Wednesday, September 30, 2009

Update on Morgan

Morgan came through her surgery fine this morning. They found the configuration of her ear is abnormal. Where she should have a measurement of "5" somewhere in there, she is only a "1". This lack of depth keeps her tubes from draining her ear properly, thus all the infections, and affects her hearing. She will have to have a tube put in again after she recovers from this surgery.

They are hoping to take her home today since the surgery didn't take as long as they thought it would and she will be fully awake much sooner in the day. Originally she was to spend the night. Let's hope she can sleep tonight in her own bed.

Thanks for your consideration, concern and prayers.

Tuesday, September 29, 2009

One Week And Counting Until Europe

Our weekend went as planned for a change. Ted went skeet shooting up in Conroe on Saturday and I ran errands trying to get caught up on everything for our trip. I'm not sure which end of a trip, going or coming, is the most hectic.

We went to church at five and then on to Terry & Carol's to sub in their church bunco group. We had a great time but didn't win anything. The last quarter of the U. of Houston/Texas Tech football game was on and was close. The last five minutes were downright exciting as Houston pulled it out right at the end. It was well after midnight when we got home. We seldom stay out past 10:30 or so anymore.

Sunday was Ted's 65th birthday so he spent the day opening his gifts, talking to family and friends on the phone calling with good wishes and watching ... football! In the evening we went to Macaroni Grill with about two dozen people. Carol and Jody brought a large birthday cake and everyone joined in singing and wishing Ted a happy birthday.

We were up bright and early Monday to go to Legendery Oaks golf course in Hempstead where we met Jim and LeAnne for a 10 o'clock tee time. We left the fellows there and headed to Brenham for a jeweler. I needed a new watch band and I had pulled the pearl off my earring the night before. The first jeweler was closed on Monday but the second was open. They fixed me up in no time and we were on our way to Bellville.

The Texas Boomers are having a rally at Coushatte Ranch in Bellville. LeAnne said she thought I should take a look at it before I committed to go. We did and it's just not my kind of campground. It's very big with permanent residents in various types of mobile homes, trailers, RVs, etc. The trees need trimming, the roads are not well defined and the sites are helter skelter. I think we'll skip this rally and perhaps go to Rayford for the Halloween Chili Cook-Off the weekend before instead. We'll just be getting back so we may opt to just stay home! That would be novel.

We went back to LeAnne's house in Brenham and waited for the guys to get finished. They came home and we drove to Carmine, TX (Jim said this is Car-Mean, not Car-Mine). There was a new Texas Roadhouse type restaurant they had heard good things about. Ted had a T-bone and I had chicken fried chicken. It's a Texas thing y'all might not understand. There's also chicken fried steak but that doesn't appeal to me. It was very good but I could eat only half my dinner. The rolls melted in your mouth.

Round Top, Texas is an antique area and their fall event is just starting. There were a few stores right around the corner from the restaurant so we meandered around. We came to a store with a BB gun collection, going back to the 1800s, in the back. Jim and Ted had a grand time back there looking at the guns and talking to the owner. None of us bought anything but it was fun to look.

We stopped in the town of Burton, TX on the way home just to drive through to see it. There are tiny towns like this scattered all over Texas. They aren't even one stoplight towns. They are lucky to have one stop sign. Burton has a cotton mill but it is now up for sale. And time marches on. After a little visiting back at their house, we came on home but it was 8:30 before we arrived.

Today I had a dermotologist appointment in the morning and a funeral luncheon to help with in the afternoon. Ted left for Beaumont, TX right after I got home but he'll be back tomorrow. After walking with Geri, I have a dentist appointment and then my time is free for the day.

Our granddaugher Morgan is having her eardrum repaired tomorrow morning so I'll be anxiously awaiting a call from my daugher Kara about her progress. She had a bad infection that ruptured the eardrum and it has not repaired itself. It's a 2-3 hour operation and is very delicate. Your prayers will be appreciated.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Fall Is In The Air

Tuesday Ted left for Florida. He took Kristin to dinner and spent the night at her house. The kitchen floor and crown molding have been completed since his last visit and he said it really looks good. She's down to one bathroom and new living room furniture to finish. The house is about 50 years old and was occupied by an elderly woman until she died. It was a top to bottom overhaul that has been on-going. It's nice to know the end is in sight.

While he was gone I did my normal things around the house and went to Happy Hour at the country club on Wednesday night. We had a large group and I didn't get home until after 8 o'clock. I used the DVR to record Dancing With The Stars and watched it when I got home. At least the first two sent home really deserved to go. Either you can dance or you can't. And they couldn't.

I got quite a scare on Thursday when I came out of the shower and Ted had come home. I had set the alarm, which he disarmed upon entering, so to find someone in the house was startling. He caught an early flight home but didn't call to tell me.

I've been walking in the morning with my friend Geri. She lives across SH 242 next to the walking track so we meet in the morning. This and the trails we took this summer must be paying off because the doctor called with my test results and my cholesterol was 157 and my ratio was excellent! We're trying to walk three times a week but with both our schedules, that's not always possible.

Tomorrow is an appointment at the nail salon, shopping for Ted's birthday gift, a few errands, church at 5 o'clock and bunco at Terry & Carol's with the group from our parish church. We're subbing for someone.

Sunday is Ted's 65th birthday. We are celebrating by having dinner with 18 people from Newcomer's at Macaroni Grill. Carol and Jody are bringing a cake that the restaurant has graciously agreed to serve. I'm sure he'll be pleased.

Monday we're going to visit LeAnne and Jim. If the weather holds, Ted and Jim will golf at Legendary Oaks in Hempstead while LeAnne and I burn up the credit cards. Afterwards we are going to check out a campground the Boomers are using in Belleville in November. Then we'll do dinner in Brenham or Chappell Hill. They always say we're welcome to stay but it's only a little over an hour to their house and there's no reason not to come back home.

This time of year always reminds me of a poem I learned in the third grade. Ironically, there is a store here in The Woodlands called "October Gave A Party." Here is George Cooper's poem of the same name.

October gave a party
The leaves by hundreds came—
The Chestnuts, Oaks, and Maples,
And leaves of every name.
The Sunshine spread a carpet,
And everything was grand,
Miss Weather led the dancing,
Professor Wind the band.

The Chestnuts came in yellow,
The Oaks in crimson dressed;
The lovely Misses Maple
In scarlet looked their best;
All balanced to their partners,
And gaily fluttered by;
The sight was like a rainbow
New fallen from the sky.

Then, in the rustic hollow,
At hide-and-seek they played,
The party closed at sundown,
And everybody stayed.
Professor Wind played louder;
They flew along the ground;
And then the party ended
In jolly "hands around."

Happy Autumn to all.

Tuesday, September 22, 2009

Raining Again in Texas

All summer, everyone from home kept telling me to bring the cool air and rain home with me! Well I must have done just that because things are pleasant here and green. In fact, it is raining right now. Our sprinklers are covering better and we're ready for that new sod.

We had a great time at Wind Down on Friday night. There was quite a crowd and it was great to see everyone. Sharon and Mel were our hosts and have such a lovely home. We sat out around their pool for part of the evening.

Ted went shooting Saturday and I did a little clothes shopping. We went to church with Terry and Carol late in the afternoon. There was an "Arts in the Park" doings at Creekside Park so we went there for a little while afterwards. Then we decided to go to a new restaurant here in The Woodlands for dinner.

We ran into Susan & Vince and Connie & Jeff, who happened to run into each other there too, so they had dinner together. They were just finishing up eating when we arrived so we all had a nice visit waiting for our food to be served.

We spent a quiet Sunday watching the Sunday news shows in the morning and football, football, football the rest of the day!

Monday was my bunco group, the one that has been together since October 2001. I think we are down to three original members and everyone else has been added through the years. It remains a great group and the ebb and flow of friends is what makes it so much fun.

Afterwards I met Jody at the new home of another friend Ann. She has purchased an absolutely lovely home and wanted our opinions on decorating. Me! The blind leading the blind! But we had a great afternoon and I think overall we all came up with some great ideas. I then drove her to Gullo Ford to pick up her car and came home. I had been gone literally all day!

After dinner I watched the premiere of Dancing With The Stars and Ted watched, what else, football.

Today he leaves for Florida and will spend the night with Kristin. They'll go out to dinner together and have a nice visit. She has had changes at work and is very busy. I know she'll bounce a lot of stuff off Ted about the situation. I have a doctor's appointment this morning and then I'll have the next two days all to myself. Happy Hour is at the country club tomorrow night but that is the only plan I have made while Ted is gone. Stay tuned.

Friday, September 18, 2009

Getting Back to Normal

We ran into Terry & Carol at church Saturday night and they invited us to join them at Rico's in the strip mall near church for dinner so we did. Anytime I don't have to cook is OK with me.

On Sunday Ted opted for Conroe to shoot versus Houston because the weather was threatening. He'll chance it at Conroe which isn't too far but to drive to Pearland south of Houston to get rained out would be a bit much. I just putzed around here. He brought frozen Skyline chli home from Kroger's so we had that for dinner. For the uninitiated, that is a plate of spaghetti with Skyline chili over it, topped with shredded cheese and served with oyster crackers. A Cincinnati favorite known as a 3-way!

Monday was Canasta day (not Hand & Foot) and I was doing really well going into the fourth round and was paired with a new member for that last round. After enmassing 18,500 points in three rounds, we only got 685 the fourth round. So much for winning! Our hostess Sharon is also a friend of mine from church. Her husband Tom worked at NASA and he told her to be sure I saw all his memorabilia in his office. I was most impressed with a shadowbox containing all his work badges from all the missions he worked on. He had lots of pictures of him sitting at the controls we all see on TV. My son-in-law Allen would be so interested in seeing these things.

Ted left for Austin again on Tuesday and didn't return until Thursday. I didn't do much while he was gone but did meet with the sprinkler guy who will be here on Monday to make adjustments and repairs to our system. Once he is done we will have a 10 x 10 area resodded.

Yesterday was our ladies neighborhood luncheon. I learned that my 75 year old neighbor who has been widowed since I've known her is marrying a gentleman from her church in November. Of course the whole luncheon club is invited to the wedding and reception! She is so excited.

After the luncheon I did my errands at the bank and drug store. I got my flu shot while I was there. Ted had arrived home and we spent a quiet evening at home and watched the premier of Survivor. There's a real jerk on there who said he is from Houston. He is giving us all a bad name. Hope he goes home quickly.

Tonight is Wind Down and we'll get a chance to see lots of our friends that we haven't seen since May. It should be a fun night.

Saturday, September 12, 2009

Still Digging Out

Not too much going on this week. We finished up with the RV and had it put away by Tuesday at dinner time. When we told the office we were leaving Gwen said she would credit us for the second night. Campgrounds seldom give refunds and we certainly appreciated her gesture.

I went to the dermatologist on Wednesday and that evening we picked up Chris for dinner at Sweet Tomatoes. She said all her friends who winter in Florida go to Sweet Tomatoes and she was anxious to go. Her grandson was injured in a motocross accident and she has come from Michigan to help out. She changed her plane ticket and is not going home until next week. I hope to see her again before then. She is doing very well since Bob's death. Her other daughter and her son both live in the same block with her in Michigan so she has lots to do with her grandkids so close.

On Thursday Ted drove to Austin for work and it gave me an opportunity to get all our paperwork filed where it belongs. I had almost four months of mail saved that needed attention and then all the Medicare/Medicare Supplement/Social Security stuff that needed new files. I'm down to one container of books from the RV to put back where they belong. And then I am taking on UPS for the damaged frame on the baptismal dress. Wish me luck on that one.

My niece Toni and I did a lot of searching on the internet for a Family Reunion 2011 venue. I think we've finally zeroed in on one in Pigeon Forge, TN. This is just north of Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mtns. National Park. The folks from Cincinnati love going to this area so it should be a popular selection.

Last night we joined Terry & Carol and Dave & Jody at the country club for salad and pasta bar. It was great spending some time with them and catching up. We have no other plans for the weekend except church and for Ted to shoot at some doings at the Houston Gun Club. I'm playing Hand & Foot (a card game) on Monday.

And so life goes on.

Monday, September 7, 2009

17 States, 108 Days, almost 11,000 Miles

We're Home!! After a great weekend with the Texas Boomers in Burleson, we pulled out at 8:30 this morning and drove straight to Rayford Crossing. We arrived about 12:30 so it was a four hour trip. Gwen and Billy, the owners, were glad to see us and we visited for almost an hour before starting our work.

I had packed up some of our clothes, toiletries, food, etc. and put it all in the truck along with the laundry and we came to the house. I stayed here while Ted went back and cleaned the carpet three times! Then he washed the front and back of the trailer before coming home.

In the meantime I unpacked what I brought home, started the laundry and did some things in the office. Tomorrow I'll pack up the rest of the stuff at the trailer and clean it while Ted does the two sides. We paid for two nights but I think we'll probably put it back in storage tomorrow at whatever time we get finished. There's no rush since we're good until 11 a.m. on Wednesday. We may decide to make use of the pool in the afternoon.

My sister-in-law left a miniature rose and some homemade brownies on our counter. When I opened the refrigerator there was milk, eggs, bacon, bread, butter, juice, coffee and yogurt that she had put in there. What a great surprise and so much appreciated. She is very thoughtful. When I called to thank her she invited us for a cookout tonight. They had two couples coming over but I declined. I knew Ted would be tired and not want to get cleaned up and go back out.

We had an absolutely marvelous summer and nothing can ever match the memories we made. People ask if we get tired of being in the RV or being together 24/7. The answer to both is no. I love having the RV to visit friends and family for as long as we want without imposing. And we consider it a motel room on wheels when we are sightseeing and vacationing. When I'm done doing that, however, I want to come back home.

I have several appointments to keep over the next couple of weeks before we leave for Europe. Then there's the matter of packing for 17 days in cooler weather. For now I'm just going to enjoy being in my own house for the first time since May 22.

Saturday, September 5, 2009

Labor Day Weekend

We got set up in the last spot in the second row at RV Ranch and most of the week just looked at all the empty spots in the first two rows. They would fill in as the Boomers arrived but for the first couple of days we were on our own.

Ted went to Fort Worth on Tuesday and to the Wall Street Journal in Plano on Wednesday. By Thursday, folks were arriving. I knew David and Don would both be in and have something planned for dinner. Sure enough David had made sausage and chicken gumbo and Don had dirty rice and sausage. New Boomers, friends of David and Charlotte, made cole slaw and potato salad so I baked a peach cobbler and we bought some Blue Bell ice cream. We spent a great evening together.

On Friday all the spaces filled up and the festivities began. There were 26 pizzas ordered for Friday night and a movie was shown. Some of us ladies opted to play LCR in another room. Sandy's young niece who stopped for a visit and played with us said she wouldn't mind getting older if she could be like all of us. A few bottles of wine, a few jokes and it went downhill from there.

Saturday morning was a pancake breakfast followed by more LCR. We took a break and later on played Pegs and Jokers. Unfortunately I've not been on the winning part of any of these games! Ted went to the Fort Worth Skeet Club to shoot so we both had pleasant afternoons.

Dinner was a Mexican potluck followed by our Chinese auction. It's a bit different in that there are lots of packages - some wrapped beautifully, some in brown bags - but you don't know what you're bidding on. I bought several and actually fared very well. The funniest gift brought was a pregnancy test. There wasn't a person in the room who had any use for one but it sure caused a lot of laughter. One item I purchased will be perfect for our friend Jay as soon as he gets back from Colorado. I'll give it to him next time I see him.

Tomorrow we'll go to church early and then there's a pastry and coffee social. Nothing else is planned but something always comes up. We will probably start getting things ready for leaving on Monday.

We received a phone call that our friend from Michigan is visiting her daughter in Magnolia and will be here until at least Thursday. We have to be sure to fit in a visit with her for sure. Her husband died two years ago right after visiting with us. He was a good friend to both of us and we miss him. It will be great to see Chris again.