Thanksgiving

T..... is for our thankfulness for many joys and blessings...

H..... is for our homes so warm and bright...

A..... is for autumn, time for harvest and abundance...

N..... is for nature's beauty and delight...

K..... is for the kitchens where good food is cooked with love...

S..... for spicy fragrances in the air...

G..... is for the gathering of family and friends...

I..... for the inheritance we share...

V..... is for the vision that the Pilgrims held so dear...

I..... is for high ideals in all they planned...

N..... is for our native country brave and great and free...

G..... for God's great goodness to our land.~~~~~~~~

HOW TO OBSERVE THANKSGIVING

Count your blessings instead of your crosses;

Count your gains instead of your losses.

Count your joys instead of your woes;

Count your friends instead of your foes.

Count your smiles instead of your tears;

Count your courage instead of your fears.

Count your full years instead of your lean;

Count your kind deeds instead of your mean.

Count your health instead of your wealth;

Count on God instead of yourself.

~~Author Unknown.~~

To all of my friends and family!!

A wonderful recipe!!

I don't even really care for Peanut Butter Fudge but this is scrumptious!!! And so easy to make!!! Oh, and as you will see, it is not low-calorie, low-fat, low-anything!!! *smile* Oh, but it is oh so delicous!!
Peanut Butter Cheese Fudge
Prep Time:
10 min
Inactive Prep Time:
15 min
Cook Time:
5 min
Level: Easy
Serves: 36 squares
1/2 pound sliced easy-melt cheese (instead of Velveeta we used the Walmart brand)
1 cup (2 sticks) butter
1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped nuts 2 (16-ounce) boxes confectioners' sugar
Lightly spray the bottom of a 9 by 2-inch square pan with nonstick cooking spray. In a saucepan over medium heat, melt cheese and butter together, then add peanut butter and stir until smooth. Remove from heat and add vanilla and nuts.
Empty confectioners' sugar into a large bowl and pour cheese mixture over sugar. Stir until completely mixed. Candy will be very stiff.
Using your hands, remove candy from the bowl and press evenly and firmly into the pan. Because of the amount of butter in this recipe, pat top of candy with a paper towel to remove excess oil. Place the pan in refrigerator until candy is firm.
To serve, cut into squares.

What is going on???

Would you believe that we have freezing rain here this morning and school is on a two-hour delay? I just don't know when winter has hit so early here in southeastern Ohio and it has been like this since the beginning of November. Brrrrr....We usually don't have weather like this until January or February. And there doesn't seem to be any end in sight.....at least not for this week! Double Brrrrrrrrrr!!!

Well, last Thursday, after blogging, I was walking in the kitchen, going over to get something out of my purse, when I slipped or tripped or did something equally ungraceful and fell against the counter at an angle, SO I was able to catch myself, sort of, so that I didn't completely fall, but I kind of jammed my right leg (the one just operated on) at an angle. Thankfully, Ed was home. He helped me up, checked me out and helped me lay down. I've had some extra pain in both hips and my back but I am sure that I didn't damage anything to the point that I need to go to the doctor to have things checked out. Today, being Monday and three days later, I feel that I am pretty well back to a normal post-operative level of pain and discomfort. *feeble grin*

We went to church last night because I just HAD to go seeing as how there isn't a service on Wednesday night. (Our pastor cancels the night before Thanksgiving, which makes it nice for ladies who are cooking and who have family and company coming in for the holidays and all). It was so wonderful to see everyone and to worship with the family of God. Is there any place like the house of the Lord and spending time in His presence with the precious saints of the Lord? I was so strengthened and refreshed afterwards.

Ed and I HAVE to get some Thanksgiving shopping done today or tomorrow. More than likely, it will be ED! *grin* I would just love to go into the stores and just browse but I am not quite up to it yet. It feels like it has been AGES since I've done any shopping. AND I don't even like to shop! I shop because I HAVE to! And now, here I am, whining a little about wishing I could go into the stores and look around. See? I HAVE been cooped up too long!!! *smile* But it will be worth it, when I am finally able to walk normally and get around. I'm still finding it difficult to imagine!

But, as I was saying, we don't even have a turkey yet!! Though we won't be home here for dinner, I always cook Thanksgiving food for us to have over the long weekend. Oh, and I'm cooking my turkey using this method, found at Sis. Tracy's holiday blog. We are going to our daughter-in-law's family dinner for Thanksgiving. It is always held at her Aunt Darlene's and we have a wonderful time. I always look forward to the time after dinner when we gather around the table and play games! I love playing games and that is one of the things I miss most about Daniel no longer being at home. We played games all of the time. In the winter, we always had a game of Monopoly going on....it never ended! Well, because we did the banking thing where you could borrow money and all. We had so much fun!!

Well, that is it for now! Have a blessed Monday, everyone!!

One week today

I have been home for one week today after having my second hip replacement. I've been kind of overdoing it, in all honesty. You see, I was in my 7th week of recovery from my first hip replacement. I was virtually pain-free on my left hip. I could hardly believe it. AND I was used to my left hip being the one that I had to favor. Then, all of a sudden, I had my right hip operated on and I had to switch to favoring my right side and all.
Well, for some reason, I've just been thinking that I should be recovering more quickly on my right side. I shouldn't be having so much pain. I shouldn't be needing to take so much pain medication. I should be able to get around easier and to do more. I don't know how my thinking got so disjointed.
So, today my pastor's wife called me to see how I was doing and SHE reminded me that I had only been home for one week, I had just had another major surgery and I needed to slow down and take care of myself. I really just had to kind of get hold of myself, shake myself and just back up a little. I just don't know what I was thinking.
Sooooo, today, I've rested more and taken my pain medication as needed and it's made a world of difference.
Even Ed has had a little difficulty remembering that it is my right hip that is now the sore one. I was standing at the kitchen counter and he came up behind me and hugged up to me and in the process, patted my right hip and asked me how I was doing! Wellllll......I told him that if he patted THAT hip one more time, HE wouldn't be doing so well!!! *grin* Seeee???? Even he has trouble remembering that it is my RIGHT hip that is healing now.
Anywayyyyy.......I don't know if it is having two hip surgeries so close together that has me all confused but I think I am getting my thoughts straightened out. Take my time. Take care of my body. Take my medicine. Rest. Move. Do my exercises. Rest. Move. Remember....it is the RIGHT side now. *sigh* AND my body needs time to heal.

A couple of tried and true recipes

Charity, whose husband has a blog here, asked for my dinner roll recipe the other day when I mentioned on my blog about making the rolls , sooooo I thought I would post it here for those of you who might like to try it.
It is from my trusty 1969 Betty Crocker Cookbook. As I told Charity, Miss Rigby, our Home Ec. teacher, purchased them, for those of us who wanted one, for $2.95 each way back then!!
I still have mine all of these years later and use it often!
Here is the dinner roll recipe:
Traditional Roll Dough

1 package active dry yeast
1/4 cup lukewarm water (105 - 115 degrees)
1/4 cup lukewarm milk (scalded then cooled)
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/4 cup shortening or butter or margarine softened
3 1/2 to 4 cups of flour

Dissolve yeast in warm water. Stir in milk, sugar, salt, egg, shortening and 2 cups of the flour. Beat until smooth. Mix in enough remaining flour to make dough easy to handle.

Turn dough onto lightly floured board, counter, or table; knead until smooth and elastic, about five minutes. Place in greased bowl; turn greased side up. Cover; let rise in warm place until double, about 1 1/2 to 2 hours.

Punch down dough; pull off pieces of dough about the sizes of walnuts. Place in greased baking pan or dish. Let rise 20 minutes before baking. Heat over to 400 degrees. Bake rolls 15-20 minutes. Brush tops of rolls with butter.
**************************************
Also, here is the recipe I use for making noodles.
Homemade egg noodles

2 cups flour
3 egg yolks
1 egg
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 to 1/2 cup water
Measure flour into bowl; make a well in center and add egg yolks, whole egg and salt. With hands, thoroughly mix egg into flour. Add water, 1 tablespoon at a time, mixing thoroughly after each addition. (Add only enough water to form dough into a ball.)
Turn dough ont well-floured board, counter, or table. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. Cover; let rest for 10 minutes.
Divide dough into 4 equal parts. Roll dough, 1 part at a time, inot paper-thin rectangle, keeping remaining dough covered. Roll rectangle around rolling pin; slip out rolling pin.
Cut dough crosswise iont 1/8 inch strips for narrow noodles and 1/4 inch strips for wide noodles. Shake out strips and place on towel to dry, about 2 hours.

I've come to find out that not very many people consider noodles a traditional Thanksgiving food. Well, our family certainly does! *smile* We wouldn't dare have a family Thanksgiving dinner without homemade noodles! *smile* Seriously. AND rolls. AND Cheryl's cherry whip. Those three things are a must. Well, besides the turkey and stuffing, of course. Oh, and now my oyster dressing/stuffing has been added to the list!

It once was lost.....

I took some pictures of the first snowfall of the season on Monday and had been unable to find my camera since. I looked EVERYWHERE! I tried to retrace my steps mentally but had a little difficulty. (that should come as no surprise...*feeble grin*) Sooooooo, this morning, I decided to bite the bullet and look through the trash. Yes, look through the trash because I have been known to throw things away accidentally. I just didn't know where else to look. Soooooo, I proceeded to sift through the trash. Yuck! Well, it wasn't in there AND would you believe that just a couple of minutes after I was finished cleaning up, here comes my wonderful husband with a silly smile on his face and my camera in his hand! I thought he had been keeping it from me but not so. He happened to be looking out the hallway window, looked down and there it was on the window sill right where I remember putting it!!! When I came back in the house the other day from taking pictures, I remember laying it down there while I tidied up my hanging plant that is in that particular window. Sheesh! I don't think I would have ever remembered putting it there but I probably would have found it this coming Monday because that is when I water my plants....on Monday mornings.
Now I'll share those pictures of the snow with you! And this morning it was only 19 degrees! Brrrrr!!!

A Big Bird Thanksgiving

We hadn't been married very long. Daniel was just a baby. I was so excited about cooking Thanksgiving dinner in our new home. It was just going to be for me, Ed and Daniel. Well, actually, we were going to be having a big dinner with my family at one of my sibling's homes but I've always cooked dinner for us so we have leftovers and all AND the smells of delicious Thanksgiving food fill the house!

Anywayyyy......we were shopping at Festival Food in Lancaster for our Thanksgiving food and they had turkeys for $ .19 a pound!! Wow! So I ended up getting our turkey for just under $5! What a bargain! What I didn't take into consideration.....until I got home....was that I had purchased a 26lb. turkey for the THREE of us and one of us was a little toddler!!! Oh my!!! Ed asked me what I was thinking when I bought such a big turkey and I told him that I was just thinking of what a bargain it was!! LOL He had to buy me a new roasting pan to cook it in because I didn't have anything big enough. I can't remember what we did with ALL of that turkey but we've certainly never forgotten it!

A Thanksgiving Meme

I found this meme at Barbara's blog, Stray Thoughts, and thought it looked like fun!

1. Which do you like better: cooking at your house, or going elsewhere?
I like both. You see, I always cook for us whether we are actually eating dinner here at home or not. That way, we have leftovers and all the trimmings for the rest of the weekend!

2. Do you buy a fresh or frozen bird?
Frozen

3. What kind of stuffing?
Bread stuffing and I usually make a small dish of oyster stuffing for me!

4. Sweet potato or pumpkin pie?
Well, my guys don't care for either so I usually make fruit pies....peach and apple.

5. Do you believe that turkey leftovers are a curse, or the point of the whole thing?
Turkey leftovers are the point of the whole thing! Absolutely!!

6. Which side dish would provoke a riot if you left it off the menu?
Noodles or homemade rolls.

7. Do you save the carcass to make soup or stock?
No, I give it to our dog, after I've picked all of the meat off of it which I use to make soup.

8. What do you wish you had that would make preparing Thanksgiving dinner easier?
More energy!

9. Do you get up at the crack of dawn to have dinner ready in the early afternoon, or do you eat at your normal dinner hour?
I get up early and put the turkey in the oven. A tradition we had when Daniel was still home was that Ed and Daniel would have slices of hot, juicy turkey around 10:00am on Thanksgiving morning. This would hold them over until dinner.

10. If you go to somebody else’s house, what’s your favorite dish to bring?
I don't really have one.

11. What do you wish one of your guests would not bring to your house? What would you like them to bring?
I usually don't expect them to bring anything but if they insist, they could bring a beverage that they like.

12. Does your usual mix of guests result in drama, or is it a group you’re happy to see?
Oh, no drama here. Just a nice, relaxing day enjoying one another's company!

13. Is your cranberry sauce fresh or canned? Whole or jellied?
We don't do cranberry sauce at our house, whole or jellied!

14. What’s your absolute favorite thing on the menu?
Noodles and rolls

15. Share one family tradition.
As I said above, when Daniel was home, he and his dad would have turkey for a late morning breakfast snack. Also, later in the day, I like to go and visit each of my siblings and their families, if they are home, and have a little nibble of their Thanksgiving leftovers!!

Let me know if you do this as well and I’ll come by!
I am linking this to Kelli’s Week of Giving Thanks at There’s No Place Like Home — a festival of Thanksgiving posts — poems, quotes, decorations, crafts, recipes, etc. You can have fun there perusing lots of Thanksgiving inspiration.

I've been tagged!!

Barb at Just Between Us has tagged me to list 15 things that I'm not afraid to admit. Okayyyyy......here goes:

1. I am 57. I just turned 57 last Saturday! And I think I am doing very well for my age!

2. My drivers license are overdue to be renewed. BUT I can't drive for awhile anyway, soooo, for now, I'm safe! *Smile*

3. I'm one of those people who just doesn't care for Rachel Ray. *feeble grin* I know that she is no doubt sweet and adorable in real life but I just can't bear to watch her show. She just needs to turn it down a notch or two.

4. I am a big eater! I mean, like a really big eater. My friend, Kaitlin, and I have said that we would like to just sit and eat Big Macs until we just don't want anymore!

5. I eat because the food tastes good, not because I'm full. Like, you don't eat pizza...good pizza anyway....until you're full. You eat until it is GONE! *smile* Because it tastes soooo delicious!!

6. I've actually had people ask me if I am oriental because my eyes are so small. Hmmm....looking at my profile pic, I can kind of see why they would say that. What do you think?

7. I belong to the Over 200 Club. Okay, okay. I weigh 216 with my clothes and shoes on. Most people just can't believe I weigh that much. All I can say is that I must carry it well. I've been on every diet, lost lots of weight on every one, and gained it all back eventually. So now, I am trying my best to keep my weight stabilized and be active and healthy. Hopefully, after I recover from the hip-replacements, I will be able to at least get below 200, BUT if anyone would like to join my club (Over 200 Club), you are welcome to! *smile*

8. I don't have pretty hands. And though I play the piano, I don't have what you would call piano player hands. My hands are short, stubby and wrinkled. (It's from all of the hard work I've done through the years! *smile*)

9. I can't watch scary movies or fighting of any kind. I can't sleep if I watch a scary movie and fighting of any kind makes me kind of sick to my stomach.

10. I've never read my Bible all the way through, from beginning to end. *sigh* I still have my 2004 BREAD program schedule and just have a few books to read to finish.....maybe 6 or 7. I figure this is my best chance of reading it through, so I need to just do it! I read and study my precious Bible but I've just never finished reading it all the way through! Perhaps this will be the year!! I'll keep you posted!!

11. When we have a big family dinner and some family members go outside to smoke, I can still remember how good it felt to have a cigarette and a cup of coffee after a big meal BUT I would never light up again after the Lord so wonderfully helped me to quit! Thank you, Jesus!

12. I can fall asleep most anywhere. I am not kidding! My DH says I could sleep on a fencepost.

13. I love being an empty-nester. The first few months after Daniel married and left home were really rough, BUT then we got over it! *smile* AND they just live next door!

14. I hate to take a shower when it is really cold weather.

15. I sweat. And I'm a girl. *sigh* None of this pretty, lady-like perspiring for me. Oh no. The sweat pours off of my forehead, blinding me, runs down my back, soaking my clothes. Sooo, I do try to stay cool in hot weather, but just let me step outside and exert myself a little and I am soaked. They say a person is healthier is they "sweat". So, I must be like REALLY healthy? LOL Sure, that'll work!



So, there you have it! Fifteen things I'm willing to admit! That was kind of tough but I did it! Now, to tag five unsuspecting people!!! Here goes:



Chantell

Becky

Theresa

Stace

and

Sir Nottaguy

I'm home

...and recovering. They kept me an extra day because I was having quite a bit of nausea and vomitting but I am better. I got home yesterday, Thursday, at about 2:30. It is so good to be home. I'll be posting again perhaps later today. Hope your weekend is off to a great start!

Take Two

I am having my second (right) hip-replacement tomorrow at 12:45pm. Here we go again. *feeble grin* I know that it is going to be worth it all once I get through the surgery, recovery and physical therapy.
We've been busy today getting things done and ready for after my surgery, when I come home.
Daniel has been very sick the past couple of days with a pretty severe case of bronchitis. We've been staying away from eachother so I don't contract his sickness.
I'll be back blogging as soon as I am able to but for now, there will probably be a few days of respite. I covet your prayers for my surgery and recovery and for my DH as he helps me through all of this. He is a treasure.

Miracle Monday

Beth, at A Mom's Life, hosts Miracle Monday where we share a miracle that has happened in our lives or is in the making. I just had to participate in this meme. The Lord has done so many wonderful things for us, our families, our church families, and friends.
Now, what I am about to share may not compare to some miracles but to me, it was wondrous.
As many of you know, I have been dealing with debilitating back and hip pain since 2005. In order to continue walking, I had to start using a walker about two years ago. Also, my DH has had to help me with putting on my shoes and just taking care of my feet and lower legs also.
Well, I have always had a tendency to get ingrown toenails on my big toes. I have always been able to take care of them myself but with my range of motion now limited the way it is, I am no longer able to do so. Both of my toenails were getting ingrown and very tender. I couldn't bear to even think of having Ed touch them. I was sitting on the foot of the bed, wondering what I was going to do. I had never been to the doctor for this, because I had always been able to take care of it myself. And the thought of going to the doctor for something else, just seem overwhelming on this particular morning. I started talking to the Lord and asked Him to please touch my toes and heal them. I just felt as though I had reached the end of my rope. Dealing with the hip and back pain, being limited in so many ways in what I was able to do, becoming more housebound......after talking with the Lord and just pouring my heart out to him, I called to Ed and asked him if he would please come and help me finish dressing. Just out of a natural reaction, I told him to be careful with my toes, when I noticed that they weren't tender or sore anymore. The Lord had healed my toes! Right there, right then. We both started thanking the Lord and tears of gratitude flowed.

And, if that isn't enough.....about a week and a half ago, my left big toe started feeling tender again. Sure enough, I was getting another ingrown toenail. Well, with my hip replacement coming up I just couldn't see having to deal with this, too. I called my family physician to see if they could get me in to take care of the toenail but they couldn't but said if they had any cancelations, they would call me. They've never called. But this morning.....my surgery is tomorrow at 12:45pm.....as Ed was helping me put my hose on, I realized my toe was no longer sore!! Again!! Thank you, precious Jesus! You are the all-sufficient one!

I am so thankful that the Lord is concerned about everything that is a care to us. That we can cast ALL of our care upon Him. He is an awesome God!!! Please don't ever think that God couldn't possibly care about your little problem. He does!!

Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.
~I Peter 5:7~

The kitty of the house

Ellie likes boxes. Plain and simple. There's no need to buy her some fancy schmancy kitty bed. She likes boxes. Big boxes, little boxes. As evidenced here:

She'll squeeze her chubby little self into any box she can find. This is an old shoe box which I keep right by her food and water bowls. Oh, and inside of it is an old plastic grocery bag. She likes bags, too. Here's the proof:

When we get home from the grocery store, we always throw a bag on the floor for her to crawl into, and then Ed takes her for a swing and a ride.
Back to the boxes. Here she is sleeping in an old Aldi's macaroni and cheese box, in front of the wood stove, into which I've put a little blanky that I got for a quarter at a yard sale.
BUT, I've gotten her to the place where every morning, after I feed her, she stands by this box waiting for me to "make it"! Can you believe it? Soooo, I make a semblance of straightening up her little blanket and then she hops right into it. I didn't mean to start this thing of making her bed but one morning I was sitting in my chair having coffee and noticed her just standing by her box looking at me......You know the look......Staring...... Relentlessly. I noticed that her blanket was a rumpled mess. And she just kept sitting there. Staring at me. So I thought, okay, maybe she wants her blanket straightened up. I folded it nice and neatly and, as an added bonus, I laid it on the stove for just a few seconds and got it all nice and toasty warm for her. That did it. She laid down in that box so fast, it made my head spin. And that was the beginning of the whole thing. *grin*

Then Sings My Soul Saturday

Amy, at Signs, Miracles, and Wonders hosts a Saturday meme as shown to the left and, loving music as I do, I wanted to participate.

After giving my heart to the Lord 33 years ago, I was sitting in church one evening feeling the need to draw even closer to Him, when a ladies trio began singing this song and it just broke my spirit before the Lord. It has continued to be a favorite of mine and, as the Lord leads, I still play and sing it in church.

The title of it is "Whatever It Takes" and was written by Lanny Wolfe.

There's a voice calling me from an old rugged tree,
And it whispers draw closer to me,
Leave this world far behind there are new heights to climb,
And a new place in me you will find.

Chorus:
And whatever it takes to draw closer to you, Lord,
That's what I'll be willing to do,
And whatever it takes to be more like you,
That's what I'll be willing to do,
I'll trade sunshine for rain, comfort for pain,
That's what I'll be willing to do,
And whatever it takes for my will to break,
That's what I'll be willing to do.

Take the dearest things to me if that's how it must be,
To draw me closer to Thee,
Let the disappointments come, lonely days without the sun,
If through sorrow more like You I'll become.

I was 23 and single at the time, dating a rather unsavory young man but finding it difficult
to make the break with him. After talking with my pastor and really praying about it all, I went into service this particular night and this song was sung so beautifully. Oh my, but how the Lord spoke to my heart about needing to let go of some things in my life and draw closer to Him. I can honestly say that this was the first time that the Lord spoke to my heart so personally through the words of a song and I am forever thankful that He still does.

Hospital happenings

When I went in on the morning of Oct. 1 at 5:15am to have my first hip replacement, I was a bit unsure of what to expect but I wasn't particularly nervous because I felt that I was in a very good hospital with a very capable staff.

Sooooo, they took me back to the pre-op area, drew the curtain around my bed and told me to undress and put on my hospital gown and little cap thingy, got situated on my bed and all covered up. Danielle, my nurse came in, took my vitals, hooked me up to a thing or two and then proceeded to get an IV started in my left hand. A cute, young Dr. Reno came in and introduced himself as my anethesiologist. You know you are getting older when all of your doctors and nurses are young enough to be your children or, God forbid, grandchildren. Dr. Reno informed me that he would be giving me a spinal in a few minutes and helped me set up on the edge of the bed. Danielle was getting ready to put something in my IV and I asked her what it was. She said it was just something to help me relax so Dr. Reno could give me my spinal. That's the last thing I remember. Oh yes, it helped me relax alright! Whew!!

The next thing I knew, I was waking up in recovery, sooooo groggy and my mouth soooooo dry. I heard this *beep....beep.....beep* and a nurse saying, rather loudly, I might add, "We need you to take nice, deep breaths, Jewel." Breathing deeply. Breathing deeply. I don't want to breathe deeply. I want to sleep. Drifting off again. "Jewel, we need you to breathe deeply. When you hear the beep, that means you're not breathing deeply enough." Uh-huh. N-k. Breathe deeply. Wanna sleep. Breeeeeathe deeply. So sleepyyyyy.......*beep...bee...* Breeeeeathe. Oh, please just let me sleep. "We need to get you awake, Jewel." N-k. Breathing deeply. Deep breath. Didn't know it could be so difficult to breathe deeply. *beep....beep...beep* Will someone shoot that beeping thingy? Drifting off to sleep.....*beep...beep....beep...* Okay, getting a little aggravated as much as I can get aggravated in this numb, groggy state. *deeeep breath....deep breath...* This went on and on until they were finally satisfied that I was coming out of the anesthesia sufficiently, so they took me to my room.

I don't remember caring about how I looked, where I was going, who was going to be there when I got there. I just wanted to sleep. Right. It was not to be. Except in pain pill-induced small increments. But it was good sleep, let me tell ya. They were constantly doing something to me, checking something, giving me something, asking me something. I have never and let me stress NEVER in my entire life been asked by so many perfect strangers if I had passed gas in my day and a half stay in the hospital. But I came to find out that this was a pre-requisite to going home. Really? LOL Oh yes. Now, this might be a little indelicate but it used to be that you had to have a BM but now they just want you to pass gas. My, but they have lowered their standards, hm? LOL

To be continued......

Friday's Fave Five

Though it is a bit late in the day, I thought I would still participate in Friday's Fave Five.

Susanne at Living to Tell the Story hosts a “Friday Fave Five” in which we share our five favorite things from the past week. Click on the button to read more of the details.

1. There were still enough leaves on the trees at the beginning of the week so that when I road with Ed to do his transport route, we were able to enjoy and savor some beautiful, breathtaking scenery as the evening sun shone through the trees.

2. We now have new president-elect and the campaigns are over. *big, deep cleansing breath* No more campaign materials in the mail or relentless phone calls.

3. I love seeing the fall and Thanksgiving decor and such in the stores and the roadside stands all decked out with pumpkins and mums. I was in New Albany last Friday and there were so many beautiful displays around the town.

4. The smell of autumn! How to describe it? Sweet, ripened apples, leaves burning, their smoke wafting through and filling the valley with their signature aroma, fresh, cold apple cider, the smell of cinnamon and baked goods as the first chill of autumn makes us want to turn our ovens on again and bake.

5. Helping my sister, Debbie, celebrate her 59th birthday. Talking and laughing with her, sharing thoughts and our thankfulness for all of the good things in our lives.

One week and counting

Ed and I went to the library yesterday evening and, once there, we realized we had forgotten my walker, but I was determined to get some books. Ed held on to me and helped me as much as he could but I probably should have just stayed in the car and went another day. It was painfully difficult for me to try and walk without my walker. I've paid a bit of a price for my little outing by having to rest most of the day today while still taking the time to do my required exercises. I am virtually pain free in my left hip now, which I find amazing. Of course, my range of motion is limited and will only improve after I am able to do physical therapy. It is indeed a process. We are endeavoring to get everything done and in place for my surgery next Tuesday....hip replacement #2. *sigh* I've had people ask me if I think this one will be easier because I've already had one done and I know what to expect and I said, kind of whiningly..."Nooooooo...." *feeble grin* Actually, I don't think it will be THAT bad. I mean, I know it is going to HURT. Like, helloooooo. LOL BUT, there are these wonderful things called PAIN PILLS! Thank you, Jesus. AND I have this wonderful husband who is an absolute angel. I do get concerned about him having to help me so much and especially when I've just gotten to the place where I can lay down and get up by myself and now we start all over again......AND we have to switch sides of the bed AGAIN. (Have I told you how patient and kind and helpful this wonderful husband of mine is?) Okay, I won't go on about it all anymore. At least not for this posting. *smile*
The chest muscle that I pulled is almost back to normal which is so great. I can now just about sneeze normally, and trust me, this is a good thing.

Bear turns Democratic

This photo below captures a disturbing trend that is beginning to affect wildlife in the US.

Animals that were formerly self-sufficient are now showing signs of belonging to the Democratic Party... as they have apparently learned to just sit and wait for the government to step in and provide for their care and sustenance.