Turn Off The Water ...

During the time that I am not blogging, I am always thinking about things I want to write about, probably most of which I forget before I have or take the time to sit and write ... but during those thoughts of what I want to say, I always think about what I will name that particular blog post.  I always thinking about things I want to say (if you know me then you know I am a big thinker) and during those thoughts I always think ... I can name my next blog post blah blah blah. Again, I forget.  I really need to write things down more as reminders.
So far the only note I have written myself is this one.

OK, so I admit that sometimes I forget I am watering the yard.  No, I do not have a sprinkler system but will within the next two years before I retire.  So I always tape this little sign where I will see it when I have started watering.  I also set the timer on the microwave for my desired watering time and when it goes off, yes, I sometimes forget why I had in the microwave timer set.  <laughing>  That's a joke, I don't think I'm losing it quite that bad.  Must do .... write down what I want to write about in my blog ... must must do ... remember why I wrote myself a random note on a blank piece of paper with weird topics.  <continued laugh>

So let's see since my last post and I don't think I wrote about this but I had shingles -- again--!  And this time they were in my mouth.  After the blisters began filling my pallet and one big one on my throat, I took a Valtrex thinking they were fever blisters.  I went to the doctor that morning and I didn't say anything about shingles and when she looked in my mouth and throat, she said ... I think this is shingles.  Well that confirmed what I had thought earlier.  The left side of my face on the outside was so 'touchy' and my left ear was really having pain issues.  She looked in my ear and thankfully there were no blisters in my ear.  Praise the Lord!  She told me I had done good by beginning the Valtrex.  Now shingles anywhere is a pain ... literally ... but shingles in your mouth proves very challenging.  Eating for instance is a huge challenge.  A few more blisters continued to form a few and they got under the two crowns on that side of my mouth.  NOTE:  I have great teeth it's just that three or my permanent teeth forgot to form so when I turned 55 the baby teeth that I still had decided they didn't want to live with me anymore. Hence ... my two crowns.  The shingles under my crowns took quite a bit longer to clear up so the pain continued.  About 2 1/2 weeks later and just recently I believe they are all healed and gone.  Praise the Lord!

My clean eating is going well.  I am not getting skinny but I do feel much better and have lost all the bloating in my belly area.  I fully believe this is because I got off the flour and sugar and am having fresh veggies and protein (chicken and pork).

I went to my first yoga class week before last at the Joan Katz Breast Cancer center at Baylor All-Saints Hospital.  Oh my goodness what sweet beautiful women I met.  I talked to about 6 of the other women who were in the class and they were breast cancer survivors and also very good at yoga.  I was unable to do yoga barefooted like they do but they told me it was not an issue to leave my tennis shoes on.  I never go barefooted because I didn't get the feeling back in the balls of my feet and most of my toes.  I cannot begin to even tell you what it feels like when I'm barefoot ... it doesn't hurt at all ... it just feels really weird.  Anyway ... I felt I did really well for my first time and it was great.  Last week I was sad because I was having tire issues and had to go to Sam's to get my tires checked because that dad-blasted tire light keeps coming on in the control panel and the one time ... just one time ... I ignored the light recently I almost had a flat.  I cannot wait until I get my car serviced again and ask my mechanic about resetting the computer or whatever controls this light.  So anyway ... let's leave that rabbit chase and go back to yoga.  I loved it and will be there back row and center <laughing> this coming Tuesday.

The Texas heat is a killer right now.  Uggghhhh!  I am so tired or walking outside and immediately breaking into a sweat ... I'm not talking about just a mere glisten, I'm talking SWEAT.  Saturday morning I was standing under a shade tree talking to my neighbor and he was telling me about having his house treated for termites because he had them ... that's another story.  Anyway he was very talkative this morning and the longer he talked, the more I could feel sweat beads running through my hair and down my back ... and down the sides of my face ... oh and the real clincher is when it runs down in to my eyes.  First, it stings my eyes and second, it's just down-right embarrassing.  I have a sweet friend, Karin, who says I sweat worse than anyone she has ever known.  I keep blaming it on the chemo still being in my system ... so what that's it's been over a year and a half ago since I took chemo and I sincerely doubt that is the reason.  It could be that I no longer have any hormones floating around in my system because mother nature took a hike when I was 47 and the 'change' began then ... OR ... it could be because it's hotter than who-nods outside in Texas.  Whatever the reason I sweat so bad, I know that my body gets flushed every day when I just stand outside.

And speaking of heat, if you live in Texas, I really suggest you water your foundation.  I have several friends who are having foundation problems, one friend it sounds really bad what is happening to their house.  Watering your foundation is cheaper than having it fixed once it starts crumbling.

I began my vacation yesterday.  I started on Friday by getting my sisters (remember she lives across the street) and my front yards mowed, edged  and side walks cleaned.  When I got finished with that I mowed my sisters yard and blew her sidewalks and was headed to my house, I put the code in her outside garage door opener and the door started down and then kicked right back up.  I thought what the heck.  I'm hot and Tootie has to be at the groomers by 7:30 and her garage door decides to play games.  NO!!!  First thought I had that no matter that I had mowed her yard for her, she was going to kill me and all I did was open the door and mow.  As it's getting latter and latter, I make the decision to disengage the door from the opener after about trying 12 times to get the darn thing down. After looking up how to fix it, it was a cinch and all is well.  Praise the Lord.

Have you ever had something that you just don't want to deal with because you were afraid?  I bet you are shaking your head yes right now.  I learned years ago to face my fears ... be it a house issue, an appliance issue, a personal issue ... whatever.  The longer I put off my fears ... the worse the fear became.  Once I had faced the fear and taken action, the fear was gone.  It didn't mean the issue necessarily went away but it meant that I had faced my fear.  When you are diagnosed with a life threatening/life altering disease, you cannot avoid facing the fear.  When I was diagnosed with breast cancer almost two years ago (September 15, 2011) the fear was living in my body and I was not going to escape it.  It invaded my peace and I no choice but to face it. So today if you are facing a fear, square off and face it so you can deal with it and find a peace within.

Back in the early spring I bought three candle trees.  Candle trees are annuals and gorgeously green but when the beautiful yellow flowers bloom, it's like no other plant.  Here's some pictures of my largest candle tree and it has numerous blooms on it and I cannot wait for them to burst open so I can take pictures and show you.

 

 

Last Saturday my daughter and I were going to take a bike ride with her little ones.  I rode my bike and pulled my baby trailer to her house so I got 2 1/2 miles in before we even started.  When I got to her house she put a little air in my bike tire which felt low and right after she stepped away, the tube blew out.  Well dag-gone now what? She got her bike for me and we rode over 8 miles.  When we got back, she loaded my bike and trailer up in their truck and brought me home.  Well during the week sometime I assume ... my front tire tube blew out also.  So I currently have this scene in my garage.

 

 

I must say there was no fear taking the front tire off but taking that back tire off was causing me fear ... after all, it has all this gear stuff on it.  After watching a couple of youtubes on how to remove your back bike tire without getting your hands greasy I just faced my fear and did it.  And yes, I did get a little grease on my right hand.  So today it's a trip to Walmart to get new tubes and one new tire.  When the front tube blew, it blew the tire off the rim and boogered it up.  I have absolutely no clue what happened to both tires at the same time but I knew I had to face my fears and replace them.  I could have paid to have this little project done but I'm way too cheap for that.  I only pay people to do things that I cannot do like pour concrete or paint my house (on the outside) ... you know things like that.

 

Speaking of concrete work, I recently had some concrete work done on my patio to add about 10 inches to the parameter so the it would work well when the guys come next week to enclose my patio.  By the way ... I can't wait.  Anyway the concrete guys had to dig quite a bit of this hard red clay dirt out to set the forms to pour the concrete.  They dumped the dirt in the corner of the yard .. two rather large piles of that hard red clay... ugghhh.  Well I was not going to level it with a hoe and rake so I got the hose with the fine point sprayer and melted the red clay dirt down to match up with the yard.  I would say ... good job and also a small fear faced or a small dread faced.







Yesterday my sister and I were going up to Roanoke (a small suburb north) to meet my daughter for lunch.  My sister told me she saw a bow flex on one of the Facebook sale sites for $50 and it was in Roanoke and the lady said it had to go.  I ask her if she commented that she wanted it?  She said ... no. I told her to find the site on her phone so she did and I made a comment ... I want it have cash and I'm on my way to Roanoke.  Call me and I gave her my number.  The lady called me and long story short ... she sold it to us.  So after we finished eating, we drove to her place and discovered the thing was way too big to fit in my Highlander so we called and borrowed my brothers truck, went and got the truck, drove back up there and got it.  First let me say, this was a steal and the lady knew it but she wanted it gone and second, it was answered prayer for me.  I've been riding my bike, riding the recumbent stationary bike at my sister's and wanted something to work my upper body and now I have it.  If you are not familiar with the bow flex here's picture I found on the internet.  The one we bought isn't exact but this gives you an example of what it is.

I figure by now you probably need to either get your second cup of coffee or go potty so I will close this lengthy post.  It's early Sunday morning ... I started this post yesterday and finished today.  I hope you enjoyed the catch up of my little goings on.  Plans are to quilt the two quilt tops I have finished and begin on two very special quilts that are going to be Christmas presents.  I can't wait.  I hope this blog post finds every well and good.  Remember ... face your fears.  You will be glad you did.

John 14:27  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you.  Let not your heart troubled, neither let it be fearful.  
gkmorrison12@gmail.com