Memories - Are Made of This!

Look what I got in today's Mail - a Notice for 2017 Holiday Show In New Prague MN.  What Memories I have going there with my dear friend Phyllis.  and her daughter Bunny.  She enjoyed shopping the boutiques, especially around the holidays.  what pleasant memories.  I do miss her very much.  You see Phyllis passed away this past July from Cancer.  So these memories are bittersweet.  We always did have fun driving around to the different boutiques, shops, and sales throughout the year.

My friends Phyllis, Gayle, and Bert & myself
at my daughter's wedding Ju;u 4th 2015

This year has been a sad one for me because of losing my friends to Cancer. 

   Cancer seems to be all around me.  In 2015 my Brother Bobby died from lung cancer and yesterday my daughter-in-law's Mother Bonnie Passed away from Cancer.  My Neighbor Pat is recovering from cancer treatment - it has been a rough year for her and her husband.  We need to irradicate this blight on our loved ones.  

Feeling Sad today! Cancer has taken another dear friend

Yesterday I learned that my Daughter in Law lost her Mom to Cancer.  I know she is devastated and in deep grief.  My Son has been there by her side.  My Prayer has been that Mom went peacefully, I know she is now in the arms of our Lord Jesus.  I feel Sad for my son and his wife but Celebrating for my friend Bonnie.  She is where she wanted to be, with the Lord.  Bonnie was such a sweet woman and a friend. 

This is the Second friend of mine who has been lost to Cancer this year.  My dearest friend Phyllis died this past July to Cancer.  It's a sad time for me and a great loss of two very lovely ladies.  I also have my neighbor Pat who is fighting cancer.  I have watched her struggle with this disease and have praised the Lord for the little forward steps she has achieved so far.  I do pray she will be a survivor!

Cancer has come to close and personal for me.  I Lost my daughter in law Jenny to Cancer about 6 years ago. She left behind my Son and 2 beautiful daughters who are 10 and 13.  I really support Cancer research and do wish we could eradicate it. 

A Post Surgery Note!

Since my last blog in June my world had shrunk - I have been having a lot of pain and discomfort with my back and was not able to get out to my normal groups, see friends, go out to eat with friends or Church.  My back discomfort had gotten so uncomfortable for me I needed to take a lot of rest breaks throughout the day.  I thought that my "Spinal Stenosis" was getting worse. I finally spoke with my Rehab Dr and asked for a referral to a Neurosurgeon.  I had an MRI early August and got to see the surgeon 2 days later.  My Diagnosis was very different than I thought, "Spondylolisthesis" Level II out of 4 - I asked what happened at Level 4 and he replied, "well the vertebrae fall's completely off the spinal column.",

 We discussed surgery since L4 & L3 were both bad and Surgery was set for the 22nd of August, a day after my 75th birthday. Whoohoo! Happy Birthday to me.  The surgery went well - He fused my vertebrae, L4 to L5 and L3 to L4.  I spent 3 days in the hospital at UT Medical Center then was transferred to Rehab, Life Care of Jefferson City, where I spent the next four weeks of daily OT and PT to get me up and mobile again.  They were phenomenal! Diane in OT became my mentor, and Carmen and Kyle in PT pushed me to walk and gain my strength back. I am their Success Story.  

Today, Saturday, Sept 30th I have been home from rehab a whole week and already am more mobile than I thought I could be.  I've been using my cane in the house and my walker outside.  Yesterday I had my IV Therapy for my "Rheumatoid Arthritis".  The challenge was to walk the long hall to Dr's office and back to the car.  "I Did It"! I also so my Rheumatologist on Monday.  Whoohoo! My day's outing - to the Dr's Ha Ha.

It has been very nice to be home again, I have Home Care for the next 3 weeks, (OT - 1 day a week & PT 2 days a week), I look forward to being completely on my own and do out PT - OT.  I apologize for getting a little long winded but I am looking forward to the next phase of healing, I may still have pain and discomfort but my hope is more freedom and mobility. 

my visit to Windsong Hills Alpaca Farm

Yummy Mohair Alpaca Yarn

Valoriea with the Baby Alpaca

The Owner - Polly with a baby Alpaca

 Early this month of June I visited the Windsong Hills Alpaca Farm with my neighbor, both of us like to knit and crochet.  I had a wonderful and relax full time. The "A Time to Keep Crafters Guild" meets there every other Tuesday from 10 am to 3 pm.  I plan on returning for a class on needle felting on this upcoming Tuesday. 

 I enjoyed looking thru the shop and bought some yarn while I was there.  Polly, the Owner lent me some knitting needle's and I was able to start my project with the yarn I had purchased.  

Windsong Hills Alpacas is Owned by Larry and Polly Gray and is located at 266 English Mountain Road in Newport TN 37821 Phone# is 423-721-5257  They are on Facebook also as  Windsong hills alpaca farm . 

It is very peaceful up on English Mountain at the farm.  

 

Dianne's Granddaughter learning how to spin

Ladies - Chris, Dianne &Valoriea Relaxing on the porch

My Bella - Parvo - "Oh No!"

My dog Bella 

On Sunday May 6th I drove down to Carrollton GA to visit my daughter and family for 2 1/2 weeks. My granddaughter Zuri will be graduating on the 19th and I wanted to be there for that. It was a lovely day for a drive. This past week was a difficult one for me concerning my puppy Bella.  Starting Tuesday pm Bella wasn't feeling well she vomited and had a large diarrhea stool that was black in color.  (indicating bleeding) I feared she might have swallowed something and thought she had too much table food on Monday.   I cooked up some rice for Bella and she seemed ok on Wed but on Thursday night she had more diarrhea black stool Friday am I called Nancy's vet, made an appointment and took her in, they tested her for Parvo and it was weakly positive. I was devastated and scared for her; Parvo,  - is deadly (85% survival), for young puppies. Parvo is highly contagious and they did not want her in the office. They sent me home with meds and an IV bag of lactate ringers solution after giving her some shots. I spent Friday night giving her Pedialyte every half hour through the evening and night and the IV fluid twice a day.  I was so thank-full that that Nancy  & Thomas were here to help Me. I could not have done this with ought their help. 

_

I am happy to report that Bella is her perky self today. Thanks to all the fluids and meds.  I have found that jasmine rice, overcooked with extra water worked great. I chopped up a small amount of a chicken breast and added that to it. I add 20 ml of pedialyte.   She's over the worst but still has meds twice a day till the end of the week. I'm glad she loves peanut butter so I mix them in a small amount and give her "peanut butter" treats.