I tend to over react!

Yesterday went quite well. It seems that I tend to over react about some things. I got to the dermatologist's office a little early and once more they took me in right away. Dr. Jackson had decided to do laser surgery on both my thigh and back. He did the surgery with me in a seated position which was much better for me, though he had to kneel to do it. I read my book (a biography of Elizabeth Taylor) the entire time and got a whole chapter read before it all was completed. The place on my thigh went from the size of a dime to the size of a quarter. I haven't seen the place on my waist/back yet. I was quite capable of driving myself home, in fact I stopped at Publix and did my shopping!

Before shopping I went by to see Mother as I was only a few blocks away. I didn't stay long as they were starting an activity. She was just sitting in her wheelchair in the hall watching what was going on when I got there. When they came to take her in to her activity I left.

I don't know what to do with Jazzy. She's still chewing furniture. I mean she's really tearing it up. When I see her doing it I spank her and tell her no...that seems to have no real effect. She knows she's doing wrong and if she sees me see her she hides or runs from me. When I get home from work or being out if she's crying at the back door it means she's done something wrong. So I KNOW she knows!

I need to get some straw bales. Not sure where. I'm going to try straw bale gardening this year. I can't have worse results than I did last year and it's supposed to be a real back saver!

The husband of one of my Friday night Dinner with the Ladies died this week. He's been in a nursing home attended by Hospice for the past few months. I went to visitation Wednesday night, but didn't make the funeral yesterday afternoon.

I'm not going to Dinner with the Ladies tonight. I'm having trouble with everything with a waist band rubbing the place on my back. I'm probably just using this as an excuse. I'm afraid I really need to stop going all together. I'm spending almost $14.00 every week on food I'm getting bored with. The menu is very limited, just seafood and steak. I tried the steak 3 times and never got it cook the way I wanted it, in fact I sent it back once. So, that's $56.oo a month I'm spending on food I'm really not enjoying. I could get enough food for several meals at the grocery store for that! I guess that's what it really boils down to, money. There's never enough.

The results

Got a phone call at 6:45 last night from the nurse that works with my dermatologist. The pathology report came back and both of the biopsied places are cancerous and they didn't get everything with the biopsies. The one on my thigh has gone deeper than the top layer and they'll do laser surgery Thursday morning. The one on my back is more superficial and they'll do cryogenic surgery on Thursday. Drat.

I really don't have anyone to take me to Tallahassee for the procedures. I guess I'll be okay to drive home. We'll see. I certainly can't stay there.

Got an email from work this morning (it was sent yesterday). Rather than lay anyone off that's working in the office they will be cutting hours. They didn't say when or how drastically. Damn, I really can't afford to have my hours cut more. I can get by on 12 hours, I'm working 15 now. I hope it won't be less. We'll see. They cited the economy and how poorly business is doing and that they don't expect it to improve anytime soon.

I'm so tired of being cold. Once this house takes on cold it's awfully hard to dispel it. Even with the space heaters it's cold. Sometimes it's colder inside than outside! They did say on the weather this morning that we should be warming up soon. It's 30 degrees now. I look forward to it being 50 in the mornings! Of course I'll be bitching about the heat all summer long! There's just no pleasing me I guess.

Odds and Ends

Wednesday was my trip to the dermatologist. The appointment was for 1:30, but in true Virgo fashion I got there at 1 o'clock. That was a stroke of luck, because they took me right in. It seems I don't have much of a grasp of what I should be looking for on my skin as every thing I was a bit concerned about turned out to be nothing, but there were 2 places that he did biopsy, one at my waist line on my back and one on my upper right thigh. I should hear Monday what the pathology shows. I did get a little ticked off at the young doctor (same one I saw this time last year), because every time I'd ask about a place I was concerned about he'd say in a rather dismissive manner "that's age related". After hearing this several times I finally said "Okay, wait a minute. I've never been old before and I don't know just what to expect. Do you have a manual?"...He sorta jumped back and stood very straight (he's quite tall) and looked at me. Then he laughed and said "No, I don't, but we'll get through this together."...Maybe he'll take a better approach with other older patients. I hope so.

Wednesday night we had quite a storm. Several miles north of us, in South Georgia, they had some very damaging tornadoes. A huge limb from one of my pecan trees in the front yard came down across my neighbor's driveway. They moved in back onto my property. It'll just have to stay there for a while as I can't do any moving, pulling or lifting until my biopsy sites heal.

Thursday it was back to Tallahassee to meet my sister, Bert and Mother's friend from NC at the nursing home. We all visited with Mother for an hour and then Bert took us all to Crisper's for lunch. Mother's hair hadn't been done, but other than that the visit went well.

After lunch everyone went their own way and I went to Ross! I've been needing a non-stick skillet for a while and found one there. And it's PURPLE! Awesome!

Leah Jane's home from the Mayo Clinic. I'm amazed that she's home so soon. She had surgery on Thursday. She says the pain relief is unreal. There's pain from the 4" incision on her back, but she says that's quite bearable. I'm meeting her and her cousin for lunch today.

It's cold this morning...26 degrees right now. I don't know what this is going to do to everything that's blooming. I have a bank of azaleas across the back of the yard in full bloom and the Japanese magnolias, red buds and camellias are all blooming, too. We'll see.

Old address

I googled the old address in central FL and up popped my ex-husband's business...by name. I was sorta surprised. I googled because I'm getting all sorts of e-mail regarding refinancing, etc. Sure wish all that would stop!

Have an appointment with my dermatologist in Tallahassee this afternoon. Have a few places that don't look too good. I'm hoping it's all in my head!

Gotta get ready for work!

We've had RAIN!

It's been so dry as to be quite dusty for the last few weeks and finally yesterday and today we've had rain! I took advantage of the moist ground and planted my pitiful Myers lemon tree this morning. Poor blessed thing has been in a pot on the patio for 2 years now and has valiantly tried to live and produce fruit. Actually had two stunted lemons this year. They were so small, but still quite juicy and had that lovely Myers lemon taste. Poor, poor tree has lost most of its leaves and I'm not even sure it's still alive, but this is it's only chance. Cross your fingers for it!

Friday night was Dinner with the Ladies. The service was so poor as to be painful. When the food finally arrived (an hour after ordering) we all requested to go boxes and left! I took some little appetizers because of last week and we needed them! I got a little creative and cut out a gazillion red hearts of all sizes and sprinkled them on the white table cloth...pretty and took 4 red glass votive candle holders with candles. It was quite festive. I'm not sure I want to continue this Friday night routine...at least not at the same place. I've decided that I'll go this coming Friday night and if the service is as bad as it's been the past 2 times I'll just have to beg off. I mean really, I can shop and cook something wonderful for what I spend on Friday nights! And have it when I want it!

My friend Leah Jane had a MRI done on her back last week. She has a ruptured disc (she fell down a mountain in NC backwards!) and will be going to Mayo Clinic for a consultation for surgery this coming week. Her birthday is Tuesday and she'll be 74. That worries me as I know age and surgery are not friends. Of course, 74 gets younger and younger!

Today Jazzy is a year old! I sang Happy Birthday to her this morning and she danced around on her hind legs! She's so funny! Shirley danced too and then they both had treats. This morning they were called Birthday Treats and they both acted like they were really special! All 4 cats went outside and acted like we were nuts. They just don't appreciate a good party!

Bert called Friday night. A friend of Mother's from NC will be here on Thursday and he wants both my sister and me to meet them at 11am at the nursing home. So we will. Then the 4 of us will go out to lunch. That should be nice.

I've got an interesting thing cooking now. A chicken leg quarter with rosemary, garlic, lime juice, 9 grape tomatoes and chicken broth with shell pasta. Smells fantastic! Boy, I'm very hungry!

No particular news...at least nothing note worthy.

TGIW!!

It's amazing that a 3 day work week can be soooo long! Thank goodness Wednesday afternoon does finally get here!

Our weather is wonderful! Chilly in the morning, high 40s, and comfortable afternoons, mid- 70s. I haven't used the space heaters for 3 days and nights now and I've had both the front and back doors open each afternoon. I get a wind tunnel effect with both of the doors opened, now everything smells so much better!

This weather trend is supposed to last for a while, I'm praying for rain...it's so dry!

Last Friday, after many days and nights of living in knit hats of one sort or another, I de-capped and much to my chagrin found that my hair not only was longer, but very, very ugly. So, I spent a few hours (not all at once) and cut about 4" off. The last 2 hair cuts that I've paid someone to do were just awful and I really hated and regretted them! At least, this way, there's no one to blame but myself! Actually, I'm really enjoying the hair cut, but need to do a little more refining. Maybe tomorrow.

Spent several hours this afternoon figuring my Federal Income Tax. Went online to irs.gov and got some good information and some help in figuring how to do the Social Security stuff. Will get a small refund.

Tomorrow is Garden Club. Sure seems to come around right often! We're going to paint flower pots for Valentine's Day. Just what I need! You know, I'm not much of a joiner...hope I'll stick this out for a while at least.

I was so proud of Allen Boyd for voting against the stimulus package. Bless his heart, he sure has caught some flack because of it. Since the House is a Democratic majority he sure did go against the grain!

Yesterday I cut a huge bouquet of red camellias and made a really nice arrangement on my coffee table (rustic old garden bench). When I got home today it looked like an ancient pagan ritual had taken place in the house. The entire house was filled with red petals...from the back door to the front! Some Jazzy dog, that will go unnamed, must have had a ball!

I've had such trouble getting up for the last 3 mornings. It's rare indeed for the alarm clock to wake me and it has each morning! I'm hoping to sleep until whenever tomorrow!

Sunday Jazzy will be a year old! Hard to believe! She's such a hoot!

We have a warming trend

I went out to the street at 6 this morning to bring the newspaper in (I only get it on Sat. & Sun) and it felt almost balmy! Well, not really, it was (and is) cold, but there is a significant difference in 16 degrees and 26 degrees! This morning it's 26 and no one is shivering in the house. I'm bundled up of course, but no knit cap...and I turned the space heaters down by half! We may get up to 70 today. I certainly hope so as I have asparagus and day lilies to plant.

Last night was Dinner with the Ladies. We were in a little room decked out with oriental rugs on the floor and a round table with linen cloths on it. An orchid arrangement was in the center of the table with lovely old china and crystal and sterling silver. It was all most pleasant! The food (fried shrimp and oysters) was absolutely wonderful! This was my first dinner in several weeks as I've been quite sick. I didn't realize how much I'd missed it until I went!

Today there's a reception and art show at our local gallery. I hope to get my plantings done so I can go. The artist is a renown authority on daffodils and jonquils, but they say her paintings are mainly abstracts. Should be interesting.

I'm very fond of abstracts, in fact that's mainly what I do, or did. I must get back to my painting. I miss the process. Several months ago Michael's had a sale on stretched canvasses and I bought several. The puppies chewed one corner off of each one. I can't throw them away, but I haven't decided just how to utilize them.

Gotta run, Shirley just threw up on my bed!

It's Cold in sunny Florida!

At 6:30 this morning the tv said it was 16 degrees here and expected to drop several more degrees in the next couple of hours! Tonight's supposed to be even colder!

Well, all of the plants I'd tried to protect by putting them on the front porch weeks back died when the wind tore all of the plastic down for the third time, so I don't have them to worry about. And all of the animals are inside, so I don't have to worry about them either. So for now my focus is just keeping as warm as possible with two small space heaters. Of course, if I sit in my chair or get in bed I'm immediately covered with animals and actually find that a little too warm sometimes!

Okay, the tv just said it's 14 degrees now!

I just got all of the ingredients out to make a pot of chili. That should help.

I've been off of the computer for a while because I've been quite sick. Acute bronchitis. Have finished my antibiotic and have 2 more days of the steroid to take. I hate taking that. I bloat up so terribly and have Mother's round face. It does help with the breathing however. Today I feel much more like myself. (Didn't miss any work! Couldn't!)

My sister objected to my mentioning her (and her medical conditions) on this blog. So from now on please know she's very much in my life and very important to me, but shall go unmentioned!

The cats are going crazy! They are running from door to door and yelling. They want to go outside and I'm not going to let them until it warms up a bit. They have 2 litter boxes and they are both clean. So they can just settle down! Jazzy went out at 6 this morning and I'd no more closed the door than she barked to come back in. She just went out again and stayed long enough to do her business and came back in. Shirley has decided that she'll just sleep through this!

Oh good. The tv just said it'll get up to almost 50 degrees today. It can't happen soon enough!

I'm dressed in layers...wool slippers w/2 pairs of socks, sweat pants, a short sleeved silk tee shirt with a heavy turtle neck sweater, a long caftan and a wool jacket. All topped with a knit cap. Last night while watching tv I wore 2 caps! I may be setting a new winter style! It's amazing to me, but I'm even finding my glasses warm!

I went to the grocery store after work yesterday. They've rearranged several sections to fool us into thinking they are well stocked, but it's quite obvious that the stock isn't as plentiful as it used to be. Of course, think about it...I've never understood the need for umpteen dozen types of canned soup, or a gazillion different types of bread, etc. Maybe this will help us get back to basic cooking...or not. The meat section is the one that bothers me the most. It looks like there's been a run on meats and they just haven't had the time to restock. That, however, is not the case. There is just less meat available. Perhaps folks are not buying as much and the threat of spoilage is greater. Who knows? Well, as is all things, I feel sure this too shall pass. Just when I'm not sure, but we are a very resilient country with some good basic values and I feel that if the dudes and dudettes in Washington can screw their heads on straight everything will work out! I sure hope so!

Stay warm!

Brrr!