I'm in Okla visiting family before I move to Oregon.   have a new great, great niece, Lucy Rae.  Sh is a sweetheart.  very good baby.  Sheryl and I went to the zoo yesterday.  The zoo is one of the best in the country.  Had a good time except for the heat and humidity.

tomorrow I travel to Santa Fe to visit friends and go to Indian Market.  Then back to Benson and then to Oregon.

Yeh!

Post Hollidays

Well 2013 started off with a bang.  I went to the Dr last month and he sent me to a vasuclar surgeon and I had an angiogram and they found trouble in both veins in my neck.  Next month I have to have a bypass.  This is not something I'm looking forward to.  I had hoped that this year would be Dr free.  Oh well!!!

My sister is coming out to take care of me.  I really appreciate it too.  She will be her for about 10 days. I hope to only be  out of work 1 week.

Other than that all is good.  Woke up to snow yesterday and frozen water hose today.  I'm waiting for it to get  warm enough to make coffee.    Naturally Billie is wanting to go outside, but it is to cold this early.

Not much else going on.  more later.

Memories

I was driving to Sierra Vista Saturday and was thinking of past adventures.  The ones after the divorce and before I retired.

I took up backpacking and really enjoyed it.  Made a lot of friends and went on about 20 trips.  The joke was if Anita is here then everyone is here.  I  was always last in camp.  I hugged a few trees and enjoyed the views.  I even tried snow camping!  Once was enough for me,  I do not like sleeping in the snow, just playing in it.

I took a 12 day trip down the Colorado River thru the Grand Canyon.  Loved it!  I reccommend it to anyone that is thinking of going.  It is a trip that I had wanted to take for years and that was the first thing I did after the divorce.  I could not get any of my friends to go wth me, so I went by myself.  Met a lot of really great people and had a grand time. Great memories:)  Also took a few white water trips on the American river.  Great fun!

 Cross country skiing - took a few lessons and had some good trips.  I enjoyed it very much, did not get to good at it though.  I had the opportunity to have downhill skiing lessons and really enjoyed that.  Again I was an intrmediate bunny run skier, but loved it anyway.  Never felt the need to ski the black diamond runs. The breakthru came when I discovered that I could control the speed that I was going down the mountain and when I learned to stop. But as I was with backpacking the trip is the best part of it, not the destination.

Took sailing lessons with a boyfriend.  He bought a sailboat and we had some good times sailing.  I was also lucky enough to sail in the Newport to Ensenada sailboat race, several times.   I had friends that bought a sailboat and we sailed in the "beer can" races on Wed and Fri evenings in Dana Point. We actually got pretty good.  During the sailboating I also got to learn to snorkel.  We went to Hawaii and snorkeled - so beautiful!!

I joined an organization that puts on the Swallows Day festivities in San Juan Capistrano.  I was the first La Presidente and then the Parade Chairman.  Made many good friends and had good times.  Worked hard and played hard.  During that time I took 2 step lessons and enjoyed dancing from Thursday night to Sunday afternoon.

During that time I also volunteered on the Brig Pilgrim in Dana Point.  It is a wooden square rigged tall ship.  The only way to sail on her was to do the upkeep.  We worked week ends and sailed 2 weeks in August.  There is nothing like shutting off the engine and to be under sail.  AWSOME!

Then I reached a point in my life that I needed a change and sold my home, put all in storage and took a road trip.  I traveled for 6 months in my 1985 Toyota MR2.  Went to visit friends and relatives that I had not seen for years and years.  Finally settled in Santa Fe, NM.

Christmas 2012

I spent Christmas at home.  The park had Christma dinner and I went there and spent it with friends from the park.  I really do like to be home on Christmas.  Call family and friends, etc.  It was a very good, quiet day.

This year I had a lighted outdoor decoration.  All attempts to get a picture failed.  Oh well!!  I hope to get another one, on sale, for next year.  Slowly I will get this place decorated.

I did have an angiogram and on Jan 3rd I find out the results.  I think I have 2 kinks in arteries, veins in my neck.  Thankfully I have 2 very good friends in Tucson, Pat & Patty.  They let me spend the night before at their home and then they drove me to the hosp and came and got me and let me spend another night with them.  They are too good to me.  I was there from 7am to 7pm!

I was hoping to start the new year Dr free, but that is not to be.  However, I plan on the rest of the year being as Dr free as possible.

Also, I want to do some traveling next year.  I do have to go to South Dakota to renew my drivers license.  But I do plan on some week end trips to see more of Arizona.  It is such a beautiful state.

Happy New Year!!!

Thanksgiving 2012

I spent Thanksgiving with my niece and her family.  It was so nice to be with family.  Devins Mother, Neva, and her husband, Scott were also there.  The  food was wonderful, as usual.  Tanya did a great job.  Naturally Ezra and Rylie are the sweetest and cutest children ever.

Patio Project

Here is the finished (?) product. I think I will put a row at the end, but am waiting for the monsoons to come and soften the ground.  I am just tired of the digging cement.

I had decorative pavers in the front yard and I put them in the back.  Naturally they do not fit exactly the way I wanted them to, but it will do for now.

I really do enjoy sitting outside with my coffee in the morning and listening to the birds.

Bingo girls 1950's party

Saturday we had a bingo girls 1950's party.  Nancy went all out with the decorations and food.  Her husband made us fake microphones out of pvc pipe and they were a hit.  good thing we did not have a real kareoke machine!

Two poodle skirts and various other outfits showed up.  We brought baby pics and school annuals.  It was so interesting.  Some of us had not changed and others did.

Good food and friends.  what more do you need?

More yard project

I still have not finished the patio.  I took some time off, but this week end I did work both days on it and got about 2 more feet dug.  It is a a very slow process.  I have to wet the ground so I can dig.  It is like cement!

I did put another layer of blocks on the planter and I like that a lot more.  Now I need some more dirt and then I can put plants in.  I might be to late for that.

I did give myself a deadline of June 1st to have the digging done and the decorative pavers installed.  I have to buy the trim pavers in Sierra Vista and I might not get there until next week sometime.  Dutch gave me a birdbath that  he drilled a hole in so I am going to use as a plant stand.  It needs to be painted.  Red might be the color.  I don't want fire plug red, but a wine red.  we shall see what it ends up.

Yard Projects

Well, I started 2 projects and have a mess!

 1)  Extend patio with pavers.  Ran into a concrete something that I had to have jack hammered out.  the dirt is so hard I have to water it and then use a digging pole to break it up, then put the loose dirt in a bucket and distribute it out back.  Ugh!!  This one will take me a while.

2)  I moved 2 blocks of decorative pavers (to be used on the patio extention) behind my trailer.  I moved large gravel from in front of the shed and put in blocks that line the planter.  I was going to finish this one when the other one was finished, but have decided that that might be a long time from now.  I have it ready for the dirt and flowers.  I will have it finished by tomorrow.  Yeh!!! 1 down and 1 to go.

OH!  I finished painting the white iron on the patio.  pics to follow.

There is a BlueGrass Festival in town this week end and I want to go sometime today.

Cat condo

Billies Cat Condo

Dutch brought the condo stand over yesterday and we set it up.  It works really good.  I think Billie will like it.  He can go outside anytime he wants now.  I think it will take some time for him to get used to it.

Abb and Daphne came yesterday.  They stayed for a while then went to the motel for a nap.  They came back over about 5 and we bbq'd hamburgers.  We sat out in my little patio and had dinner and visited for a while.  Daphne has to hard a time going up the steps to go inside.

Today we are going to Tombstone and do some sightseeing.  Should be fun.

Extension of Patio

I decided to extend my patio area by moving the gravel and putting in new pavers. I have 2 3x3 designer pavers that I wanted to move to the new area. I got the gravel moved and found that there was a round cement something right in the way. Dennis, one of the men here, has a jack hammer and he come over and took most of it out for me. Now I get to move more dirt and put down the weed material, pavers, etc.

Dutch gave me a bird bath that he had put a hole in. I think I will clean it up and use it for a plant stand. We shall see.

Another project is a 2 ft planter in front of the shed. I feel the need for flowers. I have to move the pavers first though. One project at a time.

Oh! the tomatoe plants are still here!!!:)

Tomato Plant update

I have 2 more sprouts! I just might get some tomatoes this summer. I also bought a Selvia plant and now I need to get a pot for it. I think I will plant it in a pot and maybe next year put it in the ground. I want it to be bigger than it is now.

I'm still looking for a job. I have a lead on a part-time one that I can do from home and suplement my income. It sounds easy enough. we shall see.

spring is here and the flowers are starting to bloom and the trees are starting to but. Also the birds are singing like crazy.

Tomato Plants

Carmel sent me some Cherokee Plum Tomato seeds and I planted them in an egg carton. This is my first ever try at this.

This morning, much to my suprise, there are 3 sprouting! I hope I can keep them going and will have some tomatoes this summer. Wish me luck.

I also planted holly hock seeds, but as of yet, nothing. :(

Cochise Cowboy Poetry Gathering

This week-end I spent from Friday am to Sunday at 4PM at the Gathering. We had a breakfast reception at the Methodist Church. There were 3 entertainers and 55 people showed up. It was very good. Then to lunch at The Outback. They did very good ribs and chicken, etc. Then the sponsor reception. Then Charity and I went to her house and collected all the stuff we needed at the school. Banner poles and banners, clip boards, etc. We were in charge of the raffel also. She had Olli and his wife Linda in charge of that and they did a great job! We had 1000 tickets printed and had 22 left unsold.

We gave $1750 out in prize money and had the rest for profit.

The show Friday night was, as usual very good. Saturday there was a $5. charge to get in, for the 1st time. Some complaints, but not many. They get to go from venue to venue and have a chance to see all the performers. For $5!!!!

Dennis Gaines was on Saturday night and again he is so funny. If you get a chance to see him, do.

Today there was a breakfast for sponsors, volunteers and performers. Again a bang up job. This is one of the best Gatherings in the country.

I can hardly wait for next year.

Update on Dr Appt.

Well, I went to the new Dr on Jan 4th. It turns out I was sent to the wrong type of specialist! They sent me to a Urologist and I should have seen a Nephrologist.

When I went in an told her my problem she told me they do not deal with that type of problem and that I should be seeing a Nephrologist. I asked what they dealt with and one of the problems was incontinence, so I decided not to waste the office visit and had her check that out for me. As it turns out I do have a problem and they are treating me for it.

Now I have an appt for the 31st with the newest Dr. Hopefully this is the right one. He was recommended by a friend and she sang his praises.

That week I have already asked for 2 days off, so I have to go in and talk to them about days off. this should be interesting.

More Dr appts and New Year

Well the kidney infection came back. I went to the Dr and they gave me a rx and sent urine for a culture. They called a few days ago and the culture showed the rx they gave me would not work and they gave me a new one. Maybe now it will be gone. Evidently there is protein in my urine, which I understand is not a good thing.

I do have an appt with a urologist on Wed. It will probably a get to know me and schedule tests appt.

Oh, I did not get the new Christmas lights up. When I paint the body of the shed this spring I will get it set up for the lights for next year.

I was hoping for a better start to the new year. I am hoping to travel some next summer. I miss my children and want to visit them.

Test Results

Well, the Ultra sound showed an enlarged bile duct. The MRI showed an ulcer on my liver, the Dr said it has been there a long time and is nothing to worry about. The Endoscopy showed an enflamed stomach lining. They did a biospsy and there is nothing to worry about.

It is hard for me to believe that a small inflamation could cause those severe stomach aches. Looks like that is the case though. I haven't had any more and I hope that means this is over.

The first Dr did put me on antibiotics for a kidney infection, perhaps that helped with the inflamation in my stomach. who knows??

It has been COLD here but is supposed to be warming up to the mid 50's. I hope so. Perhaps I can put up the lights I bought for my shed.

Stomach update

I had an MRI and it showed an ulcer on my liver, but the Dr said not to worry. That it had probably been there for years.

I had and Endoscopy and the only thing it showed was an inflamation of the lining at the bottom of my stomach. They did a biopsy and I shoul hear soon.

I went off the RX the dr gave me and so far no more stomach aches. Who knows why I was getting them. I'm just glad nothing showed up.

It was very cold last week, but now it is warming up and quite pleasent. Yesterday I went to a Christmas brunch that my sister-in-law started last year, and had a good time. We take a white elephant and a legitimate gift. To much fun was had by all. I got the cutest bird that looks great out on my patio. Also a cute canister. Cindy, the woman whose home we were in also gave me a small Christmas tree she had in her yard. She is so kind, funny and generous. Her home is very nice, especially the back yard. Two gazebos, two fire pits, bbq, plants, etc. It was warm, no wind and all in all a very good day.

Today I'm going to a concert at the Arizona Folklore Preserve to see Sweethearts in Carhearts. They are a trio of ladies. One is a cowboy poet and the other 2 are award winning singers. They have great harmony. Should be a good show. Last week the group was a combination of Daughters of the Purple Sage and 2 gentlemen. Great music!!!! I just don't understand why more people do not go the the Preserve.

More stomach ache

It has been a very painful week. Some days I am ok, but then I will have a bad day. Sunday was a bad day. Spent most of the day in bed. The next day all was good, the next some pain, but now awful. then yesterday, went home from work after 3 hours and had pain all day. I called the Dr and asked for something for pain. the pharmacy just called and my rx is ready.

Lets hope this works and I can actually work. I need the $.

I'm still trying not to build a mountain range, but this is not looking to good. It is difficult staying positive.

Stomach ache

this is not necessarily an escapade but I've been having severe stomach aches for about a week now. I went to the Dr and had some blood work and an ultr sound. the ultra sound came back abnormal and now I have to go see a gastroenterolgist. that sounds like more tests. Ugh!!

I'll keep you informed.

I called and I have an appt for the 14th. It seems like an eternity to me.