Holidays

Well, we've passed one major holiday and now, on to the next one! It just doesn't really seem to be "sinking in" that it's actually going to be the last month of the year 2007, as of tomorrow! I can't quite comprehend it! Where does the time GO so quickly? Seems like if you blink for a few seconds, it's next month, then next year .... mercy me!

We had a nice Thanksgiving. Slept in (which as you all know, is almost my favorite thing to do!), got up and lazed around in my pjs for awhile, then went to the grocery store. You'd be amazed at how many people were at the grocery store at noon on Thanksgiving day! Made a few snacks for us to nibble on while watching football (cheese plate with pickles and peppers, Sister Shubert's Cocktail Sausage Wraps - very yummy! - deviled eggs, and other miscellaneous items). AC, UJ & RMM came over to visit about 2:30, after GD had laid down for a nap (they had driven in from KS for lunch w/ GD). Had a nice visit with them for a few hours, then they headed home about 6:30. Went over to GDs to see about him, stayed there for awhile, helped him to bed. Still slow moving with hip pain (fell the night before), so needed some assistance. Next day, slept in again (gotta get that in while I can!) then we actually went out to "brave the elements" (i.e. mad shopping crowd) but it wasn't even bad at all! Went to Sam's and just seemed to be 'normal' traffic. Stopped at GD's to visit awhile, then went home to do some cooking & baking while hubby went to Circuit City. Cooked a turkey and made a batch of dressing. Wanted to try a "new way" of cooking the turkey that I had seen on the food channel (brining the turkey). Bought the smallest turkey I could find, but was still 10 lbs. Also, put some butter and herbs up under the skin on the breast and legs, that did help it taste good and stay moist. So about 5 o'clock we ate turkey & dressing (& gravy) and cranberry sauce. That's all, nothing else. And it was yummy! Of course, had TONS of turkey left. We decided to relax, build a fire and lay back and watch a movie (something we do about once every 3 years, literally) so I made a nice 'pallet' on the floor, got the big pillows and comfy throws, got all settled and clicked on the movie. What movie, you ask? A romance, an adventure movie, a thriller/scary movie, a romantic comedy???? Not exactly. Shrek. We've never seen the Shrek movies and for some odd reason, Jimmy decided to buy them. I guess he figured the kids like them and if they came for a visit, would enjoy watching them (Shrek I, II and III). Ten minutes into the movie, the phone rang. It was BV calling, needing me to come over about GD's hip. So I jumped up and went over (movie date cancelled) and saw what the girl was so concerned about. His whole entire left side of his hip, leg, etc. was just BLOOD red, almost black in some places, like nothing I've ever seen before! It was jaw-dropping, eye-popping horrible looking. So we called EMSA to come and take him to the ER and get it X-rayed, just to be sure it wasn't broken (although we sure didn't think it was, since he could move the leg pretty good, but did say it hurt to stand on it) so we went to Baptist and were there for about 4 hours. Good news is no broken hip, no fracture, just a terrible bruise (hematoma, I think they called it), so I was able to take him home and put him to bed and get him comfortable, then back home about 2 a.m. I thank the Lord daily that in all of his falls (at least 6 or 7 in the last year), he hasn't broken a bone or been seriously injured. His most serious injury was that hand smashed in the door last October and that healed very nicely.

I baked on Saturday (two things, both new recipes) and neither one turned out edible. I've lost it. Out of practice. It was discouraging, especially considering how much TIME I spent in the kitchen working on the darn things. Then did some cleaning projects that needed serious attention. Sunday, I was so exhausted, we didn't even go to church, morning or night. That's the first time in a VERY long time we have missed church due to just plain fatigue. I didn't get out of bed until 11:30 and even for me, that is way past "sleeping in." Would've stayed in my pajamas all day if I hadn't needed to get out and go check on GD. Went over there about 4:30, maybe 5, he was doing pretty good.

Back to work on Monday, which after a 4-day weekend is like quadruple the average day's workload. But only worked until 6:30 (went in at 7, as usual), then to GDs. He was quite confused that day, more than usual. Worked Tuesday 7 - 5:30, went over to GD's, he was pretty confused again, then Wed 7 - 7:30 and over to GD's. He was better as far as being more clear minded. Then stopped at Arby's for a Jr. Roast Beef sandwich for my supper at 9 p.m., I was starving. Then yesterday worked 7 - 7 then over to GDs. He was in the hall when I got there, guess he'd been talking to the aides at the desk and was headed back down the hall to his room. His door was standing open (Tam said it had been open most of the day, he keeps going in and out it without shutting it, and has been, I've noticed, quite a bit lately) so he was irritated and thinks someone is coming in and opening up his door and leaving it that way. He also noticed it was 7:30 and said "guess I'd better go down and get my breakfast." When I told him it was 7:30 in the EVENING, he said "well, guess I'd better go down and get my dinner." When I showed him the sign on his door that says "dinner - 5:00 p.m. to 6:30 p.m." and told him dinner had been over for more than an hour, he just acted disgusted. I asked him if he was hungry and he said no. I refrained from saying "then why do you think you need to go down to the dining room and eat?" I asked Tam if he'd been to dinner and she said yes, he was there and ate dinner. He just forgets. Even though it wasn't but an hour ago. The short term is what is almost gone. Not quite, and not as bad as Nanny's was there toward the end, but it's getting there. Went home and got to bed about 11:15, same as with every night this week. Needless to say, I feel like I'm walking in my sleep. I am soooo glad it's Friday. I was going to write more (actually about the holidays) but I'm too sleepy now and I've got so much work to get done that I've got to really get with it. I'll try to get back with you later. Right now, I've got to get up and go slap myself in the face to clear the cobwebs out of my head.

Happy Thanksgiving to you all

Don't have a lot of time to write but wanted to take a minute and say Happy Thanksgiving! I can't believe it is tomorrow but it actually is! It is also my dear hubby's birthday so it will be an extra special day. You all that know my DH understand that he is a simple man and doesn't require a lot of 'maintenance' and doesn't need anything big and fancy to be happy. When I asked what he wanted to do for Thanksgiving/birthday he said 'r & r' which is one of his favorite things to say. When I asked what he REALLY wanted to do he said 'lay around and watch some football.' So, I got more specific and asked what did he want to do for our meal - you know, it IS Thanksgiving and all ...... turkey, dressing, cranberry sauce, etc. - I'm thinking. He said "Wendy's is open all day!" You might chuckle, but let me assure you, he is as serious as a heart attack (and we KNOW first hand how serious that is!) :) He said "it's going to be cold, we can just order a pizza and not even have to get out!" - a thrilling idea to him. I'm thinking that the pizza places will be closed for turkey day but I could be wrong. There was a time, not SO long ago, that NOTHING was open on Thanksgiving Day except the good ol' 7/11 with its 365 day a year operation policy. I mean NOTHING, not a gas station, not a grocery store and most certainly not any restaurants. But, things change and families have changed so dramatically over the years and now it's not just a "given" that everyone will be home with their families enjoying grandma's turkey and dressing and Aunt Suzie's fruit salad and cousin Betty's pumpkin pie. So, more and more things are staying open on the holidays now. So, it might actually be possible to lay back and enjoy that pizza and football game after all. Now, would it be my preference? Well, of course not. Would I do it, just to satisfy my better half, after all, it IS HIS birthday, and he can't help that it falls on Thanksgiving every few years. So, yes, I would forego my much-longed-for turkey dinner to enjoy some pizza if that's what he really wants. Do I LOVE the traditional 'big family turkey dinner w/ all the trimmings' kind of Thanksgiving Day? Oh, by all means! More than I can say! The "all out" meal-fit-for-a-king with all of the 'good dishes' and Thanksgiving tableware, my turkey salt & pepper shakers, the little ceramic "pilgrims" on the table with the pumpkins and gourds and fall leaves scattered around nicely, the 'fall' decorated gravy boat with it's little matching plate to sit it on, 'harvest' scented candles burning, ..... oh, yes, that's my kind of Thanksgiving! But is my wanting to have 'all that' more important than doing something that would bring pleasure and satisfaction to someone else who is important to me? Of course not. It's not all "about me!" Or at least, it shouldn't always be 'all about me.' Oh, I get my share of "all about me" plenty, he goes out of his way to see to that, so it's only 'fair-play' that I should want to do the same for him, especially on his birthday. It doesn't matter whether I can understand how pizza/football can be just as satisfying as turkey/family, that's not the point. The point is I asked him what he wanted to do and he told me, very honestly, what it was. I could decide to myself 'oh, that CAN'T be what he really wants so I'll go ahead and cook the turkey and dressing meal,' but I don't think that would be the best thing to do, because even though I can't imagine that pizza trumps turkey & dressing ... for him, maybe it does. And believe it or not, I know for a fact, that at the root of this request it's "all about me" (not him, but ME) because I know that he thinks I'm working too hard and not getting nearly enough sleep and rest (all of which is true) and he wants to make it easy on ME, by not having me spend all day in the kitchen (which he knows I would) just to be 'traditional.' So, you see, his request is not by any means selfish or thoughtless (if someone might think it thoughtless to deprive me of my turkey dinner), it's actually a very thoughtful and heartfelt thing - to make it easy on me and to allow us to just spend some TRULY RELAXING, RESTFUL AND ENJOYABLE time on a special day, where we can be VERY thankful for all that the good Lord above has given us and allowed us. Thank you, God.