Rainy Season!

Spring is known for its rains. That is what makes the Flowers grow after all! How many times have you heard that said? All I know is that I would love to have a Quarter for each time, for I would have quite a stash by now! Guess we need the Rain, but for almost a week? I was sick last week on the Sunny Days. I got sick the night we returned from Highlandville, the 23rd of April. I think it was flu or food poisoning. I felt really good the entire time there, did not feel something was totally wrong until after supper. Things just didn't feel quite right. I was in for a rough 5 hours. I still managed to take my med. I take at night, but not until 2:30 am. I regret getting sick, but there is not much I can do about it now, that time is past. Gone, Done. Hunter and all were here starting Friday night April 28 and went home on Sunday the 30th. Scott and Lacey wanted to get in some more Turkey Hunting again. But with the rain, it did not happen as planned. Scott still went, but had no luck. Lacey decided to rest and I think it was the right plan. I watched Hunter when they were gone. He was a very good boy. He giggles out loud now at some things, which is the truest Joy of Joys. To see him Happy and not in pain is wonderful. Poor little boy has had so many challenges already, with the Double Hernia Surgery. It was fun and he is getting cuter every day. I got lots of Grandma time again, and for some reason it made me miss Tyler and Jodee even more. I hate that I cannot spend time with them like I can with Lacey and all. I know Jodee feels that way too, but it is what we have both chosen. They are still closer than they were, I have to remember that. I think they may be coming over as soon as she is done with Finals, which is this Friday. Jodee has this one last week of Tests, Three. One today, one Wednesday, and the last one on Friday. I hope they will be over soon. I am being totally selfish in wanting them here. I haven't walked in some time now. I did work out 2 days last week with the Richard Simmons 20 minute quick workout. It made me feel so much better to get moving again. I can feel my Body continue to regain strength. I had a good weight loss of 6 lbs last week. I have regained most of that. I was not honest with them at meeting. I never told the leader I was so sick I couldn't lift my head for 2 days and could eat even less. The loss was mostly water with my body shutting nearly down. I was hoping I could keep that not being hungry thing, but of course it returned. Weekends are so tempting. It makes it very difficult for me, but I have to live with it, so better get used to handling it. I do not want to go to meeting with a huge gain, but if I do, will try my best to deal with it. It was to be expected....guess I was just hoping for the water to stay away. What is it they say about wishes? I forget.(not really) Today is another bleak sunless day. The wind is blowing and it is 52 degrees. I want to return to walking. I should drive somewhere to do so, but I am still tired from caring for Hunter and need this day to recoup to go on. Hunter was very good and seems to be adjusting to staying here at night now. We put his bed in this room now as the catch all room is kept way too cool for him to sleep in there. He got along real well sleeping in here. This used to be Jodee's bedroom, so it is not the first time someone has slept in here. Maybe that is the connection between both grandsons...my memories of when Hunter's Aunt Jodee slept in here too. *wink*. It has rained for about 4 days in a row with a steady downpour. No storms, just rain. The grass is growing and the Spring Flowers are thriving. My Climatis is growing like a weed with all this rain. I have still to get out there and clean off the Flower gardens. Soon it will be time to plant the summer lettuce and veggie seeds we bought a few weeks ago, trying to wait patiently for Spring time and time to plant again. Strange how little it takes sometimes to keep us holding on, right? Have a good week! I intend to....wonder if I can get a walk in sometime today yet? Will have to think a LOT to get moving today. I slept in this morning and had some wild Dreams again. I think it must be a good thing that I am remembering Dreams again, right? Some were a bit disturbing, but not horrible at least! Next time! Hugs again, Katie Postscript: I did not get a walk in, but did a Richard Simmons workout for a bit over a half hour. Enough to get my Heart pumping and to feel good about the day. Not bad for a Blue Monday which was otherwise Bleak. (Also the first day of May!) Jodee just called me this morning. Tyler has Chickenpox. She wanted me to come out there today, but I need to get my meds ordered and picked up tomorrow, plus get the cell phone back from Lacey. Lacey took it home and accidentally left it in her other coat pocket when they went out to eat. I will be going out in the morning. She wants me there by 9 am, but that won't happen because I cannot pick up my meds till mid morning. There just was not enough time. I was ordering my meds 3 days ahead anyway, which for me is way ahead of time. Why do things continue to spiral out of control? Some days!!!! I will not let this get to me, time will pass. She was going to call Jamie and they will have to work something out between them. Now she knows what I went through when I never even had backup when I needed a break from the girls. True the timing sucks, but that is Life. We just try to manage it and keep it from going totally out of control. Thus is the Life with children. They have a medicine now that will let Tyler back into Day Care on Thursday. I hope I can go shopping a bit that day. I never get to be out there long enough to shop anymore...and a woman can only go so long without shopping!(Yes, that is selfish, but then I am worthy!) Mamma needs some new shoes! Anyway, I have vented and will be alright when this frustration passes. I wanted to help her, and will for 2 days. Guess I got my wish about going out there to see them, right? Right! Will see about working in a day with Jetty and Todd while there. As they say, be careful what you wish for~! (Why didn't I wish for Millions?) I need a hug, anyone, anyone? *wink* Katie Postscript #2: I walked my circuit today. I was moving! I got through it in one hour and ten minutes. It usually takes me about an hour and 15 or 20 minutes...sometimes more. The strength is back! I am developing muscles and moving faster. Yay me! I even feel like doing more! Guess I will have to wait until that urge passes, lol. Maybe I will go out and cut out some trees from the bushes and rake some leaves off my Spice Garden....or not!!!!

Skipped Spring again?

It has sure felt like it these past few days. The heat has come on fast and hard! From nice mild temperatures for about a week to 90 degrees yesterday. Today will be nearly the same, it is already 80 at 10:15 a.m. Central Standard time. The Easter egg hunt should go well this year. It is always a turkey shoot every year to see what the weather will do. The past few have been miserable with the hunts being taken inside so the little kids won't freeze to death, nor the adults helping. I just drove outside to do some errands and returned and in that time the temp. went up 4 degrees. That was in about 25 minutes time. I am not complaining. The Thunderstorms and Tornados stayed away from here last night, for that I am very very thankful. There seem to be more and more of those types of storms recently. The one last November is the strangest one I have seen. They seem to keep getting closer and closer. It hit Stratford and the town where Jesse's boyfriend stayed. Dang, will have to put the name of it in, won't come to me now. I was feeling the need to vent, so came here intending to do that. I have been trying to keep these writings in a positive note. That will mean that I have to stay in a positive mode to write here. Thus, no venting. I will just let it go for now. Later I will deal with it. It took everything I have to keep from eating my anger. I promised I will not do that anymore. I am worth more than that. The thing is, I was truly hungry. So, I reached for a whole wheat bran muffin with some no fat cream cheese when I truly wanted about a dozen donuts. Eat myself to happiness....what a concept. Except it won't work and I finally realize that. I am worthy of so much more. I don't deserve to use my body as a scapegoat for pain avoidance anymore. Spring was nice, wasn't it? Too bad it only lasted about 2 weeks....lol. The grass is greening, the flowers are blooming, the birds are singing. The wind is blowing. I don't think we have had one calm day yet this spring. The rivers are full also, so that means we have been getting lots of rain. I was worried about a drout, but we have avoided that for the time being at least. Going back and reading these stories is always good for me. I am so glad that I have been writing again. It helps my mood. I walked 4 days this past week, 5 if you count last Saturday. I feel so good when I do that. I have to go early now because of the heat and the chance of sun burn. I always lather with sunscreen, but you cannot always depend on that either. I did not have a true theme for today, just wanted to write for the process again. Lacey and Hunter will be here soon. Then Scott is coming later on. I need to run the vacumn before they get here, so should end this now and go do that. I was away most of the day yesterday. I had weight watchers in the morning, then another appointment at 3:00, so that pretty much did the day in. I got in for my Heart Dr. appt. about 40 minues early, so was heading home and got here shortly after 4 pm. Ok, time to go vacumn and finish up the dirty dishes. More next time, have a Good Easter this Sunday! Don't Eat too many Chocolate Bunnies or Eggs, Hugs Katie

Not June Yet!

No, it is not quite time for Summer yet. I do however begin to look forward to the Summer months every year about this time. You must know what I mean. It is still barely Spring here, and yet I yearn for the Summer days when coats are no longer needed and the weather begins to somewhat settle in to a normal summer. Saying that, there do not seem to be too many "normal" things anymore. Normal is simply a relative term anyway. It means whatever a particular person means it to in their own mind. Some would say that I am not normal as normal was considered in years past. I would take that as a compliment, let me tell you. What I am trying to say simply and somehow am making complicated in doing so, is: I want Summer to be here. I want to be able to take out the summer clothes and put away the winter ones. I have been working on that on occasion because my drawers have become too full to close, and as I continue to lose the weight around my neck, (and other places, joke here)it feels good to get those large clothes out and ready to take to donate to some other deserving soul. I must say, I had my eyes opened as I stopped at the Goodwill to try to find some in between jeans. Don't you hate that? I seem to always be "between" sizes. One size it way too big now, and nearly slides off, but the other is still way too tight to be comfortable. What I found during this search is that the items cost even at the Goodwill is increasing. Now I do not mind paying $4.00 for a pair of quality jeans. I do not care if anyone knows I found them there. I have never been that way. I appreciate saving money. I could not survive without second hand stores and discount places. Pay $40.00 for one item? Preposterous! The old reasoning for "quality" does not seem to hold true anymore either. I have paid full price and found the quality lacking. I would rather buy inexpensive and not worry about staining or having to Dry Clean an item. When I found out that the chemicals they use in the process could be hazardous, that was even more reason to avoid such use of money.. I used to think that I was learning to be "tight" from my parents. Now as I shopped the other day, I realized that whatever I learned from them, I enlightened upon it. I wonder when people find themselves with more money, if that trend ever leaves them. Do they "slink" into Walmart with a Hat and Dark Glasses to buy unnoticed? Do they sweep into Target and still catch the Sales or Clearance racks? How do they transition to being able to buy in places where the least expensive item is over $200.00? I remember my mother always shopping and shopping and worrying about how much the items she loved would cost, and leaving the store with very little, like they do on that show "What Not To Wear". $200.00 for a blouse? Never! Calvin Kline jeans? NOPE! Gloria Vanderbilt, who is she? (ok, I DO know) I have never been "in" to brand names on clothing or anything else. We never had enough money to be that way. Not when I was growing up and not when my children were growing up either. We were glad to HAVE a pair of shoes, let alone a closet full. That was unthinkable! We were lucky to have enough food on the table. Heat in the wintertime. A warm cozy bed with enough blankets. These were things we were appreciative of. I used to think it never bothered me, our doing without. Now I wonder. The reason I wonder is that I have become addicted to shopping for bargains. For a time, I was buying things because they were on sale, or a good price. Not because I needed anything. Maybe all those years of doing without caught up with me. I always wanted to provide more things that the girls wanted growing up. Things that the other girls their ages just expected as the norm. Of course that being said, at least our family never had to take out Bankruptcy as some we knew did. We said no when we had to, and yes when we could. I only hope that my Daughters know that some day. I began this article intending to write about the time of the year. As happens often with me, I have wandered away into a totally different arena. I know it is ok, and someday I will organize my writings and perhaps find a better place for this writing. Until then, it will remain here. I do look forward to getting outside soon and working in my flower gardens. They need a lot of tending to as I did not do much of that beyond June last year. I had a rocky summer and fall. Winter was better. This Spring WILL be much better because I will not allow it not to be. Now as it is almost 8 am already, I must end this writing and see about getting outside for my walk before that wind comes up again. It is to be in the Seventy degree range in temperature today and I think it will make it as it was already fourty four degrees when I got up at 5 am. Talk to you soon again as the mood hits me to type! Hugs, have a good day! Then a better Tomorrow! Be Thankful for your Life, and don't forget to live it! Katie

"Steamy" and "Sticky"

Yep, Summer is here! It is time for the shorts, t-shirts and the swim suits. I heard a guy say the other day.... "I sure wish it would warm up, its too cold." That was when I knew he was from the South! This has been Spring for a change! No skipping Spring going right into the Hot Sticky Summer days. No 90 degrees in April and May thank you very much! This has been the best Spring I can remember. Just warm enough during the day, cooling down to the 50's to sleep at night. It could do this all summer. I would not complain. Looking back on other Springs of the past...I think this one has been a real Keeper! Not that we have any say in the matter....it just seems we should appreciate things as they happen, not only in hindsight...where vision is 20/20. Don't you think we could be more appreciative of what we have? So many have not....and most of us even need not. That might sound confusing unless you sit and think about it for a while. Getting by on less sometimes proves to be a good thing. Last evening the electricity went off right when prime time TV was to start. It was off for almost exactly one hour due to a Thunderstorm. Did I miss TV? Not in the least...but then I do not watch it all day long anymore. I grew so tired of no content in the programs to speak of. Now I listen to music or radio. Thats too is becoming way too advertisial....is that a word? It should be. We buy those products anyway... we really do, why drum us to death with it? Sounds like a good topic for another day. I have run two topics together...but that is ok...I will fix that later on. Now it is time for a Nap. I have done all the housework, and supper is cooking.....no guilt...gotta love that too! It happens rarely. Hugs Katie

Temperature

Here it is June, and the temperatures are still on the coolish side. Now do not take this wrong, I like it when it is cooler. Heat does nothing for me....I am thankful for Air Conditioning. Sleeping cool with covers is the best. I love sinking into the deep depths of the cool crisp sheets. But come on, it is June, it should not be cool enough for a jacket now. It should be bare foot time, grass tickling toes time, time to lay on the cool lawn without getting chills or wet clothing. Now I hope I will remember this when it is July and August and so hot that the grass begs for rain and the critters swarm to any and all water they can find for a drink. I usually am not out doors much unless it is before the bugs bite and after they go away in the fall....so now I am enjoying the extended Spring weather. Most years anymore, we barely see Spring before Summer's heat blasts down on us chasing most of us to the Malls or Library to get cool. Can you imagine not having air conditioners? They are so common here now that there are very few who do not have some kind of inexpensive way to keep cool and dry. You can buy one for a window now for less than a hundred dollars. They are energy efficient and quiet. No more noisy fans, or screen doors bapping when children run in and out. Now it is close it off, shut it up, keep it out. Guess I miss those old days in some ways. My husband always comments on the time when no homes had air conditioning and how they had to sleep 4 boys to a bed in the attic with no fan....gosh it is a wonder they survived! We always had a fan, and most of the time there was a cool evening breeze or a rain to gently cool things down. Of course I know we could take more heat back then, because our bodies were better tempered for it than they are nowdays. Now we are spoiled by being comfortable. Being by the water in summer is a dream come true for most children. For me it was common. Going down to one of our two ponds was always a discovery time. Many was the time I explored and watched as natural critters did their thing. I would while away the days of Summer lying on our lawn, looking up at the clouds going by. Many imaginations took place as I laid there with my doggy by my side, or my cat always gently purring. I would travel in my mind and explore the farm we lived on....fun at every turn, adventure around every corner. I would climb a tree, go into the hayloft of the barn, or would walk on the crumbling wall of an old rock garage building. We had pets of all shapes and sizes. Cats, dogs, or even sometimes wild critters tamed. Just like a scene out of some of the movies I watched later on. I did not think of my life as an adventure then. I just thought of the times I experienced as daily life. (and probably quite boring) Taking care of the pet bunnies our Grandparents brought us one Easter. They got some sort of disease and died soon after....just as we had learned to love them. It was my first true experience with death. I never forgot it. I do not remember the bunny names..so I must not have let myself get too attached. (some cutsie name I would expect) I DID learn never to eat smart pills, as my Dad and Uncle Don called the little deposits they would leave in and under the cage they lived in. Dressing up my baby puppy in a little doll dress. Even though he was a he and was not too crazy about the dress, he tolerated much for the love it showed him. He was a good dog...and was named Sprite.... I adored that little guy. I do not remember what happened to him...but he reminded me of Lassie...even though he was a mutt. I have always been drawn to the mutts of the world. Going for a walk to the neighbors. If we were lucky, they would volunteer to take us to the swimming hole to cool off. That woman was a saint. She would always drop whatever she was doing to make us kids feel special. Tea and crumpets.....pie and cake, ice tea....it was always there and always lucious to taste. Hiding in the Hayloft. Playing hide and seek with my brothers. Even when we were not supposed to be there...that was always the thrill of the adventure. Going where we were not normally allowed to be, hoping to never be found out by our parents. We only once had a close call, and learned why they said to stay out of places we didnt belong. I will tell that adventure another time. Let me just say, it involved snakes! Anyway, as another Summer quickly approaches, I sit thinking back to days gone by. I think of how vastly different these summers are from those. Although I almost miss the old days...I realize I would not want to go back. Such things are best left in the memory. I can still enjoy my air conditioned rooms when the blistering hot days begin. Hugs till next time, Katie

Almost Here

This Spring has been a bit cool. Not that I am compaining, I am not. Now it is nearing time for a warm up and I am ready for that also. I really have enjoyed the cool spring....it gives everything time to catch up from the winter, to grow and to "spring back" into shape again.... before the summer heat sets in. The more time without having to turn on the Air Conditioners...the better. I have been doing a lot of Gardening this Spring. Hubby always does this normally, but I have an investment this year because I asked him to plant Spinach and a mixed variety of garden lettuce. This weather has been exactly perfect for it to grow and thrive!... I am learning to really appreciate going to the store and buying the stuff. This tastes so much better, but is a lot of work to harvest and clean. Never again will I forget that, or waste it! I only hope we can eat all the lettuce before it goes bad, as it cannot be kept any length of time. I may end up giving it away to have someone use it up. I always plant Memorial Day flowers in pots for my Patios. They are not that costly and look good all summer, if watered enough. We got them at a place called Eddie'd Greenhouse. Strange though, I never have seen Eddie....maybe he is a woman? hummmm On that note, much as I would like to keep writing about Summer being nearly here, I need to get cleaning and working on that Quilt I need to have done by the middle of July! Time is running out! Hugs to you all reading this...and to me most of all! Katie P.S. I will be adding more in-depth observations of Summer as the days go on.