snowstorm they are predicting the east will get around the first week in March. It was nice enough for us yesterday I could open the sunroof and drive in the sun, which was great. I just want it to get to 60 so I can start wearing sandals again. I went and got my nails done yesterday and saw a couple ladies with sandals on. One woman had a pair of beautiful purple knee high boots that looked like they would absolutely kill your feet. They had a pencil size heel at least 4 inches high and the toes were razor edge pointed at the end. There is only so much I would do for beauty and that ain't it! :lol:

Maggie: Jack and I thought of getting one of those upsidedown tomato plants, but I think the squirrel would take all my tomatoes and tear them up. He sure can't stay out of my garbage. He even clawed through the plastic lid of my can and put a hole in it to get into the trashbags. Now that we have a small freezer, I would love to have meat from a butcher. When I was a kid, my great uncle owned a small grocery with his own butcher shop and I remember getting yummy natural casing hotdogs for my mom or just ground burger. It was the best. We also had root beer and I sure do miss the drive in root beer stands. A root beer and hot dog, what could be better than that!

I am off to go get a shower. We need to leave in about an hour and a half. Have a wonderful Saturday all! Faye

Good Morning, Flowers! The sun is shining brightly and I'm waiting for the heat wave to move in. ;) It's supposed to be in the high 20s today and tomorrow with 30s next week. I want to go back to Sioux City tomorrow; they are having a home improvement show and I read an article in today's paper about a construction company that "consults, repairs, and connects with what the homeowners want." I thought I wanted to paint the fireplace brick but am wondering if we could install new stone, whether real or fake, over the old for a whole new look. I have lots on my "to do" list for the day: laundry, vacuum, sort through the clutter on the counter, and pitch old magazines. Since the hospital gift shop is nonexistent for a few months I haven't been good about taking my old magazines to the cart.

Maggie -- I know you will enjoy having your meat supply replenished. :yes: Both of us have HP printers and mine is my original one so I know it's over 10 years old. It works like a charm. Bob has a fancier one that will do photos. My haircut is ok, I guess. My hair has a mind of its own since it has turned gray. I have some natural wave and would like to try going w/o a perm but don't like it totally flat either. :( Decisions, decisions, decisions.

Susan -- I had to chuckle at you buying lead at the quilt show. I couldn't imagine that you would buy a quilt. :no: There's nothing like the original A&W rootbeer! :T We have an A&W connected to a gas station in a nearby town and often stop there coming home from the lake in the summer. I hope the change in meds will work well for you. It will be interesting to see if you ever remember where you met your doctor. Would he have had any connection to Stan?

"Gma" -- I'm guessing your insurance will never pay the bill since the doctor was not certified to practice medicine, and that is their reason for not paying. I think the clinic should drop the charge personally. What gripes me here is that each doctor can charge what he wants for an office visit. :mad: I'd say a $47 difference (between Bob and I -- different docs, same clinic) is a bit much for the same "visit" regarding lab results! I also saw the news about the earthquake in Chile. :( I suppose we will also be sending people, supplies, and money there to help out. I hope the Hawaiian islands don't get hit since there isn't much room to evacuate all the people. I hope Jack gets a good report from the doctor this morning.

I'm not getting much done by sitting here! :o Have a super duper day . . . remember that the choice is yours! :D

Jean -- :wave: from Iowa!

It's Saturday