I have the day off from work, which is nice, because I have a lot of things I need to do. Of course, if you could see the dust in my room you'd know I always have a lot to do, and my room is the last priority on the list, usually.
Michael is feeling a lot better, thank goodness. It's so fortunate we have this three day weekend for him to rest and recuperate from this virus that's had him down.
Colton's folks are out of town so he came over yesterday and has spent the night. Having him around really cheered up Michael. They both helped me a lot at Kroger yesterday. They came back and played basketball a little bit, and kicked around a soccer ball in the yard.
I fixed beef stew for dinner, in the crockpot - beef, onion, carrots, potatoes - but it didn't turn out right. The flavor was good, but I couldn't get it to thicken up. So I took the immersion blender and stuck it in there. We ended up having beef soup. Oh well. Tasted good. I also made a big salad, with lots of feta cheese, olive oil, and mushrooms, which everyone loves, and a cherry cobbler. So nobody went away from the table hungry.
My brother gave me, for Christmas, a large container of nice olice oil with a bunch of garlic cloves in it. It's great stuff. The garlic permeates the oil and it's wonderful for cooking pasta, sauteeing veggies, as the base of a salad dressing, etc. Very thoughtful gift.
I thought I had actually filled up the boys, but as we were later watching a movie, they polished off a bag of Sun Chips and a bag of potato chips, and ate some candy.
Mike spent all day yesterday on the sofa watching TV - something that never happens at my house, unless somebody is sick. I don't much approve of TV.
He watched all the terminator movies except the last one. And probably 500,000 commercials. Ick. I don't own a DVR.
I just told Michael he can wear pajama pants today as long as they are CLEAN. Now that he's feeling better and the virus is going away, we are washing sheets, getting him a new toothbrush, etc. Gotta remove the germy things.
Yes, I was raised by a Germaphobe. I'm a third-generation Germaphobe. My Mamaw was the original Germ Terminatrix. She had a black belt in Clorox.
Ever listen to older moms talk about how bad it was when they had babies? Especially for a Germaphobe Terminatrix. No soiled diaper was allowed to stay on a baby for more than 60 seconds.
When I was a baby, Mother had no milk for me so I took bottles - every 2 hours, since I was underweight. Every bottle had to be sterilized. All formula had to be made fresh for each feeding, and any not consumed had to be thrown out. The dog got HUGE eating all that baby formula.
Seriously. He was a mini pound puppy that turned into Marmaduke.
Mother and my aunt Jane were reminiscing the other day about hanging cloth diapers on the line in the winter and how they would freeze.
I forgot to ask how they would thaw them out and put them on the babies.I'm betting an iron was involved?! Discuss amongst yourselves. My mother still disdains Pampers and such, saying disgustedly "MY babies never had PAPER diapers."
My aunt had three babies in diapers at the same time. Wow. Bet she would've loved some Pampers, but we're talking early 1960's here.
I wouldn't have done well with an infant. I don't have much patience with creatures who do not talk - except for dogs. God knew what he was doing giving me older kids.
Busy day ahead. Kroger, Colton, possibly a movie.
We finally got some winter weather. It will be 61 today.
I don't like sports, normally, but I couldn't miss the fact that if the Falcons win today they are going to the Super Bowl.
GO FALCONS!
Love the photo below. Doesn't it look like a game of Angry Twister?!
Wow, yesterday was a great day for the weather - sunny, finally! Yay! no rain! - and yet personally so sucko in so many other ways.
I read my devotional every day, though, and yesterday's lesson was particularly apt. It talked about trusting God to lead us through the dark times. It sometimes feels like I am walking along blindly, scared because the future is such a huge question mark, and I forget to trust the fact that the Lord is always with me. A lot of the book is about that same theme, and at first I thought, this is too repetitive. Now I see the wisdom of it. We need to be reminded every day that faith, real faith, trumps anxiety every time.
So why did yesterday suck big time?
Rotten thing #1
I interviewed for a job last week that I was sure I was going to get and I didn't get it. Maybe that doesn't sound like a big deal to you, but it was a big deal. Suddenly I feel like I've been thrown back out into the howling storm without an umbrella.
Rotten thing #2:
Michael has a virus. So the doctor didn't prescribe anything. All she said was "Bring him back not week if he's not well. This is going around." Poor kid came home and spent the rest of the day with a box of Kleenex close by, and he coughed. And coughed. And said his head hurt. I finally gave him a couple of Aleve and that seemed to help him a lot. He was actually able to sleep without taking cough medicine, thanks be to God.
So maybe he is over the worst of it.
Rotten Thing #3
This is really a series of rotten things, emails. I sent my daughter an email a week or so ago telling her I'd pay for a bus ticket so she could come home for a visit. I haven't seen in in over 1 1/2 years, and she only lives a few hours away. She replied yesterday that if I really loved her I'd just tell her to come home. We had several emails back and forth and I won't share all of them. Suffice to say, trying to communicate with her is very difficult. Trying to get her to understand how important it is for her to behave is like trying to pull teeth. It's comforting to read my friend Cindy's blog because she has grown children with the same issues. Even years after being adopted, there's a basic lack of trust there that makes all progress difficult.
OTOH there were bright spots in the day.
Bruce sent Michael a really nice winter jacket. It's a man's lightweight but dense jacket, with lots of nifty pockets. I will get him to model it and post a photo. It looks to be really warm. Michael was delighted with it.
We had to park a ways from the front door of the pediatrician's office yesterday, and as we were walking back to the car I noticed an insurance card on the ground. I picked it up and it was for dental insurance. I looked to the door of the dentist's office, which was 4 feet away, and figured somebody in there must be looking for this. I walked in. There was a man sitting in the office with a huge stack of cards in his lap and a look of great anxiety on his face. I said "Is this your card?" and read the name. It was his card. He thanked me profusely.
I came out and told Michael what happened. "Did he give you five dollars as a reward?" he said. I just looked at him for a second, because the remark annoyed me. "No. I don't want money. Sometimes you just have to do the right thing, just because it's the right thing." My dad's words were echoing in my head. He always said "You have to do the RIGHT THING. It's usually not the easy thing, but you have to do it anyway." I remember thinking a lot of times what a fuddy-duddy thing to say.
Now I see how wise he was.
If only everyone lived by that simple credo, wouldn't the world be a much better place?!
Mother had her last appointment at the Emory Wound Clinic yesterday. I've been putting the compression things on her lower legs every morning for 3 weeks, and taking them off of her at night. I've gotten pretty quick about it. They force the fluid back up, so it doesn't pool in her calves and feet. Anyway, the folks at the Wound Clinic are very nice, and we've gotten to know all the nurses by name. They are remarkable folks, very caring. Even the doctor, who was a bit brusque at first, has come to be much appreciated.
She still has to wear the compression things on her legs but she doesn't have to go back to the Wound Clinic. She was discharged yesterday. Yay.
I had a long phone conversation with my friend Dana late yesterday afternoon. We've been friends for more than 20 years. I told her about all my issues and she told me about some of her issues. That is the kind of friendship that sustains me. I don't see her as often as I'd like, but I feel so fortunate to have her in my life.
Michael is doing ALTA tennis on our neighborhood team this spring, starting in March, and I am one of the co-captains. I got my roster set up, my email list going and a lot of the administrative tasks done for that. Tom Doolittle, my co-captain, does the actual hard job of running practices and deciding who plays in matches. I just am sort of the behind-the-scenes person but that suits me fine. I want Mike to play on as many tennis teams as he can. He enjoys it.
There is a new movie coming out called Knife Fight, a dark comedy about politics. Can't wait to see it. Watch the trailer below and tell me this doesn't look intriguing?!
Just a quick update, because I have to get Michael ready to go to the doctor this morning. He was coughing up a storm yesterday, and I think he may have a sinus infection. I've never seen him so miserable. I hope the doctor can prescribe something that helps him quickly. I know he doesn't want to be sick over the long weekend. Schools are closed Monday.
Everyone around here was all excited yesterday, hoping for snow. We just got a bunch of freezing rain. There are some icy patches on the roads today but none of the local schools are closed.
Michael said a LOT od kids are out sick, with the flu and other things. I think the warm, rainy weather we've been having is really unhealthy.
We started watching the movie Romeo and Juliet last night because Michael is reading it in English class. I told him, watch the movie first, then the play will make sense to you. He agreed, although his English teacher disagrees. No matter. I studied Shakespeare in graduate school. Great stuff.
Michael and I started watching one of my favorite movies last night, The Right Stuff, about the early NASA astronauts. It's a great way to teach kids about that era in history. Also, it has some terrific actors in it. I don't know why it wasn't more popular when it came out in 1983.
We are having lots of rain here and the electricity went off last night. I overslept. Will try to do a blog post later today. In the meantime wanted to share a little story.
Saw this on Facebook and wanted to share: Faith is the bridge between where I am and where God is taking me.
It made me think of this true story -
My friend M and her husband are adopting a little girl from Bulgaria. She wanted her two closest friends to be adopted too. M and her husband, devout Christians, didn't have the money. They prayed about it, trying to figure out what to do.
A family member gave them money. Co-workers gave them money.
They are going ahead with the adoptions of ALL THREE GIRLS! I am so excited for them.
I have learned a lot of things since my back was acting up last
summer, and I thought I'd share some of them.I'm sorry, but these
pertain to the lower back. Not sure about cervical [upper] back stuff.
1.
Housework is not so important as being able to sit down without
agonizing pain.My chiro told me he sees a lot of women who are overly
zealous about a clean house.
2. Find a good chiropractor. I
went to one recommended by a friend, and he was/is awesome. Dr. John
Beasley in Decatur, if you're in the Atlanta area. The only trouble was
his office is very close to a Chinese restaurant and I always came out
of there craving Chinese food... LOL
3. Aleve is great stuff. Until I could get to the dr. I took a bunch of it.
4.
Sleeping with back trouble is a nightmare, literally. I finally figured
out that rolling up a towel and putting it in the small of my back
helps a lot. Also, sleeping on my back with my lower legs propped up on a
pile of pillows helps. Gets the pressure off the lower back. Motrin
helps, too.
5. Don't sit on soft cushions. I sit on the hardest chair possible now, and my back never touches the back of the chair. Sit up straight. Don't slouch. Office chairs that are well-made are the best.
6. Try putting a heating pad on your back. Heat really helps my back. Some people swear by ice, though. See which one feels better.
7. Strengthen your stomach muscles. I now do this
several times a day. You can do it sitting in a shair. Just stick your
legs straight out in front of you and hold a few seconds. Also, lift
your knees and clench your stomach muscles. Google for exercises to help your tummy.
You can go to see an orthopedist [I did] but unless you need surgery, I think they are fairly useless, except for an x-ray. Showed my x-ray to the chiro and he said "Oh yeah, grade 4 spondy. You'll be fine soon." I got a lot more relief from the chiropractor.
Well yesterday was a rainy, yucko Monday from start to finish. Woke up with an upset stomach. Went to bed thinking about all the stuff I didn't get done.
Michael woke up with a sore throat. He's been feeling puny for a few days. I couldn't get an appointment with the pediatrician so after work yesterday I ran him up to the Walk-In pediatric clinic. We got there at 5:30 and didn't get to leave for two hours.
The good news is he doesn't have flu or strep. The bad news is, we don't know what's wrong.
He's been feeling nauseated a lot. I think that's a reaction to some medication he takes for his face.
The female doctor at the clinic had a terrible bedside manner. When I was telling her what was up with Michael she stared at me, unblinking and unsmiling, like I was an escaped lunatic. Michael noticed it.
It was like being treated by a robot or a cyborg, not a person.
We went to this little clinic, which is where we got Mike's sports physical about 6 months ago, because we LIKED the doctor he saw then. Of course that nice doctor is no longer there. Grrr...
Today Mike still doesn't feel good. Regardless, he has to go to school. He's not running fever.
Back when I lived alone and didn't have kids, I usually watched the Golden Globes every year. Since 2005, though, my life has been very busy and I have not watched them. Last night, however, Michael and I watched them a little bit.
The nice thing about the Globes is they are not as stuffy and pretentious as the Oscars. The show is better run, IMHO.
I am not a big fan of Amy Poehler. However, I thought it was hysterical when she said, after Bill Clinton spoke, "OMG, that was Hillary Clinton's husband!"
I loved that Ben Affleck won for Argo. Excellent film. Everyone should see it.
If you want to know the most memorable parts of the show, according to CNN, click here.Watch the video.
I loved the speech given by Adele when her song for Skyfall won. Her accent is adorable. I had no idea how tall she is. Wow. She made Jennifer Lopez look like a liliputian.
Jodie Foster got a lifetime achievement award, which is INSANE. She is 50! She's just a KID! I bitterly resent that. I'm sorta glad I turned the TV off right before her speech. Everyone in the room knows she's gay and has known for years. Yawn.
Did I mention that Michael was mighty impressed by JLo's dress?! Me too. I guarantee you there were a lot of fabric panels cleverly sewn across the "naughty bits." Looked like she was sewn into it, too. Hope she didn't have to pee all evening...
Other than going to Kroger, yesterday was really quiet.
Michael is telling me he has a sore throat this morning. ACK! I hope he's not getting the flu.
Michael and I went to lunch yesterday at The Greater Good Barbeque and really enjoyed it. The atmosphere is casual and friendly. The little waitress was attentive. I had the barbeque sandwich and mac & cheese. The pork wasn't the most tasty ever, but I thought it was good. It was served on Texas toast, which I didn't eat [well, part of one piece] but I applaud trying to do something a little different with a BBQ sandwich.
Michael loves wings, and he had 8 smoked wings and slathered them with sauce. He said they were good. He also gave a thumbs up to the potato salad.
I got Mother a BBQ sandwich and a cup of Brunswick Stew, takeout. She is a connoisseur of Brunswick Stew. This looked more like really thick vegetable soup, with big chunks of tomatoes and unpeeled potatoes. She likes soft foods because she has teeth issues. Plus, her food wasn't piping hot, as I'd had to run by the library on the way home. I should have just put it in a bowl and stuck the immersion blender in it, but she wasn't that hungry anyway.
For dessert, Mike and I split a bread pudding with apples that was really tasty.
So overall, I thought the restaurant was nice and the food was good. I also liked that they played good music overhead, Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder, Al Green, some pop songs from the 50's - not too loud and great singalong stuff. The TVs were not turned up.
Michael was invited by a friend to go to the movie and they saw Zero Dark Thirty. Mike said he enjoyed it. It wasn't his choice, but he went along with it. I think it's gotten several Oscar nominations. Definitely not one I care to see.
I want to see Les Miserables but I'd rather hear people with professionally trained voices sing the songs. I listened to Anne Hathaway and Russell Crowe on YouTube singing their songs and I thought they were doing well acting the songs, but as singers, um, nope. I'd rather hear Leah Salonga sing "I Dreamed a Dream" for instance. I love the song, when it's done right. I'm sure a lot of folks would disagree with me, but I studied voice for 5 years and I am pretty critical about vocal performing.
Michael wasn't out late last night, and when he came home we watched a Ghost Adventures that was somewhat different than the usual. It took place at the home of poet Robinson Jeffers, Tor House. What impressed me most was that the guys all took turns reading Jeffers' poetry, getting a handle on the man, who was obviously a fascinating individual. He built his home by himself, in the 1920's. He wrote a poem in 1962, the year he died, called "Ghost." He said his ghost would haunt the place in 50 years.
All that is interesting, but what I wanted to mention here is that after Zac read the poem, Mike looked at me and told me the poem sounded really "bitter." That's a pretty astute analysis of it. He pops out with stuff like that all the time, which proves to me he is a really smart guy.
I am so glad I got him switched to Advanced English this semester. He can handle it!
The older I get, the more I realize how important it is to be a part of a community, to really participate. I lived alone, in apartments, for years, and I never felt part of any community. I always wanted a house. I've had my house now since 2005, and since the heavy lifting of being a mom has slowed down a good bit, I want to explore more ways to get involved in the local community.
Even though my mailing address is Atlanta, and I consider myself an Atlantan, I do most of my shopping in Tucker, which is 5 minutes down the road. There's less traffic and I like to feel part of a small community that's not so huge and impersonal as the city.I like to drive down Tucker's main street, which has been renovated to be more friendly. Lots of cute businesses there now.
Greater Good Barbeque recently opened in Tucker. I have not tried it yet, but I've been meaning to. Reviews have been mixed. I have been able to make really good barbeque at home, where we can eat in our pajamas and everyone can use the sauce they like. So eating at home is our favorite thing right now.
However, I will likely try Greater Good soon. Not necessarily for the food, either.
A couple of weeks ago, The Handy Ace Hardware burned to the ground. I liked shopping there, even though it couldn't compete with Home Depot prices. At Handy Ace, the employees actually wanted to help you. You could ask them stuff and they'd explain it. They carried everything from nails, to bird feeders, to hammock, doghouses, etc. Whenever I couldn't find any gifts for my brother, I'd go to Handy Ace and find at least a couple of small things I knew he'd like.
Now, the community of Tucker has rallied around the Handy Ace employees. I like this story in the Atlanta Journal, Hardware Store Finds World of Help After Fire. To quote from the story:
“It’s what I’d call a community hardware store where they just had a
lot of stuff on the aisles,” said Larry Goldfinger of Stone Mountain,
who took pictures of Ace’s remains the other day. “You could go in and
just walk around for an hour and three or four people would offer help. I
don’t know how many times in Home Depot or Lowe’s I’d have to walk up
and down aisles to find somebody.”
Need advice on paint colors?
Ask Alicia. Something in lawn and garden? Phillip was your man. Trouble
finding that ancient piece of plumbing? Handy Ace was the place where
even credit could be arranged for long-time customers.
This is what community is all about. The store was insured, but the employees are out in the cold until Handy Ace is rebuilt. That's why the fundraisers, to try and help the people that made the store special.
Isn't it ironic that a terrible fire actually has drawn together a community? The Lord works in mysterious ways.
This is a photo I took of Main Street, tucker, during a car show last summer.
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