Chapter 29

Hello,

I took a nice long nap.  It was only for 4 hours.  I did wake up in time to spend some time with Jerry.  He’s been having a rough time. He always feels so bad, but lately it’s been really rough.  He tries to help me, and he does a great job.  He’s taken over paying the bills, balancing the checkbook and several other things that I’m afraid my health may kill us both.

The cats and dogs around here are taking over.  Mom has 3 cats.  Sassy is 20 years old.  She has sure trained mama.  Tee-hee.  That cat stays in her room and the other 2 have run of the house.  The calico cat has chosen Jerry as her man, and he has really spoiled her.  This is Ms Callie, and Jerry gives her a little milk every morning.  We’re all working to get Gabby more socialized.  He really loves mama, but they didn’t have a lot of playtime with us while they were kittens.   I didn’t know about Jerry being a bi-petual, that's where a person loves both dogs and cats.  He let me believe that he was strictly a dog person and after all these years, I find out.  Shame on you Jerry.

I’m starting to be bored by rambling.  Can only guess how bored you are. Hope you all have a good night!

CYA

Arlynda

Chapter 19

Good Morning,

I’ve been trying to go to sleep for over 5 hours.  Haven’t succeeded yet.  Almost everyone is asleep, except for me, Grayson, and a tom cat that just won’t quit teasing Grayson.  I tell Grayson it’s not his fault that cat weighs almost twice as the little dog, but I can see the effects of the bully tom cat.

Hope everyone had a great Christmas and many Blessings for the New Year.  We were blessed that we managed to get everyone together.  It did make it easier that the kids all had Christmas Day off.  So, a good time was had by all.  Of course the kids made off like bandits.  I’m gonna see if Leslie and Jim will adopt me-haha.

Concerned about our neighbors.  A while back, the ambulance came and got her, but she wasn’t in the hospital very long.  Last week, here they came again and she was back home the next day.  We don’t really know them except for what they drive.  So, Mama called the neighborhood know-it-all and found out that she has cancer in most of all her organs.  Praying for them.

Well, today the little artificial tree is still there.  Looking sad, :-(.  Can’t really take it down ‘til Mama’s birthday, which is in January.  At least it’s before Spring thaw!!!  Our streets are covered with a mix of sleet, and maybe some snow.  Can’t tell the difference.  They both make me cold.

Short and sweet.

CYA,

Arlynda

Chapter 15

Good Evening,

Hope everyone is doing okay.  So far so good here.  I haven’t left the house in close to a week.  Mama is starting to weird out on me.  She needs to get out and just can’t understand how I can stay with no problems.  So, I have a pretty good idea that I’ll have no choice but to go out tomorrow.  Besides we do need to hit the grocery store.  I’ve managed to avoid Wal-Mart, but there’ll be no more avoiding the place. 

Jerry is sleeping and Mama is fixing a chicken sandwich for her supper. 

She’ll eat in her room watching The Waltons and fall asleep with her cat beside her in the recliner.  She’s had that cat for 20 years. I really dread the day that Miss Sassy passes away.  Mama really grieves for our pets.  That’s how Miss Sassy came to her.  Her other cat had passed away and she just cried for days.   “NO MORE PETS,” was about all she would say, and she grieved so deeply that Leslie and I had no idea how to help her.  So against her wishes, I got a kitten.  Mama and I had a habit of getting cashew chicken for supper, and while she wasn’t paying attention I almost got the little thing in the house, I just wasn’t quick enough.  When she saw it all she had to say is “WHAT IS THAT?”  With me being a little ornery (okay, a lot ornery and a smarty pants) I explained that it was a baby cat.  That didn’t help at all.  (Bad girl.)  I asked her, since she didn’t want it, if she would keep it a couple days until I could find it a home.  That did it!!  Yeah, that’s the 20 year-old cat in her room now.  If the lifespan of these cats are 20 years, they’ll outlive all of us.  So, who wants a cat, and how many do you will you take?  Just kidding.  She’ll get a switch and whoop me with it.

I don’t spend a lot of time with my nieces and nephews (Leslie’s kids).  Loren is now 27, and Michaela will be 19 in November.  Loren is a manager at a grocery store in Ozark.  Michaela is a freshman at OTC.  Just looking at her math book made my head hurt.  Apparently, they start teaching algebra in elementary school.  So, the college-level stuff is quite advanced for me.  There were numbers, symbols, and equations all spinning in my head as I handed it back to her.  She had a good laugh watching as I must have made horrible faces. They don’t live far, but we only see them on birthdays or holidays.  Jerry’s brother has 2 girls, Ashleigh and Sydney, and 1 boy, Caleb.  They’re over an hour drive to their homes.  I haven’t seen any of them in years. Caleb is a wonderful young man.  He’s working for the Missouri Department of Natural Resources at the trout fish hatchery in Roaring River State Park, and takes some classes.  He and his fiance have a baby boy, and Ashleigh has a baby boy.  So, it was left to Sydney to keep the female side back in control.  She gave us our baby girl, Eva.  Sydney and Keith are now making sure the balance stays in our control for a while.  Another girl on her way. You just can’t beat that, tee-hee.   I miss them so much.  I can only hope they will know we do love them. 

Well, I need to do some things before I get completely wiped out.   Hope you enjoyed Family history, LOL.

CYA,

Arlynda

Chapter 12

Hello,

Well, I’m back.  Sorry it’s taken me so long to get back.  There has been so much going on here that it would take almost forever to go into detail.  Let’s just hit the high points!!!   I’ve had a couple appointments with Dr. Paulk, my PCP.  He’s keeping a close eye on my potassium and anything I want to complain about.  This last appointment, he went over my last MRI results.  There are some changes from the last one six months ago, which are some things I need the St. Louis docs to answer.  Dr. Paulk was not happy about a place on my upper arm.  So, I had to go to a dermatologist, who took a chunk out of my arm, I wasn’t really worried about that, but I was worried about having trouble getting all of the lab results gathered up in time for the St. Louis docs to look at.  Then the dermatology department called and wanted me to come back in.  It was basal cell carcinoma.  Last Wednesday, I went in and had it completely removed in an out-patient procedure.  Now it’s the hurry up and wait game, with results soon to be coming.

One thing about having the results of MRI and ultrasounds, I can read through and have questions for him on the items I don’t understand.  I know I’m holding my own and haven’t gotten as sick as they projected.  I have to force myself to do anything, cuz everything hurts or makes me so short of breath. 

My dear Jerry has really stepped up to yell at me for taking chances. Okay, he isn’t really yelling.  He just reminds me that I try to do too much and put myself at risk of falling. I’ve fallen a couple times that really could have been catastrophic. So, I’ve seen his devotion to me in the tiniest of ways.  It’s really heartbreaking how few women who will never experience it.

A home health nurse came a few weeks ago, and Trixie did not like her at all.  Finally got Trixie somewhat calmed down, but she wasn’t leaving my side.  Grayson’s way of protection is guarding the bathroom while I’m there.  They are so funny.  Grayson has started playing with the cats.  It is hilarious to watch 2 cats chasing a dog until he turns and starts chasing them.  I’m sure there’s more I could write about, but memory isn’t working with me today.

Cya,

Arlynda

Chapter 10

Good Morning!

First of all, I wish a belated “Happy Birthday” to Adullamite.  I hope you had a great celebration.

Well, since my life is either doctor’s appointments, hospitals and oh so many procedures, or our critters, I chose to talk about the critters.  Grayson is sleeping right now resting his head on my foot, and Trixie, who is in bed, on my side of the bed—no less, sleeping with Jerry.  Haven’t heard anything out of the cats since I broke up the last fight. 

We have a wrought iron bench in the backyard that has become a haven for a couple bunnies.  I could watch them for hours.  My dogs, on the other hand, prefer to chase those little white cottontails.  Good thing for the bunnies that my dogs are neither sight nor scent dogs.  LOL!!!  This morning, I only saw one bunny, and Trixie was determined to have rabbit stew.  I never realized how fast those little cottontails could run.  Bunny came out from around a large tree several yards ahead of Trixie and stopped on the proverbial dime, and Trixie lost it!  Bunny was so quiet and still, and Trixie gave up as soon as she rounded the tree!!!   Grayson doesn’t like going outside alone, and no, Trixie doesn’t count.  I watched Grayson take off like a bullet, and he couldn’t find the bunny either.  So it’s starting to sound like a great habitat for bunnies around here.

It’s 3 am here in Missouri, and this is a great time to gather my thoughts while everyone is asleep.  I sleep so much of the time that when I’m awake, I want to spend it with Jerry and Mama.  It just takes so much energy to do anything around here, and I don’t always make the best choices to keep  from the crash and burn awaiting me.  Jerry is real good to remind me that I’m pushing myself too hard.  I find he’s usually right, but it doesn’t hit me until it’s too late.  I just hate it when he’s right.  :) 

CYA,

Arlynda

SEE!

Yep, there she is—right on top of my keyboard AGAIN!  I had to go use our old computer in what we call our office to put this up.  Mama Kitty claims that I ain’t got nutin’ on her while muttering something about the chain of evidence being broken under her breath.  Well, we’ll just see about that!  Please ignore that pile of “stuff” in the background of the picture.  It all belongs to Jerry—I swear!

CYA,

Arlynda