Happy New Year

Apache Junction, AZ   High 57  Low 39

As 2015 comes to an end and 2016 welcomes us with open arms, we want to wish you a very wonderful new years. May the year be filled with good times creating memories with old friends, new friends and family.

The Week Before Christmas

Apache Junction, AZ  High 54  Low 38

The week before Christmas actually got a little busy for us. Tuesday Jim finally got his stitches out and is starting to feel so much better.

Wednesday we got up early and went to Walmart to get some grocery shopping done before the hoards descended.  In the afternoon we went to see Aunt Happy. She had been in the hospital for a few days with bronchitis but other than a cough she was feeling good again. Her doctor told her she was probably going to live forever. Didn’t make her real happy but she does feel good.

After our visit we headed over to Costco. Jim has the most amazing luck at getting great parking spots even when the whole lot is full and people are prowing for spots. We were in and out in less than an hour.

Christmas Eve we met up with Toni and Doug for lunch at La Stalla’s restaurant. It was wonderful. And so good to see them again. Last time we saw them was in North Dakota in October. Thanks for the picture Toni. I didn’t even haul out the camera. Toni also brought us some homemade goodies.

After lunch Jim and I went across the street to check out the Chandler Tumbleweed Tree.

This unique tradition began in 1957, when Chandler resident Earl Barnum raised the idea of a tumbleweed tree after he saw a similar one in Indiana built out of cone-shaped chicken wire with pine boughs stuck in the holes.  Chandler is the only city in the southwestern United States that has such a tree.

How is it done?
First, members of the City's Park Operations Division gather tumbleweeds from the outskirts of the City. With Chandler's rapid growth fewer stretches of empty land are within the City limits, which makes it harder to find tumbleweeds in large quantities. So, the Park crews must start collecting the tumbleweeds earlier each year. Nearly 1,000 tumbleweeds are collected each year and are used to adorn a 25-foot tall wire frame. Then, the tumbleweeds are sprayed with 25 gallons of white paint, 20 gallons of flame retardant and dusted with 65 pounds of glitter. The tree is later adorned with approximately 1,200 holiday lights.

Christmas Eve we were invited by Paula to Croft and Norma’s RV for Happy Hour. We really enjoyed ourselves meeting everyone and snacking on all the good stuff.

Croft and Jim

Norma, Paula’s Mom and Jim

Paula and Croft

I tried to take a picture of the beautiful full moon.

We had a gorgeous sunset.

Our Christmas decorations (these scared Skittlez to death when Jim was putting them together. She barked and barked and wanted in my lap.)

 

 

Hope all of you had a safe and peaceful Christmas.

Merry Christmas

Apache Junction, AZ  High 58  Low 45

What would it have been like to raise Jesus Christ? Joseph was a humble carpenter when God gave him the responsibility of being Christ’s father. While traveling the road to Nazareth, Joseph reflects on experiences he and his small family have had so far and on the significance of his Son’s mission to become the savior of the world. Even though he was often overwhelmed, Joseph was always loyal to God and to his Son, Jesus Christ. How will we follow his example this Christmas season?

Baby It’s Cold Outside

Apache Junction, AZ   High 54  Low 38   December 18, 2015

El Nino is definitely being felt all over the country and here in Arizona it’s much colder than it has been for the last couple of years. I’m just grateful that the sun is shining during the day.

Jim brought out our Blue Flame heater and the girls are overjoyed. (That would also include me.)

We had lunch with Jan and Bill last week. First time we’ve been out to eat since Jim’s first surgery. I suggested Sal’s Gilbert Pizza because I really wanted an Italian sausage sandwich. Definitely a good choice. We had so much fun visiting and catching up. Felt so good to be out of the house and not headed for the doctor’s office.

On Monday Jim got his drain taken out. What a relief. He is feeling so much better now. He’s able to walk again and is building his strength back up. He even went to Walmart with me for the first time in almost six weeks and was able to walk the entire way. He gets the stitches out next Tuesday and then we should be done.

He is back to driving again but I am also going to continue to drive. I’ve gotten comfortable with it and I want to keep that feelling just in case.

Now for the big test. Let’s see if this will post with pictures in it.

Another Test Post

 

I really am not a computer person. I tried to download Open Live Writer and kept getting a message that it couldn’t load to my PC and the next time I kept getting error messages. So I gave up and did some browsing and then closed down the open tabs and there was a panel that said do you want to save your blog and finish.

So now I’m going to see if this will post.

I don’t understand but it worked. I didn’t do anything except click a couple of times and then give up.

Help

Can someone please tell me why my comments post twice?  It's driving me crazy. Thanks

Quick Post

Apache Junction, AZ  High 75  Low 48

Saw the surgeon today and everything is looking good. Depending on how much fluid drains from the incision in the next couple of days, Jim will get the drain taken out either Friday or next Tuesday. Things are definitely getting back towards normal. He’s not in much pain which is really good.

Here’s a picture of me driving the truck. Notice the white knuckles.

Now my only problem is that I will have absolutely nothing to blog about. Really kind of sad when Jim’s health is our only excitement. But in reality we are enjoying the wonderful sunshine and warmth of being in the southwest during the winter.

Any of you interested in Bloggerfest 2016? Here’s some good info. George Yates and Jan Mains are in charge this year and it should be a great time. Please spread the word for us.

Random Thoughts

Apache Junction, AZ  High 78  Low 43

Sitting in the surgery waiting room my attention span is about as long as gnat. I have a book, a word search puzzle book and my phone. I pick up one – read two pages. Put it down, work part of a puzzle, put it down. You get the idea. The problem is I sat in the waiting room from 7:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. That’s a really long time.

But I found something that really held my attention. I started reading the comments that people have left either on FB or on the blog. But I didn’t just read the comments – I spent time thinking about the people who wrote them.

Many of you I have met in person and that makes it easy for me to remember the good times we’ve had together, the problems many of you have experienced or are experiencing, and the hope that we will meet again in the future.

There are also many who comment that I have not met and yet I do know you from the wonderful blogs that you write. Those of us who write blogs (at least the ones I follow) put ourselves – the good and the bad- out there and hope that everyone understands and accepts.

I am so grateful for all those comments. They lift my spirits tremendously. I know I don’t comment as often as I would like but I do read your blogs and enjoy finding out how your day or week has been going and what you’ve been doing. It doesn’t matter if you’re out exploring or you’re living life and facing whatever it brings. You are all important to me.

Other thoughts.

Surgery waiting rooms are filled with tension. Everyone is on edge waiting to hear how their loved one is doing. Sometimes the news is good and others it’s not. A gentlemen sitting near me got the news that they could not remove the tumor from his wife’s lung because the cancer had spread into the lung walls. Another family found out that their father’s heart bypass had gone really well. But no matter what, the nurses and administrative staff that helped everyone were kind, compassionate, and cheerful. They made all the difference in the world. No matter how many times they had to explain something it was always done with a smile and patience.

I use valet parking at the hospital. It’s cheaper than parking for that many hours in the parking garage and it’s a whole lot easier. But what really makes it fun, is when they pull up in our big diesel truck and this short old lady comes over to get the truck from them. They always ask “Is this your truck?” I love it. And I want you all to know that I am doing a pretty darn good job of driving that truck now. I’m even doing better at parking it but still not very good. However, I will gladly let Jim do some of the driving as soon as he can.

And speaking of Jim – he is doing really good. The surgeon said that it was an easy fix and he should be doing much better within a week. Ask me in a week and I’ll let you know if that’s a true statement. I left him in his room under the influence of some really good drugs and came home to take care of the girls.

I think I’ve rambled on long enough. Thanks again for all the comments and encouragement. So greatly appreciated.

Highs and Lows

Apache Junction, AZ  High 73  Low 39

We (or I should say I) had a really wonderful Thanksgiving at Rod’s house. The food was fabulous but Jim couldn’t eat and he slept the whole time we were there. He’s just not hungry and if he doesn’t eat that really messes up his blood sugars. So it’s been interesting trying to get him to eat.

Monday I took him to get his cancer scan done. Tuesday we saw the cancer doctor and came out of his office on a big HIGH. Don’t have to see him again for six months and that is always such a relief.

We also saw the lung doctor on Tuesday and his breathing is okay but she wants him to do some pulmonary rehab as soon as he’s able.

Then today was our visit with the surgeon - LOW. Jim is still in a lot of pain and his incision is draining constantly. After checking him out the surgeon made arrangements for Jim to be admitted to the hospital in the morning for surgery. He explained that a lymph node is leaking and it needs to be repaired surgically. He should only be in overnight and he will come home with a drain like he had last July.

We’re hoping that he will only need the drain for a couple of weeks and then he’ll start feeling better and be able to enjoy Christmas.