8/24 Happy Sunday

With one major, but mercifully brief, exception, I've felt good all day. This has been the best day ever as far as back pain goes. So this is what normal feels like. For five months I've forgotten. Am so very grateful for this good day. Am hopeful for many more.

Gus and I swam with Jan and her neighbors today. Gussie is very friendly to everyone, so he's welcome in the lake.

Now I'm starving, so better cook some dinner. Love to all.

8/23 Good news to share

I'm feeling much better. Don't think the pain will ever go away unless we can deal with the cause of it. But I'm able to walk a mile (with Gus), and the pain is manageable.

So I'm very pleased with the results of the epidural. Since I'd been complaining for five months, thought I'd share the good news.

And 28 years ago today I married John. I can't believe it was that long ago. Wow. Next week it will be 41 years since I married Phil. Amazing how time flies.

And now I'm really pissed. Right after I wrote I good I felt the stabbing pains began again. They are bad and will last from several minutes to a few hours. The good news is that they don't happen as often and in between them I feel pretty darn good.

Gussie and I are off to Starbucks for coffee. Love to all.

8/22 Weekend, yeah!

I'm really looking forward to the weekend, and spending more time with Gus.

Today I attended a workshop on Autism and it was really good. I also hired the second of five people that I need. So all in all a good day.

8/21 QU

My first evening teaching at QU went really well. I loved the small class size, and the classroom itself. It's called a "smart room." I open it with a computerized key fob. It's programmed just for me. The front of the room is full of built-in equipment that is state of the art. I loved it.

Looking forward to next week.

8/20 Gus--before and after

The after pic isn't good because I could only get his face. Wouldn't stand still--until my phone's battery went dead, and then he was a cutie. But you can still see how short his hair was cut. He looks adorable.

BEFORE


AFTER


I'll take one later of his body which will really show his "shorn-ness."

8/19 YUCK!

I just hate that I fell yesterday. Makes me so mad that I have to use the damn walking stick(s). But at least they'll stop me from falling again. My back does remind me that I fell--guess that's what made me mad; I thought the epidural was working, and then splat! Ah well, what can you do.... No big deal in the scheme of things.

Tomorrow night I teach my first class at QU. I'm excited and nervous. Dear Cindy is letting Gus out for me tomorrow after work.

Oh, and Jan rescued me today. Someone set an appointment for me to interview someone at noon, and I had another one at 1 PM. Had to pick Gus up at the groomer's by 1 PM, and Jan was able to do it over her lunch hour. I absolutely hated to ask her but was so stuck. She's an angel.

Spoke to Rob for about an hour tonight. How wonderful is that! I love it when my kids and I both have time at the same time to talk.

Okay, back to preparing for my class. Love to all and prayers for those who need them.

8/18 Pride goeth before a fall. Splat!

Just this morning I finally started feeling pretty darn good. Then at noon I lost my balance and fell. So yeah, I'm really mad.

Came home at 2:30 and put on the heating pad. But before I did that, I stopped to buy my own walking sticks so I can return the doctor's. They're really expensive, but they will be worth it if I can prevent another fall.

But damn....

8/17 Good walks

Gus and I just returned from our second walk of the day. This morning we walked a mile and this evening we walked 2/3 of a mile, so I'm feeling pretty good about that. And he always makes friends along the way. I'm so glad he loves people (and dogs too).

Now it's back to work on the curriculum for the class that starts Wednesday evening.

8/17 My beautiful Polmark d-i-l

I call my daughter-in-law, Beata, a Polmark because she grew up in Poland and lived in Denmark as a young adult. But right now, she's really worried about her homeland. Read this:

Russia: Poland risks attack because of US missiles - Yahoo! News

8/15 Hallelujah!

The epidural hurt a lot more than the first one, but the doc was funny and fun. He put in a lot more medicine (steroids included). Jane and Jan were there the whole time and the doc said that if it hurt too bad it was Jane's fault.

Afterward Jane and Jan took me to lunch which was sweet of them. Then before taking me home we went to John and Paulette's new house and we got a grand tour. John and Matt were working hard and the place is looking great.

Right now I'm feeling a little "weird," but there's not much pain. Tomorrow I should be able to have my normal routine. I have high hopes that this epidural is going to work. I'm very lucky and very blessed.

Thanks, Jane and Jan, for being there for me today.

8/14 Something good

I went to orientation tonight for adjunct faculty at QU. I'm pretty excited about teaching there.

But the wonderful news is that I get free use of the gym and athletic facilities, meaning I have use of an Olympic size pool one block from my house. How cool is that!

Tomorrow morning I go to Blessing Hosp (at 14th) to do a consult on a young patient, and then to work for a few hours. I'll leave at noon to go home to prepare for the epidural.

It's going to work this time. Yes it is.

8/13 Surrounded by saints

Jan stopped by at lunch and took care of Gus. Cindy picked him up after lunch. When I got home at 8 PM Joe and Cindy brought Gus home and also gave me a huge salad and a huge brownie. As I said, I'm surrounded by saints.

And St. Jane is doing taxi duty for my epidural on Friday, although Jan said she may go too.

Here's the non-saintly part. They're going to go to lunch while I'm having my spine stuck with a needle the size of Cleveland. Ah well...

8/13 Off to Mattoon

Have to go to Mattoon today to get trained as a trainer for a certain test we administer when we're doing our crisis screenings. It'll be a long drive about 7 hours total for a three hour training. However the only other one is in Chicago, and that would take even longer. So Jan is letting Gus out over lunchtime and Cindy is letting him out after work.

I'm very lucky to have sisters who love dogs (and me). Thanks, Cindy and Jan. I love you.

8/11 Good news and bad news

The good news is my second epidural is Friday. The bad news is that I need it.

8/10 Bye bye, Charlie

They picked him up a while ago and Charlie (now Harley) is well on his way to Springfield. Although I did my share of crying and will miss the little critter, this is the right thing to do; and I know he'll be in a great home.

Andrew and Sarah are a sweet couple. And Barb, Andrew's mother, is a dog fanatic like me and she will give them any help they need with him. In fact, Harley will live with Barb and Bill for the first week and a half or two weeks while Andrew and Sarah prepare for their first house. Right now they're in an apartment and can't have dogs.

Can't wait to get pictures from Harley in his new home.

I think Gussie will miss him more than I will.

8/9 Goodbye Charlie

I brought Charlie and Gus to our family reunion and several different families were interested in adopting him. Even though I didn't bring him there for that reason, it did seem like the right thing to do. It will mean I'll only have to lean over half as many times as I do now. I'm trying to do whatever I can to feel better.

I'm going to miss Charlie tremendously. His personality is so beautiful and his face adorable. But having Gus and Bozie will be sufficient.

Charlie is now Harley and will live with Andrew and Sarah a little north of Springfield, IL. They're getting married next year. Sarah fell in love with Charlie immediately and Andrew soon followed suit. Who wouldn't love the little sweetie? :) They changed his name because Andrew's boss's name is Charlie. But it sounds the same, so the puppy won't be confused.

They'll pick him up tomorrow as they head out of town. So I have tonight with him. And yes, I'll cry. Can't help it--that's who I am.

The family reunion was so much fun, and the dogs were very popular. They're exhausted and passed out immediately after we got home.

8/8 Happy birthday to Jane

Of course Joe has blogged Jane's birthday, but I wanted to acknowledge it too. She's born in 54 and is 54 today. Also today is 8/8/08--what a special day.

Can't wait for all of us to spend time together tomorrow. Love you sis.

8/7 Pasta sauce

Tonight I had pasta with a sauce made from tomatoes from Joe and Cindy's garden, green pepper from Jan's garden, and onion from HyVee Market. Yay. And yum.

Saturday is the Kuhlman family reunion, and I'm really look forward to it. My family is hosting it this year and I'm going to orchestrate some very special Olympic games--the kind you can play from a chair. I'll report about them afterward.

8/5 A really down day

Don't know why, but I didn't have one pain free moment today. It was rough. All I wanted to do was go home and lay down, but I couldn't. Pain influenced every action, and I found it difficult to even think.

Sure hope tomorrow is better...

8/4 I love my kids

The housekeeper came today during lunch to give me an estimate, and it's really reasonable.

So I called Rob and Jill and told them the price and said we'd split it three ways which is what I thought we decided. Jill just emailed me to say they'd talked and they are splitting the cost so that I'll have no worries.

Amazing kiddos. They grew up great, despite everything I did to screw them up.

I love you so much, Jill and Rob (and your spouses too for agreeing to this).

8/3 Fun and more fun

Gus, Charlie, and I swam with Jan, Kris, Brian, and Rocky today. It was relaxing and wonderful.

My brother Joe blogged a bunch of pictures from my birthday and they cracked me up. The pictures were taken by my great-nephew Blake. He's five years old. (I think I got his age right.)

8/2 Yes, Joe, it IS all about me

Today turned out better than I could have even hoped. Jan picked me up for Mass and afterward we went to Gem City for dinner. There were sixteen family members there and I couldn't stop smiling. Thanks, Jan, for buying my dinner. And also for the fresh vegetables from your garden.

And thanks to Kris and Jan for making my cake. OMIGOD it was so tasty. I would have loved to have more but John ate it all.

Kris and Brian gave me a lovely bouquet of flowers in such a cute vase. Hard to describe, but they were ceramic frog boots. If you want to see the vase, stop by anytime.

Cindy and Joe gave me a frog votive candle holder and a cute vegetarian cookbook.

Jordan, my godson, gave me a new swimming suit. How did you ever guess my size, Jordan? :)

And Blake and Ty made me beautiful birthday cards---Blake drew a picture of Gus on his.

Everything was just perfect. My children called me, and Rob/Beata sent a package that hasn't arrived yet, so I still have someting to look forward to.

After dinner nearly everyone came over to my house to visit for a while. We drank beer and played with the puppies. Then we watched Wipeout and I Survived a Japanese Game Show--two of my new favorite silly shows.

Matt and Joe put my new license plates on, which I really appreciate.

Sorry if there were gifts I forgot to mention. I'll have to look through things in the morning to make sure.

Thanks to everyone for making my 61st birthday memorable. Hope some of you can join us at Jan's tomorrow for swimming. Love you all.

8/2 Another year

Can't believe I'm 61. I'm officially as old as dirt. But it feels good.

Thanks to all the family members who called and wrote. I'm very lucky to be in such a family. I'm looking forward to seeing many of you at dinner. Love, Jer

Editing to say thanks to Cindy for surprising me and my refrigerator with tomatoes, corn, and potato salad. It will be perfect tomorrow. Love you.

8/1 Nothing much

Called Jane a little while ago. They were in Rockford, driving back to Quincy. I'm sure they'll be happy to be home.

Lots to do this weekend. I have to prepare for the class I'm going to teach in a few weeks. Plus tomorrow I have to celebrate. Ha.

Editing at 9:30 PM to say that Pete just called and they'll be home in a little while. Everyone is doing well and they had lots of fun.

7/31 Say hello to Charlie

Yep, Snickers is now Charlie. For some reason I found it hard to remember the name Snickers. So he is part of the Grandpa Gussie clan now. Grandpa Gussie's first name was Charles. So both dogs are named after my great grandfather. Sorry, Sarah, but Charlie fits the little critter. And he's getting used to his name quickly.

My boss is taking on call responsibilities for me from Friday night until Sunday morning, so I won't have to be on call for my birthday after all. That makes me happy.

Jane sent me a text message today saying they are leaving Wisconsin tomorrow morning. They've had a great time.

7/30 Another saint

I think it's Cindy. Someone (was it you, Cin?) left three ears of corn and several fresh tomatoes. Oh, and the corn was already cleaned. So guess what I had for dinner...yep, all of the corn and two of the tomatoes. I'm still smiling.

So thanks a MILLION!

My puppies and kitten have been so entertaining tonight. I've really enjoyed watching them.

My birthday is Saturday. I told Jan that I just might want to go to her house and swim with my puppies, then relax on the porch afterward. Quite a lot of excitement for such an old broad.

7/29 From tears to laughter

It was the worst day since before my epidural. At work I was able to keep tears at bay because I was so incredibly busy. When it got really bad I went into the bathroom and made faces at the mirror. It helped me not take myself or my pain so seriously.

Rob called late in the day and I was able to confess to him how I really felt. I called Jan on the way home, and was able to be cool on the phone.

At home I immediately went to bed, and the tears flowed. Jill called shortly afterward and could tell I'd been crying. But I told her that I'd gone from tears to hysterical laughter because of my animals. They were just hilarious. The funniest thing was when Bozie tried to jump off the bed but couldn't because Snickers had her tail in his mouth. He wasn't biting hard because she wasn't meowing, but it was effective nonetheless. Gus just watched with me.

God it was funny. And I enjoyed trying to explain it all to Jill.

What wonderful kids I have--they call to check on me every few days, sometimes every day.

I'm feeling a little bit better. Have been in bed since I got home, plus I took a pain pill.

I'm so glad I have these animals. They are so fun to come home to.

7/27 Saint Jan

Saint Jan came by again today and worked. First we went to Mass and then Tim, his Uncle Bill, Jan, and I went to lunch at Mike's in Liberty. I hadn't been there before and the food was really good. Am so glad we went.

Tim is putting a new roof on the garage before I buy the place. It leaks every time it rains, so they said they'd do it before I even moved in. (Honestly, it wasn't my idea.)

Saint Jan cleaned my horrible utility room and then the kitchen floor. I'm really grateful to her. Now I can contact a cleaning company to get an estimate on cleaning the place on an ongoing basis.

I'm really embarrassed about my inability to do much around the house, but even when Jan was here I had a really bad "attack" or whatever it is my spinal cord does to me.

Today was one of the worst days I've had in weeks and I'm damn pissed off about it. Not that it helps or anything, but makes me feel more powerful. :)

The dogs got into the litter box and ate poop. Thought that would make everyone sit up and take notice.

7/25 A BEAUTIFUL video--made me cry

Once upon a time, two friends, John and Ace, adopted a lion cub who was later named Christian. They played with the little guy, exercised him and loved him like family, but eventually, Christian grew up to be too large to care for and his keepers were forced to give the cub up and reintroduce him to the African wild. A year later, when John and Ace went to visit Christian in his natural habitat, they were warned he would no longer remember them, for now he was wild. Check out the moving reunion (and how hot the hairstyles were back in the '70s)!

7/24 More of the same

Am so busy at work that I feel I'm spinning in circles.

Anyway, the neurosurgery place at Wash U called and said my appointment is on September 3 in St. Louis. I'll have to rearrange some stuff, but that's okay.

The weather is icky and so is my mood. Maybe it's because I feel like I'm running through mud today--lots of effort but not a lot accomplished.

7/23 Puppies and doctors and stuff

Today Gus and Snickers are at the groomer's. They're getting a "face, feet, and butt" trim. So they'll still be nice and fuzzy and adorable.

Got a call from Wash U Medical Center in St. Louis to screen me for the neurosurgeon appointment. Now they'll give the info, plus the MRI results, to the doctor there and they'll call me back with an appointment. There are no choices about date and time. So I'll wait...

Also, we're setting up the next epidural. They'd told me I may need more than one. Unfortunately I was only pain free for one day and it started to get worse day by day.

So there it is... but tonight I'm having potatoes, sweet corn, tomatoes, and cucumber and onions. And yeah--it's going to be great.

7/22 Givers (them) and Taker (me)

Jan gave me cucumbers and zucchini from her garden as well as some perfect tomatoes. Today she dropped off some green beans that I didn't know she was growing. Joe and Cindy had already given me some cabbage and last night gave me yummy tomatoes from their garden. One of them didn't even make it to the fridge. I ate two for lunch. Also they gave me some banana peppers that I added to a pasta dish yesterday--it already had Jan's zucchini in it. Omigod--I'm in the land of fresh vegetables and I'm in heaven.

On the way home from work I stopped to get some fresh sweet corn that Jan had told me about. Another omigod! I can't wait to eat again. That's how good the corn is.

Gave Joe and Cindy some too because I have a feeling I'm going to be getting more tomatoes.

I think my favorite meal is fresh tomatoes, fresh corn, and new potatoes with freshly made iced tea. I know I'll think of more, but right now that's my idea of the best meal ever.

7/21 Part time job

Just got hired to teach at Quincy University as an adjunct. Will be teaching Wednesday evenings beginning in August. This class is called Introduction to Professional Issues. It's an entry level class for people wanting to major in Human Services. I'm really excited about it. It's only two blocks from my house, and this would be a super retirement job to have on an ongoing basis.

In the meantime, dogs are doing well and I had so much fun swimming with them yesterday at Jan and Tim's. The little critters got so tired out they slept from 5:30 PM to 5:30 AM. I had to wake them up to get them to go outside to pee.

Guess the pups and I should swim every day, huh. Good for all of us.

7/20 Givers

Yesterday my sister Jan cleaned my house. It was such a selfless act of love and touched me deeply.

Because of the pain I'd had, my whole sense of self changed. Instead of just not doing what I couldn't do (lift, vacuum, sweep), I didn't do anything.

While Jan cleaned, I organized. Her daughter and future son-in-law helped her carry items to my shed (built into the old garage).

My house is livable now. And I can invite people over instead of being afraid someone will stop by.

Jan is absolutely tremendous. What has someone done for you lately? Unexpectedly or planned, doesn't matter. Just tell us what someone has done for you. It will make us all smile.

7/18 Act quickly

Family, I'm falling in love with Snickers. You better act quickly if you want him. It won't take long for him to be totally mine.


Bozie loves both dogs and plays rough with them. But when she's tired of it, she climbs the gate and goes to the living room.



A drug rep took some nurse practitioners and nurses to Maya last night. I was invited to join them because some other nurses couldn't make it. It was the day after Jan's birthday, but Jane had arranged for her to get the birthday treatment anyway. Omigod this was fun. She seemed to enjoy it too. And to top it off, the fried ice cream was delicious.

7/17 Lots of GREAT news

I took Gus outside at 6 AM as always and thought, "Something's different." And it was--I was totally pain free for the first time in almost four months. It felt weird at first.

After my shower, when I started moving around a lot more, little pains came back--but if my worst back pain was a 10, this is a 2 or so. Nothing that will stop me from doing anything.

I actually wanted to call in sick and clean my house. The house is the worst it's ever been in my life. So I'm anxious to rectify that, but the prospect of doing it all is daunting--therefore it's going to be one room at a time.

The TAB (talented arrogant bastard who did my procedure--no names) said it may last for hours, days, weeks or even months. But he was really negative about the ultimate success. Guess what? I wanted to slap him but didn't let him drag me down. He also acted like all my answers were wrong. "If I do this with your leg, it's supposed to hurt. But it hurts when I do this, and it's not supposed to." That kind of thing. I know he had to give a negative spin on the ultimate success so as to not get my hopes up, but still....

Anyway he's talented. And I feel really really good, and am incredibly grateful.

Thanks so much for all your support and love.

AND--I'm getting Gus's brother. Yep. He's the last one in the litter and they don't want to advertise and they just want to be done with puppies. So I said I'd take him if he was free. And he is. :) I get him today. Anyone in the family want to steal him?

7/16 Happy birthday, Jan and other stuff

Hope you have a great birthday dinner tonight with Kris and Tim. Thanks to you and Jane for a delightful taxi service today.

The epidural went well. Other than two brief times when I experienced bad pain (he was trying to find the right place to inject the meds), the procedure was painless.

Right now, the paim is gone/minimal in the upper areas of my spine, but still hurts from my lower back down to my knees. I expect this to be gone in a day or two. The power of positive thinking. :)

Gus and Bozie were happy to see me. There's a chance I'm going to get Gus's brother as well. Will keep you informed.

7/15 Finally

Finally my internet is working again. I'm happy about that.

Today was so bad that I even cried a few times at work. This was probably the worst day I've experienced.

So tomorrow is coming none too soon. The epidural will be done around 12 which means I can work tomorrow morning for a few hours.

Keep your fingers crossed for me.

7/13 More down than up

Today is the worst day I've had in a long time. Jane took me shopping for some things I needed, and while in the stores I kept experiencing attack after attack of extreme pain. Spent a lot of the time in tears and there was nothing I could do about it.

It's very discouraging.

Plus my internet isn't working except for two sites--my writing bb and Blogger.com. I can post but can't go to my website and answer comments. This is freakin' weird.

Anyway--back to bed.

7/13 Life is good

We had a wonderful surprise birthday party for my sister Jan last night. Everyone showed up (but my brother and sister in law from near Chicago). She had inklings that something was going on, but truly was surprised.

The food was delicious and the presents were great. However the highlight of the evening were the fire balloons. Many people don't even know what they are, but we grew up with no money and lots of kids, so fire balloons were a fun and inexpensive thing to do on summer evenings--with adult supervision of course (snicker snicker).

It was a delightful evening. Gus and I both were tired at the end of it. Happy birthday (on the 16th), Jan. Hope your real birthday brings you as many smiles as the surprise one.

7/12 Long time no post

Internet isn't working at home and I haven't had the energy to be on the phone forever trying to get it fixed. I'm at work trying to catch up, so will take the opportunity to post now--it's Saturday.

I misunderstood the doc. If it hurts, don't do it, means that if it hurts and I continue to do the activity then it may cause a muscle spasm which of course hurts like crazy. Activity won't cause further damage, so that's awesome news.

Have felt really bad the last several days except for yesterday. Pain was mild and was a welcome relief. Jan invited Gus and me to come swimming last night because I do need to start doing easy exercise. I swam with my puppy and did it very gently--using a noodle and not flailing my arms about. It felt superb, until afterward. Then the pain started and hasn't let up since. That saddens me because the swimming was fun.

Jan and Kris made a salad and zucchini fritters so they invited me to have dinner. It was delicious and much better than the PB&J sandwich I was going to have. Craig and Megan arrived last night to celebrate Jan's 60th this weekend. They aren't inviting us all over because it was a really long drive for just the weekend. Plus I really understand that they want their immediate family to spend the special time together.

7/9 Doc appointment

Saw him at 6:30 AM.

Guess it's worse than I thought. A lot worse.

The stenosis and arthritis aren't pushing against nerves like I thought. They're pushing against my spinal cord. That's why my shoulder and neck hurt too. If it was lower on my spine, it would be pressing against individual nerves.

Recommended I see a neurosurgeon ASAP and also recommended I make an appointment at Barnes or somewhere else out of town so I can get a second opinion immediately regarding the necessity for surgery. Will talk to my private consultants about other doctors out of town. (Jan and Jane, get ready.) :)

Also, he said the main thing to remember is--"If it hurts, don't do it." Told him my house is a wreck because of that very reason. Originally I thought I could do stuff and just pain would result but no additional damage, but he said that's not true. I could hurt myself worse.

The good news? My systolic blood pressure is 110. I attribute it to my puppy.

I know there's more, but I need to get back to work. Love you all.

7/8 Don't read this either

I'm finding it so hard to tolerate this pain. Am happy I'm going to see my doctor in the morning.

Went to the grocery store after work and got caught in one aisle where I couldn't even walk. Managed to shake that off and called my sister-in-law Cindy so she could help me unload my groceries. Thanks, Cindy, you were a godsend. And chatting with you for a little while made the tears stop. I only let it get to me that badly when I'm alone. But I'm okay now (emotionally). I love you.

My animules are glad to see me. After writing this I'm going to take another pill and go to bed.

7/8 Don't read this

Don't read this if you're sick and tired of reading about my back. But...

Wish the epidural were today. I experienced my worst night ever last night. Had pretty bad pain all day which is not the norm. By the time I got home I was crying. And the hydrocodone didn't help. Finally called my sister who's my doctor's nurse and cried to her. She said, "I don't allow patients to call me at home." God that made me laugh, and of course that helped immensely.

Of course, she did give me comfort. That calmed me down. The pain didn't go away but I stopped crying. Being calm makes things a lot better. Thanks, Jan.

Oh, and the night before last we had a first--Gus slept all night without me having to take him outside. Last night it was three times, but I do see that a full night's sleep is now possible.

And when I got out of the shower, Bozie was watching the weather. She's such a smart cat.

7/6 Best and Worst

This has been such a great weekend. I've been able to be with my family a lot which is so important to me. Last night, Kelly, Todd, and the boys came over, but I didn't hear them knocking.(Note to self: get a doorbell.) Luckily I went out in front to water the flowers and saw them sitting over at Joe's house. So Gus, Bozie and I went over.

I knew they'd come to meet Bozie, because they are definitely cat people. Bozie made quite a hit with everyone. She is such a cutie. And of course Gus got some great attention too.

The worst part is that this weekend my back has been worse than ever. This latest bad flare up started about two days before the MRI, and unless I take the pain meds it's really bad. With the medication, I can tolerate the pain, but can't do a lot more than that. All I want to do is sleep. Last night I forced myself to water the flowers (which was good because I got to see everyone).

I'm grateful the puppy and kitten have each other. Neither has to rely on me for their fun. I do love to play with them though. Here are some pics I took with my phone.

We didn't know if Gussie would like the water or not, but he followed Rocky (a miniature dachshund) right into the pond.



I finally have a picture of Gus and me. It looks like I'm choking him, but I promise I'm not. Just wanted him to look at the darn camera.



My sister Jane holding Gus. And a pic of a small evergreen on Jan's porch with bubbles on it. The kids were blowing lots of bubbles and some would stick on the plant. Loved it.



A very tired puppy.



Bozie loves TV. Here's she's watching Wimbledon.

7/5 A wonderful Independence Day

Thanks, Jan and Tim, for such a great time. Most of the family and lots of friends turned out, and it made it a special day. Poor Gus doesn't remember how to walk because everyone kept holding him. :) That makes me happy.

I had a lot of fun. Can't wait to see the pictures.

When Gus and I got home I heard Bozie meowing, but couldn't find her. Started to get scared. Then I found her closed in the pantry. She was there the whole time. Luckily she didn't have an accident. A great kitty.

7/3 TMI on MRI

I know this will be too much information, but am writing it anyway.

Had the MRI yesterday and both my sisters called me with the results. I have two things wrong.

One is on L4 and L5 I have moderate to severe narrowing of the central canal. My doc said no wonder I'm in pain.

On the S1 and T12 I have perineural cysts (also called Tarlov cysts). Apparently they don't cause pain unless they grow to a certain size, so I don't know if they are just incidental or what.

There's also some stuff about "facet osteoarthropathy." Here's some info: "Most people who have facet arthropathy will complain of low back pain that is worse with twisting or extension (bending backwards) of the lumbar spine. ...as the facet joints become arthritic, they often develop bone spurs that can decrease the amount of space available for the nerve roots as they exit the spinal canal. This can be a contributing factor in the development of spinal stenosis, which does cause pain, numbness, and weakness in the buttocks and legs." Our father had arthritis of the spine, so it's no surprise that I have it.

Haven't spoken to my doc but he's sending me to a neurosurgeon, and also to the pain clinic for an epidural. I think I'll love the epidural. He does want me to have surgery, but of course I'm going to weigh my options. Luckily my sisters are wonderful and are great to have as consultants.

One sis said, "At least you know that you really have something." I laughed so loudly over the phone and replied, "I've always known I've had something. It's just you guys who think I'm a lazy slob." Laughed again. And so did she.

Yesterday and today were both big pain days, so I just took a pain pill. Will lie down soon and hope to begin snoring within moments.

7/2 A little good news

My license arrived in the mail today. So I'm currently an LCSW in three states--Illinois, Wisconsin, and Mississippi. Of course I'll let the other two expire, but I'm so happy the IL one arrived. It will make my job easier.

Had the MRI this morning. Will find out the results in a few days or so.

7/1 Stuff

Work flew by today. I had so many meetings that I didn't get my work done and had to bring a lot of items home.

The good news is that my eyes are fine. Saw the ophthalmologist this morning.

Also good news is that I got some pain meds from my doc and they are helping. Tomorrow morning I'm having an MRI, so we'll see what happens.

6/30 No time

Will post more later, but here's a picture from Joe and Cindy. My little Gus being chased by a Huskie--Storm. By the way, Storm is very sweet and they were playing great together.

6/29 More family fun

Last night we went to dinner at Tony's Too, and then went over to Kelly and Todd's so everyone could visit. It was fun.

Today it was raining off and on, but our reunion went off without a hitch. Gus was a big hit. And lunch was really good.

For dinner we all went to Matt and Beth's and ordered pizza. Gus was adorable with their huge Huskie, Storm. And all the little kids really had fun with him. Right now he's passed out on the bed.

Unfortunately it was the worst back day in quite a while. I see my doc at 6:30 AM.

6/28 Good weekend so far

Got up early and took Gus out. For the first time he decided to roll in poop, so at 5:45 AM he got a bath. Such a skinny little thing when his hair is wet. Went back to sleep until about 7:30 or so. Made breakfast, then talked to Jane. Jan was busy, but Jane, Sarah, and I went to the Midsummer Art Faire at Washington Park. It was really nice.

Saw so many people that I knew. It is indeed nice being home. Plus got a personal tour of the Tranquility Med Spa, owned by a physician who works with Jane. It is a beautiful (and peaceful) place.

Gus was a star. I can't even count the number of people who stopped us to talk to Gussie. A popular fellow. This is another good thing about having a small dog. I can take him places with me. Right now I'm at work (trying to get my new office organized), and Gus is sleeping at my feet. Just what I want.

Forgot my security code, so the police came out. Oops. But I finally found the right one and everything ended up fine.

Nothing going on tonight, but tomorrow is the Gustison reunion, so Gussie is definitely going there since he's named after their patriarch.

6/26 Happy sad mad disappointed and more

I moved into my new office and the new job starts Monday. So I'm happy about that.

And my house sold in MS. So I'm happy about that too.

And my pets are fantastic. They make me smile after a day of listening to people's very real problems.

The sad mad disappointed comes from this: after work I was totally pain free. Decided to play with my pets a few minutes on my bed and then actually clean part of my house.

Kris came over and helped me fix a few things, and while getting her a screwdriver the shooting pains and spasms began. This was around 5:30 or so. And they're still happening. Makes me so damn mad.

I've finally gotten to the point that I'm not in constant pain. So that's very good. Yet, when it hurts it really hurts. I'm still in physical therapy, and will visit my doc again on Monday.

So I guess it's just cuddling with my cuties tonight. Love to all.

6/26 Belated birthday and pets

A belated happy birthday to dear Hunter, my favorite grandson. Wish I had some pictures here at work to post. He is six and just as sweet and cute as can be. Hunter, I can't wait to see you in October. I'll call you again. Sorry I missed you.

More pet pictures.

Here's Grandma Bozie--



Here are the puppy and kitten drinking out of the same water bowl and also Gussie cleaning Bozie's ears. They are so cute together. But this morning Bozie got tired of Gus bugging her, so she jumped the gate and went into the "forbidden zone"--the living room. Smart cat.

6/24 Do you believe in miracles?

The kitten has been behind the dryer since Thursday. I made arrangements to return him and get a more domesticated kitten from someone else at work. Then lo and behold, the cat appears. And this is what happened:



They were on the bed together for a few hours, smelling, touching, playing. The kitten is a little suspicious still, but Gus was amazing. He didn't pounce once or play rough at all.

Oh, and the kitten is a she, not a he.

So I now have Grandpa Gussie (for Gustison) and Grandma Bozie (for Bozarth). It's funny too that Grandma Bozie was the eldest daughter of Grandpa Gussie. Got that straight?

Checking each other out...

6/23 Dogsitter

Today's my 12 hour day so Jane and family kindly took Gus for the day. Jane said when she handed the puppy to Sarah, Sarah said, "This is my dog."

Made me smile. I'm so glad everyone likes him. He's made my week, that's for sure.


This picture is of Gus with the dogs at Jan and Tim's. Shows how tiny he really is.

6/22 Lots of food with family

I ate at Jan and Tim's last night along with our other sister Jane and family. Today after Mass, Jan, Jane and I went to lunch at Krieger's. Was going to eat a Smart Dog for dinner but Jan invited me over again for dinner. I love going anyway but now that I can bring Gus with me I love going even more. We had salad, spaghetti, and garlic bread made on the grill. Yum.

But I ate too much. Sigh.

Am at home with my little puppy and am finishing laundry. Am also relaxing. Have had a really rough "back" day. Wish it would hurry up and get better.

Took pictures of the flood with my phone as I drove to Jan's. Can't connect the phone to my home computer for some reason, but will do so tomorrow at work and will post.

Hope everyone had a good weekend.

6/21 Where's the kitty?

Behind the washer and dryer, that's where. I can't even get a picture of him, he's so shy and scared. I'm sure he'll come out to join us at some part. He does eat, drink and pee when we're sleeping, so I'm not concerned with his health.

Last night I got a crisis call and went to the ER and observed a staff member. This is training for my new job. Didn't get home until 1:15 AM, and not back to sleep until after 2. So I'm a bit tired today.

Gus remains AWESOME. No accidents at all. Quite an accomplishment since he won't even be two months old until the 23rd.

Oh, by the way the cat's name is Grandpa Bozie (for Grandpa Bozarth's nickname), and I'm calling him Bozie. Gus is named after Grandpa Gussie (Grandpa Gustison's nickname).

6/19 LA Times and a cat

Quincy is on the front page of the LA Times. Check it out:

http://www.latimes.com/includes/sectionfronts/A1.pdf

And I went to my boss's house and picked out one of his 15 kittens. It's a little gray male. A cutie, but very shy. He's in the laundry room and I expect him to stay there for a while. He's got food, water, and a litter box so he should be okay. Gus likes him but the feeling isn't mutual.

6/18 More on dogs?

Still good news from Q and C's new owners. They love the dogs. So I think I can relax a little.

Cutie pie Gus was in the crate all day--I came home at lunch and let him out after he was in it for 5 hours. No mess. He was awesome.

I left him at 12:30 and got back at 5:30 and once again--no mess. I can't believe he's 8 weeks old and did so well. Here's hoping it continues.

After work, I brought him to Jane and Pete's house to meet them and their dog Bailey. They fell in love too.

I'm a lucky bug.

6/17 Gus is mine

He's exploring my office right now. A little while ago I was holding him and he started whining. I took him outside and he pooped. What a smart little critter!

6/16 Great dog news

I received this email from Lesa, Quincy and Cookie's new mom:

The dogs did great yesterday. We were outside a lot and so were they. I didn't have to put them on the leads at all. If they went out of site, I just called and Quincy would always come immediately, it took Cookie awhile to return. She was too busy. First time out Quincy jumped right into my goldfish pond which is only about 4x3ft. Needless to say she got scolded for that and didnt do it anymore. They both found the creek right away and were having fun running in and out and under the culvert, over the road. and back under. Cookie definitely has some bird dog or something in her. She loves to trail scents and actually flushed out a wild turkey! Steve wrestled them in the house. At first they didn't know about it, but were soon lapping that up, esp when he rubbed their bellies. They were fighting over who got to play. Quincy loves the frisbee. I am assuming it was new, because now it has some pretty good teeth marks on it. She would catch in mid air most of the time. Cookie was too busy exploring to do much play. By the way they are scared of the stairs. Tried to get them to go down to the family room and they would have nothing to do with the stairs, even on the deck! Isn't that funny!

Anyway, they went right into bed last night. Didnt hear anything out of them at all. They were ready to go out at 5:30 am.

She and Steve put down the comforters in their spare bedroom and the dogs slept quietly there all night. I'm just so damn happy.

And Tuesday night Gus comes home.

6/15 They're gone

Yeah, I'm crying.

I picked up Jan and she went with me to take Quincy and Cookie to their new home. The home is absolutely lovely, which scares me a little bit. I sure hope the girls remember their manners. Their yard is awesome, with a creek a the bottom of it. I just know they are going to be so happy there. And Lesa seems so nice. We didn't get to meet her husband Steve because he was at church.

Lesa recently lost her little Yorkie, so she gave me a soft-sided carrying case which will be perfect for taking Gus in the car. And Joe and Cindy are giving me their crate that Kirby grew out of. That will be perfect for home. This is saving me a lot of money.

I didn't get to pick up Gus today after all because Jan and I went to help with sandbagging. The river is so high. The old bridge is already closed, and the new bridge is now two-way instead of one way. We're hoping the levees hold. They're calling for more rain tonight.

Am going to dinner with my sisters and their husbands for fathers' day. I think I got a pity invitation, but I'm happy for it. Any time I'm not at home being sad is good. :)

I work 12 hours tomorrow, so I can't pick up Gus until Tuesday after work. So it will sure give me something to look forward to.

6/14 A beautiful day

I've had a great day with my dogs today. I kind of devoted the whole day to them. Tomorrow I'll feel worse emotionally but better physically. (I've felt bad since the walks.) I have everything of theirs packed up, except Cookie's portable crate that she sleeps in. I think the dogs are picking up on my anxiety because they are more squirrelly than usual. Plus they both keep coming up to me, sitting, and just staring at me.

Some nice news--Cindy gave me a whole bunch of leaf lettuce from their garden and I made a huge salad with tons of good tasting veggies. Thanks again, Cindy. The lettuce was tasty.

6/13 Gus

What do you think? He's an 8 week old Lhasa Apso. In the picture above, he's sleeping under a kid's chair in my office.

6/12 Puppies and mud oh my

As soon as Q and C got home tonight, Quincy got into her favorite part of the yard--the mud hole. She's had two showers this evening. Now I am watching her sleeping on my bed and running in her sleep. It is so incredibly funny.

Went to the Humane Society over lunch. They didn't have many small dogs. Tomorrow I meet some 8 week old Lhasa Apsos. We'll see how it goes. If I fall in love, then I'll get one. If not, I'll get a miniature dachsund. (Maybe.) :)

I'm enjoying my last few nights with Quincy and Cookie.

6/11 Sunday

Quincy and Cookie are going to their new home on Sunday. It will be so awesome for them. I'm taking them so I can see where they'll live. It's about an hour from Quincy, in rural Missouri.

6/10 A big crybaby

I've been crying off and on all day. I KNOW that Q and C are going to dog paradise--an acre and a half with a creek running through it. But Lesa and her husband may be going out of town this weekend, and don't want to take the dogs until they get back. There's a slight chance their trip will be canceled though.

The dogs are at Alpha Dog for a few days to give my back a break. And tonight I cleaned up all their toys and cried.

Went on a crisis call tonight and when I got home, cried again. Damn I'm tired of this. The girls need to be with someone with more energy than I have. And I need my back to get better.

You know the dogs don't do anything to hurt me--ever. They don't jump on me. They don't wrestle or fight in the house. They don't do anything except be puppies. And that causes me physical pain. Nothing they do is bad. So the folks in Missouri are getting excellent dogs.

And I'm still crying. Duh. What a dope.

6/9 Dogs, dogs, dogs

Just got an email from someone who works with my sisters. She said she wants both my dogs. She lives in the country in Missouri. Wow! This would be the best case scenario if Quincy and Cookie can stay together. As much as I'm going to miss them, this is absolutely the best thing. My back is really hurting tonight, and has been all day. So I love these two critters so much, but know I can't give them what they need. And they can't give me what I need--some rest.

I'm sad, happy, happy, sad...and just want to find the best possible home for them.

6/8 Quincy was a star

And she behaved perfectly too. I took her to a sled pull contest at Riverview Park. I must confess that I took her just to watch and to be around other dog people, in case anyone would like to adopt her.

Well, we got talked into her pulling as well. She took to it so well and acted like she loved it. They do a test run first just to see if the dog will allow the harness on and will pull the sled. So she started with just 10 pounds, and it was picture perfect. The next time we put on 20 and the next time 31. I didn't realize that there were only two "real" rounds or I would have had them put more on her final turn. She was exceptional and I was so proud of her.

Jan called later and invited me to dinner, so I went over and joined Jan and Tim, Kris and Brian, and Jane, Pete, and Sarah. The food was superb and we ate out on their huge porch. The weather was perfect.

6/7 St. Francis Parish Picnic

I went over at 5 and met up with some cousins. Had a beer with them. Then when my sister, brothers, and families arrived we had dinner. Everyone bought great sandwiches--roast beef, sloppy joes, hot dogs, brats, etc. No vegetarian food except onion rings, so that's what I ordered. For dessert, instead of getting superb homemade cakes, I got a shaved ice--a HUGE one. Then suddenly I got sick to my stomach. Started sweating profusely. So I told the family--bye, I'm sick. Walked home and threw up.

Wonder what it was--onion rings or shaved ice, or a combination of the two. Glad it's over. But I'm sorry I had to leave the family so early.

6/6 Mud dog

Quincy has made a huge mud pit right where the sump pump empties into the yard. I've given her five, count 'em five, baths today. It began this morning even before work. Joy!

Tomorrow is the St. Francis parish picnic. It's been years since I've been to it, and I'm looking forward to it. Most of my family will go, so that will make it even more fun.

6/5 Mississippi house

I signed the acceptance letter and faxed it today. So as long as the guy's funding goes through, it looks like the closing will be June 30th, give or take a few days. Although I'm not thrilled--because the price was a steal--I am happy and relieved.

My back was feeling better but I had to give Q three or four baths tonight (I lost count), so I'm not feeling great tonight. Every time Quincy goes outside she heads toward the mud, where the sump pump empties.

Yep, the basement is flooded--still. Sue hope it dries out soon.

Anyway, I'll sleep well tonight knowing my mortgage payments in MS are coming to an end. Hooray.

6/4 The best, the better, the good, the bad, and the OOPS.

The best is that I accepted an offer on my Mississippi house. The bad is that I'm losing a ton of money, but I just need to unload it.

The better is that I had physical therapy today and it felt good while I was there. The bad is that it doesn't feel good right now.

The good is that my promotion will give me a lot of satisfaction at work. The bad is that I'm hardly getting a raise.

The bad is that I still haven't found homes for Q and C. The good is that I get to keep them longer.

And the OOPS? Well, I slipped on a wet kitchen floor and fell flat on my back. Ah well...such is life.

6/3 I finally will talk about it

Because of my back I need to find a new home for Quincy and Cookie. It breaks my heart, but I have to do it. (Jan and Jane practically threatened my life if I didn't.)

It's true. My back just won't get better with all the tugging and pulling I have to do with my big lovable dogs. I can barely stand to think of it, yet it hurts me physically to deal with them.

Because of the mud outside I've already had to bathe them twice. It's not what I need to be doing.

So if you know of anyone who wants these gorgeous dogs, AND WILL TREAT THEM LIKE FAMILY, please please please let me know.

I love them.

6/2 The good, the bad, and the forgetful

Let's start with the forgetful before I forget. May 29th was my darling Jill's birthday, and I was so caught up in my own drama that I didn't post about her. Please forgive me, Jilly-bean, and I'm so happy you had a great 34th birthday.

The bad is that my back gave me fits over the weekend. Today was the worst. I start PT on Wednesday morning. That should help. And Doc said he'll order an MRI.

The good is really good--in fact two goods. First, we had a super time at the Avon Walk for Breast Cancer. There were 4,000 walkers and 600 crew. What a fantastic weekend. The group raised more than 9 million dollars. Unbelievable!

The other good news is that I got a promotion at work. Beginning very shortly I'll be the Coordinator of Child and Adolescent Mental Health Programs at work. I'm so happy, and am really looking forward to the new challenge.

5/29 Xray results

Xrays show degenerative disease (arthritis) of the lumbar spine and sacroiliac. Worse on the right side than the left. (I think everyone my age has it. Maybe I'm wrong....) Our dad had a really bad case of it.

So I'll need to ask the doc if that could have caused the pain that came on so suddenly, or if there is something in addition. I'll ask him on Tuesday when I get back from Chicago. In the meantime I'll just take it easy and let the anti-inflammatory stuff try to work.

That's it for now.

5/28 Family fun

Just returned from Kelly and Todd's where we had dinner to celebrate Adam's return to Quincy for a vacation. It's so much fun to be with family even though tonight was for a short time. I was uncomfortable as I had a painful day, so came home early.

Tomorrow at 7 I have xrays, so that might tell us something. Sure hope so.

5/27 Beautiful pups

I love my dogs. Two pictures depict them calm and sweet. Two pictures depict them looking for the squirrels and rabbits that dare reside in our yard.

5/26 Memorial Day

It was nice to sleep in today. Of course the dogs woke me up at 6 AM as they normally do, but they were nice enough to go back to sleep until 7:20. Felt great.

My back felt better last night, and I am beyond thrilled! Here's hoping it keeps heading in that direction and I can get back to normal, whatever that is.

I'm working on losing weight (although it's hard without being able to exercise.). It didn't work when my family had the Bozarth Biggest Loser contest. But I"m now doing it with some of my writer friends online. I'm down 7 pounds in four weeks. Pretty good, but I have a long way to go.

Missing work actually. That's sad when I should be enjoying a holiday.

Had dinner last night at Maya with Jan, Jane, Paulette, Sarah, Kelly, and Deb. Tasty food of course, but the best thing was the company. We always have such a good time when we're together. The only sad part is that Jane may not be able to go on the Avon Breast Cancer Walk because she may need to stay home with Pete. And if she doesn't go, Deb won't go. Although Deb didn't say why. So it would just be Jan, Kris, Cassie, and me. Sure hope Pete is doing well and Jane can go.

5/25 Storms and such

It's been storming since 7 AM. (I've been up since 6.) Luckily I have wireless so I can still be on the computer.

We're on a slight break between thunderstorms right now, so the dogs are going crazy at all the rabbits and squirrels in our yard. Making me crazy too. I guess I'll have to have another session getting them used to rabbits and squirrels just like we did with the cat at Alpha Dog.

Here's a picture my brother Joe had. He and I are with our godson, Jordon, the graduate. Of course the only weight I'm supporting is the empty diploma holder. I just love the picture. Thanks, Joe and Cindy.



I'm going to put some things away today, and then this evening will have dinner with my sisters and two friends. We're all leaving Friday for Chicago for the Avon Breast Cancer Walk. Jane is iffy at this point because she wants to make sure Pete can do without her. We won't know that for a few days. I'm a bit iffy too, but am fairly sure I'm going to go.

5/24 Home with the dogs

The laziest of days.

The only thing I've really done all day is go to the grocery store. The dogs are a little whiny and get upset when squirrels and rabbits are in the yard, but other than that have been good. And I'm grateful for that.

Just wish there weren't so many squirrels and rabbits.

I feel really bad that I can't walk the dogs. It would calm them down. Always does.

5/23 Doc

Either my back is just strain or it's something more serious. The doctor's concern is that there are some other symptoms that may mean it's something other than a muscle strain.

Will begin physical therapy soon, and I'm having xrays taken on Wednesday. Will report back then.

5/21 Is it a full moon?

My dogs are both so crazy tonight I can't bear it. Makes me wonder if it's a full moon. They have both been so squirrel crazy that it's driving me nuts.

5/20 Oddities

It's odd. So many of my clients are people I know or people who know other family members or even people who may be friends of the entire family. Once they walk in, I always give them the option of going to someone else, but no one has taken me up on it yet.

They trust my confidentiality. And that absolutely makes me proud.

It's odd. Cookie honestly thinks she can get the squirrels that are in our trees. And I believe she is protecting Quincy and me from the nasty rodents. What's really funny is that the squirrels now taunt her, sitting in the tree in the backyard making squirrel noises. She really can jump up high--over six feet. Nearly made it over the big fence this week trying to get a squirrel that had crossed from our huge maple tree to the neighbor's huge fir tree. It's really fun to watch, but I'll be devastated if she ever jumps over. And I'm convinced that besides chocolate lab she is also a coon hound. I saw a special on TV about them, and she behaves exactly like a coon hound.

She's a pain, but I love her.

5/18 Today....

Today was Jordan's graduation from QND. It was fun...especially sitting with the family and making fun of the fact that Jordan wouldn't smile. Or look at us.

The celebration at the cabin was so much fun and I really enjoyed it. Ate too much of course, but the company was great!

Also today--I'm officially older than Dad was when he died. That means I've lived longer than both my parents. I promised myself that I'd treat every day as a gift, especially since I'm older than they were. I truly believe each day is a gift anyway, but especially now....

That's one reason I'm losing weight. I want to take care of myself as much as I can so I can enjoy the gift.

5/17 Too bad....

Woke up and took the dogs for a walk. They behaved really well, but after two blocks I had to turn around and come home. Spent most of the day either in bed or in a chair. The Advil just isn't cutting it anymore.

I'll see the doctor on Friday, and am looking forward to finding out what this is, and to get some relief.

Okay, this is the last post about the pain until I can post that it's better. :)

5/16 Hooray it's the weekend

Nothing exciting to report. I'm still waiting for an offer on the house in MS. Waiting impatiently, I might add.

Last night was my godson's Jordan's baccalaureate Mass. It was long, but was so neat. I can't believe he's graduating from high school. We're having a big family get-together on his graduation day this Sunday. Should be fun. I'm making a vegetable tray and dip and also a cranberry salad.

5/15 Horrible and fantastic news

The horrible is that the deal fell through on my house. Depressing.

The fantastic is that Jill and kids are visiting in October, and I'm thrilled beyond words. We're hoping that Rob and Beata can come at the same time.

5/14 Another offer

I accepted an offer on my house, except said no to one little thing they wanted. My realtor thinks they'll say yes. Maybe tonight.

Keep your fingers crossed!

5/13 Offers

One horrible offer on the house, but when they found out I was getting another offer they upped it $10,000. Still bad, but at least worth a thought. I should get the second offer tomorrow and I'm excited.

Spent a quiet night at home with the puppies. I really missed them. Both are behaving so well. We'll see if that continues while I'm at work tomorrow.

5/12 long day

Monday is my long day. Several cancellations, but of course I still had to be there.

It's good being home. I love traveling, but always love coming home. My old mattress even felt good.

There are tons of branches down in both my front and back yards. As soon as I can bend over, I'll need to get those taken care of. In the meantime the rains and winds continue.

Tomorrow I get a haircut after work, and I am looking forward to it.

Still haven't heard about the offer on my Mississippi home. Realtor said that she would receive the offer tonight, but it's 10 and haven't heard anything yet. Maybe tomorrow.

5/11 I'm home

The drive was the hardest ever. The wind blew so hard for most of the drive that I thought about stopping somewhere and resting. My hands gripped the wheel so tight nearly the whole trip. But the nice thing was that both my wonderful kids called me while I was driving. (Thank heaven for hands free phone ability.)

And when I got home, a surprise awaited me. On the front porch was a lovely arrangement of flowers--roses, carnations, tulips, and bachelor buttons--from Rob and Beata. Such a sweet gift, and it made me feel so special.

I'll take it to work tomorrow since I work 12 hours. Besides if I leave it here Quincy will probably eat the flowers. :)

4/11 Great great weekend

More about the wedding in a moment, but my real estate agent called while I was at the wedding reception and said another agent was writing an offer but just needed to know what my property taxes were. When I got back here to the B and B I looked it up online. Thank you, TurboTax! I should hear something today or tomorrow.

The wedding was perfect and the reception a riot. We danced all night. (I'm paying for it today, that's for sure.)

Just a few minutes until our breakfast, so I'll close for now. Will try to write when I get back to Quincy. Love to all.

5/10 Happy wedding day!

I'm sitting at a Bed and Breakfast in Henderson KY with my friends. We're watching Soulja Boy (because I tried dancing it tonight at the reception) and an ultimate belly flop contest that was held at my friend Debbie's house and watched Miss Teen South Carolina's silly silly answer on you tube and Jimmy Kimmel's rebuttal of it. Oh my I've laughed so hard.

Lou and Bill's wedding was perfect and the reception was so much fun. We all love this B & B too. It was great being with friends and I'll miss them, but it will be good to be home again. It'll be another 5 1/2 hour drive, but it'll probably go fast.

Bedtime for bonzo.

5/8 Busy busy busy

Today flew by, so busy. Just finished eating dinner and soon will start laundry and packing. I'm going to have a great time with my friends in Kentucky. Just hope the long drive won't wreak havoc on my bod. I have a hard time even walking in the morning and evening. It won't be long and I'll be able to see the doctor!

Hooray for that!

Corey just mowed my lawn. Hooray for that too!

5/7 Ugh, yay, and yay

The ugh is that the offer fell through. The guy didn't respond to my counteroffer because of an unexpected expense that he encountered. Shoot.

The first yay is that my sister-in-law Karen sent me tons of books, for grades K through 4. I will definitely put them to good use, Karen. Thanks.

The second yay is that Jill and kids may be coming to visit in October. I guess it's during school break. I am ecstatic. They just need to find some good ticket prices. And I'm confident that will happen.

Oh, and a mini-yay. I was worried about a huge expense that might happen, but it turns out that I worried for nothing. I called my friend Lou in Kentucky and told her I couldn't make the wedding this weekend in Kentucky because I couldn't justify the expense. She said the room at the B&B was already paid for, all the food was free, and all I'd be paying for is gas. She's so smart. She convinced me. And I'm glad, because I'll see several more of my friends there--some I just saw in CA. I'm looking forward to it and it's only a 5 hour drive or so.

The bad thing is that my family is having a yard sale at my house while I'm gone. Wish I could be there to help. And Jan, Jane, Kris, Deb, etc., I'm trying to get my lawn mowed before Saturday. I promise.

5/5 GREAT NEWS!!!!!!!!!!!

I got an offer on my Mississippi house! Hallelujah!

The problem is that it's $12,000 less than what I'm asking. I'm countering at half that. We'll see. Keep your fingers crossed please. (And prayers won't hurt either.)

I'm in between clients at the moment. I saw 8 clients today before I got away for lunch at 4:30. Sure made the day go fast. Have two more before I can go home tonight. It's been a really good, and productive, day.

5/4 News, both good and bad

Pete got to go home from the hospital yesterday. He'd been in for two full weeks. The final problem was four blood clots in his leg, so they had to put a filter in his vein so the clots wouldn't kill him. This was scary stuff. He's so happy to be home, ensconced in a hospital bed in front of a huge window in the family room. Jane collapsed upnon hte couch. She is so relieved, and life will be a lot easier for her.

Bad news. Quincy wet the bed last night. That would be upsetting, but not overly so, but in light of her puppy diagnosis of a pelvic bladder, this could be disastrous. The vet in MS said that since she's been okay the past year, a quick growth spurt could have fixed the location of the bladder, but didn't take xrays to prove it. Originally they'd told me that once she becomes incontinent, there was no cure. So I'm praying this was just an aberration. If not, I've got a very difficult decision to make. And it hurts to even think of it. Anyway, there it is.

As for me, I have a doctor appointment for later this month, but in the meantime am still struggling with my back, hip, and leg. It's gotten worse the past few days.

5/3 Happy birthday yesterday!

My beautiful granddaughter, Kayla, turned 8 yesterday. I can't believe how grown up she is. Here are some pictures through the years. I'll try to find one from our recent beach experience. I love you so much, Kayla. Happy birthday!