The Boys Disputing

 The Boys are busy chasing a toy or a decorative pine cone but they are behaving after a raucous morning of fighting with some play involved. We changed our plans yesterday and headed out Waynesville way. We'd considered going over to Costco, but that will happen in the next few weeks before the busy time of holidays. I mentioned yesterday we had gone to Publix and witnessed the shout off in the parking lot. For Southern Gospel music fans one could say it was Shouting Time, but not in heaven...right here on earth. Before the Publix, we went over to Big Lots with a 25% coupon. We needed to pick up a few necessities. Like a spatula.  We have tiny ones but not regular size. Somehow, this news is not shocking to those who know me. A new sink strainer, cause you know we live the exciting life...living on the edge. 

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Overcast and rainy on a Monday morning. Love it! I am easing into the day and delighted with the promise of no plans. 

We had quite the domestic dispute yesterday afternoon and long into the night. No, not Roy and me, but The Boys. Someone, G Mo, got a little rough and caused one of those pitiful cat screams, Mr Mo. We went to investigate, no visible marks but certainly an emotional one. Mr Mo hid under the kitchen table not even tempted by the rattling of a treat package to come out. I Googled it up and read about when cats have disputes and what we can do to make it move along and back to a peaceful coexistence. They kept separate for the afternoon and into the evening. Finally, they were in the same room together, did the nose touch thing, so that is good and did play a little. The domestic dispute put the cabash on trying out the sleep in a room together at night or share a playpen at night. This morning The Boys have reconciled. Eating together, both food and treats, as well playing and chasing one another. The sound of the thundering paws are back and we are so thankful for that. 

Although we are looking at Haggai, we spent most of our study time in Ezra, reading the background and the reason why work stopped for fourteen years on the temple. When we got to the part where the young rejoiced over the altar and foundation being repaired and rebuilt, the older set were crying because it wasn't as beautiful as Solomon's temple. I so to speak, really went off script talking about us older ones squashing the joy of younger ones in the church work or Lord's work. The example I gave was this; in high school pizza got us to youth group events...or there were other reasons we attended but you know pizza. Back then in the olden days of the early 70's pizza was kind of new on the scene of deliciousness. When growing up, my parents never ordered or brought pizza home from a restaurant. We didn't even know it existed outside of Chef Boyardee pizza in a box. Spoiler...it wasn't every good. Compared to now, pizza isn't the big draw. You can get pizza everywhere, including gas stations. Guess now, charcuterie boards might be the thing to bring 'em in. Nostalgia hurts one if one lives in the nostalgic world all the time that the good old days were the best days. It robs you of the here and now. Where I got off? Well, I kept saying pizza party? Nobody cares. It was the nobody cares part I should have stayed away from. The Lord keeps teaching me about off the cuff remarks and sometimes I am a fast learner but here of late, it is more like being a slow learner. I began thinking yesterday afternoon, oh my, I hope no one thinks I was talking about Fall Festivals cause it didn't enter my mind. Those weren't even a part of life for me until adulthood and our church had big Fall Festivals each year. Somehow though, along the way they stopped having them and joined the campaign of be the light in your neighborhood thing for All Hallows Eve. 

Since I finally joined the I had an oscophy group, my attention is now returned to the normal aches and pains of getting older. Since I was determined to think my hip pain was somehow related to all the digestive news of the last ten months, I endured. Have no choice anyway because the cardiologist has banned me from taking OTC pain meds like Tylenol and Advil. So the banality of arthritis returns with sprays and creams and such to dull the pain. The damp weather has made it flare up thus no comfort in sitting, standing or walking. Just put Bio Freeze on the spot and hoping for a good result. 

Even with on and off cool temps, we officially went with flannel sheets till spring. We had some cute fall type motif sheets on the bed, blue trucks with pumpkins, but I hated the feel of those sheets. I'm a flannel or crisp percale sheet type. Making the bed yesterday helped in the Mr and G Mo reconciliation cause they had never before discovered the joy of helping make the bed. 

Last year around this time I got into the journals, notebooks and paper accessories available for purchase on the internet. This around this time I am unsubscribing from those websites. Like I need to order anymore journals or pens or books. Hey! Let's keep books out of this...and pens...yes, let's keep pens out of it as well. 

The newest Christmas decoration? It seems to be a Christmas tree collar. Never known about them till this year. 

Since I just finished up a book, it is time to begin another. What? I don't know. I started the Book Woman's Daughter but there are passages that are difficult to get through. Just a little at a time. 

Onward!

 Oh Happy Day! Once again meals can be approached with normal everyday foods and back to drinking Zero Sugar Sunkist Orange. I celebrated with cranberry port goat cheese last night on mini whole wheat crackers. All in all here are my observations about my first oscophy type procedure. There is a lot of busy work paperwork involved and about half of it is never looked at. The actual staff assisting and doing the oscophy is much more pleasant and approachable than the front house staff. I know there are reasons because they deal with cranky and confused difficult people everyday, at least on weekdays. If ever I need another one, although it was a pain in the butt I mean it kind of clipped my wings but I will again do the three day prep because it made the main event just an event, not eventful. It also gave me a chance to get some minor projects taken care of since sticking close to home was prescribed. For the main event yesterday finally someone listened that the symptoms and pain I talked about ended, during the initial consultation in March, and the general consensus has been a whopping dose of stress and thus caused a major overload to all the systems in my body. In fact while waiting to be called back through the golden door there was a magazine in the waiting room that dealt with stress in grief and situations that are almost too much to bear have on our gastro system. In that brief skimming of the article these past months since last December came into a clearer view. I can verify that the prep part is worse than the actual procedure because we are put into la la land for it and truly, you cannot think about what they really do, so you just kind of skip over that part mentally. The Dr was just as he had been reviewed, all business with limited bedside manner and truthfully, that is the kind of Dr I needed on that particular day. He did listen as I told him the circumstances, given in brief form, that led me to this day. He stated that this then, is a follow up and not a present matter. Yes, thank you! To the best of my knowledge.

Upon coming too from the anesthesia, there was Roy and the nurse and in just a few minutes a Diet Coke was presented to me and all is well. The Dr tells us they found one little bitty polyp. ONE! They got it all and they'll have it tested but I am good to go for another 7-10 years. So going with my, gut feeling, all these years was good. He was kind of shocked that this was my first and I hope only oscophy. They handed me some souvenir photos of the journey, just like Disney. And I had a report online complete with more photos when we returned home.  

This did help rule out the cause of a few symptoms that have hung around and now we can almost say for certain they are heart related, the news of the valves. Knowing what I have to keep watch on is helpful and doesn't carry the full weight of concern that seemed to accompany and affect me through these months thinking it was gastro related. So, it will be keeping a log of when things are well and what sets off symptoms. The biggest things to watch is coughing and dizziness. Gee, every med I take says causes dizziness. That makes me laugh but not dizzy.

I don't know why or from what made me so ill this year. Symptoms traveled constantly head, stomach, heart and didn't stay long enough to merit a visit to the ER or Urgent Care. Strangest thing I've ever encountered. I do know there were two nights when I fell asleep, I felt certain I would be waking up in Glory Land. 

Roy made me eggs, bacon and canned biscuits when we got home from the appointment. Even had coffee which is usually not on the afternoon calendar. I told Roy today while thankful they let you strain the noodles and drink chicken noodle soup broth, it will be a while before wanting chicken noodle soup. 

Today must be old people fight in the parking lot day. We were leaving Publix, Wednesday is the senior discount day of 5%, a lady in her car and a man outside the car were yelling at one another. She was going the wrong way in the lot causing confusion and tempers for others. She pulled into her spot, sat there awhile and to top it off, she didn't even pull in straight. Then she pulled out her phone and Roy said, let's get out of here, I think she is calling the cops. We came on home, put up groceries and headed back out the door for Blue Rooster. There was a line when we arrived, so we went down to Tractor Supply and purchased a few things. Back to Blue Rooster, no lines. Delicious lunch then onward to Barber's Orchard. At the orchard an older couple got in a fight with each other because the man felt like they didn't get all the baked goods he had ordered. He yelled, she yelled back to appease him. Finally, he listened to her as she reminded him he had changed his mind on getting the apple cake loaf. Waynesville still has a lot of tourists, so we made our way toward home. The fall foliage at our elevation is at peak colors and the way to and from filled our eyes with such wonderful and colorful beauty. 

Winning and Prepping

 Sports weekend victories. All the teams we root for, Baylor, LSU and Astros won yesterday. 

Day three of low residue diet is going well. Tomorrow will be the difficult day or so it seems or so it has been said. While having an off week from teaching I was able to finish Empty Mansions last night. Non fiction that reads like fiction, except when all the accounting and math gets involved...so those chapters were mainly skimmed. The story of Huggett Clark is one of the more interesting stories of one of the richest women in the world with mansions she didn't live in, 5th Avenue apartments and lots of money and time, withdrew from the world, lived in a hospital for twenty years and then her mental state etc. called into question by greedy relatives toward the end of her life.  Relatives who didn't stay in touch much throughout life I might add. Reclusive, she liked phone calls and writing and receiving letters. Genuinely loyal throughout her life to friends and staff. Generous. Some thought she was slow or not mentally all there because she collected dolls, mainly Japanese and French antique dolls and loved, more than loved having precise and accurate little houses built for them. She loved studying animation, she was an artist and photographer. The author reminds us this is no different than coin collectors or vase collectors or any other hobbyist, she had the funds to go to the inth degree. Many believe her father was the richest man in the world having more money than John Rockefeller but not as much notoriety.  He also kept all his businesses as sole proprietor rather than corporations. Her father W A Clark was a Wyoming Senator as well as mine owner of copper, gold and such. One of the saddest and revealing stories in the book is the house he built in NYC. If he thought the marble and granite was priced too high for this monumental home to himself, he just bought the quarries. The aftermath of the home he took forever to build and then only lived in for fourteen years is a bleak story without a happy ending. That story is for another day. 

We would rate our tomato season as good. Our first and we made rookie mistakes but kind of got control upon learning what we did wrong and how to save the tomato season. The other day Roy harvested the last of the tomatoes and began breaking down the plants. We need to plant tulip bulbs and maybe we can get to that this afternoon or maybe later this week. 

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And now to celebrate the Astros sweeping the Yankees and going to the World Series. Being on eastern time it is so difficult to stay up to watch. So happy to see this good news this morning. 

I pulled out an old hymnal this morning. I think I bought it at an antique store. Here is the poignant thing that happened...that old Baptist Hymnal evoked such a fragrance of flowers. Don't know if the pages held that all these years after not being open. Great reminder of singing and worshipping God, it is supposed to be like a sweet fragrance. Astros win and fragrant hymnal, all for a clear diet day of JELLO, broth, water and clear sodas. 

Roy soloed at church yesterday. Got the report from Inez that he behaved himself. That's good. 

Well, chicken noodle soup broth is okay. 

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Today is the day. All the prep stuff stayed down with no throwing up. I am already thinking about my first meal afterwards and like a friend of mine, think I will lean toward a breakfasty late lunch. Yum!

Low Residue

 Roy is upstairs defrosting after taking Mr Mo to the vet for an ear problem. Now, they are both home. G Mo was pretty much my shadow while Mr Mo was out and about. Although I was trying to unload the dishwasher and such, he wasn't too much help. It didn't warm up Roy telling him it didn't get as cold as forecasted but watching the market, drinking hot tea and two cats on his lap should help the situation. 

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This morning it did get as cold as forecasted. When we woke up it was 27, so I went back to bed while Roy stoically got up to begin the day. Think we are on the upside now temp wise and should go back to seasonal temps. That electric blanket sure felt good last night. 

Today is the kind of official beginning of the low residue diet for the next few days. So, the love of eating an apple in the afternoon will have to wait for several days. Truthfully, the low residue diet surely was my choice of eating while in my 20s to mid 30s. Lots of refined, processed food heavy on the carbs. Told Roy my serotonin levels will rise and I will be in a good mood over the weekend. The gastro office called yesterday to remind me when to stop taking Pradaxa and I took the opportunity to ask a couple more questions. Did some research into the low residue foods, so it is looking like white bread, pasta, mild cheese, bacon, meat and fish are in order but while I can still drink Diet Cokes, the Sunkist Zero Orange drink is out. We got some zero sugar ginger ale to sub in and of course we always have Dr Enuf around, except it has caffeine thus needing the ginger ale for evenings. I am drinking lots of water too. Roy made me some scrambled eggs that were out of this world good. 

This morning we were talking about the housing market and the message of housing starts and sales declining. Thinking about last year selling the house in Katy. It is always good to remember those journeys where listening to the Lord made all the difference in the world. 

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Here we are on a Friday morning. Today is the day for the warm up to begin and it is also the day that begins in earnest the low residue diet. Yesterday, was the cardio appointment. Closed the place down because I was the last patient to leave the building. Interesting waiting room as always. I am amused by people who work really hard or hardly at all maintaining their youth. One lady came in, big lady I might add, whose crop top days are behind her along with skin tight joggers. She sat across from me for a few minutes and I was ever so happy to have a book along to keep my attention. Wow, and it was cold yesterday even into the afternoon. I felt for her though cause every move she made looked to be quite painful for her and the wheeze to her breathing was belabored. Eventually, I was the only one in the waiting room. Had this happen before so got a little proactive to see if I was in the system. Yes, they were running late. All in all a good visit, but I did receive news I wasn't quite expecting with some valve issues. Right now, the ball is in my court so to speak and as the cardiologist in Houston told me, stay in the parameters set for you and you'll live better health wise. So, in a nutshell, I am going to have to cut back on a few things and make a few adjustments. 

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The Boys are eating once again, must be the weather. We are all easing into the day, even Roy. When he sleeps till 7:00 am, that's a sign. We have had some of the most interesting morning conversations of late. Thinking back on decisions we've made, both good and bad and funny things we have lived through and sometimes endured...the only way many times to get through those rough patches, a sense of humor to see life from a different slant. 

G Mo is becoming quite the lap cat. Didn't see that coming. The Boys have settled into quite a nice domestic life. The still chase one another and play but they nap now. Didn't think this day would ever come back in the kitten stage of life. 

I began looking through the minor prophets we will not cover on this go around and it looks like Haggai has won my interest and heart. Been studying a bit since the first of next week is otherwise occupadoed. This week has felt a bit freeing knowing I will not be teaching tomorrow and I have taken the opportunity to get some things done around here that have been put off too long. I am almost finished reading Empty Mansions, non fiction that reads like fiction. 

Roy is officially leaving the easing and heading out into the world. Fill up the car, workout and Publix is on his schedule. Put in the request for the goat cheese and Panera's autumn soup that can be consumed after next Tuesday. Looks like The Boys have chosen nap time. Guess I'll go work on a couple of projects. It is all low residue, all the time, at least until Tuesday. 

A Little Bit of Winter, Early

 

It seems we are in for a bit of a drop in temperatures by this evening. We will do our preps for the water faucets outside and the water filter is due for a cleaning. Guess by Friday, our weather temps will return to autumn. This cold snap is earlier than usual. 

This week begins prep for the appointment I have been waiting on since June. Because of several situations from the first of the year, I have to do an additional four days of prep with the big prep day on Monday. Hoping for some answers to several symptoms. Then again it all ties into the afib situation and I need to be observant of keeping that to a minimum. Right now it takes a lot of energy that I feel like I don't have in abundance here of late. Told Roy the other day, I build up energy for studying and teaching on Sunday mornings. Most Sunday afternoons for me lately has been complete and total rest. This week also includes a cardiologist appointment and the timing is good for that to be happening. Well, the gastro office just called for reminders and questions. Got my questions answered on how to count the preparing days and what meds to take the morning of. I made the caller laugh after she said, "we look forward to taking care of you." I honestly answered with, "I can't say that I am looking forward to seeing y'all but I am looking forward to being taken care of." A dawdling old lady would not have said that. 

We started Hosea yesterday but the main focus of the lesson was, what is your raisin cake? That phrase stuck with me. What do I hold onto that keeps me living and worshipping God as I ought? The use of the term raisin cake caused some research to take place. I also discovered an online library where you can borrow a book for an hour at a time online. No cut and paste but it added a deeper level of learning being able to use this source. I love when the class adds comments while teaching. Karen S made the brilliant point that Baal is a religion of convivence. Didn't need to do any prep to worship Baal. No preparation of sacrifices whether it be lamb or doves. To start the lesson, we went back to Exodus 32, the golden calf and how quickly the Israelites began to murmur and want action as Moses seemed to be spending too much time on the mountain. Then onto Jeroboam II, put calves at Bethel and Dan, the worship of convivence. Appointed priests and made their own festivals. Now we tackle Hosea after Amos and Jonah. Minor Prophets are so interesting. 

I am posting a few pics from last week. Roy downloaded his pics on our computers. I just chose a few to include. 

The Boys are doing well. They are getting old enough to act like cats, you know, sleep 16 hours a day. They have spent a lot of time with Roy as well. That is so welcomed because Buddy was so partial to me. Mr Mo has a vet appointment on Wednesday. He has a little growth on the front part of his ear. 

Autumn in The Mountains

 A coolish morning and The Boys are filled with energy. On the wood floors the sound of thundering hoofs, I mean paws, resounds throughout the house. It is when the thundering halts that gets our attention. They are slowly but surely being introduced to rooms in the house and so far so good. I am glad we waited to try this way instead of letting them roam free when they were so little and hard to find. With exception of the pitter patter of voluminous running, it is a quiet morning. Roy has gone to the men's prayer time at church, now that it is in the fellowship center rather than in the cold temps of the picnic shelter with the incredible view. 

According to LifeWay, we will be spending four weeks in Hosea. Truthfully, I don't think I have four weeks of Hosea in me. As I began outlining the lesson yesterday and after doing some research, we might only be in Hosea two weeks and maybe we will use the other two weeks to look at Nahum and Obadiah. We shall see. I need to promise the class not to say golly like Gomer Pyle but I might have so say citizen's arrest, citizen's arrest. 

On Monday Roy and I took off to see fall foliage off the BRP in Haywood County. Since lunch is the most important meal before looking at leaves, we stopped in at the Blue Rooster. Meatloaf for Roy and fried chicken legs for me. I was much too full to have coconut cake. The server told us that this year the fame of their coconut cake has spread and that good news is causing them to run out of cake sooner than later. She added though, they are buying apple cakes from Barber's Orchard to supplement the dessert menu, which is extensive. The apple cake from Barber's is delicious and reminds me so much of the apple cake my mom used to make. But cake discussion is a bunny trail, so back to fall foliage. The colors are brilliant this year. The reds are popping and the sun hitting the golden leaves is dazzling. The temps were cool and the tourists were few. All in all a great afternoon of leaf looking. Usually, we go to Devil's Courthouse and return on NC 215 into Canton, but we figured that might be where we would encounter crowds. Roy has yet to load his pics onto my computer and hopefully, he will get that done today. I know he got some great photos. 

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Feel like a new person, got my haircut yesterday. Came home to pick up Roy and we headed over to Publix with every other person in the tri county area. Okay, we don't live anyplace where it is called tri county but I like saying it. With Roy changing brands of oatmeal, we don't need to go to the Kroger as much as we used to. He has also discovered almond bars from Costco and he eats them more often than just plain almonds. It's always a work in progress. 

Doesn't look like the forecasted rain is going to happen today. We could use a little rain since it has been so dry and a gentle rain would extend the leaves staying on the trees. The other day I took The Boys out to the front porch. It has been a while since they've been out there. I sat at the table working on the lesson while they ran around and kept up with everything moving about because of the breeze. The neighbor's donkey was braying and the horses above us were in the pasture closest to our house. Their snorts and whinnies broke through all the way to the front porch. The sky and landscape both held those hints of fall in the air. Such a special time to enjoy the fragrances, sights and sounds of the country. 

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Warm Saturday, well eventually it will be. Going to get the warm weather stuff taken care of this weekend before the bottom drops out temp wise. We got all the zinnias in the front containers pulled out and put together another raised bed. Dead headed some roses and have several more to take care of. 

I read last night this is one of the more brilliant falls color wise in recent memory. The mountains along the freeway are ablaze with autumnal hues. What a delight and blessing to live here. I'm considering heading out to the Madison Market in a bit. It is one of my favorites. 

You Might Remember...

 Let me introduce myself...well, it has been a long time since writing a blog post. Partly due to first Roy having the crud, then I got it, then we had a few days where we both had it, I am still recovering and then that fire inside me to sit and write just wasn't sparking, thus the lull. Getting Mr Mo and G Mo acclimated to freedom in the house took some of the fire out for sure. This is all a work in progress. These boys play so hard and have FOMO to the inth degree. We almost have to put them in time out for them to rest. They are sweet and loving that's for sure but still young and not looking to be lap cats just yet. They wear me out but thankfully, Roy has the stamina for their antics. Right now, their favorite toy to play with inside is a little pine cone.  They get along really well and share, well for the most part. 

I think the appointment with the gastro office really did me in. Right after the appointment to even this morning, that whole thing has not set well with me. For the most part yes, the patients are mostly of our ilk, older, some elderly and some well, just some. It seemed like some of the questions with the PA were questions to trip one up. I do not believe in doing rote things and I had filled out paperwork two times online and had paperwork to bring in. Thus, I attach a list of meds to the paperwork but either the reception clerk mistyped in the info or this is standard practice, but too many of the dosages were wrong and as we went through the medications, a lot of corrections were made. Did she think I didn't know? Of course the question of what brought you in today? I explained about the symptoms and pain I had at the first of the year but hadn't experienced since March when all things related to the robbery and such were resolved, thus the stress conclusion by two of my other doctors. She assumed it was still going on and wrote thusly in the report. When I went to the scheduler the feeling of being railroaded into two different times didn't sit well. So, I chose one of the dates, only to change it once I got home. The phone call scheduler is much nicer. This week the scheduler called and wanted to know if I was willing for the appointment to be bumped out an hour and I was nice and pleasant with my response of, yes that will be fine...she was kind of surprised to tell you the truth. They must get lots of push back on any changes.  Hope that got written into the permanent record. Of course I realize that complaining about their attitude at the office is a typical old person kind of thing...but y'all this was almost oppressive in nature.

The Feral Fam is doing well for the most part. Mama Cat has launched her two kittens into cat world and they seem to be holding their own. Fluff Mo takes an active part in keeping watch and helping them. This week our neighbor helped a baby squirrel and then took it to a wildlife refuge place. 

Yesterday, third time was a charm in getting over to Little Switzerland. Roy had never been there. The drive is beautiful but Little Switz is a bump in the road. The little café there has delicious food. I was so hoping for orange cake but they didn't have any. The bookstore is a lot of fun to look through. Used books and saw a Gail Godwin first edition of one of her earlier novels but dang, didn't want to pay the first edition price. I had it in paperback but it went the way of Goodwill in the 2011 purge before moving to Rancho De Five. After browsing the store we headed over to an apple orchard that grows vintage apples that were popular long ago. We weren't interested in getting apples cause we have honey crisp and candy crisp apples from Barbers Orchard. Fun looking around and I found a Save the Monarchs sweatshirt. It will be cool enough to wear this weekend. We opted out of Mt Mitchell because my stamina was ebbing but I had enough energy to make a quick walk through at Lamp Post Vintage Market. There is a woodworking vendor and I love his little Christmas trees. He also had snowmen that were rustic and cute. May have to go back for a couple of those. 

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A lazy Saturday morning. The Boys are full of energy and we've tried all the tricks to get the yips out but it just one of those cool mornings that energizes. We are getting ready for probably what will be the first frost of the season. Got to get the lime tree in as well as several other plants like lavender and rosemary. We pulled up zinnias yesterday afternoon. Need to dead head roses but we shall see...how much energy Roy has. 

We conclude Jonah tomorrow. This four chapter book is really complex and layered with all kinds of disobedience, obedience, anger, joy...its gots it all! We only have this window of time in Jonah's life, we don't know anything other than where he lived, his father's name and his prophecy in II Kings 14. He seems to be grouchy that's for sure. Next week we start Hosea. We covered that book in The Gospel Project a couple of years ago, daunting no less for this simple minded teacher. 

The dreaded day has come for the pasture across the way. Trucks and heavy equipment are digging and leveling away toward the top of the rise. For now trees hide whatever is happening but we had this wonderful view for almost eight years and reluctantly I accepted that progress continues out here in the country. 

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Guess I will close this post and try to begin again. A bit of that fire is back, well maybe more like a spark. Off for an exciting Monday.