The surprise of his life

Sach has asked for a trumpet for Christmas for several years now so he could play in church and such. Well, this year I found one for him with the help of Jennifer Church, one of my former students who now is a band director herself. She delivered it on an icy day last week right before we went to Bentonville. Sachmo was delighted!

Some Like it HOT

just a shot that I liked from the plane window-it was so cold when we went to Philly 2 weeks ago. I like it hot! I would move somewhere warmer in a flash if I could take my friends and family with me.
Today is one of those odd too warm days for Dec. -you get the feeling that change is going to smash down on you at any moment. I have been working today on getting even more ready to leave at a moment's notice. Eddy brought me two loads of cedar to make wreaths for the outside of my house. I know it may seem odd to continue to decorate when for the first time in 29 years, Santa will not be coming to our house. I feel like it's necessary for the soul to spread cheer to people who come to my house at this time of the year. NO matter how old you are, Christmas decorations and lights make you smile. If not, then bah humbug to you and come over and see if my house can't make it right for you this Christmas. I'm working on pics of the whole house for one of my blogs, probably O'z Ark.
later

Busier than a bee

I have no time for journaling as I try to get my house and life ready to go at a moment's notice. Codi is due any day and the dr offered to break her water on Friday. However, Sach had purchased tickets for the Andy William's Christmas Spectacular for tonight, so they are in Branson with Codi wobbling but determined to make it through one more weekend!
I can't even think where to begin to catch my blog up on everything so some info about my life will remain just innocent words in an old-fashioned journal by my bed.

Last night, we took mom and dad with us to the coop Christmas party. Eddy and I rarely win any of the door prizes, but last night we racked up with a food dehydrator, game camera, and mountain springs water gift basket. If you read this blog and get any of this for Christmas, it can't really be considered regifting if the items were won in a drawing!

I'm addicted to the holiday channel on my radio part of tv. How can you not love a channel that you know every word to every song. Am preparing for the trip to St. Louis tomorrow to the Barnes-Jewish hospital. I will be outpatient and, truthfully, beginning to dread these adventures. It is not like they tell me that I am cured! I will take pictures and try to post about these travels.
we are awaiting the baby's birth with bated breath.-Codi is in that special place that all expectant mothers go toward the end with the focus of each day layered with the labor of breathing and arising from the seated position.

more experimentation with the girls

OOh , to cold to play outside today-windchill is about 30 degrees-My friend, Connie, came over with Tara on Monday of this week as Arkansas schools celebrated that national holiday of Deer Day. Connie taught me to crochet. Well, I believe that I am in the beginner phase.

I just got the house decorated for fall and Thanksgiving and now it is time to smash out the Christmas decorations. I'm not sure that I will put up all 10 trees this year.

Editing is Addicting

I have been working on editing pics of Julia's family as I have learned to use several different programs that I have downloaded to the computer. My laptop is groaning however on the c drive as my creativity keeps getting heaped upon it.

have finished the baby's room-now to get the crib together

updates of our life

A. this weekend we head to Bentonville for a couples shower at Sach and Codi's house

baby gifts abound

B. Nov 21, Eddy and I fly to Philly for his cousin's wedding-this promises to be quite the adventure!

C. Thanksgiving-we are giving it over into the hands of Colonel Sanders and the bakery -I have declared-"NO more being too exhausted to enjoy"

D. Dec. 9 -Eddy and I head to Saint Louis for new exhaustive neuro workups at the Jewish Barnes hospital there. Maybe no needles and bloodletting, just don't move machines!

E. Dec. 25 or before-looking like before -Reesa Riley Oliver should make her entrance

more later today

J

Blessed Afternoon

I went out yesterday and did photos for a friend, Julia. Her daughters wanted some photos done outside and in different clothing. We had so much fun and I am VERY sore from squatting and walking on my knees for shots.We took 199 different poses. Ah, the energy of youth, and the magic of a cameraman(lady) at your disposal. A very small way for me to say thank-you to a friend who has given of her own time to help me do many, otherwise impossible, tasks.

I have thoughtlessly erased some of the best shots that I ever took indoors of another friend's children on the evening of Halloween. Using the backlighting setting, I had super pics of Abby and Allison in their costumes, Catwoman and Princess, respectively. Then, downstairs, just relaxing and watching scary Disney, Mostly Ghostly, I had done impromptu shots of the girls..especially Abigail in her Chorus Line pose complete with hat in hand. While preparing to go take pics yesterday, I erased the camera, thinking that I had downloaded everything and wanting a clean slate.....oops.

well, need to go work on moving the patio furniture to the front and other winterizing tasks.

more later

Absence Makes the Heart Grow

Okay, dyslexia abounds. These pics are backwards! Sach's room emerging in princess lavender.

Julia, my friend and partner in the crime of pulling out all of the stops and wheat crackers..

Julia, applying the heavy duty coat of primer because, scroll down...

Me, in the paint suit, that I decided was too restricting for my Jackson Pollock style

Sach's room as it formally appeared-barn red, high gloss enamel.

A formal apology to my readers, fans, and detractors-I have been consumed with cleaning out my basement, painting the baby's room, getting the flower beds ready for winter, and taking short trips that I have been, at the finale of each day, unable to find the focus to blog. The important thing to note is that I have been performing tasks and doing things that my husband just didn't think we were going to see the end of.....

It has notably taken me days and weeks longer but time for me now is relevant.

Tag-you are IT

The only rule is that the questions have to be answered in one word. Here is my list. Be prepared to say, “Wow. That was three minutes of my life I will never get back…”.
1. Where is your cell phone? Hip
2. Where is your significant other? Feeding
3. Your hair color? Blended
4. Your mother? Determined
5. Your father? Storyteller
6. Your favorite thing? People
7. Your dream last night? Forgotten
8. Your dream/goal? Older
9. The room you’re in? Family
10. Your hobby? Manager
11. Your fear? Time
12. Where do you want to be in 6 years? Calmer
13. Where were you last night? Home
14. What you’re not? Regretful
15. One of your wish-list items? Ipod
16. Where you grew up? Jonesboronashvillesalem
17. The last thing you did? planted
18. What are you wearing? smile
19. Your TV? muted
20. Your pet? dogs
21. Your computer? Accomplice
22. Your mood? Pensive
23. Missing someone? children
24. Your car? lonely
25. Something you’re not wearing? jewelry
26. Favorite store? Cooking
27. Your summer? tanning
28. Love someone? wistful
29. Your favorite color? Green
30. When is the last time you laughed? Today
31. Last time you cried? Wolf!
I tag Laura, Jennifer, Kim, Tara, Megon, April, Sarah, Bertie, Shiloh, John, JK, Denny, Carol, Ali, Ray, Bret and anyone else who wants to play along! Have a great weekend!

Was going to do the monster mash but lost the way not the will

I had grand plans for decorating the house like a haunted a mansion but lost my way a little here so we are leaving that for next year. We are finding that now that friends and relatives know about the more serious diagnosis, everyone has gone into hiding , being afraid to see me drool or stumble like Igor I guess!
I don't know how to get rid of this font. I got great pumpkin carving ideas from the net from the net but pumkins are ridiculous-a gallon of gas or a pumpkin to possibly mess up in the cut , weigh your options carefully!
later

Decisions, Decisions, Decisions

Is it really necessary to lay out 6 pieces of silver for a dinner? Where is the green in that? At what point can you not eat your meat with the same fork that touched that tomato. And once that fork touches that meat, it can't slowly slide like a stripper down a pole through the cake? How boug something! There would have been more but we were low class Arkansas and didn't have a soup round. So you are asking if I ate the cake. Yes. I am dying. As are you. You should eat the cake. You do not know what tomorrow might bring. Of course, it might bring a whole lot of tomorrows and lots more cake and then you will need to run a lot but since you have lots of time to run, it all works out great, so let them eat cake. and you too.

Codi and I

We spent the weekend in Bentonville and I enjoyed my favorite occupation of slathering attention on my children. Sach was auctioneer for a charity function called HOPE ( helping oncology patients excel) and we attended with them. Saturday morning Codi's mom and sister gave her a baby shower at her house and fun times were had by all. We came home yesterday. I will keep this short as I am having a terrible time typing.

Each day it seems that the distinction between right and left becomes more difficult and typing is most assuredly a skill that uses these 2 areas.

I seem to be dealing with the diagnosis of parkinson's better than the people around me, yet I have known for months that this was the case and they are just now being told so patience is the watch word for loved ones as they adjust. once they get past the stage of watching me constantly, then we can move on.

Holy Cow-I discovered Snapfish!

A double dose of this shot from Mayo-they had given me adrenaline-check out the eyes

Jumping jeosaphat! I discovered how to send my pictures to Snapfish and order right here from the comfort of my home. I also am learning how to use Paypal! Just send me your wants and wishes and I'll get right to my sickness-buying.

We have not squandered this day. Eddy has brushhogged all day except for the time that we tried to watch the Razorbacks, but I'm not fond of ogling train wrecks. I can run this fast, make these on-the -line decisions and tackle. sign me up.

I have a true mess as I drag every fall decoration out. Can't do it unless I can see what is available. Didn't buy anything new as this time last year , I was bedfast or slow , actually. I have sent a lot of you a slide show of our soccer game at Labor day. on labor day, whatever. Just learned how to do this too.

I need to post the pics from Florida. Just haven't wanted to examine that 2 weeks of my life again yet , but I guess I'm to that point on my blog.

more later

So sorry about 2 of the same shot above. just too ragged really to blog

The Day After

Eddy promised me this home in Florida-
I am so mad at the View. They had such a great fight yesterday and today after the debates I was so ready to watch. Now we are making nice, no politics, not a word. They are discussing when your child gets a fever, for glory's sake. And fashion, which I love but I wanted to see some mud wrestling!
Sarah Palin was a nitwit last night. Can you let this woman have a chance to push buttons? I would rather have Martha Stewart for vp. At least she survived prison, makes millions, knows how to cheat and survive on Wall Street. I don't want my leaders to be like me. I know soccer. I don't know how to run a country or finagle a government into order.
more later

Just Casual Thoughts

It is so incredibly nice to know that I have been missed at this blog. I have received so many emails asking why the lack there of. Well, I have been busy or sick. Take your pick. I am losing some control of my right side and this has created some problems with typing or just making my right arm and hand do what is needed for insync operations like typing. Knowing what someone is doing is a village need, even a stranger who you have never met can entrance you and lead you to friendship as I have found with over 15 new blog and email friends.

I, also, am rarely left alone these days because of protection subscribed to by my 29 year old marriage license and my time to blog is restricted by people being around. So.....one day Julia has me

one day my mother comes out here

one day Eddy takes me to meet my parents and they take me to their house

two days on weekend either Eddy or a sister has me

that leaves me 2 days of solitude-either feast or famine around here.

this probably means that my blogs will get shorter but I'll increase the frequency, I'm sure when the days get cold and rainy.

J is for Jeanie-I got this idea from my friend Kim. Now I'm seeing my initial all through the day out in nature.

Watched the opening night of Dancing with the Stars. I adore this show. I want to do it so badly. I need a dance instructor, maybe Max-yummy. I could do the cha cha cha. But I think I would be better at ball room swaying classy dances where you just lay against the partner and he esentially moves you around.I need to drop 50 pounds before I make this a real committment.

I'm down to the one puppie that I was allowed to keep by bossman. I kept the tiniest little girl, with the shortest legs. Calling her <> have to keep the family tradition of all of the dogs names begine with M.

Working on moving all of the junk from Sach's room into Jake's so I can begin the painting project. I have a dressing table, a baby armoire, and other misc. a little one needs. I just need to borrow a crib. When I get my next check, I'm buying some of the shabby chic baby stuff from Target.

I read Philippa Gregory's new book in one day. I've sent it to Laura via Jennifer via Tara.

I've now read all of Janet Evanovich's books, even her other non-s.plum books.

anybody need 1-14 of the stephanie plum books

Just Thinking Out Loud

At what point do you decide to move on? I had a flashback this morning and got up half asleep and stumbled to the bathroom, my mind going over what I needed for a school morning. Bath, hair is okay, how much gas do I have , what comes first this morning. I think it was because I had not slept well and actually fell dead asleep at about 4 am. So when the alarm went off at 5 something, I was lost in some other place. A place that used to be autopilot. I don’t have any need now for autopilot. Everyday orchestrated for optimum performance. Eat right, rest right, medicate right, exercise right, no stress right.
Ah, there you go. No stress. Only someone lost in a netherworld as I of nothing wrong can understand how much one can crave stress. Stress would mean that I am happening. Some strand of people depend upon my warp or weft. As it is now, no one single thing will change if I just lay here. Relationships have moved on. I can’t think of one single person who needs to speak to me. Needs my input, or expertise. The tough part is that I can’t even rely upon myself. I can make a list and check it twice just like Santa and then myself can’t support the plan myself made. It is such a wicked twist to have your own body let you down in the scheme of life.
Has it made me more or less philosophical to be the recipient of the knowledge that the human body is such a marvel of design? Well, I guess it depends upon what definition you hold for design? When man did not walk as upright, then the autonomic system was working differently. As the animal began to go more vertical, then the timing had to refine to allow for the blood to counteract gravity. Maybe it took hundreds or thousands of years for this fine tuning. This lack of proper blood flow to the brain could account for the head bashing by cavemen and does account for my heart crashing gymnastics and lack of driving.

Well, many of you know that I was at the Mayo Clinic for testing and evaluations. I discovered that there is more reason for concern than I like to talk about. I ask questions about how long before permanent damage to my major organs because of the lack of proper circulation. The responses varied and one I liked was, “ All people are damaging themselves every second with improper sleep, food, medication, rest, relaxation, etc. (I received numerous diatribes on smoking, stress, alcohol, and lack of sleep!) I don’t engage in most of the worldly vices and get WAY too much rest and relaxation. So the ultimate answer was that they don’t know the answer. The doctors all thought it would be great if I went for quarterly neuro and cardio workups! Can you imagine giving one week every 3 months for needles and bloodletting? Even if I could find a sugar daddy willing to pay for, not diamonds and furs, but tubing and hospital gowns, I’m not sure that’s the route I want to go! ?Who wants to really know how down hill you are sledding? Do you want to really know how sick you are? It’s almost like having a gypsy lady reading your EKG every day, waves or lines on my palms, I’m not sure I want to know that tomorrow is not how I’ve planned it to be!

BLT-bacon, lettuce, tomato and a little Mayo!

I figured out how to copy and pasted on my phone and how to get to blogger! most everybody that would read this will already be on my email list and hopefully you got this in an email

Hi there,
I wanted to send this update from the computer in the lobby but I would have had to face an assault and battery charge on a old decrepit wrinkly man who won't get off of it. So i'm sending this via my phone so please forgive punctuation and capitalization.
Needles, wires, electrodes and big machines like whirling caverns have been the order of my last 3 days. Yesterday, one test had me hooked up to electricity all over my left side. They informed me that there would be no pain if I was getting normal nerve signals to send the blood back up to the heart and brain. Yo ho ho and a bottle of something was my call as it jolted me off the table. Well we knew already that I was damaged in this nerve signal thing now we know! It hurt like hades-this also indicated that my sweat response was nil. I had already figured this out.
Needles-big, small, some like the mouth of a python with little hooks like fish hooks. Don't move or the barbs get in deeper! We had a slight problem getting blood several days as you can't find my veins. the girl said, "all your blood must be in your feet" -well...
they finally brought someone up from somewhere else and used a jackhammer like thing to punch holes and blood just flowed out and they caught it before it hit the floor!
I was in a room yesterday with 60 old women and men. very cranky atmosphere-one lady reached over and took my paper as i turned to the crossword puzzle. "my husband was looking for one of those to do" -what do you do? I said "okay" but there is a whole stack of these papers on the counter. Her reply,"go get another one!"
enough about that-we are going out to the beach this morning to observe the rolling waves that are the result Hanna. She didn't hit but Ike will most probably before we get out of here. my tests today are from 2 oclock to 6 oclock and include eegs, some kind of brain scan thing while I try to climb stairs and jump on a little trampoline.
that's all the attention span that i have for this little keyboard.
more later
love and laughs
Jeanie

Life Under a Mushroom Cloud!

Life under a mushroom cloud is sometimes nuclear. I can only hope that the fallout of trying to balance family and friends, wait, I'm only balancing family right now, will not be too deadly. We are having the whole Oliver clan-14 people-for dinner on Sat. night. Then Sunday, the whole Scott clan for lunch and family pictures-17 people-
Jake flew in last night to Memphis and his friend will transport him here on her way to Mountain Home to see her family for Labor Day. Sach and Codi are leaving Bentonville after they get off work today. They will stop in Harrison and pick up Tanner.
It was so easy when everyone had small kids. Popsicles and movie rentals, bikes and horses. Now so many of the family is grown up and now you have differing life views, differing political views, differing incomes, etc.
Everyone is anxious to see Jake. He made a vow last Labor Day-2007-that he would not be home until he had lost 100 pounds. He has now lost 120 pounds sticking strictly to the Weight Watchers plan. So it's been 1 year since most of the family has seen him. I'll be able to post pics of him now, I guess. He made me promise not to until he met his goal weight.
Are you watching the projected path of Hurricane Gustav? I think we will be driving in rain when we leave on Tuesday for Florida.
So back to the topic of family. Is anyone out there sympathetic to the dilemma of trying to survive in the quaqmire of "I used to know a lot about this person" When you think about it, our perceptions of siblings and parents are frozen right at the time that you stop living together. Then you start to have experiences and shit happens that you don't see on a daily basis. When you only see someone for a total of maybe 20 hours a year, that is not "knowing" that individual. You can have a better sense of what email and blog friends are doing than you can of family. As a matter of fact, most of us are "closer" factually, and thought wise, to co-workers and those we communicate with in detail than we may be to those we share blood with.
Facebook-another thought-I love this aspect of it takes a village. Those who participate can see pics and read thoughts and stop by conversations of friends and acquaintances from all over the globe. I have had hour long chats with former students who now check in with me daily. You can take a hint from status updates that something is off in someone's life, and check up on them right away. Facebook develops community, and projects daily life onto the big screen of the web. I am horrible about sending or participating in any of the games, but I write and tell my peeps this-they know this and still send funnies my way!
Well, I just really stopped by here to make a post and ended up running away with it..
later

J for Jeanie

J for jumped in today and did too much with bleaching the front porch but don't you love that feeling when something has been really dirty and is now spotless

J for jazzed about this weekend with everybody here-have new recipes for all kinds of sweets and pasta dishes-let's here it for big celebrations.

J for just missed Jeopardy while chatting with Carson and Kat on Facebook. Oh, well.

Okay enough of that-what did you think of Michelle Obama's speech-there were moments when it got too "I'm just middle class trash like the rest of you" I don't really care about hearing about someone's roots. Just convince me you will pull us out of this domestic and foreign mire that we are sunk into. One more note-Eddy would have a fit if I went on and on about him. Not that he doesn't have many glowing attributes, he just doesn't think that one gives speeches about them. I really agree with one of my friends that the future of the Democratic party rests with whether Hillary and Bill convince the nation that they would scrub floors in the White House because they support Obama that much. Can Hills swallow her pride? Can she come through with "we were both equally good, now I through my substantial hips in with his bunch?" I think she can come closer than Bill. His ego is a tad harder to mold to fit someone else's glory. We shall see....

later

special gift

a box arrived for me in the mail at the end of last week. Is there a soul in the world who doesn't love something personal in the mailbox? As I carried it down the lane to the house, I couldn't imagine what was inside. A gift from a friend. Not something that I had ordered. Something magical and mysterious, hidden in the layers of clear packing tape. There have been times when I thought there's no reason to get the mail, bills and bills, doctors' and hospital bills. I saved it all afternoon. I love a wrapped present as much as I do the gift inside. Anticipation.

Carefully using a steak knife to get past the "for your eyes only" tape, the tissue unfolded to reveal a lovely handwritten note, in handwriting so nice that someone should get this lady to demonstrate for third graders. There were two journals of different sizes, quilted in green. Green-my color-on top of that it is a green that resembles the scales of my dragon that has gone to dragon heaven. A dragon no more.

Connie Shrable had carefully prepared these quilted green covers for the journals with places for the pen and pencil. The pens and pencils were there already. She sent these for me to take on my journey to Florida. Journals-someone thoughtful enough to send a lady with 4 blogs something she treasures so much-journals.

thank you, Connie-they will be well used.

Barney would be packing heat-I am packing cell phone. At first, I resisted wearing it all the time as it felt too much like one of those nursing home "I have fallen and can't giddiup" monitors. Gradually over the summer, though, the phone has, like my computer, become a perfect companion. It only talks back if I want it too, I can ignore it without its hurt feelings splitting open the relationship. It plays music, and only music that I feel like hearing. And, of course, it provides that comfort of "I'll get help right away". So Cellie and I have been slowly taking more and more adventurous steps. For the last 2 days we have made the old walk a mile away from the house and back, by ourselves. Well, of course, accompanied by Rebel. However, I'm not sure that Rebel wouldn't behave like Eddy and say, "well, if you're down right now, you're not going anywhere, so I'll just be off to check on wild animals and you give a holler when you are standing again"

I can even walk and text which I consider quite an achievement as Tara, Jennifer, and Laura will know after trying to teach me dance steps. I think, in dancing, that I was concentrating too much on the feet because when I start texting my feet just do the right thing. It's a good thing as I'm wearing bi-focal cheater glasses and can't see the road anyway while texting.

One Tenth of A Milestone

Going from my garden, down the driveway to the mailbox, turn around, go back down the other side of the yard, hug the fence and corral, past the feed barn, to the back fence, over to the hay barn and back to the garden is 3/10 of a mile. So yesterday I did 12/10 in the morning, 3/10 at lunch, and 6/10 in the evening. Whoo-hooh. The problem is that it is soooooo boring. So I carry on imaginary conversations in my head. Talking out loud is dangerous as it won't be long until I'm forgetting and talking back to my head when other people are around!

Eddy promised that he would start walking with me again in the evenings but now we have had all this rain, and, oops, promises to wife go to back burner when a man could brush hog a lot sooner in the fall than he thought. So he gets home at 3:40, still on summer hours, and immediately follows the siren song of the tractor. Oh, and he also, in a moment of weakness, said that he would help me get the bermuda grass out of my flower beds.